 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PACKERS HOST REIGNING SUPER BOWL CHAMPION DENVER AT UW'S CAMP RANDALL NEXT ON 'MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL'
posted 08/16/99
THE GAME: Off to a successful start under new Head Coach Ray Rhodes, by way of a 27-16 victory over the defending AFC Eastern Division champion New York Jets in their preseason debut, the Green Bay Packers next face an even more imposing challenge.
It will find them taking on the reigning Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos in a nationally televised, ABC "Monday Night Football" matchup at the University of Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium next Monday evening (August 23).
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m., CDT (Wisconsin time). The game is a sellout (76,129).
Based on the Broncos' 2-0 preseason record to date, including a 38-7 thumping of the Arizona Cardinals in their second non-league outing over the weekend, they appear no less formidable - despite the retirement loss of quarterback great John Elway - than they were the past two seasons when they rolled to a composite 26-6 regular-season record and back-to-back Super Bowl titles, thus becoming only the sixth team in NFL history to win two consecutive Super Bowls.
The Coloradans launched their preseason agenda with a 20-17 victory over the San Diego Chargers in an American Bowl contest at Sydney, Australia August 7.
THE TV-RADIO COVERAGE: Al Michaels will call the play-by-play for ABC's telecast, with Boomer Esiason supplying the commentary and Lesley Visser reporting from the field. Ken Wolfe is the producer and Craig Janoff directs.
The game also will be aired over the Packer Radio Network, with Wayne Larrivee handling the play-by-play and Larry McCarren providing the analysis.
THE SERIES: The Packers have found the Broncos somewhat less than cooperative over the years. Denver owns a 4-3-1 edge in regular season play, a 1-0 advantage in the postseason (by virtue of a 31-24 victory in Super Bowl XXXII at San Diego in January of 1998) and a 5-0 margin in preseason competition.
The Packers' most recent victory over the Broncos came in 1996 when they rolled to a 41-6 success (December 8) en route to a NFC championship and their first Super Bowl victory in 29 years.
In the interim, Monday night's principals staged a preseason "rematch" at Denver's Mile High Stadium in 1998 and the Broncos followed that Super Bowl XXXII victory with a 34-31 nod in a preseason shootout at Denver's Mile High Stadium last August 24.
THE COACHES: Ray Rhodes, in his fifth season as an NFL head coach, has posted a 29-34-1 regular-season record to date, one which includes a 20-12 mark during the first two of his four seasons as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles (1995-98).
He led Philadelphia into the playoffs in each of those first two seasons, thus becoming the first head coach in club history to take the Eagles into the postseason in his first two years at the helm.
In that first season (1995), Rhodes was a consensus selection as the NFL's "Coach of the Year," a rare laurel for a first-year NFL head coach.
Earlier, in 12 seasons as an assistant coach with San Francisco, he helped the 49ers capture postseason berths 10 times, reach the NFC Championship Game on seven occasions and win five Super Bowls.
His opposite number, Denver's Mike Shanahan, has taken to rewriting the record book for coaching success during his four years as the Broncos' field leader. Under him, the Broncos have posted the most wins in pro football history in a two-year period (33 in 1997-98); the most wins in pro football history in a three-year period (46 in 1996-98); won the most postseason games ever in a two-year period (seven); won 18 straight games over 1997-98 to tie the all-time NFL record for consecutive wins; and been undefeated for three straight regular seasons at home, the Broncos becoming only the second team do so.
THE MADISON SERIES: The Packers have had good success at Camp Randall Stadium, having won 8 of 11 preseason games they have played in the University of Wisconsin's venerable venue, including a 22-17 decision over the New York Giants in their most recent appearance there in 1997 (August 22).
The Packers understandably have fond memories of the latter occasion. The '97 victory was posted before the largest crowd, 76,704, ever to see a Green Bay team play a game on Wisconsin turf, surpassing the previous mark of 73,959 , established in the Packers' first Madison appearance - against the New York Jets - on August 9, 1986.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
