DENVER

VS

GREEN BAY

The Broncos have ridden the leadership of QB John Elway to another Super Bowl appearance. Elway has had to carry the load in the past, but a solid run game should help this time around. Look for Elway to work the ball short to intermediate and try to control the clock. Possession WR Ed McCaffrey and TE Shannon Sharpe are two guys that can keep the chains moving. Will look to attack DC Tyrone Williams who is the weakest link of a solid secondary, if he can get him matched up on speed WR Rod Smith.

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QB

QB Brett Favre is cruising through the post season again. He will get his biggest test this week vs. a Bronco front 7 that has the ability to put some pressure on him. Favre has a lot of weapons, and may be able to expose the Bronco secondary if he gets time in the pocket. Will look for WR Antonio Freeman who has pushed all the right buttons in the post season. Want to attack DC Darrien Gordon who is weakest link of the secondary. Favre likes the post route, and may find it open vs. DS’s Atwater and Braxton who do not run as well anymore.

RB Terrell Davis holds the key to the Bronco’s success in this Super Bowl matchup. They have been buried in their last 4 Super Bowl’s, but have never had an RB like Davis, who can take over a football game via the ground. The Bronco OL is outweighed by 15-20 LBS. on the Avg., so Davis will have to use his quicks to maneuver, and find some running room. Needs big day on the ground to control the clock and keep the Packer offense on the sideline. Should get 30+ carries if their defense can keep them in the game.

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RB

RB Dorsey Levens is the unsung hero of this Packer offense. After starting RB Edgar Bennett went down in the preseason, Levens showed that he can be an every down guy. Packers also want to establish the run and keep QB John Elway and the Bronco offense on the sideline. They face a Bronco front 7 that is soft in the middle, and has had problems stopping the run at times. If Packers can grab early lead, will give the ball to Levens and let him wear them down physically... he is the type of RB that has worn teams down in the 2nd half.

Coming into the season, a lot of questions surrounded this WR unit... those questions have been answered. Big play WR Rod Smith has moved himself into the 2nd tier of WR’s in the NFL. He has had problems catching in traffic though, and can’t afford too many drops this week. Ed McCaffrey is more of a possession guy, but may have some success vs. the Packer DC’s who are physical, but not very big. Wild Card is WR Willie Green... he has had a sub-par year, but can force the Packers into their "nickle" package if they can get him the ball early. If they can force them into "nickle," RB Davis will find some more running room.

WR

The return of WR Robert Brooks from a serious knee injury has solidified this group, and made him, and WR Antonio Freeman, a dangerous duo. Brooks and Freeman should both have big days vs. a shaky Bronco secondary. Will try to take advantage of DC Darrien Gordon who likes to gamble, and will bite on the "out and up" route. Freeman suffers from the drops at times, but has been a steady performer down the stretch. Both WR’s are very physical, and could be a factor as run blockers vs. the Bronco DB’s... don’t be surprised if on a big run, you see great blocking from this WR unit.

To the delight of everyone, TE Shannon Sharpe has become much more involved in the offense. Sharpe is the best pass catching TE in football, and will be instrumental this week if the Broncos are going to be able to control the clock. Will work vs. SS Leroy Butler who is top notch cover DS... Look for the Packers to cover him underneath and over the top in certain situations. If Broncos win this game, Sharpe must find ways to get open. Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak must move him around and keep him in motion so he can get a good release off the LOS.

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TE

TE Mark Chmura is headed back to the Pro Bowl, but may be a better all around performer this time. He has always been a solid pass catcher, but has also become a much more physical blocker. Chmura has dec. quicks, and enough speed to stretch the defense. However, don’t look for him to play much of a role as a pass catcher in this one... he will be covered by OLB Bill Romanowski, who is one of the best cover LB’s in the NFL. Chmura may not be a factor in the passing game, but should be able to help open up some running room for RB Dorsey Levens

OL

This is not a very athletic unit... more of a hog OL, that likes it when the game is played in the trenches. This unit has to get physical with a quick/active Bronco front 7 that does not like it when the game becomes a "fist fight." Packs have to smack this defense in the mouth early, and see if they will curl up and quit. Doubt they will, but by establishing the LOS early, they will put them away with a power run game late. This group is up and down in pass protection, but have to play well this week. The Bronco front 4 is quick, and are capable of beating QB Favre up.

Quick/active unit, but they are not very physical, and may struggle to hold up in this game. Unit plays great when things are going their way, and awful when they aren’t, so it is key that the offense get out to an early lead. DE’s Alfred Williams and Neil Smith have to be able to get to QB Favre, and prevent him from picking apart their secondary. Front 4’s main goal will be to get pressure, but must at least slow RB Levens when they give him the ball on draws and inside runs. If they don’t slow him, he will wear their LB’s/DB’s down eventually.

DL

Big, physical, yet quick unit. Have a big size advantage on the Bronco OL, and will try to make their presence felt early on. NT Gilbert Brown has been a warrior since returning from his ankle injury, and will play a key role in slowing down RB Terrell Davis. DE Reggie White will have to use his strength if he is going to beat RT Tony Jones, who has good feet. Front 4 has to put pressure on QB Elway early, and knock this offense off their rhythm. Their offense has shown the ability to break down over long periods of time if QB Elway is not comfortable in the pocket.

One of the more underrated units in the NFL... MLB Allen Aldridge will key on RB Levens in an attempt to make the Packers a 1-dimensional offensive team. WLB John Mobley can be a terror as a rusher, and must help get pressure on QB Favre. SLB Bill Romanowski excels in coverage, and has the ability to take TE Mark Chmura out of the offense. Big key this week for this unit will be tackling RB Levens. They must wrap him up after the initial contact.

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LB

Unit was revamped because of injuries and ineffectiveness early, but have played well down the stretch. Bernardo Harris is one of the more underrated MLB’s in the NFL... he will have his hands full trying to contain RB Terrell Davis. Look for their LB’s to come on more blitzes this week in an attempt to disrupt the rhythm of the Bronco offense.

This secondary unit is the weak link of this team. They are a veteran unit that gets into trouble because DS’s Tyrone Braxton and Steve Atwater can no longer run. However, their lack of speed has also forced them to become more fundamentally sound... this unit won’t gamble much, and they put themselves in good position to make plays. DC’s Gordon and Crockett will have to be physical with their WR’s, and DS’s Braxton and Atwater must make them pay on those quick slant routes.

DB

Despite early season injuries, this unit is as strong as ever. DC Tyrone Williams was picked on early, but has played well the 2nd half of the year. Have to contain WR Rod Smith... want to stay real close to him, as he struggles to make catches in traffic. Look for them to come up and jam WR Ed McCaffrey, and make it difficult for him to get off the LOS. FS Eugene Robinson is aging, but still covers a lot of ground. SS Leroy Butler excels in this big game atmosphere... look for him to make a big play at a key time.

PK Jason Elam has one of the best legs in the NFL... he has been steady throughout the season. KOR man Vaughn Hebron and PR man Darrien Gordon give their return teams a lot of explosiveness. Cover units have been solid throughout the year, but can’t afford any mental breakdowns. PT Tom Rouen will play key role... has to keep the Packer offense pinned back all day, forcing them to drive the field for scores.

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ST

PK Ryan Longwell has had a solid year, but has missed some pressure FG’s along the way. He has never kicked in a game of this magnitude. The rest of the ST units have been inconsistent for much of the year, but the insertion of WR’s Antonio Freeman (KOR) and Robert Brooks (PR) have given their return units life. Cover units must contain PR man Gordon who has been big play guy all season.

KEY INJURIES - ROSTER CHANGES

KEY INJURIES - ROSTER CHANGES

No Significant injuries

No Significant Injuries

KEY MATCHUPS

KEY MATCHUPS

DC’s Crockett and Gordon vs. WR’s Freeman and Brooks - Want to get real physical with their WR’s... they will come over the middle on slants and crossing routes... have to make their presence felt.

SS Leroy Butler vs. TE Shannon Sharpe - Butler is ex DC with good cover skills... has to contain Sharpe, especially on 3rd down... if Sharpe is a factor, can take Butler away from run support.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

KEYS TO SUCCESS

3. Keep game close early... have been blown out in all their Super Bowl appearances... this team needs to stay in the game early... if they don’t, they will lose their swagger/confidence.

3. Make the game as physical as possible... Broncos will shy away from real physical matchup... Packs want to come out running, and stop the run early on.

SUMMARY

SUMMARY

The Broncos make another return to the Super Bowl, in what may be QB John Elway’s last shot at getting a much deserved ring... This is his best team yet, as they finally have a run game to compliment their high powered passing attack... Most of these players weren’t here when they made their last Super Bowl appearance, so they must put those past failures to rest. The OL and DL hold the key that will take them to the "promise land"... Have to establish their run game early, and stop the run on defense... if they can do this, they have a shot at shocking the world.

The Packers should come into this matchup fairly loose... they are playing very well on both sides of the football... key for them is stopping the run... the Broncos don’t win big games when RB Davis is a non factor. Offensively, the Packers want a good mix of run and pass... Look for them to air it out early, in an attempt to grab an early lead and take RB Davis out of the game... if the Packers lead in the 4th Qtr., they will be in the drivers seat, as RB Dorsey Levens has shown the ability to wear opposing defenses down late in the game. QB Brett Favre can’t try to win game by himself... when he tries to, he becomes very error prone.