1986: Patriots Take Advantage of Raider Turnovers, Win Divisional Playoff Game

The odds of the New England Patriots making it to the Super Bowl following the 1985 season were not good. They had finished 11-5 for third place in the AFC East, qualifying for the playoffs but needing to go on the road to advance. In the Wild Card round, the Patriots beat the team that had finished with the same record as theirs in the division, the New York Jets (awarded second place - and the higher wild card seeding - due to the conference record tiebreaker), but next had to take on the Los Angeles Raiders at the Memorial Coliseum on January 5, 1986.

The Patriots, guided by Head Coach Raymond Berry, had an opportunistic defense that led the AFC by generating 47 turnovers. LB Andre Tippett was the UPI Defensive Player of the Year in the AFC and LB Steve Nelson, CB Raymond Clayborn, and FS Fred Marion all were selected to the Pro Bowl. The offense ran the ball well, led by RB Craig James (pictured above; gained 1227 yards), and behind an offensive line anchored by G John Hannah and OT Brian Holloway. Quarterback was a question mark, however, as third-year QB Tony Eason, the club’s first draft choice in 1983, had gone down with a separated shoulder six games into the season and was replaced by 32-year-old veteran Steve Grogan. Grogan led the club to five straight wins but suffered a broken leg that put Eason back in the lineup.

The Raiders, coached by Tom Flores, were in the postseason for the fourth straight year and had been NFL champions in ’83. The defense was top-ranked in the conference and included consensus first-team All-Pros in DE Howie Long and CB Mike Haynes. RB Marcus Allen ran for 1759 yards and was the consensus NFL MVP. Sixth-year QB Marc Wilson took over for injured 38-year-old veteran Jim Plunkett. LA had won six straight to close out the regular season and finished atop the AFC West with a 12-4 record; in addition, they had beaten the Patriots earlier in the year.

New England benefited from an early turnover by the Raiders. The Patriots were forced to punt following the first possession of the game, and LA safety Fulton Walker muffed the catch. Safety Jim Bowman recovered for New England at the Los Angeles 21 and two plays later, Eason completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to TE Lin Dawson.


On LA’s ensuing possession, Wilson was intercepted by CB Ronnie Lippett (pictured at right), but after driving to the Raiders’ 41 the Patriots had to punt. The Raiders manufactured a break of their own as DE Greg Townsend blocked Rich Camarillo’s kick, giving them the ball at the New England 16. After a four-yard run by Allen, Wilson threw two incompletions and Chris Bahr kicked a 29-yard field goal. The score was 7-3 after one quarter of play.

Bahr missed a 44-yard field goal attempt early in the second quarter, but the Patriots were unable to move against LA’s defense. Following another New England punt and a 16-yard return by Walker, the Raiders drove 52 yards in six plays that culminated in Wilson tossing a 16-yard touchdown pass to WR Jessie Hester. The Raiders had a 10-7 lead, and they built upon it when, on the Patriots’ next play from scrimmage, RB Mosi Tatupu fumbled and Howie Long recovered for Los Angeles at the New England 19. Allen ran for an 11-yard touchdown and the score was now 17-7.

The Patriots responded with an 80-yard drive highlighted by Craig James running the ball for 27 yards and catching a pass for another 24 while Tatupu, making up for the earlier fumble, had a 22-yard run to the Los Angeles 15. James finished off the drive with a two-yard scoring run on third down out of the shotgun formation, and LA’s lead was cut to 17-14.

New England got the ball back as Lippett intercepted a Wilson pass at the Los Angeles 28 yard line. Four plays later, Tony Franklin kicked a 45-yard field goal to tie the score. However, with 1:40 left in the half, the Raiders commenced a 10-play drive to the New England 14, highlighted by a 17-yard run by Allen and 31-yard pass from Wilson to TE Todd Christensen. Bahr booted a 32-yard field goal with six seconds remaining on the clock, and the Raiders took a 20-17 lead into halftime.

Following an Allen fumble midway through the third quarter, the Patriots drove to the LA 14, where Franklin’s 32-yard field goal again tied the game at 20-20. In the biggest play of the game, Raiders CB Sam Seale fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Bowman recovered in the end zone for a New England touchdown.

There was still a quarter to play, but the Raiders were unable to advance beyond the New England 41 in their final three possessions of the game. The first ended in a punt, the second lasted just three plays as Wilson was intercepted by Marion, and the last drive fizzled out when Wilson threw incomplete on a fourth-and-17 play from his own 13 with a minute left to play. The Patriots held on to win, 27-20.

The Raiders outgained New England (287 yards to 254) and had the edge in first downs (17 to 15), but also gave up six turnovers, to two by the Patriots. New England turned those turnovers into 17 points, and that was the difference in the game.

Craig James was the star on offense for the Patriots, gaining 104 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown and also leading the receivers with three catches for 48 yards. Tony Eason completed just 7 of 14 passes for 117 yards and a TD, but threw no interceptions.


For the Raiders, Marcus Allen (pictured at left) ran for 121 yards on 22 attempts, including a score. But Marc Wilson was successful on only 11 of 27 passes for 135 yards and threw for one TD against three interceptions. Todd Christensen led the club’s receivers with 4 catches for 78 yards.

“It's unbelievable to come out here into Raider territory and come out with a win,” said Coach Raymond Berry. “It's a tribute to this club. It has true staying power and it never quits.”

“I'm not taking anything away from the Patriots, because they are a good football team,” said a disappointed Tom Flores, “but you just can't play in a game of this magnitude and make the mistakes we made today. We fumbled the ball, we threw interceptions, and those are the types of things that kill you.”

The Patriots went on to upset Miami for the AFC Championship, capping a dramatic run to the Super Bowl in which they won three playoff games on the road. But there was no storybook ending as they were demolished by the Chicago Bears for the league title.

1981: Cowboys Come from Behind to Beat Falcons in Divisional Playoff Game

The NFC Divisional playoff game on January 4, 1981 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium featured two teams that had compiled 12-4 records during the 1980 regular season. However, the visiting Dallas Cowboys had been regular participants in the postseason since 1966 (they had only missed in 1974) while the host Atlanta Falcons were making just their second foray into the playoffs.

The Cowboys, coached by Tom Landry, were in transition. Gone was Hall of Fame QB Roger Staubach, who had retired following the ’79 season while still in top form, and replaced by backup Danny White (pictured above). Gone also to retirement was FS Cliff Harris, and questions regarding the secondary dogged the club all season. But Dallas still had RB Tony Dorsett (1185 yards rushing), wide receivers Drew Pearson and Tony Hill, DT Randy White, and MLB Bob Breunig, plus DE Ed “Too Tall” Jones had returned after a year’s retirement to pursue a boxing career. The Cowboys finished second in the NFC East and had easily dispatched the Rams (who had upset them in the 1979 postseason) in the Wild Card playoff game.

Atlanta, under Head Coach Leeman Bennett, had gotten off to a 3-3 start but then put together a nine-game winning streak on the way to placing first in the NFC West. QB Steve Bartkowski (pictured below left) led the league in touchdown passes (31) while placing fifth with 3544 passing yards and fourth with a passer rating of 88.2. RB William Andrews gained 1308 yards on the ground while WR Alfred Jenkins (58 catches, 1035 yards) and rookie TE Junior Miller also earned trips to the Pro Bowl. Two rookie linebackers, Buddy Curry and Al Richardson, had an impact on defense, as did LB Joel Williams, who was unofficially credited with 16 sacks (sacks were not yet an officially-compiled statistic).


The Falcons put together a scoring drive the first time they had the ball, although Jenkins dropped a pass in the end zone and they settled for a 38-yard field goal by Tim Mazzetti. However, on the next Atlanta possession, Jenkins made up for the drop by catching a bomb from Bartkowski for a 60-yard touchdown and 10-0 lead with 4:50 left in the opening period.

Just before the end of the first quarter, the Cowboys got on the board with a Rafael Septien field goal of 38 yards. Dallas tied the score in the second quarter after recovering a Bartkowski fumble at the Atlanta 44, which set up a five-yard TD pass from White to TE Billy Joe DuPree. But later in the period, Bartkowski completed a 50-yard pass to Jenkins to set up a one-yard TD carry by RB Lynn Cain. The Falcons took a 17-10 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, it appeared that Dallas was on the way to another score when Falcons FS Tom Pridemore intercepted a White pass at the Atlanta 15. The Falcons then responded by driving 70 yards and Bartkowski threw to Andrews for a 12-yard touchdown. Atlanta was now ahead by 24-10 with just over seven minutes remaining in the period.

Early in the fourth quarter, RB Robert Newhouse scored for the Cowboys on a one-yard TD plunge, but the Falcons came back with a Mazzetti field goal from 34 yards to make it 27-17 with 6:37 left to play.

With their backs to the wall, the Cowboys drove 62 yards, all on passes by White, the final one a 14-yard touchdown throw to Drew Pearson. It was now a three-point game, and on the ensuing possession the Falcons were stifled by the Dallas defense and had to punt. The Cowboys got the ball on their 30 with 1:48 remaining.

Once again the Dallas offense moved down the field, keyed by a 20-yard pass to WR Butch Johnson. White was playing for a tying field goal, but instead found Pearson for a 23-yard touchdown pass that put the Cowboys ahead – but by only three points, since the ensuing extra point attempt failed.

Atlanta had one last chance, but Bartkowski was sacked for a nine-yard loss and completed one of three passes before having to turn the ball over on downs. The Cowboys won by a score of 30-27.

Dallas outgained the Falcons (422 yards to 371) and had more first downs (22 to 18). Both teams turned the ball over twice, while the Cowboys sacked Bartkowski four times as against White being dumped just once.


Danny White completed 25 of 39 passes for 322 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, but 15 of 20 for 239 yards of that came in the second half. Drew Pearson (pictured at right) caught 5 passes, four of them in the last two drives, for 90 yards and the two big TDs. Tony Dorsett led the Cowboys in rushing with 51 yards on 10 carries and also had 5 pass receptions for 40 yards.

For White, it was the second time that he led the Cowboys to a playoff win over the Falcons - in 1978, after Staubach was injured with Dallas behind in a Divisional playoff game against Atlanta at Texas Stadium, he had rallied the team to a 27-20 victory. But since taking over as the starting quarterback, he had labored in his predecessor’s shadow, making the come-from-behind playoff win particularly gratifying.

The comeback scenario was even more familiar to the eighth-year veteran wide receiver Pearson, who had been part of several of them during the Staubach era – perhaps most notably the last-second “Hail Mary” catch in an NFC Divisional playoff game against the Vikings following the 1975 season.


As for Atlanta, Steve Bartkowski was successful on 18 of 33 passes for 320 yards with two touchdowns and one picked off. Alfred Jenkins (pictured at left) caught 4 passes for 155 yards and a TD, while WR Wallace Francis contributed 6 receptions for 66 yards. Both Lynn Cain and William Andrews rushed for 43 yards (on 13 and 14 attempts, respectively).

“What can you say? It was just a tremendous thing (the comeback),” Tom Landry said. “When we got down by two touchdowns (24-10) in the third quarter, I thought our chances of coming back were slim. But the ball bounces funny sometimes.”

“It was a bitter pill to swallow,” said Falcons' Coach Bennett. “I still feel we're good enough to go to the Super Bowl. Any team that wins 12 games is good enough. But it's a very empty feeling losing in the playoffs.”

Dallas lost the NFC Championship game the next week to the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. Atlanta dropped off to a disappointing 7-9 record in 1981.

Danny White led the Cowboys to three straight conference championship games, but failed to make it to the Super Bowl and, while he had a fine career, suffered in comparison to the legendary Staubach.

1993: Bills Overcome 32-Point Deficit, Beat Oilers in Overtime

The Buffalo Bills, under Head Coach Marv Levy, had been AFC Champions in 1990 and ’91 and went 11-5 in 1992 to finish second in the AFC East (to Miami, due to the conference record tiebreaker). They had lost the Super Bowls following those previous conference titles, and their road to another shot required them to host the Houston Oilers on January 3, 1993 in the Wild Card playoff round.

The team’s veteran core was still intact. RB Thurman Thomas ran for 1487 yards and caught 56 passes for 626 more to lead the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2113) for the fourth straight year. WR Andre Reed caught 65 passes for 913 yards and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fifth consecutive season. OT Will Wolford and G Jim Ritcher anchored a solid offensive line. Defensively, DE Bruce Smith, LB Cornelius Bennett, CB Nate Odomes, and SS Henry Jones all had Pro Bowl years. However, QB Jim Kelly had slumped toward the end of the season, and a knee injury in the last game forced him to miss the playoff contest against Houston – backup QB Frank Reich (pictured above) would be starting.

The Houston Oilers, who finished second in the AFC Central with a 10-6 record, were also not recent strangers to the postseason – they had qualified for the playoffs for the sixth straight year. However, they had not made it beyond the divisional round in any of those seasons, leading the club to gain a reputation for choking in big games. Coached since 1990 by the low-key Jack Pardee, they utilized a run-and-shoot offense that was run effectively by 36-year-old QB Warren Moon (pictured below left) and included three wide receivers that were chosen for the Pro Bowl in Haywood Jeffires, Curtis Duncan, and Ernest Givins. RB Lorenzo White ran for 1226 yards and caught 57 passes. But while they could run up points, the defense was prone to blowing leads – a factor that would come into play in classic fashion in the playoff game at Buffalo.


There were 75,141 fans present at Rich Stadium, and for the first half of the contest they had little to cheer about. The Oilers took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards in 14 plays, culminating in a three-yard touchdown pass from Moon to Jeffires. Buffalo responded with a 10-play drive that led to a 36-yard field goal by Steve Christie and the score was 7-3 after one quarter.

Houston took control in the second quarter. They finished off another long, 12-play drive, again covering 80 yards, with Givins hauling in four passes along the way for 41 yards. It was WR Webster Slaughter finishing off the possession, however, as Moon threw to him for a seven-yard TD. Buffalo went three-and-out, and the Oilers again drove to a touchdown. This time it took only five plays to go 67 yards and Moon threw a 26-yard scoring pass to Duncan. It was 21-3 with just over four minutes remaining in the half.

Buffalo was able to put together a drive in its next possession, but after getting to the Houston 32, Reich threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-four and the Oilers took over on downs. Moon capped an eight-play drive with his fourth touchdown pass of the day, covering 27 yards to Jeffires, and Houston took a big 28-3 margin into halftime.

The Bills received the second half kickoff, and four plays later Reich, throwing out of the shotgun formation, was intercepted by safety Bubba McDowell, who returned it 58 yards for another Houston touchdown. The score was now 35-3, and it seemed as though the Oilers had the game well in hand.

Buffalo put together a scoring drive, converting a third-and-15 situation (Reich pass to Reed for 16 yards) and fourth-and-two (RB Kenneth Davis running for five yards) along the way. Davis ran for a one-yard touchdown and the score was now 35-10.

The Bills executed a successful onside kick, and four plays later Reich threw to WR Don Beebe for a 38-yard touchdown that made it 35-17. Houston went three-and-out on its next possession, and following a short punt the Bills moved swiftly down the field on yet another scoring drive. Reich completed passes of 18 yards to WR James Lofton, 39 yards to Beebe, and 19 to Davis before hitting Reed for a 26-yard touchdown. Houston’s margin was now down to 35-24, and Buffalo wasn’t done yet in the third quarter.

The Oilers got the ball back, and Moon was intercepted by Henry Jones, who returned it 15 yards to the Houston 23. Reich threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Reed on a fourth-and-five play, and with yet another successful Christie PAT, it was now a four-point game at 35-31.

The reeling Oilers were unable to get anything going on their next possession, as Moon completed one of three passes and was sacked once (he fumbled, but Houston recovered). The decision by the Bills to abandon the six-defensive back prevent defense of the first half and return to their standard alignment was proving effective.

Having scored 28 points in the third quarter, Buffalo’s offense finally stalled to begin the fourth period and the Bills went three-and-out. Houston’s offense began to move, with Moon hitting on six passes, including one to Givins for 27 yards. An apparent interception was wiped out by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Bruce Smith, but after getting to the Buffalo 14, a field goal attempt was botched when Montgomery, the holder for placekicks as well as punter, fumbled the snap.

The Bills drove down field, going 74 yards on a possession that featured a 35-yard run by Davis. Reich again threw to Reed for a 17-yard touchdown, and Buffalo was ahead by 38-35, having scored 35 unanswered points since the interception return by McDowell early in the third quarter.

With three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Moon once more led the Oilers on a methodical drive that covered 63 yards in 12 plays. Al Del Greco kicked a 26-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score at 38-38 and send the game into overtime.

Houston won the toss for the overtime period, but on the third play Moon was intercepted by Odomes, who returned it to the Houston 35 (a facemask penalty on Jeffires moved the ball another 15 yards closer). Following two short runs by Davis, Christie kicked a 32-yard field goal at just over three minutes into OT and Buffalo, having made the biggest comeback in NFL history, came away with a 41-38 win.

Houston outgained the Bills (429 yards to 366) and had more first downs (27 to 19), but the inability to stop Buffalo’s attack in the second half and the interception in overtime sealed the Oilers’ fate.

Frank Reich completed 21 of 34 passes for 289 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Andre Reed (pictured below) caught 8 passes for 136 yards and scored three of the TDs. Kenneth Davis led the Bills in rushing with 68 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown (Thurman Thomas, who left the game in the third quarter due to a hip injury, had 26 yards on 11 attempts).


Warren Moon went to the air 50 times with 36 completions for 371 yards and four touchdowns against two big interceptions. Ernest Givins caught 9 passes for 117 yards while Haywood Jeffires, Webster Slaughter, and Curtis Duncan all grabbed 8 apiece (for 98, 73, and 57 yards, respectively). Lorenzo White ran for 75 yards on 19 carries.

For Reich, the big comeback was not a first – playing at the college level in 1984, he had led Maryland to a 42-40 win over Miami after trailing 31-0 at halftime. Asked afterward if he thought back to that earlier comeback, he replied, “Many times. As a football player, you gear your mind to not thinking in terms of how far behind you are. We're so geared to the game not being over until the final whistle blows.”

“I've never seen momentum change like that in my life,” said a disappointed Warren Moon afterward. “We had control of this ball game like no other team has had control of the ball game.”

The Bills won their next two games, over Pittsburgh in the Divisional playoff and Miami for the AFC Championship; however, their futility in the Super Bowl continued as they lost by a 52-17 margin to the Dallas Cowboys.

1982: Dolphins Come from Behind, Chargers Prevail in Overtime Thriller

It appeared that the AFC Divisional playoff game at the Orange Bowl on January 2, 1982 would be a classic blowout when the visiting San Diego Chargers broke out to a 24-0 lead over the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter. Ultimately, the contest ended up being a thrilling overtime struggle.

The Chargers, coached by Don Coryell, had gone through the 1981 season with a 10-6 record to win the AFC West for the third straight year. They had lost two of their key players, WR John Jefferson and DE Fred Dean, to trades as a result of contract disputes. WR Wes Chandler was obtained from New Orleans during the season to take Jefferson’s spot, joining WR Charlie Joiner and TE Kellen Winslow to keep the aerial game explosive. QB Dan Fouts (pictured above) broke his own record with 4802 passing yards while also leading the NFL with 33 touchdown passes and ranking second with a 90.6 passer rating. The loss of Dean proved more difficult to compensate for, as the defensive performance dropped off badly, especially against the pass.

Miami, under Head Coach Don Shula, won the AFC East at 11-4-1. Second-year QB David Woodley had a strong arm and was mobile, but also inconsistent and was relieved several times during the season by eighth-year veteran backup Don Strock, who lacked mobility but was the better passer. The defense was respectable, if also prone to inconsistency, and featured Pro Bowl NT Bob Baumhower, DE Vern Den Herder, and LB A.J. Duhe.

It was a hot and humid night in Miami, but it was San Diego who played hot in the opening period, much to the dismay of the 73,735 fans in the Orange Bowl. On their first series, the Chargers drove from their 22 to the Miami 14, the big play being a 47-yard pass completion from Fouts to Chandler, and Rolf Benirschke kicked a 32-yard field goal for the early lead.

The Dolphins went three and out, and the resulting punt was returned 58 yards for a touchdown by Chandler, racing down the right sideline. Things went further awry for the Dolphins when San Diego regained possession on the ensuing kickoff after an odd bounce took the ball over Miami’s front line of players and was recovered by RB Hank Bauer for the Chargers at the Dolphins’ 29. Fouts completed two short passes, hit Winslow on a third-and-two play at the nine for an eight-yard gain to the one, and two plays later RB Chuck Muncie bulled over for a TD. The Chargers were up by 17-0.

Three plays into the ensuing Miami series, Woodley was intercepted by FS Glen Edwards, who returned it to the Miami 11 and in three more plays, Fouts tossed an eight-yard scoring pass to rookie RB James Brooks for a touchdown and 24-0 San Diego lead.

Woodley had been sacked three times and completed two of five passes for 20 yards. Coach Shula decided to make a change at quarterback, and in the second quarter, with 12:05 remaining in the half, Strock entered the game. On the first series with Strock behind center, Miami drove 63 yards to the San Diego 17 and Uwe von Schamann kicked a 34-yard field goal to finally get the Dolphins on the board.

On San Diego’s next possession, the defense created a break as Fouts was hit hard by DE Kim Bokamper and fumbled. Baumhower recovered for the Dolphins at the San Diego 39. Seven plays later, Strock threw to TE Joe Rose in the middle of the end zone from a yard out and it was 24-10 with 2:46 now left on the clock.

The Chargers, attempting to add to their lead before the half, got to the Miami 37 with 36 seconds remaining. On fourth down, Coryell chose to have Benirschke attempt a 55-yard field goal, but the kick was wide to the right and Miami had the ball with 30 seconds of time to work with.

Strock fired three completions and then tossed a 15-yard pass to WR Duriel Harris at the San Diego 25 who lateraled to the running back trailing the play, Tony Nathan. Nathan ran the rest of the way to complete the 40-yard “hook-and-ladder” play for a touchdown with no time left (pictured below), narrowing the score to 24-17 at the half.


The momentum stayed with the Dolphins to start the third quarter as they went 74 yards in eight plays on their first possession to pull even with San Diego on a 15-yard TD pass to Rose, making the comeback complete.

With the game now tied at 24-24, the Chargers put together a scoring drive. San Diego went 60 yards in six plays, capped by a 25-yard Fouts to Winslow pass for a 31-24 lead with 4:15 remaining in the period. Miami came right back as Strock connected on five straight passes, the last a 50-yard TD throw to TE Bruce Hardy. The contest was again tied at 31-31.

The Chargers took over on their 17 and, after two incomplete passes, Fouts was intercepted by FS Lyle Blackwood who lateraled to CB Gerald Small for a return to the San Diego 15. Two plays later, and now into the fourth quarter, Nathan ran for a 12-yard touchdown and the Dolphins took the lead at 38-31.

The Chargers had to punt on their next possession, and Miami put together a long drive of 13 plays to the San Diego 21. However, before they could get the opportunity to add points, Miami RB Andra Franklin fumbled and SS Pete Shaw recovered for the Chargers.

Down seven points with 4:39 remaining in regulation and starting at their own 18, the Chargers drove downfield. Fouts passed to Joiner for 14 yards, Winslow for seven, and then Chandler for 19 to set up first-and-goal at the Miami 9. Fouts hit Brooks in the corner of the end zone and, with the successful extra point, the game was tied with 58 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

In the remaining time, Strock got Miami in position to try for a game-winning field goal on the last play of regulation, but the snap was high, the kick low, and the 6’5” Winslow was able to get a hand on the ball to block von Schamann’s 43-yard attempt. The game went into overtime.

San Diego got the first shot in OT, and it looked to be all over when the Chargers drove from their 13 yard line to the Miami eight, but Benirschke missed a rushed 27-yard field goal attempt.

Now it was Miami’s turn, and they again moved into Chargers territory. But another von Schamann field goal attempt, this time from 35 yards, was blocked by DE Leroy Jones. San Diego had the ball at its 16, and Fouts threw to Chandler for a 19-yard gain. A 40-yard completion down the middle to Joiner gave the Chargers a first down on the Miami 10 and Coryell immediately sent out the field goal unit. Benirschke then delivered the game-winning 29-yard field goal at 13:52 into the overtime period, and San Diego came away with a hard-fought 41-38 win.

The San Diego players could barely celebrate due to exhaustion after the game-winning kick. Kellen Winslow, dehydrated from the humidity and suffering from a sore shoulder, had to be helped off the field by teammates (pictured at bottom).

The teams combined for a then-NFL postseason-record 1036 yards, with the Chargers outgaining Miami by 564 to 472. The net passing total of 809 yards also set a record, as both quarterbacks threw for over 400 yards.

Dan Fouts completed 33 of 53 passes for 433 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Kellen Winslow caught 13 of those passes for 166 yards with a TD and also blocked a field goal. Two other San Diego receivers reached the hundred-yard mark, with Charlie Joiner gaining 108 yards on 7 receptions and Wes Chandler accumulating 106 yards on 6 catches. Chuck Muncie paced the rushing attack with 120 yards on 24 carries that included a touchdown.


Don Strock (pictured at left), who didn’t enter the game until the second quarter, threw 43 passes and completed 29 of them for 403 yards with four TDs and one interception. Tony Nathan, in addition to leading the team in rushing with 48 yards on 14 attempts that included a score, also gained 114 yards on 9 receptions with another TD. Duriel Harris added 6 catches for 106 yards.

It was an especially amazing performance for Strock, the career backup who threw just six touchdown passes in relief during the regular season, but tossed four against the Chargers. Dan Fouts complimented him afterward, saying “He played one of the best games I’ve ever seen any quarterback play. He was awesome.”

San Diego’s ascent through the playoffs ended in the AFC Championship game with a 27-7 loss to the Bengals in frigid Cincinnati. David Woodley was still Miami’s starting quarterback during the strike-shortened 1982 season, with Strock backing up, but the arrival of rookie QB Dan Marino in 1983 settled the issue.

1967: Packers Hold Off Cowboys to Win NFL Championship

The 1966 NFL Championship game, played on January 1, 1967 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, featured a matchup between the defending league champions, the Green Bay Packers, and the host Cowboys, appearing in their first postseason game.

Head Coach Vince Lombardi’s Packers were even better than they were the previous year, compiling a 12-2 record to finish atop the Western Conference. While age was catching up to some of the players who had been part of winning three titles in the previous five years, such as HB Paul Hornung, FB Jim Taylor, and split end Max McGee, others were still highly effective. QB Bart Starr (pictured above) led the NFL in passing and was intercepted only three times. CB Herb Adderley, FS Willie Wood, DE Willie Davis, and OT Forrest Gregg were still among the best in pro football at their positions, and Jerry Kramer and Fred “Fuzzy” Thurston were the most effective guard tandem as well.

The Dallas Cowboys, in their seventh season of existence, had been molded into an outstanding club by Head Coach Tom Landry. The offense, operated by QB Don Meredith and including WR Bob Hayes and FB Don Perkins, was explosive while the defense, featuring stars such as DT Bob Lilly, LB Chuck Howley, and FS Mel Renfro, was one of the best. They won the Eastern Conference title with a 10-3-1 tally.

There were 75,504 fans on hand on a clear day with temperatures in the 50s. Green Bay wasted no time in taking early command, as HB Elijah Pitts took off on a 32-yard run and then caught a swing pass from Starr for a 17-yard touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, Renfro fumbled and rookie FB Jim Grabowski recovered for the Packers and ran 18 yards for a TD. In short order, the defending champs had a 14-0 lead.

The Cowboys fought back with a 13-play drive that culminated in a three-yard run by HB Dan Reeves to cut the Packers’ lead in half. Green Bay was forced to punt on its next possession, and Perkins ran for a 23-yard touchdown to end the resulting five-play drive that covered 59 yards. The score was tied at 14-14 after the opening period.

The Packers scored again on the third play of the second quarter as Starr connected on a bomb to split end Carroll Dale that barely made it past CB Cornell Green’s outstretched fingers for a 51-yard touchdown (pictured below).


The Cowboys drove from their 28 to the Green Bay four, with the big play being a Meredith pass to Reeves that covered 40 yards. But the Packers held and Danny Villanueva kicked an 11-yard field goal.

Green Bay’s offense moved into Dallas territory once more, but tackle Ralph Neely blocked a 30-yard field goal attempt by Don Chandler before halftime. The score at the intermission was 21-17 in favor of the Packers.

Early in the third quarter, the Cowboys forced Pitts to fumble, which stopped a good Green Bay drive at the Dallas 21. That was turned into three points when Villanueva kicked a 32-yard field goal to cap a 13-play drive, and it was now a one-point game at 21-20. But on the next possession, Starr threw to Dale for 43 yards and then four plays later to Dowler for a 16-yard touchdown to extend Green Bay’s lead to 28-20.

The pace of the scoring slowed, and Green Bay got a break when Bob Hayes unwisely fielded a punt by the Packers at the one and was immediately brought down, pinning the Cowboys deep in their own territory. They were forced to punt in turn and the Packers took over at the Dallas 48. Starr was sacked by DE George Andrie but responded with a 24-yard pass to TE Marv Fleming. On a third-and-12 play, he connected with Jim Taylor for a first down. Starr, again being sacked for an 11-yard loss by DE Willie Townes, threw a 28-yard TD pass to McGee with 5:20 remaining for a 34-20 lead. Chandler’s extra point attempt was blocked by Lilly, but it appeared that the Packers had the game in hand.

There were now just over five minutes to play and the Cowboys needed to score quickly to have a chance. They did, when on a third-and-20 play, Meredith connected for a 68-yard touchdown pass to TE Frank Clarke that narrowed the margin to seven points.

The Packers sought to maintain possession and run time off the clock when they got the ball back, and Starr passed to Fleming for 18 yards to the Green Bay 46. But then LB Dave Edwards sacked Starr for an eight-yard loss, Townes deflected a pass for an incompletion, and a swing pass to Taylor was stopped for a loss. Green Bay would need to kick the ball back to Dallas. The Cowboys charged in to try to block the punt, resulting in a poor 17-yard kick by Chandler that gave Dallas good field position at the Green Bay 47 with 2:19 on the clock.

Meredith passed to Clarke for 21 yards, Perkins ran for four just prior to the two-minute warning, and then, on a throw intended for Clarke, a pass interference penalty was called on SS Tom Brown that put the ball on the Green Bay two. It seemed as though overtime was looming.

Reeves got to the one, but following an incomplete pass, an offside penalty on the Cowboys moved the ball back five yards. Meredith missed on a pass to Reeves, and a throw to Norman picked up four yards. On fourth-and-goal at the two, and with less then 30 seconds to play in regulation, Meredith rolled out, but LB Dave Robinson was there to hurry him. Lobbing a pass into the end zone that was intended for Hayes, it was intercepted by Brown (making up for the pass interference penalty) to snuff out the threat (pictured below). Green Bay won the NFL title by a score of 34-27.


The Cowboys outgained the Packers (418 yards to 367), had more first downs (23 to 19), and sacked Starr five times for a loss of 39 yards, while Meredith was dumped just twice. But the two turnovers made the difference as the first led directly to a Green Bay touchdown and the second sealed the game. The one turnover by the Packers, by comparison, gained three points for Dallas.

Bart Starr had an outstanding performance, completing 19 of 28 passes for 304 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Carroll Dale caught 5 passes for 128 yards and a TD, and Jim Taylor also caught 5 passes out of the backfield for 23 yards to go along with his 37 yards rushing on 10 carries. Elijah Pitts led the Packers in ground gaining with 66 yards on 12 attempts.

For Dallas, Don Meredith (pictured below) was successful on 15 of 31 passes for 238 yards with a TD and an interception. Don Perkins ran for 108 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, while Dan Reeves also ran the ball 17 times, gaining 47 yards and a TD, and also caught 4 passes for 77 more yards. Frank Clarke, with the long scoring catch, gained 102 yards on his three receptions. However, the Packers successfully neutralized the potent deep threat, Bob Hayes, who had just one catch for a yard.

“We had our chance down there and muffed it,” said Tom Landry. “It was just one of those things.”

There was one more game for the Packers to play, as the merger between the NFL and AFL that was announced in June of 1966 created a contest between the champions of the two leagues that came to be known as the Super Bowl. Green Bay defeated the AFL-champion Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. It was also the last year before the conferences were broken up into divisions in the NFL, thus creating an extra layer of postseason in 1967.

1988: Bears Defeat Eagles in “Fog Bowl”

Pro football games have been played in all sorts of weather conditions, and when it comes to the NFL postseason that has typically meant frigid temperatures and/or snow. The NFC Divisional playoff game on December 31, 1988 was distinctive, however, for the ghostly fog that enveloped the field during the second half and that resulted in the contest being referred to as “the Fog Bowl”.

The host team, the Chicago Bears, had placed first in the NFC Central with a 12-4 record. Under Head Coach Mike Ditka, it was the fifth consecutive season that the club had won in double figures and included a championship in ’85. Defense had been the key to Chicago’s success, and while free agency and injuries had caused some damage, mainstays such as tackles Steve McMichael and Dan Hampton, LB Mike Singletary, and SS Dave Duerson were still around and the unit had allowed an NFL-low 215 points. Injury-prone QB Jim McMahon had gone down at midseason, but backup Mike Tomczak was competent in relief and third-year RB Neal Anderson generated 1106 yards on the ground.


The visiting Philadelphia Eagles, under third-year Head Coach Buddy Ryan (no stranger to the Bears, as he was the defensive coordinator during the Super Bowl season), had not been in the playoffs since 1981. They had won the NFC East with a 10-6 tally and featured a tough, blitz-heavy defense, led by DE Reggie White. The offense was directed by highly-mobile QB Randall Cunningham, who threw for a team-record 3808 yards and ran for 624. Rookie TE Keith Jackson (pictured at right) had an All-Pro season, catching 81 passes, and RB Keith Byars, a better receiver out of the backfield than runner from scrimmage, grabbed 72.

There was no clue at the game’s commencement of what lay ahead. The weather at Chicago’s Soldier Field was clear and temperatures were in the mid-30s at kickoff. The teams traded punts with the Bears scoring first, on their second possession. On a third-and-seven play, Tomczak connected with WR Dennis McKinnon for a 64-yard touchdown.

The Eagles came right back as Cunningham completed passes of 15 yards to WR Mike Quick and 17 to WR Cris Carter to the Chicago 33 yard line. But the drive stalled at the 25 and a 43-yard field goal attempt by Luis Zendejas missed to the left.

Philadelphia got a break, however, when Tomczak went to the air and was intercepted by LB Seth Joyner, giving the Eagles the ball at the Bears’ 30. Following a run by FB Anthony Toney, an 18-yard pass play from Cunningham to Jackson got the ball down to the 11. But after advancing to the nine, two successive apparent touchdown passes were wiped out by holding penalties on Toney. The Eagles ended up with a 43-yard Zendejas field goal.

Now it was Chicago’s turn to mount a drive, and thanks to two Tomczak completions to McKinnon of 14 and 22 yards, the Bears got to the Philadelphia 34. However, Kevin Butler’s 51-yard field goal attempt fell short. The score was 7-3 at the end of the opening period.

The Eagles got another break in the second quarter when Chicago TE Cap Boso fumbled after catching a pass from Tomczak and FS Wes Hopkins recovered for Philadelphia at the Bears’ 14. But on a third-and-seven play, Jackson dropped a pass in the end zone and the Eagles again had to settle for a 29-yard Zendejas field goal.

Chicago’s next possession resulted in a four-yard touchdown run by Anderson that extended their lead to 14-6. It was 17-6 shortly thereafter as Butler kicked a 46-yard field goal. The Eagles got the ball back with just under two minutes remaining in the half, and a 65-yard pass play from Cunningham to Jackson got the ball down to the Chicago five. Once again, a penalty backed the Eagles up and they were unable to get a touchdown in the red zone. Zendejas kicked a 30-yard field goal and the score was 17-9 at halftime.

The first hints of the fog blowing in off of Lake Michigan arrived late in the second quarter, and during the third quarter the field was completely enveloped. For most of the 65,534 fans and the press box-level television cameras, the field was no longer visible, completely cut off by the fog. Referee Jim Tunney chose to continue the game, which was televised from this point by sideline cameras. While accounts vary as to visibility on the field, Tunney said afterward that “I felt the conditions, while not great, were still playable. I could see all 22 players from my position. I occasionally lost sight of the safety, but only for a second or two.”

On the field, the Eagles took the second half kickoff and again drove deep into Chicago territory, but with the ball at the 11 yard line, Cunningham was intercepted by CB Vestee Jackson, who returned it 51 yards. This time it was the Bears coming up empty in scoring position as they drove to the Philadelphia 13 and Butler’s 33-yard field goal attempt was no good when it hit the right upright.

Later in the third quarter, Eagles SS Terry Hoage intercepted a Tomczak pass to give Philadelphia excellent field position at the Chicago 17. But after three incompletions, Zendejas kicked his fourth field goal of the game, from 35 yards. The Bears, with Jim McMahon replacing the injured Tomczak, drove to a 27-yard Butler field goal early in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles had two more possessions, but were unable to score again. The last series, that made it to the Chicago 16, resulted in an interception by CB Maurice Douglass that was returned 47 yards, and from there the Bears were able to run out the clock and win by a score of 20-12.

Philadelphia outgained the Bears (430 yards to 341) and had the edge in first downs, 22 to 14. Chicago turned the ball over more times (4 to 3), but untimely penalties and the inability to score touchdowns proved fatal – likely moreso than the weather conditions. The Eagles were inside the Chicago 26 yard line 10 times and came away with just four field goals.

Mike Tomczak completed 10 of 20 passes for 172 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. Dennis McKinnon caught four passes for 108 yards and a TD. RB Thomas Sanders rushed for 94 yards on 8 carries, while Neal Anderson ran the ball 14 times for 54 yards and a score.


Randall Cunningham (pictured above) threw 54 passes and completed 27 of them for 407 yards, but was picked off three times. Keith Byars caught 9 of those throws for 103 yards while Keith Jackson gained 142 yards on 7 receptions and Mike Quick added another 82 yards on 5 catches. The Eagles had just 52 yards on the ground, with Byars gaining 34 of them on 7 attempts.

How much did the fog affect the outcome? Said Randall Cunningham afterward, “The fog really affected what we wanted to do. If you took your ten-yard dropback, you could only see about fifteen yards.”

Eagles owner Norman Braman, who left his seat in a luxury box for the sideline when it became impossible to see the action, said, “I was right there, and believe me, those officials wouldn’t have known if there were 22 players on the field or 16.”

But as Mike Ditka pointed out, “Half of the game was played in sunshine, and [the Eagles] couldn’t get the ball in the end zone. If they can’t score in the sunlight, that’s not our fault.”

Buddy Ryan added, “There was no reason for the game to be suspended. If this was a baseball game, maybe, but this is football, and you play the game no matter what the weather. The fog was on both sides of the line.”

Mike Quick said simply, “We beat ourselves.”

The Bears were handily defeated by the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. Philadelphia made it back to the playoffs in each of the next two seasons under Ryan, but failed to win any games. Many Eagles fans believed long afterward that the club’s best chance of making a Super Bowl run during this particular era disappeared in the fog at Soldier Field.

“I worked three Super Bowls, but I get more questions about the ‘Fog Bowl’ than any of the Super Bowls,” said Jim Tunney, the referee who kept the game going. “I still think we did the right thing.”

1956: Giants Dominate Bears on Frozen Field for NFL Title

Temperatures in New York City were in the 20s and the field at Yankee Stadium was frozen for the NFL Championship game on December 30, 1956. The head coach of the host Giants, Jim Lee Howell, made the decision to have the players wear sneakers – reminiscent of the 1934 title game (although the sneakers were available prior to, rather than obtained during, the game). While in this instance the Bears did likewise, the result would be similar to the earlier contest.

The Giants had won the Eastern Conference with an 8-3-1 record. The offense, directed by assistant coach Vince Lombardi and led by 35-year-old QB Charlie Conerly, was conservative but effective and contained the consensus league MVP in HB Frank Gifford, who ran for 819 yards and added another 603 yards on 51 pass receptions. Defense was the team’s strength, however, coached by assistant Tom Landry and containing All-Pros in DT Roosevelt Grier, DE Andy Robustelli, and safety Emlen Tunnell. Rookie MLB Sam Huff had an impact, as did veteran newcomers HB Ed Hughes and DT Dick Modzelewski.

As had been the case in 1934, New York’s opponent was the Chicago Bears, leaders in the Western Conference at 9-2-1. George Halas still directed the club as owner, although he had retired as head coach (he came out of retirement in 1958) in favor of longtime assistant Paddy Driscoll. Chicago had the NFL’s leading rusher in FB Rick Casares (1126 yards) and the leading passer, QB Ed Brown (9.9 yards per attempt), who split time with George Blanda. All-Pro end Harlon Hill caught 47 passes for 1128 yards and 11 touchdowns. The defense, anchored by All-Pro middle guard Bill George, was rugged. The two teams had played to a 17-17 tie during the regular season and the Bears were favored coming into the title game.

The Giants were concluding their first season as tenants at Yankee Stadium, and there were 56,836 fans present. New York got off to a quick start as HB Gene Filipski returned the opening kickoff 53 yards to the Chicago 39 yard line. Four plays later, FB Mel Triplett ran 17 yards up the middle for a touchdown (pictured above). It didn’t get any better for the Bears when, on their first possession following the ensuing kickoff, Casares fumbled on the second play and Robustelli recovered for New York at the Chicago 15. Ben Agajanian ended up kicking a 17-yard field goal. Before the first quarter was over, Agajanian kicked for another three points, from 43 yards, after safety Jim Patton intercepted a Brown pass.


It was 13-0 after the first quarter as Conerly (pictured at right) entered the contest for the Giants. In an unorthodox arrangement, backup QB Don Heinrich typically started and ran the offense for the first couple of series while Conerly studied the defense’s tendencies from the sideline. With the veteran quarterback now directing the attack, New York’s lead was extended to 20-0 three minutes into the second quarter as HB Alex Webster ran three yards for a touchdown.

The Bears finally got a break when a punt was fumbled by Tunnell at the New York 25 and DT John Mellekas recovered for Chicago. A five-play drive was capped by Casares running nine yards for a TD. However, any hopes the Bears might have had of getting back into the game were dashed when the Giants responded by driving 72 yards in five plays, including a pass from Conerly to Webster that covered 50 yards and a 20-yard run by Triplett down to the Chicago two yard line. Webster finished off the possession with another short scoring run, this time from a yard out. Less than two minutes later, Giants guard Ray Beck blocked a punt by Brown that was recovered in the end zone for a TD by DB Henry Moore. The score was 34-7 at the half.

The second half added little of note. The New York defense continued to shut down the Bears, with either Brown or Blanda behind center, and Chicago even switched from the T-formation to the double-wing in an unsuccessful effort to generate offense. The Giants put together a third quarter scoring drive of 80 yards in four plays that ended with a Conerly pass to end Kyle Rote for a nine-yard touchdown (the extra point attempt failed).

New York scored once more, in the fourth quarter, as Conerly passed to Gifford for 14 yards. Backup Bobby Clatterbuck replaced the veteran quarterback at that point and the game ended with the Giants winning by a very convincing 47-7 margin.


The Giants outgained Chicago, 348 yards to 270, and held the Bears to just 67 yards on the ground. Charlie Conerly didn’t need to go to the air often, but was efficient when he did so, completing 7 of 10 passes for 195 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Mel Triplett was the leading rusher, gaining 71 yards on 13 carries with a TD, while Frank Gifford (pictured at left) had 30 yards on five attempts and also caught four passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. Alex Webster (pictured below right), who had the two short scoring runs among his 12 carries for 27 yards, added another 5 pass receptions for 76 yards.


The Bears went to the air 47 times, with Ed Brown completing just 8 of 20 passes for 97 yards with an interception and George Blanda succeeding on 12 of 27 throws for 140 yards, also having one picked off. Rick Casares gained only 43 yards on 14 carries with Chicago’s lone score, but also had the costly early fumble. Harlon Hill caught 6 passes for 87 yards, but most came after the outcome had been decided. End Jim Dooley added another 6 receptions for 66 yards.

“The frozen field was no excuse,” said Paddy Driscoll afterward. “They just ran on it and we didn’t…we just didn’t have it…the Giants played a great game.”

It was the first NFL Championship for the Giants in 18 years. While the team would make it back to the title game five times in the next seven seasons, the win in 1956 would be their last until the Super Bowl following the 1986 season.