NFL Old School Game of the Week: Bledsoe's Record Day Leads Pats To Comeback Win over Vikings

Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe completed the most passes and attempted the most passes in a single NFL game in the Patriots' 1994 meeting with the Vikings.

When most NFL fans think of Drew Bledsoe, they often see as the Wally Pipp to Tom Brady's Lou Gehrig, as the quarterback who got hit and was replaced by a man who would lead the New England Patriots to five Super Bowl titles in the next 16 years.
But for a long time, Bledsoe was considered the greatest quarterback in Patriots history as evident by his performance in a Week 11 game against the Minnesota Vikings during the 1994 season which turned the fortunes around for the Patriots.
Bledsoe had been selected with the #1 overall pick by the Patriots in the 1993 NFL Draft as seen by some Patriots fans as the savior to their fledging franchise which had been to one Super Bowl since its inception in 1960.
Bledose had a solid rookie season as he went 5-7 in his 12 starts and threw for nearly 2,500 yards and 15 touchdown passes.
With Bledsoe heading into his second year and Bill Parcells as the head coach, New England fans had high hopes for the 1994 season.
But the Patriots entered the Minnesota game on a four-game losing streak, dropping their record to 3-6 and making a trip to the postseason seem unlikely, especially with the Vikings coming into Foxboro.
Minnesota was 7-2 and seemed to have the look of a Super Bowl contended thanks to their quarterback Warren Moon and all-pro wide receiver Cris Carter.
With the Vikings rolling and the Patriots stuck in neutral, it certainly seemed like Minnesota would take care of the Patriots rather easily, especially since New England had been held to three field goals in the last two games.
And for much of the first half, it did not seem that the recent trends were going to change.
The Vikings received the ball to start the game at their 20-yard-line and proceeded to convert on back-to-back 3rd down conversions; the first being a seven-yard pass from Moon to Jake Reed on 3rd & 2 from the Minnesota 28, followed by a 12-yard run by Moon on 3rd & 9 from the Vikings' 36-yard-line.
Two plays later, Moon hit Reed for 38 yards, giving the Vikings a 1st & goal at the two-yard-line when Terry Allen punched it in for the two-yard touchdown to give Minnesota a 7-0 lead with 9:49 left in the first quarter.
After forcing the Patriots to punt on their opening possession, the Vikings got the ball back at their 22-yard-line as their next drive began with a 25-yard pass from Moon to tight end Andrew Jordan.
Eventually, the Vikings would drive to the Patriots' 22-yard-line before settling for a 40-yard field goal by Fuad Reveiz to extend their lead to 10-0 with 2:33 left in the first quarter.

Vikings quarterback Warren Moon would complete 26 of 42 passes for 349 yards and throw one touchdown.

The score was still 10-0 early in the second quarter when it appeared the Patriots had the Vikings pinned back at their four-yard-line.
But that is when Moon connected with Reed for 32 yards to give the Vikings a 1st down at their 36-yard-line.
Then on 3rd & 11 from the 35-yard-line, Moon fired a deep pass for Qadry Ismail, younger brother of Raghib "The Rocket" Ismail from Notre Dame, which he caught to turn into a 65-yard touchdown making it 17-0 in favor of the Vikings with 11:25 left in the second quarter.
Later in the quarter, the Vikings would put together a 13-play, 54-yard drive that took over six minutes off the clock and ended with a 33-yard field goal by Reveiz to extend the Minnesota lead to 20-0 with 58 seconds left on the clock.
Up to this point, the Vikings had completely dominated the game running 42 plays for 286 yards of total offense while the Patriots had run only 16 plays for 41 yards and picked up only one 1st down.
Bledsoe's stats were pretty meager too as he had completed only four of 11 passes for 24 yards in the first 29 minutes of the game.
But when New England got the ball at their 32-yard-line following the Reveiz field goal, Bledsoe and the Patriots offense would come to life.
Bledsoe would hit running back Leroy Thompson on back-to-back passes, gaining 15 yards, then connecting with Michael Timpson for 20 yards and a 1st down at the Minnesota 33-yard-line.
Then, Bledsoe found Vincent Brisby for 13 yards, before throwing two incomplete passes to force the Patriots to settle for a 38-yard field goal by Matt Bahr as time expired in the first half to cut the Vikings' lead to 20-3.
While they did not get a touchdown, getting points before the end of the half had to give the Patriots some confidence as they went into the locker room for the halftime break.
But most importantly, they would get the ball to start the second half.
Starting at his 32-yard-line, Bledsoe's first pass intended for tight end Ben Coates was incomplete, but he would connect with Coates on the next play for 10 yards and a 1st down.
Following an eight-yard pass to Timpson, Bledsoe handed the ball off to Thompson who ran for 13 yards and another 1st down at the Vikings' 37-yard-line.
Then after a six-yard pass to Timpson, Bledsoe would fire a 31-yard touchdown pass to Ray Crittenden to bring the Patriots to within 10 points at 20-10 just 98 seconds into the second half.
However, it seemed the Vikings were poised to drive down the field and increase their lead when their next drive began with a 21-yard run by Allen for a 1st down at the Minnesota 48-yard-line.
The Vikings would drive to the Patriots' 40-yard-line until a delay of game and a quarterback sack forced them to punt the back to New England who took over at their one-yard-line.
The Patriots would not pick up a 1st down but get enough yards(eight) to give their punter, Pat O' Neill, some room to deliver a 44-yard punt to the Vikings' 47-yard-line.

Patriots running back Leroy Thompson caught 11 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Then on the next play from scrimmage, Carter fumbled the football after a five-yard catch, which was recovered by Patriots defensive back Harlon Barnett at the Patriots' 39-yard-line.
From there, Bledsoe would connect with Coates on back-to-back completions totaling 19 yards, then connect with Timpson again for 15 yards, to give the Patriots a 1st down at the Vikings' 27-yard-line.
A seven-yard run by Thompson, followed by an incomplete pass, and an one-yard loss by Thompson forced the Patriots to call on Bahr to attempt a 39-yard field goal in hopes of making it an one-possession game.
However, Bahr would miss the kick, keeping it a 20-10 game midway through the third quarter.
The score remained 20-10 well into the 4th quarter when the Patriots had the ball at their 13-yard-line with 5:05 left in regulation and needing 10 points just to force overtime.
That is when Bledsoe and the Patriots went back to their no-huddle offense which had been so effective at the end of the first half.
The drive began with a six-yard pass to Thompson, followed by another six-yard pass, this one to Coates for a New England 1st down.
Bledsoe would go back to Thompson on the next play, connecting with him for a 13-yard completion that New England at their 38-yard-line.
Then after an incomplete pass, Bledsoe found Brisby for 14 yards and a 1st down in Vikings territory at the Minnesota 48-yard-line.
After a four-yard pass to Thompson and an incomplete pass, Bledsoe would hit John Burke for nine yards ans another 1st down at the Vikings' 35-yard-line.
Bledsoe would then find Crittenden for eight yards on the next play and then hit Timpson for 22 yards to give the Patriots a 1st & goal at the Minnesota five-yard-line.
That is when Bledsoe found Thompson in the end zone for the five-yard touchdown to make 20-17 with 2:27 left in regulation.
With all three timeouts plus the two-minute warning, Parcells decided not go for the offsides kick and instead kicked it deep in hopes that his defense would force a three-and-out to give the ball back to Bledsoe with a chance to tie or possibly win the game.
The Vikings got the ball at their 20-yard-line and surprised the Patriots with a pass that worked as Moon hit Jordan for six yards as the Patriots spent their first timeout.
Then after a two-yard run by Allen and another timeout called by New England, the Vikings were faced with a 3rd & 2 when Moon fired a pass for Ismail, only to have Patriots cornerback Maurice Hurst knock the ball away from Ismail, making the pass incomplete to stop the clock and force the Vikings to punt the ball back to the Patriots.
After a 33-yard punt by Mike Saxon, Bledsoe had the ball in his hands with 1:51 left on the clock and one timeout left in his pocket with 61 yards to drive for the game-winning touchdown.

Michael Timpson led the Patriots in receiving yards with his 113 yards on 10 receptions.

But after three straight incomplete passes, the Patriots were suddenly faced with a do-or-die 4th & 10.
That is when Bledsoe found Brisby for 25 yards and a 1st down at the Vikings' 36-yard-line as the Patriots burned their last timeout.
Bledsoe and Brisby would connect again on back-to-back eight-yard completions to give New England a 1st down at the Vikings' 20-yard-line.
Then, Bledsoe hit Timpson for nine yards and then hit Timpson again for six yards to give the Patriots a 1st & goal at the Minnesota five-yard-line.
Even though Bledsoe spiked the ball on 1st down, the Patriots still had two chances to score the game-winning touchdown.
However, Bledsoe could find an open receiver on either play, forcing Bahr to come on and attempt a potential game-tying 23-yard field goal.
Bahr would make the kick, tying the game at 20 with 14 seconds left in regulation.
Moon would take a knee to run out the clock and send the game into overtime where New England won the coin toss and elected to receive.
Starting at his 33-yard-line following a 27-yard kickoff return by Thompson, Bledsoe hit Crittenden for 15 yards to start the drive, which was followed by a four-yard pass to Thompson, then another four-yard pass, this one to Coates to set up 3rd & 2 from the Vikings' 47-yard-line.
That is when Bledsoe completed his 43rd pass, breaking the record held by former Jets quarterback Richard Todd who set in a 37-27 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, as he found Coates for seven yards and a 1st down at the Minnesota 40-yard-line.
On the next play from scrimmage, Bledsoe would attempt his 69th pass, breaking the record previously held by George Blanda who set in a 1964 Houston Oilers loss to the Buffalo Bills, as he found Thompson for 12 more yards and another 1st down at the Vikings' 25-yard-line.
Seemingly in Bahr's field goal range, the Patriots decided to run the ball on the next few plays as Marion Butts ran for nine yards on the next two plays, which was followed by a two-yard run by Bledsoe and a 1st down at the Vikings' 14-yard-line.
That is when Bledsoe decided to take a shot at a touchdown and lofted a pass toward the left corner of the end zone that landed in the hands of fullback Kevin Turner for the 14-yard game-winning touchdown to give the Patriots a 26-20 win 4:10 into overtime.
After it was all said, Bledsoe had finished the day completing 45 of 70 passes for 426 yards and throwing three touchdown passes with all three touchdown passes coming in the second half as Bledsoe went 37-of-53 for 354 yards as three different players caught at least 10 passes in the game(Thompson-11, Timpson-10, Coates-10).

Patriots fullback Kevin Turner makes the game-winning touchdown catch.

The Vikings would finish the season with a 10-6 record, good enough to win the NFC Central Division and a home playoff game in the Wild Card round.
But the Vikings were stunned by their division rivals, the Chicago Bears, 35-18, handing the Vikings their third straight playoff loss.
As for the Patriots, their comeback win over the Vikings was the start of a seven-game winning streak which gave New England a 10-6 record and their first trip to the playoffs in eight years.
However, the Patriots would lose to the Cleveland Browns 20-13 in their AFC Wild Card game to future Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
As for Bledsoe, he would finish the 1994 season leading the NFL in passing yards with 4,555 and earning the first of his four Pro Bowl selections.
Two years later, Bledsoe would lead the Patriots to their second ever Super Bowl where they lost to the Green Bay Packers 35-21.
Bledsoe would take the Patriots to the playoffs the next two seasons and remain in New England until after the 2001 season when Brady established himself as the team's starting quarterback.
He would spend the next three seasons with the Bills, earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2002, then spent the 2005 + 06 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, until his retirement after 14 seasons in the NFL.
Even though he may be best remembered for being the quarterback before Tom Brady, Patriots fans still love and appreciate what Bledsoe as evident by voting him into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2011 and was an honorary captain for the Patriots before their AFC Championship Game win against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018.
In an statement prior to that game, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said "Drew Bledsoe played such an integral role in our efforts to rebuild the Patriots. He gave fans hope for the future by providing many memorable moments during his record-breaking career. For a franchise that had hosted only one playoff game in its first 35 years, winning the AFC Championship Game at home in Foxboro and taking the Patriots to the playoffs for three consecutive years were unimaginable goals prior to his arrival".

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Dawgs Prove They Are "Man Enough" To Beat Bama

Georgia quarterback David Greene would throw two touchdown passes in leading the Bulldogs a 27-25 win over Alabama in 2002.

There are times in a college football season when a team is at a crossroads or its character gets questioned.

For the 2002 Georgia Bulldogs, that came went traveled to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Bulldogs entered the game ranked #7 with a 4-0 record under second-year head coach Mark Richt.

Despite the fact they were undefeated, the Dawgs had looked sluggish through September, with their offense failing to gain over 300 yards in three of their four wins, including a 13-7 win over South Carolina which featured David Pollack's incredible pick-six in the end zone.

This led former Auburn head coach and Georgia offensive lineman Pat Dye to say that the Dawgs were not "man enough" to beat Alabama.

Alabama entered the Georgia game ranked #22 with a 4-1 record with their only loss coming to Oklahoma 37-27 in the second week of the season.

The Tide would bounce back from the Oklahoma loss with a three-game winning streak as they held their next three opponents to a combined 26 points.

They was also the fact that the game was being played in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, a place Georgia had never won in seven tries, though they had beaten the Tide a number of times in Birmingham.

With their manhood questioned and history going against them, the Alabama game was a gutcheck game for the Dawgs.

The Tide would get the ball to start the game but would be forced to punt the back to Georgia who took over at their 18-yard-line.

The Dawgs would drive to the Bama 25-yard-line when disaster appear to strike when quarterback David Greene fumbled the snap, which was recovered by Alabama linebacker Derrick Pope, who returned all the way to the Georgia one-yard-line, only to have it called back because Georgia was called for a false start nullifying the fumble and meaning Georgia would keep the football.

Then after wide receiver Fred Gibson drew a pass interference penalty to give Georgia a 1st down at the Tide 15-yard-line, running back Musa Smith took a toss sweep and ran to the left side for the 15-yard touchdown to give the Dawgs a 7-0 lead with 9:04 left in the first quarter.

Musa Smith carried the ball 21 times for 126 yards and scored a touchdown.

Following the Smith touchdown, the Tide got the ball at their 29-yard-line and proceeded to drive to the Georgia 31-yard-line thanks to two completions by Croyle, one to running back Shaud Williams for 14 yards and the other to Dre Fulgham for 27 yards.

However, the Tide would pick up only one more yard on the next three plays, forcing them to settle for a 47-yard field goal by Michael Ziifle to cut the Dawgs' lead to 7-3 with 5:16 left in the opening quarter.

The Dawgs seemed to poise to score again after Terrence Edwards returned the ensuing kickoff 44 yards to the Bama 42-yard-line, only to have Greene be intercepted by cornerback Gerald Dixon to give the Tide the ball back at their 36-yard-line.

After both teams punted on their ensuing possessions, the Tide  had the ball at their 24-yard-line with 14:10 left in the second quarter.

Ray Hudson's 28-yard-run on the second play of the drive put the Tide in Georgia territory at the Dawgs' 42-yard-line as Bama would drive to the Georgia 10-yard-line before having to call on Ziifle to attempt a 28-yard field goal.

That is when David Pollack struck again as he blocked the field goal, which was picked up by defensive back Bruce Thornton, whose 15-yard return gave the Dawgs the ball at their 24-yard-line.

From there, the Dawgs would drive 76 yards in seven plays, culminating in a spectacular 42-yard touchdown catch by Gibson from a Greene pass which extended the Georgia lead to 14-3 midway through the second quarter.

Both teams would trade punts until the Tide got the ball in Georgia territory at the Dawgs 38-yard-lien with just over two minutes to go in the first half.

After two passes picked up eight yards, Croyle went deep and found Fulgham for a 30-yard touchdown to make it 14-9 as Brian Bostick missed the extra point.

Georgia would run out the clock as the first half came to an end with the Dawgs on top 14-9.

The Dawgs got the ball to start the second half but on the second play of the drive gave it right back to the Tide as Greene fumbled the football which was recovered by Alabama cornerback HIchel Bolden, whose five-yard return set up the Bama offense at the Georgia 16-yard-line.

But on the very next play, Croyle fumbled the football right back, which was recovered by Georgia defensive tackle Darrius Swain to give the Dawgs the ball back at thier 22-yard-line.

From there, the Dawgs traveled 54 yards in 11 plays, with the drive capped off with a 43-yard field goal by Billy Bennett which extended Georgia's lead to 17-9 with 10:14 to go in the third quarter.

After another exchange of punts, the Tide got the ball at their 27-yard-line and ran the ball six straight times, picking up 28 yards until Croyle fired a 24-yard pass to Zach Fletcher to give Bama a 1st down at the Georgia 21-yard-line.

But the Dawgs defense would stiffen, allowing only two more yards on the next three plays to force the Tide to settle for a 36-yard field goal by Ziifle to make a five point game at 17-12 with just 18 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Dawgs would begin their next drive at their 28-yard-line when Greene caught fire as he completed back-to-back passes to Gibson to begin the drive, first connecting with Gibson for 17 yards on the final play of the third quarter, then hitting him again for 16 yards on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Then on 3rd & 10 from the Bama 39-yard-line, Greene would hit Damien Gary for 17 yards and a 1st down, only to have Gary be called for taunting after the catch, meaning the Dawgs got a new set of downs, but only picking up two yards instead of 17 yards.

The penalty would not haunt the Dawgs as on the next play, Greene went deep to throw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Edwards to increase the Georgia lead to 24-12 with 13:32 left in the 4th quarter.

Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle dives for a touchdown early in the 4th quarter.

Desperately needing a touchdown, the Tide would drive 68 yards in nine plays, capped with Croyle diving for a one-yard touchdown which trimmed the Dawgs' lead to 24-19 with 9:27 left in the 4th quarter.

Then on the Dawgs' second play from scrimmage after Croyle's touchdown, Greene threw a pass to Gibson, which bobbled off his hands and into the arms of cornerback Charlie Peprah, whose returned it 35 yards for a pick-six which gave Alabama its first lead of the game at 25-24.

The Tide offense came on for a two-point conversion in an attempt to make a three-point game, but Croyle was stopped short of the end zone, keeping the score 25-24 with 8:24 left in regulation.

After a 42-yard return by Gibson on the ensuing kickoff, the Dawgs had the ball at their 42-yard-line and drove to the Bama 38-yard-line until Greene was sacked by Alabama free safety Charles Jones, dropping him for a seven-yard-loss and forcing Georgia to punt the ball back to Bama who took over at their 13-yard-line with 5:27 to go in the game.

The Dawgs defensewould force a three-and-out to give the ball back to their offense, who took over at the Alabama 34-yard-line following a 15-yard punt return by Gary.

With 3:45 left on the clock, Richt decided to call on the running game to drain as much time off the clock while giving Bennett a better chance at making the field goal with a closer field.

Greene handed the ball off to Smith five straight times, who picked up 18 yards, which was followed by an one-yard run by Greene to put the ball in the middle of the field for Bennett's 32-yard field goal attempt with 42 seconds left.

Bennett came on and calmly drilled the 32-yard kick to give the Dawgs a 27-25 lead with 38 seconds left.

Billy Bennett(30) and JT Wall(49) celebrate after Bennett's 32-yard field goal with 38 seconds left gave Georgia a 27-25 lead.

Any chances of the Tide driving down the field for a potential game-winning field goal died on the first play after the field goal as Georgia safety Thomas Davis picked off a Croyle pass, allowing for Greene to come onto the field and take a knee to run out the clock in the Dawgs' 27-25 win, their first ever win in Tuscaloosa.

The Tide would finish the season with a 10-3 record, which was good enough for best in the SEC West Division, but the Tide were in the first season of a two-year postseason ban meaning they were ineligible to play in the SEC Championship Game.

After the season, Dennis Franchione shockingly left Tuscaloosa to become the head coach at Texas A&M after just two seasons at Alabama.

Franchione would be replaced by former Alabama quarterback Mike Shula who lead the Tide to a 26-23 record over four seasons before he was fired and replaced by Nick Saban, who would bring in the most dominant era of Alabama football.

As for the Dawgs, their win over Alabama would help propel them to their first SEC championship in 20 years as they defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks 30-3 in the SEC Title game, then defeated Florida State 26-13 in the Sugar Bowl to finish the season with a 13-1 record and #3 final ranking.

Even though they did not play for a national title, the 2002 Georgia Bulldogs proved they were "man enough".

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Lamar Smith Carries Dolphins To Wild Card Win

Lamar Smith(26) ran for the second most yards in a NFL playoff game in the Dolphins' win over the Colts in their 2000 AFC Wild Card Game.

Like in music, sports can sometimes having a one-hit wonder with an athlete being memorable for just one play or great performance and then not being heard from again.
You could argue that for Lamar Smith, whose 40-carry, 209-yard performance help lead the Miami Dolphins to a memorable win over the Indianapolis Colts in their 2000 AFC Wild Card Game.
Even though they had made the playoffs the previous three seasons and five out of the last six, the Dolphins making the 2000 playoffs was a surprise considering they had lost quarterback Dan Marino and head coach Jimmy Johnson to retirement following the 1999 season.
Johnson was replaced by defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt while Marino was replaced by Jay Fielder, who had spent time in the now defunct NFL Europe League, before signing with the Dolphins in 2000 and beating out Damon Huard for the starting quarterback role.
An under the radar move was the signing of free agent Smith who had spent six years in the NFL but his only claim to notoriety had been him being charged with vehicular assault after an accident left his then-Seattle Seahawks teammate, Mike Frier, paralyzed from the neck down.
However in 2000, Smith experienced his best season as he rushed for over 1,139 yards and scored 14 touchdowns in helping the Dolphins to a 11-5 record and an AFC East division title.
Despite their success and playing at home, the Dolphins were slight underdogs to the visiting Indianapolis Colts.
Led by Peyton Manning, the Colts had gone 10-6 and made the playoffs for the second straight season, just two years after going 3-13 in 1998.
Manning threw for 4,413 yards and 33 touchdowns, with 14 of those touchdowns and 1,413 of those yards going to wide receiver Marvin Harrison, while running back Edgerrin James complied over 2,000 yards of offense + 18 touchdowns(1,709 rushing + 594 receiving).
The Colts were not looking for their first playoff victory since 1995 but also head coach Jim Mora's first ever playoff victory as he lost his previous four games, the first three coming during his nearly 10-year stint in New Orleans as the Saints' head coach.

Colts running back Edgerrin James carried the ball 21 times for 107 yards and caught three passes for 33 yards.

After forcing the Colts to go three-and-out on their opening drive, the Dolphins got the ball at their 28-yard-line.
It took Miami only three plays to drive to the Colts' 34-yard-line as Fielder hit Tony Martin for 12 yards on the first play of the drive which was followed by a pair of runs by Smith that totaled 26 yards, setting up 2nd & 1.
However, a quarterback sack and an incomplete pass lead to a 4th & 6 from the Indy 39-yard-line where Wannstedt decided to go for the 1st down.
But Fielder's pass intended for O.J. McDuffie fell incomplete, forcing a turnover on downs and giving the ball back to the Colts.
Manning would connect with Jerome Pathon for 25 yards and then hit James for 13 yards to help set up a 32-yard field goal by Mike Vanderjagt to give the Colts a 3-0 lead midway through the 1st quarter.
After both teams went three-and-out on their next possessions, the Dolphins got the ball at their 34-yard-line when they went to Smith to drive them into Colts territory.
Smith carried the ball five straight times, gaining 35 yards, then caught a three-yard pass to set up 3rd & 9 from the Colts' 28-yard-line.
However, a false start pushed the Dolphins back five yards, which was followed by Fiedler being picked off in the end zone by Colts strong safety Chad Cota.
James would get the ball and run it for 34 yards to the Miami 46-yard-line to end the first quarter, which was followed by five plays gaining 18 yards, setting up what looked like to be a 46-yard field goal.
But trying to catch the Dolphins off guard, holder Hunter Smith tried to run for the two yards needed for the 1st down, but was tackled by Dolphins all-pro defensive end Jason Taylor for a six-yard-loss to give Miami the ball at their 34-yard-line.
However, on the next play from scrimmage, Fielder threw his second interception, this time the culprit being defensive end Chad Bratzke, who returned it to the Dolphins' 25-yard-line.
The Colts would convert the interception into points as Vanderjagt made a 26-yard field goal to increase the Indianapolis lead to 6-0 with 9:33 left in the third quarter.
Fielder's woes would continue on the Dolphins' ensuing possession as he was picked off the third time in the first half, second by Cota, whose 23-yard return set up the Colts at the Miami 18-yard-line.
One play after James ran for one yard, Manning hit Pathon for a 17-yard touchdown, then hit tight end Ken Dilger on a two-point conversion to push the Colts' lead to 14-0 with 7:47 to go in the first half.
With their quarterback having thrown three interceptions, the Dolphins decided to lean on Smith to get their offense going and he would answer the call as he carried the ball five straight times to start the drive, picking up 22 yards, with the last one going for no gain and setting up a 4th & 1 at the Colts' 42-yard-line.
Once again, Wannstedt went for the 1st down, but this time the gamble paid off as Fielder ran it for two yards on a fresh set of downs for the Dolphins.
Then it was back to Smith, who only gained three yards on his next two runs, setting up a 3rd & 7 situation from the Colts' 37-yard-line.
That is when the Dolphins went back to the air as Fielder connected with Orande Gadsden for 12 yards and a 1st down.
The drive would stall as the Dolphins would pick up only four more yards, forcing them to settle for a 38-yard field goal attempt by Olindo Mare.
But Mare's kick sailed wide right as the first half came to an end with the Dolphins trailing 14-0.

Peyton Manning completed 17 of 32 passes for 194 yards and threw a touchdown.

The Dolphins got the ball to start the second half and went back to Smith, who carried the ball seven times for 42 yards on a 11-play, 70-yard drive that culminated with a two-yard touchdown run by Smith to put Miami on the board and cut the Colts' lead in half to 14-7 with 8:09 to go in the third quarter.
Neither team would mount a scoring threat for the rest of the third quarter as the Colts clinged to their 14-7 lead as Fielder hit McDuffie for 12 yards on the final play of the third quarter for a Miami 1st down at their 40-yard-line.
From there, the Dolphins ran the ball seven straight times, with Smith carrying it five times for 24 yards, to set up a 38-yard field goal by Mare, which cut the Colts' lead to 14-10 with 10:23 left in the 4th quarter.
Following the kickoff, the Colts would take over at their 23-yard-line but seemed to get into Miami territory very quickly as Manning hit Harrison for an apparent 38-yard completion to the Dolphins' 26-yard-line, only to have Harrison get called for pass interference, pushing the Colts back 10 yards to their 28-yard-line with a 1st & 20.
That is when Manning connected with Pathon for 18 yards, which was followed by a two-yard run by James to pick up the 1st down at the Colts' 48-yard-line.
Then after a 16-yard-run by James gave Indy a 1st down at the Miami 36-yard-line, the Dolphins defense stiffened and allowed only four more yards on the next three plays, forcing the Colts to attempt a 50-yard field goal.
Vanderjagt would make the kick to push the lead back to seven points at 17-10 with 4:55 left in regulation.
Taking over at their 20-yard-line and needing a touchdown to force overtime, the Dolphins begin the drive with an eight-yard pass from Fielder to Smith.
Then after Smith picked up only one yard on 2nd & 2, Fielder would ran for three yards on 3rd & 1 to give Miami a 1st down at their 32-yard-line.
Following an incomplete pass on 1st down, Fielder connected with Gadsden for nine yards, which was followed by a three-yard run by Smith and another 1st down at the Miami 44-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.
Now knowing that this was probably their last chance to tie the game, the Dolphins went into hurry-up mode as Fielder hit Tony Martin for nine yards on 1st down, then ran for 11 yards to give the Dolphins a 1st down at the Colts' 36-yard-line.
An incomplete pass and a false start would force the Dolphins into a 2nd & 15 situation where Fielder found McDuffie for 19 yards and a 1st down at the Indy 22-yard-line, which was followed by a 13-yard pass to McDuffie to give the Dolphins a 1st & goal at the Colts' nine-yard-line.
Then after two straight incomplete passes, Fielder found tight end Jed Weaver, who made the catch at the two-yard-line, then lunged in for the touchdown that with Mare's extra point, tied the game at 17 with 34 seconds left in regulation.

Dolphins quarterback Jay Fielder completed six of 10 passes for 67 yards on the Dolphins game-tying touchdown drive.

The Colts ran the ball one time to run out the clock and send the game into overtime where the Dolphins won the coin toss and took over at their ten-yard-line, but only drove 19 yards before punting the ball back to Indianapolis who got the ball at their 18-yard-line.
The drive began with Manning hitting Harrison for 30 yards to put the Colts at their 48-yard-line.
Then Manning connected with Harrison for six yards, which was followed by a six-yard run by James and a 1st down at the Miami 40-yard-line.
After an incomplete pass and a quarterback sack, the Colts were faced with a 3rd & 12 at the Dolphins' 42-yard-line when Manning hit Harrison for 11 yards, one yard short of the 1st down.
However, the Dolphins offsides on the play, which if Mora accepted would have given the Colts an extra play as they would have had 3rd & 7 at the Miami 37-yard-line.
But Mora declined the penalty and decided to send Vanderjagt in to attempt the game-winning 49-yard field goal with 9:22 left in overtime.
But Vanderjagt's kick was nowhere close to the uprights and sailed wide right, giving the Dolphins the ball at their 39-yard-line with a chance to drive for the winning score.
After an incomplete pass on the first play of the drive, Fielder would hit his next two passes, first to Smith for seven yards, then a six-yarder to Jeff Ogden for a Miami 1st down at the Colts' 48-yard-line.
A 14-yard run by Smith was reduced to four yards as Martin was called for holding, leaving the Dolphins with a 1st & 6 at the Indy 44-yard-line.
Smith would pick up five yards on the next two plays, which lead to a 3rd & 1 where Fielder ran for two yards and the 1st down.
Then after Smith picked up just one yard on 1st down, Fielder found Gadsden for 13 yards and a 1st down at the Colts' 23-yard-line, clearly putting them in field goal range.
But Wannstedt decided to keep the offense and after Smith ran for six yards on 1st down, Fielder handed the ball to Smith for his 40th carry.
Smith ran to the right side, stopped at about the 20-yard-line, then busted through a hole and broke two Colt defenders at the five-yard-line to run for the winning touchdown, a 17-yard run to give the Dolphins a 23-17 win.

The loss dropped Mora's playoff record to 0-5 and would be his final playoff appearance as the Colts went 6-10 the following season, leading to his dismissal after four seasons in Indianapolis with a 32-32 record.
He was replaced by Tony Dungy, who with Manning and Harrison, but not James and Vanderjagt, would lead the Colts to a Super Bowl title during the 2006 season.
As for the Dolphins, they would be eliminated by the Oakland Raiders the following week as Smith was held to just five yards on eight carries and Fielder threw three more interceptions as Miami lost 27-0.
The Dolphins would return to the playoffs the following season but would be knocked out in the Wild Card Round by the Baltimore Ravens as they lost 20-3.
Miami would not make it back to the postseason under Wannstedt as he would resign midway through the 2004 season after an 1-8 start.
Smith would leave Miami after the 2001 season and go to Carolina where he would spend the 2002 season until another DUI arrest lead to him being placed on paid leave which lead to his eventual release in the offseason.
Smith would play four games for the New Orleans Saints in 2003 before retiring from the NFL after nearly a decade in the league.

College Football Old School Game of The Week: Michigan Delivers on Harbaugh's Guarantee

Michigan quarterback Jim Harbaugh delivered on his guarantee that Michigan would beat Ohio State in 1986.

Three decades before he became the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, Jim Harbaugh was Michigan's starting quarterback for the 1985 and 1986 seasons.
He lead Michigan to a 21-3-1 record during his two years as the starter with his most famous win coming in the Wolverines' 1986 regular season finale with their arch rival, the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Harbaugh and the Wolverines entered the 1986 season with not just aspirations for the Big 10 championship and the Rose Bowl, but also national title hopes as they were coming off a 10-1-1 season and final #2 ranking in the AP and coaches polls.
Under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines won their first nine games of the season but were stunned by the Minnesota Golden Gophers 20-17 one week before their showdown with Ohio State.
After their loss to the unranked Gophers, Michigan fans were pessimistic about their chances of going into Columbus and knocking off the Buckeyes, who entered the game on a nine-game winning streak after dropping their first two games of the season.
The Buckeyes were led by All-American wide receiver Cris Carter and All-American linebacker Chris Spielman and were coached by Earle Bruce, who was in his eighth season as head coach of the Buckeyes.
With his team's confidence shaken and a trip to the Rose Bowl on the line, Harbaugh guaranteed that Michigan would defeat Ohio State and go to Pasadena for the first time since the 1982 season.

The Buckeyes received the opening kickoff and given great field position as Jamie Holland returned the kick 47 yards to the Michigan 45-yard-line.
It would take the Buckeyes 10 plays to get into the end zone as quarterback Jim Karsatos hit Carter for a four-yard touchdown to give Ohio State a 7-0 lead just 4:06 into the game.
After Jamie Morris(younger brother of then Giants running back Joe Morris) returned the ensuing kickoff 33 yards to the Michigan 40-yard-line, Harbaugh and the Wolverines offense come onto the field.
Harbaugh would complete four of five passes for 31 yards on a 13-play, 45-yard drive that took over six minutes and was capped off with a 32-yard field goal by Mike Gillette to cut the Ohio State lead to 7-3 with 4:18 left in the 1st quarter.
It would take the Buckeyes only 75 seconds to get back into the end zone as Karsatos hit Everett Ross for a 32-yard pass, which was followed by a 46-yard touchdown run by Vince Workman to increase the Ohio State lead to 14-3 with 3:03 to go in the 1st quarter.
It seemed like a shootout was brewing as the Wolverines drove into Ohio State territory on their next possession as Harbaugh connected with Greg McMutry for 29 yards that put the Michigan offense at the Buckeyes' 43-yard-line.
But after two straight incomplete passes forced a 3rd & 10, Harbaugh was intercepted by Buckeyes safety David Brown, whose 17-yard return got an extra five yards because of a Michigan face mask penalty, gave Ohio State the ball back at their 42-yard-line.
On the next play from scrimmage, the Buckeyes were back in Michigan territory as Workman busted loose for a 29-yard run to give Ohio State a 1st down at the Michigan 29-yard-line as the first quarter came to an end.
The Michigan defense would stiffen and force Ohio State to attempt a field goal, but Matt Frantz's 43-yard field goal attempt was short keeping it a 14-3 game.
Following an exchange of punts, the Wolverines got the ball at their 20-yard-line and were able to drive to the Ohio State 17-yard-line as Harbaugh completed passes of 24 yards to McMutry and 22 yards to Ken Higgins set up another Gillette field goal, this time from 34 yards out to cut the Buckeyes' lead to 14-6 with 6:41 left in the first half.
After forcing another Ohio State punt, Michigan got the ball at their 14-yard-line when Morris made his presence felt as he accounted for 55 yards of offense on five touches on the Wolverines' ensuing drive to set up Michigan with a 1st & goal at the Buckeyes' eight-yard-line with less than a minute left.
However, Harbaugh would throw his second interception of the game as his pass intended for Higgins in the end zone was picked off by Ohio State linebacker Mike Kee, keeping the Wolverines from coming away with any points and preserving the 14-6 Ohio State lead as the first half came to a close.

Ohio State wide receiver Cris Carter would catch seven passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns.

Despite the two first half interceptions, Harbaugh seemed unfazed as the Wolverines got the ball to start the second half.
Starting from his 17-yard-line, Harbaugh connected with tight end Jeff Brown for 21 yards on 2nd & 8 to give Michigan a 1st down at their 41-yard-line.
Then after two runs by Morris gained 14 yards, Harbaugh hit McMutry for 11 yards and another 1st down at the Buckeyes' 35-yard-line.
Three plays later, the Wolverines were faced with a 4th & inches at the 26-yard-line.
Schembelcher decided to go for the 1st down and was rewarded for his gamble as fullback Bob Perryman picked up the 1st down on a two-yard run.
Then after a two-yard run by Morris, Harbaugh hit Perryman for 15 yards to set up 1st & goal at the Ohio State seven-yard-line.
On 2nd & goal, Harbaugh would pitch it to Morris, who ran around the right side for a four-yard touchdown to bring the Wolverines to within a point at 14-13 with 8:48 to go in the third quarter.
The Buckeyes would respond with a nine-play, 65-yard drive where Karsatos completed a pair of 18-yard passes on the drive, one to Carter and the other to Nate Harris to set up a 27-yard field goal by Frantz which increased the Ohio State lead to 17-13 with 5:26 left in the third quarter.
After Morris returned the ensuing kickoff 22 yards to the Michigan 24-yard-line, the junior running back would break loose for the longest play of the game, a 52-yard run to the Ohio State 24-yard-line, which was followed by an eight-yard touchdown run by Morris to give Michigan its first lead of the game.
Schemebelcher decided to go for two but Harbaugh's pass for Brown fell incomplete, keeping the score 19-17 in favor of the Wolverines with 3:48 still to go in the third quarter.
The Michigan defense would force the Buckeyes to punt on their next possession to get the ball back at their 15-yard-line.
After Morris was dropped for a two-yard loss on 1st down, Harbaugh found Higgins for a 23-yard completion and a 1st down at the Michigan 36-yard-line.
Michigan still had the ball when the 4th quarter began as they faced a 3rd & 7 situation from their 39-yard-line when Harbaugh connected with Perryman for 23 yards to give Michigan a 1st down at the Ohio State 38-yard-line.
Morris would run for 20 yards on the next play from scrimmage, which was followed by a seven-yard run by Perryman, then a four-yard run by Morris to set up 1st & goal from the Buckeyes' seven-yard-line.
That is when Harbaugh handed the ball off to Thomas Wilcher, who beat the Ohio State blitz and ran it in for the Michigan touchdown to extend the Wolverines' lead to 26-17 with 12:46 to go in the game.

Michigan running back Jamie Morris would carry the ball 29 times for 210 yards and score two touchdowns.

After having giving up three touchdowns on all three Michigan drives in the second half, the Buckeyes needed to put together a scoring drive of their own to give their defense a rest.
But on the first play from scrimmage after the ensuing kickoff, Karsatos was intercepted by Michigan linebacker Andree McIntyre, giving the Wolverines the ball at the Ohio State 36-yard-line and a chance to put the game out of reach.
However, the Buckeyes defense, led by Spielman, did not allow a 1st down and forced Michigan to attempt a 47-yard field goal by Gillette, which was blocked by defensive tackle Darryl Lee, giving Ohio State the ball at their 44-yard-line with exactly 11 minutes to go.
Karsatos would connect with Harris for 19 yards to begin the drive, then handed it off to Workman, who ran for 14 yards to the Michigan 23-yard-line.
Then after a six-yard run by Karsatos, the senior quarterback found Carter in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown to bring the Buckeyes to within two points at 26-24 with 9:42 remaining.
Following an exchange of punts, the Wolverines got the ball back at their 39-yard-line with a chance to put the game away with 5:26 left on the clock.
The Wolverines drove to the Ohio State 41-yard-line when Wilcher lost the football after a hit by Buckeyes safety Terry White, leading to a fumble that was recovered by Sonny Gordon, giving the Buckeyes the ball at their 38-yard-line with 3:18 left in the game and a chance to drive for the game-winning score.
After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Karsatos found fullback George Cooper for 11 yards and a 1st down at the Ohio State 49-yard-line.
Then, Karsatos hit Carter for eight yards to put the Buckeyes into Michigan territory, which was followed by a two-yard run by Workman for another 1st down that got five yards added on to after a Michigan face mask penalty.
Following two straight incomplete passes, Karsatos found Carter found for eight yards setting up a 4th & 2 with 1:08 to go in the game.
That is when Bruce called on Frantz and the field goal unit to attempt a 45-yard field goal that would give the Buckeyes the lead.
Frantz's kicks was long enough, but his kick was wide to the left and no good, giving Michigan the ball at their 29-yard-line.
Harbaugh took three knees to run out the clock and allow for the Wolverines to come away with the 26-24 win, fulfilling his promise that Michigan would beat Ohio State and play in the Rose Bowl.

Harbaugh finished with 269 yards as he completed 19 of 29 passes.

However, the Wolverines would blow a 15-3 lead and ended up losing to the Arizona State Sun Devils 22-15 in Harbaugh's final game as quarterback of the Michigan Wolverines.
Meanwhile, Ohio State would defeat Texas A&M 28-12 in the Cotton Bowl as the Buckeyes would finish one spot ahead of the Wolverines in both final polls.(Ohio State-#7 in the AP, #6 in the Coaches; Michigan-#8 in the AP, #7 in the Coaches).
Harbaugh would spend the next 14 years in the NFL, most notably with the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts, leading the Colts to the brink of the Super Bowl during the 1995 season.
Following his NFL career, Harbaugh would go into coaching, helping rebuild the University of San Diego, then Stanford University, before becoming the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, where he complied a 44-19-1 record and led the Niners to three straight NFC championship games and a trip to Super Bowl XLVII where he lost to his older brother John and the Baltimore Ravens, before heading back to Ann Arbor where he has been the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines since 2015.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Eagles Stun Saints With 26 Point 4th Quarter For Playoff Win

Eric Allen celebrates after scoring on a pick-six to complete the Eagles' comeback from a 13-point deficit.

When NFL fans think about the events of January 3, 1993,  the first thing that comes to their minds is the Buffalo Bills' legendary comeback from a 35-3 deficit to knock off the Houston Oilers 41-38 in overtime for the greatest comeback win in NFL history.

However, that game was not the only game to feature a memorable comeback as the Philadelphia Eagles faced off with the New Orleans Saints in a NFC Wild Card game.

The Eagles entered the game with a 11-5 record to earn their fourth playoff berth in five seasons, but things had not been easy.
Tragedy struck the Eagles on June 25, 1992 when all-pro defensive tackle Jerome Brown was killed in a car accident. He was only 27 years old.
The Eagles rallied around each other and vowed to "Bring It Home for Jerome" and win the Super Bowl in honor of their fallen teammate.
The Eagles would jump out to a 4-0 start with a defense that still featured defensive end Reggie White, linebacker Seth Joyner and cornerback Eric Allen as well as a offense with quarterback Randall Cunningham, who was coming off a knee injury that had sidelined him for the 1991 season.
However, the Eagles struggled in the middle of the season as they lost five of their next eight games to fall to 7-5.
But the Eagles would storm back with a four-game winning streak to earn a Wild Card spot and a trip to New Orleans with a chance to earn their first postseason win since 1980.
The Saints came into the game with a 12-4 record to earn New Orleans its fourth playoff berth in six seasons.
The Saints were led by their dominant defense, which allowed only 202 points during the season, the least amount of points allowed by a team during the 1990s.
All four of their linebackers: Rickey Jackson, Vaughn Johnson, Sam Mills, and Pat Swilling were all selected to the Pro Bowl for their outstanding season.
But the Saints knew it would mean nothing without a playoff victory, something they had been lacking as they had been one-and-done in all three previous trips to the playoffs, with two of those losses coming home at the Superdome.
Either way, one team was finally going get to a playoff victory after this game.
The Saints got the ball to start the game and promptly drove 73 yards in eight plays, culminating with a one-yard touchdown run by Craig "Ironhead" Heyward to give New Orleans a 7-0 lead with 9:20 left in the first quarter.
After both teams traded punts, the Eagles got the ball back at their 20-yard-line when Cunningham's legs got Philadelphia a 1st down as he scrambled for 15 yards to the Philly 43-yard-line on 3rd & 2.
On the very next play, Cunningham threw a a 57-yard touchdown pass to Fred Barnett, that along with the extra point, tied the game at 7 with 3:22 left in the first quarter.

Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham would complete 14 of 20 passes for 132 yards in the second half to finish with 219 yards on 19 of 35 passes.

The Saints would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line and were at midfield after Saints quarterback Hebert hit Eric Martin for 26 yards on 2nd & 6.
Hebert would connect with running back Dalton Hilliard on the very next play for 10 yards, only to have Hilliard fumble the football after he was hit by linebacker Byron Evans, leading to an recovery by Eagles strong safety Rich Miano at the Eagles' 40-yard-line.
However, the Saints defense would force the Eagles to go three-and-out to get the ball back at their 17-yard-line with 25 seconds left in the first quarter.
New Orleans would proceed to hold the ball for over seven minutes as they drove 71 yards in 13 plays, coming away with three points as Morten Andersen made a 35-yard field goal to break the 7-7 tie and give the Saints a 10-7 lead midway through the second quarter.
Then after forcing another three-and-out, the Saints got the ball back at their 47-yard-line and quickly drove down the field as Hebert hit Quinn Early for 20 yards to start the drive, which was followed up by a 24-yard run by rookie running back Vaughn Dunbar, setting up a 1st & goal for the Saints from the Eagles' nine-yard-line.
After Dunbar picked up two yards on 1st & goal, Hebert found Early in the end zone for the seven-yard touchdown to extend the Saints' lead to 17-7 with 4:14 to go in the first half.
Neither team would mount another scoring threat for the rest of the first half as the Saints would go into the locker room with a 17-7 lead at halftime.
The Eagles got the ball to start the second half and put together their best drive since their only touchdown as they drove 55 yards in eight plays until Cunningham lost the football when he was hit by Jackson, forcing as fumble that was recovered by Saints defensive end Wayne Martin at the New Orleans 31-yard-line.

Fred Barnett makes a fantastic catch, one of four for 102 yards, as he become the only receiver to have 100 receiving yards in a game against the Saints in 1992.

On the very next play, Hebert connected with Dunbar for a 35-yard catch & run to give the Saints a 1st down at the Eagles' 34-yard-line.
Soon, the Saints were faced with a 3rd & 1 from the Philly 25-yard-line when the Eagles defense made what might the first of several key stops in the second half as linebacker Ken Rose and defensive back William Frizzell stopped "Ironhead" for no gain, forcing Andersen to come on and kick a 42-yard field goal which extended the Saints' lead to 20-7 with 6:28 left in the third quarter.
The Eagles would go three-and-out again on their next drive, punting the ball back to the Saints who took over at their 25-yard-line.
That is when Allen made his presence felt as he picked off a Hebert pass intended for Early, giving the Eagles the ball at their 30-yard-line.
Cunningham and the Eagles would drive 39 yards in nine plays before settling for a 40-yard field goal by Roger Ruzak to cut the Saints' lead to 20-10 with 61 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Saints got the ball at their 20-yard-line and were faced with another 3rd & 1 as the 4th quarter began.
That is when Hebert then a pass intended for Martin, only to have Evans knock the ball away for an incomplete pass to force a three-and-out.
The Eagles would get the ball at their 36-yard-line and were able to convert on two straight 3rd down situations, with the first being a 3rd & 5 when Cunningham completed an eight-yard pass to Calvin Williams for a 1st down at the Philly 49-yard-line, which was followed by a seven-yard completion to Keith Byars for a 1st down at the Saints' 35-yard-line.
Two plays later, the Eagles would be faced with another 3rd down situation, this time needing 10 yards for the 1st down.
That is when Cunningham threw a pass for Barnett who made a spectacular leaping catch between two New Orleans defenders for a 35-yard touchdown to bring the Eagles to within three points at 20-17 with 10:37 left in the 4th quarter.
As the Eagles defense were on the sidelines waiting to get back on the field, Joyner told White that he was going to make a play when they got back on the field.
Sure enough on the next play from scrimmage, Joyner intercepted a Hebert pass and returned it 14 yards to the Saints' 26-yard-line.
It would take the Eagles five plays to get in the end zone as running back Heath Sherman punched in from six yards out off a sweep to the left side to give the Eagles its first lead of the game at 24-20 with 6:48 to go in the game.
Now trailing for the first time in the game, the Saints offense needed to put together a scoring drive as they took over at their 20-yard-line.
However, the Saints would go backwards as Eric Martin would be called for offensive pass interference on the first play of the drive, pushing the Saints back 10 yards to their 10-yard-line, which was followed by an incomplete pass and a pass to Dunbar that lost four yards setting up 3rd & 26.
That is when White sacked Hebert for a safety, giving the Eagles two points and extending their lead to 26-20 with 5:36 left to play.

Reggie White(92) celebrates after sacking Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert for a safety.

Following the free kick, the Eagles took over at their 38-yard-line and Sherman carried the ball three straight times for 32 yards to set up a 39-yard field goal by Ruzek to extend Philly's lead to 29-20 with 2:36 left in the game.
Now needing two scores to win, the Saints were need a miracle just like the Bills had done earlier in the day to pull out the win as they took over at their 16-yard-line.
But those hopes evaporated when Allen intercepted Hebert again and returned it for a 18-yard pick-six to put the final nail in the Saints' coffin as the Eagles would come away with the 36-20 win after scoring 29 unanswered points in the last 16 minutes of the game.
The Saints would not return to the postseason under Jim Mora as he coached the team until the middle of the 1996 season when he resigned after his infamous rant following a loss to the Carolina Panthers.

As for the Eagles, they would be eliminated the following week by their NFC East rival, the Dallas Cowboys 34-10 in the Divisional Round.

Then in the offseason, the Eagles would lose White to free agency as he signed with the Green Bay Packers.

Philadelphia would start the 1993 season 4-0 but season-ending injuries to Cunningham and Barnett brought their downfall as they finished the season 8-8 and out of the playoffs.
The Eagles got off to an even better start in 1994 as they jumped out to a 7-2 record, only to lose their last seven games to finish the season 7-9, which lead to the firing of Rich Kotite as head coach, who had been at the helm for Philly's win over New Orleans.
While many Eagles fans still wonder if their team could have won a Super Bowl during this era or if Brown hadn't died, the Eagles did finally "Bring It Home for Jerome" in 2018 as they defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018 on what would have been Brown's 53rd birthday.
Here are some highlights of the game:

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Georgia Tech "Stings" #1 Virginia

The 1990 college football season is one of the wildest in college football history as the #1 ranking in the AP poll changed five teams on the account of upsets and the #2 team fell four times during the season.
One of those instances occurred in the November 3rd game between #1 Virginia and #16 Georgia Tech in what many college football experts believe is the greatest game in ACC football history.
The Cavaliers came into the game ranked #1 for the first time in school history, taking over the top ranking on October 14th following #1 Michigan's 28-27 loss to Michigan State.
The Cavaliers had high expectations going into the 1990 season as they were coming off their first ever ACC championship in 1989 and had starting quarterback Shawn Moore returning.
Along with running back Terry Kirby and wide receiver Herman Moore, the Cavaliers won their first games as the offense averaged 46.7 points per game, propelling the Cavs to the #1 ranking in mid-October.
The Cavs held the top spot for three weeks until showdown with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who also came into the game undefeated, marking the first time in ACC history that two undefeated teams would meet in the month of November.
However, the Yellow Jackets had a tie attached to their record as they had been tied by the North Carolina Tar Heels 13-13 two weeks prior to their much anticipated game with the Cavaliers.
Despite the tie, the Yellow Jackets still had championship aspirations as a win over Virginia could propel Tech to their first ever ACC title.
When gameday arrived, there were rumblings the game could be postponed as a fire had been set to the artificial turf in the middle of the field at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville.
However, the grounds crew was able to get a 18x32 patch of turf and glued on to the field to replace the damage set by the fire.
After an morning inspection by Virginia head coaches George Welsh and Georgia Tech head coaches Bobby Ross, the field was deemed playable and the scene was set for a barnburner of a game.
After forcing the Yellow Jackets to punt on their opening possession of the game, the Cavaliers got the ball at their 32-yard-line.
A 36-yard pass from Shawn to Herman help set up a one-yard touchdown run by Shawn to cap off the seven play, 68-yard drive to give Virginia a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
The Cavs defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 49-yard-line when Kirby busted loose for a 23-yard run to begin the drive, which was soon followed by a 14-yard pass from Shawn to Herman to give Virginia a 1st & 10 at the Tech 11-yard-line.
However, the Yellow Jackets defense would stiffen, allowing only one more yard on the next three plays, forcing the Cavaliers to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Jake McInerery which increased Virginia's lead to 10-0 with 3:58 to play in the opening quarter.
The Yellow Jackets would go three-and-out again on their next possession, punting the ball back to Virginia who took over at their 48-yard-line.
The Cavs were able to drive to the Tech 34-yard-line, giving McInerery a chance to attempt a 51-yard field goal on the second play of the second quarter.
McInerery made the kick to increase the Cavaliers' lead to 13-0 just 10 seconds into the second quarter.

Virginia quarterback Shawn Moore would account for 376 yards of total offense and four touchdowns.

After McInerery's long field goal, the Georgia Tech offense finally got moving as they ran the ball on 10 of the 11 plays on their 75-yard touchdown drive which ended with Jones running it in for a 23-yard touchdown to cut the Virginia lead to 13-7 with 9:43 to go in the first half.
However, the Cavaliers would strike back with a six-play, 61-yard drive which featured another big play from the Moore-to-Moore connection as Shawn hit a 44-yard pass to Herman to help set another one-yard touchdown run by Shawn.
Virginia decided to go for two, which was successful as Shawn found Herman in the end zone to give Virginia a 21-7 lead with 6:42 remaining in the second quarter.
It would only take the Yellow Jackets three plays to get back into the end zone as Jones completed all three of his passes on a three-play, 64-yard drive that culminated with Jones connecting with Bobby Rodriguez for a 43-yard touchdown to cut the Virginia lead in half to 21-14 with 5:33 left in the first half.
The Cavaliers got the ball at their 38-yard-line and proceeded to use up most of the remaining time in the first half with a 11-play, 62-yard drive which ended with Shawn's third touchdown run of the first half, this time on a quarterback draw from six yards out, to push Virginia's lead to 28-14 with 36 seconds remaining on the clock in the first half.
The Yellow Jackets try to put together a drive to get into field goal range but were unable to as the clock expired on the first half with Georgia Tech down 28-14.
It seemed like the #1 ranked Cavaliers were in total control of the game as they had scored on all five of their first half possessions and were set to get the ball to start the second half.
But on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Shawn Moore fumbled the football which was recovered by Tech linebacker Calvin Tiggle, giving the Yellow Jackets the ball at the Virginia 28-yard-line.
Four plays later, the Yellow Jackets were in the end zone as Jerry Gilchrist took a end around reverse and scored a 12-yard touchdown to make it a one-score game at 28-21, just 2:13 into the second half.
Following the Tech touchdown, the Cavaliers got the ball at their 25-yard-line and proceeded to drive to the Yellow Jackets' 15-yard-line until Shawn threw a pass that bounced off the hands of running back Nikki Fisher and into the hands of Tiggle, whose 38-yard return set up the Yellow Jackets offense at their 48-yard-line.
Tech was unable to convert the turnover into points and was forced to punt the ball back to Virginia, but punter Scott Aldredge was able to pin the Cavs back at their four-yard-line.
The Tech defense would force a three-and-out to get the ball back at the Virginia 46-yard-line which eventually lead to a 26-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Emmett Merchant which tied the game at 28 with 4:34 left in the third quarter.
However that tie would only last for 86 seconds as the Moore-to-Moore connection struck again as Shawn hit Herman for a 63-yard touchdown to put the Cavs back on top 35-28 with 3:08 left in the third quarter.

Virginia wide receiver Herman Moore would catch nine passes for 234 yards and a touchdown.

But the Yellow Jackets would came right back with a seven-play, 74-yard touchdown drive which saw Jones complete all four of his passes on the drive for 50 yards and was capped off with an eight-yard touchdown run by William Bell to tie the game with two seconds left in the third quarter.
After forcing the Cavaliers to punt on their next possession, the Yellow Jackets got the ball at their 28-yard-line.
After two plays gained just three yards, Tech was faced with a 3rd & 7 at their 31-yard-line when Jones hit Merchant for 27 yards to give the Yellow Jackets a 1st down at the Virginia 42-yard-line.
Bell would run for 13 yards on the next play, but after two runs by Bell picked up only a yard, the Yellow Jackets were faced with a 3rd & 9 at the Virginia 30-yard-line.
That is when Jones scrambled for 12 yards to pick up another Tech 1st down at the Virginia 18-yard-line.
From there the drive would stall forcing the Yellow Jackets to call on Scott Sisson to attempt a 32-yard field goal.
Sisson made the kick to give the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the game at 38-35 with 7:17 to go in the game.
The Cavaliers got the ball back at their 28-yard-line and after two straight runs by Kirby picked up 14 yards, Shawn and Herman connected again, this time for 48 yards that added with a Georgia Tech unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, gave Virginia a 1st & 5 from the five-yard-line.
The Cavs were not in a goal-to-go situation as the 1st down marker was inside the one-yard-line so after a four-yard run by Shawn and a short run by Fisher, the Cavaliers had a 1st & goal at the one-yard-line.
That is when perhaps the most important sequence of plays occurred.
First, Fisher was stopped for no gain on 1st down, which was followed by an illegal procedure penalty on guard Chris Stearns, pushing the Cavaliers back to the six-yard-line for 2nd & goal.
Shawn and Herman connected for the ninth and final time in the game, this time for five yards, to set up 3rd & goal at the one-yard-line when Shawn hit tight end Aaron Mundy for the apparent go-ahead touchdown pass, only to have it called back because of another illegal procedure penalty as the Cavs had only six men lined up on the line of scrimmage instead of the required seven.
Back at the six-yard-line, Shawn dropped back and fired a pass for Herman in the end zone, only to have Tiggle came in and knock the pass down, forcing Welsh to decide whether to go for the tie or try for the touchdown.

Georgia Tech quarterback Shawn Jones accounted for 309 yards of total offense and three touchdowns.

With over two and a half minutes to play, Welsh decided to go for the tie as McInerney made the 23-yard field goal to tie the game at 38 with 2:34 left to play in the game.
The Yellow Jackets took over at their 24-yard-line with a chance to drive for the winning score and pull off the biggest win in school history.
The drive began with a 23-yard pass from Jones to Bell, which was followed up by a 13-yard run by Bell to put the Yellow Jackets in Virginia territory at the Cavaliers 40-yard-line.
Then after Jones lost a yard on 1st down, he hit Bobby Rodriguez for six yards to set up a 3rd & 5 at the Virginia 35-yard-line.
That is when Jones found Greg Lester for 15 yards and a 1st down at the Cavs 20-yard-line.
Having used his last timeout following the Lester catch, Ross sent the field goal unit to try and win the game with a 37-yard field goal.
After Welsh called timeout in hopes of freezing the kicker, Sisson nailed the 37-yard field goal to give Georgia Tech a 41-38 lead with seven seconds left.
Virginia had time for one last play but Shawn Moore's desperation pass was intercepted ending the game with the Yellow Jackets coming away with the 41-38 upset.
The Cavaliers never recovered from the loss as they would drop their last three games of the season, including a 23-22 loss to Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl which saw the Cavaliers blow a 16-0 halftime lead
Virginia would finish the season with a 8-4 record and #15 ranking in the final Coaches Poll, but #23 in the final AP poll.
As for the Yellow Jackets, the win helped propelled to win the ACC championship and a berth in the Citrus Bowl where they routed the Nebraska Cornhuskers 45-21 to finish the season with a 11-0-1 record and #1 ranking in the final coaches poll, giving Tech a share of the national championship with Colorado.
A fitting end to a wild and crazy season.

Scott Sisson raises his hand in celebration after kicking the game-winning field goal with seven seconds left.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Bavaro Catch & Run Sparks Giants Monday Night Comeback

Mark Bavaro carries Ronnie Lott down the field for his famous 31-yard reception in the Giants' 1986 Monday Night game with the 49ers.

Throughout the long, storied history of Monday Night Football, there have been plays and performances that have become legendary because they have occurred in one of television's longest running primetime programs.
An example of this is a 31-yard reception made by New York Giants tight end Mark Bavaro during a Monday Night game against the San Francisco 49ers that has become one of the most famous plays in MNF history.
The Giants entered the game with a 10-2 record and were on track to capture home field advantage for the AFC playoffs.
Led by head coach Bill Parcells, the Giants were living up to their preseason expectations as Super Bowl contenders thanks to the "Big Blue Wrecking Crew" defense led by linebacker Lawrence Taylor and a steady ground-control offense with running back Joe Morris.
Still, whenever they needed a big play in the passing game, quarterback Phil Simms would usually hook up with Bavaro, who in his 2nd NFL season, had become Simms' go-to-guy as he ended up finishing the season with 66 catches and 1,001 yards receiving.
Simms and Bavaro would have to have big games for their Monday Night contest with the 49ers at Candlestick Park.
The 49ers stood at 7-4-1 having endured a mediocre stretch of 4-3-1 in the middle of the season after losing starting quarterback Joe Montana to a back injury that was so severe that doctors thought he would never play again.
But in Week 10, Montana returned and threw three touchdown passes to Jerry Rice in a 43-17 rout of the then St.Louis Cardinals.
With Montana back and Rice at wide receiver plus running back Roger Craig, who had run for 1,050 yards and caught 92 passes for 1,016 yards the year before, the 49ers were hoping to make a late season run that would start with a win over the Giants.
 The Giants got the ball to start the game from their 30-yard-line, but seemed to be on their way to a three-and-out as they faced a 3rd & 17 from their 23-yard-line.
However, Simms found wide receiver Phil McConkey for 32 yards to give the Giants a 1st down at the 49ers' 45-yard-line.
But three plays later, Simms was intercepted when his pass was deflected by 49ers cornerback Tim McKyer and landed in the hands of his teammate Jeff Fuller who returned it 14 yards to the 49ers' 42-yard-line.
After both teams punted on their ensuing possessions, the 49ers had the ball at their 19-yard-line when they put together a 12-play, 69-yard drive which ended with the first points of the game, a 30-yard field goal by Ray Wersching that put San Francisco on top 3-0 with 25 seconds left in the first quarter.

Jerry Rice celebrates with Joe Montana and another teammate after one of his two touchdowns.

The Giants got off two plays before the first quarter, picking up 29 yards on a pair of Simms passes that had New York at the San Francisco 47-yard-line as the second quarter was set to begin.
But on the first play of the quarter, Simms was intercepted again, this time by 49ers strong safety Carlton Williamson, who gave the 49ers the ball back at their 28-yard-line.
From there, the 49ers drove 72 yards in 11 plays, primarily through the air as Montana completed seven of eight passes for 52 yards, with the last completion being a 11-yard touchdown pass to Rice to extend San Francisco's lead to 10-0 with 10:26 left in the second quarter.
Following the touchdown, the Giants took over at their 23-yard-line and once again drove into San Francisco territory as Simms hit Tony Galbreath for 19 yards, then connected with Bavaro for 17 yards and then again for 10 yards, to set up a 1st & 10 at the 49ers 23-yard-line.
But Simms would throw three straight incomplete passes forcing the Giants to settle for a 41-yard field goal attempt by Raul Allegre, which fell short and no good, keeping it a 10-0 game in favor of the 49ers with 5:55 left before halftime.
From there, the 49ers put together a 14-play, 77-yard drive that culminated with a one-yard touchdown run by Rice off a reverse to give San Francisco a 17-0 lead with just 45 seconds left in the first half.
However, with all three timeouts left in their pocket and Simms having an effective game throwing the ball, the Giants tried to put together a drive to get into field goal range and get some points before halftime.
Starting at his 28-yard-line, Simms hit back-to-back passes to Galbreath for a total of 16 yards, then found Bobby Johnson for eight yards which got five yards added to it when 49ers linebacker Keena Turner was called for a face mask penalty.
Then after Simms connected with McConkey for 18 yards to put the Giants at the 49ers' 25-yard-line, Simms called the Giants' last timeout with two seconds left, giving Allegre a shot at redemption and a 43-yard field goal.
However, Allegre's kick sailed wide left and the Giants went into the locker facing a 17-0 halftime deficit.
The 49ers got the ball to start the second half but went three-and-out punting the ball back to the Giants who took over at the 49ers' 49-yard-line.
After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Simms went back to pass and found Bavaro at the 49ers' 40-yard-line.
That is when Bavaro went into Beast mode as he broke two San Francisco tacklers, then found himself wrapped around the arms of Lott at the 30-yard-line.
But Bavaro kept moving, carrying Lott with him before ultimately falling down at the San Francisco 18-yard-line to complete the 31-yard reception and give the Giants a 1st down.

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Little did anyone know at the time, but that would be the turning point of the game as two plays later, Simms connected with Morris for a 17-yard touchdown for the Giants' first touchdown of the game which cut the 49ers' lead to 17-7 with 12:19 to go in the third quarter.
Perhaps inspired by Bavaro's play or the halftime adjustments made by defensive coordinator Bill Belichick, the Giants defense forced a second straight three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 29-yard-line.
From there, Simms hit running back Ottis Anderson for 12 yards on a screen pass to begin the drive, then hit Bavaro again for 11 yards following a three-yard loss by Morris.
After Morris was stopped for no gain on 3rd & 2 from the Giants' 49-yard-line, Parcells decided to roll the dice and go for the 1st down.
The gamble paid off as Morris busted for 17 yards to give the Giants a 1st down at the 49ers' 34-yard-line.
On the very next play, Simms went deep and hit Stacy Robinson for a 34-yard touchdown to bring the Giants to within three points at 17-14 with 7:37 left in the third quarter.
The Giants kept the momentum going as they forced another three-and-out and got the ball back at their 29-yard-line as Simms hit Maurice Carthon for seven yards, then McConkey for 14 yards to give New York a 1st down at exactly midfield.
Then after Anderson was stopped for no gain on 1st down, Simms went deep again and hit Robinson for a 49-yard completion to give the Giants a 1st & goal at the one-yard-line.
Simms handed the ball off to Anderson, who punched it in for the one-yard touchdown to give the Giants their first lead of the game, 21-17 with 3:41 remaining in the third quarter.
With their 17-point lead gone like that, the 49ers needed to put together a drive to regain control of the game.
But on the first play from scrimmage following Anderson's touchdown, Montana was picked off by Giants cornerback Perry Williams whose 14-yard return set up shop for the Giants at the 49ers' 39-yard-line.
The Giants seemed poised for another touchdown when Bavaro lost the football at the end of a 16-yard reception, which was recovered by 49ers linebacker Riki Ellison at the San Francisco six-yard-line.
After Wendell Tyler carried the ball for six yards, the third quarter came to an end with the Giants having outscored the 49ers 21-0, outgained them 226-20 and did not permit an single 1st down to turn the 17-0 deficit into a 21-17 lead.

Giants quarterback Phil Simms would complete 27 of 38 passes for 388 yards and throw two touchdown passes.

But almost like waking up from a nap, the 49ers offense got going as the 4th quarter began.
Following a 12-yard run by Tyler to give the 49ers a 1st down at their 22-yard-line, Montana completed five passes in a row to get the 49ers down to the Giants' 38-yard-line.
Montana then handed the ball off to Tyler who picked up seven yards, only to have Craig get only one yard on a 2nd down run, which was followed by an incomplete pass, setting up 4th & 2 from the 30-yard-line.
Though they were in Wersching's range for a field goal, the 49ers decided to go for the 1st down, but Rice caught Montana's 4th down pass out of bounds, giving the ball back to the Giants who took over at their 30-yard-line with 9:51 left in the 4th quarter.
Following an trade of punts, the 49ers got the ball back at their 32-yard-line with 5:05 left on the clock and needing a touchdown to win.
But with the ball in Montana's hands, 49ers fans were very hopeful that San Francisco could pull it out while Giants fans were probably biting their nails in nervousness.
After an incomplete pass to start the drive, Montana hit Rice for 11 yards, then connected with tight end Russ Francis on back-to-back completions totaling 21 yards, then handed it off to Joe Cribbs, who picked up two yards for a San Francisco 1st down at the Giants' 34-yard-line.
Following a false start that pushed the 49ers back five yards, Montana threw an incomplete pass, then hit Craig on back-to-back passes, gaining 14 yards and setting up 4th & 1 at the New York 25-yard-line with less than two minutes to go.
Montana snuck for the 1st down, picking up two yards, then hit Rice on two straight passes, but only picking up six yards, before handed it off to Tyler who was dropped for a three-yard-loss setting a do-or-die 4th & 7 at the Giants 20-yard-line with one minute left.
Montana dropped back to pass but was pressured by Giants linebacker Andy Headen, forcing a bad pass that fell incomplete giving New York the ball and allowing them to run out the clock which they did to come away with the 21-17 victory.
The two teams would meet again in the NFC Divisional Playoffs as both teams won their last three games to clinch their respective divisions to set up the Divisional Playoff in the Meadowlands.
The Giants annihilated the 49ers 49-3 as New York went on to win their first Super Bowl title as they defeated the Denver Broncos 39-20 in Super Bowl XXI, thanks to Simms' MVP performance where he completed 22 of 25 passes for 268 and three touchdown passes, including one to Bavaro that gave the Giants the lead for good early in the second half.
Bavaro remained with the Giants for four more seasons, helping them win another Super Bowl in 1990, before being cut in 1991 because of a degenerative knee condition.
After sitting out a year, Bavaro returned to the NFL playing the 1992 season with the Cleveland Browns, then playing two years with the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring for good after the 1994 season.
Bavaro finished his career with 351 catches for 4,733 yards and 39 touchdowns, with 266 of those catches for 3,722 yards and 28 touchdowns coming with the Giants, helping earn a spot in the New York Giants Ring of Honor in 2011.
But when Giants fans think of Bavaro, usually the first image that will come to their head is that memorable catch-and-run against the 49ers on Monday Night Football in 1986.

Bavaro would finish the game as the Giants' leading receiver with seven catches for 98 yards.