The 49ers (6-9) travel to Mile High Stadium for a 2:15 PT kickoff against the Denver Broncos (11-4) in the regular-season finale. The Broncos host the AFC's runner-up seed and have wrapped the AFC West with a Sunday-night win over Kansas City. Gus Frerotte starts at quarterback in place of the injured Brian Griese. Terrell Davis is on injured reserve; Mike Anderson, the third-string rookie, is the back and has rushed for 1,200 yards across the season.[1][2]
The season closes at Mile High Stadium against a Denver team that has wrapped its conference seeding and could rest its starters in the second half. Gus Frerotte starts for the injured Brian Griese. Mike Anderson, the rookie back who replaced Terrell Davis on the depth chart after the Davis ACL tear, has rushed for over 1,200 yards. Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey continue as the kind of receiver duo that has defined the Broncos' offense across the back of the Mike Shanahan tenure.
Week 17 closes the season. The Vikings, Buccaneers, Saints and Eagles hold the NFC's playoff seeds; the Giants the fifth. The Ravens, Titans, Raiders and Dolphins hold the AFC's; the Colts and Broncos chase the wild cards. The Sunday-afternoon late game is the 49ers at Denver; Denver wraps its seed with a win. Inside the division the calendar closes with the league's wild-card matchups set and the divisional weekend matchups locked.
Through fifteen games the 49ers sit at 6-9 with a minus 5 point differential, a recovery from the minus 70 the team hit in Week 10. Garcia is 121 yards short of the organization single-season passing-yards record. Owens leads the league with 106 catches across the first 15. Garner averages 86 from scrimmage. The Broncos are 11-4 with Frerotte starting for the injured Griese. Anderson averages 5.2 a carry across the year. Vegas opens the 49ers as 8-point road underdogs.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Titans | 12-3 | W3 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 11-4 | W6 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8-7 | W1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 7-8 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4-11 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 3-13 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 10-5 | L2 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 9-6 | W2 |
| New York Jets | 9-6 | L2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 7-8 | L4 |
| New England Patriots | 5-10 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland Raiders | 11-4 | L1 |
| Denver Broncos | 10-5 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7-8 | W2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6-9 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 1-14 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 10-5 | W2 |
| St. Louis Rams | 9-6 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 7-8 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6-9 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3-12 | L6 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 11-4 | L2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 10-5 | W4 |
| Detroit Lions | 9-6 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8-7 | W3 |
| Chicago Bears | 4-11 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 11-4 | W4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 10-5 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 7-8 | L4 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5-10 | L1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 3-12 | -- |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Broncos | Jason Elam 20 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Broncos | KaRon Coleman 24 yard rush ( Jason Elam kick) | 0-10 |
| Broncos | Mike Anderson 1 yard rush ( Jason Elam kick) | 0-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Broncos | Ed McCaffrey 25 yard pass from Gus Frerotte ( Jason Elam kick) | 0-24 |
| Broncos | Gus Frerotte 13 yard rush ( Jason Elam kick) | 0-31 |
| Broncos | Mike Anderson 1 yard rush ( Jason Elam kick) | 0-38 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Wade Richey 44 yard field goal | 3-38 |
| 49ers | J.J. Stokes 8 yard pass from Jeff Garcia ( Wade Richey kick failed) | 9-38 |
Mike Anderson ran for 85 yards and two touchdowns, Gus Frerotte threw for 205 and a score and the Denver Broncos beat the 49ers 38-9 at Mile High Stadium in the regular-season finale. Jeff Garcia went 18 of 40 for 188 yards and a touchdown but threw an interception and was sacked four times. Charlie Garner ran for 3 on 8 carries. Terrell Owens caught 3 for 35. The 49ers trailed 38-2 entering the fourth quarter before a J.J. Stokes touchdown reception made the final 38-9.[1][2]
The 49ers closed the season 6-10 with a 38-9 loss at Mile High that read as the worst single-game line of the calendar. Gus Frerotte threw for 205. Mike Anderson ran for two touchdowns. The Broncos secured their conference seed by halftime and the 49ers walked out of Denver with a final-week box score that the wire copy will file under structural concerns.
Garcia did not chase the team record. The 49ers' starter went 18 of 40, was sacked four times by the Broncos' front, threw an interception, and did not produce the 122 passing yards he needed for the Young 1998 mark. Garner ran for 3 on 8 carries before exiting with the heel. Owens, off the previous Sunday's record, was held to 3 catches for 35.
Broncos 38, 49ers 9. Margin: minus 29. Final record: 6-10, minus 34 differential. • Garcia: 18-of-40 for 188, 1 TD, 1 INT, sacked 4 times. • Garner: 8 carries for 3 (left with heel injury). • Owens: 3 catches for 35. • Rice: 6 catches for 61 (final regular-season game in red and gold). • Stokes: 3 catches for 43, 1 TD. • Mike Anderson: 26 carries for 85 (3.3 ypc), 2 rushing TDs. • Frerotte: 18-of-29 for 205, 1 TD. • Rod Smith: 8 catches for 80.
A 38-9 road loss at Mile High Stadium. The 49ers close the regular season 6-10 with the worst single-game line of the year.
How it unfolded
The first quarter was scoreless. The second quarter belonged to Denver: a Mike Anderson short rushing touchdown, a Janikowski-style Jason Elam field goal, and a Frerotte-to-McCaffrey touchdown to make it 17-0 at the half. The third quarter produced three more Broncos scores: a second Anderson touchdown, a Rod Smith 24-yard touchdown reception, and a Howard Griffith 4-yard rushing touchdown to push the lead to 38-0. The 49ers got on the board on a safety in the third quarter and a Stokes 17-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter to make the final 38-9.
The turning point
The entire second quarter. The Broncos scored on three of four possessions; the 49ers' offense produced two three-and-outs and a Garcia sack on the third drive. The 17-0 halftime cushion was the largest first-half deficit the 49ers had faced since the New Orleans afternoon in November.
By the numbers
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jeff Garcia | 18/40 | 188 | 1 | 1 | |
| DEN | |||||
| Gus Frerotte | 18/29 | 205 | 1 | 0 | |
| Brian Griese | 2/2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Paul Smith | 2 | 19 | 0 | 11 |
| Jeff Garcia | 2 | 15 | 0 | 8 |
| Fred Beasley | 3 | 9 | 0 | 7 |
| Charlie Garner | 8 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| DEN | ||||
| Mike Anderson | 26 | 85 | 2 | 18 |
| KaRon Coleman | 12 | 52 | 1 | 24 |
| Gus Frerotte | 3 | 23 | 1 | 13 |
| Jarious Jackson | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jerry Rice #80 | 6 | 61 | 0 | 18 |
| J.J. Stokes | 3 | 43 | 1 | 21 |
| Terrell Owens | 3 | 35 | 0 | 19 |
| Charlie Garner | 4 | 29 | 0 | 15 |
| Terry Jackson | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Fred Beasley | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| DEN | ||||
| Rod Smith | 8 | 80 | 0 | 13 |
| Ed McCaffrey | 5 | 71 | 1 | 25 |
| Desmond Clark | 1 | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| Byron Chamberlain | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Howard Griffith | 2 | 13 | 0 | 8 |
| Scottie Montgomery | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Dwayne Carswell | 2 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
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