1996: Jaguars Edge Falcons to Clinch Playoff Berth

The second-year Jacksonville Jaguars came into their 1996 season finale on December 22 needing a win to gain a playoff spot. Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s team had been at 4-7 after eleven games and seemed to be going nowhere, but the Jaguars had reeled off four straight wins to climb to 8-7. 26-year-old QB Mark Brunell  (pictured at right) started off unevenly but was playing well during the late-season surge. Most significantly, RB Natrone Means was running the ball effectively and taking pressure off the young quarterback. WR Keenan McCardell was joined by Jimmy Smith, who took over for veteran WR Andre Rison with outstanding results. Two rookies, DE Tony Brackens and LB Kevin Hardy, were upgrades to the defense and 11th-year veteran DE Clyde Simmons added his savvy play to the mix. They had to beat Atlanta to make the postseason in just their second year.

The Falcons, meanwhile, were 3-12 after having been in the playoffs in ’95. Atlanta’s season was marred by controversy, most notably a sideline confrontation between Head Coach June Jones and QB Jeff George that caused the talented but immature quarterback to be suspended and replaced by veteran backup Bobby Hebert. RB Jamal Anderson and WR Bert Emanuel had emerged as good players on offense, but the offensive line was ordinary and the defensive backfield atrocious.

The game was at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium with 71,449 fans in attendance. The Falcons had the game’s first possession and punted. Jacksonville put together a 77-yard drive in 10 plays. Mark Brunell completed all three of his passes including one to Keenan McCardell for 17 yards in a second-and-11 situation. Natrone Means (pictured below) pounded away for 17 yards on four straight carries and Brunell finished the series off by scrambling for 11 yards for a touchdown. Mike Hollis added the extra point.

The teams exchanged punts for the rest of the first quarter, but the Falcons were at the Jacksonville 41 at the end of the period and reached the 27 before QB Bobby Hebert was sacked by CB Aaron Beasley on a third-and-four play. Morten Andersen kicked a 46-yard field goal to narrow the score to 7-3.

The Jaguars responded with a 12-play, 70-yard drive of their own. Brunell connected with TE Pete Mitchell for 16 yards in a third-and-six situation and Means had a 17-yard run to the Atlanta 14. The series ended with Hollis booting a field goal from 23 yards to make it a 10-3 game.

Following a three-and-out series by the Falcons, Jacksonville put together another long scoring drive of 78 yards in 13 plays. Brunell completed three passes and had a 16-yard run and, with 46 seconds remaining in the half, Hollis added another field goal, this time from 26 yards. The Jaguars led by ten points at the intermission.

The home team started off the third quarter with yet another long possession. The biggest gain was a Brunell pass to Jimmy Smith for 29 yards as the Jaguars advanced 76 yards in 13 plays culminating in a third Hollis field goal, this time from 22 yards.

The Falcons had been quiet on offense, but now they responded with a 10-play, 72-yard series. Hebert (pictured at left) started off with a pass to RB Richard Huntley for 14 yards, RB Craig Heyward ran for 11 yards, and then Hebert scrambled for 15 yards around end. Continuing to chip away, Atlanta finally scored when Hebert connected with WR Eric Metcalf for a four-yard TD. Andersen added the extra point and the Jacksonville lead was narrowed to 16-10.

In a series that extended into the fourth quarter, the Jaguars went 51 yards in 10 plays. Hollis attempted a field goal from 42 yards that hit the left upright but caromed over the crossbar and was good. In a game of long possessions, the Falcons responded by using 12 plays to go 77 yards. Hebert had a pass to Bert Emanuel for 17 yards and converted a third-and-eight with another toss to Emanuel that was good for 12 yards. Heyward went up the middle for the last two yards and a TD. Andersen’s extra point made it a two-point contest with 5:39 remaining.

The Jaguars went three-and-out and had to punt. With Jamal Anderson running to good effect and Hebert connecting with WR Tyrone Brown on a screen pass for 23 yards, Atlanta reached the Jacksonville 13 with eight seconds left on the clock. But just as it seemed that Jacksonville’s season was about to end in disappointment, the usually reliable Morten Andersen missed a 30-yard field goal attempt. Andersen appeared to slip as he kicked the ball and it sailed wide to the left as the Jaguars came away with a 19-17 win.

Jacksonville led in total yards (357 to 309) while each club had 21 first downs. Rushing yards were nearly even as well, with the Falcons holding a 146 to 143 edge. However, the Jaguars were nearly undone by having to settle for field goals too often when inside the Atlanta ten yard line. There were no turnovers.

Mark Brunell completed 18 of 29 passes for 222 yards with no touchdowns, although he ran for one TD on one of his four carries for 28 yards. Natrone Means rushed for 110 yards on 27 attempts and Jimmy Smith caught 5 passes for 75 yards. Mike Hollis (pictured below) was successful on all four of his field goal attempts, which ultimately proved crucial to Jacksonville’s success.

For the Falcons, Bobby Hebert was successful on 17 of 25 throws for 172 yards and a TD. Craig Heyward ran for 69 yards on 16 carries that included a touchdown and Jamal Anderson contributed 55 yards on 11 attempts. Bert Emanuel and Tyrone Brown caught six passes apiece, for 67 and 60 yards, respectively.

“It almost renders me speechless,” said Coach Tom Coughlin, who had almost comically avoided making references to the postseason in his press conferences down the stretch. “We’re in the playoffs.”

Jacksonville’s surprising run gave them a 9-7 record, second in the AFC Central, and continued in the postseason all the way to the AFC Championship game, including wins over Buffalo in the Wild Card round and Denver at the Divisional level. With the other 1995 expansion team, the Carolina Panthers, reaching the NFC title game, it marked an unprecedented ascendancy by two second-year clubs. However, each fell a game short of the Super Bowl. The Jaguars lost to the Patriots by a decisive 20-6 score, but it marked the first of four straight postseason appearances for the young franchise.

Atlanta, ending up 3-13 and fourth in the NFC West, underwent a housecleaning during the offseason that ended the coaching tenure of June Jones after three years. He was replaced by Dan Reeves, formerly of the Broncos and Giants. The game also marked the end of the line for Bobby Hebert (pictured at left), whose career started in the USFL and led to the Saints before moving on to Atlanta for four years.

Mark Brunell led the NFL in passing yards (4367) and yards per attempt (7.8), although also in times sacked (50). He was selected to the Pro Bowl. Natrone Means, who performed so well down the stretch, rushed for 507 yards on 152 carries (3.3 avg.), but 325 of those yards came in the last four games. He would come up bigger in the two playoff wins. 

1974: Raiders Stun Dolphins in AFC Divisional Playoff Game

The Miami Dolphins had won the Super Bowls following the 1972 and ’73 seasons and were looking to make it three straight as they faced the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Divisional playoff round on December 21, 1974. Coached by Don Shula for the fifth year, Miami featured a highly productive ground game on offense led by FB Larry Csonka. QB Bob Griese was an able field general who, on the occasions when he passed, was very effective and WR Paul Warfield was a deep threat who kept defenses honest. The fact that Csonka and Warfield, along with HB Jim Kiick, were lame ducks in Miami because of having signed with the World Football League’s Memphis Southmen for 1975 didn’t limit their performance in ‘74. Defensively, the team was strong with solid ends Bill Stanfill and Vern den Herder, aging MLB Nick Buoniconti anchoring a fine corps of linebackers, and the outstanding safety tandem of Jake Scott and Dick Anderson. The Dolphins topped the AFC East with an 11-3 record and appeared primed for another title run.

Oakland, coached by John Madden, was an annual title contender but had not been to the Super Bowl since representing the AFL after the 1967 season. QB Ken “The Snake” Stabler was an exciting performer who led the league with 26 TD passes during the regular season. The starting wide receivers were excellent, with Cliff Branch providing the speed and Fred Biletnikoff the reliability as a possession receiver.  The stable of running backs was a good one and the defense, while not the best, was rugged. The Raiders topped the AFC West at 12-2 and, in the eyes of many fans, the Raiders and Dolphins were the league’s two best teams and this Divisional playoff, as a result, was the “real” Super Bowl.

There were 52,317 fans in attendance on a gray Saturday at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The game got off to an exciting start when Miami WR Nat Moore ran the opening kickoff back 89 yards for a touchdown. Garo Yepremian added the extra point and the Dolphins were ahead by 7-0 after just 15 seconds of action.

The contest settled into a battle for field position as the teams traded punts until the Raiders put together a seven-play, 78-yard drive to get on the board in the second quarter. Ken Stabler completed two nine-yard passes, to Fred Biletnikoff and FB Marv Hubbard, and HB Clarence Davis had a 19-yard carry to the Miami 36. Three plays later, Stabler connected with HB Charlie Smith for a 31-yard TD and George Blanda’s extra point tied the score.

The Dolphins responded with a long scoring drive of 63 yards in 11 plays. The first six were running plays, with HB Benny Malone, Larry Csonka, and Jim Kiick carrying the load. Facing third-and-four at the Oakland 29, Bob Griese threw to Kiick for five yards and, after getting to the 16, Yepremian kicked a 33-yard field goal with just over a minute remaining in the half. The Dolphins held a 10-7 lead at halftime.

The teams again exchanged punts to start the third quarter. On their second series, the Raiders advanced 60 yards in nine plays. Stabler passed to Biletnikoff for 20 yards on the first play, taking the ball into Miami territory, and a pass to TE Bob Moore on third-and-seven was just enough for a first down. A run by HB Pete Banaszak picked up nine yards and Davis gained eight. Finally, Stabler connected with Biletnikoff for a 13-yard touchdown. Blanda added the PAT and Oakland was on top for the first time by 14-10.

The Dolphins came back with another score. Griese helped his cause with a nine-yard scramble and Malone and Csonka had good gains along the way. A pass interference penalty on the Raiders gave Miami a first down at the Oakland 16 and, from there, Griese threw to Paul Warfield for a touchdown. Yepremian’s extra point attempt was blocked by DE Bubba Smith, but the Dolphins remained ahead by two points at 16-14.

The teams again traded punts until, on the last play of the third quarter, Csonka ran for 15 yards to spark a drive that covered 60 yards in nine plays. With Malone and Csonka running effectively and Griese completing a pass to Warfield for 20 yards along the way, the visitors reached the Oakland 28. Yepremian kicked a 46-yard field goal to widen the Miami lead to 19-14.

After another exchange of punts, and with less than five minutes remaining in the game, the Raiders scored in spectacular fashion. Stabler threw to Cliff Branch, who made a diving catch at the Oakland 28. However, CB Henry Stuckey failed to touch him and the alert Branch leaped up and ran the distance for a 72-yard TD. Blanda’s extra point put the home team on top at 21-19 with 4:37 remaining to play.

In response, the Dolphins went 68 yards in just four plays. Griese threw to Nat Moore for 23 yards and then Miami ran at the Oakland defense, with Csonka picking up a total of 22 yards on two carries. Finally, Malone (pictured below) swept around end on a 23-yard touchdown run that put Miami back in the lead. Yepremian added the extra point and it was 26-21 with a little over two minutes on the clock.

Starting from the Oakland 32 after the ensuing kickoff, Stabler completed passes to Biletnikoff of 18 and 20 yards and two more throws, to Branch and WR Frank Pitts, got the ball to the Miami 14. Facing third-and-one, Coach Madden called for a running play and Davis gained six yards off tackle for first-and-goal at the eight. The time remaining was now down to 35 seconds and the Raiders used their final timeout. On the next play, with the primary receivers well covered Stabler seemed about to be sacked by Vern Den Herder but caught a glimpse of Davis in the end zone and threw while falling forward. Leaping amid a crowd of defenders, Davis pulled the ball away from LB Mike Kolen and fell to the ground for a touchdown (pictured at top). Blanda again converted and Oakland had a two-point lead.

That was enough. The Dolphins got the ball back, but Griese threw a pass that was intercepted by LB Phil Villapiano, and the Raiders won the classic encounter and advanced by a final score of 28-26.

Oakland had more total yards (411 to 294) and the edge in first downs (19 to 18). The Dolphins ran the ball well, totaling 213 yards on the ground (to 135 for the Raiders) while Oakland had 276 net passing yards to Miami’s 81. Each team recorded two sacks and turned the ball over one time apiece.

Ken Stabler  (pictured below) completed 20 of 30 passes for 293 yards and four touchdowns with one interception.  Fred Biletnikoff had 8 catches for 122 yards and a TD and, with the long scoring reception, Cliff Branch contributed 84 yards on three catches. Clarence Davis led the team’s running attack with 59 yards on 12 attempts while also accounting for two pass receptions for 16 yards and the game-winning score. Marv Hubbard was right behind with 55 yards on 14 carries.

For the Dolphins, Bob Griese was successful on 7 of 14 throws for 101 yards and a TD, while one pass was picked off. Larry Csonka rushed for 114 yards on 24 attempts and Benny Malone gained 83 yards on 14 carries that included a touchdown. Paul Warfield caught three passes for 47 yards and a TD.

“When you lose like that, you know it wasn’t meant to be,” said Don Shula. “Your dreams just go down the drain.”

The loss did indeed end Miami’s dream of a third consecutive NFL Championship, but, ironically enough considering the speculation that the winner of this game would be sure to advance to the Super Bowl, the Raiders did not make it that far as they lost to Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game.

Oakland topped the AFC West again in 1975, and again reached the AFC title game before falling to the Steelers. The Raiders finally achieved the elusive NFL Championship in ’76. As for the Dolphins, the loss to the Raiders did mark the end of an outstanding run that was highlighted by the three straight AFC titles as well as the back-to-back Super Bowl victories. The loss of the veterans Csonka, Warfield, and Kiick in 1975 had an effect, with Csonka’s role at fullback proving difficult to replace. Miami just missed the playoffs with a 10-4 record and fell to 6-8 in 1976; the Dolphins would not return to the postseason until 1978. 

Rookie of the Year: Matt Snell, 1964

Fullback, New York Jets

Age: 23

College: Ohio State

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 220

Prelude:

Snell started out primarily as a blocking back in his sophomore year at Ohio State, with All-American FB Bob Ferguson and HB Paul Warfield getting most of the carries. He moved to defensive end as a junior, where he was effective, before starting at fullback in his senior season. Both New York teams drafted him for 1964 – the Jets of the AFL in the first round (third overall) and the NFL Giants in the fourth round. In a major coup for the new ownership group led by Sonny Werblin, the Jets won the bidding war for Snell’s services. There was speculation as to whether he would play on offense or defense as a pro, but he moved directly into the lineup at fullback.

1964 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 215 [2]

Most attempts, game - 31 (for 180 yds.) vs. Houston 10/17

Yards – 948 [2]

Most yards, game – 180 yards (on 31 carries) vs. Houston 10/17

Average gain – 4.4 [5]

TDs – 5 [4, tied with Jack Kemp & Charley Mitchell]

100-yard rushing games – 3

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 56 [7, tied with Sid Blanks]           

Most receptions, game – 8 (for 79 yds.) vs. San Diego 10/3

Yards – 393

Most yards, game - 79 (on 8 catches) vs. San Diego 10/3

Average gain – 7.0

TDs – 1

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 7

Yards – 158

Average per return – 22.6

TDs – 0

Longest return – 31 yards

All-Purpose yards – 1499 [5]

Passing

Attempts – 1

Completions – 0

Yards – 0

TDs – 0

INT – 1

Scoring

TDs – 6 [18, tied with seven others]

Points – 36

Awards & Honors:

AFL Rookie of the Year: UPI

2^nd-team All-AFL: AP, UPI, NEA, NY Daily News

AFL All-Star Game

Jets went 5-8-1 to finish third in the AFL Eastern Division.

Aftermath:

Although bothered by a leg injury, Snell rushed for 763 yards and caught 38 passes in 1965. He was a second-team All-AFL selection of the AP and New York Daily News. A fine blocker as well as ball carrier, Snell was an AFL All-Star in ’66, rushing for 644 yards and catching 48 passes for another 346 yards. A knee injury suffered in the opening game limited him to seven games and 207 yards in 1967, but he bounced back in ’68 to rush for 747 yards as the Jets won the AFL Championship, and he had a 121-yard rushing performance in the Super Bowl upset of the Colts. Snell ran for 695 yards in 1969 and was a consensus first-team All-AFL selection, but a torn Achilles tendon suffered in the third game of the ’70 season effectively marked the end of his career. While he held on for another two seasons, through 1972, further injuries kept him off the field. Overall, Snell rushed for 4285 yards on 1057 carries (4.1 avg.) and caught 193 passes for 1375 yards, scoring a total of 31 touchdowns. He was a first-team All-AFL selection once, received at least some second-team honors after three other seasons, and was named to three AFL All-Star Games.

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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). 

1971: 49ers Defeat Lions to Clinch NFC West Title

The San Francisco 49ers were 8-5 coming into their 1971 season finale against the Detroit Lions on December 19 and in need of a win to clinch the NFC West for the second straight year. Head Coach Dick Nolan’s 49ers had a fine, if erratic, quarterback in 15-year veteran John Brodie. He had good receivers in WR Gene Washington and TE Ted Kwalick, and solid FB Ken Willard had been joined in the backfield by HB Vic Washington, who provided outside speed. Key players in the solid defense were DE Cedric Hardman, LB Dave Wilcox, and CB Jimmy Johnson.

Detroit, coached by Joe Schmidt, had a 7-5-1 record and was out of the running in the NFC Central. QB Greg Landry had a fine year throwing the ball as well as adding the extra dimension of running ability. FB Steve Owens and HB Altie Taylor made for a good backfield tandem and, while there was speed at wide receiver, TE Charlie Sanders was the most consistent of the pass catchers. The defense had talent at linebacker and the backfield, but lacked a pass rush.

It was a clear day at Candlestick Park with 45,580 fans in attendance. San Francisco’s first possession ended with John Brodie going long and being intercepted by CB Lem Barney, who returned it 23 yards to the 49ers’ 41 yard line. With Altie Taylor and Steve Owens carrying most of the load, the Lions reached the 17 before a pass to Taylor resulted in a seven-yard loss and Errol Mann kicked a 31-yard field goal.

The 49ers responded by driving 70 yards in nine plays. Brodie threw to Ted Kwalick for 24 yards to the Detroit 36 and a third-and-eight pass to WR Dick Witcher picked up 21. Brodie finished off the series by connecting with Witcher in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. Bruce Gossett added the extra point and the home team was ahead by 7-3.

Detroit came back with a ten-play possession that extended into the second quarter. The big play was a Landry throw to WR Ron Jessie that picked up 51 yards to the San Francisco 17. The Lions couldn’t reach the end zone from there, and an apparent scoring run by Landry was nullified by a holding penalty. Mann kicked a 39-yard field goal that narrowed the Niners’ lead to a point.

The 49ers struck back when Vic Washington returned the kickoff 29 yards and FB Larry Schreiber took off for a 23-yard gain on the next play from scrimmage. The drive bogged down at the Detroit 32 and Gossett booted a field goal from 39 yards to extend San Francisco’s margin to 10-6.

The Lions went three-and-out on their next possession and the resulting punt gave the 49ers the ball at their 32. They went 68 yards in five plays as Ken Willard rushed for 10 yards and Brodie threw to Gene Washington (pictured at left), first for 14 yards and then 32 yards after faking an end-around to get the ball to the Detroit 10. From there, Brodie passed to Willard, who made a diving catch at the goal line for a touchdown. Gossett again successfully converted and the Niners were up by 17-6.

The Lions responded with a 12-play, 80-yard drive. Landry had a 13-yard run and completed a pass to WR Earl McCullouch for 15 yards in a third-and-five situation. Detroit kept the ball on the ground to go the last 41 yards, with Taylor running for a 14-yard TD. Mann kicked the extra point and the score was 17-13 at the half.

Detroit took the second half kickoff and drove 60 yards in eight plays to take the lead. Owens and Taylor ran for a combined 29 rushing yards to start the series off before a roughing-the-passer penalty added 15 yards to the San Francisco 16. The 49ers continued to hurt themselves as a pass interference penalty moved the ball to the three and, two plays later, Owens plowed the last yard for a touchdown. Mann added the extra point and Detroit was in front by 20-17.

Vic Washington had another good kickoff return, of 27 yards, and the 49ers advanced 66 yards in seven plays. Brodie went long for Gene Washington in the end zone and it was complete for a 30-yard TD. Gossett’s extra point put the Niners back on top at 24-20, but the Lions came right back with another scoring drive. Landry threw to WR Larry Walton for 14 yards in a third-and-four situation and then went long to McCullouch, who beat CB Bruce Taylor for a 56-yard gain to the San Francisco four. A penalty backed the Lions up, but Landry tossed a six-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Sanders. Mann added the PAT and the Lions were back in front by three points after a see-saw third quarter.

The fourth quarter started with Detroit giving up the ball on downs at its own 40 after Landry was stopped short on a fourth-and-inches play.  It was a key development, and the 49ers made the most of the break. Brodie completed a 10-yard pass to Schreiber in a third-and-four situation and an offside call on the Lions converted another third down. The nine-play series finally ended when, facing third-and-eight, Brodie couldn’t find an open receiver and ran up the middle untouched for a ten-yard touchdown. Gossett’s extra point put the Niners back on top by four.

The Lions had to punt following their next series and San Francisco put together a time-consuming possession. Willard (pictured at right) carried the ball seven times, gaining 49 yards, before the 49ers gave up the ball on downs at the Detroit 24. However, the clock was down to 1:30. Landry went to the air on first down and LB Frank Nunley intercepted it to snuff out any last hope for the Lions. The 49ers came away with a 31-27 win.

San Francisco had the edge in total yards (357 to 310) and first downs (20 to 18). The 49ers were well balanced on offense, with 186 yards through the air and 171 on the ground. Each team turned the ball over once. The Niners were flagged 8 times at a cost of 72 yards, to five penalties for 35 yards on Detroit.

John Brodie completed 14 of 20 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. Ken Willard ran for 81 yards on 15 carries and also caught three passes for 24 yards and a TD. Gene Washington gained 76 yards and scored once on his three pass receptions while Dick Witcher and Ted Kwalick also caught three apiece, for 37 and 32 yards, respectively. Vic Washington gained 38 yards on 14 rushing attempts and was effective on kickoff returns, averaging 26.0 yards on three.

For the Lions, Greg Landry (pictured at left) was successful on 9 of 18 throws for 176 yards and a TD while being picked off once and ran the ball five times for 25 yards. Steve Owens rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, to go over a thousand yards for the year, and Altie Taylor contributed 51 yards on 10 attempts that also included a score. Four receivers caught two passes apiece, with Earl McCullouch gaining 81 yards on his pair. Ron Jessie had the one 51-yard catch.

The win gave the 49ers a 9-5 record and the NFC West title by a half-game over the 8-5-1 Los Angeles Rams. They defeated the Redskins in the Divisional playoff round but, for the second year in a row, lost the NFC Championship game to the Dallas Cowboys. Detroit ended up second in the NFC Central at 7-6-1.

The up-and-down nature of John Brodie’s season was reflected in the fact that he led the NFC in both touchdown passes (18) and interceptions (24). His 387 pass attempts and 2642 yards also topped the conference. Ken Willard led the 49ers in rushing for the seventh consecutive season with 855 yards on 216 carries (4.0 avg.). Vic Washington was right behind with 811 yards on 191 attempts (4.2 avg.) and, adding in pass receiving and kick returning, led the NFL in all-purpose yards with 1986. He was chosen to the Pro Bowl along with Gene Washington, who had a NFC-leading 884 yards on his 46 pass receptions (19.2 avg.).

Greg Landry set a new rushing record for quarterbacks with 530 yards on 76 carries, good for a 7.0-yard average gain (the record was broken the following year by Bobby Douglass of the Bears). As a passer, his 8.6 yards per attempt ranked third in the league. He was also chosen to the Pro Bowl for the only time in his long career that ended in the USFL. 

2011: Chiefs Dominate on Defense to Beat 13-0 Packers

The Green Bay Packers were sporting a 13-0 record as they faced the Kansas City Chiefs on December 18, 2011. While they were the defending champions as well as being undefeated thus far, Head Coach Mike McCarthy’s team was not particularly impressive on defense. LB Clay Matthews and 35-year-old CB Charles Woodson were stellar performers, but the Packers tended to give up passing yards at a prodigious rate. However, the high-scoring offense more than made up for it. QB Aaron Rodgers was an excellent passer who rarely made mistakes and had a fine group of receivers. However, they had just lost their top receiver, WR Greg Jennings, plus their leading rusher, RB James Starks, due to injuries.

Kansas City, meanwhile, had just fired Head CoachTodd Haley the previous Monday. Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel was the interim coach of a team that had lost many key players to injuries early in the season, including QB Matt Cassel, RB Jamaal Charles, TE Tony Moeaki, and SS Eric Berry. QB Tyler Palko failed as the replacement for Cassel and sixth-year veteran Kyle Orton (pictured above), who had begun the season with Denver, was taking over the starting duties.

There were 74,093 fans in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs had first possession and drove 79 yards in 14 plays. QB Kyle Orton completed four passes, two of which converted third downs, but after being stopped at the Green Bay one yard line, they ended up with a 19-yard field goal by Ryan Succop.

The Packers were on the verge of going three-and-out on their first possession, but punter Tim Masthay was roughed and the series continued. They reached the KC 41, from where Mason Crosby missed on a 59-yard field goal attempt, but got a second shot from 54 yards when the Chiefs were penalized for too many players on the field. Like the first kick, the second sailed wide to the right.

Kansas City responded with a nine-play, 42-yard drive. Orton hit on three pass attempts and Succup came through with another field goal, this time from 32 yards. The first quarter ended with the Chiefs ahead by 6-0.

The Packers had the ball as the game entered the second quarter and had to punt after reaching midfield. Starting at their 15, the Chiefs again drove into Green Bay territory. Orton continued to complete short to medium passes, a total of six along the way, and running backs Thomas Jones and Jackie Battle (pictured at left) pounded away with short gains. A nine-yard carry by Jones reached the Green Bay three, but the Packers stopped Kansas City’s attempts to score on the ground, including a fourth-and-one run by Battle, and the Chiefs came up empty. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the period, with neither able to mount any threats. After a half of play, Green Bay had gained just five first downs and Aaron Rodgers was successful on only 6 of 17 passes for 59 yards.

The teams exchanged punts to start the third quarter before the Packers, taking over at their 46, went 54 yards in six plays. The big one was a Rodgers completion to TE Jermichael Finley that gained 41 yards to the KC seven. Three plays later, Rodgers threw to WR Donald Driver for a two-yard touchdown and, with Crosby’s extra point, Green Bay was ahead by 7-6.

The Chiefs responded with a scoring drive of their own, advancing 69 yards in seven plays. Orton went deep right away and connected with TE Leonard Pope for 39 yards to midfield. Another pass, to WR Jonathan Baldwin, picked up 17 yards and, after a third-and-14 throw to FB Le’Ron McClain gained nine yards, Succup kicked a 46-yard field goal to put the home team back on top by 9-7.

As the period came to a close, Green Bay was driving. Rodgers scrambled for 19 yards and completed two passes to get to the Kansas City 39. However, the Packers, passing up a long field goal attempt, came up empty when a fourth-and-eight pass fell incomplete.

Orton threw to WR Steve Breaston for 16 yards, McClain ran for nine, and then a pass to Pope picked up 33 yards to the Green Bay three. However, the Packers held on defense and Kansas City settled for another Succup field goal, this time from 20 yards. Still, it gave the Chiefs a five-point lead with 11:28 to play.

The Packers had to punt following their next series and the Chiefs drove 66 yards in eight plays. Breaston started things off with a 25-yard run on an end-around. Orton completed passes of 13 yards to WR Dwayne Bowe and 16 yards to TE Anthony Becht to reach the Green Bay five. Battle finished off the series with a one-yard touchdown carry and, with Succup adding the extra point, Kansas City’s lead was up to 19-7.

Green Bay got the ball back with less than five minutes left on the clock. Rodgers completed five passes, with the biggest gainers to WR Randall Cobb for 16 yards, Nelson for 22 yards in a second-and-20 situation, and 31 yards to Finley to get to the KC 15. The nine-play, 85-yard series ended with Rodgers running for the last eight yards and a TD. Crosby added the PAT, but the Chiefs still led by five with just over two minutes now remaining. The Packers attempted an onside kick that went out of bounds and that was it as Kansas City was able to run out the clock. The Chiefs handed Green Bay its first defeat of the season by a score of 19-14.

Kansas City dominated time of possession (36:11 to 23:49) and led in total yards (438 to 315) and first downs (23 to 16). There were no turnovers, but the Chiefs recorded the only four sacks of the game. The point total was Green Bay’s lowest of the year.

Kyle Orton completed 23 of 31 passes for 299 yards with no touchdowns but also no interceptions. Thomas Jones led the ground attack with 48 yards on 15 carries and Jackie Battle had 37 yards on 10 attempts that included a TD. Steve Breaston caught four passes for 50 yards and, in addition, had a 25 yard run. Dwayne Bowe was right behind with 49 yards on his four pass receptions and Le’Ron McClain also caught four, for 26 yards, to go alone with his four rushing attempts for 20 yards. LB Tamba Hali (pictured below) accounted for three of the team’s sacks on defense.

For the Packers, Aaron Rodgers ended up with 17 completions in 35 attempts for 235 yards and a TD and had another 32 yards on three runs that included a score. Ryan Grant ran for 66 yards on 12 carries and added another 35 yards on three pass receptions. Randall Cobb had four catches for 53 yards and Jermichael Finley gained 83 yards on his three receptions.

“Everybody had it marked off as a win for the Packers, but those guys in the locker room, they’re football players,” said Romeo Crennel, a winner in his inaugural contest as interim head coach. “They decided they were not going to lay down, they were not going to give up, so they went out and played a tremendous game.”

“I personally always viewed the undefeated season as, really, just gravy,” said Coach Mike McCarthy from the Green Bay perspective. “The goal was to get home-field advantage and win the Super Bowl. That’s what we discussed.”

Kansas City split the last two games of the season to finish at 7-9 and last in the mediocre AFC West (the other three teams were all 8-8). It was enough to make Romeo Crennel the head coach for 2012, but with disappointing results as the club dropped to 2-14. As for the Packers, they won their last two games to end up atop the NFC Nortth with a league-best 15-1 record, but were upended in the Divisional playoff round by the Giants.     

1950: Browns Defeat Giants in Conference Playoff

On December 17, 1950 the Cleveland Browns hosted the New York Giants in a playoff game to determine the champion of the NFL’s American Conference (the re-named Eastern Division). The Browns, coached by the innovative Paul Brown, had joined the NFL after dominating the All-America Football Conference, winning all four league titles before that league folded. Now in the older league, Cleveland had proven the skeptics wrong by compiling a 10-2 record. However, the Giants were the one NFL team that had solved the Browns, winning both regular season encounters. With identical records, they were meeting to determine who would move on to the league championship game against the winner of the National Conference playoff (the Rams and Bears tied for first as well).

Cleveland had a well-balanced offense directed by QB Otto Graham and including the league’s rushing leader in FB Marion Motley. Ends Mac Speedie and Dante Lavelli were fine receivers. The Browns were tough on defense, too, and to top things off, Lou Groza (pictured above) was the NFL’s top placekicker, leading in both in number of field goals and accuracy.

The demise of the AAFC was of big help to the Giants, as they were able to add some outstanding talent to their roster that included DT Arnie Weinmeister and defensive backs Otto Schnellbacher, Harmon Rowe, and Tom Landry. The draft brought a good addition to the offense in rookie FB Eddie Price, who joined veteran HB Gene Roberts in the backfield. Head Coach Steve Owen developed the innovative “umbrella” defense with the Browns in mind, and it had worked well in the two regular season encounters as it stifled Cleveland’s passing attack.

There were 33,054 fans in attendance on a bitterly cold day at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium, with the temperature in the teens. The turf was frozen and the players on both teams wore sneakers. The field had been covered prior to the game and was clear, while the end zones were white with snow.

HB Dom Moselle returned the opening kickoff 26 yards to the Cleveland 35 and the Browns started off with a 10-play, 59-yard drive that reached the New York four before stalling. Lou Groza, wearing a sneaker on his left foot and football shoe on his right (kicking) foot, booted an 11-yard field goal to give Cleveland the early lead.

The Giants, utilizing the A-formation on offense, were unable to get out of their end of the field for the remainder of the first half. QB Charley Conerly resorted to a quick-kick punt that traveled 72 yards to get out of one jam and, with the teams settling into a battle for field position, the score remained 3-0 at halftime.

Early in the third quarter, the Giants reached the Cleveland 49 thanks to a run by Gene Roberts, but a holding penalty set New York back. New York also lost its best receiver, end Bill Swiacki, to an injury that further weakened the offense.

On the first play of the final period, the Giants again drove into Cleveland territory. Roberts (pictured below) had runs of six and 26 yards as the visitors reached the 16 yard line. But they came up empty when Eddie Price was thrown for a three-yard loss and a lineman caught a Conerly pass, resulting in a penalty.

On their next possession, the Giants appeared on their way to a score when Roberts broke free for a 34-yard gain, but was hauled down by MG Bill Willis at the Cleveland four. The Browns held from there, with several penalties prolonging the series.  Among the penalties, a potential touchdown pass for the Giants was wiped out by an offside infraction and an interception in the end zone by DB Tommy James was nullified by a defensive holding call. A motion penalty backed the Giants up and HB Joe Scott collided with his own blocker for a further loss of yardage. Finally, New York settled for a 20-yard field goal by Randy Clay that tied the score.

As time ran down, the Browns utilized Otto Graham’s mobility to good effect. The former college tailback ran for a total of 37 yards in the series that went 43 yards and ended with Groza kicking a 28-yard field goal with less than a minute remaining on the clock.

The Browns got an additional two points on a safety when Conerly was gang-tackled in his end zone while fading back to try a desperation pass with eight seconds to go. Cleveland won the game and the conference title by a final score of 8-3.

In a defensive struggle with little passing offense on either side, the Browns had the edge in total yards (182 to 154) while New York had more first downs (11 to 9). Cleveland had just 29 net passing yards, to 13 for the Giants, with the Browns recording four sacks to two for New York. The Giants turned the ball over twice and Cleveland suffered one turnover.

Otto Graham went to the air only eight times and had three completions for 43 yards with one interception, but also ran the ball for 70 yards on 8 carries. HB Rex Bumgardner contributed 39 yards on 12 attempts and HB Dub Jones added 32 yards on 12 runs, while Marion Motley was held to only 12 yards on 7 carries. Dante Lavelli was the top receiver with two catches for 35 yards. Bill Willis (pictured below) had a huge performance on defense for the Browns, regularly breaking through the New York line as well as preventing a touchdown by catching Gene Roberts from behind on his breakaway run (Paul Brown declared Willis to be “the greatest lineman in American football” afterward).

For the Giants, Charlie Conerly was successful on three of 12 passes for 48 yards and had two intercepted. Gene Roberts ran for 76 yards on 12 carries and Eddie Price added 65 yards on 21 attempts. Three receivers had one catch apiece, and end Bob McChesney had the longest gain of 19 yards.

“It’s all on the scoreboard,” was Steve Owen’s terse reaction to the loss.

The Browns went on to defeat the Rams in a closely-fought NFL Championship game. They would finish back atop the American Conference in 1951, although their string of league titles would end in the rematch with Los Angeles. New York was 9-2-1 in ’51, ending up in second place. The playoff loss to the Browns would prove to be the last postseason game for the Giants with Steve Owen as coach. He was fired following a lackluster 1953 season after 23 years at the helm that resulted in ten postseason appearances and two NFL titles.

MVP Profile: Ed Reed, 2004

Safety, Baltimore Ravens

Age: 26 (Sept. 11)

3^rd season in pro football & with Ravens

College: Miami (FL)

Height: 5’11” Weight: 200

Prelude:

Reed was chosen by the Ravens in the first round (24^th overall) of the 2002 NFL draft and was inserted into the starting lineup at strong safety. He quickly made an impression with his skill as a tackler combined with his ballhawking ability. Reed had five interceptions as a rookie, which he returned for 167 yards. He quickly developed into a premier player at his position and was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time after a 2003 season in which he intercepted 7 passes.

2004 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 2

Most sacks, game – 1 at Washington 10/10, at Philadelphia 10/31

Interceptions – 9 [1]

Most interceptions, game – 2 at Cincinnati 9/26

Int. return yards – 358 [1]

Most int. return yards, game – 106 (on 1 int.) vs. Cleveland 11/7

Int. TDs – 1

Fumble recoveries – 2

Fumble rec. TDs – 1

Forced fumbles – 3

Tackles – 64

Assists – 14

Scoring

TDs – 2

Points – 12

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Player of the Year: AP

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

1^st team All-AFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Ravens went 9-7 to finish second in the AFC North while leading the NFL in allowing the fewest passing touchdowns (14, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers).

Aftermath:

Reed had a lesser year in 2005 as injuries limited him to 10 games but, shifted to free safety, came back strong in ’06 as he regained his status as one of the dominant defensive players in the NFL. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection on five occasions, received at least second-team consideration after three other seasons, and was named to nine Pro Bowls, including seven straight from 2006-12. Reed led the league in interceptions twice more, with 9 in 2008 and 8 in 2010 and, through the 2012 season, had a career total of 61. After 11 seasons capped by a championship in ’12, Reed left the Ravens and signed with the Houston Texans for 2013 but was waived during the season and signed by the Jets, which reunited him with former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

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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.