1973: Dolphins Cap Perfect Season with Win Over Redskins in Super Bowl VII

From the advent of divisional play in 1933 until 1972, there had been NFL teams that had gone undefeated in the regular season only to come up short in the postseason – the 1934 and ’42 Bears had both been upset in the Championship game. There had been four undefeated teams in the NFL between 1920 and ’29, but they had all been tied at least once along the way, and of course didn’t have to run the playoff gauntlet. In other leagues, the 1937 Los Angeles Bulldogs of the second AFL had an 8-0 record for the season, and more significantly, the AAFC’s Cleveland Browns won every game, including the title contest, in 1948. But the NFL was still waiting for a team to achieve perfection.

The Miami Dolphins had come into the AFL as an expansion team in 1966 and accomplished little until Don Shula took over as head coach in 1970. They went to the playoffs for the first time that year, and improved to reach the Super Bowl in ’71, losing to the Dallas Cowboys. In 1972, they won the AFC East with a 14-0 mark. The Dolphins ran the ball superbly, with FB Larry Csonka and HB Mercury Morris becoming the first teammates to both run for a thousand yards in a season. When QB Bob Griese went down with a broken ankle at midseason, veteran backup Earl Morrall stepped in and led the AFC in passing. They didn’t throw much, but when they did they had a great deep threat in WR Paul Warfield and a dependable possession receiver in WR Howard Twilley. The so-called “No-Name Defense” was led by MLB Nick Buoniconti, DE Bill Stanfill, and the excellent safety tandem of Dick Anderson and Jake Scott.

Their opponents from the NFC were the Washington Redskins, who had won the NFC East with an 11-3 record. Head Coach George Allen preferred veteran players, and the Redskins “Over-the-Hill Gang” boasted plenty of pro football experience. With a predominantly run-based attack, HB Larry Brown led the NFC with 1216 yards. QB Sonny Jurgensen was injured for most of the season and 33-year-old Billy Kilmer filled in admirably and had able targets in wide receivers Charley Taylor and Roy Jefferson. The defense allowed the fewest points in the conference.

Miami won close contests against Cleveland in the Divisional round and Pittsburgh in the conference title game to advance to the Super Bowl, while the Redskins easily defeated Green Bay and Dallas, respectively. Despite Miami’s undefeated record, Washington was favored by three points.

Super Bowl VII was played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 14, 1973 under sunny skies with a temperature in the eighties and 90,182 fans in attendance. QB Bob Griese, who had returned to action in the second half of the AFC Championship game, was ready to start and led the Dolphins to a touchdown in their third possession of the game. Miami covered 63 yards in six plays capped by Griese’s 28-yard scoring pass to Twilley (pictured below left). The first quarter ended shortly thereafter with the Dolphins ahead, 7-0.


The Dolphins lost out on an apparent 47-yard Griese-to-Warfield TD pass in the second quarter when the other wide receiver on the play, Marlin Briscoe, was flagged for being offside. Instead, Miami had to punt and Washington took over on its 17 yard line. On a third down play, Kilmer, looking for Larry Brown on a play-action pass, was intercepted by Buoniconti, who returned the ball 32 yards to the Washington 27. After two running plays, Griese hit TE Jim Mandich with a 19-yard pass to the two yard line, and HB Jim Kiick followed by plowing in for the score and a 14-0 lead at halftime.

Miami put together a 79-yard drive in the third quarter to the Redskins five yard line, but a Griese pass intended for TE Marv Fleming was intercepted in the end zone by safety Brig Owens. Washington’s offense had done little, but finally put together a long drive in the fourth quarter that covered 79 yards and burned seven minutes off the clock. However, Jake Scott intercepted Kilmer’s pass in the end zone and returned it 55 yards to the Redskins 48 yard line (pictured at top).

Five plays later Miami lined up for a 42-yard field goal attempt by Garo Yepremian that turned into a bizarre misadventure and nearly gave the Redskins new momentum. The snap was low and so was Yepremian’s kick, which was blocked by Washington DT Bill Brundige. The ball bounced back to the startled placekicker, who, at 5’8” and 175 pounds, was no threat to run; he decided to pass but instead the ball slipped out of his hand and was grabbed in the air by Redskins CB Mike Bass, who ran 49 yards for a touchdown (pictured at bottom).

There were just over two minutes left and a perfect season on the line, but Griese calmly put together a six play drive that ran nearly a minute off the clock before the Dolphins punted the ball to the Washington 30. The Redskins could do nothing as Kilmer threw two incompletions, hit Brown with a pass that lost four yards, and then was sacked by Stanfill and DE Vern Den Herder on the game’s last play. There were still seconds on the clock, but the celebration of Miami’s 14-7 win and the completion of the perfect season had already begun.


The Dolphins defense had done a tremendous job of shutting down the Redskins, as signified by the selection of Jake Scott, who had two key interceptions, as the game’s MVP. The offense had relied on the outstanding running game to control the ball, accumulating a total of 184 yards on 37 rushes; Larry Csonka (pictured at right) led with 112 yards on 15 carries. Bob Griese threw the ball just 11 times, completed 8 for 88 yards, and had both a TD and an interception. Paul Warfield was the leading receiver with 3 catches for 36 yards.

Larry Brown was held to just 72 yards on 22 carries for the Redskins. Billy Kilmer completed 14 of 28 passes for 104 yards with three interceptions. Brown and Roy Jefferson both caught five passes, with the wide receiver compiling the most yards (50).

The win came as a great relief to Don Shula, who had rankled at criticism that, especially after losing twice in the Super Bowl (with the Colts in Super Bowl III as well as the previous year with the Dolphins), his teams came up short in big games. “The pressure’s off,” he said afterward. “I was aware of the reputation I had gotten…the losses were there; you couldn’t hide them. But that’s all in the past.”

Guiding his team to an undefeated season that culminated in a title certainly put an end to any speculation about Shula’s coaching ability, and moreover provided the ’72 Dolphins with a special place in pro football history.

Miami proved it was no fluke the next season by again winning the Super Bowl. The Redskins made it to the postseason the next two years but failed to advance as far as the conference championship game - the ’72 season would be the high water mark under George Allen.

2007: Adam Vinatieri Kicks Colts Past Ravens

The Indianapolis Colts were in the postseason for the fifth straight year following the 2006 season, but each prior appearance had ended in disappointment – most certainly for Head Coach Tony Dungy and star quarterback Peyton Manning – and from the team’s performance down the stretch, it didn’t seem likely that this season would be any different. To be sure, they won the AFC South with a 12-4 record, Manning led the NFL in passing overall and TD passes specifically (31) while throwing for 4397 yards, and the wide receiver tandem of Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne combined for 181 catches, 2676 yards, and 21 scores. But the defense had played poorly against the run, especially in losses at Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Houston. After a 9-0 start, the team had gone 3-4 the rest of the way.

After winning a Wild Card playoff game over Kansas City, the Colts played the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 13, 2007 in the Divisional playoff round. There were 71,162 fans in attendance, many of them still bitter over the departure of the Colts from Baltimore following the 1983 season.

The Ravens, under Head Coach Brian Billick, had gone 13-3 to finish atop the AFC North. As usual, the superb defense, ranked first in the NFL, provided the impetus. It prominently included LB Ray Lewis, defensive lineman Trevor Pryce, FS Ed Reed, and CB Chris McAlister. The offense had improved under the leadership of veteran QB Steve McNair, who had been obtained in a trade from Tennessee and RB Jamal Lewis ran for 1132 yards. As the number two seeded team in the AFC, they were coming off of a first round bye to face the Colts.

Both defenses rose to the occasion in this contest. The Ravens went three-and-out in their first possession, and the Colts responded with a 49-yard, 11-play drive. Adam Vinatieri (pictured above), who had been signed away from New England during the offseason where he had a well-established reputation for kicking reliably in clutch situations, capped the possession with a 23-yard field goal.

It was 6-0 later in the opening quarter after the Colts recovered a fumble by TE Todd Heap (initially ruled down, but successfully challenged by Dungy) and Vinatieri kicked his second field goal, of 42 yards, four plays later.


The Ravens finally got on the board early in the second quarter with a field goal of their own, from 40 yards out by Matt Stover. Baltimore then got a break when Reed (pictured at left) intercepted a Manning pass and the offense drove to the five yard line. However, safety Antoine Bethea intercepted a third down pass by McNair at the one to end the threat. The Colts proceeded to move the ball 65 yards over 13 plays in six minutes, with Vinatieri booting his third field goal from 51 yards that hit the crossbar but bounced through successfully. Indianapolis carried the 9-3 lead into halftime.

Vinatieri added a fourth three-pointer in the third quarter. Stover kicked a 51-yarder for Baltimore early in the fourth quarter, and once again Ed Reed followed it up by intercepting Manning at the Ravens 39 yard line. However, the offense failed to capitalize, with CB Nick Harper picking off McNair at the Indianapolis 23. The Colts managed to burn considerable time off the clock (over seven minutes) in driving 47 yards on 13 plays. RB Dominic Rhodes carried the ball 11 times and the Colts converted three third downs along the way. It all ended with Vinatieri’s fifth field goal of the game, from 35 yards, that provided the final margin of 15-6.


In the defensive struggle in which neither team scored a touchdown, Indianapolis outgained the Ravens by 261 to 244 yards. Peyton Manning (pictured at right) completed just 15 of 30 passes for 170 yards with two interceptions. Dominic Rhodes (pictured at bottom) led the Colts with 56 rushing yards on 14 carries. Reggie Wayne topped the receivers with 5 catches for 51 yards.

The Ravens ran for 83 yards in total, with Jamal Lewis leading the way with 53 yards on 13 attempts. Steve McNair completed 18 of 29 passes for 173 yards and two key interceptions. WR Mark Clayton was the top receiver with 6 catches for 73 yards.

It was the second time that Adam Vinatieri kicked a record-tying five field goals in a postseason game, on his way to becoming the all-time career playoff field goal kicker in league history with 42. Said Coach Dungy afterward, “You just feel like you're going to make it every time when he goes out there. In games like this, it's necessary.”

A disappointed Brian Billick said, “This football team is as disappointed as our fans are, which is matched tenfold by the players. (The fans) were deserving of better than that, but it just wasn't going to happen and we will move forward now.”

The Colts went on to win the AFC Championship game over arch-nemesis New England and defeated the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl – vindication for Dungy, Manning, and the Colts defense. The Ravens dropped off badly, going 5-11 in 2007, Coach Billick’s final season with the team.

1969: Jets Upset Colts in Super Bowl III

Certainly one of the most famous games in pro football history, the shocking upset in Super Bowl III by the AFL champion New York Jets over the Baltimore Colts, who had rolled over the competition in winning the NFL title, served as a coming-of-age for the younger league.

The first two Super Bowls, following the 1966 and ’67 seasons, had been fairly routine wins for the NFL champion Green Bay Packers, and there was some feeling that the AFL teams simply weren’t ready to compete with the established league at the highest level of play. The matchup between the 1968 league champions looked to be even more of a mismatch.

The Colts, under Head Coach Don Shula, had gone 13-1 in winning the Coastal Division and proceeded to win both the Western Conference title game over the Vikings and league championship over Cleveland with relative ease. They had lost their all-time great quarterback, Johnny Unitas, to a sore elbow early in the going, but veteran backup Earl Morrall had stepped in and delivered an MVP performance. The team was sound on both sides of the ball.


The Jets were under the direction of the same head coach who had built Baltimore into a champion in 1958 and ’59, Weeb Ewbank. QB Joe Namath (pictured at right) was flashy and a celebrity off of the field, but while his numbers were down from his 4000-yard passing performance of 1967, he had shown greater maturity in directing the offense in ’68. The running back tandem of FB Matt Snell and HB Emerson Boozer kept defenses honest, while Namath had excellent receivers in flanker Don Maynard and split end George Sauer. They defeated the Raiders in the AFL Championship game for the opportunity to play against the Colts.

While much has been made of Namath’s brash remarks prior to the game, in which he publicly degraded Morrall’s skills and guaranteed a win, it was Ewbank’s game planning that set the stage for the upset by the 17-point underdogs. The Colts had blitzed very effectively during the season in support of their zone defense, and the Jets planned to counter by running the ball straight ahead and utilizing simple hook and flare passes.

It was overcast with temperatures in the seventies at Miami’s Orange Bowl on January 12, 1969 as the two teams faced off. The Jets established the run in the first two plays from scrimmage, with Snell gaining 12 yards and knocking safety Rick Volk out of the game. Playing cautiously, they didn’t score in the first quarter, but set the stage for eventual success. Meanwhile, the Colts drove to the New York 19 yard line on their first possession, but Lou Michaels missed a 27-yard field goal attempt.

It was the first of many missed opportunities for Baltimore. A fumble by Sauer was recovered by LB Ron Porter at the Jets 12, but Morrall’s ensuing pass to TE Tom Mitchell hit the receiver in the shoulder and it resulted in an interception by CB Randy Beverly to end the threat. TE John Mackey dropped a potential TD pass at the New York 10, and Michaels followed up with another missed field goal attempt. A 58-yard run by HB Tom Matte (pictured below) that took the Colts inside the Jets 20 was shortly followed by an interception by CB Johnny Sample. Most notably, a flea flicker play (Matte faking a run and pitching back to the quarterback) in which split end Jimmy Orr was wide open in the end zone and waving frantically ended up being an interception when Morrall failed to see him, threw for FB Jerry Hill instead, and was picked off by safety Jim Hudson.


Meanwhile, the Jets put together the only scoring drive of the first half in the second quarter. They went 80 yards in 12 plays, with Snell carrying the ball six times and accounting for 35 yards, including the touchdown run of four yards. Namath completed four of five passes during the drive as well, for 43 yards. The score stood at 7-0 in favor of the Jets at halftime.

New York scored on two Jim Turner field goals in the third quarter, from 32 and 30 yards, and was up by 16-0 in the fourth quarter when he booted a nine-yarder. The Colts offense had turned the ball over on its first possession of the second half, leading to the first of the three-pointers by the Jets. Morrall was pressing and missing on his passes; Coach Shula finally decided that it was time to send the rusty, 35-year-old Johnny Unitas into the game (pictured directing the Colts offense below).


Now down by more than two touchdowns, it seemed as though the Unitas magic was working when he engineered an 80-yard drive in 15 plays that resulted in a one-yard TD run by Hill. There was only 3:19 on the clock at this point, but the Colts recovered an onside kick and Unitas completed three passes, leading the offense to the Jets 19. Any thought of a remarkable comeback ended there, however, as three straight passes went incomplete, including a last one on fourth-and-five that effectively ended the game. The final score was 16-7.

Statistically, the overall numbers were very close with the Jets barely edging the Colts in total yards (337-324) and net passing yards (195-181); Baltimore had a one-yard edge in rushing yardage (143 on 23 carries to 142 on 43), although 58 of their rushing yards came on the one run by Matte and the far greater number of carries by the Jets gives evidence to their ability to control the ball for extended periods. Perhaps most important of all, the Colts turned the ball over five times, the Jets just once.

While Joe Namath didn’t throw any touchdown passes, he also didn’t toss any interceptions and shrewdly ran the offense, completing 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards; he was named the game’s MVP. WR Don Maynard was playing injured and caught no passes while providing an effective decoy; George Sauer profited, catching 8 passes for 133 yards. Matt Snell (pictured at top) had an outstanding day running the ball, accumulating 121 yards on 30 carries that included the lone TD for the Jets.

Earl Morrall’s difficulties were reflected in his passing statistics: 6 completions in 17 attempts for 71 yards and three interceptions. In his quarter of action, Johnny Unitas completed 11 of 24 passes for 110 yards with one picked off. Tom Matte was the top rusher for the Colts, gaining 116 yards on 11 attempts. Flanker Willie Richardson was the team’s leading receiver with 6 catches for 58 yards.

Afterward, Don Shula summed up by saying, “We didn’t make the big plays we have all season. We just didn’t do it…They deserved the victory”.

For the Jets, it was the high point in the franchise’s history. Joe Namath had lived up to the hype and performed admirably in the biggest game of his career. Weeb Ewbank had prepared his team well to take on the Colts, capping his second successful building project as a pro football head coach. New York’s win was especially a triumph for those who had founded and built the American Football League; with full merger on the horizon, they had proved they could compete head-to-head with the NFL’s best teams.

1981: Wilbert Montgomery Spurs Eagles Past Cowboys for NFC Championship

The NFC Championship game on January 11, 1981 featured two fierce division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. The teams ended the 1980 season with identical 12-4 records, but the Eagles won the NFC East thanks to a better point differential in division games. They split the season series in two hard-fought contests, with each team winning in its home stadium (and the Cowboys trying hard to overcome the point differential in beating Philadelphia in the finale).

Under Head Coach Dick Vermeil, the Eagles had returned to respectability from a long dry spell after last winning a title in 1960. Now they were in the postseason for the third consecutive season, with progressively better records (9-7 in ’78, 11-5 in ’79). RB Wilbert Montgomery had emerged as an outstanding all-purpose back, and while his numbers were down in ’80 due to injuries, he was patched up for the postseason. QB Ron Jaworski had his best year, going to the Pro Bowl for the only time and achieving career highs in completions (257), yards (3529), and TD passes (27) and leading the conference in passing (91.0). 6’8” WR Harold Carmichael’s record consecutive game passing streak had finally ended at 127, but he was still the go-to receiver in clutch situations. The defense was very sound and featured NT Charlie Johnson, DE Carl Hairston, SS Randy Logan, and a strong set of linebackers that included Bill Bergey, Frank LeMaster, and Jerry Robinson.

The Cowboys, under Head Coach Tom Landry, were a perennial playoff participant and had won five NFC titles and two Super Bowls in the decade since 1970. Danny White had taken over the starting quarterback job from the retired Roger Staubach and performed well, while RB Tony Dorsett ran for 1185 yards and 11 touchdowns. The defense was led by DT Randy White and LB Bob Breunig, and benefited from the return of DE Ed “Too Tall” Jones after a one-year boxing hiatus.

In the postseason thus far, the Eagles dominated the second half in beating Minnesota in their Divisional playoff game, while Danny White had to lead the Cowboys from behind to get past the Atlanta Falcons.

It was bitterly cold at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium, with a temperature of 16 degrees that felt lower thanks to a brisk wind. 70,696 hopeful Eagles fans stuffed the stadium, and they were brought to their feet quickly as Montgomery took off on a 42-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game.

The Eagles dominated the first quarter, outgaining the Cowboys 117 yards to 28 and holding White to minus yards passing, but didn’t score again. Neither team was able to mount much of a passing attack in the wind and cold (at one point Jaworski threw ten straight incompletions), thus making it a ground-based battle for ball control. Dallas managed to tie the game in the second quarter with a 10-play, 68-yard drive that was highlighted by Dorsett gaining 18 yards on a swing pass from White and then scoring on a three-yard run. The Eagles came close to re-taking the lead before halftime, but an apparent Jaworski-to-Carmichael touchdown pass was called back due to a penalty.

In the second half, the Eagles got an apparent break on special teams when RB Billy Campfield recovered a fumble by Dallas punt returner James Jones at the Cowboys 27 yard line. However, LB Anthony Dickerson picked off a Jaworski pass three plays later, but Philadelphia got the ball back once again when Hairston forced White to fumble (pictured at bottom) and DE Dennis Harrison recovered at the Dallas 9. Two pass attempts into the end zone intended for Carmichael fell incomplete and the Eagles settled for a 26-yard field goal by Tony Franklin to move back in front, 10-7.

The Cowboys fumbled the ball away again (they fumbled five times during the game, losing three of them) as CB Roynell Young stripped Dorsett and Jerry Robinson recovered at the Dallas 38. This time the Eagles were able to reach the end zone as FB Leroy Harris scored on a 9-yard run.

The Eagles controlled the ball effectively as the game moved into the fourth quarter. After the Dorsett TD in the second quarter, the Cowboys never got closer than the Philadelphia 39 yard line the rest of the game. Philadelphia scored once more, on a 20-yard Franklin field goal after moving the ball 62 yards to the Dallas 3, and that provided the final tally of 20-7.

The story of the game came down to the Eagles running the ball far more effectively than the Cowboys, gaining a total of 263 yards on 40 carries to Dallas’ 90 on 22 runs, and committing fewer turnovers (two, to four by the Cowboys). Wilbert Montgomery gained 194 of those yards, on 26 attempts with the one TD. Harris accounted for another 60 yards on his 10 rushes. On the Dallas side, Tony Dorsett was held to just 41 yards on 13 carries and FB Robert Newhouse led the team with 44 yards on seven attempts.

The passing statistics reflected the poor weather conditions, with Ron Jaworski completing just 9 of 29 throws for 91 yards and two interceptions. Danny White went to the air 31 times, completed 12, for a total of 127 yards with one picked off. WR Rodney Parker led the Eagles with 4 catches for 31 yards (Harold Carmichael was held to just one reception for 7 yards) and Dorsett caught three passes for Dallas, for 27 yards, while RB Preston Pearson, typically brought in on passing situations, led with 32 yards on two catches.

The sense of joy among Eagles fans turned to despair as Philadelphia lost the ensuing Super Bowl to the Oakland Raiders, 27-10, and played poorly throughout. The Cowboys made it to the next two NFC Championship games, but lost them as well. Wilbert Montgomery ended up as the all-time rushing leader in Eagles history with 6538 yards, but the performance against Dallas remained the crowning achievement of his career.

2004: Panthers Lose Lead to Rams but Win in Overtime

The Carolina Panthers, going to the playoffs for the second time in their brief history, traveled to St. Louis to play the Rams at the Edward Jones Dome on January 10, 2004. What ensued was a game of drama and missed opportunities that, in the end, came down to a big play.

The Panthers went 11-5 during the 2003 regular season to win the NFC South. Under Head Coach John Fox, they featured a solid defense anchored by ends Mike Rucker and Julius Peppers and tackle Kris Jenkins. The offense was based on a strong running attack led by veteran Stephen Davis (1444 yards), signed as a free agent from Washington in the offseason, and DeShaun Foster. Jake Delhomme became the starting quarterback and showed poise, throwing primarily to outstanding WR Steve Smith (88 catches, 1110 yards). They were at their best in close games, going 10-3 during the ’03 season in games decided by six points or less.

St. Louis led the NFC West for the third time in five years with a 12-4 record under Head Coach Mike Martz. Marc Bulger replaced injury-plagued Kurt Warner as the starting quarterback and still had outstanding receivers to throw to, most notably wide receivers Torry Holt, the league leader in both receptions (117) and yards (1696) and Isaac Bruce. The great all-purpose RB Marshall Faulk was showing signs of wear, but still rushed for 818 yards and caught 45 passes.

The Panthers defeated Dallas in the Wild Card round to advance while the Rams had the advantage of a week off thanks to their second-seeding in the NFC.

Carolina’s offense struggled and while the Rams led 6-0 early in the second quarter, they had twice made it inside the 10 yard line but were forced to settle for field goals by Jeff Wilkins of 20 and 26 yards. The Panthers scored on their third possession of the game shortly after the second Rams field goal on a questionable fumble recovery of a botched Delhomme shovel pass in the end zone by WR Muhsin Muhammad. The teams traded field goals, with John Kasay giving Carolina a 10-9 lead from 45 yards out with just over a minute remaining in the half.


It was a battle of field goals in the third quarter as Wilkins (pictured at right) put the Rams back ahead with a 51-yard three-pointer on the first St. Louis possession of the second half, but Kasay kicked two, of 52 and 34 yards, to make the score 16-12 in favor of Carolina by the end of the period. When RB Brad Hoover ran for a seven-yard TD just over six minutes into the fourth quarter, the Panthers went up by 23-12 and seemed to have the game well in hand, especially when safety Mike Minter intercepted a pass by Bulger on the Rams’ very next play. However, in a third-and-six situation DT Tyoka Jackson sacked Delhomme for an 11-yard loss that forced the Panthers to attempt a long field goal; Kasay’s 53-yard kick hit the left upright and bounced away.

The rejuvenated Rams, starting with 6:29 remaining on the clock, drove down the field with the partisan home crowd of 66,165 roaring all the way, converting four third downs and a fourth down in the process. Faulk, who gained 16 yards on a pass from Bulger on the successful fourth down play, scored a one-yard touchdown to cap the drive. St. Louis successfully went for two points, with Bulger passing to WR Dane Looker, and the Carolina lead was cut to 23-20.

The Rams went for the onside kick which, surprisingly, the placekicker Wilkins recovered with 42 seconds left in the fourth quarter. In a controversial decision, Coach Martz chose to let the clock run down and play for the tie and overtime rather than try for a touchdown in regulation. Wilkins successfully converted the 33-yard field goal, and the game proceeded into overtime with a 23-23 score.

The Panthers took the first possession of the “sudden death” period and made it appear that it would be the only one as they drove to the St. Louis 22 yard line. From there, Kasay kicked an apparent 40-yard field goal, but the Panthers were called for delay of game. Two running plays actually backed Carolina up and when Kasay again tried for a field goal from 45 yards, it went wide to the right.

Now it was the turn of the Rams offense, and they moved the ball to the Carolina 35, but Wilkins was short on a three-point attempt from 53 yards. The Panthers had to punt on their next possession, but got the ball back when CB Ricky Manning Jr. outwrestled Holt to intercept a Bulger pass with a minute remaining in the first period of overtime.

On a third-and-14 situation in the first play of the second overtime period, Delhomme hit Smith on a pass and run that covered 69 yards for the winning touchdown. The result of the tense, draining game was 29-23 in favor of the upstart Panthers.


Smith (pictured at top) was the offensive star for Carolina, not only scoring the game-winning touchdown in spectacular fashion but accumulating 163 yards on 6 pass receptions. Jake Delhomme completed 16 of 26 passes for 290 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Stephen Davis ran for 86 yards on 6 carries, but had to leave the game in the second quarter after suffering a quadriceps injury on a 64-yard run. DeShaun Foster (pictured above left) performed admirably in his place, rushing for 95 yards on 21 attempts. The Panthers won in spite of committing 13 penalties, costing them 92 yards, along the way.

In defeat, Marc Bulger threw for 332 yards while completing 27 of 46 passes with no TDs and, critically, three interceptions. Marshall Faulk caught the most passes with 9 for 78 yards to go along with his team-leading 53 rushing yards on 19 attempts. Isaac Bruce had 116 yards on 7 pass receptions. Jeff Wilkins tied a NFL postseason record with his five field goals, although he missed a potential game-winner in overtime.

Mike Martz defended his decision to not go for the win in regulation, saying “I felt like if we could get it into overtime, we would win this game.” It was the first time the Rams ever lost a postseason home game since moving to St. Louis.

Carolina went on to win the NFC Championship, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles handily, 14-3, but lost a hard-fought game in the Super Bowl to New England. For the Rams, it was the start of a period of decline; they made it into the postseason in ’04 with an 8-8 record, lost in the Wild Card round, and settled in to a long playoff drought.

1983: Jets Surge Past Bengals Behind McNeil’s 202 Rushing Yards

The strike-shortened 1982 NFL season resulted in a restructuring of the playoff format. The divisional alignments were cast aside and the top eight teams in each conference qualified for a postseason Super Bowl tournament. There were eight first round games (four per conference) with one of them matching the New York Jets against the Cincinnati Bengals at Riverfront Stadium on January 9, 1983.

The Bengals were the defending AFC champions and had finished with a 7-2 record in the truncated schedule, good enough for third place in the conference. Under Head Coach Forrest Gregg, the offense was directed by QB Ken Anderson (pictured below right), who led the NFL in passing (95.3) while setting a new record for completion percentage (70.6). The running game was powered by FB Pete Johnson, who had 622 yards, while the top pass receivers were WR Cris Collinsworth and TE Dan Ross.


The visiting Jets were one of three teams to finish 6-3 in the AFC, and with tiebreakers applied qualified as the sixth-ranked team in the tournament. A more physical team under Head Coach Walt Michaels, they had the league’s leading rusher in RB Freeman McNeil with 786 yards, who also had the best rushing average (5.2). QB Richard Todd was the AFC’s third ranked passer, with deep threat WR Wesley Walker his favorite target. The defensive line, known as “The New York Sack Exchange”, was formidable.

In the first quarter, the defending conference champions jumped out to the lead. Anderson threw two touchdown passes, the first of 32 yards to veteran WR Isaac Curtis and the second a short throw of two yards to Ross. In between, the Jets had mustered a 33-yard field goal from Pat Leahy, but it was 14-3 in favor of the Bengals.

However, the momentum shifted to the Jets in the second quarter. First, it was McNeil throwing for a TD on an option pass to WR Derrick Gaffney that covered 14 yards. The Bengals moved back downfield, but in one of the key plays of the game, Jets CB Johnny Lynn intercepted an Anderson pass at the one yard line. Not only did the interception prevent a possible score by Cincinnati, but the Jets then marched 85 yards down the field, with Todd throwing a four-yard scoring pass to Walker that gave New York a 17-14 lead.

Leahy kicked another field goal, from 24 yards out, before the half was over, and New York extended the margin to 20-14 at the intermission. The game stayed close through the third quarter, with the teams trading field goals to keep the Jets ahead by six points at 23-17.


McNeil scored on a 20-yard run in the fourth quarter, but the Bengals drove the ball downfield and seemed poised to score when, for the second time, the Jets picked off a pass by Anderson deep in their own territory. This time it was safety Darrol Ray snagging the ball at the two yard line and returning it 98 yards for a touchdown. For all intents and purposes, the game was over.

New York scored one more touchdown, on a one-yard run by RB Dwayne Crutchfield, and the final score was 44-17.

Freeman McNeil was the headliner for the Jets, rushing for 202 yards on 21 carries with a TD, plus the one scoring throw. Richard Todd completed 20 of 28 passes for 269 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Wesley Walker was the top receiver with 8 catches for 145 yards and a score.

Ken Anderson, who was sacked four times and pressured on many more occasions, completed 26 of his 35 passes for 354 yards with two touchdowns, but also three interceptions. Cris Collinsworth caught 7 passes for 120 yards to lead the team, while Dan Ross was right behind at 6 receptions for 89 yards and a TD. The running game was inconsequential, as the team ran just 21 times for 62 yards on the day; Pete Johnson led the way with 26 yards on 9 carries.

The Jets made a good run into the playoffs, winning their second round game over the Raiders but coming up short in the AFC Championship game at Miami. Coach Michaels left after the season, and the team slumped in ’83. Cincinnati also dropped off after the two strong years in 1981 and ’82; they didn’t return to the postseason until 1988. Freeman McNeil played until 1992 and retired as the all-time leading rusher for the Jets (since passed by Curtis Martin) with 8074 yards.

1984: Redskins Survive Comeback by 49ers to Win NFC Championship

The NFC Championship game on January 8, 1984 at Washington’s RFK Stadium matched the teams that had won the previous two conference titles. The host Redskins were the defending league champions, having won the Super Bowl following the 1982 season, and had been even more impressive in defending their title in ’83. They set what was then an NFL record by rolling up 541 points in going 14-2 and winning the NFC East. The San Francisco 49ers, under the guidance of Head Coach Bill Walsh, had won the Super Bowl after the 1981 season and, after dipping to 3-6 in the strike-shortened ’82 season, bounced back to finish first in the NFC West in 1983 with a 10-6 tally.

Washington, under the guidance of Head Coach Joe Gibbs, boasted an explosive passing game led by QB Joe Theismann throwing to wide receivers Charlie Brown, the NFC co-leader in pass receptions (78), plus Art Monk and Alvin Garrett (known as “the Fun Bunch” for their end zone celebrations). They could also run the ball behind RB John Riggins (pictured above), who gained 1347 yards rushing and set a new NFL record with 24 touchdowns. All-purpose RB Joe Washington could run (772 yards) and catch (47 receptions for 454 yards) with equal effectiveness. The superb offensive line, known as “the Hogs”, provided a solid foundation. Mark Moseley set a record for a points scored purely by kicking with 161.


San Francisco’s offense was led by QB Joe Montana (pictured at left), who passed for 3910 yards and 26 touchdowns, with solid possession WR Dwight Clark leading the team with 70 receptions. Rookie RB Roger Craig ran for 725 yards and caught 48 passes, teaming with veteran RB Wendell Tyler, who had been obtained in a trade with the Rams and ran for 856 yards.

The Redskins thrashed the Rams, their Divisional playoff opponent, by a 51-7 score while the 49ers had to come from behind to beat Detroit 24-23 to set up the conference championship showdown.

The first quarter was scoreless, but the Redskins put points on the board when they drove 64 yards in five plays capped by a four-yard run by Riggins in the second quarter. Washington seemed to take command of the game in the third quarter as Riggins scored again, from a yard out, and after the 49ers were forced to punt on the following possession, Theismann passed to Brown for a 70-yard touchdown and a 21-0 lead.

San Francisco began to move in the fourth quarter, with Montana capping a nine-play, 79-yard drive with a five-yard scoring pass to WR Mike Wilson. After the Redskins missed a field goal attempt on their ensuing possession, the Niners struck quickly as Montana connected with WR Freddie Solomon for a 76-yard touchdown with just under ten minutes left in the game. Then after Washington went four-and-out, it was Montana once more hitting Wilson for the tying score on a 12-yard pass play. After being stymied for three quarters, the 49ers scored three touchdowns in a matter of seven-and-a-half minutes – a stunning comeback.

The Redskins got the ball back with 6:52 left on the clock at their own 14 yard line. Now it was Theismann and the high-powered Washington offense’s turn to move downfield. Aided by two penalties on the 49ers – a pass interference call on CB Eric Wright and defensive holding on CB Ronnie Lott – Washington drove to the San Francisco 8 yard line in 13 plays, covering over six minutes. Moseley, who missed four three-point attempts during the game, booted the game-winning 25-yard field goal with 40 seconds remaining and the final score was 24-21 in favor of the Redskins.


John Riggins carried the ball 36 times for Washington, accumulating 123 yards and two touchdowns; it was his sixth consecutive 100-yard playoff performance. Joe Theismann (pictured at right) completed 14 of 26 passes for 229 yards with a TD and an interception. Charlie Brown was the leading receiver with 5 catches for 137 yards and a score.

Joe Montana, in staging the big comeback, threw the ball 48 times, completing 27 of them, for 347 yards with three touchdowns and one picked off. Freddie Solomon had the most receiving yards for the 49ers with 106 on his four catches with the one long TD. Mike Wilson, who had two scores, caught the most passes (8) and added 57 yards. The Niners ran just 16 times, for 87 yards, with Wendell Tyler leading the way with 44 yards on 8 rushes; Montana was a close second with 40 yards on 5 carries.

Washington was upset in the Super Bowl by the Los Angeles Raiders, losing by a stunning 38-9 score and putting a damper on what had been one of the greatest seasons in the franchise’s history. San Francisco was back in the NFC Championship game following the 1984 season, this time winning with ease on their way to a Super Bowl championship. While Joe Montana had already shown a great deal in his young career, the greatest heroics were still to come.