Rams upset Seahawks, Manning breaks Favre’s record, and all of NFL Week 7˗˗the Monday Morning Realist

Every Monday morning, Section 215’s Akiem Bailum gives an in-depth and unfiltered look at all of the latest sports news in The Monday Morning Realist. You can follow Akiem on Twitter @AkiemBailum.

My Raven Flies Higher Than Your Falcon

Oct 19, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) high fives tight end Owen Daniels (81) after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Realists, could there be two teams that this season are one more different trajectories than the Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons?

Consider this. And, just because both teams are named after members of the bird species, we might as well use bird (or plane) analogies.

If the Baltimore Ravens were an airplane, it would be a flight that would be delayed for an entire day due to the deluge that was (and still is) the Ray Rice/domestic violence controversy. It was seen as what would turn fans against the Ravens, and their response seemed to be all too common of what happens when domestic violence issues are handled by men.

All of this still remains true, by the way…

Ever since then, underneath it all, the Ravens came into Week 7 of NFL action with a record of 4˗2. The domestic violence problem appeared to be anything but a distraction, and they may still get Rice back prior to the end of the year, even though, 4˗2 or no 4˗2, Rice has a lot of things he has to get together before he should even think about going back on an NFL field again.

Oh, and last week, Joe Flacco appeared to have a Peyton Manning type performance vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 56˗14 throttling of the Bucs.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons are once again looking like the most disappointing team in the league now up to this point. This is a team with a lot of talented offensive players and they are healthy unlike last season. But, now they are 2˗4 coming into Week 7, and have lost a pair of games in which their defense has given up nearly or exactly 30 points.

Irty Birds. No D.

Such was the case Sunday.

A three and out on Atlanta’s opening drive, led to a punt and a Ravens possession. The big play of that drive would be a defensive pass interference penalty on Robert Alford on a pass intended for Torrey Smith. This moved the chains all the way to the six yard line of the Falcons. Two plays later, Flacco found Owen Daniels from five yards out for a touchdown. Justin Tucker’s PAT was good for a 7˗0 advantage.

The next two drives for both teams resulted in punts. Atlanta appeared to have a good drive going on its ensuing possession, but on 3rd and 10 from the Ravens’ 17 yard line, Ryan was sacked. Pernell McPhee caused the sack and fumble which was recovered by Elvis Dumervil at the Ravens’ 25 yard line.

As it turned out, both teams would exchange turnovers. On the ensuing Ravens’ drive, Flacco intended to find Smith, but instead, connected with Alford in the end zone for a touchback.

Oops.

The Falcons only picked up one first down on their next drive before punting. Baltimore, then punted back to Atlanta, then the Falcons punted back to the Ravens.

The Ravens did not punt on the drive after that. Flacco was able to find Smith for 21 yards on a 2nd and 10 play from the 21 yard line, then from one yard out, Bernard Pierce found the end zone for a TD and a 14˗0 advantage.

The next sequence was a sign of just how poor their offense was. A three and out brought about a punt and a muffed one by Jacoby Jones. Eric Weems recovered, giving Atlanta great field position at the Ravens’ 37 yard line.

A sack, an incomplete pass, and a 57 yard field goal attempt from Matt Bryant which was no good was exactly a microcosm of how this game was going all day for Atlanta.

On top of that, on the final drive for the Ravens prior to the half, Flacco threw to Smith for 22 yards to the 20 yard line. Tucker’s 38 yard field goal was good as the half expired. 17˗0 Ravens.

Plus, they would get possession of the football. They would move all the way from the Ravens’ 23 yard line to the Falcons’ 28 after a 49 yard pass to Steve Smith. They could not convert, though on 3rd and 1 at the 19 yard line, so Tucker had to kick a 38 yard field goal. It was good for a 20˗0 lead.

The Falcons only got one first down on its next drive whereas the Ravens got three. That wouldn’t matter as Alford picked off Flacco on a pass intended for Daniels in the end zone on 3rd and 9 from the 16. It gave the Falcons possession of the football at the 20 yard line except for a personal foul on Smith. 15 yards put the ball at the 35.

No points resulted from that. Nothing came of Baltimore’s first drive of the fourth quarter either.

Something did come of Atlanta’s. It began with a Ryan pass to Julio Jones for 24 yards. Then, later on, with 3rd and 13 from the 34, he found Roddy White for 21 yards.

On first and goal from the four, Ryan only needed four yards instead of 21 to throw to White for the Falcons’ first score of the game. Bryant’s extra point attempt was good for a 20˗7 lead.

With time running out and the Falcons burning timeouts, Baltimore punted again. This ensuing Atlanta drive was originally to start at the 20 yard line of the Ravens, but an illegal block above the waist led to a Falcons penalty moving the ball back to the 10.

A false start on the offense moved the ball back earlier. Two incompletions and a Terrell Suggs safety later, the Ravens had a 22˗7 lead.

Jones then returned the next Falcons kickoff 35 yards to the 40 yard line. Five plays later, Flacco, Smith, and 39 yard pass put this one well out of reach. Score: 29˗7.

The last Atlanta drive would only see two first downs as this one was as good as done.

• Flacco: 16/25, 258 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
• Forsett: 23 carries, 95 yards
• Smith, 3 receptions, 81 yards, 1 TD

• Ryan: 29/44, 288 yards, 1 TD
• Jackson: 8 carries, 22 yards
• White: 9 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD

Week 8: DET at ATL, BAL at CIN

Lost at Sea

Oct 19, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams defensive end William Hayes (95) and middle linebacker James Laurinaitis (55) get the crowd into the game during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis defeated Seattle 28-26. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

If there is one common theme about the Seattle Seahawks (other than them being the defending Super Bowl champions) it’s that they are almost unbeatable when in the confines of CenturyLink Field with their opposition having to play their tough team and imposing 12th Man.

The Dallas Cowboys seemed to prove last week that that was then and this is now. The Cowboys stunned the Seahawks last week with a 30˗23 victory on the road. Another theme regarding the Seahawks is that they don’t seem to play as well on the road as they do at home.

Seattle lost at home.

This team also made headlines mid˗week with a trade of Percy Harvin to the New York Jets. Yes, Harvin is injury prone, but this was the same Percy Harvin that in the midst of the Seahawks’ 43˗8 thrashing of the Denver Broncos in last year’s Super Bowl, had a real case to win MVP.

Even though, Albert Breer of NFL Network reported that Harvin once bodyslammed Golden Tate prior to the Super Bowl and got into an argument with Doug Baldwin during training camp this year.

St. Louis isn’t looking much better as despite their blue and gold “Greatest Show on Turf” uniforms from last week on Monday Night Football, the Rams looked nothing like the Rams of the early 2000s. They lost 31˗17 to the San Francisco 49ers.

After a three and out from St. Louis, Seattle began their first offensive series. It looked promising as Russell Wilson was able to find Doug Baldwin for 49 yards. After moving the ball to the six yard line of the Rams, the drive stalled and the result was a 24 yard field goal from the foot of Steven Hauschka for a 3˗0 Seahawks lead.

Bring on the special teams and bring on Brandon Cunningham who returned the ensuing Hauschka kickoff 75 yards to the 31 yard line of Seattle. Five plays later with first and goal from the six, Tre Mason got the required six yards for six points. The Greg Zuerlein extra point was good for a 7˗3 lead.

After a Seahawks punt on their next drive, the Rams took over again as the first quarter concluded. A 3rd and 4 play from the Rams’ 46 resulted in a defensive pass interference flag on Tharold Simon on a throw intended from Austin Davis to Brian Quick. Mason then went 28 yards on the next play. A loss of two yards plus a Quick unsportsmanlike moved St. Louis back to the 22 yard line.

But a Simon face mask flag gave 10 yards back to the Rams after a pass to Tavon Austin resulting in a loss. Three plays later, Davis found Cunningham for five yards and a touchdown. Zuerlein’s extra point was good. 14˗3 Rams?

The ensuing Seahawks drive would bring them from their 20 to the Rams’ 38 yard line. But the drive was stymied by two sacks of Wilson for a combined 14 yards. This made Seattle punt and Stedman Bailey made Seattle pay. His 90 yard punt return gave the Rams a 21˗3 lead at home vs. the defending champs.

A three and out along with a Rams’ drive that only saw one first down precipitated punts from both teams. Wilson found Cooper Helfet on a 2nd and 15 at the Rams’ 41 on the next Seahawks drive. That drive would last just under two minutes and would span 9 plays for 41 yards. This resulted in a Hauschka field goal from 35 yards out to bring Seattle to within 21˗6 as the half expired.

After each team traded punts to begin the third quarter, a six minute, 12 play, 82 yard drive ended in seven points instead of three when Wilson went 19 yards on a QB keeper for a TD. This made the game 21˗13.

St. Louis then punted to Seattle again as the 4th quarter commenced. On a 3rd down play from the 23 of the Seahawks, Wilson and the offense needed only 9, but got 52 as Wilson kept the football himself. Later in the drive, it appeared as if Marshawn Lynch found the end zone from 15 yards out, but Beast Mode was denied the score thanks to one of his teammates “being too much about that action, boss” re: offensive holding.

No harm, no foul as on the next play, Wilson passed to Helfet for 19 yards and a TD. This made the score 21˗19. Seattle attempted a two˗point conversion from Wilson to Jermaine Kearse which was unsuccessful.

For one drive in the fourth quarter, St. Louis flashed back to the first half. Davis threw to Chris Givens for a 30 yard gain and Givens’ sole reception of the game. This moved the chains from the Seahawks 44 yard line to their 14 yard line. Three plays later, Davis threw to Lance Kendricks for four yards and a touchdown. This made the game 28˗19.

The following Seattle drive would include passes to Doug Baldwin for 22 yards and Jermaine Kearse for 29. Baldwin would also be the recipient of a 9 yard TD pass from Wilson after a drive that lasted eight plays for 80 yards and over two minutes. The Hauschka extra point made the game 28˗26.

Seattle began burning timeouts, and with their defense needing a stop for their offense to return to the field, they couldn’t get it. The Rams went for it on 4th and 3 and got 18 yards out of it. A 3rd and 1 from the Rams’ 45 also resulted in chain moving as Mason went 9 yards to the Seahawks side of the field at the 46. He fumbled, but St. Louis’ Cory Harkey recovered the football to secure the first down and a victory.

• Davis: 18/21, 152 yards, 2 TDs
• Mason: 18 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD
• Cunningham: 5 receptions, 46 yards, 1 TD

• Wilson: 23/36, 313 yards, 2 TDs
• Wilson: 7 carries, 106 yards
• Baldwin: 7 receptions, 123 yards, 1 TD

Week 8: STL at KC, SEA at CAR

Marco…Romo…Marco…Romo

Oct 19, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9), head coach Jason Garrett and running back DeMarco Murray (29) on the sidelines in the fourth quarter against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. Murray broke the NFL record with 7+ consecutive games with 100+ yards. Dallas beat New York 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Depending on who you ask, the Dallas Cowboys may have since lost (or still have) their title as America’s Team. But, they definitely still are at least the team of 2014.

After beginning the year with a game in which Tony Romo threw three interceptions against the San Francisco 49ers, this same Dallas team has pulled off five straight victories going into Week 7 of the season. If no one thought that the Cowboys were for real prior to last week, them defeating the Seattle Seahawks on the road in Seattle put the league on notice.

Statement received.

Meanwhile, for the New York Giants, after a stretch that seemed to indicate that there was a possibility that they could fight their way back into the thick of things in the NFC East, they faced off against the Eagles on Sunday Night Football last week.

Games like that from the Giants are those that can make New Yorkers say, “Fuggeddaboutit! The Giants? They’re not our team since they technically play in New Jersey!”

New Jersey. Always an easy way out when New Yorkers see something negative within their metro area. Blame Jersey.

Jersey wasn’t responsible for this one, but Arlington, Texas was. Both teams began the game with three and out punts. On a 3rd and five from the Giants’ 39 yard line, Romo passed complete to Gavin Escobar for 24 yards. Escobar would also be on the receiving end of Romo’s first TD pass of the game with a 15 yard throw and a 7˗0 lead after the Dan Bailey extra point.

The following New York possession could have tacked on more yards than what it did. 3rd and 7 from the Giants’ 40 resulted in a 7 yard pass from Eli Manning to Preston Parker. The Cowboys challenged the first down ruling and won bringing up 4th down in which New York would punt after a penalty moved them back from 4th and 1 to 4th and 6.

But, the Giants would get possession again following a Cowboys punt. 1st and 10 from the Dallas 27 became first and goal from the one after a 22 yard run courtesy of Andre Williams. Two plays later, Manning connected with Odell Beckham, Jr. to tie this game at seven apiece (along with an extra point attempt from Josh Brown).

New York would come up with a big play on the defensive side of the ball on the next Cowboys drive. Dallas didn’t advance the ball far at all and a 2nd and 15 from the Cowboys’ 26 saw Romo get picked off by Prince Amukamara at the Giants’ 35. He returned it 28 yards to the Cowboys 27.

27 yards later, the Giants converted the turnover into points with one play: an Eli Manning pass to Daniel Fells to the end zone for a touchdown to make the score 14˗7. There was an injury on the play.

Dallas answered on their next drive. It included a 21 yard run from DeMarco Murray on 1st and 10 from the Giants’ 42 to the 21 yard line. A pair of plays later, Romo completed to Terrance Williams for an 18 yard touchdown to tie this game again at 14.

That would be how the half ended as both teams concluded with three and outs.

Despite getting a pair of first downs on their first possession of the second half, New York punted back to their NFC East rival Cowboys, who had no intentions on punting. Romo would throw a couple of huge passes in the direction of Dez Bryant. One was for 44 yards and the other was for 17 yards to move the ball near the red zone. Romo then passed complete to Escobar for his second touchdown of the game. 21˗14.

The two teams then punted on drives that saw them move the football either at or near midfield. The Giants on their first possession of the fourth quarter would see a Manning pass to Larry Donnell for eight yards. Barry Church was on the recovery after Donnell fumbled which was recovered by Justin Durant at the Giants’ 27.

Three plays into the drive, Romo threw to Dez Bryant from the 25 yard line for 25 yards. Touchdown, right? Originally, but the zebras ruled Bryant didn’t break the plane. No seven points.

Seven points. One play later. DeMarco Murray. One yard. 28˗14 Cowboys.

The next Giants’ possession saw only two run plays to Williams with the rest being pass plays. The result was a drive lasting nearly four minutes for 11 plays and 80 yards culminating in Beckham’s second TD reception of the game. This made the tally 28˗21.

At this point it was all about taking care of the football, so all run plays to Murray on the Cowboys’ last scoring drive. Romo did throw a couple of times to Bryant, but they were primarily run plays to Murray. The Giants were forced to use all three timeouts with Dallas milking clock. They couldn’t stop Murray and the drive ended in a 49 yard field goal from Bailey to make the score 31˗21.

New York couldn’t get 10 points on one play. They could, however, throw to Donnell again only for him to fumble at the 39, thanks to Durant, and have Dallas recover thanks to Henry Melton at the Giants’ 38. Game, set, match.

• Romo: 17/23, 269 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
• Murray: 28 carries, 128 yards, 1 TD
• Bryant: 9 receptions, 151 yards

• Manning: 21/33, 248 yards, 3 TDs
• Williams: 18 carries, 51 yards
• Donnell: 7 receptions, 90 yards

Week 8: NYG bye, WAS at DAL

Just Like that Other KC Team…

Oct 19, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (82) runs for a first down during the first quarter as San Diego Chargers inside linebacker Kavell Conner (53) gives chase at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Who would have guessed that we would be writing columns and doing reports in 2014 about the Kansas City Royals being a winning baseball team? The Kansas City Royals! Raise your hand if you had them in the World Series this year…
…And you do not live within a 75 mile radius of Kauffman Stadium.

Kauffman Stadium is adjacent to Arrowhead Stadium as the two Kansas City stadia share the same parking lot. The Kansas City Chiefs know the feeling of winning a plethora of games last year as they did so with a dominating defense before the bottom dropped out last year when they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Indianapolis Colts.

Do we still need to remind Chiefs fans that they had a 38˗10 lead in the third quarter before Luck led the Colts to a furious and historic comeback?

Since then, Kansas City has been 2˗3 in games that count entering Week 7. Plus, their prospects for a victory didn’t look to good given the team they were facing this week. That would be the San Diego Chargers, who so far this season has played as if they were the “SuperChargers”.

Don’t believe me? Then, what is Philip Rivers doing as a potential MVP candidate and why were the Chargers 5˗1 coming into their NFC West rivalry matchup at home vs. a Chiefs team that was more average than the worldbeaters they were for the first half of last season.

Rivers did throw for over 300 yards vs. the Oakland Raiders at the O.co Coliseum in the East Bay, after all. Kansas City though is coming off a bye week. Would that be a case of rest or rust?

Based on their first drive, it looked to be rust. After a Chargers three and out, Alex Smith and the Chiefs were only able to get one first down on their first drive of the game before punting to San Diego again.

The Chargers would punt themselves after only picking up one first down. After a Chiefs three and out, The Chargers drew first blood. Speaking of Royals, there’s one on the Chargers’ team. His name is Eddie Royal and Rivers threw to him for a 20 yard completion to force 1st and 10 at the Chiefs’ 25 yard line.

Three plays later, Rivers threw to Malcom Floyd on 1st and 10 from the 14, but yellow went from referee’s pocket to green field. The flag was for pass interference to force first and goal from the one.

One play later, and one yard later, Rivers threw complete to John Phillips for a one yard touchdown and a 7˗0 San Diego advantage. The extra point attempt from Nick Novak was good.

Kansas City responded with seven of their own. After a catch and run for 26 yards from Alex Smith to Dwayne Bowe, Jamaal Charles capped off the initial Chiefs scoring drive with a 16 yard touchdown run on the first play of the 2nd quarter.

A San Diego three and out led to a long Chiefs drive. The 14 play, 56 yard drive that spanned nearly ten minutes culminated in a 28 yard field goal from Cairo Santos after the Chiefs were able to get into the red zone. 10˗7 Kansas City lead.

A pair of three and outs would follow before the Chargers would have one more possession prior to the first half expiring. Rivers found Antonio Gates for 27 yards, but he was forced out of bounds to review the completion ruling. It was ruled complete.

One play later. Same play. Same QB. Same tight end. Same yardage. More points. Seven. Lead change. 14˗10 San Diego lead.

Half expires.

Kansas City would start the second half with the football. The 12 play, 63 yard drive would culminate in Santos’ second field goal of the game. This one was from 40 yards out for a 14˗13 advantage for the Chargers.

A three and out from San Diego would lead to another long drive from the Chiefs. This included a 2nd and 9 play at the Chargers’ 40 yard line that went 20 yards to the 20 yard line. 3rd and 5 from the 15 yard line resulted in a sack of Alex Smith, but a defensive holding flag on Richard Marshall wiped out the big play from the defense.

With the fourth quarter underway, the Chiefs would score on the first play of that frame just as they had done in the second quarter. Smith found Anthony Sherman for 11 yards on 1st and 10 from the 11 for a touchdown. This was good for a 20˗14 Kansas City lead.

That lead was trimmed to 20˗17 after San Diego’s ensuing possession. The big play was Rivers finding Floyd for 24 yards on a 3rd and 14 play from the 49 yard line of Kansas City. Their 12 play, 77 yard drive that was alive for over five minutes ended in a Novak 24 yard field goal.

The Chiefs would get two first downs on their next drive, but only advanced the football to midfield and punted back to the Chargers.

How would this possession turn out? A 9 play, 58 yard drive lasting over three minutes that also ended up in a Novak field goal. The 48 yarder would make the tally all square at 20.

The square morphed into a rectangle a few minutes later. The Chiefs would go nine plays and 62 yards on their ensuing possession (clock management) which saw them use their last timeout and San Diego burn its first. Santos was true from 48 yards out after their drive stalled at the 30 yard line. The lead was back to Kansas City at 23˗20.

The Chargers’ last drive lasted only two plays. After an incompletion on a Rivers pass intended for Royal, he tried to find Gates but instead encountered a football in the numbers of Kurt Coleman. The pick and 12 yard return sealed the victory for Kansas City as they took only one kneel down.

• Smith: 19/28, 221 yards, 1 TD
• Charles: 22 carries, 95 yards, 1 TD
• Bowe: 5 receptions, 84 yards

• Rivers: 17/31, 205 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
• Oliver: 15 carries, 67 yards
• Gates: 3 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD

Week 8: SD at DEN, STL at KC

509 vs. 49

Oct 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) waves to the crowd as he runs off the field after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Peyton Manning. Enough said.

Manning’s accomplishments in the NFL can span an entire Realist column in itself. I would love to know who doesn’t vote for this guy when his Hall of Fame candidacy comes up five years after he hangs up his jersey.

They’ll probably be people who don’t like either the Tennessee Vols, the Indianapolis Colts, or the Denver Broncos.
The ballyhooed record that Manning was going for was the career touchdowns record that prior to their Sunday Night tilt against the San Francisco 49ers at Sports Authority Field was held by Brett Favre.

Yeah, ESPN. Your Brett Favre.

Definitely, there’s a reason why Favre had the record coming into this week. He was also one of the greats during the time he played (his retirement/not retirement bit not withstanding). But there is an old saying that records were meant to be broken.

And so, one Gulf Coast quarterback who played his college football in the Southeast was about to have his record broken by another Gulf Coast quarterback who played his college football in the Southeast (and comes from a football rich family).

By the way, Realists, we thought only baseball records were the ones that were the most ballyhooed. Except when they apply to quarterbacks and TD passes.

Oh, yeah and there were other Broncos and San Francisco 49ers (who scored identical 31˗17 victories over the New York Jets and St. Louis Rams, respectively) in this game too.

Oh, by the way, this one fell into NBC’s lap and it wasn’t even the “flex” portion of the schedule. That right there shows you how Sunday Night is the new Monday Night.

After a three and out from San Francisco, The Sheriff and his patented “Omaha” bit went to work. Manning found Demaryius Thomas for 32 yards after being pushed out of bounds on a 2nd and 12 from the Broncos’ 41 yard line. That advanced the chains to the 27 yard line of San Francisco. On a 3rd and goal play from the three yard line, Emmanuel Sanders was the recipient of TD pass #507 from Manning. Brandon McManus’ extra point attempt was good for a 7˗0 lead.

The 49ers hoped to answer with a scoring drive of their own, because you can never have too many of those against Manning. Despite moving the football to the 32 yard line of the Broncos, Phil Dawson’s 51 yard field goal attempt was no good/wide left.

The ensuing Broncos possession lasted only three plays culminating in another TD pass as Manning connected with Wes Welker for 39 yards. The official said Welker broke the plane. 14˗0 Broncos and #508 for Manning.

After that, the 49ers were forced into a three and out. Denver, thanks to an offensive holding call on 1st and 10 from the Broncos’ 45 and a seven yard sack of Manning forced 2nd and 26. They got 15 of the yards back, but 15 is not 26.

This resulted in a punt, but when Colin Kaepernick, on 2nd and 18 from the 5 yard line found Stevie Johnson for 31 yards, the Niners were no longer pinned near their own end zone. San Francisco had first and goal from the five, but could not find the end zone. The 12 play, 83 yard drive that lasted six and a half minutes resulted in a 22 yard Dawson field goal as the 49ers got on the board for the first time this game.

Then, #18 decided to turn D. Thomas into the answer to a trivia question that will be asked 30 years from today. Earlier on a 3rd and 7 play, Manning found Sanders for 20 yards from the Broncos’ 23 to the 43 yard line. Aaron Lynch was flagged for unnecessary roughness, so add on 15 yards to that gain. The drive resulted in #509 to tie Favre as Manning found D. Thomas from eight yards out.

Oh, and it also expanded the Broncos’ lead to 21˗3.

The 49ers responded with a touchdown of their own. Kaepernick completed a 3rd and 17 at their 29 yard line to Brandon Lloyd for 37 yards to the Denver 34. On 2nd and 5 at the Denver 29, he connected with Johnson for 25 yards to force first and goal from the four yard line. He only needed one play later (a four yard pass to Johnson) to convert on San Francisco’s first touchdown of the game as the score became 21˗10.

This would be the score as the first half ended or the second one (or as NBC would say, Act II) began. The curtains opened eventfully on the Broncos side. After a three and out for the Broncos, the 49ers got the ball back. On 3rd and 3 from the 24 yard line of San Francisco, Kaepernick on a throw intended for Johnson was picked off by Aqib Talib at the 43. The three yard return put the ball at the 40 yard line.

One play later, Manning once again turned D. Thomas into a trivia question when he connected with him with those 40 yards needed for TD #510 and a 28˗10 advantage.

Greatest of All Time? Greatest of All Time.

There was still a game to be played and the Niners were down by much more than nine points (actually double that at this juncture). San Francisco went three and out on their next drive as Isiah Burse went back to receive the punt.

He muffed the catch but also recovered. Manning threw to Thomas for 37 yards before being pushed out of bounds.
The next touchdown, surprisingly, would not be off the passing variety as on 2nd and 10 from the 49ers’ 37 yard line, Ronnie Hillman went 37 yards to paydirt. 35˗10 lead for the Broncos along with the McManus extra point.

After another 49ers 3 and out, the Broncos were not done yet as they engineered yet another scoring drive. The 12 play, 73 yard drive lasting seven minutes and eight seconds ended in Hillman’s second TD run of the game as he crossed the plane from one yard out. This made the score 42˗10.

The San Francisco 49ers do not have Andrew Luck at quarterback and they are not playing the Kansas City Chiefs. Same division, wrong team.

San Francisco’s next drive saw then pick up two first downs, but nothing more than that. The punting unit came on to the field again. Denver would also go three and out as we got to see Brock Osweiler at quarterback with Manning taken out since it was in the bag for Denver.

By the way, who is Brock Osweiler?

Even though this one was well out of reach, the 49ers still looked to score however they could. After starting this drive at their own 13 yard line, they advanced all the way to the eight yard line of the Broncos. It appeared as if Kaepernick would get his TD via an eight yard pass to Michael Crabtree, but thanks to an offensive pass interference flag on Anquan Boldin, that was wiped off the board. Then, after 2nd and goal from the eleven, Kaepernick was sacked for a 10 yard loss for 3rd and 21. They got seven of the yards back on that play and six on the following 4th and 14. But 7 + 6 = 13, not 21.

Denver would see another three and out as the ball was punted back to the 49ers…with Blaine Gabbert at quarterback. Garbage time, shmarbage time as Gabbert and the 49ers engineered a nine play, 45 yard scoring drive that lasted almost two minutes. It resulted in a Gabbert pass to Bruce Ellington for 20 yards and a touchdown. Dawson’s extra point was good for a 42˗17 Broncos lead.

Knowing that it was out of reach, San Francisco punted the football back to Denver. Two kneel downs later, the fifth victory of the year was sealed for the Broncos, a history making one for a certain quarterback.

• Manning: 22/26, 318 yards, 4 TDs
• Hillman: 14 carries, 74 yards
• D. Thomas: 8 receptions, 171 yards

• Kaepernick: 24/39, 263 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
• Gore: 9 carries, 20 yards
• Johnson: 5 receptions, 79 yards, 1 TD

Week 8: SF bye, SD at DEN

Other Games

Oct 12, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; A banner on the field showing the breast cancer awareness ribbon prior to the game between the Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots defeat Jets 27˗25

Redskins defeat Titans 19˗17

Jaguars defeat Browns 24˗6

Colts defeat Bengals 27˗0

Bills defeat Vikings 17˗16

Dolphins defeat Bears 27˗14

Lions defeat Saints 24˗23

Packers defeat Panthers 38˗17

Cardinals defeat Raiders 24˗13

Texans at Steelers (8:30, Monday Night Football)