1979: Giants Upset Undefeated Buccaneers

The game at the New Jersey Meadowlands on October 7, 1979 looked to be a classic mismatch. The upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers were 5-0 while the host club, the New York Giants, had started off at 0-5. Moreover, Tampa Bay had the league’s top-ranked defense while the Giants ranked at the bottom in offensive production.

The Buccaneers, under the guidance of Head Coach/GM John McKay, had gone from a 0-14 expansion team three years earlier to surprising contender primarily thanks to the outstanding defense anchored by DE Lee Roy Selmon and including such stalwart performers as DE Wally Chambers and linebackers Richard Wood and David Lewis. However, they were missing ILB Dewey Selmon, Lee Roy’s brother, who was out with a badly bruised arm. The ball-control offense featured FB Ricky Bell along with second-year QB Doug Williams, who was still very much a work in progress, operating behind an outstanding line. TE Jim Giles was the best of the receivers as well as a potent blocker.

New York had a new head coach in Ray Perkins, trying to turn around a team that had known little success since last appearing in the postseason in 1963. Against the Bucs, they were unveiling a new starting quarterback in rookie Phil Simms, the first draft choice out of Morehead State, as well as a new 3-4 defense. They also had HB Billy Taylor (pictured above) starting in place of the injured Doug Kotar.

It was a cloudy afternoon at Giants Stadium with 72,841 fans in attendance. Following a punt by the Buccaneers, the Giants moved into Tampa Bay territory on their first series. A 15-yard penalty on Tampa Bay tacked onto an eight-yard  gain on a pass from Phil Simms to FB Ken Johnson advanced the ball to the 41, but after moving to the 29 Johnson fumbled on a running play and NT Bill Kollar recovered for the Bucs.

The teams traded punts and Tampa Bay, attempting to convert a fourth-and-one at the New York 39, failed when Ricky Bell was stopped for no gain. New York came alive on offense as Billy Taylor ran effectively, including back-to-back gains of 27 and 15 yards to the Tampa Bay three. Two plays into the second quarter, Taylor dove into the end zone from two yards out and, with Joe Danelo adding the extra point, the Giants took a 7-0 lead.

New York got the ball back a short time later when DB Odis McKinney intercepted a Doug Williams pass and returned it 25 yards to the Tampa Bay 11. Taylor ran the ball five straight times, the last for a one-yard TD. Danelo again converted and the home team was now ahead by 14-0.

The teams exchanged punts until the Bucs, taking possession with 3:58 remaining in the first half, put together a 72-yard drive in nine plays. A 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on DE Gary Jeter helped the visitors out of a third-and-16 hole, Williams connected with WR Isaac Hagins for 24 yards, and Bell had a 22-yard carry to the New York 17. Williams threw to WR Larry Mucker, who bobbled it but finally held on for a 14-yard touchdown, Neil O’Donoghue added the extra point, and the halftime score was 14-7.

The teams again traded punts to open the third quarter before the Giants, starting at their 39, picked up a first down out of punt formation when Dave Jennings ran for nine yards to convert a fourth-and-five situation. A personal foul on the Bucs advanced the ball to the Tampa Bay 27 and the Giants reached the 21 before Simms was sacked by DE Reggie Lewis for a loss of seven yards on third down and Danelo was wide on a 45-yard field goal attempt.

Once again the teams punted the ball back and forth, with neither offense able to move. Such was the case until early in the fourth quarter.  After a throw for an apparent first down was nullified by a penalty, a Williams pass was picked off by CB Terry Jackson, giving the Giants the ball at the Tampa Bay 31. New York still couldn’t move offensively, but Danelo kicked a field goal from 47 yards to make it a ten-point game.

After another exchange of punts, Tampa Bay began to advance with Williams throwing on almost every play. He connected with Hagins for 22 yards and Bell for 10 to the New York 40, but three straight passes fell incomplete and, on fourth down, LB Brian Kelley came up with an interception.

The Giants went three-and-out and, following the punt, Tampa Bay put together a seven-play, 79-yard drive as a hard rain began to fall. Williams completed four passes, including one to Hagins for 32 yards that set up an 11-yard scoring throw to Jim Giles. O’Donoghue converted to make it a three-point contest, but the clock was down to 1:50 and the onside kick attempt failed. The Giants came away upset winners by the score of 17-14.

The Buccaneers had the edge in total yards (273 to 220) while each club generated 15 first downs apiece. 202 of New York’s total came on the ground, with only 18 net yards through the air. Tampa Bay also turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by the Giants. There was a total of 16 punts, evenly distributed between the teams.

Billy Taylor was the offensive star for the Giants, rushing for 148 yards on 33 attempts that included two both of the team’s touchdowns. The rushing total was the most for a Giants’ back since 1967. Phil Simms completed 6 of 12 passes for 37 yards, and while the numbers were modest and there were no touchdown passes, there also were no interceptions. TE Gary Shirk and Ken Johnson had two catches apiece, for 15 and 11 yards, respectively.

For the Buccaneers, Doug Williams, who was off-target on most of his passes, was successful on just 14 of 38 throws for 182 yards and two TDs while giving up three interceptions. Jim Giles had 5 receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown and Isaac Hagins (pictured at right) gained 77 yards on his three catches. FB Johnny Davis ran for 40 yards on 7 attempts to lead the team while Ricky Bell was held to 35 yards on 12 carries.

“We have no excuses,” said Coach McKay in summing up his team’s defeat. “They beat us with some of their better players on the bench and that’s even more credit to Coach Perkins and his staff.”

The win over the Buccaneers was the beginning of a four-game win streak for the Giants, and while they tailed off later in the season, they finished at 6-10 and fourth in the NFC East. Tampa Bay lost again the following week but recovered to top the NFC Central with a 10-6 record, reaching the NFC Championship game before falling to the Rams. The Bucs also thrashed New York by a 31-3 score in the rematch in Tampa Bay.

Billy Taylor went on to lead the Giants in rushing with 700 yards on 198 carries (3.5 avg.). He also caught 28 passes for 253 more yards and scored a total of 11 touchdowns. Phil Simms continued to show promise in his first year, spurring the four-game winning streak and passing for 1743 yards and 13 TDs against 14 interceptions. 

1980: Giants Upset Cowboys with Help of Flea-Flicker to Friede

The New York Giants won their opening game of the 1980 NFL season, but by the time they hosted the Dallas Cowboy s on November 9 they had lost eight straight contests. In their second year under Head Coach Ray Perkins, injuries had decimated the team on both sides of the ball. Third-year QB Phil Simms was a work in progress and had a productive receiver to throw to in WR Earnest Gray, but with injuries badly affecting the rest of the offense, in particular the running game, the Giants had difficulty scoring – they were averaging just 10 points per contest. Likewise, the defense was a patchwork outfit, especially at linebacker. Outstanding players like Brad Van Pelt and Harry Carson were standouts in a patchwork unit.

The Cowboys, perennial contenders under Head Coach Tom Landry, came into the game at 7-2 and had won their previous two contests. Despite concerns following the retirement of star QB Roger Staubach after the ’79 season, former backup QB Danny White was playing well in his place. Wide receivers Drew Pearson and Tony Hill were outstanding, and RB Tony Dorsett was one of the NFL’s best. The defense was solid up front, helped by the return of DE Ed “Too Tall” Jones, who briefly retired in 1979 to try his hand at boxing, making up for inexperience in the backfield.

There were 68,343 fans present at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. In the first quarter, the home team got the initial break of the game when LB Brad Van Pelt intercepted a Danny White pass.  The resulting drive was helped along by a personal foul penalty called on CB Benny Barnes that added 15 yards to a 22-yard pass from Simms to Earnest Gray. Simms connected with Gray for a 25-yard touchdown and, with Joe Danelo’s extra point, a 7-0 lead.

Less than three minutes later, the Cowboys came back with a one-yard touchdown carry by Tony Dorsett that was set up by a pass interference call on CB Mark Haynes. Rafael Septien added the PAT and the score remained tied after a quarter of action.

Early in the second quarter, New York CB Mike Dennis picked off a White pass and the Giants drove 22 yards to a one-yard touchdown carry by RB Larry Heater. The next Dallas series was highlighted by a 56-yard Dorsett run that set up a one-yard scoring carry by FB Robert Newhouse. The score was knotted at 14-14.

Van Pelt intercepted another pass and the Giants used four plays to score again. Simms threw to Heater for a 29-yard gain and ended the series with a four-yard throw to George Martin, normally a defensive end but lined up as a tight end in short-yardage situations on offense (it was the only catch of his 14-year career with the Giants). Again the Cowboys gave up an interception, this time by FS Gary Woolford. The ensuing possession led to another one-yard touchdown carry by FB Leon Perry, a rookie starting his first game, and, with all of the PATs successful, the Giants were ahead by 28-14.

Dallas narrowed the margin before the first half ended with another big play as White threw a screen pass to FB Ron Springs that resulted in a 58-yard touchdown. Still, the halftime score was a surprising 28-21 in favor of the home team.

In the third quarter, the Cowboys seemed to take control as they scored another touchdown on a 29-yard run by Newhouse.  With the score tied at 28-28, the Giants missed an opportunity when an apparent Simms scoring pass to Gray was nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty on Perry. Dallas proceeded to take the lead as Dorsett ran for a TD from 13 yards out and the Cowboys were up by 35-28 heading into the final period.

In the fourth quarter, the Giants rebounded with Simms throwing to TE Tom Mullady for a 20-yard TD. The Cowboys fought back as time ran down, but in a key defensive play, Van Pelt (pictured at left) stopped Newhouse short on a fourth-and-one carry at the Dallas 47 and the Giants took over with 2:22 left on the clock.

With the rain falling heavily, Simms handed off to Perry, who then flipped the ball back to the quarterback, and he in turn fired deep down the right sideline for WR Mike Friede and a 40-yard gain. CB Steve Wilson slipped and Friede, lunging for the catch, made it to the Dallas seven on the flea-flicker. Three running plays lost two yards and, following a time out, Danelo kicked a 27-yard field goal to put the Giants ahead by three.

There was still time for the Cowboys, and White threw to TE Billy Joe Dupree for 24 yards to the New York 46. He followed up by connecting with WR Butch Johnson for 11 yards and then to Drew Pearson, who gained six yards and got out of bounds to stop the clock, which was now down to 19 seconds.  The Cowboys decided to try another pass to get closer, but White’s throw intended for Tony Hill was intercepted by Woolford when the receiver slipped and fell down. Woolford barely kept his feet in bounds as he made the catch that nailed down the stunning 38-35 win for the Giants.

New York had the edge in total yards (462 to 294) and first downs (26 to 21) despite the Cowboys rolling up 239 yards on the ground. Dallas was hurt by five turnovers, all on interceptions, to two suffered by the Giants, and, in a game with many penalties, the Cowboys were flagged 12 times as opposed to New York’s nine.

Phil Simms completed 18 of 33 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns with one intercepted. Mike Friede caught 7 of those throws for 137 yards and Earnest Gray contributed four receptions for 68 yards and a TD. Larry Heater ran for 69 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries and gained another 85 yards on three catches. Brad Van Pelt, who had an outstanding all-around defensive performance, and Gary Woolford each had two interceptions.

For the Cowboys, Tony Dorsett (pictured below) rushed for 183 yards on 24 attempts with two TDs and Robert Newhouse added 52 yards on 10 carries, also scoring twice. However, Danny White completed just 10 of his 23 throws for 155 yards and a TD, giving up five interceptions. Tony Hill and Drew Pearson each had three catches, for 36 and 22 yards, respectively, while Ron Springs, on his one long scoring catch, led the club with 58 receiving yards.

“It’s one of those plays that you put in and hope it works,” said Phil Simms of the crucial flea-flicker that set up the game-winning field goal. “I told Leon if he was in doubt, not to pitch it back.”

“We practiced it all week, but never in a torrential downpour,” added Leon Perry.

“We got ambushed,” said a shrugging Tony Dorsett, summing up the upset. “We were playing a team with a 1-8 record. Emotionally, we were not as high as we would have been against a team with a better record.”

The win by the Giants over Dallas was the first since 1974, a string of 12 straight games that included the first encounter of the year between the clubs five weeks earlier. New York put together another solid performance in a win over the Packers the next week, but lost four of their last five contests to end up at the bottom of the NFC East with a 4-12 record. The Cowboys recovered to win four straight and five of their last six, just barely missing out on winning the division title at 12-4. Settling for a Wild Card playoff spot, they advanced to the NFC Championship game before falling to the division-rival Eagles.

Phil Simms (pictured below) continued his development process until a shoulder injury cost him the last three games of the season. He passed for 2321 yards with 15 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. Mike Friede, a rookie cut earlier by Detroit, proved to be a pleasant surprise for the Giants. He caught 21 passes for 350 yards (16.7 avg.) but lasted just one more season.

Tony Dorsett ended up tying for sixth in rushing (with Buffalo’s Joe Cribbs) with 1185 yards – the fourth straight thousand-yard rushing season to start his career. He carried 278 times and had 11 touchdowns.

1989: Testaverde Leads Bucs to Upset of Bears

The Chicago Bears were off to a 4-0 start as they faced the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay on October 8, 1989. Head Coach Mike Ditka’s team had won in double-digits in each of the previous five seasons, including a NFL Championship in 1985, and was used to contending. While colorful QB Jim McMahon, who often clashed with Ditka, was dumped off to San Diego during the preseason, the powerful defense still contained many of the veteran stalwarts from the title-winning team, including DE Richard Dent, DTs Dan Hampton and Steve McMichael, and MLB Mike Singletary.

The Buccaneers, under third-year Head Coach Ray Perkins, had not been nearly as successful. They were 2-2 as they faced the Bears, but were a perennially losing club that had last been over .500 in the strike-abbreviated 1982 season. Moreover, they had been beaten by Chicago twelve straight times. QB Vinny Testaverde had gone through plenty of growing pains after being the first overall pick of the 1987 NFL draft, and while he was showing improvement, he was coming off of a poor performance the previous week in a loss to the Vikings.

There were 72,077 fans in attendance at Tampa Stadium. The Bears went three-and-out in their first series and, following a short punt, the Buccaneers took over with good field position at their 47. Vinny Testaverde completed all five of his passes in a six-play possession with the last one tipped by RB Lars Tate and caught by WR Mark Carrier for an 11-yard touchdown. Donald Igwebuike’s extra point made it 7-0 for the home team.

Chicago again had to punt and once more the Bucs drove to a score, this time covering 69 yards in seven plays. Testaverde threw to WR Bruce Hill for a 41-yard gain to the Chicago 17, ran for 12 yards on a third-and-six play, and FB William Howard dove into the middle of the line for a one-yard TD.

It seemed as though Tampa Bay would be able to pour it on after, on the third play of the ensuing Chicago series, WR Dennis McKinnon was stripped after gaining 17 yards on a pass from QB Mike Tomczak and FS Harry Hamilton recovered for the Buccaneers. Testaverde immediately went to the air and connected with Carrier for a 30-yard gain to the six and a penalty on the Bears made it first-and-goal at the one. But Chicago’s defense stopped four straight running plays and the Bucs came up empty.

The reprieve for the Bears was a short one as they turned the ball over again three plays later when Tomczak was intercepted by SS Mark Robinson to give Tampa Bay the ball at the Chicago 14. This time, as the game moved into the second quarter, the Buccaneers didn’t fail to capitalize. Testaverde threw a play action pass to TE William Harris for a touchdown and Igwebuike’s conversion made it 21-0.

The Bears were still unable to get anything going on offense and punted. But now it was their turn to make the most of a turnover as LB Jim Morrissey intercepted a Testaverde pass and Chicago had the ball at the Tampa Bay 27. Five plays later, the Bears got on the board when RB Neal Anderson (pictured at left) ran for a five-yard TD.

A short Tampa Bay series ended with a punt but the Bears once again turned the ball over when Tomczak fumbled while being sacked by LB Kevin Murphy and DE Reuben Davis recovered at the Chicago 28. While a tipped pass was nearly intercepted by LB Mike Singletary, the Bucs scored another touchdown, this time on a Testaverde throw to Hill from 22 yards out.

Down once more by three touchdowns, the Bears responded by driving 64 yards in seven plays. Anderson had a 19-yard run on a sweep to start things off and Tomczak threw to TE James Thornton for a 34-yard gain to the Tampa Bay 9. Anderson ran for a one-yard TD and, with Butler’s second successful PAT, the score was 28-14 and remained that way at the end of the half.

On Chicago’s first possession of the third quarter, the Bears went 54 yards in six plays to cut the margin further. Tomczak threw to RB Thomas Sanders for a 16-yard touchdown and, with the PAT by Butler, Tampa Bay’s lead was down to 28-21.

That was the score entering the fourth quarter, but a short punt gave the Buccaneers the ball at the Chicago 44 and, four plays later, Tate ran for a 16-yard touchdown.

Following a short series by the Bears, the Bucs drove to another TD, this time covering 80 yards in six plays. Tate (pictured at left) took off for a 48-yard gain on the first play and Testaverde converted a third-and-three situation with a completion to Hill for 12 yards. Tate finished the possession off with a four-yard run and when the snap on the extra point sailed high, holder Chris Mohr ran the ball into the end zone. Tampa Bay had a commanding 42-21 lead with under seven minutes left on the clock.

The Bears fought back as Jim Harbaugh replaced Tomczak at quarterback. Throwing on almost every down, the visitors went 74 yards in nine plays. Harbaugh completed four passes and, after being sacked to force a third-and-15 situation, he escaped pressure and ran for a 26-yard touchdown.

A short series by the Bucs gave the ball to the Bears one more time and they again drove to a score, this time on a one-yard carry by Anderson, but the ensuing onside kick with 53 seconds remaining was recovered by the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay held on for a 42-35 win.

The Buccaneers led in total yards (415 to 350) and first downs (27 to 22). They had the edge both on the ground (147 to 136) and through the air (268 to 214). Chicago turned the ball over three times, to two by Tampa Bay.

Vinny Testaverde, who left the game midway through the fourth quarter after taking a hit from Steve McMichael, completed 22 of 36 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Bruce Hill and Mark Carrier (pictured below) had nearly identical numbers as they each caught 6 passes and scored a TD while Hill accumulated 107 yards and Carrier had 105. Lars Tate also had a fine performance as he ran for 112 yards and two scores on 18 carries.

For the Bears, Mike Tomczak was successful on 16 of 29 throws for 162 yards with a TD and an interception. Jim Harbaugh, in his relief performance, completed 6 of 8 passes for 65 yards and also ran the ball three times for 34 yards and a touchdown. Neal Anderson rushed 17 times for 86 yards and three TDs and also caught 6 passes for 30 more yards. WR Ron Morris gained a team-high 54 yards on his three receptions.

“This is the kind of win we’ve been looking for, the kind of win to get us over the hump,” said a jubilant Ray Perkins on behalf of the Bucs.

“We were out-coached and out-played. It’s as simple as that,” was the response of a terse Mike Ditka regarding Chicago’s performance.

The hoped-for turnaround in Tampa Bay’s fortunes did not materialize as the Buccaneers lost their next five games in a row, finally winning in their rematch with the Bears. They ended up at the bottom of the NFC Central with a 5-11 record.

The loss did prove to be a turning point for the Bears. They lost their next two games and won only twice more the rest of the way to finish just a step up from the Bucs in the division at 6-10.

Vinny Testaverde ended up throwing for 3133 yards and 20 touchdowns, but with 22 interceptions. Lars Tate’s rushing total against Chicago was the best of his brief career as he gained 589 yards. Mark Carrier went on to receive Pro Bowl recognition with 86 catches for 1422 yards (16.5 avg.) and nine touchdowns but Bruce Hill was less consistent and caught 50 passes for 673 yards (13.5 avg.) and five TDs.

In the midst of the down year for the Bears, Neal Anderson rushed for 1275 yards on 274 carries (4.7 avg.) and had 50 catches for 434 yards. He scored a total of 15 touchdowns and was chosen to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year.

1981: Carpenter & Simms Spur Giants to Win Over Cards

The New York Giants had been mired in mediocrity and out of the postseason for 17 consecutive years as they entered the 1981 NFL season. After winning two of their first three games in ’81, they lost two straight and were 2-3 as they prepared to take on the St. Louis Cardinals on October 11. But there was cause for optimism. The defense was strong, especially at linebacker where veterans Brad Van Pelt, Harry Carson, and Brian Kelley had been joined by first-round draft pick Lawrence Taylor, who was having an immediate impact. Third-year QB Phil Simms was still a promising work in progress. But a new factor was being introduced for the game against the Cardinals in the person of FB Rob Carpenter, who had just been received in a trade with the Houston Oilers with the hopes of improving the running game.

The fifth-year veteran Carpenter had labored in the shadow of Houston’s great RB Earl Campbell and, other than his rookie season in the pre-Campbell year of 1977 when he ran the ball 144 times for 652 yards, he had not carried more than 97 times in any one campaign. His rushing total in 57 games for the Oilers was 1788 yards while averaging 4.1 yards per carry, although he had caught 43 passes in 1980. In the first four contests of the ’81 season before being traded, Carpenter carried the ball just 18 times for 74 yards.

The visiting Cardinals, coached by Jim Hanifan, also came into the game at 2-3 after having beaten the Cowboys the previous week. RB Ottis Anderson was a well-established ground gainer in his third year and while 37-year-old veteran Jim Hart was still the starting quarterback, the promising Neil Lomax from Portland State had been drafted in the second round and was waiting in the wings. But while the offense had talent, the defense was a chronic source of problems.

There were 67,128 fans at Giants Stadium and they witnessed a scoreless first quarter before a New York fumble set up a 14-yard touchdown pass from Hart to TE Doug Marsh seven seconds into the second quarter.

The Giants responded with a 56-yard drive that ended with Joe Danelo kicking a 41-yard field goal to cut the St. Louis lead to 7-3. New York put together another scoring drive despite Simms being sacked twice along the way. He threw to WR Johnny Perkins for a five-yard TD to put the Giants in front.

An interception of a Hart pass by Brian Kelley set up another score before the half. Kelley returned the pickoff 16 yards to the St. Louis 33 and Simms again threw to Perkins for a touchdown, this time from seven yards out, with 31 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Giants went into halftime with a 17-7 lead. Simms had thrown for 121 yards in the first half but was also sacked four times, at a cost of 22 yards.

The Giants scored again to start the third quarter as Danelo booted a 45-yard field goal to make it 20-7. New York then took control when Marsh fumbled after catching a pass from Hart and FS Beasley Reece recovered for the Giants at the New York 45. The Giants capitalized when Simms tossed a 22-yard touchdown pass to WR Earnest Gray and it was 27-7 heading into the final period.

The Cardinals narrowed the lead in the fourth quarter on a series highlighted by a Hart completion to WR Pat Tilley that picked up 34 yards. RB Theotis Brown capped the drive by running for a three-yard TD. But Carpenter crowned his debut with a 21-yard touchdown run that was set up in turn by a 24-yard carry by Simms. The Giants won handily by a score of 34-14.

New York outgained the Cardinals by 377 yards to 285 – most impressively, 198 of that total for the Giants came on the ground. The Giants also had the edge in first downs by 27 to 19. The St. Louis defense sacked Simms five times in all, to four sacks recorded by the Giants, but the Cardinals also turned the ball over four times to one suffered by the home team.

Rob Carpenter made an immediate impact with his new team by rushing for 103 yards on 14 carries that included a touchdown. Phil Simms (pictured below) completed 19 of 33 passes for 208 yards with three TDs and had none intercepted. Johnny Perkins led the receivers with 5 catches for 55 yards and two touchdowns.

For the Cardinals, Jim Hart, who was replaced late in the fourth quarter by the rookie Lomax, was successful on 17 of 26 throws for 195 yards with a TD and an interception. Ottis Anderson ran for 71 yards on 17 attempts and also caught a team-leading 5 passes for 47 yards. Doug Marsh gained 52 yards on his four pass receptions that also included a touchdown.

“It was the biggest game of the year for us,” summed up Phil Simms.

“It was a great victory, the greatest since I’ve been here,” echoed Head Coach Ray Perkins of the Giants.

“I was running behind a pretty good offensive line,” said Rob Carpenter. “It was the first time in two years that a line has given me the time to make a cut behind the line of scrimmage.”

With Carpenter adding a new dimension to the offense, the Giants went on to a 9-7 record to finish third in the NFC East and qualify for a Wild Card spot in the playoffs, thus making their first postseason appearance since 1963. They defeated the division-rival Eagles in the Wild Card round before succumbing to the 49ers in the Divisional playoff game. The Cardinals, with Lomax finishing out the year in place of Hart, ended up fifth in the division at 7-9.

Rob Carpenter had his best year, rushing the ball 190 times for 748 yards in his ten games with the Giants and catching 24 passes for 201 more yards (overall, adding in his statistics with Houston, he gained 822 yards on 202 carries). He went over a hundred yards rushing in four games and added 161 yards on 33 carries in the Wild Card win over Philadelphia.

Phil Simms also played well until a shoulder injury ended his season prematurely in the tenth game. He passed for 2031 yards with 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, but it was Scott Brunner behind center for the 4-1 run at the end of the regular season and the playoff contests. 

1982: Taylor’s Long INT Return Lifts Giants Over Lions

Following a promising 1981 season that had seen the New York Giants qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1963, the club was struggling in ’82. As with all of the teams, the 57-day players’ strike had been a disruption. FB Rob Carpenter, who had been a big part of the resurgence in ’81, held out and injuries plagued the club, starting with QB Phil Simms, who missed the entire year with a knee injury. Head Coach Ray Perkins’ team came into the Thanksgiving Day game at the Pontiac Silverdome on November 25 at 0-3. In addition, star second-year LB Lawrence Taylor (pictured above) was originally expected to be out due to a knee injury suffered the week before in the first post-strike game, a loss to the Redskins.

The Lions (2-1), coached by Monte Clark, had won their first two games of the season prior to the strike and lost their first post-strike contest by three points at Chicago. The Lions had an outstanding defense against the ground game and were at their best running the ball on offense, especially with RB Billy Sims. Eric Hipple had taken the starting quarterback position away from Gary Danielson in ’81.

Hipple started at quarterback for the Lions but was ineffective in the first half, completing just 3 of 12 passes for 39 yards. However, Detroit took the early lead in the first quarter following an interception of a pass by Giants QB Scott Brunner (son of Lions offensive backfield coach Joe Brunner) by LB Garry Cobb. It led to a 46-yard Ed Murray field goal. It was 6-0 at halftime after Brunner was intercepted again, this time by LB Jimmy Williams, and Murray finished off that possession with another field goal, from 44 yards.

Danielson took over at quarterback for the second half, but things got off to a rocky start early in the third quarter when his second pass was intercepted by New York LB Harry Carson. It resulted in a 34-yard field goal by Joe Danelo.

Moments later, Sims fumbled and LB Brad Van Pelt recovered for the Giants. Following the pattern established by both clubs thus far, the turnover was converted into another Danelo field goal, this time from 40 yards. The score was tied at 6-6.

The Lions drove into New York territory in the fourth quarter, but in a third-and-goal situation, Danielson tried a pass to RB Horace King in the flat to his left. Lawrence Taylor, playing despite the injured knee, had been burned on a similar play earlier in the year, but on this occasion intercepted the throw at his three yard line and ran 97 yards for a touchdown with just over ten minutes left in the game. It would prove to be the decisive play of the contest.

There was an injury delay when HB Leon Bright was hit in the throat by the elbow of Detroit WR Leonard Thompson while fielding a punt and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher. Afterward, Coach Perkins blasted the officials for not adequately protecting the kick returner by exacting penalties or ejecting players who hit defenseless return men, although Bright, who had played in the Canadian Football League where fair catches were not allowed, rarely signaled for one and had taken several such hits since coming to the NFL.

There was plenty of time remaining and Detroit still had a shot late in the game as the Lions again drove into Giants territory. But CB Terry Jackson intercepted a Danielson pass to preserve the error-filled 13-6 win for New York.

The Lions outgained the Giants (321 yards to 206) and had more first downs (19 to 10). Detroit turned the ball over four times, leading indirectly to two field goals and directly to a touchdown, while New York suffered three, two of them resulting in a total of six points.

Scott Brunner had an ordinary day as he completed 12 of 28 passes for 136 yards and was intercepted twice. Rookie RB Butch Woolfolk led the running game with 87 yards on 21 carries and also caught four passes for 28 more yards. WR Johnny Perkins had 5 pass receptions for 80 yards.

For the Lions, Billy Sims (pictured below) was, except for the one costly fumble, the key player on offense as he rushed for 114 yards on 26 carries and had 6 receptions for 38 yards. Gary Danielson was successful on 12 of 19 passes for 125 yards but was intercepted three times. WR Mark Nichols had the most pass receiving yards with 49 on his three catches.


“The game highlights were that we won,” said Ray Perkins afterward. “That’s the bright spot - plus the fact that our defense played much better than it has.”

“The situation was similar to the one Green Bay had against us earlier in the season,” Lawrence Taylor explained about the key interception for the TD. “They called a time out and when they lined up, I recognized the formation as one similar to the Packers’. I was supposed to cover the man out of the backfield (Horace King) and when he went into the flat, I cut in front of him and got the pass.”

Meanwhile, an angry Monte Clark, frustrated with the performance of the Detroit offense, responded by calling a practice the next day and canceling a scheduled day off from practice on Monday. It would ultimately not resolve the Lions’ offensive woes.

Both clubs ended up at 4-5, although the Lions just qualified for the postseason tournament that replaced the usual playoff structure for the abbreviated season while the Giants came up short (despite New York winning the head-to-head matchup with the Lions, Detroit had the better conference record, and that was preeminent). Detroit was decimated in the first postseason round by the top-seeded Washington Redskins. The Giants also suffered the distraction in the last few weeks of the season of Coach Perkins announcing that he would be leaving the club to replace the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant as the head coach at his college alma mater, Alabama.

Lawrence Taylor was not only a consensus first-team All-Pro selection and named to the Pro Bowl, but was also named NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press for the second straight year – an amazing affirmation of how quickly the 1981 first round draft pick’s impact was felt. The interception against the Lions was his only one in ’82 and one of two that he returned for a touchdown during his Hall of Fame career.

Billy Sims ranked fifth in the league with 639 yards rushing on 172 carries with four touchdowns, although his average gain of 3.7 yards-per-carry was his career low. He also gained 342 more yards on a team-leading 34 pass receptions on his way to being chosen to the Pro Bowl for the third time in three years, having quickly established himself in 1980 when he was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

1987: Cardinals Pull Off 28-Point Fourth Quarter Rally to Beat Bucs

The Cardinals team that hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 8, 1987 was already a lame duck franchise in St. Louis, and there were just 22,449 fans in attendance at Busch Stadium. Owner Bill Bidwill, frustrated in efforts to gain a new, larger stadium for the team to play in, made it clear that he was looking to relocate in 1988.

It had been dismal, particularly in a year that featured a players’ strike and the use of replacement players for three games. The Cardinals, coached by Gene Stallings, were 2-5 and had lost their previous three contests (the replacement players went 1-2). The passing game was proficient with QB Neil Lomax (pictured above), WR J.T. Smith, and rookie TE Robert Awalt. But the defense did not rush opposing passers particularly well and was prone to giving up big plays.

Tampa Bay was 4-3 (2-1 with replacement players) and seemed to be moving in the right direction under Head Coach Ray Perkins. While Vinny Testaverde, in his second year after being the first overall draft pick, was the quarterback-in-waiting, veteran Steve DeBerg was still the quarterback of the present. FB James Wilder was productive as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield. While the defense was improved, especially at linebacker, there were problems at safety.

The Cardinals had the ball first and drove to the Tampa Bay 21 yard line, but Jim Gallery’s 38-yard field goal attempt was no good. The Buccaneers punted following their initial possession, but got the ball back when Lomax was intercepted by CB Rod Jones. With good starting field position at the St. Louis 49, they scored in six plays that were highlighted by a 32-yard gain on a DeBerg pass to Wilder. DeBerg threw to WR Mark Carrier for a five-yard touchdown and the Bucs were ahead by 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Cardinals started off the second quarter with another drive into Tampa Bay territory that featured Lomax completions of 15 yards to Smith and 24 yards to Awalt. However, after driving down to the seven yard line, an errant pitchout by Lomax to RB Stump Mitchell was recovered by LB Ervin Randle for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers made the most of the break, driving 92 yards in 15 plays that ate up over six minutes. DeBerg completed passes for 25 yards to WR Gerald Carter on a third-and-ten play, 16 yards to WR Bruce Hill, and to Wilder for 17 yards that was further helped along by a facemask penalty on the Cardinals. A three-yard scoring pass to Carter finished it off and gave Tampa Bay a 14-0 lead.

With five minutes left in the first half, the Cardinals engineered a 14-play drive of their own. Lomax twice threw to J.T. Smith, for a total of 24 yards, and twice to Awalt for 21. Gallery was successful on a 31-yard field goal attempt and the score was 14-3 at halftime.

Tampa Bay started off the second half with another long scoring possession of 80 yards in 12 plays. DeBerg completed a 34-yard touchdown pass to RB Jeff Smith and the Bucs were ahead by 21-3. Following a St. Louis punt, Tampa Bay methodically drove to another TD. This time it was 12 plays and 75 yards that included four pass completions by DeBerg and a 16-yard run by Wilder down to the St. Louis three. From there, Smith ran in for the score and the Buccaneers had a seemingly-comfortable 28-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The third quarter ended with the Cardinals converting a fourth-and-one with a three-yard carry up the middle by Mitchell. Four plays later, Lomax threw to Mitchell for a 39-yard gain to the Tampa Bay four and immediately followed up with a touchdown pass to Awalt. Still, the Bucs held a formidable 28-10 lead.

On the second play of the ensuing series, Wilder fumbled and LB Niko Noga recovered and returned it 24 yards for a TD. The margin was narrowed to 28-17. The Bucs had a short possession that, with a holding penalty and three-yard loss on a carry by RB Bobby Howard, moved backward to their own 13. Frank Garcia’s 37-yard punt was returned eight yards by RB Vai Sikahema to give the Cardinals excellent field position at the Tampa Bay 39. While a holding penalty moved the ball back, the ensuing five-play series included four pass completions by Lomax, three of them to Awalt for 36 yards and one to J.T. Smith for 11 yards and a touchdown. Gallery’s extra point made it a four-point game as Tampa Bay’s once-large lead was now just 28-24, and there were still just over eight minutes left to play.

The Buccaneers, helped by a personal foul penalty on CB Mark Jackson of the Cardinals, got near midfield on their next possession but the offense again quickly stalled. Garcia’s punt carried into the end zone for a touchback, giving St. Louis the ball on its 20.

Mitchell ran the ball twice for 11 yards. After an incompletion, Lomax threw to WR Don Holmes for 23 yards and then to Awalt for 27 more to the Tampa Bay 19. Three plays later, Lomax connected with Smith for a 17-yard TD and, with another Gallery PAT, the Cardinals had an improbable three-point lead thanks to four fourth-quarter touchdowns.

There were just under two minutes remaining on the clock and the reeling Buccaneers came out throwing. Starting at his eight yard line, DeBerg completed three passes for 23 yards, missed on two, but converted a fourth-and-three with a three yard throw to Jeff Smith. Three plays later, DeBerg connected with Carter for 25 yards and then six yards to Smith to get the ball to the St. Louis 35. However, on the game’s final play, Donald Igwebuike missed a 53-yard field goal attempt and the Cardinals came away with a stunning 31-28 win. It was the greatest fourth quarter comeback in NFL history.

St. Louis outgained the Buccaneers, 415 yards to 377, while both teams generated 26 first downs apiece. Tampa Bay actually had more net passing yards (294 to 278) but was less effective at running the ball (83 yards on 33 attempts to 137 yards on 31 carries for the Cardinals). The Bucs also had more sacks (four to one, with two of them by LB Chris Washington) and fewer turnovers (one to two) and penalties (8 to 11). However, the one turnover led directly to a score during the big St. Louis comeback, and combined with the inability to maintain possession and stop the Cardinals when they had the ball, it proved fatal during the fourth quarter.

Neil Lomax completed 25 of 36 passes for 314 yards with three touchdowns (all, of course, in the fourth quarter) and one intercepted. Robert Awalt (pictured below) caught 9 passes for 124 yards and a TD and J.T. Smith was right behind with 8 receptions for 96 yards and the last two all-important touchdowns. Stump Mitchell rushed for 79 yards on 17 carries and also caught 4 passes for 58 more yards.


For Tampa Bay, Steve DeBerg was successful on 23 of 37 throws for 303 yards with three TDs and had none intercepted. James Wilder rushed for 49 yards on 11 attempts and caught 6 passes for 87 yards. Jeff Smith was right behind in the rushing department with 48 yards on 19 carries; he also caught three passes for 43 yards and a TD. Gerald Carter had 6 receptions for 82 yards and a score.

The dramatic game had a significant effect on the performance of both teams thereafter. The previously-lackluster Cardinals lost a close contest to the Rams the next week, but they won four of their last six contests (including another win over Tampa Bay) to nearly qualify for the postseason. While a final-game loss to the Cowboys ended their playoff hopes, their record was 7-8, respectable considering the poor start, for a third-place finish in the NFC East. It was something of a fitting climax to the franchise’s 28-year existence in St. Louis – the club moved to the Phoenix area for 1988.

As for the Buccaneers, a season of promise degraded into disaster. The loss to the Cardinals was the first of eight straight to close out the year. The final tally was 4-11, putting them at the bottom of the NFC Central along with Detroit.

Neil Lomax led the NFL in pass attempts (463), completions (275), and yards (3387) and ranked third in touchdown passes (24) and fifth in passing (88.5 rating). However, he also placed third by being sacked 48 times. Lomax was selected to the Pro Bowl.

J.T. Smith (pictured below) led the league in both pass receptions (91) and yards (1117) while scoring 8 touchdowns, although he was bypassed for postseason honors. Robert Awalt received Rookie of the Year honors from UPI and The Sporting News thanks to his 42 catches for 526 yards and six TDs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


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

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