SIMper Bowl II
January 25, 2009
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Weather: Sunny, Light Wind, 72 Degrees
NFC Champions: 1996 Green Bay Packers
AFC Champions: 1998 Denver Broncos
How They Got Here
Green Bay
12-4-0 Regular Season-NFC North Champions
Playoffs
Defeated 1991 Washington Redskins 31-17
Defeated 1999 St. Louis Rams 34-27
Denver
12-4-0 Regular Season AFC West Champions
Playoffs
Defeated 2000 Baltimore Ravens 17-14
Defeated 2007 New England Patriots 31-21
Coin Toss
Denver Calls Heads. Here’s the toss. It is tails. Green Bay has won the toss.
Brett Favre: We want the ball
John Elway: We’ll kick to the clock
1st Quarter
Denver set to kick off. Jason Elam’s kick is high and short. Desmond Howard catches it at the Packer 11 and returns it just five yards to the 16 before running out of bounds.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 16-Brett Favre fakes the dive to Dorsey Levens and throws the quick out to Mark Chmura. The pass is complete at the Packer 18. Chmura turns up field and is pummeled by Steve Atwater at the 20. Chmura fumbles the ball, and tt is recovered by Neil Smith for the Broncos!!! TURNOVER
Den 1st & 10 @ GB 21-John Elway fakes to Terrell Davis and drops back to pass. There’s a heavy rush, but the Broncos have a screen pass set up. Davis cannot catch the pass. Incomplete.
Den 2nd & 10 @ GB 21-Elway gives to Davis running off right tackle. He’s inside the 20 to the 15 yard line before being stopped by a hoard of green jerseys.
Den 3rd & 4 @ GB 15-Elway drops back to pass. He spots Shannon Sharpe running a post slant pattern to the goal. Elway’s pass is…..just out of Sharpe’s reach. Incomplete.
Den 4th & 4 @ GB 15-Elam in to attempt a 32 yard field goal. The ball is down; the kick is up, and it is perfect. FIELD GOAL.
Denver 3 Green Bay 0 1st Qtr. 13:57 Scoring Drive: 3 plays, 6 yards, 0:51
Denver set to kick off. Elam’s kick is short once again. Howard fields the ball at the 13 and has a hole. He’s to the 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and pushed out at the 40.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 40-Favre tosses to Edgar Bennett running wide left. He has nowhere to go, and he’s going to be dropped for a loss of 3 by Glenn Cadrez.
GB 2nd & 13 @ GB 37-Here’s a quick trap off left guard by Bennett. He breaks a tackle at the 40 and will get the first down on a 13-yard scamper.
GB 1st & 10 @ 50-Favre drops back to pass. Nobody is open downfield. He dumps it to William Henderson who will pick up 2 yards.
GB 2nd & 8 @ Den 48-Favre drops back and hands to Levens on a draw play. He has no room and will pick up a yard.
GB 3rd & 7 @ Den 47-Here’s another draw play to Bennett. The Broncos read this one all the way, and Bennett can only gain 1 yard.
GB 4th & 6 @ Den 46-Craig Hentrich set to punt. Here’s the snap. Hentrich booms it short and high. The ball bounces at the Denver 15 and rolls to the 5. It’s picked up by Darrien Gordon at the 5 and returned 3 yards.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 8-Elway gives to Davis running off tackle to the right. He’s got room to run. Davis is to the 10, the 15, the 20, and knocked down at the 22 for a 14-yard gain and first down.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 22-Elway drops back to pass and is looking deep to Ed McCaffrey. He lets it go, but it is too strong and incomplete.
Den 2nd & 10 @ Den 22-Elway drops back and gives to Davis on a draw play. Davis gets back to the line of scrimmage and dives forward for 1 yard.
Den 3rd & 9 @ Den 23-Elway drops back to pass, but Green Bay is blitzing. Elway throws the ball away.
Den 4th & 9 @ Den 23-Tom Rouen set to punt for Denver. He hit it high. Howard calls for a fair catch and fields the ball at the Green Bay 38. It’s a punt of 39 yards.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 38-Favre takes a short drop and looks downfield. Nobody’s open. He begins to scramble and throws to Bennett, but the pass is wide and incomplete.
GB 2nd & 10 @ GB 38-Favre drops back again, but this time it’s a draw play to Levens. There’s no room to run, and Levens cuts wide getting just one yard before being shoved out of bounds.
GB 3rd & 9 @ GB 39-Here’s a quick pitch to Levens. He’s going to be trapped behind the line. No! He breaks loose, but Romanowski has him as he hits the line of scrimmage. No Gain!
GB 4th & 9 @ GB 39-Hentrich is in to punt. He gets a high spiral, and Gordon catches it at the Bronco 19. He has a seam. He’s to the 20, the 25, the 30, and knocked down at the 32.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 32-Elway is back to pass, but here comes Reggie White on a stunt. White’s got Elway and down he goes for a loss of 6 yards.
Den 2nd & 16 @ Den 26-Elway is back to pass again, and the Packers are blitzing. He has no time to set up. Elway escapes the initial pressure and runs up the middle getting back to the original line of scrimmage on a gain of 6.
Den 3rd & 10 @ Den 32-Here’s a delayed draw to Davis. He’s going nowhere. No gain.
Den 4th & 10 @ Den 32-Rouen set to punt for Denver. The punt is a little low and returnable. Howard takes the ball at the Packer 24 and has room to his left. He rounds the left side at the 25, 30, 35, 40, and is taken down at the 43.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 43-Favre gives to Bennett on a dive play over right guard. Bennet picks up a couple before going down.
GB 2nd & 8 @ GB 45-Favre fakes to Levens and rolls to his right. He hits Robert Brooks at Midfield. Brooks takes the pass and cuts upfield into Bronco territory. He crosses the 45 to the 40 and cuts back to the middle. He’s to the 36 before going down for a 19-yard gain.
GB 1st & 10 @ Den 36-Here’s the give to Bennett going off tackle to the left side. He has no hole, but he bulls ahead for 2 yard.
GB 2nd & 8 @ Den 34-Favre drops back to pass. He spots Antonio Freeman open on a deep out route. His pass is on the mark and Freeman has it at the Denver 18 as he goes out of bounds for a 16-yard gain.
GB 1st & 10 @ Den 18-Here’s a quick opener to Bennett, and he has a large hole. He’s to the 15, the 10, the 5, TOUCHDOWN Packers!
GB PAT-Jacke’s point after is GOOD. Green Bay leads 7-3 with 1:48 remaining in the opening period.
Green Bay 7 Denver 3 1st Qtr. 1:48 Scoring Drive: 5 plays, 57 yard, 2:52
Green Bay kicks off. Jacke’s kick is hauled in at the 3 by Vaughn Hebron. Hebron is going to be smashed as he crosses the 15 and falls at the 16.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 16-Elway stands immediately and fires a quick in to Sharpe at the 17. Sharpe eludes the first wave and has plenty of room to run. He’s to the 20, 25, 30, 35, and knocked down at the 39 for a 23-yard pickup.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 39-Elway’s looking deep over the middle. Rod Smith is open, and here’s the throw. It’s just over his outstretched arms and incomplete.
Den 2nd & 10 @ Den 39-Elway looks short to Smith this time. The pass is complete, but Smith is stopped for 1 yard.
Den 3rd & 9 @ Den 40-Here’s the draw to Davis. He crosses the 40 to the 45 and is knocked down at the 46 for a gain of 6. The clock strikes 0:00, and that’s the end of the first quarter with the score: Green Bay 7 Denver 3.
2nd Quarter
Den 4th & 3 @ Den 46-Coach Mike Shanahan considers going for it, but he sends Rouen in to punt. Here’s the punt. It’s high and bounces at the Packer 15. The ball rolls down to the 9, where it is downed.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 9-Favre gives to Bennett running up the middle. He gets 5 yards.
GB 2nd & 5 @ GB 14-Levens gets the ball going over right tackle, but he doesn’t get much. He falls at the 15.
GB 3rd & 4 @ GB 15-Here’s the fake to Bennett. Favre takes a short drop and looks downfield before dumping wide to Bennett. Bennett crosses the 15 and dives for the first down at the 20.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 20-Favre is back to pass, but here comes Neal Smith. Smith knocks Favre down for a 7-yard sack,
GB 2nd & 17 @ GB 13-Favre gives to Bennett who sweeps around left end. Bennett has some room to run. He’s to the 20, 25, and knocked out of bounds at the 26.
GB 3rd & 4 @ GB 26-Favre fakes a quick pass and then gives to Levens on a trap up the middle. He get nowhere and is stopped for no gain.
GB 4th & 4 @ GB 26-Hentrich is in to punt. He skies the ball high and far. Gordon fields the ball at the Denver 28. He cuts left and then right. Gordon crosses the 30 to the 35, where he breaks a tackle and gets to the 41.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 41-Elway hands to Davis up the middle, and Davis can only gain 2 yards.
Den 2nd & 8 @ Den 43-Elway takes a quick drop and fires to Sharpe at the 45. Sharpe eludes one tackle and picks up 6 yards.
Den 3rd & 2 @ Den 49-Davis gets the ball up the middle and dives across the 50 to the Packer 49. The referee calls for the chain gang. The chain is stretched, and it is a Denver first down.
Den 1st & 10 @ GB 49-Davis gets the ball again slanting off right tackle. He gets by the first wave and picks up 7 yards.
Den 2nd & 3 @ GB 42-Elway fakes to Davis and passes to Smith, but the pass is broken up by George Koonce.
Den 3rd & 3 @ GB 42-Elway drops back and finds McCaffrey open on a curl route into the Packer 2-deep zone. McCaffrey holds on to the ball and takes a big hit, but he gains 11 yard and a first down.
Den 1st & 10 @ GB 31-Here’s the deep pitch to Davis. Davis tries to sweep left, but there is no room, so he cuts back and just gets back to the line of scrimmage.
Den 2nd & 10 @ GB 31-The Broncos try the same exact play but to the right. This time, Davis has some running room as he sweeps wide. He crosses the 30, the 25, the 20, and is run down at the 16 for a 15-yard gain.
Den 1st & 10 @ GB 16-Davis gets 6 yards up the middle, but there’s a FLAG on the play. Denver is penalized 5 yards for illegal procedure. They only had 6 men on the line.
Den 1st & 15 @ GB 21-Howard Griffith is in the game to spell Davis. Elway gives to Griffith, and he had a hole, but Griffith trips at the line of scrimmage for no gain.
Den 2nd & 15 @ GB 21-Derek Loville enters the game, and Elway hands to him. Loville angles wide and can only pick up 1 yard.
Den 3rd & 14 @ GB 20-Elway looking into the end zone for Sharpe, but he’s covered. Elway throws short to McCaffrey at the 13. McCaffrey gives ground trying to get wide, and he’s tackled back at the 15 for a 5 yard gain.
Den 4th & 9 @ GB 15-Elam comes in for a second field goal attempt. The ball is down, and the kick is right through the uprights. FIELD GOAL.
Green Bay 7 Denver 6 2nd Qtr. 3:45 Scoring Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards 6:46
Elam kicks off for Denver. Howard takes it at the 8. He’s to the 10, 15, 20, 25, and tackled at the 28.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 28-Favre fakes to Levens and passes across the middle of the Bronco zone to Keith Jackson. Jackson catches the ball at the 35 and runs to the 43.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 43-Bennett gets the ball and sweeps left. He hits the 45, where he runs out of real estate.
GB 2nd & 8 @ GB 45-Favre hands to Levens going inside left tackle. He breaks one tackle and gets 4 yards.
GB 3rd & 4 @ GB 49-Before Favre can get the play off, the clock hits 2:00. 2:00 Warning===Time to get to the fridge and get your favorite beverage and snack food for halftime.
GB 3rd & 4 @ GB 49-Favre wants a quick six. He drops deep and fires the bomb to the end zone for Beebe. Beebe has a hand on it, but he cannot bring it in.
GB 4th & 4 @ GB 49-The Packers keep their offense on the field. Favre appears to be trying to draw the Broncos offside, but it isn’t working. Green Bay calls timeout. Hentrich comes in to punt. Here’s the kick. It’s a knuckle ball punt that is going to hit the ground at the 20 and bounce to the 10. George Coghill is the upback, and he picks up the ball at the 9. He returns it across the 10 to the 15, the 20, the 25, the 30, and Hentrich makes the touchdown saving tackle at the 34, as the Packers were caught off guard.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 34-Elway has 1:34 to work with. He’s back to pass and is looking in the left hook zone for Davis who had run a divide pattern. The pass is tipped and intercepted by Koonce at the 50. Koonce swings wide to the opposite side of the field. He’s to the 45, the 40, and the 36 yard line before being stopped.
GB 1st & 10 @ Den 36-Favre drops back to pass, and he’s looking deep. Now, he looks for his next read and spots Mark Chmura open in the middle of the field. Favre throws a perfect pass, and Chmura catches it at the 26 and picks up an extra yard for a first down.
GB 1st & 10 @ Den 25-Favre takes a 3-step drop and passes wide to Jackson. Jackson catches the ball at the 20 and picks up 2 more yards before getting out of bounds to stop the clock at 1:22.
GB 2nd & 3 @ Den 18-Favre tosses the ball wide to William Henderson. Henderson tries to get to the corner and gives ground. He’s not going to make it back to the line of scrimmage or get out of bounds, and he takes a 2-yard loss. Green Bay calls timeout.
GB 3rd & 5 @ Den 20-Favre drops back and looks to the end zone. Jackson is running a flag route and has a little space. Here’s the pass. At the last moment, Steve Atwater gets there to bat the ball away.
GB 4th & 5 @ Den 20-Jacke comes in for a 37-yard field goal attempt. The snap is low, but Hentrich gathers it in. Jacke adjusts and gets away a perfect kick down the middle. FIELD GOAL
Green Bay 10 Denver 6 2nd Qtr. 1:08 Scoring Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards 0:25
Jacke kicks off for the Packers. The ball sails to the 7 where Hebron takes it in. He’s to the 10, 15, 20, 25, and up to the 30.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 30-Elway still has time to march Denver for a score. He wants it right away. He drops back and is looking deep. There’s a bullet pass 40 yards downfield to Sharpe, but it’s just a bit too strong and incomplete.
Den 2nd & 10 @ Den 30-The Packers use a dime package. Elway gives to Davis on a draw play. The Packers aren’t fooled, and Davis is forced to give ground in order to get out of bounds for just 1 yard.
Den 3rd & 9 @ Den 31-Elway looks for Shannon Sharpe past the first down marker, but he throws the ball away. [NOTE: Sharpe played on both the ’96 Packers and ’98 Broncos.]
Den 4th & 9 @ Den 31-Green Bay has 10 defenders on the line and looks to be going after the punt. Rouen gets the snap and has to hurry. He shanks a punt that is going to go out of bounds. The back judge starts moving forward and spots the ball at the Packer 40.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 40-The Packers have one timeour remaining and 32 seconds to work with. Favre looks downfield and has to dump the ball to Bennett. Bennett drops the ball.
GB 2nd & 10 @ GB 40-Favre gives the ball to Levens on a draw, but there’s nothing there. Levens picks up a yard, and Green Bay uses its last timeout of the half with 23 seconds on the clock.
GB 3rd & 9 @ GB 41-Favre drops back to pass. Brooks is open around the Denver 40, but Favre’s arm is hit as he tries to pass. The ball sails high in the air, but no player can get to it before it hits the ground.
GB 4th & 9 @ GB 41-Hentrich is forced to punt with 17 seconds left in the half. Denver appears to be setting up a return. Hentrich’s punt is high and bounces at the 17 where it rolls backwards and out of bounds at the 20.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 20-Elway has just 6 seconds on the clock. He drops back and tries the Hail Mary pass to the right side. McCaffrey gets a finger on it, but three Packers are there to bat the ball away.
That’s the end of the first half, with the score: Green Bay 10 Denver 6
3rd Quarter
Jacke set to kick for Green Bay. Here’s the kick. It’s high and comes down at the 5 where Hebron fields it and runs left. He’s at the 10, 15, 20, 25, and to the 28.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 28-Elway fakes to Davis and passes over the middle to Sharpe, but the ball sails wide.
Den 2nd & 10 @ Den 28-Elway gives to Davis slanting off tackle to the left. He gets by the first wave and crosses the 30 to the 33.
Den 3rd & 5 @ Den 33-Elway fakes to Davis and takes a short drop. Here comes Rod Smith on an end around. Elway gives him the ball, and the Packers have been fooled. Smith sweeps wide with plenty of open room. He cross the 35, the 40, the 45, the 50, and into Green Bay territory at the 47. Hold the phone! There’s a flag back in the Bronco backfield. HOLDING Denver. The play won’t count.
Den 3rd & 15 @ Den 23-The Packers are in a Dime Package, and Denver goes with an empty backfield with Elway in the Shotgun. Here’s the snap. Elway appears to be sprinting wide to the left. Here comes Smith again. They are going to run the end around again. This time, there isn’t much room. Smith is met at the line of scrimmage, but he makes a good move to break free. He gets to the 30 before being forced out of bounds.
Den 4th & 8 @ Den 30-Rouen comes in to punt. He gets away a rocket. This one is going to stay in the air for almost five seconds. Howard signals for a fair catch and hauls it in at the Packer 27.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 27-Favre drops back to pass, but here comes an all-out Bronco Blitz. Favre tries to scramble to his right, but Trevor Pryce is going to hit him hard at the 18. Favre loses the ball, and it rolls forward to the 19. Who recovers? The referee is in there looking at the pile, and it appears that a green jersey is on the bottom.
GB 2nd & 18 @ GB 19-Favre drops back to pass. The rush is strong once again, but Favre gets rid of the ball quickly. It’s off the mark, and Tyrone Braxton has just intercepted the pass at the 31. He cuts to the middle and has some room. He’s at the 30, the 25, the 20, the 15, the 10, the 5, and he scores? No. The head linesman has marked him out of bounds at the 2.
Den 1st & G @ GB 2-Elway drops one step and fires a quick pass to Sharpe. He can’t find running room and goes down for no gain.
Den 2nd & G @ GB 2-Here’s the straight ahead dive to Davis. He’s up in the air and over for the score. TOUCHDOWN Denver!
Elam comes in for the point after. The snap and hold are good, and Elam boots it through for the extra point.
Denver 13 Green Bay 10 3rd Qtr. 11:33 Scoring Drive: 2 plays, 2 yards 0:47
Elam kicks off for Denver. Howard fields it at the 1. He runs straight up the middle to the 5, the 10, the 15, the 20, and goes down at the 24.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 24-Favre hands to Bennett going just left of center, but there’s nothing there. Bennett is dropped for a loss of 1.
GB 2nd & 11 @ GB 23-Favre pitches to Levens who is sweeping right. He get around the corner and crosses the 25 to the 30. The head linesman marks the ball back at the 29.
GB 3rd & 5 @ GB 29-Favre is in the shotgun with Henderson in to his left. Favre hands to Henderson on the delay. Henderson has a hole, but he cannot get to it in time. He gets just 2 yards, and the Packers will have to punt.
GB 4th & 3 @ GB 31-Hentrich is back in punt formation, but there’s movement in the line. Green Bay is penalized 5 yards for illegal procedure.
GB 4th & 8 @ GB 26-Hentrich sends a rocket that forces Gordon to backpedal. Gordon fields it at the Bronco 23. Gordon heads up the middle across the 25 to the 30 and cuts back to the left. He gets to the 34 where he is knocked down.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 34-Elway drops back to pass and looks downfield. Boom! He never saw Reggie White coming from his blind side. Elway’s down at the 29 for a 5 yard loss, but he appears to be okay.
Den 2nd & 15 @ Den 29-Elway is in the shotgun this time. He rolls to his left and stops. He’s going to throw back to the right flat, and Sharpe is open. Sharpe catches the pass at the 36 and runs forward to the 43. He’s close to a first down but a little short.
Den 3rd & 1 @ Den 43-The Broncos need less than a yard to move the chains. Elway gives to Davis going off right guard. He has the yard, and it’s first down Broncos.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 44-Elway pitches to Davis. Davis is sweeping right and has the corner. He picks up a quick 5 yards.
Den 2nd & 5 @ Den 49-Here’s the straight ahead dive to Loville. Loville finds a seam and gets to the 50, but the ball has been knocked loose. Green Bay appears to have recovered on the sideline, but the side judge has ruled the ball out of bounds before possession. Denver keeps it.
Den 3rd & 40 @ 50-Elway fakes to Loville, and he rolls left. He’s going to cross the first down marker and run out of bounds at the Packer 44.
Den 1st & 10 @ GB 44-Elway is looking deep. McCaffrey is covered by two Packers. Elway looks for Sharpe, but he’s covered as well. Elway throws the ball away.
Den 2nd & 10 @ GB 44-Elway sprints to the right and throws to McCaffrey, but the ball is knocked away.
Den 3rd & 10 @ GB 44-Elway is in the shot gun. He looks deep to Sharpe, but his throw is high. Eugene Robinson has intercepted the pass at the Green Bay 32, and he’s sprinting for the left sideline. He’s at the 35, the 40, the 45, midfield with only Elway to beat. He eludes Elway, and he’s off to the races. 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, TOUCHDOWN Packers! That’s a momentum changing play!!!
Jacke is in for the PAT. The ball is down, and the kick is up and good.
Green Bay 17 Denver 13 3rd Qtr. 4:36 Drive: 0 plays, 68 yards 0:00
Jacke kicks off for Green Bay. The kick is short and Hebron has to run to the 15 to field it. He runs to his right and crosses the 20. Now, he cuts back to his left and has some running room. He’s at the 25, the 30, the 35, and out of bounds at the 37.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 37-Loville gets the ball on a quick trap up the middle, but there’s not much there. He gets 1 yard, but there’s a flag down at the 37. Green Bay is penalized 15 yards for a personal foul grabbing the facemask.
Den 1st & 10 @ GB 48-Elway takes a short drop and fired to Sharpe on a quick out route. Sharpe catches the ball and picks up 5 yards.
Den 2nd & 5 @ GB 43-Elway hands to Davis on a quick opener on the right. He’s got a big hole to run through! He gets through the line to the 40 and jukes left, avoiding a tackle at the 37. He cuts back to the right and has some blocking interference. Nobody’s going to stop him. 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, TOUCHDOWN Broncos! Terrell Davis has just put Denver ahead once again on a spectacular 43 yard run.
Elam enters the game for the point after. The ball is down, and the kick is up and good.
Denver 20 Green Bay 17 3rd Qtr. 3:34 Drive: 3 plays, 48 yards 0:54
Elam kicks off for Denver. The ball bounces at the 10 and rolls to the 4, where Howard has a tough time picking it up. He gets started late and can only get back to the 14 where he’s bowled over by a host of Broncos in an orange crush.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 14-Favre hands to Bennett running straight ahead. He has a little room and picks up 5 yards.
GB 2nd & 5 @ GB 19-Favre hands the ball to Brooks running to the right of the center. He hasn’t got a hole and is stopped for no gain.
GB 3rd & 5 @ GB 19-Favre is in the shotgun. Here’s the snap. Favre’s in trouble as Romanowski is coming fast. Favre cannot get away, and Romo has him in his grasp for a sack and loss of 8 yards. There is a flag down on the play. Denver has been flagged for defensive holding, and the Packers will get an automatic first down at the 24.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 24-Favre gives to Bennett running up the middle. Bennett gets 3 yards.
GB 2nd & 7 @ GB 27-Favre passes wide to Levens at the 28. Levens has it and turns upfield. He gets to the 30 and is forced out of bounds at the 33, just short of the marker.
GB 3rd & 1 @ GB 33-Favre fakes to Levens and drops back. He’s looking deep for Antonio Freeman. The ball is just out of Freeman’s reach at the Denver 28.
GB 4th & 1 @ GB 33-Hentrich comes in to punt. He boots a high one that is going to land at the Denver 25 and take a backward roll to the 33.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 33-Elway fakes to Davis and drops back deep. Here comes a strong rush. It’s a screen, and Green Bay has fallen for the trick. Elway lobs the ball forward to Davis on the bubble screen, and Davis is in the clear again. He’s to the 35, the 40, the 45, the 50, the Green Bay 45, and knocked out of bounds at the 44 for a gain of 23 yards. The clock ticked down to 0:00 on the play, and that’s the end of the 3rd Quarter with the score: Denver 20 Green Bay 17
4th Quarter
Den 1st & 10 @ GB 44-Elway gives the ball to Davis going off tackle to the right. He breaks through the line and crosses the 40 to the 37.
Den 2nd & 3 @ GB 37-Loville gets the ball this time on the sweep to the right. He gets to the sideline and forces his way forward for 2 yards before going out of bounds.
Den 3rd & 1 @ GB35-Elway pitches to Davis running wide to the left. He has the first down and more. He crosses the 30 to the 26.
Den 1st & 10 @ GB 26-Davis gets the ball again on a trap play to the left, but there’s not much there. He gets a yard.
Den 2nd & 9 @ GB 25-Loville gets this one on a sweep to the left. He picks up 2 yards before tripping and falling.
Den 3rd & 7 @ GB 23-Elway is looking across the middle against the seam in the 2-deep Packer zone. He fires toward Sharpe, but he’s off target.
Den 4th & 7 @ GB 23-Elam comes in to try to give Denver a 6-point lead. The ball is down, the kick is up, and it’s good. FIELD GOAL!
Denver 23 Green Bay 17 4th qtr. 11:40 Scoring Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 4:03
Elam kicks off for Denver. The ball sails to the 5, where Howard takes it on the run this time. Howard crosses the 10 to the 15, the 20, the 25, and makes the 28 before being stopped.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 28-Favre drops back to pass. He’s looking for Chmura about 10 yards downfield, but the ball has been tipped and knocked away.
GB 2nd & 10 @ GB 28-Favre rolls to his right and has nobody open. He’s going to run. He gets back to the line of scrimmage and picks up 2 yards before running out of bounds.
GB 3rd & 8 @ GB 30-Here’s a draw play to Henderson. He’s stopped at the line, but he turns and heads wide to the left. He’s going to be brought down for a loss of 2 yards.
GB 4th & 10 @ GB 28-Hentrich comes in to punt once again. He gets away a better one this time, and Gordon fields it at the Bronco 30. He gets 4 yards before he is swarmed under.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 34-Elway fakes to Davis and takes a short roll to the right. He spots Sharpe open in the deep right out and fires a bullet on target. Sharpe has it at the Packer 47 before being tackled at the Packer 45 for a gain of 21.
Den 1st & 10 @ GB 45-Elway raises and throws a quick pop pass to Smith. Smith has it at the 40, and he heads to the outside. He crosses the 35 to the 32 for another Bronco first down.
Den 1st & 10 @ GB 32-Davis gets the ball going right, but he just barely gets back to the line of scrimmage.
Den 2nd & 10 @ GB 32-Elway takes a 5-step drop and looks to his left. There’s McCaffrey running a curl pattern. Elway hits him in the numbers for a gain of 14 and another first down. The clock rolls past the halfway point of the final period.
Den 1st & 10 @ GB 18-Elway fakes to Loville and runs the bootleg to his left. Wayne Simmons isn’t fooled, and he will sack Elway for a 6-yard loss.
Den 2nd & 16 @ GB 24-Elway gives to Davis running wide right. There’s nowhere to run, and Davis will fall down at the line of scrimmage.
Den 3rd & 16 @ GB 24-Elway drops back to pass with a strong Green Bay pass rush coming fast. Elway dumps to Dwayne Carswell, who picks up 4 yards and stays in bounds.
Den 4th & 12 @ GB 20-Elam is in to try to connect on his fourth field goal of the day. The ball is down, and the kick is up and good. FIELD GOAL!
Denver 26 Green Bay 17 4th Qtr. 4:56 Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards 4:55
Elam will kick for Denver. The Packers need two scores in less than five minutes or else the Broncos will be Sim Champions. Here’s the kick. It’s a squibber, and it’s going to roll to the 17 before Travis Jervey fields it. Jervey crosses the 20 the 25, where two Broncos try to sandwich him. Jervey pitches the ball backward to Beebe, and Beebe has some running room. Beebe crosses the 30 and the 35 before being knocked out of bounds at the 39. The Packers have excellent field position.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 39-Favre is in the shotgun. Here’s the snap. Favre drops back a couple steps and looks wide to Freeman. He’s covered, so Favre dumps to Bennett at the 46. Bennett shoots through a gap in the Bronco 3-deep zone and crosses midfield to the Denver 41 yard line for a 20 yard gain. He was unable to get to the sideline, and Green Bay has elected to call a timeout with 4:37 remaining in the game.
GB 1st & 10 @ Den 41-Bennett goes in motion wide to the left. Favre drops back and passes wide to Bennett who had a little interference in front of him. Bennett breaks a tackle at the 37 and heads down the sideline to the 35, the 30, the 25, and goes down at the 23.
GB 1st & 10 @ Den 23-Green Bay goes no huddle. Favre drops back, but there’s a strong Bronco pass rush. Favre scrambles and goes down before he can get out of bounds for a 3 yard loss.
GB 2nd & 13 @ Den 26-Green Bay stays in a hurry-up offense. Favre is in the shotgun. He fires a quick pass to Levens who runs past the line of scrimmage and gets out of bounds to stop the clock at the 20.
GB 3rd & 7 @ Den 20-Favre drops back and looks for Freeman at the 10. The pass is off the mark and incomplete.
GB 4th & 7 @ Den 20-Jacke is in to try a 37-yard field goal. The ball is down, and the kick is up and hooking left. It’s going to be…………just inside the uprights. FIELD GOAL.
Denver 26 Green Bay 20 4th Qtr. 3:42 Drive: 5 plays, 41 yards 1:01
Will Green Bay try an onside kick with this much time remaining? It appears they will kick deep. Here come’s Jacke’s boot, and indeed it is a regular kickoff. Hebron fields it at the 13 and he has a good wall of support. He crosses the 20, to the 25, 30, 35, and goes down at the 39.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 39-Green Bay has nine men up near the line of scrimmage. Elway hands to Davis running straight up the gut. Five Packers swarm to stop him for no gain.
Den 2nd & 10 @ Den 39-Elway gives to Davis again running wide left. Davis crosses the line of scrimmage and goes down for a 2-yard gain to avoid going out of bounds.
Den 3rd & 8 @ Den 41-Green Bay has 10 men up near the line. Elway gives to Davis again, and Davis manages to stretch out for a 1 yard gain.
Den 4th & 7 @ Den 42-Green Bay won’t call timeout here, and the clock will wind down to the 2-minute warning.
Den 4th & 7 @ Den 42 (2:00)-Rouen comes in to punt for Denver. Green Bay looks to be setting up a return rather than try to block it. Rouen hits it high and it’s going to hit the ground at the 30 and begin to roll. The ball bounces down to the 15 before it is downed.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 15 (1:50)-Green Bay has to go 85 yards in 110 seconds. Favre is in the shotgun, and Denver is in a Dime defense prevent. Favre fires a bullet to Chmura at the 22, and Chmura gets another three yards to the 25 for a first down (clock continues to run).
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 25 (1:30)-Favre goes without a huddle and spikes the ball to stop the clock.
GB 2nd & 10 @ GB 25 (1:27)-Favre drops back and looks across the middle deep to Beebe. He fires long, but the pass is batted away.
GB 3rd & 10 @ GB 25 (1:18)-Favre is in the shotgun and takes the snap. He throws a dart to Freeman. The pass is completed at the 33, and Freeman moves forward to the 37, but he cannot get out of bounds.
GB 1st & 10 @ GB 37 (1:01)-Favre tries another deep pass across the middle to Jackson. The ball is overthrown and incomplete.
GB 2nd & 10 @ GB 37 (0:51)-Favre is going deep again. The ball is on target, and Freeman CATCHES IT at the Denver 28. He moves to the right and picks up another five for a 40-yard gain! Green Bay takes their second timeout. Hold onto your seats folks. This game is going down to the wire.
GB 1st & 10 @ Den 23 (0:41)-Favre drops back and tries to hit Levens through the seam of the zone. The ball is short and incomplete.
GB 2nd & 10 @ Den 23 (0:36)-Favre drops back and looks to the goalline for Beebe. He’s not open, but Favre spots Freeman open across the middle. The pass is on target, and Freeman takes it in at the 13 and picks up another two yards. Green Bay calls their final timeout.
GB 1st & 10 @ Den 11 (0:27)-Favre drops back and fakes a toss wide to Freeman. Now he lofts the ball in the back corner to Levens coming out of the backfield. Levens jumps up and MAKES THE CATCH FOR A TOUCHDOWN! There’s just 21 seconds left to go in the game.
Jacke’s point after is true, and the Packers lead.
Green Bay 27 Denver 26 4th Qtr. 0:21 Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards 1:29
Jacke is set to kick off for Green Bay. The Packers have to be alert for a lot of laterals. Here’s the kick. Hebron takes it at the 2 and sprints forward quickly to the 5, 10, 15, 20, and goes down at the 21.
Den 1st & 10 @ Den 21 (0:17)-Elway is in the shotgun, and Green Bay has 7 defensive backs in the secondary. Elway takes the snap and surveys the field. He fires to Smith at the Denver 40, but the ball is knocked away.
Den 2nd & 10 @ Den 21 (0:12)-Elway looks deep right, but there’s nobody open. He fires quickly to McCaffrey on the deep left, and McCaffrey makes a great catch at midfield. He runs to the Packer 43 and steps out of bounds..
Den 1st & 10 @ GB 43 (0:06)-Denver has three receivers wide to the right. Elway is in the shotgun. Here’s the snap. Sharpe cuts into the middle of the field at the Packer 25, but Elway’s pass is a little early and incomplete. There’s just one tick left on the clock.
Den 2nd & 10 @ GB 43 (0:01)-Elam is in to try a 60-yard field goal on the game’s final play. He has a strong enough leg. Okay, here we go. The snap is good, and the ball is down. The kick is on its way. It definitely has the distance, but will it hook back in the uprights. The ball reaches the back of the end zone, and it is…………..WIDE LEFT and NO GOOD. The 1996 Green Bay Packers are the Simper Bowl Champions!!!!!
FINAL SCORE: 1996 GREEN BAY PACKERS 27 1998 DENVER BRONCOS 26
And with that, we wait anxiously for Sunday’s real thing in Tampa. I’ll have a preview of the Super Bowl on Friday afternoon.
The Pi-Rate Ratings 