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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NFL Old School Game of the Week: 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: Packers Clinch 1st Division Title in 23 Years With Win over Steelers

Packers quarterback Brett Favre runs with the football after Green Bay defeated Pittsburgh to clinch the 1995 NFC Central Division title.

With their six NFL championships between 1929 and 1944, then the five NFL championships and two Super Bowl titles in 1960s, the city of Green Bay gave itself the nickname "Titletown, USA" thanks to the success of their beloved Packers under head coaches Curly Lambeau and Vince Lombardi.

But after Lombardi left the Packers following their win in Super Bowl II, the nickname "Titletown" did not seem to fit Green Bay as the Packers would have 15 losing seasons between 1968 and 1991 as the team would make the NFL playoffs only twice and win one division title during that 24-year span with the division title coming in 1972.

Things began to change for the Packers in 1992 when they hired San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren as head coach and traded for quarterback Brett Favre as the pair lead Green Bay to a 9-7 season in 1992.

Things only got better in the offseason as the Packers were able to sign defensive end Reggie White as as a free agent as the Packers would make the playoffs in 1993 where they won their first postseason game since Super Bowl II as they defeated the Detroit Lions 28-24 in the NFC Wild Card round, then again in 1994 with a 16-12 win in front of nearly 60, 000 fans at Lambeau Field.

The Packers entered the 1995 season with hopes of going beyond the Divisional Round, where they had been eliminated by the Dallas Cowboys in two straight years, and do that a division title would go a long way in achieving in that goal.

The Packers entered their final game of the 1995 regular season with a chance to clinch their first division title since 1972 as they played host to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Eve, who also had a lot on the line in this game.

The Packers came in with a 10-5 record, holding a one-game lead over the Detroit Lions, who held the tiebreaker over the Packers to clinch the NFC Central as the Lions had a better division record than the Packers.

If Green Bay was to secure its first division title in 23 years, they would need a big game from Favre, who was playing hurt with a high ankle sprain in his left ankle, limiting his mobility.

Meanwhile, the Steelers entered the regular season finale with a 11-4 record, having won their previous eight games to clinch the AFC Central division title.

The Steelers were led by head coach Bill Cowher, who had directed Pittsburgh to the playoffs in his first four seasons, but was looking for retribution as the Steelers had lost in the AFC Championship Game the previous season 17-13 to the San Diego Chargers as the Steelers had been stopped on 4th & goal at the Chargers' three-yard-line in the final minutes.

The Steelers had a ferocious defense led by linebackers Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd and an offense that had become a pass-first offense under quarterback Neil O' Donnell.

Plus, the Steelers had a secret weapon in rookie quarterback Kordell Stewart, who they lined up at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver earning him the nickname "Slash".

While the Steelers had secured the AFC Central and a first-round-bye, they still needed a win over the Packers plus a Kansas City Chiefs loss to the Seattle Seahawks to clinch home field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs.

If the Steelers were going to win, they would have to do it without their top three running backs as Erric Pegram, Bam Morris, and John L. Williams were all out with injuries, meaning Fred McAfee and Tim Lester would have to carry the load at running back.

The stakes could not be higher for both teams as they played in front of a soldout crowd at Lambeau Field on Christmas Eve where gameday temperatures was just a nudge above 20 degrees with a wind chill of 9 degrees.

Packers wide receiver Robert Brooks caught 11 passes for 137 yards and one touchdown.

The Steelers got the ball first and drove from their 19-yard-line to their 47-yard-line when O' Donnell went deep on 3rd & 5 and fired a pass for Ernie Mills, only to have Mills drop the pass and what would have been a 53-yard touchdown that would have put the Steelers on the scoreboard first.

Pittsburgh would be forced to punt to the Packers, who drove 36 yards to the their 45-yard-line before punting the ball back to the Steelers who took over at their nine-yard-line.

The Steelers would drive 54 yards in 11 plays until they were faced with a 4th & 1 situation at the Packers' 37-yard-line.

Figuring a long field goal would be difficult to make, Cowher decided to go for the 1st down as Stewart lined up as quarterback on the play.

Stewart took the snap and tossed it to McAfee, who was stopped for no gain by Packers linebacker George Koonce giving Green Bay the ball with just over two minutes to go in the first quarter.

From there, the Packers would drive to the Pittsburgh 18-yard-line as Favre completed passes of 13 + 9 yards to Robert Brooks while Edgar Bennett would run for 23 yards on the final play of the opening quarter.

As the second quarter began, Favre connected with tight end Mark Chumra for nine yards, then handed it off to Bennett who ran it in for the nine-yard touchdown to give Green Bay a 7-0 lead just 42 seconds into the second quarter.

The Packers would force a three-and-out to get the ball back at their 33-yard-line and drove to the Pittsburgh 30-yard-line as Favre completed four of five passes for 38 yards on the drive, three of those passes going to Brooks for 35 yards, until Favre was sacked on 3rd & 5 by Steelers linebacker Jason Gildon, causing a fumble that was recovered by Steelers cornerback Carnell Lake to give Pittsburgh the ball at its own 47-yard-line.

O' Donnell would complete five of six passes for 38 yards on a drive which culiminated with the Steelers' first points of the game, a 33-yard field goal by Norm Johnson to cut the Packers' lead to 7-3 with 5:03 left in the second quarter.

The Packers would begin its ensuing possession at its 18-yard-line where after a two-yard run by Bennett on the first play of the drive, Favre connected with Brooks for 14 yards, then with running back Dorsey Levens for 13 yards to give Green Bay a 1st down at its 47-yard-line.

On the very next play, disaster nearly struck as Favre's pass for Mark Ingram, appeared to be intercepted by Lake, only to have officials rule that Lake did not get both feet in bounds, thus making it an incomplete pass.

Favre took advantage of the reprieve as hit Ingram for 28 yards on the very next play to give Green Bay a 1st down at the Steelers' 25-yard-line.

Then after a six-yard run by Bennett, Favre found Brooks for a 19-yard touchdown to increase the Packers' lead to 14-3 with 1:56 left before halftime.

The Steelers would get the ball at their 30-yard-line for their next possession hoping to get some points before the end of the first half.

Going to a no-huddle offense, O'Donnell would complete back-to-back passes to Andre Hastings that totaled 29 yards to give the Steelers a 1st down at the Packers' 41-yard-line.

After an incomplete pass, O'Donnell would complete his next four passes for 33 yards to give the Steelers a 1st & goal at the Green Bay eight-yard-line as time winded down in the first half.

Following another incomplete pass, O'Donnell found Mills who in the back of the end zone, who this time held on for the eight-yard touchdown to cut the Green Bay lead to 14-10 with 20 seconds left in the first half.

Favre would take a knee to send both teams into the locker room with the Packers holding on to a 14-10 halftime lead.

Steelers quarterback Neil O' Donnell completed 33 of 55 passes for 318 yards and throw one touchdown.

After both teams punted on their opening possessions of the second half, the Packers got the ball at the Steelers' 32-yard-line where on 2nd down, Favre threw a screen pass to Levens, who turned into a 23-yard gain to give Green Bay a 1st & goal at the nine-yard-line.

After Bennett was stopped for no gain on 1st down, Favre scrambled to tried to get in the end zone, only to be crushed by Steelers strong safety Myron Bell at the one-yard-line, causing the Packers to call timeout as  Favre begin to spit out blood following the hit.

Favre would catch his breath and throw an one-yard touchdown pass to Chumra to push the Packers' lead back to 11 points at 21-10 with 9:26 left in the third quarter.

The Steelers would respond with a l2-play, 72-yard drive that took off more than six minutes off the clock and ended with a 25-yard field goal by Johnson to cut the Packers' lead to 21-13 with 3:12 remaining in third quarter.

The Packers would begin its ensuing possession at its 13-yard-line as Favre would complete his next passes for a total of 45 yards to drive Green Bay to the Pittsburgh 38-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end.

However, on the opening play of the first quarter, Favre would be knocked woozy following a hit by Greene on an incomplete pass intended for Levens.

This time, Favre would come out of the game and be replaced by Jim McMahon, who after a three-yard run by Bennett, completed a six-yard pass to Brooks, to set up Chris Jacke's 47-yard field goal which pushed the Packers' lead back to 11 points at 24-13 with 13:26 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers would get the ball back at their 33-yard-line when O'Donnell connected with Yancey Thigpen for 20 yards to start the drive and give Pittsburgh a 1st down at the Green Bay 47-yard-line.

Then on 3rd & 12 from the Packers' 49-yard-line, O'Donnell hit Hastings for a 36-yard completion to put the Steelers at the Green Bay 13-yard-line.

Following two passes to Stewart that picked up 11 yards, Lester would score his first career NFL touchdown on a two-yard run to cut the Green Bay lead to 24-19.

The Steelers would go for two to try and make it a three-point game but Stewart, who lined up at quarterback, threw an incomplete pass to keep the score 24-19 with 9:49 left in the fourth quarter.

When the Packers' offense came back onto the field to begin their next possession at their 29-yard-line, Favre would come back in and complete his next three passes for 26 yards until he threw an incomplete pass on 3rd & 5 at the Pittsburgh 40-yard-line, forcing Green Bay to punt the ball back to the Steelers who took over at their 20-yard-line with over five minutes left in the game.

The drive would begin with a 11-yard pass from O'Donnell to tight end Mark Bruener for a 1st down, followed by a nine-yard completion to Mills to set up 2nd & 1 where O'Donnell's pass for Stewart would fall incomplete.

O'Donnell would look for Stewart again on 3rd down, this time hitting him for six yards and a 1st down at the Pittsburgh 46-yard-line, which was followed by a 13-yard pass to  Thigpen to put the Steelers in Green Bay territory at the Packers' 41-yard-line.

O'Donnell would hit Thigpen for five yards on 1st down, only to give the five yards back when left tackle John Jackson was called for a false start, setting up 2nd & 10 when O'Donnell found Stewart for 15 yards and a 1st down at the Green Bay 26-yard-line.

An incomplete pass, followed by a three-yard run by McAfee, and then a six-yard pass to Hastings set up a do-or-die 4th & 1 at the Packers' 17-yard-line.

That is when O'Donnell tried to sneak to pick up the 1st down, only to be met by Green Bay defensive tackles Gilbert Brown and John Jurkovic, who were convinced they stopped O'Donnell short of the 1st down.

A measurement was taken to see how far O'Donnell had made it which took several seconds as officials tried to make sure they got the spot right(Remember there was no instant replay in 1995).

The chains showed that O'Donnell had made the 1st down, though the Packers believed he had been short and that the referees gave him a generous spot, but the call stood and it was 1st & 10 at the Green Bay 16-yard-line.

Then after two more incomplete passes and a nine-yard run by McAfee, the Steelers were faced with another 4th & 1, this time at the Green Bay seven-yard-line.

There would be no need for a measurement this time as Lester picked up the 1st down after a two-yard-run to give the Steelers a 1st & goal at the Packers' five-yard-line as O'Donnell would spike the ball with 29 seconds to go.

O'Donnell tried to find Thigpen in the end zone on 2nd down, but couldn't and was forced throw the ball away to set up 3rd down when Stewart lined at quarterback in the shotgun formation.

Stewart attempted to a draw only to be dropped for an one-yard-loss by Packers strong saftey LeRoy Butler and defensive end Sean Jones, forcing the Steelers to spend their final timeout as they would face another 4th down conversion, this time needing six yards.

That is when O' Donnell dropped back and fired a pass toward the left corner of the end zone where Thigpen was wide open, only for Thigpen to juggle and drop the ball on a sure touchdown that would have given the Steelers the lead.

Instead, it fell for an incomplete pass and gave the ball back to the Packers with 11 seconds left at their six-yard-line.

Favre took a knee to run out the clock and begin the celebration at Lambeau Field as the Packers celebrated not only the 24-19 win but also their first division title since 1972.

In a postgame interview, Thigpen said "That's my Christmas present right there to Green Bay".

Thigpen was able to laugh off the drop as the Chiefs defeated the Seahawks 26-3 to clinch the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs, meaning even if the Steelers won they still wouldn't have gotten home field advantage.

But in the end, the Steelers would get home field advantage as the Chiefs were knocked out in the Divisional Round by the Indianapolis Colts in a 10-7 upset while the Steelers defeated the Buffalo Bills 40-21 to advance to the AFC Championship Game which was played in Pittsburgh as the Steelers held off the Colts 20-16 as Jim Harbaugh's "Hail Mary" pass on the final play of regulation fell incomplete(To read more about that game, click on the link which is highlighted: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/11/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-steelers.html).

As for the Packers, they would host the Atlanta Falcons in the Wild Card Round where they easily defeated the Falcons 37-20 to advance to the Divisional Round where they shocked the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers 27-17 to earn a trip to the NFC Championship Game where they would fall to the Dallas Cowboys 38-28.

However, the Packers would come back the following season and win their first Super Bowl in 29 years ,which was followed by another trip to the Super Bowl in 1997 where they would fall to the Denver Broncos.

Since 1995, Green Bay has won 15 division titles, 3 NFC championships and two Super Bowls, once again living up to the town's nickname of "Titletown, USA".

Packers head coach Mike Holmgren and defensive end Sean Jones hug it out after the Packers clinched their first division title since 1972.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Steelers Score 36 Straight Points To Win Shootout Over Bengals

Steelers quarterback Neil O' Donnell would throw complete 24 of 31 passes for 377 yards and throw three touchdowns in the Steelers' comeback win over the Bengals.

Sometimes football is a lot like basketball as one team gets on a run to break open a game and come back from a huge deficit.
That's exactly what happened in the 1995 Week 12 matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, where the Steelers put together a dominating run in the second half.
Pittsburgh entered the game with a 6-4 record, but on a three-game winning streak, which began one week after an embarrassing 27-9 loss to the Bengals at home in Three Rivers Stadium.
The Steelers were led by head coach Bill Cowher and quarterback Neil O' Donnell, who along with the rest of the Steelers were on a mission to get to the Super Bowl after they had fallen three yards short of the game-winning touchdown in their heartbreaking 17-13 loss to the San Diego Chargers in the previous year's AFC Championship Game.
While the Steeelers were looking toward the Super Bowl, the Bengals were hoping just get into the playoffs as they entered the game with Pittsburgh with a 4-6 record.
Ever since their last playoff appearance in 1990, the Bengals' fortunes had turned for the worse as they had encountered three seasons where they went 3-13 and another where they went 5-11.
Cincinnati was under the direction of David Shula, son of the NFL's all-time winningest head coach Don, whose in his fourth season, but looked to have found his franchise quarterback in Jeff Blake, who had become the Bengals starter after an 0-7 start during the 1994 season, replacing former 1st round pick David Klinger.
With Blake at the helm, Cincinnati fans had a glimmer of hope of ending their playoff drought if they get on a winning streak to end the season.
What proceeded was a game of two halves as both teams held control for one half of play and combined for 80 points and 821 yards of total offense.
The fireworks began on the game's opening kickoff when the Bengals' return man David Dunn received the kickoff, ran seven yards, then threw a backwards lateral across the field to Jeff Hill, who proceeded to run 55 yards before being knocked out of bounds by Steelers kicker Norm Johnson, giving Cincinnati the ball at the Pittsburgh 35-yard-line.
Six plays later, the Bengals had the first touchdown of the game as Blake hit Darnay Scott from four yards out to give Cincinnati a 7-0 lead just 1:39 into the game.
The Steelers would get good field position for their first drive of the game as Ernie Mills returned the ensuing kickoff 34 yards to the Pittsburgh 40-yard-line.
But on 3rd & 2 from the Steelers' 48-yard-line, O' Donnell connected with Mills for an apparent 1st down, only to have Mills fumble the football, which was recovered by the Bengals' Todd Kelly at the Cincinnati 47-yard-line.
The Bengals could not take advantage of the turnover as they went three-and-out, punting the ball back to the Steelers who took over at their 42-yard-line after punter Lee Johnson shanked his kick, which went only 21 yards.
The Steelers would drive to the Bengals' 20-yard-line until a sack by Bengals linebacker Andre Collins forced the Steelers to attempt a 50-yard field goal which Johnson made, cutting the Bengals lead to 7-3 with 7:04 left in the first quarter.
The Bengals responded with an eight-play, 68-yard drive which saw running back Harold Green carry the ball four times for 26 yards and Blake hit Scott for a 23-yard gain, that ended with Blake running it in from one yard out to extend the Cincinnati lead to 14-3 with 2:40 to go in the first quarter.

Bengals quarterback Jeff Blake accounted for all four touchdowns(three passing, one rushing) that Cincinnati scored.

On their next possession, the Steelers drove from their 30-yard-line to the Bengals' 38-yard-line where they faced a 4th & 1 situation.
Cowher decided to go for it but a false start penalty on right tackle Leon Searcy pushed the Steelers five yards back and force them to punt the ball back to the Bengals who took over at their nine-yard-line.
That is when the Blake-to-Pickens connection got going as Blake hit Pickens for 25 yards on the first play of the drive which was also the last play of the first quarter.
The two connected again on 2nd & 2 from the Cincinnati 42-yard-line for a 11-yard gain and another 1st down, which was followed by an offsides penalty on Steelers linebacker Greg Lloyd and then a 26-yard pass from Blake to Pickens to give the Bengals a 1st down at the Steelers' 16-yard-line.
Three plays later, the Bengals were faced with their own 4th & 1 situation when Shula decided to go for it.
Blake was able to drop back and lofted a pass for Pickens in the end zone which fell incomplete, only to have Steelers strong safety Carnell Lake get called for pass interference, to give the Bengals a 1st & goal at the one-yard-line.
On the very next play, Blake connected with Pickens for a one-yard touchdown to extend the Cincinnati lead to 21-3 with 11:28 left in the second quarter.
Down by the same margin as their prior defeat to the Bengals, things were not looking promising for the Steelers, especially when they had to start their next drive at their 12-yard-line, only for center Dermontti Dawson get called for illegal use of hands, pushing the Steelers offense back to their six-yard-line.
That is when O' Donnell got rolling as he completed four passes in a row for a total of 30 yards, which was followed by a 22-yard run by Bam Morris that put the Steelers in Bengals territory at the Cincinnati 42-yard-line.
Then on the next play from scrimmage, O' Donnell hit Mills for a 42-yard touchdown to make it a 21-10 game midway through the second quarter.
The Bengals responded with a pair of runs by Green totaling 15 yards, then followed by a 45-yard pass interference penalty on Lake to give the Bengals a 1st & 10 at the Steelers' 13-yard-line.
However, the Steelers defense would only allow three more yards, forcing the Bengals to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Doug Pelfrey to make it a two-touchdown game at 24-10 with 4:33 left in the first half.
Before the first half came to a close, O' Donnell would complete five of six passes for 61 yards, with the big play being a 33-yard completion to Charles Johnson, to set up a 26-yard field goal by Norm Johnson to make it 24-13 after 30 minutes of play.
The Steelers got the ball to start the second half but turned it over on the third play of the drive as running back Erric Pegram fumbled the ball after a pass, which was recovered by Bengals strong safety Bracy Walker, whose nine-yard return set up the Cincinnati offense with the ball at the Pittsburgh 33-yard-line.
This would lead to Blake throwing his third touchdown pass of the game, a 20-yarder to Tony McGee to push the Bengals' lead back to 18 points at 31-13 with 10:31 to go in the third quarter.

Steelers linebacker Greg Lloyd(95) would lead a Pittsburgh defense that limited the Bengals to just 84 yards of total offense and one touchdown in the second half.

It seemed that the Bengals were on their a season sweep of the Steelers as the Pittsburgh defense could not stop the Cincinnati offense and the Steelers had been settling for field goals instead of touchdowns.
But like basketball, football could turn 180 degrees in a matter of minutes and that's exactly what would happen starting with the Steelers' ensuing possession.
After Mills returned the ensuing kickoff 31 yards to the Pittsburgh 38-yard-line, the Steelers got into Bengals territory on the very next play as Bengals cornerback Roger Jones was called for pass interference, resulting in a Pittsburgh 1st down at the Bengals' 42-yard-line.
Then O' Donnell would hit Mills for 18 yards on 3rd & 7 for a 1st down at the Cincinnati 21-yard-line, which was followed by a nine-yard completion to Yancey Thigpen, and two runs by Pegram totaling 11 yards, all leading to an one-yard touchdown run by Morris, which cut the Bengals' lead to 31-20 with 6:46 left in the third quarter.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Steelers got the ball at their 17-yard-line and drove 83 yards in nine plays, culminating with a 15-yard touchdown pass from O' Donnell to Andre Hastings.
Cowher decided to go for two and brought in backup quarterback Kordell Stewart, who had spent the season lining up at various times at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver, earning him the nickname "Slash", to get the two points to make it a field goal game.
Stewart ran a quarterback option and pitched it out to Pegram who ran it in for the two-point conversion to bring Pittsburgh to within three points at 31-28 with 99 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Steelers' defense kept the momentum going as they forced another three-and-out and seemed to get the ball in Bengals territory when Hastings returned the ensuing punt 47 yards to the Bengals' 26-yard-line, only for an illegal block get called on Tim Lester, meaning the Steelers had to start from their 16-yard-line.
Morris would ran for five yards on the last play of the third quarter, which was followed by O' Donnell connecting with Mills for eight yards to give Pittsburgh a 1st down at their 29-yard-line.
That is when Stewart re-entered the game, lined up as wide receiver, and proceeded to run a seam pattern down the middle the field where he caught O' Donnell's pass for him at the Bengals' 40-yard-line.
Stewart would run into the end zone untouched for a 71-yard touchdown to give the Steelers their first lead of the game at 35-31 and third touchdown in a span of 7 minutes and 21 seconds.
But the Pittsburgh scoring barrage was not over.
The Steelers' defense would force the Bengals a third consecutive three-and-out, which included a 13-yard loss on a quarterback sack by linebacker Jason Gildeon, which lead to the Steelers getting the ball back at the Bengals' 39-yard-line after a 31-yard punt by Lee Johnson.
For this drive, the Steelers would go back to their traditional running game as Morris carried the ball five times for 23 yards, with the  last one being a three-yard touchdown to extend the Pittsburgh lead to 42-31 with 9:33 left in the game.

Kordell Stewart, or Slash, would catch his first career touchdown, a 71-yard TD that gave the Steelers the lead for good.

Needing to get their offense back on track, the Bengals decided to go for it on 4th & 4 at their own 31-yard-line when Blake hit Pickens for 22 yards for a Cincinnati 1st down at the Steelers' 47-yard-line.
Then after a seven-yard pass to running back Eric Bieniemy, Blake was sacked by Greg Lloyd, fumbling the football, which was recovered by Steelers defensive lineman Bill Johnson at the Pittsburgh 43-yard-line.
With a chance to put the nail in the coffin, the Steelers pulled out a gadget play as they called a reverse on 2nd & 7 from the 46-yard-line, where Mills ran for 20 yards and another Steelers 1st down at the Bengals 36-yard-line.
Then after a four-yard run by Morris and 10-yard holding penalty on left guard led to a 2nd & 16 at the 40-yard-line, O' Donnell would throw his final pass of the game, which turned out to be a 32-yard completion to tight end Jonathan Hayes setting up a 1st & goal at the Bengals eight-yard-line.
Morris would score his third touchdown of the game on the very next play to make it 49-31 with 4:09 to go as the Steelers had turned a 18-point deficit into a 18-point lead.
David Klinger would come in the game on the Bengals' next drive, replacing Blake, and hit his first two passes for 15 yards, until he was picked off by Steelers defensive end Ray Seals, allowing for the Steelers to run out the clock and leave Cincinnati with a 49-31 victory.
The Bengals would finish the season with a 7-9 record as Blake and Pickens would go to the Pro Bowl thanks to Blake's 3,822 passing yards and 28 touchdowns, 17 of those caught by Pickens on 99 catches for 1,234 yards.
With Blake and Pickens, Bengals fans had high hopes for the 1996 season, but a 1-6 start lead to Shula's firing, and being replaced by offensive coordinator Bruce Coslet, who lead the Bengals to a 7-2 record for the rest of the season.
As for the Steelers, their win over the Bengals kept their winning streak alive which they would extend to eight games, earning them their their third AFC Central Division title and the #2 seed in the AFC playoffs.
The Steelers would knock off the Buffalo Bills 40-21 in their Divisional Playoff, then hold off the Indianapolis Colts 20-16 in the AFC Championship Game when Jim Harbaugh's Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game fell incomplete, earning the Steelers their first trip to the Super Bowl in 16 year.(To read more about the game, click on the link here: NFL Old School Game of the Week: Steelers Survive Colts Hail Mary Attempt To Win AFC Title).
However, the Steelers would fall to the Dallas Cowboys 27-17 as O' Donnell threw two costly 2nd half interceptions which set up two touchdown runs by Dallas running back Emmitt Smith.
O' Donnell would leave Pittsburgh in the offseason to sign a 5-year, $25 million contract with the New York Jets, but lasted only two years there before being released and leading him to sign with the Bengals for the 1998 season, where he played only one year, before ending up with the Tennessee Titans, backing up Steve McNair for five years until O' Donnell retired from the NFL after the 2003 season.