Week 17 - Sunday Spectacular
This is our final week of regular season LFL action. Several playoff spots are on the line, some of which depend on head-to-head action. Let's see how each match ends up...
None of Buffalo's tricks ended up helping them score, as they were obliterated by the Jets, despite having almost 300 yards offense. With 2 INTs and 3 sacks, Jim Kelly clearly struggled to make the big plays.
New York, on the other hand, scored 4 TD's on their rushing efforts, only rushing for 115 yards. Their rushing attack simply helped compliment Namath's outstanding throws. Namath, as usual, only completed 13 passes, but with such deep throws, averaged 20 yards per completion with 266 yards total. Jets win 44-0.
So all eyes remain on the 2 AFC giants, Miami and New England, facing off later to see how the postseason shapes up.
Brees had trouble passing against the Panthers, but Newton threw 2 TD passes of 40 yards or more, 1 each to Olsen and Ginn Jr.
In the 2nd quarter, the Saints continued to struggle on offense, but would get a break on a punt return by Bush for 89 yards. But as the 2nd quarter wound down, Cam Newton seemed to be working on another plane.After a quick drive that setup for an easy rushing TD, the Panthers would get the ball back in under a minute, setting up for a FG. Panthers lead at halftime 24-7.
In the 3rd quarter, the Panthers' seem appeared to have Settled, and the Saints made slow progress on a comeback. They would grab a TD just before 4th quarter, and would put another 3 points on the board on their following possession. With the Saints D giving them such opportunity, 7 points seemed within grasp with just 10 minutes in the game.
But as Carolina found FG range on their next possession, Gano hit a 32-yarder to put some distance from the Saints. It would turn out not to be needed, as the Panthers D made a crucial stop on the Saints, giving Newton back the ball. As effortless as all his passing was all game, he managed to squeeze another TD throw in before the game was over.
Carolina wins 34-17.
Numbers definitely tell the story of this game, as the Saints barely had over 200 yards total offense against Carolina. Brees was just 15/33 and only 4 of 14 on 3rd down conversions. Newton, on the other hand, had an astonishing 465 yards on 26 completions of 39 attempts. He threw for 3 TD's and 3 INT's, but averaged almost 18 yards / completion. His primary targets, of course, were Ginn Jr. and Olsen, who had 8 and 7 catches, respectively for 146 and 175 yards each.
Despite the Panthers phenomenal win, the Rams must lose for Carolina to still end up a wildcard seed.
In the 1st quarter, the Bengals picked up 2 TD's in just the first 9 minutes. Both run and pass offense were proving effective. Cleveland would eventually put up 7 points of their own, but the 2 teams would trade scores well into the 3rd quarter, but with Cleveland settling for a FG, they would have a huge effort ahead of them to catch up to Cincinnati.
Even more so, the Bengals defense had appeared to figure out Cleveland's offense, and shut them out for the remainder of the game. Esiason, on the other hand, helped lead the Bengals offense to 2 more TD's and 2 FG's. Bengals win huge by a final score of 55-24.
Cleveland's loss wasn't without some effort. Scott had a 100 yard kickoff return for TD. Nelsen was 14-23 for 195 yards and 1 TD. But it was ultimately Cleveland's defense that seemed to struggle with it's effort. The Bengals had 549 yards total offense, with - no kidding - 324 yards rushing alone. Woods and Brooks each had 17 or more carries for 125 yards each, as well as 2 TD's a piece. Esiason had 68% completion for 233 yards, 2 TD's and 1 INT.
Despite missing the playoffs, the Bengals have made a tremendous effort the 2nd half of the season to show why they belong in the LFL. What a great finish to their season, ending 8-8 in a league of the greatest.
The Cowboys kicked off the game with a great drive, ending in an exciting 22 yard run by Emmitt Smith. But after taking several minutes off the clock, the Redskins' rushing game put 7 points on the board for them. In fact, they would repeat this twice before the half, with their Defense holding Aikman and company out of scoring range.
With a 21-7 lead, the Cowboys would need to show some more aggressiveness on offense to get a win. Especially with the Redskins receiving the kick. But the Redskins made that harder, after scoring yet another rushing TD on their first possession of the half.
By the time Dallas got the ball, the Redskins D seemed to stop Dallas at every turn. The Cowboys would struggle to score until late in the game on a pass to Michael Irvin. With just under 3 minutes left, a 2 TD deficit would prove too difficult, especially as Washington wasted clock time. Redskins win 28-14.
Despite the high score, and several rushing TD's, neither team had little more than 250 yards total. Emmitt Smith proved the effective rusher, taking 24 balls for 127 yards and 1 TD. But it was Byner and Ervins both who came through when Washington needed them, charging through the Cowboys for 2 TD's each.
Depending the Eagles's performance, the Redskins still have playoff hopes. The Eagles must win they are to go, otherwise Washington takes the #4 seed.
In the first quarter, the Packers found some room to run, but the Lions D held them back reasonably. On the other side, Barry Sanders proved useful for the Lions, making some critical plays for the team despite not having high yardage. Kramer's teamwork with Sanders yielded 2 TD's for the Lions in the first half, while the Packers were shut out.
The 2nd half saw a shift in momentum towards the Packers, as the championship team started looking more like itself. Starr worked with Moore to get the game tied up by 4th quarter, and the Packers D shut down the big plays from Sanders, and forced Kramer to some desperate throws.
As the 4th quarter came around, the momentum seemed to remain all with Green Bay, as Jim Taylor grabbed his first TD in 4 quarters to put the Packers up over the Lions. Detroit would have a few shots at the ball, but field position proved too poor for them to make progress. In fact, Green Bay would get a sack on Detroit. So the Packers ride the season out high with a 23-14 win and the league best record.
Neither team looked great on offense by the numbers, in fact both teams seemed well matched in their efforts.
After a quick-paced start to the 1st quarter, Houston was doing well after a Schaub TD throw gave them a 7-3 lead over Tennessee. But the Titans offense could continue to chip away at Houston, and would get 10 more points on the board before the start of the 2nd quarter.
Up 13-7, with 3 quarters to go, the game could go in any direction. For the entire 2nd quarter, however, it went nowhere. Both defenses, which have been powerful all year, kept each team out of enemy territory into the half.
By the 3rd quarter, the quick pace of halftime seemed like a distant memory, as each team continued to struggle finding momentum. It was looking like the team that could get it, would take the game. So with 1 minute left in the 3rd quarter, Schaub threw another TD pass to put the Texans up by 1.
But with a whole 4th quarter to play, Tennessee made some critical plays, and Collins would find gage in the end zone for an 18 yard pass. Despite several efforts after that, defense continued to dominate, and the Titans stopped the last Houston drive of the game with a Safety. Tennessee wins 22-14.
As usual, Johnson had a huge day for Houston with 5 catches for 121 yards. Both QB's looked decent, but despite throwing for 2 TD's each, it was Schaub's 2 picks for the day that would, in hindsight, look to be costly. The Texans also had 10 penalties and were sacked 3 times.
So with a Jaguars win, Houston now has the wildcard seed for playoffs next week.
Jacksonville would turn around and match the effort, with Brunell finding McCardell for a 9 yard TD. to tie up the game. Much of the 2nd quarter would continue as the first, with no turnovers to speak of. Each defense simply made some great stops. But as the half was winding to a close, Jacksonville took a shot at a long FG, and Hollis nailed it from 50 yards out to give the Jags the lead at half.
Unfortunately for the Colts, the Jaguars were receiving the ball in 3rd quarter, and with Stewart finding some room to run, they would end up in the red zone, where Brunell setup another TD throw to McCardell.
From there, the Jaguars would continue to hold off the Colts, and would go on to finish the game 24-7, Jacksonville.
Stewart had a good day, running for 110 yards on 16 carries, with a long of 58. The Colts just had 37 yards rushing all game. Both QB's threw for almost 200 yards and completed around 60% of their throws, but only Brunell had any TD's from the effort. Another shocking statistic is there was only 1 turnover all game, despite the great show of defense. Morrall threw just 1 pick on his 39 attempts.
With Jacksonville winning and Houston losing, Jacksonville grabs the division. The Texans still have a guaranteed wildcard spot, based on their record, and will share it with either the Jets or Patriots.
Holding the Chargers to just 147 total yards all game, it was clear that the defense that has been so feared all year for its turnover ratio was in full force. Fouts was only 12-29 with 4 picks from 3 different KC backs. He was sacked 3 times as well.
As for the Chiefs offense, they picked up over 100 yards on the ground and Dawson had 166 in the air on 17 passes. He was not without his own problems, throwing 2 INT's and coughing up 4 balls. But he got his rushers close enough to pick up the scores.
San Diego's defense did hold the Chiefs to goose eggs all 2nd half, but the Chiefs clearly win this one, 17-0.
After a near scoreless 1st quarter, Foreman would get the game's first TD on a 10 yard run for the Vikings. After several 3-and-outs, Chicago would eventually retaliate with a FG, leaving just 5:31 in the 2nd quarter.
Minnesota returned the favor to increase their lead, but did not count on the tricks Ditka had up his sleeve to get his team moving. Chicago, after reaching Minnesota territory with a great run from Payton, went for a TD pass with under a minute to play and Gault grabbed it from 31 yards away for a Bears score to tie the game at half.
With the first half being so close, the 2nd half of the game would see even more action, and one name led it all. Chicago would grab the only TD in the 3rd quarter on a 1 yard run by Payton, who seemed a beast against the Purple Pack. But as the 4th quarter came around, 1 name for Minnesota would show on the scoreboard to challenge Payton. In just 5:27 of gameplay, they would trade a total of 4 TD's
Payton would be the first, giving the Bears a 14 point lead on another 1 yard run after several big plays. But inside the 2 minute warning, Tarkenton found Marinaro on a short end zone pass. Just 1 TD away, they needed to find a way to stop Walter, but could not. Just 30 seconds later, he darted 46 yards of the game for his third TD. The Vikings had just 90 seconds left to grab 2 TD's.
Minnesota didn't go down without a fight, scoring again on an impressive Tarkenton pass. But with only 2 seconds left on the clock, simply just hadn't covered the point deficit caused by Sweetness. Bears win 31-23.
When I say that Walter was consistent and unstoppable, it's not to exaggerate. In perhaps one of his career best games, he took 32 carries and turned them into 242 yards, averaging 7.6 yards / carry. Add to that his 3 TD's and his longest run of 46, and you can see why Minnesota was flustered. With so much efficiency in the running game, McMahon only put up 102 yards on 10 completions.
Tarkenton had a similar performance to McMahon, which is well under his average. And Foreman did well on the day, breaking 100 yards. But clearly Chicago's defense was in full gear, and reminded me why so many people are shocked the Bears are missing playoff hopes.
The Dolphins got right to the ground game early on, but after trading possessions a few times the first 13 minutes, it was a Morrall-Warfield connection for 8 yards that would put the first 7 points up in Miami's favor. Brady would quickly retaliate on the gun, shooting a quick pass to Randy Moss for the tie.
After more back and forth, Miami seemed to get the better ball position, and was eventually able to put another 3 points on the board just as the 2 minute warning hit. The Dolphins took that lead into the locker room at half time.
The 2nd half, as is often the case for New England, saw a much more aggressive and focused effort, with Bill B. appearing to read the Dolphins well. Miami, despite a good rushing attack, would struggle to pass, and was kept out of the red zone. The Patriots, on the other hand were able to get ahead on a 4 yard pass to Gaffney.
In a close match up for the ages, the Patriots get the win with a final of 17-10. They are now the AFC #2 seed and have earned a break before their first playoff match.
No single player in this game really stood out, both teams were well matched and this would have been a perfect playoff match-up. Both QB's were good for 60% of their throws, though Brady was the heavier passer and had 2 TD's with 1 pick. Both offenses split their efforts up. New England had 115 rush yards and 198 pass yards. Miami, as usual, led with rushing at 141 yards but just 103 passing.
The Miami defense, despite the loss, appeared to be in great shape, sacking Brady a phenomenal 5 times and grabbing the only pick of the game. Folks, this will go down as one of my favorite match ups of all time.
It didn't take long for fans watching in NY to answer a resounding "No". Despite Simms throwing for over 280 yards in just 24 minutes of ball time, he had 4 picks to accompany those efforts and 4 sacks from Philly. Each pick was costly, many coming on plays that could have put New York in scoring position. His biggest pass play was a 67 yarder to Johnson, which helped setup for a FG. Johnson had 147 yards total for the day.
The Eagles, on the other hand, rushed for 180 yards and passed for 180 yards. Blount got 16 carries for 86 yards and 3 Eagles TD's, but Ajayi also powered 8 runs through for 57 yards. Ertz and Jeffery both averaged over 12 yards per catch, but brought in just a fraction of Wentz's throws as he spread his efforts around.
Philly wins 41-10, pulling off the NFC East championship title and home field advantage in next week's wildcard game. They'll host the winner of the Rams vs. Cardinals, with good odds for a W.
At first, the Steelers seemed collected, with Bradshaw having no problems throwing a pass to Pough, who picked up a 45 yard TD to get the crowd going. With both legendary defenses facing off, however, this would be the only score of the 1st half.
Pittsburgh fans were excited for the 2nd half, but their excitement would soon turn to dread, as the Ravens D continued to hold off Bradshaw and company. On the other hand, the Ravens would turn into the heavy rushing team, with Jamal Lewis devastating linebackers to give Baltimore several good drives.
Pittsburgh held the Ravens to a FG on 3 attempts in a row, still putting a W within 2 points. But with 6 minutes of game time left, the Ravens got their first TD, giving the Steelers a 10 point deficit at 16-6. No matter what they did, however, Baltimore had their number, and would take go home the winners. They would pick up 2 more FG's before it was all over. Ravens win by a score of 22-6
The usually powerful rush attack of Pittsburgh was held to just 70 yards on the day, and Bradshaw only completed 7 of 15 for 79 yards. Meanwhile, Jamal Lewis had 143 yards on 25 carries, with a long of 53. Banks' major targets were Sharpe and Ismail with 10 catches and 116 yards combined. And last, Stover, despite making a record 5 FGs in one game, did have 1 miss from 40-49 yards out.
The Ravens will move on to face the Jets next week in the wildcard round, with the winner travelling to Jacksonville to give the Jaguars some fresh blood.
With so many flags flying around, how did the teams actually do?
Despite both teams usually being big scorers, the Falcons being #1 in the league for points scored, less than 20 points were scored all game.This is somewhat expected, with both defenses being among the league's top.
For this reason, both teams struggled to get anywhere on their rushing efforts. But early in the 1st quarter, a good passing effort would help the Buccs slide in a FG to lead 3-0. Early in the 2nd quarter, the Falcons were looking to have to do the same, when a 3rd down pass from Chandler to Mathis turned into a TD to put the Falcons ahead 7-3.
Both teams would continue to struggle for position, but the Buccs would pick up a late FG with just 20 seconds to go to cut Atlanta's lead to just 1 point.
After a scoreless 3rd quarter, the Falcons would up their lead on a "gimme" 24 yard kick by Andersen. Both teams would go nowhere from there, as defenses were in high gear on each side. Atlanta wins 10-6.
The win by the Falcons against a team like Tampa shows why they belong in the playoffs and are a team not to be overlooked, despite Green Bay's league dominance.
The Falcons had just 140 yards total offense, with 44 rushing and 120 passing (and 24 yards lost on sacks). They completed just 11 passes, and were forced to punt the ball 10 times. They also had just 26 minutes of ball time.
Tampa Bay fared better, completing 26 passes for 205 yards for 256 yards total offense. They were forced to punt just 7 times and had the ball for over 33 minutes of play. On the other hand, they coughed up the ball 5 times. Despite not scoring any TD's, Keyshawn Johnson had over 100 yards receiving with 7 catches. Gramatica also missed a FG attempts from over 50 yards,
The first quarter belonged to Oakland, with their rushing game putting 2 TD's on the board. Denver would just manage a FG before the quarter was over.
On their next possession, Oakland would have to settle for 3 as well, putting Denver still down by 2 TDs. The Broncos, inside the 2 minute warning, would opt for a safe 26 yard FG after their red zone efforts started failing.
Starting the half down 17-6, the Broncos would get the ball, and Elway would work his magic, this time having a bit more success in the red zone as Davis was able to power off Oakland's D and eventually rush for a TD to loosen the Oakland noose to just 17-13.
Stabler continued to struggle completing passes, and Denver's D seemed to be stopping runners cold. And it was a cold stop by Denver that gave them possession again, with Elway looking to score to come out on top. So on 4th & Goal at the 7, it was a controversial call for the easy FG that put Denver just 1 point behind.
With over 23 minutes of gametime left, many could not fault Mike Shanahan for the call. But with so many efforts on offense coming up short all game, it would come back to haunt him, as the 4th quarter went completely scoreless. Oakland brings home the W by a score of 17-16
The Broncos had just 82 yards rushing and 130 passing, proving to be part of their problem. Terrell Davis would get 29 carries while Elway would make just 22 pass attempts and only complete 8. Elway was sacked 4 times by Oakland.
Both sides ended up with 12 penalties, but Oakland's more balanced offensive efforts would appear to do the job. With only a few extra minutes ball time, their clock management allowed them to squeeze in 37 runs and 27 passes. Stabler completed 52% of those but for a measley 136 yards. Each team also had a missed FG.
The first quarter would see each team test the waters for 10 minutes before the Rams picked up the first TD on a Hadl-Snow pass for 13 yards. The Cardinals would match the effort just a minute later, with some big pass plays by Palmer to setup for a David Johnson run into the end zone.
The Rams would take their time moving the ball with their own rushing attack, and would be rewarded for it on a 4 yard TD from Baker. It was at this point that Arizona seemed to take some control. After Chris Johnson ran in another TD to support Palmer's throwing efforts, the Cardinals would make a stop on the Rams, and would put together almost a repeat drive to score another Chris Johnson TD. Cardinals lead 21-14 at the half.
In the 3rd quarter, the Rams would eventually tie the game, scoring the only TD of the quarter with a run by Scribner. With both teams at more of a a stalemate at this point, it would be almost 19 minutes later that Arizona would try a different way to win. Just inside the 2 minute warning, on 3rd and long, Palmer would drop back and look to throw deep. With a wide open Fitzgerald, he was able to connect for a 50 yard pass to grab a TD and take the lead.
Given the efforts of both teams so far, it was only with shock that fans could watch as the Rams would get great position on a kick return, and then do something almost unheard of for Hadl - he would copycat Arizona's play with Jackson, and it worked! A long throw turned into a 53 yard TD, sending both teams into overtime,
Just as quickly as the clock turned to overtime, the Cardinals found themselves winning the coin toss to receive the ball. As fortune would have it, David Johnson fielded the kick at the 4, and in a tremendous display of teamwork, would find the blocks needed to run a full TD. Arizona wins 34-28 in OT.
Both teams easily had over 100 yards rushing, with the Rams as usual leading with 166 yards from 4 different backs. Arizona, of course, would lead in the air, with Palmer hitting several receivers but finding both Floyd and Fitzgerald for almost 100 yards each.
For a playoff spot being on the line, both teams clearly gave it their all. The Cardinals will go ahead and meet Philadelphia next week at Lincoln Financial Field.
Both teams would feel each other out in the 1st quarter, but a 24-yard Montana-to-Rice TD broke the tension. In the 2nd quarter, on Seattle's next possession, after driving inside the 20, they would have to settle for a FG.
San Francisco would come right back with a long drive that ended in a 15 yard Roger Craig TD to increase the 49ers lead 14-3. Seattle would repeat their previous efforts, but stopped just shy of the red zone before Hauschka FG from 39 out.
Down 14-6, seattle was set to receive the ball in the 2nd half. Russell Wilson would move down the field for several minutes before relying on Marshawn Lynch for the TD to come within a point of the 9ers.
After a few 3-and-outs, Seattle would finally get in range for a FG to take the lead, but San Francisco blocked the kick, taking the ball into the end zone to increase their lead 21-13.
For the 4th quarter, both teams would hold each other off until the 2 minute warning. With the Seahawks having the ball, Wilson would make a quick drive downfield, and with 1 minute left, would find Tate in the end zone for a 20 yard TD. Just 2 points from going into overtime, the Seahawks would fail the 2-point conversion. San Francisco would wear down the clock and grab a win, 21-19.
Both QB's completed 21 passes, Montana with only 180 yards for his effort and Wilson with 235. Montana threw 1 TD and 3 INTs but Wilson was 1 each. Tate and Rice each had just under 100 yards. Neither team had great success running but both teams put at least 3 sacks against their opponent. All for all, this was as close in numbers as in score.
With the win, the '49ers grab their very first road win, their 2nd against Seattle, and their 3rd all season. Seattle remains the #3 seed and will meet Carolina during next week's playoffs.
'68 NY Jets vs. '90 Buffalo
The Jets travel to Buffalo for their final game. They must win to have any playoff shot, although their hopes depend on whether NE beats Miami. The Jets have quite the advantage, but Buffalo has shown before they have some tricks up their sleeve.New York, on the other hand, scored 4 TD's on their rushing efforts, only rushing for 115 yards. Their rushing attack simply helped compliment Namath's outstanding throws. Namath, as usual, only completed 13 passes, but with such deep throws, averaged 20 yards per completion with 266 yards total. Jets win 44-0.
So all eyes remain on the 2 AFC giants, Miami and New England, facing off later to see how the postseason shapes up.
'09 New Orleans vs. '15 Carolina
The Saints traveled to Carolina in what many anticipated would be a high stakes QB shootout. With an explosive first half by the Panthers, it ended up being more 1-sided than imagined.Brees had trouble passing against the Panthers, but Newton threw 2 TD passes of 40 yards or more, 1 each to Olsen and Ginn Jr.
In the 2nd quarter, the Saints continued to struggle on offense, but would get a break on a punt return by Bush for 89 yards. But as the 2nd quarter wound down, Cam Newton seemed to be working on another plane.After a quick drive that setup for an easy rushing TD, the Panthers would get the ball back in under a minute, setting up for a FG. Panthers lead at halftime 24-7.
In the 3rd quarter, the Panthers' seem appeared to have Settled, and the Saints made slow progress on a comeback. They would grab a TD just before 4th quarter, and would put another 3 points on the board on their following possession. With the Saints D giving them such opportunity, 7 points seemed within grasp with just 10 minutes in the game.
But as Carolina found FG range on their next possession, Gano hit a 32-yarder to put some distance from the Saints. It would turn out not to be needed, as the Panthers D made a crucial stop on the Saints, giving Newton back the ball. As effortless as all his passing was all game, he managed to squeeze another TD throw in before the game was over.
Carolina wins 34-17.
Numbers definitely tell the story of this game, as the Saints barely had over 200 yards total offense against Carolina. Brees was just 15/33 and only 4 of 14 on 3rd down conversions. Newton, on the other hand, had an astonishing 465 yards on 26 completions of 39 attempts. He threw for 3 TD's and 3 INT's, but averaged almost 18 yards / completion. His primary targets, of course, were Ginn Jr. and Olsen, who had 8 and 7 catches, respectively for 146 and 175 yards each.
Despite the Panthers phenomenal win, the Rams must lose for Carolina to still end up a wildcard seed.
'69 Cleveland vs. '88 Cincinnati
The Bengals displayed an amazing offense in a repeat battle for Ohio. The last match went to Cincinnati, and early on it was obvious this one would favor the Bengals as well.In the 1st quarter, the Bengals picked up 2 TD's in just the first 9 minutes. Both run and pass offense were proving effective. Cleveland would eventually put up 7 points of their own, but the 2 teams would trade scores well into the 3rd quarter, but with Cleveland settling for a FG, they would have a huge effort ahead of them to catch up to Cincinnati.
Even more so, the Bengals defense had appeared to figure out Cleveland's offense, and shut them out for the remainder of the game. Esiason, on the other hand, helped lead the Bengals offense to 2 more TD's and 2 FG's. Bengals win huge by a final score of 55-24.
Cleveland's loss wasn't without some effort. Scott had a 100 yard kickoff return for TD. Nelsen was 14-23 for 195 yards and 1 TD. But it was ultimately Cleveland's defense that seemed to struggle with it's effort. The Bengals had 549 yards total offense, with - no kidding - 324 yards rushing alone. Woods and Brooks each had 17 or more carries for 125 yards each, as well as 2 TD's a piece. Esiason had 68% completion for 233 yards, 2 TD's and 1 INT.
Despite missing the playoffs, the Bengals have made a tremendous effort the 2nd half of the season to show why they belong in the LFL. What a great finish to their season, ending 8-8 in a league of the greatest.
'91 Washington vs. '92 Dallas
Dallas comes off another disappointing loss last week, to take on their rival Redskins. In their last meeting, the Redskins made off with a win, and with another win today, their shot at the division increases.The Cowboys kicked off the game with a great drive, ending in an exciting 22 yard run by Emmitt Smith. But after taking several minutes off the clock, the Redskins' rushing game put 7 points on the board for them. In fact, they would repeat this twice before the half, with their Defense holding Aikman and company out of scoring range.
With a 21-7 lead, the Cowboys would need to show some more aggressiveness on offense to get a win. Especially with the Redskins receiving the kick. But the Redskins made that harder, after scoring yet another rushing TD on their first possession of the half.
By the time Dallas got the ball, the Redskins D seemed to stop Dallas at every turn. The Cowboys would struggle to score until late in the game on a pass to Michael Irvin. With just under 3 minutes left, a 2 TD deficit would prove too difficult, especially as Washington wasted clock time. Redskins win 28-14.
Despite the high score, and several rushing TD's, neither team had little more than 250 yards total. Emmitt Smith proved the effective rusher, taking 24 balls for 127 yards and 1 TD. But it was Byner and Ervins both who came through when Washington needed them, charging through the Cowboys for 2 TD's each.
Depending the Eagles's performance, the Redskins still have playoff hopes. The Eagles must win they are to go, otherwise Washington takes the #4 seed.
'62 Green Bay vs. '91 Detroit
In Detroit, the Lions met the top ranked Packers in the final season game. Previously, the Lions lost to the Packers, but they have shown they can hang close with many of the best teams in the league, and in their division. How would things go for them today at home?In the first quarter, the Packers found some room to run, but the Lions D held them back reasonably. On the other side, Barry Sanders proved useful for the Lions, making some critical plays for the team despite not having high yardage. Kramer's teamwork with Sanders yielded 2 TD's for the Lions in the first half, while the Packers were shut out.
The 2nd half saw a shift in momentum towards the Packers, as the championship team started looking more like itself. Starr worked with Moore to get the game tied up by 4th quarter, and the Packers D shut down the big plays from Sanders, and forced Kramer to some desperate throws.
As the 4th quarter came around, the momentum seemed to remain all with Green Bay, as Jim Taylor grabbed his first TD in 4 quarters to put the Packers up over the Lions. Detroit would have a few shots at the ball, but field position proved too poor for them to make progress. In fact, Green Bay would get a sack on Detroit. So the Packers ride the season out high with a 23-14 win and the league best record.
Neither team looked great on offense by the numbers, in fact both teams seemed well matched in their efforts.
'08 Tennessee vs. '12 Houston
The Texans hosted the Titans in their final game of the season. Having gone toe-to-toe with Jacksonville all year, Houston has done and well and likely has a playoff spot regardless. But a win would give them home advantage and the #1 seed.After a quick-paced start to the 1st quarter, Houston was doing well after a Schaub TD throw gave them a 7-3 lead over Tennessee. But the Titans offense could continue to chip away at Houston, and would get 10 more points on the board before the start of the 2nd quarter.
Up 13-7, with 3 quarters to go, the game could go in any direction. For the entire 2nd quarter, however, it went nowhere. Both defenses, which have been powerful all year, kept each team out of enemy territory into the half.
By the 3rd quarter, the quick pace of halftime seemed like a distant memory, as each team continued to struggle finding momentum. It was looking like the team that could get it, would take the game. So with 1 minute left in the 3rd quarter, Schaub threw another TD pass to put the Texans up by 1.
But with a whole 4th quarter to play, Tennessee made some critical plays, and Collins would find gage in the end zone for an 18 yard pass. Despite several efforts after that, defense continued to dominate, and the Titans stopped the last Houston drive of the game with a Safety. Tennessee wins 22-14.
As usual, Johnson had a huge day for Houston with 5 catches for 121 yards. Both QB's looked decent, but despite throwing for 2 TD's each, it was Schaub's 2 picks for the day that would, in hindsight, look to be costly. The Texans also had 10 penalties and were sacked 3 times.
So with a Jaguars win, Houston now has the wildcard seed for playoffs next week.
'68 Colts vs. '99 Jaguars
The Colts took to the road to put a stop the Jaguars hopes for a #1 AFC seed. And for the first quarter, all was calm at Memorial Stadium, with the Colts putting up a good defense. Baltimore would get the first score early in the 2nd quarter as Cole got a rushing TD to top off a great passing drive by Morrall.Jacksonville would turn around and match the effort, with Brunell finding McCardell for a 9 yard TD. to tie up the game. Much of the 2nd quarter would continue as the first, with no turnovers to speak of. Each defense simply made some great stops. But as the half was winding to a close, Jacksonville took a shot at a long FG, and Hollis nailed it from 50 yards out to give the Jags the lead at half.
Unfortunately for the Colts, the Jaguars were receiving the ball in 3rd quarter, and with Stewart finding some room to run, they would end up in the red zone, where Brunell setup another TD throw to McCardell.
From there, the Jaguars would continue to hold off the Colts, and would go on to finish the game 24-7, Jacksonville.
Stewart had a good day, running for 110 yards on 16 carries, with a long of 58. The Colts just had 37 yards rushing all game. Both QB's threw for almost 200 yards and completed around 60% of their throws, but only Brunell had any TD's from the effort. Another shocking statistic is there was only 1 turnover all game, despite the great show of defense. Morrall threw just 1 pick on his 39 attempts.
With Jacksonville winning and Houston losing, Jacksonville grabs the division. The Texans still have a guaranteed wildcard spot, based on their record, and will share it with either the Jets or Patriots.
'79 San Diego vs. '69 Kansas City
The Chiefs, after their struggle to score last week, have lost 4 straight games. They host the Chargers for their final regular season game. They would find their fortunes not only turnaround, but do a complete 180 from last week as they shut out the Chargers.Holding the Chargers to just 147 total yards all game, it was clear that the defense that has been so feared all year for its turnover ratio was in full force. Fouts was only 12-29 with 4 picks from 3 different KC backs. He was sacked 3 times as well.
As for the Chiefs offense, they picked up over 100 yards on the ground and Dawson had 166 in the air on 17 passes. He was not without his own problems, throwing 2 INT's and coughing up 4 balls. But he got his rushers close enough to pick up the scores.
San Diego's defense did hold the Chiefs to goose eggs all 2nd half, but the Chiefs clearly win this one, 17-0.
'85 Chicago vs. '75 Minnesota
The Bears are a long shot for the playoffs, despite some major victories this year. However, they've shown some consistency as of late, and would need it to take on the Vikings while on the road. They would find it in one persistent running back, who seemed to tire of having defenses hold him back.After a near scoreless 1st quarter, Foreman would get the game's first TD on a 10 yard run for the Vikings. After several 3-and-outs, Chicago would eventually retaliate with a FG, leaving just 5:31 in the 2nd quarter.
Minnesota returned the favor to increase their lead, but did not count on the tricks Ditka had up his sleeve to get his team moving. Chicago, after reaching Minnesota territory with a great run from Payton, went for a TD pass with under a minute to play and Gault grabbed it from 31 yards away for a Bears score to tie the game at half.
With the first half being so close, the 2nd half of the game would see even more action, and one name led it all. Chicago would grab the only TD in the 3rd quarter on a 1 yard run by Payton, who seemed a beast against the Purple Pack. But as the 4th quarter came around, 1 name for Minnesota would show on the scoreboard to challenge Payton. In just 5:27 of gameplay, they would trade a total of 4 TD's
Payton would be the first, giving the Bears a 14 point lead on another 1 yard run after several big plays. But inside the 2 minute warning, Tarkenton found Marinaro on a short end zone pass. Just 1 TD away, they needed to find a way to stop Walter, but could not. Just 30 seconds later, he darted 46 yards of the game for his third TD. The Vikings had just 90 seconds left to grab 2 TD's.
Minnesota didn't go down without a fight, scoring again on an impressive Tarkenton pass. But with only 2 seconds left on the clock, simply just hadn't covered the point deficit caused by Sweetness. Bears win 31-23.
When I say that Walter was consistent and unstoppable, it's not to exaggerate. In perhaps one of his career best games, he took 32 carries and turned them into 242 yards, averaging 7.6 yards / carry. Add to that his 3 TD's and his longest run of 46, and you can see why Minnesota was flustered. With so much efficiency in the running game, McMahon only put up 102 yards on 10 completions.
Tarkenton had a similar performance to McMahon, which is well under his average. And Foreman did well on the day, breaking 100 yards. But clearly Chicago's defense was in full gear, and reminded me why so many people are shocked the Bears are missing playoff hopes.
'07 New England vs. '72 Miami
This is one of the most anticipated matchups of the year. Both teams are among the best in the LFL, but whichever team wins is guaranteed a high seed in the playoffs and a bye week,. The loser, on the other hand, could end up skipping the playoffs with as many teams would be tied 11-5. The previous encounter went in the Dolphins W column, But as we've seen lately, Brady's accuracy and efficiency can be downright fatal to any team.The Dolphins got right to the ground game early on, but after trading possessions a few times the first 13 minutes, it was a Morrall-Warfield connection for 8 yards that would put the first 7 points up in Miami's favor. Brady would quickly retaliate on the gun, shooting a quick pass to Randy Moss for the tie.
After more back and forth, Miami seemed to get the better ball position, and was eventually able to put another 3 points on the board just as the 2 minute warning hit. The Dolphins took that lead into the locker room at half time.
The 2nd half, as is often the case for New England, saw a much more aggressive and focused effort, with Bill B. appearing to read the Dolphins well. Miami, despite a good rushing attack, would struggle to pass, and was kept out of the red zone. The Patriots, on the other hand were able to get ahead on a 4 yard pass to Gaffney.
In a close match up for the ages, the Patriots get the win with a final of 17-10. They are now the AFC #2 seed and have earned a break before their first playoff match.
No single player in this game really stood out, both teams were well matched and this would have been a perfect playoff match-up. Both QB's were good for 60% of their throws, though Brady was the heavier passer and had 2 TD's with 1 pick. Both offenses split their efforts up. New England had 115 rush yards and 198 pass yards. Miami, as usual, led with rushing at 141 yards but just 103 passing.
The Miami defense, despite the loss, appeared to be in great shape, sacking Brady a phenomenal 5 times and grabbing the only pick of the game. Folks, this will go down as one of my favorite match ups of all time.
'17 Eagles vs. '86 Giants
In their previous match just weeks ago, the Eagles had no trouble picking apart the Giants in a blowout victory. But with so much on the line in this game, would their results be the same? Would Simms and company come up with new tricks?It didn't take long for fans watching in NY to answer a resounding "No". Despite Simms throwing for over 280 yards in just 24 minutes of ball time, he had 4 picks to accompany those efforts and 4 sacks from Philly. Each pick was costly, many coming on plays that could have put New York in scoring position. His biggest pass play was a 67 yarder to Johnson, which helped setup for a FG. Johnson had 147 yards total for the day.
The Eagles, on the other hand, rushed for 180 yards and passed for 180 yards. Blount got 16 carries for 86 yards and 3 Eagles TD's, but Ajayi also powered 8 runs through for 57 yards. Ertz and Jeffery both averaged over 12 yards per catch, but brought in just a fraction of Wentz's throws as he spread his efforts around.
Philly wins 41-10, pulling off the NFC East championship title and home field advantage in next week's wildcard game. They'll host the winner of the Rams vs. Cardinals, with good odds for a W.
'00 Baltimore vs. '76 Pittsburgh
In one of the most anticipated match ups of the year, the Steelers would host the Ravens to decide who would take the division. The loser would go home for the season. The Steelers won the previous match up between these teams, but the Ravens have been on a roll as of late.At first, the Steelers seemed collected, with Bradshaw having no problems throwing a pass to Pough, who picked up a 45 yard TD to get the crowd going. With both legendary defenses facing off, however, this would be the only score of the 1st half.
Pittsburgh fans were excited for the 2nd half, but their excitement would soon turn to dread, as the Ravens D continued to hold off Bradshaw and company. On the other hand, the Ravens would turn into the heavy rushing team, with Jamal Lewis devastating linebackers to give Baltimore several good drives.
Pittsburgh held the Ravens to a FG on 3 attempts in a row, still putting a W within 2 points. But with 6 minutes of game time left, the Ravens got their first TD, giving the Steelers a 10 point deficit at 16-6. No matter what they did, however, Baltimore had their number, and would take go home the winners. They would pick up 2 more FG's before it was all over. Ravens win by a score of 22-6
The usually powerful rush attack of Pittsburgh was held to just 70 yards on the day, and Bradshaw only completed 7 of 15 for 79 yards. Meanwhile, Jamal Lewis had 143 yards on 25 carries, with a long of 53. Banks' major targets were Sharpe and Ismail with 10 catches and 116 yards combined. And last, Stover, despite making a record 5 FGs in one game, did have 1 miss from 40-49 yards out.
The Ravens will move on to face the Jets next week in the wildcard round, with the winner travelling to Jacksonville to give the Jaguars some fresh blood.
'98 Atlanta vs. '02 Tampa Bay
With Atlanta having already clinched their playoff spot, nothing memorable was expected to happen from this game. But this game will likely go down in history, but not for a reason many would suspect. Among both teams, there were 25 total penalties all game. The Falcons, the largest offender with 15, costing them 118 yards in progress. The Buccs lost 80 yards from their 10 penalties.With so many flags flying around, how did the teams actually do?
Despite both teams usually being big scorers, the Falcons being #1 in the league for points scored, less than 20 points were scored all game.This is somewhat expected, with both defenses being among the league's top.
For this reason, both teams struggled to get anywhere on their rushing efforts. But early in the 1st quarter, a good passing effort would help the Buccs slide in a FG to lead 3-0. Early in the 2nd quarter, the Falcons were looking to have to do the same, when a 3rd down pass from Chandler to Mathis turned into a TD to put the Falcons ahead 7-3.
Both teams would continue to struggle for position, but the Buccs would pick up a late FG with just 20 seconds to go to cut Atlanta's lead to just 1 point.
After a scoreless 3rd quarter, the Falcons would up their lead on a "gimme" 24 yard kick by Andersen. Both teams would go nowhere from there, as defenses were in high gear on each side. Atlanta wins 10-6.
The win by the Falcons against a team like Tampa shows why they belong in the playoffs and are a team not to be overlooked, despite Green Bay's league dominance.
The Falcons had just 140 yards total offense, with 44 rushing and 120 passing (and 24 yards lost on sacks). They completed just 11 passes, and were forced to punt the ball 10 times. They also had just 26 minutes of ball time.
Tampa Bay fared better, completing 26 passes for 205 yards for 256 yards total offense. They were forced to punt just 7 times and had the ball for over 33 minutes of play. On the other hand, they coughed up the ball 5 times. Despite not scoring any TD's, Keyshawn Johnson had over 100 yards receiving with 7 catches. Gramatica also missed a FG attempts from over 50 yards,
'74 Oakland vs. '97 Denver
Despite nothing being at stake in this match up, the Raiders are one of the only teams Denver has beaten all year, and surely Oakland is looking for revenge now that they have shown themselves one of the league's best. They would find themselves fighting to prove it.The first quarter belonged to Oakland, with their rushing game putting 2 TD's on the board. Denver would just manage a FG before the quarter was over.
On their next possession, Oakland would have to settle for 3 as well, putting Denver still down by 2 TDs. The Broncos, inside the 2 minute warning, would opt for a safe 26 yard FG after their red zone efforts started failing.
Starting the half down 17-6, the Broncos would get the ball, and Elway would work his magic, this time having a bit more success in the red zone as Davis was able to power off Oakland's D and eventually rush for a TD to loosen the Oakland noose to just 17-13.
Stabler continued to struggle completing passes, and Denver's D seemed to be stopping runners cold. And it was a cold stop by Denver that gave them possession again, with Elway looking to score to come out on top. So on 4th & Goal at the 7, it was a controversial call for the easy FG that put Denver just 1 point behind.
With over 23 minutes of gametime left, many could not fault Mike Shanahan for the call. But with so many efforts on offense coming up short all game, it would come back to haunt him, as the 4th quarter went completely scoreless. Oakland brings home the W by a score of 17-16
The Broncos had just 82 yards rushing and 130 passing, proving to be part of their problem. Terrell Davis would get 29 carries while Elway would make just 22 pass attempts and only complete 8. Elway was sacked 4 times by Oakland.
Both sides ended up with 12 penalties, but Oakland's more balanced offensive efforts would appear to do the job. With only a few extra minutes ball time, their clock management allowed them to squeeze in 37 runs and 27 passes. Stabler completed 52% of those but for a measley 136 yards. Each team also had a missed FG.
'15 Arizona vs. '73 Los Angeles
Over 92,000 fans showed up in LA to see their Rams take on the Cardinals for one of the most anticipated games of the week, The Cardinals had beat the Rams previously, but would need to remain at their best, since Los Angeles had no trouble matching scores with the Cardinals.The first quarter would see each team test the waters for 10 minutes before the Rams picked up the first TD on a Hadl-Snow pass for 13 yards. The Cardinals would match the effort just a minute later, with some big pass plays by Palmer to setup for a David Johnson run into the end zone.
The Rams would take their time moving the ball with their own rushing attack, and would be rewarded for it on a 4 yard TD from Baker. It was at this point that Arizona seemed to take some control. After Chris Johnson ran in another TD to support Palmer's throwing efforts, the Cardinals would make a stop on the Rams, and would put together almost a repeat drive to score another Chris Johnson TD. Cardinals lead 21-14 at the half.
In the 3rd quarter, the Rams would eventually tie the game, scoring the only TD of the quarter with a run by Scribner. With both teams at more of a a stalemate at this point, it would be almost 19 minutes later that Arizona would try a different way to win. Just inside the 2 minute warning, on 3rd and long, Palmer would drop back and look to throw deep. With a wide open Fitzgerald, he was able to connect for a 50 yard pass to grab a TD and take the lead.
Given the efforts of both teams so far, it was only with shock that fans could watch as the Rams would get great position on a kick return, and then do something almost unheard of for Hadl - he would copycat Arizona's play with Jackson, and it worked! A long throw turned into a 53 yard TD, sending both teams into overtime,
Just as quickly as the clock turned to overtime, the Cardinals found themselves winning the coin toss to receive the ball. As fortune would have it, David Johnson fielded the kick at the 4, and in a tremendous display of teamwork, would find the blocks needed to run a full TD. Arizona wins 34-28 in OT.
Both teams easily had over 100 yards rushing, with the Rams as usual leading with 166 yards from 4 different backs. Arizona, of course, would lead in the air, with Palmer hitting several receivers but finding both Floyd and Fitzgerald for almost 100 yards each.
For a playoff spot being on the line, both teams clearly gave it their all. The Cardinals will go ahead and meet Philadelphia next week at Lincoln Financial Field.
'89 San Francisco vs. '13 Seattle
San Francisco won the previous match between these teams, and that remains one of their only wins. The Seahawks have gone on to be a dominant team in the league, so will they destroy San Fran this time, or does Seifert know something about Pete Carroll's methods to give him an edge?Both teams would feel each other out in the 1st quarter, but a 24-yard Montana-to-Rice TD broke the tension. In the 2nd quarter, on Seattle's next possession, after driving inside the 20, they would have to settle for a FG.
San Francisco would come right back with a long drive that ended in a 15 yard Roger Craig TD to increase the 49ers lead 14-3. Seattle would repeat their previous efforts, but stopped just shy of the red zone before Hauschka FG from 39 out.
Down 14-6, seattle was set to receive the ball in the 2nd half. Russell Wilson would move down the field for several minutes before relying on Marshawn Lynch for the TD to come within a point of the 9ers.
After a few 3-and-outs, Seattle would finally get in range for a FG to take the lead, but San Francisco blocked the kick, taking the ball into the end zone to increase their lead 21-13.
For the 4th quarter, both teams would hold each other off until the 2 minute warning. With the Seahawks having the ball, Wilson would make a quick drive downfield, and with 1 minute left, would find Tate in the end zone for a 20 yard TD. Just 2 points from going into overtime, the Seahawks would fail the 2-point conversion. San Francisco would wear down the clock and grab a win, 21-19.
Both QB's completed 21 passes, Montana with only 180 yards for his effort and Wilson with 235. Montana threw 1 TD and 3 INTs but Wilson was 1 each. Tate and Rice each had just under 100 yards. Neither team had great success running but both teams put at least 3 sacks against their opponent. All for all, this was as close in numbers as in score.
With the win, the '49ers grab their very first road win, their 2nd against Seattle, and their 3rd all season. Seattle remains the #3 seed and will meet Carolina during next week's playoffs.
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