NFL Old School Game of the Week: Bears Defeat Jets in Wild Monday Night Game

Bears quarterback Jim Harbaugh is hoisted by teammates after leading the Bears to a 19-13 overtime win over the Jets.

The final game of Week 4 of the 1991 NFL season was one of the crazier games of that season as the Chicago Bears hosted the New York Jets on a Monday Night in the Windy City.

The Bears were off to hot start to the 1991 NFL season as they came into the game with a 3-0 record under head coach Mike Ditka, who was one win away from earning his 100th victory as head coach after becoming the Chicago head coach in 1982 during a reign that included a Super Bowl championship in 1985.

On the field, the Bears were led by quarterback Jim Harbaugh, running back Neal Anderson, and linebacker Mike Singletary as Chicago hoped to return to the postseason for the second year in a row and for the seventh time in the previous eight seasons.

The Bears' opponent for this game were the Jets, who came into the game with a 1-2 record under head coach Bruce Coslet, who was hoping to get New York's AFC team back to the playoffs for the first time since 1986 with a lineup that featured quarterback Ken O'Brien and wide receiver Al Toon.

 The Bears got the ball to start the game as a holding penalty would put Chicago in a 2nd & 17 at their seven-yard-line when Harbaugh connected with wide receiver Tom Waddle for a 31-yard completion which was followed by Waddle drawing a 35-yard pass interference penalty on Jets cornerback Tony Stargell to put the Bears at the New York 27-yard-line.

It looked like the drive was going to end with a touchdown as Harbaugh completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wendell Davis only for it to be wiped out because of a false start penalty as the Bears would settle for a 33-yard field goal by Kevin Butler to give Chicago the early 3-0 lead.

The Jets would get great field position for their first drive of the game as Terance Mathis returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to the New York 45-yard-line as O'Brien would find Toon for 29 yards on the Jets' first offensive snap of the game to advance the Jets to the Bears' 26-yard-line.

The Jets would advance all the way to the two-yard-line but could not put into the end zone as Pat Leahy would come on to kick a 19-yard field goal to tie the game at three with 5:54 left in the first quarter.

After an exchange of punts, the Bears had the ball at their 27-yard-line when on the second play of the second quarter, Harbaugh completed a nine-yard pass to running back James Rouse, who lost the football after he was hit by Jets linebacker Kyle Clifton, causing a fumble that was recovered by free safety Lonnie Young to give New York the ball at the Chicago 35-yard-line.

Two runs by running back Blair Thomas that totaled 15 yards would set up a 37-yard field goal attempt by Leahy, whose kick would sail wide right of the uprights to keep the game tied at three.

Later in the second quarter, two passes from Harbaugh to tight end James Thornton for 21 yards plus a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Jets defensive end Marvin Washington helped the Bears move to the New York 27-yard-line when Butler would come on to attempt a 45-yard field goal.

However, Butler would miss the kick as the Jets would take over with 4:03 left in the first half and a chance to take the lead.

The drive would begin with two runs by Thomas for 25 yards which was followed by O'Brien hitting Mathis for a 20-yard completion as the Jets would make it to the Bears' 17-yard-line where Leahy would make a 34-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to give New York a 6-3 lead at the halftime break.

After both teams punted on their opening possessions of the second half, the Jets got the ball at their 41-yard-line when O'Brien got hot as he completed all four of his passes for 46 yards on the nine-play, 59-yard drive that culminated with an one-yard touchdown run by running back Brad Baxter to extend New York's lead to double digits at 13-3 with 3:38 to go in the third quarter.

Jets running back Blair Thomas ran for 125 yards on 27 carries but had a crucial fumble in the final minutes of regulation.

The Bears would begin their ensuing possession at their 22-yard-line as Harbaugh completed three passes to Davis for 25 yards to move Chicago to around midfield when Waddle drew another pass interference penalty, this one on the other Jets cornerback James Hasty for 28 yards, to give the Bears a fresh set of downs at the Jets' 26-yard-line as the fourth quarter began.

The Jets defense would stiffen and not allow another 1st down as Butler would come on to kick a 44-yard field goal to make it an one-touchdown game in favor of New York at 13-6 with 12:51 left in the fourth quarter.

The Bears defense would force the Jets to punt on their next possession to give their offense the ball at their 37-yard-line as Harbaugh completed three passes to Davis for a total of 42 yards to advance Chicago to the New York four-yard-line with a 1st & goal.

Three straight running plays by three different runners gained just two yards to set up 4th & goal from the two-yard-line when Harbaugh tried to punch it in on a quarterback draw only to be stopped one yard short of the end zone by Jets strong safety Brian Washington to give New York the ball at their one-yard-line but a chance to run out the clock with 3:32 left in regulation.

The Jets would pick up two 1st downs as Thomas would carry the ball on five straight plays to move New York to their 34-yard-line where they would face a 2nd & 8 situation as the Bears spent their three timeouts.

That is when Bears defensive tackle Steve McMichael would strip Thomas of the ball as "Mongo" would make the recovery to give Chicago the ball at the Jets' 36-yard-line with 1:54 to go in regulation

The drive got off to an auspicious start as Jets defensive tackle Dennis Byrd would sack Harbaugh for a nine-yard loss to push the Bears back nine yards to the New York 45-yard-line, which was followed by an incomplete pass to bring up 3rd & 19.

Harbaugh would fire a pass intended for Waddle, that looked like was going to be intercepted by Hasty, only for Waddle to wrestle the ball away from the Jets defensive back, to make the 16-yard catch and set Chicago up with a do-or-die 4th & 3 when Harbaugh handed the ball to Anderson who ran for eight yards to give Chicago a fresh set of downs at the New York 21-yard-line as Harbaugh would spike the ball to stop the clock with 1:10 remaining.

Harbaugh would then complete an eight-yard pass to Waddle followed by a six-yard pass to Anderson to give the Bears a 1st & goal at the Jets' seven-yard-line as the next three plays netted just one yard to set up 4th & goal at the six-yard-line.

The Bears would run the clock down to three seconds before snapping the ball when Harbaugh found Anderson in the left corner of the end zone as time expired for the touchdown that with Butler's extra point tied the game at 13 and send into overtime.

Bears running back Neal Anderson would catch the game-tying touchdown on the final play of regulation.

The Jets would get the ball to start the extra period as they picked up one 1st down before punting the ball to the Bears, who would drive from their 39-yard-line to the New York 44-yard-line until they punted it back to the Jets, who would take over at their 20-yard-line with 8:32 left in the game.

From there, O'Brien would complete four of five passes for 47 yards to help New York drive to the Chicago 11-yard-line when Coslet would send in Leahy and the field goal unit to win the game with a 28-yard field goal attempt.

But Leahy's kick would sail wide left of the uprights to keep the game going as the Bears would take over at their 20-yard-line with 3:50 left in the game as a 13-13 tie looked very possible.

Harbaugh would complete five of his next six passes for 45 yards to move the Bears to the Jets' 23-yard-line when Harbaugh rolled to his right and fired a pass for tight end Cap Boso, who made the catch around the five-yard-line, then carried two New York defenders to the goal line where it looked like Boso crossed for the game-winning touchdown with 35 seconds left.

The Bears began to celebrate with Boso, who had grass stuck in his face mask, until instant replay was initiated and found that Boso's knee was down before he crossed the goal line, meaning that the Bears a 1st & goal inside the one-yard-line.

Harbaugh would then sneak for what would be the game-winning touchdown to finally end the game as 12:45 in the morning(eastern time) with 18 seconds left in overtime with the Bears on top 19-13 to give Ditka his 100th victory as the Chicago head coach

The Jets would recover from the loss to finish the season with an 8-8 record but good enough to qualify for the playoffs as they defeated the Miami Dolphins 23-20 in overtime on a 30-yard field goal by Raul Allegre in the final game of the regular season as New York would fall to the Houston Oilers 17-10 in the Wild Card round.

As for the Bears, they would return to the postseason with a 11-5 record as they would be defeated by the Dallas Cowboys 17-13 in the NFC Wild Card round in what would be the final postseason appearance during Ditka's tenure which would end after the 1992 season.

College Football Old School Game of the Week: Houghtlin's Walk-off FG Gives #1 Iowa Win over #2 Michigan

Rob Houghtlin kicks what would be the game-winning field goal in #1 Iowa's win over #2 Michigan.

October 19, 1985 is a date etched in the history of Iowa Hawkeyes football as on that day the #1 Hawkeyes hosted the #2 Michigan Wolverines in what is arguably the greatest game in Iowa football history.

The Hawkeyes were led by head coach Hayden Fry, who was in his seventh season as the Iowa head coach having turned the Hawkeyes from one of the worst teams in the Big 10 conference to one of the best after leading Iowa to the 1981 Big 10 championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl after 19 straight losing seasons.

That began an Iowa football renaissance as the Hawkeyes would have four straight winning seasons and play in four straight bowl games from 1981-84.

But the expectations in 1985 were sky-high as the Hawkeyes had a Heisman Trophy candidate in fifth-year senior quarterback Chuck Long, who directed an Iowa offense that scored 153 points in its first three games of the '85 season which propelled to Iowa to the #1 ranking for the first time in 25 years.

The Hawkeyes would pull off a 35-31 win over Michigan State then defeated Wisconsin 23-13 to stay at #1 as Iowa prepared to host #2 Michigan.

Unlike Iowa, Michigan's expectations for the 1985 season were rather low following a 6-6 season in 1984 which was the worst season since Bo Schembechler became the head coach back in 1969.

However, the Wolverines would rebound to start the '85 season with a 5-0 record thanks to a dynamic defense which had allowed only 21 points over the course of the first five games of the season.

With their dominant defense and solid offense led by quarterback Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines went from unranked to #2 as they traveled to Iowa City to take on the #1 Iowa Hawkeyes in a game that could be best described as the irresistible force meeting the unmovable object.

 The Hawkeyes got the ball at their 20-yard-line to start the game as Long handed the ball off to running back Ronnie Harmon five straight times for a total of 21 yards before throwing his first pass of the game which was an eight-yard pass to Bill Happel to give Iowa a 1st down at its 49-yard-line.

However, the Hawkeyes would not pick up another yard as they were forced to punt the ball away to the Wolverines who would take over at their 27-yard-line to begin their first possession.

Just like what Iowa did on its first possession, the Wolverines would drive to their 49-yard-line before punting the ball back to the Hawkeyes who took over at their 18-yard-line as they would pick up one 1st down before they punted the ball back to Michigan, only to have the Wolverines rough punter Gary Kostrubala to draw a 15-yard penalty and give Iowa a 1st down at its 47-yard-line.

The Hawkeyes would come up one yard short of picking up another 1st down forcing them to punt back to Michigan who took over at its 10-yard-line as their next possession started with a four-yard run by Gerald White followed by two straight runs by Jamie Morris that picked up 22 yards.

Two more runs would pick up seven yards to set up 3rd & 3 when Harbaugh was sacked by Iowa nose guard Hap Peterson to end the first quarter with the game still scoreless.

Following another Michigan punt, the Hawkeyes got the ball at their 24-yard-line where they began their best drive of the game thus far as Long completed four of his next five passes for 55 yards, with three of those completions going to Scott Helverson for 38 yards, to lead Iowa to the Michigan 16-yard-line where they had a 1st & 10.

A two-yard run by Harmon on 1st down followed by Harmon losing four yards on a screen pass set up 3rd & 12 when the most controversial play of the game happened as Long rolled to his right and fired a pass toward the back of the end zone that was caught by Helverson, only to have officials rule that his feet were out of bounds making the pass incomplete.

However, replays showed that Helverson was inbounds when he made the catch but since there was no instant replay in college football in 1985 the play stood and the Hawkeyes were forced to settle for a 35-yard field goal by Rob Houghtlin to give Iowa a 3-0 lead with just over nine minutes left in the second quarter.

Iowa quarterback Chuck Long completed 26 of 39 passes for 297 yards.

The Wolverines would get the ball in Iowa territory to start their next drive as Morris returned the ensuing kickoff 60 yards to the Hawkeyes' 31-yard-line where running back Thomas Wilcher came in and ran the ball two straight times to pick up 11 yards and a 1st down at the Iowa 20-yard-line.

An eight-yard pass from Harbaugh to Paul Joksich plus a face mask penalty on Station gave Michigan a 1st & goal at the six-yard-line.

Two runs by Morris that netted zero yards set up 3rd & goal when Harbaugh tossed a shovel pass to White who was able to run it to the goal line where he stretched out the ball to cross the plank for the six-yard touchdown that with the extra point gave Michigan a 7-3 lead with 6:06 left in the second quarter.

Iowa would get the ball at its 20-yard-line to start its next drive which began with a 31-yard pass from Long to Harmon to put the Hawkeyes at the Michigan 49-yard-line, only to have the Michigan defense force Iowa to punt after Long completed only one of his next three passes for four yards.

The Hawkeyes would force a three-and-out to get the ball back at the Michigan 45-yard-line with 3:17 left before halftime in hopes of getting some points before the end of the half.

The drive began with a 25-yard pass from Long to Harmon to give Iowa a 1st down at the Michigan 20-yard-line, which was followed by a four-yard run by Harmon and a nine-yard pass to Helverson to set up 1st & goal at the Wolverines' seven-yard-line.

That is when the Hawkeyes started to go backwards as Harmon lost three yards on 1st down, then lost five more on 2nd down, before gaining five yards on a 3rd down pass to force 4th & goal as Houghtlin came in to kick a 27-yard field goal as time expired in the first half with the Wolverines leading 7-6.

It would not be the last time Houghtlin would make a field goal as time expired in this game.

The Wolverines would get the ball to start the second half as they drove from their 30-yard-line to the Iowa 45-yard-line before punting the ball away to the Hawkeyes, who took over at their 20-yard-line following a touchback on the punt.

Long would complete a 18-yard pass to Bill Happel to start the drive which was followed by an one-yard run by Harmon then a quarterback sack to force 3rd & 19 when Long connected with Happel again, this time for 19 yards to pick up the 1st down at the Iowa 48-yard-line.

The Hawkeyes would eventually drive to the Wolverines' 24-yard-line until Long was intercepted by Michigan linebacker Dieter Heren on a pass intended for tight end Mike Flagg to end the Iowa drive and give Michigan the ball at its 11-yard-line.

The Wolverines would drive to their 35-yard-line before punting the ball back to the Hawkeyes who took over at their 24-yard-line where it took Iowa only two plays to drive into Michigan territory as Long completed a 14-yard pass to Happel which was followed by a 14-yard run by Harmon to give the Hawkeyes a 1st down at the Michigan 48-yard-line.

The Hawkeyes would drive to the Michigan 18-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end with Iowa still trailing 7-6 but facing 3rd & 3 when Long fumbled the snap only to recover it to give Houghtlin a chance to kick a 36-yard field goal.

Houghtlin's kick would sail through the uprights to give Iowa a 9-7 lead just 40 seconds into the fourth quarter as Michigan would get the ball at its 37-yard-line to start its next possession.

Iowa running back Ronnie Harmon ran the ball 32 times for 120 yards.

Harbaugh would complete a five-yard pass to tight end Eric Kattus on the first play of the drive which was followed by a 17-yard run by Bob Perryman for a Michigan 1st down at the Iowa 41-yard-line.

Morris would then run for 24 yards on the next play to put Michigan at the Hawkeyes' 17-yard-line when the Wolverines went backwards as an illegal procedure penalty and a five-yard loss on a screen pass to Morris set up 2nd & 20.

The Wolverines would only pick up four more yards forcing them to settle for a 40-yard field goal by Mike Gillette to give Michigan a 10-9 lead with 10:55 remaining in the game.

The Hawkeyes would starts its next possession at their 20-yard-line where two runs by Harmon for 13 yards and passes of 16 yards from Long to Robert Smith and 13 yards to Helverson put Iowa at the Michigan 38-yard-line.

The Hawkeyes would drive to the Michigan 23-yard-line until a quarterback sack by Wolverines strong safety Ivan Hicks stall the drive and forced the Hawkeyes to attempt a 44-yard field goal by Houghtlin, which fell short of the goal posts and was no good to keep Michigan ahead 10-9 midway through the fourth quarter.

Michigan would take over at its 27-yard-line and pick up eight yards on two running plays to set up 3rd & 2 when linebacker Larry Station made his presence felt as he dropped Morris for a two-yard-loss to force the Wolverines to punt the ball away to the Hawkeyes who took over at their 22-yard-line with 5:27 left in the game and needing just a field goal to win.

The drive got off to an auspicious start as Long threw two straight incomplete passes to force 3rd & 10 when Long found Flagg for a 12-yard completion to give Iowa a 1st down at its 34-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Long handed the ball off to Harmon, who ran for 12 yards to pick up another 1st down at the Iowa 46-yard-line.

Two straight runs by Harmon netted three yards to force 3rd & 7 when Long connected with Flagg again, this time for 11 yards to give Iowa a 1st down at the Michigan 40-yard-line.

Harmon would then ran for 13 yards on the following play for another Iowa 1st down as the Hawkeyes were now at the Michigan 27-yard-line.

A one-yard loss on a Harmon run and a six-yard pass from Long to fullback Fred Bush lead to a 3rd & 5 from the Michigan 22-yard-line when Long handed the ball off to David Hudson, who ran up the middle for six yards and another Iowa 1st down at the Michigan 16-yard-line.

One more run by Harmon picked up four yards before Fry called timeout with two seconds left as Houghtlin came onto the field to attempt a 29-yard field goal to win the game.

Despite having dominated the game statistically as the Hawkeyes outgained the Wolverines 422-182 and holding the ball for nearly 38 minutes, it would all come down to Houghtlin to make a fourth field goal of the game to give Iowa the win.

 Schembechler called timeout in hopes of icing Houghtlin who spent the timeout praying as he prepare to make his kick.

With a perfect snap and a perfect hold from Mark Vlasic, Houghtlin's kick sailed through the uprights as time expired to give Iowa a 12-10 victory and send the crows at Kinnick Stadium into a frenzy as many of the fans came out on to the field in celebration.

In a postgame interview, Fry jokingly said that he was going to vote his team #1 after the victory.

The Hawkeyes would remain #1 for two weeks until they were upset by the Ohio State Buckyes 22-13, ending their five-week run as the top team in the country as they fell to #6 after the loss in Columbus.

The Hawkeyes would recover to win their final three games of the regular season as they would finish the regular season with a 10-1 record that with an Ohio State loss to Wisconsin help earn Iowa its second trip to the Rose Bowl in five years.

However, in the Rose Bowl the Hawkeyes would fall to the UCLA Bruins 45-28 as UCLA running back Eric Ball ran for 227 yards and scored four touchdowns while Harmon had the worst game of his collegiate career as he fumbled the football four times and dropped a certain touchdown pass in the game as Iowa finished with a 10-2 record and #9 ranking in the final coaches poll and #10 in the final AP poll.

Meanwhile, the Wolverines would finish the season with a 10-1-1 record as they defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers 27-23 in the Fiesta Bowl which allowed them to earn the #2 ranking in the AP and coaches polls at the end of the season.

As for Houghtlin, the game-winning kick against Michigan would not be the final time he made a game-winning field goal at the buzzer as he would make a 37-yard field goal to give Iowa a 30-27 win over Minnesota in 1986 which was followed by a 41-yard field goal at the end of the 1986 Holiday Bowl to give the Hawkeyes a 39-38 win over San Diego State.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Colts Upset Defending Super Bowl Champion 49ers

Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh completed 12 of 18 passes for 175 yards and threw one touchdown in Indy's win over the 49ers in 1995.

The 1995 season for the Indianapolis Colts was a wild ride where the majority of the games would go down to the wire.

Such was the case in Week 7 when the Colts hosted the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers.

The Colts entered the game with a 3-2 record as all five of their games had been decided by a touchdown or less with four of those games decided by a field goal or less.

Led by quarterback Jim Harbaugh, the Colts had staged memorable comeback wins over the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins were they had to overcome 21-point deficits in each game to win in overtime on field goals by Cary Blanchard.

The 3-2 start had given Indianapolis fans hope that the Colts would make the playoffs for the first time since 1987.

While the Colts were looking to end their playoff drought, the 49ers were trying to defend their Super Bowl title from the year before as they entered their game with the Colts with a 4-1 record.

The 49ers were led by head coach George Seifert and the famous "West Coast" offense under the direction of quarterback Steve Young and wide receiver Jerry Rice.

However, the 49ers were still searching to find a replacement for running back Ricky Watters, who had left the team in the offseason to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles, as Derek Loville and William Floyd looked to fill the void left by Watters.

Despite that, the 49ers were 10 point favorites for their trip to Indianapolis to take on the Colts, a team that had not beaten San Francisco dating back to 1968 as the Colts were one of the three NFL teams to move into the AFC following the AFL-NFL merger, meaning the 49ers and Colts rarely played in the regular season, playing only three times since the merger with the 49ers winning all three.

The Colts would get the ball at their 24-yard-line to start the game as they would drive 61 yards in 15 plays on a drive which took over nine minutes and ended with a 32-yard field goal by Blanchard to give Indianapolis a 3-0 lead with 5:53 left in the first quarter.

The 49ers would start its first possession of the game at their 18-yard-line where after picking up one 1st down gave the ball back to the Colts when Young was sacked by Indianapolis defensive end Tony Bennett, causing a fumble that was recovered by fellow defensive end Bernard Whittington at the San Francisco 30-yard-line.

However, the Colts could not convert the turnover into points as Indianapolis would drive to the San Francisco 16-yard-line until Harbaugh was intercepted by 49ers free safety Merton Hanks, whose 23-yard return gave the 49ers the ball at their 40-yard-line.

The 49ers would then hold the ball for over seven minutes as they drove 60 yards in 12 plays as Young completed all seven of his passes on the drive for 53 yards, including the five-yard touchdown pass to Rice to give San Francisco a 7-3 lead with 10:53 left in the second quarter.

49ers quarterback Steve Young completed 28 of 40 passes for 229 yards and threw one touchdown, but was sacked six times in the 49ers' loss to the Colts.

After both teams went three-and-out on their next possessions, the Colts got the ball back at their 41-yard-line when Harbaugh handed the ball off to Faulk, who picked up eight yards that became a 23-yard play when 49ers defensive lineman Junior Bryant get called for unnecessary roughness, drawing a 15-yard penalty and putting Indy at the San Francisco 36-yard-line.

From there, the Colts ran the ball five straight times, picking up 14 yards until Harbaugh was sacked by 49ers defensive end Jamal Fountaine on 3rd & 8, dropping him for a six-yard loss and forcing the Colts to settle for a 46-yard field goal by Blanchard to trim the San Francisco lead to 7-6 with 2:44 left in the first half.

When the 49ers got the ball back at their 26-yard-line, they went no-huddle in hopes of getting some points before halftime.

Young hit Loville for 13 yards on the second play of the drive, then connected with Floyd for 11 more yards to convert on 3rd & 10 at the San Francisco 39-yard-line to give the 49ers a 1st down at midfield.

Following a two-yard pass to Floyd, Young found John Taylor for 21 yards and a 1st down at the Colts' 27-yard-line with 1:15 left in the half.

After two incomplete passes, Young completed a 11-yard pass to  Rice to give the 49ers a 1st down at the Indianapolis 16-yard-line as San Francisco called timeout with 55 seconds left.

A five-yard run by Loville followed by a five-yard pass to Floyd gave San Francisco 1st & goal at the Colts' six-yard-line when Young hit a two-yard pass to Loville, then tried to run in for the touchdown only to be stopped at the one-yard-line by Colts linebacker Quentin Coryatt as the 49ers used their last timeout with 25 seconds left and needing one yard to get into the end zone.

That is when Coryatt stepped up again as he stopped for Young for no gain as the 49ers tried to get the field goal unit on before time expired in the first half when they got a repreive from the referees as a second football come onto the field allowing them to stop the clock with two seconds before 4th & 1.

Instead of taking the three points, Seifert gambled and went for the touchdown as Young handed the ball to Loville only to have Colts linebacker Trev Alberts break into the backfield causing Loville to move to his left where he was dropped for a two-yard loss by Indy free safety Jason Belser as time expired in the first half with the 49ers coming away with zero points and clinging to a 7-6 lead.

The 49ers would get the ball to start the second half from their 29-yard-line but would gave it right back to the Colts when on 3rd & 4 Young was intercepted by Colts linebacker Derwin Gray, whose 10-yard return gave Indianapolis the ball at the San Francisco 34-yard-line.

From there, Harbaugh would fire a 18-yard pass to Dilger, which was followed by an one-yard run by Faulk and then a 15-yard touchdown pass from Harbaugh to Dilger to give the Colts a 12-7 lead with 11:42 left in the third quarter.

Colts tight end Ken Dilger caught seven passes for 125 yards and scored the first touchdown of his NFL career.

The Colts would go for two to try and make it a seven-point game but Harbaugh's pass was picked off in the end zone by 49ers strong safety Tim McDonald to keep it 12-7.

The 49ers would get good field position to begin its next drive as Jamal Willis returned the ensuing kickoff 38 yards to the San Francisco 45-yard-line where after Loville picked up six yards on the first two plays of the drive, Young connected with Floyd for 10 yards to give San Francisco a 1st down at the Colts' 39-yard-line.

Young would then hit J.J. Stokes for 20 yards and another 1st down at the Colts' 19-yard-line as the 49ers would run the ball on the next four plays, culminating with Loville's four-yard touchdown run to give San Francisco a 14-12 lead midway through the third quarter.

Following an exchange of punts the Colts had the ball at the 21-yard-line when Dilger made his presence felt again as he caught a 41-yard pass from Harbaugh to give Indianapolis a 1st down at the 49ers' 38-yard-line.

From there, Faulk would run the ball three straight times, picking up nine yards before the Colts called on Blanchard again, this time to make a 45-yard field goal, which he did to give Indianapolis a 15-14 lead with 91 seconds left in the third quarter.

The game would move into the 4th quarter with Indianapolis still ahead 15-14 when the 49ers got the ball back at their 20-yard-line as the drive began with Young throwing an incomplete pass intended for Rice, only to have Colts cornerback Eugene Daniel get called for pass interference, drawing a 13-yard penalty and a 1st down at the Indy 33-yard-line.

Young would then find Taylor for 15 yards and another 1st down at the Indy 48-yard-line before connecting with Loville for nine yards to put San Francisco in Colts territory where after an incomplete pass on 2nd & 1, Loville ran for six yards and a 1st down at the Indianapolis 37-yard-line.

Young would then hit Rice for eight yards and then Jones for five yards for another 1st down at the 24-yard-line until back-to-back incomplete passes and a quarterback sack by Alberts for a nine-yard-loss led to Seifert calling on Doug Brien to attempt a 51-yard field goal.

Brien successfully made the field goal to give the 49ers a 17-15 lead with 7:29 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Colts would begin its ensuing possession at their 14-yard-line when the Harbaugh-to-Dilger connection struck again as the rookie tight end caught a five-yard pass to start the drive, then made a 33-yard catch to give Indianapolis a 1st down at the 49ers' 48-yard-line.

A five-yard-loss on a Warren run and an incomplete pass lead to a 3rd & 15 where Harbaugh found Floyd Turner for 16 yards to give the Colts a 1st down at the 49ers' 37-yard-line when Harbaugh handed the ball off to Warren, who ran for 10 yards and another 1st down at the San Francisco 27-yard-line.

Three straight running plays would only pick up three more yards, forcing the Colts to call on Blanchard again to kick a 41-yard field goal that would put Indianapolis in the lead.

Blanchard's kick sailed through the uprights to give the Colts a 18-17 lead with 2:25 to go in the game, plenty of time for Young and the 49ers to drive down for the winning score.

Colts kicker Cary Blanchard made all four of his field goal attempts, including the game-winning 41-yarder late in the 4th quarter.

The 49ers got another great return from Willis as his 39-yard return put the 49ers at their 41-yard-line to begin what they would hoped to be a game-winning drive.

Young would complete a five-yard pass to Rice, then hit Jones for 10 yards to give San Francisco a 1st down at the Colts' 44-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.

A four-yard run by Floyd followed by a seven-yard pass to Jones gave the 49ers another 1st down at the Colts' 33-yard-line when Young was hit hard by Colts defensive tackle Ellis Johnson on a pass for Loville that went for no gain.

Young was shaken up on the play causing San Francisco to spend its final timeout with 1:05 remaining in hopes of not having to take out Young of the game.

However, Young could not recover in time for 2nd down, so backup quarterback Elvis Grbac went in and threw an incomplete pass intended for Jones before Young came back into the game for 3rd down where he hit Floyd for five yards to set up 4th & 5 when the Colts called timeout with 50 seconds to go.

The Colts figured Brien would make the field goal so the Colts where trying to preserve time in order to mount a scoring drive of their own assuming Brien made the 46-yard kick that would give the 49ers the lead.

But Brien's kick sailed wide right allowing the Colts to take a knee to run out the clock and come away with the 18-17 win, giving Indianapolis its first win over the 49ers since 1968.

The 49ers would go on to finish with a 11-5 record, good enough to win the NFC West for the fourth year in a row and 12th time out of the previous 15 seasons, as well as the #2 seed in the NFC playoffs.

But the 49ers would be stunned in the Divisional Round by the Green Bay Packers 27-17, ending their season and their reign as Super Bowl champions.

As for the Colts, the emotional roller coaster known as the 1995 season was just beginning as Indianapolis finished the regular season with a 9-7 record, good enough to earn a Wild Card spot as Cary Blanchard kicked a 30-yard field goal in the fourth quarter of the Colts' 10-7 win over the New England Patriots in the regular season finale, which sent the Colts to the playoffs for the first time since 1987.

In the playoffs, the Colts would knock off the defending AFC Champion San Diego Chargers 35-20 in the Wild Card Round, then shocked the #1 seed Kansas City Chiefs 10-7 in the Divisional Round(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-colts-shock.html) to advance to the AFC Championship Game, where they lost a 20-16 heartbreaker to the Pittsburgh Steelers as Harbaugh's "Hail Mary" pass for Aaron Bailey fell to the ground(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/11/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-steelers.html).

Still, the 1995 season was a magical one for the Indianapolis Colts and their win over the 49ers is one of their highlights.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Colts Shock Chiefs in Divisional Playoffs

Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh lead Indianpolis to a stunning upset of the Kansas City Chiefs in their 1995 AFC Divsional Playoff game.

Most football fans under the age of 25 know Jim Harbaugh as the very animated coach who helped lead the
San Francisco 49ers to three straight NFC Championship games, including a trip to Super Bowl XLVII,
before his current job as the head coach of the University of Michigan.

But most football fans over the age of 25 remember Harbaugh as the quarterback of the Chicago Bears,
who after seven tumultuous years left to sign with the Indianapolis Colts, where he was part of one of the
great Cinderella stories in NFL history.

Harbaugh was in his second season in Indianapolis when led the Colts to four comeback victories earning
him the nickname “Captain Comeback” as Indianapolis under head coach Ted Marchibroda clinched a
playoff spot for the first time since 1987.

The Colts traveled to San Diego to face off with the defending AFC Champion Chargers in the Wild Card
Game where they lost running back Marshall Faulk early in the game to a knee injury.

No matter as Zack Crockett came in and ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries
while Harbaugh accounted for three touchdowns, two through the air and one on the ground, as the Colts
earned their first postseason victory in 24 years as they defeated the Chargers 35-20 to earn a trip to
Kansas City to take on the Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Playoffs.

Many experts expected the Chiefs to fall off in 1995 after the retirement of Joe Montana at quarterback,
but the Chiefs finished the season with a 13-3 record, best in the NFL, thanks to a defense that only allowed
241 points during the season and a ball-control offense with legendary running back Marcus Allen and
quarterback Steve Bono, a former backup in San Francisco in his first season as a starting quarterback
threw for 3,121 yards and 21 touchdown passes.

The Chiefs were coached by Marty Schottenheimer, who was making his tenth playoff appearance in 11
seasons(four with the Cleveland Browns and now sixth straight with the Chiefs), but had compiled a losing
record in the playoffs of 5-9, including three losses in the AFC Championship Game.

However, many experts felt that the ‘95 Chiefs were Schottenheimer’s best chance to get to the Super Bowl,
especially since they had the home field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs as they had gone
undefeated during the season at Arrowhead Stadium.

Plus with temperatures nearing zero degrees at kickoff and a -15 wind chill to go along with the fact the
Colts played their home games in a dome and that Faulk and defensive tackle Tony Siragusa would not be
available, Kansas City was expected to easily dispatch the Colts.

The game started off as a exchange of punts as both teams would punt on their first possessions until the
Chiefs put together a five-play, 62-yard drive that ended with Bono throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to
Lake Dawson to put Kansas City ahead 7-0 with 29 seconds to go in the opening quarter.

The Colts responded to the touchdown with a 18-play, 77-yard touchdown drive that saw them convert on
five 3rd down situations and one 4th down situation.

The first 3rd down conversion come on a 3rd-and-11 from their own 22 where Harbaugh scrambled for 18
yards, then complete a 13-yard pass to Aaron Bailey on 3rd-and-10 from the Colts’ 40-yard-line.

Indianapolis did not get a 1st down on the next 3rd down situation, as Harbaugh completed a three-yard pass
to Sean Dawkins, one yard short of the 1st down at the Kansas City 38-yard-line.

That is when Marchibroda decided to go for it on 4th & 1 and when Lamont Warren ran for four yards, the
Colts had another 1st down.

The next 3rd down situation saw Harbaugh complete a nine-yard pass to Dawkins for a 1st down at the
22-yard-line, then would convert another 3rd down thanks to a pass interference penalty on Chiefs defensiveback James Hasty that gave the Colts a 1st-and-goal at the five-yard-line.

Once again, the Colts were faced with another 3rd down and once again they converted as Harbaugh hit
Floyd Turner on a square-and-out pattern at the two-yard-line, then saw Turner ran in for the five-yard
touchdown to complete the drive that took 8:40 off the clock and tied the game 7-7 with 6:49 to go in the
first half.

Floyd Turner celebrates after scoring the game-tying touchdown in the second quarter.

After forcing the Chiefs to punt, the Colts got the ball back but went three-and-out and were forced to punt
the ball back to Kansas City.

However, Chiefs punt returner Tamarick Vanover fumbled the punt, which was recovered by Indianapolis’
Ray McElroy to give the Colts the ball back at their own 45-yard-line.

The Colts were drive to the Kansas City 29-yard-line, thanks in large part to a 24-yard pass from Harbaugh
to Bailey, but had to settle for a 47-yard field goal attempt by Cary Blanchard, which he missed,
giving the Chiefs the ball at their own 37-yard-line and a chance to take the lead 57 seconds before halftime.

Bono got the Chiefs down the Colts’ 17-yard-line but after two incomplete passes and little time left on the
clock, were forced to call on Lin Elliott for a 35-yard field goal attempt.

But Elliott’s kick sailed wide right and the score remained tied 7-7 as the first half came to a close.

After both teams went three-and-out on their opening possessions of the second half, the Colts took over at
their own 18-yard-line which saw Warren run for 20 yards on the first play from scrimmage and then saw
Harbaugh convert another 3rd down as he found Turner for 10 yards that put Indianapolis in Chiefs territory
at the Kansas City 46-yard-line.

But four plays later, the Colts would commit their first turnover of the game as Harbaugh was picked off by
Chiefs free safety giving Kansas City the ball back at their own 31-yard-line.

However, the Colts would get the ball back two plays later when Ashley Ambrose intercepted a pass
intended for Webster Slaughter, to give Indianapolis the ball at the Kansas City 48-yard-line.

After Harbaugh scrambled for three yards on another 3rd down and then hit Dawkins on back-to-back
passes totaling 20 yards, Blanchard came on and kicked a 30-yard field goal to give the Colts their first lead
of the game at 10-7 with 2:48 left in the third quarter.

The Chiefs responded losing to the lead by giving the ball to Marcus Allen who carried the ball six times for
30 yards as Kansas City drove 46 yards in 10 plays before the drive stalled at the Colts’ 22-yard-line where
Schottenheimer called on Elliott again to try and tie the game.

But once again Elliott missed as his 39-yard field goal sailed wide left keeping the Colts in the lead at 10-7
with 10:45 left in regulation.

Chiefs quarterback Steve Bono struggled throughout the game throwing three interceptions on 11-of-25 passing for 122 yards.

The Colts could do nothing on their ensuing possession as they went three-and-out, punting the ball back to
Kansas City who took over at their own 37-yard-line.

However, three plays later, Bono would throw his second interception of the game, as Colts linebacker
Quentin Coryatt made the pick and returned it 10 yards to the Chiefs’ 40-yard-line.

Three runs by Warren gained nine yards setting up a 4th-and-1 at the 31-yard-line but unlike in the first half,
Marchibroda decided not go for the 1st down and go for the field goal.

But Blanchard missed the 49-yarder keeping it at 10-7 and giving the Chiefs good field position as they took
over at their own 39-yard-line.

However, Bono would threw his third interception in his last seven pass attempts, this time by cornerback
Eugene Daniel, whose 13-yard return gave the Colts the ball at the Chiefs’ 47-yard-line.

Once again, the Chiefs defense and forced a three-and-out leading to a punt that gave the Chiefs the ball at
their own 18-yard-line with 4:12 to go in regulation and one timeout left in Kansas City’s pocket.

That is when Schottenheimer decided to pull Bono in favor of Rich Gannon, who had only attempted 11
passes during the season, in hopes of sparking the Kansas City offense and leading the Chiefs to a potential
game-winning score.

After Allen ran for 5 yards on the first play of the drive, Gannon completed three straight passes for 17 yards
putting Kansas City at their own 40-yard-line with a 2nd-and-5 when Allen got the ball again running for
only three yards, setting up a 3rd-and-2.

That is when Gannon found Dawson for 16 yards to give the Chiefs a 1st down at the Indianapolis
41-yard-line which was followed by a five-yard scramble by Gannon and a loss of three yards on a pass to
Slaughter, leading Kansas City to burn their final timeout as they prepared to face 3rd-and-8 at the Colts’
39-yard-line.

Gannon would come up large again as he ran for 14 yards on a 1st down at the 25-yard-line.

Gannon would spike the ball on 1st down, then threw an incomplete pass intended for tight end Derrick
Walker setting up a 3rd-and-10 where Gannon dropped back and threw a pass toward the middle of the end
zone that gazed off the hands off Dawson that would have been the go-ahead touchdown.

Instead, Schottenheimer had to call on Elliott to try and tie the game, despite having two missed field goals
already.

However the third time would not be the charm as Elliott’s 42-yarder sailed wide left with 42 seconds left,
allowing for Harbaugh to take a knee and the Colts to come away with the 10-7 upset.

Chiefs kicker Lin Elliott was 0-for-3 on field goal attempts, including one from 42 yards that would have tied the game with 42 seconds left in regulation.

The following week, the Colts traveled to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers for the AFC Championship where
they came within an eyelash of making it to the Super Bowl as Aaron Bailey could not hang on to Harbaugh’s
Hail Mary pass on the last play of the game, giving the Steelers a 20-16 win.

Harbaugh and the Colts would make the playoffs the following year again as a Wild Card, this time led by
head coach Lindy Infante, but fell in the Wild Card round 42-14 to the Steelers, which was followed by a
disastrous 3-13 season which eventually paved the way for the Colts to pick Peyton Manning as the #1 pick
of the 1998 NFL Draft, leading to the release of Harbaugh, who played three more years in the league
before retiring after the 2000 season and then going into coaching.

As for Schottenheimer, he would spend three more years with the Chiefs, making the playoffs one more
time in 1997 with a 13-3 record, but once again losing in the Divisional Round, this time to the Denver
Broncos 14-10.

Schottenheimer would take two years off from coaching before returning to the sidelines with the
Washington Redskins where he coached for one season before going to San Diego where he coached the
Chargers for five years and lead them to two playoff appearances, but going 0-2 in the playoffs including a
24-21 loss to the New England Patriots in the 2006 Divisional Playoffs after San Diego had gone 14-2
during the regular season.

That loss ultimately cost Schottenheimer his job and he has not been back in the NFL since as his
postseason record stands at 5-13.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Colts Comeback To Beat Cowboys

Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh lead Indianapolis back from a 18-point deficit to beat the Cowboys in 1996.

When NFL fans hear the words "Captain Comeback", the first thought that comes into these fans' minds is former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach who lead the Cowboys to 23 game-winning drives in the 4th quarter, with 17 of those coming in the final two minutes or overtime.
However, in the mid 1990s, the nickname "Captain Comeback" would be bestowed to Jim Harbaugh as he lead the Indianapolis Colts to several 4th quarter comeback wins during the 1995 season.
Ironically, the Colts' version of "Captain Comeback" would Indianapolis to a dramatic comeback win over the Cowboys in Dallas during week 3 of the 1996 NFL season.
Harbaugh and the Colts entered their game with the Cowboys with a 2-0 record to begin the season after coming off a magical 1995 season in which the Colts come within a Hail Mary touchdown of making it to the Super Bowl.
Seven of the Colts' 11 victories in 1995 were by a touchdown or less and included a pair of comeback victories where Harbaugh led Indianapolis back from 21-point deficits against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, earning him the nickname "Captain Comeback".
While "Captain Comeback" was back, head coach Ted Marchibroda was not, as he stepped down following the 1995 season and was replaced by offensive coordinator Lindy Infante.
Even though they had a new coach, the Colts had high hopes for the 1996 season, but knew their trip to Dallas could be huge in determining what direction their season would go.
The Cowboys were the defending Super Bowl champions, which was their third Super Bowl title in four years, with the famed "Triplets" of quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and wide receiver Michael Irvin, plus all-pro cornerback Deion Sanders, who joined the Cowboys for their run to the Super Bowl title in 1995.
But their quest for a fourth ring in five years got off to a rocky start as Irvin would miss the first five games of the season because of a suspension due to his no contest plea to a felony charge of cocaine possession and an embarrassing 22-6 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football in the first week of the season.
Though they were 1-1 and had no Irvin, the Cowboys were 10-point favorites as the Colts were without their starting running back, Marshall Faulk, who was out because of a dislocated toe.
For much of the first half, it looked like the Cowboys were going to prove the oddsmakers right.

Troy Aikman would complete 17 of 27 passes for 184 yards and throw one touchdown pass.

The Colts got the ball to start the game as they began their opening possession from their 28-yard-line.
With the running of Crockett, who carried the ball five times for 25 yards, and Harbaugh connecting with Sean Dawkins on two 3rd down situations, the Colts drove all the way to the Cowboys' one-yard-line where they had 1st & goal.
That is when disaster nearly struck as Crockett fumbled the football after he was hit by Cowboys defensive tackle Tony Casillas, only to have Colts right tackle Jason Matthews recover the ball for Indy at the two-yard-line.
Then on 2nd & goal, the Colts had an apparent touchdown as Harbaugh found tight end Ken Dilger in the end zone for a two-yard touchdown pass, only to have Dilger be called for offensive pass interference, negating the touchdown and pushing the Colts 10 yards back to the 12-yard-line.
The Colts would be forced to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Cary Blanchard to give Indianapolis a 3-0 lead with 4:55 left in the first quarter.
Following the ensuing kickoff, the Cowboys would take over at their 33-yard-line for their first drive as Smith would carry the ball five times for 37 yards until Dallas was faced with a 4th & 1 at the Colts' five-yard-line.
Instead of going for the chip shot field goal, Switzer decided to go for the 1st down which worked in the Cowboys' favor as Aikman hit fullback Daryl "Moose" Johnston for a five-yard touchdown to give Dallas a 7-3 lead with nine seconds left in the first quarter.
The Colts would get the ball back at their 28-yard-line as the second quarter began when after Crockett ran for three yards on 1st down, Cowboys defensive end Tony Tolbert blind-sided Harbaugh, knocking the ball loose which was picked up by Sanders, who then scampered in for a 22-yard touchdown to increase Dallas' lead to 14-3, 51 seconds into the second quarter.
Following Sanders' touchdown, the Colts took over at their 30-yard-line and drove to the Cowboys' 44-yard-line until Harbaugh was picked off by Dallas defensive back Roger Harper, whose 15-yard return set up shop for the Cowboys at the 50-yard-line.
Eight plays later, the Cowboys were in the end zone again as Smith punched it in from the one-yard-line to increase the Cowboys' lead to 21-3 with 8:37 left in the second quarter.

Emmitt Smith would carry the ball 26 times for 101 yards and score one touchdown.

Even though they were down 18 points, the Colts knew they were not out of the game yet, especially with their comebacks from the year before, but needed a big play to give them a spark.
They got that on the ensuing kickoff as Aaron Bailey's 50-yard return put the Colts at the Cowboys' 45-yard-line.
After three plays picked up nine yards, the Colts were faced with a 4th & 1 at the Dallas' 36-yard-line when Infante decided to gamble and go for the 1st down.
It paid off as Harbaugh connected with Harrison for four yards and a 1st down at the Dallas' 32-yard-line, which was followed one play later by a 20-yard run by Clif Groce.
However, the Cowboys defense would stiffen and allow only five more yards, forcing the Colts to settle for another field goal by Blanchard, this one from 25 yards out, which cut the Dallas lead to 21-6 with 2:31 left before halftime.
Then, the Colts' defense would force a three-and-out to get the ball to Harbaugh and the offense at their 35-yard-line.
Two runs by Harbaugh for eight yards and three completed passes for 23 yards put the Colts at the Dallas' 35-yard-line and gave Blanchard a shot at a 52-yard field goal.
Blanchard would make the kick, cutting the deficit to 12 points at 21-9 as the first half came to a close.
Despite getting six points after being down 18, the Colts knew they had to make another big stop on defense as the Cowboys would get the ball to start the second half.
Indy would get that stop and get the ball back at their 34-yard-line as they would drive to the Dallas' 48-yard-line when Harbaugh threw a screen pass to tight end Marcus Pollard, who turned the short pass into a 48-yard touchdown which cut the Cowboys' lead to five points at 21-16 with 9:48 left in the third quarter.
Then after another three-and-out by the the Cowboys, the Colts would drive 78 yards in nine plays as Harbaugh hit on all four of his passes for 56 yards on the drive, culminating with a eight-yard touchdown pass to Dilger to give Indianapolis its first lead of the game, 22-21 with 2:42 left in the third quarter(The Colts attempted a two-point conversion but it failed).
After being held to just 27 yards and one 1st down on their previous four possessions, the Cowboys' offense awakened after Dilger's touchdown as Aikman hit Sanders for 11 yards to start the Cowboys' ensuing drive, then handed it off to Smith, who ran for 20 yards on back-to-back carries, which was followed by a 10-yard pass to Kelvin Martin to give Dallas a 1st down at the Colts' 36-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end.
The stoppage of play seem to give the energy the Colts defense needed as they would allow only one more yard on the next three plays, forcing the Cowboys to call on Chris Boniol to come on and attempt a a 52-yard field goal.
Boniol would make the kick to give the lead back to the Cowboys at 24-22 with 13:26 left in the 4th quarter.
Boniol's field goal seemed to give the Cowboys some momentum as the defense would sack Harbaugh twice on the Colts' ensuing possession, forcing a three-and-out to give the Dallas offense the ball back at their 36-yard-line.
After Smith picked up three yards on a 1st down run, he would catch a Aikman pass for 16 yards, only to have Smith fumble the football which was recovered by Colts linebacker Quentin Coryatt, who then returned it seven yards to the Cowboys' 49-yard-line.
However, the Colts could not take advantage of the turnover as Harbaugh was sacked again on the drive for the Colts' second straight three-and-out, forcing them to punt the ball back to the Cowboys, who took over at their 14-yard-line, with a chance to put the game away.
The drive began with a 21-yard pass from Aikman to tight end Eric Bjornson to give Dallas a 1st down at their 35-yard-line.
From there, the Cowboys heavily relied on Smith, as he carried the ball seven times for 23 yards to help lead the Cowboys to the Colts' 22-yard-line to set up a 40-yard field goal attempt by Boniol that would make a five-point game and force the Colts to need a touchdown to win the game.
But Boniol's kick bounced off the left upright and was no good, keeping it a 24-22 game as the Colts took over at their 30-yard-line with 2:48 to go and one timeout in their pocket.
After a one-yard run by Crockett to start the drive, Harbaugh would connect with Dilger for 26 yards and a 1st down at the Dallas' 43-yard-line.
On the next play from scrimmage, Harbaugh found Crockett for 18 yards, putting the Colts in Blanchard's range at the Cowboys' 25-yard-line.
The Cowboys defense would hold the Colts to minus one yard on the next three plays, forcing Blanchard to attempt a 43-yard field goal with under a minute to go.
Blanchard would calmly hit the 43-yard kick to give the Colts a 25-24 lead with 51 seconds left in the game.

Cary Blanchard would hit on four of his field goal attempts, including the game-winning 43-yard field goal with 51 seconds to go.

With no timeouts in their pocket and starting at their 20-yard-line, the Cowboys' attempt to drive into field goal range got off to an auspicious start as Aikman would throw two straight incomplete passes to start the drive.
But on 3rd & 10, Aikman would find Kevin Williams for a 22-yard completion and a 1st down at the Dallas 42-yard-line.
Then after spiking the ball, Aikman would connect with Martin for 19 more yards and another 1st down at the Colts' 40-yard-line before spiking the ball again with six seconds to play.
Rather risking another play that would run out the clock, Switzer called for the field goal as Boniol would come on to attempt a 57-yard field goal that if successful would give the Cowboys the win.
Boniol's kick was on target as it was down the middle and appeared to have the distance, only for the ball to bounce the crossbar and no good as time expired, allowing for the Colts to escape with the 25-24 win.
The loss dropped the Cowboys to 1-2, but they would recover to finish the season with a 10-6 record, which included a 21-6 win over the Green Bay Packers where Boniol tied the then-NFL record for most field goals made in a game with seven, as Dallas would win its fifth straight NFC East title.
The Cowboys would rout the Minnesota Vikings 40-15 in the Wild Card Round, but would be eliminated by the Carolina Panthers 26-17 in the Divisional Round.
The following season, the Cowboys would go 6-10, their first losing season since 1990, which resulted in the firing of Switzer as head coach.
As for the Colts, the comeback win pushed them to 3-0 as they would win the following week to push their record to 4-0.
However, a four-game losing streak in the middle of the season would ultimately lead the Colts to a 9-7 record, but still good enough for a Wild Card spot in the playoffs, though they would be one-and-done as they would be smashed by the Steelers 42-14 in their Wild Card game.
Just like the Cowboys, the Colts would fall off the map in 1997 as they fell to a 3-13 record, which led to the firing of Infante as head coach, but earned them the #1 pick, which they used to select Peyton Manning.
That pick would lead to Harbaugh leaving Indianapolis and signing with the Baltimore Ravens for the 1998 season where he started 12 games before playing his final two NFL seasons with the San Diego Chargers.
Harbaugh would retire after the 2000 season with 26, 288 passing yards and 129 touchdown passes.