2006: Seahawks Overwhelm Panthers for NFC Championship

The NFC Championship game on January 22, 2006 featured the Seattle Seahawks, winners of the NFC West and top-seeded team in the conference, hosting the Carolina Panthers, a Wild Card team that finished second in the NFC South.

The Seahawks were coached by Mike Holmgren, who had previously guided the Packers to a NFL Championship, and posted a 13-3 record during the 2005 regular season. RB Shaun Alexander (pictured above) topped the league in rushing (1880 yards) and scoring (168 points) while setting a new NFL record for touchdowns (28, which was broken the next year) and QB Matt Hasselbeck achieved career highs in completion percentage (65.5), yards per attempt (7.7), and passer rating (98.2). The defense was unspectacular but effective and benefited from the addition of rookie MLB Lofa Tatupu. Seattle, which was in the playoffs for the third consecutive year, defeated the Redskins in the Divisional round to advance to its first conference title game since 1983, when the Seahawks were in the AFC (they moved to the NFC as part of the 2002 reorganization). If there was a major concern coming into the game, it was that Alexander had suffered a concussion the previous week.

Carolina, coached by John Fox, was two years removed from a losing Super Bowl appearance and, after dipping to 7-9 in 2004, had bounced back to 11-5 in ’05. Key players on offense were Pro Bowl QB Jake Delhomme and WR Steve Smith, who was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection after catching 103 passes for 1563 yards (15.2 avg.) and 12 TDs. However, the running game struggled due to injuries and RBs Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster were both out for the NFC title contest. The defense had trouble against the run, having lost DT Kris Jenkins to injury for virtually the entire season, although there were capable pass rushers in ends Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker. The Panthers shut out the Giants in the Wild Card playoff round and then defeated the Bears at the Divisional level.

There were 67,837 fans in attendance at Qwest Field. The teams traded punts until the Seahawks, gaining the advantage in field position, put together a 57-yard drive in five plays. The last two were the biggest as Matt Hasselbeck threw to QB/WR Seneca Wallace for 28 yards and then connected with a wide-open TE Jerramy Stevens for a 17-yard touchdown. Josh Brown added the extra point.

Seattle got the ball back on the next series when Lofa Tatupu intercepted a Jake Delhomme pass that was thrown into coverage and returned it 21 yards to the Carolina 20. The Seahawks weren’t able to reach the end zone again, but Brown kicked a 24-yard field goal to extend the lead to 10-0.

With time running down in the opening period, the Seahawks again took advantage of a turnover as FS Marquand Manuel picked off a throw by Delhomme and ran it back 32 yards to the Carolina 17. Shaun Alexander had a 15-yard run on the last play of the first quarter and, two plays later it was Alexander running for a one-yard TD. Brown’s conversion put the home team up by 17-0.

The Panthers, who had lost yet another running back in Nick Goings during the first quarter, fought back as Delhomme completed a pass to WR Drew Carter for 41 yards to the Seattle 26, but a holding penalty backed the visitors up and a sack by DT Rocky Bernard took them out of field goal range, forcing a punt. A short Seattle possession also resulted in a punt and Steve Smith returned it 59 yards for a touchdown. While a penalty flag was thrown during the return, a conference by the officials led to no infraction being called and, when John Kasay kicked the point after, the Seahawks’ lead was narrowed to 17-7.

Seattle responded by advancing to another score. Hasselbeck (pictured below) completed three passes, all to WR Darrell Jackson, and Alexander had back-to-back carries of 11 and 18 yards. A 15-yard penalty for an illegal crackback block blunted the drive, but Brown booted a 39-yard field goal to make it a 20-7 game. Following a punt by the Panthers, the Seahawks had an opportunity to add to their margin with 33 seconds remaining in the first half, but Brown missed a field goal try from 49 yards. Thus far the Seahawks had been dominant on defense, holding Carolina to three first downs and 62 total yards in the first thirty minutes.

Seattle took the second half kickoff and drove 65 yards in eight plays, essentially putting the game out of reach for Carolina. Alexander again ran effectively, with a 16-yard gain along the way, and Hasselbeck had three completions, the last to Jackson for a 20-yard TD. Brown’s extra point had the Seahawks up by an imposing 27-7.

Seattle’s defense kept the Panthers in check as their next two possessions went three-and-out, resulting in punts, and the third ended with a Delhomme pass being intercepted by SS Michael Boulware. An exchange of punts led to the last score for the Seahawks on a one-yard carry by Alexander. Carolina responded with one last hurrah, a Delhomme throw to WR Drew Carter for a 47-yard touchdown, but with six minutes remaining in the contest, the outcome was not in doubt. The Seahawks won convincingly by a final score of 34-14.

The statistics reflected Seattle’s dominance. The Seahawks had big leads in total yards (393 to 212), first downs (27 to 11), and time of possession (41:51 to 18:09). In addition, Carolina turned the ball over four times, to none suffered by Seattle.

Matt Hasselbeck completed 20 of 28 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns with none intercepted. Shaun Alexander, showing no ill effects from his concussion the week before, rushed for 132 yards on 34 carries that included the two short TDs. Darrell Jackson and Jerramy Stevens each accounted for a team-leading six pass receptions, for 75 and 66 yards, respectively, and scored a touchdown apiece. On defense, Rocky Bernard was credited with both of Seattle’s sacks.

For the Panthers, Jake Delhomme was successful on only 15 of 35 throws for 196 yards and a TD while giving up three interceptions. RB Jamal Robertson, forced into action due to the attrition at running back, led the club in pass receiving with 37 yards on five catches and in rushing with only 19 yards on four attempts. Steve Smith, who was well bottled up by the defense, also had five pass receptions, gaining 33 yards, but he provided one of Carolina’s few highlights with his lone punt return for a 59-yard TD.

“I don’t know if we ran out of gas,” said Carolina’s Coach Fox from the losing team’s perspective. “I’m not too sure what the problem was. Their defense played tremendous. We know we’d have our hands full with their offense.”

The Seahawks lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. They topped the NFC West with a lesser record in 2006 but lost in overtime to the Bears at the Divisional level in the postseason. Carolina dropped to 8-8 and missed the playoffs in ’06, next appearing in the postseason in 2008.

1994: Packers Overcome Lions in NFC Wild Card Playoff Game

The NFC Wild Card playoff game on January 8, 1994 featured two NFC Central rivals that had faced each other the week before to finish out the 1993 regular season. In that instance, the Detroit Lions defeated the Green Bay Packers by a 30-20 score, wrapping up the division title with a 10-6 record. The Packers ended up in third at 9-7 to qualify for a Wild Card slot (Minnesota was also 9-7 and got second place thanks to a season sweep of Green Bay).

Detroit was coached by Wayne Fontes and rebounding from a 5-11 record in ’92 after going all the way to the NFC Championship game the year before. RB Barry Sanders, who posted his fifth Pro Bowl season in as many years, was back in action after being lost with a sprained left knee on Thanksgiving that cost him the last five games of the regular season and a shot at the league rushing title. WR Herman Moore was a rising star and WR Brett Perriman was solid on the other side, but quarterback had been a problem area. Following the firing of offensive coordinator Dan Henning after 12 games, Erik Kramer was installed as the starter and performed well. There were injury concerns on defense, which was missing CB Ray Crockett while LB Pat Swilling was playing with a pulled hamstring.

The Packers, in their second season under Head Coach Mike Holmgren, were in the playoffs for the first time since 1982. 24-year-old QB Brett Favre (pictured above), who had taken over the starting job during the previous year, displayed tremendous potential and was named to the Pro Bowl, but was also inconsistent. He gave up four interceptions in the season-ending loss to the Lions, giving him a league-leading 24 in all, against 19 touchdowns. WR Sterling Sharpe was a consensus first-team All-Pro who caught a NFL-high 112 passes for 1274 yards and 11 TDs, but none of the other receivers were exceptional, nor were the running backs. The defensive line was anchored by DE Reggie White, while Bryce Paup recorded 11 sacks from the outside linebacker position and SS LeRoy Butler was an All-NFL selection.  

There were 68,479 fans in attendance for the late Saturday afternoon contest at the Pontiac Silverdome. The teams exchanged punts to start the game before the Lions drove to the Green Bay 17 thanks to a pass from Erik Kramer to Brett Perriman that covered 18 yards in a third-and-12 situation and a 25-yard run by Barry Sanders. However, Kramer’s pass intended for Herman Moore was intercepted by CB Terrell Buckley.

The Packers had to punt following the ensuing series and the Lions again drove into Green Bay territory, advancing 50 yards in nine plays and not coming up empty. Kramer completed four passes, three of them to Perriman, and a pass interference penalty added nine yards. But Detroit was backed up by a false start penalty, a sack, and a run by Sanders that lost two yards, and while a throw to TE Rodney Holman was completed, it could not overcome a third-and-20 situation. Jason Hanson kicked a 47-yard field goal on the last play of the opening period.

The Packers started off the second quarter by putting together a 13-play, 80-yard possession. Brett Favre was successful on four passes and had a ten-yard run along the way. Two of the completions were to Sterling Sharpe, the last of which was good for a 12-yard touchdown. Chris Jacke added the extra point to put the visitors in front by 7-3.

The next Detroit series got off to a less-than-promising start when WR Mel Gray, normally an outstanding kick returner, fumbled on the return. The ball bounced back to hit his face mask and went out of bounds at the six yard line. Kramer hit on two passes, to Holman for 16 yards and Perriman for 12, and Sanders took off around end for a gain of 44 yards to the Green Bay 20. A false start moved the Lions back and, following an incomplete pass, Sanders ran for seven yards. Facing third-and-eight, Perriman caught a pass from Kramer for 13 yards to reach the five. Two carries by Sanders got the ball to the one, and from there Kramer threw to Perriman once more for a TD. Hanson’s point after made it a 10-7 tally with just over two minutes remaining in the first half, and that was the score at the intermission.

The teams started the third quarter by again trading punts. The Packers were pinned back at their five and Favre threw a pass that was intercepted by CB Melvin Jenkins and returned 15 yards for a TD. Hanson’s conversion put the Lions ahead by ten points at 17-7.

Green Bay responded by driving 72 yards in seven plays. Favre completed four passes, including one to TE Ed West for 23 yards and the last to Sharpe for a 28-yard touchdown. Jacke’s extra point reduced the home team’s lead to 17-14.

The Lions came back with Kramer throwing to Perriman for 19 yards, an unnecessary roughness penalty that picked up 15 yards on what had been an incompletion, and then another pass to Perriman for 31 yards to the Green Bay eight. Following a three-yard carry by Sanders, Kramer went to the air again, but this time FS George Teague intercepted in the end zone and returned it 101 yards for a TD. Jacke tacked on the PAT, and in stunning fashion the Packers were in the lead by 21-17.

As the game headed into the fourth quarter, the Lions put together a 15-play, 89-yard series. Kramer completed four passes and Sanders had a 13-yard run that set up a five-yard touchdown carry by RB Derrick Moore. Hanson added the extra point and Detroit was back in front at 24-21.

The Packers had a short possession and punted and the Lions drove to their 44 before they had to punt in turn. There was 2:26 left on the clock as the Green Bay offense regained possession at its 29. Favre threw a screen pass to RB Edgar Bennett for 12 yards and to West for nine. A run by Bennett picked up four more yards and Favre tossed a short pass to Sharpe for another six. On the next play, Favre was forced to scramble and found Sharpe, alone in the end zone thanks to a blown coverage, for a 40-yard touchdown (pictured below). Jacke’s extra point put Green Bay back in front by four points with 55 seconds to play.

The Lions, following a kickoff return of just eight yards by Gray, weren’t able to move past their own 20 in the remaining time and the Packers won by a final score of 28-24.

Detroit had wide leads in total yards (410 to 293) and first downs (25 to 16), and was especially dominant on the ground (175 to 89). However, the Lions turned the ball over twice, both in Green Bay territory, to one by the Packers, who also recorded the only four sacks of the game. Special teams were a factor as Corey Harris averaged 29.7 yards on three kickoff returns while Mel Gray was held to 11.0 yards on four returns.

Brett Favre completed 15 of 26 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns while giving up one interception. Sterling Sharpe had 5 catches for 101 yards and all three of the TDs. Darrell Thompson led the Packers with 41 yards on 12 carries and added 32 yards on three pass receptions and Edgar Bennett rushed for 30 yards on 9 attempts while catching two passes for 21 yards. On defense, two of the sacks were accounted for by Reggie White.

For the Lions, Barry Sanders (pictured above) showed no ill effects from his layoff with 169 yards on 27 carries. Brett Perriman caught 10 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. Erik Kramer was successful on 22 of 31 throws for 248 yards and a TD, but gave up two interceptions.

Following the dramatic win against Detroit, the Packers lost to the Cowboys the next week by a 27-17 score. But after the long postseason dry spell, 1993 marked the first of six straight playoff appearances, two of which resulted in Super Bowl appearances, won of them a victory. The Lions reached the playoffs after each of the next two seasons, losing in the Wild Card round each time, including to the Packers again the next year.

1997: Packers Defeat Buccaneers in NFC Central Showdown

Two strong defensive teams, the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, met on December 7, 1997 in Tampa with the NFC Central title on the line.

The Packers, coached by Mike Holmgren, were the defending NFL Champions and had a 10-3 record thus far. QB Brett Favre (pictured at right) was the key to the offense and was helped by the presence of wide receivers Robert Brooks and Antonio Freeman as well as capable RB Dorsey Levens. Star DE Reggie White was hindered by back pain but overall, the defense was tough and aggressive.

Tampa Bay was right behind the Packers at 9-4, having gotten off to a 5-0 start before losing three straight contests, starting with a defeat at Green Bay. No longer a perennial loser with the arrival of Head Coach Tony Dungy, the offense benefited from the presence of rookie RB Warrick Dunn, who teamed well with RB Mike Alstott in the conservative offense that was directed by QB Trent Dilfer. DT Warren Sapp anchored a solid defensive line and linebackers Hardy Nickerson and Derrick Brooks were outstanding. 

There were a franchise-record 73,523 fans in attendance at Houlihan’s Stadium on a clear afternoon. The Buccaneers had the opening possession and advanced into Green Bay territory as Trent Dilfer threw to WR Karl Williams for a 35-yard gain, but the drive stalled at the 39 and they punted. The Packers gave the ball right back on their first play when TE Mark Chmura fumbled when hit hard by SS John Lynch and CB Donnie Abraham after catching a short pass and LB Hardy Nickerson (pictured below) recovered at the Green Bay 13. Two carries by Mike Alstott picked up seven yards and the Bucs got on the board when Michael Husted kicked a 24-yard field goal.

The Packers had to punt following a short series, but it was their turn to benefit from a turnover when Alstott fumbled the ball away at the Tampa Bay 36, FS Eugene Robinson recovering. A loss on a running play and false start penalty backed the visitors up, but Brett Favre, scrambling away from pressure, threw deep to Robert Brooks for a 43-yard touchdown. Ryan Longwell added the extra point and the Packers were in front by 7-3.

The teams exchanged punts as the game headed into the second quarter. Tampa Bay got a break when Dorsey Levens fumbled and Abraham recovered at his 40, and while the Bucs lost ground and again had to punt, they got the ball back on yet another turnover when Lynch intercepted an overthrown Favre pass and returned it 28 yards to the Green Bay 30. The home team still wasn’t able to move the ball on offense, and Dilfer suffered a sprained ankle when sacked on third down by Reggie White, but they managed to not come up empty when Husted kicked a 48-yard field goal to narrow the score to 7-6.

Taking over with 1:52 remaining in the first half, the Packers moved into Tampa Bay territory as Favre completed six straight passes, the longest to Antonio Freeman for 27 yards to the Bucs’ 14. But Longwell’s 31-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Nickerson and the tally remained unchanged at halftime.

The teams traded punts to start the third quarter until the Packers put together a 10-play, 73-yard series. Favre again completed six passes, including one of 18 yards to Freeman to convert a third down and two to Chmura that picked up 20 and 10 yards to reach the Tampa Bay 15. Favre’s last completion was to Levens for an eight-yard touchdown and, with Longwell’s point after, Green Bay was ahead by 14-6.

The Buccaneers advanced methodically to the Green Bay 47, but once again a third down sack, this time by Robinson, forced another punt. As the game entered the final period, the Packers put together a long possession that covered 88 yards in 16 plays and used up over ten minutes of playing time. Levens started the drive off with runs of 17 and 15 yards and Favre completed five passes. Longwell kicked a 27-yard field goal and Green Bay’s lead was up to 11 points with 6:24 to play.

With Dilfer finally forced from the game by his injured ankle, Steve Walsh was at quarterback when the Buccaneers got the ball back, and he converted a third-and-12 situation with a completion to Williams (pictured below) that picked up 38 yards to the Green Bay 36. But three plays later, an interception snuffed out the threat.

Tampa Bay got one last shot with the clock down to 2:37 following a punt by the Packers, but three passes netted nine yards and an incompletion on fourth down effectively ended the game. Green Bay came away the winner by a final score of 17-6.

The Packers generated far more offense than the Buccaneers, reflected in their lead in total yards (362 to 161) and first downs (20 to 8). While Green Bay was held to 82 yards on the ground, Tampa Bay’s normally robust running game was held to 67. The Packers had more turnovers, with three to the Bucs’ two, but theirs all came in the first half and Green Bay also recorded all of the game’s four sacks.

Brett Favre completed 25 of 33 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns, giving up one interception. Dorsey Levens rushed for 54 yards on 22 carries but also led the Packers in pass receptions with 8, good for 64 yards and a TD. Antonio Freeman gained 73 yards on 5 catches and Robert Brooks (pictured below) was right behind with 71 yards on his three receptions that included a score.

For the Buccaneers, Trent Dilfer was successful on just 6 of 17 throws for 67 yards and no TDs, although also no interceptions. Steve Walsh was four-of-nine for 50 yards and was picked off once. Karl Williams caught 5 passes for 87 yards, by far the biggest performance of any of the Tampa Bay receivers, while Mike Alstott gained just 34 yards on 10 carries and Warrick Dunn was held to 33 yards on 12 attempts.

“In my 43 years, I’m not sure I’ve been around a better effort than the one today,” said Green Bay defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur regarding his unit’s performance.

“We had some chances, some turnovers,” said Coach Dungy of his Buccaneers. “We couldn’t convert. They converted theirs. That was pretty much the difference.”

The win clinched a third straight NFC Central title for the Packers, who ended the regular season with a 13-3 record. Tampa Bay placed second at 10-6, the franchise’s best record since 1979, and qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card. A win over Detroit in the first round set up another meeting for the Buccaneers with the Packers at the Divisional level, and for a third time they lost to Green Bay. The Packers went on to win the NFC Championship, losing a close contest to Denver in the Super Bowl.

Brett Favre led the NFL in touchdown passes (35) and the NFC in passing yards (3867). He was Associated Press MVP, consensus first-team All-NFL, and a Pro Bowl selection for the third consecutive year. Dorsey Levens was also named to the Pro Bowl as he placed second in NFC rushing with 1435 yards, in addition to catching 53 passes for another 370 yards and scoring a career-high 12 touchdowns.

2004: Harris INT Return in Overtime Gives Packers Win Over Seahawks

The NFC Wild Card playoff game on January 4, 2004 featured the Green Bay Packers, winners of the NFC North with a 10-6 record, against the visiting Seattle Seahawks, also a 10-6 team that had placed second in the NFC West.

The Packers, coached by Mike Sherman for the fourth year, had struggled through much of the season and were at 6-6 after a Thanksgiving loss at Detroit, but won their remaining games to win the division. The key to the offense was 34-year-old QB Brett Favre (pictured above), as had been the case for over a decade. Seemingly indestructible, Favre had been playing with a broken thumb on his throwing hand for the previous eleven weeks. RB Ahman Green rushed for a NFC-leading 1883 yards during the season. Second-year WR Javon Walker emerged as a fine deep threat while WR Donald Driver remained the top receiver. The midseason addition of NT Grady Jackson boosted the defense and rookie MLB Nick Barnett led the club in tackles.

Seattle was coached by Mike Holmgren, who had led the Packers to two NFC Championships and a Super Bowl win in 1996-97. Now he had the Seahawks in the playoffs for the first time in four years, but while they had been undefeated at home, they were only 2-6 on the road. QB Matt Hasselbeck, who had originally been drafted by Green Bay, directed the offense with skill and RB Shaun Alexander was productive. The pass defense was suspect, ranking 27^th in the NFL during the regular season.

It was a 20-degree day with a wind chill that was far lower and there were 71,457 fans in attendance at Lambeau Field. The Packers punted following their first possession and Seattle drove 57 yards in ten plays. Matt Hasselbeck completed consecutive passes to WR Koren Robinson for 11 and 15 yards to get the series underway and with Shaun Alexander contributing runs of 8 and 17 yards along the way, the Seahawks reached the Green Bay nine. However, from there Alexander lost yardage on two carries and, after Hasselbeck’s third down pass fell incomplete, Josh Brown kicked a 30-yard field goal.

The teams traded punts for the remainder of the opening period. Early in the second quarter, the Packers took possession at midfield following a punt and moved quickly to the Seattle 21 when Brett Favre threw to FB William Henderson for a 29-yard gain. Two carries by Ahman Green (pictured below) picked up eight yards and, after an incomplete pass on third down, Ryan Longwell tied the score with a 31-yard field goal.

The Seahawks came back with an eight-play, 51-yard drive. Hasselbeck had a 28-yard completion to WR Bobby Engram to get the ball to the Green Bay 28, but after getting a first down at the 17, Hasselbeck was held to three incomplete passes and Seattle settled for a 35-yard field goal by Brown that put the visitors back in front.

Green Bay came back quickly, taking five plays to advance 80 yards. Favre immediately connected with Javon Walker for a 44-yard gain to the Seattle 36. Another pass, this time to Green, picked up another 13 yards and Favre finished the series with a throw to TE Bubba Franks for a 23-yard touchdown. Longwell kicked the extra point and the Packers had a 10-6 lead.

The Seahawks lost yardage and had to punt following their next series and the Packers got the ball back in Seattle territory with 2:18 remaining in the half. In a possession featuring a Favre pass to Donald Driver that gained 23 yards, the Packers managed to add to their lead when Longwell booted a 27-yard field goal. The score was 13-6 at halftime.

The Seahawks had the first possession in the third quarter and drove 74 yards in ten plays. Hasselbeck completed five passes along the way, starting with a throw to WR Darrell Jackson that picked up 25 yards to start things off. TE Itula Mili had two receptions that totaled 29 yards and, on fourth-and-goal at the Green Bay one, Alexander scored a touchdown. Adding Brown’s extra point, the game was tied at 13-13.

Following a punt by the Packers, Seattle again mounted a scoring drive, this time advancing 77 yards in 11 plays. Six of the plays were Hasselbeck pass completions, including one to Engram for 15 yards on third-and-four and another to Robinson that picked up 33 yards to the Green Bay 19. Once again, Alexander ran for a one-yard TD and, adding on Brown’s PAT, the visitors were up by 20-13.

Green Bay came back with a 12-play, 60-yard series that extended into the fourth quarter. Favre completed all five of his passes and Green ran for two yards on a fourth-and-one play at the Seattle three. Green followed up by gaining the last yard for a touchdown and, with Longwell adding the extra point, the game was once again tied at 20-20 with ten minutes remaining in regulation.

The Seahawks went three-and-out on their next possession and Tom Rouen’s punt was returned 21 yards by WR Antonio Chatman for good field position at the Seattle 49. Favre completed three passes and Green again converted a fourth down with a two-yard carry (although he lost the ball at the end, it was ruled that his forward progress had been stopped before the fumble, much to the consternation of Mike Holmgren), one of his six during the 12-play, 51-yard drive. He picked up a total of 21 yards, including one yard for a TD. Longwell’s extra point again made it a seven-point contest with the clock now down to less than three minutes.

The Seahawks took over at their 33 following the kickoff and Hasselbeck immediately passed to Robinson for nine yards and Jackson for another 16. Now at the Green Bay 42, on the second play after the two-minute warning Hasselbeck connected with Engram for 34 yards to the eight. Alexander ran for two yards, a five-yard penalty moved the ball to the one, and it was Alexander going the final yard for a TD. Brown’s extra point again knotted the score at 27-27.

The Packers still had 51 seconds to work with and reached the Seattle 30 after Favre threw to Walker for 27 yards. But after letting the clock run down, Longwell’s 47-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful and the game headed into overtime.

Seattle won the toss, with Hasselbeck shouting “We want the ball, we’re going to score”. The Seahawks didn’t, however, and the teams traded punts in OT. On Seattle’s second series, and facing third-and-11 at its own 45, Hasselbeck threw a pass that was intercepted by CB Al Harris (pictured below), who cut in front of WR Alex Bannister at the last moment. With clear sailing in front of him, Harris returned it 52 yards down the sideline for a touchdown and Green Bay came away with a stunning 33-27 win. It was the first time a defensive play ended a NFL overtime playoff game.

The Packers had the edge in total yards (397 to 340) while the teams were even with 22 first downs apiece. Neither club ran the ball consistently, with Green Bay compiling 78 yards on 32 carries and the Seahawks gaining 49 yards on 21 attempts. There was only one turnover in the game, and it was the game-winning play.

Brett Favre completed 26 of 38 passes for 319 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Donald Driver caught 6 passes for 66 yards while Javon Walker gained 111 yards on his 5 receptions. Ahman Green ran for 66 yards on 23 carries, including two TDs and the two big fourth down conversions, and contributed 5 catches for 44 more yards.

For the Seahawks, Matt Hasselbeck (pictured at right) was successful on 25 of 45 throws for 305 yards and no TDs with the one big interception. Shaun Alexander gained just 45 yards on 20 rushing attempts, but had the three short scoring carries. Koren Robinson led the club with 7 catches for 88 yards and Itula Mili had 6 receptions for 62 yards while Bobby Engram gained 83 yards on his four catches.

“This game came down to us making a play at the end,” said Coach Mike Sherman. “It could have gone either way.”

“I’m dying inside,” said Mike Holmgren from the losing side. “It hurts bad to lose this game today.”

The Packers went on to lose a close contest in overtime at Philadelphia in the Divisional round. They repeated as North Division champs in 2004 but lost in the Wild Card playoff game. Seattle had a lesser record at 9-7 but won the NFC West, also falling in the first round.

2000: Anderson Runs for 195 Yards as Broncos Defeat Seahawks

The Denver Broncos were at 7-4, having won three straight games – the last two in dramatic fashion – as they faced the Seattle Seahawks on November 26, 2000. Head Coach Mike Shanahan’s team was without injured starting QB Brian Griese, and backup QB Gus Frerotte was taking his place. RB Mike Anderson (pictured above), a 27-year-old rookie, was proving to be a welcome surprise, especially with former star RB Terrell Davis struggling after sustaining a major knee injury the previous year.

Seattle, coached by Mike Holmgren, had a 4-7 record after having lost five straight games at one point, although they had won their last two. While 31-year-old RB Ricky Watters was still very productive, the team had problems at quarterback, where Brock Huard couldn’t stay healthy and Jon Kitna was not showing the consistency to be a successful starter.  The defense had some good individual performers but otherwise was poor against both the run and pass.

There were 68,661 fans in attendance at Husky Stadium and they saw a scoreless first quarter. Brock Huard started behind center for the Seahawks, but went down early in the second quarter after completing three of six passes for 48 yards and was replaced by Jon Kitna.

Three minutes into the second quarter, Seattle DE Michael Sinclair recovered a Frerotte fumble and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown and, with Rian Lindell adding the extra point, the home team was ahead by 7-0. The Broncos responded with a 10-play drive that covered 59 yards. Gus Frerotte converted a third-and-one with a nine-yard run and completed passes to TE Dwayne Carswell for 20 yards and WR Rod Smith for 22 yards to the Seattle 19. The series ended with Jason Elam kicking a 35-yard field goal.

The Seahawks came back with an 81-yard scoring possession in nine plays. In a third-and-10 situation deep in his own territory, Kitna connected with Ricky Watters for 13 yards. Two plays later, Watters broke away for a 55-yard run to the Denver 13. Watters remained the prime mover as, facing third-and-seven, he caught a pass from Kitna for nine yards to set up his carry for the last yard and a TD. Lindell added the PAT and Seattle was up by 14-3.

With time running down in the first half, the Broncos came back and struck quickly, going 66 yards in five plays. Frerotte passed to Smith for 25 yards and then followed up with a throw to TE Desmond Clark for a 43-yard touchdown. Elam added the extra point and the score was 14-10 at halftime.

In the third quarter, FS Eric Brown recovered a fumble by Seattle WR Darrell Jackson and the Broncos went 77 yards in nine plays. Along the way, Frerotte threw to Clark for a 25-yard gain and Mike Anderson ran the last 15 yards for a TD. Elam put the visitors up by three points at 17-14.

It seemed as though the Seahawks would move back in front as they drove into Denver territory, but a Kitna pass into the end zone was picked off by Eric Brown. However, Seattle’s defense came through with another big play, this time when Anderson fumbled and LB Chad Brown picked it up and ran 10 yards for a touchdown. Lindell converted and the Seahawks were back in front at 21-17.

Yet another fumble by the Broncos, this time by CB Deltha O’Neal on the ensuing kickoff, gave Seattle an opportunity late in the period. LB Isaiah Kacyvenski recovered at the Denver 31 and four plays later Lindell kicked a 42-yard field goal. The Seahawks took a 24-17 lead into the fourth quarter.

A Frerotte pass was intercepted by CB Shawn Springs to give Seattle the ball at the Denver 37, but the Seahawks came up empty when, attempting to convert a fourth-and-one situation at the 28, rookie RB Shaun Alexander was stopped for no gain.

The Broncos responded with a 72-yard drive in six plays. Anderson ran for 11 yards and, on a third-and-ten play, Frerotte connected with WR Ed McCaffrey for 11 yards to midfield. Smith then took off on an end-around play for a 50-yard touchdown and, adding Elam’s extra point, the score was knotted at 24-24.

A big play on defense put Denver ahead when CB Jimmy Spencer, starting in place of the injured Ray Crockett, intercepted a pass and returned it 21 yards for a touchdown with the clock showing less than six minutes remaining to play. But the Seahawks came back with an 86-yard series that took just six plays. Kitna completed a pass to Watters in a third-and-20 situation that covered 59 yards to the Denver eight, and from there WR Sean Dawkins pulled in a touchdown pass. With Lindell’s PAT, the score was again tied at 31-31.

It didn’t stay tied for long when, two plays into the next series, Anderson headed around left end and broke away for an 80-yard touchdown, slowing down to avoid two defenders at the ten before proceeding to the end zone. There was still 3:46 remaining, but the game ended with Kitna throwing four incomplete passes after reaching the Denver 40 and the Broncos held on to win by a final score of 38-31.

Denver had the edge in total yards (538 to 354), with 301 yards of that total coming on the ground. The Broncos also led in first downs (25 to 17), although they hurt themselves with five turnovers, to three suffered by the Seahawks.

Mike Anderson rushed for 195 yards on 30 carries that included two touchdowns. Gus Frerotte (pictured at left) completed 15 of 31 passes for 244 yards and a TD, but with two intercepted. Rod Smith had four catches for 82 yards and, with the big scoring run on the reverse, gained 78 yards on three rushing attempts.

For the Seahawks, Ricky Watters was highly productive with 77 yards on 16 carries that included a TD and 9 pass receptions for 126 yards. Jon Kitna was successful on 20 of 42 throws for 226 yards and a touchdown as well as two interceptions. Sean Dawkins contributed 7 catches for 54 yards and a score.

“I come out every weekend and when they give me a chance to play, I play my hardest,” said Anderson. “I know at times I’m going to make mistakes but at the same time, I need to keep playing as hard as I can.”

The Broncos won their next two games, including a rematch with the Seahawks in Denver, and finished up the regular season with an 11-5 record. That placed them second in the AFC West and qualified for a Wild Card playoff spot, where they lost to the eventual-champion Baltimore Ravens in the first round. Seattle ended up fourth in the division at 6-10.

Mike Anderson’s 195-yard rushing total was not his season high – the next week he gained 251 yards at New Orleans. He ended up with 1487 yards on 297 carries with 15 touchdowns. Anderson had spent four years in the military and didn’t play football until he entered college. Chosen by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft, he made the most of the opportunity presented to him when injuries depleted the backfield and was a key to Denver’s playoff run.

Ricky Watters (pictured at right) rushed for 1242 yards on 278 attempts (4.5 avg.) and caught 63 passes for 613 yards while scoring a team-leading total of nine touchdowns. It was his sixth straight thousand-yard rushing total and seventh overall in a career that started with the 49ers. It was his last year as a full-time starter as Shaun Alexander supplanted him in 2001, his final season.

1994: Cowboys Overcome Packers for NFC Divisional Playoff Win

The Dallas Cowboys, winners of the Super Bowl following the 1992 NFL season, were strong again in ’93 and posted a conference-best 12-4 record in topping the NFC East. Rebuilt into a championship team by Head Coach Jimmy Johnson, the Cowboys had an offense constructed around QB Troy Aikman (pictured at right), RB Emmitt Smith, and WR Michael Irvin. The defense set a club record by allowing just 21 touchdowns and featured DT Russell Maryland, MLB Ken Norton, CB Kevin Smith, and FS Thomas Everett. Dallas faced the Green Bay Packers in a NFC Divisional Playoff game on January 16, 1994 as they sought to defend their title.

Green Bay was in the postseason for the second straight year under Head Coach Mike Holmgren, again posting a 9-7 record to finish third in the NFC Central but qualify for a Wild Card spot. In his second year as a starter, QB Brett Favre was still a work in progress who suffered with inconsistency (he was intercepted a league-leading 24 times) but was selected to the Pro Bowl. WR Sterling Sharpe caught 112 passes and TE Jackie Harris was a fine pass-catching tight end, but the running game was mediocre.  The defense was anchored by All-Pro DE Reggie White and also contained pass rushing LB Bryce Paup and SS LeRoy Butler. The Packers defeated the division-rival Lions in the Wild Card round to advance to the Divisional playoff against the Cowboys.

It was a mostly-cloudy day with 64,790 in attendance at Texas Stadium. The Packers got an apparent early break when Emmitt Smith, who was still recovering from a shoulder separation, fumbled after being hit by LB Tony Bennett and Butler recovered at the Dallas 43. But Green Bay gave the ball right back on the next play when Favre fumbled while being sacked by DE Tony Tolbert and DE Leon Lett recovered the ball for the Cowboys. The teams traded punts and, following a short series for Dallas, a fake punt on fourth-and-one failed to pick up the necessary yardage and Green Bay took over in Cowboys territory at the 28. This time the Packers got on the board but, after advancing 16 yards in seven plays, they had to settle for Chris Jacke kicking a 30-yard field goal.

The Cowboys were driving as the opening period ended, but early in the second quarter Butler intercepted an Aikman pass. However, the Packers lost yardage in three plays and punted, and Dallas put together an eight-play, 68-yard scoring series. Aikman completed four passes, the last to WR Alvin Harper for a 25-yard touchdown. Ed Murray added the point after and it was 7-3.

The Packers started off their next possession from deep in their own territory when CB Corey Harris fumbled the ball out of bounds at the four on the kickoff return. However, following a short run on first down, Favre threw to TE Darryl Ingram for seven yards and then hit Sterling Sharpe for a 48-yard gain to the Dallas 39. Green Bay advanced to the 31, from where Jacke’s 49-yard field goal try was unsuccessful when it hit the right upright.

The Cowboys came back with a 10-play, 45-yard series. Aikman had completions to Smith for 22 yards and to Irvin for 11 and 13 yards before the drive stalled at the Green Bay 23. Murray made good on a 41-yard field goal attempt that made it 10-3 with 28 seconds remaining in the half. The scoring wasn’t over, however, as Harris again lost the ball when stripped by DB Kenneth Gant on the kickoff return and safety Joe Fishback recovered the fumble for Dallas at the Green Bay 15. Aikman threw to Irvin for eight yards and then to TE Jay Novacek for six yards and a TD. The Cowboys went into halftime with an enhanced 17-3 lead.

The Packers had the first possession in the third quarter and punted, but got a break on defense when CB Terrell Buckley intercepted an Aikman pass at the Green Bay 40. Favre quickly passed them into Dallas territory and RB Darrell Thompson gained 12 yards on two carries, but the drive stalled at the 37. The Packers attempted to convert a fourth-and-eight situation, but Favre’s completion to TE Ed West gained only six yards.

The Cowboys made the most of the reprieve and went 69 yards in six plays. An 18-yard Aikman-to-Irvin completion had another 15 yards tacked on due to a face mask penalty and Aikman connected with Irvin again with a well-thrown pass to the back of the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown.

Down 24-10, the Packers came back with a scoring drive of their own. Favre completed four straight passes after facing a third-and-six situation at his own 22, the longest to Thompson for 30 yards. The nine-play, 82-yard series ended with Favre throwing to WR Robert Brooks for a 13-yard TD. With the extra point added, it was a 14-point game with just over a quarter remaining.

Following a punt by the Cowboys early in the final period that was returned 43 yards by Brooks, Favre was immediately picked off by DE Charles Haley after his pass was deflected by DE Jim Jeffcoat. Dallas moved down the field, going 47 yards in 9 plays, highlighted by a nine-yard Aikman completion to Novacek on a third-and-six play and another throw to Irvin that picked up 27 yards. The Packers stiffened and, on a third down play at the Green Bay 15, Aikman was sacked by Bryce Paup. However, Murray added a 38-yard field goal and the Cowboys had managed to run 5:33 off the clock.

With Favre throwing on every play, the Packers drove from their own 15 to the Dallas 15. But the thirteenth play of the possession ended with SS Darren Woodson intercepting a pass at the five to essentially nail down the win. Green Bay scored a touchdown in the last two minutes as Favre threw to Sharpe from 29 yards out, but it was a case of too little, too late. Dallas won by a score of 27-17.

The Cowboys had the edge in total yards (381 to 358) and first downs (23 to 19). Neither team gained much on the ground (97 yards on 27 attempts for Dallas, 31 yards on 13 carries for Green Bay) and the Packers sacked Aikman four times, to just two sacks of Favre. However, the Packers also turned the ball over on four occasions, to three by Dallas, and the Cowboys took better advantage of their breaks.

Troy Aikman completed 28 of 37 passes for 302 yards with three touchdowns against two interceptions. Michael Irvin (pictured above) led the Dallas receivers with 9 catches for 126 yards and a TD. Emmitt Smith gained 60 yards on 13 rushing attempts.

For the Packers, Brett Favre (pictured below) was successful on 28 of 45 throws, going 20 of 34 in the second half alone, for 331 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. RB Edgar Bennett, who gained just three yards on six carries, led the receivers with 9 catches for 53 yards while Sterling Sharpe gained 128 yards on his 6 receptions and scored a touchdown. Darrell Thompson was the leading rusher with 28 yards on 7 attempts.

“I thought our defense played a very fine first half,” said Mike Holmgren. “That’s why that touchdown near the end of the first half hurt so much.”

“That was probably the biggest play of the game,” said Thomas Everett of the fumble referenced by Holmgren that set up the score before halftime. “We did a good job. We needed something like that, because it was a tight game.”
 

“You’ve just got to give them all the credit in the world,” summed up Green Bay DE Matt Brock. “They play like world champs.”

The Cowboys went on to defeat the 49ers for the NFC title for the second straight year and then won the Super Bowl over the Buffalo Bills, also for the second year in succession. Jimmy Johnson left as head coach, to be succeeded by Barry Switzer, and while Dallas put together another 12-4 record in 1994, the club fell short in the NFC title game. The Packers were 9-7 for the third straight year in ’94, again qualifying for the postseason as a Wild Card and falling once again to the Cowboys at the Division level. Things would change regarding the relative status of the two teams later in the decade, particularly as Brett Favre improved, but at this point Dallas was the superior club.

2007: Seahawks Edge Cowboys Thanks to Botched FG Attempt

The Dallas Cowboys had lost four straight playoff games – their last win coming a decade earlier in 1996 - as they faced the Seattle Seahawks in a Wild Card Playoff game on January 6, 2007. In their fourth season under Head Coach Bill Parcells, the Cowboys were off to a 3-3 start when they replaced veteran QB Drew Bledsoe with unheralded backup Tony Romo. They went 6-4 the rest of the way to finish second in the NFC East at 9-7 and claim a Wild Card spot. Romo tailed off late in the season but still earned selection to the Pro Bowl. Both wide receivers Terrell Owens, in his first year with the Cowboys, and Terry Glenn gained over a thousand yards, Pro Bowl TE Jason Witten was solid, and the running back tandem of Julius Jones and Marion Barber was productive.

The Seahawks, coached by Mike Holmgren, had won the NFC title in 2005 and, while they struggled at times in ’06, they also went 9-7 to top the NFC West for the third consecutive year. Injuries were an issue as QB Matt Hasselbeck missed four games and RB Shaun Alexander, who set a record for touchdowns scored in ’05, also missed time with a foot injury. Both had subpar years. The defensive secondary was prone to giving up big plays and the pass rush tailed off as the season progressed.

There was a crowd of 68,058 at Seattle’s Qwest Field. The Seahawks had the game’s first possession and drove 55 yards in nine plays. Hasselbeck completed four passes, including one to WR Bobby Engram that gained 36 yards. Josh Brown kicked a 23-yard field goal to give the home team the early lead.

Following a Dallas punt, Hasselbeck was intercepted by CB Anthony Henry to give the Cowboys good field position at the Seattle 43. They made the most of the opportunity as Martin Gramatica booted a 50-yard field goal to tie the score five plays later.

That was the tally heading into the second quarter until the Seahawks put together a 13-play series that covered 54 yards. With Hasselbeck completing short passes and Shaun Alexander running the ball, Seattle reached the Dallas 12 from where Brown kicked his second field goal, from 30 yards.

Both teams had three-and-out possessions before the Cowboys went 76 yards in ten plays. A third-and-six pass by Tony Romo to WR Patrick Crayton for 18 yards kept the drive alive, as did a throw to Jason Witten for 32 yards to the Seattle three in a fourth-and-two situation. An offensive holding penalty moved the ball back ten yards, but Romo connected with Crayton from there for a touchdown and Dallas took a 10-6 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, and following a short Dallas possession that ended with a punt, the Seahawks briefly regained the lead with a 12-play, 62-yard drive. Five runs by Alexander gained 32 yards, including one for three yards that converted a fourth-and-one situation, and Hasselbeck completed three passes, the last to TE Jerramy Stevens for a 15-yard touchdown. With the successful extra point, it was 13-10 in favor of Seattle – but the lead didn’t last long. The ensuing kickoff was returned 93 yards for a TD by WR Miles Austin and the Cowboys were back in front at 17-13. It was the first touchdown on a kickoff return in Dallas postseason history.

That was the score early in the fourth quarter when Hasselbeck went long for WR D.J. Hackett but was picked off by SS Roy Williams after the ball was tipped by CB Terence Newman. Taking over at their own 43, the Cowboys made the most of the turnover by advancing 46 yards in eight plays. Along the way, Romo completed a pass to Terry Glenn for 16 yards and Julius Jones (pictured at right) had an 18-yard run. Gramatica kicked a 29-yard field goal and Dallas extended its lead to 20-13.

In the ensuing possession, the Seahawks drove from their 27 yard line to the Dallas two, but an incomplete pass on fourth down forced them to give the ball up. However, on the next play Glenn fumbled after catching a short pass from Romo and, initially, the play was ruled a touchdown on a recovery in the end zone by SS Michael Boulware. Upon review, the call was reversed and ruled a safety with the ball having rolled out of bounds in the end zone.

Now down by five points, the Seahawks started off following the free kick with good field position at midfield. Four plays later, Hasselbeck connected with Stevens for a 37-yard touchdown. The try for a two-point conversion failed, but Seattle was now in front by a point.

There were still over four minutes remaining on the clock, however – plenty of time for the Cowboys to respond. After Romo completed two passes, with a short run in between, Jones took off for a 35-yard gain to the Seattle 11. They got it down to the two (narrowly missing another first down) and lined up for a potentially game-winning field goal attempt by Gramatica. However, Romo, who had been the holder for placekicks far longer than he had been the starting quarterback, fumbled the snap (pictured at top) and had to pick up the loose ball and run with it. He came up short of either a score or a first down as he was tackled by CB Jordan Babineaux at the line of scrimmage.  With the stunning reprieve, the Seahawks held on for a 21-20 win.

Seattle led in total yards (332 to 284) and first downs (19 to 14). The Seahawks also turned the ball over twice, to one by Dallas. The Cowboys hurt themselves with 8 penalties, at a cost of 74 yards, while Seattle was flagged just three times.

Matt Hasselbeck completed 18 of 36 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns with two intercepted. Shaun Alexander ran for 69 yards on 24 carries. Jerramy Stevens caught 5 passes for 77 yards and two TDs while Bobby Engram (pictured below) gained 88 yards on his four receptions.

For the Cowboys, Tony Romo was successful on 17 of 29 throws for 189 yards and a touchdown without giving up an interception. Julius Jones had a fine performance running the ball as he gained 112 yards on 22 attempts. Terry Glenn paced the receivers with four pass receptions for 41 yards while Jason Witten contributed 57 yards on three catches.

Of the failed field goal attempt by the Cowboys, Mike Holmgren said, “You coach long enough, you end up seeing just about everything. One more thing for the journal.”

“It’s just one of those things,” said Bill Parcells. “It looked like a good snap. I can’t tell you what happened after that.”

The Seahawks lost another close game, this time in overtime, to the Bears at the Divisional Playoff level. They again topped the NFC West in 2007 while the Cowboys finished first in the NFC East, but both clubs fell in the Divisional round of the postseason.

Bill Parcells was not at the helm for Dallas in ’07 – he stepped down as head coach and the loss to Seattle thus marked his finale. His four-year record with the Cowboys was 34-30 with two playoff losses as well. It was the final stop in a head coaching career with four teams that yielded a 172-130-1 regular season record and 11-8 playoff tally that included three conference titles and two Super Bowl victories.

1994: Andre Reed Catches 15 Passes as Bills Hold Off Packers

The Buffalo Bills, under Head Coach Marv Levy, had won four straight AFC titles from 1990 through ’93 but after getting off to a 5-3 start in 1994 had lost two straight contests and were just 5-5 as they hosted the Green Bay Packers on November 20. Age and the resulting wear-and-tear were beginning to catch up to 34-year-old QB Jim Kelly and seventh-year RB Thurman Thomas, although the other vital cog in the offense, WR Andre Reed (pictured above), was coming back successfully from an off-year in 1993. The defense, although it still contained outstanding performers in DE Bruce Smith, LB Cornelius Bennett, and FS Henry Jones, was no longer as formidable as it had once been – and Smith was out for the game with the Packers due to a shoulder injury.

Green Bay, with Mike Holmgren at the helm for the third year, was a team moving in the opposite direction. Coming off their first postseason appearance in eleven years, the Packers had an up-and-coming quarterback in Brett Favre, an excellent wide receiver in Sterling Sharpe, and a defensive line anchored by the All-Pro DE Reggie White. Moreover, the Packers were on a roll, having won their previous three games, and came into the contest at Buffalo with a 6-4 record.

There was a crowd of 79,029 at Rich Stadium. The Bills had first possession and drove 78 yards in nine plays, the big one a 26-yard Kelly completion to WR Billy Brooks to the Green Bay 12 yard line and capped by a five-yard scoring carry by Thurman Thomas.

Following a punt by the Packers, Buffalo put together another long 15-play drive that covered 80 yards. Kelly completed eight passes along the way, including the final one to Andre Reed for 15 yards and another TD. The Bills were up by 14-0 after a quarter of play.

The Packers still couldn’t get into Buffalo territory on offense and had to punt. Once more the Bills had a long series of 14 plays for 66 yards, helped along by a defensive pass interference penalty that nullified an incompletion in a third-and-six situation. The methodical drive reached the Green Bay five, but this time the Bills were unable to penetrate the end zone as Kelly was sacked by DE Sean Jones for a 14-yard loss. They settled for a 38-yard field goal by Steve Christie to extend the lead to 17-0.

The teams traded punts as the Packers finally held the Buffalo offense to a three-and-out series, but a pass by Brett Favre was intercepted by CB Mickey Washington who returned it 36 yards to the Green Bay 13. Two plays later Kelly passed to Reed for a 10-yard touchdown and the Bills were seemingly in complete command at 24-0.

With time running out in the second quarter, the Packers responded with a scoring drive of 60 yards in five plays. All were pass completions by Favre, including a 29-yard TD throw to Sterling Sharpe. However, Chris Jacke’s extra point attempt was blocked and the score remained 24-6. It wasn’t the end of the first half scoring as the Bills, taking over with 58 seconds on the clock, went 42 yards in five plays, the most notable a Kelly completion to WR Russell Copeland for 35 yards. Christie kicked a 51-yard field goal on the last play of the half and it was 27-6 at the intermission.

The Packers narrowed the margin with their first series in the third quarter. Favre completed eight passes as Green Bay went 70 yards in 11 plays, the last one for a five-yard touchdown to RB Edgar Bennett. This time the extra point attempt was successful and the tally now stood at 27-13.

The Bills made it to midfield on their ensuing possession and punted. Helped by Favre passes and an 18-yard run by Bennett, the Packers went 77 yards in eight plays and once again it was Favre passing to Sharpe, this time for a 26-yard TD. With the extra point it was 27-20 and the visitors were back in the game entering the fourth quarter.

It seemed as though the momentum was surely in Green Bay’s favor when a Kelly pass was intercepted by CB Terrell Buckley, who returned it 26 yards to give the Packers good starting field position at the Buffalo 49. However, they were unable to advance as Favre threw three straight incomplete passes and they were forced to punt.

The Bills responded with another long, methodical drive. Kelly converted two third downs with passes to Reed and, while Thomas was unable to gain anything on the ground, Buffalo reached the Green Bay seven. But Christie’s 25-yard field goal try hit the right upright and was no good, keeping the Packers just seven points behind with over six minutes still on the clock.

Once again Buffalo’s defense held and the Packers punted from their 30. Trying to run the clock out, the Bills converted a third-and-nine play on their next series on another Kelly throw to Reed that covered 15 yards. After reaching the 50, Buffalo finally punted and pinned the Packers down at their 10 yard line with 2:25 remaining thanks to an outstanding play by special teams star Steve Tasker to drop WR Robert Brooks in his tracks before he could make any sort of return.

There was no stunning comeback for Green Bay on this day. With the crowd roaring, Favre tossed an incompletion, was sacked for a nine-yard loss back to the one and, fading back on a third-and-19 play, a holding penalty not only nullified a great catch by WR Anthony Morgan for an apparent 27-yard gain but, because it occurred in the end zone, gave Buffalo two points and forced the Packers to have to kick the ball away. That was all the Bills needed as they ran out the clock for a 29-20 win.

The Bills dominated in total yards (455 to 266), first downs (27 to 18), and time of possession (38:23 to 21:37). Each team turned the ball over once.

Andre Reed set a club record with 15 catches for 191 yards that included two touchdowns. Jim Kelly (pictured at right) completed 32 of 44 passes for 365 yards with two TDs and an interception. Thurman Thomas had a rough outing, gaining 80 yards on 31 carries (2.6 avg.) while scoring once – he also added 25 yards on four pass receptions.

For Green Bay, Brett Favre was successful on 22 of 40 throws for 214 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Sterling Sharpe had 5 catches for 86 yards that included two TDs. Robert Brooks gained 40 yards on his 5 pass receptions and Edgar Bennett also caught 5 passes, for 22 yards and a TD, while leading the club in rushing with 45 yards on 8 carries.

“They (the Bills) just got after us,” said Mike Holmgren. “They just dominated the first half. We just couldn’t do anything about what they were doing early on.”

The victory over the Packers did not signal resurgence by the Bills – they won only one more game and finished a disappointing fourth in the AFC East at 7-9, which was the club’s first losing record since 1987. Green Bay lost its next two contests but recovered to end up at 9-7 for the third straight year, good enough for second place in the NFC Central and a Wild Card berth in the playoffs. The Packers edged Detroit in the first round before losing to Dallas at the Divisional level.

Andre Reed caught a career-high 90 passes for 1303 yards (14.5 avg.) and eight touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the seventh consecutive year.

Jim Kelly, who missed two games, completed a NFL career-high 63.6 percent of his passes for 3114 yards with 22 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Brett Favre ranked second in the league in passing (90.7 rating) while achieving new highs for yards (3882) and TD passes (33) – numbers that would quickly be surpassed in the MVP seasons that followed.

1999: Defense and Special Teams Propel Seahawks Over Steelers

Coming into the 1999 NFL season the Seattle Seahawks had not finished with a winning record in nine years and they had last qualified for the postseason in 1988. After two straight 8-8 records, Head Coach Dennis Erickson was dismissed in favor of Mike Holmgren, who had won two NFC Championships and a Super Bowl in Green Bay.

Among changes for the Seahawks was the insertion of 27-year-old Jon Kitna (pictured above) as the starting quarterback. A backup in his first two seasons, Kitna was largely untested, having appeared in nine games and gotten his most extensive action in the World League of American Football. There was established talent on offense as well, however, in veteran RB Ricky Watters and WR Joey Galloway.

The Seahawks lost their opener to Detroit and just squeaked by the Bears in Week 2. On September 26 they faced a big test as they traveled to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers. Seattle was 1-5 overall at Three Rivers Stadium and the Steelers had won big just two weeks earlier, moving the ball with ease in a 43-0 blowout of Cleveland, and improved to 2-0 with a close win at Baltimore.

Under Head Coach Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh had made it to the playoffs in six consecutive seasons, including an AFC title in 1995, before dropping to 7-9 in ’98. The Steelers had an effective ground game featuring “The Bus”, RB Jerome Bettis, and the defense was tough. The biggest question remained at quarterback, where Kordell Stewart was as inconsistent as he was an impressive athlete.

It was the home-opening game for the Steelers and there were 57,881 fans in attendance at Three Rivers Stadium. It didn’t take long to deflate their enthusiasm. The Seahawks scored the first two times they touched the ball – without running a play from scrimmage.

Kordell Stewart’s second pass of the game was deflected off the hands of WR Will Blackwell and intercepted by Seattle safety Merton Hanks, who returned it 23 yards for a touchdown. Just two minutes later, RB Charlie Rogers fielded Josh Brown’s high 62-yard punt at his six yard line and ran down the sideline for a 94-yard touchdown. Seattle was ahead by 14-0 with only 3:20 run off the clock and the home crowd booing.

On their first offensive play, the Seahawks proved they could move the ball effectively when Jon Kitna connected with WR Mike Pritchard for a 51-yard gain. It set up a 45-yard Todd Peterson field goal and the score remained 17-0 at the end of the opening period.

It was all anticlimactic from there. Peterson kicked three field goals in the second quarter, from 51, 41, and 26 yards, the last following an interception by safety Jay Bellamy. The ineffective Steelers, error-prone and dominated by Seattle’s defense, didn’t make it inside the Seattle 38 until the third quarter.

Kordell Stewart was pulled at halftime and replaced by backup QB Mike Tomczak, although he fared little better. Two drives inside the Seattle 25 came up empty when Tomczak tossed interceptions, snuffing out any comeback hopes for the home team. Kris Brown finally got the Steelers on the board in the fourth quarter with a 33-yard field goal and, after Peterson kicked his club-record fifth field goal from 38 yards out, Tomczak threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to WR Troy Edwards. It did little to soften the blow of losing badly to Seattle by a score of 29-10.

While they didn’t score any offensive touchdowns, the Seahawks had the most total yards (341 to 272) and first downs (16 to 15). The Steelers turned the ball over five times, all on interceptions, to two suffered by Seattle.

Jon Kitna completed 18 of 29 passes for 265 yards, and while none were for touchdowns, none were intercepted either. Ricky Watters ground out 98 yards on 29 carries. Mike Pritchard caught 6 passes for 90 yards and WR Sean Dawkins gained 105 yards on his 5 receptions.

For the Steelers, Kordell Stewart was successful on just 7 of 14 throws for 61 yards with no TDs and three interceptions while Mike Tomczak went to the air 27 times and completed 14 for 159 yards and a TD with two picked off. Jerome Bettis was held to just 39 yards on 11 rushing attempts. Troy Edwards led the receivers with 6 catches for 72 yards and a TD and WR Courtney Hawkins contributed 5 receptions for 63 yards.

“That was huge for us,” said Jon Kitna of the big win. “We talked all week about wanting to start fast. And it didn’t matter if it was on offense or defense.”

“I thought our quarterback performance was very bad,” summed up Bill Cowher.

Seattle won again the next week and six times in the next seven games before closing out the season with six losses in the final seven contests. Still, it was good enough for a 9-7 record and first place in the AFC West. The Seahawks lost to Miami in the Wild Card playoff round.

Pittsburgh lost its next two games on the way to a dismal 6-10 record and fourth place finish in the AFC Central. Kordell Stewart’s struggles at quarterback continued and he lost his starting job for the last six games and was used as a wide receiver.

Jon Kitna had a promising but uneven season, throwing for 3346 yards and 23 touchdowns, but of his 16 interceptions, 10 came in the last six regular season contests and he was picked off twice in the playoff game.

Todd Peterson had a good year kicking the ball, setting a club record with 16 straight successful field goals on his way to booting 34 in 40 attempts. Charlie Rogers led the NFL with a 14.5-yard average on his 22 punt returns – the 94-yard return against the Steelers was his lone touchdown.

1992: Falcons Trade Brett Favre to Packers

On February 11, 1992 the Green Bay Packers traded a first round draft choice to the Atlanta Falcons to acquire QB Brett Favre. They still retained a first round pick – this was an additional choice, the 17th overall, which had been acquired from the Eagles.

“At first I was shocked, but now I feel like it is a great opportunity to come in and play, how soon I don't know,” said the 22-year-old Favre. “I wasn't playing, that was the only thing disappointing about Atlanta. I enjoyed the players and coaching staff. Now I have to start over again. Hey, that's the NFL.”

“The opportunity to acquire Brett Favre, in my opinion, easily outweighed the unknown quantity that might have been available to us in the 17th pick in the first round of this year's draft,” Packers general manager Ron Wolf explained. “This also gives us an opportunity to get started earlier on the 1992 season with a young quarterback.”

Favre led Southern Mississippi to two bowl wins, set school passing records of 8193 yards and 1234 attempts, and was MVP of the 1991 East-West Shrine Game. He had been taken by the Falcons in the second round of the ’91 draft, which was considered to be a steal at the time as scouts were already impressed with his size (6’2”, 220), strong arm, and overall skills.

During the preseason, he completed 14 of 34 passes for 160 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He was activated for three regular season games and had no completions in five attempts, with two of them intercepted. Furthermore, there were questions regarding his maturity and off-field lifestyle.

The Falcons, coming off a 10-6 record and operating out of a version of the run-and-shoot offense called the Red Gun, were committed to five-year veteran Chris Miller as the starting quarterback and Head Coach Jerry Glanville liked brash Billy Joe Tolliver as the backup, making Favre expendable in the third spot.

Green Bay, 4-12 in 1991, had a new head coach in Mike Holmgren (as well as a new general manager in Wolf), most recently the offensive coordinator with the highly-successful San Francisco 49ers. The starting quarterback that he inherited from predecessor Lindy Infante was Don Majkowski, the league’s passing yardage leader in 1989 who had struggled with a rotator cuff injury and erratic play in the two years since. The team also had veteran backup QB Mike Tomczak, who saw considerable action in ’91, and rookie ninth-round draft pick Ty Detmer, the Heisman Trophy winner out of Brigham Young.

Majkowski started the season behind center and the Packers lost their first two games. Favre was brought into the contest during that second loss, at Tampa Bay, with Green Bay down by 17-0 at the half. It was a tough trial-by-fire for the young quarterback, who caught a pass that was batted back to him for a seven-yard loss and ended up completing 8 of 14 throws for 73 yards with one intercepted in a 31-3 defeat. But when Majkowski was knocked out of action the next week against the Bengals, the result was much better as Favre stepped in and rallied the team from a 17-3 deficit to a 24-23 win, tossing two fourth quarter touchdown passes. From there he took over as the starting quarterback and quickly grew into the role. When it was all over, the Packers were 9-7, barely missing the playoffs, and Favre was selected to the Pro Bowl after completing 64.1 % of his passes for 3227 yards while tossing 18 touchdown passes against 13 interceptions. He also displayed the toughness that would become a trademark as he played despite a shoulder separation.

It was not an easy relationship between Favre and Holmgren – the head coach wanted his quarterback to be disciplined and play within the system. The gregarious Favre preferred to take a gunslinger approach and improvise. But over the next six seasons, from 1993 until ’98, after which Holmgren moved on to Seattle, the Packers accumulated a 66-30 regular season record, made the playoffs each year, and won two NFC Championships and one Super Bowl. Favre received MVP honors three years in a row (1995-97), when he was also a consensus first-team All-NFL selection, and was chosen for three more Pro Bowls (of an eventual 11). After Holmgren left, Favre remained with the Packers for ten more years - never missing a start on his way to a record 297 straight - and while there were no more championships, Green Bay qualified for the postseason after five of them.

As for the Falcons, they traded the draft choice they received for Favre to the Cowboys, who used it to draft DB Kevin Smith out of Texas A & M. Atlanta did get another first round pick - the 19th overall, from Dallas - and went with RB Tony Smith from Southern Mississippi. Kevin Smith started at cornerback and played eight years for the Cowboys, intercepting 19 passes. Tony Smith was a bust for the Falcons, playing for three years while used primarily as a kick returner.

Moreover, Atlanta went the opposite direction of the Packers, dropping to 6-10 in ’92. Chris Miller played well but suffered a season-ending knee injury halfway through the year and the team turned to Billy Joe Tolliver and 33-year-old veteran Wade Wilson the rest of the way. Beyond any problems at quarterback, the running game was poor and the defense even poorer. A year later, both Glanville and Miller were gone. While the Falcons would have some success during the period that Favre was in Green Bay, including winning a NFC title in 1998, the success was far more sporadic (four postseason appearances, none in consecutive seasons).