Thirtysomething secondary a force for Broncos

Denver ranks second in league in pass defense, yielding an average of 136.3 yards per game. And that's with a secondary that includes four starters over 30: Brian Dawkins, 35; Champ Bailey, 31; Andre Goodman, 31; and Renaldo Hill, 30. "They're as good as we've seen," said Dallas tight end Jason Witten of a foursome that has 42 years worth of collective NFL experiences, 15 Pro Bowl selections and 104 interceptions. "Thirty is a number a lot of people get hung up on," Dawkins said in a conference call. "But there are always exceptions. If you are looking at our secondary and the first thing you see is 30, you are in for a pleasant surprise if you are for us. If you are against us, you're in for a different kind of surprise, because 30 has no bearing on what we do on the football field."