2003: 49ers Overcome 24-Point Deficit to Beat Giants in Dispute-Marred Playoff Game

The Wild Card Playoff game in San Francisco on January 5, 2003 featured the San Francisco 49ers, winners of the NFC West with a 10-6 record, against the New York Giants, who finished second in the NFC East with an identical tally.

Coached by Steve Mariucci for the sixth year, the 49ers had a capable quarterback in Jeff Garcia (pictured at right), who was mobile and an accurate passer if not possessed of a strong arm. WR Terrell Owens was highly talented but could also be a temperamental distraction. Mariucci preferred ball control to big plays, and running backs Garrison Hearst and Kevan Barlow paced the ground attack. Injuries were an issue on defense, and the team tended to be vulnerable against the pass.

New York, under Head Coach Jim Fassel, had bounced back from a disappointing 7-9 year in 2001 after winning the NFC Championship in 2000, coming on strong with four wins to close out the regular season after being 6-6 at the beginning of December. The offense had done especially well during the late surge, led by QB Kerry Collins and RB Tiki Barber. WR Amani Toomer paced the injury-depleted receiving corps and benefited from the presence of brash-but-talented rookie TE Jeremy Shockey. The defense, anchored by DE Michael Strahan, was good but showing signs of wear. The special teams had been a cause of concern throughout the season, and 41-year-old long snapper Trey Junkin was signed out of retirement five days before the game when long snapper Dan O’Leary was injured – a seemingly minor personnel change that would have a significant impact on the game’s outcome.

There were 66,318 fans in attendance at 3Com Park. The Giants had the first possession and drove to the San Francisco 33, but a pass by Kerry Collins that was intended for RB Ron Dayne was intercepted by LB Julian Peterson, giving the 49ers the ball at their own 24. They immediately came through with a big play as Jeff Garcia threw to Terrell Owens (pictured below) for a 76-yard touchdown. Jeff Chandler added the extra point and San Francisco was ahead by 7-0 in stunning fashion.

The teams traded punts until late in the opening period when the Giants put together an 11-play, 65-yard scoring drive. A 15-yard facemask penalty moved New York to the San Francisco 48 and Tiki Barber ran for four yards in a third-and-two situation to keep the series going. Collins completed a pass to Amani Toomer for 18 yards and another throw to Toomer completed the drive with a 12-yard touchdown. Matt Bryant’s PAT tied the score at 7-7.

Early in the second quarter, New York had another scoring possession, this time advancing 61 yards in five plays. Barber had a 29-yard run to the San Francisco 32 and Collins completed a pass to Jeremy Shockey for 27 yards to the one. After Barber was stopped for a loss of a yard, a two-yard Collins throw to Shockey was good for a TD and Bryant added the extra point to make it a seven-point lead for the visitors.

The 49ers came back with a 69-yard drive in ten plays. Garcia threw to Owens for ten yards and ran for 11 yards to the New York 46. Another carry by the quarterback was good for ten yards on a third-and-six play and Owens threw an option pass to WR Tai Streets that picked up 25 yards to the seven yard line. Kevan Barlow scored a touchdown from a yard out and Chandler’s point after again tied the score at 14-14.

The Giants had to punt but got a huge break when WR Cedrick Wilson muffed the catch and safety Johnnie Harris recovered at the San Francisco eight. From there on the next play, Collins connected with Toomer for a touchdown. Before the half, New York drove to another score thanks to a turnover, this time an interception by CB Jason Sehorn that gave the Giants the ball at their own 44. They went 56 yards in five plays, the highlights being a Collins throw to Barber that picked up 30 yards in a third-and-eight situation and then a pass to Toomer for a 24-yard TD with ten seconds left on the clock. Bryant kicked his fourth extra point of the game and the visitors held a 28-14 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, after the 49ers failed to convert a fourth down at the New York 46, the Giants added to their lead. Barber had a 22-yard carry to the San Francisco 32 and Collins threw to Toomer for 17 yards. Barber ran for a six-yard touchdown and, with Bryant’s extra point, New York was ahead by 35-14.

The 49ers went three-and-out and had to punt, and the Giants followed up with a nine-play, 63-yard drive. Collins connected with Toomer, this time for 46 yards to the San Francisco three. New York was unable to score another touchdown from there, with Shockey dropping a pass in the end zone, and settled for a 21-yard Bryant field goal, but being ahead by a commanding 38-14, it seemed insignificant at that point.

The 49ers, with their backs very much to the wall, proceeded to advance 70 yards in seven plays. Garcia completed passes to TE Eric Johnson for 12 yards, Streets for 11, and then, following a short running play, to Owens for 12 yards to the New York 32. A throw to Owens for a 26-yard touchdown finished off the series and Garcia threw to Owens again for a two-point conversion that narrowed the tally to 38-22.

Following a short possession by the Giants, the 49ers got the ball back on a short punt of 29 yards by Matt Allen that had 15 yards assessed due to a personal foul called on LB Dhani Jones. Starting off at the New York 27, Garcia completed two passes, the second to WR J.J. Stokes for ten yards to finish off the period. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Garcia ran for 14 yards and a TD. Once again, he threw to Owens for a two-point conversion and the once-huge New York lead was down to 38-30 with nearly a full quarter to play.

The Giants were again quiet on offense, punting after three plays, and the 49ers put together a long scoring drive of 74 yards in 15 plays. Garcia completed a pass to Owens for 21 yards and to Cedrick Wilson for 18 yards to the New York 38. On a fourth-and-one play, Streets caught a pass for four yards to the 25 and, facing third-and-five, Garcia connected with Owens once more to the 11. The possession finally ended with Chandler kicking a 25-yard field goal, and it was a five-point game at 38-33.

The reeling Giants finally put something together offensively on their next series. Collins completed three passes, two to Shockey of seven and nine yards, and one to TE Dan Campbell for 10 yards. They reached the San Francisco 24, but with a chance to add vital points to their lead, a bad snap by Trey Junkin led to a poor hold and Bryant’s 42-yard kick was well off the mark.

Once again the 49ers put together a long series, this time of 68 yards in nine plays. Facing third-and-six at his own 36, Garcia threw to Owens for seven yards and passed to Johnson for 25 yards to the New York 25. Keeping the ball, Garcia ran for 12 yards and then passed to Streets for a 13-yard touchdown. The try for two points failed, with Owens and SS Shaun Williams drawing offsetting unnecessary roughness penalties, and while San Francisco had the lead, it was by just a point with a minute to play.

RB Delvin Joyce returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards to give the Giants good starting field position at their 48. Collins passed to WR Ron Dixon for 10 yards and, following an incompletion, connected with Dixon again for 19 yards to the San Francisco 28. A run by Barber moved the ball to the 23 and the Giants took their last timeout. It seemed as though the visitors would prevail when they lined up for a field goal attempt of 41 yards with six seconds left on the clock.

But Junkin snapped the ball too low and holder Matt Allen couldn’t handle it. The desperate Allen rolled out and threw toward G Rich Seubert, who was in the act of being pulled down by San Francisco LB Chike Okeafor (pictured below). The ball fell to the ground with no time left, but the Giants were looking for a flag for pass interference. After the officials conferred, a flag was indeed thrown – against the Giants for having an ineligible receiver downfield.

San Francisco came away with an astonishing 39-38 win. Coming back from a 24-point deficit, it was the biggest comeback in NFC playoff history (and, at the time, the second-biggest in NFL history), and was punctuated in bizarre fashion.

The next day, the NFL acknowledged that the officials had blown the call on the game-ending broken field goal attempt. There should have been an offsetting pass interference penalty on the 49ers, which would have allowed the Giants another chance at kicking the field goal (while Seubert had reported in as an eligible receiver, another guard, Tam Hopkins, was illegally downfield on the play).

The statistics were as even as the score. Both teams gained 446 yards apiece, with the 49ers having the edge in net passing yards (356 to 327) and New York gaining more on the ground (119 to 90). The Giants had the edge in first downs (26 to 23). The 49ers registered the only two sacks of the game, but also turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by New York.

Jeff Garcia completed 27 of 44 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns with one interception and also led the team in rushing with 60 yards on seven carries that included the game-winning TD. Terrell Owens had 9 catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns, plus the pair of two-point conversions and a pass completion of 25 yards (his only pass of the year). Eric Johnson added 8 pass receptions for 78 yards and Tai Streets contributed five catches for 58 yards and a score.

For the Giants, Kerry Collins was successful on 29 of 43 throws for 342 yards and four TDs while tossing one interception. Amani Toomer (pictured at right) was the primary beneficiary, with 8 receptions for 136 yards and three touchdowns. Jeremy Shockey contributed 7 catches for 68 yards and a TD, but his drop in the end zone ultimately proved costly. Tiki Barber ran for 115 yards on 26 carries that included a score, and added 62 yards on five pass receptions.

“As long as you live, you might never see a game better than that,” said Steve Mariucci. “It’s kind of hard to remember everything right now, but I remember how it ended.”

“I tried to make the perfect snap instead of a good snap,” said a disconsolate Trey Junkin. “You can’t do that…If you can’t count on me at the end of the game, that’s it, I’m done.” It was a sad end to a 19-season NFL career that had begun with Buffalo in 1983.

The 49ers played Tampa Bay in the Divisional round the next week and lost badly, after which Steve Mariucci was dismissed as head coach. San Francisco went into a long period of decline, not reaching the playoffs, or even posting a winning record, until 2011. New York also fell off in 2003, going 4-12, but would return to the postseason in ’05, after Jim Fassel had been replaced by Tom Coughlin.

1997: Vikings Rally to Edge Giants in Wild Card Playoff Game

The NFC Wild Card Playoff game on December 27, 1997 featured the New York Giants, who had gone from last to first in the NFC East, against the visiting Minnesota Vikings, a team that had been to the postseason in four of the previous five years but had failed to win at that level in any of them.

Four of the five teams in the NFC Central had qualified for the playoffs in ’97, with the fourth-place Vikings having grabbed the final Wild Card slot. Under sixth-year Head Coach Dennis Green (pictured at right), the team had gotten off to an 8-2 start before losing five straight contests and just making it into the playoffs at 9-7. Oft-injured RB Robert Smith finally realized his potential with a rushing output of 1266 yards and wide receivers Cris Carter and Jake Reed were highly capable. QB Brad Johnson had played very well before suffering a season-ending neck injury, but veteran QB Randall Cunningham, back in the NFL after a year of retirement, filled in ably in his absence. The defense had a star in DT John Randle but was lacking elsewhere, in particular the backfield. Moreover, there was uncertainty regarding the possible sale of the team and Minnesota had yet to win a playoff game under Coach Green, who was not on the best terms with the current owners who were angered by comments made in his autobiography that was published during the season.

New York had a first-year head coach in Jim Fassel and had gone from 6-10 to 10-5-1. Second-year QB Danny Kanell took over the starting job from the disappointing Dave Brown with favorable, if far from spectacular, results. Versatile FB Charles Way was the team’s top rusher while rookie RB Tiki Barber was splitting time with Tyrone Wheatley. Chris Calloway was the most productive of the wide receivers. The defense had All-Pros in DE Michael Strahan, with his 14 sacks, and LB Jessie Armstead.

There were 77,497 fired-up fans in attendance on a snowy day at Giants Stadium – not a good situation for a team like that Vikings that played its home games in a domed stadium. The weather made it very difficult on both offenses throughout the contest. The teams traded punts until Randall Cunningham fumbled and DT Bernard Holsey recovered for the Giants at the Minnesota 23. New York lost ground from there but Brad Daluiso (pictured below) kicked a 43-yard field goal for the early lead.

No sooner did the Vikings get the ball back when Cunningham fumbled it away again, this time with Michael Strahan recovering at the Minnesota 46. The Giants had more success on offense this time, driving to the four yard line with the big play a completion by Danny Kanell to Charles Way for 27 yards. Still, they settled for another Daluiso field goal of 22 yards but took a 6-0 lead into the second quarter.

The Giants had possession as the game moved into the second quarter and this time drove 56 yards in seven plays to a touchdown. Kanell threw to Tiki Barber for 11 yards in a third-and-four situation at midfield and then passed to WR David Patten for a 37-yard gain to the Minnesota two. A running play lost a yard but Kanell connected with TE Aaron Pierce for the two-yard TD. Daluiso’s extra point made it 13-0 in favor of the home team.

After the teams again traded punts another turnover by the Vikings led to more New York points. Cunningham’s long pass was intercepted by CB Jason Sehorn, who returned it 36 yards to the Minnesota 47. The ensuing six-play, 23-yard series ended with a third Daluiso field goal, this time from 41 yards, that made the score 16-0.

The Vikings finally got a break on a turnover when, following a punt on a three-and-out possession, WR Amani Toomer fumbled and Minnesota got the ball at the New York 26. Cunningham threw to Cris Carter for 19 yards to the seven yard line, but the Vikings were unable to move the ball any further. 41-year-old Eddie Murray kicked a 26-yard field goal to get the visitors on the board.

With less than two minutes remaining in the half as the Giants got the ball again, the scoring was not yet over. New York, starting at the 40 thanks to Minnesota’s kickoff going out of bounds, put together a 10-play drive that gained 26 yards and led to Daluiso kicking a 51-yard field goal to make the halftime score 19-3. While the Giants hadn’t been overly impressive offensively in the first half, Minnesota had gained just 21 rushing yards and Cunningham (pictured at right) completed only 5 of 16 passes. In addition, Cunningham’s two fumbles and an interception all led to points for New York.

The Vikings had the first possession of the third quarter and had to punt, but a fumble by Barber gave them the ball again at the New York four. From there, RB Leroy Hoard ran for a touchdown that, with the point after, narrowed the margin for the Giants to 19-10.

Following a short possession by the Giants, Minnesota drove into New York territory on a series highlighted by a Cunningham pass to Jake Reed for 33 yards. However, Murray’s field goal attempt from 48 yards was unsuccessful. The Vikings got the ball back at their 40 after another short series for the Giants capped by a short punt by Brad Maynard. Minnesota advanced the ball 52 yards in 11 plays culminating in a Murray field goal from 26 yards early in the fourth quarter.

The Giants finally came back alive on offense as Kanell completed six passes, with one to Patten for 18 yards in a third-and-9 situation and the longest to Calloway for 21 yards. The 13-play, 74-yard drive reached the Minnesota five and Daluiso booted his fifth field goal of the day from 22 yards. It was a nine-point contest at 22-13 with just over seven minutes to go and things looked very favorable for the Giants.

After the teams traded punts, the Vikings, getting the ball back with the clock now down to 2:06, struck quickly following another short kick by Maynard. Cunningham connected with Reed for a 30-yard touchdown and Murray added the PAT to narrow the margin to two points. Minnesota successfully executed an onside kick that New York’s Calloway muffed and WR Chris Walsh recovered at his own 39.

Following a false start that moved the Vikings five yards farther back, Cunningham threw an incomplete pass but then hit TE Andrew Glover for 11 yards and Carter for 21 on a third down play. A pass interference penalty on the Giants advanced the ball to the New York 16 and Robert Smith gained 16 yards to set up a 24-yard field goal by Murray. In stunning fashion, the Vikings won by a score of 23-22.

It was the biggest comeback by a NFL road team in the postseason since 1972 and the first playoff win for the Vikings in nine years. Minnesota led in total yards (293 to 266) and first downs (16 to 13). Indeed, the Giants rushed for only 76 yards in 36 attempts, a factor in their inability to control the ball longer. The Vikings turned the ball over three times, all in the first half, to two for New York.

Randall Cunningham, who had such great difficulty in the first half, completed 15 of 36 passes for 203 yards with a touchdown and an interception and also rushed for 38 yards on 7 carries. Cris Carter had 6 catches for 83 yards and Jake Reed (pictured below) gained 89 yards and scored a TD on his 5 receptions. Robert Smith rushed for 40 yards on 16 attempts.

For the Giants, Danny Kanell was successful on 16 of 32 throws for 199 yards with a TD and none intercepted. Chris Calloway caught 6 passes for 53 yards while David Patten gained 86 yards on his 5 receptions. Brad Daluiso was a key performer with his five field goals in as many attempts.

“It was amazing how things unfolded for us at the end,” said Minnesota’s John Randle. “I’ve never been in a game where we’ve come back like this.”

The first win for the Vikings under Dennis Green didn’t lead immediately to a second – they were badly beaten by the 49ers the following week in the Divisional round. With Green still coaching the team, they surged to 15-1 in 1998 and made it to the NFC Championship game. New York fell back to 8-8 in ’98 and didn’t return to the postseason until 2000. By that time, Danny Kanell and Chris Calloway were long gone but Tiki Barber and Amani Toomer had become prominent contributors.

2001: Late Comeback Pulls Eagles Over Giants to Clinch NFC East Title

Prior to the 2001 NFL season, the New York Giants had won nine straight games against their long-time rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, including three in 2000 as the teams met in a NFC Divisional playoff contest. The Eagles had finally broken the string with a dramatic 10-9 win in the last two minutes of a Monday Night Football matchup at Giants Stadium, and on December 30 they faced off at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium with the NFC East title on the line. The Eagles were 9-5 coming into the game and needed a win to clinch the division title while New York, at 7-7, had won its last two contests and needed to keep winning to stay alive.

The Eagles had not finished first in the division since 1988 and were only recently resurgent under third-year Head Coach Andy Reid. The pass-oriented club ran a West Coast offense directed by QB Donovan McNabb (pictured above), who could be a streaky passer but brought mobility and an ability to improvise to the position. TE Chad Lewis was his go-to receiver. The running backs were veteran Duce Staley, also a good receiver out of the backfield, and rookie Correll Buckhalter. The defense was stronger against the pass than the run but had been very effective overall.

New York, coached by Jim Fassel, was the defending NFC Champion but had difficulties in ’01. The offense, directed by offensive coordinator Sean Payton, was not as proficient as it had been in 2000. RB Tiki Barber was the top playmaker, splitting time with RB Ron Dayne. QB Kerry Collins, having a lesser season after his outstanding performance in 2000, had a savvy veteran tandem of wide receivers available in Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard. The defense had the league’s top pass rusher with DE Michael Strahan, who was equally able against the run.

There were 65,885 fans jamming the Vet and it was apparent before the game even began that emotions were running high between the clubs when a scuffle broke out among some of the Eagles and Giants players during pregame warmups. The Giants had the first possession and went three-and-out. Philadelphia responded with a nine-play, 72-yard drive in which McNabb completed six of seven passes for 68 of those yards, including a 31-yard completion to Lewis to the New York 41. It was Lewis pulling in a five-yard TD pass that gave the Eagles an early 7-0 lead.

That was it for the first half scoring. While Philadelphia dominated during the first thirty minutes of play, the Eagles were unable to put any more points on the board. It seemed as though that failure might cost them dearly when, on New York’s first play of the third quarter, Collins connected with Toomer for a 60-yard touchdown on a flea-flicker play. Morten Andersen’s extra point tied the contest at 7-7 and, ten minutes later, he put the Giants in the lead with a 25-yard field goal that completed a 43-yard drive highlighted by RB Ron Dayne’s 30-yard run to the Philadelphia 20.


Early in the fourth quarter, the Eagles moved back in front at 14-10 when McNabb threw to WR James Thrash (pictured at right), who had won the earlier encounter between the two clubs with a scoring reception, for a 57-yard touchdown down the right sideline. The Giants responded with a 58-yard drive over 12 plays that included Collins completions to WR Joe Jurevicius for 18 yards and Barber, who also contributed a 10-yard run, for 15. The 41-year-old Andersen booted a 32-yard field goal to make it a one-point game.

The Giants again took the lead with an 81-yard drive over nine plays that consumed nearly five minutes. Collins had big completions, twice hitting TE Dan Campbell for gains totaling 31 yards and one to Barber for 10 yards. It seemed as though New York had ground the Eagles defense down when Barber ran for 23 yards to the Philadelphia 28 on a third-and-one play and Dayne finished the series with a 16-yard scoring carry. Barber successfully rushed for the two-point conversion and, with 2:43 left to play in the final period, the Giants were ahead by 21-14 and appeared to have regained mastery over the Eagles.

Following the kickoff, Philadelphia took 54 seconds to move the ball 67 yards in six plays. McNabb threw to WR Freddie Mitchell for 15 yards to get into New York territory and then connected with Thrash for a key 32-yard gain to the Giants’ seven yard line. From there, Lewis pulled in his second scoring catch of the day and David Akers successfully kicked the extra point to tie the contest at 21-21.

Philadelphia’s defense rose to the occasion, holding the Giants to a three-and-out possession. With the ball on their own 29, the Eagles took over with a scant 58 seconds on the clock. McNabb threw to WR Todd Pinkston for nine yards and then ran for four. When Strahan appeared to be trying to hold the quarterback down after the play, the Giants were penalized five yards for delay of game. The ball was now at the New York 28 and McNabb ran again, taking off up the middle for 11 yards. Akers, who had had a string of 17 consecutive successful field goal attempts snapped in the first half when his 43-yard kick into the wind fell short, had the wind at his back this time and was successful from 35 yards to put the Eagles in front.

There were still seven seconds left and Akers booted the kickoff through the end zone for a touchback rather than squibbing the kick. With time for one desperation play, Collins threw down the middle for Barber, who advanced to the New York 37 and lateraled to speedy backup WR Ron Dixon on a hook-and-ladder play. There was a long history between the Eagles and Giants of astounding finishes, and it seemed as though it might occur once again as Dixon headed to his left and blazed down the field. However, SS Damon Moore raced over to push Dixon out of bounds at the six yard line and, with time expired, the Eagles were division champs by a score of 24-21.

The Giants had the edge in total yards (420 to 361) although Philadelphia had more first downs (21 to 18). The Eagles also had more turnovers, with two to New York’s one.

Donovan McNabb completed 21 of 39 passes for 270 yards with three touchdowns and one interception – he also led the club in rushing with 48 yards on 7 carries. James Thrash caught 7 passes for 143 yards and a TD while Chad Lewis also had 7 catches that gained 74 yards and two touchdowns. Among the running backs, Correll Buckhalter rushed for 39 yards on 7 attempts while Duce Staley contributed 8 carries for 23 yards.

For the Giants, Tiki Barber (pictured below) ran for 71 yards on 16 carries and caught 10 passes for another 87 yards. Ron Dayne added 59 yards and a TD on 8 attempts. Kerry Collins threw 39 passes and completed 22 for 303 yards with a touchdown and none intercepted. Amani Toomer gained 69 yards and scored once on his three catches. Michael Strahan, having regularly done well against Eagles OT Jon Runyan and pursuing the single-season record for sacks, added 3.5 to his total.


“Donovan stepped up and did a great job in as much pressure as you can have,” said Andy Reid of McNabb’s performance afterward.

With their postseason status set, the Eagles won the season finale at Tampa Bay to end up with an 11-5 record and then beat the Buccaneers again at home in the Wild Card playoff round. They also defeated the Chicago Bears at the Divisional level but lost to the Rams in the NFC Championship game – their first of three consecutive losses in the conference title game before winning in their fourth attempt. The loss in Philadelphia eliminated the Giants from playoff contention and they fell again in their last game to end up third in the NFC East with a disappointing 7-9 tally.

Donovan McNabb ranked fourth in the NFC in passing (84.3 rating) and fifth in TD passes (25) while throwing for 3233 yards. He also rushed for 482 yards on 82 carries (5.9 avg.). McNabb was named to the Pro Bowl for the second of an eventual five straight seasons (six overall).

James Thrash, who performed so notably against the Giants in 2001, tied for the team lead with 63 catches and led the club with 833 yards and 8 touchdowns. It was his first, and most productive, year with the Eagles.

Michael Strahan did succeed in setting a league record with 22.5 sacks. Of that total, 5.5 came in the two contests against Philadelphia. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press.

2001: Ravens Throttle Giants in Super Bowl XXXV

Nine weeks into the 2000 NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens were 5-4 and hardly seemed likely to reach the postseason, let alone the Super Bowl. But from that point they won seven straight games to close out the regular season, securing a wild card spot with a 12-4 record that placed them second in the AFC Central. From there they dominated the Broncos at home and the Titans (the club that won the division title) and Raiders on the road to win the AFC title and storm into a Super Bowl matchup against the New York Giants on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

Under Head Coach Brian Billick, the Ravens were propelled forward by the defense. At defensive tackle, Pro Bowler Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa effectively plugged the middle of the line. The brilliant All-Pro MLB Ray Lewis (pictured above) led a unit that included Peter Boulware and Jamie Sharper on the outside. Cornerbacks Duane Starks and Chris McAlister were highly effective and joined in the backfield by 35-year-old Pro Bowl FS Rod Woodson and SS Kim Herring. The unit gave up just 165 points over the course of the 16-game season, shutting out four opponents and allowing no more than one TD in 11 contests. If anything, it had stepped up its game in the playoffs.

At midseason, Trent Dilfer took over for Tony Banks at quarterback and provided good leadership as well as a steady hand as game-manager of a conservative, run-oriented offense that kept mistakes at a minimum. Rookie RB Jamal Lewis came on strong in the second half as well, gaining 1364 yards on the ground. 11th-year veteran TE Shannon Sharpe caught 67 passes. OT Jonathan Ogden anchored the offensive line.

The Giants, coached by Jim Fassel, had also gone 12-4 in winning the NFC East, and won more consistently across the course of the season. QB Kerry Collins took every snap and threw for 3610 yards and 22 touchdowns, reviving his career. Running backs Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne combined for 1776 rushing yards and 13 TDs (although Dayne tailed off badly toward the end), and Barber also added 70 pass receptions for 719 yards. Wide receivers Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard were effective and caught 15 scoring passes between them. The solid defense featured Pro Bowl LB Jessie Armstead, DE Michael Strahan, MLB Mike Barrow, and CB Jason Sehorn. New York defeated the Eagles in the Divisional playoff round and then routed the Vikings for the NFC title.


The game started quietly as neither team was able to generate much offense, although as they exchanged punts, the Ravens were winning the battle for field position. The Giants had the first possession of the game, but the second and third times they had the ball, they started at their own 13 and one yard lines, respectively. Midway through the first quarter, WR Jermaine Lewis (pictured at left) returned a punt 33 yards into New York territory, and while a holding penalty cost the Ravens ten yards, they started in good field position at the 41. Two plays later, Dilfer threw to WR Brandon Stokley for a 38-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead.

The clubs returned to trading punts, with Sharper intercepting a Collins pass in the second quarter that Baltimore was unable to capitalize on, but which stopped New York’s deepest penetration thus far (to midfield). The Giants nearly got a big break when Armstead intercepted a Dilfer pass and returned it for an apparent TD, but a defensive holding penalty on DT Keith Hamilton nullified the play.

With less than four minutes remaining in the half, the Ravens took over at their own 12 following another punt by the Giants, but following a six-yard completion to Stokley and a two-yard run by Jamal Lewis, Dilfer threw a pass to WR Qadry Ismail for a 44-yard gain down the left sideline to the New York 36. Four plays later, Matt Stover kicked a 47-yard field goal.

The Giants, getting the ball back with 1:34 remaining on the clock, briefly created some excitement as Collins completed a 17-yard pass to WR Ron Dixon and Barber took off on a 26-yard run to the Ravens’ 29 yard line. But on the next play, McAlister intercepted a Collins pass to snuff out the threat and Baltimore held a 10-0 lead going into halftime.

Following a punt by the Ravens on the first possession of the third quarter, Collins was again intercepted, this time by Kim Herring. Tony Banks replaced Dilfer at quarterback for this series (Dilfer had suffered a hand injury), but after Baltimore advanced to the New York 24, Stover missed a 41-yard field goal attempt.

The game settled back into a monotony of short possessions ending in punts until suddenly a stunning scoring spree erupted. First, Starks intercepted a Collins pass and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown to stretch Baltimore’s lead to 17-0. However, Dixon returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a TD to make it a 10-point game again. But on the next kickoff, it was Jermaine Lewis responding for the Ravens with an 83-yard touchdown. In just 36 seconds, a Super Bowl-record three touchdowns were scored, and the tally now stood at 24-7 in favor of Baltimore.

After that outburst, the game settled back into a defensive struggle. Baltimore took advantage of a short punt by Brad Maynard from his end zone to start with good field position at the New York 38 and drove to a three-yard touchdown run by Jamal Lewis. A fumble by Dixon on the ensuing kickoff return set up a 34-yard Stover field goal for the game’s final points. New York gained just one first down in its last four possessions and Baltimore came away the winner by a score of 34-7.

The Ravens defense capped a tremendous year by holding the Giants to 152 total yards and 11 first downs, and Ray Lewis was named the game’s MVP (Lewis accounted for 11 tackles, four assists, and four blocked passes). Collins was sacked four times and intercepted four times as well. Baltimore’s offense did little to generate excitement, but gained 244 yards and didn’t turn the ball over (thanks to the negated interception), as opposed to New York’s five turnovers. The teams set a Super Bowl record by punting 21 times (11 by the Giants, 10 by Baltimore).

Trent Dilfer (pictured below) completed 12 of 25 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. Jamal Lewis ran for 102 yards on 27 carries that included a TD. Brandon Stokley caught three passes for 52 yards and a touchdown and TE Ben Coates added three receptions for 30 yards.


For the Giants, Kerry Collins had a rough outing, completing just 15 of 39 passes for 112 yards and four interceptions. Tiki Barber led the team in rushing with 49 yards on 11 carries and also caught 6 passes for 26 yards. Ike Hilliard’s 30 yards on three receptions led the team.

“We came after them early, set a tempo,” said Baltimore’s defensive coordinator, Marvin Lewis. “We applied pressure to let them know we'll play our defense and keep attacking and not let anyone take us out of our game.”

Speaking of the kickoff return for a TD by Jermaine Lewis that trumped Ron Dixon’s, Brian Billick said, “The emotional swing of the game at that point, you could see it on their side. When Jermaine took it back the other way, it was more dramatic...The emotional flipflop, even though the points were the same, I think had to be devastating to them.”

It was a triumphant return to Tampa for Trent Dilfer, who had spent six disappointing seasons with the Buccaneers before moving on to the Ravens. However, winning the Super Bowl did not guarantee job security and he was released in the offseason, catching on with Seattle.

The Ravens parted ways with Dilfer due to the free agent signing of the more highly-esteemed Elvis Grbac, who had been a Pro Bowl quarterback for the Chiefs. While Grbac ultimately proved to be a disappointment, the team again made it to the postseason in 2001, once more as a wild card, but fell to Pittsburgh in the Divisional round. New York dropped more precipitously, going 7-9 in ’01 before returning to the postseason as a wild card team in 2002 – the Giants would not vie again for a championship until the 2007 season.

2003: Punchless Eagles Beat Giants on Stunning Punt Return by Westbrook

The Philadelphia Eagles had been to the NFC Championship game in 2001 and ‘02, but Head Coach Andy Reid’s team was off to a slow start in 2003. They were embarrassed 17-0 by the reigning champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in the opening game that was also their regular season debut at the new Lincoln Financial Field, and then lost badly to the Patriots the following week. QB Donovan McNabb had been struggling through the first five games due to a bruised right thumb and lingered at the bottom of the passing rankings. The team’s record stood at 2-3 as they traveled to Giants Stadium to take on the division rival New York Giants on October 19.

The Giants were also underachieving at 2-3 under Head Coach Jim Fassel. The club had scored a total of 16 points in the prior two games as QB Kerry Collins tossed seven interceptions and no touchdown passes.

Philadelphia got the early advantage in its second possession of the game, driving 89 yards in 11 plays and highlighted by McNabb throwing to TE L.J. Smith for a 25-yard gain. RB Brian Westbrook ran around end for the last six yards and a touchdown that gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

Neither team was able to move the ball effectively for the remainder of the half. A promising second quarter drive by the Giants ended with TE Jeremy Shockey fumbling the ball away at the Philadelphia 19 yard line after a nine-yard gain on a pass from Collins. However, three plays later McNabb was intercepted by CB Will Allen and the Giants had the ball at the Eagles’ 29 with 1:23 remaining in the half. Brett Conway kicked a 39-yard field goal to make the score 7-3 at the intermission.

New York went ahead 10-7 in the third quarter after a 12-play drive that went 62 yards and produced a one-yard TD pass from Collins to Shockey. It looked like that would be enough as the game moved through the fourth quarter and the Eagles offense remained stymied, ending five consecutive possessions with punts – all but one of them had been three-and-out.

Midway through the fourth quarter it appeared that the Giants would score again, but on a third-and-five play at the Philadelphia 10 yard line Collins fumbled after being hit by LB Mark Simoneau and DT Corey Simon recovered for the Eagles to end the threat.

With Philadelphia out of time outs and 1:34 remaining on the clock, the Giants entrusted their defense to finish the job and Jeff Feagles punted. Westbrook fielded the short, wobbly kick on the bounce and quickly blew through the wall of defenders. Running past the Giants’ bench, he flew past Feagles and then just stayed inbounds as he eluded one last tackler, TE Marcellus Rivers, before completing the 84-yard touchdown return (pictured at top).

78,883 fans sat in stunned silence as the play was reviewed by the officials, who ascertained that Westbrook had indeed not stepped out of bounds.

New York still had one last chance and, following the ensuing kickoff, Collins tossed a pass to WR Amani Toomer for a 20-yard gain to the Philadelphia 44 yard line with 1:12 now left to play. But four more passes netted just one more completion for six yards, and the last one on fourth-and-four was broken up by CB Bobby Taylor. The Eagles came away with a shocking 14-10 win.

The stunning nature of the victory was all the more evidenced by the statistics. The Eagles had gained just 134 total yards, to 339 for the Giants. A net of just 47 of those yards had come through the air (McNabb was sacked three times for a loss of 17 yards) while they had gained 87 yards on the ground. Philadelphia accumulated 9 first downs, while the Giants had 25.

Donovan McNabb completed only 9 of 23 passes for 64 yards with an interception. L.J. Smith’s one catch had made him the team’s receiving yardage leader with 25. Brian Westbrook led the team in rushing with 67 yards on 15 carries, caught three passes for another 11, and returned three kickoffs for 61 yards and the punt for 84 – the combined total came to 223 yards and included both of the team’s touchdowns.

In defeat, Kerry Collins was successful on 22 of 36 passes for 174 yards with one TD and none intercepted. RB Tiki Barber gained 79 yards on 19 carries and RB Dorsey Levens, playing in his first game for the Giants, contributed another 64 yards on 16 attempts. Barber and Jeremy Shockey each caught five passes (for 34 and 23 yards, respectively) while Amani Toomer was the receiving yardage leader with 54 yards on four catches.

For the Eagles, the dramatic result proved to be the turning point of the season as they proceeded to win nine straight and finished once again at the top of the NFC East with a 12-4 record. They made it to a third straight conference title game, but lost to Carolina. New York won its next two contests, but then lost the remaining eight to close out at 4-12 and at the bottom of the division. In the housecleaning that followed, both Coach Fassel and Collins were sent packing.

Donovan McNabb’s return to full health was a significant factor in Philadelphia’s second-half surge. He ended up passing for 3216 yards with 16 TDs and 11 interceptions and was named to his fourth of an eventual five straight Pro Bowls (six overall with the Eagles).


In his second season out of Villanova, Brian Westbrook (pictured at left) emerged as a major all-purpose talent. He returned a second punt for a touchdown during the season and ranked first in the NFC with a 15.3 average on 20 returns. Overall, he gained 1738 all-purpose yards with 613 rushing on 117 carries, 332 on 37 pass receptions, 487 on 23 kickoff returns, and 306 returning punts. While he would be used far less on punt returns in future seasons (and not at all on kickoff returns), his yards from rushing and pass receiving rose greatly.

2002: 49ers Defeat Giants in Thursday Night Opening Game

The NFL chose to open the 2002 regular season with a Thursday night game prior to the weekend contests. The New York Giants hosted the San Francisco 49ers at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands on September 5. There was a celebrity-filled concert at Times Square prior to the kickoff, much of it in tribute to the recovery efforts in New York City following the previous year’s terrorist attack.

The Giants, coached by Jim Fassel and NFC champions in 2000, had slipped to 7-9 in ’01 and there had been dissension sown along the way. Even a bright spot like DE Michael Strahan breaking the single-season record for sacks with 22.5 was clouded by controversy when it appeared that Green Bay QB Brett Favre had set himself up for the record-setting sack in the season finale. In the ensuing offseason, defensive coordinator John Fox left the club to become head coach of the Carolina Panthers and a mainstay at linebacker, Jessie Armstead, moved on to Washington as a free agent.

San Francisco had finished second in the NFC West under Head Coach Steve Mariucci in ’01 with a 12-4 mark and lost to Green Bay in the Wild Card round of the postseason. It was a step in the right direction after the club had run into salary cap trouble and fell below .500 in both 1999 and 2000. The passing combination of QB Jeff Garcia to WR Terrell Owens had been highly productive, although the temperamental Owens (pictured above) clashed with both coach and teammates.

For all of the pregame hoopla, the contest itself seemed anticlimactic as both teams started slowly. The 49ers got the first break on the game’s third play when safety Tony Parrish intercepted a pass by New York QB Kerry Collins. After a 16-yard run by Garcia, the Niners had a first and goal situation at the Giants seven yard line, but couldn’t get into the end zone and the resulting 25-yard field goal attempt by Jose Cortez was blocked.

New York proceeded to drive 69 yards on 11 plays with Matt Bryant, who had been cut the week before but re-signed when PK Owen Pochman had to be placed on injured reserve, booting a 29-yard field goal to give the Giants the early lead.

Cortez, the top placekicker in the XFL in 2001 with the Los Angeles Xtreme, made good on his second field goal attempt from 23 yards to tie the game at 3-3 at the end of the first quarter. That was it for the scoring until the last play of the half when Bryant narrowly made a 33-yard field goal that allowed the Giants to take a 6-3 lead into halftime.

San Francisco went ahead 10-6 in the third quarter as Garcia connected with RB Garrison Hearst on a swing pass that produced a nine-yard touchdown. The Niners seemed in control in the fourth quarter when Cortez kicked a 33-yard field goal following the third interception of a Collins pass.

However, the Giants fought back, driving 77 yards on 14 plays highlighted by Collins passes of 23 yards to WR Amani Toomer in a third-and-16 situation and 20 yards to rookie TE Jeremy Shockey. RB Tiki Barber capped the possession by diving into the end zone from a yard out, and with the successful PAT the score was tied at 13-13 with 1:49 remaining in regulation.

San Francisco’s offense took over on its 30 yard line following the kickoff, and Garcia immediately threw to Owens, who had streaked past Giants CB Jason Sehorn to make the catch on his way to a 33-yard gain. From the New York 37, Garcia passed again, this time to WR J.J. Stokes for 12 yards. After a seven-yard run by Hearst, Cortez was successful on the game-winning field goal from 36 yards. The 49ers went home with a hard-earned 16-13 victory.

Said 49ers Coach Mariucci afterward “It took us the whole game to get going, but we won. Can you call this game ugly? I guess you could say that.”

Indeed, sloppy play and penalties had marred the contest. There were 15 penalties, including 10 by the Giants. New York outgained the 49ers, 361 yards to 279, but had been undone by untimely interceptions (neither team fumbled) and penalty flags.

Terrell Owens was held to just eight yards receiving prior to the clutch catch that helped set up the winning field goal; he ended up with four receptions for 41 yards. TE Eric Johnson had the most receiving yards for the Niners with 44 on three catches. Jeff Garcia completed 16 of 26 passes for 166 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Garrison Hearst was the leading rusher with 40 yards on 12 carries.

Kerry Collins went to the air 45 times and completed 28 of those passes for 342 yards; however, he had the three interceptions as opposed to no TDs. Amani Toomer had an outstanding performance, catching 9 passes for 134 yards, but also had a 44-yard catch to inside the San Francisco 10 yard line wiped out by a holding penalty. The Giants gained just 43 yards on the ground, on 22 carries, with Tiki Barber leading the club with 29 yards on 15 attempts and the one score.


Both teams went on to finish the season with 10-6 records; in the case of the 49ers, it was good enough to win the NFC West while the Giants finished second in the NFC East and qualified for the postseason as a wild card team. They met in the Wild Card round, with San Francisco again coming out on top, 39-38, in a far-more exciting and high-scoring game that came down to a botched field goal attempt and missed pass interference call by the officials.

Terrell Owens caught a career-high 100 passes for 1300 yards and led the league with 13 touchdown receptions. The journeyman placekicker Jose Cortez (pictured above left) failed to last through the year with the 49ers and ended the 2002 season with Washington; he went on to see action with four more teams (as well as a brief second stint with the 49ers in 2005).

The Thursday night opening game was deemed a success and became an annual event, although since 2004 the host team has been the defending Super Bowl champion.