1995: Seahawks Lose Big Lead but Defeat Giants

The Seattle Seahawks were struggling at 2-6 and coming off a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Cardinals the previous week as they hosted the New York Giants on November 5, 1995. First-year Head Coach Dennis Erickson’s team had talent, with RB Chris Warren and exciting rookie WR Joey Galloway noteworthy on offense and DT Cortez Kennedy anchoring the defense. However, QB Rick Mirer (pictured at right) was on shaky ground, having been benched in favor of John Friesz, who suffered a shoulder separation against the Cards, and problems with pass protection made it all the more problematic.

The Giants were also experiencing difficulties in their third season under Head Coach Dan Reeves. QB Dave Brown had yet to produce the results anticipated when he was handed the starting job the previous year. RB Rodney Hampton was the key to the run-oriented offense and rookie Tyrone Wheatley, drafted in the first round, had been added to the mix.

There were 42,100 fans in attendance at the Kingdome. The first series of the game ended in a punt by the Giants, and the Seahawks drove 62 yards in five plays. Rick Mirer finished it off with a pass to WR Brian Blades for a 33-yard touchdown and Todd Peterson added the extra point.

New York responded with a 10-play, 61-yard possession. Dave Brown completed three passes, the biggest to WR Mike Sherrard for 25 yards in a third-and-10 situation. That gave the Giants a first down at the Seattle nine, but they were unable to reach the end zone and Brad Daluiso kicked a 23-yard field goal that made the score 7-3.

The Seahawks responded with a 59-yard drive that took five plays. Mirer again connected with Blades, this time for a 44-yard TD, and with Peterson’s kick, Seattle’s lead was enlarged to 14-3. It got larger when the Giants punted following their next possession and Joey Galloway (pictured below) returned it 89 yards for another touchdown. Peterson again successfully converted.

Down by 21-3, the Giants were moving as the first quarter ended and advanced 62 yards in nine plays. Brown completed another four passes, the last to RB Herschel Walker for an eight-yard TD. The Seahawks went three-and-out on their next series, punted, and New York drove from its 20 to the Seattle 35. Facing fourth-and-four, the Giants lined up in shotgun formation but Brown punted instead. The Seahawks had another short series ending with a punt, and taking possession with 3:21 remaining in the first half, New York advanced 48 yards in four plays to score again. Brown had two short completions and finished the series off with a pass to Sherrard for a 28-yard touchdown. The try for a two-point conversion failed, but the visitors were now behind by only five points at 21-16.

Mirer attempted to pass the Seahawks down the field in response, but CB Philippi Sparks came up with an interception that gave the Giants the ball at the Seattle 46 with 53 seconds still on the clock. Brown threw to WR Chris Calloway for 15 yards and Sherrard for 30 to the Seattle one. From there, Rodney Hampton went up the middle for a TD. New York again went for two points and failed, but the second quarter comeback had put the Giants in front by 22-21 at halftime.

Seattle started off the third quarter with a 10-play, 70-yard series. RB Lamar Smith, replacing the injured Chris Warren, carried most of the load, gaining 35 yards on six carries and Mirer threw a pass to Blades that picked up 28 yards. The drive stalled at the New York five, but Peterson kicked a 23-yard field goal to put the Seahawks back in front by 24-22.

The Giants punted following their next possession and Seattle again put together a long series. Again the Seahawks primarily kept the ball on the ground and were helped along by two defensive penalties. Mirer completed a pass to Galloway for 10 yards in a third-and-nine situation and FB Steve Smith gained four yards up the middle to convert a fourth down, but Lamar Smith fumbled and CB Thomas Randolph recovered for the Giants at their 15 yard line.

New York punted and, as the game headed into the fourth quarter, the Seahawks advanced 27 yards in seven plays. Mirer threw to TE Carlester Crumpler for 13 yards and Lamar Smith had a 16-yard carry along the way. Peterson booted a field goal from 41 yards and the Seattle lead was extended to 27-22.

Walker returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards to the Seattle 48 to give the Giants good starting field position. Tyrone Wheatley ran for 11 yards on two carries and, following two incomplete passes, Brown connected with Calloway for 21 yards to the 16. Wheatley and Hampton chipped away from there, with Hampton gaining the last yard for a touchdown. A third try for a two-point conversion failed when CB Corey Harris broke up a pass intended for WR Arthur Marshall, but the visitors were back in front by a score of 28-27.

The teams exchanged punts before the Seahawks put together a long drive of 77 yards in 13 plays. Mirer completed five passes and Peterson finished the series off with a 32-yard field goal that put Seattle in front for the third time by two points.

There was 1:23 remaining in the game as the Giants took possession at their 13 yard line. Brown had three pass completions, to Marshall for 14 yards, Sherrard for 16, and Marshall again for 27 yards to reach the Seattle 30. But New York could get no farther and Daluiso’s last-play field goal attempt from 48 yards was wide to the right. The Seahawks held on to win by a final score of 30-28.  

The Giants gained more total yards (403 to 386) and had the edge in first downs (26 to 24) and time of possession (33:14 to 26:46). Seattle suffered the only two turnovers but the Giants were penalized eight times at a cost of 81 yards, to five flags thrown on the Seahawks.

Rick Mirer completed 17 of 31 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns while giving up one interception. Brian Blades had 6 catches for 153 yards and both receiving TDs. Lamar Smith rushed for 85 yards on 19 carries. Joey Galloway contributed four pass receptions for 35 yards and, with the long punt return for a score, averaged 26.3 yards on four runbacks of punts. Todd Peterson was successful on all three of his field goal attempts, which proved to be vital.

For the Giants, Dave Brown was successful on 20 of 41 throws for 299 yards and two TDs and had none intercepted. Mike Sherrard (pictured at right) caught 6 of those passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Rodney Hampton led the rushers with 54 yards on 18 attempts that included two short TDs.

The win over the Giants marked a turnaround for the Seahawks as they won five of their next six games to finish at an even 8-8, which placed third in the AFC West. New York, on the other hand, lost its next two contests on the way to a 5-11 record that meant fourth-place in the NFC East.

Rick Mirer’s play remained uneven as he passed for 2564 yards and 13 touchdowns, but with 20 interceptions. Brian Blades led the team with 77 catches for 1001 yards (13.0 avg.) and four TDs and Joey Galloway finished with 67 receptions for 1039 yards (15.5 avg.) and seven touchdowns while averaging an even 10.0 yards on 36 punt returns. Lamar Smith returned to his backup role, rushing for 215 yards on 36 attempts (6.0 avg.); the game against New York represented his most significant action of the season by far.

Dave Brown threw for 2814 yards and 11 TDs and had problems with passing accuracy. Mike Sherrard caught 44 passes for 577 yards (13.1 avg.) and four touchdowns in his last of three seasons with New York.

1997: Saints Edge Bears in Mike Ditka’s Return to Chicago

Mike Ditka had been a popular and successful player and coach with the Chicago Bears, and was making his return to Chicago as head coach of the New Orleans Saints for a game on October 5, 1997. It was hardly a marquee matchup, however, as both teams were playing poorly. There were those pundits who referred to the contest as “the Peyton Manning Bowl”, with the presumption that the loser might well be on the way to having the first overall pick in the ’98 NFL draft that would presumably be used to select the Univ. of Tennessee’s star quarterback.

The Saints were coming off a 3-13 record in 1996 and, with Ditka now at the helm, had a 1-4 tally thus far. The defense was showing signs of improvement, but the offense was mediocre at best. QB Heath Shuler was a first-round bust in Washington and clearly nothing more than a stopgap for his new team. WR Randal Hill was the best of the receivers, the running backs were nondescript, and the line, other than OT William Roaf, was poor.

The Bears, in their fifth year under Ditka’s successor as head coach, Dave Wannstedt, were just a shadow of the team that had won in double figures five times in a row under “Iron Mike”, including a NFL Championship in 1985. Chicago had last been to the playoffs in ’94, was coming off a 7-9 record in ’96, and was off to an abysmal 0-5 start. QB Erik Kramer was under challenge from another first-round disappointment, Rick Mirer, late of the Seahawks. RB Raymont Harris led the running game but the best wide receiver, Curtis Conway, was injured. The defense was not at all formidable, especially the weak pass rush.

There were 58,865 fans in attendance for the Sunday night game at Soldier Field and they gave Ditka a warm welcome. The game they saw was sloppy, at best. The teams traded punts to start the contest before New Orleans RB Mario Bates fumbled and DT Paul Grasmanis recovered for the Bears at the Saints’ 32. Rick Mirer immediately threw to TE Ryan Wetnight for a gain of 24 yards and, four plays later, Jeff Jaeger kicked a 23-yard field goal.

The Bears quickly got the ball back when FS John Mangum intercepted a pass by Heath Shuler, but they were unable to capitalize on the turnover this time and punted. Neither team was able to mount a threat for the remainder of the opening period.

That remained the case until, with just over four minutes remaining in the half, Shuler completed a pass to TE John Farquhar for 42 yards to the Chicago 27. Another completion to Farquhar picked up nine yards and, as the clock ticked down to the two-minute warning, Doug Brien kicked a 38-yard field goal to tie the score at 3-3, and thus it remained at halftime.

The Bears, who now had Erik Kramer at quarterback, had the opening possession of the third quarter, went three-and-out, and punted. Shuler completed two passes and Bates then broke away for a 49-yard touchdown run. Brien added the extra point and the visitors were in front by 10-3.

Following another Chicago punt, the Saints advanced 41 yards in eight plays, the biggest of which was a 27-yard run by FB Ray Zellars. The drive stalled at the Bears’ 31 and Brien booted a 48-yard field goal to stretch the New Orleans lead to ten points.

The penalty-filled contest headed into the fourth quarter. The Bears finally mounted a scoring drive after getting good field position at the New Orleans 33 following a punt from deep inside Saints’ territory. Kramer threw to WR Chris Penn for 14 yards and to WR Bobby Engram for 12 in a third-and-five situation at the 14. Kramer carried for the last yard and a TD, and with Jaeger’s conversion, the New Orleans lead was cut to 13-10.

On the next series, Shuler fumbled deep in his own territory and DT Jim Flanigan recovered at the Saints’ eight. A pass interference penalty in the end zone moved the ball to the one and from there Raymont Harris blasted up the middle for a TD. Jaeger added the extra point and the Bears were in front by 17-13 with six minutes left in the game.

The home crowd was cheering, but the celebration, as well as Chicago’s lead, didn’t last long. On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Shuler passed to WR Randal Hill and he went the distance for an 89-yard touchdown. Brien kicked the PAT and the Saints were back on top by three.

With Kramer passing on almost every down, the Bears moved down the field, converting a fourth down along the way. But after reaching the New Orleans 38, Kramer was sacked on third down for a six-yard loss by DT Wayne Martin and a fourth down pass to Engram came up a yard short. That essentially settled the matter – Chicago got the ball back once more following a New Orleans punt, but with 12 seconds remaining. Ditka and the Saints came away winners by a score of 20-17.

The teams combined for 21 punts, with 12 by the Bears and 9 for New Orleans, and 18 penalties, evenly distributed at nine apiece. The Saints accumulated the most total yards (322 to 266) while Chicago had more first downs (19 to 11). New Orleans also recorded five sacks, to two by the Bears, but also turned the ball over three times, while Chicago had none. 

Heath Shuler completed just 9 of 23 passes for 195 yards and the one long touchdown as well as one interception. Randal Hill (pictured above), thanks to the big TD, gained 121 yards on 5 catches. Ray Zellars rushed for 65 yards on 14 carries and Mario Bates contributed 58 yards and a touchdown on his 9 attempts.

For the Bears, Rick Mirer was successful on only 7 of his 16 throws for 58 yards and Erik Kramer was 12 of 20 for 131 yards in relief. Raymont Harris gained 82 yards on 28 rushing attempts that included a score. Bobby Engram had 6 pass receptions for 59 yards.

“I’m sure a lot of people turned off their TVs, it wasn’t pretty,” summed up Mike Ditka.

The Saints went on to lose their next three games, although they rallied somewhat during the second half of the season to finish with a 6-10 record that placed fourth in the NFC West. Chicago reached 0-7 before finally entering the win column and placed last in the NFC Central at 4-12. Despite the “Peyton Manning Bowl” speculation, it was the 3-13 Indianapolis Colts who ultimately ended up with the first overall draft pick that was used to take Manning.

As for the game’s two starting quarterbacks, Heath Shuler’s winning touchdown pass was one of only two that he tossed all season, while giving up 14 interceptions and losing the starting job (ultimately to Billy Joe Hobert). It would prove to be the last year of his disappointing pro career. Rick Mirer yielded the starting job back to Erik Kramer and threw a total of 103 passes in 1997, with none for touchdowns and six interceptions, and averaging just 4.1 yards per attempt. He moved on to journeyman status, starting with a year in Green Bay in which he saw no action.

Mike Ditka’s stated intention was to have the Saints in contention in three years, but another 6-10 record in 1998 was followed by a controversial decision to trade the entire 1999 draft slate in order to move up in the first round and take RB Ricky Williams, the highly-touted Heisman Trophy winner from Texas. The result was a drop to 3-13 and Ditka was finished, having posted a record of 15-33 in New Orleans.

Rookie of the Year: Rick Mirer, 1993

Quarterback, Seattle Seahawks

Age:  23

College: Notre Dame

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 216

Prelude:

As a starting quarterback in college, Mirer went 29-7-1 and was co-MVP of the 1992 Sugar Bowl. He set several career records at Notre Dame, including passing yards (5997) and touchdown passes (41) and was chosen by the Seahawks with the second overall pick in the first round of the 1993 NFL draft.

1993 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 486 [4, tied with Neil O’Donnell]

Most attempts, game – 43 vs. New England 10/24

Completions – 274 [7]

Most completions, game – 25 vs. San Diego 10/3

Yards – 2833 [14]

Most yards, game – 287 vs. Kansas City 12/5

Completion percentage – 56.4

Yards per attempt – 5.8

TD passes – 12 [18, tied with Scott Mitchell, Wade Wilson & Stan Humphries]

Most TD passes, game – 2 at Kansas City 1/2

Interceptions – 17 [5, tied with Bobby Hebert & Steve Beuerlein]

Most interceptions, game – 3 at Detroit 10/17

Passer rating – 67.0

200-yard passing games – 4

Rushing

Attempts – 68

Most attempts, game - 9 (for 17 yds.) at Cincinnati, (for 52 yds.) at LA Raiders 12/12

Yards – 343

Most yards, game – 52 yards (on 9 carries) at LA Raiders 12/12

Yards per attempt – 5.0

TDs – 3

Scoring

TDs – 3

Points – 18

Awards & Honors:

AFC Rookie of the Year: UPI

Seahawks went 6-10 to finish fifth in the AFC West while leading the conference in rushing yards (2015).

Aftermath:

Mirer’s promising first season remained his best. He struggled in 1994 until knocked out of the last three games with a broken thumb, dealing with poor mechanics and a weak supporting cast. It got worse in ’95 when he tossed 20 interceptions and, after another mediocre year in 1996, he was traded to Chicago. Athletic but with a poor throwing arm, Mirer lasted a year with the Bears, was cut, and picked up as a third-string backup for the Packers in ’98. He saw no action that year and continued as a journeyman with the Jets, 49ers, and Raiders. Over the course of eight active seasons and 80 games, Mirer threw for 11,969 yards and 50 TDs with 60 interceptions while completing 53.3 percent of his passes and averaging only 5.9 yards per attempt.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year).