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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
DENVER (AP) -- It's a good thing the Denver Broncos don't have a
quarterback controversy because Sunday's game wouldn't have settled
anything.
Gus Frerotte, who has failed to unseat incumbent Brian Griese as
the starter and who conceded the job to Griese in an interview last
week, put up nearly identical statistics to his counterpart in the
Broncos' 26-20 preseason victory over the injury-ravaged Green Bay
Packers.
Olandis Gary ran for 94 yards and a third-quarter touchdown for
the Broncos, and Jason Elam added four field goals.
In a rematch of the 1998 Super Bowl, the Broncos broke a 13-13
tie with 10 third-quarter points behind Gary and Frerotte.
|  | | Denver's Terrell Davis ran for 28 yards Sunday night in his second game back from major knee surgery. |
Despite suffering the same breakdowns in the red zone that
crippled them in 1999, the Broncos (2-0) generated 454 yards
compared to Green Bay's 344.
Griese and Frerotte both were solid. Griese was 10-for-16 for
156 yards in the first half, and Frerotte was 13-for-20 for 153
yards in the second half.
"Brian was poised, he threw the ball well and he had command of
the game plan," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "He went
through his reads and kept his composure, and Gus did the same
thing. Gus really kept his cool and made some plays under pressure.
"That's what you're looking for. You're looking for leaders out
there."
Terrell Davis, in his second game since undergoing
reconstructive surgery on his right knee, rushed for a workmanlike
28 yards on eight carries.
"It felt like old times," Davis said. "I don't think I was
favoring the knee at all."
The Packers (1-1) were without quarterback Brett Favre, who has
been bothered by tendinitis in his right elbow.
"I told Brett to go out there in pregame warmups and if he felt
any pain whatsoever, I didn't want him to go," Green Bay coach
Mike Sherman said. "He's too valuable to this football team, and I
don't want a situation that goes on all season like the thumb did
last year. He wanted to play, but now he has the luxury of a number
of days rest."
Favre, who played most of last season with a sprained thumb on
his throwing hand, said, "This year I'm going to be smarter. It's
the first time I've had tendinitis. Our doctors know how to handle
it, and I'm agreeing with them on it."
While Favre may be on the mend, the Packers sustained three
significant injuries in the game. They lost running back Ahman
Green to a sprained right knee in the second quarter. The injury
was diagnosed as a second-degree sprain of the medial collateral
ligament, and he will be sidelined three to four weeks.
Starting linebacker Anthony Harris injured his neck and was
taken to a Denver hospital for precautionary tests.
Second-team wide receiver Corey Bradford broke his left fibula
while on kick coverage in the fourth quarter and will be out a
minimum of seven to eight weeks.
Elam's 29-yard field goal gave Denver a 16-13 lead early in the
third quarter. Later in the period, Frerotte completed passes of 18
and 10 yards to Travis McGriff, and Gary bulled 5 yards up the
middle for a 23-13 lead.
Third-string quarterback Danny Wuerffel completed four passes,
including a 34-yarder to rookie Charles Lee, and rookie Herbert
Goodman plunged the final yard, cutting the deficit to 23-20 with
10:43 remaining.
But four runs by Gary and four completions by Frerotte set up
Elam's 27-yarder with 4:51 left.
Neither team punted until the final play of a first half that
saw each quarterback run for a score and each placekicker make two
field goals in a 13-13 tie.
Matt Hasselbeck, who completed his first six passes, played the
first half for Green Bay and went 10-for-15 for 140 yards.
Despite being sacked twice on the opening series, Hasselbeck
drove the Packers into position for a 41-yard field goal by Ryan
Longwell.
Denver countered with a field goal of its own. Ed McCaffrey
turned Griese's 10-yard pass into a 61-yard gain, but after tight
end Dwayne Carswell dropped a touchdown pass in the end zone, Elam
kicked a 20-yard field goal.
Hasselbeck passed 21 yards to Antonio Freeman, and Dorsey
Levens, seeing his first action of the preseason after being slowed
by tendinitis in his knee, bolted 43 yards off the right side. Two
plays later from the 7, Hasselbeck faked to a back and scored
around right end.
Griese completed three passes to Rod Smith, setting up Elam's
23-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
After Longwell was wide right on a 48-yard attempt, the Broncos
took the lead for the first time. Griese ran 5 yards on a rollout
for a 13-10 lead with 1:54 remaining in the half.
Hasselbeck completed four straight passes, including a 26-yarder
to rookie tight end Bubba Franks, and Longwell kicked a 24-yarder.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Green Bay Clubhouse
Denver Clubhouse
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