NFL Old School Game of the Week: Jets Derail Giants' Playoff Hopes With Win in Regular Season Finale

 

Al Toon makes what would be the game-winning touchdown in the Jets' 1988 victory over the Giants.

The rivalry between the New York Giants and the New York Jets is an unusual one as the teams often do not play each other because they represent different conferences as the Giants are in the NFC and the Jets are in the AFC.

While they do meet annually in the preseason ever since 1969, the two teams have only met only 15 times as of the 2023 season.

But in 1988, the two teams met in the final week of the regular season where one team needed a win to secure a spot in the playoffs while the other could play spoiler.

The Giants came into the game with a 10-5 record needing just one more victory to clinch the NFC East division title and return to the playoffs after missing the previous year.

"Big Blue" was led by head coach Bill Parcells who along with quarterback Phil Simms and linebacker Lawrence Taylor helped led the Giants to a 39-20 win in Super Bowl XXI on January 25, 1987 for the franchise's first NFL title since 1956.

Standing in their way were their crosstown rivals, the New York Jets, who had already been eliminated from the playoff race as they came in with a 7-7-1 record under head coach Joe Walton.

It had been tumultuous year for "Gang Green" as defensive end Mark Gastineau, part of the famed "New York Sack Exchange" retired seven weeks into the season to be with then-fiancee Brigette Nielsen, who was going through a health crisis at the time.

Having been eliminated with a loss two weeks earlier, the Jets came into the regular season finale hoping to prevent the Giants from making the playoffs as a Jets victory plus wins by the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams would keep the Giants from reaching the postseason as the two teams met in Giants Stadium with the Jets as the designated hometeam.

The Giants would get the ball to start the game as they would drove from their 25-yard-line to the Jets' 13-yard-line in 13 plays to set up a 31-yard field goal attempt by Paul McFadden, only for the kick to sail wide left to keep the game scoreless as the Jets would take over at their 20-yard-line with just over nine minutes left in the first quarter.

The Jets would run the ball four straight times, picking up 31 yards to drive into Giants territory when O'Brien completed a 28-yard pass to Al Toon to put New York at the Giants' 21-yard-line when the drive stalled as the Jets would settle for a 41-yard field goal by Pat Leahy to give the Jets a 3-0 lead with 4:31 to go in the first quarter.

Following a Giants three-and-out, the Jets would get the ball back at their 46-yard-line for their second possession of the game which started with a 37-yard pass from O'Brien to Wesley Walker to give the Jets a 1st down at the Giants' 17-yard-line.

From there, the Jets would run the ball four straight times for a total of 12 yards to put them at the Giants' five-yard-line when O'Brien found tight end Mickey Shuler in the end zone for the five-yard touchdown to increase the Jets' lead to 10-0 with 82 seconds to go in the opening quarter.

The Giants would get the ball back at their 25-yard-line as they would turn to running back Joe Morris to get them to drive down the field as he carried the ball six straight times for 46 yards to put the Giants at the Jets' 29-yard-line when Simms scrambled for 12 yards to give New York a 1st down inside the Jets' red zone.

That is when the "Sack Exchange" rose up as they sacked Simms on back-to-back plays to force another field goal attempt from McFadden, this time from 49 yards out.

Once again, McFadden would fail to make the field goal as his kick fell short of the uprights to give the Jets the ball at their 32-yard-line with a chance to increase their lead.

Giants quarterback Phil Simms threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns while running for 57 yards.

The drive would begin with a 10-yard pass from O'Brien to Shuler, which was followed by a three-yard run by Roger Vick to set up 2nd & 7 when O'Brien connected with Walker for 49 yards to give the Jets a 1st & goal at the Giants' six-yard-line.

That is when the "Big Blue Wrecking Crew" rose to the occasion as they would allow three yards on the next three plays to force the Jets to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Leahy which pushed the Jets' lead to 13-0 with 5:58 left in the second quarter.

The two teams would trade punts until the Giants got the ball at the 50-yard-line with 81 seconds left before halftime when Simms scrambled for 16 yards, then hit three straight passes for 29 yards to give the Giants a 1st & goal at the Jets' five-yard-line.

After throwing two incomplete passes, Simms would throw a five-yard touchdown pass to Stephen Baker to cut the Jets' lead to 13-7 with 10 seconds left in the first half as the Jets would take a knee to run out the clock on the first half.The Jets got the ball to start the second half but would go three-and-out to punt the ball to the Giants only to have Phil McConkey muff the punt, leading to a recovery by Kurt Sohn to give the Jets the ball at the Giants' six-yard-line.

It would take one play for the Jets to cash in on the turnover as Freeman McNeil ran it in for the six-yard touchdown to push the Jets' lead back to 13 points at 20-7 almost two minutes into the second half.

Following another exchange of punts, the Giants had the ball at their 33-yard-line as Morris would get his hands on the football on back-to-back plays, picking up 12 yards which was followed by an incomplete pass and a six-yard run by Ottis Anderson to bring up 3rd & 4 as Simms ran for 17 yards to give the Giants a 1st down at the Jets' 32-yard-line.

From there, Simms hit tight end Mark Bavaro for 21 yards, then handed the ball off to Morris who picked up two yards to bring up 2nd & 8 when Simms found Baker in the left corner of the end zone for the nine-yard touchdown to make it an one-possession game at 20-14 with 20 seconds to go in the third quarter.

The Jets would hold the ball for four minutes before they punted the ball back to the Giants who took over at their 20-yard-line with 11:08 left in the fourth quarter.

After Simms was sacked on 1st down by Jets linebacker Alex Gordon for a 10-yard-loss, Simms would complete a 19-yard pass to tight end Zeke Mowatt to set up 3rd & 1 when he handed the ball off to Anderson who picked up the single yard to give the Giants a fresh set of downs at their 30-yard-line.

Following an incomplete pass on 1st down, Simms handed the ball off to Anderson, who gained 14 yards to give the Giants another 1st down at their 44-yard-line when Simms hit Lionel Manuel for 36 yards to put the Giants at the Jets' 20-yard-line.

Three plays later, Simms would find Manuel for a nine-yard touchdown that with the extra point gave the Giants their first lead of the game at 21-20 with 4:54 remaining in the game.

The Jets would get great field position to start their ensuing possession as Bobby Humphrey would return the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to the Jets' 48-yard-line, giving O'Brien a short field as the Jets needed only a field goal to retake the lead.

The drive would begin with O'Brien completing back-to-back passes to Vick for 18 yards to give the Jets a fresh set of downs at the Giants' 34-yard-line which was followed by a  four-yard pass from O'Brien to Toon.

O'Brien would then hand the ball off to Johnny Hector who gained three yards to set up 3rd & 3 when  O'Brien found Shuler for 16 yards to give the Jets a 1st down at the Giants' 11-yard-line.

Clearly in field goal range, the Jets seemed poised to milk as much time off the clock before attempting the field goal as McNeil would carry the ball on the next two plays to gain six yards to set up 3rd & 4 from the five-yard-line

That is O'Brien surprised the Giants and his coach as he called an audible from a running play to a pass as he lofted a pass for Toon, who was in man-to-man coverage, in the left corner of the end zone.

Toon would outjump Giants cornerback Tom Flynn to make the catch for the five-yard touchdown that with Leahy's extra point gave the Jets a 27-21 lead with 37 seconds left in the game.

Jets quarterback Ken O'Brien would complete 16 of 26 passes for 214 yards and throw two touchdowns.

With their playoff hopes on life support, the Giants would begin their next possession at their 24-yard-line needing a touchdown and an extra point to win.

Simms would complete a nine-yard pass to running back George Adams, then hit Manuel for 20 yards to give the Giants a 1st down at the Jets' 47-yard-line as they spent their last timeout with 15 seconds to go.

After Simms couldn't connect with Maneul on 1st down, he lofted a "Hail Mary"pass down the left side of the field only to have Jets cornerback James Hasty knock it down as time expired with the Jets coming away with the 27-21 victory.

The loss to the Jets was the start of a chain of events that did not go in the Giants' favor as it came to their playoff hopes as the Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys 23-7 to win the NFC East title as Philadelphia won both regular season games with the Giants to win the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Then, the  Rams knocked off the San Francisco 49ers 38-16 to clinch the last Wild Card spot, thus ending the Giants' season despite a 10-6 record.

The Giants would recover the following year to win the NFC East division then followed it up in 1990 with their second Super Bowl title in five years.

As for the Jets, the win over the Giants gave them a winning season as they finished with a 8-7-1 record for the team's fifth winning season in the past eight years.

However, the Jets would go into a decline the following season as they would go 4-12 which resulted in the firing of Walton as head coach as "Gang Green" would not have a winning season again until 1997.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Syracuse Beats Virginia Tech on McNabb's Walk-off TD Pass

Syracuse tight end Stephen Brominski makes the game-winning touchdown catch in the Orangemen's 1998 game with Virginia Tech.

 On November 14, 1998 the Syracuse Orangemen hosted the Virginia Tech Hokies in a important game in the race for the Big East conference championship and trip to either the Sugar or Orange Bowl in the inaugural year of the Bowl Championship Series or BCS.

Syracuse came into this game unranked with a 5-3 record as they had lost the previous week 35-28 to West Virginia which was their first conference loss as their previous two losses had been to non conference opponents Tennessee and N.C.State.

The Orangemen were led by senior quarterback Donovan McNabb who was making his 45th career start at quarterback as he had led Syracuse to at least nine wins in each of his previous three seasons.

Standing in his way were the Virginia Tech Hokies who came into the game ranked #16 with a 7-1 record under head coach Frank Beamer.

Beamer had made the Hokies into a power in the Big East Conference with "Beamerball"  where special teams and defense often chipped in with touchdowns to help the Hokies win games.

The Hokies hoped that "Beamerball" could overcome McNabb's efficiency as the two teams squared off in front of nearly 50,000 fans at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.

After the Orangemen went three-and-out to start the game, the Hokies would get the ball at their 37-yard-line as their first two plays gained 12 yards which was followed by a Syracuse pass interference penalty to give Virginia Tech a 1st down at the Orangemen's 36-yard-line.

However, a quarterback sack would kill the drive as the Hokies would punt the ball back to the Orangemen who took over at their 15-yard-line as a 14-yard run by running back Kyle McIntosh and a 39-yard pass from McNabb to Jeff Lowe gave Syracuse a 1st down at the Virginia Tech 32-yard-line.

The Orangemen seemed to poise put points on the board especially after McIntosh ran for 11 yards on two straight runs to give Syracuse a 1st down at the Virginia Tech 21-yard-line, only to go backwards as a holding penalty push and a McIntosh run which lost four yards lead to another punt to the Hokies.

After both teams went three-and-out on their next possessions, the Hokies had the ball in Syracuse territory when quarterback Al Clark fumbled the football which was recovered by Syracuse defensive tackle Rickie Simpkins to give the Orangemen the ball at their 40-yard-line.

Two running plays picked up seven yards to set up 3rd & 3 when McNabb connected with Kevin Johnson for 32 yards to give Syracuse a 1st down at the Virginia Tech 21-yard-line.

The Orangemen would travel no further as they would settle for a 43-yard field goal by Nate Trout to give Syracuse a 3-0 lead with 1:14 left in the first quarter.

The Hokies would begin their ensuing possession at their 16-yard-line as two plays picked eight yards to set up 3rd & 2 when fullback Jarrett Fergurson took a handoff from Clark and raced 76 yards for the touchdown on the final play of the 1st quarter to give Virginia Tech a 7-3 lead.

The Orangemen would only drive from their 20-yard-line to their 34-yard-line on their next possession when "Beamerball" struck as Hokies cornerback Anthony Midget would block Donald Dinkins' punt leading to a scramble where the ball would end up in the end zone recovered by Ricky Hall for a Virginia Tech touchdown which increased their lead to 14-3.

Following another exchange of punts, the Orangemen got the ball at their 23-yard-line as a roughing the kicker penalty on 4th & 1 and a 27-yard pass from McNabb to Darryl Daniel put Syracuse at the Virginia Tech 23-yard-line when "Beamerball" once again made its presence felt.

As Syracuse wide receiver Maurice Jackson took the football on an end-around, he was met by Hokies free safety Keion Carpenter who stripped Jackson of the ball leading to cornerback Loren Johnson to catch the fumble in mid-air and return it for a 78-yard touchdown to extend the Virginia Tech lead to 21-3 with 3:09 remaining in the second quarter.

Virginia Tech defensive end Corey Moore helped the Hokies' defense to seven quarterback sacks.

It looked like the game was getting out of hand for Syracuse especially after their offense went three-and-out on their next possession to give the Hokies the ball back at the Orangemen's 36-yard-line with 2:33 left before halftime.

However, the Syracuse defense would not allow a 1st down as the Hokies would attempt a 48-yard field goal by Shayne Graham which he missed to keep the score 21-3 and give the Orangemen the ball at their 32-yard-line with 1:07 remaining.

After he ran for just one yard on 1st down, McNabb fired a deep pass for Johnson, who outjumped a Virginia Tech defendant, to make the 48-yard reception to set up a 36-yard field goal by Trout which trimmed the Hokies' lead to 21-6 as the first half came to an end.The Hokies would go three-and-out to start the second half to give the ball back to the Orangemen who took over at their 48-yard-line as a 28-yard run by McNabb on a 3rd & 14 helped set up his one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Stephen Brominski to cut the Virginia Tech lead to 21-13 midway through the third quarter.

Following another Virginia Tech three-and-out, the Orangemen would travel from their 43-yard-line to the Hokies' 12-yard-line until they settled for a 30-yard field goal by Trent which made it 21-16 in favor of the Hokies with 57 seconds left in the third quarter.

Now it looked the game was in Syracuse's favor especially on the second play of the Hokies' ensuing possession when defensive lineman Marc Pilon intercepted a shovel pass to give the Orangemen the ball at the Virginia Tech 22-yard-line.

After running back Dee Brown was dropped for a three-yard-loss on 1st down to end the first quarter, McNabb ran for 15 yards to give Syracuse a 1st & goal at the Hokies' 10-yard-line as two running plays for five yards and a four-yard pass to Daniel set up 4th & goal from the one-yard-line.

Pasqualoni decided to go for the touchdown which he got when fullback Rob Konrad punched it in for the one-yard touchdown to give Syracuse the lead for the first time in the game at 22-21.

The Orangemen decided to go for two after the touchdown to make it a three-point game when McNabb was picked off by Loren Johnson on a pass intended for Kevin Johnson.

Loren ran down the field hoping to get into the end zone to give two points to the Hokies when he was caught 10 yards short of the end zone by McNabb as the senior cornerback tried to flip the ball to a teammate only to have fall to the turf and bounce into the end zone where linebacker Jamel Smith fell on the ball to give Virginia Tech two points and the 23-22 lead with 12:23 left in the fourth quarter.

After both teams went three-and-out on their next possessions, the Hokies got the ball at their 39-yard-line when they put together their best drive of the second half as Shyrone Stith ran the ball four straight times for a total of 32 yards to put Virginia Tech at the Syracuse 29-yard-line.

After an offsides penalty gave the Hokies another five yards, the Syracuse defense rose to the occasion as they pushed the Virginia Tech offense backwards as the Hokies lost eight yards on the next three plays, forcing them to settle for a 49-yard field goal by Graham to extend the lead to 26-22 with 4:42 left in the game.

The Orangemen would begin their ensuing possession at their 17-yard-line hoping to put together a drive that would result in a game-winning touchdown.

Donovan McNabb would throw for 232 yards and two touchdown passes while running for 57 yards on 21 carries.

The drive would begin with an incomplete pass which was followed by a nine-yard run by McNabb to set up 3rd & 1 when Brown ran for three yards to give Syracuse a 1st down at its 29-yard-line.

A 12-yard pass from McNabb to Kevin Johnson gave Syracuse a fresh set of downs at their 41-yard-line as an one-yard run by McNabb, a two-yard pass to Johnson and an incomplete pass would set up a do-or-die 4th & 7 at the Syracuse 44-yard-line with 1:45 remaining.

That is when McNabb scrambled up the middle for a 41-yard run to keep Syracuse alive as the Orangemen had a fresh set of downs at the Virginia Tech 15-yard-line.

Following an incomplete pass on 1st down, McNabb would hit Jackson for 14 yards to give Syracuse a 1st & goal at the Hokies' one-yard-line.

McNabb would hand the ball off to Konrad who would be stopped for no gain to bring up 2nd down when McNabb threw an incomplete pass intended for Brominski only to draw a roughing-the-passer penalty to give the Orangemen a fresh set of downs at the Virginia Tech one-yard-line.

McNabb would take the snap and ran to his left hoping to fire a pass for a Syracuse receiver when he was dragged down by Hokies defensive end Corey Moore for a 12-yard loss but more importantly took time off the clock as the Orangemen were out of timeouts.

McNabb was able to get the offense set to spike the ball on 2nd down leaving five seconds left on the clock as McNabb came to the sidelines so exhausted that he vomited.

McNabb would gather himself as he got ready for the game's final play where he took the snap and ran to his right, then fired a pass for the left corner of the end zone where Bromisnki outjumped Hokies linebacker Michael Hawkes to make the catch for the 13-yard touchdown to give Syracuse a 28-26 win and sending the Carrier Dome into a frenzy.

The heartbreaking loss ended the Hokies' hopes for a BCS Bowl berth as they would finish the regular season with a 8-3 record to earn an invitaton to play Alabama in the Music City Bowl where the Hokies would win 38-7 to finish the season #19 in the final coaches poll and #23 in the final AP poll.

As for the Orangemen, they would go on to defeat Temple 38-7 to set up a winner-take-all game with Miami for the Big East conference title where McNabb accounted for five touchdowns as Syracuse destroyed the Hurricanes 66-13 to earn a trip to the Orange Bowl.

However, the Orangemen would fall to the Florida Gators 38-10 to finish the season with a 8-4 record and #23 ranking in the final coachees poll and #24 ranking in the final AP poll as McNabb would go on to an 13-year NFL career predominately with the Philadelphia Eagles to which he lead to a Super Bowl appearance in 2005.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Raiders "Just Win, Baby" as They Nip Bears in Windy City Thriller

Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler would throw for 234 yards and three touchdown passes in the Raiders' win over the Bears.

 "Just win, baby" was the motto of former Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis as it didn't matter how it looked as long as his Raiders won.

That was such the case in Week 9 of the 1976 NFL Season when the Raiders traveled to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears.

The Raiders came into the game with a 7-1 record with five of their seven victories coming by seven points or less as Oakland once again established itself as a Super Bowl contender under head coach John Madden and his cast of characters which included Ken "The Snake" Stabler and a stellar receiving corps which featured Fred Bilentkioff and the speedy Cliff Branch.

Oakland was hoping to earn the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs in hopes to exorcize their postseason demons as the Raiders had lost in three straight AFC Championship games and had not returned to the Super Bowl since their only appearance following the 1967 season despite winning at least eight games in each season since then.

The Raiders' Week 9 opponent was the Chicago Bears, who came in with a 4-4 record and they just hoping to have a winning season as the franchise had not had one since 1967 and not play in the postseason since their 1963 NFL Championship season.

Chicago was led by head coach Jack Pardee, who was in his second season as the Bears' head coach and was overseeing the birth of a legend in second-year running back Walter Payton, who had rushed for 802 yards and scored eight touchdowns up to this point in the season.

But if the Bears were going to upset the Raiders they would need some help from the passing game as quarterback Bob Avellini had thrown for just 794 yards and one touchdown in the team's first eight games and just 88 yards in the previous two games.

Another factor would be the wind as it swirled Soldier Field from the northwest at 17 miles per hour, wreaking havoc on the kicking game as many punts into the wind would be short and result in either team often starting drives in their opponent's territory.

After forcing the Raiders to go three-and-out to start the game, the Bears would get the ball at their 46-yard-line as it would take them nine plays to get into the end zone as Payton would run it from five yards out, which was set up by a 32-yard pass from Avellini to James Scott, to give Chicago a 7-0 lead with 8:21 left in the first quarter.

Bears quarterback Bob Avellini would complete 10 of 18 passes for 204 yards.

The two teams would trade punts for the rest of the first quarter until the Raiders would drive 59 yards in seven plays as Stabler completed all four of his passes on the drive as he hit Branch twice for 15 yards, then running back Clarence Davis for seven yards, and finally tiight end Dave Casper for a 17-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7 with 12:11 to go in the second quarter.

Following a Chicago punt, the Raiders had the ball at their 26-yard-line when running back Mark van Eeghen fumbled the football which was recovered by linebacker Waymond Bryant to give the Bears the ball at the Oakland 32-yard-line.

However, the Bears could not convert the turnover into points as they punted the ball back to the Raiders, who took over at their 25-yard-line when Stabler went deep for Branch, who made the catch at the Chicago 35-yard-line and then outraced Bears cornerback Virgil Livers for a 75-yard touchdown to put Oakland on top 14-7 with 5:53 left in the second quarter.

The Bears would begin their ensuing possession at their 40-yard-line as passes of 10 yards to Steve Schubert and 11 yards to Brian Baschangel help Chicago drive to the Raiders' 16-yard-line to give Bob Thomas a shot at a 33-yard field goal before the end of the first half.

But Thomas' kick would sail left of the uprights and no good to keep the score 14-7 in favor of the Raiders as the first half came to an end.

The Bears got the ball to start the second half but it would turn over on the second play of the drive as Avellini was sacked by Raiders linebacker Phil Villapiano and lost the football which was recovered by nose tackle Dave Rowe to give Oakland the ball at the Chicago 20-yard-line.

The Raiders would run four straight running plays with the last run being a two-yard touchdown run by Davis to increase the Oakland lead to 21-7 with 12:28 left in the third quarter.

After an exchange of punts, the Bears had the ball at the Raiders' 36-yard-line when Avellini connected with Scott for a 36-yard touchdown to cut the Oakland lead in half to 21-14 midway through the third quarter.

That is when Pardee, with the winds at the Bears' back in the third quarter,  decided to surprise the Raiders with an onside kick which was recovered by Baschangel at the Bears' 49-yard-line.

After two plays picked up zero yards, Avellini completed a 22-yard pass to tight end Greg Latta for a 1st down at the Oakland 29-yard-line when the Bears went to the ground as they ran the ball three straight times with the last run by a 12-yard touchdown run by Payton to bring Chicago to within a point of tying the game.

Bears running back Walter Payton carried the ball 36 times for 97 yards and scored three TDs.

However, holder Gary Huff would mishandle the snap from center Don Neal on the extra point which resulted in the extra point not being attempted to keep the score 21-20 in favor of the Raiders with 5:57 left in the third quarter.

Despite the botched extra point, the Bears kept the momentum going as they forced a three-and-out to get the ball back at the Raiders' 44-yard-line with a chance to take the lead.

Following a three-yard run by Payton, Avellini connected with fullback Roland Harper for a 36-yard pass to give the Bears a 1st & goal at the five-yard-line where Payton would get the ball on the next two plays with the latter being a two-yard touchdown run to give Chicago a 27-21 lead with 2:44 remaining in the third quarter.

The two teams would trade punts as the game moved into the fourth quarter with the Bears still ahead 27-21 as the Raiders had the ball at the 50-yard-line when controversy struck.

That is when Bears defensive tackle Wally Chambers sacked Stabler who lost the football as he went to the ground, which was recovered by defensive end Roger Stillwall who scooped up the ball and ran for an apparent 39-yard touchdown.

However, referee Chuck Heberling inadvertently blew the whistle right after Stillwall recovered the football to stop the play and negate the touchdown.

So instead of having a 34-21 lead, the Bears had the ball at the Raiders' 39-yard-line when on the first play after the fumble, Avellini had a pass deflected by Oakland defensive end Otis Sistrunk and landed in the arms of linebacker Ted Hendricks to give the Raiders the ball at the Bears' 47-yard-line.

The Raiders would go three-and-out to give the ball back to the Bears who took over at their 13-yard-line when they decided to lean on the running game as they drove into the stiff Chicago wind.

Chicago would run eight straight running plays for a total of 35 yards before they punted the ball back to the Raiders, who took over at their 20-yard-line with 5:33 left in the game.

Disaster almost struck on the first play of the drive when Bears free safety Chris Clemons dropped a potential interception that would have given Chicago the ball in Raiders territory.

Stabler would make the Bears pay for that mistake as he completed a seven-yard pass to Clarence Davis, then connected with Branch for 24 yards to give Oakland a 1st down at the Bears' 49-yard-line.

That is when Stabler threw deep as his pass would bounce off the hands of Livers and into the hands of Branch for a 49-yard touchdown to give the Raiders a 28-27 lead with 4:33 to go in the game.

The Bears would begin their next possession at their 34-yard-line as Payton would catch a four-yard pass on 1st down, then ran for three yards to set up 3rd & 3 when Avellini connected with Baschangel for 28 yards and a 1st down at the Raiders' 31-yard-line.

From there, the Bears would stick to the ground as they drove into the wind as three straight running plays picked up nine yards to set up 4th & 1 when Chicago went for the 1st down which they got as Payton two yards to give the Bears a fresh set of downs at the Raiders' 20-yard-line.

Three more running plays gained six yards to set up 4th & 4 at the Oakland 14-yard-line when Pardee sent in the field goal unit to try and win the game as Thomas would attempt a 31-yard field goal with 20 seconds left.

However, Thomas' kick would bounce off the right upright and no good, allowing for the Raiders to take a knee to run out the clock as Oakland would escape with a 28-27 win.

Raiders wide receiver Cliff Branch catches would be the game-winning touchdown as he finished with 163 yards on five catches and two TDs.

The Bears would go on to finish the season with a 7-7 record as Payton finished with 1,305 yards to finish as the NFL's 2nd leading rusher which was a prelude to his 1977 season where he led the league with 1,852 yards and 14 touchdowns in leading Chicago to the playoffs for the first time since 1963.

As for the Raiders, they would not lose a game for the rest of the season as they won their remaining five games of the regular season to finish with a 13-1 record to earn home field advantage throughout the playoffs as they narrowly beat the New England Patriots 24-21 in the Divisional Round(To read about that game, click on the link highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/11/nfl-old-school-game-of-week.html) and then the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-7 in the AFC Championship Game.

Oakland would travel down to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to face the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI where the Raiders complied 429 yards of total offense as the Silver & Black won 32-14 for the franchise's first Super Bowl title.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Washington Shocks Arizona State on 4th & 17 Miracle Touchdown

Washington players celebrate after thier game-winning touchdown pass in the final seconds of their game against Arizona State.

Not often do college football fans see a top-25 showdown between conference teams to start the season, but that was the case in 1998 when the #18 Washington Huskies traveled to Tempe to take on the #8 Arizona State Sun Devils.

The Huskies came into the game looking to get the bad taste out of their mouth after a three-game losing streak in November derailed their chances of earning a trip to the Rose Bowl and instead had to settle for a trip to the Aloha Bowl where they defeated Michigan State.

The Huskies were led by head coach Jim Lambright, who was in his sixth season as the Washington head coach after serving as the team's defensive coordinator for 15 years under previous head coach Don James, and junior quarterback Brock Huard, younger brother of Damon who had lead the Huskies to their famous win over Miami in 1994 which ended the Hurricanes' 58-game winning streak at the Orange Bowl.

On the other side were the Sun Devils, who were looking to return to the Rose Bowl where 20 months earlier, they lost a 20-17 heartbreaker to the Ohio State Buckeyes which ended Arizona State's chances of a national championship.

The Sun Devils were under the direction of head coach Bruce Snyder, who was in his seventh season in Tempe, and featured junior running back J.R. Redmond, who was seen by some as a Heisman Trophy Candidate.

 The Sun Devils would get the ball to start the game as they drove 61 yards in seven plays to score the game's first touchdown as quarterback Ryan Kealy hit tight end Kendrick Bates for a 13-yard touchdown to give Arizona State a 7-0 lead.

Following a 42-yard kickoff return by Joe Jarzynka, the Huskies would begin their first possession of the game at their 43-yard-line as Washington would convert on four 3rd down situations to drive 57 yards in 13 plays to tie the game at 7 as Huard connected with tight end Reggie Davis for a three-yard touchdown.

The Sun Devils would respond with a 14-play, 71-yard drive that was capped off with a spectacular one-handed catch by freshman tight end Todd Heap for a 15-yard touchdown to give Arizona State a 14-7 lead with 2:19 left in the first quarter.

It looked like a shootout was developing as Ja' Warren Hooker returned the ensuing kickoff 61 yards in Sun Devil territory to set up an apparent 17-yard touchdown pass from Huard to Dane Looker.

However, the touchdown was called back because of a false start penalty as the Huskies would turn it over on downs as running back Jason Harris was tackled one yard short of the 1st down after catching a short pass from Huard as the game moved into the second quarter.

The Washington defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 13-yard-line as Huard led the Huskies down the field on a 10-play, 87-yard drive that culminated with a 16-yard touchdown run by Pat Conniff to tie the game at 14 with 9:05 remaining in the second quarter.

It would only take the Sun Devils two minutes to reclaim the lead as a 47-yard swing pass from Kealy to Redmond help set up a two-yard touchdown run by Daveron Hightower to give Arizona State a 21-14 lead.

After being burned on two kickoffs, the Sun Devils decided to pooch kick in hopes of not having a Husky produce a long kickoff return.

The Sun Devils would get more that as no Washington player was alert enough to pounce on the ball since it is a live ball after the kick goes 10 yards which resulted in a recovery by defensive back Kyion Graves to give Arizona State the ball at the Huskies' 31-yard-line.

Two plays later, the Sun Devils were back in the end zone as Kealy handed the ball off to Hightower who then pitched it to Redmond, who then took around the right side of the field for a 22-yard touchdown to increase the Arizona State to 28-14 with 5:30 left in the second quarter.

Sun Devils running back J.R. Redmond accounted for 254 yards on 27 touches.

After giving up two touchdowns in a span of 95 seconds, the Huskies responded with an eight-play, 77-yard drive which began with a 32-yard catch & run by Looker and ended with the true freshman catching a three-yard touchdown pass from Huard to cut the deficit to 28-21 with 3:04 left before halftime.

Despite a penalty which made them start their next possession at their nine-yard-line, the Sun Devils would quickly drive down the field as Kealy completed a 36-yard pass to Lenzie Jackson, then handed the ball off to Kenny Mithcell who ran for 15 yards which was followed by a 10-yard run by Hightower to put Arizona State at the Washington 30-yard-line.

However, a holding penalty would stall the drive and force the Sun Devils to attempt a 42-yard field goal by Mike Gauthier, which sailed wide left and no good to keep the score at 28-21 as neither team would mount another scoring threat for the rest of the first half.

Following a Washington punt after their first possession of the second half, the Sun Devils took over at their 20-yard-line where two plays would pick up 14 yards until the first turnover of the game happened when Redmond lost the football after he was hit by Huskies cornerback Toure Butler, leading to a recovery by roverback Nigel Burton at the Arizona State 49-yard-line.

Two runs by Maurice Shaw for nine yards and an incomplete pass would set up a 4th & 1 when Lambright decided to go for the 1st down which he got when Huard completed a six-yard pass to Looker.

Three plays later, the Huskies had a 2nd & goal at when Huard threw a pass for Harris that bounced off his hands and into the arms of Looker for a nine-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 28.

A 40-yard kickoff return by Jackson would give the Sun Devils great field position to start their ensuing possession at their 41-yard-line as three plays gained nine yards to set up a 4th & 1 when Snyder decided to go for it.

But unlike the Huskies, the Sun Devils could not convert as Washington linebacker Jeff Johnson stopped Redmond for no gain to give Washington the ball at the 50-yard-line.

It would take the Huskies six plays to get into the end zone as Harris punched it in for a five-yard touchdown to give Washington its first lead of the game at 35-28 with 4:45 left in the third quarter.

The Sun Devils would then hold the ball for over seven minutes as they drove 54 yards in 16 plays to set up a 42-yard field goal by Gauthier which cut the Washington lead to 35-31 with 12:21 left in the fourth quarter.

After forcing the Huskies to go three-and-out on their next possession, the Sun Devils appeared to retake the lead as Redmond returned the punt 67 yards for a touchdown, only to have it nullified because of a block in the back, forcing Arizona State to start its next drive at its 28-yard-line.

The Sun Devils would eventually punt it back to the Huskies who took over at their 21-yard-line, picked up one 1st down before throwing three straight incomplete passes to force another punt.

Washington quarterback Brock Huard completed 27 of 47 passes for 318 yards and threw four touchdowns passes.

Redmond would again receive the punt and run 61 yards until he was tackled at the Washington 20-yard-line with 4:33 left in the game.

The Sun Devils would soon be faced with a 4th & 1 at the Washington 11-yard-line which they converted as Redmond ran for two yards to give Arizona State a fresh set of downs at the Huskies' nine-yard-line.

An one-yard run by Jeff Paulk and two incomplete passes later, the Sun Devils were faced with a do-or-die 4th & goal when Kealy fired a pass for Tariq McDonald in the end zone, who despite being interfered with, made the catch for the eight-yard touchdown to give Arizona State a 38-35 lead with exactly two minutes remaining.

The Huskies would take over at their 20-yard-line, needing only a field goal to tie the game to send into overtime, as Huard threw an incomplete pass on 1st down, then hit Todd Elstorm for eight yards which got 15 yards added to it after a roughing the passer penalty on Sun Devils defensive tackle Albrey Battle gave Washington a 1st down at its 43-yard-line.

An incomplete pass followed by a seven-yard pass to Looker set up 3rd & 3 when Huard tried to pitch the ball to Harris, only for the pitch to go behind Harris, who landed on top of the ball back at the Washington 37-yard-line.

The good news was the Huskies still had the ball, the bad news it was now 4th & 17.

That is when Huard lofted a pass for Davis, who made the catch at around the Arizona State 40-yard-line, ran down the right sideline as he was able to break a tackle at the 10-yard-line before finally getting into the end zone for a shocking 63-yard touchdown to give Washington a 42-38 lead with 27 seconds to play.

But the way this game was going, it seemed whoever had the ball last would win as the Sun Devils would take over at their 46-yard-line following a 31-yard kickoff return by Lenzie Jackson.

After throwing an incomplete pass on 1st down, Kealy was intercepted by Washington free safety Brendan Jones to seemingly end the game only to have a personal foul negate the interception and give Arizona State a 1st down at the Huskies' 39-yard-line with six seconds left.

That gave Kealy one last chance at a Hail Mary but his pass fell incomplete as time expired with the Huskies on top 42-38.

The heartbreaking loss to Washington would send the Sun Devils' season into a downward spiral as they would finish the season 5-6 for the team's first losing season since 1994.

As for the Huskies, the win over Arizona State would be the highlight of their season as they would go to finish the regular season with a 6-5 record to earn an invitation to the Oahu Bowl where they lost to the Air Force Academy 45-25 to finish the season with a 6-6 record, the first non-winning season since 1976 which resulted in the dismassal of Lambright as head coach, who was replaced by Rick Neuheisel.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Michigan Beats Indiana on Carter's Walk-Off Touchdown

Anthony Carter etched his name in Michigan lore with his walk-off touchdown reception against Indiana in 1979.

If Anthony Carter had never played another down following the Michigan Wolverines' 1979 game against the Indiana Hoosiers, he would have gone down as a legend in Ann Arbor.

However, what Carter did in that game was the only start of a legendary career as "AC" would become one of the greatest wide receivers to ever don the maize and blue.

Carter was a true freshman playing in his seventh collegiate game as the Wolverines hosted Indiana for "Homecoming" in 1979 having made only six catches for 86 yards up to this point in the season.

Michigan was primarily a running team under head coach Bo Schembechler who was in his 11th season in Ann Arbor having led the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl the past three seasons but unable to win any of those games.

After having Rick Leach start 47 out of 48 games from 1975-1978, Schembechler used a two-quarterback system in 1979 as juniors B.J. Dickey and John Wangler rotated at quarterback as Butch Woolfolk got the bulk of the work at running back.

Michigan entered the Indiana game as the #10 team in the country with a 5-1 record and another chance to go to Pasadena and play in a fourth straight Rose Bowl.

While the Wolverines had Rose Bowl aspirations, the Hoosiers had dreams of just playing in any bowl game as they entered the 1979 season hoping to end a streak of 10 straight losing seasons.

The Hoosiers were led by future ESPN commentator Lee Corso, who was in his seventh season in Bloomington as he led Indiana to a 5-2 record and needing just one more win to become eligible for a bowl game, which would be the first for the Hoosiers since their appearance in the Rose Bowl following the 1967 season.

 Michigan got the ball to start the game as the Wolverines would go three-and-out to punt the ball to the Hoosiers only to get it right back as Tim Wilbur lost the ball after he was hit by Michigan running back Roosevelt Smith leading to a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Mike Lemirande at the Indiana 40-yard-line.

Woolfork would carry the ball four straight times picking up 18 yards to set up a 4th & 6 when Schemebchler decided against the field goal and go for the 1st down which he got when Dickey ran for 19 yards on a quarterback draw to set up 1st & goal at the Indiana three-yard-line.

Fullback Lawrence Reid would get the ball on the next play as he punched it in for the touchdown to give Michigan a 7-0 lead with 10:34 to go in the first quarter.

The Wolverines would force a three-and-out to get the ball back at their 34-yard-line as they drove to the Indiana 45-yard-line until Dickey was intercepted by strong safety Chuck Alexander to give the Hoosiers the ball back at their 15-yard-line.

After both teams traded three-and-outs, the Hoosiers would start their next possession at their two-yard-line when they put together a 15-play, 98-yard drive that took over six minutes to complete and did not end until quarterback Tim Clifford hit Dave Haranagody for a three-yard touchdown pass which tied the game at 7 with 11:44 left in the second quarter.

Indiana quarterback Tim Clifford threw for 232 yards and two touchdown passes.

The Wolverines would begin their next possession at their 24-yard-line as two runs by Woolfolk gained six yards to go along with a 14-yard pass to Carter put Michigan at their 44-yard-line when Dickey ran for 13 yards until he was tackled by Wilbur which left the quarterback with a bruised shoulder.

Dickey would be replaced by Wangler who after handing the ball off to Woolfolk, who picked up nine yards on the two runs, ran for five yards only to fumble the football after a hit by safety Dart Ramsey, leading to a recovery by defensive tackle Mark Rodriguez at the Indiana 29-yard-line.

The Hoosiers would go three-and-out to punt the ball back to the Wolverines only to have Carter muff the punt which was recovered by Indiana running back Lonnie Johnson at the Michigan 32-yard-line.

However, the Hoosiers could not convert the turnover into points as Kevin Kellogg missed on a 39-yard field goal attempt to keep the score tied at 7 with 3:30 left in the second quarter.

Following a Michigan three-and-out, the Hoosiers got the ball back at their 31-yard-line as a 19-yard run by Johnson, followed by a 36-yard pass from Clifford to Nate Lundy would lead to a 14-yard touchdown run by Johnson to give Indiana a 14-7 lead with 69 seconds to go before halftime.

The Wolverines would drive into Indiana territory as time ran out in the first half with the Hoosiers on top 14-7 and set to get the ball to start the second half.

The Hoosiers would drive from their 20-yard-line to the Michigan 43-yard-line until Mike Friede was dropped for an eight-yard loss on a 3rd down reverse play which forced Indiana to punt the ball back to the Wolverines who took over at their 22-yard-line.

Woolfolk would get the ball on the first two plays of the drive which he totaled 14 yards before a 14-yard pass from Wangler to Alan Mitchell put Michigan at the 50-yard-line when Reid took a Wangler handoff and ran 50 yards for the touchdown to tie the game at 14 with 10:06 to go in the third quarter.

After forcing an Indiana punt, the Wolverines got the ball back at their 46-yard-line as Michigan would rely on the ground game for their next drive as they ran the ball all but one play on a 10-play, 54-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown run by Woolfolk to give Michigan a 21-14 lead with 14 seconds left in the third quarter.

Following another Indiana three-and-out, the Wolverines would drive 33 yards in nine plays, all runs, to give Bryan Virgil a shot at a 39-yard field goal which missed to keep the score at 21-14 with 10:10 left in the fourth quarter.

The Hoosiers would quickly move into Michigan territory as Clifford completed a 14-yard pass to Bob Stephenson then connected with Friede for 24 yards to put Indiana at the Michigan 41-yard-line when three straight incomplete passes forced Indiana to punt the ball back to the Wolverines who took over at their 20-yard-line with 8:20 left.

John Wangler came off the bench to complete 10 of 14 passes for 163 yards.

From there, Michigan would drive to the Indiana 11-yard-line thanks in large part to the right arm of Wangler as he completed passes of 15 yards to tight end Doug Marsh and 17 yards to tight end Norm Betts as the Wolverines seemed poised to put the game away with another score.

However, a quarterback sack by Rodriguez would stall the drive forcing the Wolverines to settle for a 38-yard field goal attempt by Virgil, which sailed wide left and no good to keep the score 21-14 with 3:56 left in the game.

The Hoosiers would take over at their 21-yard-line as Clifford would hit two straight passes for 20 yards which was followed by a three-yard run by Mike Harkrader to put Indiana at its 44-yard-line when Clifford threw deep and hit Lundy for 54 yards to give the Hoosiers a 1st and goal at the Michigan two-yard-line.

That is when disaster nearly struck as Johnson fumbled the football following a handoff from Clifford which the quarterback would recover to keep the ball with Indiana as it got ready for 2nd & goal.

Clifford would take the snap and roll to his left until he fired a pass for Harangody for the three-yard touchdown to bring Indiana to within one point at 21-20.

Since there was no overtime in college football in 1979, Corso had a decision to make: kick the extra point to tie the game or go for two and try to win the game.

Corso opted for the extra point which was successful to tie the game at 21 with 55 seconds left in the game.

The Wolverines would get the ball at their 22-yard-line with a chance to drive into field goal range and give Virgil a shot at a game-winning field goal or perhaps drive for a touchdown.

The drive would begin with a seven-yard pass from Wangler to Woolfolk followed by an incomplete pass and then a two-yard run by Woolfolk to set up 4th & 1 at the Michigan 31-yard-line.

Instead of punting the ball back to the Hoosiers, Schemechler decided to go for the 1st down which he got as Woolfolk ran for four yards to give Michigan a 1st down at its 35-yard-line with 25 seconds to go.

Wangler would complete a nine-yard pass to Ralph Clayton which was followed by another incomplete pass to set up 3rd & 1 when Wangler fired a pass for Reid, who made the catch inside Indiana territory then tossed the ball backwards and out of bounds to stop the clock with six seconds to go.

Reid's toss out of bounds drew the ire of Corso, who argued that a penalty should have been called but since Reid tossed the ball backwards the play was legal.

An offsides penalty on the Hoosiers gave Michigan five extra yards to the Indiana 45-yard-line when Schmechler called for Wangler to run "54 Pass Post" a post pass intended for Carter.

As Wangler called the play in the huddle, Carter told Wangler "Throw me the ball, I'm going to be open" to which the quarterback replied "I am, don't worry about it".

Wangler would take the snap, drop back a few yards, and fire a pass for Carter, who made the catch at the Indiana 20-yard-line, dodged two tacklers as he stumbled his way down the field, then dodged Wilbur's attempt at a tackle at the five-yard-line, to get into the end zone to complete the incredible 45-yard touchdown to give Michigan a 27-21 win.

The crowd at the "Big House" went wild as the rest of the Michigan team mobbed Carter in the end zone while Michigan radio announcer Bob Ufer made immortalized the play with a legendary call:

Despite the heartbreaking loss, the Hoosiers would go on to win two of their last three regular season games to earn an invitation to play BYU in the Holiday Bowl, which the Hoosiers won 38-37 to finish the season with a 8-4 record and #16 ranking in the final coaches poll and #19 ranking in the final AP poll.

Meanwhile, Michigan would defeat Wisconsin 54-0 the following week before going on a three-game losing streak to end the season with a 8-4 record and #18 final ranking in the final AP poll and #19 final ranking in the final coaches poll.

As for Carter, he would go on to be selected as all-American the next three seasons as he helped Michigan to two Big 10 championships and a win in the 1981 Rose Bowl as AC would finish his Michigan career with 161 catches for 3,076 yards and 37 touchdowns.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Bucs Beat Lions To Clinch NFC Central Championship

 

Bucs cornerback John Holt celebrates after Tampa Bay knocks off Detroit to win the NFC Central Divsion title.

While the playoffs for the 1981 NFL season were not officially underway, there was a de facto playoff game in the final week of the regular season as the 8-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers traveled to Detroit to take on the 8-7 Lions where the winner would clinch the NFC Central Division title and a playoff spot while the loser's season would end.

The Buccaneers were looking to return to the postseason after a disappointing 1980 season in which they finished with a 5-10-1 one year after playing in the NFC Championship Game.

The Bucs were led by head coach John McKay, who had been the head coach since the Bucs' inception into the NFL back in 1976, and featured one of the best defenses in the league led by defensive tackle Lee Roy Selmon and rookie linebacker Hugh Green.

On the offensive side, the Bucs relied on the passing game as quarterback Doug Williams had thrown for nearly 3,400 yards prior to the Lions game with his top targets being wide receiver Kevin House and tight end Jimmie Giles.

While the Bucs were looking for a second division title in three seasons, the Lions were hoping to clinch their first division title since 1957 and make the playoffs for the first time since 1970.

Detroit was led by head coach Monte Clark, who was in his second season as the Lions' head coach having led Detroit to a 9-7 season in 1980 after going 2-14 in 1979.

The Lions' best player was running back Billy Sims, who had surpassed his rushing total from his rookie season in 1980 as he had ran for 1361 yards in the first 15 games of the '81 season after rushing for 1303 the year before.

However it was not until third-string quarterback Eric Hipple was inserted into the starting lineup that the Lions took off as they rebounded from a 2-4 start to enter the regular season finale with a chance at the NFC Central title.

Even though the two teams were considered to be evenly matched, the Lions had the advantage as this game would be played at the Pontiac Silverdome, home to the Lions where Detroit had lost during the 1981 season and only once since the arrival of Clark in 1980.

 The Bucs got the ball to start the game as they held the ball for nearly seven minutes as they drove 53 yards in 13 plays, culminating with a 40-yard field goal by Bill Capece to give Tampa Bay a 3-0 lead.

The two teams would trade punts for the rest of the first quarter as Tampa maintained its 3-0 lead when the Lions got the ball in Buccaneer territory to start their first drive of the second quarter.

Starting at the Tampa Bay 48-yard-line, Hipple would find Freddie Scott for 16 yards, then hit Leonard Thompson for six more yards, before handing it off to Sims, who ran for 10 yards to give Detroit a 1st down at the Buccaneers' 16-yard-line.

After back-to-back running plays which totaled seven yards, Hipple kept it himself and ran for a nine-yard touchdown to give the Lions a 7-3 lead with 12:20 left in the second quarter.

Lions running back Billy Sims ran for 76 yards on 19 carries and caught three passes for 39 yards.

The two teams would again trade punts until midway through the second quarter when the Lions took the ball from their 23-yard-line to the Tampa Bay'10-yard-line when on 3rd & 3, Hipple was intercepted by Tampa Bay free safety Cedric Brown on a pass intended for Scott at the Bucs' three-yard-line.

Brown would return the pick 13 yards to the Bucs' 16-yard-line where Williams and the offense would take over with 2:55 left before halftime.

That is when Williams went deep as he threw a pass downfield for Kevin House, who made the catch at the Lions' 46-yard-line, and then outraced the Detroit defense for a 84-yard touchdown to give Tampa Bay a 10-7 lead with 2:44 left in the first half.

Neither team would mount a scoring threat in the remaining time in the first half as the Bucs would go into the locker room ahead 10-7 and just 30 minutes from a division championship.

The Lions would get the ball to start the second half as they drove from their 34-yard-line to the Tampa Bay 16-yard-line until they started going backwards as Sims lost four yards on a running play which was followed by a holding penalty on left tackle Karl Baldischweiler pushed the Lions back another 10 yards to the Bucs 30-yard-line where they faced a 3rd & 24.

A 13-yard pass to Dexter Bussey would give the Lions a shot at a 34-yard field goal only to have Eddie Murray sail the kick wide left and no good to keep the score 10-7 in favor of the Bucs with 7:48 left in the third quarter.

The Lions would force a three-and-out to get the ball back in Buccaneer territory after Robbie Martin returned the ensuing punt 26 yards to the Tampa Bay 36-yard-line.

However, the Bucs' defense would hold the Lions to six yards on three plays, forcing them to settle for a 47-yard field goal attempt by Murray, which he made to tie the score at 10 with 5:10 remaining in the third quarter.

The Bucs would begin their next possession at their 20-yard-line as running back James Owens ran for nine yards on two carries to set up 3rd & 1 when Williams snuck for two yards and the 1st down.

A holding penalty would push the Bucs back 10 yards which they back on an Owens run which was followed by an incomplete pass to set up 3rd & 10 when Williams went deep again, this time looking for Owens who made a 35-yard reception despite falling to the ground to give Tampa Bay a fresh set of downs at the Lions' 34-yard-line.

An eight-yard pass to running back James Wilder followed by an offsides penalty on the Lions gave Tampa Bay another 1st down at the Detroit 21-yard-line as two runs by Owens for six yards and a three-yard scramble by Williams set up a 30-yard field goal by Capece to give the Bucs a 13-10 lead just 12 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Lions would get the ball back at their 34-yard-line as an incomplete pass followed by a holding penalty and then an eight-yard pass to Bussey which picked up the lost yardage from the holding penalty set up 3rd & 10 and the biggest play of the game.

That is when Selmon sacked Hipple to cause a fumble that was scooped up by nose tackle Dave Logan who ran it in for a 21-yard touchdown to increase the Bucs' lead to 20-10 with 13:05 left in the fourth quarter.

Buccaneers nose tackle Dave Logan runs for the 21-yard fumble return touchdown.

Now trailing by two scores, the Lions would start their next possession at their 17-yard-line as a four-yard run by Thompson followed by a Sims 10-yard run would give Detroit a 1st down at its 31-yard-line.

Sims would get his hands on the ball on the next two plays as he caught an 11-yard pass, then ran for four yards, before Hipple found David Hill for 13 yards and a 1st down at the Tampa Bay 41-yard-line.

Four straight running plays picked up 25 yards to put Detroit at the Tampa Bay 16-yard-line as an offsides penalty on the Bucs gave the Lions another five yards to set up 1st & 5 when Sims was dropped for a two-yard loss to force 2nd & 7 from the 13-yard-line.

That is when disaster struck as Hipple's pass for Scott bounced off his hands and into the arms of Cedric Brown for his second interception to end the drive and give Tampa Bay the ball at its 20-yard-line with 7:02 left in regulation.

The Bucs would milk the clock as they ran the ball nine straight times, gaining 45 yards until they faced a 4th & 2 at the Detroit 35-yard-line when McKay decided to go for the 1st down instead of kicking a field goal that would increase the lead to 13 points.

The gamble backfired as Williams was tackled for a three-yard-loss to give the ball back to the Lions with 2:26 left on the clock and needing two scores.

Detroit would go no-huddle as Hipple completed passes of 16 and 24 yards to Scott to put the Lions at the Tampa Bay 22-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.

A false start penalty would push the Lions back five yards as Hipple tried to connect with Scott, only to have the pass go off his hands and into the arms of Sims for a 19-yard reception to give Detroit a 1st & goal at the eight-yard-line.

After two incomplete passes, Hipple found Thompson in the end zone for the eight-yard touchdown to make it a 20-17 game with 1:26 left in regulation.

The Lions would attempt an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff but it was to no avail as Tampa Bay wide receiver Theo Bell recovered the football to allow the Bucs to run out the clock and came away with the 20-17 win to clinch the second division title in three years for the Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers would be greeted with a hero's welcome when they returned to Tampa Bay as 5,000 fans greeted the team at their headquarters following their win over the Lions.

But this would be the peak for the Buccaneers as two weeks later they were soundly defeated 38-0 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs to the Dallas Cowboys.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: The Birth of "Captain Comeback" as Staubach Leads Cowboys to Stunning Playoff Win over 49ers

Roger Staubach would come off the bench to throw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' 1972 NFC Divisional Playoff game.

Roger Staubach has many nicknames such as "Roger The Dodger" because of his scrambling abilities as well as "Captain America" thanks to his service in the United States Naval Academy during the 1960s.

But perhaps Staubach's most famous moniker is "Captain Comeback" which he earned for his ability to lead the Dallas Cowboys to numerous come-from-behind victories during his 11-year NFL career.

Many experts will point to Dallas' comeback from a 15-point deficit in the 4th quarter of the Cowboys' 1972 NFC Divisional Playoff against the San Francisco 49ers as the day "Captain Comeback" was born.

The Cowboys were the defending Super Bowl champions and were hoping to go back-to-back as the team entered the playoff as the NFC's Wild Card(there were four playoff teams per conference in 1972) with a 10-4 record.

It had been a bit of a tumultous season as Staubach sat on the bench for the majority of the season because of a separated shoulder he suffered during the preseason while Duane Thomas the team's leading rusher from the year before was traded to the San Diego Chargers before the '72 season began.

In Staubach's place was Craig Morton, who had led the Cowboys to the Super Bowl in 1970 and Calvin Hill, father of future NBA great Grant Hill, who rushed for over 1,000 yards during the '72 season.

While Staubach was now healthy as the playoffs began, head coach Tom Landry decided to stick with Morton as the starting quarterback as the Cowboys traveled to Candlestick Park to take on the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers had made the playoffs for the third straight year as they once again won the NFC West division as San Francisco finished with a 8-5-1 record despite having their starting quarterback John Brodie missed most of the regular season with an ankle injury.

Brodie would come off the bench in the 49ers' regular season finale to lead San Francisco back from a 17-6 4th quarter deficit to throw two touchdown passes to give the Niners a 20-17 and a third straight NFC West title.

The 49ers were hoping this would be the year they could finally beat the Cowboys in the playoffs as San Francisco had fallen to Dallas 17-10 in the 1970 NFC Championship Game, then again 14-3 in the 1971 NFC Championship Game.

 It did not take long for the fireworks to begin as the 49ers' Vic Washington returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to give San Francisco a 7-0 lead just 17 seconds into the game.

The Cowboys would start their initial possession of the game at their 32-yard-line as they would drive down to the San Francisco primarily on the legs of Hill, who carried six times for 31 yards to set up a 37-yard field goal by Toni Fritsch to cut the 49ers' lead to 7-3 with 11 minutes left in the first quarter.

After both teams traded punts, the 49ers got the ball at their six-yard-line as two running plays gained five yards to set up 3rd & 5 when Brodie hit Gene Washington for a 52-yard completion to give San Francisco a 1st down at the Dallas 37-yard-line.

However on 2nd & 1 at the 28-yard-line, Brodie threw a pass toward the end zone intended for Gene, only to have Cowboys cornerback Charlie Waters intercept the pass to give the ball back to Dallas at its one-yard-line.

The Cowboys would drive to their 23-yard-line until Morton fumbled the ball after he was hit by 49ers strong safety Windlan Hall leading to a recovery by defensive end Tommy Hart to give San Francisco the ball at the Dallas 15-yard-line with 39 seconds left in the opening period.

The 49ers would  keep it on the ground as they ran six straight running plays with Larry Schreiber carrying the ball five times for 10 yards with the last carry being an one-yard touchdown on a 4th down & goal to increase the San Francisco lead to 14-3 with 12:30 to go in the second quarter.

Things would get worse for the Cowboys on their ensuing possession when Morton was intercepted by 49ers linebacker Skip Vanderbundt to give San Francisco the ball back at the Dallas 32-yard-line.

Five plays later, the 49ers were back in the end zone as Schreiber punched it in for another one-yard touchdown to increase make it 21-3 in favor of San Francisco with 9:09 left in the second quarter.

49ers running back Larry Schrieber would only run for 52 yards on 26 carries, but scored three touchdowns.

Following a 33-yard kickoff return by Cliff Harris, the Cowboys would start their next possession at their 39-yard-line as Dallas would drive 23 yards in six plays to set up a 45-yard field goal by Fritsch to cut the 49ers' lead to 21-6 with 7:09 remaining before halftime.

The "Doomsday Defense" would force a three-and-out to give the Cowboys' offense the ball at the 49ers' 48-yard-line as it took Dallas six plays to get into the end zone as Morton found Lance Altworth for a 28-yard touchdown to cut the 49ers' lead to 21-13 with 1:57 left in the first half.

The 49ers would run out the clock to end the first half still holding on to a 21-13 lead but set to go on defense to start the second half as the Cowboys would get the ball at their 20-yard-line for their inital possession of the second half.

However, Dallas would go three-and-out to punt the ball back to the 49ers, who took over at their 29-yard-line as Brodie completed a 23-yard pass to Preston Riley to put San Francisco at the Dallas 48-yard-line.

Five plays later, the 49ers attempted a 40-yard field goal but Bruce Gossett would sail the kick wide left and no good, giving the ball back to the Cowboys, who took over at their 20-yard-line(No matter the distance, a team would begin their possession after a missed field goal at their 20-yard-line).

The Cowboys would drive to their 41-yard-line until Morton threw a pass intended for Billy Parks, only to have the ball bounce off Parks' hands and into the hands of Vanderbundt for another interception to give the 49ers the ball at their 47-yard-line.

Dallas would force another three-and-out to get the ball back at their five-yard-line only to give it right back to the 49ers one play later as Hill lost the football after he was hit by 49ers defensive tackle Charlie Krueger leading to a recovery by Hall at the Dallas one-yard-line.

It would take the 49ers one play to get into the end zone as Schreiber ran it in for another touchdown to push the San Francisco lead to 28-13 with five minutes left in the third quarter.

The Cowboys would start their next possession at their 20-yard-line as Morton hit Ron Sellers for 11 yards to start the drive which was followed by a 19-yard run by Hill to put Dallas at the 50-yard-line needing a score of some kind.

But Morton would throw three straight incomplete passes to force another Dallas punt to the 49ers who took over at their 20-yard-line.

Craig Morton would be benched after throwing for only 96 yards and committing three turnovers.

After Vic Washington ran for 22 yards to start the drive, the "Doomsday Defense" would stiffen to force another San Francisco punt to give their offense the ball at their 11-yard-line with 1:48 to go in the third quarter.

That is when Landry inserted Staubach into the game to take over for Morton in hopes of saving the Cowboys' season.

The drive got off to a good start as Staubach hit Parks for 27 yards and a 1st down at the Dallas 38-yard-line only to have Staubach be sacked for a 10-yard-loss on the next play, then fumble the football following a hit by defensive tackle Bob Hoskins as linebacker Dave Wilcox recovered the loose ball at the Cowboys' 31-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end.

The 49ers would pick up just six yards on three plays forcing them to settle for a 32-yard field goal attempt by Gossett but once again the kick would sail wide left and no good to keep the score 28-13 just 95 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Cowboys got the ball at their 20-yard-line when Hill bursted loose for a 48-yard run to put Dallas at the 49ers' 32-yard-line in hopes of getting a score of some kind in hopes of winning the game.

The Cowboys would pick up one more 1st down before settling for a 27-yard field goal by Fritsch to trim the 49ers' lead to 28-16 with 8:58 left in the fourth quarter.

The Cowboys would force another three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 17-yard-line as Staubach completed three straight passes for 27 yards to put Dallas at its 44-yard-line when a quarterback sack and two incomplete passes would force another Cowboys punt.

Despite forcing another three-and-out, it seemed hopeless for the Cowboys as they still needed two touchdowns and had only 2:02 left in the game.

That is when Staubach caught fire as he completed back-to-back passes to Garrison for 16 yards which was followed by a 19-yard pass to Parks to put Dallas at the 49ers' 20-yard-line when Staubach fired a pass for Parks in the end zone, who made the catch for the touchdown to cut the 49ers' lead to 28-23 with 90 seconds left in the game.

Now the Cowboys needed to recover the onside kick on the ensuing kickoff to keep their chances of victory alive when Fritsch used a soccer technique to help his team get the football.

As Fritsch came to kick the ball, it looked like he was going to kick it to the left side with his left foot, only for Toni to plant and kick the ball with his right leg or in soccer terms he pulled out a "rabona" to the right side toward Preston Riley could not recover the bouncing ball as Cowboys cornerback Mel Renfro would make the recovery at the 50-yard-line.

Staubach would then scramble for 21 yards to the 49ers' 29-yard-line where he connected with Parks again this time for 19 yards to give Dallas a 1st and goal at the San Francisco 10-yard-line when Roger fired a pass over the middle for Ron Sellers, who made the catch near the goalpost for the touchdown to give the Cowboys a 30-28 lead with 52 seconds left.

Ron Sellers would make the game-winning touchdown catch to complete the Cowboys' comeback from a 15-point 4th quarter deficit.

After giving up two touchdowns in a span of 38 seconds, the 49ers would get the ball back at their 29-yard-line with a chance to drive down into field goal range.

Brodie would throw two incomplete passes to start the drive then tossed an eight-yard pass to Schreiber to set up 4th & 2 when the 1970 NFL MVP found Vic Washington for eight yards and a 1st down at the San Francisco 45-yard-line.

On the next play, it looked that Brodie had put the 49ers in field goal range as he completed a 23-yard pass to Riley, only to have it called back because of an holding penalty, which pushed San Francisco back 15 yards to its 30-yard-line where Brodie would be picked off by Waters, whose second interception of the game allowed for Staubach to run out the clock to allow the Cowboys to come away with the shocking 30-28 win.

The third consecutive playoff loss to the Cowboys not only ended the 49ers' season but also closed their Super Bowl window as San Francisco would miss the playoffs in 1973 after a 5-9 season, which was the last season for Brodie who retried after 17 seasons.

The 49ers would have only one winning season until 1981 when San Francisco won the first of their five Super Bowls in franchise history.

As for the Cowboys, they earned a trip to the nation's capital to take on the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship Game, with Staubach as the Dallas starting quarterback.

However, the Cowboys could not keep the momentum from the San Francisco comeback going as they were trounced 26-3 to end the ' 72 season.

The Cowboys would move forward with Staubach as their starting quarterback as Dallas would make the playoffs in six of their next seven seasons which included three trips to the Super Bowl and a win in Super Bowl XII over the Denver Broncos at the end of the 1977 season.

Staubach's reputation as "Captain Comeback" would continue to grow as he lead the Cowboys to 20 game winning drives in the 4th quarter with 15 of those drives coming in the final two minutes or overtime until his retirement after the 1979 season.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Wazzu Comes Back From 3 TDs Down to Stun #1 UCLA

 

Cougars quarterback Timm Rosenbach threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns in leading Washington State to an upset over #1 UCLA.

When it comes to the greatest moment in Washington State football history, many Wazzu fans will point to the Cougars' upset of #1 UCLA and quarterback Troy Aikman back on October 29, 1988.

The Cougars came into the game with a 4-3 record under second-year head coach Dennis Erickson, who had already won more games in the '88 season than he did in 1987 when he led Wazzu to a 3-7-1 record

Thanks to an explosive offense which featured quarterback Timm Rossenbach, who led the country in passing efficiency, and running back Steve Broussard, the leading rusher in the Pac-10, the Cougars jumped out to a 4-1 start as Wazzu averaged almost 41 points per game during that stretch.

But a porous defense that gave an average of 413 yards per game and an injury to Broussard lead the Cougars to a two-game losing streak to drop Wazzu to 4-3 as they prepared to travel down to Pasadena to take on the Bruins.

UCLA came into the game ranked #1 for the first time since 1967 as the Bruins stood with a 7-0 record under head coach Terry Donahue, who was in his 13th season as the UCLA head coach.

The Bruins were led by quarterback Troy Aikman, who was a Heisman Trophy candidate as he directed an offense which had averaged 40 points up to this point in the 1988 season while the defense was giving up an average of almost 15 points per game.

With the way UCLA was playing, plus the absence of Broussard who was out with an ankle injury, and the fact that the Cougars had not beaten the Bruins in Los Angeles in 30 years, Wazzu entered the game as 19-point underdogs as the two teams faced off in the Rose Bowl stadium.

The Cougars would get the ball at their 20-yard-line to start the game as Rosenbach came out firing as he completed passes of 23 yards to Doug Wellstandt, 18 yards to Tim Stallworth, and 11 yards to William Pellium to help set up a 48-yard field goal by Jason Hanson to give Wazzu a 3-0 lead.

Trailing for the first time all season, the Bruins would get a golden opportunity to erase the deficit when linebacker Chase Johnson recovered a Rosenbach fumble to give UCLA the ball at the Cougars' 40-yard-line.

Aikman would lead the Bruins to the Washington State 14-yard-line until an offensive pass interference penalty on tight end Randy Austin on a 3rd & 9 pushed UCLA back 15 yards and cost them a down, forcing the Bruins to settle for a 47-yard field goal by Alfredo Velasco which tied the game at 3 with 1:32 left in the first quarter.

Following a Washington State punt, the Bruins would get the ball at their 40-yard-line as they once again drove down the field, moving 56 yards in eight plays to set up a 3rd & goal situation, only to have running back Brian Brown be dropped for a two-yard loss, forcing the UCLA to settle for another Velasco field goal, this one from 23 yards out to put the Bruins on top 6-3 with 10:18 remaining in the second quarter.

The Bruins would force the Cougars to go three-and-out on their next possession to get the ball back at the Washington State 41-yard-line as Aikman completed passes of 13 yards to Mike Farr and 19 yards to Dave Keating to give UCLA a 1st & goal at the nine-yard-line.

From there, the Bruins kept it on the ground as Eric Ball ran for five yards, which was followed by a three-yard run by Aikman, and then an one-yard touchdown by Mark Estwick to increase the UCLA lead to 13-3 midway through the second quarter.

After another Washington State punt, the Bruins would put together their most impressive drive of the game thus far as they drove 87 yards in nine plays, culiminating with an one-yard touchdown pass from Aikman to running back Danny Thompson to push the UCLA lead to 20-3 with 2:15 left in the second quarter.

Hoping to get some points before the end of the first half, the Cougars were able to drive 42 yards in eight plays to give Hanson a shot at a 51-yard field goal.

Hanson would calmly make the kick with 50 seconds left before halftime to trim the UCLA lead to 20-6 as the Bruins ran out the clock to end the first half but set to get the ball to start the second half.

UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman completed 27 of 44 passes for 325 yards and threw one touchdown.

The Bruins would begin their opening possession of the second half at their 29-yard-line as Aikman completed a seven-yard pass to Austin which was followed by a four-yard run by Estwick to pick up a 1st down at the UCLA 40-yard-line.

Aikman would then hand the ball off to Ball, who ran for 14 yards for another 1st down at the Washington State 46-yard-line when Aikman went back to the air as he completed back-to-back passes to Reggie Moore for 20 yards to give the Bruins a 1st down at the 26-yard-line.

Ball would get the call again on the next play as he ran for 10 yards as he was hit out of bounds by Cougars free safety Artie Holmes, drawing a penalty that gave the Bruins a 1st & goal at the eight-yard line as Ball punched it in for the touchdown to end the seven-play, 71-yard drive and increase the UCLA lead to 27-6 just 2:35 into the third quarter.

With the game on the brink of getting out of hand, the Cougars would respond with a 10-play, 79-yard drive that was capped off with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Rosenbach to Stallworth to cut the UCLA lead to 27-13 with 8:30 left in the third quarter.

The Bruins would get the ball back at their 13-yard-line as Aikman hit tight end Charles Arbuckle for seven yards to start the drive, then handed it off to Ball, who ran for 17 yards until he fumbled the football when he was hit by Holmes, leading to a recovery by defensive end Marlin Brown at the UCLA 37-yard-line.

From there, Rosenbach would scramble for 11 yards, then again for 13 yards, before handing the ball off to Rich Swinton, who as filling in for Broussard, as the sophomore for seven yards, then again for the six-yard touchdown to make it an one-possession game at 27-20 with 6:45 to go in the third quarter.

Both teams would trade punts until the Cougars got the ball at their 16-yard-line as a Swinton three-yard run would set up 2nd & 7 when Rosenbach beat the UCLA blitz to fire a pass for Stallworth, who made the catch at the Washington State 35-yard-line, then outran the Bruin defenders to complete a shocking 81-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 27 with 12 seconds left in the third quarter.

Having seen their 21-point lead evaporate, the Bruins would turn to Aikman to stop the Cougars' run as UCLA had the ball at their 27-yard-line as the fourth quarter began.

That is when Aikman completed a 17-yard pass to Keating, then later a nine-yard pass to Arbuckle, and then a 18-yard pass to Moore to help lead UCLA to the Washington State 13-yard-line until back-to-back incomplete passes forced the Bruins to settle for a 30-yard field goal by Velasco to break the tie and give UCLA a 30-27 lead with 11:39 left in the game.

The Cougars would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line as two running plays to start the drive netted just one yard, only to have UCLA defensive tackle Mike Lodish be called for a 15-yard face mask penalty to give Wazzu a 1st down at its 36-yard-line.

Six straight running plays for 23 yards put Washington State at the UCLA 41-yard-line when Rosenbach scrambled for four yards when he was hit out of bounds by Bruins linebacker Carnell Lake drawing another 15-yard penalty on the Bruins and giving the Cougars a 1st down at the UCLA 22-yard-line.

From there, Swinton carried the ball three straight times for 17 yards before Rosenbach ran for four yards to give the Cougars a 1st & goal when Swinton punched it in from the one-yard-line to end the 13-play, 80-yard drive with a touchdown to give Wazzu a 34-30 lead with 6:21 to play.

The Cougars would get a great chance to increase their lead when Brian Brown fumbled the ensuing kickoff after a hit by Washington State defensive back John Diggs, leading to a recovery by Hanson at the UCLA 37-yard-line.

The Cougars would drive the ball to the Bruins' 19-yard-line until they brought on Hanson to attempt a 36-yard field goal to push the lead to seven points only to  Hanson's kick sailed wide left and no good to keep the score at 34-30 with 3:16 left in the game.

Cougars running back Rich Swinton ran for 117 yards on 27 carries and scored two touchdowns.

The Bruins would drive from their 20-yard-line to the Cougars' 45-yard-line as Aikman completed three passes for 29 yards and scrambled for six yards to set up a 2nd & 10 situation when Aikman was intercepted by Holmes to give Washington State the ball at its 33-yard-line with a chance to run out the remaining 1:59 in the game.

However, the Cougars could not pick up a 1st down and were forced to punt the ball back to the Bruins who would get the ball at the Washington State 39-yard-line after Daryl Henley returned the punt 31 yards with 44 seconds left.

That is when Aikman found Arbuckle across the middle for a 33-yard gain to give UCLA a 1st and goal at the Cougars' six-yard-line with four chances to get into the end zone and escape with the win.

Aikman would throw the pass out of bounds to stop the clock on 1st down, then try to go back to Arbuckle on 2nd down, only to have Holmes knock it down to make it incomplete and force 3rd down when Ron Lee batted down Aikman's pass intended for Maury Toy to set up a do or die 4th down.

That is when Aikman lofted a pass toward the right side of the end zone, trying to hit Keating, only to have Cougars cornerback Verrnon Todd break up the pass to force another incompletion and give the ball back to Washington State who took a knee to run out the clock to come away with the 34-30 win.

The loss would drop UCLA five spots to #6 in the polls as the Bruins would win their next two games to set a de facto Pac-10 Championship Game with arch rival USC, which they lost 31-22, giving the Trojans the Pac-10 title and trip to the Rose Bowl Game.

The Bruins would settle for a 17-3 win over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl to finish the season with a 10-2 record and #6 final ranking in both polls as Aikman would be picked with the #1 overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1989 NFL draft.

As for the Cougars, the win over UCLA would be the turning point in their season as they won their final three regular season games to earn an invitation to play in the Aloha Bowl on Christmas Day.

The Cougars would defeat the Houston Cougars 24-22 to finish the season with a 9-3 record and a #16 ranking in the final AP and coaches polls.

However, the Cougars would lose Erickson as he accepted the University of Miami head coaching position where he would win two national championships in his six seasons with the Hurricanes.