2004: Patriots Edge Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII

Super Bowl XXXVIII on February 1, 2004 matched the New England Patriots, champions of the AFC after compiling a league-best 14-2 record, against the Carolina Panthers, representatives of the NFC following an 11-5 regular season in 2003. The teams had been in radically different places just two years earlier – while the Patriots were coming out of nowhere to win their first title, the Panthers had gone a dreadful 1-15.

New England had risen to prominence under Head Coach Bill Belichick and had uncovered a major talent in QB Tom Brady (pictured above). Unheralded coming out of Michigan in 2000, Brady replaced veteran Drew Bledsoe during the ’01 season that ended in a championship and was continuing to develop into an elite quarterback. The nondescript but effective receiving corps was led by wide receivers Troy Brown and Deion Branch. Running backs Antowain Smith and Kevin Faulk both ran for over 600 yards (642 and 638, respectively) while Faulk added 48 pass receptions for another 440 yards. The tough defense contained All-Pros in DT Richard Seymour, CB Ty Law, and SS Rodney Harrison, plus Pro Bowl DE/LB Willie McGinest and a solid group of linebackers that included Mike Vrabel and Tedy Bruschi. New England won a close Divisional playoff game against Tennessee and then defeated the Colts, with Brady’s quarterback archrival Peyton Manning, for the AFC title.


Carolina was coached by the defensive-minded John Fox, and defense was the source of the team’s rise. The front four was especially effective with ends Mike Rucker and Julius Peppers and tackles Kris Jenkins and Brentson Buckner. The conservative offense was guided by QB Jake Delhomme (pictured at left) and benefited from the presence of ex-Redskins RB Stephen Davis (1444 yards) and rookie backup DeShaun Foster. Eighth-year veteran WR Muhsin Muhammad (54 catches, 837 yards) was paired with rising star Steve Smith (88 catches, 1110 yards). The Panthers won the NFC South to make the playoffs for the second time in their nine-year history, beat Dallas in the Wild Card round, just got past the Rams in overtime in their Divisional game, and earned a trip to the Super Bowl with a 14-3 win over the Eagles in the NFC Championship game at Philadelphia.

There was a crowd of 71,525 at Houston’s Reliant Stadium that witnessed a slow-developing contest. The Panthers didn’t manage so much as a first down until their fourth possession, late in the first quarter. New England, starting its first series on the Carolina 46, got pass completions by Brady to Branch for 16 yards and Troy Brown for 12, but after getting to the 13 yard line, the normally-dependable Adam Vinatieri missed a 31-yard field goal attempt. For the rest of the opening period, the Patriots couldn’t move the ball effectively either despite winning the battle for field position. Carolina’s defense played its part, especially in one key instance when LB Will Witherspoon dropped Brown for a loss of ten yards on a third-down end-around play that took the Patriots out of field goal range.

New England finally put together a long 13-play, 57-yard drive in the second quarter, methodically moving down the field, but again came up empty when Vinatieri’s 36-yard field goal attempt was blocked by DE Shane Burton. The Patriots got a break four plays later when Delhomme fumbled while being sacked by Vrabel and Seymour recovered at the Carolina 20. Brady capped the four-play series with a five-yard touchdown pass to Branch to end the longest opening scoring drought in Super Bowl history.

With just over three minutes remaining in the first half, the Panthers offense gained possession at their 10 yard line, and having been dominated in total yardage by a margin of 125 to -7, it seemed like another fruitless series until Delhomme completed a third-and-five pass to WR Ricky Proehl for 13 yards. Following the two-minute warning, Delhomme completed two more throws, to Muhammad for 23 yards and back to Proehl for 15 to penetrate into New England territory. Three plays later, and facing a third-and-ten situation, Delhomme threw to Steve Smith for a 39-yard touchdown and, with John Kasay’s extra point, the score was tied at 7-7.

The Patriots came right back on a 78-yard drive over six plays that featured a Brady pass to Branch for a 52-yard gain to the Carolina 14. Brady capped the series with a five-yard scoring toss to WR David Givens to again put New England up by a touchdown. On the last play of the half, after the squibbed kickoff was returned 12 yards by TE Kris Mangum and Stephen Davis ran for 21 yards, Kasay booted a 50-yard field goal and it was 14-10 going into the intermission.

Following a halftime that included a notorious wardrobe malfunction and concluded with New England LB Matt Chatham tackling a streaker on the field, the teams resumed play in much the same way that they started the game – trading punts after short possessions. Again it was the Patriots taking the initiative as they got the ball at their own 44 following a Carolina punt with 4:37 to go in the period. On an eight-play drive that was highlighted by Brady completions of 16 yards to Branch and 33 to TE Daniel Graham, Antowain Smith ran for a two-yard TD early in the fourth quarter and the Patriots extended their margin to 21-10.

The Panthers again came alive on offense with Delhomme throwing passes to Muhammad for 13 yards and Steve Smith for 18 and 22 and DeShaun Foster running for a 33-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the margin at five points, and it seemed as though the Patriots would add to their lead when they went 64 yards in 10 plays that included three Brady pass completions and a 23-yard run by Kevin Faulk to the Carolina 10. But facing a third-and-goal situation, Brady threw off-balance and was intercepted by CB Reggie Howard, and three plays later Delhomme connected with Muhammad for an 85-yard touchdown. In stunning fashion, the Panthers were in front by a score of 22-21, although another try for a two-point conversion was unsuccessful.

There were now just under seven minutes to play, and New England again drove down the field. Brady completed six passes in the 11-play series, the last to Vrabel, inserted on offense as a tight end, for a one-yard touchdown. Faulk successfully ran for two points and the Patriots were back in front at 29-22.

Steve Smith’s 37-yard kickoff return was negated by a penalty, and the Panthers had to start the next possession at their 19. Delhomme, who had started the game so poorly, was now unstoppable as he succeeded on five of his six passes, including 19 yards to Muhammad and 31 yards to Proehl. The last was for 12 yards and a touchdown to Proehl and, with Kasay’s successful extra point, the game was tied at 29-29.

New England started the next series at its 40, thanks to Kasay booting the kickoff out of bounds, with the clock down to 1:08. After an incomplete pass, Brady connected with Brown for 13 yards and, following a timeout and a 10-yard penalty, hit Brown again for 13 yards to the Carolina 44. A four-yard completion to Graham got the ball to the 40 and then Brady found Branch for 17 yards to the 23. From there, Vinatieri (pictured below) re-burnished his credentials as a clutch kicker by booting a 41-yard field goal, and the Patriots were champions for the second time in three years by a score of 32-29.


The combined 37 points in the fourth quarter were the most in any quarter of Super Bowl play to date. New England outgained the Panthers by 481 yards to 387 and also accumulated more first downs, 29 to 17. Each team turned the ball over once. Delhomme was sacked four times, twice by Vrabel, while the Panthers failed to record any sacks.

Tom Brady, the game’s MVP, completed 32 of 48 passes for 354 yards with three touchdowns and the one interception. Deion Branch caught 10 of those throws for 143 yards and a TD and Troy Brown contributed 8 for 76 yards. Antowain Smith led the ground game with 26 carries for 83 yards and a score.


For the Panthers, Jake Delhomme missed on eight of his first nine pass attempts but rallied from there, completing 16 of 33 throws for 323 yards and three TDs with none intercepted. Muhsin Muhammad (pictured at right) caught 4 passes for 140 yards and the long touchdown, Steve Smith gained 80 yards and scored a TD on his 4 receptions, and Ricky Proehl also caught 4, for 71 yards with a score. Stephen Davis rushed for 49 yards on 13 attempts and DeShaun Foster added 43 yards on just three carries thanks to his scoring run.

“Nobody makes all of them. But if you've got to have one kick with everything on the line, he's the one you want kicking it,” Bill Belichick said of Adam Vinatieri, who was successful on just one of three field goal attempts, but connected when the game was on the line – just as he had against the Rams two years before. “It was an awesome kick. It was a great kick. That's the game. That's what Adam's here for.”

The Patriots went on to make it three championships in four years in 2004, again going 14-2 and defeating the Eagles in the Super Bowl. Carolina slumped to 7-9 in ’04 but returned to the playoffs in 2005 and made it to the NFC Championship game before succumbing to the Seahawks.

1983: Riggins Runs Redskins Past Dolphins to Win Super Bowl XVII

Super Bowl XVII capped a 1982 NFL season that was shortened to nine games due to a players’ strike and, as a result, necessitated a change to the usual alignment and playoff structure. The divisions were done away with and the teams with the eight best records in each conference qualified for a postseason tournament. The clubs that came out of the process to meet in the Super Bowl on January 30, 1983 were the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins.

The Redskins, under second-year Head Coach Joe Gibbs, had made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1976 and did so in impressive fashion, topping the NFC with an 8-1 record. QB Joe Theismann, the NFL’s top-ranked passer (91.3 rating), operated behind an outstanding offensive line known as “The Hogs”. Wide receivers Charlie Brown and Art Monk were productive, and FB John Riggins (pictured above), typically lined up as a single back in a two-tight end offense, gained 553 yards during the season and had been most impressive in the playoffs with 444 yards on 98 carries (4.5 avg.) in three dominating wins over the Lions, Vikings, and, for the NFC title, the Cowboys. The defense lacked big names but gave up the fewest points in the NFL. To top it off, a special teams performer was selected as league MVP by the Associated Press and Sporting News – PK Mark Moseley, successful on 20 of 21 field goal attempts. Moseley and DB Mike Nelms, an outstanding kick returner, were both named to the Pro Bowl.

The Miami Dolphins, coached by Don Shula, were the second-seeded AFC team at 7-2. With the unspectacular but mobile David Woodley at quarterback, Miami emphasized the ground game on offense, led by Pro Bowl FB Andra Franklin (701 yards). The tough, league-leading defense contained several notable players with last names that began with B and thus were dubbed “The Killer Bees”. They included NT Bob Baumhower, ends Doug Betters and Kim Bokamper, LB Bob Brudzinski, and sibling safeties Glenn and Lyle Blackwood. Outstanding defenders in the 3-4 alignment with non-B last names included inside linebackers A.J. Duhe and Earnest Rhone and CB Don McNeal. Miami defeated the Patriots and Chargers in the first two rounds of the playoffs and then shut out the New York Jets in the AFC Championship game.

There was a giant crowd of 103,667 on hand at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California for the contest. The teams traded punts to open the first quarter, but on the second play of the second Miami possession Woodley threw a sideline pass to WR Jimmy Cefalo, who made the catch 21 yards up the field and continued on to the end zone for a 76-yard touchdown.

The Redskins went three-and-out on their next series and the Dolphins ran effectively when they got the ball back, with RB Tony Nathan gaining 12 yards up the middle and Franklin adding another 13 yards on two carries. But with a first down on the Washington 37, Woodley dropped back to pass and was hit hard by DE Dexter Manley, forcing a fumble. DT Dave Butz recovered for the Redskins, who then proceeded to put together an eight-play scoring drive that stretched into the early seconds of the second quarter. After converting a third down to get to the Miami 35, it was Riggins running on five consecutive plays and gaining 21 yards. Moseley kicked a 31-yard field goal and Miami’s lead was cut to 7-3.

The Dolphins started their next series with good field position thanks to CB Fulton Walker’s 42-yard kickoff return to the Miami 47. They drove methodically down the field with Nathan and Franklin running the ball and Woodley throwing short passes. However, after getting a first-and-goal at the Washington eight yard line, the Dolphins couldn’t get into the end zone and settled for Uwe von Schamann’s 20-yard field goal that capped the 13-play possession and made the score 10-3.

The Redskins came back with a long drive of their own, going 80 yards in 11 plays. Theismann started off by passing to TE Rick Walker for 27 yards and the tight end followed up by running for six yards on a reverse. Two Riggins carries garnered a first down at the Miami 43 and Theismann threw twice for 19 yards, 15 on a screen pass to Riggins. Two plays later, Theismann ran the ball 12 yards to the 13 and, following two more runs by Riggins that got the ball to the four, Theismann threw to WR Alvin Garrett in the corner of the end zone. Moseley’s extra point tied the game at 10-10, but it didn’t stay that way for long. Fulton Walker returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown (pictured below) – the first on a kick return in Super Bowl history. It put Miami back in front at 17-10, and that remained the score at halftime. It would prove to the high water mark of the game for the Dolphins.


The clubs traded punts to start the third quarter before the Redskins put together a six-play, 61-yard scoring drive. The highlight was Garrett running on a reverse for 44 yards to the Miami nine. Moseley kicked a 20-yard field goal that narrowed the score to 17-13.

After neither team could generate a first down on the next three possessions, Theismann tossed a pass that Duhe intercepted at the Washington 47. The Dolphins were unable to capitalize, however, as Woodley’s long pass intended for Cefalo was deflected and picked off by FS Mark Murphy at the five yard line. Riggins ran twice for 13 yards but, with the ball out to the 18, disaster nearly struck for the Redskins when Theismann’s first-down throw intended for Charlie Brown was tipped up into the air and almost intercepted by Bokamper. As the defensive tackle tried to pull the ball in, and with nothing between him and the goal line, Theismann alertly reached over to jar the ball loose for an incompletion.

Washington continued its drive, with the game entering the fourth quarter, to the Miami 43 and a long pass by Theismann intended for Brown was intercepted by Lyle Blackwood at the one. In a critical series, the Dolphins were able to gain only three yards and Tom Orosz’s punt sailed 41 yards - with a three-yard return by Nelms, the Redskins had good field position at the their 48.

They made the most of it. Following two runs by Riggins and a carry by RB Clarence Harmon, Washington faced a fourth-and-one situation and went for it. Riggins took the handoff, headed toward left end, and kept going all the way for a 43-yard touchdown. With Moseley’s extra point, the Redskins took a 20-17 lead.

The Washington defense was steadily taking control and the Dolphins responded with a short series that started at their 22 and ended with a net loss of a yard at the 21. Orosz punted only 32 yards, Nelms returned for 12, and the Redskins again had outstanding field position, starting at the Miami 41.

It was all ball control now as Riggins carried on six of the next seven plays. Theismann rolled out on a third down play and threw to Charlie Brown for the needed nine yards to get inside the Dolphins’ ten and three plays later he threw to Brown again for a six-yard TD that sealed the win for Washington. The 12-play drive ran nearly seven minutes off the clock and the Dolphins were down by ten points with under two minutes to play. Miami turned to backup QB Don Strock, a better passer than Woodley, but it made no difference. The Redskins won their first NFL title since 1942 by a score of 27-17.

Washington’s domination was complete, outgaining the Dolphins by 400 yards to 176 and posting 24 first downs to Miami’s 9. 276 of the Redskins’ yards came on the ground, and the Dolphins gained only 34 total yards in the second half, with no pass completions at all. Each team turned the ball over twice.


John Riggins was the game’s MVP as he rushed for 166 yards on 38 carries and a TD – 108 of those yards came in the second half. Joe Theismann (pictured at left) completed 15 of 23 passes for 143 yards with two touchdowns and two intercepted. Charlie Brown had 6 catches for 60 yards and the game-clinching TD.

For the Dolphins, David Woodley was successful on four of his 14 throws for 97 yards with the one long touchdown that accounted for most of the yardage and one interception. Jimmy Cefalo, who caught the scoring pass, had two catches for 82 yards and WR Duriel Harris pulled in the other two completions, gaining 15 yards. Andra Franklin led the ground game with 49 yards on 16 attempts. Fulton Walker, with his 190 yards on four kickoff returns for a 47.5 average and a TD, was Miami’s most productive offensive weapon.

After Coach Gibbs had received the congratulatory phone call from President Ronald Reagan and Riggins learned that he was the game’s Most Valuable Player, the irrepressible fullback said, “At least for tonight, Ron may be the President, but I’m the King.” The Super Bowl performance crowned an impressive postseason for Riggins, in which he ended up with more rushing yards in the four playoff games (610) than he did in the nine regular season contests (553).

The Redskins proved it was no fluke in 1983, putting together a record-setting offensive season while going 14-2. They again won the NFC title, but were upset by the Raiders in the Super Bowl. Miami went 12-4, losing in the Divisional round of the playoffs, although the stage was set for a return to the Super Bowl in ’84 due to the impressive play of rookie QB Dan Marino.

Past Venue: Yale Bowl

New Haven, CT



Year opened: 1914
Capacity: 64,246, down from 70,869 at opening

Names:
Yale Bowl, 1914 to date

Pro football tenants:
New York Giants (NFL), 1973-74

Postseason games hosted:
None

Other tenants of note:
Yale University, 1914 to date
Connecticut Bicentennials (NASL), 1976-77

Notes: Hosted NFL Giants for two seasons after Yankee Stadium was closed for major renovation and prior to completion of Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ (the team played one season at Shea Stadium as well). First bowl-shaped stadium in the US. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Scoreboard was added in 1958 that had the unusual feature of displaying the game time vertically rather than in the typical horizontal fashion (replaced in 2008). Facility underwent a major renovation in 2005-06. Largest crowd to attend a football game at the stadium was 80,000 for Yale vs. Army, Nov. 3, 1923. First football game at venue was Yale vs. Harvard, Nov. 21, 1914. First pro football game was a preseason contest between the Giants and Detroit Lions in 1960.

Fate: Still in use.

MVP Profile: Earl Morrall, 1968

Quarterback, Baltimore Colts


Age: 34
13th season in pro football, 1st with Colts
College: Michigan State
Height: 6’1” Weight: 206

Prelude:
After leading Michigan State to a win in the Rose Bowl, Morrall was taken in the first round of the 1956 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Following a mediocre rookie season in which he backed up Y.A. Tittle, he was dealt to Pittsburgh where he became the starter and had a fair year in ’57. Two games into 1958, he was traded to Detroit in the deal that brought Bobby Layne to the Steelers and for the next seven years he shared the job with, first, Jim Ninowski and then Milt Plum. His best season with the Lions was in 1963, when he passed for 2621 yards and 24 TDs. But when new Head Coach Harry Gilmer committed to Plum for ’65, Morrall was dealt to the New York Giants. He started in 1965 and had a good year for a 7-7 team, but missed half of ’66 due to injury and was on the bench behind Fran Tarkenton in 1967. Frustrated at once again being a backup, he was traded to the Colts during the 1968 preseason to provide insurance as number two to Johnny Unitas. When Unitas suffered a major arm injury, Morrall took over as the starting quarterback.

1968 Season Summary
Appeared in all 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 317 [5]
Most attempts, game – 31 vs. San Francisco 9/15
Completions – 182 [3, tied with Fran Tarkenton]
Most completions, game – 17 vs. Minnesota 11/24, vs. Atlanta 12/1
Yards – 2909 [2]
Most yards, game – 302 vs. Chicago 10/6
Completion percentage – 57.4 [3]
Yards per attempt – 9.2 [3]
TD passes – 26 [1]
Most TD passes, game – 4 vs. Chicago 10/6
Interceptions – 17 [4, tied with Joe Kapp, Bill Kilmer & Dick Shiner]
Most interceptions, game – 3 at Atlanta 9/22, vs. LA Rams 10/27
Passer rating – 93.2 [2](Ranked 1st in system used at time)
300-yard passing games – 1
200-yard passing games – 8

Rushing
Attempts – 11
Most attempts, game - 3 (for 13 yds.) vs. San Francisco 9/15
Yards – 18
Most yards, game – 13 yards (on 3 carries) vs. San Francisco 9/15
Yards per attempt – 1.6
TDs – 1

Scoring
TDs – 1
Points - 6

Postseason: 3 G
Pass attempts – 64
Most attempts, game - 25 at Cleveland, NFL Championship
Pass completions – 30
Most completions, game - 13 vs. Minnesota, Western Conf. Championship
Passing yardage – 520
Most yards, game - 280 vs. Minnesota, Western Conf. Championship
TD passes – 2
Most TD passes, game - 2 vs. Minnesota, Western Conf. Championship
Interceptions – 5
Most interceptions, game – 3 vs. NY Jets, Super Bowl

Rushing attempts – 3
Most rushing attempts, game - 2 vs. NY Jets, Super Bowl
Rushing yards – -2
Most rushing yards, game - 0 at Cleveland, NFL Championship
Average gain rushing – -0.7
Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: AP, UPI, NEA, Sporting News
1st team All-NFL: AP, NEA, UPI, NY Daily News, Pro Football Weekly
2nd team All-NFL: PFWA
1st team All-Western Conference: Sporting News
Pro Bowl

Colts went 13-1 to finish first in the NFL Coastal Division while ranking second in points (402) and TDs (50). Won Western Conference Championship over Minnesota Vikings (24-14) and NFL Championship over Cleveland Browns (34-0). Lost Super Bowl to New York Jets (16-7).

Aftermath:
Morrall returned to a backup role with the return of Unitas in 1969 and helped rally the Colts in relief in the Super Bowl win over the Cowboys following the ’70 season. He saw considerable action in place of the increasingly-brittle Unitas in 1971, but with the team undergoing a youth movement in ’72 he was traded once more, this time to the Miami Dolphins where he was reunited with his first coach in Baltimore, Don Shula. When starter Bob Griese went down with a broken leg, Morrall led the team the rest of the way to an undefeated season, but gave way to Griese in the playoffs. He stayed on another four years as a backup, finally retiring following the 1976 season at age 42 and after 21 seasons in the NFL. Often regarded as the greatest backup quarterback in league history, he twice was selected to the Pro Bowl and ended up passing for 20,809 yards and 161 TDs.

--

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]

1991: Giants Edge Bills in Super Bowl XXV

It was a showdown between two 13-3 teams in the 25th edition of the Super Bowl on January 27, 1991. The New York Giants, under Head Coach Bill Parcells, had won their first ten games in 1990 and, after thrashing the Bears in the Divisional playoff round, dethroned the two-time champion San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. In losing three of their last four regular season contests, the Giants had also lost QB Phil Simms to a foot sprain and RB Rodney Hampton to an injured leg, but backup QB Jeff Hostetler and 33-year-old RB Ottis Anderson (pictured above) both rose to the occasion. The conservative offense made few mistakes along the way, turning the ball over just 14 times in 16 games. The stifling defense was led by LB Lawrence Taylor and ranked first in the conference.


The Buffalo Bills, coached by Marv Levy, won the AFC East in 1988 and ‘89 but had not made it to the Super Bowl. Their offense was the league’s highest-scoring, led by QB Jim Kelly (who also had an able backup in Frank Reich) and featuring all-purpose RB Thurman Thomas (pictured at right) and WR Andre Reed. The outstanding defense was anchored by DE Bruce Smith and was especially strong at linebacker, with Cornelius Bennett, Shane Conlan, and Darryl Talley. They ran up a total of 95 points in defeating Miami in the Divisional playoff round (44-34) and the Raiders for the AFC title (51-3) to advance to the team’s first Super Bowl (the Bills won two championships in the AFL).

There was a crowd of 73,813 at Tampa Stadium for the contest between the two clubs from New York state. The Bills punted following the first series of the game and New York took over at its 31 yard line after RB Dave Meggett returned it 20 yards. The Giants put together a methodical 10-play, 58-yard drive. Hostetler completed passes of 13 yards to TE Howard Cross and 16 yards to WR Mark Ingram along the way and Matt Bahr finished the possession off with a 28-yard field goal.

Buffalo came right back when, on the second play of their next series, Kelly threw a long pass that was deflected but caught by 13-year veteran WR James Lofton for a 61-yard gain to the New York eight. The Giants defense held and Scott Norwood booted a 23-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3.

After a punt by the Giants, the Bills put together a long scoring drive of 12 plays that extended into the second quarter and covered 80 yards. Kelly completed four passes to Reed that covered a total of 44 yards and RB Don Smith scored on a one-yard touchdown carry. Norwood’s PAT made it 10-3.

The teams traded punts and Buffalo’s Rick Tuten pinned the Giants back on their seven yard line with his. Following a gain of seven yards on a pass to Anderson, New York was penalized half the distance due to a holding penalty, putting them back at the seven, and Hostetler tripped when fading back to pass and was sacked in his end zone by Bruce Smith for a safety. The Bills were up by 12-3 and dominating the contest.

With 3:49 to go in the first half, the Giants got the ball back on their 13 following a Buffalo punt. The offense gained ground in chunks as, following a Hostetler pass to TE Mark Bavaro, Anderson ran up the middle for an 18-yard gain, Hostetler went to the air again to Ingram for 22 more, and Meggett ran around end for 17 yards to the Buffalo 24. On a third-and-seven play, Hostetler threw to Cross who clawed his way to the first down. After two incomplete passes, Hostetler found WR Stephen Baker in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown. The teams went into halftime with the Bills holding a narrow 12-10 lead.

The Giants started off the second half as they had ended the first, putting together a long scoring drive of 75 yards in 14 plays that ate up over nine minutes. Along the way, they converted on third-and-eight with Hostetler throwing to Meggett for 11 yards, Anderson had a 24-yard run, Hostetler connected with Ingram, who broke four tackles after making the catch, for 14 yards in a third-and-13 situation, and on third-and-four at the Buffalo 12, Hostetler completed a pass to Cross for nine yards. Anderson capped the long series with a one-yard scoring run and New York took the lead at 17-12.

The Bills found themselves in a fourth-and-25 situation on their next possession and had to punt from their own 38. Tuten’s kick traveled only 20 yards, giving the Giants good field position at their 42. Driving to the Buffalo 35, they went for it on fourth-and-two. The result was Anderson being thrown for a two-yard loss, and the momentum shifted back to the Bills as the game moved into the fourth quarter.

It took just four plays for Buffalo to capitalize as Thomas took the handoff on a draw play, broke two tackles, and bounded down the sideline for a 31-yard touchdown. With Norwood’s extra point, the Bills were back in front by two points at 19-17.

The Giants responded by putting together another long drive. They converted two third downs as Hostetler completed four passes and Anderson, Meggett, and FB Maurice Carthon all carried the ball. After going 74 yards in 13 plays to the Buffalo three yard line, Bahr kicked a 21-yard field goal and New York was in the lead by a point.

The teams traded punts, and Buffalo regained possession on its own 10 with 2:16 remaining on the clock. Kelly scrambled twice for nine yards and, on third-and-one, Thomas took off for 22 yards on a draw play out of shotgun formation. A pass to Reed and a nine-yard Kelly run got the ball into New York territory. Kelly threw to TE Keith McKellar, who made a shoestring catch at the 40, and Thomas ran for 11 yards to the New York 29. Kelly spiked the ball to stop the clock, which was now down to eight seconds, and Norwood came in to attempt a 47-yard field goal. There was no last-second success for the Bills, though – Norwood’s kick sailed wide to the right and the Giants were champions by a score of 20-19.


New York had a huge edge in time of possession (40:33 to 19:27), keeping the high-powered Bills and their no-huddle offense off the field. Statistically it was closer, however, as the Giants had the edge in total yards (386 to 371) and first downs (24 to 18). Neither team turned the ball over, but Buffalo suffered from dropped passes and missed tackles.

“We didn't want them to have the ball,” Bill Parcells said. “I have a lot of confidence in our defense, but I'm not so naive to think they couldn't put points on the board against us. I knew for us to have a chance to win we had to keep their offense off the field.”

Cornelius Bennett summed up the feeling of his Buffalo teammates when he said, “Scotty (Norwood) didn’t lose the football game. We lost it as a team.”


Jeff Hostetler (pictured at left) completed 20 of 32 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. Ottis Anderson was the game’s MVP as he rushed for 102 yards on 21 carries that included a TD; Dave Meggett added 48 yards on 9 attempts. Mark Ingram caught 5 passes for 74 yards and Mark Bavaro also had 5 receptions, gaining 50 yards.

For the Bills, Thurman Thomas was outstanding as he ran the ball 15 times for 135 yards and added another 55 yards on 5 pass receptions. Jim Kelly was successful on 18 of 30 throws for 212 yards. Andre Reed had 8 catches for 62 yards and James Lofton gained 61 on his one reception.

In the offseason, Bill Parcells quit as coach of the Giants and, under his successor Ray Handley, the club fell out of contention during the next two years. Buffalo continued to top the AFC, winning the next three AFC Championships. However, the one-point loss to New York was the closest they came to winning a Super Bowl during that period as they lost badly to the Redskins following the 1991 season and Dallas after ’92 and ’93.

1970: Dolphins Obtain Paul Warfield from Browns

The Miami Dolphins had been a losing team in its first four years, but took major steps to reverse that in the offseason following the ’69 season. The biggest step was replacing the team’s original head coach, George Wilson, with Don Shula, pried away from the Colts and made general manager as well as head coach. Prior to that, on January 26, 1970, the team made a significant addition to the roster by trading its first pick in the upcoming NFL draft to the Cleveland Browns for WR Paul Warfield.

The 27-year-old Warfield, who expressed surprise at the trade, was considered one of the premier wide receivers in the game. A halfback in college at Ohio State, with its ground-oriented attack under Head Coach Woody Hayes, Warfield was taken by the Browns in the first round of the 1964 draft and quickly converted to split end. It was a fortuitous move – as a rookie, he caught 52 passes for 920 yards (17.7 avg.) and nine touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl, and his addition to an offense that already included QB Frank Ryan, FB Jim Brown, and flanker Gary Collins undoubtedly played a role in winning the NFL title in ’64.

Warfield missed virtually all of the 1965 season due to a broken collarbone, however, but returned in ’66 to average 20.6 yards per catch on his 36 receptions – indeed, he never averaged under twenty yards in any of his remaining four years in Cleveland. In 1968 and ’69 he again was chosen to the Pro Bowl and in ’68 had his best year with 50 catches for 1067 yards (21.3 avg.) and 12 TDs. Overall with the Browns, he caught a total of 215 passes for 4346 yards (20.2 avg. gain) and 44 touchdowns.

In the restructured NFL, newly-merged with the American Football League, the Browns were concerned about developing a young quarterback behind the capable-but-fragile Bill Nelsen. In dealing for Miami’s spot in the first round of the draft, which was third overall, they were looking to take advantage of a highly-regarded field of quarterbacks and chose Mike Phipps from Purdue.

Said Browns owner Art Modell, “Paul has played so well for us and is such a high type person that I hated like the devil to consider any trade involving him. However, it was the overwhelming consensus of all our combined thinking that we had a pressing need for backup protection behind quarterback Bill Nelsen.”

In an effort to replace Warfield, Cleveland traded DT Jim Kanicki (who missed virtually the entire ’69 season with a broken leg), promising young RB Ron Johnson, and LB Wayne Meylan to the New York Giants to obtain WR Homer Jones. Jones had put together some outstanding seasons for the Giants in which he was a potent deep threat, but was not of the same caliber as Warfield, who ran more disciplined patterns and played with greater skill. He was coming off a bit of a lesser year in ’69, having been shifted from split end to tight end by Giants Head Coach Alex Webster with poor results.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins had a promising young quarterback in Bob Griese but a lack of speed at wide receiver. Their most productive receiver in 1969 had been TE Larry Seiple, also the team’s punter, who caught 41 passes for 577 yards and five TDs. Flanker Karl Noonan, who had a good year in ’68, slumped badly as he pulled in just 29 throws for 307 yards (10.6 avg.) and three scores, and split end Jack Clancy hadn’t come close to duplicating his 67-catch season of 1967 as he pulled in 21 passes for 289 yards (13.8 avg.) and one TD (he was traded to Green Bay). Slow-but-sure-handed WR Howard Twilley had yet to emerge, with 10 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown. The addition of Warfield upgraded the receiving corps dramatically.

The team responded well to Shula’s coaching, going a surprising 10-4 in 1970 and qualifying for the postseason as a wild card team (a new feature in the NFL). While the ground game was predominant in the ball-control offense, and Griese was still a work in progress, Warfield’s presence was significant. He missed three full games due to a rib injury and caught only 28 passes, but they were good for 703 yards, which was an average of 25.1 yards-per-reception, and six touchdowns. Moreover, he attracted double-coverage from opposing defenses and Twilley improved as a possession receiver on the other side, pulling in 22 throws for 281 yards and five TDs. The catches may not have been many, but Warfield was again selected to the Pro Bowl as one of the best wide receivers in the league.

The improvement in ’70 marked the beginning of an outstanding run for Miami. The Dolphins won the next three AFC titles and the Super Bowls following the 1972 and ’73 seasons, posting a perfect record in ’72. Warfield continued to be the deep-threat receiver that kept defenses honest against the run-oriented team and was a Pro Bowl selectee after each of those seasons. He had his best statistical year with the Dolphins in ’71, catching 43 passes for 996 yards (23.2 avg.) and a league-leading 11 TDs and was also a consensus first-team All-Pro. In ’72 and ’73, Warfield caught just 29 passes apiece, but in the latter year an amazing 11 of them were for touchdowns and he was once more a first-team All-Pro.

Miami again made it to the postseason in 1974 but came up short in losing a thrilling AFC Divisional playoff game to the Raiders. Warfield was limited to nine games as a result of injury but still went to the Pro Bowl for the seventh straight year with 27 receptions for 536 yards (19.9 avg.). However, going into the season it was already known that it would be his last with the Dolphins. In a blockbuster move, the Toronto Northmen of the newly-created World Football League signed Warfield, along with FB Larry Csonka and HB Jim Kiick, to big contracts that would take effect in 1975 (the team would become the Memphis Southmen – or, more popularly, Grizzlies - before it ever took the field). Warfield left Miami, having made 156 catches for 3355 yards (21.5 avg.) and 33 touchdowns – he added 34 receptions for 717 yards (21.1 avg.) and four TDs in 11 postseason games.

In the abbreviated 1975 WFL season, Warfield caught 25 passes for 422 yards (16.9 avg.) and three scores in the eleven contests before the league folded. He returned to the NFL in 1976, but with his original team, the Browns. After two years back in Cleveland, he retired with career totals of 427 receptions for 8565 yards (20.1 avg.) and 85 TDs – his ratio of one touchdown for every five catches is still one of the best in league history.

Playing at the time he did, and largely with teams that ran the ball far more often than they threw it, Warfield’s numbers don’t look spectacular when compared to top modern wide receivers. Zone defenses had made NFL offenses ground-oriented, and the rules changes that did so much to open up the passing game for the most part didn’t come into effect until after his retirement. But the honors he received and the regard in which he was held during his career speak to his effectiveness – he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983, his first year eligible. Fast, with outstanding moves, graceful leaping ability, and dependable hands, he was a receiver that defenses had to account for and thus made him a key player on any offense he was with.

As a postscript to the trade that sent Warfield to the Dolphins, Homer Jones lasted one year with the Browns, failed to maintain a spot in the starting lineup, and caught just 10 passes – he was used more as a kickoff returner, averaging 25.5 yards on his 29 returns with one that was brought back 94 yards for a touchdown. Mike Phipps never lived up to his first-round promise in seven seasons with Cleveland. Jim Kanicki played two years for the Giants while Wayne Meylan didn’t play for them at all. However, Ron Johnson proved to be a very good runner and receiver out of the backfield, when healthy, achieving the first two thousand-yard rushing seasons in franchise history.

2010: Saints Defeat Vikings in Overtime for First NFC Title

The NFC Championship game on January 24, 2010 featured the New Orleans Saints, who had never been to a Super Bowl in their history dating back to 1967, against the Minnesota Vikings, who had been to four, but none since 1976.

The Saints, in their fourth season under Head Coach Sean Payton, featured an exciting and high-scoring offense. QB Drew Brees (pictured at right) compensated for his relatively short stature (6’0”) with outstanding passing accuracy and a quick release. The receiving corps was talented and led by WR Marques Colston (70 catches, 1074 yards). The running backs were more nondescript, but RB Pierre Thomas had emerged as the best of the group. Defense had been the team’s downfall in prior years, but under first-year defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the platoon had become more aggressive and opportunistic. MLB Jonathan Vilma went to the Pro Bowl, as did the tandem of SS Roman Harper and 34-year-old FS Darren Sharper, who intercepted 9 passes. New Orleans won its first 13 games before losing its last three, but pulverized the Cardinals by a score of 45-14 in the Divisional playoff round.

The key player for Minnesota was 40-year-old QB Brett Favre. After 16 years with division-rival Green Bay and a season with the Jets, Favre ended the annual speculation regarding his retirement to sign with the Vikings in the preseason. Proving the critics wrong who believed he could no longer hold up to the rigors of a full season, he passed for 4202 yards and 33 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions. He was helped by the arrival of rookie WR Percy Harvin (60 catches, 790 yards) and the improved play of WR Sidney Rice (83 catches, 1312 yards), who both were selected to the Pro Bowl. RB Adrian Peterson rushed for 1383 yards and 18 touchdowns. The defense led the NFL in sacks, spearheaded by DE Jared Allen, and was second best against the run.

There was a record crowd for a Saints game of 71,276 at the Louisiana Superdome. It was the Vikings scoring first, however, on the initial series of the game as they drove 80 yards in 10 plays. Favre completed six passes for 47 of those yards and Peterson closed out the drive with a 19-yard touchdown run. New Orleans came right back on its first possession, however, going 76 yards in seven plays that ended with Brees throwing a short pass to Pierre Thomas out of the backfield that covered 38 yards for a TD.

It seemed certain to be a shootout when Minnesota responded with another scoring drive. Penalties helped the Vikings along, with a defensive holding call converting a third down and, after a 15-yard gain on a Favre pass to WR Bernard Berrian that took the ball into New Orleans territory, a 15-yard unnecessary roughness call following a short running play moved them to the 31. Favre threw to Harvin for 20 yards on a third-and-seven play and, on another third-down pass, he connected with Rice for a five-yard TD. The score was 14-7 after one quarter of action.

The pace slowed as the teams traded punts, but then on a third-and 10 play from his own 36 yard line, Brees passed to RB Reggie Bush for a 28-yard gain. Two runs by Pierre Thomas, surrounding an 11-yard pass completion to TE Dave Thomas, set up a nine-yard scoring pass to WR Devery Henderson. With the successful extra point, the game was again tied at 14-14.

The contest again settled down to the teams trading punts until late in the second quarter. The Vikings got a break when Bush muffed a punt deep in his own territory and LB Kenny Onatolu recovered for Minnesota at the ten yard line. Peterson ran for six yards, but then a handoff exchange from Favre to Peterson was fumbled and LB Scott Fujita grabbed it to end the threat. The score remained tied at the half.

New Orleans got off to a fast start in the third quarter when WR Courtney Roby returned the second half kickoff 61 yards to the Minnesota 37. Brees tossed a pass to Dave Thomas that gained 17 yards and three plays later Pierre Thomas put the Saints in front with a nine-yard touchdown run.

The Vikings came back with a nine-play, 80-yard series. The big plays were three Favre passes to TE Visanthe Shiancoe (pictured at right) that totaled 67 yards. Peterson carried for the last yard and, with the successful PAT, it again was a tie game at 21-21.

Following a punt by the Saints, Minnesota was backed up to its 10 yard line but put together another promising drive. Running effectively and getting 15 yards on a roughing-the-passer penalty on a third-and-four play, the Vikings advanced to the New Orleans 34. But in a second-and-eight situation, Favre was intercepted by Jonathan Vilma. Not only did the Saints get a takeaway, but the veteran quarterback suffered a leg injury (he returned to the contest).

New Orleans again had to punt on the final play of the period. Two plays into the fourth quarter, Harvin fumbled and NT Remi Ayodele recovered for the Saints at the Minnesota 12. Brees threw to Bush for a five-yard TD (thanks to a successful challenge by Payton, as the running back was originally ruled down at the one) and the home team was once more in front at 28-21.

Again the Vikings mounted a threat as Peterson ran for a 27-yard gain to midfield and, in a third-and-10 situation, Favre connected with Berrian for 30 yards to the New Orleans 20. But two plays later, another turnover undid a promising drive as Berrian fumbled when hit by CB Tracy Porter after catching a pass and Vilma recovered at the five.

The Saints went three-and-out on their next possession. Taking over at their 43 following the punt, the Vikings put together a seven-play scoring drive highlighted by Favre passing to Shiancoe for 16 yards on a third-and-six play and Peterson rushing for an 18-yard gain. It was Peterson finishing the series with a two-yard carry for a touchdown and Ryan Longwell again tied the score at 28-28 with the extra point.

New Orleans had another short series and punted. With 2:37 left in regulation, the Vikings again mounted a drive. On a third-and-eight play, Favre passed to Berrian for 10 yards and followed up with a throw to Rice for 20 that took the ball into Saints territory. RB Chester Taylor carried for a 14-yard gain, but the New Orleans defense stiffened and stopped two running plays before the Vikings were penalized for having too many players in the huddle. Facing a third-and-15 situation at the New Orleans 38, Favre, rolling to his right, threw an ill-advised pass that was intended for Rice but instead was intercepted by Porter. The game remained tied after four quarters and went into overtime.


The Saints won the toss and started off at their 39 after Pierre Thomas returned the kickoff 40 yards. A defensive holding penalty on a third-and-six play kept the series going and a nine-yard Brees completion to Henderson set up a fourth-and-one situation at the Minnesota 43. Taking the chance and going for it, Thomas dove ahead for two yards and New Orleans continued the advance to the Minnesota 22. From there, first-year PK Garrett Hartley (pictured at left) booted a 40-yard field goal and at 4:45 into overtime the Saints were winners by a score of 31-28 and on their way to the first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

The Vikings dominated statistically, outgaining New Orleans (475 yards to 257) and leading in first downs (31 to 15). However, they also fumbled six times, losing three of them, and turned the ball over a total of five times – it proved to be their undoing. The Saints turned the ball over once.

Drew Brees completed 17 of 31 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns with none intercepted. Devery Henderson led the New Orleans receivers with 4 catches for 39 yards and one TD. Pierre Thomas gained 38 yards on his two receptions that included a TD and rushed for 61 yards on 14 carries with another score.

For Minnesota, Brett Favre went to the air 46 times and completed 28 for 310 yards and a touchdown, but with the two big interceptions. Adrian Peterson (pictured below) ran the ball 25 times for 122 yards and three TDs. Bernard Berrian caught 9 passes for 102 yards and Visanthe Shiancoe contributed 4 receptions for 83 yards.


“I've felt better,” said a disappointed Favre afterward. “It was a physical game - a lot of hits. You win that and you sure feel a lot better.”

“It was as loud as I have ever heard it in the dome,” Drew Brees said. “It feels so good to know we have given our fans an NFC championship. We have another championship to go after in two weeks.”

Facing the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl (the first time the top-seeded teams in each conference faced each other for the title since 1993), the Saints finished off their climb to the top with a 31-17 win. They returned to the postseason in 2010 with a lesser record (11-5) and as a wild card, although still offensively potent, and were upset in the first round by the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks.

Brett Favre (pictured below) returned for a twentieth season that proved to be disastrous – not just for him, but the team. His streak of playing in 299 straight games finally ended amid a rash of injuries, and it appeared that age had finally caught up to him. Beyond Favre, the offensive line and defense showed signs of decline and the Vikings sank to 6-10. By the end, Coach Brad Childress was already gone and Favre retired for good.