Week 14 - Sunday

'97 Denver vs. '12 Houston

The Broncos travel to Texas to try and put a stop to the Texans' recent onslaught of victory.

It would be a rough first half with each team measuring each other and Defense reigning supreme With a 6-3 lead at half, Houston would have a slight edge coming into 2nd the 2nd half.

In the 3rd quarter, the Texans' would increase that lead to 13 points after getting their rushing game moving.  But Davis got moving as well, and Denver scored their first TD just before the 4th quarter to make it a 1 score game.

Denver would not have such luck in the 4th quarter, while the Texans' offense would continue slicing through the Broncos secondary. Houston wins 26-10.

Davis had a huge day for the Broncos, running 150 yards on just 18 carries. Elway, however, was just 42% on the day. Schaub hit 2/3 of his 34 throws, racking up 215 yards and 0 picks. Houston had almost double the time of possession as well.

'91 Detroit vs. '75 Minnesota

The Lions have been on a roll lately with some major victories, and travel to meet a bruised Vikings team in Minnesota. With a win, Detroit's once long shot at the playoffs could take root.

The Vikings would score first on a short pass from Tarkenton to Foreman. Detroit, on their next possession, would find the Purple People Eaters tough to move past, settling for just 3 on the board.

Unfortunately for Detroit, Minnesota would retaliate with a 2nd TD as the Vikings offense continued to open up.

Down 14-3 in just the 1st quarter, Detroit was not defeated, and Sanders would find some holes to bring in a TD for Detroit.  Minnesota would grab another FG before half to lead just 17-10.

With a whole 2nd half to play, both teams would find it hard to be as explosive as in the 1st half, but it would Minnesota would still find ways to score. With the Vikings D holding Barry Sanders to just 50 yards, they were able to run up over 150 themselves, grabbing 10 more points before the game was over. Minnesota beats Detroit 27-10

Tarkenton also tossed for over 280 yards, double that of Detroit.

Despite some big wins recently for Detroit, this loss now puts them tied with Minnesota and both teams' chances at playoffs are ruined.

'89 San Francisco vs. '09 New Orleans

San Francisco scored late in the 1st quarter after several 3-and-out efforts for both teams. But the 2nd half would belong to New Orleans, as Brees and crew would come up with their own TD, as well as FG.

Down 10-6 at the 2 minute warning, San Franciso continued pushing and were rewarded 3 points for their efforts, Saints would lead by just 1 point 10-9, at the half.

It would be a struggle for San Francisco in the 2nd half, though, and the Saints would continue to make the most of their plays, scoring 10 more points. Saints win 20-9

Both QB's looked good, each throwing for 200 or more yards and 60+ completion %. The Saints also got 50+ rush yards out of 2 separate rushers. Despite the win, however, New Orlean's chances at post-season do not improve.

'72 Miami vs. '68 NY Jets

All season, these teams have been vying for the #2 spot in the AFC East behind the Patriots. Both teams have been within 1 game of the Patriots at various times. With so much on the line, this game was shaping up to be the biggest of the week.

After a near scoreless 1st half, it was clear everyone was getting the matchup they wanted - almost a bit too much. Miami would get in range for Yepremian to get 3 points with just 3 minutes remaining.

With the score just 3-0 as the half opened, nobody was sure what would come next. Miami would receive the ball, but NY would get the momentum after Atkinson picked off Morrall and ran 48 yards for a score. It would be the only score of the 3rd quarter, as both teams had several more failed efforts.

Miami's rushing efforts, as always, would eventually pay off, getting them in enemy territory for 2 successful FG attempts by Yepremian. Miami would lead 9-7. Just minutes later, however, Namath would find Maynard open for a throw that would go 67 yards to put New York ahead again.

With just 3 minutes left, Miami would get their shot. Just inside the 2 minute warning, they'd get the chance they were looking for. After Csonka had a few good rushes, Morrall would find him on a short pass to get a 16-14 edge. And from that point, the No-Name Defense would hold New York.

Dolphins win 16-14. With the win they gain a critical edge in the divisional standings. The Jets look to point a finger at Turner, who missed 2 important FG attempts from over 40 yards.

'15 Colts vs. '00 Buccaneers

66,000 fans showed up in Tampa to see if the Buccs could handle Morrall and the Colts.

Each team would trade FG's early in the 1st half, but the Colts would take a 7 point lead after Hill got a 21-yard rush past the Buccs' defense.

The Buccs would get the ball in the 2nd half, but wouldn't have it long before the Colts forced a Safety, increasing their lead to 9 points. The Buccs would hold the Colts from scoring from it, however, racking up a Safety of their own to come within 1 score.

As their running game got moving more, they got that 1 score off a dash from Pittman to keep the game tied at 4th quarter.

Baltimore would continue their rushing efforts, and Cole would find some holes on a 16 yard TD run to put Tampa Bay in the corner. But Brad Johnson, who had been passing up flurry all game, easily got a deep ball to Jurevicius for a 51 yard score just as 1 minute remained on the clock.

The game would go into overtime, and despite solid efforts from both teams, would end in the first tie of the season. Baltimore 19, Tampa Bay 19.

Brad Johnson had over 400 yards passing on 40 throws (of 60 attempts), but on top of that the duo of Pittman/ Allstot gained over 130 yards on the ground. The Colts only had half that total yardage, most if it coming from 6 different runners, all who had some big plays against Tampa Bay. The Colts O-line was making the perfect blocks, and their D-line gathered over 5 sacks. The Buccs also with a whopping 16 penalties on the day.

'15 Carolina vs. '98 Atlanta

Atlanta continues their efficient destruction of their opponents, as they deal a huge 30-10 loss to Carolina.

The Falcons scored 10 points each quarter until the 3rd, with Chandler throwing 2 TDs and Jamal Anderson running the 3rd. Andersen was 100% on FGs and Chandler 70% on passes. Jamal Anderon had another huge day with 120 rushing yards.

The Panthers, despite a competitive 300+ yards total offense, simply had trouble making it in the end zone. Only Ginn Jr. found his way there on a magical 67 yard play. Carolina simply struggled much more than Atlanta to make 1st downs, ending up with almost 13 minutes fewer time of possession.

With this win, the Falcons move ahead of the Panthers in the division. With just 3 games left in the season, there's no telling if Atlanta will stay on top.

'00 Ravens vs. '90 Bills

Jim Kelly got off to a great start for the Bills, hitting Don Beebe for 67 yards to score on their first possession. The Ravens, however, would come back on the attack with Jamal Anderson, who picked up 2 TD's in the first half for 50 yards total.

Lewish, who had an astonishing 187 yards on the day, seemed to just wear down the Bills D, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.

The Bills would squeeze in a FG before half to go down 14-10, but Baltimore D controlled the 2nd half. The Bills stepped up to stop the bleeding, and might have had more success had Starks not scored on a 56 yard punt return.

Ravens win 24-10

A crucial win for Baltimore, they continue to remain within 1 game of stealing the division from the Steelers. Also, a crucial loss for Buffalo, as even their best efforts now won't earn them a playoff spot.

'88 Cincinnati vs. '69 Cleveland

In the battle for Ohio, both teams looked evenly matched, which is why the game ended up being decided by 3 points.

Each team traded TD's in the 1st quarter, but only the Bengals would score in the 2nd quarter, leading 17-7 at the half.

The 2nd half would see much more competition, but Cleveland's D would step up to hold Esiason off. And halfway in the 4th quarter, Nelsen would get a TD throw in to make it a 3 point game with just over 6 minutes left. Unfortunately for Nelsen, after getting back in FG range, Cockroft missed his 2nd FG of the day, putting a tie outside of reach.

The Bengals win the battle of Ohio 17-14. They'll need to win 3 more straight for any postseason hopes. Cleveland, with just 1 win this year, remains winless at home.

'62 Green Bay vs. '91 Washington

The Packers took control of the Redskins all game, showing why they're a favorite for the championship in this league.

Washington has been unpredictable all year, but the Packers' coaching staff seemed to predict everything they tried. The Redskins just had 181 yards all day on 40 plays. Rypien was 15-20 but only averaged under 8 yards per catch.

On the other hand, Starr completed 16-21 of his throws for 187 yards and 1 TD, averaging almost 12 yards per catch. Jim Taylor also had a huge day with 146 yards, 47 of those on 1 long TD play.

Green Bay picks up the easy win, 17-3. With this, their 5th straight win, they clinch the NFC North and guarantee home field in the playoffs. With just 1 loss at home and 1 loss against NFC teams, they have a great shot at the #1 seed.

'79 San Diego vs. '99 Jacksonville

Fouts had a great day for the Chargers, completing 20 passes for 232 yards. But without a rushing game, they were unable to score against the Jaguar's tough defensive front.

Jacksonville rushed for over 180 yards, with Stewart having a 100+ yard day and 1 TD. Taylor also had a TD, carrying 50 of those yards. Brunell did great as needed but clearly got a break. Even with just 113 passing yards, he had a 16 yard TD throw Stunningly, the Jags shut the Chargers out completely 24-0.

With the loss here, San Diego's chances at the division leadership drop, but 3 games remain in the season. Jacksonville keeps up with the Texans as well, at this point making the division up to whoever loses last among these giants

'08 Tennessee vs. '74 Oakland

The Titans were able to score on their opening drive at the Oakland Coliseum, but from there would find the Oakland defense harder to move against

The Titans defense proved equally difficult to move against, and the Raiders settled only for a late 2nd quarter FG to go down 7-3 at the half.

On the opening kickoff of the 2nd half, Carr would grab the return at the 2 yard line but sprint past a sea of black and silver to put the Titans up 14-3. But a much smarter Stabler showed up in the 2nd half. He would throw for 2 Oakland TD's to give Oakland a lead, and the Titans struggled to match it.

Oakland pulls out the win 17-14.

Stabler's throws went 17/25 for 200 yards, with Biletnikoff being a big target with 8 catches for over 100 yards. The Raiders also had over 100 yards rushing. For TN, Collins was picked off twice by the Silver/Black.

With the loss, Tennessee's postseason chances are almost non-existent. In them meantime, in the AFC West, Oakland's win could just be enough to put them on top.

'76 Pittsburgh vs. '15 Arizona

The Steelers and Cardinals met in a very high stakes defensive showdown at Phoenix Stadium. In fact, the game's first TD would go to Arizona's defense after recovering a fumble for 67 yards. After several 3-and-out possessions, the Steelers would score a FG late in the 2nd quarter to bring the game close.

It was the last point Pittsburgh would see on the board. Despite 4 runners racking up 190 yards against the Cardinals, Bradshaw only completed 10 passes all game and 2 picks. Meanwhile, Palmer did slightly better but was backed up by 90 yards rushing and some great ball position.

Cardinals win 20-3. Pittsburgh ran well against the Cardinals, but the Red/White D kept plays out of the red zone all game.

'69 Kansas City vs. '07 New England

The Patriots had no trouble picking apart the Chiefs at Gilette Stadium, remaining undefeated at home and coming closer to securing home field advantage for the playoffs.

The Chiefs put together a great offense at 247 yards, bit simply had difficulty scoring. With McVea tallying over 80 yards on the day, he ran a 14 yarder in the end zone. Dawson also completed 12 of 20 passes, with 1 of those throws being a 20-yarder to Taylor.

Like the Chiefs, New England also had over 100 yards rushing, spread their attack out over several play and had 1 TD on the day. But unlike Dawson, Brady was 27/37 for the day for 253 yards, 3 TD's and 0 picks. Gaffney, with just 3 catches on the day, gets the honors for 2 of the 3 passing TD's. Randy Moss led with 8 catches on the day.

The Patriots put a 35-14 dent in the Chiefs. Kansas City's playoff hopes are now likely gone, and NE further improves their odds at a #1 seed spot for the AFC.

'13 Seattle vs. '79 Los Angeles

Almost 85,000 fans showed up at LA Coliseum to see the 6-6 Rams host the 8-4 Seahawks. With so many close records in the NFC West, much is at stake.

Both defensive units were in full alarm, and the first quarter quickly went by without a score on the board. The 2nd quarter looked like much of the same, with Los Angeles breaking the ice with a 46 yard FG with over 7 minutes on the clock.

As the 2 minute warning passed, Hauscka would earn his own 3 points on a 40 yard kick to tie the game It would not help for long, as a bruised Seahawks secondary let a Hadl-Jackson pass turn into a 70 yard score, leaving less than 1 minute left in the half.

The 3rd quarter was scoreless, much like the 1st, but not much time would tick off the 4th quarter before Los Angeles found themselves pushing off Seattle and making it to the red zone. They'd soon come away with a larger lead after a 4 yard sprint from Josephson.

17-3 would be a hard lead for Seattle to overcome, but with 11 minutes gameplay remaining, not out of possibility for Wilson and crew. And on their next drive, Wilson would score on a 30 yard throw to Willson, leaving 7:24 to still make things happen. But after holding Los Angeles on downs,, the Rams would step up to the challenge, keeping Seattle at bay. Los Angeles wins 17-10

The Rams had 175 yards rushing, with McCutcheon just 1 yard shy of 100. Seattle was held to just 182 yards passing with Wilson throwing an uncharacteristic 3 INTs. You know that's burning at him, each of those potentially being TD's instead.

Seattle remains on top of the division, but just barely.