NFL Old School Game of the Week: Cards End Vikings' Season With Last-Second TD

Nathan Poole makes the game-winning TD catch that ended the Vikings' season and sent Green Bay to the playoffs.

The history of the Minnesota Vikings can be best-described as star-crossed.

Since their beginnings in 1961, the Vikings have made the playoffs 27 times, won 18 division titles, and made it to the Super Bowl four times.

However, the Vikings are 0-4 all-time in the Super Bowl and have to endure numerous heartbreaking defeats in the playoffs like the 1998 NFC Championship Game as a double-digit favorite to the Atlanta Falcons and victims of the first “Hail Mary” back in the 1975 playoffs against the Dallas Cowboys.

Another chapter to their history of heartbreak did not occur in the Super Bowl or the playoffs, but on the last day of the 2003 NFL season that completed one of the biggest collapses in NFL history.

The Vikings started the 2003 season on a roll as they won their first six games thanks to their high-powered offense that featured quarterback Daunte Culpepper and all-world wide receiver Randy Moss.

But a 29-17 loss to the New York Giants started a four-game losing streak, dropping them to 6-4 and putting their a once-certain trip to the that put the postseason in jeopardy.

Minnesota would alternate wins and losses for the next five games and after a 45-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Vikings sat in a tie for first place in the NFC North Division with the Green Bay Packers as both teams had 9-6 records.

However, the Vikings held the tiebreaker over the Packers because of a better conference record(Minnesota was 7-4 in the NFC while Green Bay was 7-5)meaning all they had to do was go to Arizona and beat the lowly Cardinals who were 3-12 and were currently on a seven-game losing streak.

The Vikings were also facing backup quarterback Josh McCown, who was making only his third career start and was certain to be head coach Dave McGinnis’ final game.

So it seemed like a lock that the Vikings were going to win this game and go to the playoffs.

But the Vikings learned early on, there are no sure things in the NFL.

The Cardinals got the ball to start the game but went three-and-out, punting the ball to the Vikings who took over at their own 27-yard-line.

The Vikings quickly drove down the field as Culpepper hit three straight passes for a total of 22 yards, which was followed by a 21-yard run by Michael Bennett, then a 28-yard pass to Moss that gave Minnesota a 1st-and-goal at the Cardinals’ two-yard-line.

But the Cardinals defense stiffened and allowed only one yard on the next three plays forcing a 4th-and-goal from the one-yard-line.

Tice decided to go for the touchdown but he and the Vikings did not get it when Culpepper’s pass intended for tight end Hunter Goodwin fell incomplete in the end zone, giving the ball to Arizona at their own one-yard-line.

From there, the Cardinals were able to put together an impressive 14-play, 94-yard drive that featured McCown connecting with Emmitt Smith(yes, the Emmitt Smith who is the NFL' all-time rushing leader) on a 36-yard screen pass and then hitting tight end Freddie Jones for 25 yards.

The drive ended with a 22-yard field goal by Rackers to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead with 1:34 left in the opening quarter.

The Vikings responded with to the field goal by driving 54 yards in 13 plays to set up a 44-yard field goal by Aaron Elling.

However, Elling missed the kick, keeping Arizona in front 3-0.

Daunte Culpepper threw for 197 yards on 18-of-28 passing and ran for 40 yards on seven carries.

The score was still 3-0 with 55 seconds to go in the half when the Vikings committed the first turnover of the game.

On a 3rd-and-8 from his own 10-yard-line, Culpepper fired a deep pass intended for Kelly Campbell, that was intercepted by Arizona free safety Dexter Jackson, whose 30-yard return gave the Cardinals the ball at the Minnesota 13-yard-line with 42 seconds left and two timeouts in the Cardinals’ pocket.

However, the Cardinals could only gain five yards and had to settle for a 26-yard field goal by Rackers to increase their lead to 6-0 as the first half came to a close.

After both teams punted on their opening possessions of the second half, the Vikings took over at their 33-yard-line as Culpepper caught fire by going 4-of-4 for 48 yards on the 8-play, 67-yard drive that culminated with a one-yard touchdown run by Moe Williams to give Minnesota its first lead of the game, 7-6 midway through the third quarter.

The score remained 7-6 going into the fourth quarter as the Culpepper used his arms and legs to account for 43 yards on a 11-play, 57-yard touchdown drive that ended with Culpepper firing a seven-yard touchdown pass to Moss to increase the Minnesota lead to 14-6 with 8:54 remaining in the game.

The Cardinals tried to mount a response on their next possession but McCown was intercepted on the first snap from scrimmage when defensive tackle Kevin Williams deflected a pass that fell right into his hands for an interception, giving the Vikings the ball at the Arizona 29-yard-line.

The Arizona defense stiffened and did not permit a 1st down, forcing Tice to call on Effing to attempt a 46-yard field goal.

Effing’s kick bounced off the left upright but through the uprights and good, making it a two-score game at 17-6 with 6:52 to play.

Effing’s field goal seemed to be the backbreaker as the Cardinals offense had to be held to -17 yards of total offense in the second half.

Needing a spark, the Cardinals seemed to get it on the ensuing kickoff as Josh Scobey’s 27-yard return gave them the ball at their own 40-yard-line with 6:42 left and two timeouts in their pocket.

However, it seemed the Cardinals were soon faced with a 4th-and-6 when McGinnis decided to go for it.

McCown connected with Boldin for the six yards to give the Cardinals a 1st down and meaning that the Vikings still had to work to do to seal the win and the division title.

After an incomplete pass intended for Boldin, McCown found Bryant Johnson for 15 yards, giving Arizona a 1st down at the Vikings’ 35-yard-line.

Despite being sacked eight times in the game, Josh McCown led the Cardinals to two touchdowns in the final two minutes to pull off the incredible 18-17 victory.

But on the very next play, Kevin Williams struck again as he sacked McCown for a 11-yard-loss, which was followed by another apparent sack, this time by Lance Johnstone and Billy Lyon, only to have Lyon be called for defensive holding, giving the Cardinals a 1st down at the Minnesota 45-yard-line.

McCown connected with Smith for seven yards on 1st down, only to be sacked again on 2nd down, this time by Chris Hovan and Fred Robbins, forcing a 3rd-and-13.

That is when McCown found Nate Poole, a receiver that had been cut four times by the Cardinals, for 37 yards and a 1st down at the Vikings’ 11-yard-line.

Two straight completions for nine yards set up a 3rd-and-1 when McCown handed the ball off to Smith, only to have Vikings linebacker EJ Henderson stop him for no gain, forcing a 4th-and-1 at the two-yard-line as Arizona let the clock run down to two minutes and the two-minute warning.

On the 4th down, McCown scrambled and found tight end Steve Bush who made a sliding catch for the touchdown that cut the Vikings’ lead to 17-12 with 1:54.

The Cardinals went for the two-point conversion in hopes of trimming the deficit to three points and needing only a field goal to tie the game and force overtime.

McCown’s pass to Smith was complete, but he was tackled shy of the goal line keeping the score at 17-12.

With only one time out left, the Cardinals had to go for the onside kick to keep their faint hopes of victory.

All Minnesota had to do was recover the kick and they could probably run out the clock, to to clinch their spot in the playoffs.

Rackers kicked to the right side of the field but it seemed that the Vikings were going to recover as tight end Jim Kleinsasser got his hands on the football.

However, Kleinsasser could not hang on to it and the ball fell into the hands of Cardinals reserve running back Damien Anderson, who held on it to the football, giving Arizona the ball at their own 39-yard-line with a chance to win the game.

On the first play after the onside kick, McCown decided to go deep and fired a pass intended for Johnson who was interfered with by Vikings cornerback Denard Walker, drawing a 30-yard pass interference penalty that gave Arizona a 1st down at the Vikings 31-yard-line.

Following the penalty, McCown found Smith for five yards on a screen pass, and then connected with Poole again for a 13-yard gain and a 1st down at the Minnesota 13-yard-line.

That is when the Cardinals tried to surprise the Vikings by going back to the ground as McCown handed it off to Smith, who picked up four yards, setting up 2nd-and-6.

That is when Kevin Williams struck again as he recorded his 3rd sack of the game, dropping McCown for a eight-yard loss and forcing the Cardinals to use their final timeout with 31 seconds to go.

On 3rd-and-14 from the 17-yard-line, McCown was sacked again, this time by Lance Johnstone, and lost the football, only to have offensive guard Reggie Wells fall on it for the Cardinals at the 29-yard-line.

But with no timeouts and facing a 4th-and-25, it seemed all hope was lost for the Cardinals while the Vikings could taste the playoffs.

McCown and the Cardinal offense scrambled to get one last play off and they did with four seconds left.

McCown rolled to his right and fired a pass toward the right corner of the end zone for Poole, who made the catch and got his right foot down before he was pushed out of bounds by Denard Walker and Brian Russell.

However, the officials ruled it a touchdown, citing the “forceout rule” and believing that Poole would have made the catch with both feet in bounds if Walker and Russell had not pushed him, giving the Cardinals a shocking 18-17 victory.

As the Cardinals ran into field in celebration, several Viking players fell on the ground in shock and disbelief, knowing that they would not be going to the playoffs.

The miraculous 28-yard touchdown also set off a roar in Green Bay as Packers fans learned of the game-winning touchdown during the 2-minute warning of their 31-3 win against the Denver Broncos, which gave the Packers the NFC North title and a third straight trip to the playoffs.

Despite the amazing victory, McGinnis was fired the next day and replaced ironically by Dennis Green.

The win also cost the Cardinals the #1 pick in the 2004 NFL Draft as they fell to the #3 spot.

It still worked out for the Cardinals as they used that pick to select wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

As for the Vikings, they became only the 2nd team in NFL history to start a season 6-0 and not make the playoffs.

And as for the “forceout rule” it would be eliminated following the 2007 season, meaning that could be an incomplete pass if a defensive player pushed a receiver out of bounds before getting both feet inbounds.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Falcons Clinch Division Title With Win Over Panthers

Falcons quarterback Michael Vick accounted for 222 yards of total offense(154 passing, 68 running) and three touchdowns(two passing, one running) in the Falcons' 34-31 overtime win over the Panthers.

Up until quarterback Matt Ryan in Atlanta, division titles are a rarity for the Atlanta Falcons.
In their 50-plus year history, the Falcons have won only six division titles, three of those coming with Ryan as the Atlanta starting quarterback since 2008.
One of the three division titles before Ryan's arrival come in 2004 with quarterback Michael Vick, who helped give the Falcons a division title in dramatic fashion in a game against the Carolina Panthers on December 18, 2004.
Vick was chosen with #1 pick by the Falcons in 2001 and quickly rose to superstardom as his breathtaking skills as a runner helped the Falcons a playoff berth in his first full season as a starter in 2002, which included a 27-7 win over the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round, the first time the Packers had ever lost a postseason game at home.
Expectations were high for the Falcons going into the 2003 season, but hopes of a possible run to the Super Bowl were shattered when Vick broke his right fibula in the preseason, causing him to miss three months of the season as the Falcons went 5-11 and lead to the dismissal of Dan Reeves as head coach.
Reeves' replacement, Jim L. Mora, son of former Saints and Colts head coach Jim E. Mora, help guide the Falcons to a 10-3 record with the league's top rushing game which featured Vick, running back Warrick Dunn, and fullback T.J. Duckett, earning the Atlanta run game the nickname "DVD".
The Falcons entered their Week 15 game with the Carolina Panthers with a chance to clinch the NFC South, though they would have to do without Duckett, who was out with an injury.
The Panthers entered their game with the Falcons desperate for a victory to keep their slim playoff hopes alive as they stood 6-7, one year after making it to the Super Bowl.
The Panthers' 2004 season had been riddled with injuries as wide receiver Steve Smith broke his left leg in the first game of the season and their top two running backs, Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster, due to a microfracture in his right knee and a broken collarbone, respectively.
Despite all the injuries, the Panthers got on a five-game winning streak after going 1-7 in the first half of the season thanks to the passing combination of quarterback Jake Delhomme and wide receiver Mushin Muhammad.
Delhomme and Muhmmad would need to come up big if the Panthers were to keep their five-game winning streak going as they traveled to the Georgia Dome to take on their division rivals, the Atlanta Falcons.
After both teams went three-and-out on their opening possessions of the game, the Falcons defense forced the first turnover of the game when linebacker Keith Brooking sacked Delhomme, jarring the ball loose which was recovered by defensive tackle Chad Lavalais, giving Atlanta the ball at the Panthers' 40-yard-line.
From there, the Falcons went 40 yards in nine plays, with seven of those plays on the ground as Dunn carried the ball four times for 24 yards while Vick picked up 15 on two runs, but lost two yards on a quarterback sack.
However, the drive ended with a pass as Vick hit wide receiver Brian Finneran for a three-yard touchdown pass to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead midway through the opening quarter.
The Falcons would force the Panthers to punt the ball again on their ensuing possession, taking over at their 35-yard-line and driving to the Carolina' 13-yard-line behind three carries by Dunn for 21 yards and a 13-yard run by Vick.
But on 1st-and-10 from the 13-yard-line, Vick was sacked by Panthers linebacker Mark Fields for a 11-yard loss, which was followed by a holding penalty on right guard Kynan Forney, forcing the Falcons to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Jay Feely on the third play of the second quarter which increased Atlanta's lead to 10-0.

Warrick Dunn carried the ball 28 times for 134 yards and scored a touchdown.

Following the Feely field goal, the Carolina offense put together its best drive of the game thus far as they drove 80 yards in 11 plays as Delhomme completed six of seven passes for 75 yards on the drive, with three of those completions going to Muhammad for 38 yards, including a six-yard touchdown that brought the Panthers back to within three points, 10-7 midway through the second quarter.
The Falcons got great field position to start their next possession as Allen Rossum returned the ensuing kickoff 49 yards to the Carolina 41-yard-line.
But the Atlanta offense only traveled 14 yards and were forced to attempt to a 45-yard field goal, which Feely missed, keeping the score 10-7 with 4:25 left in the first half.
The Panthers took over at their 35-yard-line and were able to drive 56 yards in 10 plays as Delhomme connected with Muhammad four times on the drive for 46 yards to give Carolina a 1st-and-goal at the Falcons' nine-yard-line with 46 seconds left before halftime.
That is when the Atlanta defense rose up and kept the Panthers out of the end zone, forcing Carolina to settle for 21-yard field goal by John Kasay that tied the game 10-10 with 21 seconds left before halfime.
The Falcons attempted to get more points before the halftime break but were unsuccessful keeping the game tied at 10 after the first 30 minutes.
Atlanta got the ball to start the 2nd half from their 29-yard-line and drove 36 yards in 10 plays as Dunn picked up 17 yards in five carries while Vick completed three passes for 17 yards, leading to a 3rd-and-12 at the Panthers' 35-yard-line when Vick connected with Michael Jenkins for a 22-yard completion and a 1st down.
But Jenkins was called for taunting, pushing the Falcons back 15 yards to the 28-yard-line.
No problem as Dunn got the call on the next three plays and ran for the last 28 yards of the drive including the six-yard touchdown that put Atlanta back on top 17-10 with 6:48 left in the third quarter.
The Falcons kept the momentum going as they forced another three-and-out by the Panthers, which was followed by a 34-yard punt return by Rossum that gave the Falcons the ball at the Carolina' 49-yard-line.
After Vick ran for 25 yards on the first play of the drive, he then hit Finneran for eight yards on a 3rd-and-8 to give Atlanta a 1st down at the Panthers' 13-yard-line, which was followed by a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dez White to give the Falcons their largest lead of the game at 24-10 with 2:47 left in the third quarter.

Mushin Muhammad(left) caught 10 passes from quarterback Jake Delhomme(right) for 135 yards and a touchdown.

It seemed that the Falcons had grabbed control of the game especially on the Panthers' next offensive possession when defensive end Brady Smith sacked Delhomme, forcing a fumble that was recovered by fellow defensive end Patrick Kerney at the Carolina' 44-yard-line.
But on 2nd-and-8 at the Panthers' 42-yard-line, Vick was intercepted on a deep pass for Peerless Price by Carolina cornerback Chris Gamble at the Panthers' three-yard-line with 1:15 left in the third quarter.
Gamble's interception began the Panthers' comeback efforts as they drove 97 yards in nine plays as Delhomme five of seven passes for 90 yards on the drive, capping the drive off with a 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kris Mangum to cut the deficit in half to 24-17 with 12:21 left in the fourth quarter.
The Falcons got the ball back at their 23-yard-line and went three-and-out, only to get a reprieve when Carolina punt returner Jamall Broussard muffed the punt, which was recovered by the Falcons' Kevin McCadam at the Panthers' 27-yard-line.
However on 2nd-and-11, Vick was sacked by Panthers defensive tackle Brentson Buckner, knocking the ball loose which was grabbed in mid-air by defensive end Juilus Peppers who ran for a 60-yard touchdown to give Carolina its second touchdown in two minutes and tie the game at 24 with 10:09 left in regulation.
With their two-touchdown lead evaporated, the Falcons seemed to poise to break the tie as Atlanta got another kick return, this time courtesy of DeAngelo Hall, who after receiving a lateral from Rossum, ran 49 yards to the Panthers' 36-yard-line.
But after three runs by Dunn picked up 12 yards, Vick was called for intentional grounding pushing the Falcons back to the Carolina' 40-yard-line where they faced 2nd-and-26.
Hoping to salvage a field goal, Vick hit tight end Alge Crumpler for 17 yards on 3rd-and-26, only to have Crumpler fumble the football which was recovered by Panthers linebacker Dan Morgan at the Carolina 22-yard-line.
After a 17-yard pass to Muhammad and a six-yard run by Nick Goings, Delhomme connected with Keary Colbert for a 43-yard gain that put the Panthers at the Atlanta 12-yard-line.
Then after a 10-yard pass to fullback Brad Hoover gave the Panthers a 1st-and-goal at the one-yard-line, disaster nearly struck as Delhomme fumbled the snap on 1st-and-goal, only to recover his own fumble at the five-yard-line, allowing for Carolina to keep the football and score on the very next play as Goings punched it in for the five-yard touchdown to give the Panthers its first lead of the game, 31-24 with 3:37 left in regulation.

Nick Goings was the Panthers' leading rusher as he ran for 61 yards on 24 carries and scored one touchdown.

Now trailing for the first time in the game, the Falcons took over at their 29-yard-line with 3:29 to go but just one timeout in their pocket.
After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Vick ran for 12 yards and a 1st down, which was followed by another incomplete pass setting up 2nd-and-10 from the Atlanta 41-yard-line.
That is when Vick threw a pass to White, who made the catch at the Panthers' 40-yard-line, then cut back to the middle and ran down to the Carolina five-yard-line for a 54-yard gain to give the Falcons a 1st-and-goal with 2:27 left in regulation.
Vick threw an incomplete pass on 1st down when disaster almost struck for the Falcons on 2nd down as Vick was hit by Panthers defensive end Al Jenkins, knocking the ball out of Vick's hand and forward, only to have Jenkins recover the loose ball for Atlanta at the two-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.
Then a holding penalty pushed the Falcons back to the 12-yard-line which was followed by another incomplete pass, setting up a do-or-die 4th-and-goal.
That is when Vick took off and busted through the middle then stretched out for a 12-yard touchdown that with Feely's extra point tied the game at 31 with 1:37 left in regulation.

Taking over at their 20-yard-line and only one timeout left, the Panthers tried to put together a drive to get into field goal range, but a six-yard-loss by Goings and a false start penalty, led Carolina to run out the clock and send the game into overtime.
The Panthers won the coin toss and of course, elected to receive, starting at their 19-yard-line.
But on 3rd-and-9 from the 20-yard-line, Delhomme was intercepted by Falcons cornerback Aaron Beasley, who returned it 30 yards to the Panthers' 23-yard-line.
After two runs by Dunn gained three yards, the Falcons called on Feely to kick the game-winning field goal.
Feely's 37-yard field goal sailed through the uprights to give the Falcons a 34-31 win and their third division title in team history.
The Panthers would finish the season 7-9, just one game out of the playoffs, but would come back the following year with Steve Smith, Stephen Davis, and Deshaun Foster to go 11-5 and make it all the way to the NFC Championship Game, before losing to the Seattle Seahawks.
As for the Falcons, they would defeat the St. Louis Rams 47-17 in the Divisional Playoffs to earn a trip to the NFC Championship Game where they were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10.
The Falcons would not return to the playoffs with Vick as quarterback and Mora as head coach as the team went 15-17 the next two seasons, leading to the firing of Mora and then parting ways with Vick after he was sent to prison for his part in running a dog fighting ring.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Browns Beat Rams in Epic NFL Title Game

Otto Graham(60) accounted for 397 yards of total offense(298 passing, 99 rushing) and threw four touchdown passes in leading the Browns to a win over the Rams in the 1950 NFL Title Game.

When most younger fans think of the Cleveland Browns, they think of one of the most inept franchises in professional sports.

Since their revival in 1999 after the Browns left for Baltimore in 1995, the team has had only two winning seasons, one of them resulting with a playoff berth, and have gone through seven head coaches and had 23 different quarterbacks start at least one game.
The franchise’s bad run since their return to the NFL in addition to all the heartbreaking playoff losses since the team’s last championship in 1964 have made the Cleveland Browns fanbase perhaps the
But there was a time when the Cleveland Browns were the model franchise in the NFL, in fact they were so good that then NFL commissioner Bert Bell called them “the greatest team to ever play football”.
The Browns joined the NFL in 1950 as one of three franchises from the All American Football Conference, a league that ran for four seasons in which the Browns were crowned champions after all four seasons.
The team was coached and named after Paul Brown, who was already a legend in the state of Ohio as he had coached the Masillion High School football team to six straight state championships and then coached the Ohio State Buckeyes to the 1942 AP national title.
Brown’s team featured quarterback Otto Graham, fullback Marion Motley (one of the first African Americans to play professional football), and kicker/defensive tackle Lou Groza, who was so good at kicking that he was nicknamed “The Toe”.
When the Browns entered the NFL, they were perceived as a great team in a dominant league.
But the Browns quickly squashed those thoughts in their season opener when they dominated the 2-time defending NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles 35-10 in Philadelphia.
The Browns would go to finish the regular season with a 10-2 record in a tie for first place in the American Conference with the New York Giants, forcing a one-game playoff to see who would go on to the NFL Championship Game.
In a low scoring affair, the Browns would win 8-3 thanks to in large part to Groza’s two field goals and they were off to the NFL title game in their first season where they would face off with the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams were under the direction of first-year head coach Joe Stadyhr, who had helped put together the greatest offense the NFL had ever seen up to that point.
The Rams set a then record for points in a season with 466 points over 12 games, and still hold the average points per game with 38.8, despite using two quarterbacks, Norm Van Brocklin and Bob Waterfield, who combined to throw for 3601 yards and 29 touchdowns, with their favorite target being Tom Fears who caught 84 passes for 1106 yards and seven touchdowns.
The offense also featured former Heisman Trophy winner Glenn Davis, who had over 1,000 yards of total offense during the season.
Despite their record-setting offense, the Rams finished tied for first place in the National Conference with a 9-3 record and had to face the Chicago Bears in a one-game playoff.
The Rams defeated the Bears 24-14 to earn a trip to Cleveland to face the Browns for the NFL title.
It was ironic that the Rams would have to face the Browns in Cleveland’s first NFL championship game since the Rams franchise operated in Cleveland from 1937-1945, which included a NFL championship in their final season in 1945 before moving west to Los Angeles.
If the Rams were to win the NFL title, they would have do in their former city on a cold Christmas Eve where temperatures did not get above 30 degrees with a wind blowing nearly 30 miles per hour.
The Rams got the ball to start the game as Verda Smith returned the opening kickoff to the Rams’ 18-yard-old-line.
On the first snap, Waterfield dropped back and launched a pass that was caught by Davis 30 yards downfield.
Davis then proceeded to run the remaining 52 yards to complete the shocking 82-yard touchdown that gave the Rams a 7-0 lead just 27 seconds into the game.
The Browns responded with a six-play, 70-yard drive that culminated with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Graham to Dub Jones,one play after Graham had scrambled 22 yards for a 1st down on a 3rd-and-5 at the Browns’ 47.
Lou Groza’s extra point tied the game at 7, with 11:50 still to play in the first quarter.
The Rams would take over at their own 19 and drive right back down the field as Waterfield connected with Tom Fears for a 44-yard pass and a 15-yard run by Smith set up a four-yard touchdown run by Dick Hoerner that put Los Angeles back in front 14-7 as both teams had combined for three touchdowns in the first 15 plays of the game.
The offensive fireworks continued in the second quarter as Graham connected with Dante Lavelli for a 37-yard touchdown to end a 8-play, 65-yard drive.

Dante Lavelli caught a then NFL Championship game 11 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. 

However on the extra point, holder Tommy James mishandled the snap, leading to a wild scramble that ended with James throwing a desperation pass to Tony Admale, who dropped the pass in the end zone, keeping the Rams in front with a 14-13 lead.
Back came the Rams down the field as they drove to the Browns’ seven-yard-line until a holding penalty pushed them back to the 26-yard-line, which was followed by an interception by Browns safety Ken Gorgel who returned it 33 yards to the Cleveland 49.
But the Browns could not do nothing with the turnover as they lost 12 yards on three plays, forcing a punt from Horace Gilliam, who shanked the kick as it went only nine yards, giving the Rams the ball back at the Cleveland 46-yard-line.
Again the Rams drove to inside the Browns’ ten-yard-line as they drove to the eight-yard-line to set up a 15-yard field goal attempt by Waterfield(the goalposts were at the front of the end zone, not in the back).
Inexplicably, Waterfield would miss the kick keeping it a 14-13 game.
The Rams would get one more chance before halftime to get points on the board but Waterfield would be intercepted by Browns linebacker Hal Herring, ending the first half with the Rams still in the lead 14-13.
The Browns got the ball to start the second half as drove 77 yards in five plays, with Graham connecting with Gilliam for a 29-yard completion to set up a 39-yard touchdown pass from Graham to Lavelli that gave Cleveland its first lead of the game at 20-14.
But the Rams would strike back on their next possession as Waterfield completed three straight passes, the last being a 38-yard pass to Smith, that put Los Angeles at the Browns’ 17-yard-line.
That is when Los Angeles went to the ground game as they ran the ball seven straight times, the last carry being a one-yard touchdown run by Hoerner that with Waterfield’s extra point put the Rams back in front 21-20.

Dick Hoerner scores one of his two touchdowns in the 1950 NFL Championship Game. 

The Rams’ lead increased on the Browns’ first play from scrimmage after the touchdown as Motley, who was held to nine yards on six carries, while trying to find reverse field on a run, lost the football when he was hit by the Rams’ two defensive ends, Larry Brink and Jack Zilly, at his own 14-yard-line.
The ball bounced back to the six-yard-line where Brink scooped it up and ran it in for the touchdown that gave the Rams their second touchdown in 21 seconds and their largest lead of the game, 28-20.
The fumble return for the touchdown seemed to take the steam out of Cleveland as they went three-and-out on their next drive, giving the ball back to the Rams who had a chance to ice the game with another touchdown.
But on that ensuing possession, Waterfield would be intercepted again, this time by Browns defensive back Warren Lehr, giving Cleveland the ball at that own 35-yard-line toward the end of the third quarter.
With the Rams going to a prevent defense, Graham throw short passes, nine of them in fact, the last being a 14-yard touchdown pass to Rex Bumgardner, who made a shoestring catch for the touchdown, that with Groza’s extra point brought the Browns to within one point, 28-27 with 10:25 to play.
After an exchange of punts, the Browns forced Waterfield to throw his 4th interception of the game with linebacker Tommy Thompson being the recipient, giving Graham and the Browns the ball at Rams’ 47-yard-line with five minutes to go.
It seemed the Browns were on the verge of taking the lead as Graham connected with Jones for a 22-yard gain to the LA 25, putting Cleveland in Groza’s range for a field goal.
But on the very next play, Graham would fumble the football when he was hit by Rams linebacker Mike Lazetich, who would then recover the ball at the Cleveland 24, giving the Rams the ball with three minutes to go and a chance to ice the game with a first down.
However, the Browns defense only allowed six yards on three plays, forcing Los Angeles to punt the ball back to Cleveland and given Graham a chance to redeem himself.
After Cliff Lewis returned Waterfield’s punt 13 yards to the Cleveland 32-yard-line, the Browns had 1:48 left and one timeout to get into field goal range.
On the first snap from scrimmage, Graham scrambled for 16 yards for a 1st down, then hit Bumgardner for 13 yards and another 1st down at the Rams’ 39-yard-line.
After an incompletion, Graham found Jones for a 16-yard-gain, then followed it up with another 12-yarder to Bumgardner, which put Cleveland at the LA 11-yard-line with 45 seconds to play.
The Cleveland fans were begging for Groza to come onto the field and kick the field goal, but Brown and assistant coach Blanton Collier told Graham to sneak the ball into the middle to give Groza a better chance for his kick.
Graham compiled and ran to the center of the field and gaining a yard allowing for Brown to call on Groza and the field goal unit.
The 29,751 fans at Municipal Stadium waited nervously as they hoped Groza would come through again like he did a week before against the Giants.
The snap was good, James’ hold was good, and Groza’s kick was good as his 16-yard field goal gave the Browns a 30-28 lead with 20 seconds to play.

Both teams watch as Groza's 16-yard filed goal goes through the uprights. 

Needing a miracle to win the game, the Rams almost got one on the ensuing kickoff as Jerry Williams ran the kick back 35 yards, only to be tackled by Groza at the Rams’ 47-yard-line.
That is when Stydahar called on his long passer, Van Brocklin,in hopes of throwing a long touchdown pass.
Van Brocklin took the snap and dropped back seven yards before launching his pass, which went 55 yards before it was picked off by Lahr, as he snatched the ball away from Davis, thus ending the game and sending the fans into a frenzy as they come onto the field and tore down the goalposts in celebration of the Browns’ 30-28 victory and NFL championship.
The two teams would meet again in the NFL Championship game the following year, this time in Los Angeles and this time the Rams winning, as Fears caught a 73-yard touchdown pass from Van Brocklin in the 4th quarter to give Los Angeles a 24-17 win and the NFL championship.
The two teams would meet again for the NFL championship in 1955. this time with the Browns winning easily 38-14, giving Cleveland its second straight NFL title and third in six seasons.
The game was the last of Graham’s 10-year career, who took the Browns to a league championship games in all 10 of his seasons, finishing with a 7-3 record in those 10 title games.
Since his retirement, the Browns have only one NFL championship, which came in 1964 with running back Jim Brown and Collier as the head coach.
But it is safe to say that no NFL team will ever play in 10 straight championship games again.
And most younger fans will find hard to believe that is was the Cleveland Browns who accomplished this feat.

The Browns celebrate after winning the 1950 NFL Championship. 

NFL Old School Game of the Week: OT Fumble Allows Eagles To Pull off Upset Over Raiders

Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham accounted for 358 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in the Eagles' overtime win over the Raiders.

Many successful NFL coaching regimes will point to one game as the moment where they know that their team was on the path to success.
For the Buddy Ryan-led Philadelphia Eagles, it was their game against the Los Angeles Raiders in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 30, 1986 which began the turnaround of the Eagles.
Ryan was in his first season as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles after serving as the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears in their dominant 1985 season which included allowing only 10 points in their three playoff games as the Bears went on to win the Super Bowl.
Ryan came to Philadelphia trying to revive the once-proud Eagles who had four straight losing seasons upon Ryan's arrival.
Even though the team had shown improvement with Randall Cunningham taking over the starting quarterback job from veteran Ron Jaworski and acquired defensive end Reggie White from the USFL, the Eagles were set to finish with their fifth straight losing season as they entered their game with the Raiders with a 3-9 record having lost their last four games by a combined 11 points.
While the Eagles were trying to learn how to win, the Raiders were accustomed to winning as they entered the game with Philadelphia with a 8-4 record, just one win away from their 21st winning season since 1965.
Led by reigning MVP Marcus Allen at running back, head coach Tom Flores and quarterback Jim Plunkett, who was just five days away from his 39th birthday, the Raiders needed a win to keep up in the race for a playoff spot.
Many believed a win over the Eagles would be a snitch as Los Angeles were 11 point favorites over the Eagles.
But little did anyone know, that the ramifications of this game would not alter the course for both teams for the 1986 season, but for the next few years.
The Raiders got the ball to start the game but quickly went three-and-out, punting the ball to the Eagles who took over at their 27-yard-line, but were forced to punt after Cunningham was sacked on 3rd down, the first of 11 quarterback sacks the Raiders would have on the day.
John Teltschik came onto the punt the ball for Eagles, kicking it to Fulton Walker who caught the punt at his own 30-yard-line and darted to the left side, outrunning the Eagles' punt coverage team for a 70-yard punt return touchdown to give LA a 7-0 lead just 3:26 into the game.
After both teams punted on their following their two possessions, the Eagles took over at their 38-yard-line having accumulated zero 1st downs and -17 yards of offense to this point of the game.
That would change on 2nd-and-10 when Cunningham dropped back and fired a bomb for Mike Quick, who made the catch at the Raiders' 20-yard-line, then stiffed arm free safety Vann McElroy at the five-yard-line to go in for a 62-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 7 with 4:18 remaining in the first quarter.

Eagles receiver Mike Quick(82) would catch eight passes for 145 yards, with three of those catches for touchdowns.

78 seconds later, the Eagles were back in the end zone as Gregg Garrity ran back a punt 76 yards for the touchdown, the first time the Eagles had returned a punt for touchdown since 1978 and the fourth time in NFL history that both teams had returned a punt back for a touchdown in the same game.
However, the extra point was blocked by Raiders linebacker Matt Millen, keeping the score 13-7 with three minutes left in the first quarter.
Following another exchange of punts, the Raiders were in prime position to put points on the board as a Walker punt return gave Los Angeles possession at the Eagles' 39-yard-line.
On 2nd-and-10, Plunkett found Jesse Hester for an apparent 39-yard touchdown, only to have it called back because of a holding penalty on right tackle Henry Lawrence and the Raiders would punt the ball back to the Eagles who took over at their six-yard-line.
The Eagles would go three-and-out again, punting the ball back to the Raiders who once again would start in Philadelphia territory as they took over at the Eagles' 43-yard-line after a 27-yard punt by Teltschik.
An eight-yard run by Allen and an eight-yard pass from Plunkett to Dokie Williams had the Raiders at the Philadelphia 18-yard-line when on 2nd-and-10, Plunkett fired a perfect pass to Jesse Hester, who was open at the goal line only to have Hester drop the sure touchdown.
Allen would be dropped for a three-yard-loss on 3rd down forcing the Raiders to settle for a 38-yard field goal by Chris Bahr, to cut the Eagles' lead to 13-10 with 8:48 left in the first half.
Following the field goal, the Eagles put together their best drive of the first half as they drove from their 20-yard-line to the Raiders' 39-yard-line until another quarterback sack of Cunningham forced Philadelphia to punt the ball again to the Raiders who took over at their 20-yard-line.

Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett would complete 16 of 42 passes, but those 16 completions accounted for 366 yards and two touchdowns.

It didn't take long for the Raiders to get back into Eagles territory as Hester caught a 50-yard pass from Plunkett to put LA at the Eagles' 25-yard-line.
After an incomplete pass, Plunkett hit tight end Todd Christensen for 11 yards and another 1st down on the final play before the two-minute warning.
Three straight runs by Allen gained nine yards, setting up a 4th-and-1 from the one-yard-line.
Most assumed that the Raiders would kick the field goal to tie the game, but Flores decided to go for the 1st down.
However, the gamble did not pay off as Allen was stopped short of the 1st down by Eagles linebacker Seth Joyner, giving the ball back to the Eagles who would run out the clock to end the first half, leading the favored Raiders 13-10.
The Eagles got the ball to start the second half but once again went three-and-out and punted the ball back to the Raiders, who took over at Philadelphia 49-yard-line.
It only took the Raiders one play to get into the end zone as Plunkett faked a handoff to Allen and fired a bomb for Hester, who this time made the catch for a 49-yard touchdown to put LA back on top 17-13 with 13:27 left in the third quarter.
The Eagles would drive to midfield on their next possession before punting again to the Raiders who took over at their 20-yard-line where the Eagles defense come up large as back-to-back quarterback sacks forced a LA punt that was fair caught by Garrity at the Raiders' 35-yard-line, giving the Eagles great field position.
After Anthony Toney picked up one yard on 1st down, Cunningham completed a 17-yard pass to fullback Keith Byars, which was followed by a 14-yard pass to tight end John Spagnola to give the Eagles a 1st-and-goal at the four-yard-line.
That is when disaster nearly struck for the Eagles as it appeared that the Raiders had recovered a Cunningham fumble, only to have the referees rule him down, which was the correct call, giving Philadelphia a reprieve which they took advantage of as Cunningham rolled right, then fired a pass across his body for Quick, who made the catch for the five-yard touchdown to give the Eagles a 20-17 lead with 5:43 left in the third quarter.
However, the Eagles' lead lasted only 20 seconds as Plunkett threw another long touchdown pass to Hester, this one for 81 yards to give the lead back to the Raiders at 24-20 with 5:23 left in the third quarter.

Raiders wide receiver Jesse Hester had four catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns.

The game moved into the 4th quarter with the Raiders still in the lead when the Eagles forced their first turnover of the game when cornerback Evan Cooper knocked the ball loose from Christensen after the Raiders tight end made a 12-yard catch.
The fumble was recovered by Philadelphia free safety Terry Hoage at the Eagles' 42-yard-line.
After Spagnola dropped Cunningham's 1st down pass, the Eagles quarterback would complete his next four passes, with the last one being a 10-yard touchdown pass to Quick, his third touchdown catch of the game, to give the Eagles the lead once again, 27-24 with 11:35 remaining in regulation.
The Eagles kept the momentum they had gained from the touchdown going when on the next play from scrimmage, Cooper intercepted a Plunkett pass when Hester pulled up with after pulling his hamstring knocking him out of the game.
The Eagles took over at their 28-yard-line and drove to the Raiders' 17-yard-line in seven plays until a delay of game, another Cunningham sack, and an incomplete pass forced Philadelphia to bring on Paul McFaddin to attempt a 45-yard field goal which sailed wide left, giving the Raiders the ball back at their 28-yard-line with 4:35 left in regulation.
That is when Plunkett found Allen, who turned a short screen pass into a 36-yard gain that gave LA a 1st down at the Eagles' 36-yard-line.
But two plays later, Plunkett was intercepted again when Rod Barksdale bobbled Plunkett's pass, which ended up in the hands of Eagles strong safety to give the ball back to Philadelphia at their 21-yard-line with 2:54 left and a chance to run out the clock and come away with the upset.

Eagles defensive end Reggie White had four of Philadelphia's six quarterback sacks of Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett.

Facing a 3rd-and-12 with 2:02 to go, the Eagles appeared to have the game wrapped up when Cunningham hit Toney for a 30-yard gain to give Philadelphia a 1st down at their own 49-yard-line.
Everyone expected the Eagles to run the ball but Cunningham put the ball back in the air and was intercepted by Raiders cornerback Lester Hayes, whose seven-yard return to the LA 45-yard-line gave the Raiders a chance to pull out the victory as they had 1:43 left on the clock and two timeouts in their pocket.
Plunkett hit Christensen for 20 yards to the Eagles' 35-yard-line to start the drive, which was followed by a nine-yard pass to Barksdale.
Then on 2nd-and-1, Plunkett went for the end zone Dokie Williams could not hang on to the ball as he dove to try to make the catch at the goal line.
Plunkett handed it off to Allen who picked up two yards and the 1st down at the 24-yard-line where the Raiders called timeout with 59 seconds left in regulation.
Allen would get the next 15 yards on the following two plays, the first seven on a run and the next eight on a screen pass, to give LA a 1st-and-goal at the Eagles' nine-yard-line with 45 seconds to go.
But Plunkett would throw three straight incomplete passes, forcing the Raiders to settle for the game-tying field goal, which Bahr made from 27 yards out with 11 seconds left, tying the game at 27 and forcing overtime.
After both teams punted on their first possessions of overtime, the Eagles took over at their 21-yard-line where they drove 18 yards until Cunningham fumbled the football after he was sacked by nose tackle Bill Pickel, causing the football to come loose and go forward where it was caught in mid-air by Raiders defensive end Howie Long at the Eagles' 42-yard-line.
It looked the Raiders were going to bail out the Eagles again as Plunkett threw three straight incomplete passes only to have as Eagles linebacker Garry Cobb was called for holding Christensen, giving the Raiders a 1st down at the Philadelphia 37-yard-line.
The Raiders again dug themselves a hole when Plunkett was sacked by White, the fourth sack of the game for him, to force a 3rd-and-20 at the Eagles' 47-yard-line but got themselves out of it when Plunkett scrambled long enough to fire a pass downfield for Allen, who made the catch at the Eagles' 20-yard-line, seemingly putting the Raiders on the cusp of victory as they were now in Bahr's field goal range.
However, Flores kept the offense on the field and after a four-yard run by Allen, it was 2nd-and-6 at the Philadelphia 16-yard-line.
That is when Plunkett tried to hand off the ball to Allen, who could not get a grasp of the ball, leading to a fumble that was recovered by Waters at the 15-yard-line.
Waters then began to run and stiffed armed Plunkett at the 18-yard-line as the Philadelphia free safety darted to the right side of the field running for about 50 yards, before cutting back to the middle at the Raiders' 30-yard-line with his eyes on the end zone, until he was tackled by Williams at the LA four-yard-line after a 81-yard return by Waters(click to play).

The Eagles could have simply go for the field goal at that point but Ryan put the Eagles offense on the field as they faced 1st-and-goal at the Raiders' four-yard-line.
Cunningham run through the middle for three yards on 1st down, then ran up the middle again, getting into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with 6:53 left in overtime to give the Eagles a stunning 33-27 win.
The Raiders never recovered from their loss as they would lose their last three games to finish the season with a 8-8 record for only their second non-winning season in 22 years.
In fact, the Raiders would not have another winning season until 1990, four years after Plunkett's retirement and three years after Flores resigned as head coach.
As for the Eagles, they would go 1-1-1 in the last three games of the season to finish with a 5-10-1 record.
The following season, Cunningham was named the permanent starter as the team finished 7-8, which included White recording 21 quarterback sacks over the season.
Philadelphia  probably would have made the playoffs if not for the strike early in the season that lead the NFL to call on replacement players for all the NFL franchises, with the Eagles' replacements going 0-3.
However, the next year began a five-year stretch where the Eagles won at least 10 games five years in a row and made the playoffs in four of those five years.
And Eagles fans could point to their win over the Raiders as the mark of their renaissance in the NFL.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Bledsoe Comes Off the Bench to Lead Patriots to AFC Title Win

Despite not having played in four months, Drew Bledsoe came off the bench to lead the Patriots to a win over the Steelers in the 2001 AFC Championship Game.

When it comes to the story of Tom Brady, nearly every NFL fan knows how the five-time Super Bowl champion and four-time Super Bowl MVP became the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots as he took over for Drew Bledsoe, who was knocked out of the lineup in the second game of the 2001 season when a hit by New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis sheared a blood vessel in Bledsoe's chest.

But what most NFL fans forget is that Bledsoe came back to help the Patriots in the 2001 AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Before that AFC Title game, it didn't look like Bledsoe was going to get back on the field as Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said that Brady would remain the Patriots' starting quarterback even though Bledose had been medically cleared by doctors and New England stood outside the playoffs with a 5-5 record.

However, the Patriots would win the last six games of the regular season to finish with a 11-5 record and the AFC East Division title, which earned New England the #2 seed in the AFC Playoffs and first-round bye.

In the Divisional Playoffs, the Patriots hosted the Oakland Raiders in a driving snowstorm at Foxboro Stadium when the infamous "tuck rule" came into play, negating a fumble with 1:43 left and allowing for the Patriots to drive for the game-tying field goal, which Adam Vinatieri made from 45 yards out through the snow, to send the game into overtime where Vinatieri made a chip shot 23-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 16-13 overtime win in the final game at Foxboro Stadium.

Even though they had made it to the AFC Championship Game, many NFL experts and fans thought the Patriots' Cinderella run would come to an end in Pittsburgh as they faced off with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

After missing the playoffs the previous three seasons, the Steelers returned to the playoffs with a 13-3 record to earn the #1 seed and home field advantage through the AFC Playoffs.

Behind head coach Bill Cowher and quarterback Kordell Stewart, the Steelers defeated the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens 27-10 in the Divisional Playoffs to earn the right to host the AFC Championship Game against the Patriots.

The Steelers were expected to win the game as they entered the game as 9 1/2  favorites and were getting running back Jerome Bettis back, who had missed the previous six games with a groin injury.

With Bettis back and the home field advantage, the chances of a Patriots upset seemed unlikely.

But like ESPN's Chris Berman, "That is why they play the game".

 Most of the first quarter was a defensive stalemate as neither team could put together a drive and were traded punts with the Patriots punting three times and the Steelers twice.

The Steelers' third possession ended in a punt as well as punter Josh Miller's 64-yard punt had the put the Patriots at their 23-yard-line, only to have the Steelers' Troy Edwards get called for stepping out of bounds, drawing a five-yard penalty and forcing Pittsburgh to punt the ball again.

The penalty proved costly as Miller's punt was fielded by Troy Brown at the Patriots' 45-yard-line, who broke a tackle around the 50-yard-line, and then outran the Steelers' punt coverage team for a 55-yard touchdown for the first points of the game, giving New England a 7-0 lead with 3:55 left in the first quarter.

Troy Brown had eight catches for 121 yards and ran back a punt for a 55-yard touchdown.

The Steelers responded with a 10-play, 65-yard drive which saw Stewart account for 61 of the 65 yards as he completed four passes for 27 yards and had a 34-yard run to help set up a 30-yard field goal by Kris Brown to cut the Patriots' lead to 7-3 with 13:44 left in the second quarter.

Following another exchange of punts, the Patriots took over at their 22-yard-line and proceeded to drive to the Steelers' 36-yard-line in seven plays as Brady completed three passes for 33 yards and snuck for a first down.

However on 1st down from the 36-yard-line, Brady was sacked by Pittsburgh linebacker Jason Gildeon for a 11-yard-loss, killing the drive and forcing another New England punt.

The Patriots defense would force the Steelers to go three-and-out to get the ball back at their 30-yard-line with 2:42 left in the first half.

On 3rd-and-8 at the 32-yard-line, Brady found Brown over the middle for a 28-yard completion, the longest offensive play of the day for New England to give the Patriots a 1st down at the Steelers' 40-yard-line.

But as the Patriots were thinking about what to do now that they were in Steelers territory, Brady laid on the ground writhing in pain after a hit by Steelers safety Lee Flowers, which resulted in a sprained left ankle for Brady.

As Brady limped off the field, Bledsoe was inserted into the game, seeing his first game action in three months as the Patriots faced a 1st-and-10 at the Pittsburgh 40-yard-line with exactly 100 seconds left before halftime.

The Patriots showed no fear as Bledsoe dropped back and fired a pass on his first play from scrimmage, hitting David Patten for 15 yards and another New England 1st down.

Then, Patriots fans got nervous when Bledsoe scrambled on the next play for a four-yard-run and was hit by Steelers cornerback Chad Scott, in a hit that was eerily similar to the one Bledsoe got that put him on the bench for three months.

But Bledsoe only received a cut on his chin from the hit and came back with a 10-yard pass to Patten for a 1st down, then found Patten again, this time in the right corner of the end zone for a 11-yard touchdown to increase the New England lead to 14-3 with 58 seconds left in the first half.

David Patten catches a 11-yard touchdown pass from Bledsoe late in the first half of the 2001 AFC Championship Game.

With three timeouts in their pocket, the Steelers tried to put together a drive in hopes of putting points on the board before halftime as they took over at their 28-yard-line.

Stewart would hit three passes for 38 yards to put Pittsburgh at the Patriots' 34-yard-line with 23 seconds left, but a offensive pass interference penalty on Bobby Shaw took the Steelers out of field goal range and forced Stewart to throw a Hail Mary on the final play of the first half, which was picked off by Patriots cornerback Terrell Buckley to end the first half as New England went into the locker room with a 14-3 lead.

The Steelers got the ball to start the second half, but quickly turned it over to the Patriots when Stewart fumbled the snap on the third play of the second half, which was recovered by New England linebacker Tedy Bruschi at the Pittsburgh 35-yard-line.

After three plays gained three yards, Belichick decided to gamble and go for the 1st down on 4th-and-7 at the Pittsburgh 32-yard-line.

The gamble did not pay off as Bledsoe's 4th down pass for Brown fell incomplete, giving the ball back to the Steelers at their 32-yard-line.

From there, the Steelers traveled 52 yards in seven plays before having to settle for 34-yard field goal attempt by Kris Brown, which if he made would make it a one-possession game at 14-6.

But disaster would strike for Pittsburgh as Patriots defensive tackle Brandon Mitchell broke through and blocked the field goal which resulted in a loose ball that was picked up by Troy Brown at the Steelers' 40-yard-line.

Brown ran 11 yards before lateraling the ball to safety Antwan Harris, who then ran the remaining 49 yards to give the Patriots their second special teams touchdown and a shocking 21-3 lead with 9:11 left in the third quarter.

Following the blocked field goal return for a touchdown, the Steelers took over at their 21-yard-line when Stewart hit Bettis for a 11-yard pass, which was followed by a 24-yard pass to Hines Ward, to give the Steelers a 1st down at the Patriots' 44-yard-line.

Then on 3rd-and-9 from the 43-yard-line, Stewart hit running back Amos Zereoue for 19 yards and another 1st down at the New England 24-yard-line.

Stewart would find Ward for a nine-yard gain, that become 17 yards as Patriots cornerback Ty Law was called for a late hit giving Pittsburgh a 1st-and-goal at the seven-yard-line.

Then after another Patriots penalty and a three-yard run by Zereoue, the Steelers had their first touchdown of the day as Bettis punched it in from a yard out, to cut the New England lead to 21-10 with 5:11 left in the third quarter.

The Steelers defense would force the Patriots to go three-and-out on thier next possession and got the ball to start their next drive at the New England 32-yard-line following a 28-yard return by Edwards.

Five plays later, the Steelers were back in the end zone as Zereoue bursted through the middle for a 11-yard touchdown to make it 21-17 with 1:29 left in the third quarter.

Kordell Stewart struggled throughout the AFC Championship Game as he turned the ball over times, three interceptions and one fumble.

The momentum was clearly now on Pittsburgh's side and it was up to the Patriots to respond with a long drive that would result in points.

They got that on their next possession as Bledsoe would complete two big passes, one to Charles Johnson for 15 yards and another to Troy Brown for 13 more, to put the Patriots in Pittsburgh territory as the third quarter came to an end.

After three straight runs by Antowain Smith that picked up 10 yards, Bledsoe would hit fullback Marc Edwards for six yards on 3rd-and-3 at the Pittsburgh 38-yard-line.

A pair of J.R. Redmond three-yard runs helped set up a 44-yard field goal by Vinatieri which pushed the Patriots lead to seven points at 24-17 with 11:21 left in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers got the ball back at their 33-yard-line and were able to drive to the New England 48-yard-line before having to punt the ball back to the Patriots, who took over at their nine-yard-line with 8:20 left in regulation.

The Patriots were able to take almost four minutes off the clock as Bledsoe completed three passes for 29 yards, including a key 18-yard pass to Troy Brown on 3rd-and-11 from the New England 19-yard-line, before punting the ball back to the Steelers who took over at their 22-yard-line with 4:21 left in the fourth quarter.

The drive got off to a good start as Stewart found Plaxico Burress for 11 yards and a 1st down on the first play from scrimmage, but two plays later the Steelers were faced with a 3rd-and-8 when Stewart overthrew a wide open Ward over the middle on a pass that was intercepted by free safety Tebucky Jones, whose 19-yard return gave New England the ball at the Steelers' 34-yard-line with 2:41 left and a chance to run out the clock.

But the Patriots only picked up two yards and when Vinatieri's 50-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left, the Steelers were given one more chance as they took over at their 40-yard-line with 2:15 left and one timeout in their pocket.

However, Stewart would throw another interception, this time overthrowing Burress and into the hands of strong safety Lawyer Milloy, who returned the pick 11 yards to the 50-yard-line with 2:02 to go.

And after Smith ran for 19 yards and a 1st down on 2nd-and-11, Bledsoe, who finished the game with 102 yards on 10-of-21 passing and one touchdown, was allowed to take three knees to run out the clock as the Patriots pulled off the 24-17 upset and win their third AFC championship in team history, earning them a trip to Super Bowl XXXVI.

The Patriots dumped water on head coach Bill Belichick following their 24-17 upset of the Steelers.

The Kordell Stewart era would come to an end the following season as Stewart was replaced in the third game of the 2002 season by Tommy Maddox, who helped lead the Steelers to the playoffs.

Then after a 6-10 season, the Steelers used their first round pick to select quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who helped lead Pittsburgh to a 15-1 season in 2004, only to have it end again at the hands of the Patriots in another AFC Championship game loss in Pittsburgh, the fourth under head coach Bill Cowher.

Ironically, the Steelers would return to the AFC Championship game the following season, this time winning it as they defeated the Denver Broncos in Denver 34-17, as they would go on to win Super Bowl XL over the Seattle Seahawks for their first Super Bowl title in 26 years.

As for the Patriots, Brady would return to the starting lineup the following week for Super Bowl XXXVI, where he directed a nine-play, 53-yard drive that was capped off by Vinatieri's 48-yard field goal as time expired to give New England a 20-17 win over the two-touchdown favorite St. Louis Rams and the first of the Patriots' five Super Bowl titles in the 21st century, all with Brady as the starting quarterback.

Bledsoe would be traded in the offseason to the Buffalo Bills, where he threw for a career high 4,359 yards in the 2002 season, before playing two more seasons in Buffalo until his release following the 2004 season.

Bledsoe would sign with the Dallas Cowboys where he would be the Cowboys' starting quarterback until the sixth game of the 2006 season when he was replaced by Tony Romo.

In the offseason, Bledsoe announced his retirement after 14 seasons as he finished his career with over 44, 000 passing yards and 251 touchdown passes.

Even though he may be a footnote to most NFL fans, Bledsoe is still beloved in New England as evident by his inclusion to the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2011.

Bledsoe holds the Lamar Hunt Trophy after the Patriots' win in the 2001 AFC Championship Game.