1995: Panthers Lose Debut to Falcons in Overtime

The Carolina Panthers, one of two NFL expansion teams for the 1995 season along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, took the field for their first regular season game on September 3. Coached by Dom Capers, most recently the defensive coordinator of the Steelers, the Panthers were coming into their first season facing the usual obstacles of a new team, utilizing either unproven or over-the-hill talent, but GM Bill Polian had been aggressive in free agency. The Panthers were to feature a conservative offense, tough defense, and solid special teams. QB Frank Reich (pictured above), the long-time backup in Buffalo, was starting while first draft choice Kerry Collins was groomed to take over the job, and there were veteran receivers in WRs Mark Carrier and Willie Green plus TE Pete Metzelaars. LB Sam Mills, formerly of the USFL and Saints, provided leadership as well as ability at inside linebacker, and there were other established hands in LB Lamar Lathon and CB Tim McKyer.

The Atlanta Falcons, Carolina’s first opponent, were coming off a 7-9 record in 1994, their third straight losing season and first under Head Coach June Jones. Operating a run-and-shoot offense, QB Jeff George threw for 3734 yards and 23 touchdowns and, while free agent WR Andre Rison departed in the offseason, there was a good group of small but fast of receivers for George’s passes. The defense was of greater concern, having given up a lot of points and fallen short in close contests in ‘94.

There were 58,808 fans in attendance at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons had the game’s first possession and went three-and-out. Carolina then went 65 yards in eight plays. Frank Reich had completions of 20 yards to Willie Green and 10 to Mark Carrier. Another pass to Carrier picked up 18 yards in a third-and-13 situation to reach the Atlanta 19. Following two carries by RB Randy Baldwin, Reich threw to Pete Metzelaars for eight yards and a touchdown. John Kasay added the extra point.

It didn’t take long for the Panthers to add to their lead. WR Roell Preston fumbled the ensuing kickoff and RB Vince Workman recovered for the visitors at the Atlanta 22. This time Carolina was only able to pick up a yard in three plays, but Kasay kicked a 39-yard field goal to make the score 10-0.

The Falcons came back with a seven-play, 47-yard series that was highlighted by Jeff George connecting with RB/WR Eric Metcalf (pictured at left) on a third down play for a 36-yard gain to the Carolina 16. Morten Andersen, a newcomer to the club after thirteen years in New Orleans, booted a 27-yard field goal to make it a seven-point margin.

Reich came out throwing on the next Carolina series, hitting Green for 11 yards and then Carrier for 46 yards to the Atlanta 23. The Panthers were unable to move any further but came away with another Kasay field goal, this time from 41 yards.

The teams traded punts as the game moved into the second quarter. Taking possession at their own two yard line following a Carolina punt, the Falcons came through with a big play when George threw to WR Bert Emanuel for 46 yards. George completed six more passes as Atlanta moved 98 yards in 11 plays, the last for a 12-yard TD to WR J.J. Birden. Andersen’s extra point narrowed Carolina’s lead to 13-10.

Following a short series by the Panthers, the Falcons drove to another score. George completed three passes but, after reaching the Carolina 33 at the two-minute warning, two more throws fell incomplete and Andersen kicked a 51-yard field goal. The score remained 13-13 at the half.

The Panthers were forced to punt following the first series of the third quarter and the home team went 58 yards in seven plays to take the lead. George threw to WR Terance Mathis for 23 yards and, in a third-and-eight situation, connected with Mathis again for 19 yards to the Carolina 14. Three plays later, he tossed a five-yard touchdown pass to Emanuel and, with Andersen’s PAT, the Falcons were in front by 20-13.

The defenses took control as neither team was able to sustain a drive until, with less than four minutes remaining in the period, Metcalf took off for a 19-yard gain to spur a series in which the Falcons reached midfield. However, FS Brett Maxie intercepted a pass to end the threat and the score remained tied heading into the final period.

The teams continued to exchange punts until RB Craig Heyward of the Falcons fumbled and Maxie recovered for Carolina at the Atlanta 22. However, two penalties and two sacks moved the Panthers back to the 44 and they were forced to punt.

Carolina got the ball again on a punt with 1:15 remaining in regulation. Starting at his own 20, Reich passed to RB Bob Christian for 23 yards and, after two incompletions, to Green for 13 yards. Reich threw long to Green once again, and the result was a 44-yard touchdown. A gamble for a two-point conversion was nullified by a false start and, backed up five yards, the Panthers kicked to tie the score at 20-20 instead.

Getting the ball back with 20 seconds on the clock, the Falcons tried to win the game in regulation as George completed two passes, but a 58-yard field goal try by Andersen fell short and the contest went into overtime.

The Panthers had the initial possession in the OT period and Reich completed two passes, but fumbled when stripped by DE Lester Archambeau, who recovered the ball at the Carolina 31. Six plays later, at 2:42 into the extra period, Andersen booted a 35-yard field goal and Atlanta came away the winner by a final score of 23-20.

The Falcons led in total yards (391 to 312) and first downs (20 to 17). Carolina was hurt by gaining only 51 yards on 20 running plays and giving up nine sacks. The Panthers also committed seven penalties, to four flags thrown on Atlanta. By contrast, the Falcons gave up three sacks and were more balanced on offense, rushing for 117 yards while gaining 274 net passing yards.

Jeff George completed 27 of 45 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns while giving up one interception. Eric Metcalf had 9 catches for 95 yards and ran for 56 yards on just 7 carries. Terance Mathis contributed 8 receptions for 83 yards and Bert Emanuel added 6 for 90 yards and a TD. Craig Heyward paced the ground game with 61 yards on 19 carries.

For the Panthers, Frank Reich was successful on 23 of 44 throws for 329 yards and two TDs while giving up no interceptions. Willie Green (pictured below) pulled in 7 of those passes for 121 yards and a score and Mark Carrier had 5 receptions for 96 yards. Randy Baldwin led what there was of a running attack with 43 yards on 17 attempts.

“There is no moral victory,” said a disappointed Frank Reich. “It’s win or lose. We want to win early and win often. Anything less in unacceptable. This was tough. We had our chance.”

The Panthers went on to lose their first five games before reeling off four consecutive wins on the way to a respectable 7-9 record, placing fourth in the NFC West. They also defeated the Falcons in the rematch at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Atlanta lost the next week but then won three in a row and finished at 9-7, placing second in the division and qualifying for a Wild Card spot. The Falcons were defeated by Green Bay in the first postseason round.

By the point the season turned around for the Panthers, Frank Reich had given way to Kerry Collins as the starting quarterback. He ended up throwing just 39 more passes, completing 44 percent in all, and the two TD passes against the Falcons were his only scoring tosses. Mark Carrier and Willie Green remained effective receivers, with Carrier catching 66 passes for 1002 yards (15.2 avg.) and three touchdowns and Green hauling in 47 for 882 yards (18.8 avg.) and six TDs.

Eric Metcalf continued to be highly productive for the Falcons with 104 pass receptions for 1189 yards (11.4 avg.) and eight touchdowns to go along with his 133 yards on 28 rushing attempts (4.8 avg.). Adding in kick returns, Metcalf gained a total of 1983 all-purpose yards, which ranked fifth in the NFL. Terance Mathis and Bert Emanuel also had over a thousand receiving yards with 1039 apiece, on 78 and 74 catches, respectively. 

1987: Saints Beat Bucs, Qualify for Playoffs for First Time

Prior to the 1987 NFL season, the New Orleans Saints had symbolized pro football futility. Since the franchise first took the field in 1967, the club had not only never qualified for the postseason in its first 20 seasons, but had never finished with a winning record (the Saints had gone 8-8 in 1979 and 1983).

However, the arrival of Jim Mora (pictured at right) as head coach in 1986 marked a significant change in the team’s direction. After a successful stint coaching the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars to two USFL championships, he was hired by the Saints (after a flirtation with the Eagles, who went with the brash Buddy Ryan instead). They had gone 7-9 in ’86, which was an improvement, and one they built upon. Coming into the December 6, 1987 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Saints were 8-3 and close to locking up a playoff spot.

The team’s strength was its defense, in particular the linebacker corps of Vaughan Johnson, Rickey Jackson, Pat Swilling, and Sam Mills (who had played for Mora with the Stars). They were at their best stopping the run and ended up leading the league in takeaways (30 interceptions, 18 recovered fumbles). The offense was conservative and run-oriented, featuring RB Rueben Mayes and QB Bobby Hebert, another former USFL star.

Tampa Bay, under the guidance of Head Coach Ray Perkins, was a dismal 4-7 and had lost four straight games coming into the contest at the Louisiana Superdome (two of the wins came while replacement players were in use during the month-long strike by the players’ union; the New Orleans replacement team also went 2-1). The season was a lost cause, but there was some anticipation as rookie QB Vinny Testaverde, the overall first draft choice and Heisman Trophy winner out of the University of Miami, was making his first start for the Buccaneers.

The game started out well for the Saints, playing before a home crowd of 66,471. On the third play from scrimmage, Testaverde fumbled and DE Bruce Clark recovered at the Tampa Bay 19 yard line. Four plays later, Hebert threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to TE John Tice.

No sooner did the Bucs get the ball back, following a 40-yard kickoff return by DB Bobby Futrell, and Testaverde again fumbled the ball away. Swilling recovered for the Saints at the Tampa Bay 38, and the resulting possession again ended in a Hebert to Tice TD pass, this time from six yards out. Barely six minutes into the game, New Orleans had a 14-0 lead.

Two possessions later, the Buccaneers went 48 yards in seven plays to get on the board. Testaverde completed passes to RB James Wilder and WR Bruce Hill along the way that converted third downs (a 17-yard pass interference call on the Saints also helped) and capped the drive himself by running the final yard for a touchdown. The first quarter ended with the Saints leading by 14-7.

New Orleans responded with a 10-play possession that covered 77 yards and was highlighted by a Hebert pass to WR Mark Pattison that covered 36 yards to the Tampa Bay 29. Mayes swept around end for a seven-yard touchdown and the lead was extended to 21-7.

The Bucs were forced to punt and the star kick returner for the Saints, RB Mel Gray (another USFL refugee), fielded the kick at his 16 and ran it back 80 yards to the Tampa Bay four yard line. In short order, RB Dalton Hilliard ran three yards for a TD that put New Orleans up by 21 points.

The Buccaneers managed to put together a long, 14-play drive that resulted in a 37-yard field goal by Donald Igwebuike and the score at halftime was 28-10.

New Orleans started off the third quarter by driving for a 40-yard field goal by the dependable Morten Andersen, and essentially had the game in hand. The Bucs fought back and Testaverde threw touchdown passes of 37 yards to WR Mark Carrier in the third quarter and 12 yards to Hill in the final period. Igwebuike also kicked a 43-yard field goal and RB Bobby Howard ran for a two-yard touchdown.

But the Saints added points on a two-yard run by Mayes and Andersen field goals of 24 and 32 yards. New Orleans won by a final score of 44-34 and clinched a postseason berth for the first time.

Going to the air often in attempting to catch up, Tampa Bay actually outgained the Saints (449 yards to 365) and had more first downs (27 to 19). However, they turned the ball over four times (to once by New Orleans) and the two early fumbles that led to touchdowns put the Bucs in a hole they were unable to dig out of.

Vinny Testaverde made up for the early miscues by setting a new rookie passing yardage record with 369 while completing 22 of 47 passes with two touchdowns and two interceptions apiece. Mark Carrier set a franchise record with 212 receiving yards on 8 catches, including one TD. The Buccaneers gained 97 yards on the ground, with RB Jeff Smith leading the way at 31 yards on 8 carries and James Wilder following close behind at 30 yards on six attempts.


In winning, Bobby Hebert (pictured at left) completed 16 of 24 passes for 255 yards with two touchdowns and none intercepted. WR Eric Martin gained 101 yards on just two catches thanks to a 67-yard reception, and WR Lonzell Hill caught three passes to lead the club (he gained 27 yards). Dalton Hilliard and Rueben Mayes ground out 117 rushing yards between them, with Hilliard gaining 62 yards on 16 carries, including one TD, and Mayes contributing 55 yards on 21 attempts with two scores.

“You bet we’re a playoff team,” said an exultant Coach Mora afterward. “Our guys are happy, but their attitude is they’re not done yet. They want more.”

The Saints kept winning, ending up with nine straight victories to close out the season with a 12-3 tally. Coming in second in the NFC West to the 49ers, they claimed a wild card spot and hosted Minnesota in the first round of the postseason. Their first playoff game proved to be a great disappointment as the Vikings rolled over them, 44-10. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay kept losing and finished at 4-11, tied with Detroit at the bottom of the NFC Central division.

Bobby Hebert, who had been experiencing difficulty in transferring his USFL success to the NFL, showed marked improvement as he threw for 2119 yards with 15 touchdowns against 9 interceptions. His 12.9 yards per completion ranked fourth in the NFC.

Rueben Mayes was selected for the Pro Bowl for the second time as he ranked second in the NFC (fifth in the league) with 917 yards on 243 carries (3.8 avg.) and five touchdowns. Injuries would steadily erode his production thereafter, and he didn’t start a game after 1990.


Mel Gray’s 80-yard punt return was no anomaly as he led the NFL with a 14.7-yard average on 24 returns. He would go on to be a highly-productive kick returner for the next decade, although his greatest notoriety would come as a member of the Detroit Lions.

In the first of 21 up-and-down seasons, Vinny Testaverde (pictured at right) completed 43 % of his passes for 1081 yards and five TDs along with six interceptions. Fellow rookie Mark Carrier caught 26 passes and accounted for half of his 423 receiving yards in the game against the Saints. He would go on to a productive 12-year career.