NFL Old School Game of the Week: Bucs Clinch Division Title in Monsoon Game

Buccaneers Ricky Bell is tackled during the 1979 "Monsoon Game".

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the National Football League in 1976, they were clearly not ready for primetime as they would lose their first 26 games in team history before defeating the New Orleans Saints 33-14 in the next-to-last week of the 1977 season(To read all about that game click on the link right here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/11/nfl-old-school-game-of-week0-26-bucs.html).

The Bucs got a little bit better in 1978 as they finished with a 5-11 record, but in 1979 they took a giant leap forward as they became contenders for a playoff spot thanks to a stingy defense led by defensive end Lee Roy Selmon and a strong running game led by third-year running back Ricky Bell, who would finish with 1,263 yards in the 1979 season.

Tampa Bay stunned the NFL with a 5-0 start and were 9-3 by Thanksgiving needing just one win to clinch a playoff spot.

But that is when the Buccaneers reverted to their old selves as kicker Neil O' Donoghue had two extra points blocked, including one with 19 seconds left as the Bucs lost a 23-22 heartbreaker to the Minnesota Vikings in week 13.

The next two weeks would be worse as the Buccaneers would only score seven point in the next two games as quarterback Doug Williams threw a combined nine interceptions in the Bucs' 14-0 loss to the Chicago Bears and 23-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, leading to Tampa reporters to nickname the team the "Chokeneers".

If the Bucs were going to save themselves and clinch a playoff spot, they needed to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in the final week of the regular season.

The Chiefs entered the game with a 7-8 record, hoping to win so they could finish with the season at .500 for their best season since 1972.

Kansas City was led by head coach Marv Levy who was in his second season and rookie Steve Fuller at quarterback.

The Chiefs also had a stingy defense which meant that points were going to be tough to come be in this game which if the Bucs won not only would send them to the playoffs but also give them the NFC Central division title.

However, there was one more element that stood in the Bucs' way of the postseason: the weather.

A low pressure system had developed in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to the game being played in a torrential downpour that caused poodles to form all over the field and make waterfalls out of the steps of Tampa Stadium.

However, more than 63,000 fans withstood the downpours to see if their Bucs could complete the miracle and go from worst to first.

Buccaneers running back Ricky Bell(42) would run the ball 39 times for 137 yards.

 Neither team was able to move the ball offensively until the Bucs did there on their second possession of the game which began at their 22-yard-line as Bell carried the ball four consecutive times, picking up 27 yards.

Then it was backup running back Jerry Eckwood's turn as he got the ball 17 yards to the Kansas City 34-yard-line, marking the first time either team had driven into their opponent's territory.

Following Eckwood's run, it was back to Bell, who ran for 14 yards and another 1st down at the Chiefs' 20-yard-line.

After two more runs picked up five more yards, the Bucs decided to put the ball in the air as Williams' pass for tight end Jim Obradovich was underthrown and incomplete, forcing the Bucs into a 4th down situation.

Bucs head coach John McKay decided to sent in the field goal unit in hopes of getting Tampa on the scoreboard but O' Donoghue never got a kick away as the snap was too low for holder Tom Blanchard to handle, as the ball ended up in O' Donoghue's hands before he was tackled for a five-yard loss as the Bucs came away with zero points despite driving into the Kansas City red zone.

The Chiefs took over at their 20-yard-line and were able to pick up their initial 1st down of the game when Fuller connected with running back Earl Gant for a 20-yard completion on 3rd & 9 from the Kansas City' 21-yard-line that became a 35-yard play when an unnecessary roughness penalty was called on the Bucs giving the Chiefs 15 extra yards and a 1st down at the Tampa Bay 44-yard-line.

However, the Chiefs would not be able to take advantage of the opportunity as Fuller was picked off by Tampa Bay linebacker Richard Wood who give the Bucs the  ball back at their 46-yard-line.

But a clipping penalty pushed helped kill the drive as the Bucs were forced to punt as the game moved into the second quarter.

The Chiefs would get another excellent scoring opportunity in the second quarter when Williams was intercepted by Chiefs cornerback Tim Collier, whose 40-yard return set up shop for the Chiefs at the Tampa Bay 34-yard-line.

Kansas City would drive to the Bucs' 18-yard-line until they were pushed back a few yards when Levy called on future Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud to attempt a 39-yard field goal, which was blocked by Selmon to keep the game scoreless.

Lee Roy Selmon tries to get to sack Chiefs quarterback Steve Fuller during the 1979 "Monsoon Game".

Then later in the second quarter, the Bucs had the ball at their 31-yard-line when Williams handed the ball off to Eckwood who took a pitch from Williams and ran around the right side where he appeared on his way to a 69-yard touchdown run.

But because of the wet conditions, Eckwood dropped the ball at around the Kansas City 40-yard-line, leading to a fumble that was recovered by Chiefs cornerback M.L. Carter at the KC 28-yard-line.

Neither team would mount another scoring threat for the rest of the half as both teams went into the locker room with game in a scoreless deadlock.

After the Bucs went three-and-out on their opening possession of the second half, the Chiefs got the ball at their 34-yard-line only to give it right back to Tampa Bay when tight end Tony Samuels lost control of the football after a 12-yard catch which was recovered by Wood to give the Bucs the ball at the Kansas City 43-yard-line.

The Bucs could not move the ball and were forced to punt only to get a reprieve when a running into the kicker penalty gave them a 1st down at the Chiefs' 41-yard-line.

However, the Bucs could not take advantage of their second chance and were forced to punt the ball away to the Chiefs, who took over at their 20-yard-line.

The Chiefs got one 1st down until a quarterback sack by Tampa Bay strong safety Mark Cotney dropped Fuller for an eleven-yard loss leading to another Kansas City punt to the Bucs' 40-yard-line.

But the drive never got on track as Bell fumbled the ball on 1st down which he recovered for a four-yard loss, followed by a one-yard loss by Eckwood, and then ending with another interception from Williams, with Chiefs strong safety Herb Christopher picking it off on a deep pass at the Kansas City 23-yard-line.

The Chiefs would go three-and-out to give the ball back to the Bucs who took over at their 35-yard-line with 39 seconds left in the third quarter.

That is when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers put together its most important drive in team history up to that point.

After a two-yard run by Johnny Davis to begin the drive, Bell took a pitch from Williams and ran around the left side for nine yards and a 1st down as the third quarter came to a end.

Bell would get the ball on the next two plays, picking up seven yards to set up 3rd & 3 at the Chiefs' 46-yard-line when Williams dropped back and fired a pass to tight end Jimmie Giles, who made the catch at the 40-yard-line, broke a tackle and ran to the KC 30-yard-line for a 16-yard gain and another Tampa Bay 1st down.

Disaster nearly struck on the next play when Bell dropped Williams' pitch, only for left guard Greg Horton to fall on it at the KC 32-yard-line.

Bell would make up for the fumble with a 12-yard run on the very next play to pick up another Tampa 1st down, then pick up four yards on back-to-back carries leading to 3rd & 6 when Williams hit Giles again for seven yards as he slid out of bounds at the Chiefs' nine-yard-line to set up 1st & goal.

A four-yard run by Eckwood and two runs by Bell for three yards set up 4th & goal from the two-yard-line as McKay sent O' Donoghue to attempt a 19-yard field goal that with the soggy conditions was anything but a sure things.

Again the snap was low, but this time Blanchard was able to recover to get a good hold for O' Donoghue to make the 19-yard field goal to give Tampa Bay a 3-0 lead with 8:50 left in the fourth quarter after an impressive 13-play, 63-yard drive.

Neil O' Donoghue kicks what would be the only points of the game.

The Chiefs would go three-and-out again on their next series giving the Bucs the ball at their 44-yard-line when two straight runs gained six yards to set up 3rd & 4 at the 50-yard-line.

That is when Eckwood took a pitch from Williams and was stopped for no gain, only because Chiefs linebacker Frank Manumaleuga grabbed him by the face mask, drawing a five-yard penalty and a 1st down for the Bucs.

Two straight runs by Bell for six yards lead to a 3rd & 4 when Williams fake a handoff and ran a bootleg around the left side for a five-yard gain and another Tampa Bay 1st down at the Chiefs' 33-yard-line.

Bell would run for four more yards on 1st down, followed by another five-yard run by Williams, then a two-yard run by Williams to give Tampa a 1st & 10 at the KC 22-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.

One more 1st down and the Bucs would be NFC Central Champions.

Bell got the ball on 1st down and ran for six yards, then was stopped for no gain on 2nd down, setting up a crucial 3rd & 4.

That is when Eckwood took the handoff from Williams, ran to his right, then broke a tackle at the 13-yard-line which knocked the ball loose, only to have Giles recover it at the nine-yard-line for another Buccaneer 1st down.

After that, Williams took two knees to run out the clock as the Bucs came away with a 3-0 victory to clinch the NFC Central title and send Tampa Bay to the playoffs for the first time in team history.

The Buccaneers' Cinderella season would continue two weeks later when in much drier conditions the Bucs knocked off the Philadelphia Eagles 24-17 in the Divisional Round thanks to a 38-carry, 142-yard, two-touchdown performance by Bell to send Tampa Bay to the NFC Championship Game where the clock struck midnight as the Bucs fell to the Los Angeles Rams 9-0.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Tide Score TD on Last-Minute Drive To Beat Auburn in Iron Bowl

Alabama running back Dennis Riddle holds up the football as he scores the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds of the 1996 Iron Bowl.

The Iron Bowl always had a lot of stakes as the winner of the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide would get bragging rights in the state of Alabama for a year.

But when the SEC split into two divisions, the potential for higher stakes rose as both teams were put in the SEC Western Division and the chances for the division winner being decided in the regular season finale for both teams were quite high.

Such was the case in 1996 when the Crimson Tide entered the Iron Bowl needing a win to clinch their fourth SEC West title in five years and secure a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.

Alabama came into the game with a 8-2 record and #15 ranking, but were coming off a loss to Mississippi State the week before where they had a chance to clinch the SEC West title.

The Tide were led by head coach Gene Stallings, who was in his seventh year as the Crimson Tide head coach, having lead Bama back to national prominence as they won a national title in 1992.

This version of the Crimson Tide were led by quarterback Freddie Kitchens, running back Dennis Riddle, and a stifling defense that gave up only an average of 11.3 points per game.

Hoping to play spoiler was Auburn, who was out of the race for the SEC West title race after a 56-49 quadruple overtime loss to the Georgia Bulldogs(Read about that game here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/college-football-old-school-game-of.html) as they entered the Iron Bowl with a 7-3 record and out of the Top 25.

Auburn was led by head coach Terry Bowden, who after going 20-1-1 in his first two seasons at the Plains, had gone 15-7 since the beginning of the 1995 season.

If the Tigers were going to pull off the upset, they were going to need a big game from junior quarterback Dameyune Craig, who had threw for just barley over 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first year as the Auburn starting quarterback.

There was also one more thing hanging over the 1996 edition of the Iron Bowl and that was the future of Stallings as Alabama head coach, whose contract was up at the end of the season and some indications were that he might step down at the end of the season.

That added to the drama and anticipation as the Tigers and Tide prepared for battle at Legion Field in Birmingham.

The Tide got the ball to start the game at their 20-yard-line and after it took them three plays to pick up a 1st down, Kitchens fired a screen pass to Curtis Alexander, who broke a tackle and ran it for a 63-yard touchdown to give Bama a 7-0 lead just 90 seconds into the game.

The Tide would get the ball back at their 31-yard-line after forcing a three-and-out as Riddle carried the ball three straight times for 15 yards until Kitchens connected with Marcell West for a 32-yard completion to give Bama a 1st down at the Auburn 22-yard-line.

However, the Tigers defense would hold the Tide to just three yards on the next three plays, forcing Bama to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Jon Brock to increase the Alabama lead to 10-0 with 9:30 left in the first quarter.

Auburn looked to get the ball moving on its next possession and appeared to have a 1st down when Craig ran for 18 yards on 3rd & 11, only to have called it back because of a holding penalty, which would lead to another Auburn punt as the Tide took over at their 40-yard-line.

On this drive, the Tide relied on freshman running back Shaun Alexander to help them get down the field as Alexander would carry the ball five times for 29 yards on an eight-play, 60-yard drive that ended with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Kitchens to Michael Vaughn to increase the Bama lead to 17-0 with 3:32 left in the first quarter.

It looked like the 1996 Iron Bowl was destined to be an Alabama blowout but the Auburn offense finally got on track on the first play of its next possession as Rusty Williams busted loose for 42 yards to help set up a 34-yard field goal by Jaret Holmes to cut the Tide lead to 17-3 with 1:54 to go in the opening period.

The Auburn defense would force a Bama punt on its next possession to get their offense the ball back at the Tigers' 17-yard-line as the game moved into the second quarter.

However, on 2nd & 8 from the Auburn 31-yard-line, Craig was intercepted by Alabama cornerback Fernando Bryant to give the Tide the ball at the Tigers' 35-yard-line.

Three straight running plays picked up seven yards to set up 4th & 3 when Stallings decided to forgo the field goal and go for the 1st down.

The gamble backfired as Alexander was tripped in the backfield for an one-yard loss, giving the ball back to Auburn at their 29-yard-line.

The Tigers would make the Tide pay for their 4th down gamble as Craig connected with Karsten Bailey for a 57-yard touchdown to bring Auburn to within a touchdown at 17-10 with 8:27 left in the second quarter.

Auburn head coach Terry Bowden talks with his quarterback Dameyune Craig, who completed only 11 of 39 passes for 180 yards in the 1996 Iron Bowl.

Taking over at their 19-yard-line, the Bama offense looked to get back on track as Kitchens hit Vaughn for 17 yards on 3rd & 3 from the Tide 26-yard-line, which was followed by two straight runs by Riddle that totaled 35 yards to give Bama a 1st down at the Tigers' 22-yard-line.

However on the very next play, Riddle was stripped of the ball by Auburn safety Brad Ware, leading to a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Marcellus Mostella at the Tigers' 20-yard-line.

The Tigers would be forced to punt after the fumble, but would force another turnover on the Tide's next possession as Ware picked off a Kitchens pass and returned it 34 yards for a pick-six that with Holmes' extra point tied the game at 17 with 2:16 to go in the first half.

With their 17-point lead gone, the Tide were hoping to put together a drive to get some points on the scoreboard before halftime, only to have West fumble the ensuing kickoff which was recovered by Auburn's Brandon Morrow at the Alabama 20-yard-line.

The Tide defense would not permit a 1st down forcing the Tigers to settle for a 34-yard field goal by Holmes to give Auburn a 20-17 lead with 52 seconds left in the first half.

Bama got the ball back at their 33-yard-line with one last chance to score some points in the first half as Kitchens completed a 20-yard pass to Calvin Hall, then hit a nine-yarder to Trevis Smith to have Bama at the Auburn 38-yard-line, needing one more completion in order to give Brock a chance at a field goal.

But that chance never came as Kitchens was sacked for a nine-yard-loss to end the first half with the Tide trailing 20-17.

The Tigers would get the ball to start the second half as they took over at their 25-yard-line where they gained only one yard on the first plays of the drive until Craig found Tyrone Goodson for 38 yards on 3rd & 9 to give Auburn a 1st down at the Bama 36-yard-line.

Two more incomplete passes and a nine-yard pass to Bailey set up a 4th & 1 from the Tide 27-yard-line when Bowden decided to go for the 1st down.

Unlike Stallings' decision in the first half, Bowden was rewarded as Fred Beasley ran for two yards and a 1st down at the Bama 25-yard-line.

Rusty Williams would get the ball on the next two plays picking up eight yards, before Beasley was dropped for an one-yard loss by Alabama linebacker Dwayne Rudd, forcing the Tigers to settle for a 34-yard field goal by Holmes which increased Auburn's lead to 23-17 with 10:13 left in the third quarter.

The Tide would go three-and-out on its next possession to give the ball back to the Tigers at their 37-yard-line only to have Craig be intercepted by Alabama safety Kevin Jackson on a deep pass to give the Tide the ball at their 31-yard-line.

The Tide would give it right back to the Tigers as Kitchens threw his second interception of the game with Auburn linebacker Takeo Spikes picking off the pass at the Bama 44-yard-line.

The Bama defense would force a three-and-out to get their offense the ball back at their 26-yard-line where it appeared the offense was finally back on track as Kitchens hit Patrick Hape for a 17-yard completion, followed by back-to-back runs by Riddle that gained 27 yards to put the Tide at the Auburn 28-yard-line.

But one play after Alexander was dropped for an one-yard-loss, Kitchens would be picked off again, this time by Antwoine Nolan to give the Tigers the ball at their 26-yard-line.

Alabama quarterback Freddie Kitchens would complete 20 of 33 passes for 292 yards and throw three touchdowns and three interceptions.

Both teams traded punts going into the 4th quarter when Auburn put together a 11-play, 44-yard drive that took nearly six minutes off the clock before the Tigers had to punt to the Tide who took over at their 14-yard-line with 5:37 left to play.

The drive got off to a good start as Kitchens hit Vaughn for 17 yards, then Calvin Hall for 16 yards, until a holding penalty wiped out a 13-yard run by Kitchens which was followed by a quarterback sack by Auburn defensive end Leonardo Carson to force an Alabama punt with 3:41 left on the clock.

The Tide defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 26-yard-line with 2:14 left and one timeout in their pocket.

The drive got off to an auspicious start as Kitchens threw two straight incomplete passes before hitting Shamari Buchanan for 14 yards and a 1st down at the Bama 40-yard-line.

After another incomplete pass, Kitchens would hit Riddle on back-to-back passes, first for 16 yards, then for 12 yards to put the Tide at the Auburn 32-yard-line.

That is when Kitchens fired a pass for Vaughn in the end zone, only to have Auburn cornerback Charles Rose came in and draw a pass interference penalty giving the Tide 15 yards and a 1st down at the Tigers' 17-yard-line.

Following the pass interference call, Kitchens scrambled for seven yards, then hit for Vaughn for four yards to set up 1st & goal at the six-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass intended for Riddle on 1st down, Kitchens went back to Riddle as he hit the running back with a screen pass at the five-yard-line.

Riddle would then make a cut to his right and went in untouched for the six-yard touchdown to tie the game at 23.

Now come the all-important extra point which Brock made easily to give the Tide a 24-23 lead with 26 seconds left in the game.

Auburn got the ball at their 35-yard-line but could only muster one complete pass for six yards as the clock struck zero with the Tide winning the Iron Bowl 24-23 and the SEC West title.

But the celebration was muted in the locker room when Stallings announced he would in fact retire at the end of the season.

Two weeks later, Bama would face Florida in the SEC Championship Game where they would lose 45-30 as eventual Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel threw for 401 yards and six touchdown passes.

Stallings would coach his final game in the Outback Bowl which was a 17-14 Alabama win over Michigan as Stallings finished his seven-year run in Tuscaloosa with his fourth official 10-win season and #11 ranking in both polls.

Meanwhile, Auburn would be invited to the Independence Bowl where they would defeat Army 32-29 to finish with a 8-4 record.

Alabama head coach Gene Stallings would get a win in his final regular season game as the Crimson Tide head coach.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Manning Outguns Favre in Memorable Quarterback Duel

 

Peyton Manning would complete 28 of 40 passes for 393 yards and throw five touchdown passes.

When the Green Bay Packers traveled to Indianapolis to take on the Colts in Week 3 of the 2004 NFL season, many fans were hoping for a shootout as this game would feature two of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history in Packers quarterback Brett Favre and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

The fans at the RCA Dome and the millions of fans who watched on TV would not be disappointed as they would get a quarterback duel for the ages.

Both teams entered the game with a 1-1 record and were considered Super Bowl contenders as the Packers had won the NFC North Division the previous two seasons under head coach Mike Sherman while the Colts had made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game the previous year under head coach Tony Dungy.

Both teams' strengths would be their offenses as the Colts had Manning who was coming his first MVP season in 2003, which he shared with Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair, and led an offense that featured running back Edgerrian James and a trio of wide receivers in Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokley.

As for the Packers, Favre still had some juice left entering his 13th season as the Packers' quarterback as he had running back Ahman Green in the backfield, who had run for 1,883 yards in 2003.

With all these explosive offensive players, many fans expected a shootout and would get it.

The Colts got the ball to start the game at their 34-yard-line where Manning came out firing as he would four of five passes on the drive with the last completion being a 36-yard touchdown to Wayne to put Indianapolis on the scoreboard first just 1:45 into the game.

The Packers would get the ball at their 18-yard-line for their first possession of the game which was a little bit more methodically as they mixed passes and runs to drive 82 yards in nine plays with Favre completing all four of his passes on the drive, including hitting Donald Driver for 14 yards on 3rd & 11 from the Green Bay 44-yard-line.

The drive would culminate with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Favre to Javon Walker to tie the game at 7 with 8:39 to go in the first quarter.

After James Mungro returned Ryan Longwell's short kick 17 yards to the Colts 40-yard-line, Manning would hit Wayne for 15 yards, then Stokley for 9, then back to Wayne for 8, and then finally hitting Harrison for a 28-yard touchdown as the Colts took a 14-7 with less than seven minutes to go in the opening period.

The Packers would take over at their 21-yard-line when Favre fired a deep pass for Walker, who beat his man to make the catch and run untouched for the 79-yard touchdown to tie the game just 16 seconds after Harrison's touchdown.

The Colts would get the ball back at their 28-yard-line where Manning was able to catch the Packers with 12 men on the field to pick up a 1st down on 3rd & 5 from the Indy 33-yard-line.

Manning would find Harrison for 12 yards, then after Packers defensive back Michael Hawthrone a would-be interception, connected with Wayne for 16 yards, before going back to Stokley, who was wide open for a 34-yard touchdown to put the Colts back on top 21-14 with 4:11 left in the first quarter.

Green Bay took over at its 32-yard-line when a strange thing happened; they went three-and-out to punt the ball back to the Colts, who took over at their six-yard-line.

Manning kept firing as he hit Wayne for eight yards, then found Wayne again for 21 yards for a 1st down at the Colts' 35-yard-line.

Manning would then connect with tight end Marcus Pollard for 11 yards, then Stokley again for an nine-yard gain which became a 24-yard gain as Packers linebacker Na'il Diggs was called for roughing the passer to give the Colts a 1st down at the Green Bay 30-yard-line.

Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne would catch 11 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown.

Manning would complete his fifth pass in a row to Pollard for five yards to bring the first quarter to an end with the Colts on top 21-14.

In all, Manning completed 17 of 22 passes for 247 yards and three touchdown passes in the first quarter alone while Favre completed five of six passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns.

To begin the second quarter, the Colts surprised the Packers with their first running play of the game as James ran for six yards and a 1st down at the Green Bay 19-yard-line.

A holding penalty and two incomplete passes forced the Colts into a 3rd & 18 situation when Manning found Stokley again for a 27-yard touchdown to increase the Indianapolis lead to 28-14 with 13:43 left in the second quarter.

The Packers would come right back with a 50-yard kickoff return by Antonio Chatman to the Colts' 41-yard-line as Green would carry the ball three straight times, picking up 16 yards before Favre connected with tight end Bubba Franks for 11 yards and a 1st down at the Indianapolis 14-yard-line.

But a seven-yard loss on a screen pass to Tony Fisher would kill the drive, forcing the Packers to settle for a 38-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell to make it a 28-17 game with 9:34 left in the first half.

The Packers defense finally stopped the Colts' offense on their next drive, forcing them to go three-and-out to get the ball back at their 31-yard-line.

Favre decided to do his best Manning impression as he threw the ball on all but two plays as he completed four of seven passes for 35 yards to set up a 52-yard field goal attempt by Longwell.

But Longwell's kick came up short as it hit the crossbar keeping it 28-17 and giving Manning and the Colts the ball at their 43-yard-line.

Manning wasted no time in driving the Colts down the field as he found Wayne for 25 yards to start the drive, then hit Stokley for 11 more yards to the Packers' 22-yard-line.

The drive bogged down a bit as Manning hit Harrison for only three yards, then had a six-yard completion to Wayne called back because of a holding penalty, pushing the Colts back to the Green Bay 28-yard-line when Manning fired a pass for Wayne in the end zone, which fell incomplete but drew a 27-yard pass interference penalty on Packers defensive back Jason Horton to set up 1st & goal at the one-yard-line.

After Dominic Rhodes was stopped for no gain, Manning went back to the air and found Mungro for the one-yard touchdown, his fifth touchdown pass of the first half, to increase the Colts' lead to 35-17 with 57 seconds left before halftime.

Favre was able to complete three passes but only got Green Bay to their 47-yard-line before punting the ball to the Colts who took a knee to run out the clock in the first half as they went into the locker room with a 35-17 lead.

The Packers would get the ball to start the second half as they took over at their 35-yard-line where after Favre threw an incomplete pass to start the drive, completed four in a row for 35 yards before handing the ball off to Green, who ran up the middle for six yards and a 1st down at the Colts' 24-yard-line.

Four plays later, Favre found Walker wide open in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown to cut the Indianapolis lead to 35-24 with 9:59 left in the third quarter.

Packers wide receiver Javon Walker would catch 11 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns.

The Packers would force a three-and-out to get the ball back at their 16-yard-line when they drove to the Colts' 39 yard-line until a holding penalty on left tackle Chad Clifton helped kill the drive and force a Green Bay punt.

The Colts took over at their 21-yard-line and decided to go to James, who had carried the ball only three times in the first half, as he would carry the ball six times for 27 yards while Manning found Wayne for a 23-yard completion to drive Indianapolis to the Packers' 29-yard-line as the third quarter came to a close.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Colts appeared to have a 1st & goal at the one-yard-line as Manning found Stokley for 28 yards, only to have wiped it out by a holding penalty on left tackle Tarik Glenn pushing the Colts back 10 yards to the Green Bay 39-yard-line, which was followed by a false start penalty on right guard Tupo Peko which cost the Colts another five yards.

Manning would connect with James for 17 yards to set up a 45-yard field goal by Mike Vanderjagt to increase the Colts' lead to 38-24 with 13:34 left in the fourth quarter.

Then on the ensuing kickoff, Robert Ferguson would run it back 71 yards before being stopped by Vanderjagt at the Colts' 22-yard-line, giving Green Bay an excellent opportunity to cut into the lead.

After an incomplete pass and a false start penalty, Favre fired a 27-yard touchdown pass to Driver just 21 seconds after Vanderjagt's field goal to make it a 38-31 game.

Both teams would exchange punts until the Packers got the ball at their 21-yard-line and drove to their 43-yard-line as Favre completed three passes in a row.

Favre would complete his fourth pass in a row, a eight-yard completion to Walker, only to have Colts cornerback Jason David knock the ball loose, causing a fumble that was recovered by the other cornerback,  Nick Harper, whose 15-yard return gave the ball to the Colts at the Packers' 36-yard-line with 6:07 left in the fourth quarter.

From there, Manning decided to use up as much time as he could while leading the Colts for a score that could put the game out of reach.

After James picked up five yards on the first play of the drive, Manning hit Wayne for nine yards and a 1st down at the Green Bay 22-yard-line.

Then after James lost two yards on 1st down, Manning found Wayne again, this time for 15 yards to give the Colts a 1st & goal at the nine-yard-line.

James would pick up five yards on back-to-back carries to set up 3rd & goal where Manning threw an incomplete pass only to have Packers cornerback Al Harris be called for holding, giving the Colts an 1st down at the two-yard-line.

It would take the Colts three tries to punch into the end zone as James ran it from the one-yard-line to increase the Indianapolis lead to 45-31 with 1:49 left in the game.

If the Packers were to pull off a miracle and score two touchdowns in the final 1:49, they would have to do it without Favre, who was pulled from the game because of a charley horse in his left hamstring.

Brett Favre would finish with 360 yards and four touchdowns on 30-of-44 passes.

Future Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson came in at quarterback and completed his first four passes for a total of 34 yards to drive the Packers from their 38-yard-line to the Colts' 28-yard-line.

But that is where the Packers' hopes ended as Pederson would throw an incomplete pass then be intercepted by Colts linebacker David Thornton, allowing for Manning to come onto the field and take a knee to run out the clock as the Colts would come away with the 45-31 win.

In total, Manning and Favre combined to complete 58 of 84 passes for 753 yards and throw nine touchdown passes as the Colts moved to 2-1 while the Packers dropped to 1-2.

The Packers would lose their next two games to fall to 1-4 before going on a 9-2 tear over the rest of the regular season to finish with a 10-6 record and clinch their third straight NFC North Division title, only to be knocked in the Wild Card Round by the Minnesota Vikings 31-17.

The following year, the Packers would fall to 4-12, leading to Sherman's firing as Mike McCarthy was hired in the offseason as two years later the Packers made all the way to the NFC Championship Game before losing in overtime 23-20 to the New York Giants in what would be Favre's final game as a Packer.

As for the Colts, they would go to finish the season with a 12-4 record to win the AFC South for the second year in a row as Manning would break Dan Marino's record of most touchdown passes in a season as he threw 49 touchdown passes to earn his second straight MVP award.

Manning and the Colts would knock off the Denver Broncos 49-24 in the Wild Card round, but would be eliminated again by the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round.

Two year later, the Colts would finally get over the hump as they defated the Patriots 38-34 in the AFC Championship Game after trailing 21-3, then knocked off the Chicago Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI.

Favre and Manning greet each other after their classic quarterback duel.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: "Sooner Magic" Strikes Again as OU Holds Off OK State and Barry Sanders

Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer is carried by his players after the Sooners' 1988 win over Oklahoma State.

" Sooner Magic" is described as some sort of supernatural force that allows for the Oklahoma Sooners football team to pull out victories when less expected or when the team is in dire circumstances.

Such was the case on November 5, 1988 when the Sooners traveled to Stillwater to take on their intrastate rivals, the Oklahoma State Cowboys in a Big 8 showdown.

The Sooners came into the game ranked #8 with a 7-1 record, with their only loss being a 23-7 defeat to the USC Trojans back in September.

Oklahoma was led by head coach Barry Switzer, who had led the Sooners to at least a share of the Big 8 title 12 times in his 15 previous seasons and three national championships, thanks to his wishbone offense which in 1988 was led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Charles Thompson.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys entered the game ranked #12 with a 6-1 record under fifth-year head coach Pat Jones.

The Cowboys had a high-powered offense which had averaged 48 points per game up to this point thanks to quarterback and future Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, wide receiver Hart Lee Dykes, and Heisman Trophy candidate running back Barry Sanders.

Sanders, who had been the back-up to Thurman Thomas during his first two seasons, became the starting running back in 1988 and exploded on to the national scene as he ran for 1,476 yards and scored 24 touchdowns, 22 of those on the ground.

The nation would finally get to see Sanders as the game would be televised on ESPN, marking the first time the Cowboys had been on national television all year as they hoped to defeat the Sooners for the first time since 1976.

 The Sooners got the ball to start the game at their 20-yard-line where it took them only one play to drive into Cowboys territory as running back Mike Gaddis took a pitch from Thompson and ran 50 yards to the Oklahoma State 30-yard-line.

Gaddis would end the seven-play drive with a 13-yard touchdown to put Oklahoma ahead 7-0 just 2:27 into the game.

With the Sooners kicking into a swirling wind, the  Cowboys got good field position for their initial possession of the game as they took over at their 35-yard-line.

On 2nd down, the Cowboys attempted a flea-flicker but Gundy was sacked for a six-yard-loss, which was followed by a 10-yard pass to Dykes to set up 4th & 1 from the Oklahoma State 44-yard-line.

Jones decided to gamble and go for the 1st down but Sanders was stopped for no gain by Sooners defensive tackle Scott Evans to give Oklahoma the ball at the Cowboys' 44-yard-line.

Jones' decision would be made even worse when on the very next play Gaddis busted through the middle for a 44-yard touchdown to give Oklahoma a 14-0 lead with 10:21 left in the first quarter.

Down two touchdowns with a little less than five minutes into the game, the Cowboys needed a score as they took over at their 41-yard-line for their next possession.

Gundy would find Jarrod Green for 11 yards and a 1st down at the Oklahoma 47-yard-line, then scrambled away from the Oklahoma pass rush, to find Dykes, who made a spectacular one-handed catch at the Sooners' 18-yard-line for a 28-yard gain.

Then after three straight runs by Sanders for 14 runs, Gundy ran it in for the four-yard touchdown to put Oklahoma State on the scoreboard and cut their deficit to one touchdown at 14-7 with 6:52 left in the first quarter.

The Sooners would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line where they ran the ball three straight times, gaining 23 yards, before Thompson fumbled a snap from center to which he recovered to prevent a turnover and allow Oklahoma to keep the ball as they would face a 3rd & 2 at their 42-yard-line which they converted as fullback Leon Perry picked up the two yards needed for the 1st down.

Seven plays later, Perry was in the end zone as he scored from seven yards out to increase the Sooners' lead to 21-7 with 2:35 left in the first quarter.

Oklahoma running back Mike Gaddis would run for 213 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.

Following an exchange of punts, the Sooners would produce the first turnover of the game as defensive end Greg Dixon intercepted a Gundy pass to give Oklahoma the ball at their 47-yard-line.

The Sooners were in prime position to blow the game wide open as Thompson ran the ball 47 yards to the Oklahoma State six-yard-line on the first play after the interception to set up 1st & goal.

But after two plays lost two yards, the Sooners would lose the football as Thompson fumbled the football which was recovered by Cowboys defensive back Lamar McGriggs at the Oklahoma State nine-yard-line, preventing Oklahoma from extending the lead.

It looked like the Sooners were going to force a three-and-out as a sack of Gundy forced the Cowboys into a 3rd & 16 where Gundy attempted to pick up the 1st down with his feet as he ran for 13 yards, three yards short of the 1st down.

But Dixon was called for a face mask, which was ruled incidental, but enough for the Cowboys to pick up the 1st down as the five-yard penalty was added to Gundy's run to give Oklahoma State a fresh set of downs at their 21-yard-line.

After being held in check for the 1st quarter, Sanders would explode on 2nd & 7 when he took a pitch from Gundy and ran around the right side for a 67-yard run to give the Cowboys a 1st & goal at the Sooners' seven-yard-line.

Sanders would get ball the next two plays, picking up only four yards, before Gundy went back to the air and hit Dykes for a three-yard touchdown to cut the Sooners' lead to 21-14 with 5:06 left in the second quarter.

With Oklahoma State now kicking into the wind, it would be the Sooners who would get good field position as they took over at their 35-yard-line for their next drive

The Sooners would go back to Gaddis who ran for 13 yards to start the drive, then ran for 37 yards on the next play to put the Sooners at the Cowboys' 15-yard-line.

But the Oklahoma State defense would hold as they would only allow five more yards on the next three plays, forcing the Sooners to settle for a 27-yard field goal by R.D. Lashar to increase the Sooners' lead to 24-14 with 2:08 left in the first half.

Following an exchange of punts, the Cowboys would run out the clock as the first half came to an end with the Sooners ahead 24-14.

Oklahoma would go three-and-out to start the second half, punting the ball back to the Cowboys who would take over at the Sooners' 44-yard-line as Oklahoma was kicking into the wind.

Three plays picked up nine yards setting up a 4th & 1 from the Oklahoma 35-yard-line when Jones again decided to go for the 1st down and again was denied as Sanders was tripped up for an one-yard loss by Sooners defensive tackle Curtice Williams giving Oklahoma the ball at their 36-yard-line.

The Sooners would drive to the Oklahoma State 42-yard-line before punting the ball back to the Cowboys who took over at their 20-yard-line, only to give right back to the Sooners as Gundy was intercepted by Oklahoma linebacker Kert Kaspar at the Oklahoma State 25-yard-line.

Oklahoma would run the ball three straight times but did not pick up the 1st down as they were inches short as 4th down approached.

Instead of attempting a 32-yard field goal, Switzer decided to go for the 1st down, but was denied as Perry was stopped for no gain giving the Cowboys the ball back at their 16-yard-line.

The Cowboys drove to the Sooners' 43-yard-line thanks in large part to a 24-yard screen pass from Gundy to Sanders but a holding penalty pushed the Cowboys 10 yards back to their 47-yard-line when Gundy was picked off again, this time by Oklahoma defensive back Kevin Thompson at the Sooners' 41-yard-line.

Running back Anthony Stafford would run for 15 yards to start the drive, but the next three plays picked up eight yards setting up 4th & 2 from the Cowboys' 36-yard-line.

Again, Switzer decided to go for the 1st down and this time it looked like they were going to convert as Thompson ran right past the markers until he was stripped of the ball by Cowboys defensive lineman Devin Jones, leading to a fumble that was recovered by Oklahoma State linebacker Sim Drain at the Cowboys' 32-yard-line with 1:20 left in the third quarter.

Dykes would make another one-handed catch, this time for 15 yards to give Oklahoma State a 1st down at the Sooners' 49-yard-line which was followed by two plays that picked up eight yards setting up 3rd & 2 at the Oklahoma 41-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end with the Sooners still up 24-14.

Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders would run for 215 yards on 39 carries and score two touchdowns.

Sanders would pick up the 1st down with a six-yard run, then ran for 34 yards on the very next play to put the Cowboys at the Oklahoma one-yard-line.

After Sanders was stopped for no gain on 1st down, Sanders dove over the top for his first touchdown of the game to cut the Oklahoma lead to 24-21 with 13:37 left in the fourth quarter.

The Oklahoma State defense would force a three-and-out to get the ball back at their 23-yard-line when Sanders ran for 14 yards to start the drive, which was followed by a 13-yard pass from Gundy to Green to put the Cowboys at exactly the 50-yard-line.

That is when the Cowboys called for the end around where wide receiver Curtis Mayfield ran around the left side and ran for 30 yards and a 1st down at the Oklahoma 20-yard-line.

Five plays later, the Cowboys were back in the end zone as Sanders took a pitch from Gundy and ran around the right side for a two-yard touchdown to give Oklahoma State its first lead of the game at 28-24 with 8:45 left in the game.

The Sooners would take over at their 20-yard-line and began the drive with back-to-back nine yard runs first by Thompson, then by Gaddis to give Oklahoma a 1st down at their 38-yard-line.

That is when Thompson completed his first pass of the day, a 22-yard screen pass to Perry to give the Sooners a 1st down at the Cowboys' 45-yard-line.

Three straight runs by Gaddis gained 11 yards and another 1st down, which was followed by a four-yard run by Thompson to set up 2nd & 6 from the 30-yard-line.

That is when "Sooner Magic" struck as the Sooners would fumble the football on back-to-back plays without the Cowboys recovering.

First on 2nd & 6, Stafford dropped a pitch from Thompson, only to recover it for an one-yard-loss to set up 3rd & 7 where Thompson connected with Gaddis on a screen pass for seven yards when Gaddis was hit by Cowboys linebacker Rod Smith, knocking the ball loose only to be recovered by Oklahoma offensive tackle Mark Van Keirsbilck at the Oklahoma State 25-yard-line to set up 4th & 1.

This time, Switzer had no choice to go for the 1st down, and it appeared for the third time he would not get it as Thompson dropped back to hand the ball off to Stafford only to collide with him.

But Thompson regained his composure to ran for two yards and pick up the 1st down at the Cowboys' 23-yard-line.

Then after Perry ran for five yards on 1st down and Gaddis was stopped for no gain on 2nd down, Thompson rolled around the left side and ran for a 18-yard touchdown to give the Sooners a 31-28 lead with 2:33 left in the game.

Oklahoma quarterback Charles Thompson leaps over an Oklahoma State defender for the game-winning touchdown with 2:33 to go in the game.

The Cowboys would get one more chance to either tie the game(There was no overtime in FBS in 1988)or pull out the win.

Jones put out Sanders for the kickoff, who unwisely took it out of his end zone and was stopped at the Cowboys' nine-yard-line.

However, it would take the Cowboys to get into Sooners territory as Gundy connected with Dykes for 23 yards to begin the drive, then hit him again for 24 yards to give the Cowboys a 1st down at the Sooners' 44-yard-line.

An incomplete pass and a six-yard completion set up 3rd & 6 from the Oklahoma 38-yard-line when Gundy handed the ball off to Sanders, who picked up 10 yards and a 1st down at the Sooners' 28-yard-line as Sanders crossed the 200-yard rushing mark for the third time in the 1988 season.

Following another incomplete pass, the Cowboys went back to Sanders who picked up eight yards on 2nd down, then was stopped inches short of the 1st down on 3rd down to set up 4th & inches from inside the Oklahoma 19-yard-line.

However, the referees called a dead ball personal foul penalty on fullback Garrett Limbrick for pushing Oklahoma linebacker Richard Dillon, though in the eyes of Oklahoma State fans it looked like the fullback was finishing his block.

The penalty meant instead of 4th & inches from the 19-yard-line it would be 4th & 15 from the 34-yard-line.

Jones could have had kicker Cary Blanchard attempt a 51-yard field goal to salvage a 31-31 tie but instead went for the 1st down.

That is when Gundy took the snap, rolled his right and fired a pass to the end zone for Brent Parker, who had the ball in his hands but dropped the sure touchdown, giving the ball back to Oklahoma at their 34-yard-line with less than 50 seconds to go.

"Sooner Magic" had struck again as the Sooners ran out the clock to come away with the 31-28 win, their 12th consecutive win over the Cowboys in the "Bedlam Series".

The loss knocked Oklahoma State out of the Big 8 title race, but not Sanders out of the Heisman race as he was just getting warmed up.

In the Cowboys' final three games of the regular season, Sanders would run for 847 yards and score 13 touchdowns to clinch the Heisman Trophy becoming the first and thus far only Oklahoma State football player to win the award.

Sanders topped his historic season with a 29-carry, 222-yard and five touchdown performance against Wyoming in the Holiday Bowl which the Cowboys won 62-14 to finish the season with a 10-2 record and #11 ranking in both the AP and Coaches polls.

Meanwhile, the Sooners would fall to Nebraska 7-3, denying the Sooners their fifth straight Big 8 title as they would conclude the season with a 13-6 loss to the Clemson Tigers in the Citrus Bowl to finish the season with a 9-3 record and #14 ranking in the AP and Coaches polls.

But the worst was yet to come for Oklahoma as Thompson would be arrested for selling cocaine to an undercover FBI agent in February 1989, which led to Switzer's resignation after 16 seasons as the Sooners head coach.

Switzer's depature would lead to a steep decline for the Sooners as they would not compete for a conference or national championship until Bob Stoops' arrival in 1999.

As for Thompson, he would be sent to jail following his arrest and be convicted and sent to prison in September of 1989 where he would spend the next 17 months in prison.

However, Thompson would redeem himself after his release from prison as he would go back to school and get his degree and become a motivational speaker talking to kids about not the mistakes he made in his life and how they should avoid them.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Saints Defeat 49ers in Wild Shootout

 

Saints wide receiver Danny Abramowicz is hugged by teammate Al Dodd after one of his two touchdown catches in the 1969 49ers-Saints game.

A lot of times in football a matchup of two bad teams can produce a memorable game.

That was the case on November 23, 1969 when the New Orleans Saints hosted the San Francisco 49ers in one of the wildest games of the 1969 NFL season.

The Saints entered the game with a 2-7 record, but playing better as they had won two of their previous three games after starting the season 0-6.

The Saints were coached by Tom Fears and led by quarterback Billy Kilmer who was going to face his former team, the 49ers who had a 2-6-1 record after having a 7-6-1 season the year before under first-year head coach Dick Nolan.

A big reason for the 49ers' struggles had been quarterback John Brodie who had thrown 14 interceptions up to this point in the season.

If the 49ers were going to knock off the Saints, they would need Brodie to have a good day and limit the interceptions.

The 49ers got the ball to start the game and went on a 15-play, 80-yard drive that took up nearly eight minutes and did not end until running back Ken Willard punched it in for a one-yard touchdown to give San Francisco a 7-0 lead.

The Saints would pick one 1st down on their first possession of the game before having to punt when the snap went over punter Ollie Cordill's head, who was had to run back to his ten-yard-line to get the ball and then run back to the Saints' 30-yard-line to get off the punt which went officially 16 yards to the 49ers' 44-yard-line.

The 49ers drove to the Saints' eight-yard-line as the first quarter came to a close when they decided to go into their bag of tricks for the first play of the second quarter.

As the second quarter began, Brodie took the snap and pitched it out to running back Doug Cunningham who then lofted a pass for Dick Witcher, who made a diving catch in the end zone for the eight-yard touchdown which increased San Francisco's lead to 14-0 just five seconds into the second quarter.

After an exchange of punts, the 49ers got the ball and had a 4th & 1 situation at the Saints' 45-yard-line when Nolan decided to go for the 1st down.

It didn't work as Willard was stopped for no gain, giving the ball back to the Saints at their 45-yard-line.

However, the Saints were unable to pick up a 1st down and called on Tom Dempsey to attempt a 55-yard field goal which he missed to keep it 14-0 in favor of the 49ers.

Later in the second quarter, the 49ers would drive 88 yards in eight plays, with the big play being a 38-yard pass from Brodie to Cunningham that would set up Willard's second touchdown of the game, another one-yarder to increase San Francisco's lead to 21-0 with 2:15 left in the second quarter.

49ers quarterback John Brodie completed 15 of 24 passes for 290 yards and threw two touchdowns.

Down three touchdowns, it seemed like the Saints were poised to get blown out by the 49ers unless they got something going on their next drive.

The Saints would do just that as they would travel 75 yards in five plays, culminating with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Kilmer to Ray Poage to cut it to a 21-7 deficit with 1:07 left in the first half.

The Saints would force the 49ers to punt on their lost possession of the first half as Gene Howard would make a fair catch at the 50-yard-line, giving the Saints a chance at a free kick, which would allow for Dempsey to attempt a 57-yard field goal without the 49ers rushing to attempt a block since Howard had made a fair catch.

However, the strategy did not pay off as Dempsey missed the kick, keeping it 21-7 in favor of the 49ers as both teams went into the locker room for the halftime break.

The Saints would get the ball to start the second half at their 20-yard-line and come out firing as Kilmer connected with Danny Abramowicz for a 20-yard completion and then with Tony Baker for 22 yards, which lead to a 12-yard touchdown run by Andy Livingston at the end of the nine-play, 80-yard drive to bring New Orleans to within a touchdown at 21-14 with 11:01 left in the third quarter.

The momentum had turned in New Orleans' favor as they forced a 49ers punt to get the ball back at their 29-yard-line where after two running plays picked up 22 yards, Kilmer fired a bomb for Abramowicz who made the catch in the end zone for a 49-yard touchdown that with Dempsey's extra point tied the game at 21 with 7:33 to go in the third quarter.

Then on the ensuing kickoff, 49ers returner Noland Smith coughed up the football, which was recovered by Poage at the San Francisco 13-yard-line.

It only took the Saints one play to get in the end zone as Kilmer pitched the ball to Livingston, who then fired a pass for Abramowicz who caught his second touchdown in a matter of seconds to give New Orleans a 28-21 lead.

After giving up 28 straight points, the 49ers needed an answer and they would get it on their ensuing possession as they took over at their 23-yard-line.

Jimmy Thomas ran for two yards to start the drive which was followed by a 30-yard pass from Brodie to Witcher, which was then followed by a 45-yard touchdown pass from Brodie to Thomas which tied the game at 28 with 3:47 left in the third quarter.

The Saints would drive into San Francisco territory only to have Dempsey miss his third field goal of the game, a 53-yarder that was partially blocked.

The 49ers were set to punt when the 4th quarter began only to have Forrest Blue's snap go over the head of punter Jon Kilgore and into the back of the end zone for a safety to give the Saints a 30-28 lead and the ball back just six seconds into the final period.

Saints quarterback Billy Kilmer completed 13 of 24 passes for 235 yards and threw two touchdowns.

The Saints would take over at their 40-yard-line and drive to the 49ers' 10-yard-line before calling on Dempsey to attempt a 17-yard field goal(The goal posts were at the goal line in 1969).

Dempsey's kick was true and the Saints now had a 33-28 lead with 12:45 left in the fourth quarter.

The 49ers would get the ball back at their 30-yard-line where it took them only three plays to get back in the end zone as Bob Windsor ran for nine yards to start the drive, which was followed by a 43-yard pass from Brodie to Thomas to give San Francisco a 1st down at the 18-yard-line when Brodie found Thomas again for a 18-yard touchdown to give the 49ers a 35-33 lead with 12 minutes left in the game.

The Saints would respond with an eight-play, 62-yard drive which ended with a 43-yard field goal by Dempsey that allowed New Orleans to retake the lead at 36-35 with 7:54 to go in the game.

The Saints were still ahead when disaster struck as Howard fumbled a punt which was recovered by the 49ers' Elmer Collett as the New Orleans 13-yard-line.

The New Orleans defense would keep the 49ers out of the end zone but off the scoreboard as Momello Gavric kicked a 23-yard field goal to give San Francisco a 38-36 lead with exactly three minutes to go.

There was still enough time for the Saints to drive into San Francisco territory as give Dempsey a shot at a game-winning field goal.

The Saints would begin their final possession at their 28-yard-line with a seven-yard run by Livingston, which would be followed a 10-yard pass from Kilmer to Al Dodd for a 1st down at the New Orleans 45-yard-line.

On the next play, Kilmer would find Dave Parks for 16 yards and another 1st down at the 49ers' 39-yard-line.

Kilmer would hand it off to Livingston, who ran for five yards, which was followed by a 19-yard completion from Kilmer to Tony Baker to give the Saints a 1st down at the San Francisco 15-yard-line.

From there, Ernie Wheelwright would take over as he busted through the middle for a 12-yard run, then punched it in for the three-yard touchdown to give the Saints a 43-38 lead with just 26 seconds remaining.

Ernie Wheelwright celebrates after his game-winning touchdown run.

The 49ers would have one last chance but Brodie's desperation pass at the buzzer would be picked off by Howard to secure the 43-38 win as the Saints completed the greatest comeback in their young history coming back from 21 points down.

The 49ers would go on to finish the season with a 4-8-2 record as they went 2-1-1 over their final four games of the regular season, but would come back and win the NFC West the next three years.

As for the Saints, they would finish the season with a 5-9 record which was their best record in their young history.

The 21-point comeback win over the 49ers as been equalized twice by the Saints as they scored 38 straight points to overcome a 21-point deficit to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 41-24 in 1987, then repeated during their 2009 Super Bowl championship season when they overcome a 24-3 deficit to defeat the Miami Dolphins 46-34.

Colllege Football Old School Game of the Week: Penn State Nips Nebraska in Controversial Finish

 

Sometimes in a college football season, you can look back to one game or one play where the consequences of that game or play would determine the fate of two teams' seasons.

For the 1982 Penn State Nittany Lions and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, that game would come on September 25th when a disputed play would later came back to haunt one team while pave the way for good fortune for another.

Nebraska came into the game ranked #2 with a 2-0 record as they were expected to compete for the national championship.

The Cornhuskers were led by head coach Tom Osbourne, who was in his 10th season as head coach, having lead the Huskers to at least nine wins in all nine of his seasons as head coach.

The Huskers had a high powered option offense featuring quarterback Turner Gill and running backs Roger Craig and Mike Rozier which had complied 110 points in Nebraska's first two games of the season.

The Huskers were hoping to have another strong day from their offense as they headed to "Happy Valley" to take on the #8 ranked Nittany Lions.

Penn State was 3-0 and coached by Joe Paterno who was in his 17th season as head coach of the Nittany Lions having lead Penn State to 10 seasons of at least 10 wins, including three undefeated seasons, but zero national championships.

The '82 Lions had a strong offense as well, which featured quarterback Todd Blackledge and running back Curt Warner, which had scored 119 points in the team's first three games of the season as Penn State jumped out to a 3-0 start.

The Top-10 showdown would be televised nationally on CBS and have a then-record crowd of more than 85,000 fans at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania.

For the fans that were there and the viewers watching at home, they would get a game for the ages and a play that was endowed in controversy for nearly 40 years with a man named Mike McCloskey in the middle of it.

After Penn State went three-and-out to start the game, Nebraska got the ball in Penn State territory as they took over at the Nittany Lions' 46-yard-line and drove 18 yards to the 28-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 2 situation.

Osbourne decided to go for the 1st down which would backfire as Gill fumbled the 4th down snap, allowing Penn State to take over at its 27-yard-line.

The Nittany Lions would drive down to the 23-yard-line when Blackledge found Kenny Jackson for an apparent 23-yard touchdown pass, only to have called back because of an illegal motion penalty.

After back-to-back incomplete passes, Blackledge hit Gregg Garrity for another apparent touchdown that was called back because of a false start penalty.

The Nittany Lions had to settle for a 50-yard field goal attempt by Massimo Mancha, but he missed it to keep the game scoreless.

The Penn State defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 17-yard-line where they drove 83 yards in six plays, with the big play being a 43-yard pass from Blackledge to Warner on a deep pass which set up Blackledge's 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kirk Bowman to give the Nittany Lions a 7-0 lead with 1:43 left in the first quarter.

Penn State quarterback Todd Blackledge would complete 23 of 39 passes for 295 yards and threw three touchdown passes.

Nebraska would begin its next possession at its 20-yard-line and after two runs by Rozier gained eight yards, Gill found wide receiver Irving Fryar for 14 yards, only to lose the football when he was hit by Penn State cornerback Dan Biondi.

Penn State safety Mark Robinson recovered the ball at the Nittany Lions' 43-yard-line but the Penn State offense would go three-and-out to punt the ball back to the Cornhuskers, who took over at their six-yard-line as the game moved into the second quarter.

The Huskers would drive to the Penn State 22-yard-line not by running, but on the right arm of Gill who connected with Fryar for nine yards on 3rd & 6 from the Nebraska 10-yard-line, then hit Ricky Simmons for 15 yards, and then Todd Brown for 27 yards.

But on 3rd & 3 at the Penn State 22-yard-line, Gill threw a bad pitch which was recovered by Penn State at its 29-yard-line.

Blackledge would hit Garrity for 20 yards to begin the drive, but after that it was all Warner as he carried the ball for 16 yards on the following play, then after an incomplete pass ran for 31 yards to set up 1st & goal from the Nebraska four-yard-line.

It would take Warner two runs to get in the end zone as his two-yard touchdown run extended the Nittany Lions' lead to 14-0 with 8:51 left in the second quarter.

Penn State looked to be in complete control especially after its defense forced a three-and-out to give its offense the ball at their 45-yard-line where they would drive to the Nebraska 30-yard-line until two straight incomplete passes forced the Nittany Lions to call on Mancha to attempt a 47-yard field goal.

But once again, Mancha missed the kick as Nebraska would take at its 30-yard-line, only to go three & out to give the ball back to the Nittany Lions who took over at their 31-yard-line.

Blackledge would lead the Nittany Lions to the Nebraska 16-yard-line as passes of 21 yards to Garrity and 24 yards to McCloskey set up a 33-yard field goal attempt for Mancha.

However, the third time was not the charm for Mancha as he again missed the field goal giving the Huskers the ball at their 20-yard-line with time winding down in the first half.

That is when Gill hit back-to-back passes, first to Brown for 20 yards and then to Simmons for 11 yards to put Nebraska in Penn State territory at the Nittany Lions' 49-yard-line.

After two straight incomplete passes, Gill found Fryar for 19 yards and a 1st down at the 30-yard-line.

Following another incomplete pass, Gill avoided pressure to hit Fryar at the Penn State 15-yard-line, who then broke two Penn State tacklers to run in for the 30-yard touchdown to cut it to a 14-7 Penn State lead with 38 seconds left before halftime.

Blackledge would take a knee to run out the clock in the first half as the Nittany Lions went into the locker room up 14-7.

Nebraska running back Mike Rozier ran the ball 19 times for 86 yards and caught a two-yard touchdown pass. 

The Cornhuskers would get the ball at their 20-yard-line to start the second half, but they would do so without Craig, who was out of the game because of a thigh bruise.

Rozier would take Craig's spot in the offense and would run for 16 yards on 3rd & 9 to give Nebraska a 1st down at the Penn State 37-yard-line.

Then after an incomplete pass on 1st down, Fryar got the ball on a reverse and ran 45 yards to the Penn State 18-yard-line where the drive would stall as Nebraska would be forced to attempt a 35-yard field goal by Kevin Seibel.

But Seibel would not get the kick away as Gill fumbled the snap and then tried to run for the 1st down, only to be knocked out of bounds at the Nittany Lions' 17-yard-line.

From there, the Nittany Lions would drive 83 yards in eight plays, culminating with a 18-yard touchdown pass from Blackledge to Jackson to push the Penn State lead back to two touchdowns at 21-7 with 9:42 left in the third quarter.

The Cornhuskers would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line when Osbourne decided to go back to the running game to get Nebraska back in the game.

The strategy worked as the Huskers drove 80 yards in 15 plays, 11 of them running plays as Rozier carried the ball seven times for 28 yards while Gill would run for 38 yards on three carries, including runs of 15 and 21.

The drive would end with a two-yard touchdown pass from Gill to Rozier to bring the Huskers back within a touchdown at 21-14 with 3:28 left in third quarter.

The Nittany Lions would begin its next possession at their 23-yard-line but without Warner, who left the game because of cramps.

It didn't seem that the Nittany Lion offense would miss him though as Skeeter Nichols ran for 22 yards on the second play of the drive to give Penn State a 1st down at the 50-yard-line.

But four plays later at the Nebraska 38-yard-line, Blackledge completed a pass to fullback Jon Williams, only to have the sophomore fumble the football which was recovered by Nebraska defensive tackle Rob Stuckey at the 50-yard-line.

After Jeff Smith was stopped for no gain on 1st down, Gill was picked off by Penn State defensive lineman Al Harris on the first play of the fourth quarter to give the Nittany Lions the ball back at their 48-yard-line.

But on the very next play, Nichols fumbled the football which was recovered by Nebraska at their 45-yard-line for the third turnover in four plays.

The Huskers would hang on to the ball for a few plays as Fryar caught a deflected pass for 18 yards to the Penn State 38-yard-line, which was followed by a 15-yard run by Doug Wilkening to the Nittany Lions' 23-yard-line.

But the drive would stall as Gill would threw two incomplete passes and Wilkening would only pick three yards on one carry to set up a 37-yard field goal by Seibel to cut the Penn State lead to 21-17 with 13:02 to go in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill would complete 16 of 34 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns while running the ball 12 times for 52 yards and a touchdown.

The Nittany Lions would begin its next possession at their 21-yard-line where after Williams caught a six-yard pass from Blackledge and ran for two yards, faced a 3rd & 2 at their 29-yard-line.

That is when Tony Mumford came in and ran for six yards and the 1st down at the Penn State 35-yard-line, which was followed by a 15-yard run by Williams to the 50-yard-line.

Two plays later, the Nittany Lions were faced with a 3rd & 11 at their 49-yard-line when Blackledge connected with Jackson for 19 yards and a 1st down at the Nebraska 32-yard-line.

Three plays later, the Lions were faced with a 4th & 1 at the Huskers' 23-yard-line when Paterno decided to go for the 1st down instead of kicking a field goal as he showed no faith in Mancha who had missed three field goals in the first half.

The gamble worked as Mumford ran for two yards and the 1st down only to have Blackledge be intercepted in the end zone on the very next play by Nebraska cornerback Neil Harris on a pass intended for Garrity.

The Huskers would take over at their 20-yard-line with 6:52 left in the game and needing a touchdown to take the lead.

After two runs picked up only five yards, Gill fired a pass for Brown, which was good for 12 yards and a 1st down at the Nebraska 37-yard-line which was followed by a five-yard run by Rozier.

Then Gill hit tight end Jamie Williams for 18 yards and a 1st down at the Penn State 40-yard-line, which was followed by a 10-yard pass to tight end Mitch Krenk for another 1st down at the Penn State 30-yard-line.

Two plays later, the Huskers would be faced with a 3rd & 8 when Gill hit Fryar for 13 yards and a 1st down at the Nittany Lions 15-yard-line, which was followed by a 12-yard run by Rozier to set up 1st & goal from the three-yard-line.

After two runs picked up two yards, Gill snuck into the end zone for the one-yard touchdown to give Nebraska its first lead of the game at 24-21 with 1:18 remaining in the game.

The Nittany Lions were set to begin its next possession at their 20-yard-line, but a 15-yard personal foul penalty was called on Nebraska defensive end Dave Ridder meaning that Penn State would start its last chance drive to win the game at their 35-yard-line.

The drive began with a 16-yard screen pass from Blackledge to Nichols to give Penn State a 1st down at the Nebraska 49-yard-line, which was followed by an incomplete pass to force 2nd down where Blackledge hit Jackson for 16 more yards and another 1st down at the Nebraska 33-yard-line.

But two incomplete passes and an one-yard-loss by Williams lead to a do-or-die 4th & 11 at the Nebraska 34-yard-line.

That is when Blackledge hit Jackson for the 11 yards to pick up the 1st down and keep Penn State's hopes alive.

On the following play, Blackledge would scramble for five yards and get out of bounds at the Nebraska 18-yard-line with 14 seconds left when the play that has been discussed for years occurred.

Blackledge took the snap and dropped back to fire a pass toward the left sideline for McCloskey who made the catch but looked to have his right foot land out of bounds as he made the catch at the two-yard-line.

However, officials ruled that McCloskey made the catch inbounds to set up 1st & goal at the two-yard-line.

Here is the play that is in question and judge for yourself:

With nine seconds left, the Nittany Lions had time for at least one shot into the end zone or maybe two since a field goal would end the game in a tie(There was no overtime in FBS football in 1982).

That is when Blackledge took the snap, faked a handoff and found Bowman in the back of the end zone, who was able to catch the ball that was just six inches off the ground for the touchdown with four seconds left, sending the crowd in Happy Valley into a frenzy and causing some fans to run onto the field.

After the fans got off the field, Mancha would miss the extra point to keep it 27-24 in favor of the Nittany Lions, still needing to kick the ball back to Nebraska with four seconds left.

Rozier would pick up the kickoff and only get as far as his 26-yard-line before being tackled as time expired as the Nittany Lions had defeated Nebraska 27-24.

Penn State tight end Kirk Bowman makes the game-winning touchdown catch with four seconds left.

The win propelled Penn State to #3 in the country while dropping Nebraska #8 in the country.

However, two weeks later, the Nittany Lions would get blown out by the Alabama Crimson Tide 42-21, dropping Penn State down to #8.

But the Nittany Lions would not lose for the rest of the regular season to finish with a 10-1 record, earning them an invitation to the Sugar Bowl to face the #1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs.

Meanwhile, Nebraska would also finish the season with a 10-1 record to win the Big 8 conference title and play in the Orange Bowl, where they would face the #13 ranked LSU Tigers at the same time the Sugar Bowl was going on.

While Nebraska would defeat LSU 21-20, Penn State would knock off Georgia 27-23, thanks in large part to Blackledge's 47-yard touchdown pass to Garrity in the 4th quarter.

When the final polls came out the next day, the Associated Press and the Coaches Poll had Penn State ranked #1 and Nebraska ranked #3, meaning the Nittany Lions were the national champions.

Sixteen years later at a banquet honoring Gill, McCloskey admitted that he was out of bounds when he made the crucial catch.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Steelers Come From Behind to Beat Cowboys in Slugfest

Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend avoids the tackle of Cowboys tight end Jason Witten as he would score the game-winning touchdown on a pick-six.

Even they meet sparingly, whenever the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers play each other, it is a big game, primarily because of the history the two teams share in the Super Bowl, with the Steelers defeating the Cowboys 21-17 in Super Bowl X and 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII, while the Cowboys would knock off the Steelers 27-17 in Super Bowl XXX.

When they got together in week 14 of the 2008 NFL season in Pittsburgh, it was a critical game for both teams' chances of the playoffs.

The Steelers entered the game with a 9-3 record under second-year head coach Mike Tomlin who help craft the league's #1 defense which featured all-pro free safety Troy Polamalu and eventual NFL defensive player of the year in linebacker James Harrison.

The Steelers' defense were ranked #1 in nearly every defensive category and with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger leading the offense, Pittsburgh hoped to win its second Super Bowl in four years.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys entered the game with a 8-4 record as they were under the direction of head coach Wade Phillips, who was in his second season as the Cowboys' head coach.

The Cowboys were hoping to return to the postseason after being knocked out by the New York Giants in the Divisional Round after Dallas went 13-3 to finish the 2007 regular season.

With quarterback Tony Romo and the highly combustible but talented wide receiver Terrell Owens, the Cowboys had their work cut out for them as they not only were about to face a defense that was given up nearly 14 points per game, but the weather as the temperature at gametime was 22 degrees with a wind chill of just 8 degrees.

 The Cowboys got the ball to start the game but gave it right back on the third play of the game when Romo was intercepted by Polamalu to give the Steelers the ball at the Dallas 47-yard-line.

A 23-yard pass from Roethlisberger to Holmes set up a 45-yard field goal attempt by Jeff Reed, but his kick sailed wide right keeping the game scoreless.

Dallas would get the ball back at their 35-yard-line and drive to the Steelers' 33-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 1 situation.

Phillips opted to go for the 1st down, but the decision backfired when running back Deon Anderson was stopped at the line of scrimmage by Polamalu and Harrison, giving the Steelers the ball at their 33-yard-line.

A pair of passes to running back Mewelde Moore totaled 23 yards and got Pittsburgh into Dallas territory but the drive stalled at the Cowboys' 36-yard-line which lead to a Steeler punt.

After forcing the Cowboys to go three-and-out on their next possession, the Steelers got the ball back at their 46-yard-line only to turn it over when tight end Heath Miller lost the football after a hit by Cowboys linebacker Bradie James, leading to a fumble that was recovered by Dallas free safety Ken Hamlin at the Cowboys' 46-yard-line.

The Cowboys would drive to the Pittsburgh 34-yard-line where they faced another 4th down situation, this time needing two yards to pick up the 1st down.

However, Romo's pass for Owens fell incomplete giving the ball to Pittsburgh as the game moved into the second quarter still scoreless.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo would struggle as he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble.

The Steelers would go three-and-out and punt the ball back to the Cowboys, who took over at their 34-yard-line and appeared to have a drive going only to have Romo get sacked by Harrison  which forced a fumble that was recovered by Steelers defensive end Travis Kirschke at the Dallas 45-yard-line.

But just three plays later, the Steelers would give it right back to the Cowboys after Roethlisberger fumbled the ball on a quarterback sneak, which was recovered by James at the Dallas 34-yard-line.

The parade of turnovers would stop temporaily as both teams punted on their ensuing possessions until Romo was picked off by Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor at the Cowboys' 22-yard-line.

Eventually, the Steelers would drive to the Cowboys' six-yard-line where they would call on Reed to attempt a 24-yard field goal.

Reed's kick was true and the Steelers had broken the scoreless deadlock to take a 3-0 lead with just 2:44 to go before halftime.

The Cowboys would take over at their 25-yard-line where they would drive 49 yards in seven plays, with three of those being passes from Romo to tight end Jason Witten which gained 38 yards, to set up Nick Folk's 44-yard field goal as time expired in the first half with the game tied at 3.

After the Steelers went three-and-out on their opening possession of the second half, the Cowboys got the ball at their 33-yard-line and decided to go rely on running back Tashard Choice to get them down the field.

Choice would carry the ball four times for 36 yards, leading to a 12-yard touchdown pass from Romo to Owens, in which Romo scrambled around for what seemed like ages until he found a wide open Owens in the end zone to give the Cowboys a 10-3 lead with 9:49 left in the third quarter.

It seemed that the momentum was on the Cowboys' side, especially after the Steelers to punt on their next possession to get the ball back at the Dallas 28-yard-line when Romo hit Owens for 11 yards to start the drive, then connected with Choice on a 50-yard screen pass to give the Cowboys 1st & goal at the Dallas 10-yard-line.

However, the Pittsburgh defense would rise up as linebacker James Farrior sacked Romo for an eight-yard loss on 3rd & goal, forcing the Cowboys to settle for a 33-yard field goal to increase Dallas' lead to 13-3 with 3:36 to go in the third quarter.

Cowboys running back Tashard Choice would carry the ball 23 times for 88 yards and catch five passes for 78 yards.

Down 10 points, the Steelers offense needed to get moving as they begun their next possession at their 26-yard-line.

The drive got off to an auspicious start as Roethlisberger was sacked by Cowboys linebacker Kevin Burnett for a six-yard loss on 1st down.

However on 3rd & 16, Roethlisberger hit Holmes for a 47-yard completion to give Pittsburgh a much needed 1st down at the Cowboys' 33-yard-line.

Three plays later, Roethlisberger would connect with Holmes again this time for 12 yards on 2nd & 18 to put Pittsburgh at the Dallas 14-yard-line as the third quarter came to a close.

An offsides penalty on Cowboys defensive end Greg Ellis and a four-yard run by fullback Gary Russell gave the Steelers a 1st & goal at the Dallas five-yard-line.

Two runs by Willie Parker for four yards and then a pass to Carey Davis that gained nothing set up a 4th & goal at the one-yard-line.

Instead of kicking the field goal which would make it a one-touchdown game, Tomlin decided to go for it and see if the Steelers could get in the end zone.

But Russell was dropped for a two-yard loss by James and strong safety Keith Davis giving Dallas the ball at their three-yard-line still holding on to a 13-3 lead with 12:26 left in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers would force the Cowboys to punt and would get great field position as Holmes returned the punt 35 yards to the Dallas 25-yard-line.

But on 3rd & 2, Roethlisberger was sacked by Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff, dropping him for a six-yard-loss and forcing the Steelers to settle for a 41-yard field goal by Reed to cut the Dallas lead to a touchdown at 13-6 with 7:20 left in the fourth quarter.

The Cowboys would begin their next possession at their 40-yard-line after Reed's kickoff went out of bounds, but the Steelers' defense was able to force a three-and-out, keyed by a sack by Kirschke of Romo.

Sam Paulsecu would then shank the punt as it would go only 23 yards to give Pittsburgh the ball at its 33-yard-line with 5:10 left in regulation to tie the game.

That is when Nate Washington stepped up as he caught a 14-yard pass from Roethlisberger to start the drive, then caught a 21-yard pass on the very next play to give Pittsburgh a 1st down at the Dallas 32-yard-line.

Roethlisberger would then throw two straight incomplete passes before scrambling for nine yards on 3rd down to set up a 4th & 1 at the Dallas 23-yard-line.

The Steelers went for it and this time got the 1st down as Roethlisberger sneaked it for one yard, then found Washington across the middle for 16 yards to give the Steelers a 1st & goal at the six-yard-line.

Then Roethlisberger lofted a six-yard touchdown pass to Miller that with Reed's extra point tied the game at 13 with 2:04 left in regulation.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger would account for all 67 yards on the Steelers' eight-play, 67-yard touchdown drive which tied the game.

The Cowboys would get the ball at their 15-yard-line to begin what they hoped to be a drive that would produce at least a field goal that would win them the game.

But after Choice picked up two yards on 1st down, Romo overthrew Witten on 2nd down and was picked off by Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend who ran it back for a 26-yard pick-six to give the Steelers a 20-13 lead with 1:40 to go.

The Cowboys would get the ball back at the 18-yard-line and after a 10-yard catch by Roy Williams picked up a 1st down, Romo would throw four straight incomplete passes, giving the ball back to the Steelers who took over at the Dallas' 28-yard-line.

The Steelers would run out the clock and come away with the 20-13 win, their 10th of the season.

The Cowboys would go on to lose their final two games of the regular season, including a 44-6 thrashing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles for the final Wild Card spot in the NFC playoffs as Dallas finished the season with a 9-7 record.

Meanwhile, the Steelers would finish the regular season with a 12-4 record, good enough to win the AFC North Division and the #2 seed in the AFC playoffs where they would knock off the San Diego Chargers 35-24 in the Divisional Round, then their AFC North rivals, the Baltimore Ravens 23-14 in the AFC Championship Game, to earn Pittsburgh a second trip to the Super Bowl in four years.

In Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers took a 20-7 lead into the fourth quarter, thanks in large part to Harrison's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown, only to give up 16 unanswered points and fall behind 23-20 to the Arizona Cardinals with 2:37 left in the game.

The Steelers would drive 78 yards in seven plays, culminating with Holmes' remarkable tip-toe touchdown catch with 35 seconds left to give Pittsburgh a 27-23 win and their sixth Super Bowl title, breaking a tie with the Cowboys.