NFL Old School Game of the Week: Raiders Hold off Chargers in Shootout

Raiders running back Marcus Allen ran the ball 19 times for 107 yards and caught five passes for 40 yards and one touchdown.

The division rivarly between the Los Angeles Raiders and San Diego Chargers produced a number of high scoring affairs in the early 1980s and their meeting in Week 8 of the 1984 NFL season was no exception as the two teams combined for 81 points and 962 yards of total offense.

The Raiders were the defending Super Bowl champions having demolished the Washington Redskins 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII nine months earlier, thanks in large part to running back Marcus Allen's MVP performance where he carried the 20 times for 191 yards and scored two touchdowns.

Allen helped lead the Raiders to a 6-1 start in the '84 season during which the Raiders lost starting quarterback Jim Plunkett to a torn muscle in his abdomen during the sixth game of the season.

Plunkett's replacement would be Marc Wilson, who had been with the Raiders since he had been chosen with the #15 pick in the first round of the 1980 NFL draft and had made 12 starts prior to the '84 season.

Wilson was effective in his first start of the season as he completed 21 of 37 passes for 268 yards and threw a touchdown in the Raiders' 23-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings, one week before Los Angeles' game with the Chargers.

For the Raiders to beat the Chargers, they would need a big game from Wilson as the Raiders prepared to take on of the most explosive offenses in the NFL in the "Air Coryell" offense.

Since his arrival in 1978, Chargers head coach Don Coryell's offenses lead the league every year in passing yards and total yards as the Chargers made the playoffs in four consecutive seasons from 1979 through 1982 with San Diego appearing in two AFC Championship games during that span.

The man pulling the trigger at quarterback was Dan Fouts, who threw for at least 4,000 yards in three straight seasons from 1979 to 1981 with a plethron of receivers that included Charlie Joiner and Wes Chandler plus All-Pro tight end Kellen Winslow.

Despite their high scoring offense, the Chargers' defense often ranked at the bottom of the league in total points allowed which resulted in San Diego often playing in high-scoring affairs included a 33-30 loss to the Raiders in week 4 of the '84 season as the Chargers came into the rematch with the Raiders with a 4-3 record as San Diego hoped to end a five-game losing streak to the Silver & Black.

 The Chargers got the ball to start the game as a Fouts fumble recovered by running back Earnest Jackson would lead to a 3rd & 23 at the San Diego 16-yard-line when Fouts found wide receiver Jesse Bendross for a 29-yard completion and a Charger 1st down at the San Diego 45-yard-line.

Fouts would then connect with Winslow on two passes for 29 yards to help set up Jackson's five-yard touchdown run to end the nine-play, 71-yard drive to give San Diego a 7-0 lead.

The Raiders would drive to the San Diego 40-yard-line before punting the ball back to the Chargers, who would take over at their one-yard-line when Fouts would be picked off by Raiders strong safety Mike Davis to give Los Angeles the ball at the Chargers' 14-yard-line.

Allen would carry the ball for four yards on 1st down to make it 2nd & 6 when he caught a screen pass from Wilson that he turned into a 10-yard touchdown to help tie the game at 7 with 6:11 left in the first quarter.

Following a Chargers punt, the Raiders got the ball at their 33-yard-line as a 23-yard pass from Wilson to wide receiver Cliff Branch helped Los Angeles advance to the San Diego 32-yard-line until Wilson was intercepted by Chargers linebacker Billy Ray Smith to stop the Raiders drive and give San Diego the ball at their 22-yard-line.

The Raiders defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back who would turn it over again when Allen fumbled the football at the end of a four-yard run as Smith would recover the fumble to give the Chargers the ball at the Los Angeles 49-yard-line.

But the Chargers would go three-and-out again as they would punt the ball back to the Raiders who took over at their 14-yard-line as Wilson would complete four of seven passes for 53 yards to move Los Angeles to the San Diego 20-yard-line to set up a 38-yard field goal attempt by Chris Bahr.

However, Bahr's kick would sail wide left of the uprights as the Chargers would begin their ensuing possession at their 20-yard-line midway through the second quarter with the game still tied 7-7.

From there, Fouts would complete passes of 24 yards to tight end Eric Sievers and 25 yards to fellow tight end Pete Holohan on a drive that ended with Fouts throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to Chandler to give the Chargers a 13-7 lead with 5:01 to go in the second quarter as kicker Benny Ricardo would miss the extra point.

The Raiders would start their ensuing drive at their 38-yard-line with Wilson completing two passes to Allen for 16 yards to move Los Angeles to the San Diego 46-yard-line when Allen lost his second fumble of the game, this time with Chargers free safety Tim Fox making the recovery to give the San Diego offense the ball at their 41-yard-line.

A 23-yard pass from Fouts to Holohan would lead to a 32-yard touchdown run by Jackson to extend the San Diego lead to 20-7 with 1:53 left before halftime.

Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts would complete 24 of 45 passes for 410 yards and throw three touchdown passes but also three interceptions.

The Raiders would get the ball back at their 22-yard-line for their next drive as Wilson would complete three straight running plays to running back Kenny King for 29 yards, then connect with running back Frank Hawkins for four yards to put Los Angeles at the San Diego 45-yard-line.

That is when Wilson threw a deep pass down the right sideline that was caught by wide receiver Malcolm Barnwell for the 45-yard touchdown to cut the Chargers' lead in half to 21-14 with 28 seconds left in the first half as Fouts would take a knee to run out the clock on the first half.

The Raiders would get the ball to start the second half as a 34-yard run by Allen would be the biggest play of the nine-play, 66-yard drive that ended with a 42-yard field goal by Bahr to trim the San Diego lead to 20-17.

The Raiders defense would force a turnover on the Chargers' ensuing possession as defensive end Lyle Alzado would sack Fouts to cause a fumble that Alzado would recover to give Los Angeles the ball at the San Diego 17-yard-line.

Four plays later, the Raiders had the lead as Wilson connected with tight end Derrick Jensen for an one-yard touchdown to give Los Angeles a 24-20 lead with 6:25 to go in the third quarter.

Chargers running back Lionel James would run the ensuing kickoff out of the end zone to the San Diego 15-yard-line when he was hit by Raiders linebacker Jeff Barnes, causing a fumble that was recovered by Jimmy Smith to give Los Angeles the ball at the San Diego 16-yard-line.

However, the Raiders would pick up only one yard on three plays as they would settle for a 33-yard field goal by Bahr to increase Los Angeles' lead to 27-20.

Things would go from bad to worse on the Chargers on the opening play of their next possession as Fouts would be picked off by Raiders linebacker Brad Van Pelt, whose nine-yard return would put the Raiders at the San Diego 20-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Wilson would find wide receiver Dokie Williams for a 20-yard touchdown to extend Los Angeles' lead to 34-20 with 4:15 remaining in the third quarter.

The Chargers would begin their next possession at their 20-yard-line as they would hold the ball for the rest of the third quarter as Fouts would complete two passes to Winslow for 32 yards and two passes to Holohan for 21 yards to move San Diego to the Los Angeles 11-yard-line where Riccardo would make a 29-yard field goal to make cut the LA lead to 34-23 with 13:20 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Raiders would get great field position for their next possession as Cleo Montgomery returned the ensuing kickoff 38 yards to the Los Angeles 41-yard-line as a five-yard run by King and a three-yard pass to Allen would set up 3rd & 2 at the LA 49-yard-line.

That is when Wilson connected with Barnwell for another long touchdown, this one for 51 yards, to seemingly put the game out of reach as the Raiders' lead increased to 41-23 with 12:13 left in the fourth quarter.

Needing a quick touchdown, the Chargers would drive 67 yards in five plays, aided by two Raider penalties for 40 yards, the first being a roughing-the-passer penalty on defensive end Greg Townsend, followed by a 25-yard pass interference penalty on defensive back Odis McKinney, to help set up Fouts' five-yard touchdown pass to Winslow to cut the Los Angeles lead to 41-30 with 10:11 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Raiders would then bleed out the clock on their ensuing possession as they ran the ball on nine straight plays, gaining 50 yards, before Wilson completed a 10-yard pass to tight end Todd Christensen to help set up a 32-yard field goal by Bahr to push the LA lead back to two touchdowns at 44-30 with 3:54 left in regulation.

Raiders quarterback Marc Wilson threw five touchdown passes and 332 yards on 24-of-37 passing.

Needing a quick touchdown, the Chargers would begin their next drive at their 32-yard-line with a 12-yard pass from Fouts to Winslow which would be the final catch of the '84 season for Winslow as he would be carted off the field after tearing the MCL and PCL in his right knee.

Three plays later, Fouts would connect with wide receiver Bobby Duckworth for a 50-yard touchdown to make it an one touchdown game at 44-37 with 2:36 to go in the game.

The Chargers attempted an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff that was recovered by Raiders defensive back Vann McElroy at the San Diego 44-yard-line, giving the Raiders a chance to run out the clock if they picked up a 1st down.

However, the Chargers' defense would hold the Raiders to six yards on the next three plays, to force a punt by Ray Guy that would go out of bounds at the San Diego 16-yard-line with 2:06 left in regulation for Fouts and the Air Coryell offense to drive for the game-tying touchdown.

The drive would begin with Fouts completing two passes to Holohan for 17 yards to move San Diego to their 33-yard-line when James turned a short screen pass to a 31-yard completion that got 15 yards added to it because of a personal foul penalty on McElroy to put the Chargers at the Los Angeles 21-yard-line with 1:34 left to play.

Two incomplete passes would set up a 3rd & 10 when Fouts hit a wide open Bendross who appeared on his way to the end zone when his knee knocked the ball out of his hands and rolled out of bounds at the three-yard-line when San Diego would have a 1st & goal.

It looked like the Chargers were poised to tie the game as Jackson would punched it in for an apparent three-yard touchdown, only to have it nullified because of a holding penalty on Sievers that would push the Chargers back 10 yards to the LA 13-yard-line with 50 seconds to go and four chances to get into the end zone.

But disaster would strike for the Chargers on the next play from scrimmage as Fouts' pass that was intended for Joiner was intercepted by Raiders defensive back Ted Watts in the back of the end zone which allowed the Raiders to run out the clock and come away with the 44-37 victory to improve Los Angeles' record to 7-1 while dropping San Diego's record to 4-4.

The Chargers would end up finishing the season with a 7-9 record with the highlight before a 34-28 overtime win over the 11-0 Miami Dolphins in week 12(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2022/12/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-chargers.html)as Coryell's tenure would come to an end midway through the 1986 season after he was fired after a 1-7 start.

As for the Raiders, they would go on a three-game losing streak following their win against the Chargers as Los Angeles would finish the regular season with a 12-4 record to earn a spot in the AFC Wild Card Game where their quest for back-to-back Super Bowl titles would end with a 13-7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Raiders Win Primetime Shootout With Cowboys

Raiders running back Marcus Allen would have 15 carries for 55 yards while catching seven passes for 67 yards in LA's win over the Cowboys.

NFL fans were in for a treat during Week 8 of the 1983 regular season as they got to see the 5-2 Los Angeles Raiders take on the 7-0 Dallas Cowboys in a rare Sunday night game(Sunday Night Football did not formally begin until 1987).

The Cowboys were the home team as they were one win away from matching their best start in team history when they went 8-0 to start the 1977 season which ended with a 27-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII.

The biggest reason for the 7-0 start which led by quarterback Danny White and running back Tony Dorsett had averaged 28.8 points per game up to this point in the season which included a dramatic 31-30 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins in the first game of the season.

Despite the explosive offense, head coach Tom Landry, who was in his 24th season as the Dallas head coach, was worried about his defense as they had given up an average of 21 points per game during the first seven games of the season.

If the Cowboys were going to return to the Super Bowl, they would need their defense to shape up.

Meanwhile, the Raiders came into the game with a new starting quarterback as Marc Wilson had been taken over the job after a relief performance the week before in a 38-36 loss to the Seattle Seahawks as the incumbant starter, Jim Plunkett, had been benched after throwing 14 interceptions in the first two months of the season.

Raiders head coach Tom Flores was hoping that Wilson , who had started nine games during the 1981 season, could calm the Raiders' offense down as it featured second-year running back Marcus Allen and all-pro tight end Todd Christiansen on a unit that averaged 25.8 points during the first seven games of the season.

 After the Cowboys went three-and-out to start the game, the Raiders would get the ball at their 30-yard-line when disaster struck of the second play of the drive as Wilson fumbled the snap from center which was recovered by Cowboys defensive end Ed "Too Tall" Jones to give the Cowboys the ball at the Los Angeles 33-yard-line.

White would then complete a 16-yard pass to running back Ron Springs for a Dallas 1st down where Springs would get a carry that would go for two yards which was followed by an incomplete pass to bring up a 3rd & 8.

That is when the Cowboys went into their bag of tricks as Springs took a handoff and rolled to his left then stopped and threw a pass downfield to a wide open White who made the catch as he ran into the end zone untouched for a 15-yard touchdown to give Dallas a 7-0 lead.

The Raiders would pick up one 1st down before punting the ball to the Cowboys who would go three-and-out on their ensuing possession as they would punt the ball back to the Raiders who would get great field position for their next drive as Greg Pruitt ran the punt back 36 yards to the Dallas 26-yard-line.

The Cowboys defense would allow only seven yards on three plays as the Raiders would settle for a 37-yard field goal by Chris Bahr which cut the Dallas lead to 7-3 midway through the first quarter.

Following another Dallas three-and-out, the Raiders would begin their ensuing possession at the Cowboys' 45-yard-line as Wilson would complete passes of 18 yards to Malcolm Barnwell and 17 yards to Allen to help set up Wilson's two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Derrick Jensen to give Los Angeles a 10-7 lead with 95 seconds to go in the first quarter.

It seemed like the Raiders had seized control of the game especially after their defense forced another three-and-out from the Cowboys offense only to muff the ensuing punt as Pruitt fumbled the ball which was recovered by reverse defensive back Rod Hill to give Dallas the ball at the Los Angeles 38-yard-line.

White would then hit Drew Pearson for a 24-yard completion that got seven yards added to it as the result of a late hit by Raiders strong safety Mike Davis to give the Cowboys a 1st & goal at the Los Angeles seven-yard-line.

A two-yard run by Dorsett and an offsides penalty would move the ball to the two-yard-line where Springs would punch it in for the touchdown to give the Cowboys a 14-10 lead with 13:45 to go in the second quarter.

The Raiders would then give the ball right back to the Cowboys when on the first play of their ensuing possession, Allen fumbled the football after a hit by Dallas linebacker Anthony Dickerson, who would then make the recovery to give Dallas the ball at the Los Angeles 20-yard-line.

Dallas would advance to the Los Angeles five-yard-line before the drive stalled as Rafael Septien would come on to kick a 23-yard field goal to extend the Cowboys' lead to 17-10.

Cowboys quarterback Danny White would throw for 240 yards and two touchdowns while catching the first touchdown pass of his career.

The Raiders would get great field position to start their next drive as Cleo Montgomery would return the ensuing kickoff 48 yards to the Los Angeles 46-yard-line as fullback Frank Hawkins, filling in for an injured Kenny King, would make his presence felt.

The drive would begin with a nine-yard run by Hawkins, followed by an incomplete pass to bring up 3rd & 1 when Hawkins busted loose for a 32-yard run to give the Raiders a 1st down at the Cowboys' 13-yard-line.

An illegal use of hands penalty would push the Raiders back 10 yards to the Dallas 23-yard-line when Hawkins got another carry as he took around it the left side and run untouched for the 23-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 17.

The Cowboys would respond with an eight-play, 76-yard drive which saw White complete a 20-yard pass to Pearson to move Dallas into Raider territory followed by a 27-yard pass to tight end Doug Cosbie to advance to the red zone where White would connect with Butch Johnson for a 15-yard touchdown to put the Cowboys back on top with a 24-17 lead with 5:27 to go in the second quarter.

The Raiders would begin their next possession at their 23-yard-line as Wilson would hit tight end Todd Christiansen on two completions for 28 yards and Branch for 11 yards to help move Los Angeles to the Dallas 35-yard-line where on 3rd & 12, Wilson scrambled for 18 yards to give the Raiders a 1st & 10 at the Cowboys' 17-yard-line.

Wilson would then threw his second touchdown of the game, a 17-yarder to Hawkins to cap off an 11-play,77-yard drive and tie the game at 24 with 2:19 to go before halftime.

The first half fireworks would continue on the ensuing kickoff as Ron Fellows' 50-yard return would give the Cowboys the ball at the 50-yard-line as White would hit Johnson for 19 yards on a 2nd & 22 which was followed by a 11-yard pass to Tony Hill to move the sticks to the Raiders' 32-yard-line.

Two plays later, White would be intercepted by Raiders defensive back Odis McKinley to give Los Angeles the ball at their 22-yard-line with 44 seconds to go in the first half.

Instead of going into the halftime break with the score tied, the Raiders were aggressive as Wilson would complete three consecutive passes for a total of 48 yards to move Los Angeles to the Dallas 30-yard-line where the Raiders would line up for a 48-yard field goal by Bahr with nine seconds to go in the half.

But it was a fake as Wilson, who was also the holder, took the snap and then fired a pass downfield to tight end Don Hasselbeck who made it all the way to the end zone as the pass fell incomplete at the 10-yard-line.

However, Hasselbeck had been tackled by Dickerson in the end zone which resulted in a pass interference penalty to give Los Angeles a 1st & goal at the one-yard-line with three seconds left.

Flores would gamble once again as he would go for the touchdown instead of the field goal as Wilson found Christensen in the back of the end zone for the touchdown as time expired in the first half to give the Raiders a 31-24 lead after a second quarter which saw a combined 38 points scored between the two teams.

The second half would begin with both teams going three-and-out on their opening possessions as the Raiders would drive from their 46-yard-line to the Cowboys' 11-yard-line until Wilson was intercepted by Jones on a screen pass intended for Allen to end the Los Angeles scoring threat.

Following another exchange of three-and-outs, the Cowboys had the ball at their 27-yard-line when White was sacked by Raiders nose tackle Archie Reese, forcing a fumble that was recovered by defensive end Howie Long to give Los Angeles the ball at the Dallas 20-yard-line.

An 11-yard run by Allen would help the Raiders move to the Dallas six-yard-line where the drive would stall as Los Angeles would settle for a 24-yard field goal for the only points of the third quarter as the Raiders increased their lead to 34-24.

The Cowboys would begin their next possession at their 18-yard-line as it looked like the Raiders had taken a 41-24 lead when on 3rd & 10, cornerback Lester Hayes picked off a White pass and returned it 30 yards for an apparent touchdown.

But a pass interference penalty was called on the Raiders to nullify the touchdown and give the Cowboys a 1st down at their 36-yard-line as a 20-yard pass from White to Johnson and a 27-yard run by Dorsett help move Dallas to the Los Angeles 17-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end.

After an incomplete pass was thrown to start the 4th quarter, White would hit wide receiver Doug Denley for the 17-yard touchdown that would cut the Raiders' lead to 34-31.

The Raiders would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line as a 14-yard pass from Wilson to Allen on 3rd & 11 gave Los Angeles a 1st down at its 33-yard-line when Wilson was sacked for a 13-yard loss by Dickerson which jarred the ball loose as linebacker Mike Hegman would pick up the fumble and run it in for a nine-yard touchdown to give the Cowboys a 38-34 lead with 13:05 left in the fourth quarter.

Wilson would help atone for his fumble on the Raiders' ensuing possession as he scrambled for 23 yards on one play while completing two passes for 28 yards to help move Los Angeles to the Dallas eight-yard-line where Bahr would come on to kick a 26-yard field goal that trimmed the Cowboys' lead to 38-37 with 9:35 left in the game.

Following a Dallas three-and-out, the Raiders got the ball at the 50-yard-line when Wilson completed a 18-yard pass to wide receiver Dokie Williams who would fumble the football after a hit by Cowboys cornerback Dennis Thurman as strong safety Dexter Clinkscale would make the recovery to give Dallas the ball at their 35-yard-line.

The Cowboys picked up one first down until White was sacked by Raiders linebacker Matt Millen, leading to a 3rd & 15 situation at the Dallas 48-yard-line when White was intercepted by Raiders cornerback Ted Watts, whose 13-yard runback would give Los Angeles the ball at its 25-yard-line with 3:09 to go in the game and a chance to drive for the winning score.

Raiders quarterback Marc Wilson would complete 26 of 49 passes for 318 yards with three touchdown passes while running for 46 yards on five carries.

The drive would begin with an eight-yard pass from Wilson to Christiansen as Allen would carry the ball on the next two plays, gaining three yards to give the Raiders a 1st down at their 36-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.

After the timeout, Wilson would hit Allen for eight yards, then connected with Williams for 18 yards and a 1st down at the Dallas 38-yard-line as a nine-yard pass to Christiansen followed by a three-yard run by Hawkins put the Raiders at the Cowboys' 26-yard-line.

That is when Wilson found Williams again for 18 yards to give the Raiders a 1st & goal as three runs by Hawkins that netted zero yards would bleed the clock until Bahr would come to kick a 26-yard field goal to give the Raiders a 40-38 lead with 20 seconds left in the game.

The Cowboys would get a chance to pull off a miracle but White would throw three straight incomplete passes to end the game as the Raiders prevailed with the 40-38 win to hand the Cowboys their first loss of the season.

The game with the Raiders would be a microcosm of the Cowboys' season as their offense would put up a ton of points while the defense would give up too many as Dallas would end the regular season with a 12-4 record, good enough to earn a spot in the NFC Wild Card game.

In that game, the defense would play well but four turnovers committed by the offense would lead to a 24-17 defeat at the hands of the other Los Angeles team, the Rams, to end Dallas' season as their streak of consecutive postseason appearances would end the following year before the Cowboys won the NFC East in 1985 in what would the final trip to the playoffs under Landry.

As for the Raiders, Wilson would start the next two games until he suffered a broken left shoulder in a 28-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs as Plunkett would reclaim the starting quarterback job for the rest of the season as Los Angeles won the AFC West division with a 12-4 record.

In the playoffs, the Raiders would knock off the Pittsburgh Steelers 38-10 in the divisional round then defeat the Seahawks 30-14 in the AFC Championship Game to earn a trip to Super Bowl XVIII where they would destroy the Washington Redskins 38-9 behind Allen's MVP performance as the Raiders claimed their third Lombardi trophy in eight years.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Chiefs Beat Chargers on Walk-off Overtime Punt Return

Tamarick Vanover became the first player in NFL history to return an overtime punt for a touchdown.

In the first 75 years of the history of the National Football League, no one had ever returned a punt for a touchdown in overtime.

That changed in Week 6 of the 1995 NFL season as the Kansas City Chiefs hosted the San Diego Chargers in a key AFC West showdown on Monday Night Football.

The Chiefs came into the game with a 4-1 record under head coach Marty Schottenheimmer, who was in his seventh season as head coach of the Chiefs.

The Chiefs came into the year with questions at quarterback as Joe Montana, who Kansas City had acquired in 1993, had retired from the NFL.

Montana's replacement, Steve Bono, had helped Kansas City got off to a good start along with running back Marcus Allen and a ferocious defense which featured linebacker Derrick Thomas.

The Chiefs also potentially found a new weapon in rookie kick returner Tamarick Vanover, who had a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in Kansas City' week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

The Chiefs' opponent were the Chargers, who were the defending AFC Champions and came into the game with Kansas City with a 3-2 record under head coach Bobby Ross.

The Chargers still had the core of players that had led them to the Super Bowl the previous year in quarterback Stan Humphries, running back Natrone Means, and linebacker Junior Seau.

As fans gathered to fill Arrowhead Stadium, many were wondering if this game would go into overtime much like the Chiefs' previous two home games which Kansas City won as they defeated the New York Giants 20-17 in Week 2 and the Oakland Raiders 29-23 in week 3.

The Chargers got the ball to start the game as they converted on four 3rd down situations on a 19-play, 63-yard drive that took over nine minutes and did not until John Carney's 28-yard field goal to put San Diego ahead 3-0.

The Chiefs were fortunate to only giving up three points as San Diego a 2nd & goal at the Kansas City one-yard-line only to have a false start penalty and a four-yard loss push them back to the 10-yard-line where the Chargers would settle for the field goal.

Then it was the Chiefs' turn to have a time-consuming drive as they held the ball for nearly seven-and-a-half minutes as they drove 67 yards in 14 plays to set up a 21-yard field goal by Lin Elliott to tie the game at 3 with 13:24 left in the second quarter.

The Chargers would be given great field position to start their next drive as Andre Coleman returned the ensuing kickoff 54 yards to the Kansas City 37-yard-line.

From there, a three-yard run by Means, followed by a 14-yard pass from Humphries to Means, and then a 15-yard pass interference penalty on Chiefs cornerback Dale Carter gave San Diego a 1st & goal at the Kansas City five-yard-line.

Means would get the ball on the next two plays with the second carry being a two-yard touchdown to give the Chargers a 10-3 lead with 11:24 remaining in the second quarter.

The Chiefs would respond with another long drive as they drove 63 yards in 13 plays, taking six minutes off the clock, as Elliott would make a 28-yard field goal to cut the Chargers' lead to 10-6.

The Chiefs would catch a break on the ensuing kickoff as Coleman fumbled the ball following a hit by Chiefs defensive back Martin Bayless, who also made the recovery to give Kansas City the ball at the Chargers' 22-yard-line.

A 20-yard pass from Bono to tight end Lake Dawson followed by an one-yard run by Allen would set up Bono's one-yard touchdown pass to Kimber Anders to give the Chiefs their first lead of the game at 13-10 with 3:53 left in the first half.

The Chiefs would force the Chargers to punt on their ensuing possession to get the ball back at their 20-yard-line as Bono completed passes of 36 yards to Webster Slaughter and 16 yards to Dawson to help get Kansas City to the San Diego 18-yard-line until Bono was sacked by Chargers defensive end Raylee Johnson who forced a fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle Shawn Lee.

With just 43 seconds left before halftime, the Chargers went to a no-huddle offense as Humphries completed three of seven passes for 32 yards that with two Kansas City penalties for 20 yards help set up Carney's 36-yard field goal to tie the game at 13 following 30 minutes of play.

Chargers quarterback Stan Humphries completed 24 of 34 passes for 315 yards and threw a touchdown.

The Chiefs got the ball to start the second half but went three-and-out to punt the ball back to the Chargers who were poised to take the lead as Humphries connected with Tony Martin for a 30-yard reception, only to have Martin lose the football at the end of the play, which was recovered by Chiefs linebacker Tracy Simien at the Kansas City 11-yard-line.

Following an exchange of punts, the Chiefs got the ball back at their 15-yard-line as they were able to drive 54 yards in 11 plays to set up Elliott's 49-yard field goal to put Kansas City back on top, 16-13 with 12:19 left in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers would begin its next possession at their 27-yard-line as they methodically drove into Kansas City territory when Humphries threw a bomb to Shawn Jefferson, whose 45-yard reception would set up a four-yard touchdown pass from Humphries to tight end Shannon Mitchell to give San Diego a 20-16 lead with  6:50 left in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers would force the Chiefs to go three-and-out on their ensuing possession to get the ball back at their 28-yard-line with 4:38 left and a chance to ice the game away.

After two runs by Means lost one yard, Humphries threw a screen pass to running back Ronnie Harmon, who turned the short pass into a 44-yard reception to give San Diego a 1st down at the Kansas City 28-yard-line.

Two straight runs by Means picked up 11 more yards and another 1st down at the Kansas City 17-yard-line when Harmon got the ball only to be dropped for a four-yard loss as the Chiefs spent their last timeout before Humphries hit tight end Duane Yong for 12 yards to set up a crucial 3rd & 2 at the Chiefs' nine-yard-line.

That is when Kansas City linebacker Anthony Davis dropped Means for a two-yard loss forcing the Chargers to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Carney which increased San Diego's lead to 23-16 but left 72 seconds on the clock for the Chiefs to force overtime.

The Chiefs would begin their ensuing possession at their 21-yard-line as Bono's first pass intended for Anders was battered down by the Chargers defense to force 2nd down when Bono found Dawson across the middle for 27 yards and a 1st down at the Kansas City 48-yard-line.

Following a spike to stop the clock, Bono would complete three passes in a row, first hitting Willie Davis for seven yards, then Allen for six, and then Slaughter for 16 yards to put the Chiefs at the San Diego 23-yard-line with 25 seconds to go.

After an offsides penalty on the Chargers and an incomplete pass, Bono fired a pass down the middle for tight end Derrick Walker, who made the catch at the two-yard-line then lunged for the end zone to complete the 18-yard touchdown that along with Elliott's extra point tied the game at 23 with 15 seconds left in regulation.

When the Chargers' offense came back onto the field to try and win the game in regulation, they did so with backup quarterback Gale Gilbert as Humphries could not continue because of a sprained right shoulder.

Gilbert could not pull off a miracle in the final seconds of regulation as the game went into overtime tied 23-23 as San Diego won the coin toss to get the ball to start the extra period.

Chiefs quarterback Steve Bono threw for 329 yards and two touchdown passes.

Gilbert was able to lead the Chargers to the Chiefs' 40-yard-line until a four-yard loss on a Means carry and a quarterback sack by Neil Smith forced the Chargers to punt the ball back to the Chiefs who took over at their 15-yard-line.

However, the Chiefs would go three-and-out to punt it back to the Chargers, who took over at their 43-yard-line, but would also go three-and-out to punt the back to the Chiefs.

That is when Vanover etched his name into NFL history as he received the punt at his 14-yard-line, made a juke move that caused two Chargers to fall onto the ground, then cut to his left as he was able to run down the sideline outrunning the San Diego punting unit for the shocking 86-yard touchdown to give Kansas City a 29-23 win and first place in the AFC West.

Both teams would go on to make the playoffs as the Chiefs finished the regular season with a 13-3 record, good enough to earn the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs while the Chargers would finish with a 9-7 record to earn a Wild Card spot.

However, both teams would be upset by the Indianapolis Colts as the Colts knocked off the Chargers 35-20 in the Wild Card round, then shocked the Chiefs 10-7 in the Divisional Round(To read about the Ind-KC game, please click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-colts-shock.html).

As for Vanover, he would remain with the Chiefs until 1999 after five seasons where he finished with eight career touchdown, four coming courtesy of the punt return and four coming courtesy of the kickoff return.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Montana Leads Chiefs to Comeback Win over Steelers in AFC Wild Card Game

Chiefs quarterback Joe Montana completed 28 of 43 passes for 276 yards and throw a touchdown in Kansas City's 1993 playoff win over the Steelers.

When the Kansas City Chiefs acquired quarterback Joe Montana, they were hoping that Joe still a little bit of that "Montana Magic" left in him.

That opportunity presented itself in the Chiefs' AFC Wild Card game with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1993 NFL Playoffs.

After spending 14 years with the San Francisco 49ers, Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs to become its starting quarterback after spending Joe had spent the last seasons on the sidelines because of an elbow injury which led to him losing his job as the 49ers' starting quarterback after Steve Young had been the NFL's highest rated passer for the 1991 + 92 NFL seasons.

With Marcus Allen in the backfield, Montana lead the Chiefs to their first division title in 22 years as Kansas City went 11-5 during the 1993 regular season for the team's fifth straight winning season under head coach Marty Schottenheimer and fourth consecutive playoff berth.

The Chiefs were hoping Montana could lead them to success in the playoffs as Kansas City had gone 1-3 over the previous three seasons.

While the Chiefs were AFC West Champions, they could not get a first-round bye, meaning they had to play in the Wild Card Round for the fourth straight year as they hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers had endured a roller-coaster season to finish with a 9-7 record, good enough to earn the final playoff spot in the AFC under second-year head coach Bill Cowher.

The Steelers were led by quarterback Neil O' Donnell who had become only the second quarterback in team history to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season and all-pro cornerback Rod Woodson leading a stingy defense.

Pittsburgh entered Arrowhead Stadiums as seven-point underdogs as they prepared to face the Chiefs and Montana who was playing in his first postseason game since the 1990 NFC Championship Game.

After the Chiefs went three-and-out to start the game, the Steelers got the ball at their 34-yard-line for their opening possession of the game.

Pittsburgh would drive 66 yards in nine plays primarily on the right arm of O'Donnell who completed all four of his passes on the drive, which included two passes to Jeff Graham for 22 yards, a 27-yarder to running back Merrill Hoge on a 3rd & 17, and finally a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Adrian Cooper to give the Steelers a 7-0 lead with 8:45 left in the opening quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Chiefs had the ball at their 20-yard-line facing a 3rd & 15 just hoping to see if Montana could complete a pass as he had started out the game with seven incomplete passes.

Facing a blitz, Montana was able to get the pass off before he was crushed by Steelers defensive end Donald Evans and find Willie Davis for a 25-yard gain and a Kansas City 1st down at the Chiefs' 45-yard-line.

But the hit by Evans sent Montana to the sidelines with bruised ribs as Dave Krieg came in to take over at quarterback following the completion to Davis.

Krieg's first play would be a routine handoff to Allen who was stopped for a two-yard-loss only to become a 13-yard gain and another Kansas City 1st down as Steelers cornerback D.J. Johnson was called for unnecessary roughness after he kicked wide receiver Tim Barnett which resulted in Johnson's ejection from the game.

A 15-yard run by Kimber Anders and a four-yard run by Allen put Kansas City at the Pittsburgh 23-yard-line where Krieg threw a pass toward the right corner of the end zone where J.J. Birden made a diving catch for the touchdown to help Kansas City tie the game 7-7 with 1:39 remaining in the first quarter.

Chiefs running back Marcus Allen ran for 67 yards on 21 carries and caught four passes for 29 yards.

The Steelers would begin their next drive at their 24-yard-line where Pittsburgh would put together a 15-play, 63-yard drive that took over seven minutes and culminated with a 30-yard field goal by Gary Anderson to put the Steelers back in front 10-7 with 9:34 left in the second quarter.

When the Chiefs' offense came back onto the field to start their next possession, Montana was back in at quarterback as he would lead Kansas City to the Pittsburgh 36-yard-line as Joe completed passes of 15 yards to Barnett and 11 yards to tight end Keith Cash.

However, the drive would stall as a quarterback sack and a delay of game penalty pushed the Chiefs back to the Steelers' 41-yard-line where they would punt the ball back to Pittsburgh who would take over at its 20-yard-line following a touchback on the punt.

The Steelers would once again drive into Kansas City territory as O'Donnell completed a 35-yard pass to Graham on 3rd & 3 to give Pittsburgh a 1st down at the Chiefs' 38-yard-line.

Three straight running plays picked up only three yards to set up a 4th & 7 when Cowher decided to gamble and go for the 1st down.

The gamble would not pay off as O'Donnell's pass for Ernie Mills fell incomplete giving the Chiefs the ball at their 35-yard-line with 1:57 left in the first half.

Following an incomplete pass to start the drive, Montana would complete three passes in a row totaling 22 yards to set up 3rd & 2 when Montana handed the ball off to Allen who picked up only a yard to set up 4th & 1 from the Pittsburgh 42-yard-line.

Just like Cowher had done on the Steelers' previous possession, Schottenheimer decided to go for the 1st down only to see it backfire as Montana tripped over the feet of Allen leading to Montana being sacked by Steelers defensive end Gerald Williams for a seven-yard loss to give Pittsburgh the ball at its 48-yard-line with 55 seconds left before halftime.

After two incomplete passes and a Kansas City offsides penalty, O'Donnell hit Graham for 11 yards and a 1st down at the Kansas City 35-yard-line which was followed by another incomplete pass and a nine-yard run by Hoge to set up 3rd & 1 from the Chiefs' 26-yard-line.

That is when O'Donnell hit Mills for a 26-yard touchdown puss to increase the Pittsburgh lead to 17-7 with 18 seconds left in the first half.

The Chiefs would take a knee to end the first half as they went into the locker room down 10 points with the Steelers set to get the ball to start the second half.

Steelers quarterback Neil O' Donnell completed 23 of 42 passes for 286 yards and threw three TDs.

The Steelers would be given great field position to begin the second half as Woodson returned the opening kickoff 42 yards to the Pittsburgh 48-yard-line.

The Steelers would pick up one 1st down until the drive stalled thanks to an illegal man downfield penalty and a quarterback sack forcing them to punt the ball to the Chiefs who would take over at their 12-yard-line.

Following an exchange of punts, the Chiefs got the ball back at their 45-yard-line where three straight running plays gained a total of 14 yards to put Kansas City at the Pittsburgh 41-yard-line when Montana completed back-to-back passes to Anders for 22 yards, then connected with Barnett for eight yards and Birden for six yards to give Kansas City a 1st & goal at the Steelers' five-yard-line.

However, the Pittsburgh defense would stiffen and not allow another yard as the Chiefs had to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Nick Lowery to cut the Steelers' lead to 17-10 with 1:09 left in the third quarter.

The Chiefs would force the Steelers to punt following their ensuing possession to get the ball back at their 20-yard-line just 44 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The drive would start with an eight-yard pass to Anders followed by a two-yard run by Allen for a Kansas City 1st & 10 that became 1st & 15 when the Chiefs were called for a delay of game penalty to push them back to their 25-yard-line.

Montana would get out of the hole by completing a 22-yard pass to Davis which was followed by two straight running plays that totaled 20 yards and put Kansas City at the Pittsburgh 33-yard-line.

Montana would then connect with Birden for 19 yards, then handed the ball off to Allen who picked up four yards before hitting Cash for eight yards to give Kansas City 1st & goal at the Pittsburgh two-yard-line.

That is when Montana handed the ball off to Allen who punched it in for the two-yard touchdown that with Lowery's extra point tied the game at 17 with 8:58 left in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers would begin their ensuing possession at their 26-yard-line with O' Donnell throwing a two-yard pass to Hoge, then connecting with running back Dwight Stone for a 26-yard gain to give Pittsburgh a 1st down at the Kansas City 46-yard-line.

Two straight runs by Leroy Thompson picked up 14 yards for another Pittsburgh 1st down as O' Donnell completed a seven-yard pass to Mills, then handed it off to Thompson who was stopped for no gain to set up 3rd & 3 where Thompson caught a five-yard pass to put the Steelers at the Chiefs' 20-yard-line.

After Thompson was stopped for a two-yard loss, O'Donnell found tight end Eric Green for a 22-yard touchdown pass to give Pittsburgh a 24-17 lead with 4:11 left in the fourth quarter.

Following a Kansas City three-and-out, the Steelers got the ball at their 48-yard-line with exactly three minutes and a chance to ice the game away with a few 1st downs.

Two runs by Thompson netted zero yardage to set up 3rd & 10 when O'Donnell fired a pass intended for Graham only to have Graham drop it to force 4th down as the Steelers were set to punt the ball away giving Montana a chance to drive down the field for the game-tying score.

That is when Cash burst through the line untouched and was able to block Mark Royals' punt as Fred Jones scooped the blocked punt and ran it down 31 yards before being knocked out of bounds at the Pittsburgh nine-yard-line.

Allen would run for one yard on 1st & goal which was followed by an incomplete pass and then another one-yard run by Allen to set up a do-or-die 4th & goal at the seven-yard-line.

Needing a touchdown to keep the Chiefs alive, Montana found Barnett in the back of the end zone for the seven-yard touchdown that with Lowery's extra point tied the game at 24 with 1:43 left in regulation.

Tim Barnett acknowledges the Kansas City fans after catching the game-tying touchdown.

The Steelers would get the ball back at their 22-yard-line but could only move five yards on three plays forcing them to punt the ball away to the Chiefs who took over at their 28-yard-line with 74 seconds left and no timeouts.

The drive would begin with a 15-yard pass from Montana to Danan Hughes for a Kansas City 1st down as the Chiefs ran up to spike the ball to stop the clock with 56 seconds left.

Montana would then hand it off to Allen, who ran for 11 yards and another Kansas City 1st down at the Pittsburgh 46-yard-line when Montana went back to the air and completed a four-yard pass to Cash, then an eight-yarder to Birden that put Kansas City at the Steelers' 34-yard-line when Montana spiked the ball with 19 seconds to go.

After running back Todd McNair was knocked out of bounds following a nine-yard catch, Schottenheimer sent in the field goal unit to try and win the game with a 43-yard field goal.

But Lowery's kick would sail wide right and no good allowing the Steelers to take a knee to run out the clock on regulation as the game moved into overtime with the two teams deadlocked 24-24.

The Chiefs won the coin toss to get the ball to start the overtime period but would go three-and-out to punt the ball to the Steelers who took over at their 26-yard-line.

The Steelers would drive to the 50-yard-line until they were forced to punt it back to the Chiefs who took over at their 20-yard-line with 9:56 to go in overtime.

The drive would began with back-to-back penalties on the Steelers as Woodson was called for holding to give Kansas City an automatic 1st down at its 25-yard-line when linebacker Greg Lloyd jumped offsides to give the Chiefs another five yards.

Montana would then complete a seven-yard pass to Allen for another 1st down, then found Birden for six yards which was followed by a six-yard pass to tight end Jonathan Hayes for a Kansas City 1st down at its 49-yard-line.

Then after an one-yard run by McNair, Montana fired a 18-yard pass for Cash to put Kansas City at the Pittsburgh 32-yard-line and in field goal range.

Two runs by Allen gained four yards to set up 3rd & 6 when Montana found Birden for 10 yards and another 1st down at the Steelers' 18-yard-line.

Two more running plays picked up four yards before Schottenheimer sent Lowery to try and win the game again with a 32-yard field goal.

This time, Lowery's kick sailed through the uprights to the Chiefs a 27-24 overtime win and a trip to the Astrodome to take on the Houston Oilers in the Divisional Round.

Nick Lowery kicks the game-winning 32-yard field goal in overtime of the Chiefs' Wild Card Win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Again down by 10 points at halftime, Montana would throw three touchdown passes in the second half to lead Kansas City a 28-20 win to send the Chiefs to the AFC Championship  Game where they would face off with the three-time defending AFC Champion Buffalo Bills.

That is when the Chiefs' playoff run ended as Montana was knocked out of the game with a concussion while Bills running back Thurman Thomas ran for 186 yards and three touchdowns to lead Buffalo to a 30-13 victory to send the Bills to their fourth Super Bowl in a row.

Montana would return for one more season with the Chiefs as he lead Kansas City to a 9-7 record, which included a 24-17 win over his former team the 49ers in Week 2(To read more about that game, click on the link highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2018/09/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-montana.html).

The Chiefs' season and Montana's NFL career would end in the Wild Card round of the 1994 playoffs as they were eliminated by the Miami Dolphins 27-17.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Montana Gets Revenge on 49ers

Joe Montana would get payback as he led the Chiefs to a win over his former team, the San Francisco 49ers.

When the San Francisco 49ers traveled to Arrowhead Stadium for a game with the Kansas City Chiefs during the second week of the 1994 season, they would be going a familiar face at quarterback.
Joe Montana, who had become a San Francisco legend as he helped lead the 49ers to four Super Bowl titles in the 1980s, would be the starting quarterback for the Chiefs as they prepared to face San Francisco in one of the most anticipated games of the 1994 season.
After Montana suffered an elbow injury during the 1991 preseason which ultimately sidelined him for two years, he was replaced by Steve Young, who would finish as the NFL's top rated quarterback the following two seasons and lead the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game in 1992, which they lost to the Dallas Cowboys.
By then Montana was finally healthy and wanted to compete for the starting quarterback job, but 49ers management had decided that Young should be the starter and Montana the backup.
Montana then requested for a trade which was granted just before the 1993 NFL draft as the 3-time Super Bowl MVP was traded to Kansas City, along with defensive back Dave Whitmore.
Paired with former Raiders running back Marcus Allen, Montana lead the Chiefs to their first postseason victory since they won Super Bowl IV, with a 27-24 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round, followed by a 28-20 upset of the Houston Oilers in the Divisional Round, only to fall in the AFC Championship Game to the Buffalo Bills 30-13.
With Montana and Allen back and head coach Marty Schottenheimer at the helm, the Chiefs were considered Super Bowl contenders in 1994 just like the 49ers.

Steve Young and Joe Montana greet each other before thier much-hyped showdown during the second week of the 1994 season.

While expectations were high in Kansas City, there was more pressure for Young and the 49ers as they had fallen to the Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game for the second year in a row.
With an offense which featured running back Ricky Watters, wide receiver John Taylor, and perhaps the greatest player in NFL history, wide receiver Jerry Rice, nothing short of a Super Bowl title would satisfy the 49ers' fanbase in 1994.
But first they had to get by an old friend as both the 49ers and the Chiefs won their season openers the week before, with Rice breaking the record for most touchdowns scored by a NFL player in the 49ers' 44-14 rout of the Raiders.
 The Chiefs got the ball at their 33-yard-line and were able to drive down to the 49ers' five-yard-line, thanks to a pair of 3rd down conversions as Montana hit Willie Davis for 18 yards on a 3rd & 2, then hit tight end Keith Cash for six yards on a 3rd & 5, which was followed by a 25-yard pass to J.J. Birden to give Kansas City a 1st-and-goal.
But after three plays netted four yards, the Chiefs were faced with a 4th-and-goal from the one-yard-line.
That is when the normally conservative Schottenheimer decided to gamble and go for the touchdown.
Montana took the snap and lofted a pass for offensive lineman Joe Valerio, who lined up as an eligible receiver on the play, made the catch for the game's first touchdown to give Kansas City a 7-0 lead with 9:16 left in the first quarter.

Joe Valerio celebrates after his one-yard touchdown catch gave Kansas City an early 7-0 lead.

After both teams traded punts, the 49ers took over at their 30-yard-line when Young hit tight end Brent Jones for 30 yards on the first play of the drive to put the Niners in Chiefs territory at the Kansas City 40-yard-line.

The 49ers then went backwards as John Taylor lost three yards on a reverse which was followed by an illegal use of hands penalty on left tackle Steve Wallace, forcing a 2nd & 23 back at the San Francisco 47-yard-line.
But Young would hit back-to-back passes to Watters and Nate Singleton totaling 31 yards to give the 49ers a 1st down at the Chiefs 22-yard-line.
Then on the first play of the second quarter, Young found Jones for a five-yard touchdown to tie the game just three seconds into the second quarter.
After forcing a three-and-out, the 49ers got the ball at thier 45-yard-line and proceeded to drive 55 yards in 10 plays, culminating with a one-yard touchdown run by fullback Marc Logan to give San Francisco a 14-7 lead with just over eight minutes before halftime.
On their ensuing possession, the Chiefs drove from their 20-yard-line to the 49ers' 34-yard-line until Montana was sacked by 49ers defensive end Richard Dent on a 3rd & 9 that pushed Kansas City back to the 49ers' 43-yard-line and forced a punt.
However, punter Louie Aguiar was able to pin the 49ers back as his punt landed on the San Francisco three-yard-line.
Young was able to get the 49ers out of danger of a safety when he hit Rice for a 16-yard gain to the Kansas City 22-yard-line, only to have back-to-back penalties push the Niners back to their seven-yard-line where they faced a 1st & 25.
That is when Chiefs pass rusher extraordinaire Derrick Thomas struck as he ran past right tackle Harry Boatswain and sacked Young for a safety to give the Chiefs two points and cut the Niners' lead to 14-9 with 2:12 left before halftime.

Derrick Thomas sacked Young three times in the game, including one for a safety.

But after beginning their next drive at their 31-yard-line following the free kick, the Chiefs went three-and-out, punting the back to the Niners who took over at their 20-yard-line with a minute and a half left in the first half.
Young was precise on the drive as he completed four of six passes for 47 yards to set up a 43-yard field goal attempt by Doug Brien.
But Brien's kick sailed wide right and the 49ers' lead was still 14-9 as the first half came to a close.
After forcing the 49ers to go three-and-out on their first possession of the second half, the Chiefs got great field position as Danan Hughes returned the ensuing punt 43 yards to the 49ers' 42-yard-line, though the Chiefs would lose 15 yards because of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, making Kansas City start its opening possession of the second half at their 43-yard-line.
The penalty would not haunt the Chiefs as they drove 57 yards in eight plays as Montana hit two big completions to Davis gaining a total of 34 yards and then fired his second touchdown pass of the game, an eight-yard pass to Cash that gave the lead back to Kansas City.
The Chiefs decided to go for two to give them a three-point lead and after Montana hit Birden in the end zone, Kansas City had a 17-14 lead with 8:43 left in the third quarter.
The KC defense would give their offense an excellent opportunity to extend the lead when strong safety Charles Mincy intercepted a Young pass intended for Jones and returned the pick 31 yards to the 49ers' 17-yard-line.
Four plays later, the Chiefs put another touchdown on the scoreboard as Allen ran it in from four yards out to increase the Kansas City lead to 24-14 with just under five minutes to play in the third quarter.
The Chiefs kept the momentum going as free safety William White intercepted Young on the second play of the 49ers' ensuing drive, giving Montana and the Kansas City offense the ball at their 27-yard-line.
This time, the Chiefs were unable to convert the turnover into points giving the ball back to the 49ers at their six-yard-line after another perfect coffin-corner punt by Aguiar.
Following an exchange of punts, the 49ers took over at their 20-yard-line and were able to drive to the Chiefs' five-yard-line as Young completed five passes for 46 yards.
After Watters picked up four yards on 1st & goal, the Chiefs called timeout to give their defense a rest in hopes they would rise up and keep the Niners out of the end zone.
The rest worked as defensive end Vaughn Booker dropped Watters for a one-yard loss on 2nd down, then Whitmore made his presence felt as stopped Young for no gain when the quarterback tried to run in on a naked bootleg.
With plenty of time remaining in regulation,49ers head coach George Seifert settled for the field goal, a 19-yarder by Brien to cut the deficit to a touchdown at 24-17 with 5:34 left in the fourth quarter.

Marcus Allen finished with 114 total yards(69 rushing, 45 receiving) and one touchdown.

Needing a defensive stop, the 49ers got one as they forced a three-and-out to get the ball back at their 31-yard-line with 4:14 left and a chance to tie the game with a touchdown.
But on 2nd & 4 from the San Francisco 48-yard-line, Young hit Taylor for a six-yard-pass, only to have Taylor lose the football when he was hit by Chiefes linebacker George Jamison, forcing a fumble that was recovered by defensive back Jay Taylor at the Chiefs' 46-yard-line, though Kansas City would lose 15 yards because of an unnecessary roughness penalty on Mincy as the KC offense took over at their 31-yard-line with 2:23 left.
With the 49ers defense expecting run on 1st down, Montana crossed them up and went deep for Allen, who made a 38-yard catch before being knocked out of bounds at the San Francisco 31-yard-line.
The Chiefs would stick to the ground for the rest of the drive as Allen carried the ball six straight times for 27 yards to run out the clock and give Kansas City a 24-17 victory and a win for Montana over his former team as "Joe Cool" finished with 203 yards on 19-of-31 passing and two touchdown passes while Young completed 24 of 34 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown, but threw two interceptions while Montana threw none.
The loss would just be a bump in the road for the 49ers as they would go on to finish the regular season 13-3 behind the league's #1 offense, finally defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game, then destroyed the San Diego Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX as Young threw a Super Bowl record six touchdown passes, ironically breaking Montana's record of five touchdown passes he set in San Francisco's 55-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV.
As for Montana, the win over the 49ers would be one of the high points in a up-and-down season as the Chiefs finished with a 9-7 record and entered the playoffs as the AFC's #6 seed, where they would lose to the Miami Dolphins 27-17 in the Wild Card round.
Then on April 18, 1995, Montana announced his retirement from the NFL after 16 seasons in an event held at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco where "Joe Cool" was joined by former 49ers head coach Bill Walsh and other former teammates from San Francisco.