ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, December 2, 1996 TAG: 9612030022
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: ROUNDUP
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
Antonio Freeman made up for his missed month in a hurry.
Freeman returned to Green Bay's lineup Sunday after missing four games with a broken left arm and set career highs with 10 receptions for 156 yards in the Packers' 28-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Green Bay, Wis.
``He's doing it with one arm and he's faster than I've ever seen him,'' teammate LeRoy Butler said.
Settled by Freeman's return, Green Bay (10-3) beat Chicago (5-8) for the sixth straight time and won its 14th straight at Lambeau Field.
The Packers, who hadn't won six straight from the Bears in 66 years, still never have lost a December game in Green Bay during coach Mike Holmgren's five seasons.
Despite playing with a cumbersome cast, Freeman provided Brett Favre with the deep threat he sorely missed in November.
``Early on in the week Brett was really excited about my return,'' said Freeman, a former standout at Virginia Tech. ``He told me we were going to have a coming-back party and that's what we did.''
Freeman fumbled after his first catch when he was hit hard by strong safety Marty Carter, but the Packers recovered and soon, Freeman did, too.
Desmond Howard's 75-yard punt return for a touchdown broke a 7-7 tie, and after a field goal pulled Chicago to 14-10, running back Dorsey Levens made it 21-10 with a 10-yard run with 12:40 left in the game.
Eugene Robinson's interception at midfield gave the Packers their best field position and led to Favre's 1-yard sneak with 5:39 left. It was Favre's first rushing touchdown of the season after 31 touchdown passes and put Green Bay in command 28-10.
In other NFL games:
Broncos 34, Seahawks 7: Denver will play on its home field throughout the AFC playoffs. John Elway threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Vaughn Hebron set up two scores with long kickoff returns in Denver as the Broncos beat Seattle (5-8).
Elway, who missed a series in the first quarter with a hamstring injury, passed for a 1-yard score to Shannon Sharpe, a 4-yarder to Ed McCaffrey and ran in from 2 yards out as Denver (12-1) won its ninth straight game.
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Green Bay's Antonio Freeman (right) breaks free fromby CNBChicago's Marty Carter in the second quarter Sunday at Lambeau
Field. Freeman had a career-high 10 catches for 156 yards.