12. 1956 CHICAGO BEARS at 5. 2013 AFC CHAMPION DENVER BRONCOS
5. 2013 AFC CHAMPION DENVER BRONCOS
Record: 13-2
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 1st
Def: 22nd
1st AFC West
d. Chargers 24-17 WC
d. Patriots 26-16 AFC Title
Lost Super Bowl Seahawks 43-8
HC John Fox OC Adam Gase DC Jack Del Rio
Sports Authority Field: 55 degrees
Dave Logan
Offense
QB Peyton Manning 37 All Pro Tenn
RB Knowshon Moreno 26 UGA
WR Eric Decker 26 Minn
WR Demaryius Thomas 26 Geo T
WR Wes Welker 32 TTech
TE Julius Thomas 25 Port St
LT Chris Clark 28 So Miss
LG Zane Beadles 27 Utah
C Manuel Ramirez 30 T Tech
RG Louis Vasquez 26 All Pro T Tech
RT Orlando Franklin 26 Miami
Defense
LDE Derek Wolfe 23 Cincinnati
LDT Kevin Vickerson 30 Mich St
RDT Terrance Knighton 27 Temp
RDE Shaun Phillips 32 Purdue
LLB Von Miller 24 A&M
LILB Wesley Woodyard 27 UK
RLB Danny Trevathan 23 UK
LCB Chris Harris 24 Kansas
RCB Dominique Rogers Cromartie 27 Tenn St
SS Duke Ihenacho 24 S Jose St
FS Rahim Moore 23 UCLA
K Matt Prater 29 C Florida
P Britton Colquitt 28 Tenn
KR/PR Trindon Holliday 27 LSU
6 Cowboys teams have moved forward - the '13 Broncos are the 5th seeds in the region and if they win today, Denver will have matched (the '14 and '15 Broncos have both won their first round games). Best offense in football; the defense is not good. Peyton Manning is a 37 year old All Pro with...wait for it...56 TDs. 56. 50 Fucking Six. That's going to mean 5 Broncos in double digits for TDs - 26 year old Knowshon Moreno with 13 and 1600 yards from scrimmage, 26 year old Eric Decker with 11 and almost 1300 yards receiving, 26 year old Demaryius Thomas with 14 and over 1400 yards receiving, 32 year old Wes Welker with 10, 25 year old Julius Thomas with 12. And there's a second All Pro - 26 year old Louis Vasquez. On defense, 32 year old Shaun Phillips had 10 sacks.
12. 1956 CHICAGO BEARS
Rrcord: 9-2-1
Pythag: 9-3
Off: 1st
Def: 7th
1st NFL West
lost Giants NFL Title 47-7
HC Paddy Driscoll
Offense
QB Ed Brown 28 S Francisco
FB Rick Casares All Pro 25 Florida
RB Bobby Watkins 24 Ohio St
RB John Hoffman 31 Arkansas
WR Harlon Hill All Pro 24 N Alabama
WR Gene Schroeder 27 UVA
LT Bill Wightkin 29 N Dame
LG Herman Clark 26 Ore St
C Larry Strickland 25 All Pro N Tex
RG Stan Jones All Pro 25 Mary
RT Kilne Gilbert 26 Ole Miss
Defense
LDE Jack Hoffman 26 Xavier
LDT Fred Williams 27 Ark
MG Bill George All Pro 27 Wake
RDT Bill Bishop 25 N Tex
RDE Ed Meadows 24 Duke
LLB Wayne Hansen 28 UTEP
RLB Joe Fortunato 26 Miss St
LDH JC Caroline 23 R Illinois
RDH Ray Gene Smith 28 Midwstern St
LS Stan Wallace 25 Illinois
RS McNeil Moore 23 S Houston St
K George Blanda 29 UK
P Ed Brown 28 S Francisco
KR Don Bingham 27 Sul Ross St
PR Perry Jeter 25 C Poly SLO
Just one Chicago team is currently moving forward; it'll take a 12/5 upset for this '56 squad to join them. Best offense in the league, challenging to see a great path for the Bears here, they will run the ball, see if they can keep it from Manning - who is likely to just cut their defense to pieces. Ed Brown's 28, 12 scores and 12 picks; we may also see the 29 year old George Blanda in at QB. 25 year old All Pro Rick Casares had 1100 yards, 14 scores in 12 games. 24 year old Harlon Hill is an All Pro, he had 11 scores and over 1100 yards receiving. 2 25 year old linemen were All Pros, Larry Strickland and Stan Jones. 27 year old Bill George is an All Pro on defense.
We're headed to Denver for the 5/12 matchup in Region 11. Here's the kick.
1st Qtr
Bears at the 21.
They get 2 first downs; Rick Casares 14 yard run; Bobby Watkins 19 yard run - but Shaun Phillips gets a sack and the Bears kick.
Broncos at the 10. 3 and out including a Bil George sack.
Bears at the Denver 43.
One first down on a 24 yard Casares run -- but the drive ends in a missed Blanda FG.
Broncos at their own 20.
1/10 - Knowshon Moreno gets a yard.
2/9 - Ronnie Hillman gets a yard.
3/8 - Peyton Manning's first completion is a dozen yards to Wes Welker.
1/10 11 more for Moreno.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Manning to Demaryius Thomas for 9, across midfield and when the Bears jump offsides on third down, Denver keeps the chains moving.
1/10 - Manning to Welker, 3 yards.
2/7 - Moreno gets 2
3/5 - Montee Ball gets 11 yards and Denver is at the Bear 25.
1/10 - Hillman stopped at the line and the qtr ends
2nd Qtr: Broncos 0 Bears 0
Any quarter the Bears keep Manning off the board is a win; Denver 2nd and 10 at the Chicago 25.
Denver doesn't pick it up - FG makes it 3-0.
Bears at the 32.
1/10 - 2 for Casares
2/8 - 2 more for Casares
3/6 - Ed Brown's first completion of the game is to Jim Dooley - 14 yards to midfield.
1/10 - Casares gets 1
2/9 - Bobby Watkins gets 3
3/6 - Casares gets 1 - Denver picks up a running into the kicker on the punt and the Bears have a first down at the Denver 40.
1/10 - John Hoffman gets 8 yards.
2/2 - Brown - Gene Schroeder - 8 yards and Chicago's at the 24.
1/10 - Give to Watkins -- Watkins is through the hole -- Bobby Watkins is Gonna Go --- Into the End Zone --- TOUCHDOWN BEARS - Bobby Watkins goes 24 yards into the end zone and the Bears take the 7-3 lead.
Denver at the 23 - 3 and out.
Chicago at the 34, 12th seeded Bears with the ball and the lead.
1/10 - Brown 7 yards to Schroeder.
2/3 - Watkins gets 1
3/2 - Casares picks it up.
1/10 - 2 more for Casares
2/8 - 3 for Casares and the Bears are at the 45.
3/5 - Brown - Harlon Hill --- it's a 21 yard pickup - the Bears are at the Denver 30 yard line.
1/10 - Casares is stopped at the line at the 2 minute warning.
1/10 - Brown - Bill McColl - 11 yards and another first down at the 19.
The drive ends here and with a minute left in the half, Blanda's FG makes it 10-3.
Denver starts at the 31 - they get a first down, Manning 16 to Thomas - but George's second sack ends the half.
3rd Qtr: Bears 10 Broncos 3
Denver has a monster offense, just all time great - but in the SB it ran aground against the Seahawks and they do not have it going here today against this Chicago team. Denver will open at the 29.
1/10 - Ball gets 2 and an offsides call makes it 2nd and 3.
2/3 - Manning - Welker, he is just shy.
3/1 - Manning - Thomas, a dozen to midfield.
1/10 - Ball gets 4
2/6 - Hillman gets 17, it is a first down at the 29.
But it ends here - Bill George has a hat trick, three sacks - Denver then....misses....the long FG...the Bears are getting the ball at their own 36, up 7.
The Bears get a first down on a defensive holding, but that's it - Von Miller gets a sack - Denver's going to get the ball back at their own 35. Little more than 6 to go in the third.
1/10 - Moreno for 3.
2/7 - Ball for 2
3/5 - Manning - Manning to Demaryius Thomas for the big gain to the Bears 28 yard line.
1/10 - Manning back to Thomas for 14 more.
1/10 - Hillman loses a yard.
2/11 - Incomplete -- big play here, 3rd and 11 at the Bears 15, Broncos down a score, less than 3 to play in the third.
3/11 - Manning.....End Zone....Welker....TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS - Peyton Manning 15 yards to Wes Welker -- and Denver has tied this game at 10.
Bears at the 29.
1/10 - Casares for 6
1/10 - Watkins for 15 and the Broncos are at midfield.
1/10 - Hoffman gets 1.
2/9 - Casares gets 17 - big gainer and the qt ends.
4th Qtr: Bears 10 Broncos 10
Upset alert in Denver, the 12th seeded '56 Bears are all tied at 10 with the 5th seeded '13 Broncos - Bears ball, first down at the Denver 32.
But the drive ends here -- and when Blanda misses his second FG of the day, the Bears have come up empty.
Denver takes over at the 37.
1/10 - Moreno for 6.
2/4 - Manning to Welker, picks it up.
1/10 - Ball for 5 across midfield.
2/5 - Manning -- over the middle -- Jacob Tamme -- it's a 45 yard gain -- Tamme rumbles all the way down to the 2 yard line! Peyton Manning with the big, big shot - Manning to Tamme and now Denver's at the Chicago 2 yard line.
1/goal - Manning fires - Welker -- TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS - Peyton Manning hits Wes Welker for the score and the Broncos have the 17-10 lead with less than 11 minutes left to play in the football game.
Bears at the 28.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Casares for 1
3/9 - Brown to Schroder, right at the sticks - measurement -- first down Chicago.
1/10 - 4 for Casares
2/6 - Incomplete and at their own 42, here's another third down, we are just a little more than 8 to go.
3/6 - Brown - McColl --- 15 yard gainer -- and the Bears are into Chicago territory.
1/10 - Watkins is stopped.
2/10 - 3 for Casares - and the Bears have their third third down on the drive.
3/7 - Brown to Dooley - 9 yards - Brown has picked up 3 third downs on the drive, the Bears are at the 31 with less than 6 to go, Broncos by a touchdown.
1/10 - Give to Hoffman - 7 yards.
2/3 - Give to Hoffman -- 13 yards -- Chicago is at the Denver 11 yard line!
1/10 - Casares loses 2.
2/12 - Casares stopped at the line. And here's another 3rd down.
3/12 - Brown -- Brown looking to the endzone -- Harlon Hill --- TOUCHDOWN BEARS....TOUCHDOWN BEARS --- just an outstanding drive for Ed Brown, 78 yards in 8 minutes to tie this game at 31 - and with less than 3 minutes to go in the football game....Peyton Manning gets the ball back, tied at 17. Denver is at their own 36.
1/10 - Manning to Moreno, 7 yards.
2/3 - Moreno runs for 6 and we hit the 2 minute warning.
1/10 - Joe Fortunato sacks Manning -- Denver has to use their first timeout.
2/14 - Manning - finds Thomas in space - Thomas gets good yards after the catch, he is all the way to the 32 yard line - Denver uses its second timeout, there's 1:35 left in the football game, Denver might be in FG range now.
1/10 - Manning -- downfield -- Thomas -- Big shot -- 22 yards, Thomas is out of bounds - and now Denver has a first and goal to go at the 10, still 1:22 left.
1/goal - Incomplete
2/goal - Flip out to Moreno -- Moreno breaks a tackle --- Moreno Is Gonna Go Into the End Zone....TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS -- Peyton Manning takes less than 2 minutes to go 64 yards and Denver regains the lead, 24-17.
Bears at the 32. Can Brown do this? Can he drive the Bears down for the tie score?
1/20 - After a holding call, Brown now has 78 yards to go. Incomplete
2/20 - Brown 8 yards to Hill. Timeout.
3/12 - Brown in trouble -- he scrambles out of bounds after 4 yards.
And this is it. Less than a minute to go - 4th down and 8 at their own 34, trailing by a score.
4/12 -- Brown --- Brown looking downfield -- Brown --- Knocked Down By Chris Harris -- and that will be it --- Broncos can kill the clock and it is done.
Final: Broncos 24 Bears 17
Chicago was able to hang tough today - but Manning throws two 4th qtr scores and the Broncos advance.
Manning: 18 for 22 241 yds 3 TD
Brown: 11 for 20 122 yds 1 TD
Moreno: 12 carries, 35 yds, 2 catches, 17 yds, TD
Casares: 22 carries, 90 yds
Thomas: 6 catches, 100 yds
Hill: 4 catches, 49 yds
George: 3 sacks
Player of the Game: Peyton Manning
