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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
DENVER (AP) -- The Denver Broncos said goodbye to their aging
stadium in fitting fashion, with one of the best games in their
history.
|  | | Broncos running back Mike Anderson offered a Mile High Salute to fans after racking up 15 TDs in his rookie season. |
In the final regular-season game at Mile High Stadium, the
Broncos scored on six straight possessions to rout the San
Francisco 49ers 38-9 on Saturday.
As flash bulbs popped throughout the 52-year-old stadium on the
historic occasion, Gus Frerotte, replacing the injured Brian
Griese, passed for one touchdown and ran for another, and Mike
Anderson ran for two scores.
"Today's effort was almost a perfect game," coach Mike
Shanahan said. "Our defense was fired up from the first play. Gus
played well and carried himself with poise."
Frerotte, who twice had to be helped from the field with minor
injuries, said the win was "what we needed for our last game of
the season, to go into the playoffs with a lot of momentum and to
go into the playoffs playing as a team again. We're on our way."
The playoff-bound Broncos (11-5) stayed in contention for the
AFC West title. If Oakland loses to Carolina on Sunday, Denver
would win the division title and be assured of a home playoff game.
If Oakland wins, Denver is a wildcard and plays on the road.
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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Question on the 49ers: Were the young 49ers intimidated by the Mile High nostalgia?
Donahoe: The Niners just ran into a buzz saw. We saw in the final game in Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh that those situations are very difficult to overcome. There was a lot at stake for Denver and the emotion of the moment was powerful for them. Whether the 49ers had a young team or a veteran team, it would have been difficult for them to win under those conditions. The score was pretty much what most people expected it to be.
Question on the Broncos: Should Mike Shanahan have rested Brian Griese for the playoffs?
Donahoe: I think it was a good decision by Shanahan to play Griese. He hasn't played for five weeks and they needed to get the rust off. Maybe it's good to find out that his shoulder isn't ready. They will now spend time getting Gus Frerotte ready to play. It's actually riskier if you wait until the playoffs to bring him back. If he gets hurt in the playoffs and Frerotte isn't ready, then you have a real problem with your football team. In that situation, Shanahan made the correct decision.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director
of football operations.
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Wide receiver Rod Smith said the Broncos chose a "great way to
close it out -- maybe. We might have one more game here. Hopefully,
we can have another little party like this again. This place is
always going to be special."
San Francisco (6-10), which had won four of its previous five
games, averted a shutout when Wade Richey kicked a 44-yard field
goal with 9:04 left. Jeff Garcia, who eclipsed the 49ers' season
passing record of 4,170 yards set by Steve Young in 1998, later
threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to J.J. Stokes.
"The game got out of hand," San Francisco coach Steve Mariucci
said. "They are a better team than we are right now. We made a lot
of progress this year, but we see exactly how far we still have to
go. This was a little bit of a reality check."
All in all, it was a record-setting day.
Denver receivers Ed McCaffrey and Smith finished with 101 and
100 receptions, respectively, becoming only the second NFL tandem
to reach that level. Detroit's Herman Moore and Brett Perriman
accomplished the feat in 1995.
McCaffrey's 101 catches broke the club record of 100 set by
Lionel Taylor in 1961.
Anderson's two rushing touchdowns gave him 15 for the season,
tying Cincinnati's Ickey Woods (1988) for the second-most by a
rookie in NFL history.
Saturday's game also probably was the last game in a San Francisco
uniform for record-setting receiver Jerry Rice, who wants to play
another season but probably will do it for another team because of
the salary cap.
After the game, Broncos fans cheered Rice as he headed for the
locker room and shouted "Jerry! Jerry!"
After a scoreless first quarter, the Broncos, who will move into
a $364 million stadium next fall, scored on three straight
possessions to take a 17-0 halftime lead.
Griese, returning to the lineup after missing the previous five
games with a separated throwing shoulder, lasted just five plays.
On a short pass, Griese was slammed to the turf by defensive tackle
Brentson Buckner, landing on his shoulder and leaving the game.
Frerotte relieved and eventually led Denver to its first score,
Jason Elam's 20-yard field. Denver's 88-yard scoring drive included
five penalties against San Francisco totaling 66 yards.
On Denver's next series, Frerotte was shaken up on a sack and
left the game, and Griese returned to hand off to KaRon Coleman,
who juked his way around the left side for a 24-yard scoring run
with 7:33 left in the half. Griese did not play again, however.
Thanks to intimidating tactics by Denver linebacker Bill
Romanowski -- who shoved receiver Stokes after a reception and
leveled Garcia just after the quarterback released a pass -- a San
Francisco drive stalled at the Denver 30, and Richey was wide right
on a 48-yard field goal try.
"As a defense, we felt like we had to come out with an
attitude," Romanowski said, "and that's what we did."
Denver responded with a 61-yard touchdown drive. Frerotte, back
in the lineup, completed a 15-yard pass to Byron Chamberlain, and
Anderson ran the final yard.
Game notes
Griese's shoulder did not pop out, but it was unclear if he
can play next week. ... Garcia finished the season with a
club-record 4,278 yards passing. ... The 49ers lost S Zack Bronson
with a sprained right ankle, LB Winfred Tubbs with a sprained right
knee and DT Cedric Killings with a sprained neck. ... The Broncos,
who allowed 424 total yards including 264 rushing to Kansas City
last week, limited the 49ers to 192 total yards. ... San Francisco
had limited its previous five opponents to an average of 12.2
points. ... Denver has won seven of its last eight games.
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ALSO SEE
San Francisco Clubhouse
Denver Clubhouse
Fans get rowdy in saying bye to Mile High
Griese returns, but gets forced back out of game
Rice prepares for future away from the 49ers
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Bill Romanowski talks with ESPN's Andrea Kremer after the Broncos final victory at Mile High Stadium.
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Jerry Rice appreciated all the well wishes from the Broncos' players.
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Ed McCaffrey is glad to be a part of the many memories created at Mile High Stadium.
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Coach Mike Shanahan comments on fans taking parts of the bleachers home as souvenirs.
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Coach Mike Shanahan says Brian Griese's status will not be known until late next week.
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Brian Griese did not want to jeopardize playing in next week's game.
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