Week 9 Results [GFL]

  

'01 Green Bay vs. '94 San Francisco

After 3 straight scores by the Packers early on, including 1 Safety - it looked like the Niners were in for more than they could handle at Candlestick Park. But Steve Young would finally find Brent Jones in the end zone to put his team on the map. Unfortunately for him, his next possession would end up in an unprecedented 2nd Safety of the game - giving Green Bay the 14-7 lead at half.

In the 2nd half, Young would tie things up on another pass to Ricky Watters, but the Packers soon took over from there. After Longwell hit a 43 yard FG, Green found himself in the end zone on a 1 yard play. Later in the 4th quarter, Favre found Schroeder in the end zone to get the 31-14 lead. With just minutes of gameplay left, the 49ers would pick up a crucial Safety of their own to be within 15 points. But they couldn't capitalize on it. Packers win 31-16

Favre completed just 25/42 but managed 272 yards on the day with 1 TD and 1 INT. Young completed 72% but just tallied 215 yards. Passes on both teams were spread out amongst most every player on the team. On the ground, Ahman Green worked hard to earn 122 yards on the day in 31 carries. 

'08 NY Giants vs. '83 Washington

With the Giants leading the NFC East by just a few games, this divisional matchup is an important shot for Washington to improve their standing. With as each team moving their offense enough to score on a run in the 1st quarter, it seemed like either team had a chance. But minutes into the 2nd quarter, after a Redskins field goal was followed up by a Giants turnover, Theismann capitalized with a quick TD throw. It was clear NY was falling apart. In fact, the Redskins would go on to nail 2 more FG's before half, leading 23-7.

Things didn't look much better in the 2nd half, as the Giants failed to gain any momentum against a solid 'Skins D. The Redskins, on the other hand, had no problems adding more scores to their tally. Mosely would knock in 2 more FG's, making him an uncanny 5/6 for the day. The Redskins won 36-7. 

The Giants were held to just 258 yards offense, whereas Washington racked up double that at 517. Manning completed 70% of his throws but just couldn't complete any of the big plays needed to threaten a score. Theisman was 25/33 for 293 yards with 2 TDs'.

'15 Denver vs. '10 Atlanta

The Broncos travelled to Atlanta to take on the Falcons. With 2 losses each, both teams sit high on their division, so winning would be the only option for the team wishing to stay on top. After a scoreless first quarter, tensions were high for fans of both teams.

The Broncos would break the tension with a 20 yard FG after a goal line stand by Atlanta. After a few stops on Denver's behalf, the Broncos would wind up scoring on a 1-yard Anderson run. Up 10-0, the Broncos didn't fare as well against the Falcons' next possession, as Bryant also hit a short 24-yard FG.

Down 10-3 at the half, the Falcons found a way to tie the game in the 3rd quarter on a pass from Ryan to White. On Denver's next possession, they would wind up in enemy territory, but were forced to settle for another FG. That FG would prove to be important for the Broncos, along with their Defense's consistent efforts to slow Atlanta. The Broncos would score on a 2nd Anderson run, but as Atlanta looked to close the 10 point gap, they would only be able to get their TD just as the clock was ready to run out with just 17 seconds. Despite grabbing the 2-point conversion, the Falcons would lose 20-18.

Neither team established a great running game since both defenses showed up strong. And with more than 40 attempts from both QB's, both sides were able to put up over 240 yards or more in the air. But ultimately, it was Ryan's ability to come up with big plays that would give him 2 TD's to Manning's 0. Manning's biggest mistake were his 3 picks, giving Atlanta more chances at the ball.

'06 Bears vs. '93 Oilers

The Astrodome saw the Oilers host a Bears team trying to claw their way out of the close records in their division. The Oilers were simply looking for their 2nd win of the season.

The hometown Oilers would dominate the 1st quarter, picking up 10 points late before the 2nd quarter got under way. From there, the Chicago D would pick up, but their offense would not. The Bears would remain shut-out at the half, 10-0. Chicago would get the ball in the 3rd quarter, and with the opportunity would get a break with a 21-yard Jones TD. 

Although not shut-out, the Bears would be unable to pick up any other scores. Houston would go on to pick up a 2nd Del Greco field goal, and Moon would score on a pass to Jeffires. With a 2-point conversion, the Oilers would win 21-7.

Despite Chicago's troubles scoring, they would come close to matching yardage with the Oilers. With 136 yards total rushing and 282 passing. Jones was just shy of 100 yards rushing on the day, and Muhammad had 7 catches for 88 yards. Grossmans was 24/37. On Houston's side, Brown did break 100 yards in 13 carries, with White also picking up 50 yards. Slaughter and Jeffires had 6 and 7 catches, respectively, but Jeffires put up 132 yards for the Oilers. Moon was 69% completion on 42 throws.

'18 Texans vs. '05 Jaguars

With the Oilers playing at home, the other Texas team found itself on the road to Florida to take on the top team in the AFC South. Houston, despite being 3rd place, still remains just 1 game from finding itself on top.

After an embarrassing first half for the Texans, the Jaguars would seem to be on the road to sealing their top spot. Picking up both a Safety and a FG on the following drive, the Jags showed cool and control. But as the 2nd quarter ran on, DeShaun Watson came alive, throwing for 2 TD's. His energy sparked the Texans' D as well, which held off Jacksonville. Texans were up 13-5 at the half.

The 2nd half would play out with much less excitement, with both teams finding themselves out after  4 players repeatedly. Houston would pickup another FG to their tally. Without Jacksonville getting deep in enemy territory, the Texans took home the win 16-5. 

Both defenses did well against the run, and with both teams closing in on 300 yards passing, the final score reflects 2 major things. One, Watson's ability to make some key plays in the red that Jacksonville couldn't and avoiding mistakes.  Second, Leftwich's abundant mistakes, with a damning 4 INT's in as many throws as Watson had.

'06 Baltimore vs. '07 Indianapolis

The Ravens and Colts faced off at the RCA Dome in what at first would like a slaughter but turn into a shootout. Manning would start the gun show off with a 16 yard bang to Harrison in the end zone. But Clayton would take a McNair pass on the Ravens' next drive, tying the game on an 11 yarder. The Ravens were all in control for the rest of the 1st quarter, stopping the Colts and McNair again throwing a TD pass. Just when Manning was looking for his chance, Scott would pick him off and run 62 yards for a 3rd straight score.

Down 21-7, the 2nd half would see the action slow, but Manning still struggled to score even as the Ravens were being slowed down. As the Ravens would put 3 more points on the board in the 3rd quarter, the Colts were looking defeated. But Manning would turn around and find hope in Wayne, who grabbed his first of what would be 3 TD passes in the 2nd half. 

But afterwards, Baltimore would find hope in Lewis, who would run a TD to take a 31-14 lead just before the 4th quarter. Manning would make a stellar comeback effort in the 4th quarter, tossing for 3 more TDs to give the Colts 35 points. But the effort was broken up by another Lewis TD on the ground, giving the Ravens the 38-35 win.

Jamal Lewis fell just shy of 100 yards rushing, where the Colt almost seemed to forget they had a rushing game. Of course, Manning made up for it with 47 passing attempts for 465 yards, and 5 TDs to 4 INTs. McNair completed just 20/33 for 220 yards, but clearly had a devastating Defense to back him up.  

'05 Seattle vs. '80 Buffalo

The Seahawks and Bills were both looking to crawl out of the bottom spot in their division, but it was the Seahawks who would remain in charge against the Bills at Rich Stadium. The Bills had no problems putting up several more yards than the Seahawks, totaling 430 to Seattle's 296. But better ball position and fewer turnovers gave Seattle a slight edge in scoring. 

In fact, the Seahawks didn't look pretty by any normal measures, whereas the Bills looked more like a powerhouse. With 136 yards rushing and almost 300 yards passing, the Bills fared well. 

'70 Detroit vs. '98 Minnesota

The Lions and Vikings met at the HHH Metrodome in Minneapolis. The Lions are still scratching for their first win, while the Vikings are looking to edge out Green Bay in the division with a good performance. Despite the Lions record, they matched toe-to-toe with the Vikings pretty well, scoring on the 1st possession with a TD run by Farr. Minnesota would later match it, but wouldn't be able to take a lead until late in the 2nd quarter. 

Both defenses would remain at standstill for the 3rd quarter, but by early 4th quarter the Lions tied the game on a short FG by Mann. With just under 15 minutes of game time, and each defense in high gear, it would take a strong effort for one team to get the edge. But the Vikings would rise to the challenge, with their explosive offense able to get close enough for a Hoard TD run. The Vikings would remain in charge, winning 17-10.

One factor in the Viking's win was their ability to get double the yardage of the Lions. The high yardage didn't always get them in score range, but it made them a more consistent threat against the Lions. Cuningham, despite only completing 24/43, totaled 307 yards. Carter proved his largest target, with a whopping 11 catches for 153 yards. The Lions simply had nothing to be proud of on offense; it was their defense holding out that kept them in the game so long.

'08 Carolina vs. '19 Kansas City

The Panthers exploded into the game in Arrowhead, scoring on their 1st possession with a run by Stewart. But Mahomes took little time to retaliate, firing back with a throw to Williams just minutes later for a TD to tie. Each team would continue trading scores in the air, with Delhomme finding Muhammed for a 51 yarder. But at 21-all, the Chiefs had possession inside 2 minutes and were able to squeeze out a FG for the half-time lead.

It was a lead that would serve them well into the 2nd half, as Mahomes and company would continue to light up the scoreboard while the Chiefs D would catch on to Delhomme's tactics and shut down the Panthers. The Chiefs, at over 620 yards total offense, defender their home turf well with the 52-29 victory.

The Panthers rushed for almost 200 yards, with Williams breaking 110 yards on 16 carries. Delhomme, on the other hand, was just 14/21 for 177 yards. Kansas City had much fewer rushing yards, and over 509 passing yards. The whole time, he managed an insane 80% completion and 6 TD's with 0 picks. 

'00 Oakland vs. '06 San Diego

The Raiders and Chargers met in an important matchup, given all teams in the division have just 4 wins. Any shift in momentum would help a team get on top at this point. As the game went on, however, it was clear that nobody was scoring easy. Both defenses did a great job keeping teams out of the red zone, and the game essentially morphed into a tradeoff of FG's for over 3 quarters. With San Diego's Kaeding nailing 3/4, the Chargers were up 9-6 by the 4th quarter.

As the 4th quarter got underway, the Raiders began to break down the Chargers, and Wheatley would get the game's first and only TD for Oakland. Up 13-9, the game still had 10 minutes remaining. But Rivers, try as he might, couldn't make it very far against Oakland. The Raiders would go on to see Janikowski hit his 3rd FG inside the 2-minute warning, giving Oakland the win 16-9. 

The Chargers racked up some great yardage on both the air and ground, totaling 378 yards. Rivers had 258 of that in 24 completions. Tomlinson averaged under 4 yards per carry but just 80 yards. However, he also led in receiving with 8 catches for an identical 80 yards. The Raiders had no standout players, but Wheatley averaged 6.5 yards / carry.

'04 Pittsburgh vs. '77 Dallas

Two impressive Super Bowl franchises faced off at Texas Stadium. The configuration would look different from Super Bowl XXX but the game would be no less exciting. 

For most of the first half, each team would have to settle for 40+ yard FG's, with Pittsburgh leading 6-3 at one point. As the half wound down, however, Staley would rush for the first TD of the game just inside the 2-minute warning, giving the Steelers a now 10-point lead. Staubach, of course, remained composed, and within just a minute marched down the field and threw a TD pass to Dorsett. The Steelers lead was down to just 3 at half time. 

Just after half, with the Cowboys getting the ball, Staubach was able to help tie things up, getting close enough for a Herrera field goal. The Steelers, now feeling the pressure, eventually loosened up after Roethlisberger found Randle El open for a 39-yard TD throw. At that point, there would be several 3-and-outs as Dallas looked for a lead, but Roethlisberger would get his team some more breathing room on a 12-yard throw to Heinz Ward. Staubach did eventually fire back, but with just 1 minute remaining, the effort was too late. Pittsburgh wins 27-19.

The Steelers relied more on the ground game than Dallas, with 45 attempts, but Bettis and Staley still couldn't break 100 yards combined against the Cowboys. Dallas was far more effective, averaging over 4 yards per carry in 30 attempts. In the air, Pittsburgh was more successful, with Big Ben aiming 19/29 and averaging over 17 yards per catch with 2 TDs. Staubach had much less to show for his 37 attempts, completing just 20 for 215 yards.

'84 Dolphins vs. '74 Cardinals

The Dolphins travelled to St. Louis for what would turn out to be a nail biting performance from both sides. The game would start relatively tame, with each team trading TD's. Miami would get the first half lead on a late FG with just 11 seconds left. At 10-7, each team had tested the other well. It would have been difficult to predict how much the 2nd half would follow the format.

The Cards would be the only team to score in Q3, both on a pass to Thomas and a run by Willard. Down 21-10, Miami would get a break early in the 4th quarter, with Carter picking up 13 on a rushing TD to make the game within 4 points. Later, after a good stop by Miami's D, the Cards would settle for a FG just under the 4 minute mark. The Dolphins were down by just 7. Marino kept cool, and was able to drive down inside St. Louis territory as the 2-minute warning hit. Before the clock hit the 1 minute mark, he would find Duper for the TD. With the risky 2-point conversion, the Dolphins would break the tie threat at 25-24.

With a minute of game time left, the Cardinals still had some fight left in them, and with a desperate throw to Anderson, would see a 49 yard gain to put them in FG range. With just 12 seconds on the clock, the Dolphins would see their dreams go down the drain, as Bakken was good on his attempt. Cardinals win 27-25.

'92 New Orleans vs. '79 Tampa Bay

The Tampa Bay Bucs looked more like a HS football team than a pro team as they tried to defend their home against the invading Saints. With just 182 total yards offense, their only score was on a Safety. Williams completed just 8 passes against the Saints D and was picked off twice.

The Saints got a Safety of their own, but ended up lighting up the scoreboard each quarter. Morten Andersen would hit a pair of FG's in the 1st quarter, and Hebert would find Hilliard open wide for a 51 yard TD in the 3rd quarter. The Saints would pick up 2 rushing TD's in the 4th quarter, displaying a wide range of weapons against the struggling Bucs.     

The Saints rushing game was strong with Dunbar and Hilliard putting up almost 140 yards. Hebert passed for over 300 yards with 62.8% completion. In the end, the Saints had 3 TDs, 2 FGs and 1 Safety, giving them a 29-2 win over Tampa.

'16 New England vs. '98 NY Jets

The Jets currently lead the AFC East, but with the Patriots on their heels and travelling to Giants Stadium, would they be able to remain on top?  Nobody certainly could have predicted the game, but with 1,000 yards total offense it was certainly not a snoozer. 

After a slow 1st quarter, it would seem so as the Jets managed the only TD. Early in the 2nd quarter, Testaverde would find Chrebet in the end zone for another score, putting the home team up 14-0. New England would retaliate on their next drive and manage to get in a TD. The Jets, trying to hold their lead, got a break on their next possession as Martin broke into the open for a 41 yard TD run.

Down by 14 at the half, the Patriots would slowly match NY's efforts, with the Patriots getting back within 7 late in the 4th quarter. Unfortunately, NY was able to wear down the clock. The Patriots, stunned, went home losers 28-21.   

Martin's 41 yard run was not in isolation, but simply helped him reach 160 on the day in 25 carries. Both teams would have receivers break 100 yards; Edelman and White for New England, with White doing it in just 4 catches and Edelman in 10. On NY, Johnson and Chrebet each had 10 catches, with Chrebet leading with 159 yards. Brady and Testaverded both completed over 25 throws, but Testaverde did it in fewer attempts. He also had fewer yards to show for it at 332, but with 2 TDs had a clear edge. Brady threw for 371 yards total.