NFL game summary for 12/12/1976:
Norris Weese engineered four Denver touchdowns in the second half and the Broncos rushed for a club record 356 yards to climax a 9-5 season, the club's best in its 17-year history. Trailing 14-7 at the start of the fourth quarter, Rick Upchurch tied the score on the fourth play of the period. Then with 3:17 left in the game Otis Armstrong put Denver in the lead with an 11-yard TD run that also marked his fifth 100-yard game of the season. Armstrong lifted his season total to 1,008 yards on the Broncos' next series that was capped by Riley Odoms' 12-yard end-around touchdown.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OFFENSE | 121.2 (23) | 162.1 (11) | 283.3 (19) | 28 |
| DEFENSE | 122.5 (5) | 151.5 (14) | 274.0 (8) | 33 | |
 | OFFENSE | 172.8 (5) | 109.5 (25) | 282.4 (20) | 24 |
| DEFENSE | 125.2 (6) | 163.1 (19) | 288.3 (11) | 41 |
Line: Bears by 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos (9-5-0) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 28 |
| Chicago Bears (7-7-0) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
( 0- 7) CHI Allan Ellis 22 yard interception return (Bob Thomas kick)
( 0-14) CHI Walter Payton 21 yard rush (Bob Thomas kick)
( 7-14) DEN Jon Keyworth 13 yard pass from Norris Weese (Jim Turner kick)
(14-14) DEN Rick Upchurch 19 yard rush (Jim Turner kick)
(21-14) DEN Otis Armstrong 11 yard rush (Jim Turner kick)
(28-14) DEN Riley Odoms 12 yard rush (Jim Turner kick)
DEN CHI
First Downs: 26 5
Rushes-yards: 59-356 31-116
Yards/rush: 6.0 3.7
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 8-25-107-5 2-17-64-2
Sacked-yards: 2-10 1-8
Net pass yards: 97 56
Net yards/pass: 3.6 3.1
Total net yards: 453 172
Total plays: 86 (68% run) 49 (63% run)
Yards/play: 5.3 3.5
Fumbles-lost: 2-1 4-2
Turnovers: 6 4
Penalties-yards: 6-35 5-47
Attendance: 44,459
Passing:
DEN: Norris Weese, 7 of 22 for 98 yards and 1 TD (4 int); Craig Penrose, 1 of 3 for 9 yards (1 int) CHI: Bob Avellini, 2 of 17 for 64 yards (2 int)
Rushing:
DEN: Otis Armstrong, 26 for 116 yards and 1 TD; Norris Weese, 12 for 120 yards; Lonnie Perrin, 8 for 37 yards; Jon Keyworth, 6 for 16 yards; Jim Kiick, 4 for 31 yards; Rick Upchurch, 2 for 24 yards and 1 TD; Riley Odoms, 1 for 12 yards and 1 TD CHI: Walter Payton, 14 for 49 yards and 1 TD; Roland Harper, 13 for 50 yards; Johnny Musso, 3 for 13 yards; Bob Avellini, 1 for 4 yards
Receiving:
DEN: Rick Upchurch, 2 for 42 yards; Otis Armstrong, 2 for 23 yards; Riley Odoms, 1 for 19 yards; Jon Keyworth, 1 for 13 yards and 1 TD; Jack Dolbin, 1 for 9 yards; Lonnie Perrin, 1 for 1 yard CHI: Brian Baschnagel, 1 for 58 yards; Johnny Musso, 1 for 6 yards
Kick returns:
DEN: Lonnie Perrin, 2 for 48 yards; Harvey Goodman, 1 for 8 yards CHI: Roland Harper, 3 for 52 yards; Brian Baschnagel, 2 for 70 yards
Punt returns:
DEN: Rick Upchurch, 5 for 28 yards CHI: Virgil Livers, 1 for 3 yards
Interceptions:
DEN: Tom Jackson, 1 for 24 yards; Randy Poltl, 1 for 0 yards CHI: Ross Brupbacher, 3 for 3 yards; Allan Ellis, 1 for 22 yards and 1 TD; Virgil Livers, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
DEN: Norris Weese, 4 for 104 yards CHI: Bob Parsons, 11 for 358 yards
Field Goals:
DEN: Jim Turner, 0/1
DEN: Norris Weese, 7 of 22 for 98 yards and 1 TD (4 int); Craig Penrose, 1 of 3 for 9 yards (1 int) CHI: Bob Avellini, 2 of 17 for 64 yards (2 int)
Rushing:
DEN: Otis Armstrong, 26 for 116 yards and 1 TD; Norris Weese, 12 for 120 yards; Lonnie Perrin, 8 for 37 yards; Jon Keyworth, 6 for 16 yards; Jim Kiick, 4 for 31 yards; Rick Upchurch, 2 for 24 yards and 1 TD; Riley Odoms, 1 for 12 yards and 1 TD CHI: Walter Payton, 14 for 49 yards and 1 TD; Roland Harper, 13 for 50 yards; Johnny Musso, 3 for 13 yards; Bob Avellini, 1 for 4 yards
Receiving:
DEN: Rick Upchurch, 2 for 42 yards; Otis Armstrong, 2 for 23 yards; Riley Odoms, 1 for 19 yards; Jon Keyworth, 1 for 13 yards and 1 TD; Jack Dolbin, 1 for 9 yards; Lonnie Perrin, 1 for 1 yard CHI: Brian Baschnagel, 1 for 58 yards; Johnny Musso, 1 for 6 yards
Kick returns:
DEN: Lonnie Perrin, 2 for 48 yards; Harvey Goodman, 1 for 8 yards CHI: Roland Harper, 3 for 52 yards; Brian Baschnagel, 2 for 70 yards
Punt returns:
DEN: Rick Upchurch, 5 for 28 yards CHI: Virgil Livers, 1 for 3 yards
Interceptions:
DEN: Tom Jackson, 1 for 24 yards; Randy Poltl, 1 for 0 yards CHI: Ross Brupbacher, 3 for 3 yards; Allan Ellis, 1 for 22 yards and 1 TD; Virgil Livers, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
DEN: Norris Weese, 4 for 104 yards CHI: Bob Parsons, 11 for 358 yards
Field Goals:
DEN: Jim Turner, 0/1