2010: Cardinals Beat Packers in Wild 51-45 Overtime Thriller

Coming into the NFC Wild Card playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on January 10, 2010, the Green Bay Packers appeared to be the team with the greater momentum as they faced the Arizona Cardinals.

The Packers, coached by Mike McCarthy, were a young club that was back on the rise two seasons after the departure of long-time QB Brett Favre. His successor, Aaron Rodgers, was sacked 50 times during the 2009 season but also passed for 4434 yards and 30 touchdowns. Wide receivers Donald Driver (70 catches, 1061 yards) and Greg Jennings (68 catches, 1113 yards) had over a thousand receiving yards and RB Ryan Grant ran for 1253 yards and 11 TDs. Moreover, the Packers scored a then-franchise record 461 points. The defense featured CB Charles Woodson, chosen as NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press, and OLB Clay Matthews (10 sacks), the first Green Bay rookie to make it to the Pro Bowl since WR James Lofton in 1978. The Packers had won seven of their last eight games to close out the regular season at 11-5, placing second in the NFC North, and including a win over the Cardinals at the same venue by a 33-7 score the week before – not a fair preview since Arizona, already assured of its spot in the playoffs, had rested many of its key players.

The foremost of those key players for the Cardinals was 38-year-old QB Kurt Warner (pictured above), who had revived his career in Arizona and led the team to an improbable climb through the postseason a year earlier that culminated in a NFC title and close loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. Warner still had an accurate arm and quick release and had thrown for 3753 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also had outstanding targets in wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, although the latter was sidelined for the playoff contest by injuries. The running game was ordinary as rookie Chris “Beanie” Wells had overcome Tim Hightower to become the club’s top ball carrier. The defense was not special but included Pro Bowlers in DT Darnell Dockett, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, FS Antrel Rolle, and SS Adrian Wilson. Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt’s team had been less consistent than the Packers over the course of the season, but had won the NFC West title with a 10-6 record.

On the first play from scrimmage, Rodgers was intercepted by Rodgers-Cromartie, giving the Cardinals good initial field position at the Green Bay 40 yard line. They scored in seven plays, with Warner converting a third-and-eight situation along the way with a 13-yard completion to WR Jerheme Urban and Wells following up with a 14-yard run. Hightower completed the series with a one-yard scoring carry and Arizona had the early 7-0 lead.

The Packers turned the ball over again on their second play of the ensuing possession, this time on a fumble by Driver, who was stripped by LB Karlos Dansby after catching a short pass, and DT Alan Branch recovered for the Cards at the Green Bay 22. Two plays later, Warner connected with WR Early Doucet for a 15-yard TD.

The Packers managed to not turn the ball over on their next series but still had to punt. Arizona put together a 63-yard scoring drive in nine plays highlighted by Warner completions of 14 yards to Fitzgerald, 22 yards to TE Ben Patrick, and 18 to WR Steve Breaston. Neil Rackers finished things off with a 23-yard field goal and the first quarter ended with the Cardinals ahead by 17-0.

Green Bay had the ball as the second quarter got under way and Rodgers threw to Greg Jennings on a third-and-nine play for a 27-yard gain to the Arizona 35. The drive stalled there and Mason Crosby was wide on a 54-yard field goal attempt. It seemed as though the Cardinals would add to their lead two plays later when Breaston took the ball on an end-around and ran 28 yards to the Green Bay 22. But Fitzgerald fumbled after catching a short pass and Clay Matthews recovered and returned it 29 yards to the Green Bay 48.

Ryan Grant ran off tackle for 10 yards, a penalty on the Cardinals added another 15, and Grant rushed for 20 more to the Arizona seven. The defense stiffened, but a pass interference penalty put the ball on the one, and from there Rodgers kept the ball himself for the final yard and a TD that finally got the Packers on the board.

The Cardinals came right back with an eight-play, 61-yard scoring drive that was capped by Warner connecting with Doucet for a 15-yard touchdown. Green Bay responded with a 74-yard drive that was highlighted by a 44-yard pass play from Rodgers to TE Jermichael Finley in a third-and-five situation and another throw to Finley for 17 yards. With time running out in the first half, Crosby booted a 20-yard field goal and the score stood at 24-10 in favor of Arizona at the intermission. The teams were just getting warmed up.

The Cardinals extended their lead on the first possession of the third quarter, driving 80 yards in six plays that concluded with Warner passing to Fitzgerald for a 33-yard touchdown. If the 31-10 margin appeared comfortable at that point, it proved not to be as the Packers began to mount a comeback.

On the ensuing series, Green Bay put together a 10-play drive that also covered 80 yards and was highlighted by a Rodgers completion to Finley for 18 yards on a third-and-ten play, a pass interference call that converted a third-and-eight situation into a first down, and a pass to Jennings that covered 35 yards. Jennings scored on a six-yard pass from Rodgers and, with Crosby’s extra point, it was 31-17.


It was 31-24 after the Packers successfully executed an onside kick and then capitalized eight plays later when Rodgers threw to WR Jordy Nelson for an 11-yard TD. But the quick-striking Cardinals responded, uncharacteristically getting a big running play as Wells (pictured at right) ran 42 yards to the Green Bay 16. The four-play possession ended with Warner again connecting with Fitzgerald for a touchdown, this time from 11 yards out, and Arizona took a 38-24 lead into the fourth quarter.

Three plays into the final period, Rodgers capped an 80-yard Green Bay drive with a 30-yard TD pass to WR James Jones that again made it a one-touchdown game. The Cards went three-and-out on their next series and, following a punt, the Packers took over at their 33 and quickly closed the gap. Rodgers went deep to Finley for 38 yards and then to Driver, who gained 28 yards to the Arizona one. From there, FB John Kuhn ran the final yard for a touchdown that capped the three-play drive. Crosby’s extra point tied the score at 38-38.

The Cardinals maintained their composure, methodically moving down the field when they regained possession. After tossing an initial incompletion, Warner was successful on his next six passes, including one for a 26-yard gain to Breaston and then a 17-yard scoring pass to the same receiver to finish off the 80-yard drive that took 11 plays.

With just under five minutes remaining in regulation, the Packers put together their own scoring drive in seven plays. Rodgers scrambled for 13 yards and threw to Jennings for 22 into Arizona territory. The 71-yard series ended with Rodgers tossing a TD pass to TE Spencer Havner from 11 yards out and, with Crosby again successfully converting, the contest was tied once more.

There were now less than two minutes to go in the fourth quarter as the Cardinals took over. A pass to Breaston for 24 yards got the ball to midfield and a 15-yard completion to Fitzgerald took it to the Green Bay 35. A short pass that gained three more yards was followed by a 16-yard toss to Doucet that put the ball at the 16 yard line and the Cards called time out with 14 seconds to go. It seemed certain to end there, but in a stunning development, Rackers was wide to the left on the 34-yard field goal attempt, and the game went into overtime with the score at 45-45.

The Packers won the toss and elected to receive. Following a touchback on the kickoff, they took possession at their 20. Rodgers threw an incomplete pass and then an apparent gain for a first down was nullified by a holding penalty. On second-and-20, Jones pulled in a pass for a 14-yard gain, setting up a third-and-six situation. Looking to throw, Rodgers was hit by CB Michael Adams and fumbled. The ball struck the quarterback’s foot and was grabbed by Dansby (pictured at bottom), who ran 17 yards for the winning touchdown. It was all over at 1:18 into sudden death - in stunning fashion, the Cardinals had won by a score of 51-45.

The combined total of 96 points made it the highest-scoring playoff game in NFL history. The clubs also accumulated a total of 1024 yards and 13 touchdowns. Arizona had 531 of those yards to 493 for the Packers, while Green Bay had a 32 to 30 edge in first downs. The Packers turned the ball over three times, to one turnover by the Cardinals. Rodgers was sacked five times while Green Bay got to Warner once. Each team had only one punt apiece.

Kurt Warner threw for more touchdown than incomplete passes as he connected on 29 of 33 throws for 379 yards and five TDs with none intercepted (it was his second five-TD performance in a postseason game). Steve Breaston had 7 catches for 125 yards and a score, and also had a 28-yard run, while Larry Fitzgerald contributed 6 receptions for 82 yards and two touchdowns and Early Doucet pulled in 6 also for 77 yards and a pair of TDs. Beanie Wells led the running attack with 91 yards on 14 carries.


For the Packers, Aaron Rodgers (pictured at left) went to the air 42 times and completed 28 for 423 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. Greg Jennings pulled in 8 of those passes for 130 yards and a TD and Jermichael Finley gained 159 yards on his 6 catches. Ryan Grant ran for 64 yards on 11 attempts.

In Green Bay’s long franchise history, the game marked both the most points scored and the most allowed in a postseason game.

“Whew,” said Warner as he faced the media afterward, “anybody else tired?”

“That’s probably one of the best games ever played in the playoffs,” said Ken Whisenhunt.

“It’s clearly one of the toughest losses I've been a part of,” said Mike McCarthy from the Green Bay perspective. “I’m very proud of our football team and fight. This is a hard game to swallow.”

Arizona’s defense of its NFC title ended the next week in a 45-14 loss in the Divisional round at New Orleans. Kurt Warner retired in the postseason, and his absence was noted as the Cardinals dropped to 5-11 in 2010. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers came back to make the playoffs as a 10-6 wild card entry and advanced all the way to a win over Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl.

1988: Anthony Carter Stars as Vikings Upset 49ers in NFC Divisional Playoff Round

In what had been an odd NFL season (one game lost and three played with replacement players) due to a players’ strike in 1987, the San Francisco 49ers emerged with the best overall record at 13-2. They were 10.5-point favorites as they hosted the Minnesota Vikings in a NFC Divisional Playoff game on January 9, 1988. While the Vikings had easily dismantled the Saints in the Wild Card playoff the previous week by a 44-10 score, they had finished second in the NFC Central with a decidedly ordinary 8-7 tally.

QB Joe Montana had recovered from a severe back injury that required surgery in ’86 and led the league in passing (102.1 rating), although he was having to look over his shoulder at backup Steve Young, who played well when called upon in relief. WR Jerry Rice had a sensational season, pulling in a then-record 22 scoring catches while appearing in only 12 games. The Niners were strong on both sides of the ball and seemed a likely bet to win a third title in the coaching tenure of the innovative Bill Walsh, which had commenced in 1979.

Minnesota was coached for the second year by Jerry Burns and while the Vikings lost all three contests that involved replacement players, they also were beaten in three of their last four regular season games. QB Tommy Kramer was afflicted with a pinched nerve in his shoulder, but backup Wade Wilson performed ably in his absence. Ex-USFL star WR Anthony Carter (pictured above) averaged a NFL-leading 24.3 yards-per-catch on his 38 receptions for 922 yards and earned selection to the Pro Bowl. The defense was tough and contained Pro Bowlers in DE Chris Doleman (11 sacks in a breakout year), MLB Scott Studwell, and SS Joey Browner.

There were 62,547 in attendance at Candlestick Park on a foggy Saturday. The field was already wet and rain fell during the last three quarters of play. Because of conditions, and with Kramer still not at full strength, Minnesota’s Coach Burns decided to start Wade Wilson at quarterback.

The Vikings had the first possession and drove 77 yards in 15 plays, converting two third downs along the way. Wilson completed passes for first downs on each of the first two plays from scrimmage, and also ran 11 yards out of the shotgun formation to convert a third-and-seven situation. Chuck Nelson kicked a 21-yard field goal and the Vikings had an early 3-0 lead.

If the Minnesota offense set a tone with its methodical drive down the field, the defense set one on San Francisco’s first play from scrimmage when Montana passed to RB Roger Craig and LB Jesse Solomon dropped him for a two-yard loss. The teams traded punts and the 49ers put together a 10-play, 74-yard series that included Montana completions of 18 yards to Craig and 33 yards to WR John Taylor. Ray Wersching booted a 43-yard field goal and the first quarter ended with the score tied at 3-3.

The Vikings broke the tie in the second quarter thanks to a 70-yard drive. Carter caught two passes that gained 12 and 11 yards and Wilson again took off and ran for 12 yards and a first down on the play before throwing a seven-yard TD pass to TE Carl Hilton.

Following a San Francisco punt, Minnesota got a big play when a third-and-10 pass from Wilson to Carter covered 63 yards. That set up a 23-yard field goal by Nelson that made it 13-3. On the next series, safety Reggie Rutland of the Vikings, used as a nickel back, intercepted a poorly-thrown pass by Montana that was intended for WR Dwight Clark and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.


Neither offense was able to move during the remainder of the half. Wersching missed a 26-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds and the teams went into halftime with Minnesota ahead by a score of 20-3 thanks to the 17-point second quarter.

The 49ers got a break early in the third quarter when SS Jeff Fuller intercepted a Wilson pass and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown. Minnesota came right back on the next possession, however, with a 68-yard drive. Carter ran 30 yards on an end-around play and five plays later, Wilson threw over CB Don Griffin to WR Hassan Jones for a five-yard TD.

Following an exchange of punts and with 6:29 to go in the third quarter, Walsh pulled Montana in favor of Steve Young. It did help spur the sputtering offense as Young immediately threw to Craig for a 31-yard gain and the five-play drive ended with the highly-mobile quarterback running around left end for a five-yard touchdown to make it a ten-point game. But the Vikings fired right back as Wilson threw to Carter for a 40-yard gain to the San Francisco 25. Nelson booted his third field goal, of 40 yards, and when Wersching missed again for the 49ers from 48 yards on the final play of the third quarter, Minnesota went into the final period with a 30-17 lead.

The Vikings went 40 yards in eight plays, highlighted by Wilson tossing a screen pass to RB Allen Rice that gained 19 yards plus another 15 thanks to a roughing-the-passer penalty on Fuller. While DE Charles Haley sacked Wilson for a 13-yard loss two plays later, Nelson kicked another field goal, from 46 yards, to extend Minnesota’s lead to 33-17.

Young came out throwing on the next series and was intercepted by CB Carl Lee. Following a punt by the Vikings, the Niners scored again thanks to an eight-play, 68-yard drive that ended with Young passing to TE John Frank for a 16-yard touchdown. But with 3:42 remaining, the result was no longer in question. Nelson capped the scoring with a 23-yard field goal and the Vikings came away with a stunning 36-24 win.

Minnesota outgained the 49ers (397 yards to 358), both on the ground (117 to 115) and through the air (298 to 267), and had more first downs (22 to 17). San Francisco turned the ball over twice, to just one suffered by the Vikings, and was flagged eight times while Minnesota was penalized twice.

Anthony Carter was the star of the game for the Vikings as he caught 10 passes for 227 yards (a playoff record at the time) and also had 30 more yards on the ground on his one run. Wade Wilson (pictured below) completed 20 of 34 passes for 298 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. HB Darrin Nelson led the club in rushing with 42 yards on 11 carries while the mobile Wilson ran the ball 6 times for 30 yards. Chuck Nelson set a NFL playoff game record with his five field goals, with no misses, which was especially noteworthy since he had been successful on just 13 of 24 attempts during the regular season.


Joe Montana had an uncharacteristically dismal performance for the 49ers as he was successful on just 12 of his 26 throws for 109 yards with one intercepted – he was also sacked four times (twice by Chris Doleman). Steve Young was 12 of 17 passing for 158 yards with a TD and one picked off and also led the team in rushing with 72 yards on 6 carries that included a touchdown. Roger Craig gained just 17 yards on 7 runs but led the Niners with 9 pass receptions for 78 yards. The Vikings secondary did a good job of shutting down Jerry Rice, who caught only 3 passes for 28 yards. Montana repeatedly looked for him but found him to be consistently double- and even triple-covered.

“I went with Wade because I thought the field would be heavy, and Tommy wasn’t 100 percent yet,” Jerry Burns explained afterward as to his decision to go with Wilson over Kramer. “Wade's ability to scramble and run got us out of some tough spots.”

“I've never seen Carter play any greater,” added Burns. “He’s a big-play guy in a big game.”

Minnesota’s postseason run came to an end the next week with a 17-10 loss to the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship game. Anthony Carter had another fine performance with 7 catches for 85 yards, but the Vikings were forced to punt 10 times.

Joe Montana erased any questions regarding his ability to still win big games in 1988 as the 49ers again won their division (with a lesser record) and successfully advanced to the Super Bowl, winning a dramatic contest against the Bengals. Along the way, they again met up with the Vikings, who again qualified as a wild card, in the Divisional round and avenged their 1987 defeat by a convincing 34-9 score.

MVP Profile: Otto Graham, 1947

Quarterback, Cleveland Browns


Age: 26 (Dec. 6)
2nd season in pro football & with Browns
College: Northwestern
Height: 6’1” Weight: 190

Prelude:
A single-wing tailback in college, Graham chose to sign with the Browns of the new AAFC rather than the NFL Detroit Lions, who had drafted him in the first round in 1944, after coming out of the Navy. An outstanding athlete, he first played pro basketball before joining the Browns for the 1946 season. Mobile and an accurate passer, Graham threw for 1834 yards as a rookie and led the AAFC with 17 TD passes as the Browns won the league championship.

1947 Season Summary
Appeared in all 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 269 [2]
Completions – 163 [2]
Yards – 2753 [1]
Completion percentage – 60.6 [1]
Yards per attempt – 10.2 [1]
TD passes – 25 [1]
Most TD passes, game – 3 at Buffalo 11/2, vs. San Francisco 11/16, at Baltimore 12/7
Interceptions – 11 [7, tied with Bob Hoernschemeyer]
Passer rating – 109.2 [1]

Rushing
Attempts – 19
Yards – 72
Yards per attempt – 3.8
TDs – 1

Interceptions
Interceptions – 1
Return yards – 0
TDs – 0

Punt Returns
Returns – 10 [9, tied with Bill Bass & Earle Parsons]
Yards – 121 [11, tied with Andy Dudish]
Average per return – 12.1
TDs – 0

Scoring
TDs – 1
Points – 6

Postseason: 1 G (at NY Yankees, AAFC Championship)
Pass attempts – 21
Pass completions – 14
Passing yardage – 112
TD passes – 0
Interceptions – 0

Rushing attempts – 4
Rushing yards – 21
Average gain rushing – 5.3
Rushing TDs – 1

Awards & Honors:
AAFC MVP: League
1st team All-AAFC: League, AP, NY Daily News

Browns went 12-1-1 to finish first in the Western Division while leading the AAFC in total offense (5547 yards), passing offense (2990), scoring (410 points), and touchdowns (56). Defeated New York Yankees for AAFC Championship (14-3).

Aftermath:
The Browns won AAFC titles again in 1948 and ’49, and Graham led the league in passing yards in both seasons (2753 and 2713 yards), as well as completion percentage (60.6) and TD passes (25) in ’48, when he was the AAFC co-MVP with San Francisco’s Frankie Albert. He was a consensus first-team All-AAFC selection both years. The Browns moved to the NFL in 1950 and won another championship. They lost title games in 1951 and ’52, but Graham was a consensus first-team All-Pro in ’51 and led the league in pass attempts (364), completions (181), yards (2816), and TD passes (20) as well as interceptions (24). Cleveland won the Championship games following the 1954 and ’55 seasons (the latter after Graham was coaxed out of retirement to play one more year) and he led the league in completion percentage in each of his last three years as well as yards (2722) and yards per attempt (10.6) in 1953, and TD percentage (8.1) and yards per attempt (9.3) in ’55. Altogether, over 10 seasons (four in the AAFC, 6 in the NFL) Graham averaged 9.0 yards per attempt (a record 8.6 in the NFL alone) while throwing for 23,584 yards (10,085 in AAFC, 13,499 in NFL) with 174 TDs (86 in AAFC, 88 in NFL). He also ran for 882 yards and scored 44 TDs, with a high of 8 in 1954. He was a first-team All-league selection three times in the AAFC as well as three more times in the NFL and was chosen for the first five Pro Bowls. Perhaps most significantly of all, he quarterbacked Cleveland to a championship game in all ten years, winning seven of them. The Browns retired his #14 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1965.

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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 2/10/14]

2006: Defense Carries Punchless Redskins to Win Over Bucs

Since appearing in the playoffs following the 1999 season, the Washington Redskins had gone through five years of mediocrity. In 2005 they started off at 5-6 but then won five straight to close out the regular season at 10-6 and secure a wild card spot. In the second year of his second stint with the team, Hall of Fame Head Coach Joe Gibbs had made the most of a veteran quarterback operating a run-oriented offense and an aggressive defense. 35-year-old QB Mark Brunell passed for 3050 yards and a career-high 23 touchdowns. RB Clinton Portis rushed for 1516 yards and 11 TDs and backup RB Ladell Betts was a useful fill-in. WR Santana Moss (84 catches, 1483 yards) had a Pro Bowl year and H-back/TE Chris Cooley (71 receptions, 774 yards) was a valuable possession receiver.

Their opponents in the NFC Wild Card playoff on January 7, 2006 were the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who had topped the NFC South at 11-5. A team better known for its defense, under Head Coach Jon Gruden the Bucs had prospered in ’05 with a ball-control offense. RB Carnell “Cadillac” Williams was the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year as he gained 1178 yards on the ground. Second-year QB Chris Simms, son of former Giants QB Phil Simms, took over when veteran Brian Griese went down with an injury and performed ably. The defense was aging but still had solid players in DE Simeon Rice, LB Derrick Brooks, and CB Ronde Barber.


There were 65,514 fans at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium as the teams traded punts to start the game. On their second possession, Simms went to the air on the first play and the pass was tipped by DT Joe Salave’a and intercepted by LB LaVar Arrington, who returned it 21 yards to give the Redskins the ball at the Tampa Bay six yard line. Portis (pictured at right) immediately ran off tackle for a touchdown and Washington had the early 7-0 lead.

The Bucs drove into Redskins territory, but Williams fumbled and safety Sean Taylor recovered at his own 49 and ran 51 yards for a TD. Instead of potentially narrowing or tying the score, Tampa Bay was behind by 14-0 which just over four minutes to play in the opening period – and Washington’s offense had barely been a factor.

The teams traded punts, but the Buccaneers then put together a 38-yard drive in 11 plays that stretched into the second quarter and culminated in a 43-yard field goal by Matt Bryant. Simms completed five passes along the way, but after penetrating to the Washington 17 he was sacked for a 13-yard loss by DE Phillip Daniels setting up the situation in which the Bucs had to settle for three points.

The Redskins responded with a 10-play, 40-yard drive that ended in a John Hall field goal from 47 yards that made it a 17-3 score, and that is how it remained at the conclusion of the first half.

Washington went three-and-out to begin the third quarter and Tampa Bay responded with a scoring drive. Helped by a 24-yard punt return by WR Mark Jones that gave them good starting field position at their 49, the Buccaneers got back-to-back pass completions by Simms to RB Michael Pittman for 22 yards and TE Anthony Becht for 14 to the Washington 10. FB Mike Alstott powered eight yards and two plays later Simms ran around end on a two-yard bootleg to make it a seven-point game.

The Redskins had to punt and Tampa Bay did likewise on a series in which Taylor was ejected for spitting in Pittman’s face. In the fourth quarter, following another Washington punt, the Bucs drove to the Redskins’ 19 yard line as Simms connected on five passes including one of 19 yards to WR Ike Hilliard and another to WR Joey Galloway that covered 24 yards to the 28 yard line. However, on a fourth-and-one play, Simms threw incomplete and the home team came up empty.

Punts followed short possessions by each club, but then Brunell was intercepted by CB Brian Kelly to once more give Tampa Bay possession in Washington territory at the 35. On a third-and-ten play, Simms fired a pass into the end zone that WR Edell Shepherd at first appeared to have caught for a potentially game-tying touchdown. Simms began celebrating and the grounds crew set off fireworks, but it was premature as Shepherd had failed to maintain control as he went down. Coach Gruden challenged the ruling, but the replay upheld the incomplete pass and, after another incompletion, Tampa Bay again had to turn the ball over on downs – and with no time outs remaining.

The Redskins punted and the Buccaneers had one more opportunity with 1:05 left on the clock, but a Simms pass intended for Galloway was intercepted by LB Marcus Washington (pictured at top, and who had earlier forced the fumble by Cadillac Williams that led directly to a TD) to nail down the 17-10 win for the Redskins.

In a game dominated by defense, Tampa Bay outgained the Redskins (243 yards to 120) and had more first downs (17 to 9). The 120 total yards were the fewest in NFL history for the winning team in a postseason game. The Buccaneers also turned the ball over three times, to once by the Redskins. The performance by Washington’s defense was especially impressive considering that there was attrition in the backfield during the course of the contest with CB Shawn Springs being sidelined with a groin injury and Sean Taylor’s ejection.

Mark Brunell completed just 7 of 15 passes for 41 yards and was intercepted once. Santana Moss and Chris Cooley each caught two passes, with Moss leading the club in receiving yards with a mere 18 (Cooley had 12). Clinton Portis ran for 53 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and Ladell Betts added 25 yards on 10 attempts.


For the Buccaneers, Chris Simms (pictured at left) went to the air 38 times and completed 25 for 198 yards, but with no TDs and two intercepted. Joey Galloway caught 7 passes for 69 yards. Cadillac Williams was held to 49 rushing yards on 18 carries.

“This is great,” said Brunell. “We've played our best football in December, and to get a playoff win on the road, as you know, is very difficult to do. Our defense was incredible. You can't say enough about them. They won the game for us.”

“Our guys on offense were giving it everything we had,” added Coach Gibbs. “We tried a little bit of everything, and we couldn't get anything to work.”

Washington’s run ended the following week with a Divisional round loss at Seattle. The Redskins dropped to 5-11 in 2006. Tampa Bay fell even lower, to 4-12, although both teams returned to the postseason in ’07. However, the win over the Bucs remained the only one in the playoffs during the second, four-year stint of Joe Gibbs as head coach in Washington.

2002: Jets Beat Raiders with Late FG to Secure Playoff Spot

Both teams meeting at Oakland’s Network Associates Coliseum on January 6, 2002 had something on the line in what was the final game of the 2001 NFL season. For the Oakland Raiders, under Head Coach Jon Gruden, it was to stop the slide after two tough losses and gain a first round bye in the playoffs. As for the visiting New York Jets, also coming off of a difficult loss to the Bills the week before, it meant making the playoffs altogether.

Under first-year Head Coach Herman Edwards, the Jets were 9-6 and had problems on offense. 38-year-old veteran QB Vinny Testaverde was talented if erratic and clashed with offensive coordinator Paul Hackett, in whose version of the West Coast offense he was not the best fit. The line protected him well, however, and RB Curtis Martin was one of the league’s best rushers. The defense was poor against the run but had a breakout season from second-year DE John Abraham, who accumulated 13 sacks and earned consensus first-team All-Pro honors. New York was behind the Dolphins and Patriots in the AFC East.

Oakland had gotten off to a 6-1 start but was now 10-5, assured of a division title but dropping on the postseason seeding chart. Gruden’s West Coast offense was well operated by QB Rich Gannon, a journeyman before coming to the Raiders. Tough but small (5’10”, 190) RB Charlie Garner was outstanding as both a runner from scrimmage and receiver, especially valuable with the power-running Tyrone Wheatley battling injuries. The wide receiving corps of 39-year-old Jerry Rice and 35-year-old Tim Brown was long on both experience and talent. The defense was tough against the pass but had difficulty defending the run. A further wrinkle coming into the contest against the Jets was that PK Sebastian Janikowski was out with a foot injury and the club had just picked up veteran Brad Daluiso, who had spent eight seasons with the Giants before being cut, to take his place.

The Jets scored in the opening minute of the game as Testaverde connected with WR Laveranues Coles on a screen pass that went for a 40-yard touchdown – New York’s longest pass play of the year. Oakland responded with a Daluiso field goal from 23 yards and it was 7-3 following one quarter of play.

Wheatley put the Raiders in front with a three-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, but Daluiso’s extra point attempt hit the upright and the score stayed at 9-7. Late in the first half, safety Chris Hayes blocked Shane Lechler’s punt at the goal line that was picked up by LB Jason Glenn for a touchdown.

The first half scoring wasn’t over yet. With 57 seconds to go in the second quarter, Gannon passed to TE Roland Williams for an 18-yard touchdown. The conversion was successful this time and Oakland led the back-and-forth contest by a score of 16-14 at the half.

It was 19-14 in the third quarter when Daluiso booted a 44-yard field goal, but the Jets retook the lead at 21-19 thanks to a 46-yard touchdown run by RB LaMont Jordan. Daluiso, who missed a field goal attempt during the game as well as the one extra point, kicked a 37-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. With 3:12 left to play, the Raiders had the ball and a one-point lead, but the offense couldn’t sustain a drive.

Getting one last chance, the Jets drove to the Oakland 35 thanks to four passes, including a 15-yard completion on a third down play to WR Kevin Swayne. From there, John Hall (pictured at top) kicked a season-high 53-yard field goal with just under a minute to play. The Raiders had one last opportunity but turned the ball over on downs and New York came away with a 24-22 win and a spot in the playoffs.

The Raiders outgained the Jets (337 yards to 302) and had more first downs (17 to 14). New York turned the ball over three times while Oakland suffered no turnovers. In virtually every statistical category, the Raiders had the advantage, but their inconsistency on offense and the ability of the Jets to make big plays (most notably on special teams) gave New York the win.

The game-winning field goal was particularly satisfying for John Hall as it made up for two misses in a contest against Detroit in 2000 that contributed to a loss and cost the Jets a playoff spot.

Vinny Testaverde completed 18 of 29 passes for 230 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Laveranues Coles (pictured below) had a big day with 5 catches for 111 yards and a TD. WR Wayne Chrebet also had 5 receptions that totaled 83 yards. Curtis Martin was held to 50 yards on 16 carries while LaMont Jordan carried the ball just once for the 46-yard score.


For the Raiders, Rich Gannon was successful on 23 of 38 throws for 224 yards and a TD without any intercepted. Charlie Garner ran the ball 19 times for 84 yards and caught 5 passes for 31 more. Tyrone Wheatley contributed 28 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries. Tim Brown had 6 pass receptions for 57 yards and Jerry Rice gained a team-high 58 yards on his three catches.

As it worked out, the two teams met again at the same venue in the Wild Card round of the playoffs the following week. The Raiders got their revenge with a 38-24 win, but lost to the upstart New England Patriots in a snowy overtime game the next week. The two clubs were in the postseason again following the 2002 season, both as division champs (although New York’s 9-7 record was actually less than their 10-6 wild card tally of ’01). Oakland once again defeated the Jets by a convincing score of 30-10 in the Divisional playoff on the way this time to an AFC title and loss in the Super Bowl.

The season-ending game against the Jets marked the end of the road for Brad Daluiso’s NFL career. Sebastian Janikowski was active for the playoffs and kicked three field goals – two from over forty yards – in the postseason rematch of the teams. John Hall played one more year with the Jets, putting together an identical 24-of-31 field goal tally as he had in ’01, before moving on to the Washington Redskins.

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.