Q3 – 15:00: Bears receive the kick to start the second half. From one yard deep in the end zone, Wolfe takes it out to the 20-yard line before being stopped by Spencer Larsen. Bears long snapper Darrell McClover is called for holding, backing his team up to their own 6-yard line.
Q3 – 14:36: Caleb Hanie in at quarterback for the Bears. His first pass is good but for no gain to Aromashodu. Kevin Joens carries for one yard, before being stopped by Andre’ Goodman. Facing a 3rd and 5, the Bears run with Wolfe, but D.J. Williams and Kenny Peterson combine to stop him just short of the marker. Brad Maynard is in to punt.
Q3 – 12:37: Alphonso Smith takes the punt for a 1-yard return to his own 37-yard line. Tom Brandstater will start the second half at quarterback, with the rest of the first-team offense. Eddie Royal and Chad Jackson are at wide receiver while Daniel Graham and Tony Scheffler are in at tight end. Peyton Hillis runs forward for two yards, setting up a 2nd and 8 from the 39-yard line.
Q3 – 11:52: Hillis runs forward for another pair, setting up 3rd and 6 from the Broncos 41-yard line. Out of the shotgun, Brandstater fakes to Hillis, but comes up short on the bubble screen to Royal. Colquitt is in to punt, looking to replicate his 46-yard first-half gem that pinned the Bears at their own 2-yard line.
Q3 – 11:14: Colquitt’s mission is a success. He pins the Bears at their own 1-yard line. Hanie and the Bears will start from there after the 58-yard punt. INJURY UPDATE – Josh Barrett has an injury to an upper extremity, and his return is questionable.
Q3 – 11:09: Facing pressure from Mario Haggan, Hanie is rushed in the end zone for an incomplete on first down. Jones runs up the gut for five yards, before being stopped by Ryan McBean. On 3rd and 5 from their own 6-yard line, Hanie appeared to have a first down with Brandon Rideau. But Brian Dawkins delivered a vicious hit to the backside to jar the ball loose. Maynard is in for a quick second punt of the half.
Q3 – 10:13: Maynard’s 41-yard punt gets another 10 yards tacked on after Andre’ Goodman is charged with an illegal block in the back penalty. Brandstater and the Broncos will start at their own 39-yard line.
Q3 – 10:13: Opening up in a two-tight end set, Casey Wiegmann is whistled for a false start, backing his team up to the 34-yard line. Out of the I-formation, Correll Buckhalter erases the pre-snap miscue, bursting forward off a pitch out for 21 yards behind a big block from Peyton Hillis – 1st and 10 Broncos at the Bears 45-yard line.
Q3 – 9:15: In a mirror image, Hillis follows a big block from Daniel Graham, rumbling 17 yards down the right side for another first down. Buckhalter takes the carry from the 28, picking up four yards up the gut on first down. Ryan Clady is whistled for holding on the next play, backing the Broncos up into a 2nd and 16 from their own 34-yard line.
Q3 – 7:55: With four wide on his side, Brandstater finds Graham open in the flat. He is aided by a roughing the passer call on Bears lineman Alex Brown, pushing the gain to 18 yards. The result is a first and 10 for the Broncos from their own 16-yard line.
Q3 – 7:31: Brandstater rolls right on first down, but fires short for Royal. Buckhalter takes the pitch right on second down, but finds little running room in the presence of Lance Briggs. After the one yard loss, Brandstater finds comfort in the shotgun, slinging a ball 16 yards to Brandon Lloyd at the edge of the goal line. First and goal Broncos from the 1-yard line.
Q3 – 5:55: Hillis looks to punch it in, but Brian Urlacher stops him. Hillis recovers on the next play, finding the end zone from two yards out. Prater’s extra point is good: Bears 17, Broncos 10.
Q3 – 5:21: Prater helps the Broncos’ field position game with a touchback. Hanie and the Bears start from their own 20-yard line, but are backed up immediately by a false start penalty on Kevin Shaffer. Wolfe gets back the five yards, and Hanie completes to Rideau for one yard, setting up 3rd and 6 from the Bears’ own 24-yard line. Alphonso Smith wins the 1-on-1 battle with Derek Kinder, breaking up the pass, and forcing another Maynard punt.
Q3 – 4:05: Smith follows up his sound play on defense with another strong effort on special teams. He returns Maynard’s punt for 16 yards, setting the Broncos up with favorable field position at their own 44-yard line.
Q3 – 3:54: In I-form behind Hillis, Buckhalter runs out of room and is stopped for no gain. Brandstater’s pass to Royal sails off the hands of Royal and into the hands of Bears linebacker Marcus Freeman. The Bears take over at midfield.
Q3 – 3:06: Hanie escapes the rush of Nic Clemons, fleeing the pocket for a two-yard gain out of bounds. Wolfe takes the carry on second down and picks up four before being stopped by rookie Darcel McBath. Out of the shotgun, Hanie finds Wolfe in the flat, but a quick read by rookie David Bruton keeps the Bears from moving the chains. Maynard is in to punt.
Q3 – 1:19: The veteran recovers on the high snap, settling for a 19-yard punt that puts the Broncos at their own 24-yard line.
Q3 – 1:00: Darius Walker gets his first reps of the night, stringing gains of seven and six yards to give the Broncos a first down at their own 37-yard line.
Q3 – 0:22: Brandstater closes out the third quarter on a smooth rollout to Richard Quinn. The rookie connection goes for 16 yards and puts the Broncos in Bears territory at the 46-yard line. That’s where Denver will start the fourth quarter, trailing Chicago, 17-10.
START OF THE FOURTH QUARTER-
Q4 – 15:00: Brandstater starts the fourth out of the shotgun, working a draw play with Walker for three yards. He finds Kenny McKinley in the flat for seven yards and another first down.
Q4 – 13:37: As the lone setback, Walker bursts up the gut for three yards. That run balloons by 15 yards after Bears lineman Mark Anderson is called for unnecessary roughness. The Broncos are in the red zone at the Bears 19-yard line.
Q4 – 13:11: Brandstater finds McKinley for the catch, as he maintains possession while tightrope walking the sideline. The officials call the pass incomplete, but Head Coach Josh McDaniels throws the red flag for a challenge. The Broncos have all three timeouts in their pocket. This is McDaniels’ second challenge of the game, after losing one late in the first half on a Bears touchdown pass to Matt Forte.
Q4 – 13:11(2): Referee Ed Hochuli upholds the ruling, stating that McKinley’s left foot was out of bounds. The Broncos are charged with their first timeout of the second half.
Q4 – 13:06: Walker loses the exchange with Brandstater, and the fumble is recovered by Bears defensive tackle Matt Toeaina. The red-zone opportunity is squandered, and the Bears take over at their own 16-yard line.
Q4 – 12:00: Peterson carries up the gut for seven yards. After being stopped by Clemons for no gain, Johnny Knox breaks by Smith on a deep route. Hanie puts the ball over Knox’s outside shoulder and completes the pass for 43 yards, giving the Bears a 1st and 10 at the Broncos’ 29-yard line.
Q4 – 10:49: After an incomplete pass from Hanie, Peterson rumbles 29 yards on two carries, capped by a 12-yard run off right guard for a Bears touchdown. Gould’s extra point is good: Bears 24, Broncos 10.
Q4 – 10:42: Matthew Willis returns the kickoff for 23 yards. Matt McChesney is whistled for holding, backing the Broncos up to their own 12-yard line.
Q4 – 10:31: Brandstater finds Walker on a screen pass for no gain. Out of the shotgun, Walker takes the draw up the middle, finding five yards of running room to set up a 3rd and 5 at the 17-yard line. Lining up trips right, Brandstater finds McKinley on the left side for 15 yards and a first down.
Q4 – 9:09: Working play action with Walker, Brandstater dupes the defense to find McKinley wide open down the middle of the field. The catch is good for 54 yards and sets up a 1st and 10 for the Broncos from the Bears’ 14-yard line.
Q4 – 7:26: Walker works the middle of the Bears’ defense, putting together an eight-yard run and three-yard run to set up first-and-goal from the 3-yard line.
Q4 – 6:40: Walker works off left guard but is stopped at the goal line. He runs up the middle on second down but is again stopped at the 1-yard line. Working out of the I, Walker uses a good low block from Kory Lichtensteiger to scamper into the end zone for the touchdown. Prater’s extra point is good: Bears 24, Broncos 17. Thanks to the big Brandstater-McKinley connection, the Broncos needed less than four minutes to slice the deficit back to one possession.
Q4 – 5:42: Prater’s kickoff pins Knox four yards deep in the end zone, and a strong ankle tackle from Willis puts the Bears starting at their own 10-yard line.
Q4 – 5:13: In at quarterback for the Bears is Brett Basanez and he erases the long field quickly, finding Juaquin Iglesias for a 25-yard completion and a first down.
Q4 – 4:02: A three-yard run and eight-yard run by Peterson propels the Bears to another first down at their own 46-yard line.
Q4 – 2:58: After a strong stop by Matthias Askew on first down, Basanez finds tight end Michael Gaines for a 26-yard completion over the middle of the field. Wesley Woodyard pulls him down for the stop.
Q4 – 2:01: Peterson runs downhill for five yards, putting the Bears in a 2nd and 5 at the Broncos’ 22-yard line. The two-minute warning is upon us, with the Broncos trailing, 24-17.
Q4 – 1:49: Out of the break, Peterson runs forward for eight yards. The Bears are in the red zone at the 14-yard line, and the Broncos spend their second timeout.
Q4 – 1:41: Peterson and the Bears continue to milk the clock, as he barrels forward for three yards before being stopped by Clemons. The Broncos use their final timeout, with the Bears facing 2nd and 7 from the 11-yard line.
Q4 – 1:30: Larsen and Chris Baker stop Peterson for one yard, setting up third down from the 10. Clemons stops Peterson short of the marker, setting up 4th and 3 from the 7-yard line. The Bears take their first timeout, with 14 seconds remaining in the game.
Q4 – 0:10: Gould comes in to attempt a 25-yard field goal and tacks on another three points: Bears 27, Broncos 17.
Q4 – 0:00: Willis returns the kickoff to the 21-yard line. Brandstater comes in for the final play. He completes a quick out to Kenny McKinley on the final play. That will do it from Denver. The final score: Bears 27, Broncos 17. Thanks for following our blog, and visit denverbroncos.com for plenty of postgame coverage.
Tags: Chicago Bears, live game blog, Preseason, Second Half Live Blog
It is reported in the Post that Orton had a dislocated finger taht actually pierced through the skin as it dislocated, hence the quick large amount of blood (not the result of a cut from the other guy’s glove). Now, on your throwing hand, that sounds pretty darn serious if you ask me. As we don’t want him to throw left handed (haha), it is a very probable scenario that he won’t be ready for the Bengals. Simms should be sufficiently recovered by then to start with Brandstater as back up.
Whether anyone likes Orton or not, he might very well miss the beginning of the season.
ok, stats lie at times. Orton’s stats are similar to Cutler’s. Cutler was throwing the ball downfield more, why the majority (not all) of Orton’s “yards” came from the receiver doing the work. He simply threw a hitch or screen and the receiver picked up the yards. Cutler’s yards for the most part were of a different variety. For an offense that you all say was so efficiently moved when Orton was in there, we had 3 points. 3. 3 points. The Cutler led offense had 17. There’s your stat difference. If you want to take away the short field given by the long Hester return, still 10. How do you ignore that for the second week, the defense gave up a long drive to end te half. What do people mean, we do not want to show the playbook. People know McDaniel’s offense. It has been run in NE for the past few years. Orton cannot throw the deep ball effectively. Thus we are nickel and diming it. That is fact. He believes that is the best way to be effective with him. Brandstater and Simms are able to throw it deeper. When they are in the game plan changes. Orton is not mobile. There were no bootlegs thrown. Brandstater can move, so bootlegs were run. The entire game was not Orton’s fault. The penalties were not all Clady’s fault either. We have to look at what type of linemen we have. When we had the smaller quicker linemen, we did not run power football, it would not fit them. Clady, Harris and company are bigger guys, made for power ball and pass pro, it is going to be difficult for them to get out on screens all the time. they are not made for that. There are some huge problems with the team. Wearing rose colored glasses is not going to make them better. Wins and Losses matter not in the preseason, bt the play does.
I personally do not think that the schedule bodes well for us winning more than 5 games. I hope they win 16, but the team that is on the field, just doesn’t show it. What is so funny to me is that people were BASHING Marshall less than a week ago, saying get rid of him and we are fine without him, and are now saying he is what we need to get the passing game on track.
As I have forecasted since the draft, going 8-8 would be a terrific accomplishment, taking in all that’s happened off season and the brutal schedule. I still stand by my observation that to go 8-8, we HAVE to start 3-0. If not, 500 won’t be a reasonable goal. And I don’t see that as a bad thing, it will be a work in progress. More often than not, the odds are for tough times in the first couple years when you go trough a total, top to bottom rebuild, and in this case, probably the deepest rebuid I’ ve seen since I have been watching the NFL (35 years). Patience will be the key here, I believe it will take McD three years to make this team relevant again. Hopefully, PB won’t freak out and pull the plug early on Josh, Because at this point it would add another year or two to the time frame to return to relevancy.
and DD are you saying the problems are because of McD? Just asking. If the coach tells you to underperform, then it is his fault. Why allow all the other qb’s to throw deep and not Orton? Just a questsion, you seem to have an answer for everything else. Just asking as well, if Clady only had 5 penalties in 16 games last year, why is he having them all of a sudden now? Who is to blame for that? If the overwhelming majority of “fans” see something in Brandstater that impresses them but don’t in Orton why not give him a chance? (overwhelming majority may be grandstanding on my part) If you were looking at this team without being a fan of this team; what would your opinion of it be?
vabroncoguy and you ignore the penalties that killed the drives. How is that Orton’s fault? You are only pounding on negatives. Putting blame on Orton when the Oline stalled the drives. How do you figure that to be Orton’s fault? Losing Gaffney hurt. Moreno didn’t play so the team is not complete yet. Marshall will play and will give a new challenge to defenses. People know McD’s O? How do you figure that? It may be of the NE brand, but it also has his own stamp on it. Teams know a brand new system after 3 preseason games? I don’t think so. I don’t “wear rose colored glasses” as you put it. I look at things logically and place the blame where it belongs. The screens were working so I don’t buy into the theory that the Oline isn’t built for it. It sure seemed to be doing okay to me? There are some problems with the tea, yes, but they are not “huge.” When Denver gets their star receiver and RB, back into the mix, I feel the team will be more of a threat and the offense will finish drives.
I believe Orton not throwing the deep ball is not that he can’t (even so it’s not his strength), but it’s that McD must believe that the short gains, long drives is what’s needed to eat up the clock to keep the opposite offenses of the field, because considering that the defense is made of about 80% brand new players (who have not played a regular season game together yet), he must not think that they’ll be good enough to keep opposite offenses off the field. Look at the long drives Cutler and Hasselbeck put together on us at crucial times (before end of 1st half, which in essence is like the end of games for the first units in pre-season). Once McD starts trusting his defense more, then I think he will open up the game some.
Orton deserves a chance, and I’ ll be rooting for him when he will be back on the field.
Look DD,
No one is throwing in the towel completely on Orton just yet, unfortunately he got hurt and while thats not his fault its a part of the game. Now what he didnt do was give us confidence that he could be the starter before he went out. You say the short passes are part of the playbook. YES, we all know that but thats same playbook Brandstater and Simms have and they were able to go down field. I don’t want us to go down field all the time like many have said, but what I do want is for the defense to have the fear deep in their core that this qb is capable of throwing a deep ball that can change the game. Orton doesnt show that.
He has steadily improved every week but my thing is this, if he is not ready to go week one dont play him. He is less than amazing when at 100 percent…..Why push it. All im saying is if Brandstater keeps improving to the point he is just as productive or more so than Orton…I say start him. Plus like i mentioned last time, We seem to run more when he is in the game, which is always a good thing.
I don’t read much into pre-season games so I’m still on board with Orton and I doubt that Brandstater is ready to be an NFL starter yet….I think he needs some time. Young QB’s often look great in pre-season against vanilla defenses.
I doubt seriously that Josh is showing much of his offense and why throw deep now? Let every team in the league believe we can’t….then it will be open when we need it.
Dear Josh McDaiels:
Please take a look at the youtube highlights of JEVAN SNEAD out of Ole Miss. This kid will make Bronco fans forget about Cutler next year. JMAC I will give Orton a shot but I’m pretty sure we all know he is not leading us to the Super Bowl.
I’ll say this about Branstater, Thursday night is the first real chance he’ll have to prove to us that he might already be worthy of thinking he has a chance to start for us right now. I mean, just because he had that TD throw with an acrobatic catch for a touchdown by McKinley and a couple other catches can’t make you forget his real bad interception throw and the catastrophic way he played the prior week.
We’ll know more about him by Friday, for now it’s just willful thinking to even have him in the mix (unless Orton AND Simms can’t go, as I said earlier).
I hear ya mike, believe me i do. All i am saying is if the kid wins arizona and possibly cincy…if he is working should we mess up the flow? as far as orton throwing deep, I dont think he is capable. His ball will take forever to get to target. even medium to deep balls would be appreciated but he dont do that either. I dont want us to go deep all the time like i have stated. short passes are working. I just want us to put the fear in thier hearts that we can at will even tho our style is short screens.
If Orton drastically improves im behind him but if he will just give us sub par or par. im still behind him but I dunno. I hear yall tho, preseason is real different from reg season and not many rookies do well in reg season. Only reason I will give Brandstater the benefit of the doubt is because he is older and would hope more mature than most rookies (he is 24). And in third quarter Brandstater played against starting Defense. That almost TD pass to Brandon Lloyd was agaisnt the starting defense if I am not mistaking.
We were behind. They went downfield to try to catch up. When you fall behind, you deviate from your original gameplan. vabroncoguy, I don’t recall blaming McD for anything? Please don’t assume my thoughts for me. I am outspoken and say what I mean and mean what I say. It’s my nature. If I thought about McD in that light, I would have said it.
TRB, Orton didn’t throw the short passes, not because McD doesn’t believe he can’t hit the long bomb, as you believe. If he didn’t think Kyle couldn’t perform his job, he wouldn’t be here. He game planned because Chicago gets most of their turnovers on the long bombs. For the 101th time, listen to the Orton interview. He explained McD’s strategy, somewhat and how they tried to limit Chicago’s ability to get turnovers. And I see everyone throwing Orton under the bus. Talk of replacing him with Brandstater, talk of him not finishing drives. The Oline and their uncharacteristic penalties is what killed drives. When Denver fell behind, you need to abandon the run and start throwing the ball downfield. Do toy actually believe that if Orton was in there, they wouldn’t have done the same thing. he is an NFL QB. He has proven himself in the past and is doing exactly what McD wants from him. You guys all make it sound like he’s incapable?
broncochick, MelKyper has Snead as the number 7 pick in next years’ draft. The Bears will probably have a winning record, giving us a 20-25 pick. The only QB who might remain available at those spots is Tebow. Bradford, Snead and McCoy should be long gone by then.
Kudos to jay Cutler – he entered an extremely hostile environment, stayed cool under great pressure, and won his team the game with a magnificent 98 yard drive. I just wish I was saying that about the Denver QB and not the Bear’s QB.
Meant “do they actually believe”, not “toy.” Spell checker didn’t fix that one.
George, who is Cutler? Can’t find him on our roster. You must be another team’s fan, wrong website. Adieu.
TheRoyalBeast….if Brandstater has to start and play the final preseason game, plays well then opens the season against Cincy with a win and plays well I would not take him out. I would leave him in. I am a firm believer in playing the hot hand.
Still think our best chance to win is Orton, Simms then Brandstater. In that order….but it would be cool to have this guy come out blazing hot and turn into the next rookie sensation!
Orton is a very good QB and will do well once the whole offence is up and running. However now he is injured it gives McDaniels the opportunity to look at Brandstater and bring him on quicker than he would have otherwise. He needs experience and confidence, but now we have a great new defence we are in a position to challenge every team in every game.
Fortune favours the Brave
I am not to certain if Orton is the answer. Either they are holding him back from doing too much or he just isn’t that good. I see the defense is getting better, they look much better than last year at this point. Also, I wish B-marsh would get his head out of his but and realize that if he just does his job that everything good will come to him. He should check around in the real world and see that normal everyday people are doing a lot harder work than he is doing for a small fraction of what he is making right now. I hope things get better for the Broncos. GO BRONCOS!!
Baylinorcrush – just an American Football fan who admires great players – like Walter Payton for instance, who also played for the Bears. This game is great because all the teams have great players. It is no good ignoring them just because they play for a different team. I might not have the normal fan bias but I still feel sick when the Broncos lose.
However I am getting on in years and have old values regarding respect. I try to look at it like a professional player would – trading is all part of the game and Cutler has earned our respect by his performance.
It was interesting to hear the opinions of all the unbiased commentators and they all said that trading Cutler was a mistake. This trade was down to Bowlen and it is on his head. Now the game is over we can look to the Broncos’ future and see that over time it promises to be both exciting and successful. The performance of the defence against such a good QB is very promising.
DD, did you really just asked me “if McD didnt think Orton could do it would he star him?”….sad fact is i believe he would. Why? I think he would rather lose and try to make orton something he is not than admit he might have made a mistake. Ill watch the vid altho i already know the our style of play is the short passes. and they do work and give us time of possession. I would personally prefer to switch subjects. We can agree to disagree. Brandstater has a long way to go. u wont hear me deny that.
George, I’ m up in years too (55) and I know this much, how can people call Cutler great is beyond my football understanding.
In a team that catered strictly to his strengths, he could not come up with a winning season in 3 years. Sure, he piled up the yardage, but he could not come through in the end zones or in the clutch. Great is Payton, average is Cutler so far at best. McD got rid of him not because of the drama, but because he doesn’t like the way he plays and handles his game. It’s just that simple. And who cares what the so called experts say, they all played in a different era and have no idea what it takes to win today (i.e. who picked Atlanta to be any good? Cardinals?). Collinsworth has a big mouth and he is paid to open it, fine with me, but what these guys say definitely doesn’t resonate with me.
The only guy who has nothing but the Broncos well being at heart is McD. Believe it he is all we’ve got and if you want to enjoy your season, regardless of the scores, you better get used to him. And let so far average QB Cutler go. Just my opinion.
George,
Go “respect” Cutler on a different blog! Cutler Stinks like a wet dog! I have no respect for that quitter and you wouldn’t either if you were a real fan of the Broncs.
I think Orton did great if you look at his stats he is getting better every week, and i really think that is the reason for preseason is for players to get better. Our team looked great but they had hole lot of penaltys that just killed drives. We held Cutler for the most part of the game He had a great drive it happense. I just ready for the regular season to start
DD, sorry, but EVERY game lost is a disappointment, in pre, regular or post season. 7 – 9 is a very realistic and positive way of seeing things. New system, players, coaches… This is a season of change and change always is hard. Every team that makes changes has to go that way. How can you tell a 7-9 season with the old non-functional system is the same than a 7-9 with a new one in process of development?? To fix a broken bone, you sometimes need to broken it again… it hurts, but it’s needed to get better.
OF COURSE (as a fan) I’d like a winning season! Nice if the “healing process” is faster, and come january I’d be enjoying while I admit I was wrong. I really hope so. But if it doesn’t happen in 09, at least I know it’s because the time “natural healing process” take. Nothing to worry about, either.
I’m with you about the Orton matter. It’s nice to see our future QB making strides and getting confident, but he has still a long way to go to develop into a quality pro (like Brady). He played against the Bears’ 2nd team most of the time. Patience rewards with better fruit. And even when I agree that we are complete in QB position at this time, with the season around the corner, I’d better bring O’Connell (with a whole year of at least working with the system, so he wouldn’t begin from 0) than throw Bradstater to the wolfs cave as row as he is. Not saying we should bring O’Connell, ok?
Go Broncooos!
one thing DD, a good or great quarterback has the ability to make plays, even in the midst of adversity. Orton cannot. When it is third and long, we throw a screen and “hope” that a playmaker on the outside can do something. Orton is a serviceable backup. He is not who you want as your permanent starter. From what I have read, they are asking for the rookie, only because people feel that if we are going to struggle, struggle with the rookie and see if he can develop. The rookie has the potential to get better because he is young. Orton has reached his peak. Opinion, that’s all. I can’t wait til I get to Mile High to see for myself.