1981: Wilbert Montgomery Spurs Eagles Past Cowboys for NFC Championship

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2004: Panthers Lose Lead to Rams but Win in Overtime

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

1961: Lions Defeat Browns in 1st Playoff Bowl

The Playoff Bowl is a nearly forgotten remnant of the 1960s. Officially named the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl, it was also occasionally referred to as the Runner-up Bowl or Pro Playoff Classic. Created in honor of Bert Bell, NFL Commissioner from 1946 until his death in 1959, the game matched the second place teams in the NFL’s Eastern and Western Conferences (when the conferences were broken up into two divisions apiece in 1967, the losers of each conference championship game became the participants).

The game had no real meaning – while it was initially promoted as the playoff game to determine third place in the league, it wasn’t possible for the winner to advance and was, in fact, played after the champion had been determined. In effect, it was a postseason exhibition game designed to give football fans across the country one more chance to watch the NFL on television (along with the Pro Bowl) before heading into the offseason. The “Benefit” part pertained to the league contributing its share of the proceeds to pay into group medical, life insurance, and retirement funds for the players.

There were ten games in the series, following the 1960 through ’69 seasons. Once the merger with the AFL went fully into effect in 1970, the game ceased to exist (although there had been some thought to finding a way to continue it). The NFL doesn’t count the games among team’s playoff appearances or the league’s postseason statistics, adding to the sense of irrelevance. All of the games were played at the Orange Bowl in Miami.


The first Playoff Bowl, following the 1960 season, occurred on January 7, 1961. Participating were the Cleveland Browns, second in the Eastern Conference with an 8-3-1 record, and the Western Conference’s Detroit Lions, who ended the season at 7-5. The Browns, under Head Coach Paul Brown, had the NFL’s rushing leader, FB Jim Brown, who gained 1257 yards during the season, and the league’s top-rated passer as well in QB Milt Plum (pictured above left). Detroit, coached by George Wilson, was best known for an outstanding defense that included LB Joe Schmidt, CB Dick “Night Train” Lane, safety Yale Lary, and defensive tackles Alex Karras and rookie Roger Brown.

A lower-than-anticipated crowd of 34,981 was at the Orange Bowl for the game, which was televised nationally. The defenses dominated the scoreless first quarter, with the Lions blitzing Plum effectively. Cleveland finally broke through in the second quarter with an 81-yard scoring drive fueled by Jim Brown’s 56 rushing yards. TE Rich Kreitling caught a 9-yard TD pass from Plum, although he paid a price when he was knocked unconscious by Detroit CB Bruce Maher.

The Browns drove down to the Lions nine yard line just before the half, but DE Bill Glass deflected a pass by Plum that Karras intercepted to end the threat. Detroit took the second half kickoff and drove 76 yards, with FB Nick Pietrosante (pictured at top) making several key runs including a five-yard touchdown that tied the score at 7-7.

Shortly thereafter, safety Gary Lowe intercepted his second pass of the game and ran it back 44 yards to the Cleveland 12 yard line. Jim Martin ended up kicking a 12-yard field goal that put the Lions ahead, 10-7. Cleveland came back to tie the game once more on the first play of the fourth quarter as Sam Baker booted a 27-yard field goal.

Detroit put together a 57-yard drive that led to what was ultimately the winning touchdown, a one-yard run by HB Ken Webb. With time running out, the Browns provided the most sensational play of the game as Plum threw a short pass to HB Bobby Mitchell that the speedy halfback turned into an 89-yard touchdown. However, a bobbled snap on the extra point attempt allowed “Night Train” Lane to block Baker’s kick and preserve the 17-16 win.


Notable performances included two long punt returns by Detroit CB Jim Steffen, with one of 48 yards in which he attempted to lateral to Jim Martin at the end and missed; Martin managed to recover the ball. Milt Plum threw five interceptions (matching his total for the entire regular season), with Lowe (pictured at right) picking off three of them. Pietrosante, who had been voted team MVP by his teammates following a year in which he ran for 872 yards, was the game’s leading rusher with 89 yards on 17 carries.

The Lions went on to finish second in the next two seasons as well and won the first three Playoff Bowls; by the third one, following the 1962 campaign, Plum was their quarterback (Earl Morrall started this game at QB). The Browns also appeared in the game on three occasions (in addition to 1960, also following the 1963 and ’67 seasons) but had less success than Detroit, losing each time.

1980: Rams Defeat Buccaneers 9-0 for NFC Championship

The NFC Championship game on January 6, 1980 at Tampa Stadium featured two teams that had overcome differing forms of frustration to get there.

The hometown Buccaneers were the surprise story of the 1979 regular season. They joined the NFL as an expansion team in ’76 and proceeded to lose their first 26 games before winning the last two contests of the 1977 schedule. After going 5-11 in ’78, Tampa Bay leaped to the forefront in ’79, winning their first five games and ending up with a 10-6 record and the NFC Central title. Under patient (and highly quotable) Head Coach John McKay, the Bucs featured an outstanding defense that included NFL Defensive Player of the Year Lee Roy Selmon at defensive end. The offense relied on the running of FB Ricky Bell (1263 yards) to take the pressure off of QB Doug Williams, a second-year signal caller with great potential who completed just 41.8 percent of his passes but displayed an ability to make big plays.

The story for the visiting Los Angeles Rams was very different. From the point that Chuck Knox became the head coach in 1973, the team had won six consecutive NFC West titles and made it to the conference championship on four occasions. The problem was, they had lost all four of those games. Knox left the team following the ’77 season and George Allen, who had coached the team successfully from 1966-70, was hired to replace him. However, Allen failed to last the preseason and was in turn replaced by Ray Malavasi. The sense that the Rams were a talented team destined to underachieve took hold.


Los Angeles won a seventh straight division title in ’79, but with a 9-7 record – the worst since the pre-Knox year of 1972. Injuries took a toll, particularly when QB Pat Haden went down with a broken finger. The inexperienced Vince Ferragamo took over at quarterback for the last five games and the Rams won four of them to make it into the postseason once again. With Ferragamo throwing the long ball, HB Wendell Tyler (1109 yards) and FB Cullen Bryant (pictured) running the ball, and a tenacious defense, they were just good enough.

Neither team was expected to go far into the postseason but pulled upsets to make it to the conference championship game. Tampa Bay played very well in defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in their divisional playoff game, while the Rams upset the Cowboys in Dallas.

There were 72,033 hopeful fans at Tampa Stadium, but they were in for a very disappointing performance. The Rams completely shut down the Tampa Bay offense from the start, allowing just 13 yards in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the offense mounted a 68-yard drive to the Bucs one yard line, but after failing to crack the end zone, Frank Corral started off the second quarter with a 19-yard field goal.

Late in the second quarter the Rams again put together another scoring drive, going 58 yards deep into Tampa Bay territory. Once again they failed to score a touchdown and had to settle for another Corral field goal of 21 yards with 47 seconds left in the half.

Corral finished off the scoring with a 23-yard field goal in the fourth quarter that was set up by a 16-yard punt return by safety Eddie Brown. The Rams offense moved the ball effectively and accumulated 369 total yards, but couldn’t reach the end zone. Then again, they didn’t have to as Tampa Bay failed to mount any sort of effective offense. The closest they came was a pass from backup QB Mike Rae to TE Jimmie Giles in the end zone that was called back due to an illegal motion penalty.

Making it worse for the Bucs, they lost two of their key defensive starters, Selmon and DE Wally Chambers, to injury during the course of the game.

The Rams won by a final score of 9-0, which was the first time that a league or conference championship game had failed to include even a single touchdown. The running back tandem of Cullen Bryant (106 yards on 18 carries) and Wendell Tyler (28 rushes for 86 yards) was effective and allowed the Rams to control the ball; LA ran 77 plays to Tampa Bay’s 54.


Vince Ferragamo completed 12 of 23 passes for 163 yards, not tossing any TD passes but also not giving up any interceptions. His longest completion was 35 yards to WR Preston Dennard, who led the team with 56 receiving yards on his three catches. Bryant had the most receptions, with four, adding 36 yards to his tally from scrimmage. Perhaps the most inspiring performance was by DE Jack Youngblood (pictured at right), who played with a hairline fracture in his left leg.

Ricky Bell, who had run for 142 yards in the victory over the Eagles the previous week, gained just 59 yards on 20 carries this time. The passing game was a shambles, with both Doug Williams and Mike Rae combining for four completions in 26 attempts for 54 yards (both were two of 13, with Williams passing for 12 yards and Rae for 42). In fact, RB Jerry Eckwood tied Rae for the team lead in passing yards with 42 on his lone completion, an option pass to WR Larry Mucker.

Los Angeles went to its first Super Bowl and lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, although the Rams gave the heavily favored returning champions a good battle. Tampa Bay returned to earth with a 5-10-1 record in 1980, and while they would win a division title in ’81 (and get blown out in the first round of the playoffs), the road to respectability for the franchise would be a long one.

1964: Keith Lincoln Leads Chargers to Blowout of Patriots for AFL Title

The San Diego Chargers won the AFL’s Western Division in 1963 with an 11-3 record and featured perhaps the most explosive offense in either league that year. Coached by the innovative Sid Gillman, they had two outstanding running backs in HB Paul Lowe (1010 yards) and FB Keith Lincoln (826 yards rushing, 325 receiving). 35-year-old veteran QB Tobin Rote led the AFL in passing overall as well as completion percentage (59.4) and yards-per-attempt (8.8). He had flanker Lance Alworth to throw to, who caught 61 passes for 1205 yards with 11 touchdowns. The defense, to be sure, was solid and built around DE Earl Faison, DT Ernie Ladd, LB Chuck Allen, and CB Dick Harris.

The title of the weaker Eastern Division came down to a tiebreaking playoff game between two 7-6-1 teams, the Boston Patriots and Buffalo Bills. Boston won, 26-8, and thus had the unenviable task of heading west to meet up with the Chargers on January 5, 1964 before a crowd of 30,127 at Balboa Stadium. Under Head Coach Mike Holovak, the Patriots featured the league’s top scorer in split end/placekicker Gino Cappelletti, veteran QB Babe Parilli, and a solid defense that included DE Larry Eisenhauer, DT Houston Antwine, and linebackers Nick Buoniconti and Tom Addison.

It didn’t take long for the Chargers offense to begin dissecting the Patriots defense. On the second play from scrimmage, Lincoln broke loose up the middle on a 56-yard run that set up a two-yard quarterback keeper touchdown by Rote seven plays later. On their next possession, it was Lincoln taking off once again on a 67-yard touchdown run (by this point his rushing line was 2 carries for 123 yards).

The Patriots fought back and scored on a 7-yard run by FB Larry Garron to cut the San Diego lead to 14-7. However, the Chargers came right back as Lowe took off on a 58-yard touchdown jaunt. It was 21-7 in favor of San Diego at the end of the first quarter.

The scoring onslaught calmed a bit early in the second quarter with the two teams exchanging field goals. San Diego scored one more touchdown before the half on a 14-yard pass play from Rote to split end Don Norton for a 31-10 lead. Lincoln touched the ball four times during the period, with one run for 44 yards and three catches for another 46 yards. His totals at halftime stood at 6 rushing attempts for 176 yards and 5 pass receptions for 66 yards – a total of 242 yards from scrimmage on just 11 touches.

If the first half had been tough for the Patriots, the second half turned into a nightmare. Babe Parilli faced an overwhelming pass rush and the offense was unable to move. The Chargers kept piling on points: Rote threw a 48-yard TD pass to Alworth in the third quarter, and backup QB John Hadl passed to Lincoln for a 25-yard TD in the fourth quarter and ran one in from a yard out himself to cap the scoring. The final tally was 51-10.

Keith Lincoln’s final totals were truly staggering – he rushed for 206 yards on 13 attempts with a TD, caught 7 passes for 123 yards and another score, and even threw an option pass for a 20-yard gain. His combined total of 329 yards ranks second in NFL/AFL postseason history, as does his 15.85 yards-per-carry rushing average. He outgained the entire Boston Patriots offense, which totaled 261 yards.

The title game performance certainly provided a highlight reel for the ’63 Chargers. Tobin Rote (pictured handing off to Lowe below) completed a tidy 10 of 15 passes for 173 yards with two TDs and no interceptions. John Hadl added 7 completions in 11 passes for another 132 yards and a score. While Paul Lowe was overshadowed by his backfield mate’s performance, he contributed 94 yards on 12 carries and the long TD run. And while Lincoln was the top pass receiver as well as rusher, Lance Alworth also had a typically good outing with 4 catches for 77 yards and a score. Altogether, the Chargers gained 610 yards (still an NFL/AFL postseason record) and turned the ball over just once on a fumble.

By contrast, Parilli and his backup, Tom Yewcic, completed 17 of 37 passes for 228 yards with two picked off. Falling behind so quickly, Boston ran the ball just 16 times for 75 yards with FB Harry Crump leading the team with 18 yards on 7 attempts. Gino Cappelletti gained 72 receiving yards on two catches, while HB Ron Burton had the most receptions, with 4 (for 12 yards).

A triumphant Sid Gillman had the players’ championship rings engraved with “World Champions” rather than “AFL Champions”, and stated, “If anyone wants to dispute the claim, let them play us.” The war between the young AFL and the established NFL was still going on and there was not yet a Super Bowl to pit the two league champions against each other. It has often been a subject of speculation as to what might have happened had the Chargers, with their well-balanced team featuring the potent offense, had gone up against the NFL champion Chicago Bears, with a tremendous defense but nondescript offense.

Regardless, the Chargers were definitely the best team in their league and remained contenders, winning the Western Division again in 1964 and ’65, but losing to Buffalo each time in the title game. While the Patriots improved their record in 1964 to 10-3-1, they finished second to the Bills and didn’t appear in the postseason again until 1976, at which point they were the New England Patriots.

Keith Lincoln had a very good, if injury-marred, career. A bit small for a fullback at 6’1” and 215 pounds, he played the position because Lowe was well-established at halfback and the stocky Lincoln was the better inside runner. As he demonstrated against the Patriots, he also had breakaway speed and was a good receiver out of the backfield. His performance in the AFL Championship game following the 1963 season has stood the test of time as one of the greatest in pro football history.