1947: Cards Score 2 TDs in Fourth Quarter to Defeat Packers

The Chicago Cardinals were at 6-1 and leading the NFL Western Division as they hosted the Green Bay Packers on November 16, 1947. Coached by Jimmy Conzelman, the Cards boasted a fine backfield that included QB Paul Christman, halfbacks Elmer Angsman and Charley Trippi, and FB Pat Harder, plus two good receivers in ends Mal Kutner (pictured at right) and Bill Dewell.

The Packers came into the game at 4-3 and were desperate for a win that would keep them in contention. Head Coach Curly Lambeau had installed the T-formation with QB Jack Jacobs directing it, but they lacked the kind of big-play ability that had fueled past success.

There were 40,086 fans in attendance at Comiskey Park. On their first series, the Cardinals drove 61 yards in 10 plays as Pat Harder and HB Marshall Goldberg combined for 24 yards on the ground and Paul Christman completed a pass to Bill Dewell for 15 yards. Another throw, to Mal Kutner, was good for a 20-yard touchdown as the receiver split the two defensive backs and caught the ball in full stride. Harder added the extra point and Chicago had a 7-0 lead.

The Packers moved the ball well on their next series, starting off at their 30 and taking advantage of passes from Jack Jacobs to ends Clyde Goodnight and Nolan Luhn to reach the Chicago 31, garnering three first downs along the way. The drive stalled and Ted Fritsch kicked a 35-yard field goal to narrow the margin to 7-3.

Fritsch made a big play on defense as he intercepted a Christman pass at the Chicago 28 and, following a Jacobs to Luhn completion to the one, it was Fritsch carrying off tackle for the last yard and a touchdown. Ward Cuff kicked the extra point and the visitors were ahead by 10-7.

The Packers punted on their next series and, following a 68-yard boot by Jacobs, the Cards again turned the ball over, this time on a fumble by HB Bill deCorrevont that G Dick Wildung recovered at the Chicago 36. The Packers were unable to move the ball in three plays, but Fritsch booted a 44-yard field goal to extend the lead.

Green Bay continued to dominate, but Fritsch missed field goal attempts from 35 and 42 yards. The score remained 13-7 at the half.

Early in the third quarter, DB Ken Keuper intercepted a pass and returned it 28 yards to give Green Bay good starting field position at the Chicago 45. Goodnight pulled in a pass for 13 yards and running plays advanced the ball to the 19. After a three-yard loss, Jacobs threw to HB Bob Forte for a 22-yard TD. The Packers carried a 20-7 lead into the fourth quarter and appeared to be in command.

The Cardinals, quiet on offense for most of the game and having penetrated Green Bay territory just three times thus far, put together a 57-yard drive following a Green Bay punt. Harder and HB Elmer Angsman ran effectively and Christman, who had completed only 6 of 20 passes, had key completions. Harder capped the series by running for the last four yards and a touchdown – for good measure, he also added the extra point that made it a six-point game.

After a short possession by the Packers that resulted in a punt, Chicago again had another impressive series, going 66 yards. Harder and Angsman combined for 21 yards on the ground and Christman threw to Kutner for 22 yards to the Green Bay 23. Another Christman completion to Kutner was good for a 23-yard TD, with Harder adding the all-important extra point to put the home team up by one.

There were just over five minutes remaining, and Green Bay still had a chance to pull out a win. The Packers moved 57 yards in the last minute-and-a-half, primarily on three passes to Luhn (pictured below), including a spectacular reception that gained 29 yards to the Chicago 15. The Packers chose to go with the usually reliable Cuff for the field goal rather than risk another pass, but Cuff missed a 23-yard field goal that sailed wide to the left with 21 seconds left on the clock. The Cardinals came away with a 21-20 win.

Chicago had the edge in total yards (269 to 249) and first downs (16 to 15). The fourth quarter heroics obscured the fact that they turned the ball over four times, to one suffered by Green Bay. Jack Jacobs threw one interception while Paul Christman was picked off three times. Mal Kutner was the standout on offense as he caught 5 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

For the Cardinals, the win over Green Bay made it four straight, and while they lost their next two contests, they ended up winning the Western Division with a 9-3 record. Chicago defeated the Eagles for the NFL Championship. Meanwhile, the second one-point defeat for the Packers essentially dropped them out of contention and they ended up in third place at 6-5-1.

Mal Kutner led the NFL with 944 yards on his 70 pass receptions, averaging 22.0 yards per catch and scoring eight touchdowns. Pat Harder led the league in scoring with 102 points and field goals with seven – tied with Bob Waterfield and also Ward Cuff, whose miss at the end of the game was so costly to the Packers.

Rookie of the Year: Randy Moss, 1998

Wide Receiver, Minnesota Vikings

Age: 21

College: Marshall

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 210

Prelude:

Moss was a two-time All-American in college, catching 174 passes for 3529 yards (20.3 avg.) and 54 touchdowns in just two seasons. However, he had legal problems that had forced his dismissal from Florida State and, while an outstanding talent, fell to the Vikings with the 21^st pick in the first round. Big and fast, he became part of a highly productive wide receiving tandem in Minnesota along with Cris Carter.

1998 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 69 [16, tied with Larry Centers, Raghib Ismail & Johnnie Morton]    

Most receptions, game – 8 (for 153 yds.) vs. Green Bay 11/22, (for 106 yds.) vs. Chicago 12/6

Yards – 1313 [3]

Most yards, game - 190 (on 5 catches) at Green Bay 10/5

Average gain – 19.0 [5]

TDs – 17 [1]

100-yard receiving games – 4

Rushing

Attempts – 1

Yards – 4

TDs – 0

Punt Returns

Returns – 1

Yards – 0

Scoring

TDs – 17 [2, tied with Fred Taylor, 1st in NFC]

2-pt PATs – 2 [1, tied with four others]

Points – 106 [14]

Postseason: 2 G

Pass receptions – 10

Most pass receptions, game – 6 vs. Atlanta, NFC Championship

Pass receiving yards – 148

Most receiving yards, game – 75 vs. Atlanta, NFC Championship

Average yards per reception – 14.8

Pass Receiving TDs - 2

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: Sporting News

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Vikings went 15-1 to finish first in the NFC Central with the conference’s best record while leading the NFL in passing yards (4328), scoring (556 points), and touchdowns (64). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Arizona Cardinals (41-21). Defeated for NFC Championship by Atlanta Falcons (30-27).

Aftermath:

Moss went on to have seven highly productive seasons in Minnesota, going over a thousand yards in six of them (with a high of 1632 in 2003) and reaching a hundred catches twice. He led the NFL in TD receptions again in 2000 (15) and ’03 (17), was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection in both of those years, and was selected to five Pro Bowls. But with all of his tremendous talent, he drew criticism for being a prima donna and a lack of consistent effort. Following an injury-plagued 2004 season, Moss was dealt to the Raiders, where he had two relatively quiet years. Moving on to New England, he was sensational in a 2007 season in which he set a NFL record with 23 TD receptions. He played two more years with the Patriots, again topping the NFL in TD catches with 13 in 2009, but was dealt to the Vikings during the 2010 season and finished up the year in Tennessee. Initially retiring, he returned to play for the 49ers in 2012. Overall, he caught 982 passes for 15,292 yards, which rank third all-time in NFL history, and for a fourth-ranked 157 touchdowns (one TD came on a punt return). He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection four times and was selected to six Pro Bowls.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

[Updated 11/30/14]

1993: Recently-Obtained Bernie Kosar Leads Cowboys Over Cards

The Dallas Cowboys, defending NFL Champions, were 6-2 and had won six straight games after an 0-2 start as they hosted the Phoenix Cardinals on November 14, 1993. However, Head Coach Jimmy Johnson’s team would be without star QB Troy Aikman due to a hamstring injury. They still had the other key components to their offense in RB Emmitt Smith and WR Michael Irvin. They had also just picked up ninth-year veteran QB Bernie Kosar (pictured at right), who had only been with the Cowboys for four days after his abrupt release by the Browns, where Head Coach Bill Belichick said he had “diminished skills”.

The Cardinals were coached by Joe Bugel and limping along at 3-6, although they were coming off a win against the Eagles. QB Steve Beuerlein had been benched in favor of Chris Chandler and RB Garrison Hearst, the highly-touted first round draft choice, held out and then went down with a knee injury six games into the season. Still, Phoenix had a good receiving threat out of the backfield in FB Larry Centers, a reliable possession receiver in WR Ricky Proehl, and the defense could be stingy at giving up points.

There was a crowd of 64,224 in attendance for the late afternoon game at Texas Stadium. The Cardinals went three-and-out on their opening possession. Following the punt, Dallas drove 35 yards in seven plays with rookie Jason Garrett at quarterback. Five of them were runs by RB Emmitt Smith and Garrett completed a pass to WR Michael Irvin for 16 yards. Eddie Murray kicked a 44-yard field goal to give the Cowboys the early 3-0 lead.

The teams traded punts and on the third Dallas series, Bernie Kosar entered the game at quarterback. He immediately completed a pass to Irvin for 14 yards and, after Smith was tossed for a five-yard loss, threw back-to-back completions to FB Daryl “Moose” Johnston for six yards and to Irvin for 18 to reach the Phoenix 32. Smith then ran the ball five straight times, the last on the first play of the second quarter for a four-yard TD. Murray’s extra point made it a 10-0 game.

The Cardinals, who had done nothing on offense during the first quarter, generated three first downs as they advanced to the Dallas 45 on their next series. QB Chris Chandler completed three passes, although one that was called back due to offsetting penalties negated a big gain.

The Cards ended up having to punt and once again Kosar led the Cowboys on a scoring drive. The big play was what started out as a five-yard completion to Smith out of the backfield that the great runner turned into a gain of 86 yards to the Phoenix two, breaking three tackles along the way. Smith couldn’t penetrate the end zone on two running plays, but Kosar threw to TE Jay Novacek for a one-yard TD and, with the extra point, the home team held a 17-0 lead.

After a three-and-out series by the Cardinals, Dallas again advanced into Phoenix territory, but a fumble at the 28 negated an opportunity to add more points. Jason Garrett returned at quarterback for the Cowboys on their next series and the half ended with no further points scored.

The Cowboys punted following the first possession of the third quarter, with Kosar again behind center. The Cards drove 47 yards in 11 plays, Chandler completed four passes, the longest to Ricky Proehl for 16 yards in a third-and-six situation, but after getting a first-and-goal at the Dallas five, they ended up having to settle for a 19-yard Greg Davis field goal.

On the first play following the kickoff, Kosar fumbled and DE Reuben Davis recovered for Phoenix at the Dallas 19. The Cardinals capitalized three plays later when Chandler threw to Larry Centers for a 17-yard touchdown. Davis added the extra point and suddenly the visitors were only a touchdown behind the Cowboys.

Dallas punted following its next series, but now it was Phoenix’s turn to give up a costly fumble. Chandler dropped the snap on the fourth play and DE Charles Haley recovered to give the Cowboys the ball at the Phoenix 39. Two passes by Kosar picked up 21 yards and, early in the fourth quarter, Murray kicked a 43-yard field goal to extend the Dallas margin to ten points.

After a punt by the Cards pinned the Cowboys down at their one yard line, Kosar was penalized for intentional grounding while passing out of the end zone, resulting in a safety. Phoenix then took the free kick and went 30 yards in eight plays. Davis kicked a 47-yard field goal to narrow the Dallas lead to five points.

The Cowboys responded with a long non-scoring drive that knocked time off the clock. It was all Smith, either running or catching short passes from Kosar, as Dallas converted two third downs. By the time the Cardinals got the ball back at their own 13 following a punt, there was just 2:37 left in the game. Chandler passed Phoenix into Dallas territory, but on a fourth-down play at the Dallas 41, FS Kenneth Gant came up with an interception and that was it. Dallas won by a final score of 20-15.

The Cowboys had the edge in total yards (311 to 265) while each team generated 15 first downs. There were no sacks by either club. The Cardinals turned the ball over three times, to two suffered by Dallas.

Bernie Kosar completed 13 of 21 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown with none intercepted. Emmitt Smith (pictured below), who was battling the flu, rushed for 80 yards and a TD on 24 carries and gained another 102 yards on four pass receptions. Michael Irvin also caught four passes, for 63 yards.

For the Cards, Chris Chandler was successful on 27 of 46 throws for 214 yards and a TD with one intercepted. Larry Centers, who rushed for three yards on two carries, caught 7 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown while Ricky Proehl gained a team-leading 66 yards on six receptions. Johnny Bailey led the modest ground attack with 8 carries for 31 yards and contributed 6 catches for 34 yards.

“For Bernie to pull this off with limited practice time was commendable,” said Coach Jimmy Johnson. “He was hitting Michael Irvin on crossover routes and executing the offense. He had everything spinning in his head but did a tremendous job.”

“I didn’t want to let the coaches and the players on this great team down,” said Kosar. “I’m just so happy we won. It was a tough week getting ready. I told some Cleveland friends it’s amazing what a difference a week can make.”

The Cowboys lost their next two games before winning the remainder and finishing atop the NFC East with a 12-4 record. They again advanced to the Super Bowl and won for the second straight year. The Cardinals finished strong with four wins in their last five games to end up fourth in the division at 7-9.

Bernie Kosar started one more game before Troy Aikman returned to take over the reins. He completed 36 of 63 passes for 410 yards and three touchdowns with none intercepted. He moved on to the Dolphins for 1994 where he backed up QB Dan Marino for three years to finish out his career.

Emmitt Smith went on to win his third consecutive NFL rushing title, gaining 1486 yards on 283 carries (5.3 avg.) and scoring nine touchdowns. He also caught 57 passes for 414 yards and another score. The 86-yard reception against the Cardinals was the longest of his Hall of Fame career.

1972: Browns Overcome Chargers on Late Pitts Touchdown

The Cleveland Browns had a 5-3 record and were trying to keep pace with the division-leading Steelers as they faced the San Diego Chargers on November 13, 1972. Head Coach Nick Skorich’s team had started off slowly, losing three of its first five contests, but had a three-game winning streak going coming into San Diego. Third-year QB Mike Phipps had been handed the starting duties in the second week of the season and displayed poise. HB Leroy Kelly and FB Bo Scott were aging but still dependable runners. The defense had problems against the run but, with young CB Clarence Scott and FS Thom Darden in the backfield, was sound against the pass.

The Chargers, under Head Coach Harland Svare, were heading in the opposite direction. They had lost four straight games and were a dismal 2-5-1. QB John Hadl had been effective in the team’s former pass-oriented offense, but bridled with the switch to a ground-based attack that featured HB Mike Garrett and FB Cid Edwards. San Diego had invested heavily in aging players, and it was not proving to be a sound strategy.

There were 54,205 fans on hand for the Monday night game at San Diego Stadium. The Chargers drove methodically down the field on their opening possession. They kept the ball on the ground with Garrett and Edwards carrying the load and John Hadl throwing to Garrett for a 13-yard gain on a third-and-three play. However, after going 73 yards to reach the Cleveland four yard line, Hadl fumbled and DE Bob Briggs recovered for the Browns. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Chargers put together another long drive of 49 yards that ended with Dennis Partee kicking a 26-yard field goal. After another exchange of punts, the Browns started off at their 33 and moved the ball effectively themselves. WR Frank Pitts gained 13 yards on a reverse and Leroy Kelly ran for 11 yards and caught a pass from Mike Phipps for a 27-yard gain. Phipps threw to Bo Scott for 24 yards and, after a pass interference penalty moved the ball to the San Diego one, Phipps gained the last yard for a touchdown on a quarterback sneak. Don Cockroft added the extra point and Cleveland was ahead by 7-3, which remained the score at halftime.

The Browns took the second half kickoff and drove to midfield before LB Rick Redman intercepted a Phipps pass. They got the ball back two plays later when Garrett fumbled for the Chargers, but ended up having to punt. San Diego proceeded to go 86 yards in 12 plays. Hadl completed three passes, a key one of which was to WR Gary Garrison for 15 yards in a third-and-12 situation, and the last for a four-yard touchdown to Edwards. Partee added the PAT and the Chargers took a 10-7 lead into the fourth quarter.

Cleveland was on the move as the third quarter ended, with Phipps tossing an 18-yard completion to TE Milt Morin on third down to close out the period and then starting off the final quarter with a 19-yard pass to Pitts that reached the San Diego 33. Seven plays later, FB Ken Brown went two yards up the middle for a touchdown and, with Cockroft’s extra point, the visitors were back in front at 14-10.

The teams traded punts before the Chargers came back with another score. Starting off at their 39, they primarily stayed on the ground as Garrett and Edwards ran well and Hadl threw to Garrison for a 15-yard gain. Garrett capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run. Partee added the PAT and, with 1:21 remaining to play, San Diego appeared to be in control and set for an upset with a three-point edge.

After HB Bill LeFear ran the kickoff back 24 yards, the Browns started off from their own 36. Phipps tossed a screen pass to Brown for seven yards and then connected with the fullback again for a 19-yard gain. On the next play, Phipps went long for Pitts in the end zone, and he pulled it down for a 38-yard touchdown. With Cockroft’s extra point, Cleveland was suddenly ahead by four.

There were still 33 seconds left on the clock as the Chargers took possession at their 13 following a clipping penalty on the kickoff return. Hadl completed a pass to TE Pettis Norman for 24 yards to the Cleveland 45, but two more passes fell incomplete to end the game. The Browns came away with a 21-17 win.

The Chargers had the edge in total yards (327 to 299) and first downs (24 to 18), and were especially effective on the ground, where they generated 191 yards of their total. However, San Diego also turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by Cleveland.

Frank Pitts was the star on offense for the Browns as he caught 5 passes for 96 yards, including the game-winning touchdown, and despite suffering from a back injury. Mike Phipps completed 13 of 21 throws for 186 yards and a TD with one intercepted and also ran for 17 yards and a score on four carries. Leroy Kelly rushed for 67 yards on 17 attempts.

For the Chargers, Cid Edwards (pictured at left) gained 91 yards on 17 rushes and had three pass receptions for 34 more yards and a TD. Mike Garrett contributed 89 yards on 24 attempts and also scored a touchdown in addition to catching a team-high four passes for 29 yards. John Hadl was successful on 12 of 21 tosses for 140 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Pettis Norman led the club with 47 yards on his three catches. 

“Everybody wasn’t playing the same defense, particularly on that last series,” said a frustrated Coach Harland Svare. “It’s downright silly to let them go that long, that fast for a score.”

The win kept the Browns a game behind the Steelers, who they defeated the next week. The winning streak reached six games and the loss in the return engagement at Pittsburgh was the only one the team suffered for the remainder of the regular season. Cleveland ended up with a 10-4 record, good enough for second in the AFC Central and a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. The Browns gave the undefeated Dolphins a good scare in the Divisional round of the postseason before falling. The Chargers, meanwhile, continued to struggle and finished at 4-9-1 and at the bottom of the AFC West.

Mike Phipps (pictured below) went through his ups and downs, completing just 47.2 percent of his passes for 1994 yards with 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Still, the team did well, although Phipps would never develop into the star that Cleveland had hoped he would be when they traded up for him (and gave up Hall of Fame WR Paul Warfield in doing so) in the first round of the 1970 NFL draft.

Frank Pitts continued to be Cleveland’s most reliable receiver, leading the club with 36 catches for 620 yards (17.2 avg.) and eight touchdowns.

The running back tandem of Mike Garrett and Cid Edwards remained a bright spot in an otherwise dreadful year for the Chargers. Garrett rushed for 1031 yards on 272 carries (3.8 avg.) and caught 31 passes for 245 more yards, ending up with a total of seven touchdowns. Cid Edwards ran for 679 yards on 157 attempts (4.3 avg.) and had 40 pass receptions for 557 yards, with an impressive 13.9 average per catch out of the backfield. He also scored a total of seven TDs and was named team MVP.

2001: Ravens Stop McNair on Last Play to Beat Titans

The Baltimore Ravens, defending NFL Champions, had gotten off to a slow start in the 2001 season but were coming off back-to-back wins and were 5-3 as they faced the Tennessee Titans on November 12. Head Coach Brian Billick’s team had reached the Super Bowl following the 2000 season thanks to a superb defense and ball-control offense. The defense was still strong, and while QB Elvis Grbac had been signed away from the Chiefs to upgrade the passing attack, RB Jamal Lewis, key to the ground game as a rookie, was out for the year with a knee injury suffered during training camp.

The Tennessee Titans, coached by Jeff Fisher, were struggling at 3-4 after having put together consecutive 13-3 records and winning an AFC title in 1999. QB Steve McNair was playing well but RB Eddie George appeared to be on the downside of his fine career and injuries were a problem, especially with the once-formidable defense. The Ravens had won convincingly when the teams met at Baltimore five weeks earlier and, coming into the rematch, McNair was suffering from a sinus infection and was not at full strength.

There were 68,798 fans in attendance at Nashville’s Adelphia Coliseum for the Monday night game. The teams traded punts during the first quarter, with neither offense able to move. A promising series for the Ravens was highlighted by back-to-back pass completions by Elvis Grbac to WR Brandon Stokley for 18 yards on a third-and-seven play and 16 yards to FB Sam Gash.  But after reaching the Tennessee 33, Grbac was sacked for a seven-yard loss by DE Jevon Kearse on a third down play and they had to punt.

Early in the second quarter, the Titans put together a long drive that started at their nine yard line and reached the Baltimore 30. Steve McNair completed four passes, two of which converted third downs, and also ran for 13 yards while Eddie George contributed 26 yards on seven carries. However, they came up empty when Joe Nedney’s 48-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful.

The Ravens responded by moving into Tennessee territory, but a Grbac pass was intercepted by LB Keith Bulluck. With 3:35 remaining in the half, the Titans put together another long series. At one point, McNair completed three straight passes for 25 yards to reach the Baltimore six, but the drive stalled there and a field goal by Nedney was wiped out by a holding penalty. The second try for a field goal had to be aborted due to a bad snap and holder Craig Hentrich’s desperation pass was intercepted. The game remained scoreless at halftime.

The Titans got a break early in the third quarter when WR Qadray Ismail fumbled after catching a pass and DB Daryl Porter recovered near midfield. They were unable to capitalize, however, but following a punt they got the ball back on another Baltimore turnover, this time the result of a botched punt. Getting the ball with first-and-goal at the Ravens’ eight, the Titans still couldn’t reach the end zone but finally broke the scoreless deadlock with a 27-yard Nedney field goal.

The Ravens came right back when WR Jermaine Lewis returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to the Tennessee 16. They also ended up having to settle for a field goal by Matt Stover from 31 yards to make it 3-3. The Titans responded with an eight-play, 71-yard drive. McNair threw six passes, including one to TE Brian Natkin for 27 yards and the last to WR Kevin Dyson for a 22-yard touchdown. Nedney added the extra point and Tennessee was ahead by 10-3.

Now it was time for the Ravens to move on offense. RB Jason Brookins ran three times for 18 yards and Grbac completed two passes to Ismail, the second for a 57-yard TD. Stover’s extra point again knotted the score.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Ravens got another break on a turnover when George fumbled and LB Peter Boulware recovered at the Tennessee 18. Four plays later Stover kicked a 33-yard field goal that put the visitors back in front at 13-10.

The teams traded punts until, starting at their 14 yard line with 8:17 remaining to play, the Ravens put together another scoring drive. Grbac thew to TE Shannon Sharpe for 15 yards in a third-and-six situation and Brookins had a 25-yard run to the Tennessee 27. The eleven-play series ended with Stover kicking another field goal, this time from 30 yards, to put Baltimore ahead by six points with the clock now showing 3:10 to go.

Following WR Derrick Mason’s 22-yard kickoff return, the Titans moved methodically down the field. McNair completed a 10-yard pass to Dyson on a third-and-six play and, after being sacked by Boulware for a loss of six yards, had four straight completions to get the ball to the Baltimore 35. A roughing-the-passer penalty added another 15 yards and McNair then threw to George for eight yards to the 12.

McNair’s next pass fell incomplete but, on third-and-two, he hit Mason for six yards. The Titans took their final timeout and McNair missed on his next two throws before connecting with Dyson for five yards down to the one. On fourth down, and lining up quickly with the final seconds ticking away, McNair appeared to score on a quarterback sneak, but a flag was thrown for an offsides penalty.

Following a great deal of confusion and consultation by the officials, the play was ruled a dead-ball foul and, with the ball a foot away from the goal line, the Titans were given one last shot. Once again McNair kept the ball (pictured at top) and, when he couldn’t penetrate the middle of the line, tried to go outside. He was stopped short of the goal line by SS Corey Harris and the Ravens were winners in dramatic fashion by a final score of 16-10.

The Titans won the statistical battle, accumulating more total yards (318 to 238) and first downs (20 to 12), and held onto the ball for 35 minutes. The Ravens accumulated just 55 yards of their total in the first half. Baltimore recorded six sacks, to three by Tennessee, and both teams turned the ball over twice.

Elvis Grbac completed 15 of 27 passes for 192 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Qadray Ismail (pictured at right) had 8 catches for 129 yards and a TD. With veteran RB Terry Allen lost to an injury after one carry, rookie Jason Brookins ran for 57 yards on 14 attempts.

For the Titans, Steve McNair went to the air 48 times and completed 27 of those throws for 256 yards and a TD with none intercepted. He also ran the ball 6 times for 19 yards. Derrick Mason had 12 pass receptions for 99 yards and Kevin Dyson contributed 6 catches for 68 yards and a score. Eddie George rushed for 71 yards on 22 attempts.

“We knew that’s the only thing they wanted to do,” said Baltimore LB Ray Lewis regarding the game-ending quarterback sneak attempt by McNair. “They weren’t going to put the ball in someone else’s hands. If you watch film on them, you know that they run quarterback sneaks an awful lot.”

When asked why the Titans didn’t attempt a pass on the last play, Coach Fisher replied “we thought we’d jam it in, and the game was going to be over.”

The Ravens lost to the Browns the next week but won the next two on the way to a 10-6 record and second place finish in the AFC Central. They won in the first round of the postseason but lost to the division-rival Steelers in the Divisional playoff game. Tennessee continued to struggle and ended up at 7-9 for fourth place in the division.

MVP Profile: Bob Sanders, 2007

Safety, Indianapolis Colts

Age: 26

4^th season in pro football & with Colts

College: Iowa

Height: 5’8”   Weight: 206

Prelude:

Attracted by his speed and athleticism, the Colts selected Sanders in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft. While he was limited to six games as a rookie due to a holdout and injuries, he showed off a physical style of play that belied his size and also performed well in coverage. Sanders excelled in 2005, achieving consensus first-team All-NFL honors as well as being selected to the Pro Bowl. However, a knee injury limited him to four games in 2006.

2007 Season Summary

Appeared in 15 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 3.5

Most sacks, game – 2.5 at Tennessee 9/16

Interceptions – 2

Most interceptions, game – 1 at Jacksonville 10/22, vs. Houston 12/23

Int. return yards – 32

Most int. return yards, game – 29 (on 1 int.) vs. Houston 12/23

Int. TDs – 0

Fumble recoveries – 1

Forced fumbles – 0

Tackles – 71

Assists – 25

Postseason: 1 G (AFC Divisional playoff vs. San Diego)

Sacks – 0

Interceptions – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Player of the Year: AP

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Colts went 13-3 to finish first in the AFC South while leading the NFL in fewest points allowed (262) and the AFC in fewest passing yards allowed (2764). Lost AFC Divisional playoff to San Diego Chargers (28-24).

Aftermath:

The outstanding season in 2007 was followed by four injury-plagued years as Sanders’ hard-hitting style of play began to take a toll. He appeared in only six games in 2008 and three over the next two seasons before being released. Sanders caught on with San Diego for 2011 but appeared in two games before being shelved by a knee injury. Over the course of eight seasons, Sanders intercepted 6 passes and was credited with 226 tackles and 78 assists. However, he played in just 50 games, only twice appearing in more than six in a season –yet achieving consensus first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl honors in those two seasons.

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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). Also includes Associated Press NFL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

1985: Eagles Beat Falcons on Quick’s 99-Yard TD in Overtime

Neither of the teams that faced each other on November 10, 1985 in Philadelphia were doing particularly well as they reached the tenth week of the season. The host Eagles, coached by Marion Campbell, had a 4-5 record after losing at San Francisco the previous week, although they were showing signs of life after a 1-4 start. 34-year-old QB Ron Jaworski operated behind a mediocre offensive line. WR Mike Quick (pictured above) was an established star and RB Earnest Jackson, obtained from the Chargers, was a workmanlike runner. The defense featured DE Reggie White, a newcomer from the USFL who joined the club four weeks into the season, and FS Wes Hopkins.

Things were much worse for Head Coach Dan Henning’s Falcons, who were at 1-8. The top performer on offense was RB Gerald Riggs. Long-time QB Steve Bartkowski had been supplanted by David Archer, who was far more mobile but also less talented as a passer. Injuries had affected the defensive backfield and the linebackers were a mediocre unit.

There were 63,694 fans in attendance at Veterans Stadium on a sunny and mild afternoon. The Eagles had the first possession and punted. Atlanta drove into Philadelphia territory helped by two third down conversions. QB David Archer ran for 14 yards in a third-and-seven situation and Gerald Riggs picked up 12 yards up the middle on a third-and-two play. However, after reaching the Philadelphia 34, Archer threw a pass that was intercepted by SS Ray Ellis.

The Eagles went 54 yards in ten plays that extended into the beginning of the second quarter. Ron Jaworski completed three passes along the way, including one to WR Kenny Jackson for 21 yards in a third-and-eight situation and another to WR Ron Johnson for 10 yards on third-and-eight. That set up an eight-yard touchdown carry by Earnest Jackson and, with Paul McFadden’s extra point, the home team held a 7-0 lead.

Following an Atlanta punt, the Eagles started off with Jaworski throwing to Mike Quick for a 39-yard gain, but the drive stalled in Falcons territory and Philadelphia had to punt. The Eagles got the ball right back when Archer was picked off by CB Herman Edwards. Starting at the Atlanta 40, Jaworski threw to Johnson for 37 yards and, after three runs by Earnest Jackson picked up two yards, Jaworski carried the ball himself on fourth down for a TD. With McFadden’s kick, Philadelphia was up by 14-0. Neither offense was able to get anything going for the remainder of the half.

The Falcons punted following their first series of the third quarter and Philadelphia again drove to a score, going 57 yards in 12 plays. Earnest Jackson ran well and Jaworski threw to TE John Spagnola for 12 yards in a third-and-four situation. The drive stalled at the Atlanta 13 but McFadden kicked a 30-yard field goal to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 17-0.

The teams traded punts until the Falcons put together an 84-yard series that went into the final period. Archer had two throws to WR Stacey Bailey for 18 yards apiece and Riggs ran effectively. Finally, Archer threw to RB Joe Washington for an 18-yard touchdown and, adding Mick Luckhurst’s PAT, Philadelphia’s lead was cut to ten points.

The Eagles went three-and-out on their next series and Atlanta again responded with a scoring drive, this time using 11 plays to go 81 yards. Riggs had six carries for 42 yards and Archer ran twice himself for 19 more yards. The last rush by Riggs was for a one-yard TD and, with Luckhurst’s successful conversion, it was a 17-14 score with 5:30 left in regulation.

On the next play from scrimmage, LB John Rade intercepted a Jaworski pass to give the Falcons the ball at the Philadelphia 25. Atlanta largely kept the ball on the ground to get down to the 10 and Luckhurst tied the game with a 27-yard field goal.

The Eagles had to punt on their next series and Atlanta drove into Philadelphia territory on a possession highlighted by Archer’s throw to TE Arthur Cox for 30 yards. But with nine seconds remaining, Luckhurst was wide to the left on a 42-yard field goal attempt and the game went into overtime.

The Falcons had the ball first in the extra period and were forced to punt, but Rick Donnelly’s 62-yard kick went out of bounds at the Philadelphia one. Jaworski went right to the air, tossing a pass intended for Kenny Jackson that fell incomplete. He went to the air again, and this time he didn’t miss as Quick, running a slant pattern and splitting CB Bobby Butler and SS Scott Case, pulled it in at the 30 yard line and went the distance for a 99-yard touchdown. In stunning fashion at 1:49 into overtime, and after having blown a 17-0 lead, the Eagles came away winners by a score of 23-17. It was the first overtime win in franchise history.

The 99-yard touchdown was the longest pass play to decide an overtime game in NFL history and tied the league record that was first set in 1939. Jaworski and Quick became the sixth combination to accomplish the feat (through 2012, seven more had done so).

Philadelphia had the edge in total yards (330 to 310) although the Falcons generated more first downs (20 to 15). Atlanta also had 215 rushing yards, but only 94 net passing yards. The Eagles sacked David Archer six times while the Falcons got to Ron Jaworski on three occasions. Each team suffered two turnovers.

Ron Jaworski completed just 11 of 30 passes for 258 yards and the one touchdown while tossing two interceptions. Mike Quick, with the long score to win the game, had three catches for 145 yards. Earnest Jackson (pictured at right) paced the ground game with 74 yards on 19 carries that included a TD. DE Reggie White and NT Ken Clarke each accounted for two sacks.

For the Falcons, Gerald Riggs rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. David Archer gained 70 yards on 10 rushing attempts while completing 12 of his 25 throws for 133 yards and a TD and had two intercepted. Stacey Bailey had 5 pass receptions for 51 yards.

“We got beat on a great play by a great athlete,” said Atlanta’s Coach Henning afterward. “If we have to get beat, that’s the way I’d like to see us get beat.”

The Eagles won the next week to briefly rise over .500, but then lost four straight games and finished at 7-9, which placed them fourth in the NFC East. By the end, Coach Campbell was gone – he would resurface as defensive coordinator of the Falcons the next year and would succeed Dan Henning in 1987. Atlanta also came back with a win the following week and ended up with a 4-12 record, putting them at the bottom of the NFC West.

Mike Quick caught 73 passes for a NFC-leading 1247 yards (17.1 avg.) and 11 touchdowns. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection for the second time and was named to the Pro Bowl for the third straight year.

Gerald Riggs led the NFC in rushing with 1719 yards on a league-topping 397 carries (4.3 avg.) and scored 10 TDs. He was chosen to the Pro Bowl for the first of three consecutive years.