NFL Old School Game of the Week: Hail Mary TD Pass Gives Buffalo Win Over New England

The Buffalo Bills celebrate after Joe Ferguson threw a Hail Mary touchdown pass to Roland Hooks in the final seconds of their win against the New England Patriots.

Perhaps the most exciting play in football is a Hail Mary touchdown pass because it when it happens it could send the fans of the team that made the play into a frenzy while the losing team's fans go into despair.

Such was case in Week 12 of the 1981 NFL season when the Buffalo Bills hosted the New England Patriots in one of the most memorable finishes in the long series history between these two teams.

The Bills entered the game with a 6-5 record but having lost their previous two games as quarterback Joe Ferguson had thrown eight interceptions in the two losses to the Dallas Cowboys and the St. Louis Cardinals.

If the Bills were to make the playoffs for the second year in a row, they needed Ferguson to get back on track and it looked like the Patriots game would provide a great opportunity for Ferguson to accomplish that.

New England entered the game with a dismal 2-9 record as they hoped to end a four-game losing streak with a win over the Bills.

If New England were to win, they would have to do without starting quarterback Steve Grogan, who was out with a sprained left knee and was replaced by Matt Cavanaugh for the Buffalo game.

As the two teams prepared for their meeting in Buffalo, they would have do with the element of the weather as it was 31 degrees with a 18 miles per hour wind that would play in a factor in some of the decision making by both head coaches, Ron Erhardt for the Patriots and Chuck Knox for the Bills.

The Bills got the ball to start the game at their 24-yard-line and would keep it on the ground as they ran 10 straight running plays, picking up 66 yards as running back Joe Cribbs would run for 26 yards on six carries while his backup,Roosevelt Leaks, would run for 40 yards on four carries, all leading to a 28-yard field goal by Nick Mike-Mayer to give Buffalo a 3-0 lead with 9:13 left in the first quarter.

After both teams punted on their ensuing possessions, the Patriots took over at their 45-yard-line when running back Tony Collins dropped an handoff from Cavanaugh which was recovered by Bills cornerback Mario Clark giving Buffalo the football at the New England 40-yard-line.

The Patriots' defense were able to hold to the Bills to a field goal attempt which Mike-Mayer missed from 41 yards out as his kick bounced off the left upright to keep it a 3-0 game.

With the wind at his back, Cavanaugh came out throwing as he would throw two passes to start the drive, with the second pass being completed to Stanley Morgan for a 20-yard gain to the Patriots' 44-yard-line.

On the next play from scrimmage, Cavanaugh threw a backwards pass to fullback Andy Johnson, who then a deep pass to Morgan, who made the catch at the Bills' five-yard-line and then strolled for the touchdown, a 56-yarder to put the Patriots on top 7-3 with 2:15 left in the opening period.

It was the fourth touchdown pass of the season for Johnson, who had played quarterback at the University of Georgia from 1971-73.

The touchdown seemed to turn the momentum in the Patriots' favor as on the first play of the Bills' ensuing possession when free safety Tim Fox knocked the ball loose after a hard hit on Cribbs, leading to a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Roland James at the Buffalo 39-yard-line.

To add injury to insult, Cribbs was knocked out of the game as his bruised ribs had been re-aggravated by the hit from Fox.

The Patriots were only able to drive to the 23-yard-line before calling on John Smith to apparently to attempt a 41-yard field goal, only for New England go into the bag of tricks again as Cavanaugh, who was the holder, threw a pass for tight end Don Hasselbeck(father of former NFL quarterbacks Matt and Tim Hasselbeck)who had was wide open in the end zone.

But Cavanaugh overthrew Hasselbeck resulting in an incompletion and giving the ball back to Buffalo at their 23-yard-line, still down 7-3 as the first quarter came to a close.

Stanley Morgan had only three catches but they totaled 141 yards and one of them went for a touchdown.

Now with the wind at his back, Ferguson could throw the ball, which he did on 3rd & 16 as he found Frank Lewis for 31 yards for a Bills 1st down at their 48-yard-line.

Ferguson would then scramble for 16 yards on 3rd & 6 to give the Bills a 1st down at the Patriots' 32-yard-line which was immediately followed by a 19-yard pass to tight end Mark Brammer for another Bills 1st down at the New England 13-yard-line.

But after the completion to Brammer, the Bills ran the ball three straight times, picking up eight yards and forcing them to settle for another field goal, a 23-yarder which Mike-Mayer made to cut the Patriots' lead to 7-6 with 9:28 left in the second quarter.

However on the first play of the Patriots' ensuing possession, Collins fumbled the ball for the second time in the game after he was hit at the line of scrimmage by Bills linebacker Lucius Sanford, which defensive end Sherman White recovered to give Buffalo the ball at the New England 33-yard-line.

After two incomplete passes, Ferguson would connect with Jerry Butler for 10 yards when disaster nearly struck as Patriots defensive back poked the ball out of Butler's arm, leading to the ball bouncing ten yards before it was recovered by Bills wide receiver Lou Piccone at the 13-yard-line.

Two plays later, Ferguson would find Roland Hooks, who had dropped a touchdown pass on the previous play, at the five-yard-line, who then ran in for the 11-yard touchdown to give the Bills their first lead of the game at 13-7 with 7:20 left in the first half.

The last scoring threat of the first half would come courtesy of the Bills as they drove from their 45-yard-line to the New England 21-yard-line to set up a 38-yard field goal attempt by Mike-Mayer, which sailed wide right as time expired in the first half, keeping the score 13-7 in favor of the Bills as the two teams went into the locker rooms for the halftime break.

The Patriots got the ball to start the second half and just like the Bills did to start the game, kept it on the ground as they ran 11 straight running plays for 41 yards as they drove into the wind to set up a 43-yard field goal by Smith which cut the Buffalo lead to 13-10 with 7:47 remaining in the third quarter.

After forcing a three-and-out, the Patriots got the ball at their 29-yard-line and drove 54 yards in seven plays with the big play being a 30-yard pass from Cavanaugh to Hasselbeck to set up a 35-yard field goal attempt for Smith.

But the kick was blocked by Bills defensive back Rod Kush and was recovered by Robb Riddick at the Buffalo 17-yard-line, preserving the Bills' 13-10 lead late in the third quarter.

Roosevelt Leaks(48) filled nicely for the injured Joe Cribbs as he rushed for 92 yards on 19 carries.

Following the blocked field goal, both teams would punt on their next two possessions as the game went into the fourth quarter with the Bills still in the lead 13-10 with 6:50 with then took over at their 20-yard-line when they put together their best drive of the second half.

Buffalo would drive 50 yards in eight plays before facing a 4th & 6 at the New England 30-yard-line with 2:51 to go in regulation.

Facing a potential 47-yard field goal attempt into the wind, Knox decided to go for the 1st down, but Ferguson's pass for Hooks fell incomplete, giving the Patriots the ball at their 30-yard-line.

On the first play of the drive, Cavanaugh dropped back and threw deep for Morgan, who made the catch around the Buffalo 20-yard-line, then ran toward the end zone before he was tackled by Bills free safety Bill Simpson at the five-yard-line after a 65-yard reception to give New England 1st & goal as the two-minute hit.

When the Patriots' offense come back on to the field for 1st & goal, Cavanaugh faked a handoff to Cunningham and threw a pass for Hasselbeck, who was wide open in the end zone.

This time, the ball was not overthrown as it landed perfectly in the hands of Hasselbeck for the go-ahead touchdown to give New England a 17-13 lead with 1:56 left.

The Bills would begin their ensuing possession at their 20-yard-line but on 3rd & 10, Ferguson would be intercepted by Patriots strong safety Rick Sanford to give New England the ball at the Buffalo 35-yard-line with 1:40 left causing many of the fans at Rich Stadium to leave believing the game was over.

Three straight running plays picked up eight yards to set up a 4th & 2 at the Bills' 27-yard-line with 39 seconds left.

Much like Knox did earlier in the quarter, Erhardt decided forego a field goal attempt and go for the 1st down, only to have Cunningham get stopped for no gain giving the Bills the ball back at their 27-yard-line with 35 seconds and no timeouts.

The Bills needed a miracle to pull out the victory as they had to score a touchdown in order to win the game.

Lined up in the shotgun formation, Ferguson took the snap and fired a deep pass for Hooks, who made a diving catch for 37 yards to put Buffalo at the Patriots' 36-yard-line.

The Bills offense ran up to the line of scrimmage where Ferguson threw the ball out of bounds to stop the clock with 12 seconds to play.

With such little time left on the clock, Knox decided to call for "Big Ben" the Bills Hail Mary play where three wide receivers would line up on the right side and run downfield hoping for the ball to find one of the receivers or a deflection that would be caught be one of the receivers.

Butler, Lewis, and Hooks all lined up on the right side and ran downfield as Ferguson took a shotgun snap, dropped back his about 10 yards, and fired a prayer that he hoped would find Lewis in a crowd of Patriot defenders.

But as the ball came down towards Lewis, Patriots linebacker Mike Hawkins tried to knock the ball down, only to have his deflection land in the hands of Hooks for a shocking 36-yard touchdown to give the Bills a 19-17 lead with five seconds to go and causing most if not the entire Bills team to come off the bench and join Hooks in celebration.

After things calm downed, Mike-Meyer come on to kick the extra point to give Buffalo a 20-17 lead.

Now it was the Patriots who needed a miracle but Mike-Meyer kicked a squib kick that ran out the clock, preserving the 20-17 win for the Bills.

The heartbreaking loss would be a tough pill for the Patriots to swallow as they would lose their remaining four games of the season by a combined 28 points.

After the season, Erhardt was fired as Patriots head coach and replaced by Ron Meyer, who would coach the team for 2 1/2 seasons until he was fired midway through the 1984 season and was replaced by Raymond Berry who in 1985 would lead the Patriots to the Super Bowl.

As for the Bills, their heartstopping win over the Patriots would be the start of a four-game winning streak that allowed Buffalo to grab the final Wild Card spot with a 10-6 record.

The Bills would go on to knock off the New York Jets 31-27 in the AFC Wild Card Game for the team's first playoff win since the 1965 AFL Championship Game.

They would be knocked out in the Divisional Round by the Cincinnati Bengals 28-21, which would be the team's final playoff appearance until 1988.

 

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Nebraska Overcomes 3 TD Deficit To Beat Ohio State

Rex Burkhead accounted for 172 yards of total offense and scored two touchdowns in Nebraska's comeback win.

In 2011, the Nebraska Cornhuskers joined the Big 10 Conference after spending over a century in the Big 8 Conference which expanded into the Big 12 Conference.
Even though they were entering unfamiliar territory, Cornhusker fans were excited by the move, primarily because they would get to see their football team take on the likes of Michigan, Penn State, and Ohio State.
On October 8th, 2011, the Cornhuskers played host to the Ohio State Buckeyes in one of the most dramatic games in Nebraska football history.
The Cornhuskers entered the game ranked #14 but were still licking the wounds of a 48-17 beatdown at the hands of the Wisconsin Badgers the week before.
Nebraska was lead by head coach Bo Peliniwho had directed the Cornhuskers to back-to-back appearances in the Big 12 Championship Game in 2009 + 2010 and had a offense which featured dual threat quarterback Taylor Martinez and running back Rex Burkhead.
Meanwhile, Ohio State were a team under a cloud of controversy after it had been revealed in the offseason that five players, including star quarterback Terrelle Pyror, had sold memorabilia to a tattoo parlor resulting in a five-game suspension for Pryor and four other players.
But that wasn't the worst of it as it was revealed that head coach Jim Tressel knew about the incident but had not reported it to the NCAA.
Tressel was initially given a two-game suspension by the university, which was upped to five games after public outcry.
Then on May 30th, Tressel announced his resignation as Ohio State head coach after 10 seasons which included a national championship in 2002.
For the 2011 season, the Buckeyes named defensive coordinatior Luke Fickell as interim head coach A week after Tressel's resignation, Pryor announced he was leaving Ohio State to enter the NFL.
Pryor would be replaced true freshman Braxton Miller who had helped the Buckeyes to a 3-2 record as they traveled to Lincoln for the first time in school history to play the Cornhuskers for the first time since 1956.
Ohio State got the ball to start the game and were able to drive from their 20-yard-line to the Nebraska 24-yard-line with Miller accounting for 48 yards of offense on the drive(32 passing, 16 rushing)to set up a 41-yard field goal by Drew Basil to put the Buckeyes on the scoreboard with 7:16 left in the first quarter.
Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah would return the ensuing kickoff 36 yards to the Cornhuskers' 46-yard-line which would lead to a 50-yard field goal by Brett Maher that tied the game 3-3 with 5:15 left in the first quarter.
The Buckeyes would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line where Miller would lead Ohio State on a seven-play, 80-yard touchdown drive which saw Miller used his legs to convert on two critical 3rd down situations.
The first one come on a 3rd & 1 at the Ohio State 29-yard-line as Miller ran for 12 yards which was followed by a 3rd & 7 at the Buckeyes' 44-yard-line where Miller picked up 24 yards to give Ohio State a 1st down at the Nebraska 32-yard-line.
On the very next play, Miller found Jake Stoneburner for the 32-yard touchdown to give the Buckeyes a 10-3 lead with 1:51 left in the first quarter.

Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller only threw for 95 yards on five-of-eight passing, but ran for 91 yards on 10 carries.

Following the Ohio State touchdown, the Cornhuskers drove from their 12-yard-line to the Ohio State 41-yard-line where they had a 3rd & 1 only to have Burkhead to be stopped for no gain, setting up 4th down.
Pelini decided to go for the 1st down, but Burkhead was dropped for a one-yard-loss to give the Buckeyes the ball at their 42-yard-line.
After a false start pushed the Buckeyes back five yards, Miller handed the ball off to Carlos Hyde who exploded for a 63-yard touchdown run to extend the Ohio State to 17-3 with 12:46 to go in the second quarter.
After both teams punted on their ensuing possessions, the Cornhuskers got the ball at their 43-yard-line and were able to drive to the Ohio State 17-yard-line as Martinez accounted for 38 of the 40 yards on the drive which ended with a 34-yard field goal by Maher to cut the Buckeyes' lead to 17-6 with just 2:44 left before halftime.
It seemed that Nebraska was going to get out of the first half down 17-6 as they did not allow the Buckeyes to pick up a 1st down on their next possession, forcing Ohio State to punt the ball back to the Cornhuskers who took over at their 16-yard-line with 52 minutes left in the half.
But on 2nd & 4 at his 22-yard-line, Martinez was picked off by Ohio State strong safety Orhian Johnson, whose seven-yard return gave the Buckeyes the ball at the Nebraska 47-yard-line with 15 seconds left and two timeouts left.
That was enough time for Miller to run for 29 yards, call timeout with four seconds left, and have Basil come on to kick a 35-yard field goal as time expired in the first half with the Buckeyes on top 20-6.
Nebraska got the ball to start the second half but went three-and-out, punting the ball back to the Buckeyes who took over at the Cornhuskers 47-yard-line where it took them seven plays to get back into the end zone as Hyde punched it in from one yard out to give Ohio State a three-touchdown lead at 27-6 with 10:53 left in the third quarter.
Things appeared bleak for the Cornhuskers, especially after they went three-and-out on their next possession, to give Ohio State the ball back at their 12-yard-line with a chance to extend their lead and turn this game into a blowout.
Hyde carried the ball twice for five yards setting up 3rd & 5 when the biggest play of the game happened.
Miller kept the ball and ran the ball for seven yards for an apparent 1st down, only to be stripped of the ball by Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David, who recovered the fumble himself to give the Cornhuskers the ball at the Ohio State 24-yard-line.
Burkhead ran the ball for six yards to start the drive, then Martinez ran it in for the 18-yard touchdown to cut the Ohio State lead to 27-13 with 7:23 left in third quarter.

Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David's strip and recovery of a Ohio State fumble was the turning point of the game.

The Buckeyes got the ball back at their 23-yard-line and were able to pick up a 1st down, but on 2nd & 7 from their 37-yard-line, Ohio State lost two yards and Miller for the rest of the game as he sprained his right ankle.
Miller was replaced by Joe Bauserman, who threw an incomplete pass on 3rd & 9, forcing the Buckeyes to punt the ball back to the Cornhuskers, who took over at their 20-yard-line when disaster nearly struck on the next play from scrimmage.
Martinez handed the ball off to Jamal Turner, who not only lost seven yards, but lost the football, only to have Turner recover the ball at the 13-yard-line.
From there, Martinez took over as he ran for eight yards on 2nd & 17, then hit Kyler Reed for 12 yards and a 1st down at the Nebraska 33-yard-line, which was followed up by a 14-yard pass to Kenny Bell.
Aaron Green would then run the ball for 13 yards to the Ohio State 40-yard-line, which was followed by a four-yard run by Martinez, setting up 2nd & 6.
That is when Martinez found Quincy Enunwa for a 36-yard touchdown to bring the Cornhuskers back within a score at 27-20 with 1:44 to go in the third quarter.
It seemed the Buckeyes got back on track on their next drive as they drove from their 31-yard-line to the Nebraska 29-yard-line until a three-yard-loss by Hyde and two incomplete passes forced Fickell to make a decision on 4th & 13 at the 32-yard-line to either go for it or try to kick a field goal.
Instead, Fickell played it conservatively by taking a delay of game and sending in his punting unit in hopes of pinning the Cornhuskers deep in their own territory.
The strategy worked as Ben Buchanan's punt was downed at the Nebraska nine-yard-line.
After both teams punted on their next possessions, the Cornhuskers got the ball at their 28-yard-line where they drove 72 yards in seven plays, culminating with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Martinez to Burkhead that went with Basil's extra point tied the game at 27 with 7:35 left in regulation.
The Buckeyes got the ball at their 21-yard-line and seemed to have a drive going as Hyde ran for 16 yards on back-to-back plays, only to have Bauserman get picked off on a deep pass by Nebraska cornerback Stanley Jean-Bapiste giving the Cornhuskers the ball at their 22-yard-line with 6:22 left and a chance to take the lead.
It didn't take long for the Cornhuskers to get into Ohio State territory as the Buckeyes drew a five-yard offsides penalty to begin the drive which was followed by a 18-yard run by Martinez that became a 33-yard-play as Buckeyes defensive back C.J. Barnett was called for a face mask penalty, giving Nebraska a 1st down at the Buckeyes 40-yard-line.
That is when Burkhead took over as he ran for 22 yards on the very next play from scrimmage to the 18-yard-line then after a one-yard run, got the ball again and bursted through the left side for a 17-yard touchdown to give Nebraska its first lead of the game at 34-27 with 5:10 remaining in regulation.
The Buckeyes would go three-and-out on their ensuing possession, punting the ball back to the Cornhuskers who took over at their 33-yard-line with a chance to pick up some 1st downs and run out the clock with 4:02 left in regulation.
Burkhead ran for five yards to start the drive, but then lost four yards on 2nd down, setting up a critical 3rd & 9 with 3:13 left.
That is when Martinez took the snap and was able to not only for the nine yards needed for the 1st down, but draw a 15-yard penalty as Ohio State linebacker Tyler Moeller, giving the Cornhuskers a 1st & 10 at the Buckeyes' 42-yard-line.
Burkhead would ran for 11 yards on the next two plays to give Nebraska another 1st down at the Ohio State 31-yard-line, then was dropped for a four-yard-loss as Ohio State called its last timeout with 1:52 left and facing a 2nd & 14 at the Buckeyes' 35-yard-line.
Burkhead would get the ball again on 2nd down and ran for 18 yards for another Nebraska 1st down at the Ohio State 17-yard-line.

Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez would complete 16 of 22 passes for 191 yards and throw two touchdowns, plus ran for 102 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.

With Ohio State out of timeouts, Martinez took three knees to run out the clock, completing the greatest comeback in Nebraska history as the Cornhuskers had come away with a 34-27 win.
The game against Nebraska would be a microcosm of the second half of the Buckeyes' season as they won their next three games, including a dramatic 33-29 win over Wisconsin, but lost their final four games including a loss to Florida in the Gator Bowl as Ohio State finished with a 6-7 record, their first losing season since 1999.
The Buckeyes would hire Urban Meyer to become its head coach in the offseason, who kept Fickell as defensive coordinator, and lead the Buckeyes back to prominence as they would go undefeated the following season but not play in a bowl game as they were serve a one-year postseason ban because of all the transgressions by Tressel and Pryor.
However, two years later, the Buckeyes would become the first team to win the national championship in the new four-team playoff system.
As for Nebraska, the comeback win over Ohio State would be the highlight of their season as the Cornhuskers would drop three of their last five games to finish with a 9-4 record.
The Cornhuskers would win at least nine games for the next three seasons and play in the Big 10 Championship Game in 2012, but it was still wasn't good enough for Pelini to keep his job as he was fired after the 2014 regular season record despite leading Nebraska to a 67-27 record and three division titles(two Big 12, one Big 10) in his seven seasons in Lincoln.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Marino + Clayton Break Records in Dolphins' Crazy Win over Cowboys

Mark Clayton set the NFL touchdown record for most touchdown receptions in a season in the Dolphins' 1984 regular season finale against the Dallas Cowboys.

In 1984, Dan Marino rewrote the history books as he became the first quarterback to throw for over 5,000 yards in a NFL season and shattered the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a season.
But he was not the only Dolphin who set records during the 1984 season.
Wide receiver Mark Clayton would break the NFL record for most touchdown catches in a season in dramatic fashion during the last game of the NFL regular season as the Dolphins hosted the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.
Like Marino, Clayton was in his second NFL season as he was paired with third-year wide receiver Mark Duper to form the "Marks Brothers".
Clayton and Duper was Marino's favorite targets as both went over 1,000 receiving yards as the Dolphins complied a 13-2 record while Marino broke the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a season, which was held by Y.A. Tittle since 1963, when he threw his 37th touchdown pass of the season in the first quarter of the Dolphins' 45-34 loss to the then Los Angeles Raiders in the 14th game.
As the Dolphins entered their regular season finale, Marino had increased his record to 44 touchdown passes and was 58 yards shy of breaking Dan Fouts' record of most passing yards in a season with 4,802.
If Marino could throw for 256 yards, he could eclipse the 5,000 yard passing mark, a mark that seemed unfathomable in 1984.
Meanwhile, Clayton stood with 15 touchdown catches, two shy of the NFL record that was held by three players: Don Hutson(1942) Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch(1951) and Bill Groman(1961).
If the record were not enough for Don Shula's Dolphins, Miami needed a win to clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
While Miami looked at breaking records and solidifying their playoff position, the Cowboys entered the game looking to get into the playoffs with a win as they stood with a 9-6 record.
The 1984 season had been a tumultuous one as incumbent starting quarterback Danny White had been replaced at the start of the season by Gary Hogeboom.
But after a 12-of-33 for 147 yards and two-interception performance against the then St.Louis Cardinals, head coach Tom Landry reinserted White as the starting quarterback.
If the Cowboys could win or even tie the the Dolphins, they would get the final NFC Wild Card spot.
If they lost, the New York Giants would go to the playoffs and the Cowboys would miss the playoffs for the first time since 1974.
The first big play of the game came midway through the first quarter when Marino was picked off by Cowboys cornerback Ron Fellows on a pass intended for Clayton to give Dallas possession at the Dolphins' 43-yard-line.
The Cowboys drove to the Dolphins' 22-yard-line until White was intercepted by Miami cornerback William Judson in the end zone as White was trying to connect with his fullback Timmy Newsome.
The Dolphins took over at their 20-yard-line and proceeded to drive to the Dallas 34-yard-line as the first quarter come to an end with the game still scoreless and Miami facing a 4th & 2.
With his kicker Uwe von Schmann having a bad season in kicking field goals(he made only 9 of 19), Shula decided to rely on Marino to pick up the two yards needed for the 1st down.
The Dolphins got the 1st down as Marino found Nat Moore for six yards only to have Moore lose the football when he was hit by Cowboys safety Bill Bates at the Dallas 28-yard-line, which was picked up by Fellows who returned the fumble before being tackled at the Cowboys' 40-yard-line.
The Cowboys would go three-and-out on their ensuing possession, punting the ball back to the Dolphins who took over at their 20-yard-line.
The Dolphins lost three yards on two running plays before Marino threw a 22-yard pass to Moore on 3rd & 13 to not only give Miami a 1st down, but also break the record for most passing yards in a season by a quarterback.

Dan Marino would throw for 340 yards on 23-of-40 passing and throw four touchdown passes.

Following the record-breaking pass to Moore, it appeared the Dolphins would punt the ball back to Dallas as Marino threw an incomplete pass on 3rd & 7, only to have Bates be called for roughing the passer, giving Miami 15 yards and a 1st down at the Cowboys' 43-yard-line.
Then on 3rd & 8 from the 41-yard-line, Marino connected with Clayton on a pass over the middle as Clayton made the catch at the Dallas' 25-yard-line, then got a block from Moore to help him spring for the 41-yard touchdown to put Miami on the scoreboard and push Clayton one touchdown closer to tying the NFL record for most touchdown receptions in a season.
After the touchdown, the Cowboys drove from their 27-yard-line to the Dolphins' 28-yard-line until a pair of negative plays sent them backwards.
First, running back Tony Dorsett lost five yards on a screen pass which was followed by a sack of White by Dolphins linebacker Mark Brown for a 12-yard-loss, pushing Dallas back to the Miami 45-yard-line where they were forced to punt the ball away.
Neither team would mount a serious scoring threat on their final drives of the first half as Miami went into the halftime break with a 7-0 lead, but would get the ball to start the second half.
Disaster seemed to strike for the Dolphins on the second play of the second half when running back Tony Nathan fumbled the football which was recovered by Dallas linebacker Mike Hegman at the Miami 21-yard-line, only to have Cowboys defensive tackle John Dutton be called for jumping offsides, negating the fumble recovery and giving the ball back to the Dolphins.
A few plays later, it appeared that the Cowboys had forced another turnover as cornerback Everson Walls intercepted a Marino pass intended for Clayton, only to have Walls be called for pass interference, giving the Dolphins a 1st down at the Cowboys' 38-yard-line.
From there, Marino would complete four of his next six passes for 33 yards, with the last one being a three-yard touchdown to tight end Bruce Hardy to extend the Dolphins' lead to 14-0 with 10:43 left in the third quarter.
After both teams punted on their next possessions, the Cowboys got the ball at their 28-yard-line and gained nine plays in two plays setting up a 3rd & 1 situation when White threw a wobbly pass that was intercepted by Dolphins linebacker Jay Brophy.
However, the interception was nullified when fellow Miami linebacker A.J. Duhe was called for holding, resulting in a Dallas 1st down at their 42-yard-line.
The Cowboys would drive to the Miami 23-yard-line when they were faced with a 4th & 8.
Figuring a field goal would do him no good against the vaunted Dolphins offense, Landry decided to go for it as White took the snap and fired a pass toward the end zone for Duriel Harris which fell incomplete, only to have Dolphins free safety Lyle Blackwood be called for pass interference, giving the Cowboys a 1st & goal at the one-yard-line.
From there, Newsome punched it in for the one-yard touchdown to cut the Dolphins' lead to 14-7 with 1:47 to go in the third quarter.
The score remained 14-7 til the middle of the 4th quarter when the defensive stalemate turned into a track meet.
It all started with an interception as Marino was picked off by Cowboys free safety Michael Downs, whose 25-yard return set the Dallas offense up at the Dolphins' 21-yard-line.
Four plays later, the Cowboys were in the end zone as Newsome scored on a four-yard touchdown run that with Rafael Septein's extra point tied the game at 14 with 7:28 remaining in the 4th quarter.

Cowboys fullback Timmy Newsome only ran for 20 yards on six carries, but scored two touchdowns.

The Dolphins got the ball back at their 20-yard-line where they put together a nine-play, 80-yard drive that saw Marino connect on three straight 3rd down situations.
The first one was a 3rd & 2 at the 28-yard-line where Marino found Duper over the middle for 17 yards and a 1st down at the Dolphins' 45-yard-line.
Then on 3rd & 6 from the Miami 49-yard-line, Marino connected with Nathan for seven yards and a 1st down at the Dallas 44-yard-line.
Finally on 3rd & 5 from the Cowboys' 39-yard-line, Marino threw a pass for Clayton in the left flat, who made the catch at the 30-yard-line and then ran in untouched for his 17th touchdown reception of the season, tying the NFL record for most touchdown catches in a season.
Marino also made history on the touchdown as he eclipsed the 5,000 yard mark, the first time a NFL quarterback had ever done that in NFL history.
Most importantly for the Dolphins, the touchdown gave them a 21-14 lead with 2:30 left in the game.
The Cowboys got the ball back at their 20-yard-line and after White found Dorsett for 14 yards to begin the drive as the two-minute warning hit.
That is when the craziest play of the game occurred as White threw a pass intended for Ron Springs at the Miami 45-yard-line, only to have it tipped by Dolphins cornerback Don McNeal.
But the ball did not go to the ground, but instead went directly into the hands of Cowboys wide receiver Tony Hill, who made the catch and then streaked down the left sideline for a shocking 66-yard touchdown that tied the game at 21 with 1:47 left in regulation.
Miami would get the ball back at their 29-yard-line with a chance to drive down for the winning score.
The drive got off to an auspicious start as Marino hit Nathan on a screen pass, only to have Bates drop him for an one-yard-loss.
An nine-yard pass to Nathan set up a 3rd & 2 from the Dolphins' 39-yard-line, when Marino found Clayton over the middle at the Cowboys' 47-yard-line.
Clayton would then outrun the Dallas defense for a 61-yard touchdown to not only give the Dolphins a 28-21 lead with 51 seconds left, but Clayton his 18th touchdown reception of the season, a new NFL record.
The Cowboys got the ball back at the 20-yard-line with a chance to send the game into overtime but on the second play of the drive, White was intercepted by McNeal, allowing for Marino to take a knee to run out the clock to give the Dolphins a 28-21 victory as Marino finished the regular season with 48 touchdown passes and 5,084 passing yards.
More importantly for the Dolphins, the win gave them the home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, while the loss ended the Cowboys' season and sent the Giants to the Playoffs.

Clayton had three touchdown receptions to break the NFL record for most touchdown receptions in a season.

The Cowboys would make the playoffs the following year with a 10-6 record, good enough to win the NFC East Division, but would be knocked out in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs as they lost to the Los Angeles Rams 20-0, thanks to running back Eric Dickerson's 248 yards, the most rushing yards by a player in a NFL playoff game.
The trip to the '85 playoffs would be the last for White and head coach Landry as White would retire following the 1987 season while Landry would be fired when Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys in February 1989 after 29 seasons as head coach of the Cowboys.
As for the Dolphins, they would knock off the Seattle Seahawks 31-10 in the Divisional Round and the Pittsburgh Steelers 45-28 in the AFC Championship Game to advance to Super Bowl XIX, where they would fall to the San Francisco 49ers 38-16 in what would be Marino's only Super Bowl appearance.
Marino's record for most touchdown passes in a season would last for 20 years until Peyton Manning broke the record with 49 touchdown passes in 2004.
The record has been broken twice since then with Manning currently the record holder with 55 touchdown passes which he set in 2013.
The passing yards record would stand for 27 years until Drew Brees broke it in 2011 with 5, 476 only to have Manning break it by one yard in 2013 as he finished with 5,477
As for Clayton, his hold on the record of most touchdown receptions in a season only lasted three years as 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice would catch 22 touchdowns in 1987, a record which would stand for 20 years until Randy Moss broke it in 2007 with 23 touchdown receptions.
Clayton would spend eight more years in Miami before leaving for the Green Bay Packers as a free agent for the 1993 season, which was the 11th and final one in his NFL career.
Clayton remains the Dolphins' all-time leader in career receptions with 550 and career touchdown receptions with 81 while ranking 2nd in yards with 8,643, just 226 behind his fellow "Marks Brothers" Mark Duper.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Herschel + Woerner Lead Dawgs to National Title Win Over Notre Dame

Herschel Walker would carry the ball 36 times for 150 yards and score two touchdowns in the 1981 Sugar Bowl.

If you told a college football fan or writer before the 1980 season began that the national championship would be decided in the Sugar Bowl and Notre Dame would be involved, most would assume that the Irish would be the ones playing for the right to be named national champions.
But it wasn't Notre Dame that would be playing for the national championship, but their opponents, the Georgia Bulldogs who entered New Year's Day 1981 #1 with a 11-0 record and a chance to claim the national championship with a win over Notre Dame in New Orleans.
Georgia entered the 1980 season with modest expectations as they were ranked #16 in the Associated Press preseason poll.
The Dawgs were led by head coach Vince Dooley, who was entering his 17th season as the head coach of the Bulldogs, having lead them to three SEC titles but never a national championship.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame entered the season ranked #9 in the AP preseason poll despite coming off a 7-4 season in 1979.
The 1980 season would be the last for head coach Dan Devine, who on August 15th, that he would be stepping down as Notre Dame head coach to spend more time with his family.
Notre Dame hoped to give Devine a ride into the sunset with another national title as Devine had lead the Irish to the 1977 national title.
It certainly appeared that the Irish would have a chance to play for the national championship as they won started the season 7-0 to become the #1 team in the country until they a shocking 3-3 tie to 1-7 Georgia Tech dropped them from #1 to #6.
The team that replaced Notre Dame at #1: Georgia.
The Dawgs jumped to the #1 ranking for the first time in school history thanks to freshman phenom running back Herschel Walker, who made his debut in spectacular fashion as he famously ran off Tennessee defensive back Bill Bates for his first career touchdown in sparking a Georgia 16-15 comeback win over the Volunteers in their season opener.
Behind Walker and an opportunistic defense that featured all-American cornerback Scott Woerner which lead the country in turnover margin, the Dawgs climbed up the polls as they jumped all the way to #2 until they faced Florida on the same Saturday as Notre Dame tied Georgia Tech.
In that game, the Dawgs pulled out a miracle 26-21 win as quarterback Buck Belue connected with Lindsay Scott on a 93-yard touchdown pass with over a minute left which kept Georgia undefeated and vaulted them to #1.
While Georgia would finish the season 11-0 with wins over Auburn and Georgia Tech, Notre Dame would jump back up to #2 thanks to a 7-0 win over Alabama, but would fall in their regular season finale 20-3 to USC, dropping them to #7 with a 9-1-1 as they were invited to play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, who earned their spot in the game as the SEC champion automatically got to play in the Sugar Bowl.

The 1981 Sugar Bowl was the final game in Dan Devine's coaching career.

Notre Dame got the ball to start the game and promptly drove from their own 20 to the Georgia 30-yard-line, thanks to freshman quarterback Blair Kiel's 3-of-4 passing for 46 yards on the drive.
The Irish appeared to convert on 3rd & 2 at the 30-yard-line as Phil Carter ran for five yards, only to have an illegal use of hands nullify the run and push the Irish back five yards for 3rd & 7 at the 35-yard-line.
Carter could only run for three yards, forcing the Irish to settle for a 50-yard field goal by Harry Oliver, which was successful to give Notre Dame a 3-0 lead with 10:41 to go in the first quarter.
The Dawgs begin their first possession of the game at their 20-yard-line when disaster seemed to strike on the second play from scrimmage as Walker dislocated his left shoulder following a hit by strong safety Dave Duerson.
Walker went to the bench where the trainers told Dooley that they thought Herschel was done for the game.
A holding penalty and a quarterback sack forced the Dawgs to punt from their end zone as the Irish would begin their next possession from the Georiga 41-yard-line.
The Irish picked up one 1st down before the Georgia defense stiffened and forced the field goal unit to come on and have Oliver attempt to a 48-yard field goal.
That is when freshman defensive back Terry Hoage busted through the Irish offensive line to block the kick which was recovered by Irish wide receiver Mike Condeni, but since it was 4th down, the ball would go to the Dawgs at the Notre Dame 49-yard-line.
After receiving some treatment from the trainers to get his shoulder to pop back into place, Walker returned to the game and carried the ball six times for 31 yards to lead Georgia to the Notre Dame 18-yard-line for a 3rd & 8 when defensive end John Hankerd sacked Belue for a 11-yard-loss.
Rex Robinson come on and kicked a 46-yard field goal to tie the game at 3 with just 1:45 left in the first quarter as the Dawgs prepared for the ensuing kickoff when the strangest play of the game.
As Robinson's kick was coming toward them, confusion ensued  between returners Jim Stone + Ty Barber on who would catch the kickoff.
Stone yelled for Barber to catch it but Barber could not hear over the Louisiana Superdome crowd and instead ran up the field with Stone as the ball bounced at the four-yard-line.
Since the kick had traveled beyond 10 yards it was a free ball, meaning the Dawgs could recover it without a Notre Dame player touching it before as Dale Carver dived under Stone and Barber to try and recover the loose ball.
While Carver could not grasp the football, his teammate safety Bob Kelly was able to recover the loose ball at the Notre Dame one-yard-line, giving the Dawgs a 1st & goal.
After Belue was stopped for no gain, the junior quarterback handed it off to Walker, who dove over the scrum of players for the game's first touchdown that with Robinson's extra point, gave Georgia a 10-3 lead with 1:04 left in the first quarter.
Following an exchange of punts, the Irish got the ball early in the second quarter only to fumble it away when fullback John Sweeney lost the ball after he was hit by linebacker Frank Ros, which was recovered by defensive back Chris Welton to give the Dawgs the ball at the Notre Dame 22-yard-line.
Walker carried the ball for 12 yards to start the drive, which was followed by a seven-yard scramble by Belue, and then topped off by a Walker run around the right side for a three-yard touchdown to increase the Dawgs' lead to 17-3 with 13:49 left in the second quarter as Georgia had scored 17 points in a span of just 2 minutes and 56 seconds.
On the ensuing Irish possession, Kiel was pulled in favor of Mike Courey in hopes of sparking an Irish comeback.
Courey would lead the Notre Dame offense from their 22-yard-line to the Georgia 13-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 3.
Instead of going for the field goal, Devine decided to gamble and go for the 1st down, but when Courey took the snap, he not only went for the 1st down, but for the touchdown, as he threw a pass toward the right side of the end zone, intended for Pete Holohan.
But Woerner would leap up along with Holohan and pick off the pass, then ran it back to the Notre Dame 19-yard-line.
The rest of the second half would be a stalemate as neither team could mount a drive that could turn into points as the Dawgs went into the locker room with a 17-3 halftime lead.

Scott Woerner made several key defensive plays including two interceptions

After Courey broke his right hand late in the second quarter, Kiel returned to the field and would lead the Irish from their 40-yard-line to the Georgia 13-yard-line in seven plays early in the third quarter.
However, that is when things broke down for the Irish as on 2nd & 10, Kiel threw a pass for Tony Hunter in the end zone, who made the catch, but not could not get one foot inbounds, making the pass incomplete.
Then on 3rd down, Kiel threw a pass for Holohan in almost the exact same spot where Woerner intercepted Courey in the second quarter.
This time, Woerner knocked it down, forcing the Irish to attempt a 30-yard field goal by Oliver, which sailed wide right keeping it a 17-3 game.
Notre Dame would force the Dawgs to punt on their ensuing possession, getting the ball back at their 43-yard-line where they put together their best drive of the game as Kiel completed all four of his passes for 38 yards on a 10-play, 57-yard drive which culminated with a one-yard touchdown run by Carter to trim the Georgia lead to 17-10 with 54 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Irish seemed to have all the momentum now especially with their defense stifling the Georgia offense as the Dawgs could only muster one 1st down through three possessions in the third quarter and Belue had not completed a pass up to this point in the game.
After another Georgia punt, the Irish got the ball at their 45-yard-line and drove to the Dawgs' 20-yard-line in six plays as they prepared for a 3rd & 3 situation.
That is when Woerner struck again as he tackled Carter for an one-yard-loss, leading Devine to call on Oliver to attempt a 38-yard field goal in hopes of making it a 17-13 game.
But Oliver's kick sailed wide left and the score remained 17-10 in favor of the Dawgs early in the 4th quarter.
Things appeared bleak for the Irish when on their next possession, Kiel was intercepted by defensive back Mike Fisher, handing the Dawgs the ball at the Notre Dame 37-yard-line with a chance to put the game away.
However, the Dawgs offense could only pick up six yards leading to a 48-yard field goal attempt by Robinson, which he missed, to keep it a 17-10 game.
Following an exchange of punts, the Irish had the ball at their 43-yard-line with 5:10 to play in the game.
The drive began well with a seven-yard run by Carter, but it was followed up by a four-yard loss on a quarterback sack by defensive lineman Eddie Weaver.
Kiel would hit Nick Vehr for six yards on 3rd & 7, setting up a 4th & 1 at the Georgia 48-yard-line with almost three minutes to play.
Even though his defense had put a stranglehold on the Georgia offense, Devine declined to punt the ball and instead went for the 1st down.
Kiel took the snap and instead of handing the ball off to Carter which almost everybody expected, he instead rolled out and threw a pass intended for tight end Dean Mastzak, only to have Woerner make the interception to give the ball back to Georgia at their 34-yard-line with 2:56 left in the game.
Even though he had not completed a pass in the game and had been sacked four times, Belue would come up huge as the Dawgs needed some 1st downs to run out the clock.
First on a 3rd & 3 from the Georgia 41-yard-line, Belue scrambled for six yards to give the Dawgs a 1st down at their 47-yard-line.
Then on 3rd & 7 at the 50-yard-line after missing on his first 11 passes, Belue was finally able to complete a pass as he hit Amp Arnold for seven yards and another Georgia 1st down.
An offsides penalty and an eight-yard-run by Walker gave the Dawgs one more 1st down, allowing them to run out the clock and come away with the 17-10 victory despite being outgained 328-127 on offense.

Georgia head coach Vince Dooley is carried off the field by his players after his Bulldogs won the 1980 national title.

As the clock ticked down to zero, Georgia fans swarmed the field and players hoisted up Dooley on their shoulders to celebrate their 12-0 season and the fact that they would be national champions.
Two days later, they would officially be named national champions as the Associated Press and the UPI Coaches poll voted Georgia #1 in their final polls as well in 12 other NCAA-recognized polls.
Notre Dame would finish #9 in the final AP and #10 in the final coaches poll as Devine's career come to an end with a 53-16-1 record in his six seasons at South Bend.
The Irish would go from national power to years of mediocrity as Devine's replacement, Gerry Faust complied a 30-27-1 record over the next five years leading Notre Dame to only two bowl games over that period with the most wins the Irish had in a season during Faust's tenure was seven in both 1983 and 84.
Faust was fired after the 1985 season and replaced by Lou Holtz who in his third year lead the Irish to the national championship.
As for Georgia, they would remain in the national title picture for the next two years thanks to Walker as Georgia would win the SEC the next two seasons and returned to the Sugar Bowl both times with a chance to win the national championship.
But a Clemson win in the 1982 Orange Bowl, denied the Dawgs a chance at back-to-back national championships, as they needed a Clemson loss and a win over Pittsburgh to claim another national title(They lost to Pitt 24-20 in the Sugar Bowl).
The following season, Walker would win the Heisman Trophy as he lead the Dawgs to a 11-0 regular season and a #1 ranking as they entered the Sugar Bowl to face off with #2 Penn State.
However, the Dawgs would lose 27-23 to the Nittany Lions in what turned out to be Walker's final game as he ended up leaving Georgia to sign with the new spring football league, the USFL(United States Football League).
Walker would run for 5,562 yards, including a record 2,411 yards in 1985, during his three-year stint with the New Jersey Generals, before the league folded in 1986.
Walker jumped to the NFL where he spend 12 years in the league rushing for 8,225 for four different teams before his retirement following the 1997 NFL season.
Even four decades after his college career at Georgia, many consider still Walker the greatest college football running back of all time as he finished with 5,259 rushing yards and 49 touchdown runs as many of his records still stand at the University of Georgia.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Rams' Last-Second FG Denies Saints First Playoff Berth

Mike Lansford(1) jumps into the air after his 42-yard field goal sailed through the uprights to send the Rams to the 1983 NFL Playoffs.

For the first two decade of their existence, the New Orleans Saints were perhaps the most perennial loser in the NFL.
From 1967-1977, the team never won more than five games in a season and would hit rock bottom in 1980 when they went 1-15, gaining notoriety as the "Ain'ts".
Following the 1980 season, the Saints hired former Houston Oilers head coach Bum Phillips who in 1983 had the Saints on the cusp of not their first winning season, but also on the verge of their first playoff berth as they hosted the Los Angeles Rams on the final Sunday of the regular season.
The Saints entered the game with a 8-7 record thanks to an offense directed by former Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler and running back George Rogers, who rushed for over 1,000 yards during the '83 season.
The Saints also had a stingy defense which was the toughest to throw against in the NFL and allowed the second fewest total yards in the league that year.
The Saints hoped to ride Rogers, their defense and their fans as over 70,000 fans packed the Louisiana Superdome to see New Orleans to take on the 8-7 Rams.
The Rams were trying to return to the playoffs for the first time since 1980 under first year head coach John Robinson and rookie running back Eric Dickerson, who would set the NFL record for most rushing yards by a running back in their rookie season as he would finish with 1,808 yards and scored 18 touchdowns.
The Rams also had Vince Ferragamo at quarterback, who had led the Rams to the Super Bowl during the 1979 season.
Los Angeles appeared on the verge of a playoff berth as they stood with a 8-5 record before losing back-to-back games to the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots, where the team had scored a combined 16 points in both games.
While the Rams had the same 8-7 record as the Saints, the Rams would need help to get into the playoffs as they needed a win over the Saints and either a loss by the Green Bay Packers(which would give them the second Wild Card spot) or a loss by the San Francisco 49ers(which would give them the NFC West division title).
So essentially, the Rams-Saints game was a do-or-die game for both teams with the winner going to the playoffs and the loser left heartbroken.
 After forcing the Rams to punt on the opening possession of the game, the Saints would drive 80 yards in 11 plays as Stabler completed five of six passes for 64 yards on the drive which culminated with a 11-yard touchdown pass from the "Snake" to Jeff Groth to give New Orelans a 7-0 lead with 5:42 left in the first quarter.
The Rams would respond to the touchdown by driving to the Saints' eight-yard-line as Ferragamo connected with George Farmer on passes of 25 and 31 yards, only to have LA turn it over when Dickerson was hit by Saints free safety Frank Wattelet, forcing a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Dave Waymer at the Saints' five-yard-line.
But on the first play following the fumble, Stabler was sacked by Rams defensive end Jack Youngblood in the end zone for a safety to put the Rams on the board with two points as the score was now 7-2 with 3:18 left in the first quarter.
The rest of the first half turned into a defensive stalemate as neither team could mount a drive with the only points of the second quarter coming courtesy of the Rams special teams unit.
Saints punter Russell Erxelben, hampered by a pulled groin muscle that he suffered during warmups, kicked a low line drive punt that only went 38 yards that was caught by Rams returner Henry Ellard at his 28-yard-line.
With his six blockers in front of him, Ellard was able to run down the left sideline basically untouched a 72-yard touchdown to give the Rams a 9-7 lead with 1:39 left in the first half.
Erxelben would leave the game after Ellard's touchdown and not return, but it would not be the last significant injury for the Saints as the Rams took their 9-7 lead into the locker room as the first half came to a close.
The Saints got the ball to start the second half, but on the third play of the drive, Stabler was pressured by Youngblood and fellow linebacker Jim Collins, lofting a pass intended for Groth that was picked off by free safety Johnnie Johnson, who returned the interception for a 31-yard touchdown to increase the Rams' lead to 16-7 just 91 seconds into the second half.
To add injury into insult, Stabler was knocked out of the game as Youngblood fell on the "Snake"'s right leg, spraining his knee.
Stabler would be replaced by Dave Wilson, who had started two games earlier in the season, going 1-1.

Saints quarterback Ken Stabler sits on the bench with a ice pack on his right knee after being knocked out of the game on the third play of the second half.

Following an exchange of punts, Wilson would lead the Saints on a seven-play, 44-yard drive that ended with Wilson sneaking in for a one-yard touchdown to cut LA's lead to 16-14 with 3:58 left in the third quarter.
The Rams tried to respond on their next possession, only to have Dickerson fumble the football for the second time in the game, following a hit by strong safety Russell Gary, that was recovered by Wattelet at the LA 45-yard-line.
That is when the Saints decided to ride Rogers as he carried the ball eight straight times for 42 yards to set up Morten Andersen's 20-yard field goal to give New Orleans a 17-16 lead with 12:43 left in the fourth quarter.
The Saints defense had the Rams offense stifled as they forced another LA punt on the Rams' ensuing possession only to have disaster struck for New Orleans when Wilson was picked off by strong safety Nolan Cromwell on a pass intended for Eugene Goodlow and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown, the third non-offensive touchdown of the game by the Rams, to give LA a 23-17 lead with 10:10 to go in the game.
The Rams would force the Saints to punt on their ensuing possession to get the ball back, only to turn it over again when Ferragamo overthrew a pass intended for tight end Mike Barber, which ended up in the hands of New Orelans defensive back Greg Stemrick, who returned it 26 yards before he went out of bounds at the LA 44-yard-line, when he was hit after the whistle by Rams left tackle Bill Bain, drawing a 15-yard penalty that put the Saints offense at the Rams' 29-yard-line with 8:14 remaining.
The Saints used up as much of the clock as possible while driving to the Rams' goal line as they were faced with a 3rd & goal from the two-yard-line.
That is when Wilson handed the ball off to Rogers, who lost the football before he crossed the goal line, only to have guard Steve Korte recover the fumble in the end zone for the game-tying touchdown.
Andersen come on to kick the go-ahead extra point to give the Saints a 24-23 lead with 3:47 left in the game.
The Rams got the ball at their 20-yard-line as they look to put together a drive to get into field goal range, but after two incomplete passes and a 10-yard-loss on a sack by Saints linebacker Whitney Paul, the Rams punted the ball back to the Saints as Groth return the punt to the New Orelans 46-yard-line, only to have Otis Grant hit Groth late, drawing a 15-yard penalty to put the Saints at the LA 39-yard-line with 2:48 to play.
All the Saints needed was a 1st down to secure their first ever winning season and playoff berth, but the Saints were unable to pick up the 1st down, even with an offsides penalty on the Rams, as New Orleans picked up only two yards on three straight running plays.

George Rogers(38) would finish the day with 124 yards on 32 carries.

This left Phillips with an interesting decision as the Saints faced 4th & 3 at the Rams' 32-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.
The seemingly logical decision was to call on Andersen and attempt a 49-yard field goal to increase the New Orleans lead to 27-23 and force the Rams to drive for a touchdown.
But it looked Phillips was going to gamble and go for the 1st down as Wilson lined up behind the center following the two-minute warning, only to take a delay of game penalty pushing the Saints five yards back when Phillips sent in the punting unit.
Guido Merkens, taking over for the injured Erxelben, was unable to kick a coffin corner punt as his punt went into the end zone for a touchback, giving the Rams the ball at their 20-yard-line with 1:51 left and one timeout left.
Phillips' decision to punt was predicated on the fact that the Rams had not scored a touchdown on offense the entire game, Dickerson had been held to 80 yards, and Ferragamo had not completed a pass in the second half.
Phillips was putting the game and the season in his defense's hands, hoping for one more stop which would send New Orleans to the playoffs.
The drive began with Ferragamo's first completion of the second half as hit fullback Mike Guman for six yards, then hit Guman again for seven yards and a 1st down at the LA 33-yard-line.
Ferragamo would connect with Guman for the third straight time as the fullback picked up 14 yards and another 1st down at the Rams' 47-yard-line.
The Rams then got into Saints territory on the next play as Ferragamo found Barber for 11 yards, giving LA a 1st down at the New Orleans 42-yard-line as the Rams spend called timeout with 51 seconds left.
However, the timeout seemed to stop the Rams' momentum as Ferragamo would throw an incomplete pass on 1st & 10, which became 1st & 25 when Farmer was called for a 15-yard penalty pushing the Rams back to their 43-yard-line.
Ferragamo would almost be intercepted by Waymer on the next play, setting up a 2nd & 25 with 30 seconds to go.
That is when Ferragamo found Preston Dennard on a post pattern for 26 yards that not gave the Rams a 1st down at the Saints' 31-yard-line, but also put them in field goal range.
Ferragamo and the Rams' offense ran up to the line, presumably to spike the ball, only to have Ferragamo fire a quick pass to Dennard, who picked up six yards before going out of bounds at the New Orleans 25-yard-line with six seconds left.
Robinson sent the field goal team out as kicker Mike Lansford would come on to attempt a 42-yard field goal that if successful would send the  Rams to the playoffs.
The snap from center Doug Smith was a little high but the holder, Cromwell, was able to catch and get a hold for Lansford to kick it.
The kick hooks from right to left but is able to sneak past the left upright and good to give the Rams a 26-24 win,  denying the Saints their first winning season in their 17-year team history and sending the Rams to the playoffs as the Packers lost to the Bears 23-21.
Los Angeles would enter the playoffs as a Wild Card and would travel to Dallas to take on the 12-4 Cowboys where Ferragamo threw three touchdown passes and Dickerson ran for 99 yards as LA knocked off the Cowboys 24-17 to move onto the Divisional Playoffs where they would be destroyed by the Washington Redskins 51-7.

Rams quarterback Vince Ferragamo would complete six of seven passes for 55 yards on LA's final drive.

However, the 1983 playoff berth would be the first of four straight postseason appearances and six in seven years, which included two trips to the NFC Championship Game, under head coach Robinson.
As for the Saints, the 1983 season would not be the only season in Phillips' tenure that would end in heartbreaking fashion as in 1984, New Orleans was on the cusp of a winning season, only to lose their final three games to finish 7-9.
Phillips would resign the following season after the Saints finished with a 5-11 record.
This would lead to the hiring of Jim Mora as head coach, who in 1987, lead the Saints to not only their first ever winning season, but their first ever playoff berth as they finished with a 12-3 record.
Since then, the Saints have added 13 winning seasons, been to the playoffs 11 times, and won a Super Bowl in 2010.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: By Inches, Virginia Hands Florida State First Ever ACC Loss

Virginia fans swarmed the field at Scott Stadium after their Cavaliers upset the Florida State Seminoles.

When the Florida State Seminoles joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1992, they grabbed a stranglehold on the conference over their first three seasons as they went 24-0 and won the ACC outright all three seasons.
The 1995 season seemed to be another forgone conclusion that FSU would win the ACC, especially after starting the season 7-0 and defeating their opponents by a combined score of 393-123 as the offense under the direction of senior quarterback Danny Kanell and junior running back Warrick Dunn was averaging nearly 55 points per game as the Seminoles were ranked #2 in the country.
The Seminoles, who had finished with at least 10 wins in the top 5 every season since 1987, seemed poised to be on their way to an appearance in the national championship game which would take place in the Fiesta Bowl at the end of the 1995 season.
That is until they hit a roadblock in Charlottesville, Virginia on the first Thursday night in November.
Virginia.
The Cavaliers entered the FSU game with a 6-3 record that could have easily been 9-0 as their three losses were by a combined seven points.
Two of their losses had come on the last play of the game with the first one coming in their season opener against Michigan as the Cavaliers blew a 17-0 lead to lose 18-17 and had just 12 days prior to their game with the Seminoles, lost 17-16 to Texas when Longhorns kicker Phil  Dawson hit a 50-yard field goal as time expired.
Despite their three losses, Virginia was ranked #24 in the country and featured senior quarterback Mike Groh, son of future Virginia head coach Al Groh, as well as the Barber twins, junior running back Tiki and junior defensive back Ronde.
In front of a sellout crowd at Scott Stadium and a national television audience on ESPN, the Cavaliers hoped to do what no ACC team had done to Florida State in their previous 29 ACC games: beat the Seminoles.
Both teams would trade punts to start until a Virginia fumble that was recovered by FSU defensive lineman Reinard Wilson gave the Seminoles the football at the 50-yard-line.
Five plays later, the Seminoles were in the end zone as Kanell connected with Phillip Riley for a 35-yard touchdown to give FSU a 7-0 lead with 8:05 to go in the first quarter.
On their ensuing possession, the Cavaliers would strike back with a 64-yard touchdown run by Barber to tie the game 7-7 with 6:09 to go in the opening quarter.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Cavaliers would get the ball back at their 49-yard-line and seemed to poise to take the lead as they drove to the Seminoles' 14-yard-line until Groh had a pass tipped by FSU defensive lineman Andre Wadsworth which would be intercepted by defensive back James Colzie at the Seminoles' six-yard-line.
From there, the Seminoles would drive 94 yards in seven plays in a drive which took only two minutes and three seconds as Kanell completed four of five passes for 85 yards on the drive, with the last completion being a 14-yard touchdown to Dunn to put FSU back on top 14-7 with just 1:14 left in the first quarter.

Florida State quarterback Danny Kanell completed 32 of 67 passes for 454 yards and threw three touchdowns passes but also three interceptions.

Virginia would respond with an eight-play, 68-yard drive which culminated with an one-yard touchdown run by Barber early in the second quarter to tie the game at 14.
The Seminoles would get the ball back at their 35-yard-line but were stopped on 3rd & 1, forcing them to call on the punting unit.
But Virginia linebacker James Farrior would block the punt which was picked up by Bryan Owen at the FSU 33-yard-line and returned it 12 yards to give the Cavaliers the ball at the Seminoles' 21-yard-line.
However, the Seminole defense would not permit a 1st down forcing the Cavaliers to settle for a 35-yard field goal which gave Virginia a 17-14 lead with 11:16 to go in the first half.
Following the field goal, the Seminoles would get the ball back at their 33-yard-line but quickly drove to the Virginia five-yard-line as Kanell hit E.G. Green for two big completions, the first for 34 yards and the other for 23 yards.
But on 2nd & 3 from the five-yard-line, Kanell would be intercepted by Virginia defensive back Percy Ellsworth at the two-yard-line, killing the Seminoles' drive and preserving the Cavaliers' 17-14 lead.
The Cavaliers would punt the ball back to the Seminoles, who took over at their 38-yard-line and drove to the Virginia 17-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 2, presumably setting up a field goal attempt.
But head coach Bobby Bowden gambled and decided to go for the 1st down, only to have the 4th down play fail as Dunn attempted to throw a halfback pass only to be sacked Adrian Burnim, giving Virginia the ball back at their 20-yard-line.
After pickup a 1st down thanks to two runs by Barber for 10 yards, Groh was sacked on 1st down for a seven-yard loss, which was followed by a five-yard pass to tight end Bobby Neely, setting up 3rd & 12 from the Virginia 28-yard-line.
That is when Groh fired a deep pass for Demetrius Allen, who made the catch around the FSU 40-yard-line and then the rest of the way untouched for a 72-yard touchdown to increase the Virginia lead to 24-14 with 3:05 left before halftime.
The Seminoles would go no-huddle on their ensuing possession as they drove 80 yards in six plays in just 52 seconds as Kanell found Green for a 36-yard touchdown to trim the Virginia lead to 24-21 with 2:13 left in the first half.
That was still enough time for Virginia to get in field goal range as Groh hit Barber on a 38-yard screen pass to set up a 48-yard field goal by Garcia to push the Virginia lead to 27-21 with 59 seconds left in the first half.
The Seminoles would back to the no-huddle in hopes of getting at least a field goal before the half ended but on the 2nd & 10 from the FSU 25-yard-line Kanell was picked off by Farrior, giving the Cavaliers the ball at the FSU 30-yard-line with 50 seconds left in the first half.
But on the very next play, Groh would be intercepted as his pass for Germaine Crowell was picked off by Byron Capers at the one-yard-line.
The Seminoles would run out the clock and go into the locker room trailing 27-21.
Virginia would get the ball to start the second half and would put together their most time-consuming drive of the game as they ran 13 plays for 58 yards in a drive that took up nearly 4 1/2 minutes as Barber's six carries for 26 yards and Groh's three completions for 35 yards set up a 41-yard field goal by Garcia to increase the Cavaliers' lead to 30-21.
The rest of the third quarter would be a defensive stalemate as both teams traded punts for the rest of the quarter as Virginia took a 30-21 lead into the final 15 minutes with a chance to hand FSU its first ever ACC loss.

Virginia running back Tiki Barber carried the ball 31 times for 193 yards and scored two touchdowns(one rushing, one receiving).

With 13:44 left in the 4th quarter, the Cavaliers had the ball at the FSU 48-yard-line when Groh connected with Owen for two completions totaling 34 yards to give Virginia a 1st & 10 at the FSU 14-yard-line.
But on 3rd & 7 from the 11-yard-line, Groh would throw his third interception of the game, this time with Orpheus Roye coming up with the pick and returning it 20 yards to the FSU 32-yard-line.
However, the Seminoles could do nothing with the turnover as they went three-and-out, punting the ball back to Virginia.
After both teams traded punts on their next possessions, the Cavaliers got the ball at the Seminoles' 34-yard-line where they drove 18 yards to set up Garcia's fourth field goal of the game, a 35-yarder to increase their lead to 33-21 with 6:57 left in the game.
The Seminoles would respond quickly with a four-play, 80-yard drive which saw Dunn take a pitch from Kanell and throw a 33-yard pass to Andre Cooper, which was followed by two straight passes to Green for 40 yards, which was followed by a seven-yard touchdown run by Dunn to make it a five-point game at 33-28 with 6:13 still to play.
After the Cavaliers ran the ball four straight times before punting the ball back to FSU, the Seminoles had the ball at their 15-yard-line with a chance to drive for the go-ahead touchdown.
But on the fourth play of the drive, Kanell was intercepted by Ellsworth, who gave the ball back to Virginia the ball at the FSU 49-yard-line with 2:36 left and a chance to run out the clock.
However, the Seminoles would force the Cavaliers to go three-and-out to get the ball back at their 20-yard-line with 1:37 to play and one timeout in their pocket.
After an incomplete pass to start the drive, Kanell hit Riley for 15 yards, then found Cooper for 11 yards, putting FSU at their 46-yard-line.
Then after an incomplete pass, Kanell completed a 12-yard pass to Cooper to put the Seminoles in Virginia territory at the Cavaliers' 42-yard-line with 45 seconds left.
Following another incompletion, Kanell would hit Cooper for nine yards, then Dunn for 20 yards, to give the Seminoles a 1st & 10 at the Virginia 13-yard-line with 13 seconds to go.
As Kanell spiked the ball to stop the clock, Virginia was caught with too many men on field, allowing for FSU to move half the distance to the goal line as they now had 2nd down at the six-yard-line with nine seconds to play.
Kanell dropped back to throw, but threw an incomplete pass that went out of the end zone, leaving four seconds on the clock and one play left for Florida State to win their 30th straight ACC game or for Virginia to pull off the biggest win in school history.
Kanell lined up in the shotgun with Dunn on his left side as the snap went to Dunn instead of Kanell.
Dunn met a mob at about the three-yard-line then dove for the end zone as he was met by Burnim and Anthony Pondexter as time expired.
At first look, it looked like the ball had crossed the goal line as Dunn stretched the ball out in attempt to get it in for the score.
But officials ruled that he was short, giving Virginia the 33-28 win and sending the Scott Stadium crowd into a frenzy as Virginia fans come onto the field on tore down the goal posts.
Did Dunn get the ball to break the goal line before his knee touched the ground? You be the judge:

After suffering their loss since joining the ACC, the Seminoles would drop four spots to #6, as they would finish the regular season with a 9-2 record and having to share the ACC title for first time since they joined the conference as the Seminoles finished with a 7-1 conference record, same as Virginia whose upset of FSU allowed the Cavaliers to share the ACC title for the second time in school history.
The Seminoles would defeat Notre Dame 31-26 in the Orange Bowl to finish the season 10-2 and #4 in the final AP poll and #5 in the final coaches poll, the ninth consecutive season in which FSU won at least 10 games and finished in the top 5 of the final polls.
Meanwhile, Virginia would go to the Peach Bowl where they held off Georgia 34-27 to finish the season with a 9-4 record and #16 ranking in the final AP poll and #17 ranking in the final coaches poll.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Redskins Come Back To Beat Eagles in Wild Opening Day Shootout

Redskins wide receiver Charlie Brown caught five passes for 97 yards and scored two touchdowns in Washington's 1982 Opening Day win.

As fans prepared for the 1982 NFL season, they entered with tepidness rather than excitement.
That was because the NFL Players Association or the just the players were threatening to go on strike following the second week of games if the players' demand of receiving 55 percent of all revenue was not met.
Even though a strike was looming, the season did get underway on September 12, 1982 with one of the 14 games being an old NFC East grudge match between the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles on a hot afternoon at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.
The Eagles entered the 1982 season hoping to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season and perhaps returning to the Super Bowl after losing to the Oakland Raiders 27-10 in Super Bowl XV just two years prior.
Philadelphia was coached by Dick Vermeil, who was in his seventh season as head coach of the Eagles and directed an offense which featured quarterback Ron Jaworski, running back Wilbert Montgomery(who had ran for over 1,000 yards in three of the previous four seasons) and wide receiver Harold Carmichael.
The Eagles also had most of their starters back from a defense that ranked #1 in 1981, so Philly fans had high expectations for the Eagles.
While the Eagles were hoping to continue their string of making the playoffs, the Redskins were hoping to return to the playoffs for the first time since 1977 as they entered the 1982 season.
The Redskins were hoping to build off a 8-8 season in 1981 in which they won eight of their final 11 games after starting out the season 0-5.
Joe Gibbs was more comfortable entering his second season as head coach of the Redskins with an offense which featured veteran quarterback Joe Theismann and veteran running back John Riggins.
But the biggest question mark entering the season for the Redskins was who would be the kicker as veteran Mark Moseley had been in a tight battle with rookie Dan Miller.
Miller had been given the placekicking duties for the final two preseason games, allowing for Moseley to keep his job as the Redskins traveled to Philadelphia, where Moseley make his presence felt in the final minutes of the game.
The Eagles got on the scoreboard as Montgomery scored on a four-yard touchdown run to culminate a 10-play, 67-yard drive which saw Jaworski complete five of six passes for 48 yards on the drive, giving Philadelphia a 7-0 lead with 9:20 to go in the opening quarter.
Then on the first play following a Redskins punt, Jaworski hit Montgomery on a 34-yard pass to put the Eagles at the Washington 29-yard-line.
However, the Redskins defense allowed only two more yards on the next three plays, forcing the Eagles to settle for a 44-yard field goal by Tony Franklin which increased their lead to 10-0 with 3:01 left in the first quarter.

Eagles running back Wilbert Montgomery carried the ball 15 times for 63 yards and caught four passes for 99 yards while scoring three touchdowns(2 rushing, 1 receiving).

Things were not going well for the Redskins and it looked like they were in deep trouble after the ensuing kickoff when Mike Nelms fumbled the kickoff which was recovered by Eagles linebacker Reggie Wilkes at the Washington 18-yard-line.
But on the second play following the fumble, the Eagles gave the ball right back to the Redskins as Montgomery was stripped of the football by Washington linebacker Neal Olkewicz,which was recovered by cornerback Joe Lavender at the Philadelphia 15-yard-line.
The fumble recovery seem to spark the Redskins offense as Theismann would direct Washington to the Eagles' 29-yard-line until he was sacked and stripped of the ball by Eagles defensive lineman Greg Brown, leading to a recovery by defensive end Dennis Harrison.
The score was still 10-0 in favor of the Eagles midway through the second quarter when the Redskins put together a 11-play, 87-yard drive where Theismann completed four of five passes for 66 yards, with the big play being a 43-yard pass to Art Monk to set up 1st & goal at the Eagles' seven-yard-line.
Theismann and Monk would connect again, this time on a five-yard touchdown to cut the Eagles' lead to 10-7 with just 2:19 left in the first half.
Then after forcing the Eagles to punt, the Redskins got the ball at the Philadelphia 46-yard-line where it took Washington five plays to get back into the end zone as Theismann hit Charlie Brown for an eight-yard touchdown to give the Redskins a 14-10 lead with 35 seconds left before halftime.
The Eagles got the ball back at their 20-yard-line and seemed to poise to run out the clock as they ran the ball for three yards only to have the Redskins call timeout in hopes of forcing an Eagles punt to give Washington a chance to increase their lead.
The Eagles decided to put the ball in Jaworski's hands and see what he could do with it as he completed three straight passes for 50 yards, including a 32-yarder to Ron Smith with one second left, to set up another 44-yard field goal by Franklin as time expired in the first half to make it a one-point game, 14-13 in favor of the Redskins.
Philadelphia would get the ball to start the second half and would drive 86 yards in eight plays as Jaworski completed all four of his passes on the drive for 75 yards with the biggest pass being a 46-yard completion to Carmichael on 3rd & 8 at the Redskins 48-yard-line, which set up a 1st & goal at the two-yard-line.
From there, Montgomery punched into the end zone on a toss sweep to the right side to put the Eagles back on top, 20-14 with 10:26 left in the third quarter.
The Eagles defense would force another Redskins punt to get the ball back at their 40-yard-line where Montgomery carried ball twice for 18 yards, then caught a screen pass from Jaworski and took it all way to the house for his third touchdown of the game, a 42-yard reception to push the Philadelphia lead back to 13 points at 27-14 with 6:34 left in the third quarter.
The Eagles had taken control of the game again as they would carry their nearly two-touchdown lead into the fourth quarter as Philadelphia had the ball at the Redskins' 39-yard-line when Smith made a catch for an apparent 1st down.
But the referees threw a flag calling Smith for offsides, pushing the Eagles back five yards to the 44-yard-line when Jaworski was sacked by Olkewicz, pushing the Eagles back into Redskins territory and eventually leading to a Philadelphia punt.
Taking over at his 22-yard-line, Theismann decided to go deep on the first play from scrimmage and hit Brown in a stride on a deep fly pattern along the left sideline for a 78-yard touchdown to cut the Eagles' lead to 27-21 exactly 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann completed 28 of 39 passes for 382 yards and threw three touchdown passes.

After an Eagles punt and a 28-yard return by Nelms, the Redskins would begin their next drive in Eagles territory at the Philadelphia 48-yard-line with 8:45 to play.
It would take them five plays to get back into the end zone as Riggins would punch it from two yards out to give the Redskins the lead once again, 28-27 with 6:17 left in the game.
On their ensuing possession, the Eagles picked up nine yards on three plays, forcing a punting situation from their 23-yard-line.
That is when the Eagles attempted a fake punt as the snap went to upback Frank LeMaster, only to have LeMaster bobble the snap and be drop for an one-yard loss, giving the ball to the Redskins at the Philadelphia 22-yard-line with 5:10 left and a chance to put the game away with a touchdown(There was no two-point conversion back in 1982).
However, the Redskins gained nine yards on the next three plays, forcing their own 4th & 1 situation at the Eagles' 13-yard-line.
Unlike Vermeil, Gibbs decided to play it safe and called on Moseley to kick a 30-yard field goal which increased the Redskins' lead to 31-27 with 2:48 left in the fourth quarter.
Taking over at his 10-yard-line, Jaworski was able to get the Eagles into Redskins territory right before the two-minute warning, but was almost driven out of Washington territory when "Jaws" was sacked by Redskins defensive end Dexter Manley dropping him for a 11-yard-loss back to the Washington 48-yard-line as the two-minute hit.
On the very next play, Jaworski would hit tight end John Spagnola for 17 yards, followed by a seven-yard pass to Billy Campfield to give the Eagles a 1st down at the Redskins' 24-yard-line with 1:44 left.
Following an incomplete pass, Jaworski would hit Campfield again, this time for 20 yards to set up 1st & goal from the four-yard-line.
From there, Jaworski would loft a pass for Carmichael in the left corner of the end zone, who tipped the ball and then made the catch lying on his back for the go-ahead touchdown to give the Eagles a 34-31 lead with just 64 seconds to go in regulation.
Needing at least a field goal to force overtime, the Redskins got good field position when Nelms returned the ensuing kickoff 22 yards to the Washington 37-yard-line.
That is when Theismann completed three straight passes for 23 yards to put the Redskins at the Eagles' 40-yard-line, needing one more 1st down to get in range for Moseley to attempt a field goal.
An offsides penalty and a four-yard run by Theismann put the Redskins at the Eagles' 31-yard-line with six seconds left when Gibbs called on Moseley to try and tie the game with a 48-yard field goal.
Moseley calmly made the 48-yard field goal as time expired, tying the game at 34 and sending the game into overtime.
The Redskins won the coin toss and elected to receiver, taking over at their 29-yard-line to begin the overtime period.
Washington picked up five yards on the first two plays of the drive forcing a 3rd & 5 when Theismann handed the ball off to Clarence Harmon who ran for six yards and a 1st down at the Philadelphia 40-yard-line.
After an holding penalty pushed back them 10 yards to the 30-yard-line for a 1st & 20, Theismann connected with Monk for a 28-yard completion to put the Redskins in Eagles territory with a 1st down at the Philadelphia 42-yard-line.
Then on 3rd & 4 at the Eagles' 36-yard-line, Theismann rolled to his left and fired a pass toward Monk, which just missed the fingers of Eagles cornerback and future NFL head coach Herman Edwards, to find Monk who made the catch at the 24-yard-line, then ran 15 yards to the Eagles' nine-yard-line, for a 27-yard completion to set up 1st & goal.
Gibbs wasted no time as he called for Moseley and the field goal unit on 1st down for a game-winning field goal which Moseley made from 26 yards out to give the Redskins a 37-34 overtime win.

Mark Moseley kicked the game-tying field goal as time expired in regulation and the game-winning field goal almost four minutes into the overtime period.

For NFL fans who wanted more of the excitement they saw in the Redskins-Eagles opener, they would have to wait as the players went through on their threat to go on strike, which lasted almost two months until a revolt by some of the players forced an end to the strike.
After the strike ended, the Eagles would lose their next four games and ended finishing the season with a 3-6 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 1977.
In the offseason, Vermeil resigned as Eagles head coach, saying he was "burned out" by the experiences of coaching in the NFL.
The Eagles would not return to the playoffs until 1988 and Vermeil would not return to coaching until 1997 when he took became the head coach of the then St. Louis Rams and leading them to a Super Bowl following the 1999 season, leading to a second retirement which lasting only one season, as he returned to the sidelines as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs where he coached for five years before retiring for good following the 2005 season.
As for the Redskins, they would go on to finish with the NFL's best record at 8-1 and win four games in the NFL's 16-team postseason tournament to win their first Super Bowl and first NFL championship since 1937.
The man responsible most for the Redskins' run to the Super Bowl was Moseley as he finished the regular season making 20 of 21 field goals and 16 of 19 extra points for 76 points in helping Washington earn the #1 seed in the NFC which they used to their advantage as they got to play three games at home, which they all won, before defeating the Miami Dolphins 27-17 in Super Bowl XVII as Moseley kicked two field goals in that game.
For his regular season, Moseley would be win the NFL MVP for that season, the first and only time a kicker as won the MVP award.
Not bad for a man who was almost cut in the preseason.
To know more about Mark Moseley's 1982 season, check out my article on the Redskins' win against the New York Giants by clicking on the highlighted link: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-moseley.html