NFL Old School Game of the Week: Jets Beat Rams in Wild Game Overshadowed by Brawl

Pat Leahy is hugged by his holder after his game-winning field goal in the Jets' 1983 win over the Rams.

The 1983 Week 4 meeting between the Los Angeles Rams and the New York Jets had a little bit of everything: there were long touchdowns runs, a combined 678 passing yards between the two teams, blocked filed goals, and a fight which would ended up being the most memorable moment of this game.

The Jets came into the game with a 1-2 record as they would coming off a season in which they made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game before being knocked off by the Miami Dolphins 14-0 in the infamous "Mud Bowl".

Seventeen days after their loss to the Dolphins, head coach Walt Michaels would resign though many believe, saying he needed a break from football, though many believe he was pressured by the front office to step down.

Michaels was replaced by his offensive coordinator Joe Walton in an off-season which saw the Jets use their first round pick to select quarterback Ken O'Brien, putting incumbent starting quarterback Richard Todd's days in New York in jeopardy.

Despite all this turmoil, the Jets would seen as Super Bowl contenders thanks to running back Freeman McNeil, who was the league's leading rusher in 1982 and their defensive line known as the "New York Sack Exchange" which featured defensive ends Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko plus defensive tackles Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam.

However, the "Sack Exchange" would have a new member for 1983 as Kenny Neil would be promoted as Salaam would be relegated to a backup just two years after the defensive line had combined for 66 quarterback sacks.

Gastineau would become the most well known member of the group primarily because of his infamous "sack dance" as he would go into wild celebrations every time he had sacked the quarterback making him a target to the rest of the league as many felt his antics were disrespectful.

Things would come to a head as far as Gastineau's celebration was concerned when the Jets hosted the Rams at Shea Stadium in week 4 of the '83 season.

The Rams came into the game with a 2-1 record as they were also led by a first year head coach as John Robinson had taken over as the LA head coach after a succesful seven-year run as the USC Trojans head coach as he went 67-14-1 during that time which included three Rose Bowl victories and a share of the 1978 national championship.

Robinson's USC teams had been led by great running backs such as Charles White and Marcus Allen as his first year with the Rams was no exception as the team used traded up to the #2 overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft to select running back Eric Dickerson, one half of the famous "Pony Express" at SMU.

Dickerson ran for a combined 254 yards and scored four touchdowns in his teams's first three games as the Rams looked to return to the postseason for the first time since 1980.

The Jets would get the ball to start the game as they would drive from their 27-yard-line to the Los Angeles 49-yard-line until Todd was intercepted on a deep pass by Rams cornerback Kirk Collins to give LA the ball at its own 13-yard-line.

After he ran for two yards on 1st down, Dickerson would run though a hole behind his left tackle and outran the Jets defense for an 85-yard touchdown to give the Rams a 7-0 lead.

Following an exchange of punts, the Jets got the ball at their 20-yard-line as it took New York two plays to get into Los Angeles territory as Todd completed a 13-yard pass to McNeil which was followed by a 35-yard pass to Walker to put the Jets at the Rams' 32-yard-line.

An incomplete pass and a six-yard loss for McNeil would bring up 3rd & 16 when Todd beat the LA blitz and hit Lam Jones for a 33-yard gain to give the Jets a 1st & goal at the Rams five-yard-line.

McNeil would then run it for an apparent five-yard touchdown only to have it called back because of a holding penalty which pushed the Jets back to the Rams' 15-yard-line where they would replay 1st & goal.

That is when Todd found Walker in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at seven midway through the first quarter.

The Rams would begin their next possession at their 20-yard-line as an incomplete pass and a nine-yard pass from quarterback Vince Ferragamo to Mike Barber would set up 3rd & 1 when Ferragamo was picked off by Jets free safety Derrol Ray to give New York the ball at their 37-yard-line.

The Jets would drive to the Rams' 34-yard-line until Todd had a pass intended for Jones that was deflected by Rams strong safety Nolan Cromwell and then intercepted by Collins whose 58-yard return gave LA the ball at the New York 12-yard-line.

Dickerson would run for seven yards on 1st down then run it in for a five-yard touchdown to give the Rams a 14-7 lead with 2:13 to go in the first quarter.

The Jets would get great field position to start their next possession as Preston Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 46 yards to the New York 46-yard-line as McNeil would carry the ball on the next two plays, gaining 13 yards to put the Jets at the Rams' 41-yard-line.

However at the end of his second carry, McNeil would be lost for the rest of the game as he separated his right shoulder following a tackle by Rams linebacker George Andrews.

New York would drive to the Los Angeles 31-yard-line until a quarterback sack by Rams defensive end Jack Youngblood would kill the drive and force the Jets to punt the ball back to the Rams, who took over at their 20-yard-line early in the second quarter.

The New York defense would force a punt to give their offense the ball back at their 26-yard-line as Todd led the Jets to the Rams' 40-yard-line until he was sacked by LA linebacker Mel Owens causing a fumble which Owens recovered to give Los Angeles the ball at the New York 43-yard-line.

Eric Dickerson would finish with 192 yards on 28 carries and scored two touchdowns.

The Rams would advance to the Jets' 25-yard-line before calling on Chuck Nelson to attempt a 43-yard field goal which sailed wide right of the uprights, only for Nelson to get a second chance as the Rams were called for a false start which pushed LA back five yards to the New York 30-yard-line.

But Nelson's second attempt would be even worse for the Rams than his first as Jets defensive tackle Kenny  Neil would block the kick as cornerback Jerry Holmes would scoop up the loose ball and run 57 yards for the touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 14 with 4:47 left in the second quarter.

The Rams would begin their next possession at their 20-yard-line as a 46-yard pass from Ferragamo to Gordon Jones help Los Angeles drive to the Jets' 16-yard-line until they were faced with a 4th & inches situation.

Instead of going for the field goal, Robinson decided to go for the 1st down as Ferragamo handed the ball off to Dickerson who was stopped at the line of scrimmage by Jets linebacker Lance Mehl to force a turnover on downs and give New York the ball at its 16-yard-line with 1:12 left before halftime.

The Jets would move to their 45-yard-line until a quarterback sack by Rams defensive end Gary Jeter would help stop the drive as New York would run out the clock on the first half and go into the locker room with the game tied at 14.

After both teams went three-and-out to start the second half, the Rams got the ball at their 31-yard-line as LA would methodically drive down to the Jets' six-yard-line when on 3rd & goal, Ferragamo was sacked by Gastineau for a nine-yard-loss.

Gastineau would then get up and start doing his sack dance until Rams right tackle Jackie Slater pushed him from behind as Lyons would hit Slater in retaliation as both benches would empty in a brawl that would stop the game for a few minutes.

Surprisingly, no one was ejected from the game as  offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties would be assessed as a combined 37 players, 21 for the Rams and 16 for the Jets, would be fined by the NFL one month after the brawl occurred.

When the game resumed, Nelson would come on to kick a 34-yard field goal to give Los Angeles a 17-14 lead with 6:04 remaining in the third quarter.

The LA defense would force the Jets to go three-and-out on their next possession to give their offense the ball back at their 25-yard-line as two runs by Dickerson picked up 15 yards until Ferragamo put the ball in the air and was intercepted by Mehl to give New York the ball at the Rams' 42-yard-line.

The Jets would over come a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as Todd completed passes of 12 yards to tight end Mickey Shuler and 13 yards to running back Bruce Harper to give New York a 1st down at the Rams' 32-yard-line when a holding penalty cost New York 10 yards and pushed them back to the LA 42-yard-line.

That is when Todd went deep and hit Walker in the end zone for a 42-yard touchdown to give the Jets their first lead of the game at 21-17 with 70 seconds to go in the third quarter.

Following a LA three-and-out, the Jets took over at their 29-yard-line as Todd would complete four passes for 53 yards on a 10-play, 53-yard drive to set up a 35-yard field goal attempt by Pat Leahy.

However, the kick would be blocked by Rams defensive back Ivory Sully as free safety Johnnie Johnson would pick up the football and run it back to the 50-yard-line where the LA offense would take over.

But the Rams could not take advantage of the blocked kick as Ferragamo would be intercepted again by Ray, whose 35-yard return gave the Jets the ball at their 48-yard-line.

From there, the Jets would drive to the Rams' five-yard-line until Leahy was called on to attempt a 22-yard field goal which he made to extend New York's lead to 24-17 with 4:41 to go in regulation.

Following a 30-yard return by Robert Alexander on the ensuing kickoff, the Rams would take over at their 31-yard-line needing a touchdown and an extra point to tie the game and send into overtime.

The drive would begin with an eight-yard pass from Ferragamo to Barber followed by an incomplete pass to set up 3rd & 2 when Dickerson ran for three yards to give Los Angeles a fresh set of downs at their 42-yard-line.

Ferragamo would then complete a seven-yard pass to Barber which was followed by a 19-yard pass to George Farmer to put the Rams at the Jets' 32-yard-line as the two-minute warning arrived.

Ferragamo would go back to Farmer go for seven yards as a holding penalty and an incomplete pass would bring up 3rd & 13 when Farmer made a 21-yard reception to give the Rams a fresh set of downs at the Jets' 14-yard-line.

An offside penalty on Klecko and a seven-yard run by Dickerson gave the Rams a 1st & goal at the New York two-yard-line when Ferragamo threw a two-yard touchdown pass to fullback Mike Guman that with the extra point tied the game at 24 with 32 seconds to go in regulation.

The Jets would take a knee to run out the clock in regulation and send the game into overtime with the game tied at 24 as New York won the coin toss and elected to take the ball to start the fifth quarter.

Jets quarterback Richard Todd would complete 37 of 50 passes for 446 yards and throw two touchdown passes.

Holding penalties would derail the Jets' drive as they would punt the ball back to the Rams who would take over at their 13-yard-line with 12:35 to go in the overtime session.

The Rams would move into Jets territory as Dickerson ran for 10 yards to start the LA possession then caught a 22-yard pass from Ferragamo to give LA a 1st down at the New York 48-yard-line.

After two straight running plays picked up five yards to set up 3rd & 15, Ferragamo would throw his third interception of the game as Holmes, who had returned the blocked field goal for a touchdown earlier in the game, made his second big play as he picked off the pass intended for Farmer and returned it 30 yards to give New York the ball at the 50-yard-line.

Another holding penalty would push the Jets back 10 yards where they faced a 1st & 20 as Todd completed a six-yard pass to Harper, then a 10-yard pass to Derrick Gaffney to set up 3rd & 4 when Todd found Scott Dierking for 19 yards and a 1st down at the Rams' 25-yard-line.

From there, the Jets ran the ball four straight times, picking up 18 yards before calling on Leahy to attempt a game-winning field goal from 25 yards out.

Leahy, who was questionable to play because of back spasms, would calmly make the 25-yard kick to give the Jets a wild 27-24 overtime win over the Rams.

The Rams would recover from the loss to finish the season with a 9-7 record, good enough to earn a spot in the NFC Wild Card game which they secured with a 26-24 win over the New Orleans Saints in the regular season finale(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2019/09/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-rams-last.html).

The Rams would go on to upset the Dallas Cowboys 24-17 in the NFC Wild Card Game to advance to the divisional round of the NFC Playoffs where they would be destroyed by the Washington Redskins 51-7.

As for the Jets, they could not live up to their Super Bowl expectations as they would finish with a 7-9 record despite Gastineau's league leading 19 quarterback sacks.

In the off-season, Gastineau's sack dance would be banned as the NFL decided that any "prolonged, excessive or premeditated celebration" would result in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for the individual or individuals performing the celebration leading the creating of the "Mark Gastineau Rule".

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Chargers Keep Playoff Hopes Alive with Win over Buccaneers

 

Rolf Benirschke kicks the game-winning field goal for the Chargers in their 1981 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Week 15 meeting between the San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers had playoff implications for both teams even though they were in different conferences.

The Chargers came into the game with a 8-6 record, one game behind the Denver Broncos in the race for the AFC West division title, which San Diego had won the previous two seasons.

The Chargers were led by head coach Don Coryell, whose pass-oriented offense was lead the NFL in passing yards every year since Coryell became the Chargers' head coach early in the 1978 season.

At the controls of the "Air Coryell" offense was quarterback Dan Fouts who was in the middle of his third straight 4,000 yard passing offense, whose targets featured tight end Kellen Winslow, wide receivers Charlie Joiner and Wes Chandler, and running backs James Brooks and Chuck Muncie, help lead San Diego to an average of 32 points per game up to this point in the '81 season.

Despite their dominant offense, the chargers' defense was one of the worst in the league having given up an average of 25.5 points per game.

If the Chargers were going to win the AFC West for the third year in a row, they would some help from their defense to go along with their high-powered offense.

While the Chargers were trying to stay alive in the race for the NFL postseason, the Buccaneers were just one win away from clinching a playoff spot as a win over San Diego would give the 8-6 Buccaneers the NFC Central division title.

The Buccaneers were led by head coach John McKay, who had been the Buccaneers' head coach since their inception in 1976 which started with Tampa Bay losing its first 26 games of their existence, before McKay turned it around and help lead Tampa Bay to the NFC Championship Game after a 10-6 season in 1979 where the Bucs won the NFC Central division title.

The Buccaneers' strength was their defense which led by All-Pro defensive end Lee Roy Selmon and rookie linebacker Hugh Green, as Tampa Bay gave up an average of 16.2 points per game through the first 14 weeks of the 1981 NFL season.

On offense, the Buccaneers were led by quarterback Doug Williams, who had thrown for 3,070 yards up to this point in the season with his favorite target being wide receiver Kevin House who had caught 52 passes for 1,031 yards and eight touchdowns.

After both teams went three-and-out to start the game, the Chargers would get the ball at their 48-yard-line as two runs by Muncie for 16 yards and a nine-yard pass from Fouts to Joiner moved San Diego to the Tampa Bay 27-yard-line when Fouts fired a 27-yard touchdown pass to tight end Eric Seivers to give the Chargers a 7-0 lead.

The Buccaneers would start their next possession at their 27-yard-line as they overcame a 3rd & 12 situation when Williams scrambled for 17 yards to give Tampa Bay a 1st down at their 42-yard-line.

That is when Williams completed a short pass to wide receiver Theo Bell, who caught the ball at the Tampa Bay 46-yard-line, then outran the Chargers defense for a 58-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at seven with 7:03 left in the first quarter.

The two teams would exchange punts until early in the second quarter when the Chargers took over at their 10-yard-line as they would drive down the field behind the Fouts-to-Joiner connection.

The drive would begin with Fouts hitting Joiner for 22 yards as the two would hook up again on 3rd & 11 for 16 yards to put San Diego at its 47-yard-line.

The Chargers would drive to the Tampa Bay 29-yard-line when Fouts find Joiner on back-to-back plays, totaling 21 yards to set up a eight-yard touchdown run by running back John Cappelletti to cap off the 12-play 90-yard drive and give San Diego a 14-7 lead midway through the second quarter.

Following a Tampa Bay punt, the Chargers got the ball back at their three-yard-line with 5:03 to go before halftime as they would once again drive down the field with Fouts' favorite target on this drive being  Chandler as the two hooked up on four completions for 57 yards to help San Diego advance to the Buccaneers' 15-yard-line.

However, the Chargers could not punch into the end zone as Fouts would be intercepted by Buccaneers free safety Cedric Brown to end the 17-play, 82-yard drive as Tampa Bay would take over at their 20-yard-line with 35 seconds left in the first half.

The Buccaneers would drive to the Chargers' 40-yard-line until time ran out in the first half with San Diego still ahead 14-7 but with Tampa Bay set to get the ball to start the second half.

Buccaneers quarterback Doug Williams completed 22 of 35 passes for 321 yards and threw one touchdown but two interceptions.

Tampa Bay would start their initial possession of the second half at its 29-yard-line as a 17-yard pass from Williams to House was the longest play of the 10-play, 41-yard drive that culminated with a 49-yard field goal by Bill Capece that cut the Chargers' lead to 14-10 with 10:17 left in the third quarter.

After both teams punted on their ensuing possessions, the Chargers got the ball back at their 20-yard-line as they moved to the Tampa Bay 42-yard-line until Brooks fumbled the football which was recovered by Brown to give the Buccaneers the ball at their 38-yard-line.

Tampa Bay would advance to the San Diego 39-yard-line until running back James Owens fumbled the football as Chargers free safety Glen Edwards would make the recovery as San Diego would take over at its 33-yard-line with 31 seconds to go in the third quarter.

From there, the Chargers would drive 67 yards in seven plays as passes of 22 yards to Dwight Scales and 20 yards to Chandler would help set up a two-yard touchdown run by Brooks to extend San Diego's lead to 21-10 with 11:52 to go in the fourth quarter.

Needing a touchdown, the Buccaneers would move down the field on the right arm of Williams who would complete five straight passes for 72 yards to set up James Wilder's eight-yard touchdown run to cut the Chargers' lead to 21-16 as Capece would miss the extra point which would prove costly when it came to the outcome of the game.

The Chargers would get the ball back at their 24-yard-line as Fouts would throw his second interception of the game as linebacker Dave Lewis would pick off the pass and return it 10 yards to the San Diego 23-yard-line.

It would take the Buccaneers one play to cash in on the turnover as Williams pitched the ball to Wilder, who took around the right side for a 23-yard touchdown, his second in a span of 27 seconds, that with Capece's extra point gave Tampa Bay its first lead of the game at 23-21 with 8:06 left in the fourth quarter.

It seemed like the control of the game was now in the hands of the Buccaneers, especially after Lewis recovered a Cappelletti fumble to gave Tampa Bay the ball at the San Diego 36-yard-line with a chance to put the game out of reach with 6:28 to go in the fourth quarter.

But after a two-yard run by Jerry Eckwood, disaster would strike for the Buccaneers as Williams completed a pass to Jimmie Giles, only for Edwards to pop the ball into the air when he made contact with the tight end leading to an interception by Chargers linebacker Woodrow Lowe to give San Diego the ball back at its 29-yard-line and 5:39 left on the clock.

Following an incomplete pass to start the drive, Fouts would find Winslow for 10 yards and a 1st down as a three-yard run by Brooks and an incomplete pass would set up 3rd & 7 when Fouts completed a 15-yard pass to Joiner to give the Chargers a fresh set of downs at the Tampa Bay 43-yard-line.

A seven-yard pass from Fouts to Winslow followed by two runs by Cappelletti for two yards would set a 4th & 1 when Coryell decided to go for the 1st down which he got when Fouts found Winslow for three yards and a 1st down at the Tampa Bay 31-yard-line.

After Brooks was dropped for an one-yard loss on 1st down, Fouts would complete two straight passes to Winslow for a total 14 yards to put the Chargers at the Tampa Bay 18-yard-line and in range for a potential game-winning field goal by Rolf Benirschke.

San Diego would go conservative as they ran the ball three straight times, picking up seven yards before calling on Benirschke to attempt a 29-yard field goal that would give the Chargers the lead.

Benirschke's kick would just sneak past the right upright to end the 16-play, 60-yard drive and give San Diego a 24-23 lead with just 45 seconds to go in the game.

Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts completed 33 of 49 passes for 351 yards and throw one touchdown to go along with two interceptions.

The Buccaneers would get the ball back at their 29-yard-line as they could only move eight yards before Williams fired a desperation Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game which was intercepted by Edwards to seal the 24-23 win for the Chargers and deny Tampa Bay's chances of clinching the NFC Central division title on this day.

Despite the loss, the Buccaneers would get a reprieve on wining the NFC Central division title as the following week they defeated the Detroit Lions 20-17 in a winner-take-all game to earn Tampa Bay its second trip to the NFL Playoffs in three years(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-bucs-beat.html).

However, the Buccaneers would be eliminated in the divisional round of the NFC Playoffs by the Dallas Cowboys in a 38-0 rout.

As for the Chargers, they would end up winning the AFC West for the the third year in a row as a 23-10 win over the Oakland Raiders coupled with a 35-24 loss by the Broncos to the Chicago Bears in the final week of the regular season, caused San Diego and Denver to finish with identical 10-6 records, with the tiebreaker going to the Chargers as they finished with a better division record than the Broncos.

The Chargers would play the Miami Dolphins at the Orange Bowl in one of the greatest games in NFL history as they would Benirschke would kick a 29-yard field goal in overtime to give San Diego a 41-38 win in the "Epic in Miami" as the Chargers advanced to the AFC Championship Game for the second consecutive year.

But the Chargers' Super Bowl dreams would end in the "Freezer Bowl" as they lost 27-7 to the Cincinnati Bengals in a game where game-day temperature was nine degrees below zero with a wind chill of -59.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Steelers Prevail over Browns in OT Shootout

 

Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw completed 30 of 44 passes for 364 yards in Pittsburgh's win over the Browns.

The Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s were one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history thanks in large part to their defense nicknamed the "Steel Curtain" which featured five Hall-of Fame players on a unit that often finished near the top in numerous defensive categories.

But the offense should not be overlooked as it also featured five Hall-of-Fame players as the offense evolved from a conservative, ball control offense into one of the most explosive in the NFL as it finished as the #1 scoring offense in 1979.

The Steelers' high-powered offense would be on full display in Week 13 of the 1979 NFL season when the Steelers hosted their division rivals the Cleveland Browns in a key AFC Central showdown.

The Steelers came into the game with a 9-3 record under head coach Chuck Noll who had led Pittsburgh to three Super Bowl titles in the previous five years including one the previous year as the Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII.

At the helm of the Pittsburgh offense was quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who entered the Browns game having thrown 2,575 yards and 21 touchdowns a year removed from a career high 2,915 yards and 28 touchdown passes in his MVP season.

Bradshaw was surrounded by the backfield of Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier to go along with his dynamic wide receivers in Lynn Swann and John Stallworth as Terry would take snaps from center Mike Webster.

While the offense was much more explosive than it was earlier in the decade, the "Steel Curtain' were still stout as the unit led by defensive tackle "Mean Joe" Greene and linebacker Jack Lambert gave up an average of 15 points per game and had a four-game stretch earlier in the season where they gave up a combined 20 points.

With their dynamic offense to go along with their dominant defense, the Steelers had dreams of a fourth Vince Lombardi trophy in their minds as they prepared to host the Browns at Three Rivers Stadium.

The Browns came into the game with an 8-4 record under head coach Sam Rutgliano, who was in his second season as Cleveland head coach as he had already matched his win total from the previous year where Cleveland finished with an 8-8 record.

On the field, the Browns were led by quarterback Brian Sipe, who up to this point in the season had thrown for 2,897 yards and 23 touchdown passes as he had led the Browns to six victories by a touchdown or less as Cleveland was beginning to get the reputation of winning close games that will soon give them the nickname the "Kardiac Kids".

Cleveland came into Pittsburgh hoping to defeat the Steelers for the first time since 1976 and for the first time since the Steelers moved into Three Rivers Stadium in 1970 as the two teams met for the second time in the '79 season, seven weeks after they played in the highest scoring game in the history of their rivalry as the Steelers knocked off the Browns 51-35 that Sunday in Cleveland.

The Browns would get the ball to start the game as they were able to drive down the field behind the pass connection of Sipe and wide receiver Dave Logan.

The two hooked up on two passes for 25 yards to help drive Cleveland into Pittsburgh territory until a quarterback sack by Steelers linebacker Jack Ham and a delay of game penalty forced a 3rd & 25 situation from the Browns' 39-yard-line.

The Browns would convert as Sipe hit Logan for 33 yards to give the Browns a fresh set of downs at the Pittsburgh 28-yard-line as three plays later, Sipe would find tight end Ozzie Newsome for a 21-yard touchdown to give Cleveland a 7-0 lead.

The Browns would get a golden opportunity to make it a two-touchdown lead as Steelers kick returner Larry Anderson fumbled the football after a hit by Browns defensive back Ricky Jones as Clinton Burrell would scoop up the ball and run it down to the Pittsburgh three-yard-line.

However, the "Steel Curtain" defense would rise and keep the Browns out of the end zone as Cleveland settled for a 20-yard field goal by Don Cockroft to extend the Browns' lead to 10-0 before the Steelers' offense had gotten their hands on the football.

The Steelers would begin their opening possession of the game at their 31-yard-line as Bradshaw threw a bomb for Stallworth that would go for 34 yards and give Pittsburgh a 1st down at the Cleveland 35-yard-line.

Two straight running plays picked up seven yards before Bradshaw overthrew running back Rocky Bleier on 3rd & 3 as the Steelers would settle for a 45-yard field goal by Matt Bahr to make it 10-3 in favor of the Browns with 4:47 left in the first quarter.

The Browns would hold the ball for the rest of the quarter as they drove from their 44-yard-line to the Steelers' 15-yard-line until Cockroft came on to kick a 32-yard field goal on the second play of the second quarter to push the Cleveland back to double digits at 13-3.

The Steelers would get the ball back at their 27-yard-line for their next possession as they drove to the Cleveland 21-yard-line before calling on Bahr to attempt a 39-yard field goal which sailed wide right of the uprights to keep the score at 13-3 with exactly 10 minutes to go in the second quarter.

After a three-and-out by the Browns, the Steelers got the ball back at their 38-yard-line as Pittsburgh went to the running game to drive down the field as they ran the ball six straight times for a total of 45 yards before Bradshaw put the ball in the air as he found tight end Bennie Cunningham, who had his hands on the football until Cleveland strong safety Clarence Scott stripped him of the ball to make it an incomplete pass.

Following another incomplete pass, the Steelers called on Bahr to attempt a 34-yard field goal which he made to cut the Browns' lead to 13-6 with 5:06 remaining in the second quarter.

The Browns would get the ball back at their 37-yard-line as a 30-yard pass to running back Calvin Hill help lead Cleveland to the Pittsburgh 16-yard-line when Sipe lofted a pass toward the end zone that looked like was going to be picked off by Steelers cornerback Ron Johnson, only for Logan to rip the ball away from him to make the catch for the touchdown to give the Browns a 20-6 lead with 2:14 left before halftime.

Pittsburgh would go to a no-huddle offense for its ensuing possession as Bradshaw hit Cuningham for 10 yards then handed the ball off to Harris who ran for six yards before Bradshaw completed four straight passes for 52 yards to give the Steelers a 1st & goal at the Cleveland eight-yard-line with 44 seconds to go in the first half.

After Harris ran for six yards on 1st & goal, the veteran running back would catch a screen pass from Bradshaw, then dive it in for the two-yard touchdown to cut the Browns' lead to 20-13 with just 18 seconds to go in the half.

Sipe would take a knee to run out the clock in the first half with the Browns ahead 20-13 as the Steelers would set to get the ball to start the second half.

Browns quarterback Brian Sipe would throw for 333 yards and three touchdown passes on 23-of-33 passes.

The Steelers would start their initial possession of the second half at their 26-yard-line as they drove to the Cleveland 29-yard-line until a holding penalty helped kill the drive as Pittsburgh would punt the ball to the Browns who would take over at their 20-yard-line.

The drive would begin with a 20-yard pass from Sipe to Logan which was followed a few plays later by an 18-yard pass from Sipe to Logan on a 3rd & 11 to give the Browns a 1st down at the Pittsburgh 43-yard-line.

Sipe would then hit Reggie Rucker for 18 yards to put Cleveland at the Steelers' 25-yard-line as the Browns would go backwards to the Pittsburgh 33-yard-line when on 3rd & 18, Sipe found Logan again this time for 23 yards to give Cleveland a 1st & goal at the Pittsburgh 10-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass and a seven-yard pass to running back Mike Pruitt, Sipe would throw a three-yard touchdown pass to Hill to push the Browns' lead back to 14 points at 27-13 with 4:10 left in the third quarter.

The Steelers would get the ball back at their 11-yard-line as they would drive 89 yards in 10 plays with the bulk of the yardage coming on a 47-yard pass from Bradshaw to tight end Randy Grossman to help set up Harris' one-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter to cut the Browns' lead to 27-20.

Following a three-and-out by the Browns on their next possession, the Steelers got the ball at their 19-yard-line as Harris would begin the drive with a nine-yard run, then run for eight yards on the next play until he lost the football as Scott would recover the fumble to give Cleveland the ball at the Pittsburgh 43-yard-line.

The Browns would move the ball to the Pittsburgh 22-yard-line until a quarterback sack by Ham stopped Cleveland's progress and forced them to settle for a 40-yard field goal by Cockroft which pushed the Browns' lead back to double digits at 30-20 with 9:44 left in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers would begin their next possession at their 37-yard-line as Bradshaw completed passes of 16 yards to Cunningham and seven yards to Bleier before handing the ball off to Harris who ran for four yards to pick up a 1st down at the Cleveland 36-yard-line.

A 13-yard pass to Harris followed by a 26-yard pass to Cunningham gave the Steelers a 1st & goal at the Cleveland one-yard-line when Bradshaw was sacked by Browns defensive end Mike St. Clair and linebacker Clay Matthews for a 13-yard-loss.

Bradshaw would connect with Stallworth for 11 yards on 2nd down before handing the ball off to Harris who punched it in for the three-yard touchdown to make it a three-point game at 30-27 in favor of the Browns with 4:42 left in regulation.

The Browns would get the ball back at their 18-yard-line as a 17-yard pass from Sipe to Newsome followed by a 15-yard facemask penalty on Steelers linebacker Robin Cole put Cleveland at its 48-yard-line until two quarterback sacks by Pittsburgh defensive end L.C. Greenwood force a Cleveland punt as the Steelers' offense would take over at the 50-yard-line following a 27-yard punt return by Theo Bell.

With 2:08 left in regulation, Bradshaw would complete a 14-yard pass to Swann then hand the ball off to Harris who gained three yards to set up 2nd & 7 when Bradshaw completed a nine-yard pass to Bleier to give the Steelers a 1st down at the Cleveland 24-yard-line.

Following a three-yard run by Harris, Bradshaw would hit Stallworth for 13 yards to give Pittsburgh a 1st & goal at the Cleveland eight-yard-line with 63 seconds left and a chance for the Steelers to score the go-ahead the touchdown.

But the Steelers could not punch it in as two incomplete passes and a five-yard run by Harris would set up 4th & goal from the three-yard-line when Bahr was called on to kick 21-yard field goal that tied the game at 30 with 24 seconds left in regulation.

Sipe would take a knee to run out the clock in regulation as the game would go into overtime tied at 30 as Cleveland would win the coin toss to get the ball first to start the fifth quarter.

The Browns would begin the overtime period with the ball at their 27-yard-line as Sipe would run for 34 yards that with a five-yard penalty on the Steelers, put Cleveland at the Pittsburgh 34-yard-line after just one play.

A run by Pruitt for no gain followed by a quarterback sack by Greenwood and linebacker Jack Lambert forced a 3rd & 17 for the Browns when Sipe was picked off by cornerback Mel Blount on a deep pass intended for Newsome as the Steelers would get the ball at their four-yard-line.

The Steelers would rely on the running game as they ran the ball nine straight times for 40 yards before Bradshaw threw his first pass of the overtime period as he hit Stallworth for 11 yards to give Pittsburgh a 1st down at the Browns' 45-yard-line.

Pittsburgh would overcome a pass interference penalty on Swann as Bradshaw completed two straight passes to Harris that totaled 22 yards and gave the  Steelers a 1st down at the Cleveland 33-yard-line when Bradshaw's pass for Swann was intercepted by Browns cornerback Ron Bolton to give Cleveland the ball at its 12-yard-line.

Steelers running back Franco Harris would carry the ball 32 times for 151 yards while catching the ball nine times for 81 yards as he scored three touchdowns.

The Browns would pick up one 1st down before another sack by Greenwood would force Cleveland to punt the ball back to the Steelers who would take over at their 17-yard-line with 3:43 left in the game as the game seemed destined to end in a 30-30 tie.

The drive would begin with a six-yard pass from Bradshaw to Bleier followed by a one-yard run by Harris to set up 3rd & 3 when Bradshaw completed a 10-yard pass to Harris to give the Steelers a 1st down at their 34-yard-line.

Two plays later, the Steelers were faced with a 3rd & 10 when Bradshaw scrambled for 28 yards to give Pittsburgh a 1st down at the Browns' 38-yard-line with 1:23 to go in the game.

Harris would get his hands on four of the next five plays as he caught an eight-yard pass from Bradshaw then ran the ball three times for 11 yards to put the Steelers at the Cleveland 19-yard-line when Bahr was called on to attempt a game-winning field goal with just 13 seconds to go in the game.

Bahr would come on and make the 37-yard field goal to give the Steelers a 33-30 overtime win on a day where Pittsburgh complied 606 yards of total offense at the time the second most yards the Steelers had ever had on offense behind the 683 they gained in a 38-21 against the Chicago Cardinals in 1958(since this game, this performance has dropped to 4th place on most yards of total offense in a Steelers game).

The Browns would end up finishing the season with a 9-7 record, one game behind the Denver Broncos for the final spot in the AFC playoffs as Cleveland would finish with a 7-5 record in games decided by seven points or less.

The following season, the Browns would go 10-2 in games decided by a touchdown or less as the "Kardiac Kids" would go 11-5 to win the AFC Central division and return to the postseason for the first time since 1972(To read about the Browns' division clinching win, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-kardiac.html).

As for the Steelers they would go to finish the regular season with a 12-4 record as the offense would finish with a then team record 416 points as they averaged a league high 26 points per game.

In the playoffs, the Steelers would knock off the Miami Dolphins 34-14 in the Divisional Round, then beat the Houston Oilers 27-13 in the AFC Championship Game to return to the Super Bowl where Bradshaw would throw for 309 yards and two touchdowns in a MVP performance as Pittsburgh defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-19 to give the Steelers their fourth Super Bowl title in six years.

 

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Penn State Completes Undefeated Season with Rose Bowl Triumph

Penn State running back Ki-Jana Carter ran for 156 yards on 21 carries and scored three touchdowns.

The 1995 edition of the Rose Bowl featured two teams that had not been there in generations as the Penn State Nittany Lions faced off with the Oregon Ducks with an undefeated season on the line for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State was led by head coach Joe Paterno, who in his 29th season as the Nittany Lions' head coach, had led Penn State to the Rose Bowl in just their second season as a member of the Big 10 conference and playing in Pasadena for the first time in 72 years after the Nittany Lions played in the ninth edition of the "Granddaddy of Them All" as they lost 14-3 to the USC Trojans.

The Nittany Lions in 1994 were an offensive juggernaut as they averaged 47.8 points per game and 520 yards per game with quarterback Kerry Collins, running back Ki-Jana Carter, and wide receiver Bobby Engram leading the way for Penn State.

Penn State won all 11 of its regular season games which included a 31-24 win over Michigan in the "Big House"(To read about that game click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/10/college-football-old-school-game-of_18.html) and a 35-31 win over Illinois to clinch the Big 10 title where the Nittany Lions drove 96 yards in 14 plays for the game-winning touchdown(To read about that game click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/college-football-old-school-game-of_13.html).

If the Nittany Lions, who were ranked #2 in the country, could knock off Oregon in the Rose Bowl, many felt that Penn State should at least share the national championship with #1 Nebraska Cornhuskers, who had completed a 12-0 season the night before with a 24-17 win over the Miami Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl.

Standing in their way were the Oregon Ducks, who had stunned the college football world by winning the Pac-10 championship to earn their first trip to the Rose Bowl in 37 years.

The Ducks were led by head coach Rich Brooks who in his 19th season as the Ducks' head coach had led Oregon to a 9-3 regular season after Oregon got off to a 1-2 start to start the '94 season.

While the Nittany Lions' strength was their offense, the Ducks were led by their defense, the "Gang Green" defense which gave up 17.6 points per game and helped secure a 31-20 upset win over Washington with "The Pick" a 97-yard pick-six by cornerback Kenny Wheaton in the final seconds(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2018/10/college-football-old-school-game-of_10.html).

On offense, the Ducks were led by quarterback Danny O'Neil, who threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to running back Dino Philyaw in the fourth quarter of Oregon's 17-13 win over Oregon State in the regular season finale to clinch the Ducks' spot in the Rose Bowl(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2024/09/college-football-old-school-game-of_11.html).

If the Ducks were to have any chance of upsetting the Nittany Lions, they would need a big day from O'Neil as Penn State came into the game as a 17-point favorite.

Oregon got the ball to start the game as they would drive from their 19-yard-line to the Penn State 49-yard-line before punting the ball to the Nittany Lions who would take over at their 17-yard-line for their first drive of the game.

That is when Collins pitched the ball to Carter, who ran to his right and broke a tackle from Ducks cornerback Herman O'Berry at the line of scrimmage as the Heisman runner-up would outrun the rest of the Oregon defense for an 83-yard touchdown to give Penn State a 7-0 lead.

Oregon would begin its ensuing possession at their 20-yard-line as O'Neil would hit tight end Josh Wilcox for 18 yards, then complete a 28-yard screen pass to Philyaw, and then a 33-yard pass to Wilcox to put the Ducks at the Penn State one-yard-line.

O'Neil would find Wilcox in the back right corner of the end zone for the one-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at seven just 45 seconds after Carter's touchdown run.

The "Gang Green" defense would force the Nittany Lions to punt on their next possession to give their offense the ball back at their 42-yard-line as O'Neil continued his hot streak as he completed three straight passes to put Oregon at the Penn State 34-yard-line.

However, O'Neil would throw an interception as he overthrew Cristin McLemore as Penn State safety Chuck Penzenic would make the pick as his 14-yard return would give the Nittany Lions the ball at their 23-yard-line.

The Nittany Lions would go three-and-out to give the ball back to the Ducks who took over at their 49-yard-line as the Ducks would drive to the Penn State six-yard-line to set up a 24-yard field goal attempt by Matt Belden that would give Oregon the lead.

But Belden's kick would sail wide right to keep the score tied at seven as Penn State would take over at their 20-yard-line with 2:29 left in the first quarter.

Oregon quarterback Danny O'Neil set numerous Rose Bowl records as he completed 41 of 61 passes for 456 yards and threw two touchdowns.

Penn State would then drive 51 yards in 10 plays to set up a 46-yard field goal attempt by Brett Conway, which would fall short of the uprights as the game remained tied at seven as Oregon would get the ball back at their 29-yard-line with 12:26 left in the second quarter.

The two teams would trade punts until 5:54 left in the second quarter when Oregon linebacker Reggie Jordan knocked the ball loose from Carter as defensive end Troy Bailey recovered the fumble to give Oregon the football at the Penn State 33-yard-line.

However, the Ducks could not pick up a 1st down as Bolden would come to attempt a 44-yard field goal which like his earlier miss would sail wide right as the Nittany Lions would take over at their 27-yard-line.

From there, Collins would complete back-to-back passes to Engram that totaled 30 yards before an incomplete pass and a two-yard-loss by fullback Jon Witman set up a 3rd & 12 situation when Collins hit wide receiver Joe Jurevicius for a 44-yard gain to give Penn State a 1st & goal at the Oregon one-yard-line.

After Witman was stopped for no gain on 1st down, Collins handed the ball off to fullback Brian Milne who would punch it in for the one-yard touchdown to give Penn State a 14-7 lead with 1:26 left before halftime.

The Ducks would start their ensuing possession at their 18-yard-line with one timeout in their pocket and 86 seconds left in the first half for Oregon drive down the field and pick up some points.

O' Neil would complete four straight passes to four different receivers for a total of 58 yards before scrambling for one yard to go out of bounds at the Penn State 23-yard-line with 30 seconds to go in the first half. 

O'Neil would then hit Wilcox for 12 yards before spiking the ball at the Penn State 11-yard-line as O'Neil would then complete a two-yard pass to McLemore, causing the Ducks to spend their final timeout with 11 seconds to go.

Instead of sending in Belden to attempt a field goal, Brooks decided to get one more play off as O'Neil would complete a four-yard pass to McLemore, who was tackled inbounds at the Penn State five-yard-line as the Ducks could not stop the clock as the first half came to an end with the Nittany Lions on top 14-7.

Following an exchange of punts to start the second half, the Nittany Lions got the ball at their 40-yard-line as Collins completed two passes to Mike Archie for 28 yards to help set up a 42-yard field goal attempt for Conway which would sail wide right to give Oregon the ball at their 25-yard-line.

The Penn State defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball at their 21-yard-line as three completions by Collins for 29 yards plus a three-yard run would put the Nittany Lions at the Oregon 47-yard-line when Collins was intercepted by Jordan, whose 38-yard return gave the Ducks offense the ball at the Nittany Lions' 17-yard-line.

After Dwayne Jones was stopped for no gain, O'Neil threw a pass toward the left corner of the end zone where McLemore made a leaping catch for the 17-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 14 with 4:54 left in the third quarter.

It looked like the Ducks had the Nittany Lions on the ropes until the ensuing kickoff when sophomore running back Ambrose Fletcher returned the kick 72 yards to the Oregon 21-yard-line as Carter would run for four yards on 1st down, then take up the middle for a 17-yard touchdown to give Penn State a 21-14 with 3:53 to go in the third quarter.

Oregon would start its next possession with a 20-yard pass from O'Neil to Philyaw to put the Ducks at their 40-yard-line when O'Neil overthrew McLemore and was intercepted by Penzenic, who returned the pick 44 yards to the Oregon 13-yard-line.

Three plays later, the Nittany Lions were back in the end zone as Carter ran it in from three yards out for Penn State's second touchdown in a span of 76 seconds and extend their lead to 28-14.

Now facing their largest deficit of the game, the Ducks would drive from their 20-yard-line to the Penn State 28-yard-line as O'Neil would complete five of nine passes for 52 yards on the drive to set up another field goal attempt for Belden, this time from 44 yards out.

The third time would not be the charm for Belden as his kick bounced off the right upright and no good to keep the score at 28-14 in favor of Penn State with 14:11 left in the fourth quarter.

The two teams would exchange punts until the Ducks drove to the Penn State 35-yard-line when on 4th & 14, Brooks decided to go for the 1st down as his team needed two scores to salvage at least a tie.

However, O'Neil's pass for McLemore would fall incomplete to give the ball to the Nittany Lions who would take over at their 35-yard-line with 8:57 remaining in the game.

From there, the Nittany Lions would drive 39 yards in six plays to set up a 43-yard field goal attempt by Conway which me made to extend Penn State's lead to 31-14.

Penn State head coach Joe Paterno is surrounded by his Penn State players including quarterback Kerry Collins(12) after the Nittany Lions' win in the Rose Bowl.

Oregon would take over at its 18-yard-line as three plays gained five yards to set up 4th & 5 when the Ducks again went for the 1st down and once again failed to convert as O'Neil was sacked by Penn State linebacker Phil Yeboah-Kodie for a nine-yard loss to give the Nittany Lions the ball at the Oregon 13-yard-line.

Wittman would then carry for four yards on 1st down then run it in for the nine-yard touchdown to push the game out of reach as Penn State now had a 38-14 lead with 4:24 to go in the game.

The Ducks would then drive 75 yards in 12 plays as O'Neil completed five of nine passes for 48 yards on the drive which was capped off with a three-yard touchdown run by Ricky Whittle to make it a 38-20 game as Oregon failed to convert on the two-point conversion.

The Ducks attempted an onside kick only for to Engram to recover it as the Nittany Lions ran the ball six straight times for 33 yards to run out the clock and come away with the 38-20 victory to complete the fifth undefeated season in Paterno's career.

Despite the loss, the Ducks would finish #11 in both the final AP and coaches polls with a 9-4 record as one month later, Brooks would resign as the Oregon head coach to become the head coach of the St. Louis Rams in the National Football League.

Brooks would be replaced with offensive coordinator Mike Belotti, who would lead the Ducks for 14 seasons as he would go 116-55 during his tenure as the Oregon head coach.

As for Penn State, their win over Oregon did not impress many voters as the Nittany Lions finished #2 in both the AP and coaches polls behind Nebraska, who would win its first national championship since 1971.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Bills Clinch AFC East Title with Win over 49ers

Fans greet the Buffalo Bills after their 18-13 win over the San Francisco 49ers clinched the AFC East title for Buffalo.

As the Buffalo Bills traveled to San Francisco to take on the 49ers in the final week of the 1980 regular season, the Bills had a chance to do something they had not done since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970: win a division championship.

The Bills came into Week 16 with a 10-5 record needing a win or tie over the 49ers to secure the first division title for Buffalo since they won the Eastern Division title in the American Football League in 1966.

The Bills were led by head coach Chuck Knox, who after a five-year tenure with the Los Angeles Rams in which he led LA to five straight NFC West titles and three trips to the NFC Championship Game, left to become the Buffalo head coach in 1978.

After two straight losing seasons, the Bills become winners in 1980 as they ended a 20-game losing streak to the Miami Dolphins with a 17-7 over Miami in Week 1 as Buffalo jumped out to a 5-0 start.

The key to the Bills' turnaround was their defense which ranked first in fewest yards allowed as led by the trio of nose tackle Fred Smerlas and inside linebackers Jim Haslett and Shane Nelson, otherwise known as the "Bermuda Triangle" as opposing running backs could not get past this trio.

On offense, the Bills were led by quarterback Joe Ferguson, who had been the Buffalo starting quarterback since 1973 and running back Joe Cribbs who had rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie season.

However, Ferguson's status for the game against the 49ers was a question mark as he had sprained his left ankle in the first quarter of the Bills' 24-2 loss to the New England Patriots the week before.

While the Bills were hoping that their franchise quarterback could give it a go, the 49ers had no such issues at quarterback as they had found their quarterback of the future in Joe Montana.

Entering his third NFL season, Montana was named the 49ers starting quarterback by second year head coach Bill Walsh in the seventh week of the 1980 season in the midst of an eight-game losing streak for the 49ers.

While the 49ers were destined for their fourth straight losing season and seventh in eight years, San Francisco fans were given a glimmer of hope two weeks before the game with the Bills as Montana led the 49ers back from a 28-point halftime deficit to lead San Francisco to a 38-35 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints in what was at the time the greatest comeback in NFL history.

San Francisco came into their final game of the 1980 season with a 6-9 record as they had hoped to spoil the Bills' hopes of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1974 on a muddy field in Candlestick Park.

 After the 49ers went three-and-out to start the game, the Bills would get the ball at their 24-yard-line when Ferguson handed the ball off to Cribbs, who took around the left side for a 48-yard run, his longest run of the season to put Buffalo at the San Francisco 28-yard-line after just one play.

Cribbs would run the ball on the next three plays, picking up 12 yards, before Curtis Brown get a carry for six yards to set up 3rd & 3 at the 49ers' 10-yard-line when Ferguson throw his first pass of the game which would be a touchdown to wide receiver Jerry Butler to give Buffalo a 6-0 lead as Nick Mike-Meyer's extra point would bounce off the upright.

The 49ers would begin their ensuing possession at their 23-yard-line as San Francisco would drive down the field with the help of a couple of Buffalo penalties as defensive end Sherman White would be called for roughing the passer to add 15 yards to an 11-yard pass from Montana to running back Earl Cooper to put San Francisco in Buffalo territory at the Bills' 38-yard-line.

Two plays later, Montana would complete a three-yard pass to running back Lenvil Elliott when linebacker Isiah Robertson would be called for unnecessary roughness to help put the 49ers at the Bills' nine-yard-line where they had a 1st & goal.

The 49ers would move to the four-yard-line where they faced 3rd & goal when Montana handed the ball off to Cooper, who took up the middle and fumbled the football before crossing the goal line as Smerlas would recover the fumble.

However, the referees ruled that Cooper had crossed the goal line before he fumbled the football even though replays showed that was not the case, as the controversial touchdown tied the game at six.

A holding penalty would push the 49ers back 10 yards for Ray Wersching's extra point which would bounce off the left upright to keep the game tied at six with 6:14 left in the first quarter.

Despite a gimpy ankle, Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson would complete 12 of 20 passes for 102 yards and throw one touchdown pass.

The Bills would hold the ball for the rest of the first quarter as they would drive from their 27-yard-line to the 49ers' 40-yard-line before punting the ball on the first play of the second quarter back to San Francisco, who would take over at their 20-yard-line as the Buffalo defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball at the 49ers' 43-yard-line.

But the three-and-out would be costly as Nelson would be lost for the game with a broken right wrist as he was replaced by former Raider linebacker Phil Villapiano.

The Bills would drive down the field behind the right arm of Ferguson as the veteran quarterback would complete a 14-yard pass to Frank Lewis, then hit tight end Mark Bremmer on two straight 3rd down situations, to help set up a four-yard touchdown run by Brown that with a successful extra point gave Buffalo a 13-6 lead with 9:01 left in the second quarter.

The 49ers would start their next drive at their 29-yard-line as the 49ers would methodically drive down to the Buffalo two-yard-line where they were faced with a 4th & goal situation when Walsh decided to go for the touchdown instead of attempting the field goal.

On the play, Montana would roll to his right and threw a pass toward the end zone intended for Elliott only to have Bills strong safety Steve Freeman knock the ball down to force a turnover on downs and give the ball back to Buffalo at their two-yard-line with 1:59 left before halftime.

The Bills would run the ball four straight times to run out the clock on the first half with Buffalo ahead 13-6 as they were 30 minutes away from a division title.

Buffalo would get the ball to start the second half as they would pick up one 1st down before punting the ball back to the 49ers, who would take over at their 43-yard-line as Cooper would run for six yards to begin the drive to bring up 2nd & 4 when Cooper would run 47 yards before being knocked out of bounds at the Buffalo four-yard-line.

After a two-yard run by Elliott, Montana would find Eason Ramson for a two-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 13 with 11:20 left in the third quarter.

The Bills would start their next drive at their 30-yard-line as Ferguson would go deep for Lewis as the wide receiver would draw a pass interference penalty on 49ers cornerback Gerard Williams to give Buffalo a 1st down at the San Francisco 35-yard-line.

From there, the Bills would drive to the 49ers' eight-yard-line until Mike-Meyer would come on to kick a 25-yard field goal to give Buffalo a 16-13 lead with 5:33 left in the third quarter.

On their ensuing possession, the 49ers would move from their 25-yard-line to their 42-yard-line before they lined up to punt the ball back to the Bills when the snap went over punter Jim Miller's head as Miller would fall on the ball in the end zone until he was touched by defensive end Ken Johnson for a safety to extend Buffalo's lead to 18-13 with 1:38 to go in the third quarter.

Running back Roland Hooks would receive the free kick at his 28-yard-line and ran it back 30 yards until he was hit by the 49ers' Ricky Patton to knock the ball loose as cornerback Ray Rhodes would recover the ball to give San Francisco the ball at their 41-yard-line.

The 49ers would go three-and-out to punt the ball back to the Bills, who would take over at their 20-yard-line as two runs by Cribbs would go for 26 yards to put the Bills at their 46-yard-line when Ferguson would fumble a snap from center as defensive tackle Archie Reese would recover it to give San Francisco the ball at the Buffalo 45-yard-line early in the fourth quarter.

San Francisco would use its running game to drive down the field as they would run the ball on seven of their next eight plays as the 49ers drove down to the Bills' eight-yard-line until disaster struck when Cooper fumbled the football when he was hit by Buffalo linebacker Lucas Sanford as cornerback Mario Clark would make the recovery at the San Francisco five-yard-line with 8:30 left in the fourth quarter.

Bills running back Joe Cribbs would run for 128 yards on 18 carries.

The two teams would exchange punts until the 49ers got the ball at their 24-yard-line with 3:23 left in the game as the drive would begin with a four-yard loss by Cooper which was followed by a 12-yard pass from Montana to Elliott to set up 3rd & 2 as the two-minute warning hit.

Following the timeout, Elliott would run for four yards to give the 49ers a 1st down at their 36-yard-line as Montana would hit Dwight Clark for nine yards, then completing a three-yard pass to Cooper to put San Francisco at their 48-yard-line with a fresh set of downs.

Three plays later, the 49ers were forced with a 4th & 10 situation when Montana found Clark over the middle for 18 yards and a 1st down at the Bills' 34-yard-line with 28 seconds to go in the game.

Montana would complete an one-yard pass to Freddie Soloman before throwing an incomplete pass to set up 3rd & 9 at the 33-yard-line with nine seconds to go when Montana threw a Hail Mary pass to the left corner of the end zone that tight end Charlie Young got his hands around the ball but could not bring it down as Buffalo cornerback Charles Romes would knock the ball out of Young's hands to make the pass incomplete with two seconds to go.

That gave Montana another chance at a Hail Mary pass at the left corner of the end zone as time expired as the pass was batted around before it fell to the ground and incomplete to give the Bills the 18-13 win and the AFC East division title.

The "Bills Mafia" were so excited by the division title that nearly 8,000 fans braved the 13-degree night to greet their beloved Bills when they arrived at the Buffalo airport at 3:30 in the morning following the win over the 49ers.

Buffalo would get a first round bye as all division champions did in the 1980 NFL playoffs before traveling to San Diego to take on the Chargers in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.

The Bills led late in the game until Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Ron Smith with 2:06 left in the game to give San Diego a 20-14 win to end Buffalo's dream of making it to the Super Bowl.

The Bills would respond the following year by going 10-6 to earn a spot in the AFC Wild Card Game where they would defeat the New York Jets 31-27 after building up a 24-0 1st quarter lead to earn Buffalo its first playoff win since the 1965 AFL Championship.

Buffalo's 1981 season would end the following week in a 28-21 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals as the Bills would not return to the postseason until 1988 which began a six-year run of playoff appearances that included four straight AFC Championships from 1990 through 1993.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: By An Inch, Alabama Ends Auburn's 21-Game Undefeated Streak

 

One of the biggest cliches in football is that it is a game of inches.

That cliche could be used to describe the ending of the 1994 Iron Bowl as the Auburn Tigers faced with the Alabama Crimson Tide in the annual meeting between the two schools that divide the state of Alabama.

For only the second time in the history of the rivalry, both teams came into the game without a loss as Alabama entered the game with a 10-0 record while Auburn came into the game with a 9-0-1 record.

The Crimson Tide were led by head coach Gene Stallings, who was in his fifth season as the Alabama head coach as he had led the Tide to the 1992 national championship, the school's first since 1979.

On the field, the Tide were led by quarterback Jay Barker, who had complied a 33-1-1 record during his time at Alabama, plus running back Sherman Williams, who had rushed for over 1,000 yards during the season and a stout defense, while not as good as the one in 1992, was still strong having given up an average of 13.5 points per game.

Alabama had already clinched a spot in the SEC Championship Game where they would face the Florida Gators in two weeks but first they had to defeat their arch rival in the Iron Bowl.

Auburn was led by head coach Terry Bowden, son of Florida State Seminoles head coach Bobby Bowden, who took after Pat Dye stepped down as head coach following a NCAA investigation that put Auburn on probabation and banned them from postseason play in 1993 and 1994.

Bowden would lead Auburn to a shocking 11-0 season in 1993 which included a 22-14 win over the Tide in the 1993 Iron Bowl which was only the second time the game was played at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium.

In 1994, the Tigers had pulled out dramatic victories over LSU and Florida(To read about those games, click on the links which are highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/10/college-football-old-school-game-of_11.html and https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2019/10/college-football-old-school-game-of.html) to extend their winning streak to 20 until a shocking 23-23 tie against the Georgia Bulldogs one week prior to the Iron Bowl handed Bowden his first non-win since becoming the Auburn head coach.

Bowden and the Tigers hoped to rebound from the tie with another win over Alabama as the two teams faced off in Legion Field in Birmingham for the 1994 Iron Bowl.

  After Auburn went three-and-out to start the game, Alabama would get the ball at their 22-yard-line to as a 26-yard run by Williams on the first play of the drive followed by a 25-yard run by fullback Tarrant Lynch help lead the Tide to the Auburn 19-yard-line to set up a 36-yard field goal attempt by Michael Proctor.

However, Proctor's kick would side wide right to keep the game scoreless as the two teams would exchange punts on their next possessions until the Crimson Tide defense forced a turnover when linebacker Michael Rogers knocked the ball loose from running back Stephen Davis which was recovered by Alabama strong safety Sam Shade to give the Tide the ball at the Auburn 47-yard-line.

From there, the Tide would drive 47 yards in eight plays as Barker would complete passes on two straight 3rd down conversions, first finding Curtis Brown for 11 yards on 3rd & 7, followed by a 13-yard screen pass to Lynch on 3rd & 9, to set up Williams' 13-yard touchdown run to give Alabama a 7-0 lead with 2:38 left in the first quarter.

Following an Auburn three-and-out, the Tide got the ball back at their 31-yard-line as a holding penalty would negate a five-yard run by Williams and push Bama back to its 26-yard-line where they would face a 1st & 15 situation.

That is when Barker fired a pass over the middle for Toderick Malone, who made the catch at the Alabama 45-yard-line, then outran the Auburn defense for a 74-yard touchdown on the final play of the first quarter to extend the Crimson Tide's lead to 14-0.

The Tigers would begin their next possession at their 20-yard-line as quarterback Patrick Nix would complete a 27-yard pass to Thomas Bailey to give Auburn a 1st down at their 47-yard-line as they would drive into Alabama territory before punting the ball back to the Tide who would take over at their 13-yard-line.

It would take the Tide six plays to get back into the end zone as Barker would throw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Marcell West to increase Alabama's lead to 21-0 with 10:25 left in the second quarter.

The Auburn defense try to converge on running back Sherman Williams(20) who would run for 164 yards on 27 carries.

Auburn would start its next drive at their 20-yard-line as they nearly avoided disaster when on 3rd & 9, Nix was intercepted by Alabama cornerback Deshea Townsend, only to have the play be nullified by offsetting penalties, which meant Alabama would not take over in Auburn territory with a chance to make it 28-0.

Following the negated pick, the two teams would trade punts for the rest of the first half as the Tide would go into the locker room ahead 21-0 after a first half in which they complied 278 yards of total offense compared to 76 by the Tigers.

Alabama would get the ball to start the second half as they would drive from their 38-yard-line to the Auburn 19-yard-line until Barker fumbled the football following a quarterback sack which was recovered by Tigers defensive tackle Mike Pelton to give Auburn the football at their 28-yard-line.

The drive would begin with a 19-yard run by Davis followed by two straight running plays for six yards to set up 3rd & 4 when Nix completed a six-yard pass to Bailey to give the Tigers their first 3rd down conversion of the game and a fresh set of downs at the Alabama 41-yard-line

Two plays later on 3rd & 10, Nix would complete a 20-yard screen pass to running back Fred Beasley to give Auburn a 1st down at the Alabama 21-yard-line as Nix would find Bailey for nine yards on 1st down, then scramble for four yards on 2nd down to give Auburn a 1st & goal at the Crimson Tide eight-yard-line.

A three-yard run by running back Harold Morrow followed by an incomplete pass set up 3rd & goal from the Alabama five-yard-line when Nix completed a four-yard pass to Hicks Poor to put Auburn at the one-yard-line where they were faced with a 4th & goal.

Bowden would go for the touchdown which he got as Nix sneaked in for the one-yard touchdown to complete the 13-play, 72-yard drive and cut Alabama's lead to 21-7 with 5:03 remaining in the third quarter.

The Tide would hold the ball for the rest of the third quarter as they would drive 71 yards in 19 plays only to come away with zero points as Barker would be intercepted in the end zone by Auburn strong safety Brian Robinson, as he ran it out of the end zone before being knocked out of bounds at his 19-yard-line.

On the next play from scrimmage, Nix would throw a bomb for Bailey, who made the catch for a 48-yard gain to put Auburn at the Alabama 33-yard-line as the Tigers would drive to the Crimson Tide 18-yard-line, poised to make it an one-score game.

However, Crimson Tide defensive end Dameain Jeffries would deflect a Nix pass to make the interception to end the Tigers scoring threat and give Alabama the ball back at their 30-yard-line midway through the fourth quarter.

Alabama would run the ball five straight times before punting the ball back to the Tigers who would take over at their 26-yard-line with 4:02 remaining in the game and needing two touchdowns.

A six-yard scramble by Nix would start the drive as an incomplete pass would bring up 3rd & 4 where Nix hit Poor for five yards to give Auburn a 1st down at their 37-yard-line.

Following two incomplete passes, Nix would complete a 16-yard screen pass to Beasley to put the Tigers in Alabama territory as Nix would find Poor for eight yards, then Sanders for nine yards to give Auburn a 1st down at the Alabama 30-yard-line.

A two-yard pass to Beasley would get 15 yards added on to it as the Tide were called for 12 men on the field to put the Tigers at the Alabama 13-yard-line as Nix would find Sanders for 12 yards to make it 1st & goal at the one-yard-line when Nix snuck it in for the touchdown to end the 12-play, 74-yard drive and cut the Crimson Tide lead to 21-14 with 2:23 to go in the game.

Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix would complete 23 of 42 passes for 247 yards and run for two touchdowns.

The Tigers would attempt an onside kick but Lynch would recover it to give the Tide the ball at the Auburn 46-yard-line with a chance to pick up a 1st down to run out the clock and secure the victory for Alabama.

However, the Tide could not pick up a 1st down as the Tigers spend all three timeouts before Bryne Diehl would come on to punt the ball back to the Tigers as Alabama would down the punt at the one-yard-line with 1:47 to go in the game.

Needing to go 99 yards for a touchdown, the Tigers' drive began with an incomplete pass which was followed by two straight passes from Nix to Beasley that totaled 26 yards to move Auburn to its 27-yard-line.

Nix would then hit Sanders for nine yards which was followed by a 15-yard scramble by the quarterback to put Auburn at the Alabama 49-yard-line.

Two straight incomplete passes would force a 3rd down when Nix completed a seven-yard pass to Beasley to set up a do-or-die 4th & 3 from the Alabama 42-yard-line.

That is when Nix completed a short pass across the middle for Sanders who was hit immediately by Shade close to the 1st down marker as both sides celebrated as the Tide thought that Shade had stopped Sanders short of the 1st down while the Tigers thought that Sanders had picked up the 1st down.

The chain gang would come onto the field to measure it and at first it looked like the Tigers had made the 1st down but when the referees bent down to see if the ball had touched the marker, they signaled that Sanders had not made the 1st down and the ball would go back to Alabama at their 40-yard-line.

Barker would take a knee to run out the clock as the Crimson Tide handed Bowden his first loss as Auburn head coach with Alabama winning the game 21-14.

The Tigers would end the season with a 9-1-1 record as they would finish ranked #9 in the final AP poll as Bowden would remain the Auburn head coach until midway through the 1998 season when he resigned following a 1-5 start to the '98 season.

As for the Tide, their chances at a second national title in three years were dashed in the SEC Championship Game as they fell to the Florida Gators 24-23 as Alabama would finish the season playing Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl where a 24-17 victory over the Buckeyes would earn the Tide a top 5 ranking in both the final AP and coaches polls.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Peterson's Breakthrough Performance Leads Vikings to Win over Bears

 

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson complied 361 all purpose yards in a 2007 game with the Bears.

There are times in an athlete's career where a certain play or performance tells the world that this athlete is special and is going to be a force for years to come.

Such was the case for Adrian Peterson as he put together a performance for the ages in the Minnesota Vikings' Week 6 game with the Chicago Bears during the 2007 season.

The Vikings came into the game with a 1-3 record under second-year head coach Brad Childress, who was hoping to improve on a 6-10 season in 2006 as Minnesota hoped to return to the postseason for the first time since 2004.

The Vikings used their top pick in the 2007 NFL draft to select Peterson with the #7 overall pick despite already having running back Chester Taylor who had run for 1,216 yards during the previous season.

Peterson ran for 103 yards in the Vikings' season opener, a 24-3 win over the Atlanta Falcons, as Minnesota would lose their next three games despite Peterson running for over 100 yards in two of those games.

The bye came at just right the time for the Vikings following Minnesota's third straight loss which allowed starting quarterback Tavares Jackson, who had missed two games because of a groin injury, to return to the lineup as the Vikings traveled to Chicago to take on their division rivals.

The Bears came into the game with a 2-3 record as Chicago was seeking a return trip to the Super Bowl after falling to the Indianapolis Colts 29-17 eight months earlier in Super Bowl XLI.

However, things got off to a bad start as starting quarterback Rex Grossman accounted for 10 turnovers in the Bears' first three games leading to head coach Lovie Smith to bench him in favor of Brian Griese.

Griese lost his first start against the Detroit Lions but won his second start against the Green Bay Packers as the Bears' best offense remained their kick returner Devin Hester, who after returning a combined six kicks back for touchdowns in 2006, had already returned one punt and one kickoff for a touchdown in Chicago's first five games of the season.

After the Bears punted on their opening possession of the game, the Vikings took over at their 14-yard-line as it took them six plays to travel to their 40-yard-line until Peterson got his first carry of the game which would go for no gain.

Peterson would get loose on his next carry as he would run for 27 yards to put the Vikings at the Bears' 33-yard-line as the next three plays would net zero yards as Minnesota would punt the ball back to Chicago who would start their next drive at their 20-yard-line.

The Vikings would force the Bears to punt again to get the ball back at their 19-yard-line as Peterson would catch a nine-yard pass from Jackson to start the drive, then got three carries for five yards before Minnesota punted the ball back to Chicago.

That is when the "Windy City Flyer" struck as Hester would return the ensuing punt 89 yards for a touchdown to give the Bears a 7-0 lead with 1:56 left in the first quarter.

Peterson would return the ensuing kickoff 22 yards to the Minnesota 26-yard-line as it would take three plays for the Vikings to drive to their 40-yard-line until Jackson connected with Troy Williamson on a 60-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at seven as the first quarter came to an end.

Chicago would start its next possession at their 33-yard-line as it would take them six plays to get back into the end zone as Griese would throw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Bernard Berrian to give the Bears a 14-7 lead with 11:45 to go in the second quarter.

The two teams would trade punts until 4:22 left in the second quarter when the Vikings took over at their 20-yard-line as Jackson would complete a nine-yard pass to Robert Ferguson, then handed the ball off to Taylor who would run for four yards to pick up a 1st down before getting another carry that would go for no gain that would set up 2nd & 10 at the Minnesota 33-yard-line.

That is when Peterson took a handoff from Jackson, ran to his left before cutting to his right, then broke the tackle of Bears free safety Brandon McGowan on his way to a 67-yard touchdown to help tie the game at 14 with 2:19 left before halftime.

The Bears would begin their next possession at their 30-yard-line as Griese would complete two straight passes for 17 yards to give Chicago a 1st down at their 47-yard-line as Griese would then two straight incomplete passes before firing a nine-yard pass to Mark Bradley to set up a 4th & 1 at the Minnesota 44-yard-line.

Chicago would go for the 1st down only to have Griese fumble the football which was recovered by Minnesota defensive tackle Pat Williams to give the Vikings the ball at their 43-yard-line.

The Vikings would go three-and-out to give the ball back to the Bears who took over at their 20-yard-line as they would drive to their 36-yard-line before fumbling the ball to the Vikings on the final play of the first half as the game remain tied at 14.

Devin Hester would return a punt for a touchdown to go along with a 81-yard touchdown reception.

The third quarter would be a stalemate until 2:44 left in the third quarter when Peterson put together his second long touchdown of the game, this one for 73 yards to give the Vikings their first lead of the game at 21-14.

The Bears would get the ball back at their 35-yard-line as Griese would complete three of his next four passes for 18 yards to move Chicago into Viking territory at the Minnesota 48-yard-line until he was intercepted by Vikings linebacker Ben Leber on the final play of the third quarter to give the ball back to the Vikings at their 36-yard-line.

The Vikings would drive to the Bears' 30-yard-line before settling for a 48-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell to extend Minnesota's lead to 24-14 with 11:31 to go in the fourth quarter.

Chicago would get great field position to start its next possession as the Vikings kicked away from Hester as Rashied Davis would return the ensuing kickoff 20 yards to the Bears' 42-yard-line.

A 31-yard pass from Griese to tight end Greg Olsen would help set up a 32-yard field goal by Robbie Gould to cut the Vikings' lead to 24-17 with 8:37 to go in regulation.

The Vikings would begin their next possession at their 32-yard-line as they would drive to the Bears' 35-yard-line until Peterson ran down the right sideline as he avoided three attempt by Chicago tacklers to knock him out of bounds as the rookie would cross the 200-yard mark on his third touchdown of the game to increase the Vikings' lead to 31-17 with 4:10 remaining in in the game.

The game appeared to be over especially when on the Bears' next play from scrimmage, Griese was picked off by Vikings free safety Dwight Smith on a pass intended for Mushin Muhammad to give Minnesota the ball at its 26-yard-line with a chance to run out the clock.

However, the Bears defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 47-yard-line with 2:56 left in regulation.

Griese would complete a 20-yard pass to Berrian to start the drive then after an incomplete pass, Brian hit Muhammad for a 33-yard touchdown that will cut the Vikings' lead to 31-24 with 2:36 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Bears would attempt an onside kick but the Vikings would recover as they would take over at the Chicago 39-yard-line with another chance to run out the clock.

But the Vikings would go backwards as they would lose seven yards on three straight running plays, forcing them to punt the ball back to the Bears who would take over at their 19-yard-line with 1:53 left on the clock and no timeouts.

After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Griese would throw a bomb for Hester, who would make the catch at the Minnesota 35-yard-line,and then outrun the Minnesota defense to go into the end zone for the shocking 81-yard touchdown that with Gould's extra point tied the game at 31 with 1:38 left in regulation.

After giving up two touchdowns in less than a minute, the Vikings seemed to be on their heels until the ensuing kickoff when Peterson struck again as his 53-yard return would put Minnesota at the Bears' 38-yard-line with exactly 90 seconds to go.

Ryan Longwell raises his arms in celebration after his game-winning field goal.

Taylor would run for five yards on 1st down to seemingly put the Vikings in field goal range only for Jackson to throw an incomplete pass on 2nd down which was followed by Peterson being dropped for a four-yard loss as Minnesota would run the clock down to four seconds left before calling timeout and sending in Longwell to attempt a 55-yard field goal.

Despite having a chance to end the game in regulation, the game seemed destined for overtime as Longwell had never made a kick of longer than 55 yards in his entire career to go along with the fact that his longest field goal up to this point in the season had been 49 yards.

But Longwell would make the kick as the ball barely barley crossed the crossbar as time expired to give the Vikings a 34-31 win, thanks in large part to Peterson's 224-yard performance on 20 carries to go along with his four kickoff returns for 128 yards.

The Bears would not get over their Super Bowl hangover as they would go on to finish the season with a 7-9 record as Chicago would not return to the postseason until 2010.

As for the Vikings, they would go on to finish the season with an 8-8 record as Peterson would be named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after he ran for 1,341 yards including his 296-yard performance in a win against the San Diego Chargers to set the single game record for most rushing yards inn one NFL game.

Peterson would go on to a spectacular career as he would run for 14,918 yards over the course of his 15-year career to currently land at 5th place on the NFL's career rushing yards list.