2000: Eddie George & Titans Beat Colts in Peyton Manning’s Postseason Debut

The two teams that met in the AFC Divisional playoff game on January 16, 2000 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis had both gone 13-3 during the 1999 regular season and were on the upswing.

The host Colts, champions of the AFC East under Head Coach Jim Mora, had been in the AFC Championship game as recently as the 1995 season, but had gone 3-13 in both 1997 and ’98. Spurring the turnaround was second-year QB Peyton Manning, the first overall draft pick in 1998 who was rapidly developing into a star; rookie RB Edgerrin James, who ran for 1553 yards and caught 62 passes; and fourth-year WR Marvin Harrison, NFL leader in receiving yards with 1663 on his 115 catches. Tight ends Ken Dilger and Marcus Pollard combined for 74 receptions. However, the defense was vulnerable against the run and the secondary intercepted only nine passes.

The visiting Tennessee Titans, under the guidance of Head Coach Jeff Fisher, had not been in the postseason since they were still the Houston Oilers back in 1993. The Titans placed second in the AFC Central and won an exciting, last-minute Wild Card playoff contest over the Buffalo Bills that came to be referred to as the “Music City Miracle”. The offense, directed by QB Steve McNair, was conservative and featured RB Eddie George (1304 yards). TE Frank Wycheck was the leading receiver (69 catches) while WR Kevin Dyson provided the downfield speed. The defense was key to the team’s success and featured rookie DE Jevon Kearse, aka “The Freak”, with his 14.5 sacks and included DT Josh Evans, CB Samari Rolle, and SS Blaine Bishop.

There were 57,097 in attendance for the first Colts home playoff game since the franchise had relocated to Indianapolis. Neither offense was able to score a touchdown in the first half, although they had opportunities. In the first quarter, the Colts had a first down at the Tennessee 25 yard line, but Manning threw two incompletions and the drive stalled. They had to settle for a 40-yard field goal by Mike Vanderjagt and led by 3-0 after one period of play.

Tennessee’s Al Del Greco kicked a 49-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter to tie the score. Indianapolis once again drove into Titans territory, reaching the 22, but lost yardage due to penalties and again had to go with a Vanderjagt field goal, again from 40 yards.

Tennessee again tied the score on a 37-yard Del Greco field goal. With time running out in the first half, the Colts put together their longest drive of the game, going 66 yards in 12 plays. It also included their longest play, a 33-yard pass completion to WR E.G. Green, but he broke his leg on the play and the game was stopped for about five minutes, which hindered the club’s momentum. After reaching the Tennessee 16 with eight seconds remaining in the half, Indianapolis once more turned to Vanderjagt, who kicked a 34-yard field goal. The Colts took a 9-6 lead into halftime.

On the third play of the second half, Eddie George (pictured at top), who had gained just 38 yards on 9 carries in the first half, ran 68 yards for a touchdown. It not only gave the Titans the lead at 13-9, but changed the momentum of the game as the Tennessee defense, which had played well, stepped up even further. The Titans held the Colts to just 51 yards passing and six rushing in the third quarter.


Five minutes into the fourth quarter, it appeared the Colts had made a big, game-changing play when WR Terrence Wilkins returned a punt an apparent 87 yards to the Tennessee three. However, while the officials on the field didn’t see it, he had stepped out of bounds in front of the Tennessee bench. Coach Fisher had difficulty notifying the officials that he wanted to challenge the ruling on the field (he didn’t have the red flag issued by the league with him) and had to use a timeout, but it proved to be worth it. Upon review, the replay confirmed that Wilkins did go out of bounds (pictured at left) and the ball was brought back 63 yards to the Indianapolis 33.

The deflated Colts went three-and-out and punted, much to the displeasure of the fans who had been cheering wildly one moment and were booing the next. WR Derrick Mason returned the kick 19 yards for the Titans to the Indianapolis 42 and the resulting drive culminated in a 25-yard Del Greco field goal. Instead of the Colts potentially retaking the lead, Tennessee extended its margin to 16-9.

On the next Indianapolis possession, Kearse deflected a third-down pass by Manning, forcing another punt. A fourth field goal by Del Greco put Tennessee up by 19-9, which meant Indianapolis would now need to score twice in the 4:19 remaining to retake the lead.

The Colts had to give up the ball on downs on their next possession, but got a break when George fumbled and DE Mark Thomas recovered. Indianapolis finally scored a touchdown on a 15-yard bootleg by Manning with 1:51 left, but with no timeouts left. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by WR Yancey Thigpen of the Titans, thus sewing up the 19-16 Tennessee win and sending the club to its first AFC Championship game in 20 years.

Total yardage was practically even, with Tennessee gaining just four yards more than the Colts (309 to 305) while Indianapolis led in first downs (19 to 13). The fumble by Eddie George was the only turnover of the game, although there were 16 penalties (9 by Tennessee, 7 flagged against Indianapolis).


Peyton Manning (pictured at right) wasn’t sacked but threw under pressure all game, and it showed in the statistics as he completed fewer than half of his passes – he was successful on 19 of 42 throws for 227 yards and no TDs as well as no interceptions. Marvin Harrison was limited to 5 catches for 65 yards while WR Jerome Pathon also had 5 receptions, for 44 yards. Edgerrin James ran for 56 yards on 20 carries, averaging just 2.8 yards per attempt.

For Tennessee, Eddie George was the star on offense as he gained 162 yards on 26 carries, including the long scoring run. Steve McNair completed 13 of 24 passes for 112 yards and ran for 35 yards on 7 attempts. No receiver for the Titans caught more than three passes (George was one of them), and the leader in yards was WR Chris Sanders with 38 on his two receptions. Jevon Kearse deflected two passes, but had no sacks. Craig Hentrich averaged 52 yards per punt, resulting in half of the Indianapolis drives starting from inside the 20 yard line.

Afterward, Eddie George recounted a conversation he had prior to the game with Coach Fisher. “He asked me to relive draft day back in 1996,” George said. “He told me to remember that he drafted me because he felt I could lead this team to where we are now. He challenged me to live up to expectations.” The former Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State responded accordingly.

“We just came up short against a very good team,” Jim Mora said. “We had trouble making a play, particularly making big plays. It was a struggle all day, both sides of the ball.” The Colts had been a big-play team all year, but failed to make big plays against the Titans.

As to the big play that wasn’t, the punt return brought back upon review, Ken Dilger said, “I wouldn't say it took the heart out of us but I do think it deflated us a little.”

The Titans, after winning two close games in the playoffs, handily defeated Jacksonville for the AFC Championship. They lost to the Rams in a closely-fought Super Bowl. Tennessee went on to reach the postseason in three of the next four seasons, making it as far as the conference title game once more.

The Colts went to the playoffs again in 2000 under Mora, who ended up winless in six playoff games as a NFL head coach (he was far more successful in the USFL, where his Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars teams made it to the title game all three years and won the last two). With Manning at quarterback, Indianapolis would become a regular participant in the postseason from 2002 on.

1939: Champion Giants Win First Pro All-Star Game

While the Pro Bowl dates back to the 1950 season as the NFL’s annual postseason all-star game, there was an earlier version called the Pro All-Star Game. The first was held on January 15, 1939 at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, better known as a minor league baseball ballpark.

Referred to in the media as the first “professional bowl football game”, the format was different than that of the Pro Bowl. Instead of being a matchup of the top players from two different conferences, the Pro All-Star Game featured the winner of the NFL Championship game against a squad of stars from the rest of the league. In the case of the first contest, the New York Giants faced an All-Star roster that was filled by not only players from the other NFL teams, but from two local independent pro football clubs, the Los Angeles Bulldogs and Hollywood Stars. Game proceeds were donated to the Salvation Army.

There was a disappointing crowd estimated at around 20,000 on hand on a bleak and cold day, with fog covering much of the Los Angeles basin. The starting backfield for the All-Stars consisted of Washington tailback Sammy Baugh, FB Clarke Hinkle of the Packers, QB Ernie Pinckert of the Redskins, and Detroit HB Lloyd Cardwell. Starting linemen included ends Gaynell Tinsley of the Cardinals and Perry Schwartz of Brooklyn, tackles Bruiser Kinard of the Dodgers and Joe Stydahar of the Bears, guards Byron Gentry of Pittsburgh and Pete Mehringer of the LA Bulldogs, and Detroit center John Wiatrak. The team was coached by Washington’s Ray Flaherty and Gus Henderson of the Lions.

The Giants, coached by Steve Owen, had gone 8-2-1 during the 1938 season and defeated the Packers by a score of 23-17 for the NFL title. Center Mel Hein was the league’s MVP, QB Ed Danowski (pictured above) was an All-Pro and one of the better passers, and FB Tuffy Leemans was the second-leading rusher (463 yards). New York had a deep and talented club.

Despite the array of outstanding players, the first half was unexciting, and both sides were especially ragged during the first quarter. The Giants finally scored in the second quarter as Len “Feets” Barnum kicked an 18-yard field goal following an interception at midfield by LB/FB Johnny “Bull” Karcis. The All-Stars came back to tie the score with a 19-yard field goal by Green Bay’s Ernie Smith with 20 seconds left in the half after driving from their 35.


Following a missed 47-yard field goal attempt by New York’s Ward Cuff in the third quarter, the All-Stars took over at their 20. Baugh threw a 10-yard pass to Schwartz and then, on second and inches, a pass to Cardwell (pictured at left), who caught it at the New York 40 and ran the rest of the way for a 70-yard touchdown in the game’s most spectacular play. Joe Stydahar kicked the extra point to give the All-Stars a 10-3 lead.

Late in the same period, the Giants began a 73-yard drive that carried over into the fourth quarter. Danowski completed five straight passes with the last one being a 32-yard scoring throw to end Chuck Gelatka at the goal line. Cuff kicked the tying extra point.

The All-Stars moved deep into Giants territory on a drive that featured the running of FB Johnny Drake of the Rams and Green Bay tailback Cecil Isbell. However, they came up empty when a 21-yard field goal try was partially blocked.


With less than five minutes remaining in the game, Rams tailback Ed Goddard fumbled a punt inside his own 20 that G Orville Tuttle recovered for the Giants. Leemans ran three times for seven yards and then Cuff (pictured at right) kicked a 20-yard field goal. The Giants held on to win, 13-10.

New York had the edge in first downs over the All-Stars, 13 to 10. Ed Danowski completed 9 of 13 passes to overshadow Sammy Baugh, who was successful on 4 of 9.

There was much disappointment over the low turnout and comments in the newspapers to the effect that Los Angeles was not yet a major league pro football venue.

“They told me the game would turn the customers away,” Giants owner Tim Mara said, “and I believed 'em. So I brought the team out and the game cost me plenty of money, not to mention the tough afternoons I had at Santa Anita (a local racetrack).”

Despite the complaints, the next two Pro All-Star games were held in Los Angeles, although at Gilmore Stadium rather than Wrigley Field. The last two games of the series, following the 1941 and ’42 seasons, were held in New York and Philadelphia, respectively, due to World War II restrictions on crowd-drawing events in West Coast cities that might be vulnerable to attack. In all, the NFL champions won four of the games, the All-Stars one.

1968: Packers Beat Raiders in Super Bowl II

Head Coach Vince Lombardi had guided the Green Bay Packers to five NFL championships in nine seasons, including three straight from 1965-67. Having beaten the Dallas Cowboys in a dramatic NFL Championship game on a frigid day at Lambeau Field, he now looked to cap his tenure with a second Super Bowl win over the AFL champions, the Oakland Raiders.

The Packers were a solid and seasoned club, having overcome a slow start in '67 by QB Bart Starr (pictured above) due to injuries at the beginning of the season, and the loss of HB Elijah Pitts and FB Jim Grabowski along the way. But Lombardi filled in with players like fullbacks Ben Wilson and Chuck Mercein, and there were familiar names throughout the roster, including Pro Bowlers in split end Boyd Dowler, G Jerry Kramer, OT Forrest Gregg, DE Willie Davis, LB Dave Robinson, FS Willie Wood, and cornerbacks Herb Adderley and Bob Jeter.

The team they would be facing on January 14, 1968 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, the Raiders, was in the postseason for the first time. Coached by John Rauch and operated by managing general partner Al Davis, Oakland profited from an offseason trade with Buffalo that brought QB Daryle Lamonica to the team. Lamonica, a highly-regarded backup with the Bills for four years, was outstanding as he led the league in passing and touchdown passes (30) while throwing for 3228 yards, and was named AFL Player of the Year by the Associated Press and UPI. He was not the only newcomer who made good – CB Willie Brown was obtained from the Broncos and had an All-AFL season, and 40-year-old George Blanda provided depth at quarterback and reliable placekicking. Rookie G Gene Upshaw joined young veterans having breakout years like flanker Fred Biletnikoff and FB Hewritt Dixon, and stalwarts such as center Jim Otto and G Wayne Hawkins.

The Raiders won the Western Division with a 13-1 record and decimated the Oilers in the league title game. The Packers were nevertheless 14-point favorites.

Attendance at the first Super Bowl in Los Angeles had been disappointing, but there were 75,546 fans filling the Orange Bowl for the second contest (still not officially called the Super Bowl). Oakland received the opening kickoff and proceeded to go three-and-out. The Packers responded by driving 34 yards in 11 plays on their first possession, capped by a 39-yard field goal by Don Chandler.

The Raiders nearly made it to midfield on their next possession, and Mike Eischeid’s punt traveled 45 yards before going out of bounds at the Green Bay three yard line. The Packers proceeded to methodically drive 84 yards in 16 plays, running 8:40 off the clock and highlighted by Starr’s 16-yard pass completion to flanker Carroll Dale and 14-yard run on a broken play. The long possession was capped in the second quarter by another Chandler field goal, this time from 20 yards, for a 6-0 lead.

Following another short Oakland possession, Starr fired a pass to Dowler who blew past CB Kent McCloughan and ran unencumbered the rest of the way for a 62-yard touchdown (pictured below). With the score now 13-0, Lamonica directed the Raiders on a nine-play drive that covered 78 yards and ended with a 23-yard touchdown pass to split end Bill Miller.


Green Bay took over at its own 15 yard line following the ensuing kickoff and DT Tom Keating’s sack of Starr drove the Packers backward. Donny Anderson’s 45-yard punt was returned 12 yards by safety Rodger Bird to give Oakland good field position at the Green Bay 40. However, the Raiders offense went three-and-out and George Blanda’s 47-yard field goal attempt was short.

Following another short Green Bay possession, Anderson punted again but this time Bird fumbled after signaling a fair catch and TE/LB Dick Capp recovered for the Packers at the Oakland 45. Chandler kicked a 43-yard field goal in the final seconds of the half and the Packers took a 16-7 lead into the intermission.

The Packers pulled away in the third quarter, much as they had done against the Chiefs in the first Super Bowl. Following a trade of punts to start the half, Green Bay drove 82 yards in 11 plays, highlighted by Ben Wilson’s 13-yard opening run on a draw play, a pass from Starr to split end Max McGee that covered 35 yards, an 11-yard Starr completion to Dale on a third-and-nine play, and a 12-yard pass completion to HB Donny Anderson. Anderson capped it all with a two-yard touchdown run and the Packers held a 23-7 lead.

Following another three-and-out possession by the Raiders, Green Bay put together another long drive that ended in Chandler’s fourth field goal, from 31 yards, with two seconds remaining in the period. The Packers now had a commanding lead of 26-7 with just a quarter to play.

The fourth quarter began with HB Pete Banaszak fumbling after catching a pass from Lamonica and Dave Robinson recovering for Green Bay. After a short possession by the Packers, the Raiders got the ball back and this time another turnover added the final nail to Oakland’s coffin as Lamonica was intercepted by Adderley (pictured below), who returned it 60 yards for a touchdown.


The Raiders came back to score on the next possession, again on a Lamonica pass to Miller that covered 23 yards, but it was too little, too late. Starr had to leave the game due to a jammed thumb, with veteran backup QB Zeke Bratkowski taking over to mop up, but the outcome was a foregone conclusion. Green Bay won its second Super Bowl by a score of 33-14.

The Packers outgained Oakland (322 yards to 293), including 160 yards on the ground, and led in first downs by 19 to 16. The efficient NFL champions didn’t beat themselves, suffering no turnovers and being penalized just once. The Raiders turned the ball over three times.

Bart Starr completed 13 of 24 passes for 202 yards with a touchdown and was again named MVP of the game. Ben Wilson ran for 62 yards on 17 carries, followed by Donny Anderson with 48 yards on 14 attempts and HB Travis Williams, who contributed 36 yards on 8 runs. Carroll Dale caught four passes for 43 yards and TE Marv Fleming also caught four, for 35 yards, while Boyd Dowler led the Packers in receiving yards, thanks to his long touchdown reception, with 71 on two catches.

For the Raiders, Daryle Lamonica completed 15 of 34 passes for 208 yards with two TDs and one picked off. Bill Miller (pictured below) caught 5 passes for 84 yards and scored both of the club’s touchdowns. Hewritt Dixon was the leading ground gainer with 54 yards on 12 carries.


“We're a young team,” John Rauch said. “I was happy with the fact that at no point in the game did we give up. It's characteristic of our team. We hope to continue with our program and get better.”

The game was the last for Max McGee, hero of the first Super Bowl and 12-year veteran who caught one 35-yard pass against the Raiders, and Don Chandler, who booted the four field goals to end his 12-season career as a placekicker/punter (with the Giants as well as Green Bay) on a high note. But another departure for the Packers was the most significant of all.

A few days after the game, Vince Lombardi confirmed what was widely rumored and stepped down as head coach, although he remained the general manager for another year. It marked the end of a remarkable coaching tenure for the man whose name became attached to the trophy presented each season to the Super Bowl-winning team.

List of the Day: Progression of Individual Season TD Pass Record

Tom Brady

NOTE: While the NFL adopted AFL (1960-69) records retroactively at the time of the 1970 merger, I have chosen to treat the AFL as a separate entity. The NFL list reflects that distinction.

NFL
7- Elmer Oliphant, Buffalo All-Americans, 1921

9- Hoge Workman, Cleveland Bulldogs, 1924
9- Red Dunn, Chicago Cardinals, 1925

11- Benny Friedman, Cleveland Bulldogs, 1927

20- Benny Friedman, New York Giants, 1929

24- Cecil Isbell, Green Bay Packers, 1942

28- Sid Luckman, Chicago Bears, 1943

32- Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts, 1959
32- Sonny Jurgensen, Philadelphia Eagles, 1961

33- Y.A. Tittle, New York Giants, 1962

36- Y.A. Tittle, New York Giants, 1963

48- Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins, 1984

49- Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts, 2004

50- Tom Brady, New England Patriots, 2007


Benny Friedman



Dan Marino



Peyton Manning

AFL (1926)
9- George Pease, New York Yankees


AFL (1936-37)
9- Hank Soar, Boston Shamrocks, 1936


AFL (1940-41)
5- Bill Hutchinson, New York Yankees, 1940
5- Al Novakofski, Milwaukee Chiefs, 1940
5- Andy Karpus, New York/Buffalo, 1941


AAFC (1946-49)
17- Otto Graham, Cleveland Browns, 1946

25- Otto Graham, Cleveland Browns, 1947

29- Frankie Albert, San Francisco 49ers, 1948


Frankie Albert

AFL (1960-69)
26- Al Dorow, New York Titans, 1960

36- George Blanda, Houston Oilers, 1961


George Blanda

WFL (1974-75)
31- Jim Corcoran, Philadelphia Bell, 1974


USFL (1983-85)
27- Bobby Hebert, Michigan Panthers, 1983

44- Jim Kelly, Houston Gamblers, 1984


XFL (2001)
18- Tommy Maddox, Los Angeles Xtreme


Jim "King" Corcoran



Jim Kelly

1975: Steelers Beat Vikings in Super Bowl IX for First Title

From the time they joined the NFL in 1933 through the 1973 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers had not won a championship or even played in a title game. They had been in the postseason on three occasions in 39 years, and two of those were in 1972 and ’73. But in 1974, the Steelers went 10-3-1 to top the AFC Central, triumphed easily in the Divisional playoff round over Buffalo, and then defeated the Raiders in the AFC Championship game to advance to Super Bowl IX at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans on January 12, 1975.

The heart of the Steelers, coached by Chuck Noll, was the strong defense. The “Steel Curtain” line of ends L.C. Greenwood and Dwight White and tackles Joe Greene and Ernie Holmes was outstanding. Outside linebackers Andy Russell and Jack Ham were joined by rookie MLB Jack Lambert, and the backfield led by FS Glen Edwards was talented as well. The ground-oriented offense featured FB Franco Harris (pictured above), who was paired with HB Rocky Bleier. Fifth-year QB Terry Bradshaw was still a work in progress, lost the starting job at the beginning of the season to Joe Gilliam, but regained it halfway through the schedule and showed improvement.

Facing Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl were the Minnesota Vikings, coached by Bud Grant. They had been participants the previous year, losing to the Miami Dolphins, and finished the ’74 season with a 10-4 record to again top the NFC Central. From there, the Vikings had soundly beaten the Cardinals in the Divisional playoff game and then just got past the Rams for the conference title. 34-year-old QB Fran Tarkenton was the key to the offense that also included Pro Bowl WR John Gilliam and multitalented FB Chuck Foreman, who ran for 777 yards and caught 53 passes for 586 more. The veteran defense was sound and featured DE Carl Eller, DT Alan Page, and FS Paul Krause.

There were 80,997 fans in attendance on a chilly and windy day in New Orleans, and they saw a game that featured defense and ball control – especially by the Steelers. The Pittsburgh defense kept the Vikings in poor field position, particularly in the first half. However, the Steelers offense controlled the ball well but couldn’t score points. A possession midway through the first quarter resulted in a missed 37-yard field goal attempt by Roy Gerela, and the next time the Steelers had the ball they put together an eight-play drive to the Minnesota 16 that came up empty when, on another field goal attempt, holder Bobby Walden fumbled a bad snap and had to fall on the ball.

The Vikings got a break in the second quarter when Bleier fumbled the ball away at the Pittsburgh 24 yard line. But they went nowhere in three plays and Fred Cox was wide to the right on a 39-yard field goal attempt.

Late in the second quarter, a pitchout to HB Dave Osborn was fumbled and rolled into the end zone. Tarkenton recovered and was pounced upon by the Pittsburgh defense for a safety (pictured below) - the first in Super Bowl history, and the first points of the game.


After a short possession by the Steelers, the Vikings responded with a good drive, but a pass from Tarkenton intended for Gilliam was batted away from the receiver by Edwards and intercepted by CB Mel Blount. The score remained 2-0 in favor of Pittsburgh at the half.

The first touchdown for the Steelers came four plays after FB Bill Brown fumbled the squibbed second half kickoff, which was recovered by LB Marv Kellum at the Minnesota 30. Bleier was stopped for no gain, but then Harris ran for 24 yards. After being thrown for a loss on his next carry, Harris ran nine yards around end for a touchdown.

On the ensuing series, the Vikings picked up nine yards, six on a pass to Foreman, and faced a fourth-and-one situation at their own 37. The offense stayed on the field and Tarkenton went into a long count to try and draw the defense offside. There were indeed flags thrown, but both teams were ruled offside, resulting in offsetting penalties; Bud Grant elected to take no further chances and punted.

On the next series, Tarkenton threw a pass that was batted back to him. Startled, he then tossed to Gilliam for what would have been a 41-yard gain, but drew a penalty for an illegal second forward pass on the play. While Tarkenton later connected with TE Stu Voigt for 28 yards, the drive ended at midfield when another batted pass was intercepted by Greene. The tally remained 9-0 after three periods.

Early in the fourth quarter, after Krause recovered a fumble by Pittsburgh’s Harris near midfield, an interference call on SS Mike Wagner gave the Vikings a first down and goal at the Pittsburgh five. However, on the next play Foreman fumbled and Greene recovered for the Steelers.

The Steelers were unable to get a first down and had to punt from their own end zone. The resulting kick by Walden was blocked by LB Matt Blair and recovered by DB Terry Brown for a Vikings touchdown, although Cox missed the extra point when it struck the left upright. Still, Pittsburgh’s lead was narrowed to 9-6.

With ten minutes to play, the Steelers launched a 12-play, 66-yard drive that resulted in a four-yard TD pass from Bradshaw to TE Larry Brown. The key play along the way was a pass to Brown for 30 yards to the Pittsburgh 42 in which it appeared that the receiver fumbled the ball away to the Vikings when hit, but the officials ruled that he was down before losing the ball.

Tarkenton was immediately intercepted by Wagner, and the Steelers were able to run the clock down to 37 seconds before Minnesota’s offense got the ball back, by which time it was too late. The Steelers had won their first championship by a score of 16-6.

Pittsburgh dominated the Vikings statistically, outgaining them by 333 yards to 119. In particular, the Steelers gained 249 yards on the ground to a mere 17, on 21 carries, for Minnesota.

While Pittsburgh’s front four didn’t sack Tarkenton, they harassed him all game, forcing him to throw on the run and blocking four passes as well as intercepting three. Dwight White played despite being down with viral pneumonia during the week preceding the game.

Franco Harris was the game’s MVP, keying Pittsburgh’s strong running game with 158 yards on 34 carries with one TD. Rocky Bleier added another 65 yards on 17 attempts, and even Terry Bradshaw outrushed the Vikings with 33 yards on five runs. Bradshaw (pictured below) didn’t throw often but was effective when he did, completing 9 of 14 passes for 96 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Larry Brown caught three passes for 49 yards and a TD and WR John Stallworth also caught three, gaining 24 yards.


For Minnesota, Fran Tarkenton was successful on only 11 of 26 passes for 102 yards with three picked off. Chuck Foreman caught 5 passes for 50 yards and led the club’s anemic running game with 18 yards on 12 attempts. Only one completion was made to a wide receiver, and that was to John Gilliam for 16 yards.

It was an especially sweet win for the long-time owner of the Steelers, Art Rooney, on the cusp of his 74th birthday. “I'm grateful to the players, to Chuck Noll and all the coaches, and to our entire organization,” said an emotional Rooney afterward. “It is great for me and for Pittsburgh. Our players are a great bunch of fellows. I'm not surprised they won.”

“I'm really proud of this football team,” said Chuck Noll. “We came in with the idea of getting the job done and let nothing stand in our way. It's especially fitting that in a championship game our defense shut out the champions of the National Football Conference. I can't think of anything more fitting.”

“It wasn't a very good football game,” summed up Bud Grant from the Minnesota perspective. “There were enough chances for both teams to win a number of times with all the penalties, interceptions and official fumbles.”

“We lost to a better team,” admitted Tarkenton. “We had our chances. Pittsburgh has a super defensive team. They controlled the game. We're not frustrated or dejected. We came to win and we couldn't do it.”

The Steelers went on to repeat as NFL champions in 1975, and won twice more before the decade was over. Minnesota continued to dominate the NFC Central, returning to the Super Bowl following the ’76 season but losing once again.

2004: Eagles Convert 4th-and-26, Force Overtime, and Beat Packers

The NFC Divisional playoff game on January 11, 2004 was the first to be played at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field as the host Eagles, NFC East champions in 2003 with a 12-4 record, took on the 10-6 Green Bay Packers, who had finished atop the NFC North.

The Eagles, under fifth-year Head Coach Andy Reid (a former Green Bay assistant), had won the division title and made it to the conference title game in each of the previous two seasons, but had struggled early in ’03. They were badly beaten in their first two contests and had a 2-3 record before reeling off nine straight wins. QB Donovan McNabb (pictured below right) suffered from a bruised thumb to start the year and was ineffective through the first six games, but came on strong in the second half along with the rest of the club. The three-headed running attack of Duce Staley, Brian Westbrook (who would be out for the playoffs due to an arm injury suffered in the season finale), and Correll Buckhalter was effective, combining for 1618 yards rushing and 83 pass receptions, although the wide receivers were average, at best. Defensively, star FS Brian Dawkins had missed nine games with a foot injury, but was healthy for the playoffs, while DT Corey Simon and CB Troy Vincent turned in Pro Bowl seasons.

Green Bay was coached for the fourth year by Mike Sherman and, as had been the case since 1992, featured 34-year-old QB Brett Favre, who passed for 3361 yards and a league-leading 32 touchdowns, but also 21 interceptions. WR Donald Driver and Pro Bowl TE Bubba Franks led the receiving corps, while RB Ahman Green ran for an NFC-leading 1883 yards.


It was a cold night in the teens with 67,707 fans in attendance at the new stadium. Neither club was able to generate much offense initially, with the Eagles failing to get a first down on any of their first three possessions. The Packers got a break when McNabb fumbled and LB Nick Barnett recovered. On the next play, Favre threw to WR Robert Ferguson for a 40-yard touchdown.

Eagles WR James Thrash returned the ensuing kickoff 36 yards and McNabb took off on a 41-yard run down to the Green Bay 15 on Philadelphia’s first play. However, the drive stalled and David Akers missed on a 33-yard field goal attempt. The Packers responded with an eight-play, 86-yard drive that included a 26-yard run by Green. Favre again hit Ferguson with a scoring pass, this time of 17 yards, and Green Bay had a 14-0 lead after one quarter of play.

The teams traded punts as the game moved into the second quarter. McNabb hit on five passes in a six-play drive that covered 77 yards and included a 45-yard completion to WR Todd Pinkston that in turn set up a seven-yard TD pass to Staley.

Green Bay came back with a drive deep into Eagles territory, but after getting a first-and-goal at the four yard line, the defense held and, when Green was stopped for no gain on a fourth down play at the one, Philadelphia regained possession. The first half ended with the Packers leading by 14-7.

Both offenses bogged down again in the third quarter, but as the period was winding down the Eagles, starting at their 11 yard line, began to drive. McNabb was successful on passes of 23 yards to TE L.J. Smith, 10 yards to Pinkston, and 15 to Staley. The fifth-year quarterback had started the drive with a 13-yard carry and he ran again, for 24 yards down to the Green Bay 36, as the period came to an end. On the first play of the fourth quarter, McNabb, barely scrambling out of trouble, threw to Pinkston for a 12-yard touchdown and, with the successful PAT by Akers, the game was tied at 14-14.

The teams traded punts before Favre completed a pass to WR Javon Walker for a 44-yard gain to the Philadelphia seven. The Packers had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell, but had regained the lead at 17-14. The Eagles punted again following their next possession, and Green Bay put together a drive that burned over six minutes off the clock. But with fourth-and-one at the Philadelphia 41, Coach Sherman elected to punt rather than risk another failure to convert a fourth down.

Following Josh Bidwell’s kick, the Eagles got the ball on their own 20 with 2:21 remaining in regulation. Staley took off on a 22-yard run, but then McNabb threw an incomplete pass, was sacked for a 16-yard loss, and tossed another incompletion. With the ball on the Philadelphia 26 and facing a fourth-and-26 situation, it appeared that the Eagles’ season was practically over. However, McNabb completed a pass to WR Freddie Mitchell, in the midst of two defenders, for a 28-yard gain and an improbable first down (pictured at top).

The Eagles continued their drive to the Green Bay 19, and with five seconds remaining Akers booted a 37-yard field goal to tie the contest at 17-17 and send it into overtime.

Philadelphia received the kickoff in the sudden death period and went three-and-out. But Favre threw a long, high pass that was intercepted by Dawkins and returned 35 yards to the Green Bay 34. Six plays later, Akers kicked a 31-yard field goal and the Eagles came away with a 20-17 win.

For the most part, the team statistics reflected the closeness of the outcome. The Packers had the most yards (381 to 363) while Philadelphia had the edge in first downs (19 to 16). Both teams turned the ball over once. But the Packers sacked McNabb eight times, while the Eagles got to Favre only once.

Despite the punishing pass rush, Donovan McNabb completed 21 of 39 passes for 248 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and also ran for 107 yards on 11 carries, a NFL playoff-record rushing performance for a quarterback. Todd Pinkston caught 7 passes for 95 yards and a TD. Duce Staley led the running backs with 45 yards on five attempts and also caught three passes for 26 yards and a score.


Brett Favre was successful on 15 of 28 passes for 180 yards and two TDs against the one big interception. Ahman Green (pictured at left) ran for 156 yards on 25 carries, although the yard he failed to get on the fourth down play at the goal line in the second quarter had a profound effect on the outcome. Robert Ferguson led Green Bay’s receivers with 4 catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns.

“I tried to beat my man across from me and just go deep, and I went deep,” Mitchell said of the fourth-and-26 pass play. “I didn't see the guy on top of me but Donovan read that and threw a back shoulder to me and I saw it in the air and I made a play.”

“That shouldn't have happened,” Green Bay DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila said. “But it did.”

The dramatic win didn’t translate into success the following week for the Eagles, however, as they lost their third consecutive NFC Championship game, this time to the Carolina Panthers.

For Freddie Mitchell, the big catch against the Packers was the highlight of an otherwise-disappointing career in Philadelphia. The Eagles’ first round draft pick in 2001 out of UCLA, he ended up with a total of 90 receptions for 1263 yards and five touchdowns, and was released following the 2004 season, effectively ending his NFL career. But for one play, he reached the heights that had been expected of him.

1982: 49ers Defeat Cowboys for NFC Title on Montana to Clark TD

The NFC Championship game at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park on January 10, 1982 brought together two franchises with different histories – and heading in divergent directions. The visiting Dallas Cowboys were no stranger to the upper echelons of the postseason - since the restructuring due to the AFL/NFL merger in 1970, they had appeared in eight NFC title games, winning five of them, and had prevailed in two of the ensuing Super Bowls. The host 49ers had never won a championship, dating all the way back to the team’s origins in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) of 1946-49. San Francisco had five postseason appearances in the preceding 35 years, losing the AAFC title to the Browns in 1949 and NFC title games to the Cowboys following the 1970 and ’71 seasons.

The Cowboys, under venerable Head Coach Tom Landry, won the NFC East with a 12-4 record. While they lost to the 49ers along the way, they had won four of their last five regular season games and decimated the Buccaneers in the Divisional playoff round. QB Danny White had a solid season, ranking second in the league in passing, and RB Tony Dorsett ran for 1646 yards. Two rookies in the defensive backfield paid dividends as CB Everson Walls led the NFL with 11 interceptions and FS Michael Downs contributed seven pickoffs. Dallas was a strong, consistently solid club, and was expected to contend.


San Francisco had not been expected to jump so high after four straight losing seasons. However, in the third year under innovative Head Coach Bill Walsh, the 49ers broke out in a big way, going 13-3 to win the NFC West. The emergence of third-year QB Joe Montana (pictured at right) had been the key as he led the NFL in passing and ran the complex West Coast offense with a cool precision. The running game was ordinary, but WR Dwight Clark was a dependable, if not speedy, target and the offensive line, led by G Randy Cross, stepped up. Two veterans, LB Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds and DE Fred Dean, contributed significantly to the defense, as did the backfield that contained three rookie starters – most notably CB Ronnie Lott, who achieved All-Pro recognition in his first year. The Niners had easily beaten the Giants in the Divisional round to advance to the conference title game.

The 49ers drove to the first score of the day, an eight-yard touchdown pass from Montana to WR Freddie Solomon in the first quarter. Dallas came back with a 44-yard field goal by Rafael Septien and then, following a fumble by San Francisco RB Bill Ring, the Cowboys struck again as White connected with WR Tony Hill for a 26-yard TD. The score was 10-7 in favor of Dallas after one quarter.

The Niners regained the lead in the second quarter when Montana, throwing while falling down, hit Clark for a 20-yard touchdown. But as the game settled into a back-and-forth affair, the Cowboys again came back on an 80-yard drive, including a pass interference call on Lott that gained 34 yards, and was capped by a five-yard scoring run by Dorsett. Dallas took a 17-14 lead into halftime.

The teams exchanged turnovers in the third quarter. Following San Francisco LB Bobby Leopold’s interception of a tipped pass, the 49ers went back ahead when RB Johnny Davis ran for a two-yard TD.

Early in the fourth quarter, Septien cut the San Francisco margin to 21-20 with a 22-yard field goal. Another fumble by the Niners, this time RB Walt Easley, gave Dallas the ball at midfield. Four plays later, a 21-yard scoring pass from White to TE Doug Cosbie made the score 27-21 and put the Cowboys in a commanding position with time running down.

Walls intercepted a Montana pass on the next possession, but the Cowboys were unable to move the ball and punted. With 4:54 left on the clock, San Francisco took over at its 11 yard line. Using short passes and runs by RB Lenvil Elliott, the 49ers moved methodically down the field. Coming out of the two-minute warning, they ran Solomon on a reverse, and he picked up 14 yards to the Dallas 35. Despite a heavy Dallas pass rush, Montana completed passes of 10 yards to Clark and 12 to Solomon. Elliott took off around end for a seven-yard gain.

San Francisco faced a third-and-three situation at the Dallas six with time down to 58 seconds. Montana took the snap and rolled to his right. With DE Larry Bethea about to hit him and his primary receiver (Solomon) covered, he fired an off-balance pass that was high and to the outside of Clark, coming across the back of the end zone. The 6’4” receiver leaped and grabbed the ball for a touchdown (pictured at top). With the successful extra point by Ray Wersching, the 49ers clung to a one-point lead.

The Cowboys got the ball back with 51 seconds still to go, and it seemed as though they might yet pull off a comeback of their own. White fired a pass to WR Drew Pearson that covered 31 yards to the San Francisco 44, where he was pulled down by CB Eric Wright. However, on the next play DT Lawrence Pillers caused White to fumble, and DE Jim Stuckey recovered for the Niners. San Francisco was on the way to its first Super Bowl appearance by a score of 28-27.

The 49ers outgained Dallas (393 yards to 250) and had more first downs (26 to 16). However, they also turned the ball over six times, to three by the Cowboys, which nearly proved fatal.

Joe Montana completed 22 of 35 passes for 286 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions (two by Everson Walls). Dwight Clark caught 8 passes for 120 yards and the two big TDs while Freddie Solomon contributed 6 receptions for 75 yards and a score. Lenvil Elliott led the Niners with 48 yards on 10 carries.

For the Cowboys, Danny White (pictured below) was successful on 16 of 24 passes for 173 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Tony Dorsett, who had to sit out three series in the first half due to an eye injury, gained 91 yards on 22 rushing attempts. RB James Jones, RB Ron Springs, and TE Billy Joe DuPree each caught three passes, while Tony Hill’s 43 yards on two receptions, including a TD, led the club.


“I was split out right,” Clark said in recounting the decisive touchdown pass. “Both Freddie (Solomon) and I go down into the end zone and slide back on the end line. The two defensive backs who were on me were watching Joe and when he scrambled out I just slid down the end line and got a step on them. When the ball went up it was just a matter of me going up and getting it. Joe put it in a place where it was either going to be caught by me or be incomplete. There was no chance of an interception.”

“The 49ers aren't a better team than us, but the game ended at the right time for them,” summed up Tom Landry.

“It's kind of like driving a car off the end of a cliff,” said Dallas safety Charlie
Waters, following what was the final game of his eleven-year career. “All I will remember is that they drove 89 yards on us.”

San Francisco went on to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, another upstart team, in the Super Bowl. It would be the first of four during the decade of the ‘80s, all with Montana at quarterback and three with Walsh as head coach. While Dallas would return to the postseason in three of the next four years, they would not make it back to a Super Bowl until the game following the 1992 season.