NFL Old School Game of the Week: Jaguars Knock off Texans with Hail Mary Touchdown

 

Mike Thomas is hoisted onto the shoulders of some Jaguars players following his game-winning touchdown catch against the Texans in 2010.

Standing at 5 foot 8 inches, wide receiver Mike Thomas was the smallest player on the 2010 Jacksonville Jaguars roster.

However, Thomas would be a part of probably the biggest play in Jaguars history when Jacksonville hosted the Houston Texans in week 10 of the 2010 NFL season.

The Jaguars entered the game with a 4-4 record as the team was hoping to return to the playoffs after missing the postseason the previous two seasons.

The Jaguars were led by head coach Jack Del Rio, who was in his eighth season as Jacksonville's head coach with an offense led by quarterback David Garrard and running back Maurice Jones-Drew.

Thomas, having caught 48 passes for 453 yards in his rookie season in 2009, had worked his way into the Jags' starting lineup as they prepared to host their division rivals, the Texans.

The Texans also came into the game with a 4-4 record as they were looking for their first trip to the postseason since the franchise's inception back in 2002.

Houston was led by head coach Gary Kubiak, who had directed the Texans to their first winning season with a 9-7 record in 2009, and featured a high-powered offense led by quarterback Matt Schaub, running back Arian Foster, and all-pro wide receiver Andre Johnson.

However, the Texans had one of the worst defenses in the league which had given up 28.25 points pre game up to this point in the season.

If the Texans were going to beat the Jaguars, they would need their defense to play better.

The Jaguars got the ball to start the game as they were able to drive from their 28-yard-line to the Houston 11-yard-line until Garrard was sacked by Texans defensive ends Mario Williams and Mark Anderson for a nine-yard-loss on 3rd & 10, forcing Jacksonville to settle for a 38-yard field goal by Josh Scobee to give Jacksonville a 3-0 lead.

The Texans would begin their initial possession of the game at their 25-yard-line as Schaub came out firing completing his first four passes for 53 yards to lead the Houston offense to the Jacksonville 20-yard-line when Foster carried the ball for 14 yards to set up 1st & goal at the Jaguars' six-yard-line.

However, the Texans would not pick up another yard as a run by Foster was stopped for no gain and two incomplete passes would force Houston to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Neil Rackers to tie the game at 3.

Both teams would trade punts as the game moved into the second quarter when the Jaguars had the ball at their 48-yard-line when Jones-Drew made his presence felt as he carried the ball on eight of the nine plays for 37 yards on the 52-yard drive that culminated with MJD punching it in for a three-yard touchdown to give Jacksonville a 10-3 lead with 5:32 left in the second quarter.

The Jaguars' defense would hold the Texans to a punt to get their offense the ball back at their 45-yard-line with 1:51 left before halftime when Jones-Drew picked up where he left off as ran the ball twice, gaining 10 yards and a 1st down at the Houston 45-yard-line.

That is when Garrard found tight end Mercedes Lewis for a five-yard completion, then connected with Thomas for 13 yards, and then with MJD for nine yards which became 18 yards when Texans defensive back Troy Nolan was flagged for a late hit to give the Jaguars a 1st & goal at the Houston nine-yard-line.

Jones-Drew would then run up the middle for a nine-yard touchdown to extend the Jaguars' lead to 17-3 with 38 seconds left before halftime.

The Texans would not be able to put together a drive to pick up some points before halftime as Houston went into the locker room trailing 17-3 but set to get the ball to start the second half.

Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew carried the ball 24 times for 100 yards and scored two TDs.

On the first offensive snap of the second half, Foster caught a screen pass from Schaub and turned into a 77-yard gain to apparently give Houston a 1st & goal at the Jaguars' three-yard-line, only to have it wiped out because of a pass interference call on Johnson which pushed the Texans back 10 yards to their 10-yard-line.

Johnson would make up for the penalty as he caught a 21-yard pass on 1st & 20 to give Houston a 1st down at its 31-yard-line then had a 60-yard catch to give the Texans a 1st & goal at the Jaguars' six-yard-line.

Foster would carry the ball on the next three plays with the last carry being an one-yard touchdown to cut the Jacksonville lead in half to 17-10 with 11:19 left in the third quarter.

After forcing the Jaguars to punt on their first possession of the second half, the Texans would drive 80 yards in eight plays as Schaub would go a perfect 4-for-4 on the drive for 59 yards with the last completion being an nine-yard touchdown to Johnson that with the extra point tied the game at 17 with 5:10 left in the third quarter.

The Jaguars would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line as Garrard would complete his next five passes for 64 yards to lead Jacksonville to the Houston 21-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end with Jacksonville on the verge of retaking the lead with a field goal.

However, Scobee's 39-yard field goal attempt would sail wide right and no good to keep the score tied at 17 as the fourth quarter got underway.

The Jaguars defense would force a Houston punt to give their offense the ball back at their 13-yard-line as Jacksonville drove to its 43-yard-line until they were faced with a 4th & 1 situation when Del Rio decided to go for the 1st down which he got when Garrard ran for five yards.

On the very next play, Garrard would throw deep and hit tight end Zach Miller for a 52-yard touchdown to give the Jaguars a 24-17 lead with 6:57 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Texans would begin its next drive at its 20-yard-line as Schaub connected with Johnson for 19 yards to start the drive then after two straight running plays picked up nine yards, Schaub tried to hit Johnson on a deep pass that fell incomplete but drew a pass interference penalty on Jaguars cornerback Rashaun Mathis to give the Texans a 1st down at the Jacksonville 30-yard-line,

Following a 12-yard run by Foster, the Texans had a 18-yard touchdown pass from Schaub to Johnson wiped out by offsetting penalties only to have Schaub hit Kevin Walter for a 18-yard touchdown on the very next play that with the extra point made it 24-24 with 4:19 left in regulation.

The Jaguars would start its next possession at their 20-yard-line as Garrard connected with Lewis for 13 yards on 1st down which was followed by a 20-yard run by Thomas on a reverse to put Jacksonville in Houston territory at the Texans' 47-yard-line.

A three-yard run by MJD followed by a 14-yard pass from Garrard to Thomas gave the Jaguars a 1st down at the Houston 30-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.

David Garrard completed 24 of 31 passes for 342 yards plus ran for 35 yards on seven carries.

The next play had Jones-Drew running for two yards to make it 2nd & 8 when MJD appeared to have given the Jaguars a 1st down with an eight-yard run only to have it nullified because of a holding penalty which pushed Jacksonville back 10 yards to the Houston 38-yard-line where it faced 2nd & 18.

A six-yard pass from Garrard to Lewis followed by a seven-yard run by Jones-Drew would put the Jaguars at the Texans' 25-yard-line when Scobee was called upon to attempt a 43-yard field goal which would give Jacksonville the lead.

But once again Scobee would miss the field goal as his kick sailed wide left to give the ball to the Texans at their 33-yard-line with 94 seconds left in regulation to try and drive down into field goal range for Rackers.

Schaub would hit Foster for four yards, then scrambled for eight yards to pick up a 1st down at the Houston 45-yard-line as Schaub would complete back-to-back passes totaling 15 yards before he spiked the ball at the Jacksonville 40-yard-line with 22 seconds left in regulation.

A false start penalty and an incomplete pass would bring up 3rd & 15 when Schaub found tight end Joel Dressen for a seven-yard gain only to have Jaguars free safety Sean Considine knock the ball loose leading to a fumble recovery by linebacker Justin Durant to give Jacksonville the ball at its 34-yard-line with eight seconds left in regulation.

Garrard would complete a 11-yard pass to Lewis who went out of bounds to stop the clock with three seconds left as the Jaguars set up to throw a Hail Mary before the end of regulation.

Texans defensive end Antonio Smith jumped offsides to move the Jaguars five yards forward to the 50-yard-line when Garrard took the snap and heaved a pass toward the left side of the field.

As the ball was coming down near the goal line, Texans cornerback Glover Quin jumped up to knock the ball down, only to have the deflection land in the hands of Thomas, who caught the ball half a yard of the end zone, then stepped into the end zone to complete the shocking 50-yard touchdown.

Following a wild celebration which drew an unsportsmanlike penalty, Scobee came on to kick the extra point to complete the 31-24 victory for the Jaguars.

The Texans never recovered from the loss as they would win only two more games to finish the season with a 6-10 record despite the fact that Foster would win the league's rushing title as he finished with 1,616 yards.

The combination of new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and the selection of defensive end J.J. Watt with their first round pick would change the fortunes of the Texans as their defense would propel Houston to the playoffs the following season.

As for the Jaguars, they would finish the season with a 8-8 record as they lost their last three games of the season including a 34-17 loss to the Texans in the final week of the season to miss the playoffs again.

Thomas would remain with the Jaguars for one more season before being traded to the Detroit Lions for a fifth-round draft pick midway through the 2012 season where he only caught five passes for 28 yards before bouncing around the league for the next few seasons before ultimately retiring from the NFL after the 2015 season.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Cunningham Leads Vikings Back From 16 Points Down to Stun Giants in Wild Card Game

Randall Cunningham lead the Minnesota Vikings to their first postseason victory in nine years.

Following the 1995 NFL season, Randall Cunningham retired following an 11-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cunningham would spend the next year working as a television analyst until he was coaxed out of retirement by Minnesota Vikings head coach Dennis Green for the 1997 season.

Cunningham would serve as the backup quarterback to Brad Johnson until the 13th game of the season when Johnson was lost for the rest of the season due to a neck injury.

Cunningham would start the next three games going only 1-2 but securing a playoff spot with a 39-28 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the final week of the regular season.

The Vikings would travel to the Meadowlands to take on the New York Giants in a NFC Wild Card Game with Cunningham starting his first playoff game in five years.

The Vikings came into the 1997 NFL playoffs with a 9-7 record under head coach Dennis Green, who was making his fifth appearance in the playoffs since taking over as the Vikings' head coach in 1992.

However, Green's playoff record was 0-4 which included two home losses to the Washington Redskins in 1992 and Chicago Bears in 1994.

With a cast that featured wide receiver Cris Carter and defensive tackle John Randle, the Vikings hoped to break their postseason losing streak as they faced the Giants, a team that had eliminated the Vikings in 1993.

The Giants seemed to be a team on the rise under first-year head coach Jim Fassel who had led New York to a 10-5-1 record and the NFC East division title to send the Giants to the postseason for the first time in four years.

The Giants had a young nucleus in quarterback Danny Kanell, running back Tiki Barber, cornerback Jason Sehorn, and defensive end Michael Strahan who were all in their mid-to-late 20s.

Despite the Giants' playoff inexperience compared the Vikings' experience, New York was a five-point favorite as they hosted the Vikings at Giants Stadium, a place where the Giants never lost a postseason game entering their Wild Card clash with Minnesota.

 After an exchange of punts to start the game, the Giants would get the first break of the game when Cunningham collided with fullback Charles Evans leading to a fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle Bernard Holsey to give New York the ball at the Vikings' 23-yard-line.

However, the Giants could not pick up a 1st down and were forced to settle for a 43-yard field goal by Brad Daluiso to give New York a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

David Palmer would return the ensuing kickoff to the 50-yard-line to give the Vikings offense great field position only to have Cunningham fumble the football again which was recovered by Strahan to give the Giants the ball at the Minnesota 46-yard-line.

A 27-yard pass from Kanell to Charles Way help set up Daluiso's 22-yard field goal which increased the Giants' lead to 6-0 with 2:20 left in the first quarter.

Following a Vikings punt, the Giants got the ball back at their 44-yard-line as two running plays gained six yards to set up 3rd & 6 when Kanell connected with Barber for 11 yards and a 1st down at the Minnesota 39-yard-line.

That is when Kanell found David Patten for a 37-yard reception to set up 1st & goal at the Vikings' two-yard-line as two straight runs by Hampton netted zero yards to force 3rd down when Kanell found tight end Aaron Pierce in the end zone for a two-yard touchdown to push the New York lead to 13-0 with 11:33 left in the second quarter.

Giants quarterback Danny Kanell completed 16 of 32 passes for 199 yards and threw one touchdown.

After another exchange of punts, the Vikings had the ball at their 34-yard-line when Cunningham was intercepted by Sehorn, whose 36-yard return gave the ball to the Giants at the Minnesota 47-yard-line.

The Giants would drive 23 yards before settling for another Daluiso field goal, this one from 41 yards out to increase the New York to 16-0.

The Giants defense would then force a three-and-out to seemingly got the ball back only to have Amani Toomer fumble the football after a short return which was recovered by Duane Butler to give the Vikings the ball at the Giants' 26-yard-line.

A 19-yard pass from Cunningham to Carter gave the Vikings a 1st & goal at the Giants' seven-yard-line but Minnesota would travel no further and would settle for a 24-yard field goal by Eddie Murray to put the Vikings on the scoreboard as they trailed 16-3 with 1:47 left before halftime.

The Giants would begin its next possession at their 40-yard-line following the kickoff which went out of bounds as New York would travel to the Minnesota 29-yard-line until three incomplete passes plus a false start penalty forced the Giants to settle for another field goal by Daluiso, this one from 51 yards out to make it 19-3 as the first half came to a close.

Despite the fact that Cunningham completed only five of 16 passes for 51 yards and committed three turnovers, he and the Vikings had to feel lucky they were only down 16 points as the Giants had to settle for four field goals in the first half.

The Vikings would get the ball to start the second half as they would drive 20 yards before punting the ball back to the Giants, who took over at their 20-yard-line.

Following a two-yard run by Barber on 1st down, Tiki got the ball again on 2nd down when Vikings defensive tackle Tony Williams jarred the ball loose leading to a recovery by Jerry Ball to give Minnesota the ball at the Giants' four-yard-line.

It would take only one play for the Vikings to get into the end zone as LeRoy Hoard punched it in for the four-yard touchdown to cut the Giants' lead to 19-10 with 10:26 left in the third quarter.

After a Giants three-and-out, the Vikings got the ball back at their 30-yard-line as a 33-yard pass from Cunningham to Jake Reed would help set up a 48-yard field goal attempt by Murray, which fell short of the goal posts to keep the score 19-10 with 5:10 remaining in the third quarter.

The Vikings would force another three-and-out to get the ball back at their 40-yard-line as Minnesota used the running game to help drive down to the Giants' eight-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end.

Two incomplete passes would force the Vikings to settle for another field goal attempt, which this time Murray made from 26 yards out to cut the Giants' lead to 19-13 just 15 seconds into the fourth quarter.

With their 16-point lead down to six points, the Giants needed to put together a drive that would result in some points as they began their ensuing possession at their 20-yard-line.

Kanell hit Patten for eight yards to start the drive only to lose those yards when Barber was dropped for a seven-yard loss on 2nd down to set up 3rd & 8 when Kanell found Patten again this time for 18 yards and a 1st down at the New York 40-yard-line.

Kanell would connect with Chris Calloway for 21 yards on the next play to put the Giants in Minnesota territory at the Vikings 39-yard-line when Barber carried the ball twice for six yards to set up 3rd & 4 when Kanell connected with Calloway again this time for four yards and a 1st down at the Minnesota 29-yard-line.

A 16-yard pass to Patten on 2nd & 11 would put the Giants at the Vikings' 14-yard-line as Kanell would find Calloway for seven yards plus a two-yard run by Way would set up Daluiso's 22-yard field goal which pushed the New York to 22-13 following a drive that took nearly eight minutes off the clock.

Brad Daluiso made accounted for 16 of the Giants' 22 points as he made five field goals and one extra point.

Following a Minnesota punt, the Giants got the ball at their 16-yard-line with a chance to put the game away.

However, the Vikings' defense would force a three-and-out to get the ball back at the Giants' 49-yard-line with 2:06 left on the clock and needing two scores to win.

After an incomplete pass to start the drive, Cunningham hit Carter for 19 yards and a 1st down at the New York 30-yard-line as Cunningham would spike the ball to stop the clock to set up 2nd down.

That is when Cunningham went deep and hit Reed in the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown that with Murray's extra point brought the Vikings to within two points at 22-20 with 90 seconds left in the game.

Every one knew what was coming next as the Vikings would attempt an onside kick in hopes of recovering and driving for a potential game-winning field goal.

The Giants had their "Hands" team in anticipation of the onside kick as Murray's kick would bounce in the direction of Calloway, who could not handle the bouncing ball leading to Minnesota's Chris Walsh to recover the onside kick and give the Vikings the ball at their 39-yard-line with 85 seconds left and a chance to win the game.

The drive got off to an auspicious start with a false start penalty and an incomplete pass to force 2nd & 15 when Cunningham hit Andrew Glover for 11 yards to bring up 3rd & 4 when Cunningham connected with Carter for 21 yards and a 1st down at the Giants' 34-yard-line.

Following an incomplete pass on 1st down, Cunningham looked for Reed on 2nd down only to draw a pass interference penalty on Giants cornerback Philippi Starks to give the Vikings 13 yards and a 1st down at the Giants' 21-yard-line.

That is when the Vikings surprised the Giants as Cunningham handed the ball off to Robert Smith, who ran up the middle for 16 yards to set up 1st & goal at the New York five-yard-line as the Vikings called time out with 13 seconds left to send Murray onto the field to attempt the game-winning field goal.

Murray, who had missed a potential game-winning field goal in the final seconds of the Detroit Lions' 24-23 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in the 1983 NFC Divisional Playoffs, would calmly make the 24-yard kick to give the Vikings their first lead of the game at 23-22 with 10 seconds to go.

The Giants would get one last chance at pulling off a miracle as they got the ball back at their 37-yard-line with seven seconds left only to have Kanell's "Hail Mary" pass fall incomplete to end the game with the Vikings on top 23-22.

The Vikings celebrate after Eddie Murray made his game-winning field goal in the final seconds.

The Giants would fall back into mediocrity as they went 8-8 and 7-9 the following two seasons before putting together a surprise run to the Super Bowl in 2000 where they would be defeated by the Baltimore Ravens 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV.

Fassel would coach the Giants for three more seasons after that which included another trip to the playoffs in 2002 when the Giants blew a 24-point lead against the 49ers to lose 39-38 in a NFC Wild Card game.

As for the Vikings, they would be eliminated the following week as they were defeated by the 49ers 38-22 in the Divisional Round.

Cunningham would return to the bench to start the 1998 season only to become the Vikings' starting quarterback following a ankle injury to Johnson.

With the help of Carter, Smith, Reed, and rookie wide receiver Randy Moss, Cunningham would have the best season of his NFL career as he threw for 3,704 yards and threw for 34 touchdowns in leading the Vikings to a 15-1 season in which they scored 556 points.

However, the Vikings' dream season would end in the NFC Championship Game when they were stunned by the Atlanta Falcons 30-27 in overtime as Gary Anderson, the Vikings' kicker who had missed a field goal or an extra point, would miss a crucial field goal late in the fourth quarter which provided the spark for the Falcons to come back and win.

Cunningham would go into the 1999 season as the Vikings' starter but would be benched in favor of Jeff George after six games and would leave Minnesota in the offseason as he would serve as the backup quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in 2000 and Baltimore Ravens in 2001 before retiring for good in the offseason.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Sanders Eclipses 2,000 Yards to Help Lions Clinch Playoff Spot With Win over Jets

Barry Sanders became the third running back in NFL history to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a single season.

Two thousand yards is the magical number when it comes to NFL running backs as only eight players in NFL history after ran for more than 2,000 yards in a single season.

One of those eight running backs is the legendary Barry Sanders, whose date with density came in the final game of the 1997 regular season as his Detroit Lions hosted the New York Jets.

By 1997, Sanders had established as one of the if not the best running back in the NFL as he rushed for over 1,000 yards in every season since his inception back in 1989.

Sanders had helped the Lions to three playoff appearances during his career including a trip to the NFC Championship Game in the 1991 season.

But the 1997 season would be a period of adjustment for Sanders as he was led by a new head coach in Bobby Ross, who had taken over for Wayne Fontes following Fontes' firing after the 1996 season, as Ross would abandon the "Run N Shoot" offense that used a single back formation and opted for a traditional I-formation with a fullback.

Sanders got off to a slow start as he rushed for only 53 yards on 25 carries in the Lions' first two games of the season, which the Lions split, before rushing for at least 100 yards in the next 13 games as the Lions entered the final week of the 1997 season as Sanders needed to run for 131 yards in the game against the Jets in order to reach 2,000 for the season.

Even more enticing the 2,000 yards for Sanders was a playoff spot that the Lions could secure if they knocked off the Jets as Detroit came into the game with a 8-7 record.

Meanwhile the Jets came into the game with a 9-6 record needing just one more win to complete one of the most remarkable turnarounds in NFL history.

Following a 1-15 season in 1996 plus a 3-13 season in 1995, the Jets were able to pry head coach Bill Parcells away from their division rivals, the New England Patriots, to take over in the Meadowlands in hopes of turning the Jets around.

With quarterback Neil O' Donnell at the helm, the  Jets went from the the bottom of the NFL to the doorstep of a AFC playoff berth as they entered the game with the Lions needing a win to secure a spot in the AFC playoffs.

After the Lions went three-and-out to start the game, the Jets got the ball at their 26-yard-line as O' Donnell would connect with wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson four times for 40 yards on a 12-play, 60-yard drive that culminated with a 32-yard field goal by John Hall to give New York a 3-0 lead.

Following another three-and-out by the Lions, the Jets would get the ball back at their 30-yard-line as O' Donnell completed two passes for nine yards to set up a 3rd & 1 which New York converted as running back Leon Johnson picked up the one yard the Jets needed for the 1st down.

O' Donnell would then hit Fred Baxter for 19 yards then Wayne Cherbet for 22 yards to put the Jets at the Detroit 19-yard-line where Adrian Murrell got a carry for five yards, then got the ball again to run for a 14-yard touchdown to increase the Jets' lead to 10-0 with 3:12 to go in the first quarter.

After both teams went three-and-out on their ensuing possessions, the Lions got the ball back at their 19-yard-line as the Detroit offense finally picked up a 1st down following back-to-back completions from quarterback Scott Mitchell to Tommie Boyd for 13 yards brought the first quarter to a close as Sanders had run for only seven yards on four carries.

Sanders would pick up 10 yards on his next three carries as the Lions would drive into Jets territory before they were forced to punt the ball back to the Jets as the second quarter was more of a punting contest than a football game as both teams traded punts until late in the second quarter when Detroit had the ball at its 20-yard-line with 1:42 left before halftime.

Mitchell would throw an incomplete pass to start the drive then hit Sanders for a three-yard screen pass to bring up 3rd & 7 when Mitchell scrambled for eight yards to pick up the 1st down at the Detroit 31-yard-line.

Mitchell would then complete a four-yard pass to Sanders which was followed by a seven-yard pass to Johnnie Morton for a 1st down at the Lions' 42-yard-line as Detroit would be pushed back five yards following a false start penalty on Morton.

On 1st & 15, Mitchell would connect with Boyd for 11 yards which was followed by a three-yard pass to Moore bringing up 3rd & 1 when Mitchell scrambled for eight yards and a 1st down at the Jets' 41-yard-line.

A holding penalty would cost the Lions 10 yards as they faced a 1st & 20 when Mitchell hit David Sloan for 19 yards then Kez McCorvey for six yards to put Detroit at the Jets' 26-yard-line as the Lions called their last timeout.

Jason Hansen would come onto the field and kick a 44-yard field goal as time expired in the first half with the Jets on top 10-3 as Sanders finished the first half with just 20 yards on eight carries.

Jets quarterback Neil O' Donnell threw for 202 yards on 21 of 35 passes.

The Jets got the ball to start the second half as Aaron Glenn returned the opening kickoff to the New York 27-yard-line as the Jets picked 11 yards on two plays for a 1st down where O' Donnell would be intercepted by free safety Mark Carrier, who ran the pick back 11 yards to give Detroit the ball at the Jets' 32-yard-line.

A two-yard run by Sanders and an incomplete pass set up 3rd & 8 when Mitchell found Moore for a 17-yard reception and a 1st down at the Jets' 15-yard-line as a six-yard pass to Morton followed by a Sanders run for no gain and an incomplete pass would force the Lions to settle for a 25-yard field goal by Hanson which cut New York's lead to 10-6 with 10:45 left in the third quarter.

The Jets would begin their ensuing possession at their 24-yard-line as a false start penalty and a pass to Richie Anderson that lost three yards pushed New York back eight yards where they would face a 2nd & 18 as O'Donnell completed a nine-yard pass to Baxter, then ran for 19 yards to pick up a 1st down at the New York 44-yard-line.

That is when Parcells decided to take out O' Donnell and insert Ray Lucas at quarterback in hopes of throwing the Lions off course as the second-year quarterback would hit tight end Kyle Brady for 19 yards and a 1st down at the Detroit 37-yard-line.

Following an one-yard run by Anderson, Lucas would run for 11 yards to pick up another 1st down at the Lions' 25-yard-line as Lucas would connect with Cherbet for four yards then handed the ball off to Anderson who ran for two yards to bring up 3rd & 4.

However, an holding penalty would push the Jets back 10 yards to make it 3rd & 14 when Lucas tried to hit Baxter across the middle only to be intercepted by Lions strong safety Ron Rice, whose 18-yard return gave the ball back to Detroit at its 42-yard-line.

Following another exchange of punts, the Lions got the ball at their 29-yard-line as fullback Tommy Vardell ran for five yards to start the drive to bring up 2nd & 5 when Sanders got the ball, only to run for two yards to make it 3rd & 3.

At this point, Sanders had been held to just 21 yards on 11 carries as the 2,000 yard rushing mark seemed like it too far beyond Sanders' reach.

That is when Sanders exploded for a 47-yard run to give the Lions a 1st down at the Jets' 17-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end with New York on top 10-6.

A nine-yard run by Sanders followed by a two-yard run by Vardell gave the Lions a 1st down at the Jets' six-yard-line as Mitchell would be sacked for a nine-yard loss to push Detroit back to the New York 15-yard-line to face a 2nd & goal.

Sanders would get the ball again as he faked out one Jets defended then avoided a diving attempt by linebacker Marvin Jones to tackle him as Sanders punched it in for a 15-yard touchdown to give the Lions their first lead of the game at 13-10 with 13:11 to go in regulation.

The Jets would begin its next possession at their 16-yard-line as O' Donnell completed two passes in a row for 11 yards to start the drive as New York picked up a 1st down at its 27-yard-line.

That is when the game took a turn for the worse when after Murell was tackled for a two-yard run on 1st down, Lions linebacker Reggie Brown laid on the ground motionless following an awkward hit.

Lions players frantically ran to the locker room tunnel to get a stretcher for Brown as he had stopped breathing following the collision with Jets guard Lamont Burns.

Brown would begin to breath again but he was loaded onto a stretcher and put into an ambulance following a 17-minute delay that brought the Silverdome crowd into an eerie silence.

Jets players pray after the Lions' Reggie Brown is loaded onto an ambulance

After the game resumed, O' Donnell would complete a six-yard pass to Brady to bring up 3rd & 2 when Lucas was reinserted into the game as ran for two yards to pick up the 1st down.

O'Donnell would come back in and throw two straight incomplete passes to force 3rd & 10 when O' Donnell hit Jeff Graham for 19 yards and a 1st down at the Lions' 44-yard-line.

Two plays later on 3rd & 8, O' Donnell would fire a deep pass for Cherbet, who made a diving catch for a 33-yard reception to set the Jets up with a 1st & goal at the Lions' nine-yard-line.

That is when O' Donnell handed the ball off to Leon Johnson, who then proceeded to throw a halfback pass intended for Graham, only to have Lions cornerback Bryant Westbrook pick it off in the end zone to give the ball back to the Lions at their 20-yard-line.

With Sanders now on track, the Lions decided to lean on the running back to not only reach the 2,000 yard mark, but also take as much time off the clock as possible.

Sanders would get the ball four straight times for 30 yards to push the Lions to the 50-yard-line when Ron Rivers got a carry for three yards as Sanders would get the ball on the next two plays, picking up five yards to bring up 4th & 2 as Barry now had 129 yards on 21 carries.

The Lions decided to punt the ball back to the Jets, who got the ball back at their 20-yard-line as a pass interference penalty on Westbrook would give New York a 1st down at its 31-yard-line when O' Donnell was sacked on back-to-back plays then threw an incomplete pass to force 4th & 21.

With the odds not in his team's favor to pick up a 1st down, Parcelles decided to have the Jets punt the ball back to the Lions, who took over at their 42-yard-line with 2:15 on the clock needing a 1st down plus two yards for Sanders to reach 2,000.

Sanders would get the handoff from Mitchell on 1st down as Sanders got two yards to land exaclty on 2,000 yards as the Lions faced 2nd & 8 when Sanders exploded for one of his trademark long runs as he ran for 53 yards to give Detroit a 1st down at the Jets three-yard-line.

Sanders would come off the field and be put on the shoulders of some of his teammates as Mitchell took three knees to run out the clock on the Lions' 13-10 win as Sanders finished the game with 184 yards on 23 carries to finish the season with 2,053 , making him the third running back in NFL history to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a single season.

The loss was a bitter pill for the Jets to swallow as they finished the season with a 9-7 record but out of the playoffs as they lost the final Wild Card spot in the AFC to a tiebreaker with the Miami Dolphins, who swept the Jets during the regular season.

New York would make the playoffs the following season with a 13-3 record as the Jets made all the way to the AFC Championship Game where they were defeated by the Denver Broncos 23-10.

As for the Lions, their 1997 season would come to an end one week later as they were defeated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-10 in a NFC Wild Card game as Sanders was held to 53 yards on 18 carries.

Sanders would play with the Lions for one more season as he rushed for 1,491 yards in the 1998 season and was just 1,457 yards from breaking Walter Payton's record of all-time rushing yards when Sanders shockingly retired before the 1999 season as he did not like the direction the Lions were going.

Sanders would have his number #20 retried and be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

Barry Sanders is carried off the field after his 184 yard performance gave him 2,053 yards for the 1997 season.

Then there it is Brown, who would been diagnosed with a contusion on his spine as the first two vertebrae in her neck were fused together in a surgery two days after the injury.

While Brown would never play football again, he would be walk on his own as the surgery plus the on the field actions prevented him from being paralyzed.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Chargers Overcome 2 TD Deficit to Stun Marino + Undefeated Dolphins

Dan Fouts threw for  380 yards and four touchdowns in the Chargers' upset win over the Dolphins.

When the Miami Dolphins faced off with the San Diego Chargers in week 12 of the 1984 NFL season, it might been seen by some as a passing of the torch when it came to who had the best passing offense in the league as the famed "Air Coryell" offense of the Chargers was set to meet the new kid on the block in Dan Marino

The Dolphins came into the game with a 11-0 record thanks to their high-powered offense led by Marino, who in his second season in the NFL had already established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

Through the first 11 games, Marino had throw for 3,678 yards and 30 touchdown passes in directing an offense that featured the "Marks Brothers" in wide receivers Mark Clayton and Mark Duper plus running back Tony Nathan who was more a pass catcher than a runner.

With head coach Don Shula at the helm, many Miami fans were dreaming of another undefeated Dolphins team much like the one Shula directed in 1972.

While the Dolphins were marching toward the playoffs, the Chargers  came into the game with Miami with a 5-6 record as San Diego was hoping to get on some sort of winning streak to get back into the playoff race.

The Chargers were coached by Don Coryell, who had came to San Diego following a five-year stint with the St. Louis Cardinals and led the Chargers to four straight playoff appearances from 1979 through 1982 with two of those appearances resulting in trips to the AFC Championship Game.

Under Coryell, the Chargers led the league in passing every season since 1979 thanks to their explosive "Air Coryell" offense which was led by quarterback Dan Fouts and featured weapons such as tight end Kellen Winslow, wide receivers Charlie Joiner and Wes Chandler and running back Chuck Muncie.

But it seemed that the Chargers' days at the top passing attack in the NFL were numbered especially after trading Muncie just two weeks into the season and then losing Winslow to a devasting knee injury a month prior to the game with the Dolphins.

San Diego still had Fouts, who had set the record for most passing yards with 4,802 in 1981 as well as Joiner and Chandler as they prepared to host the undefeated Dolphins in what many hoped would be a shootout similar to their one in the "Epic in Miami" in January of 1982.

 Starting at the Chargers' 47-yard-line following a 41-yard return by Fulton Walker on the opening kickoff, Marino would complete a nine-yard pass to Clayton, then hand the ball off to Nathan who picked up four yards, and then hit Duper for a 32-yard pass to give Miami a 1st & goal at the San Diego two-yard-line.

But on the very next play, running back Woody Bennett would fumble the football when he was hit by Chargers linebacker Linden King, leading to a recovery by free safety Ken Greene in the endzone for a touchback.

The Chargers would drive into Dolphins territory but would punt the ball back to Miami, who took over at its 20-yard-line as Marino would lead the Miami offense to the San Diego 32-yard-line until he was picked off by Chargers cornerback John Turner on a pass intended for tight end Bruce Hardy.

The Chargers would take over at their seven-yard-line as Fouts hit Bobby Duckworth for a 44-yard completion which was followed by four straight runs by running back Earnest Jackson for 19 yards putting San Diego at the Miami 30-yard-line.

Fouts would then find Pete Holohan for 22 yards to give the Chargers a 1st & goal at the eight-yard-line as two straight running plays would pick up five yards to set up Fouts' three-yard touchdown pass to Sievers to give San Diego a 7-0 lead with 33 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Dolphins would begin its ensuing possession at their 22-yard-line as Marino completed four of six passes for 52 yards on a nine-play, 78-yard drive that ended with Marino throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Clayton that helped tied the game at 7 with 11:59 remaining in the second quarter.

After a San Diego three-and-out, the Dolphins got the ball at their 40-yard-line as Marino would go a perfect 5-for-5 for 58 yards on an eight-play, 60-yard drive that culminated with an one-yard touchdown run by fullback Pete Johnson to give Miami a 14-7 lead at the halfway point of the second quarter.

Dan Marino would complete 28 of 41 passes for 332 yards and throw two touchdowns.

The Chargers would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line as they were able to drive to the Dolphins' 41-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 1 when Coryell decided to go for the 1st down which he got when Jackson ran for the one yard that San Diego needed.

Six plays later, the Chargers were back in the end zone as Fouts connected with Joiner for a four-yard touchdown to cap off the 14-play drive and tie the game back at 14 with 2:27 left in the first half.

The Dolphins would begin its next possession at their 28-yard-line as Marino would throw an incomplete pass on 1st down, then hit Duper for 22 yards and a 1st down at the 50-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.

Marino would then complete back-to-back passes to Nathan totaling 19 yards then found tight end Dan Johnson for six yards before an incomplete pass to bring up 3rd & 4 where Marino hit Nathan again this time for 13 yards and a 1st down at the San Diego 13-yard-line.

After completing a four-yard pass to Clayton, Marino connected with Bennett for a nine-yard touchdown to give the Dolphins a 21-14 lead with 47 seconds left before halftime.

San Diego would get the ball back at its 20-yard-line with enough time to try and drive into field goal range which is exactly what happened as Fouts completed passes of 23 yards to Joiner and 19 yards to Chandler as the Chargers drove to the Miami 28-yard-line with one second left giving Rolf Benirschke a chance to cut into the lead before halftime.

But Benirschke's 46-yard field goal would said wide left and no good keeping the score 21-14 as the first half came to an end.

The two teams traded punts to start the second half until the Chargers forced another turnover when Bennett fumbled the football again at the end of a 14-yard run that was recovered by Greene at the San Diego 21-yard-line.

However, the Chargers could not take advantage of the turnover as Fouts would be intercepted by Miami free safety Lyle Blackwood to give the ball back to Marino at the San Diego 48-yard-line.

Following a four-yard run by Nathan to start the drive, Marino would find Hardy for 13 yards, then Duper for 12 yards, and then Clayton for nine yards to set up a three-yard touchdown run by Johnson to increase the  Dolphins' lead to 28-14 with 2:50 remaining in the third quarter.

The Chargers would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line as Fouts completed a nine-yard pass to Jackson to start the drive, then hit Duckworth for 16 yards and a 1st down at the San Diego 45-yard-line as Fouts would throw two straight incompletions before connecting with Joiner for 13 yards and a 1st down at the Miami 42-yard-line.

Three runs by Jackson would pick up 12 yards before Fouts connected with tight end Eric Sievers for 11 yards to put San Diego at the Dolphins' 19-yard-line when Fouts hit Joiner on a slant pass for the touchdown to cut the Miami lead in half to 28-21 with 13:31 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Dolphins would pick up only one 1st down before punting the ball back to the Chargers who would take over at their nine-yard-line when they would put together one of the more impressive drives in the 
"Air Coryell" era.

Chargers running back Earnest Jackson would have 28 carries for 124 yards.

The drive would began with a 13-yard pass from Fouts to Chandler followed by a nine-yard pass to Sievers to put the Chargers at their 31-yard-line as Jackson would run for three yards, then for 16 more to put San Diego at the 50-yard-line.

After Jackson was dropped for a four-yard-loss on a screen pass, Fouts would connect with Holohan for nine yards, then again for six yards to pick up another 1st down at the Miami 39-yard-line.

Jackson would get his hands on the ball on the next two plays as he caught a five-yard pass then had a carry for four yards to set up 3rd & 1 when running back Buford McGee got the ball and ran for four yards for the 1st down at the Miami 26-yard-line.

Fouts would then hit Sievers on back-to-back passes for seven yards to set up 3rd & 3 as Jackson would run for five more yards and another 1st down at the Miami 14-yard-line where Fouts would complete a pass to Wayne Morris that gained zero yards as the two-minute warning hit.

Following an incomplete pass on 2nd down, Fouts would hit Sievers for nine yards to bring up a do-or-die 4th & 1 when Jackson took a handoff from Fouts and was able to run for two yards for a 1st down at the three-yard-line.

After McGee was stopped for no gain on 1st down, Fouts found Sievers wide open in the end zone for the three-yard touchdown that with Benirschke's extra point tied the game at 28 with 51 seconds left in regulation following an epic 19-play, 91-yard drive that took over 10 minutes off the clock.

The Dolphins would get the ball back at their 33-yard-line with a chance to drive down into field goal range to give Uwe Von Schmann a chance to win the game with a field goal.

Following an incomplete pass to start the drive, Marino would hit Nat Moore for nine yards, then with Clayton for 23 yards, and then Nathan for nine yards before throwing the ball out of bounds to stop the clock with five seconds left and a chance for von Schmann to win the game with a 44-yard field goal.

However, von Schmann's kick would sail wide left and no good, sending the game into overtime tied at 28.

Eric Sievers would catch 12 passes for 119 yards and score two touchdowns.

The Chargers would win the coin toss and chose to receive to start the overtime period as a 25-yard return by Lionel James on the kickoff gave San Diego the ball at its 31-yard-line.

The drive would start with a four-yard run by Jackson followed by a 15-yard pass from Fouts to Sievers to put San Diego at the 50-yard-line as Fouts would throw an incomplete pass to bring up 2nd down when Jackson ran for 10 yards and a 1st down at the Miami 40-yard-line.

Fouts would then find Holohan again for 15 yards and another 1st down at the Miami 25-yard-line as the Chargers were in range for a Benirschke field goal attempt.

However, they would not settle for a field goal just yet as McGee was stopped for no gain on 1st down which was followed by an incomplete pass to bring up 3rd & 10.

That is when Fouts handed the ball off to McGee, who took the ball around the right side of the field and ran it in for a 25-yard walk-off touchdown to give the Chargers a 34-28 overtime win, ending the Dolphins' dreams of an undefeated season.

The Dolphins would bounce back as they would finish the season with a 14-2 record as Marino would set numerous NFL records including breaking Fouts' record of most passing yards in a season as Marino would finish with 5,084 yards and 48 touchdown passes also a NFL record.

The Dolphins would go on to knock off the Seattle Seahawks 31-10 in the AFC Divisional Playoffs then defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 45-28 in the AFC Championship Game behind Marino's 421 yards and four touchdown passes, to advance to Super Bowl XIX where they would fall to the San Francisco 49ers 38-16.

As for the Chargers, the win over the Dolphins would be the highlight of their season as they would lose three of their last four games of the season to finish with a 7-9 record and out of the playoffs for the second straight season.

The "Air Coryell" era would last until midway through the 1986 season when Coryell resigned halfway through the season after a 1-7 start.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Captain Comeback + Cowboys Conquer Colts

Roger Staubach completed 22 of 28 passes for 339 yards and threw two touchdowns.

 By the time the 1976 NFL season rolled around, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach had established himself as one of the league's clutch quarterbacks.

Thanks to his performance in coming off the bench to lead the Cowboys back from a 15-point deficit to beat the San Francisco 49ers in the 1972 NFC Divisional Playoffs then his famous "Hail Mary" a 50-yard touchdown pass to  Drew Pearson in the final seconds of the Cowboys' 1975 NFC Divisional Playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings, Staubach garnered the nickname "Captain Comeback".

"Captain Comeback" would be needed once again when the Cowboys hosted the Baltimore Colts in week 3 of the 1976 NFL season.

The Cowboys came into the game having gotten off to a 2-0 start under head coach Tom Landry, who had lead the Cowboys to three Super Bowl appearances in the last six years with Dallas going 1-2.

Staubach had been the backup for the Cowboys initial Super Bowl appearance, a 16-13 heartbreaker to the Colts in Super Bowl V, then was the starter in leading Dallas to a 24-3 win over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI, then four years later in a 21-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl X.

While the Cowboys had established themselves as one of the NFL's elite, the Colts were seen as a time on the rise early in the 1976 season.

Following three consecutive losing seasons from 1972 through 1974, the Colts turned it around in 1975 as they went 10-4 under first-year head coach Ted Marchibroda in a season that would become known as the "Miracle on 33rd Street" by Colts fans(The Colts played at Memorial Stadium which was on 33rd Street).

With a young core of players including quarterback Bert Jones and running back Lydell Mitchell, the Colts got off to a 2-0 start before they traveled to Texas to take on the Cowboys in a much-anticipated early season showdown.

After the Colts went three-and-out to start the game, the Cowboys got the ball at their seven-yard-line and proceed to drive to the Baltimore 27-yard-line in nine plays until they were faced with a 4th & 1 situation.

Instead of taking a field goal, Landry opted to go for the 1st down which backfired horribly as running back Doug Dennison fumbled the football which was recovered by Colts linebacker Stan White, whose 26-yard return of the fumble gave the Colts the ball at the Cowboys' 46-yard-line.

The Colts would drive to the Dallas 27-yard-line as they would settle for a 44-yard field goal attempt by Toni Linhart, whose kick was no good to give the ball back to the Cowboys at their 27-yard-line only to give it right back one play later as White recovered another fumble this time by Scott Laidlaw.

Seven plays later, the Colts were in the end zone as Roosevelt Leaks punched it in for a three-yard touchdown to give Baltimore a 7-0 lead with 1:34 remaining in the first quarter.

Bert Jones is under pressure from Cowboys defensive tackle Harvey Martin

The Cowboys would get the ball back at their 17-yard-line as Laidlaw was dropped for an one-yard loss on 1st down, which was followed by passes of 12 yards from Staubach to Charley Young and 33 yards to Dennison to put Dallas at the Baltimore 39-yard-line as the first quarter came to an end.

When the second quarter began, Staubach handed the ball off to Dennison, who then handed the ball off to Pearson on an apparent reverse only for Pearson, a former quarterback at the University of Tulsa, stopped and fired a pass that was caught by Golden Richards for a 39-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game 7-7.

Both teams would trade punts until a little under five minutes to go in the second quarter when Laidlaw had his second fumble of the game which was recovered by Colts strong safety Bruce Laird to give Baltimore the ball at its 30-yard-line.

A 44-yard pass from Jones to running back Don McCauley would set up Jones' six-yard touchdown run to give the Colts a 14-7 lead with 2:38 left in the first half.

Following a Dallas punt, the Colts would get the ball back at their 33-yard-line with 88 seconds left before halftime as they looked to increase their lead.

The Colts were drive to the Dallas 36-yard-line until a holding penalty and a pair of incomplete passes would bring up a 4th & 20 situation where Jones completed a 23-yard pass to tight end Raymond Chester as time expired in the first half with Baltimore ahead 14-7.

The Cowboys would get the ball to start the second half as Staubach would connect with Pearson for a 12-yard completion to start the drive, then hit tight end Billy Joe Dupree for 20 yards on an eight-play, 42-yard drive that was capped off with a 37-yard field goal by Efren Herrera to cut the Baltimore lead to 14-10.

The Colts would respond with a 49-yard bomb from Jones to Roger Carr that would set up a a 30-yard field goal by Linhart that would push Baltimore's lead back to seven points at 17-10 midway through the third quarter.

Baltimore was set to get the ball back after forcing the Cowboys to go three-and-out on their ensuing possession until Howard Stevens muffed the punt which was recovered by Dallas linebacker Mike Hegman to give the Cowboys the ball at the Colts' 34-yard-line.

After two plays picked up just three yards, Staubach took a shot at the end zone and found Richards for a 31-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 17.

Golden Richards would catch only three passes but two of those were for touchdowns.

Following a Baltimore three-and-out, Dallas got the ball back at the Baltimore 44-yard-line as the Cowboys ran the ball three straight times for nine yards to set up another 4th & 1 situation.

Like he did in the first quarter, Landry decided to go for the 1st down which this time he got as Staubach snuck it across the middle for two yards and a 1st down at the Colts' 33-yard-line.

Staubach would then throw an incomplete pass on 1st down which was followed by a 12-yard completion to Preston Pearson to give the Cowboys a 1st down at the Baltimore 21-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end.

The Cowboys would then run five straight running plays for a total of 20 yards to bring up 4th & goal at the Colts' one-yard-line when Landry sent in the field goal unit to attempt a 18-yard field goal which Herrera made to give Dallas its first lead of the game at 20-17.

The Colts would respond with a 13-play, 65-yard drive that took over six minutes to complete and did not end until McCauley punched it in for a two-yard touchdown to give Baltimore a 24-20 lead with a little over six minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

Dallas would begin its ensuing possession at its 19-yard-line as Staubach connected with Preston Pearson for a 24-yard completion to start the drive then on 3rd & 7 found Dupree for eight yards and a 1st down at the Baltimore 38-yard-line.

That is when Staubach fired a pass toward the end zone that DuPree caught for a 38-yard touchdown to give the Cowboys a 27-24 lead with 3:05 left in regulation.

After both teams went three-and-out on their ensuing possessions, the Colts had the ball at their 46 with 1:38 left in regulation for Baltimore to drive and at least kick a potential game-tying field goal.

The drive began with an incomplete pass followed by a pass interference penalty on the Cowboys to give the Colts a fresh set of downs at the 50-yard-line as Jones found Glenn Doughty and a 1st down at the Dallas 30-yard-line.

Jones would then connect with McCauley for nine yards then handed the ball off to Mitchell who picked up six yards for a 1st down at the Dallas 15-yard-line with less than a minute to go.

Colts running back Lydell Mitchell finished with 115 yards on 27 carries.

Following an incomplete pass on 1st down, Jones lofted a pass that was too low for McCauley that if he could have caught might have been a touchdown as they were no Dallas players between McCauley and the end zone.

The Colts would settle for a field goal after a nine-yard scramble by Jones on 3rd down led to a 24-yard field goal by Linhart to tie the game at 27 with 28 seconds left in regulation.

Taking over at their 32-yard-line with 23 seconds left, many assumed the Cowboys would run out the clock and take the game into overtime.

However, that was not the case as Staubach threw a 16-yard pass to Drew Pearson to give Dallas a 1st down at the Dallas 48-yard-line.

This was followed by an incomplete pass intended for Richards which drew a pass interference penalty on Laird to give the Cowboys a 1st down at the Colts' 32-yard-line when Staubach went back to Drew Pearson for an 18-yard completion to put Dallas at the Baltimore 14-yard-line.

That is when Landry sent the field goal unit on to win the game as Herrera would make the 32-yard field goal to give Dallas a 30-27 lead with three seconds remaining.

The Colts could do nothing on the ensuing kickoff as the clock ran out with the Cowboys on top 30-27 following more late-game heroics by "Captain Comeback".

Baltimore would go on to finish the season with a 11-3 record, good enough to clinch their second straight AFC East division title as Jones would be named MVP after he finished with 3,104 passing yards and 24 touchdown passes.

However, the Colts would fall to the Pittsburgh Steelers 40-14 in the Divisional Round of the AFC playoffs.

As for the Cowboys, they would also go on to finish the 1976 season with a 11-3 record as they won the NFC East division for the first time in 1973.

But like the Colts, the Cowboys would go out in the Divisional Round as they were stunned by the Los Angeles Rams 14-12.

Staubach would remain as the Cowboys' starting quarterback for the next three seasons as he would lead Dallas to another Super Bowl championship in 1977 as they defeated the Denver Broncos 27-10 in Super Bowl XII then back to the Super Bowl the following season where Dallas would fall to the Steelers 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII.

After his retirement following the 1979 season, Staubach finished with his career with 23 game-winning drives with 17 of those coming in the final two minutes or overtime.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Brees Leads Purdue Back From 18 Points Down to Upset Michigan

Drew Brees completed 32 of 44 passes for 286 yards and ran for 80 yards on 10 carries.

 By the time the 2000 college football season arrived, Drew Brees was already a Purdue football legend.

In his previous two seasons as the starting quarterback of the Boilermakers, Brees had thrown for over 8,000 yards and 64 touchdown passes.

But on October 7, 2000, Brees would put his stamp as probably the greatest player in Purdue history with his performance against the Michigan Wolverines.

The Boilermakers came into the Michigan game with a 3-2 record having suffered heartbreaking losses to Notre Dame and Penn State.

Purdue had entered the 2000 season with high expectations as Brees had returned for his senior season to direct fourth-year head coach Joe Tiller's "basketball on grass" spread offense that used the passing game to light up the scoreboard as the Boilermakers had played in three consectutive bowl games after only having played in five prior to Tiller's arrival in 1997.

Purdue fans were hoping Brees and Tiller could lead the Boilermakers to somewhere they hadn't been since the end of the 1966 season and that was to Pasadena and play in the Rose Bowl.

For any chance of that happening, the Boilermakers would have to knock off Michigan, who came into the game ranked #6 with a 4-1 record.

The Wolverines, led by head coach Lloyd Carr, had a pretty stout offense as well as it featured quarterback Drew Henson, running back Anthony Thomas, and wide receivers David Terell and Marquise Walker.

Michigan traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana to take on the Boilermakers, a team they had beaten in 25 of the previous 29 meetings and to a place where they had not lost since 1984.

Michigan got the ball to start the game as the Wolverines would drive 82 yards in 12 plays as Henson completed all six of his passes for 52 yards on the drive including a seven-yard touchdown pass to  Walker to give Michigan a 7-0 lead.

Purdue would begin its initial possession of the game at its 12-yard-line as Brees would go 6-of-9 for 58 yards on a 17-play, 81-yard drive which should have ended with a touchdown but A.T. Simpson dropped a pass in the back of the end zone on 3rd & goal, forcing the Boilermakers to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Travis Dorsch to cut the Michigan lead to 7-3 with 3:03 left in the first quarter.

The Wolverines would respond with a 15-play, 80-yard drive that took over seven minutes to complete and did not end until Henson connected with running back B.J. Askew for a four-yard touchdown pass to push Michigan's lead to 14-3 with 11:02 to go in the second quarter.

The Boilermakers would get the ball back at its 23-yard-line as Brees completed a 14-yard pass to Seth Morales to begin the drive, then ran for 21 yards on 3rd & 1 to give Purdue a 1st down at the Michigan 33-yard-line which was followed by a 16-yard run by Montrell Lowe for another Purdue 1st down at the Michigan 17-yard-line.

However on the next play from scrimmage, Brees would be picked off by Michigan cornerback Todd Howard on a pass intended for Morales in the end zone to give the ball back to the Wolverines who would take over at their 20-yard-line.

The Wolverines would pick up one 1st down before facing a 3rd & 2 situation at their 39-yard-line when Henson handed the ball off to Thomas who exploded for a 61-yard touchdown to increase the Michigan lead to 21-3 with 6:25 left in the second quarter.

Now behind by 18 points, Purdue would need Brees to get hot if they wanted to keep the game from getting out of hand.

After a six-yard run by Lowe to start the Boilermakers' ensuing possession, Brees would complete passes of 10 yards to Vinny Sutherland and 12 yards to tight end Tim Stratton to put Purdue at its 48-yard-line.

Then after two runs by Lowe for seven yards, Brees would find Sutherland for 15 yards and a 1st down at the Michigan 30-yard-line as two more runs by Lowe picked up five yards to set up 3rd & 5 when Brees connected with Sutherland again, this time for a 25-yard touchdown to bring Purdue to within 11 points at 21-10 with 1:50 left remaining in the first half.

That was plenty of time for Michigan to put some points on the board before halftime as the Wolverines would start their next possession at their 11-yard-line with a 36-yard pass from Henson to Askew for a 1st down at the Wolverines' 47-yard-line

Henson would then find Terrell for nine yards then after an incomplete pass on 2nd & 1 hit Terrell again for 13 yards and a Michigan 1st down at the Purdue 31-yard-line.

Henson would then Walker for 11 yards and Terrell for 13 yards to give Michigan a 1st & goal at the Purdue seven-yard-line as a couple of penalties would push the Wolverines back to the 15-yard-line when Henson connected with Terrell for a 15-yard touchdown to push the Michigan lead back to 18 points at 28-10 with 13 seconds left before halftime.

Michigan quarterback  Drew Henson threw for 256 yards and three touchdown passes.

Brees would take a knee to end the first half with his team down 28-10 after a 1st half which saw the Purdue defense allow 351 yards of total offense on four Michigan drives which all resulted in touchdowns.

Purdue would get the ball to start the second half as the Boilermakers would use the running game for their next possession as only 19 of the 75 yards on the 11-play drive came through the air as Lowe ran for 30 yards to put Purdue in Michigan territory which was followed by a 10-yard run by Sutherland on a reverse a few plays later.

The drive would end with an one-yard touchdown run by running back Steve Ennis to cut the deficit to 12 points at 28-16 as the Boilermakers would attempt a two-point conversion after the touchdown.

However, Brees' pass would fall incomplete to keep it the score 28-16 with 11:03 remaining in the third quarter.

Following the first punt of the game by the Wolverines, Purdue got the ball back at its 20-yard-line as Brees would complete six of his next seven passes for 40 yards plus ran three times for 15 yards on a 13-play, 80-yard drive that culminated with a 16-yard touchdown run by Lowe to bring the Boilermakers to within a touchdown at 28-23 with 4:12 left in the third quarter.

The Wolverines would hold the ball for the rest of the third quarter as they drove from their 20-yard-line to the Purdue 37-yard-line before punting the ball back to the Boilermakers who took over at their five-yard-line as the fourth quarter began.

The Michigan defense would force a three-and-out to get the ball back at the Purdue 24-yard-line after a 23-yard punt return by Rolland Bellamy to give the Wolverines an excellent chance to make it a two-score game again.

But the Purdue defense would not allow a 1st down and forced the Wolverines to settle for a 34-yard field goal by Jeff Del Verne to make it 31-23 in favor of Michigan with 11:55 left in the fourth quarter.

The Boilermakers would begin their next drive at their 20-yard-line as Brees would lead the Purdue offense on a 12-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Brees to John Standeford to make it 31-29 with a potential game-tying two-point conversion coming up.

But once again the Boilermakers could not convert a two-point conversion as Stratton could not hang on to Brees' two-point pass to keep Michigan in the lead at 31-29 with 6:45 left in the fourth quarter.

The Wolverines would go three-and-out to give the ball back to the Boilermakers at the Michigan 48-yard-line with 4:52 left and a chance to drive for the go-ahead score.

After an incomplete pass to start the drive, Brees would run for 14 yards to pick up a 1st down at the Michigan 34-yard-line, then completed back-to-back passes for 16 yards to put the Boilermakers in the red zone at the Michigan 18-yard-line.

An eight-yard run by Lowe on 1st down would put Purdue at the Wolverines' 10-yard-line when the drive would stall as Lowe was stopped for no gain on 2nd down which was followed by a false start penalty and then an incomplete pass to bring up 4th down as Dorsch would come on to attempt a 32-yard field goal.

But Dorsch's kick would sail wide left and no good to keep it 31-29 in favor of Michigan with 2:11 and the Boilermakers left with two timeouts and needing one more defensive stop in order to give their offense another chance.

After two running plays went nowhere, Henson tried to connect with Walker for a potential game-winning 1st down only to have his pass fall incomplete to force a Michigan punt as the Boilermakers would get the ball back at their 41-yard-line with 1:41 left on the clock.

Travis Dorsch would make the game-winning field goal with four seconds left.

The drive would began with a 10-yard run by Brees to put Purdue in Michigan territory at the Wolverines 49-yard-line as Brees' pass for Morales fell incomplete to bring up 2nd down where Brees found Simpson for nine yards to set up 3rd & 1 at the Michigan 40-yard-line.

That is when Brees connected with Standeford for four yards and a 1st down at the Michigan 36-yard-line as Brees would hit Sutherland on back-to-back passes for 15 yards to put Purdue at the 21-yard-line.

After Michigan was called for too many men on the field which gave Purdue an extra five yards, the Boilermakers would go conservative as Lowe ran the ball for one yard on 1st & 5, which was followed by a knee by Brees and a spike to bring up 4th down at the Michigan 17-yard-line as Dorsch was called on to attempt a 33-yard field goal with eight seconds left.

Michigan called timeout in hopes of icing Dorsch but it did not work as Dorsch would make the kick to give Purdue their first lead of the game at 32-31 with four seconds left.

The Wolverines would not pull off a miracle on the ensuing kickoff as the game came to an end with the Boilermakers on top 32-31 as the Purdue fans would rush the field and tear down the goalposts following the victory.

The Wolverines would only lose one more game in the 2000 season, an epic 54-51 shootout loss to Northwestern(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2021/10/college-football-old-school-game-of_20.html) as Michigan would finish with a 9-3 record and a #10 ranking in the final coaches poll while finishing #11 in the final AP poll.

As for the Boilermakers, their win over Michigan would be the beginning of a magical four-game winning streak which saw Purdue knock off Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Ohio State to propel the Boilermakers to the Big 10 championship and their first trip to the Rose Bowl in 34 years.

Brees would finish the season as the Big 10's all-time leader in passing completions, passing attempts, passing yards, and touchdown passes as he would be nominated as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy as he would finish 3rd in the race behind quarterbacks Josh Heupel and eventual winner Chris Weinke.

Brees would go on to be selected by the San Diego Chargers with the 32nd overall pick of the 2001 NFL draft where he would play for five seasons before signing with the New Orleans Saints where he would play for 15 years as he set numerous NFL records and lead the Saints to a win over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Seahawks Clinch First Division Title Ever With Wild Win over Raiders

Seahawks quarterback Dave Krieg threw for 410 yards and four touchdown passes in Seattle's AFC West clinching win over the Raiders.

 Entering the final week of the 1988 NFL season, the Seattle Seahawks had a chance to do something they had never done in team history and that was clinch a division title as they traveled down to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to take on the Raiders.

The Seahawks come into the final game of the regular season with a 8-7 record under head coach Chuck Knox, who was in his sixth season in the Emerald City having lead the Seahawks to three playoff appearances since his arrival in 1983.

The Seahawks had to rely on the old "Ground Chuck" running attack that Knox was known for as running back Curt Warner would run for over 1,000 yards while fullback John L. Williams would for over 800 more as starting quarterback Dave Krieg missed nearly half the season with a separated shoulder.

But with Krieg back at the helm and future hall-of-fame wide receiver Steve Largent, the Seahawks were on the cusp of winning their first division title since their inception in 1976.

Standing in their way were the Los Angeles Raiders, who also came into the game needing a win to clinch the AFC West despite their 7-8 record as LA seeked to return to the playoffs for the first time since 1985.

The Raiders were led by two newcomers in head coach Mike Shanahan and quarterback Jay Schroeder, who owner Al Davis had acquired in an offseason trade from the Washington Redskins.

Despite the arrival of Schroeder and a backfield which featured Marcus Allen and Bo Jackson plus the first-round selection of 1987 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown at wide receiver, the Raiders had an up-and-down season as their defense often falter, including in week 13 when LA lost to the Seahawks 35-27 as Krieg threw for five touchdown passes in the Seattle win.

Another performance like that by Krieg and the Seahawks would enter the playoffs as AFC West champions.

The Raiders got the ball to start the game as they drove from their 17-yard-line to the Seattle 42-yard-line until they were forced to punt the ball to the Seahawks, who took over at their eight-yard-line.

Following a three-yard run by Williams, Krieg was sacked by Raiders linebacker Jerry Robinson, causing a fumble that was recovered by nose tackle Bill Pickel to give LA the ball at the Seahawks' five-yard-line.

Two runs by Jackson picked up three yards to set up 3rd & goal when Brown carried the ball  until he fumbled the football after he was hit by Seahawks cornerback Mel Jenkins one yard shy of the end zone.

Fortunately for the Raiders, Brown would recover his own fumble in the end zone for the first touchdown in the game to give LA a 7-0 lead with exactly nine minutes left in the first quarter.

The Seahawks would respond with a five-play, 82-yard drive with the bulk of the yardage coming courtesy of two pass plays as Williams turned a short screen pass into a 36-yard reception which was followed a few plays later by Krieg's 35-yard touchdown pass to Largent that would tie the game at 7.

The Raiders would start its next possession at their 35-yard-line but would quickly go backwards as Allen was dropped for a four-yard loss after catching a screen pass then lost two more yards on a running play to set up 3rd & 16 when Schroeder was intercepted by Seahawks cornerback Terry Taylor to give Seattle the ball at the LA 23-yard-line.

Three plays later, the Seahawks were back in the end zone as Krieg connected with Brian Blades for a 17-yard touchdown to give Seattle a 14-7 lead with 3:06 left in the first quarter.

The Raiders would hold the ball for the rest of the first quarter as they drove from their 35-yard-line to the LA 49-yard-line when on the first play of the second quarter, Schroeder threw a bomb toward the end zone that was caught by Willie Gault for a 51-yard touchdown that would tie the game at 14.

Raiders quarterback Jay Schroeder would complete 22 of 49 passes for 354 yards and throw three touchdown passes.

Seattle would be given great field position to start its next drive as Bobby Joe Edmonds would return  the ensuing kickoff 65 yards to the Raiders' 25-yard-line from where the Seahawks would pick up one 1st down before settling for a 39-yard field goal by Norm Johnson to put the Seahawks back on top 17-14 with 12:14 left in the second quarter.

A track meet was developing as Schroeder would hit Gault for a 57-yard pass on the first play of the Raiders' ensuing possession to put LA at the Seattle 18-yard-line.

Three straight running plays picked up nine yards to set up 4th & 1 when the Raiders decided to go for it as fullback Steve Smith would run for four yards to give LA a fresh set of downs at the Seahawks' five-yard-line.

However, the Raiders would lose three yards on the next plays, forcing them to settle for a 26-yard field goal by Chris Bahr which tied the game again, this time at 17 midway through the second quarter.

Back came the Seahawks with a 13-play, 69-yard drive which began with Williams gaining 25 yards as he ran for 14 yards on a draw play to start the drive then caught a 11-yard pass to put Seattle at the 50-yard-line.

From there, the Seahawks would drive to the LA six-yard-line until they lost two yards on the next three plays, forcing them to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Johnson to give Seattle a 20-17 lead with 1:52 left before halftime.

After the Raiders would go three-and-out on their ensuing possession, the Seahawks would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line with 62 seconds left in the first half and all three timeouts in their pockets.

The drive would began with three straight completions by Krieg for 20 yards which was followed by an incomplete pass to set up 3rd & 5 when Krieg found Ray Butler for 17 yards and a Seattle 1st down at the Raiders' 43-yard-line as Seattle called timeout with 25 seconds left in the half.

A 20-yard pass to Williams put the Seahawks at the LA 23-yard-line as Krieg tried to hit Paul Skansi not once but twice in the end zone only for his passes to fall incomplete, leaving the Seahawks to settle for 40-yard field goal by Johnson to bring the first half to an end with Seattle ahead 23-17.

Following an exchange of punts to start the second half, the Seahawks got the ball at their 34-yard-line as Krieg found Largent for 15 yards to start the drive, which was followed by two incomplete passes to set up 3rd down when Krieg connected with Blades for 21 yards and a Seattle 1st down at the Raiders' 30-yard-line.

On the very next play, Krieg hit Blades for a 30-yard touchdown to push the Seahawks' lead to 30-17 with 9:17 left in the third quarter.

The Seahawks seemed poised to get the ball back after forcing the Raiders to punt after a three-and-out, only to have Edmonds muff the punt which was recovered by Vance Mueller to give LA the ball at the Seattle 16-yard-line.

However, the Raiders would not pick a 1st down and were forced to settle for a 28-yard field goal by Bahr which cut the Seahawks' lead to 30-20 midway through the third quarter.

It would take just one play for the Seahawks to get back into the end zone as Williams turned a short screen pass into a 75-yard touchdown to give Seattle its largest lead of the game at 37-20.

John L. Williams would carry the ball 14 times for 59 yards and catch seven passes for 180 yards.

After Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 30 yards to the LA 41-yard-line, the Raiders would hold the ball for over six minutes as they drove 59 yards in 12 plays, culminating with a four-yard touchdown pass from Schroeder to Smith on a 4th & 3 to cut the Seahawks' lead to 37-27.

Seattle would start its next drive at its 26-yard-line with a trick play as Krieg handed the ball off to Williams, who then tossed it back to the quarterback on a flea flicker, who then connected with Blades for 55 yards to put the Seahawks at the Raiders' 17-yard-line.

Needing a stop, the Raiders would hold the Seahawks to a 35-yard field goal by Johnson to increase Seattle's lead to 40-27 just 14 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Raiders would answer with a five-play, 77-yard drive that was capped off with another long touchdown pass as Schroeder hit Mervyn Fernandez for a 54-yard touchdown to cut Seattle's lead to 40-34 with a little less than 13 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

The Seahawks would turn it over on their next drive as Krieg threw a deep pass that was intercepted by LA free safety Eddie Anderson but would get the ball back at the Raiders' 41-yard-line after the Seattle defense forced a three-and-out by the LA offense.

Seattle would drive to the LA nine-yard-line where they faced a 3rd & 1 when Krieg handed the ball off to Williams who was dropped for a five-yard-loss, leading to another field goal by Johnson from 32 yards out to make it a two-score game as the Seahawks took a 43-34 lead with over five minutes left in the game.

The Raiders would start their next possession at their 34-yard-line as Schroeder would throw an incomplete pass on 1st down, then hit tight end Todd Christiansen three straight times for a total of 30 yards to put LA at the Seattle 36-yard-line.

After two more incomplete passes, Schroeder went back to Christiansen, this time connecting with the tight end for 18 yards and a 1st down at the Seattle 18-yard-line as Schroeder would throw another incomplete pass before finding Smith for 12 yards to set up 1st & goal at the Seattle six-yard-line.

However, three straight incomplete passes would lead the Raiders to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Bahr to make it 43-37 with 2:21 remaining.

With all three timeouts in their pocket plus the two-minute warning, the Raiders decided not to attempt an onside kick and instead kicked it to the Seahawks, who took over at their 28-yard-line hoping to milk the clock.

A five-yard run by Williams followed by an eight-yard run by Duane Harmon gave the Seahawks a 1st down at their 41-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit as two more running plays picked up eight yards to set up a crucial 3rd & 2 as the Raiders spent their last timeout with 1:45 left.

That is when the Seahawks tried to surprise the Raiders with a pass only to have Krieg get sacked by defensive end Greg Townsend for an nine-yard loss to bring up 4th down as the Seahawks would punt back to the Raiders who took over at their 33-yard-line with 68 seconds to play.

Norm Johnson would kick five field goals in the Seahawks' 43-37 victory.

Following two incomplete passes to start the drive, Schroeder connected with Fernandez for 22 yards and a 1st down at the Seattle 45-yard-line as Schroeder would spike the ball to stop the clock with 33 seconds left.

But the Raiders would go no further as Schroeder would three straight incomplete passes to cause a turnover on downs and give the ball back to the Seahawks who took a knee to run out the clock on their 43-37 victory to clinch the AFC West division championship for Seattle.

With the dreadful finish to the 1988 season, tensions between Shanahan and Davis would escalate as the Raiders got off to a 1-3 start the following season which lead to Davis firing Shanahan and promoting offensive line coach Art Shell to head coach, making Shell the first black head coach in NFL history.

Shell would lead the Raiders back to the playoffs in 1990 and two more times after that as the Hall-of-Fame guard would comply a 54-38 record during his nearly six seasons as Raiders head coach.

As for the Seahawks, they were unable to build off their division title as they would fall to the Cincinnati Bengals 21-13 in the AFC Divisional Playoffs.

The Seahawks would win only one more AFC West division title, coming in 1999, before they were realigned to the NFC West, a division which they have won eight times as of 2022.