1989: Cunningham’s 91-Yard Punt Highlights Win by Eagles Over Giants

The New York Giants had a 9-3 record as they hosted the Philadelphia Eagles, who were just a game behind in the NFC East at 8-4, on December 3, 1989. The Eagles, coached by the brash and defense-minded Buddy Ryan, were the defending division champions and had won the last three meetings between the clubs, including earlier in the season at Philadelphia. QB Randall Cunningham was the key to the offense, and while having a rather ordinary year by his standards, was still formidable both throwing and running with the ball. The loss of star WR Mike Quick left the team lacking a deep threat although TE Keith Jackson was an outstanding receiver. The tough defense, anchored by DE Reggie White, was adept at both rushing opposing passers and forcing turnovers. The loss of punter John Teltschik to a knee injury caused the team to sign Max Runager, whose leg was no longer as strong as when he had been with the club at the beginning of his pro career, but Cunningham, who averaged 45.2 yards as a punter in college, could boot the ball a long way in a pinch, although he lacked proper technique.

New York, under the guidance of Head Coach Bill Parcells for the seventh year, also fielded a tough defense led by LB Lawrence Taylor, who was playing with a bad ankle (and only made it through the first half against the Eagles). The conservative offense was directed by gritty QB Phil Simms while 32-year-old RB Ottis Anderson, once a star with the Cardinals, had resurrected his career.

There were 74,809 fans in attendance at Giants Stadium on a bitterly cold day in the New Jersey Meadowlands with temperatures in the teens and a wind chill factor that was below zero due to the 35 mph gusts. Anticipating a defensive struggle on a windy day, the Eagles won the toss and chose to kick. On New York’s third offensive play, Phil Simms fumbled when hit by Reggie White and CB William Frizzell recovered, returned it 12 yards, and, about to be tackled by RB Dave Meggett, lateraled to SS Andre Waters, who covered the remaining three yards for a touchdown. Roger Ruzek added the extra point and Philadelphia had the early 7-0 lead.

The Giants moved effectively on their next series. Ottis Anderson carried six straight times for 32 yards that included a long gain of 17 yards, but the drive stalled at the Philadelphia 30 and Bjorn Nittmo was short on a 47-yard field goal attempt.

The Eagles had to punt following a short possession and the defense again came up with a big play when DE Clyde Simmons intercepted a short Simms pass and returned it 60 yards for a TD. Ruzek again converted and the visitors were ahead by 14-0 thanks to the two turnovers.

Now in a two-touchdown hole, the Giants came back with a 70-yard drive in six plays. Simms threw to WR Lionel Manuel (pictured below) for a 24-yard gain in a third-and-seven situation and another completion to WR Mark Ingram resulted in a 41-yard touchdown. Nittmo added the point after and the Philadelphia lead was cut to 14-7.

With time running down in the first quarter, the Eagles advanced into New York territory. Randall Cunningham threw passes to Keith Jackson for 29 yards and WR Ron Johnson for 31 to reach the Giants’ 29. However, two penalties backed them up and, on the first play of the second quarter, Max Runager’s punt pinned the Giants back at their seven yard line.

New York had to punt in turn and Sean Landeta’s 53-yard boot went out of bounds at the Philadelphia 37. The Eagles again advanced into enemy territory, with a Cunningham throw to Jackson picking up 23 yards, but Cunningham’s next pass was picked off by LB Pepper Johnson. However, the Giants were penalized for holding on their first offensive play, negating a 23-yard pass completion, and two plays later CB Eric Allen intercepted a Simms throw and returned it to the New York 30. The Eagles kept the ball on the ground and Ruzek kicked a 35-yard field goal that made the score 17-7.

The Giants reached the Philadelphia 42 but had to turn the ball over on downs after failing to convert a fourth-and-11 play. They got the ball back shortly thereafter when Jackson fumbled after catching a short pass that Pepper Johnson recovered at the New York 29. It looked promising for the home team when, five plays later, Simms connected with Manuel for a 49-yard gain that had yardage added on due to an illegal head slap on the defense to put the ball on the Philadelphia 16. But on the next play, Dave Meggett fumbled and LB Byron Evans recovered for the Eagles. The clock was down to 1:47 remaining in the first half and the visitors ran it out to go into halftime maintaining a ten-point lead.

The Giants had the ball first in the third quarter and drove 37 yards in six plays, helped along by two penalties on the Eagles, one of which negated an interception. Simms again threw to Manuel for a big gain, picking up 39 yards to the Philadelphia 23. Facing third-and-five at the 13, Simms was sacked by FS Wes Hopkins for a loss of seven yards, but New York added three more points on a 38-yard Nittmo field goal to narrow the score to 17-10.

The Eagles moved effectively in response with FB Anthony Toney and RB Keith Byars handling the running load and Cunningham completing passes to Jackson for 33 yards and Byars for 10. After an 11-yard carry by Toney gave Philadelphia first-and-goal at the New York six, Byars ran for five yards up the middle, but three consecutive carries by Toney were stopped short of the end zone and the visitors turned the ball over on downs. The Giants could get no further than a yard on offense, but were helped out by an offsides penalty on the Eagles and Landeta boomed a 71-yard punt.

Philadelphia managed only a short series before punting, and Runager’s kick traveled only 21 yards to give the Giants possession at the Eagles’ 49. Simms immediately threw to TE Zeke Mowatt for 29 yards and, after two more passes fell incomplete, he connected with Ingram for 14 yards on a third-and-10 play to the Philadelphia six. A pass interference call moved the ball to the one and Anderson scored a touchdown from there. Nittmo kicked the extra point and the score was tied at 17-17.

The Eagles punted from deep in their own territory following the next possession and Runager’s 37-yard kick was returned 10 yards by Meggett to the Philadelphia 39. Simms threw to Meggett for seven yards to finish off the period but a tripping penalty moved the Giants back ten yards and DT Mike Pitts sacked Simms for a nine-yard loss. A third down pass was incomplete and New York was forced to punt, with Landeta’s 26-yard boot downed at the Philadelphia 25.

After an incompletion on first down, a holding penalty moved the Eagles back ten yards, a toss to Byars lost another three, and Cunningham was sacked on third down by NT Erik Howard. It looked good for the Giants as Philadelphia was forced to punt from its own end zone. But this time it was Cunningham back to punt, rather than Runager (pictured at top). His wind-aided kick went 70 yards in the air and bounced past Meggett, who finally chased it down after it had traveled 91 yards in all. Meggett returned it nine yards, but instead of having favorable field position in Philadelphia territory, the Giants were back at their 16 and facing the wind. New York was penalized for an illegal formation on first down and on the next play Simms fumbled when sacked by DT Mike Golic and Pitts recovered at the New York seven. Three plays later, Byars ran for a two-yard touchdown and, with Ruzek adding the point after, the Eagles were back in front by seven points.

There were still nearly 11 minutes left to play and the Giants drove into Philadelphia territory. Simms converted a third-and-four play with a completion to Meggett for 11 yards and a pass interference penalty on Waters gained 21 yards. But the advance was halted at the Philadelphia 30 and a fourth-and-seven pass by Simms intended for Ingram was incomplete.

The Eagles were able to run significant time off the clock as Byars ran six straight times, including a 15-yard gain on a draw play when facing third-and-eight. By the time they had to punt, there was only a little over a minute remaining in regulation. However, a bad snap over Runager’s head had the punter recovering at the Philadelphia 46, from where the Giants had possession with 1:04 left. Simms threw to Manuel for 14 yards, but his next four throws fell incomplete and the Eagles came away with a hard-fought 24-17 win.   

New York had the edge in total yards (294 to 279) and first downs (17 to 13). However, the Giants also turned the ball over five times and all of Philadelphia’s points came off of New York turnovers. The Eagles turned the ball over twice but were penalized 16 times at a cost of 111 yards, to six flags thrown on the Giants. Philadelphia recorded five sacks, to one by New York.

Randall Cunningham completed 9 of 16 passes for 140 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, ran the ball five times for 10 yards, and of course booted the 91-yard punt. Keith Jackson topped the Philadelphia receivers with 5 catches for 97 yards. Anthony Toney (pictured at left) rushed for 68 yards on 22 carries and Keith Byars contributed 66 yards and a TD on his 14 attempts plus three pass receptions for 12 yards.

For the Giants, Phil Simms was successful on just 11 of 37 throws for 265 yards and a TD with two intercepted. Lionel Manuel had a big day with four receptions for 126 yards while Mark Ingram gained 83 yards on his three catches that included a touchdown. Ottis Anderson ran for 46 yards on 16 carries and scored a TD.

“I’m disappointed in the way we played,” said Coach Parcells of the Giants. “We turned the ball over far too much. Even though we did that, we had enough chances to win, but we didn’t.”

The Eagles drew even with the Giants at 9-4 while holding the tiebreaker due to having now swept the season series. However, they lost one of their three remaining games while New York won all of theirs and thus the Giants topped the AFC East with a 12-4 record and Philadelphia settled for second place and a wild card slot at 11-5. Both teams lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the postseason, the Eagles in the Wild Card playoff and the Giants in the Divisional round.

Randall Cunningham punted 20 times over the course of his 16-year NFL career, averaging 44.7 yards. 12 of those punts, for a 51.7-yard average, came with the Eagles, with the 91-yard kick against the Giants the longest and most memorable. It remains a franchise record, by a full eight yards.

1980: Hofer Stars as 49ers Defeat Cards in Overtime

The San Francisco 49ers, fresh off an opening week victory to start the 1980 NFL season, hosted the St. Louis Cardinals on September 14 in Week 2. The 49ers were coming off consecutive 2-14 records in 1978 and ’79 and were in their second season under Head Coach Bill Walsh. QB Steve DeBerg had set league records for pass attempts and completions in Walsh’s innovative system and had a fine, if injury-prone, HB Paul Hofer (pictured above) to hand off and pass to as well as rookie FB Earl Cooper. DeBerg’s passing statistics were heavily skewed by his tendency to dump off short passes to his backs rather than throw downfield and, in the Week 1 win over the Saints, 17 of DeBerg’s 21 completions were to Hofer and Cooper.

The Cardinals had been 5-11 in 1979 and surrendered 41 points in losing to the Giants in their opener. Jim Hanifan was the new head coach but 36-year-old QB Jim Hart had been a familiar face in St. Louis since first taking over the starting job in 1967. RB Ottis Anderson was outstanding as a rookie in ’79, rushing for 1605 yards, and WR Pat Tilley a quality possession receiver. The defense was a work in progress and had most notably added rookie DE Curtis Greer, the team’s first draft choice.

There were 49,999 fans in attendance at Candlestick Park. Starting off at their 45 after a 37-yard return of the opening kickoff by DB Roy Green, the Cardinals drove to the San Francisco 17. Jim Hart completed three passes, including one to WR Mark Bell for 15 yards in a third-and-14 situation, but they came up empty when Steve Little’s 35-yard field goal attempt was wide to the right.

St. Louis got the ball back a few plays later when CB Tim Collier intercepted a bomb by Steve DeBerg at the goal line. Hart completed consecutive passes to TE Doug Marsh that totaled 42 yards, but after again advancing into San Francisco territory, the Cards were forced to punt.

Neither team could reach scoring territory until the 49ers put together a six-play, 56-yard series in the second quarter. DeBerg, who was suffering from laryngitis and using an electronic voice amplifier so his teammates could hear him, completed two passes to Earl Cooper, the longest covering 19 yards, and the drive was capped by a throw to Paul Hofer for a 19-yard touchdown. Ray Wersching added the extra point to make the score 7-0.

On the Cards’ next play from scrimmage, Marsh fumbled after catching a pass and LB Bobby Leopold recovered for the 49ers, who returned it to the St. Louis 22. But the home team was unable to capitalize, having to settle for a Wersching field goal try from 34 yards that was partially blocked and missed the mark. The teams traded punts thereafter for the remainder of the half.

St. Louis got a break on the second half kickoff when WR Terry Anderson fumbled and FS Ken Stone recovered for the Cards at the San Francisco 22. Seven plays later, Hart threw to FB Theotis Brown for a 13-yard touchdown and, adding on Little’s extra point, the score was tied at 7-7.

The 49ers punted following a short series and the Cards drove to another score, this time taking 13 plays to cover 67 yards. Hart passed to Anderson for 17 yards on a third-and-five play, one of six completions along the way, with the last to Marsh for a five-yard touchdown. Little added the PAT and the visitors were ahead by 14-7.

San Francisco was on the move as the period came to a close. DeBerg tossed a pass to Hofer for a 23-yard gain and HB Lenvil Elliott ran around end for 19 yards to the St. Louis 22. On the second play of the fourth quarter, DeBerg connected with Cooper for a nine-yard TD and Wersching’s extra point again tied the score.

Now it was the Cards suffering a turnover on a kickoff, as HB Randy Love coughed up the ball when hit by LB Dan Bunz and DB Charles Cornelius recovered at the St. Louis 26. But the opportunity was missed when DeBerg threw for the goal line four plays later and was picked off by CB Roger Wehrli, who returned it 25 yards. The visitors made the most of the reprieve, advancing 75 yards in eight plays as Hart completed passes to WR Mel Gray for 29 yards and to Pat Tilley for 18. HB Willard Harrell ran for a five-yard touchdown that, adding Little’s conversion, put the Cards back in front at 21-14.

The 49ers fought back, with Cofer catching two straight passes from DeBerg, the second for 27 yards to the San Francisco 48. However, penalties set them back and then DeBerg again tossed an interception, this time by SS Ken Greene, who ran it back 26 yards to give St. Louis excellent field position at the San Francisco 25.

Faced with the prospect of falling behind even farther, the 49ers toughened on defense. Harrell was thrown for a two-yard loss and then lost another seven yards after catching a pass and being hit by LB Willie Harper. The teams exchanged punts until San Francisco, getting the ball back with 1:51 remaining in regulation, put together an 80-yard drive in eight plays. DeBerg completed five passes, the longest to WR Dwight Clark for 16 yards in a do-or-die, fourth-and-eight situation, and Hofer ran for a 26-yard touchdown. Wersching added the all-important extra point, and the game went into overtime tied at 21-21.

The Cardinals had the first possession in the extra period but went three-and-out and punted. Starting at their 32, the 49ers gained 15 yards on a DeBerg completion to Hofer and, following a short gain by Cooper, DeBerg threw to TE Eason Ransom for nine yards to advance into St. Louis territory at the 43. Hofer took off for an 18-yard run to get into scoring range and, four plays later and at 2:25 into overtime, Wersching kicked a 33-yard field goal to win the game for the 49ers by a score of 24-21.

San Francisco had the edge in total yards (392 to 342) although the Cardinals generated more first downs (21 to 19). St. Louis was held to 86 yards on 36 running plays, while gaining 256 net passing yards, while the 49ers had 132 yards on the ground and 260 through the air. Both teams turned the ball over four times apiece.

Paul Hofer had an outstanding all-purpose day, rushing for 89 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and catching 9 passes for 135 yards and another TD, a total of 224 yards from scrimmage. Steve DeBerg completed 25 of 42 throws for 266 yards and two touchdowns, but also gave up three interceptions, and as usual only five completions were to wide receivers. Earl Cooper also had 9 pass receptions, for 51 yards and a score, while running for 13 yards in 8 attempts.

For the Cardinals, Jim Hart completed 28 of 38 passes for 265 yards and two TDs while being picked off once. Doug Marsh (pictured at right) topped the receivers with 7 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. Ottis Anderson, who was knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter, was held to 59 yards on 20 carries.

With two wins in the first two games, the 49ers equaled their total of the previous season, and they reached 3-0 before losing eight straight games. They rallied to finish at 6-10 for third place in the NFC West, and by that point Steve DeBerg had been supplanted by second-year QB Joe Montana. The stage was nearly set for Bill Walsh’s rebuilding project to yield a NFL title in 1981. The Cardinals reached 0-3 before winning their next two games, but, with the defense beset by injuries, they ended up at 5-11 and fourth in the NFC East.

“Paul Hofer to me is one of the great players in the league today,” said Coach Bill Walsh following Hofer’s outstanding effort against the Cardinals. “I don’t understand why people don’t recognize him as such.”

Hofer continued to be productive until a knee injury ended his season in the sixth week. He rushed for 293 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and had 41 catches for 467 yards (11.3 avg.) and totaled three touchdowns. Hofer returned for 1981, but would be placed on injured reserve long before the postseason run in what was the final year of his promising but injury-filled career. Earl Cooper led the 49ers in both rushing and pass receiving as a rookie, gaining 720 yards on the ground and catching 83 passes for 567 yards (6.8 avg.).

1983: Rogers Runs for 206 Yards as Saints Defeat Cardinals

The New Orleans Saints opened their 17^th NFL season on September 4, 1983, and while they had yet to finish with a winning record, there was hope for continued progress following a 4-5 result in the strike-shortened ’82 season. Heading into their third year with Bum Phillips as head coach, the Saints had assembled promising young talent that included RB George Rogers, LB Rickey Jackson, DE Bruce Clark, and others who were making the club more competitive. Rogers, in particular, had rushed for 1674 yards as a rookie in 1980 after winning the Heisman Trophy at South Carolina, but was coming off of an injury-plagued ’82 season and was looking to bounce back. Another promising player, QB Dave Wilson, had missed all of the previous year due to knee surgery and was viewed as the heir to the starting quarterback job, although 37-year-old Ken Stabler had resurrected his career with New Orleans in ’82 and was still the quarterback of the present.

Opposing the Saints in the opener were the St. Louis Cardinals, coming off of a 5-4 record that had qualified them for the playoffs in the expanded tournament format adopted due to the strike. Starting their fourth year under Head Coach Jim Hanifan, the Cards were also in the midst of a transition at quarterback, with Neil Lomax having taken over the starting duties from 39-year-old Jim Hart. RB Ottis Anderson was highly productive and there were talented targets in WR Roy Green, a converted defensive back, and Pat Tilley, a fine possession receiver.  

There were 65,225 fans in attendance at the Louisiana Superdome. Following a short series by the Saints that ended with a punt (not to mention the loss of Ken Stabler due to injury suffered when hit by DT Elois Grooms while passing), the Cards, starting off with good field position at the New Orleans 47, drove to the game’s first score. Ottis Anderson carried four times for 29 yards and Neil Lomax completed two passes, the second for an 11-yard touchdown to TE Doug Marsh. Neil O’Donoghue added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

New Orleans took possession and George Rogers carried twice for 16 yards before Dave Wilson, the replacement for Stabler, threw to TE Hoby Brenner for nine yards and then to WR Jeff Groth for a 42-yard gain to the St. Louis 35. However, the Saints came up empty when, three plays later, LB Bob Harris intercepted a Wilson pass.

The teams traded punts as the game headed into the second quarter and New Orleans then put together an 88-yard drive in seven plays. The big play along the way was a 36-yard carry by Rogers to the St. Louis 15, and three plays later RB Wayne Wilson ran nine yards up the middle for a TD. Morton Andersen’s extra point tied the score.

The Cards responded by moving the ball well on their next series. Lomax completed three passes, including one to WR Mike Shumann for 33 yards to the New Orleans 19 in a third-and-five situation. A penalty on the Saints advanced the ball inside the ten, but two Lomax passes fell incomplete and O’Donoghue’s field goal attempt from 24 yards sailed wide to the left.

Starting from their own 20, the Saints drove into St. Louis territory once again. Rogers carried three times for 24 yards and FB Hokie Gajan ran for 14 yards, but on a third-down play at the Cards’ 38, Wilson fumbled while being sacked by DE Al “Bubba” Baker and DT Mark Duda recovered. St. Louis made the Saints pay for the turnover, advancing 21 yards in seven plays that resulted in O’Donoghue booting a 47-yard field goal with 48 seconds left on the clock. The Cardinals took a 10-7 lead into halftime.

Lomax was out with a shoulder injury and the veteran Jim Hart was at quarterback when St. Louis started off the third quarter, and he completed his first four passes, most notably one of 26 yards to Pat Tilley. The drive bogged down after reaching the New Orleans 14, however, with Anderson being thrown for a loss on a draw play and Hart tossing two incompletions. The Cards came up empty when O’Donoghue missed on a 38-yard field goal try.

It didn’t take long for the Saints to turn the tables. On their second play, Rogers took a handoff, went through the middle of the line, and then cut to the right, breaking a couple of tackles along the way to a 76-yard touchdown. Andersen added the extra point and, instead of the Cardinals adding to their lead, New Orleans was in front by 14-10.

It got worse for the visitors on the second play after the kickoff when a Hart pass was deflected and intercepted by LB Dennis Winston, who fumbled after returning it 15 yards, but CB Rodney Lewis (who knocked the ball off course in the first place) recovered at the New Orleans five. Three plays later, Rogers scored again, this time from a yard out. Andersen’s PAT put the Saints up by 11 points at 21-10.

The teams exchanged punts before the Cardinals put together a long series that extended into the final period. Just before the end of the third quarter, Hart completed a third-and-19 pass to Roy Green for 20 yards to reach the New Orleans 46. Green picked up another 25 yards on a reverse, but once again the drive bogged down and a field goal attempt went awry, this time due to a bad snap that was batted away and gave the Saints possession at midfield.

The Saints capitalized on their good fortune, moving 50 yards in five plays. Wilson threw deep for WR Kenny Duckett in the end zone, who hauled it in for a 35-yard touchdown. Andersen converted and the Saints enjoyed a comfortable 28-10 lead.

The Cardinals fought back with a nine-play, 72-yard possession. Hart completed five passes, the last for 16 yards and a TD to Tilley, but that was it. There were just over five minutes remaining to play, and the visitors had the ball once more to no effect before succumbing by a final score of 28-17.

The Saints gained the most yards (383 to 340) while St. Louis had the edge in first downs (20 to 15). New Orleans was far more productive on the ground, gaining 272 rushing yards, while the Cardinals produced 225 net yards through the air. The Saints recorded four sacks, to one by St. Louis, although they were also penalized 14 times, at a cost of 101 yards, to 8 flags for 50 yards on the visitors. New Orleans also turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by the Cards, but St. Louis was damaged by failures on field goals, two by missed kicks and one on a bad snap.

George Rogers rushed for a team-record 206 yards on 24 carries that included two for scores. Hokie Gajan added six attempts for 34 yards and Wayne Wilson contributed 32 yards and a TD on his 10 carries. Dave Wilson didn’t go to the air often, completing 7 of 11 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown along with an interception. Jeff Groth, Kenny Duckett, and Hoby Brenner each had two catches apiece, for 50, 44, and 23 yards, respectively, and Duckett scored a TD on one of his. 

For the Cardinals, Neil Lomax was successful on 11 of 16 throws for 111 yards and a touchdown, while giving up no interceptions, before leaving the contest and Jim Hart went 11 of 20 for 141 yards with a TD and an interception in relief. Ottis Anderson ran for 60 yards on 18 carries. Roy Green (pictured above) caught 8 passes for 82 yards and added 25 yards on his one running play. Pat Tilley contributed 65 yards on four receptions that included one for a score.

New Orleans lost the next week but went on to post an 8-8 record and finished third in the NFC West, just missing out on a winning record and playoff spot with a loss to the Rams in the season finale. The Cardinals started out at 1-5 before surging during the second half of the year and ending up with an 8-7-1 tally and third place in the NFC East.

George Rogers injured his knee the following week and missed three games, but was productive the rest of the way as he rushed for 1144 yards on 256 carries (4.5 avg.) and scored five touchdowns. He went over a hundred yards three more times. After being dealt to Washington in 1985, Rogers matched his 206-yard rushing total, also in a contest against the Cardinals.

1979: Anderson Runs for 193 Yards but Cards Fall to Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys had won 14 straight opening games as they started another season against the St. Louis Cardinals on September 2, 1979. A perennial contender under Head Coach Tom Landry, Dallas had won a second consecutive NFC Championship in ’78 before losing a close contest to the Steelers in the Super Bowl. The Cowboys were still sound on both sides of the ball, with QB Roger Staubach the NFL’s most efficient passer, outstanding receivers in Drew Pearson and Tony Hill, and a defense that was adept at stopping the run as well as rushing opposing passers, although DE Ed “Too Tall” Jones had departed to try his hand at boxing and SS Charlie Waters went down with a knee injury in the preseason. In addition to the losses on defense, if there was a concern heading into the first week of the ’79 regular season, it was that star RB Tony Dorsett was injured and rookie Ron Springs would be filling in.

The Cardinals had gotten off to a miserable 0-8 start in 1978, but won six of their last eight contests on the way to a 6-10 record. Legendary Univ. of Oklahoma head coach Bud Wilkinson had come out of retirement at age 62 and was back for a second year in St. Louis. QB Jim Hart was coming off a year in which he passed for a career-high 3121 yards, WR Pat Tilley had emerged as a quality possession receiver, and the offensive line was anchored by stalwarts in OT Dan Dierdorf, G Bob Young, and C Tom Banks. However, there was a lack of speed at running back, a situation that had been addressed by taking Univ. of Miami RB Ottis Anderson (pictured above) with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft.

There were 50,855 fans on hand at Busch Memorial Stadium. The Cowboys struck first in the opening period when Rafael Septien kicked a 37-yard field goal. They scored again on a four-yard run by FB Robert Newhouse in the second quarter and, with Septien’s extra point, were up by 10-0. However, a 33-yard run by Ottis Anderson set up a two-yard touchdown pass from Jim Hart to TE Al Chandler. Mike Wood added the PAT and the score was 10-7 at the half.

Midway through the third quarter, Septien kicked a 24-yard field goal to extend the Dallas lead to six points. However, a fumble deep in Dallas territory by TE Doug Cosbie was recovered by St. Louis CB Roger Wehrli and set up the second touchdown for the Cardinals which came on an 18-yard pass completion from Hart to Pat Tilley. Wood’s extra point put the home team in the lead by 14-13.

The Cowboys responded with a 79-yard drive. Roger Staubach completed passes of 12 and 21 yards along the way and the series concluded with Ron Springs throwing an option pass to Tony Hill for a 30-yard TD. Dallas failed to add the extra point but was back in front by 19-14 with 12:35 remaining in the game.

The Cards were unable to move on their next series, but on the following possession Anderson broke away for a 76-yard touchdown run, and it seemed as though an upset might be in the making. Wood added the PAT and St. Louis was up by two points with time running down.

DB Wade Manning returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards to give Dallas good starting field position at the St. Louis 48. Newhouse gained 14 yards on two carries and Staubach completed a pass to Hill for seven yards. With 1:16 remaining on the clock, Septien booted a 27-yard field goal and the Cowboys came away with a narrow 22-21 win.

Dallas led in total yards (455 to 342) and first downs (24 to 17). Both teams were productive on the ground, with St. Louis piling up 237 rushing yards to 161 for Dallas, but the Cowboys were far more effective through the air, compiling 294 net passing yards to 105 for the Cards. St. Louis also turned the ball over twice, to one turnover suffered by the Cowboys.

Roger Staubach (pictured above) completed 20 of 34 passes for 269 yards and, while he threw for no touchdowns, he also gave up no interceptions. Robert Newhouse gained 108 yards on 18 carries and scored a TD. Ron Springs rushed for just 30 yards on 15 attempts but also threw the 30-yard scoring pass. Tony Hill caught five passes for 113 yards and a score and Drew Pearson was right behind with five receptions for 99 yards.

For the Cardinals, Ottis Anderson was the star on offense with 193 yards on 21 carries that included the one long touchdown run. FB Wayne Morris contributed 41 yards on 10 attempts and had four catches for 28 yards. Jim Hart was successful on 12 of his 29 throws for 112 yards and two TDs, but also gave up two interceptions. Al Chandler had four receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown and Mel Gray and Pat Tilley each pulled in two passes apiece, for 32 and 31 yards, respectively. One of Tilley’s was good for a score.

The narrow escape in St. Louis did not immediately portend trouble for the Cowboys, who got off to a 7-1 start on the way to winning the NFC East for the fourth straight year with an 11-5 record. They were upset by the Rams in the Divisional playoff round. The Cardinals won their next contest but lost the next three on the way to a 5-11 finish and the bottom of the division. Bud Wilkinson failed to last the year and Jim Hart found himself being challenged by former first draft choice Steve Pisarkiewicz.

Ottis Anderson proved to be a bright spot amid the gloom in St. Louis. His outstanding opening week performance was the first of nine 100-yard rushing games on the way to 1605 yards on 331 carries (4.8 avg.). He scored a total of 10 touchdowns (8 rushing, 2 receiving) and received consensus first-team All-NFL as well as Pro Bowl honors. Anderson also was named NFC Player of the Year by The Sporting News and was the Associated Press selection for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

MVP Profile: Ottis Anderson, 1979

Running Back, St. Louis Cardinals

Age: 22

1^st season in pro football

College: Miami (FL)

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 210

Prelude:

A record-setting runner in college, Anderson was taken by the Cardinals in the first round of the 1979 NFL draft (eighth overall). With breakaway speed to go with his size, he moved immediately into the starting lineup as a rookie with spectacular results.

1979 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 331 [4]

Most attempts, game - 31 (for 109 yds.) at NY Giants 9/9

Yards – 1605 [3]

Most yards, game – 193 yards (on 21 carries) vs. Dallas 9/2

Average gain – 4.8 [9]

TDs – 8 [14, tied with four others]

100-yard rushing games – 9

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 41       

Most receptions, game – 5 (for 11 yds.) vs. Pittsburgh 9/16, (for 39 yds.) at Dallas 10/21

Yards – 308

Most yards, game - 58 (on 4 catches) at Houston 10/7

Average gain – 7.5

TDs – 2

Passing

Pass attempts – 1

Pass completions – 0

Interceptions – 0

All-Purpose yards – 1913 [4]

Scoring

TDs – 10 [15, tied with five others]

Points – 60

Awards & Honors:

NFC Player of the Year: Sporting News

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: AP

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA

2^nd team All-NFL: NEA

1^st team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Cardinals went 5-11 to finish fifth in the NFC East while leading the NFC in rushing yards (2582).

Aftermath:

While the rookie rushing total remained his career high, Anderson continued to be a consistently outstanding runner and had over a thousand yards in five of his first six seasons (only missing in strike-shortened 1982). Injuries limited him to 479 yards in 1985 and he was traded to the New York Giants during the ’86 season. He saw little action as a reserve in 1987 and ’88 but moved back into the starting lineup at age 32 in 1989 and rushed for 1023 yards and 14 TDs. He had another solid year in ’90, gaining 784 yards, scoring 11 touchdowns, and gaining MVP honors in the Super Bowl. Anderson was a reserve again in 1991 and ’92, his last two seasons. Overall, he had six 1000-yard rushing totals and gained 10,273 yards, the eighth-ranked career total in NFL history at the time of his retirement. His 86 touchdowns (81 rushing, 5 receiving) ranked 18^th. He also caught 376 passes for 3062 yards and was twice selected to the Pro Bowl.

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself). Also includes Associated Press NFL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

[Updated 2/8/14]

1991: Giants Edge Bills in Super Bowl XXV

It was a showdown between two 13-3 teams in the 25th edition of the Super Bowl on January 27, 1991. The New York Giants, under Head Coach Bill Parcells, had won their first ten games in 1990 and, after thrashing the Bears in the Divisional playoff round, dethroned the two-time champion San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. In losing three of their last four regular season contests, the Giants had also lost QB Phil Simms to a foot sprain and RB Rodney Hampton to an injured leg, but backup QB Jeff Hostetler and 33-year-old RB Ottis Anderson (pictured above) both rose to the occasion. The conservative offense made few mistakes along the way, turning the ball over just 14 times in 16 games. The stifling defense was led by LB Lawrence Taylor and ranked first in the conference.


The Buffalo Bills, coached by Marv Levy, won the AFC East in 1988 and ‘89 but had not made it to the Super Bowl. Their offense was the league’s highest-scoring, led by QB Jim Kelly (who also had an able backup in Frank Reich) and featuring all-purpose RB Thurman Thomas (pictured at right) and WR Andre Reed. The outstanding defense was anchored by DE Bruce Smith and was especially strong at linebacker, with Cornelius Bennett, Shane Conlan, and Darryl Talley. They ran up a total of 95 points in defeating Miami in the Divisional playoff round (44-34) and the Raiders for the AFC title (51-3) to advance to the team’s first Super Bowl (the Bills won two championships in the AFL).

There was a crowd of 73,813 at Tampa Stadium for the contest between the two clubs from New York state. The Bills punted following the first series of the game and New York took over at its 31 yard line after RB Dave Meggett returned it 20 yards. The Giants put together a methodical 10-play, 58-yard drive. Hostetler completed passes of 13 yards to TE Howard Cross and 16 yards to WR Mark Ingram along the way and Matt Bahr finished the possession off with a 28-yard field goal.

Buffalo came right back when, on the second play of their next series, Kelly threw a long pass that was deflected but caught by 13-year veteran WR James Lofton for a 61-yard gain to the New York eight. The Giants defense held and Scott Norwood booted a 23-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3.

After a punt by the Giants, the Bills put together a long scoring drive of 12 plays that extended into the second quarter and covered 80 yards. Kelly completed four passes to Reed that covered a total of 44 yards and RB Don Smith scored on a one-yard touchdown carry. Norwood’s PAT made it 10-3.

The teams traded punts and Buffalo’s Rick Tuten pinned the Giants back on their seven yard line with his. Following a gain of seven yards on a pass to Anderson, New York was penalized half the distance due to a holding penalty, putting them back at the seven, and Hostetler tripped when fading back to pass and was sacked in his end zone by Bruce Smith for a safety. The Bills were up by 12-3 and dominating the contest.

With 3:49 to go in the first half, the Giants got the ball back on their 13 following a Buffalo punt. The offense gained ground in chunks as, following a Hostetler pass to TE Mark Bavaro, Anderson ran up the middle for an 18-yard gain, Hostetler went to the air again to Ingram for 22 more, and Meggett ran around end for 17 yards to the Buffalo 24. On a third-and-seven play, Hostetler threw to Cross who clawed his way to the first down. After two incomplete passes, Hostetler found WR Stephen Baker in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown. The teams went into halftime with the Bills holding a narrow 12-10 lead.

The Giants started off the second half as they had ended the first, putting together a long scoring drive of 75 yards in 14 plays that ate up over nine minutes. Along the way, they converted on third-and-eight with Hostetler throwing to Meggett for 11 yards, Anderson had a 24-yard run, Hostetler connected with Ingram, who broke four tackles after making the catch, for 14 yards in a third-and-13 situation, and on third-and-four at the Buffalo 12, Hostetler completed a pass to Cross for nine yards. Anderson capped the long series with a one-yard scoring run and New York took the lead at 17-12.

The Bills found themselves in a fourth-and-25 situation on their next possession and had to punt from their own 38. Tuten’s kick traveled only 20 yards, giving the Giants good field position at their 42. Driving to the Buffalo 35, they went for it on fourth-and-two. The result was Anderson being thrown for a two-yard loss, and the momentum shifted back to the Bills as the game moved into the fourth quarter.

It took just four plays for Buffalo to capitalize as Thomas took the handoff on a draw play, broke two tackles, and bounded down the sideline for a 31-yard touchdown. With Norwood’s extra point, the Bills were back in front by two points at 19-17.

The Giants responded by putting together another long drive. They converted two third downs as Hostetler completed four passes and Anderson, Meggett, and FB Maurice Carthon all carried the ball. After going 74 yards in 13 plays to the Buffalo three yard line, Bahr kicked a 21-yard field goal and New York was in the lead by a point.

The teams traded punts, and Buffalo regained possession on its own 10 with 2:16 remaining on the clock. Kelly scrambled twice for nine yards and, on third-and-one, Thomas took off for 22 yards on a draw play out of shotgun formation. A pass to Reed and a nine-yard Kelly run got the ball into New York territory. Kelly threw to TE Keith McKellar, who made a shoestring catch at the 40, and Thomas ran for 11 yards to the New York 29. Kelly spiked the ball to stop the clock, which was now down to eight seconds, and Norwood came in to attempt a 47-yard field goal. There was no last-second success for the Bills, though – Norwood’s kick sailed wide to the right and the Giants were champions by a score of 20-19.


New York had a huge edge in time of possession (40:33 to 19:27), keeping the high-powered Bills and their no-huddle offense off the field. Statistically it was closer, however, as the Giants had the edge in total yards (386 to 371) and first downs (24 to 18). Neither team turned the ball over, but Buffalo suffered from dropped passes and missed tackles.

“We didn't want them to have the ball,” Bill Parcells said. “I have a lot of confidence in our defense, but I'm not so naive to think they couldn't put points on the board against us. I knew for us to have a chance to win we had to keep their offense off the field.”

Cornelius Bennett summed up the feeling of his Buffalo teammates when he said, “Scotty (Norwood) didn’t lose the football game. We lost it as a team.”


Jeff Hostetler (pictured at left) completed 20 of 32 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. Ottis Anderson was the game’s MVP as he rushed for 102 yards on 21 carries that included a TD; Dave Meggett added 48 yards on 9 attempts. Mark Ingram caught 5 passes for 74 yards and Mark Bavaro also had 5 receptions, gaining 50 yards.

For the Bills, Thurman Thomas was outstanding as he ran the ball 15 times for 135 yards and added another 55 yards on 5 pass receptions. Jim Kelly was successful on 18 of 30 throws for 212 yards. Andre Reed had 8 catches for 62 yards and James Lofton gained 61 on his one reception.

In the offseason, Bill Parcells quit as coach of the Giants and, under his successor Ray Handley, the club fell out of contention during the next two years. Buffalo continued to top the AFC, winning the next three AFC Championships. However, the one-point loss to New York was the closest they came to winning a Super Bowl during that period as they lost badly to the Redskins following the 1991 season and Dallas after ’92 and ’93.

1990: Quick-Striking Rams Beat Giants in OT of Divisional Playoff Game

The NFC Divisional playoff game on January 7, 1990 at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands featured the host Giants, champions of the NFC East with a 12-4 record, against the visiting Los Angeles Rams, second place finishers in the NFC West at 11-5. It was truly a contrast in styles.

New York, coached by Bill Parcells, was a conservative club and most of its games in 1989 were close. The Giants had a sturdy defense that featured linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Carl Banks, DE Leonard Marshall, and CB Mark Collins. Injury-plagued QB Phil Simms guided the offense that benefited from the play of RB Ottis Anderson (1023 yards), who was 32 and hadn’t been anywhere near 1000 yards in a season in five years. But the loss of star TE Mark Bavaro to a midseason injury had been detrimental. Moreover, New York, after winning the Super Bowl following the ’86 season, had missed the playoffs in 1987 and ’88 and had trouble against playoff teams during the regular season, despite their impressive record.

The Rams were coached by John Robinson and were as exciting and pass-oriented offensively as the Giants weren’t. QB Jim Everett set a new team record with 4310 passing yards and had outstanding receivers to throw to in Henry Ellard (70 catches, 1382 yards) and Willie “Flipper” Anderson (44 catches, 1146 yards, a 26.0 average per reception). Los Angeles could run the ball, too, as RB Greg Bell gained 1137 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. However, while the defense boasted some stellar performers such as pass rushing LB Kevin Greene and CB Jerry Gray, it tended to give up far too many points. LA, after finishing behind the 49ers in the division, easily defeated the Eagles in wintry weather at Philadelphia in the Wild Card playoff game.

There were 76,325 fans at Giants Stadium, and the home team largely dominated the first half. On the first LA possession, Lawrence Taylor, sacking Everett for the first of two times, forced a fumble at the New York 11 that LB Gary Reasons recovered. Placekicker Raul Allegre, who had just been activated after six games following an injury, kicked two field goals in the first quarter, of 35 and 41 yards. The Rams had trouble moving the ball on offense and defensively had difficulty containing Ottis Anderson (pictured below). However, the Giants couldn’t get into the end zone, allowing Los Angeles to stay in the game.


Late in the second quarter, the second turnover of the game occurred when LA’s Jerry Gray tipped a Simms pass that was intercepted by safety Michael Stewart, who grabbed the ball near midfield and returned it 29 yards. On the next play, Everett threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Willie Anderson that made the score 7-6 with 17 seconds left in the half.

On the first drive of the second half, Everett was intercepted in the end zone by Collins. The ensuing New York drive ended in a punt, but Sean Landeta’s 49-yard kick was fielded by CB Darryl Henley for the Rams, who lost 11 yards trying to return it. LA had to punt it back, and the Giants proceeded to drive 82 yards in 14 plays capped by Ottis Anderson’s two-yard run for a TD with just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Anderson had six rushes for 28 yards on the drive while Simms completed passes of 11 yards to rookie RB Dave Meggett to the Rams’ 40 and to TE Zeke Mowatt for 23 yards to the nine yard line. New York was back in front by 13-7.

The Rams responded with a 69-yard drive that led to a 31-yard Lansford field goal less than three minutes into the fourth quarter. Everett threw to Ellard for gains of 23 and 16 yards along the way, and Bell ran for 16 yards on a draw play. The Giants’ lead was narrowed to 13-10.

The Rams drove to the tying field goal on a 75-yard possession in which Everett was successful on six of seven passes for 44 yards. The quarterback also had a 13-yard run to the New York 12. Lansford kicked a 22-yard field goal to tie the game with 3:01 left on the clock and send it into overtime.

LA won the toss to gain first possession in the sudden death period. The Rams advanced from their 23 to the 48 on a 12-yard pass to TE Pete Holohan and 13-yard completion to Ellard. Giants CB Sheldon White then drew an interference call on Willie Anderson that resulted in a 27-yard advance into New York territory. On the next play, following a five-yard penalty for a false start, Anderson beat Collins for a 30-yard touchdown in the right corner of the end zone (pictured at top) and kept right on running into the tunnel leading to the locker rooms as the home crowd sat stunned. The contest went just 1:06 into overtime and was won by the Rams, 19-13.

While the Giants had dominated the first half, overall Los Angeles ended up with more total yards (448 to 344) and first downs (26 to 20). The Rams gave up two turnovers, but after the two early sacks by Lawrence Taylor, Everett wasn’t thrown for a loss again.


Jim Everett threw 44 passes and completed 25 of them for 315 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Henry Ellard (pictured at left) caught 8 passes for 125 yards while “Flipper” Anderson scored on both of his two receptions that covered 50 yards. Greg Bell ran for 87 yards on 19 attempts.

For the Giants, Ottis Anderson was the star with 120 rushing yards on 24 carries, including a TD. Phil Simms completed 14 of 29 passes for 180 yards and had one picked off. Dave Meggett caught four passes out of the backfield for 52 yards and Zeke Mowatt also gained 52 yards, on three receptions.

“We were being outplayed most of the half and we went in with a lead,” Jim Everett (pictured below) said regarding the impact of the late first half touchdown. “That kind of told us we might have some breaks.”

The Giants were unhappy with the interference call on Sheldon White, claiming the ball was not catchable. Field judge Bernie Kukar explained his call by saying, “The defensive man did not play the ball, he played the man. He wrapped the receiver while the ball was still catchable.”

“This game is more than one play,” concluded Bill Parcells. “I'm proud of my guys, they played their hearts out."

It was the third straight win on the east coast for the Rams, who won at New England in the season finale to clinch the wild card slot and then won at Philadelphia in the first round before coming to Giants Stadium.

But while the Rams were glad to get another shot at the division-rival 49ers in the NFC Championship game, a club they had split with in the season series, it was San Francisco handily winning the conference title by a 30-3 score.