2008: Jaguars Survive Comeback to Beat Steelers in Wild Card Playoff Game

The Pittsburgh Steelers were the hosts for the AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on January 5, 2008, yet they were widely considered to be underdogs. For one thing, the Steelers had won the AFC North in 2007 with a 10-6 record while Jacksonville placed second in the AFC South and secured a wild card slot at 11-5. Furthermore, the Jaguars had beaten the Steelers at Heinz Field during the regular season and seemed to have the momentum coming into the game – while Pittsburgh lost three of its last four contests, Jacksonville had won six of the final eight regular season games.

The Steelers, under first-year Head Coach Mike Tomlin, bounced back from a disappointing 8-8 record in 2006, a year after winning the Super Bowl. However, by the time they reached the playoffs, they were without five starters, including RB Willie Parker, who rushed for 1316 yards before suffering a broken leg. Star SS Troy Polamalu was playing, but had suffered through an injury-riddled year and was not in top form. Still, the offense featured QB Ben Roethlisberger, coming off his best year to date in his fourth season, and WR Hines Ward. The defense was as tough and seasoned as usual, and had benefited from the play of LB James Harrison in his breakout year.

Jacksonville was coached by Jack Del Rio and featured a ball-control running game on offense. The one-two running back punch of 31-year-old veteran Fred Taylor (1202 yards, five touchdowns) and 22-year-old Maurice Jones-Drew (768 yards, 9 TDs), in his second season, was potent. QB David Garrard was in his sixth year, but only second as the starter, and while his numbers weren’t overwhelming, he was intercepted only three times while tossing 18 touchdown passes. The defense was tough, especially at linebacker, but was also without tackles John Henderson and Marcus Stroud due to injury.


There was an enthusiastic crowd of 63,629 in attendance on a Saturday night at Heinz Field. They saw the Steelers start off well on the game’s initial series. Pittsburgh went 80 yards in 10 plays, highlighted by Roethlisberger (pictured at right) throwing to Ward for a 31-yard gain in a third-and-four situation and a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the Jaguars on a play in which the quarterback had been sacked. RB Najeh Davenport went up the middle for the final yard and a touchdown that put the Steelers ahead by 7-0.

The Pittsburgh fans were in a frenzy, but it didn’t take Jacksonville long to respond as Jones-Drew returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards down the middle of the field to the Steelers’ one yard line. Taylor scored on the next play and Josh Scobee’s extra point made it 7-7.

The teams traded punts until CB Rashean Mathis intercepted a Roethlisberger pass and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown. Three plays after the Steelers got the ball back, Mathis picked Roethlisberger off again, and while the return was only for a yard this time, it gave the Jaguars the ball at the Pittsburgh 46 and set up another score. It only took two plays as Jones-Drew caught a swing pass from Garrard and turned it into a 43-yard touchdown.

Following a three-and-out possession by the Steelers, Jacksonville again had good field position following a punt and drove to the Pittsburgh 28. However, Scobee’s 46-yard field goal attempt was wide to the right.

Getting the ball again just before the two-minute warning, the Steelers drove from their 36 to the Jacksonville 21. Roethlisberger completed five passes (one was taken away following a challenge) including 18 yards to Davenport on a third-and-four play. However, backup DT Derek Landri intercepted a pass – the third given up by Roethlisberger – to end the threat and the teams went into halftime with the Jaguars maintaining a 21-7 lead.

The Steelers got a break early in the third quarter when LB James Farrior intercepted a Garrard pass, giving them the ball at the Jacksonville 43. Pittsburgh advanced to the 10 yard line in seven plays and Jeff Reed booted a 28-yard field goal.

The Jaguars came right back with an eight-play, 82-yard drive of their own. Garrard scrambled for 12 yards and a first down in a third-and-two situation from his own 26 and a facemask penalty moved the ball past midfield. Garrard then completed back-to-back passes to WR Ernest Wilford for 20 and 19 yards to the Pittsburgh 10. From there, Jones-Drew ran 10 yards off tackle for a touchdown and Jacksonville led by a daunting 28-10 margin.

That was the score heading into the fourth quarter, but on the first play of the final period Roethlisberger threw to WR Santonio Holmes for a 37-yard touchdown that, with the successful PAT, made it an 11-point game. The Jaguars went three-and-out on their next possession and Pittsburgh, taking over at its 31 yard line following the punt, scored again in ten plays. Roethlisberger completed six passes, three of them to Ward and one for a 14-yard TD to TE Heath Miller. The Steelers went for a two-point conversion and initially appeared to have succeeded when Roethlisberger threw to Ward in the end zone, but it was nullified by a holding penalty and Roethlisberger’s attempt to then run the ball in failed. Still, Jacksonville’s lead was down to just five points at 28-23.

Three plays into the Jaguars’ next series, Garrard was again intercepted, this time by CB Ike Taylor, who returned it 31 yards to the Jacksonville 16. Roethlisberger threw to RB Carey Davis for eight yards and, two plays later, it was first-and-goal at the five. However, after a pass to Ward gained four yards to the one, Roethlisberger threw three straight incompletions. The last was on fourth down, but drew a pass interference penalty and Davenport ran in for the touchdown that put Pittsburgh in the lead by a point. Once more, the Steelers tried for a two-point conversion, and once again it failed as Roethlisberger’s pass intended for WR Nate Washington fell incomplete. Still, Pittsburgh had put together a 19-point run to go in front by 29-28 with 6:21 remaining on the clock.

Jacksonville’s offense had been quiet, but showed signs of life. Taking over at their 22, the Jaguars were moved backward by a penalty but, on a third-and-13 play, Garrard completed a pass to WR Dennis Northcutt for 17 yards and a first down. The drive stalled thereafter, and LB LaMarr Woodley’s sack of Garrard forced a punt. A 53-yard kick by Adam Podlesh, combined with an eight-yard return by WR Cedrick Wilson, had the Steelers taking over at their 22.

Now it was the turn of Pittsburgh’s offense to go three-and-out, and Daniel Sepulveda’s punt and Northcutt’s 16-yard return gave the Jaguars good field position near midfield with 2:38 to go.

Facing a fourth-and-two situation at the Pittsburgh 43, Garrard made the pivotal play of the game as he ran for 32 yards on a quarterback draw to the eleven yard line (pictured at top). After running the clock down to 40 seconds, Scobee came on to kick a 20-yard field goal that put the Jaguars back in front. Following the kickoff, Roethlisberger fumbled when sacked, Jacksonville recovered, and that was it as the Jaguars held on for the 31-29 win.

The Steelers had more total yards (340 to 239) and first downs (24 to 14) than Jacksonville. However, Pittsburgh also turned the ball over four times, to two suffered by the Jaguars, and the quarterback known as “Big Ben” was sacked six times (Garrard was dumped on four occasions). Ultimately, the decision to try for two-point conversions following the last pair of Pittsburgh touchdowns had big consequences in what ended up being a two-point game when they failed. The Steelers were also hurt by the lack of a running attack, particularly after the first quarter, as they gained just 43 yards on 26 attempts (to 135 yards on 29 carries for Jacksonville).

Thanks to the long fourth-down run, David Garrard led the Jaguars in rushing with 58 yards on 5 attempts while completing 9 of 21 passes for 140 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Fred Taylor was held to 48 yards on 16 carries and Maurice Jones-Drew (pictured below) added 29 yards and a TD on 8 rushes. Jones-Drew also had 43 yards and a score on his lone pass reception while Ernest Wilford caught two passes for 39 yards.


Ben Roethlisberger went to the air 42 times and completed 29 for 337 yards with two TDs and the three first-half interceptions. Hines Ward caught 10 of those passes for 135 yards and Heath Miller contributed 8 receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown. Najeh Davenport led the anemic running game with 25 yards on 16 attempts, although two were good for scores.

“They kind of lost their gaps, they thought pass, I was able to get through there,” said Garrard of his key fourth down carry. “I just wanted to get a first down. I did enough to get into field-goal range and that was all I was thinking about.”

“It's very disappointing, everyone's fired up,” said Pittsburgh LB Clark Haggans. “We fought hard. We came up short. It was a play here, a play there.”

“We fell short,” summed up Mike Tomlin. “Nothing really soothes the feeling we have right now.”

Jacksonville lost the next week in the Divisional round to the undefeated New England Patriots. They dropped to a disappointing 5-11 in ’08. The Steelers, on the other hand, came back to go 12-4 and win the Super Bowl.

1998: Broncos Beat Chiefs in Hard-Fought Divisional Playoff

The AFC Divisional playoff matchup on January 4, 1998 featured two AFC West rivals, the visiting Denver Broncos, a 12-4 wild card entrant, and the host Kansas City Chiefs, the top-seeded club in the conference at 13-3.

The Broncos, under Head Coach Mike Shanahan, were built around 37-year-old veteran QB John Elway and RB Terrell Davis (pictured above), the AFC’s top rusher with 1750 yards. Shannon Sharpe was a highly-productive receiver from the tight end position and unheralded wide receivers Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey benefited from his presence. Key defensive players included DE Neil Smith, who was picked for the Pro Bowl; LB John Mobley, who received All-Pro recognition; and seasoned veterans LB Bill Romanowski, CB Ray Crockett, and FS Steve Atwater.

Kansas City, coached by Marty Schottenheimer for the ninth year, was in the postseason for the seventh time during that period but had yet to make it to the Super Bowl. QB Elvis Grbac suffered a broken collarbone during the season but was back for the playoff game. 37-year-old RB Marcus Allen may have been past his prime, but he was still outstanding in short yardage situations, as attested to by his 11 rushing touchdowns. WR Andre Rison had revived his career in Kansas City, earning a Pro Bowl slot with 72 catches for 1092 yards. On defense, both of the starting cornerbacks, Dale Carter and James Hasty, were Pro Bowlers and the linebacker corps led by Derrick Thomas was outstanding.

The Broncos easily dispatched Jacksonville by a score of 42-17 in the Wild Card playoff round while Kansas City had a bye week. There were 76,965 in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium on an overcast day.

The first quarter was scoreless as the Broncos had two long possessions into Kansas City territory that resulted in punts and the Chiefs went three-and-out in between and had the ball on a series that extended into the second quarter and made it to the Denver 47 before also resulting in a punt. The Broncos again kicked and Tom Rouen’s second punt (following a penalty) went just 25 yards and gave Kansas City good field position at the Denver 30. But Pete Stoyanovich’s successful 34-yard field goal attempt was taken away by a ten-yard holding penalty, and his second try from 44 yards was no good when it bounced off the crossbar.

The Broncos proceeded to drive 65 yards in eight plays highlighted by Elway completions of 26 yards to TE Dwayne Carswell and 17 yards to Rod Smith on a third-and-seven play to the Kansas City four yard line. Just after the two-minute warning, Terrell Davis ran one yard for a touchdown and Denver took a 7-0 lead into halftime (it was the first rushing TD the Chiefs defense had allowed at home since the 1996 regular season, a string of 42 quarters).

The Chiefs received the second half kickoff and drove 67 yards in 11 plays. Grbac started off with a completion to Rison for 34 yards and there were two third-down conversions along the way. Two runs by Grbac got the ball down to the six and on third-and-goal from the three, a pass into the end zone was pulled down by rookie TE Tony Gonzalez, but he was unable to keep both feet inbounds. Stoyanovich kicked a 20-yard field goal to narrow the score to 7-3.

It appeared that the Broncos would add to their lead when, on the third play following the ensuing kickoff, Davis took off on a 41-yard run to the KC 11. However, RB Derek Loville fumbled two plays later and safety Reggie Tongue recovered for the Chiefs. The teams traded punts before Grbac threw to WR Joe Horn for a 50-yard gain to the Denver 15. A 12-yard scoring pass to Gonzalez put Kansas City in front by 10-7 going into the fourth quarter.

The Broncos wasted little time regaining the lead as, early in the final period, Elway connected with McCaffrey for a 43-yard completion to the Kansas City one. From there, and after being stopped twice for no gain, Davis scored his second short TD of the day. With Jason Elam’s successful point after, Denver led by four.

There were still over twelve minutes remaining in the game and the Chiefs responded with Grbac throwing to Rison for a 23-yard gain and Marcus Allen carrying for 14 to the Denver 35. The drive stalled and, on fourth-and-six they lined up for 48-yard field goal attempt. However, it was a fake as holder Louie Aguiar took off and ran, but he was stopped by CB Darrien Gordon after picking up only three yards. The teams traded punts, neither able to sustain a drive until Kansas City got the ball back at its 17 yard line with just over four minutes remaining.

A 29-yard pass interference penalty on the Broncos moved the ball to the KC 46, but a 10-yard call for tripping on the Chiefs took it back to the 36. An 11-yard completion to Gonzalez gained some of the yardage back, but after two incomplete passes, it was fourth-and-nine. Grbac kept the drive – and his team’s hopes – alive with a pass to WR Lake Dawson that gained 12 yards.

DE Alfred Williams sacked Grbac for a 10-yard loss, but a completion to Rison was good for 23 yards and another first down at the Denver 28. With no timeouts left, Grbac completed three passes that totaled eight yards. A fourth-and-two throw intended for Dawson in the end zone was deflected by Gordon and fell incomplete. That was the last gasp for the Chiefs as Denver held on for the 14-10 win.

Kansas City had the edge both in total yards (303 to 272) and first downs (18 to 16). The Chiefs suffered no turnovers while Denver gave up the ball twice on fumbles. However, Grbac was sacked four times (as opposed to Elway being dumped once). Untimely penalties (one of which took three points off the board), the failure on the fake field goal, and, ultimately, the inability to reach paydirt on the final drive made a difference in the closely-fought contest.

Terrell Davis rushed for 101 yards on 25 carries and had the two short touchdowns. John Elway completed just 10 of 19 passes for 170 yards with no TDs but also none intercepted. Ed McCaffrey led the team’s receivers with 3 catches for 56 yards.

For the Chiefs, Elvis Grbac was successful on 24 of 37 throws for 260 yards and a touchdown, also with none intercepted; he also ran the ball four times for 22 yards. While nine different receivers caught passes, Andre Rison (pictured below) stood out with his 8 for 110 yards. Marcus Allen, in the last game of his Hall of Fame career, ran for 37 yards on 12 carries.


“This was one of the best football games I've ever been involved in,” summed up Mike Shanahan. “It was hard hitting on both sides of the ball. I was really pleased with the way we hung in there and came up with big plays. I'm really pleased with the character of our team.”

“I'm disappointed,” said Marty Schottenheimer, after another failure to advance in the playoffs. “I told our football team that I have no words of wisdom that are meaningful to them at this point. Without a doubt, the men in that room gave everything to this organization that one could ever ask.”

The Broncos went on to defeat Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game and the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl. It was the first win for an AFC club at that level since the 1983 season and was the first of two straight for Denver. Kansas City collapsed to 7-9 in 1998, marking the end of Schottenheimer’s coaching tenure, and did not reappear in the postseason until 2003.

MVP Profile: Cookie Gilchrist, 1962

Fullback, Buffalo Bills



Age: 27
7th season in pro football, 1st in AFL & with Bills
College: None
Height: 6’3” Weight: 246

Prelude:
Ever inclined to follow his own path, Gilchrist showed up at the Browns’ training camp directly out of high school. He failed to make the team and, foregoing college, went to Canada instead where he played for six years with three teams in the CFL. Big, fast, and multitalented, Gilchrist excelled on both offense and defense, but also wore out his welcome with each team. He came to Buffalo for the ’62 season and moved directly into the starting lineup at fullback as well as handling the team’s placekicking.

1962 Season Summary
Appeared in all 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 214 [3]
Most attempts, game - 25 (for 124 yds.) vs. San Diego 10/13
Yards – 1096 [1]
Most yards, game – 143 yards (on 19 carries) vs. Oakland 10/20, (on 17 carries) at NY Titans 12/8
Average gain – 5.1 [4]
TDs – 13 [1, tied with Abner Haynes]
100-yard rushing games – 6

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 24
Most receptions, game – 4 (for 48 yds.) vs. Denver 9/14, (for 42 yds.) at Boston 11/23, (for 69 yds.) vs. Dallas Texans 12/2
Yards – 319
Most yards, game – 76 (on 2 catches) at Denver 10/28
Average gain – 13.3
TDs – 2

Kickoff Returns
Returns – 7 [20, tied with Art Baker & Elbert Dubenion]
Yards – 150
Average per return – 21.4
TDs – 0
Longest return – 34 yards

All-Purpose Yards – 1565 [5]

Kicking
Field goals – 8 [7]
Most field goals, game - 2 at San Diego 11/11, at NY Titans 12/8
Field goal attempts – 20 [6, tied with George Blair]
Most field goal attempts, game – 4 at Oakland 11/18
Field goal percentage – 40.0 [7]
PATs – 14 [8]
PAT attempts – 17 [8]
Longest field goal – 42 yards at NY Titans 12/8

Scoring
TDs – 15 [2]
Field Goals – 8
PATs – 14
Points – 128 [2, tied with Gino Cappelletti]

Awards & Honors:
AFL Player of the Year: AP, UPI
1st team All-AFL: League, AP, UPI
AFL All-Star Game

Bills went 7-6-1 to finish third in the AFL Eastern Division and led the league in rushing (2480 yards). It was the franchise’s first winning record.

Aftermath:
Gilchrist was slowed by injuries in 1963, but still set a single-game rushing record with 243 yards against the Jets, led the AFL in rushing attempts (232) and rushing TDs (12) and gained 979 yards. He led the AFL in rushing for a second time in ’64 (981 yards) in a title-winning year for the Bills, but became embroiled in conflict with Coach Lou Saban, was briefly suspended from the team, and in the offseason was dealt to the Denver Broncos. He again led the AFL in rushing attempts (252) as he ran for 954 yards in 1965. However, there was more turmoil and Gilchrist was traded to the expansion Miami Dolphins during the ’66 season where, playing on bad knees, he gained 262 yards in eight games. He returned to Denver in 1967 but saw scant action and retired. Altogether, he rushed for 9204 yards (4911 in the CFL, 4293 in the AFL), caught 196 passes for 2203 more yards (86 for 1068 yards in the CFL, 110 for 1135 yards in the AFL), and scored 78 TDs (35 in the CFL, 43 in the AFL). He was also an outstanding blocker as well as runner from scrimmage.

--

MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 4/12/12]
[Updated 2/10/14]

2005: Seahawks Stop 2-Point Conversion, Defeat Falcons to Win NFC West

The 2004 season-ending game on January 2, 2005 between the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field featured two teams assured of spots in the postseason, but it still held significance for the home team. The Seahawks, in their sixth year under Head Coach Mike Holmgren, were 8-7 and had clinched a playoff spot the week before. However, if they lost and the Rams won, they would end up as a wild card team rather than a division champion with a home playoff game to open the postseason.

Seattle’s offense featured star RB Shaun Alexander and included QB Matt Hasselbeck, still a work in progress at age 29 and in his fourth year as a starter, and WR Darrell Jackson. Anchoring the offensive line were OT Walter Jones and G Steve Hutchinson on the left side. The defense was a problem area, having been diluted by injuries.

Atlanta, under first-year Head Coach Jim Mora Jr., had far less riding on the game. The Falcons were 11-4 and had the AFC South title wrapped up. They also had injured players, such as athletic QB Michael Vick, who needed a rest prior to the postseason. Despite being a West Coast offense, Atlanta featured its ground game, led by running backs Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett – not to mention Vick, who could be quick to run with the ball. TE Alge Crumpler was his best receiver.

Following a short possession by the Seahawks to start the game, the Falcons showed that they took the contest seriously by blocking the ensuing punt. With Vick completing three passes and Dunn running for 12 yards, Atlanta went 48 yards in 12 plays and WR Peerless Price caught a two-yard touchdown pass to take an early 7-0 lead.

Seattle came right back as Alexander rushed for 24 yards in a six-play, 48-yard drive that ended with the star running back scoring from a yard out. Josh Brown’s conversion tied the contest at 7-7.

The teams traded punts as the game proceeded into the second quarter. The Falcons drove to the Seattle 10 yard line thanks to the running of Dunn (back-to-back carries of 14 and 26 yards to get the ball into Seahawks territory) and Vick’s throwing. Jay Feely kicked a 33-yard field goal to finish off the 10-play series and put the Falcons back in front at 10-7. The lead grew larger five plays later as Hasselbeck was intercepted by CB DeAngelo Hall, who returned it 48 yards for a TD.

Seattle bounced back as Hasselbeck immediately connected with WR Bobby Engram on the next play from scrimmage to get to midfield and capped a 66-yard drive with a three-yard scoring pass to Jackson.

When the Falcons returned on offense, Vick had been replaced by rookie backup QB Matt Schaub. While Coach Mora had vowed to treat the contest like a playoff game, Vick was nursing a hand injury and it made no sense to expose him any further. Still, Schaub gave notice of his ability by throwing for a 26-yard gain to WR Brian Finneran on his first pass. Atlanta came up empty on the series and there was no further scoring in the first half as the tally stood at 17-14 at the intermission.

The Falcons drove into Seattle territory to start the third quarter, but Schaub was intercepted by CB Marcus Trufant, who returned the pickoff 31 yards to the Atlanta 41 yard line. Hasselbeck completed six passes for 35 yards, including a scoring throw to TE Jerramy Stevens from three yards out. With the successful conversion, the Seahawks were back in front at 21-17.

It seemed as though Atlanta would narrow the score when T.J. Duckett dashed 35 yards up the middle to fuel an advance to the Seattle 21, but Feely missed a 39-yard field goal attempt. The Seahawks went three-and-out and the Falcons proceeded to put together a long, 15-play drive that stretched into the fourth quarter and covered 56 yards. Highlights included a six-yard Schaub completion to Price in a third-and-five situation and a 17-yard throw to the same receiver that moved the ball into Seattle territory. Feely ended the possession with another field goal attempt, and this time he was successful from 40 yards to make it a one-point game.

The Seahawks responded with a long drive of their own, going 60 yards in 10 plays. Hasselbeck had pass completions of eight yards to TE Ryan Hannam, 23 yards to Engram, and 11 to Stevens to get to the Atlanta 16, and Alexander ran for 15 yards on three carries to set up Hasselbeck’s one-yard scoring carry. It was 28-20 with 4:28 remaining on the clock.

That was enough time for the Falcons to put together a closing 15-play drive following CB Allen Rossum’s 23-yard kickoff return. Atlanta moved methodically down the field, converting two third downs, the first with Schaub carrying for eight yards on a third-and-one play. In a third-and-17 situation from the Seattle 28, Schaub completed a pass to Finneran for 16 yards and, following a timeout with 18 seconds left, the rookie quarterback out of Virginia completed a swing pass to FB Fred McCrary for a nine-yard gain on fourth-and-one. After a near-interception by CB Ken Lucas, Schaub was successful on a three-yard scoring toss to Finneran on a crossing pattern at the back of the end zone with no time remaining in regulation. That set up a two-point conversion attempt to try and tie the game and send it into overtime. However, the Seahawks held on for the 28-26 win when Schaub rolled to his left and gave the ball to Dunn on a counter play that barely came up short under a pile of Seattle defenders.

The Falcons had more total yards (354 to 253) and first downs (22 to 21), and of that yardage figure, 204 came on the ground (to 83 for the Seahawks). Atlanta drew far more penalties (8 for 53 yards to just one for five yards on Seattle). Each team turned the ball over once.

Matt Hasselbeck completed 21 of 27 passes for 191 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Shaun Alexander ran for 80 yards on 19 carries that included a TD. Bobby Engram (pictured below) was the team’s top receiver with 6 catches for 79 yards.


For Atlanta, Michael Vick was successful on 6 of 7 throws for 35 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game. Matt Schaub went to the air 22 times and completed 14 for 133 yards with a TD and one picked off. Warrick Dunn was outstanding with 132 yards on 25 carries and three receptions for 20 more. Peerless Price pulled in 7 passes for 46 yards and a TD and Brian Finneran gained 45 yards on his 3 catches that included a score. Of the seven sacks the teams combined for (four by the Falcons, three by Seattle), DT Roderick Coleman accounted for two.

“I knew I wasn't in,” Dunn said of his run on the two-point conversion attempt at the end. “It was just one of those plays that we thought was going to be there and it wasn't. They played it well. I was trying to squeeze myself into a small crack and get in.”

“To come up short like we did is not acceptable,” Coach Mora said in summing up. “But to run for 204 yards, to have drives with a rookie quarterback to win, and to stop the run? That was outstanding.”

The Seahawks faced their division rivals, the Rams, in the Wild Card playoff round. St. Louis had swept the season series and made it three-for-three with a 27-20 win at Seattle. The Falcons, who had a first-round bye, went deeper into the postseason as they then thrashed the Rams, 47-17, but lost the NFC Championship game at Philadelphia.

Thanks to the Falcons holding onto the ball so long at the end of the game, Shaun Alexander ended up losing the NFL rushing title by one yard to Curtis Martin of the Jets. Alexander ended up with 1696 yards on 353 carries (4.8 avg.) and scored 16 touchdowns. He led the league by scoring a total of 20 TDs and was selected for the Pro Bowl.

Warrick Dunn (pictured below) finished five spots behind Alexander among NFC rushers with 1106 yards on 265 attempts (4.2 avg.) and 9 touchdowns. Matt Schaub made a favorable impression in his rookie season and stayed for another two years as Vick’s backup before being dealt to the Houston Texans.

1978: Broncos Edge Raiders for AFC Championship

For the first 17 years of their existence, the Denver Broncos had been perennial also-rans. It had taken them from 1960 until 1973 just to post a winning record, and they had not yet appeared in the postseason. That all ended in 1977 in their first year under Head Coach Red Miller. The team featured the “Orange Crush” defense that included DE Lyle Alzado, linebackers Randy Gradishar and Tom Jackson, CB Louis Wright, and SS Bill Thompson. The offense was conservative but took advantage of opportunities and kept mistakes to a minimum. QB Craig Morton (pictured at right), a 34-year-old veteran who had been obtained from the Giants, revived his career in Denver. The Broncos won the AFC West with a 12-2 record and defeated Pittsburgh in the Divisional playoff round.

On January 1, 1978 the upstart Broncos hosted the Oakland Raiders for the AFC Championship. The defending NFL Champions were used to winning under Head Coach John Madden and had finished atop the AFC West in all but one season since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970 and prior to ’77. Losing decisively to the Broncos at Oakland in Week 5 had been a key event in Denver’s ascent, but the Raiders had returned the favor two weeks later with a 24-14 win in the rematch (indeed, the Raiders had not lost in Denver since 1962, although the clubs tied twice). QB Ken “the Snake” Stabler was not as outstanding as in ’76, but could not be taken lightly in a big game and still had outstanding targets in wide receivers Fred Biletnikoff and Cliff Branch and TE Dave Casper. FB Mark van Eeghen paced the ground game with 1273 yards. The defense might also have lost a bit, especially with an early season-ending injury to LB Phil Villapiano, but it was still a tough and seasoned outfit. Oakland went 11-3 in securing a wild card slot in the postseason and beat the Colts the previous week in an overtime thriller at Baltimore.

Mile High Stadium was largely a sea of orange with 74,982 in attendance. The Raiders scored first with a 54-yard drive in the opening period that ended with Errol Mann kicking a 20-yard field goal. Denver responded quickly as Morton connected with WR Haven Moses for a 74-yard touchdown on a second-and-15 play. The fleet wide receiver eluded SS Skip Thomas on the way to the end zone.

There was no further scoring in the first half. Mann missed a 30-yard field goal attempt that hit the right upright and Jim Turner was wide to the left on a 40-yard attempt for the Broncos. In addition, the Raiders lost Biletnikoff to a dislocated shoulder. The score remained 7-3.

Early in the third quarter, the Broncos had another scoring opportunity as Moses caught a pass for a 41-yard gain, but Turner again missed a field goal attempt, from 31 yards after a bad snap.

However, on the next play Raiders HB Clarence Davis fumbled a handoff and Denver DE Brison Manor recovered at the Oakland 17. Following a short carry by FB Jon Keyworth and a 13-yard Morton pass to TE Riley Odoms, Denver was at the two yard line and on first-and-goal, HB Rob Lytle dove over the top and was hit by FS Jack Tatum, with the ball squirting loose. Raiders NT Mike McCoy recovered and the Oakland players began celebrating, but the officials (chiefly head linesman Ed Marion) ruled that Lytle’s forward progress had been stopped prior to the fumble and it was still Denver’s ball (moved to the one after a vehement protest by LB Floyd Rice resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty). FB Jon Keyworth took a pitchout on the next play and ran in for the touchdown and a 14-3 lead.

The Raiders were far from dead and, late in the third quarter, they drove 48 yards in a series that extended into the fourth quarter. Stabler threw to Casper who spun into the end zone in front of LB Joe Rizzo for a seven-yard TD.

Denver responded with a long drive, but Rice intercepted for the Raiders at the Oakland 11 and returned it to the 22. Possession changed again when Denver LB Bob Swenson picked Stabler off at the 31 and returned it to the Oakland 17. Two plays later, Morton threw to Moses, who made a sliding catch in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. Although Turner missed the extra point, it was still a 20-10 lead for the Broncos.

Oakland moved the ball effectively once more, with Stabler throwing short passes. An eight-play, 74-yard drive ended with Casper catching another TD pass, leaping to pull it down in the back of the end zone.

It was a three-point game with 3:16 remaining, but the Broncos were able to run out the clock and win by a score of 20-17. The jubilant crowd tore down the goal posts and celebrated long afterward.

The statistics reflected the closeness of the score as Denver outgained the Raiders by ten yards (308 to 298) while Oakland had the edge in first downs (20 to 16). Both clubs had difficulty running the ball against the other (the Raiders gained 94 yards on 36 carries and Denver had 91 on 37 attempts). Oakland suffered three turnovers, to one by the Broncos, although Denver had more penalties (8, at a cost of 46 yards, to just two, for six yards, on the Raiders).

The Broncos typically capitalized on scoring opportunities during the season, but had difficulty against Oakland. 14th-year veteran Jim Turner missed three field goal attempts (from 40, 31, and 44 yards) and an extra point and Denver’s one turnover was a Morton interception in the red zone. Meanwhile, Oakland had won the previous meeting by running effectively behind OT Art Shell, but Denver’s swarming defense played aggressively and was able to neutralize the ground game.

Craig Morton was successful on 10 of 20 passes, compiling 224 yards with two touchdowns against the one interception. Haven Moses (pictured below) had a spectacular performance with 5 catches for 168 yards and two scores. FB Lonnie Perrin was the team’s leading rusher with 42 yards on 11 carries.


For Oakland, Ken Stabler completed 17 of 35 throws for 215 yards with two TDs and one picked off. Dave Casper pulled in 5 receptions for 71 yards and the two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Mark van Eeghen rushed for 71 yards on 20 attempts.

“It was especially nice to beat the defending world champions,” summed up Red Miller. “The game went just about the way we hoped. We didn't give up the ball in our end. We scored fast and played great defense. Our line did a terrific job, easily the best of the year.”

The Cinderella drive to the Super Bowl ended for the Broncos with a 27-10 beating at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys. Denver would come back to win the AFC West in 1978, but didn’t make it past the Divisional round in the postseason. Oakland missed the playoffs in 1978 and ’79 with back-to-back 9-7 records, but bounced back to win the Super Bowl in 1980.

(Denver's "Orange Crush" defensive unit pictured below, including #43 Steve Foley, #57 Tom Jackson, #36 Bill Thompson, #63 John Grant, #20 Louis Wright, #53 Randy Gradishar)

1972: Redskins Dominate Cowboys for NFC Title

In 1971 the Washington Redskins made it to the postseason for the first time since 1945, and in ’72 they were looking to go farther. Head Coach George Allen had shown a preference for utilizing veteran players in his previous coaching stop with the Rams and if anything that inclination had become even more pronounced in Washington. “The Over the Hill Gang” was long on experience. Player for player, they might not have been the most talented team in the conference, but they had plenty of spirit and savvy. The key player on the conservative, ball-control offense was HB Larry Brown, the league’s consensus MVP and leading rusher with 1216 yards. When they passed, they had outstanding wide receivers in Charley Taylor and Roy Jefferson.

33-year-old Bill Kilmer (pictured above), in his second year in Washington after previous stints with the 49ers and Saints, started the season at quarterback over 38-year-old veteran Sonny Jurgensen. While Jurgensen was an all-time great passer, Allen favored Kilmer as being better suited to his ball-control offense, although he was repeatedly booed by the fans. Jurgensen had finally retaken the starting job four weeks into the year, but when the increasingly-brittle veteran suffered an injury three weeks later, Kilmer returned to the lineup and stayed there. He might not have passed often – or with great style – but he ended up leading the league in touchdown passes (19, tied with Joe Namath of the Jets).

Allen built his reputation as a defensive coach, and the defense was the club’s strength. Six of the starters were over 30, including DE Ron McDole; linebackers Myron Pottios, Jack Pardee, and Chris Hanburger; CB Pat Fischer; and FS Roosevelt Taylor, but they were talented and played aggressively. They also were the stingiest unit in the NFC, giving up 218 points.

The Redskins had topped the NFC East with an 11-3 record and won their Divisional playoff game over the Packers without allowing a touchdown. In the NFC Championship game on December 31, 1972 they would be facing their division rivals and defending NFL Champions, the Dallas Cowboys. The Redskins had used a five-man front to beat the Packers (a ground-oriented team with a miniscule passing attack) in the Divisional playoff but were back in their standard 4-3 to face Dallas.

Under Head Coach Tom Landry, the Cowboys had finished second in the division at 10-4 and made it into the postseason as a wild card entry. Player-for-player, they were more talented than the Redskins and were coming off of a thrilling come-from-behind win over the 49ers in the Divisional playoff at San Francisco. Roger Staubach, who became the starting quarterback in 1971 when Dallas won the Super Bowl, had been lost to injury for most of ’72 and replaced by Craig Morton. However, it was the fourth-year veteran out of Navy who relieved Morton and rallied the Cowboys in the dramatic win the previous week, and Landry went with him as the starter in the NFC title game.

There were 53,129 in attendance at RFK Stadium on a dark and misty New Year’s eve. The Redskins took the opening kickoff and Kilmer completed passes of 15 yards to Roy Jefferson and 13 to Charley Taylor to get to the Dallas 41. Three plays later, Kilmer connected with Larry Brown at the 31, but he fumbled and FS Cliff Harris recovered for the Cowboys to end the threat.

Dallas was unable to capitalize – in fact, the defending champs were able to run just six plays in the opening period. The Redskins regained possession and put together a 16-play drive that lasted over nine minutes and led to Curt Knight’s first field goal, from 18 yards in the second quarter for a 3-0 lead. Larry Brown ran for 31 yards in the series and caught a pass for nine. Later in the period, Kilmer connected with Taylor for a 51-yard gain on a fly pattern and then again on a post pattern for a 15-yard touchdown.

Before the half was over, and down 10-0, the Cowboys got off their only meaningful drive of the game, highlighted by Staubach’s 29-yard run on a quarterback draw to the Washington 39. Toni Fritsch kicked a 35-yard field goal. Fritsch had another chance at a field goal on the final play of the first half, but missed from 23 yards – his first failure all year from inside the 30. Washington held a 10-3 lead at halftime, but had been more dominant than the score indicated.

There was no scoring in the third quarter, with the Cowboys unable to move the ball beyond their own 30. An opportunity was missed when Kilmer fumbled at his own 32 and the ball rolled deeper into Washington territory. Two Dallas players had a chance to recover and missed, but the Redskins finally regained possession at their 18. The ensuing punt only traveled to the Dallas 44, and Charlie Waters, a starting cornerback as well as punt returner, fielded the kick and lost yardage to his 39; a clipping penalty took the ball even farther back, to the 24 yard line. In addition, Waters suffered a broken arm on the play.

Charley Taylor had repeatedly burned Waters and now a replacement, Mark Washington, would be entering the contest. On the first series after the new cornerback entered the game, Kilmer went right at him and completed four passes, including one for a 45-yard TD to Taylor two plays into the fourth quarter. That made the score 17-3 and essentially wrapped up the game for the Redskins.

Washington pulled away, scoring 16 points in the final period. Knight (pictured below) kicked three more field goals, from 39, 46, and 45 yards. After an erratic regular season in which he was successful on just 14 of 30 field goal attempts, the fourth-year placekicker had been good on all three of his three-point tries against the Packers and was a perfect four-for-four against Dallas. The final score was a convincing 26-3.


The Redskins held Dallas to just 194 total yards and 8 first downs while accumulating 316 yards and 16 first downs themselves. Each team turned the ball over once, but the Cowboys spent most of the game on their end of the field. The Redskins converted 10 of 18 third downs while Dallas was successful on just three of 12.

Bill Kilmer was highly efficient with his passing, completing 14 of 18 throws for 194 yards with two touchdowns and none intercepted. Charley Taylor (pictured below) was sensational as he caught 7 of those passes for 146 yards and the two big TDs. Larry Brown ran the ball 30 times for 88 yards and caught two passes for 16 more.


For the Cowboys, Roger Staubach was forced to scramble often against the tough Washington defense that kept his receivers well covered. He ended up being successful on just 9 of 20 throws for 98 yards and, while he was the team’s leading rusher with 59 yards on five carries, he was sacked three times. No Cowboy caught more than two passes, with WR Ron Sellers gaining the most yards (29) on his pair. Of the running backs, HB Calvin Hill accumulated the most yards with 22 on 9 attempts.

Said a jubilant George Allen afterward, “I’ve said all along, give me a bunch of older men who have taken care of themselves and I can go all the way.”

Asked why he didn't throw more often earlier, Kilmer said, “you can't go to the well too often. Dallas has a smart team and they'd pick one off if you did it too often.”

Added Kilmer, “I think they thought I was going to go to Roy Jefferson more and that could hurt them, so they covered him more. So I went to Taylor.”

“Washington deserved to win,” said a disappointed Tom Landry. “They were playing excellent football in every phase.”

While the Redskins were NFC Champions, they did not end up with the NFL title. They lost to the undefeated Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl. In 1973, they reversed places with the Cowboys, who recovered to win the division title, and made it into the playoffs as a wild card. Washington lost in the Divisional round to Minnesota. Dallas again reached the NFC Championship game – and again lost, this time to the Vikings.

2001: Late Comeback Pulls Eagles Over Giants to Clinch NFC East Title

Prior to the 2001 NFL season, the New York Giants had won nine straight games against their long-time rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, including three in 2000 as the teams met in a NFC Divisional playoff contest. The Eagles had finally broken the string with a dramatic 10-9 win in the last two minutes of a Monday Night Football matchup at Giants Stadium, and on December 30 they faced off at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium with the NFC East title on the line. The Eagles were 9-5 coming into the game and needed a win to clinch the division title while New York, at 7-7, had won its last two contests and needed to keep winning to stay alive.

The Eagles had not finished first in the division since 1988 and were only recently resurgent under third-year Head Coach Andy Reid. The pass-oriented club ran a West Coast offense directed by QB Donovan McNabb (pictured above), who could be a streaky passer but brought mobility and an ability to improvise to the position. TE Chad Lewis was his go-to receiver. The running backs were veteran Duce Staley, also a good receiver out of the backfield, and rookie Correll Buckhalter. The defense was stronger against the pass than the run but had been very effective overall.

New York, coached by Jim Fassel, was the defending NFC Champion but had difficulties in ’01. The offense, directed by offensive coordinator Sean Payton, was not as proficient as it had been in 2000. RB Tiki Barber was the top playmaker, splitting time with RB Ron Dayne. QB Kerry Collins, having a lesser season after his outstanding performance in 2000, had a savvy veteran tandem of wide receivers available in Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard. The defense had the league’s top pass rusher with DE Michael Strahan, who was equally able against the run.

There were 65,885 fans jamming the Vet and it was apparent before the game even began that emotions were running high between the clubs when a scuffle broke out among some of the Eagles and Giants players during pregame warmups. The Giants had the first possession and went three-and-out. Philadelphia responded with a nine-play, 72-yard drive in which McNabb completed six of seven passes for 68 of those yards, including a 31-yard completion to Lewis to the New York 41. It was Lewis pulling in a five-yard TD pass that gave the Eagles an early 7-0 lead.

That was it for the first half scoring. While Philadelphia dominated during the first thirty minutes of play, the Eagles were unable to put any more points on the board. It seemed as though that failure might cost them dearly when, on New York’s first play of the third quarter, Collins connected with Toomer for a 60-yard touchdown on a flea-flicker play. Morten Andersen’s extra point tied the contest at 7-7 and, ten minutes later, he put the Giants in the lead with a 25-yard field goal that completed a 43-yard drive highlighted by RB Ron Dayne’s 30-yard run to the Philadelphia 20.


Early in the fourth quarter, the Eagles moved back in front at 14-10 when McNabb threw to WR James Thrash (pictured at right), who had won the earlier encounter between the two clubs with a scoring reception, for a 57-yard touchdown down the right sideline. The Giants responded with a 58-yard drive over 12 plays that included Collins completions to WR Joe Jurevicius for 18 yards and Barber, who also contributed a 10-yard run, for 15. The 41-year-old Andersen booted a 32-yard field goal to make it a one-point game.

The Giants again took the lead with an 81-yard drive over nine plays that consumed nearly five minutes. Collins had big completions, twice hitting TE Dan Campbell for gains totaling 31 yards and one to Barber for 10 yards. It seemed as though New York had ground the Eagles defense down when Barber ran for 23 yards to the Philadelphia 28 on a third-and-one play and Dayne finished the series with a 16-yard scoring carry. Barber successfully rushed for the two-point conversion and, with 2:43 left to play in the final period, the Giants were ahead by 21-14 and appeared to have regained mastery over the Eagles.

Following the kickoff, Philadelphia took 54 seconds to move the ball 67 yards in six plays. McNabb threw to WR Freddie Mitchell for 15 yards to get into New York territory and then connected with Thrash for a key 32-yard gain to the Giants’ seven yard line. From there, Lewis pulled in his second scoring catch of the day and David Akers successfully kicked the extra point to tie the contest at 21-21.

Philadelphia’s defense rose to the occasion, holding the Giants to a three-and-out possession. With the ball on their own 29, the Eagles took over with a scant 58 seconds on the clock. McNabb threw to WR Todd Pinkston for nine yards and then ran for four. When Strahan appeared to be trying to hold the quarterback down after the play, the Giants were penalized five yards for delay of game. The ball was now at the New York 28 and McNabb ran again, taking off up the middle for 11 yards. Akers, who had had a string of 17 consecutive successful field goal attempts snapped in the first half when his 43-yard kick into the wind fell short, had the wind at his back this time and was successful from 35 yards to put the Eagles in front.

There were still seven seconds left and Akers booted the kickoff through the end zone for a touchback rather than squibbing the kick. With time for one desperation play, Collins threw down the middle for Barber, who advanced to the New York 37 and lateraled to speedy backup WR Ron Dixon on a hook-and-ladder play. There was a long history between the Eagles and Giants of astounding finishes, and it seemed as though it might occur once again as Dixon headed to his left and blazed down the field. However, SS Damon Moore raced over to push Dixon out of bounds at the six yard line and, with time expired, the Eagles were division champs by a score of 24-21.

The Giants had the edge in total yards (420 to 361) although Philadelphia had more first downs (21 to 18). The Eagles also had more turnovers, with two to New York’s one.

Donovan McNabb completed 21 of 39 passes for 270 yards with three touchdowns and one interception – he also led the club in rushing with 48 yards on 7 carries. James Thrash caught 7 passes for 143 yards and a TD while Chad Lewis also had 7 catches that gained 74 yards and two touchdowns. Among the running backs, Correll Buckhalter rushed for 39 yards on 7 attempts while Duce Staley contributed 8 carries for 23 yards.

For the Giants, Tiki Barber (pictured below) ran for 71 yards on 16 carries and caught 10 passes for another 87 yards. Ron Dayne added 59 yards and a TD on 8 attempts. Kerry Collins threw 39 passes and completed 22 for 303 yards with a touchdown and none intercepted. Amani Toomer gained 69 yards and scored once on his three catches. Michael Strahan, having regularly done well against Eagles OT Jon Runyan and pursuing the single-season record for sacks, added 3.5 to his total.


“Donovan stepped up and did a great job in as much pressure as you can have,” said Andy Reid of McNabb’s performance afterward.

With their postseason status set, the Eagles won the season finale at Tampa Bay to end up with an 11-5 record and then beat the Buccaneers again at home in the Wild Card playoff round. They also defeated the Chicago Bears at the Divisional level but lost to the Rams in the NFC Championship game – their first of three consecutive losses in the conference title game before winning in their fourth attempt. The loss in Philadelphia eliminated the Giants from playoff contention and they fell again in their last game to end up third in the NFC East with a disappointing 7-9 tally.

Donovan McNabb ranked fourth in the NFC in passing (84.3 rating) and fifth in TD passes (25) while throwing for 3233 yards. He also rushed for 482 yards on 82 carries (5.9 avg.). McNabb was named to the Pro Bowl for the second of an eventual five straight seasons (six overall).

James Thrash, who performed so notably against the Giants in 2001, tied for the team lead with 63 catches and led the club with 833 yards and 8 touchdowns. It was his first, and most productive, year with the Eagles.

Michael Strahan did succeed in setting a league record with 22.5 sacks. Of that total, 5.5 came in the two contests against Philadelphia. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press.