10. 2015 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION DENVER BRONCOS at 7. 1976 NFC CHAMPION MINNESOTA VIKINGS
7. 1976 NFC CHAMPION MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Record: 11-2-1
Pythag: 11-3
Off: 9th
Def: 2nd
1st NFC Central
d. Skins Div Rnd 35-20
d. Rams NFC Title 24-13
Lost Super Bowl Raiders 32-14
HC: Bud Grant, OC Jerry Burns, DC Neill Armstrong
Metropolitan Stadium: 40 degrees
Joe McConnell
Offense
QB Fran Tarkenton (36 UGA)
RB Chuck Foreman (26 Miami)
FB Brent McClanahan (25 Ariz St)
WR Ahmad Rashad (27 Oregon)
WR Sammy White (22-R Grambling)
TE Stu Voigt (28 Wisc)
LT Steve Riley (24 USC)
LG Charles Goodrum (26 Florida A&M)
C Mick Tingelhoff (36 Nebraska)
RG Ed White (29 Cal)
RT Ron Yary (30 USC) All Pro
Defense
LDE Carl Eller (34 Minn)
LDT Doug Southerland (28 Wisc-Sup)
RDT Alan Page (31 N Dame)
RDE Jim Marshall (39 Ohio St)
LLB Matt Blair (26 Iowa St)
MLB Jeff Siemon (26 Stanford)
RLB Wally Hilgenberg (34 Iowa)
LCB Nate Wright (29 S Diego St)
RCB Nate Allen (28 Tex So)
SS Jeff Wright (27 Minn)
FS Paul Krause (34 Iowa)
K Fred Cox (38 Pitt)
P Neil Clabo (24 Tenn)
KR/PR Leonard Willis (23 Ohio St)
2 games left for Region 1/Round 1, the NFC Champion Vikes are the 7th seed on the strength of the second best defense from '76. The PPE are aging but Page, at 31 is still a Pro Bowler. 29 year old Nate Wright had 7 picks. On offense, Tarkenton's 36, 18 total scores, 8 picks, 26 year old Chuck Foreman had 14 scores. The 22 year old rookie Sammy White had 22 scores. The 30 yr old RT Ron Yary was an All Pro.
10. 2015 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION DENVER BRONCOS
Record: 12-4
Pythag: 10-6
Off: 19th
Def: 4th
1st AFC West
d. Steelers Div Rnd 23-16
d. Patriots AFC Title 20-18
d. Panthers Super Bowl 24-10
HC: Gary Kubiak, OC: Rick Dennison DC Wade Phillips
Offense
QB Peyton Manning (39 Tenn)
RB Ronnie Hillman (24)
WR Emmanuel Sanders (28)
WR Demaryius Thomas (28)
TE Owen Daniels (33)
TE Virgil Green (27)
LT Ryan Harris (30)
LG Evan Mathis (34)
C Matt Paradis (26)
RG Louis Vasquez (28)
RT Michael Schofield (25)
Defense
LDE Derek Wolfe (25)
NT Sylvester Williams (27)
RDE Malik Jackson (25)
LOLB Von Miller (26) All Pro
LILB Brandon Marshall (26)
RILB Danny Trevathan (26)
ROLB DeMarcus Ware (33)
LCB Aqib Talib (29)
RCB Chris Harris (26)
SS TJ Ward (29)
FS Darian Stewart (27)
K Brandon McManus (24)
P Britton Colquitt (30)
KR Omar Bolden (27)
PR Emmanuel Sanders (28)
The 2015 Super Bowl Champion Broncos are the 10th seeds in the region; 4th best defense in football - we've got a likely defensive battle in this one. 26 year old All Pro Von Miller and 33 year old DeMarcus Ware combined for 17.5 sacks. The offense is bad, Peyton Manning is 39, 9 scores and 17 picks, it's maybe the worst QB performance in the tournament. 28 year old Demaryius Thomas caught 105 balls.
2nd best defense in '76 against the 4th best from '15 - let's head to Minnesota for the kick.
1st Qtr
Vikes start deep in their own end, at the 6.
Brent McClanahan goes for 13 on the first play - the next 3 net 9 yards and the Vikes kick.
Denver at their own 47.
It's a pitch to CJ Anderson --- and he busts one -- CJ Anderson goes 53 yards all the way to the house -- TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS -- we came for a defensive battle but CJ Anderson breaks a 53 yard TD run on Denver's first play of the game. 7-0.
Vikes at the 28. 3 and out.
Broncos at the 37.
1/10 - Peyton Manning goes to Owen Daniels for 7.
-Two running plays gain 2 yards and Denver had 4th and 1 at their own 45.
And Kubiak decides to go for it. Alright - modern football decision - early 4th down and short go for the 2015 Broncos.
They pick if up - Ronnie Hillman gains a yard.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Manning to Demaryius Thomas for a yard.
3/9 - Manning to Emmanuel Sanders - 19 yard pick up - that's a first down all the way to the Viking 33.
1/10 - CJ Anderson goes for 19 - and Denver has a first down at the 11.
1/10 - Manning out of the backfield to Ronnie Hillman - breaks a tackle - Hillman - is Going to the End Zone -- TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS -- this maligned Broncos offense puts up 14 quick, quick points against the 2nd best defense from 1976 - and the game is barely underway and it's 14-0.
Vikes at the 32.
1/10 - Chuck Foreman goes for 5.
2/5 - Fran Tarkenton finds Sammy White, it's 9 yards and the first down and a face mask call tacks on 15.
1/10 - Chuck Foreman for 9 - Vikes at the 30.
2/1 - McClanahan loses a yard.
3/2 - Von Miller busts through the line and drops Tarkenton - it's a 10 yard loss - Vikes stuck having to punt - touchback.
Just one play, Manning to Hillman for 3 and we move to the second qtr.
2nd Qtr
Denver comes into Minnesota, a low scoring game anticipated, and they score twice in the first qtr. Denver's got a 2nd and 3 and their own 23.
Alan Page sacks Manning - Denver will punt.
Vikings at their own 45.
1/10 - McClanahan for 2.
2/8 - Foreman for 2.
3/6 - Tarkenton hits Bob Grim - 23 yards - all the way to the Denver 32.
3 plays net 8 yards -- and then Fred Cox misses a 41 yard FG.
Denver with the ball back at their own 31. 9:08 left.
They get a first down on a Hillman 10 yard run, but that's as far as it goes.
Vikes at the 11. 6:46.
1/10 - Foreman loses a yard.
2/11 - Tarkenton hits Sammy White for 17.
1/10 - Foreman stacked up.
2/10 - Robert Miller gets a carry, it's 13 - Vikes out to the 40.
3 plays net 7 and it's a punt at the 2 minute warning.
Broncos at the 27.
On the first play - Nate Allen steps in front of Sanders on the sidelne -- Picks Off - Peyton Manning -- and he runs untouched All the Way to the House TOUCHDOWN VIKINGS - Nate Allen takes a Peyton Manning pick 35 yards to the end zone -- and the Vikes slice the deficit in half.
Broncos at the 16.
1/10 - Manning to Daniels for 4.
2/6 - Manning to Hillman for 4 and a timeout.
3/2 - Manning finds Sanders for 9, first down at the 33.
That's it - a Carl Eller sack essentially ends the half - there's a punt and a Tarkenton incompletion and we go to the locker room.
3rd Qtr
Second qtr is more of what we expected, all defense, with a Nate Allen pick 6 cutting Denver's lead to 14-7.
Broncos start at the 17.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Hillman gets 1
3/9 - Manning goes to Daniels for 17 - first down.
1/10 - Anderson for 13
1/10 - Anderson for 1
2/9 - Anderson is stacked up and Denver has another 3rd and 9.
3/9 - Again, Manning picks it up - Sanders for 16, Denver is at the Viking 40.
1/10 - Anderson for 7
2/3 - Incomplete
3/3 - Another third down - again, a pick up - Manning finding Vernon Davis for 7 yards and Denver is at the 26.
The next 3 plays net 2 yards - McManus hits the FG - Denver takes half the third quarter and extends its lead to 17-7.
Vikes start at the 25.
1/10 - Robert Miller stopped at the line.
2/10 - Miller gets a dozen.
1/10 - McClanahan gets 2
2/8 - McClanahan loses 4 - third and a bunch.
3/12- Tarkenton hits Sammy White - 15 yards - Vikes are at midfield.
Next 3 plays net 5 yards and they kick back to Denver.
Broncos at the 10. 2:53. Up 17-7.
1/10 - Manning to Vernon Davis - VD has 23 yards, a penalty then knocks them back 5.
1/15 - Ronnie Hillman busts one - 49 yards -- Hillman all the way to the Viking 23 and now this crowd has to be super anxious - their Vikes haven't moved the ball - Denver's up 10, first down at the Minnesota 23 yard line.
The next 3 plays net 9 yards - as the quarter ends - Denver will have a 4th and 1 at the Viking 14.
4th Qtr -
Minnesota's only score today is the pick 6, that leaves Denver up 10 with a 4th and 1.
They decide to kick. It's good - and so the Vikes are now down 20-7.
Minnesota at their own 21.
1/10 - Foreman gets nothing.
2/10 - Tarkenton to McClanahan, 14 yards.
1/10 - Foreman loses 4.
2/14 - Tarkenton finds Stu Voigt - 22 yards and the Vikes are across midfield.
1/10 - Foreman for 12. Vikes at the Denver 35.
The next 3 plays lose 3 yards - Minnesota has a 4th and 13 at the 38, down 20-7.
Bud Grant decides to punt. And the Broncos have a touchback and that's just a rough 1976 decision.
Denver gets a first down on a Hillman 8 yard run - but they're punting it back. Vikes ball at their own 34, down 13, 7:08 to go.
1/10 - Foreman loses 3
2/13 - Miller gains 8.
3/5 - Tarkenton hits the home run - 53 yards to White -- the biggest Viking play of the day and they've got a first and goal.
3 plays later, including a Von Miller sack - Minnesota's got a 4th and goal
They go for it. Tarkenton hits Ahmad Rashad with an 11 yard strike -- TOUCHDOWN VIKINGS - and now it's 20-14 Broncos.
Broncos at the 30. Can Minnesota get a quick stop? 4:17 left.
1/10 - Manning to Thomas for 10.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Manning to Thomas for a dozen.
1/10 - Manning to Thomas for 25 -- Kubiak decides to keep throwing here and Manning makes it count - Denver's all the way down to the 23 at the 2 minute warning.
3 running plays later the Vikes are burning timeouts and Ronnie Hillman plunges into the endzone TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS - a 2 pt conversion makes it 28-14 with just a minute to go - Minnesota doesn't really go anywhere, the game ending on a third Von Miller sack.
Final: Broncos 28 Vikings 14
The 10th seeded Super Bowl Champion Broncos come into Minnesota and they handle the Vikes on both sides of the ball.
Manning: 16 for 130, 165 yds, 1 TD/1 INT
Tarkenton: 13 for 27, 208 1 TD
Anderson: 11 carries, 109 yds, 1 TD
Hillman: 13 carries, 93 yds, 2 TD
Miller: 5 carries, 41 yds
Sanders: 4 catches, 50 yds
White: 4 catches, 94 yds
Miller: 3 sacks
Player of the Game: Von Miller
