1996: Steelers Overcome Upstart Colts for AFC Title

The Pittsburgh Steelers were hosting the AFC Championship game for the second straight year as they faced the Indianapolis Colts on January 14, 1996. Head Coach Bill Cowher’s team had been upset in stunning fashion by San Diego in the conference title game following the 1994 season and was looking to erase that memory. The conservative offense was efficiently directed by QB Neil O’Donnell (pictured at right), but it was the strong defense that was the key to success, despite the loss of star CB Rod Woodson in the season’s first game. Outside linebackers Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd were both Pro Bowlers, as was CB Carnell Lake, who had been shifted from strong safety, and CB Willie Williams led the AFC with seven interceptions. After getting off to a 3-4 start, the Steelers hit stride by reeling off eight straight wins to top the AFC Central with an 11-5 record and defeated Buffalo in the Divisional playoff round.

Indianapolis was in the playoffs for the first time since 1987. Coached by Ted Marchibroda, who was in the fourth season of his second stint with the franchise, the Colts placed second in the AFC East at 9-7 and defeated San Diego and Kansas City on the road to reach the conference title game. QB Jim Harbaugh, formerly of the Bears and relegated to the bench early in the ’95 season in Indianapolis, had a career year, leading the NFL in passing and earning Pro Bowl honors. RB Marshall Faulk gained 1553 yards from scrimmage and also was a Pro Bowl choice, but he was out for the postseason with a knee injury. The defensive line was tough with DE Tony Bennett and tackles Tony Siragusa and Tony McCoy and the corps of linebackers, led by OLB Quentin Coryatt, was a good one. Still, the Colts had the look of an overachieving team and were 11-point underdogs against the Steelers.

There were 61,062 fans in attendance on a sunny and mild day at Three Rivers Stadium. The Steelers had the ball first but, on their third play from scrimmage, a pass by Neil O’Donnell was tipped by DT Tony Siragusa and intercepted by LB Jeff Herrod, who returned it 17 yards to the Pittsburgh 24. Three running plays netted seven yards and Cary Blanchard kicked a 34-yard field goal that gave the Colts an early 3-0 lead.

The teams traded punts before the Steelers put together a 40-yard drive in 11 plays. O’Donnell converted a third-and-six situation with a throw to RB John L. Williams for seven yards and he completed four other passes before the advance stalled at the Indianapolis 13 and Norm Johnson tied the game with a 31-yard field goal.

The Colts had the ball as the game headed into the second quarter. Jim Harbaugh (pictured at left) completed his first four passes, the longest to WR Sean Dawkins for 30 yards, and after a third down toss into the end zone under pressure from Kevin Greene was incomplete, Blanchard came on again to boot another field goal, this time from 36 yards.

Each team had a short series that resulted in a punt before Pittsburgh put together an 80-yard possession in 17 plays. O’Donnell had eight completions along the way, only one of which was longer than ten yards, during the methodical drive in which the Steelers converted four third downs. The last was on a five-yard touchdown pass from O’Donnell to QB/WR Kordell Stewart with 13 seconds remaining in the first half, although replays indicated that Stewart appeared to have stepped out of the back of the end zone before making the catch. Johnson added the extra point and the home team took a 10-6 lead into halftime.

Indianapolis took the second half kickoff and drove 61 yards in 10 plays. Harbaugh started off with a pass to TE Ken Dilger for 30 yards and followed up with a 14-yard completion to Dawkins. After reaching the Pittsburgh 12, Harbaugh was sacked by Greg Lloyd for a loss of eight yards on second down and, two plays later, Blanchard kicked a 37-yard field goal that made it a one-point contest at 10-9.

A short series by the Steelers ended with a punt and the Colts put together another promising drive. Harbaugh converted a third-and-six situation with a throw to Dawkins for 13 yards and converted another with a two-yard run. This time the advance was halted at the Pittsburgh 30 and the visitors came up empty when Blanchard was wide to the left on a 47-yard field goal attempt.

The Steelers responded by moving 44 yards in seven plays. O’Donnell threw to WR Yancey Thigpen for 14 yards and a pass interference call was good for 16 yards. The series resulted in a 36-yard Johnson field goal and Pittsburgh took a 13-9 lead into the fourth quarter.

Indianapolis went three-and-out on its next possession and WR Andre Hastings returned the resulting punt 33 yards to the Colts’ 42. O’Donnell passed the Steelers to the 22, but Johnson failed on a 40-yard field goal try. The Colts came back with Harbaugh firing two passes to RB Lamont Warren for a total of 13 yards and a completion to RB Zack Crockett gained another 10 before Harbaugh connected with WR Floyd Turner for a 47-yard touchdown. Blanchard converted and the visitors were back in the lead by a 16-13 score.

The teams exchanged punts, with Indianapolis failing to convert a third-and-one situation thanks to an alert play by Willie Williams to tackle Warren for no gain, and the Steelers, regaining possession at their 33, advanced 67 yards in eight plays. O’Donnell hit on his first two passes, missed on two (one of which was nearly intercepted), and then threw complete to Hastings for nine yards to convert a fourth-and-three situation. O’Donnell’s next pass was to WR Ernie Mills, who just beat CB Ashley Ambrose and kept his feet inbounds for a 37-yard gain to the Indianapolis one and, two plays later, RB Bam Morris scored from there. Johnson added the point after and Pittsburgh was ahead by four points with 1:34 remaining to play.

Starting from their 16 after the ensuing kickoff, the Colts moved down the field as Harbaugh went to the air on every play. A third-and-three pass to WR Brian Stablein gained 18 yards and, facing fourth-and-two at the Indianapolis 49, Harbaugh connected with Dawkins for 13 yards. Harbaugh ran for nine yards and then had to spike the ball with six seconds left at the Pittsburgh 29. A final throw into the end zone was tipped by FS Darren Perry and fell onto WR Aaron Bailey, who was on the ground. However, he was unable to maintain possession and the Steelers came away with a closely-fought 20-16 win.

The Colts had more total yards (328 to 285) but Pittsburgh led in first downs (21 to 16). The Steelers had three sacks, to one by Indianapolis, but also gave up the game’s only turnover.

Neil O’Donnell completed 25 of 41 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown while being intercepted once. Yancey Thigpen had 6 catches for 65 yards and Ernie Mills gained 52 yards on three receptions that included the big one to set up the game-winning TD. RB Erric Pegram topped the Pittsburgh rushers with 46 yards on 10 carries.

For the Colts, Jim Harbaugh was successful on 21 of 33 throws for 267 yards and a TD with none picked off and ran the ball six times for 29 yards. Sean Dawkins (pictured at right) caught 7 passes for 96 yards and Lamont Warren had 7 receptions as well, for 37 yards, in addition to leading the club in rushing with 53 yards on 15 attempts.

Pittsburgh went on to lose the Super Bowl to the Dallas Cowboys. While there were significant personnel changes during the offseason, the Steelers came back to top the AFC Central again in 1996 but lost in the Divisional playoff round. The Colts also underwent changes, most notably the departure of Coach Marchibroda, but they again compiled a 9-7 record and qualified for a Wild Card playoff spot. They met up with the Steelers in the first round and were soundly defeated.

1992: Bills Beat Broncos for AFC Title in Defensive Struggle

The AFC Championship game on January 12, 1992 featured the defending conference champions, the Buffalo Bills, hosting the Denver Broncos, a team that had reached the Super Bowl three times in the preceding five seasons.

Buffalo, coached by Marv Levy, had narrowly lost the previous year’s Super Bowl to the Giants and again topped the AFC East with a 13-3 record in ’91. The high-powered offense that led the league in total yards featured QB Jim Kelly, RB Thurman Thomas, and WR Andre Reed. The defense was strongest at linebacker, a group that included Pro Bowlers Cornelius Bennett and Darryl Talley, and had plenty of speed, but star DE Bruce Smith missed all but five games due to a knee injury and the unit as a whole was showing signs of wear. Still, the Bills easily dispatched the Chiefs in the Divisional playoff round and were 11.5-point favorites as they sought to win the conference title for a second year.

The Broncos, under the direction of Head Coach Dan Reeves for the eleventh season, bounced back from an off-year in 1990 to win the AFC West with a 12-4 tally. Denver had the AFC’s top-ranked defense, also boasting an excellent group of linebackers plus the fine safety tandem of Steve Atwater and Dennis Smith. As had been the case for the last decade, the key to the offense was QB John Elway. RB Gaston Green came from the Rams and had a career year with 1037 rushing yards. Denver narrowly defeated the Houston Oilers in its Divisional game to advance to the AFC title contest.

It was sunny and temperatures mild, although windy, at Rich Stadium with 80,272 fans in attendance. The Bills had the first possession and punted. The Broncos, starting from their 45, advanced to the Buffalo 39 before having to punt, but again had good starting field position at their 49 after the home team again had to kick from deep in its own territory. This time Denver reached the 34 before Gaston Green was stopped for losses on successive plays. Facing third-and-15, John Elway was sacked for another 12 yards by NT Jeff Wright, once again forcing a punt.

The Broncos got the ball back in short order when a pass by Jim Kelly that was tipped at the line was intercepted by NT Greg Kragen. Taking possession at the Buffalo 29, the visitors were still unable to gain ground and came up empty when David Treadwell’s 47-yard field goal attempt sailed wide to the left.

The Bills reached Denver territory for the first time on the ensuing series, but had to punt from the 44. Green ran for 18 yards and Elway passed to WR Vance Johnson for a gain of 10 more as the opening period came to a close. With the ball once more in Buffalo territory, an apparent interception by CB Kirby Jackson at the two was overruled by replay review. This time the visitors got to the 11 thanks to short completions by Elway, but Denver was moved back from there on a fumbled snap and sack. The game remained scoreless as Treadwell’s 42-yard try for a field goal hit the right upright.

The Broncos continued to win the battle for field position, but also continued to come up empty as Treadwell missed a third field goal attempt, this time from 37 yards, that again struck the right upright. Neither team threatened to score for the remainder of the first half. Thus far, Denver was doing a superb job defensively of pressuring Kelly and shutting down the Buffalo offense.  But while the Broncos were winning the statistical battle, having outgained the Bills (123 to 58) and accumulated nine first downs to Buffalo’s three, they had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard.

The situation remained much the same as the third quarter commenced and the teams exchanged punts. Finally, the Bills put together a promising drive. Thurman Thomas ran effectively, Kelly completed two passes, and Andre Reed gained 16 yards on a reverse. However, after getting to the Denver 26, Kelly’s next throw was picked off by CB Tyrone Braxton. The reprieve proved to be short-lived for the Broncos. Two plays later, an Elway pass that was tipped by Wright was intercepted by LB Carlton Bailey, who returned it 11 yards for a touchdown (pictured at top, Wright #91, Bailey #54). Scott Norwood added the extra point and Buffalo was ahead by 7-0 with 5:28 left in the period.

The teams traded punts as the game headed into the fourth quarter, and now backup QB Gary Kubiak was in for Elway, who suffered a thigh injury early in the second half and finally had to leave the contest. Kubiak completed two passes and Green had gains of ten and seven yards as the Broncos advanced to the Buffalo 31. LB Darryl Talley sacked Kubiak for a 10-yard loss on a second-and-nine play, and while the quarterback was able to regain eight yards of that on a scramble, a fourth-and-11 pass to WR Michael Young came up a yard short.

The Bills responded with a 50-yard drive in nine plays. Kelly completed consecutive throws to TE Keith McKeller, the second for 25 yards in a third-and-five situation. Runs by Thomas and a throw to Reed for 10 yards got the ball to the Denver 26 and Norwood booted a 44-yard field goal to put Buffalo ahead by ten points with 4:18 remaining in regulation.

The Broncos came back with an 85-yard series that took eight plays. Kubiak ran for 11 yards on first down and then completed three straight passes to Vance Johnson, the longest for 24 yards. Kubiak hit on two more throws to Johnson, for 23 and eight yards, and the quarterback finished the possession off with a three-yard carry for a TD. Treadwell’s conversion made it a three-point contest with the clock down to 1:43.

Denver succeeded on an onside kick that was recovered by Steve Atwater, but on the next play RB Steve Sewell fumbled after catching a pass and Kirby Jackson (pictured at right), who forced the fumble, recovered for the Bills. Buffalo was able to run the clock down to 17 seconds before punting, and while Kubiak completed two passes, time ran out on the Broncos at their 48 yard line. The Bills won by a final score of 10-7.

Buffalo’s offensive output was far below its regular season average as Denver led in total yards (304 to 213) and first downs (20 to 12). The Bills recorded four sacks to one by the Broncos. Each club turned the ball over two times. However, Denver’s David Treadwell missed all three of his field goal attempts while Scott Norwood of the Bills was successful on his one try.

Jim Kelly, who was harassed by Denver’s blitzing, completed 13 of 25 passes for 117 yards with no touchdowns while giving up two interceptions. Thurman Thomas rushed for 72 yards on 26 carries and had three catches for 15 yards. Keith McKeller led the Bills with 39 yards on his three pass receptions.

For the Broncos, John Elway was successful on 11 of 21 throws for 121 yards and was picked off once while Gary Kubiak (pictured below), the long-time backup who had already announced his retirement and was appearing in his last game, went 11-of-12 in relief, for 135 yards, and ran three times for 22 yards and a TD. Vance Johnson caught 7 passes for 100 yards and Steve Sewell gained 78 yards on his 7 receptions, although he also gave up the critical late-game fumble. Gaston Green compiled 53 yards on 19 rushing attempts.

“We did everything we could,” said a disappointed Coach Reeves of the Broncos in summation. “Our defense held them to three points. It’s a shame a turnover changed the game.”

The return to the Super Bowl did not bring Buffalo better fortune. The Bills lost to Washington in the second of what would turn out to be four consecutive Super Bowl defeats. Denver dropped to 8-8 in 1992 and next returned to the playoffs as a Wild Card entry in ’93. The Broncos did not advance as far as the AFC Championship game again until 1997, when they won their first NFL title.

Highlighted Year: Don Chandler, 1957

Punter, New York Giants

Age: 23

2^nd season in pro football & with Giants

College: Florida

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 205

Prelude:

Chandler played halfback in college and also punted with distinction, averaging 44.3 yards as a senior to lead all major schools. He was chosen by the Giants in the fifth round of the 1956 NFL draft and became the team’s punter, averaging 41.9 yards on 59 kicks.

1957 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Punting

Punts – 60 [5]

Yards – 2673 [3]

Average – 44.6 [1]

Punts blocked – 0

Longest punt – 61 yards

Rushing

Attempts – 1

Yards – 2

TDs – 0

Passing

Attempts – 2

Completions – 2

Yards – 40

TD passes – 0

Interceptions – 0

Giants went 7-5 to finish second in the NFL Eastern Conference.

Aftermath:

Chandler, who averaged 44.0 yards on a league-leading 65 punts in 1958, remained with the Giants through 1964, a total of nine seasons. He added placekicking to his responsibilities in 1962, achieving career highs with 19 field goals and a 67.9 percentage of success. Chandler led the NFL in scoring in ’63 as he booted 18 field goals and 52 extra points for a total of 106 points. He was an All-Eastern Conference selection by The Sporting News as a punter in 1964, having averaged 45.6 yards on 73 punts, although his field goal accuracy dropped off. With the Giants, Chandler was successful on 46 of 78 field goal attempts (59.0 %) and added 131 extra points out of 138 attempts for a total of 269 points. He averaged 43.8 yards on 525 punts, making him the franchise leader in that category. Chandler was traded to Green Bay in 1965 and continued to handle both placekicking and punting in his first two years with the championship-winning club, receiving All-Western Conference honors from The Sporting News as a placekicker in ‘65. Chandler gave up the punting duties in 1967 and tied his career-best with 19 field goals and was named to the Pro Bowl in addition to receiving all-conference honors. He capped his career with four field goals, in as many attempts, in the Super Bowl II win over the Raiders. For his career, Chandler booted 94 field goals in 161 tries (58.4 %), was successful on 248 of 258 extra points, and averaged 43.5 yards on 660 punts. He was chosen to one Pro Bowl and was a three-time all-conference selection of The Sporting News.

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Highlighted Years features players who were first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1999: Falcons Edge 49ers in Divisional Playoff Game

The NFC Divisional Playoff game in Atlanta on January 9, 1999 featured two NFC West teams. The upstart Atlanta Falcons had topped the division with a 14-2 record while the San Francisco 49ers finished second at 12-4 and were the top Wild Card entry.

The rise of the Falcons had been stunning in that they were coming off of two losing seasons, and five of the previous six had resulted in records under .500. Head Coach Dan Reeves, previously with the Broncos and Giants, was in his second year with the club but underwent heart surgery in December and was just returning to the sideline a month later to coach in the playoffs. The offense was ball control-oriented, keyed by RB Jamal Anderson (pictured above), who rushed for 1846 yards on a record-setting 410 carries. QB Chris Chandler was unspectacular but efficient and a good leader. The defense featured a solid line plus Pro Bowlers in MLB Jessie Tuggle, CB Ray Buchanan, and FS Eugene Robinson.

San Francisco, coached by Steve Mariucci for the second year, was used to contending, having reached the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year in 1998 and 15^th time in 16 seasons, with a Super Bowl victory as recently as 1994. The team was aging but still strong with 37-year-old QB Steve Young and 36-year-old WR Jerry Rice leaders of an offense that benefited from the presence of RB Garrison Hearst (1570 rushing yards) and third-year WR Terrell Owens. The defensive line was missing injured DT Bryant Young, but DE Charles Haley came out of retirement to lend his pass-rushing expertise.

The teams split their regular season meetings and the 49ers defeated Green Bay in the Wild Card round the previous week to advance to the Divisional game.   

There were 70,262 fans in attendance at the Georgia Dome. Things went badly for the 49ers on their first play from scrimmage when Garrison Hearst suffered a broken leg, which significantly affected their ability to run the ball for the rest of the game. The teams exchanged punts until, following a 36-yard return by WR Tim Dwight, the Falcons took possession at the San Francisco 38 and scored in six plays. Jamal Anderson ran for 14 yards on first down and Chris Chandler threw to WR Terance Mathis for 19 yards on a third down play to the three yard line. Two plays later, Anderson ran for a two-yard touchdown, Morten Andersen added the extra point, and Atlanta held a 7-0 lead.

The clubs returned to trading punts as the game headed into the second quarter. Starting from their 18 with 7:35 remaining in the first half, the Falcons advanced 82 yards in seven plays. Jamal Anderson rushed for 16 yards on his first two carries, Chandler (pictured below) again connected with Mathis for 19 yards, and then it was Anderson breaking away for a 34-yard TD. Morten Andersen again added the point after and the home team was up by 14-0.

The 49ers responded with an 80-yard possession of their own. A pass interference call was good for 16 yards and Steve Young completed passes to WR J.J. Stokes for 12 yards, but the advance was nearly derailed when RB Terry Kirby mishandled a lateral and, after DE Chuck Smith appeared to recover and ran for an apparent touchdown, it was ruled that Kirby had gained possession and was down by contact before the ball got away from him again. Making the most of the reprieve, Young then threw to RB Chuck Levy for 34 yards and TE Greg Clark for nine before hitting Jerry Rice for a 17-yard touchdown. Wade Richey narrowed the score to 14-7 with the successful conversion.

There was still 1:06 left before halftime as the Falcons regained possession, but after Chandler passed to WR Ronnie Harris for 22 yards, his next throw was deflected by Charles Haley and picked off by DT Junior Bryant. San Francisco now had the ball at the Atlanta 36 and Young threw to Stokes for 16 yards and ran once himself for seven to set up a 36-yard Richey field goal. Atlanta’s lead was 14-10 at the intermission and the Niners appeared to have the momentum.

The Falcons had the ball first and drove to the San Francisco 42, but attempting to convert a fourth-and-one situation, Anderson was stopped for no gain. Now it was the 49ers moving effectively as Young threw to Terrell Owens for 20 yards and to Rice for eight. But following a short gain on another completion to Owens, Young’s next pass was picked off at the Atlanta three by Eugene Robinson, who returned it 77 yards to the San Francisco 20. While the turnover didn’t lead to a touchdown, it did lead to a Morten Andersen field goal from 29 yards and, instead of the Niners potentially taking the lead, the Falcons were ahead by seven points at 17-10.

San Francisco had the ball heading into the fourth quarter and Young threw to Rice for a 38-yard gain to the Atlanta 44, but once again the Falcons came up with an interception. This time it was SS William White picking off Young’s pass intended for Clark and returning it 14 yards to the San Francisco 36. Chandler converted a third-and-eight situation with a toss to WR Tony Martin that picked up 16 yards and, while the drive bogged down inside the 20, Atlanta again came up with points on a 32-yard Andersen field goal.

With Young completing seven passes, the 49ers advanced 87 yards in 13 plays in response. Two were to Owens, one of which gained seven yards in a third-and-five situation, and two more were caught by Stokes, the longest for a 33-yard gain to the Atlanta 12. Young kept the ball himself on an eight-yard scramble for a touchdown carry and the Niners added an improvised two-point conversion when the holder for the placekick, QB Ty Detmer, had to leap for a high snap, rolled out, and connected with Clark. It was now a two-point contest with 3:57 to play.

The try for an onside kick failed and, with Anderson running on every play, the Falcons managed to hold onto the ball until punting with 49 seconds left on the clock. The 49ers had to start from their own four and, while Young was able to connect with Levy for a gain of 24 yards, the game ended with White intercepting one last Young pass to seal the 20-18 win for Atlanta.

The 49ers had more total yards (334 to 289), but without Garrison Hearst gained just 46 yards on the ground, to 136 for the Falcons, who had the edge in first downs (16 to 15). San Francisco also turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by Atlanta, and the 49ers were penalized eight times, to six flags thrown on the Falcons.

Chris Chandler didn’t go to the air often, completing 13 of 19 passes for 169 yards and giving up an interception. Jamal Anderson rushed for 113 yards on 29 carries that included two touchdowns. Terance Mathis (pictured at right) topped the Atlanta receivers with 5 catches for 71 yards and Tony Martin was right behind with his 63 yards on four receptions.

For the 49ers, Steve Young was successful on 23 of 37 throws for 289 yards and a TD, but also gave up three interceptions. He also led the team with 28 yards on six rushes that included a score. Terrell Owens caught 8 passes for 73 yards and J.J. Stokes contributed 76 yards on his five receptions. Jerry Rice had three receptions for 63 yards and a TD and set a NFL record by catching a pass in 23 straight playoff games. 

“It’s unbelievable. The whole year has been incredible,” exclaimed Atlanta’s Coach Reeves. “To get to this point is beyond our wildest dreams.”

The Falcons moved a level higher as they upset the Minnesota Vikings in overtime to win the NFC Championship. However, they lost decisively to Denver in the Super Bowl and returned to earth with a 5-11 record in 1999. The loss for the 49ers marked the end of a long and successful era as they dropped to 4-12 in ‘99. They next returned to the postseason in 2001.

Highlighted Year: Aaron Brooks, 2002

Quarterback, New Orleans Saints

Age: 26

4^th season in pro football, 3^rd active & with Saints

College: Virginia

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 205

Prelude:

Brooks passed for 5118 yards and 33 touchdowns in college and was chosen by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL draft. He made the team but, as a backup to Brett Favre and Matt Hasselbeck, was never activated during the ’99 season. Brooks was traded to New Orleans in 2000 to back up Jeff Blake, but when the veteran went down with a broken foot, he got his opportunity to start and played well, completing 58.2 percent of his passes for 1514 yards and 9 TDs and leading the Saints to a Wild Card playoff win, the franchise’s first ever in the postseason. With his strong passing arm and excellent mobility, he followed up in 2001 by throwing for 3832 yards and 26 touchdowns (although with a completion percentage of just 55.9 and 22 interceptions) and rushing for 358 yards. While consistency was an issue, Brooks was a fine athlete with the ability to make big plays.

2002 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 528 [9, tied with Jeff Garcia]

Most attempts, game – 48 at Detroit 9/29

Completions – 283 [15]

Most completions, game – 27 at Detroit 9/29

Yards – 3572 [9]

Most yards, game – 318 vs. Cleveland 11/24

Completion percentage – 53.6

Yards per attempt – 6.8 [19]

TD passes – 27 [2, tied with Peyton Manning & Brett Favre, 1^st in NFC]

Most TD passes, game – 3 at Chicago 9/22, at Washington 10/13, vs. San Francisco 10/20

Interceptions – 15 [10, tied with four others]

Most interceptions, game – 3 vs. Cleveland 11/24

Passer rating – 80.1

300-yard passing games – 1

200-yard passing games – 12

Rushing

Attempts – 62

Most attempts, game – 7 (for 28 yds.) at Chicago 9/22

Yards – 253

Most yards, game – 49 yards (on 4 carries) at Detroit 9/29

Yards per attempt – 4.1

TDs – 2

Scoring

TDs – 2

2-pt conversions – 2 [2, tied with four others]

Points – 16

Saints went 9-7 to finish third in the NFC South while leading the conference in touchdowns (49) and scoring (432 points).

Aftermath:

Brooks achieved career highs in 2003 by completing 59.1 percent of his passes with a rating of 88.8, giving up just eight interceptions while throwing for 24 TDs. His performance dropped somewhat in ’04 and after a dismal year both for him and the team in 2005, Brooks moved on to the Oakland Raiders. All eight of his starts were losses as he threw for just three TDs with eight interceptions in his last season. Overall, Brooks passed for 20,261 yards and 123 touchdowns and rushed for 1534 yards with 13 TDs. His 120 TD passes with the Saints made him the franchise’s career leader at the time of his departure (long since passed by Drew Brees) and, while his career was ultimately disappointing, he was elected to the Saints Hall of Fame in 2014. Another NFL quarterback, Michael Vick, is a cousin to Brooks.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

2007: Eagles Edge Giants in Wild Card Playoff Game

Two NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, met in a NFC Wild Card playoff game at Philadelphia on January 7, 2007. Coached by Andy Reid for the eighth season, the Eagles were two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance but had stumbled thereafter. They were at 5-6 and without injured starting QB Donovan McNabb before, with backup QB Jeff Garcia behind center, they reeled off five straight wins to top the NFC East with a 10-6 record. RB Brian Westbrook (pictured above), adept at both running the ball and catching it out of the backfield, was a key to the club’s success, and wide receivers Reggie Brown and Donte Stallworth were capable. The attacking defense had problems against the run but was at its best in the backfield, led by FS Brian Dawkins.

The Giants were in their third year under Head Coach Tom Coughlin and finished third in the division at 8-8, following a 6-2 start, grabbing the second Wild Card slot. QB Eli Manning was inconsistent but teamed well with WR Plaxico Burress. RB Tiki Barber was coming off of a season in which he gained 2127 yards from scrimmage at age 31. Injuries to DEs Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora were damaging to the underperforming defense. The teams split their regular season meetings, each winning in the other club’s home venue.

There were 69,094 fans in attendance at Lincoln Financial Field. The Giants had the first possession and, on the initial play from scrimmage, Eli Manning passed to Plaxico Burress for a gain of 29 yards. New York kept the ball on the ground as Tiki Barber (pictured below) carried three times for 25 yards and short-yardage QB Jared Lorenzen gained two yards to convert a third down. Finally, it was Manning to Burress once again for a 17-yard touchdown. Jay Feely added the extra point and the visitors had the early 7-0 lead.

The teams exchanged punts with the Giants winning the battle for field position and keeping the Eagles pinned back deep in their own territory. With less than two minutes remaining in the opening period, Philadelphia commenced a seven-play, 84-yard drive that stretched into the second quarter. Jeff Garcia completed passes to Reggie Brown for nine yards and Brian Westbrook for six to start things off, but following a four-yard carry by Westbrook and a long incompletion, the Eagles faced third-and-six at their 35. Garcia ran up the middle for seven yards and a first down to finish out the first quarter and a short toss to Donte Stallworth gained four yards before Westbrook broke away in spectacular fashion for a 49-yard TD. David Akers converted to tie the score at 7-7.

On New York’s next series, Manning fired a long pass on third down that was intended for Burress but was intercepted by CB Sheldon Brown, who returned it seven yards to the New York 37. Westbrook took off for 22 yards on first down and carries by RB Correll Buckhalter picked up another 11. The drive bogged down at that point but the Eagles took the lead on a 19-yard Akers field goal.

The Giants came back with a long drive that started from their 20. Manning completed three passes, two of them to TE Jeremy Shockey, and Barber had a 41-yard run to the Philadelphia three. But the Eagles held at that point as two Manning throws were incomplete and a run by Barber picked up a yard. New York was forced to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Feely that knotted the score at 10-10 with 4:47 remaining in the first half.

The Eagles responded with an 80-yard possession that took ten plays. Garcia completed six passes along the way, the last to Stallworth for a 28-yard touchdown. Akers added the point after and Philadelphia took a 17-10 lead into halftime.

The teams resumed trading punts to start the third quarter before the Eagles, starting from their 25 after an apparent 65-yard punt return by Westbrook was nullified by a clipping penalty, put together a scoring drive. Garcia completed a nine-yard pass to Reggie Brown on a third-and-eight play and Brown picked up another 13 yards on a reverse. Garcia threw to Brown again for 15 yards and to Buckhalter for three and, while the advance was stopped at the New York 30, Akers kicked a 48-yard field goal that extended the home team’s lead to 20-10.

In a series that extended into the fourth quarter, the Giants advanced to a score, helped along by a 47-yard pass interference penalty called on Sheldon Brown defending Burress. They reached the Philadelphia six before having to settle for a 24-yard Feely field goal that narrowed the margin to 20-13.

The Eagles had to punt following their next possession and New York drove 80 yards in 12 plays. Barber ran for 13 yards on first down and Manning completed six passes along the way. The last three were to Burress, for gains of 18, 14, and finally 11 yards and a TD. Feely tied the score at 20-20 with 5:08 left in regulation.

New York never got the ball back as Philadelphia put together a long, methodical series. Westbrook ran effectively and Garcia completed two short passes to keep the possession alive and the ball away from the Giants. Finally, with the clock down to three seconds, Akers booted a 38-yard field goal and the Eagles came away winners by a final score of 23-20.

Philadelphia led in total yards (323 to 305) and first downs (19 to 17). Both teams ran the ball well, with the Eagles picking up 185 yards to New York’s 151. The Giants suffered the game’s only turnover but were penalized nine times to six flags thrown on Philadelphia.

Jeff Garcia completed 17 of 31 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown with none intercepted. Brian Westbrook rushed for 141 yards on 20 carries that included a TD and Reggie Brown (pictured at right) led the Philadelphia receivers with 7 catches for 73 yards.

For the Giants, Eli Manning was successful on 16 of 27 throws for 161 yards and two TDs with one interception. Tiki Barber, playing in the final game of his career, gained 137 yards on 26 rushing attempts and caught two passes for 15 more yards. Plaxico Burress topped the receivers with 5 catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns.    

The Eagles advanced to the NFC Divisional round and lost a close contest at New Orleans. They dropped to 8-8 and missed the playoffs in 2007. New York came back to claim another Wild Card spot in ’07 and advanced to a Super Bowl upset of the undefeated New England Patriots.

The loss in Philadelphia marked the last game for Tiki Barber, who had already announced that the 2006 season would be his last. He retired as the franchise’s career rushing leader (10,449 yards) as well as ranking second in pass receptions (586). Barber gained 475 yards on the ground in seven playoff games, with the 137 yards against the Eagles his high for a single contest.  

1997: Panthers Defeat Cowboys in First Playoff Appearance

The Carolina Panthers reached the playoffs in just their second year of existence in the 1996 season and hosted the Dallas Cowboys, defending NFL Champions, on January 5, 1997. Coached by Dom Capers, the Panthers benefited from an outstanding defense that featured linebackers Kevin Greene, who led the NFL with 14.5 sacks, Lamar Lathon, who contributed another 13.5 sacks, and Sam Mills, still a Pro Bowl-quality performer at age 37. The conservative offense was directed by second-year QB Kerry Collins and received unanticipated production from journeyman RB Anthony Johnson (pictured above). Reliable TE Wesley Walls led the receiving corps. Carolina won its last seven games to top the NFC West at 12-4, edging out the 49ers, who the Panthers swept during the season.

The Cowboys were coached by Barry Switzer for the third season and had won three Super Bowls in the preceding four years, beginning under Switzer’s predecessor Jimmy Johnson. The offense was still led by QB Troy Aikman, RB Emmitt Smith, and WR Michael Irvin, and the defense contained dynamic CB Deion Sanders. But there had been disarray in Dallas, starting with Irvin missing the first five games due to a drug suspension by the league and TE Jay Novacek being lost for the year with a back injury. The Cowboys stumbled out of the gate, losing three of their first four games, before winning four straight on the way to a 10-6 record that placed first in the NFC East for the fifth straight year. They easily defeated Minnesota in the Wild Card round, but DT Leon Lett was missing for the postseason due to a drug suspension and DE Charles Haley due to injury. Furthermore, there had been sexual assault accusations made against Irvin and OT Erik Williams during the week preceding the game against the Panthers that provided an additional distraction (the charges ultimately proved to be unfounded).

There were 72,808 fans in attendance on a 60-degree day at Ericsson Stadium. The Panthers had the ball first but, after reaching midfield, Kerry Collins was intercepted by SS Darren Woodson. Troy Aikman completed passes to Michael Irvin for 22 yards and WR Kevin Williams for 17 while Emmitt Smith plugged away on the ground, and the Cowboys put the first points on the board with a 22-yard Chris Boniol field goal. However, Irvin suffered a broken collar bone when tackled by Lamar Lathon following his reception and was lost for the remainder of the game.

Carolina responded with a 68-yard drive in six plays. Collins (pictured below) threw to WR Willie Green for 22 yards and a seven-yard completion to WR Mark Carrier gave the Panthers first-and-goal at the Dallas one, from where Collins connected with Wesley Walls for a touchdown. John Kasay added the extra point for a 7-3 lead.

A short series by the Cowboys ended with a punt and, in a drive that stretched into the second quarter, the Panthers advanced 42 yards in 11 plays. Collins threw to Green for 13 yards on first down, hit Green again for eight yards on a third-and-nine play, and converted the resulting fourth-and-one situation by carrying himself for the necessary yardage. Another Collins pass, to RB Winslow Oliver, picked up five yards on a third-and-two play and the possession ended with Collins throwing to Green for a 10-yard TD. Kasay’s point after made it a 14-3 score.

Dallas came back with a long series of 14 plays that traveled 73 yards. Aikman completed six passes, the longest to Williams for 15 yards to convert a third down and the last to FB Daryl “Moose” Johnston for a two-yard touchdown. The attempt for a two-point conversion failed but the Carolina lead was narrowed to 14-9 with 4:19 remaining in the first half.

The Panthers went three-and-out on their next possession but gave up two points when the snap from punt formation sailed over Rohn Stark’s head and the punter was obliged to fall on the ball in the end zone for a safety. Deion Sanders returned the resulting free kick 28 yards and Aikman immediately moved the Cowboys into Carolina territory with a pass to Williams for 12 yards, but three plays later he was picked off by SS Chad Cota, who returned it 49 yards to the Dallas 27. Kasay kicked a 24-yard field goal and the Panthers led by 17-11 at halftime.

The Cowboys had the ball first in the third quarter and had to punt, but retained possession when Oliver fumbled the kick and Johnston recovered for Dallas at the Carolina 16. Aikman threw to Williams for 11 yards but, after reaching the three yard line, the Panthers held and the visitors settled for a 21-yard Boniol field goal that made it a three-point game.

With Anthony Johnson leading the way on the ground, the Panthers drove from their 28 to the Dallas 22 and Kasay kicked a 40-yard field goal. The Cowboys punted following their next series and once again Carolina advanced to a field goal by Kasay, again from 40 yards, that made the score 23-14 early in the fourth quarter.

Dallas came back with a long drive that covered 78 yards. Aikman completed four passes, all under ten yards, and Sanders, lined up at wide receiver on offense, gained 16 yards on a reverse while Smith had a 25-yard run. However, Sanders was lost with a head injury and once again the Cowboys couldn’t reach the end zone and settled for another Boniol field goal that covered 21 yards.

A short series by the Panthers following a 51-yard kickoff return by WR Michael Bates resulted in a punt and Dallas, down by six points, was pinned back at its two. The Cowboys reached their 37 before Aikman threw a pass that was intercepted by FS Pat Terrell, who returned it 49 yards to the Dallas 19. Carolina kept the ball on the ground and Kasay made it a nine-point game with a 32-yard field goal as the clock showed 3:44 remaining in to play. On the third play following the ensuing kickoff, Sam Mills intercepted an Aikman pass to clinch the 26-17 win for the Panthers, who were able to run out the clock.

Dallas had the edge in total yards (244 to 227) and first downs (21 to 18). However, the Cowboys failed to take full advantage of scoring opportunities, settling for three field goals rather than touchdowns inside the Carolina five, and turned the ball over three times, to two by the Panthers.

Kerry Collins completed 12 of 22 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns while being intercepted once. Anthony Johnson rushed for 104 yards on 26 carries and Willie Green led the Carolina receivers with 5 catches for 53 yards and a TD. John Kasay was successful on all four of his field goal attempts.

For the Cowboys, Troy Aikman (pictured at right) was successful on 18 of 36 throws for 165 yards and a TD but also gave up three interceptions. In the absence of Michael Irvin, Kevin Williams caught 6 passes for 89 yards to lead the club. Emmitt Smith gained 80 yards on 22 rushing attempts but was consistently stopped inside the five yard line.

“Same old story we had all year long,” summed up Coach Switzer of the Cowboys. “We get the ball in scoring position and can’t get the touchdown.”

Carolina advanced to the NFC Championship game and lost to Green Bay (similarly, the other 1995 expansion team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, reached the AFC title game). The Panthers were unable to sustain the quick success, dropping to 7-9 in 1997 and not reaching the playoffs, or posting another winning record, until 2003. For the Cowboys, the defeat marked the end of a six-season period in which they were an elite club. They fell to 6-10 in ’97 and, while they returned to the postseason in 1998 and ’99, they were defeated in the Wild Card round both times.