NFL Old School Game of the Week: Browns Outduel Bengals in Another "Battle of Ohio" Shootout

 

Browns quarterback Derek Anderson threw for 328 yards and five touchdown passes.

In Week 12 of the 2004 NFL Season, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns took part in the second highest scoring game in NFL history as the Bengals outlasted the Browns 58-48(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-bengals.html).

A little less than three years later, the two Ohio teams would engage in another shootout for the ages as the Bengals traveled to take on the Browns in week 2 of the 2007 NFL season.

The Bengals came into the game having defeated the Baltimore Ravens in their season opener to start the season 1-0 under head coach Marvin Lewis, who was hoping to direct Cincinnati back to the playoffs after making it in 2005.

The Bengals seemed to have found their franchise quarterback in Carson Palmer, who had been selected to the Pro Bowl the previous two seasons after being chosen with the #1 pick in the 2003 NFL Draft.

Complimenting Palmer was running back Rudi Johnson and wide receivers T.J. Houshmandzadeh and the loquacious Chad Johnson to help put together one of the top offenses in the NFL.

Meanwhile, the Browns came into the game having lost their season opener as they were drubbed by the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-7.

During that game, head coach Romeo Crennel benched starting quarterback Charlie Fyre and replaced him with Derek Anderson, a third-year pro out of Oregon State.

It seemed that Anderson was nothing more than a placeholder as the Browns had used one of their two first round picks in the 2007 NFL Draft to pick quarterback Brady Quinn to be their franchise quarterback(The other pick by the way was offensive tackle Joe Thomas).

Many fans were wondering if Anderson could match up with Palmer as the Browns prepared to host the Bengals in the 68th all-time meeting in the "Battle of Ohio".

The Bengals got the ball to start the game as they were able to drive 70 yards in eight plays, culminating with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Palmer to running back Rudi Johnson to give Cincinnati a 7-0 lead.

Though they went three-and-out on their opening possession of the game, the Browns would get the ball in Bengals territory to start their second drive following strong safety Sean Jones' interception and subsequent 11-yard return to give Cleveland the ball at the Cincinnati 37-yard-line.

Lewis would carry the ball four times for 15 yards to set up Phil Dawson's 39-yard field goal that put the Browns on the board as they now trailed 7-3 with 4:58 remaining in the first quarter.

After a Bengals punt, the Browns got the ball at their 19-yard-line as they went down the field thanks to the right arm of Anderson who connected on passes of 19 yards to tight end Kellen Winslow Jr., 13 yards to Joe Jurevicius, and 20 yards to Braylon Edwards to help set up another 39-yard field goal by Dawson to cut it to 7-6 as the first quarter came to an end.

The Bengals would start their ensuing possession at their 15-yard-line as Palmer connected with Chad Johnson for 14 yards to start the drive, then handed the ball off to Rudi Johnson, who ran for 20 yards until he lost the football after a hit by Browns linebacker Antwan Peek.

Cornerback Leigh Bodden would make the recovery to give the Browns the ball at the Bengals' 49-yard-line where it would take them seven plays to get into the end zone as Anderson connected with Jurevicius for a 13-yard touchdown to give Cleveland a 13-7 lead with 10:56 left in the second quarter.

The Bengals would respond with a seven-play, 67-yard drive that was capped off with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Palmer to Houshmandzadeh to put Cincinnati back on top 14-13.

It wouldn't take long for the Browns to retake the lead as Josh Cribbs returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards to the Bengals' 11-yard-line which was followed three plays later by a nine-yard touchdown pass from Anderson to Jurevicius to give Cleveland a 20-14 lead.

The track meet that was developing would continue on the Bengals' ensuing possession as they drove 88 yards in eight plays with the drive being capped off with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Palmer to Chad Johnson to give Cincinnati a 21-20 lead with 3:06  remaining in the first half.

Chad Johnson caught 11 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns.

It seemed that the Browns were going a have a 1st & goal at the Bengals' four-yard-line following Cribbs' 97-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, but an illegal block penalty negated the return and gave the ball to Cleveland on its 12-yard-line.

But the Browns would quickly drive down the field as Anderson completed a nine-yard pass to Edwards to start the drive which was followed by a 31-yard run by Lewis to give Cleveland a 1st down at the Cincinnati 48-yard-line.

Two more completions by Anderson put the Browns at the Bengals' 25-yard-line when Anderson fired a pass toward the end zone that was caught by Winslow for the 25-yard touchdown to give the lead back to the Browns at 27-21 with 66 seconds left before halftime.

The Bengals would get the ball back and drive to the Cleveland 36-yard-line as time expired in the first half with Cincinnati trailing 27-21 and set to the kick the ball to the Browns to start the second half.

However, on the first play of the second half, Anderson would be intercepted by Bengals strong safety Dexter Jackson to give Cincinnati the ball at the Cleveland 25-yard-line.

Three runs by Rudi Johnson for 23 yards put the Bengals at the Browns' two-yard-line facing a 3rd & 1 when Palmer tried to sneak for the 1st down only to be stopped at the line of scrimmage to bring up 4th down.

Cincinnati decided to take the points as Shayne Graham came on to kick a 20-yard field goal to cut the Browns' lead to 27-24 with 12:09 left in the third quarter.

The Browns would begin its ensuing possession at their 22-yard-line as they converted on two straight 3rd down situations as Anderson hit Edwards for 19 yards on a 3rd & 6, then Winslow for 10 yards on 3rd & 9 to give Cleveland a 1st down at the Cincinnati 34-yard-line when Anderson went deep and connected with Edwards for a 34-yard touchdown pass to give the Browns their largest lead of the game at 34-24.

Then it was the Bengals' turn to get a big kickoff return as Glenn Holt returned the ensuing kickoff 65 yards to the Browns' 34-yard-line as Palmer would connect with Sklyer Green for 18 yards to start the drive, then after two runs by Rudi Johnson for two yards, hit Chad Johnson for a 14-yard touchdown to make it a three-point game again at 34-31.

Seventeen seconds later, the Browns were back in the end zone as Lewis exploded for a 66-yard touchdown run to push the Cleveland back to double digits at 41-31 with just over six minutes to go in the third quarter.

The Bengals would be a little more methodical on their next drive as it took over five minutes off the clock for them to drive 63 yards in nine plays as Palmer completed all five of his passes on the drive for 46 yards with the last pass being a five-yard touchdown to Houshmandzadeh to cut the Browns' lead back to three points at 41-38 with 49 seconds left in the third quarter.

Carson Palmer completed 33 of 50 passes for 401 yards and threw six touchdowns.

Another good return by Cribbs gave the Browns good field position for their next drive which began at their 42-yard-line with a run by Lewis for no gain, followed by two straight completions by Anderson for nine yards to set up 4th & 1 at the Bengals' 49-yard-line.

With the way the game was going, Crennel decided to go for the 1st down at Anderson handed the ball off to fullback Lawrence Vickers who was stopped for no gain to give the ball back to the Bengals at their 49-yard-line just 43 seconds into the fourth quarter.

However, the Bengals could not take advantage of the good field position as they went three-and-out to punt the ball back to the Browns who took over at their eight-yard-line.

From there, it would take the Browns five plays to drive down the field as Anderson completed passes of 27 yards to tight end Steve Heiden, then with Vickers for 11 yards, and finally Edwards for a 47-yard touchdown to make it a double-digit lead again at 48-38 with less than ten minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

After forcing a Cincinnati punt, the Browns got the ball back at their 30-yard-line where it took them only two plays to get into a goal-to-go situation as Lewis ran for 47 yards to open the drive which was followed by 18-yard pass to Winslow to give Cleveland a 1st down at the Bengals' five-yard-line.

Lewis would run for four yards on 1st down then would be stopped for no gain on 2nd down which was followed by an incomplete pass on 3rd down leading to a 4th & goal from the one-yard-line.

This time Crennel played it safe and sent the field goal unit in as Dawson easily made a 18-yard field goal to push the Cleveland lead to 51-38 with 5:44 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Needing two touchdowns to retake the lead, the Bengals went to their no-huddle offense for their next possession as Palmer would complete five of 11 passes for 64 yards, which included a key 32-yard completion to Chad Johnson on 4th & 10 at the 50-yard-line and was capped off with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Holt to bring Cincinnati to within a touchdown at 51-45 with 3:39 to go.

The Browns would get the ball back at their 34-yard-line hoping to pick up a few 1st downs to milk the clock and come away with the victory.

Cleveland got one 1st down before it had to punt back to the Bengals who took over at their nine-yard-line with 63 seconds left to drive down for a potential game-winning touchdown.

After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Palmer would complete back-to-back passes to Rudi Johnson, totaling 11 yards before firing a 30-yard pass to Chad Johnson that put the Bengals at midfield with 33 seconds to go.

Following another incomplete pass, Palmer looked for Chad Johnson again, only this time he was picked off by Bodden at the Cleveland 27-yard-line to give the ball to the Browns who took a knee to run out the clock and come away with the 51-45 win.

Browns running back Jamal Lewis finished with 216 yards on 27 carries and one touchdown.

The two teams had combined for 96 points in what was at the time the sixth highest scoring game in NFL history(It has since dropped to 9th place)as both teams combined for 1,085 yards of total offense.

The loss would begin a four-game losing streak for the Bengals from which they never recovered as they finished the season with a 7-9 record their first losing season since 2002.

As for the Browns, they would go to finish the season with a 10-6 record, their first 10-win season and best record since their revival back in 1999 as Anderson would remain as the starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

However, the Browns would not make the playoffs as they lost on the final spot in the AFC playoffs to the Tennessee Titans who won a tiebreaker with the Browns as they had a better record against common opponents(Titans=4-1 Browns=3-2).

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Goalline Stand Preserves Victory for Oklahoma State over K-State in Shootout

Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden would throw for 502 yards and four touchdowns in the Cowboys' win over Kansas State.

While most college football fans were tuned into the "Game of the Century" between #1 LSU and #2 Alabama on the night of November 5, 2011, the #3 Oklahoma State Cowboys were hosting the #17 Kansas State Wildcats in a game with Big 12 and national championship implications.

Oklahoma State came into the game undefeated at 8-0 with a chance at moving into the top two of the Bowl Championship Standings with a win over Kansas State.

The Cowboys were led by head coach Mike Gundy, who in his sixth season as head coach at his alma mater, had put together one of the most explosive offenses in the country with quarterback Brandon Weeden, who had spend five years playing minor league baseball before enrolling at Oklahoma State in 2007, running back Joseph Randle, and All-American wide receiver Justin Blackmon.

This trio lead the Cowboys to four games with they had score at least 59 points and an average of nearly 50 points per game as Oklahoma State had jumped into the national championship conversation with its 8-0 start.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats came into game with the Cowboys having just lost their first game of the season, a 58-17 drubbing at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners, following a surprising 7-0 start.

The Wildcats were led by head coach Bill Snyder, who had returned to the sidelines in 2009 after a three-year retirement following his first tenure at K-State which lasted 17 years and included seven seasons of at least 10 wins.

Leading the Wildcats on the field was dual-threat quarterback Collin Klein and wide receiver Tyler Lockett, son of former K-State wide receiver Kevin Lockett who had played for Snyder from 1993-1996.

While LSU and Alabama were locked in a defensive struggle for the ages, the Cowboys and the Wildcats would engage in a high-octane shootout that would produce a combined 97 points and nearly 1,100 yards of total offense.

 Though they went three-and-out to start the game, the Cowboys were able to pin the Wildcats at their one-yard-line thanks to a 58-yard punt by Quinn Sharp to give the Oklahoma State defense a chance to flip the field position. 

The Cowboy defense did more than that as they were able to force a turnover when defensive end Richetti Jones knocked the ball loose from Klein, leading to a fumble that was recovered by safety Daytawion Lowe at the Kansas State four-yard-line.

It would only take one play for the Cowboys to get into the end zone as Randle punched it in for a four-yard touchdown to give Oklahoma State a 7-0 lead just 2:10 into the game.

Following a Kansas State punt, the Cowboys got the ball back at their 15-yard-line as the right arm of Weeden guided Oklahoma State on a five-play, 85-yard drive where the senior quarterback completed three passes in a row to Tracy Moore which totaled 70 yards before firing a 11-yard touchdown pass to Blackmon which increased the Cowboys' lead to 14-0.

Justin Blackmon caught 13 passes for 205 yards and scored two touchdowns.

The game seemed like it was on its way to a blowout as the Cowboys would force the Wildcats to punt again on their ensuing possession, only to have Blackmon muff the punt, leading to a recovery by Kansas State linebacker Brian Hertzog at the Oklahoma State 23-yard-line.

The turnover would lead to a 37-yard field goal by Anthony Cantele which put the Wildcats on the scoreboard trailing 14-3 with 3:39 left in the first quarter.

The Cowboys would be given great field position to start their next drive as Josh Stewart returned the ensuing kickoff 29 yards to the Oklahoma State 46-yard-line, only to give it right back to the Wildcats as Weeden was intercepted by defensive back Tyson Hartman to give K-State the ball back at its 23-yard-line.

Three plays would pick up 15 yards until Lockett was able to run for 57 yards on a reverse to give the Wildcats a 1st & goal at the Oklahoma State five-yard-line when Angelo Pease ran for a five-yard touchdown to cut the Cowboys' lead to 14-10 with 85 seconds left in the opening period.

After an Oklahoma State punt, the Wildcats would drive 76 yards in nine plays with Klein accounting for 78 yards of offense(K-State lost two yards on a run on the first play of the drive)with the last four yards being a four-yard touchdown run to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game at 17-14 with 11:36 left in the second quarter.

Fifty seconds later, the lead was 24-14 after Allan Chapman intercepted a Weeden pass and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown.

The Cowboys would begin its ensuing possession at their 20-yard-line needing to put together a drive to turn the momentum back in Oklahoma State's favor after giving up 24 unanswered points.

The Cowboys would get that drive as Weeden completed five straight passes for 73 yards to give Oklahoma State a 1st & goal at the K-State seven-yard-line where the drive would stall as two runs by Randle for five yards and an incomplete pass would Oklahoma State to settle for a 19-yard field goal by Sharp to cut the Wildcats' lead to 24-17 midway through the second quarter.

Then it was the Wildcats' turn to turn the ball over as Klein would be picked off by linebacker James Thomas, whose 47-yard return would lead to Weeden's five-yard touchdown pass to Moore that with the extra point tied the game at 24 with 6:38 left before halftime.

After forcing a K-State punt, the Cowboys would drive 57 yards in 11 plays, with the bulk of the yardage coming courtesy of the Weeden-to-Blackmon connection as the 28-year-old quarterback found the Biletnikoff award winner five times for 45 yards on the drive to set up a 29-yard field goal by Sharp which gave Oklahoma State a 27-24 lead with 38 seconds left in the first half.

The Wildcats would run the ball twice for 17 yards to run out the clock in the first half as they went into the halftime break down by three points but set to get the ball to start the second half.

K-State would do nothing with that initial possession of the second half as they were forced to punt the ball back to the Cowboys, who took over at their 38-yard-line as the right arm of Weeden would once again lead the Cowboys down the field as he completed all four of his passes for 56 yards on a six-play, 62-yard drive that culminated with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Weeden to Randle that increased the Oklahoma State lead to 34-24 with 10:24 left in the third quarter.

Having given up 20 straight points, the Wildcats would respond with a nine-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Klein to Lockett that cut the Cowboys' lead to 34-31 with 5:48 to go in the third quarter.

Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein threw for 231 yards and a touchdown to go along with his 144 yards and three touchdowns rushing.

The Cowboys looked to increase their lead as they drove from their 35-yard-line to the Wildcats' 19-yard-line when Weeden connected with Blackmon for 17 yards, only to have Emmanuel Lamar knock the ball loose, leading to a fumble that was recovered by David Garrett in the end zone to give K-State the ball at its 20-yard-line.

The Wildcats could not take advantage of the turnover as they were forced to punt the ball back to the Cowboys who took over at their 24-yard-line as Weeden found Blackmon for 34 yards to start the drive which was followed by a four-yard pass to Isiah Anderson and a 10-yard run by Randle to put Oklahoma State at the K-State 28-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end.

The Wildcats would hold the Cowboys to a field goal as Sharp made a 40-yard field goal to increase the Oklahoma State lead to 37-31 just 76 seconds into the second quarter.

K-State would begin its next possession at its 30-yard-line when the Wildcats decided to lean on the legs of Klein to get them down the field as the quarterback would run the ball nine times for 47 yards on a 14-play drive that took nearly eight and a half minutes off the clock which ended with Klein's four-yard touchdown run to give the Wildcats a 38-37 lead.

It would only take the Cowboys two plays and 29 seconds to retake the lead as Weeden connected with Blackmon for a 54-yard touchdown, then again for the two-point conversion to give a 45-38 lead with 4:47 remaining in regulation.

The fireworks continued on the ensuing kickoff when Lockett took the kick out of his end zone and ran 80 yards before being tackled at the Oklahoma State 20-yard-line.

From there, Klein would carry the ball three straight times with the last carry being a 12-yard touchdown run that with the extra point tied the game at 45 with 3:18 to go.

Back came the Cowboys as they took over at their 35-yard-line when Weeden completed a 33-yard pass to Anderson which was followed by a nine-yard pass to Blackmon to give Oklahoma State a 1st down at the Wildcats' 23-yard-line.

Following an incomplete pass, Weeden handed the ball off to Randle, who took it in for a 23-yard touchdown to give Oklahoma State a 52-45 lead with 2:16 remaining in regulation.

After nearly giving up a touchdown on the previous kickoff, the Cowboys decided to kick it short and out of the hands of Lockett as the Wildcats would get the ball at their 29-yard-line needing a touchdown.

The drive began with an eight-yard pass from Klein to running back John Hubert, followed by an one-yard run by Klein to set up 3rd & 1 when Hubert ran for three yards and a 1st down at the K-State 41-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass, Klein would run for 19 yards to pick up another 1st down at the Oklahoma State 40-yard-line when Klein found Tramaine Thompson for six yards before firing two incomplete passes to force a do-or-die 4th & 4.

That is when Klein kept it himself and ran for seven yards to pick up the 1st down when Klein spiked the ball to stop the clock with 25 seconds to go.

Klein would then complete a 22-yard pass to Chris Harper to give K-State a 1st & goal at the Oklahoma State five-yard-line when Klein tried to connect with Lockett on 1st down, only to have the pass fall incomplete with five seconds to play.

Klein would then throw an incomplete pass intended for Harper to stop the clock with one second left in regulation, giving the Wildcats one last shot at sending the game into overtime.

Instead of running it, Klein put the ball in the air and overthrow Thompson to end the game and allow the Cowboys to escape with the 52-45 victory.

Oklahoma State players rush the field after their dramatic win over Kansas State.

The next day, Oklahoma State would move to #2 in the BCS standings moving past Alabama who dropped one spot after their 9-6 overtime loss to LSU.

But thirteen days after their triumph over the Wildcats, the Cowboys would lose to four-touchdown underdog Iowa State 37-31 in double overtime, causing Oklahoma State to drop out of the #2 spot in the BCS standings and down to #4.

The Cowboys would then destroy Oklahoma 44-10 in the regular season finale to finish the regular season with a 11-1 record, but behind LSU and Alabama in the final BCS standings.

The Cowboys would go on to the Fiesta Bowl where they would knock off the Stanford Cardinal in a 41-38 thriller to finish the season allowing Oklahoma State to finish as the #3 team in the country.

As for the Wildcats, they would win the remaining games of the regular season to finish with their first 10-win season since 2003 as they would be invited to play in the Cotton Bowl where they would fall to the Arkansas Razorbacks 29-16 to finish the season with a 10-3 record and #15 ranking in the final AP poll.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Packers Beat Redskins in Legendary Monday Night Shootout

When the Washington Redskins traveled to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 7 of the 1983 NFL season, millions of fans turned into ABC to see the two high-powered offenses face each other on "Monday Night Football".

What these viewers got to see was one of the greatest shootouts in NFL history in a game that for decades would remain the highest-scoring game in the history of "Monday Night Football".

The Redskins came into the game with a 5-1 record with their loss coming in their season opener a 31-30 heartbreaker to the Dallas Cowboys that also took placed on "Monday Night Football".

The Redskins were the defending Super Bowl champions but seemed to have only gotten better under head coach Joe Gibbs, whose offense had averaged nearly 30 points per game to start the 1983 season.

The offense was a balanced attack with fullback John Riggins aka "The Diesel" providing the running game while quarterback Joe Theismann directed the passing game with a group of wide receivers known as the "Fun Bunch" for their high-five touchdown celebration. 

The "Fun Bunch" included Art Monk and Charlie Brown while scatback Joe Washington provided the Redskins with another weapon out of the backfield as the Skins had established themselves as the team to beat when it comes to the Super Bowl.

While the Redskins had aspirations of a second straight Super Bowl title, the Packers were hoping just to make the playoffs for the second year in a row following a 10-year dry spell.

Green Bay came into the game 3-3 under head coach Bart Starr, the Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Packers to five NFL championships and the first two Super Bowl wins, who was in his ninth year as coach of the Packers.

Much like Washington, Green Bay had a explosive offense led by quarterback Lynn Dickey and a wide receiving corps that featured John Jefferson and James Lofton at wide receiver plus all-pro tight end Paul Coffman.

While the offense was strong scoring a combined 161 points in the first six games of the season, the defense was not as it had given up a combined 166 points during that span.

If the Packers were going to knock off the defending Super Bowl champs, they probably would need their offense to score more their average of 26 points per game in order to win.

The fireworks got started on the third play of the game when Theismann completed a screen pass to Joe Washington who was hit by Packers linebacker Mike Douglass causing a fumble that was scooped up by Douglass and returned for a 22-yard touchdown to give Green Bay a 7-0 lead just 67 seconds into the game.

It would not take long for the Redskins respond as Mike Nelms returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to the Washington 45-yard-line which would followed by an one-yard run by Riggins on 1st down then a 34-yard pass from Theismann to Monk that put Washington at the Green Bay 20-yard-line.

Four plays later, the Redskins were in the end zone as tight end Clint Didier was able to land on top of a fumble after Riggins was hit at the one-yard-line, leading to the football being recovered in the end zone for a Washington touchdown which tied the game as the Packers offense was set to get the ball for the first time.

Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann would complete 27 of 39 passes for 398 yards and throw four touchdown passes.

After an incomplete pass to start the drive, Dickey would complete passes of 17 yards to Lofton and 13 yards to Coffman to help set up Jan Sternud's 47-yard field goal which put the Packers back on top at 10-7 with 5:34 left in the first quarter.

The Redskins would get the ball back at their 35-yard line as Theismann hit Monk for 22 yards and then running back Nick Giaquinto for 31 yards to give Washington a 1st & goal at the Packers' six-yard-line.

However, the Green Bay defense would respond with two quarterback sacks to push the Redskins back 18 yards and forced them to settle for a 42-yard field goal by Moseley that tied the game again at 10 with 38 seconds to go in the first quarter.

The Packers would drive into Redskins territory as the opening quarter came to an end as a 21-yard pass from Dickey to Lofton that got 15 yards added on because of an unnecessary roughness penalty on cornerback Darrell Green put Green Bay at the Washington 36-yard-line.

As the second quarter began, Dickey connected with Coffman on a 36-yard touchdown to once again give the Packers the lead at 17-10.

Back came the Redskins with a seven-play, 67-yard touchdown drive which was almost exclusively Riggins as he carried the ball six times for 52 yards with his biggest runs by a 36-yard run on 3rd & 1 at the Washington 45-yard-line and then an one-yard touchdown run which tied the game again at 17.

The Packers seem poised to put some points on the board as they drove from their 24-yard-line to the Washington 33-yard-line on their ensuing possession until Dickey was intercepted by Redskins defensive back Anthony Washington to give the ball back to his offense at the Redskins' 29-yard-line.

The Packers defense would force the first punt of the game to get the ball back at their 27-yard-line and drove to the Redskins' 44-yard-line where they faced a 3rd & 1 when Green Bay pulled out a gadget play as Dickey handed the ball off to running back Eddie Lee Ivery, who then threw a pass for Coffman for 35 yards to give Green Bay a 1st & goal at the Washington nine-yard-line.

On the very next play, Coffman caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Dickey to give Green Bay a 24-17 lead with 1:56 left before halftime.

That gave the Redskins plenty of time to drive down for more points as Washington went to their two-minute offense as Theismann completed five of his next nine passes for 63 yards to give Moseley a chance to kick a 28-yard field goal which he made before the end of the half to cut the Packers' lead to 24-20.

The Packers would get the ball at their 20-yard-line to start the second half where it took them only play to get into Redskins territory as Dickey found Lofton for 40 yards on the first play from scrimmage to put Green Bay at the Washington 40-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass, Dickey would threw passes of five yards running back Gerry Ellis and 11 yards to Lofton before handing the ball off to Ellis who ran for a 24-yard touchdown to increase the Packers' lead to 31-20 just 42 seconds into the second half.

Running back Gerry Ellis(31) accounted for 146 yards of total offense and scored one TD.

The Redskins would begin its next possession at their 30-yard-line and drive down for an apparent touchdown as Theismann hit tight end Don Warren for a four-yard touchdown, only to have it called back as Warren was called for pass interference, pushing Washington back 10 yard and eventually settling for a 31-yard field goal by Moseley that cut the Green Bay lead to 31-23.

The Washington defense would then do something they had not been able to do all game: force a Green Bay punt as the Packers failed to pick up a 1st down after three plays.

However, Bucky Scribner never got the punt away as Washington defensive back Ken Coffey blocked the punt to give the Redskins the ball at the Packers' 19-yard-line.

Five plays later, the Redskins were in the end zone as Theismann threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Joe Washington which brought the Redskins to within a point at 31-30 with 5:25 left in the third quarter.

Following another Green Bay three-and-out, the Redskins would get the ball at their 46-yard-line as Joe Washington would carry the ball five times for 33 yards to help set up Moseley's 28-yard field goal which gave the Redskins their first lead of the game at 33-31 with 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

The momentum seemed in favor of the Redskins until the ensuing kickoff as Harlan Huckleby's 57-yard return gave the Packers the ball at the Washington 39-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end.

Dickey would hit Ellis for 32 yards to set up 1st & goal at the Redskins' seven-yard-line as Dickey completed a five-yard pass to Ivery to set up 2nd & goal when tight end Gary Lewis ran a reverse into the end zone for a two-yard touchdown to put Green Bay back on top 38-33 only 15 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Redskins would come back with an eight-play, 70-yard drive which featured passes of 25 yards from Theismann to Monk and 16 yards to Charlie Brown to set up Riggins' one-yard touchdown run to give Washington a 40-38 lead with just under 10 minutes to go,

Back came the Packers as they drove 68 yards in six plays as Dickey four of five passes for 71 yards on the drive which featured a 19-yard pass to Jefferson, a 17-yard pass to Lofton, and then a 31-yard touchdown pass to running back Mike Meade to give the lead back to the Packers at 45-40.

The Redskins would get the ball back at their 28-yard-line as Theismann connected with Monk for 21 yards to start the drive, then found Giaquinto for 35 yards on a 2nd & 16 from the Green Bay 46-yard-line, and then capped off the nine-play, 72-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown pass to Joe Washington that put the Redskins on top 47-45 with 2:50 left in the game.

It was starting to look like whoever had the ball last would win the game and it looked like it might be the Packers as they begin their ensuing possession at their 36-yard-line.

However, the drive got off to an auspicious start as Dickey's first two passes of the drive were dropped to set up 3rd & 10 when Dickey found Ellis for 56 yards to give Green Bay a 1st & goal at the Redskins' eight-yard-line.

Ivery would then run the ball three straight times picking up five yards to give Sternud a chance to put Green Bay back on top with a 20-yard field goal.

Packers quarterback Lynn Dickey threw for 387 yards and three touchdowns on 22-of-31 passes.

Sternud's kick was successful as the Packers now had a 48-47 lead with 49 seconds to go as the Redskins would get the ball back at their 27-yard-line with a chance to drive down for the winning score.

After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Theismann would hit back-to-back passes to Joe Washington which totaled 22 yards and gave the Redskins a 1st down at their 49-yard-line.

Following an incomplete pass, Theismann connected with Joe Washington again, this time for 11 yards, which was followed by a 18-yard pass to Brown that put the Redskins at the Green Bay 22-yard-line as Moseley came on to try and win the game with three seconds left.

It looked bleak for the Packers as Moseley had made 82% of his field goals from 40 yards or closer as this field goal attempt would be 39 yards.

But this time, Moseley's kick would sail wide right and no good as time expired, giving the Packers the 48-47 win in a game which featured a combined 95 points and 1,025 yards of total offense.

The Monday Night win over the Redskins would be the highlight of the Packers' season as they would go to finish with a 8-8 record which resulted in the firing of Starr as head coach.

Washington would not lose a game for the rest of the regular season as they finished with a NFL best 14-2 record as the Redskins finished with a then NFL record 541 points as they advanced to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row, only to get trounced by the Los Angeles Raiders 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII.

As for the game, its legacy grew overtime as it remained the highest scoring game in the history of Monday Night Football for 35 years until the Rams knocked off the Chiefs 54-51 during the 2018 NFL season.

Then in 2019, the NFL named the Redskins-Packers shootout as the 75th greatest game in NFL history in celebration of the NFL"s 100th anniversary.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Iowa "Cooks" Ohio State with Miracle 4th Down TD

Iowa tight end Marv Cook would catch nine passes for 159 yards, including the game-winner in the Hawkeyes' 1987 win over Ohio State.

In recent years, the University of Iowa has been nicknamed "Tight End U" because of the fact since 1999 when Kirk Ferentz took over as head coach, 11 tight ends have been selected in the NFL draft.

Some have gone to have marvelous careers such as Dallas Clark and George Kittle while some like T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant are entering their prime.

But Iowa's long history of producing great tight ends goes back to the 1980s under head coach Hayden Fry, who used the tight end position to help produce explosive offenses that helped the Hawkeyes reach the top of the Big 10 conference.

Perhaps the best one was Marv Cook, a six-foot three-inch 234-pound man from West Branch, Iowa who would etch his name in Iowa football lore with what he did on the Hawkeyes' trip to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on November 14, 1987.

Iowa came into the game with a 7-3 record, poised to play in their seventh straight bowl game as the Hawkeyes had changed the perception of the Big 10 with their strong passing game which had helped Iowa to two Rose Bowl appearances during Fry's tenure.

Quarterback Chuck Hartlieb was at the helm of the Iowa offense which featured running back Kevin Harmon, younger brother of Ronnie who helped the Hawkeyes beat #1 Michigan in 1985(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2021/12/college-football-old-school-game-of.html)and wide receiver Quinn Early plus Cook and fellow tight end Mike Flagg.

The Hawkeyes came in on a three-game winning streak as they traveled to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes who  had lost their previous two games and came into the game with a 5-3-1 record.

Expectations were high for the Buckeyes before the season as Ohio State had All-American wide receiver Cris Carter and All-American linebacker Chris Spielman set to return for head coach Earle Bruce, who was in his ninth season as the Ohio State head coach.

But just before the season began, the Buckeyes lost Carter who was ruled ineligible to play after it was discovered he had signed with a sports agent.

Carter's departure hand-tied the Buckeye offense which under the control of quarterback Tom Tupa which averaged just under 20 points per game while the Hawkeyes came in with a 29.7 points per average.

Despite the struggles on offense and the two-game losing streak, the Buckeyes were favored to beat the Hawkeyes who had not beaten Ohio State at the "Big Horseshoe" since 1959.

After forcing the Buckeyes to punt on their opening possession of the game, the Hawkeyes got the ball at their 12-yard-line where after Harmon ran for six yards on 1st down, Hartlieb connected with Flagg for an apparent 1st down only to have the tight end fumble the ball after he was hit by Ohio State cornerback William White.

Linebacker Andrew Gurd made the recovery at the Iowa 26-yard-line as it took the Buckeyes three plays to get into the end zone as Tupa found Everett Ross for a 24-yard touchdown that put Ohio State on top 7-0 with 10:08 to go in the opening quarter.

Iowa would begin its ensuing possession at their six-yard-line where it took the Hawkeyes only three plays to drive to the Ohio State 28-yard-line as Harmon ran for 15 yards to start the drive, followed by a 38-yard pass from Hartlieb to Flagg, and then a 13-yard shovel pass to Harmon.

The drive would stall as Iowa would be forced to kick a 39-yard field goal by Rob Houghtlin which put the Hawkeyes on the board down 7-3 with 2:33 left in the first quarter.

The two teams would then trade interceptions as Tupa was picked off by Iowa linebacker Brad Quast, whose 19-yard return set the Hawkeye offense up at the Ohio State 25-yard-line, only to have Hartlieb give it right back when he was intercepted by White.

The two teams would then trade punts as the game moved into the second quarter when with the ball at his 40-yard-line, Tupa dropped back and hit Ross at the Iowa 32-yard-line, who then turned cut left and ran it in to complete the 60-yard touchdown which increased the Ohio State lead to 14-3 with 11:19 remaining before halftime.

Ohio State quarterback Tom Tupa would throw three touchdown passes on 13-of-22 passing for 216 yards.

The Hawkeyes would get the ball back at their 15-yard-line as it took them four plays to drive to the 50-yard-line until Hartlieb pitched it out to Harmon, who exploded for a 50-yard touchdown run.

Fry decided to go for two after the touchdown which failed as Hartlieb's pass for Cook was too high to keep the score 14-9 with 9:10 left in the second quarter.

Following an Ohio State three-and-out, the Hawkeyes would drive 37 yards in six plays to set up Houghtlin's 41-yard field goal which cut the Ohio State lead to 14-12 with 3:14 to go before halftime.

Ohio State would start its next drive at its 32-yard-line as Tupa completed passes of 13 yards to running back Vince Workman and then 28 yards to Ross to put the Buckeyes at the Iowa 23-yard-line when running back Carlos Snow fumbled the football, which was recovered by Hawkeyes defensive tackle Steve Thomas.

With the ball at their 20-yard-line and only 70 seconds left before halftime, the Hawkeyes went to their two-minute drill offense as Hartlieb completed a 25-yard pass to Travis Watkins and then hit Cook for 19 and then 22 yards to give Iowa a 1st & goal at the Ohio State five-yard-line.

Two incomplete passes later, Houghtlin came on to kick a 22-yard field goal as time expired to give Iowa a 15-14 halftime lead with the Hawkeyes set to get the ball to start the second half.

Following an exchange of punts, the Hawkeyes had the ball at their 33-yard-line when Hartlieb completed a 27-yard pass to Flagg, only to have White strike again as he hit the tight end to cause a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Fred Ridder at the Buckeyes' 40-yard-line.

From there, the Buckeyes would drive 60 yards in 10 plays, culminating with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Tupa to tight end Jeff Ellis that put Ohio State back on top at 21-15 midway through the third quarter.

The two teams would trade punts as the game moved into the fourth quarter when Iowa fullback Marshall Cotton was able to deflect a Tupa punt that gave the Hawkeyes the ball at the Ohio State 37-yard-line.

From there, the Hawkeyes would drive 32 yards in five plays, with the biggest play being a 21-yard pass from Hartlieb to Cook, until they were faced with a 4th & 3 at the Buckeyes' five-yard-line.

Fry decided to gamble and go for the 1st down which he got when Harmon took it off tackle and ran for four yards, which led to David Hudson's one-yard touchdown run to give the Hawkeyes a 22-21 lead with 9:11 left in the fourth quarter.

The Buckeyes would get the ball back at their 25-yard-line where they proceed to lean on the running game for their next possession as Ohio State would run the ball 13 times on their 16-play, 75-yard touchdown drive which was capped off with a 14-yard touchdown run by Snow to put Ohio State ahead 27-22.

The Buckeyes would go for two following the touchdown but fail to convert as tight end Jay Koch try to run it in on a tight end reverse but was stopped one yard short of the end zone to keep it 27-22.

Iowa quarterback Chuck Hartlieb would complete 20 of 37 passes for 333 yards and throw one TD.

The Hawkeyes would begin its ensuing possession at their 36-yard-line with 2:39 left in the game and three timeouts in their pocket as they needed a touchdown to take the lead.

After a five-yard pass to running back Rick Bayless to start the drive, Hartlieb would then Flagg for 14 yards and a 1st down which got 15 yards added on as the Buckeyes were called for 12 men on the field which put the Hawkeyes on the Ohio State 30-yard-line.

However a holding penalty and a quarterback sack by Ohio State defensive tackle Ray Halliman, which caused a fumble that was recovered by Hudson, pushed the Hawkeyes all the way back to their 49-yard-line where they would face a 2nd & 31 with 1:33 remaining.

Iowa would get most of the yardage back on 2nd down as Hartlieb connected with Cook for 27 yards to set up 3rd & 4 at the Ohio State 24-yard-line as Hartlieb handed the ball off to Harmon who picked up only one yard to force 4th & 3 when Hartlieb found Cook again, this time for eight yards to give Iowa a 1st down at the Buckeyes' 15-yard-line.

Once again the Hawkeyes would go backwards as a quarterback sack by Ohio State's Eric Kumerow for an eight-yard loss which the senior linebacker followed up with a tackle of Harmon five yards behind the line of scrimmage to force 3rd & 23 when Hartlieb threw an incomplete pass to bring up 4th down with 16 seconds left in the game.

It looked bleak for the Hawkeyes as it was going to take a miracle for Iowa to at minimum convert the 4th & 23.

That is when Hartlieb fired a pass for Cook, who was near the right sideline as he made the catch at the Ohio State 10-yard-line, still needing five yards to pick up the 1st down as the tight end would make a cut to his left.

As Cook was nearing the 1st down marker, he was met by Ohio State safety David Brown who tried to bring the big tight end down as Cook was able to carry Brown inside the five-yard-line when the two were met by fellow Buckeyes defensive back Mark Pelini.

Pelini and Brown were able to bring Cook down to the ground but not before Marv was able to lunge the football over the goal line and in for a shocking touchdown that along with the extra point gave Iowa a 29-27 lead with just six seconds to play.

The Buckeyes would get one last shot at pulling out the win only to have Tupa's desperation Hail Mary pass be intercepted by Iowa safety Merton Hanks as time ran out with the Hawkeyes coming away with the 29-27 victory, their first win in Columbus since 1959.

Two days after the shocking loss to the Hawkeyes, it was announced that Bruce would not return as the Buckeyes' head coach following their regular season finale with arch rival Michigan.

However, Bruce was sent out a winner as his Buckeyes stunned the Wolverines 23-20 to finish the season with a 6-4-1 and bring Bruce's time in Columbus to an end as he finished with 81-26-1 record after nine seasons.

Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes would follow up their historic win over the Buckeyes with a 34-20 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers which Iowa a second straight trip to the Holiday Bowl, where they would knock off the Wyoming Cowboys 20-19 to finish with a 10-3 record and #16 ranking in both the AP and coaches polls.

As for Cook, he would play one more year for the Hawkeyes as he would catch 63 passes for 767 yards which earned him All-American honors despite missing three games.

Cook would go on to a seven-year NFL career where he would be selected to the Pro Bowl after a 82-catch season in 1991 and then again following a 52-catch season in 1992 with the New England Patriots.

But Cook is still best known for his game-winning touchdown against Ohio State as well as making Iowa "Tight End U".

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Cunningham Leads Eagles Back from 20-Point Deficit to Fly Past Cowboys

The Eagles celebrate with Anthony Toney after he caught what would be the game-winning touchdown.

 In Week 8 of the 1988 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Dallas Cowboys for the first time almost one year since an infamous episode in their bitter NFC East division rivalry.

In that game, the Eagles appeared to be just running out the clock as they had the ball at the Dallas 33-yard-line leading 30-20 with 11 seconds left.

That is when Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham faked taking a knee and fired a pass for Mike Quick toward the end zone.

The pass fell incomplete but the Eagles drew a pass interference penalty which gave them a 1st & goal at the one-yard-line when Cunningham handed the ball off to running back Keith Byars, who punched it in for an one-yard touchdown as time expired with the Eagles winning 37-20, angering Cowboys head coach Tom Landry but pleasing Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan

As the two teams prepared to meet for the first time since the "fake kneel" incident, winning the game was trumpeted over revenge as both teams needed a win.

The Eagles came into the game with a 3-4 record after Philadelphia dug itself a hole following a three-game losing streak in September while the Cowboys came in with a 2-5 record having lost their previous three games.

 The Cowboys got the ball to start the game as they drove 71 yards in nine plays primarily on the right arm of quarterback Steve Peuller, who completed all six of his passes for 66 yards on the drive, culminating with a 18-yard touchdown pass to Ray Alexander to put Dallas ahead 7-0 with 10:25 to go in the first quarter.

Following a Philadelphia punt, the Cowboys got the ball back at their 20-yard-line as Peuller remained perfect as he completed three passes for 48 yards on the drive with the biggest completion going to Alexander whose 26-yard reception set up Timmy Newsome's one-yard touchdown run which increased the Dallas lead to 14-0 with 4:39 left in the first quarter.

It seemed like a blowout was brewing especially after the Cowboys forced a three-and-out to get the ball back at the Philadelphia 42-yard-line when Peuller handed the ball off to running back Herschel Walker who exploded for a 29-yard run to put Dallas at the Eagles' 13-yard-line.

But it was here that the Eagles' defense showed some signs of life as it did not allow another 1st down and forced the Cowboys to settle for a 26-yard field goal by Roger Ruzek which increased the Dallas lead to 17-0 with just four seconds left in the first quarter which had been dominated by the Cowboys.

Cowboys quarterback Steve Peuller completed 32 of 46 passes for 342 yards and threw one TD.

As the second quarter began, the Eagles had the ball at their 37-yard-line when the offense started to move the ball as Cunningham completed a 15-yard pass to tight end Keith Jackson and a five-yard pass to Byars that put Philadelphia at the Cowboys' 43-yard-line when Cunningham was picked off by Dallas cornerback Ron Francis, who returned the pick 29 yards to the Eagles' 42-yard-line.

From there, the Cowboys would drive 26 yards in five plays to set up another Ruzek field goal, this one from 34 yards out to push the Dallas lead to 20-0 with 9:26 to go in the second quarter.

Despite having only played 20 minutes, the Eagles seemed be down for the count as up to that point they had only overcome a deficit of at least 20 points two times in team history and not since 1959.

However after an exchange of punts, the Eagles put together their best drive of the first half as Cunningham completed four of six passes for 65 yards with the biggest completion being a 33-yarder to Byars on an eight-play, 83-yard drive that was capped with Cunningham's 11-yard touchdown pass to Byars that cut the Cowboys' lead to 20-7 with 2:07 left before halftime.

The Cowboys would begin its next possession at their 31-yard-line following a 20-yard return by Cornell Burbage to give Dallas 1:58 left to score some points before halftime.

Peuller was able to complete passes of 13 yards to Newsome and a pair of passes to Alexander that totaled 30 yards to drive the Cowboys to the Eagles' 26-yard-line with 25 seconds left in the half.

Peuller found Kevin Martin over the middle for 13 yards and a 1st down at the Philadelphia 13-yard-line as the Cowboys scrambled to the line of scrimmage to stop the clock as they had used up all three of their timeouts in the first half.

Peuller threw an incomplete pass but it came as time expired leaving the Cowboys at the Eagles' 13-yard-line with zero points to add to their 20-7 halftime lead.

The inability to stop the clock would come back to haunt the Cowboys.

The Eagles got the ball to start the second half as they took over at their 16-yard-line as Cunningham would catch fire as he completed his first six passes of the half for a total of 55 yards to lead Philadelphia to the Dallas 14-yard-line until an incomplete pass and a quarterback sack forced the Eagles to settle for a 39-yard field goal by Luis Zedejas to cut the Cowboys' lead to 20-10 with 9:13 left in the third quarter.

Dallas would get the ball back at its 32-yard as Peuller completed a 17-yard pass to Martin on a 2nd & 14 then ran for 11 yards on 2nd & 6 to drive the Cowboys to the Eagles' 31-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 1.

Landry decided to go for the 1st down which did not pay off as Walker was stopped for no gain by Eagles defensive tackle Doug Bartlett to give Philadelphia the ball back at its 31-yard-line.

However, the Eagles would turn it over one play later as fullback Anthony Toney lost the football after a hit by Dallas defensive end Jim Jeffcoat which was recovered by linebacker Ron Burton to give the ball back to the Cowboys at the Philadelphia 33-yard-line.

Four plays netted 21 yards until back-to-back incomplete passes led to another field goal by Ruzek, this one from 30 yards out which increased the Cowboys' lead to 23-10 with 3:46 left in the third quarter.

That was still the score as the game moved into the fourth quarter as Cunningham would throw eight straight incomplete passes on the Eagles' next three possessions which all resulted in punts while the Cowboys were trying to milk the clock.

It seemed hopeless for the Eagles especially after a Cowboys punt was downed at the Philadelphia one-yard-line with 9:27 left in the game and the Eagles needing to drive 99 yards for a touchdown.

Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham accounted for 332 yards of total offense.

Cunningham would hand the ball off to Byars, who ran for four yards on 1st down, which was followed by a 15-yard pass to Gregg Garrity to get the Eagles some room as they had a 1st down at their 20-yard-line when a late hit penalty was called on Cowboys linebacker Garry Cobb at the end of a Cunningham six-yard run which put Philadelphia at its 41-yard-line.

After two incomplete passes, Cunningham would use his legs on 3rd & 10 as he scrambled for 15 yards and a 1st down in Dallas territory at the Cowboys' 44-yard-line.

A seven-yard pass to Garrity followed by an incomplete pass set up 3rd & 3 when Cunningham connected with Toney for 11 yards and another 1st down at the Cowboys' 26-yard-line.

Two plays later, the Eagles were faced with another 3rd down situation, this time needing 11 yards as Cunningham hit Byars for 20 yards to give Philadelphia a 1st & goal at the Cowboys' seven-yard-line.

Following another incomplete pass, Cunningham would hand the ball off to Toney on a draw play up the middle that resulted in a seven-yard touchdown to cap off the 14-play, 99-yard drive which brought the Eagles to within a touchdown at 23-17 with 6:18 to go.

The Cowboys would get the ball back at their 35-yard-line as Dallas would overcome three penalties  as Peuller completed five of his next six passes for 57 yards to put the Cowboys at the Eagles' 23-yard-line where they faced a crucial 3rd & 3.

It was here that Landry lost track of where his team as he thought they were still at the Eagles' 30-yard-line needing at least 10 yards for the 1st down instead of just three.

The confusion lead to the Cowboys calling a pass play instead of a run as Peuller dropped back to pass where he fired a desperation pass in hopes of avoiding a sack which drew an intentional grounding penalty and pushed Dallas back 12 yards to the Philly 35-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 15.

Instead of attempting a 52-yard field goal, Landry had the Cowboys punt the ball back to the Eagles, who took over at their 15-yard-line with 2:11 left on the clock and just one timeout in their pocket.

A holding penalty on right tackle Ron Heller pushed the Eagles back to their eight-yard-line where they faced a 1st & 17 as Cunningham found Toney for nine yards then threw two straight incomplete passes to force a do-or-die 4th & 8 at the Philadelphia 17-yard-line.

That is when Cunningham hit backup tight end Jimmie Giles for 10 yards and a 1st down at the Eagles' 27-yard-line when following another incomplete pass, Cunningham connected with Garrity for 20 yards and another 1st down at the Philadelphia 47-yard-line.

Cunningham would then ran for five yards to put the Eagles in Dallas territory at the Cowboys' 48-yard-line when Cunningham found Ron Johnson for 19 yards and another 1st down at the Dallas 29-yard-line.

Two incomplete passes later, Philadelphia faced a 3rd & 10 when Cunningham threw a pass intended for Giles, which fell incomplete but drew a pass interference penalty on Cowboys free safety Michael Downs that gave the Eagles an automatic 1st down at the Dallas 20-yard-line.

A five-yard pass to Toney and two more incomplete passes set up another 4th down situation as the Eagles needed at least five yards to keep their chances for victory alive as Cunningham found Garrity for 13 yards to give the Eagles a 1st & goal at the Cowboys' two-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass to stop the clock, Cunningham would roll to his right, stop, and fire a pass for Toney in the end zone who made the catch to tie the game at 23 with just four seconds to go.

All the Eagles needed was Zendejas, who had been cut by the Cowboys two weeks into the 1988 season, was to make the extra point which he did to give Philadelphia its first lead of the game at 24-23.

The Cowboys could do nothing with the ensuing kickoff as time ran out with the Eagles coming away with the stunning 24-23 victory.

Anthony Toney catches the game-winning touchdown pass with four seconds to go.

Dallas would never recover from the loss as they would lose their next six games as they finished with a 3-13 record, their worst record since their inaugural season back in 1960 when the  Cowboys went winless.

In the offseason, the Cowboys would be bought by Jerry Jones who just one day after purchasing the franchise, fired Landry as head coach.

Landry would be replaced by Miami Hurricanes head coach Jimmy Johnson as the Cowboys selected Troy Aikman with the #1 pick in the 1989 NFL draft, setting some of the pieces of what would be the Dallas dynasty of the 1990s.

As for the Eagles, they would go on to finish the season with a 10-6 record which included a 27-26 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-eagles.html)as the Eagles made the playoffs for the first time since 1981 as they clinched the NFC East division title with a 23-7 win over the Cowboys in the final week of the regular season.

The Eagles' Super Bowl hopes would evaporate in the infamous "Fog Bowl" as they were defeated by the Chicago Bears 20-10 in the NFC divisional round.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: "Puntrooskie" Paves Way for Seminoles Victory in "Death Valley"

 

Leroy Butler tries to outran Donnel Woolford on the famous "Puntrooskie" play in 1988.

In the 1980s, the Florida State Seminoles rose to become one of the top programs in college football thanks to head coach Bobby Bowden's willingness to run all sorts of trick plays that earned him the nickname the "Riverboat Gambler".

Bowden's biggest gamble came in the third game of the 1988 season when he and his Seminoles traveled to "Death Valley" to take on the Clemson Tigers in a top-10 showdown.

Florida State came into the game ranked #10 after beginning the season as the #1 team ranked in the country following a 11-1 season the previous year.

However, the Seminoles would lose their #1 ranking following an embarrassing 31-0 loss to the defending National Champion Miami Hurricanes in the opening game of the season.

Led by all-American cornerback Deion Sanders, the Seminoles would bounce back with a 29-13 win over Southern Mississippi the following week to even their record at 1-1 as they hoped to back in the race for the national championship if they could knock off the Tigers.

Much like the Seminoles, the Tigers came into the 1988 season with national championship aspirations as they began the season as the #4 team in the country.

Following wins of 40-7 against Virginia Tech and 23-3 against Furman, the Tigers moved up to #3 in the country as they prepared to host the Seminoles on a rainy day which left the field at Memorial Stadium very soggy.

Clemson would start the game on offense as the Tigers drove from their 16-yard-line to the Florida State 34-yard-line on 10 straight running plays until a fumbled snap and an incomplete pass forced a punt back to the Seminoles after Clemson had held the ball for six-and-a-half minutes.

After forcing a three-and-out, the Tigers would get the ball back at their 26-yard-line where after three plays, they had a 1st & 10 at the Clemson 39-yard-line.

That is when the Tigers pulled a rabbit out of the hat as quarterback Rodney Williams tossed the ball off to wide receiver Chip Jones who appeared to be running a reverse around the left side, only for Jones to stop and throw a pass downfield intended for Gary Cooper.

Cooper made the catch at the FSU 20-yard-line as Seminoles cornerback Derrick Dodge slipped which allowed Cooper to run into the end zone untouched to complete the 61-yard touchdown that gave Clemson a 7-0 lead with 5:10 left in the first quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Seminoles got the ball back at their 41-yard-line as quarterback Chip Ferguson would complete a nine-yard pass to running back Victor Floyd to start the drive followed by another nine-yard pass to running back Dexter Carter, which became a 14-yard play as Clemson was called for a five-yard face mask, to put FSU at the Tigers' 36-yard-line as time ran out in the first quarter.

Clemson quarterback Rodney Williams accounted for 116 yards of total offense and scored one TD. 

The Seminoles would lose four yards to set up 3rd & 14 when Ferguson found Carter on a swing pass which resulted in a 40-yard touchdown which tied the game 7-7 just 74 seconds into the second quarter.

After another exchange of punts, the Tigers were pinned back at their one-yard-line when they put together a masterful 17-play, 99-yard touchdown drive which took nearly eight minutes to complete.

The drive got off to an auspicious start as the Tigers gained no yards on the first two plays to set up 3rd & 10 when Williams connected with Allen for 14 yards and a 1st down at the Clemson 15-yard-line.

Fullback Tracy Johnson would carry the ball on the next two plays gaining eight yards to set up 3rd & 2 when tailback Joe Henderson got the call as he ran for four yards and a 1st down at the Clemson 27-yard-line.

After the two next plays gained zero yards, the Tigers struck it big as Williams completed a 38-yard pass to Cooper that with a five-yard penalty on the Seminoles put Clemson at the FSU 30-yard-line.

Five more running plays would total 16 yards until Williams put it back in the air as he completed a five-yard pass to Ricardo Hooper to make it 4th & 1 at the FSU nine-yard-line.

Instead of kicking the field goal, Ford decided to go for the 1st down which he got as Williams handed the ball off to Johnson who got two yards to give Clemson a 1st & goal at the FSU seven-yard-line.

That is when Williams kept the ball to himself as he took around the left side for a seven-yard touchdown to complete the long drive and give Clemson a 14-7 lead with 2:45 left in the second quarter.

Neither team would mount a scoring threat before the halftime break as the Tigers went into the locker room with a 14-7 lead as the Clemson offense had amassed 232 yards of total offense compared to the Seminoles' 71.

The Seminoles would get the ball to start the second half but would go three-and-out to punt the ball back to the Tigers who took over at their 16-yard-line.

The Tigers would pick up 30 yards before they had to punt back to the Seminoles when "Prime Time" arrived in Death Valley.

Chris Gardocki would punt the ball to Sanders, who received the punt at his 24-yard-line, took up the middle, made a cut to his right and dodged a diving Gardocki for an electrifying 76-yard punt return touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 14.

It would not be the last time the Seminoles special teams unit would have an impact on this game.

Following a Clemson three-and-out, the Seminoles got the ball back at their 23-yard-line as Ferguson completed passes of 34 yards to  Floyd and 36 yards to Bruce LaSane to set up Dayne Williams' one-yard touchdown run to give Florida State its first lead of the game at 21-14 midway through the third quarter.

The momentum had turned in the Seminoles' favor especially after they force another Clemson punt to the get the ball back at their 19-yard-line as Ferguson would complete six of eight passes for 69 yards on a 10-play, 73-yard drive which put FSU at the Clemson eight-yard-line as kicker Richie Andrews come on to attempt a 24-yard field goal.

However, Clemson cornerback James Lott would deflect Andrews' kick just enough to make it sail wide right and no good to keep it 21-14 with 1:42 left in the third quarter.

The two teams would trade punts until midway through the fourth quarter when the Tigers had the ball at their 34-yard-line, hoping to drive down for a touchdown.

The drive would begin with a 11-yard run by future NFL running back Terry Allen, followed by an illegal shift penalty and then a 19-yard pass from Williams to Hooper to give the Tigers a 1st down at the FSU 41-yard-line.

A two-yard run by Allen followed by incomplete pass set up 3rd & 8 when Williams connected with Hooper again, this time for seven yards to put Clemson at the 32-yard-line where it would face a 4th & 1.

With time running out in the game, the Tigers had no choice but go for the 1st down which they got as Williams handed it off to Johnson, who got the one yard for the 1st down at the FSU 31-yard-line.

Johnson would get the ball again on 1st down as he ran for four yards to set up 2nd & 6 when disaster nearly struck for Clemson as Allen lost the football only for wide receiver Keith Jennings to recover it for the Tigers at the FSU 17-yard-line.

Then after Allen was dropped for a two-yard loss on 1st down, Williams handed the ball off to Johnson, who bursted through for a 19-yard touchdown to make it 21-20.

With no overtime in college football in 1988, Ford could have decided to go for two and the win but instead opted to go for the extra point which Rusty Seyle made to tie the game at 21 with 2:32 remaining.

The Seminoles would begin its ensuing possession at their 15-yard-line as Carter ran for six yards on 1st down which was followed by two straight incomplete passes forcing a 4th & 4 with 1:33 to go in the game.

It appeared that the Tigers would get the ball back with a chance to drive for the winning score as the Seminoles lined up in their punting formation when Bowden made one of the gustiest calls in college football history.

As the Seminoles were lined up in their punting formation, Dayne Williams lined up behind center David Whittington to take the direct snap.

Williams would then snap the ball to defensive back Leroy Butler, who was supposed to remain still as Williams and the rest of the Seminoles' punting unit would run to the right side in order to distract the Tigers from Butler.

Butler, who was supposed to wait three seconds before he ran, took off in about half that time and ran down the left sideline where he was on his way to the end zone until Clemson cornerback Donnell Woolford knocked Butler out of bounds at the Tigers' one-yard-line.

Butler's stunning 78-yard run had put the Seminoles on the doorstep of the go-ahead score which would occur after Ferguson took a knee as Andrews came on to kick a 19-yard field goal to give FSU a 24-21 lead with 32 seconds to go.

The Tigers would get the ball one more time to try and perhaps salvage a tie but after four straight incomplete passes, the Seminoles got the ball with four seconds left, allowing Ferguson to take a knee to complete the 24-21 win before the shocked Clemson faithful in "Death Valley'.

While the loss would doom the Tigers' national title dreams, they would recover to win the ACC championship for the third consecutive season as Clemson would finish the 1988 season with a 10-2 record and top-10 ranking in both polls following a 13-6 win over Oklahoma in the Citrus Bowl.

Meanwhile the Seminoles would not lose for the rest of the season as FSU finished the season with a 11-1 record and #3 ranking in both polls after a 13-7 win over Auburn in the Sugar Bowl.

As for Butler, he would go on to be selected in the second round of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, where he played 12 seasons in a career which featured a Super Bowl championship and the creation of the "Lambeau Leap" in 1993 when Butler leapt into the grandstands of Lambeau Field following a touchdown in Green Bay's 28-0 win over the Raiders, which clinched the Packers a playoff berth for the first time in 11 years.

Butler would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022 thanks to a career which featured 38 interceptions, 13 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, and 20.5 quarterback sacks.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Jets Nip Dolphins in Battle for 1st Place in AFC East

 

Jets tight end Jerome Barkum catches what would be the game-winning touchdown pass.

First place in the AFC East division was on the line when the Miami Dolphins traveled to Shea Stadium to take on the New York Jets during Week 12 of the 1981 NFL season.

The Dolphins came into the game with a 7-3-1 record under head coach Don Shula who was in his 12th season as the Miami head coach, but his first without quarterback Bob Griese, who had retired following the 1980 season and was replaced by second-year quarterback David Woodley.

Woodley's role was that of game manager as the strength of the Dolphins was their running game which featured tailback Tony Nathan and fullback Andra Franklin plus their defense nicknamed the "Killer Bees" as five of the 11 Miami starters had the first letter of their last name start with the letter "B" as Miami was looking for its ninth season of at least 10 wins and seventh trip to the postseason since Shula became head coach.

While a game with first place up for grabs in late November was nothing new for the Dolphins, it was a new feeling for the Jets who came into the came with a 6-4-1 record as New York was hoping to return to the playoffs for the first time since 1969.

The Jets were led by head coach Walt Michaels, who was in his fifth season as the New York head coach and had directed the Jets back from the dead after a 0-3 start to the 1981 season.

Like the Dolphins, the Jets' strength was on defense with a defensive line that was nicknamed the "New York Sack Exchange" which featured Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons, and Abdul Salaam as the Jets would lead the league in quarterback sacks.

On offense, the Jets had Richard Todd at quarterback, who was in his seventh season in New York having taking over for Joe Namath following the 1976 season and rookie Freeman McNeil at running back.

If the Jets could knock off the Dolphins, they would be tied with Miami for 1st place in the AFC East division with New York holding the tiebreaker as the Jets would be 1-0-1 in their two meetings over the Dolphins(The two teams played to a 28-28 tie in Week 5).

 After both teams punted on their opening possessions of the game, the Jets were able to drive 72 yards in 12 plays to set up a 29-yard field goal by Pat Leahy to give New York a 3-0 lead with 3:15 to go in the first quarter.

The Jets would force a three-and-out by the Dolphins to get the ball back at their 41-yard-line as the New York offense would drive to the Miami 25-yard-line when a quarterback sack by Miami linebacker Earnest Rhone leading the Jets to settle for a 49-yard field goal by Leahy which increased New York's lead to 6-0 early in the second quarter.

The "New York Sack Exchange" held the Dolphins to 187 yards of total offense.

The Dolphins would begin their ensuing possession at their 20-yard-line when Woodley would complete three straight passes that picked up 21 yards which were followed by three straight running plays that totaled 14 yards to put Miami at the New York 45-yard-line.

From there, Woodley would a 14-yard pass to running back Tony Nathan which was followed by a 14-yard pass to Duriel Harris that put the Dolphins at the Jets' 17-yard-line.

Two plays later on 3rd & 7, Woodley would scramble for 10 yards to set up 1st & goal at the Jets' four-yard-line when Woodley pitched the ball to Nathan who was able to punch it in for the touchdown that with the extra point to give the Dolphins a 7-6 lead with 4:56 to go in the second quarter.

The "Killer Bees" would make its presence felt on the Jets' ensuing drive as linebacker A.J. Duhe knocked the ball loose from McNeil, leading to a recovery by fellow linebacker Don Gordon to give Miami the ball at the New York 33-yard-line.

However, the Miami offense would go backwards as tight end Ronnie Lee lost five yards on a short pass on 2nd down followed by a quarterback sack by Salaam to force the Dolphins to punt the ball back to the Jets who took over at their 12-yard-line.

Following an incomplete pass on 1st down, Todd would be sacked in the end zone by Gordon for a safety which increased the Dolphins' lead to 9-6 and gave them the ball back following a free kick by the Jets as Miami would begin its next possession at its 49-yard-line with 1:55 left in the first half.

A six-yard run by Eddie Hill put the Dolphins in Jets territory which was followed by an incomplete pass to set up 3rd & 4 when a eight-yard pass to Nathan which coupled with a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Klecko gave Miami a 1st down at the New York 22-yard-line.

The "New York Sack Exchange" would strike again as Gastineau sacked Woodley for a seven-yard loss which lead the Dolphins to settle for a 46-yard field goal by Uwe von Schamann that increased the Miami lead to 12-6 as the first half came to an end.

The third quarter would be a defensive stalemate as both teams traded punts until McNeil fumbled the football after a hit by Dolphins defensive end Doug Betters leading to a recovery by nose tackle Bob Baumhower at the Miami 48-yard-line, only for Miami to give the ball right back to the Jets as Woodley was intercepted by New York linebacker Stan Blinka whose 15-yard return gave New York the ball at the Miami 47-yard-line.

The Jets would drive to the Dolphins' 18-yard-line until another quarterback sack by Rhone for a 10-yard-loss led to another field goal by Leahy, this one from 45 yards out to cut the Miami lead in half to 12-9 just 40 seconds into the fourth quarter.

After both teams went three-and-out on their ensuing possessions, the Dolphins got the ball at their 20-yard-line with 10:31 to go in the fourth quarter as Miami would hold the ball for over seven minutes as they ran the ball 11 straight times for 75 yards.

A 26-yard run by Woodley to begin the drive and a 20-yard run by Franklin were the biggest plays of the drive which culminated with a 23-yard field goal by von Schmann which increased the Dolphins lead to 15-9 with 3:10 left in the fourth quarter.

Following a 16-yard return by Bruce Harper on the ensuing kickoff, the Jets would take over at their 23-yard-line with exactly three minutes left in regulation for New York to drive down the field for a potential game-winning touchdown.

Quarterback Richard Todd would complete seven of 10 passes for 74 yards on the Jets' 11-play, 77-yard game-winning touchdown drive.

McNeil would touch the ball on the next two plays as he caught a swing pass for eight yards to start the drive followed by a three-yard run to give the Jets a 1st down at the New York 34-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.

A two-yard pass to Harper and an incomplete pass set up 3rd & 8 when Todd fired a pass over the middle for running back Scott Diekering for nine yards to give the Jets a 1st down at their 45-yard-line.

That is when Todd completed passes of 18 yards to Wesley Walker and 12 yards to Lam Jones to put the Jets at the Dolphins' 25-yard-line with less than a minute to go.

After an incomplete pass, Todd would hit Jones for 14 yards and another 1st down at the 11-yard-line as Todd took a shot at the end zone as his 1st down pass fell incomplete to set up 2nd & 10.

That is when Todd threw a pass over the middle that was caught by tight end Jerome Barkum in the end zone which tied the game at 15 with 16 seconds to go in regulation.

Leahy would come on to kick the go-ahead extra point as the Dolphins can not pull off a miracle in the final seconds as the Jets came away with the 16-15 win and tie them with Miami for 1st place in the AFC East with a 7-4-1 record with New York holding the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Dolphins.

The Jets would remain in 1st place for two more weeks until a loss a 27-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks coupled with a Miami 24-14 win over the New England Patriots put the Dolphins back in 1st place with an one-game lead.

The Dolphins would end the season with a 11-4-1 record finishing just one game ahead of the Jets who finished with a 10-5-1, to give Miami the AFC East title while New York earned a Wild Card spot to give the Jets their first playoff berth since 1969.

Both teams would be one-and-done in the playoffs as the Jets lost 31-27 to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card Game while the Dolphins would lose the "Epic in Miami", a 41-38 overtime defeat to the San Diego Chargers.

While the Jets did not finish the season in 1st place in the AFC East, their 1981 season was start of a eight-year period which featured five winning seasons and four playoff appearances, including a trip to the 1982 AFC Championship Game.