NFL Old School Game of the Week: Favre Plays Through the Plan to Lead Packers to Upset over Eagles

A hit by Eagles defensive end Reggie White(92) on Packers quarterback Brett Favre would be a game-changing moment for the Packers franchise.

Hall-of-Fame quarterback Brett Favre is undeniably one of the toughest players to ever play in the NFL as evident by his streak of 321 consecutive starts at quarterback over a span of nearly two decades of football, most of them with the Green Bay Packers.

The streak is remarkable as Favre would stay in the lineup despite playing with several injuries such as the case in Week 10 of the 1992 NFL season in a performance that would reward the Green Bay franchise down the road.

The Packers came into the Eagles game with a 3-6 record as under first-year head coach Mike Holmgren who had been hired to end decades of mediocrity as Green Bay had made the playoffs only two times since the retirement of head coach Vince Lombardi following the 1967 season.

In the Packers' third game of the season, starting quarterback Don Majkowski would suffer an ankle injury as Favre, who the Packers had traded a first round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for on February 11th, would take over and lead Green Bay to a 24-23 comeback win over the Cincinnati Bengals(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/09/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-legend-of.html).

Favre would lead the Packers to a 17-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in his first start but Green Bay would lose four of their next five games as the team seemed poised for another losing season.

While the Packers were trying to seek relevance in the NFL, the Eagles were looking to return to the postseason under second year head coach Rich Kotite, who took over for Buddy Ryan after he was fired following the 1990 season after leading the Eagles to three straight playoff appearances.

The Eagles would miss the 1991 playoffs despite a 10-6 record as starting quarterback Randall Cunningham was lost for the season after he tore the ACL in his left knee after a hit by Packers linebacker Bryce Paup.

Two months before the 1992 season began, tragedy struck for the Eagles as Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jerome Brown was killed in a car accident as the team would retire Brown's number #99 and declare they would "Bring it home for Jerome" and win the Super Bowl in Brown's memory.

The Eagles got off to a 4-0 start before losing three of their next five games as tensions rose between Kotite and the team, especially the defense led by All-Pro defensive end Reggie White, remained loyal to Ryan

Despite their recent struggles, the Eagles seemed confident they would get back on track against the Packers as evident by Cunningham's postgame quotes after being benched during Philadelphia's 31-10 win over the Raiders when asked whether or it not he would get the start against Green Bay by saying "It's not like we're playing Minnesota or the Giants or the Cowboys or the Redskins".

The Eagles would get the ball to start the game as they would drive into Green Bay territory before punting the ball to the Packers, who would take over at their 15-yard-line as Favre would complete his first two passes of the game for 26 yards, then found tight end Jackie Harris for an eight-yard completion only for him to fumble the football after a hit by Eagles linebacker Byron Evans as strong safety Rich Miano would recover the fumble to give Philadelphia the ball at their 47-yard-line.

From there, the Eagles would advance to the Packers' 17-yard-line until the drive stalled as Philadelphia would settle for a 34-yard field goal by Roger Ruzak to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead with 2:20 left in the first quarter.

The Packers would begin their next possession at their 32-yard-line as Favre would complete a 11-yard pass to fullback Harry Sydney when Favre separated his left shoulder after being driven to the ground by White.

Favre would stay in the game as it was his non-throwing shoulder that was injured as he would hand the ball off to running back Vince Workman on the next play from scrimmage as Vince would took it up the middle and explode for a 44-yard run to put the Packers at the Eagles' 13-yard-line as Workman would run for one yard on the final play of the second quarter.

The second quarter would begin with Favre, bad shoulder and all, completing a seven-yard pass to Harris to set up 3rd & 2 at the five-yard-line where Favre would connect with wide receiver Sterling Sharpe for a five-yard touchdown to give Green Bay a 7-3 lead 52 seconds into the second quarter.

 Following a Philadelphia punt, the Packers would take over at their 20-yard-line as Favre would go a perfect 5-of-5 on the drive as he completed five passes to five different receivers for 57 yards on the 12-play, 80-yard drive that ended with an one-yard touchdown run by Workman to extend Green Bay's lead to 14-3 with 2:21 to go in the second quarter.

The Eagles would try to put some points on the scoreboard before the end of the first half as they would drive from their 21-yard-line to the Green Bay 41-yard-line until Cunningham was sacked by Packers linebackers Johnny Holland and Tony Bennett for a six-yard loss to force a Philadelphia punt.

Favre would take a knee to end the first half with the Packers on top 14-3 as Green Bay would get the ball to start the second half, though they would have to do it without Workman, who left the game with a separated left shoulder.

Packers wide receiver Sterling Sharpe would catch seven passes for 116 yards and score one touchdown.

The Packers would go three-and-out to give the ball back to the Eagles at their 23-yard-line as Cunningham would complete two passes to Roy Green for 31 yards and scramble for 13 yards that got 15 yards added to the run because of a late hit by Packers linebacker George Koonce as Philadelphia would cap off the drive with a 17-yard touchdown run by running back Heath Sherman to cut the Green Bay lead to 14-10 midway through the third quarter.

The Packers would start their next drive at their 19-yard-line as Favre would complete two passes to Harris for 31 yards while Darrell Thompson would reel off a 33-yard run to move Green Bay to the Philadelphia 17-yard-line until Favre was picked off by Eagles linebacker William Thomas to end the drive Packers' threat to increase their lead.

After the Eagles would go three-and-out, the Packers would get the ball back at their 43-yard-line as Green Bay would convert on three straight 3rd down conversions as Favre would find Sharpe for nine yards on a 3rd & 3 at the 50-yard-line, followed by a 19-yard completion to Harris on 3rd & 12, and then another 19-yard completion, this one to Sharpe to give Green Bay a 1st & goal at the Philadelphia three-yard-line.

Favre would then fake a handoff and toss a three-yard touchdown pass to Thompson to increase the Packers lead to 21-10 with 10:37 left in the fourth quarter.

It would take the Eagles 24 seconds to get back into the end zone as Sherman would catch a screen pass from Cunningham and turn into a 75-yard touchdown to cut the Packers' lead back to four points at 21-17.

Following a Packers punt, the Eagles would get the ball back at their 11-yard-line as the drive would begin with a four-yard run by Sherman to set up 2nd & 6 when Cunningham threw deep for Fred Barnett where he drew a pass interference penalty on Packers cornerback Terrell Buckley to move the Eagles 34 yards to the Green Bay 46-yard-line.

Cunningham would try to connect with Barnett again on another deep pass which drew another pass interference penalty, this one on the other starting cornerback, Roland Mitchell, to give the Eagles a 1st & goal on the Packers' two-yard-line when running back Herschel Walker would punch it in for the touchdown to give Philadelphia a 24-21 lead with 5:45 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Packers looked to respond on their next drive but after two incomplete passes to begin the drive, Favre would be picked off again, this time by Evans, who returned the interception 13 yards to the Green Bay 20-yard-line, giving Philadelphia a chance to deliver the knockout punch with another touchdown.

However, Sherman would fumble the football when he was hit by Packers free safety Chuck Cecil as strong safety LeRoy Butler would scoop up the loose ball and run it back 17 yards to the Green Bay 27-yard-line, giving Favre another chance to lead the Packers to the game-tying field goal or go-ahead touchdown with 5:17 left in the game.

After completing a seven-yard pass to Sydney to start the drive, Favre would connect with Sharpe for a 34-yard completion to give Green Bay a 1st down at the Eagles' 32-yard-line where a holding penalty on Miano where give the Packers five extra yards and a fresh set of downs at the Philadelphia 27-yard-line.

Thompson would carry the ball on the next three plays gaining 16 yards until a quarterback sack and an incomplete pass would force the Packers to settle for a 31-yard field goal by Chris Jacke to tie the game at 24 with 1:31 left in regulation.

The Eagles would take over at their 11-yard-line with 1:25 to go and two timeouts in their pocket as Kotite went for the conservative approach as Walker would run the ball on 1st down as he gained nine yards as the Eagles seemed content to run out the clock and send the game in overtime.

But on the next play from scrimmage, disaster would strike as Walker was hit in the backfield by Green Bay defensive end Don Davey, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Holland to give the Packers the ball at the Eagles' 23-yard-line with 43 seconds to go and already in field goal range.

Thompson would run for no yards as the Packers would drain the clock to three seconds before calling timeout with three seconds to go as Jacke would come on to attempt the game-winning field goal from 41 yards out.

Jacke's kick was true as his 41-yard field goal split through the uprights as time expired with the Packers pulling off the 27-24 upset as Green Bay improved its record to 4-6 while the Eagles record dropped to 6-4.

Chris Jacke(13) is held up by defensive end Robert Brown after his game-winning field goal.

After the game, Cunningham apologized for his pregame remarks saying he "ran his mouth too much" while linebacker Seth Joyner criticized Kotite for his late-game management saying "Anytime you play conservative in this league you're setting yourself to lose" as it looked like the Eagles' season was falling apart.

However, the Eagles would win five of their last six games of the regular season, including a four-game winning streak to end the regular season, to finish the season with a 11-5 record and earn a Wild Card berth as the Eagles would win their first playoff game since winning the 1980 NFC Championship Game as Philadelphia would score 26 points in the 4th quarter to knock off the New Orleans Saints 36-20(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-eagles-stun.html).

The Eagles would be eliminated the following week as they would fall to the Dallas Cowboys 34-10 as the Eagles would not return to the postseason under Kotite who would be fired after the 1994 season.

As for the Packers, the win over the Eagles began a six-game winning streak as Green Bay would finish the season with a 9-7 record but not enough to qualify for the postseason as a 27-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings prevented Green Bay for making the playoffs for the first time since 1982.

However, during the offseason, the Packers would sign White as a free agent as Reggie cited Favre's performance against the Eagles as a reason to sign with Green Bay as he was inspired by Favre's toughness.

With White anchoring the defense and Favre entrenched as the team's starting quarterback, the Packers would make the playoffs six years in a row which included two NFC championships and a 35-21 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI for Green Bay's first NFL championship in 29 years.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Montana's Four 4th Quarter TD Passes Leads 49ers to Comeback Win over Eagles

 

49ers quarterback Joe Montana would threw for 428 yards and five touchdown passes in San Francisco's win over the Eagles.

When the San Francisco 49ers traveled to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in Week 3 of the 1989 NFL season, it was billed as a game between the "Team of the 80's" vs the "Team of the 90's."

The 49ers were coming off their third Super Bowl title in eight years as they had defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 in Super Bowl XXIII, which was the final game in head coach Bill Walsh's career after he turned the 49ers from a bottom feeder into the league's newest dynasty.

George Seifert, who had served as the 49ers' defensive coordinator since 1983, was promoted to head coach as he had inherited a roster which featured quarterback Joe Montana, running back Roger Craig, wide receiver Jerry Rice, and defensive back Ronnie Lott.

The 49ers won their first two games of the season as they had hoped to become the first team since the Pittsburgh Steelers a decade earlier to win back-to-back Super Bowls.

While the 49ers' dynasty was in transition, the Philadelphia Eagles were being billed as the team that would take over the 49ers' mantle at the top of the NFL, thanks in large part to a ferocious defense directed by head coach Buddy Ryan, who was in his fourth season as the Philadelphia head coach after serving as the defensive coordinator of the 1985 Chicago Bears defense.

The Eagles' defense was led by a ferocious pass rush featuring defensive end Reggie White and defensive tackle Jerome Brown who to go along with an offense led by dynamic quarterback Randall Cunningham helped lead Philadelphia to the 1988 NFC East division title and team's first playoff appearance in seven years.

Just like the 49ers, the Eagles won their first two games of the 1989 season, which included a 42-37 shootout win over the Washington Redskins the week before(To read about that game, click on the link highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/10/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-eagles.html) as Philadelphia prepared to host the defending Super Bowl Champions at Veterans Stadium.

The 49ers got the ball to start the game as they gained 11 yards on five plays to set up 3rd & 9 from their 32-yard-line when Montana threw a deep pass down the middle of the field for Rice, who made the catch and outraced his defender for the the 68-yard touchdown to give San Francisco a 7-0 lead.

After an exchange of punts, the Eagles would get the first turnover of the game as Taylor fumbled the football on a punt return which was recovered by defensive back William Frizzell to give Philadelphia the ball at the 49ers' 31-yard-line.

But on the very next play from scrimmage, the 49ers would get the ball back as defensive end Kevin Fagan recovered Eagles running back Heath Sherman's fumble at the same spot where Frizzell made his fumble recovery at the 49ers' 31-yard-line.

The 49ers would be unable to drive into Philadelphia territory as the Eagles' pass rush would begin to make its presence felt as Montana would be sacked twice on the ensuing drive, forcing them to punt the ball back to the Eagles.

However, the 49ers would not get the punt away  punter Mike Helton  mishandled the snap from center leading him to being dropped for a 13-yard loss by Eagles defensive end Clyde Simmons to give Philadelphia the ball at the San Francisco 33-yard-line.

Five plays later, the Eagles were in the end zone as Sherman punched it in for a two-yard touchdown to tie the game at seven with 1:48 left in the first quarter.

Eagles defensive end Reggie White accounted for 2.5 sacks as Philadelphia sacked Joe Montana eight times.

The 49ers would have another special teams blunder on the ensuing kickoff as Terrence Flagler would mishandle the kick leading to him being tackled at his 11-yard-line where San Francisco would begin its next possession.

Things would get worse for the 49ers as Montana was sacked by White for an eight-yard loss on 1st down, which was followed by a delay of game penalty that pushed the 49ers back another yard, and then followed by right guard Bruce Collie stepping on Montana's foot, causing the quarterback to fall to the ground in the end zone as Eagles linebacker Al Harris would touch Montana for a safety to give Philadelphia a 9-7 lead and the ball at their 28-yard-line following the ensuing kick by the 49ers.

From there, the Eagles would drive 55 yards in eight plays to set up a 35-yard field goal by Luis Zendejas which increased their lead to 12-7 with 12 minutes left in the second quarter.

The 49ers would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line as Craig opened the drive with a four-yard run, which was followed by three straight completions by Montana for 35 yards to put the 49ers at the Eagles' 41-yard-line when the drive stalled as a false start penalty and another quarterback sack, this time by defensive tackle Mike Pitts, would force another San Francisco punt.

The San Francisco defense would force the Eagles to punt the ball back to the 49ers, who took over at their 31-yard-line as Montana completed passes of nine yards to wide receiver John Taylor, 14 yards to Rice, and 23 yards to tight end Brent Jones to put San Francisco at the Philadelphia nine-yard-line where they had a 1st & goal.

But the Eagles' pass rush would strike again as White sacked Montana for a seven-yard loss on 3rd & goal from the eight-yard-line, forcing the 49ers to settle for a 32-yard field goal by Mike Cofer which cut the Philadelphia lead to 12-10 with 2:11 remaining in the second quarter.

Neither team would mount another scoring threat for the rest of the first half as the Eagles went into the halftime break leading 12-10 after sacking Montana six times in the game's first 30 minutes.

The Eagles would get the ball to start the second half as three runs by Sherman for 20 yards and an incomplete pass would bring up 4th down when Philadelphia lined up to punt, only to run a fake as punter John Teltschik took the ball and ran for 23 yards to give the Eagles a 1st down at the 49ers' 37-yard-line.

From there, the Eagles would drive to the 49ers' 17-yard-line until Zendejas came on and kicked a 35-yard field goal to cap off the 13-play, 63-yard drive and increase Philadelphia's lead to 15-10.

Following a 49ers punt, the Eagles would drive 40 yards in eight plays to set up another Zendejas field goal, this one from 44 yards out which increased Philadelphia's lead to 18-10 with 3:15 remaining in the third quarter.

The Eagles defense would give their offense a golden opportunity to possibly put the game away as Harris intercepted a Montana pass and returned the pick 11 yards to the 49ers' 15-yard-line where Cunningham and the offense would take over.

However, the Eagles could not put it in the end zone as they had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Zendejas on the second play of the fourth quarter which pushed their lead to 21-10 as the 49ers would begin their ensuing possession at their nine-yard-line following a penalty on the kickoff.

49ers wide receiver John Taylor caught six passes for 136 yards and scored one touchdown.

When the 49ers' offense came back onto the field, they lined up in a four wide receiver formation in hopes that the Eagles' defense would bring in extra defensive backs in favor of pass rushers.

The strategy would pay off for the 49ers as Montana completed three passes in a row for a total of 21 yards to set up 2nd & 6 from the 30-yard-line when Joe threw a short pass to Taylor, who made the catch at his 32-yard-line, made a juke move on Eagles cornerback Izel Jenkins, and raced down the sideline for a 70-yard touchdown to bring San Francisco to within four at 21-17.

The 49ers seemed set to get the ball back as their defense forced a three-and-out only to have linebacker Bill Romanski have Teltschik's punt bounce off his helmet, leading to a recovery by Henry Williams to give the Eagles the ball at the 50-yard-line.

A 31-yard pass from Cunningham to tight end Jimmie Giles would be the big play of the eight-play, 50-yard drive that culminated with a three-yard touchdown pass from Cunningham to Giles which pushed the Eagles' lead back to 11 points at 28-17 with 8:24 left in the fourth quarter.

The 49ers would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line as Montana scrambled for 19 yards to pick up the initial 1st down of the drive, then handed the ball off to running back Harry Sydney who ran for 18 yards to give San Francisco a 1st down at the Eagles' 41-yard-line.

From there, Montana would complete four consecutive passes beginning with a 11-yard pass to Sydney, then 15 yards to Rice, followed by nine yards to Taylor, and wrapped up with an eight-yard touchdown pass to fullback Tom Rathman which cut the 49ers' deficit back to four points at 28-24 with 6:03 to play.

After the Eagles went three-and-out on their next possession, the 49ers would get the ball back at the Eagles' 47-yard-line with a chance to take the lead when White struck again as he sacked Montana for a 13-yard loss, pushing San Francisco back to its 40-yard-line where they would face a 2nd & 23.

That is when Montana found Taylor for 36 yards to give the 49ers a 1st down at the Eagles' 24-yard-line as Montana would loft a pass for Jones, who made the catch at the Philadelphia 10-yard-line and outran linebacker Seth Joyner to complete the 24-yard touchdown and give San Francisco a 31-28 lead with 3:17 left in regulation.

The Eagles would begin their ensuing possession at their 20-yard-line as Cunningham completed a 17-yard pass to Sherman, then scrambled for three yards, before throwing a pass for fullback Keith Byars, which bounced off his hands and into the arms of Lott, who made the interception and returned it six yards to the Philadelphia 39-yard-line.

Two straight running plays for six yards would set up 3rd & 4 when Montana found Rice down the middle for a 33-yard touchdown that increased the 49ers' lead to double digits at 38-28 with 2:02 remaining in the game.

The Eagles would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line as Cunningham completed three of his next five passes for 33 yards until the quarterback scrambled for nine yards when he was hit by Romanski leading to a fumble that was recovered by 49ers defensive back Jonnie Jackson at the San Francisco 41-yard-line with 52 seconds to go.

Montana would come on and take two knees to run out the clock as the 49ers had pulled out the 38-28 victory following a fabulous fourth quarter by "Joe Cool" in which he completed 11 of 12 passes for 227 yards and threw four touchdown passes in the game's final 15 minutes.

Jerry Rice would catch six passes for 164 yards and score two touchdowns.

The Eagles would finish the regular season with a 11-5 record good enough to earn a spot in the NFC Wild Card game where they would play the Los Angeles Rams on a rainy New Year's Eve in Philadelphia.

The Rams would upset the Eagles 21-7 to end Philadelphia's season as "Gang Green" would not fulfill the prophecy of becoming the "Team of the 1990s" as Ryan would be fired after the 1990 season in which the Eagles were once again eliminated at home in the NFC Wild Card Game, this time to the Washington Redskins.

As for the 49ers, they would go on to finish with the league's best record at 14-2, which included another dramatic comeback win, this one over the Rams 30-27 on Monday Night Football(To read about that game, click on the link highlighted here:https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2019/10/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-montana.html) as San Francisco earned the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

In the playoffs, the 49ers would defeat the Minnesota Vikings 41-13 in the Divisional Round, then knock off the Rams 30-3 in the NFC Championship Game, and finally destroyed the Denver Broncos 55-10 in Super Bowl XXIV, to earn the franchise their second straight Super Bowl title and fourth in nine years.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Cunningham Leads Vikings Back From 16 Points Down to Stun Giants in Wild Card Game

Randall Cunningham lead the Minnesota Vikings to their first postseason victory in nine years.

Following the 1995 NFL season, Randall Cunningham retired following an 11-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cunningham would spend the next year working as a television analyst until he was coaxed out of retirement by Minnesota Vikings head coach Dennis Green for the 1997 season.

Cunningham would serve as the backup quarterback to Brad Johnson until the 13th game of the season when Johnson was lost for the rest of the season due to a neck injury.

Cunningham would start the next three games going only 1-2 but securing a playoff spot with a 39-28 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the final week of the regular season.

The Vikings would travel to the Meadowlands to take on the New York Giants in a NFC Wild Card Game with Cunningham starting his first playoff game in five years.

The Vikings came into the 1997 NFL playoffs with a 9-7 record under head coach Dennis Green, who was making his fifth appearance in the playoffs since taking over as the Vikings' head coach in 1992.

However, Green's playoff record was 0-4 which included two home losses to the Washington Redskins in 1992 and Chicago Bears in 1994.

With a cast that featured wide receiver Cris Carter and defensive tackle John Randle, the Vikings hoped to break their postseason losing streak as they faced the Giants, a team that had eliminated the Vikings in 1993.

The Giants seemed to be a team on the rise under first-year head coach Jim Fassel who had led New York to a 10-5-1 record and the NFC East division title to send the Giants to the postseason for the first time in four years.

The Giants had a young nucleus in quarterback Danny Kanell, running back Tiki Barber, cornerback Jason Sehorn, and defensive end Michael Strahan who were all in their mid-to-late 20s.

Despite the Giants' playoff inexperience compared the Vikings' experience, New York was a five-point favorite as they hosted the Vikings at Giants Stadium, a place where the Giants never lost a postseason game entering their Wild Card clash with Minnesota.

 After an exchange of punts to start the game, the Giants would get the first break of the game when Cunningham collided with fullback Charles Evans leading to a fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle Bernard Holsey to give New York the ball at the Vikings' 23-yard-line.

However, the Giants could not pick up a 1st down and were forced to settle for a 43-yard field goal by Brad Daluiso to give New York a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

David Palmer would return the ensuing kickoff to the 50-yard-line to give the Vikings offense great field position only to have Cunningham fumble the football again which was recovered by Strahan to give the Giants the ball at the Minnesota 46-yard-line.

A 27-yard pass from Kanell to Charles Way help set up Daluiso's 22-yard field goal which increased the Giants' lead to 6-0 with 2:20 left in the first quarter.

Following a Vikings punt, the Giants got the ball back at their 44-yard-line as two running plays gained six yards to set up 3rd & 6 when Kanell connected with Barber for 11 yards and a 1st down at the Minnesota 39-yard-line.

That is when Kanell found David Patten for a 37-yard reception to set up 1st & goal at the Vikings' two-yard-line as two straight runs by Hampton netted zero yards to force 3rd down when Kanell found tight end Aaron Pierce in the end zone for a two-yard touchdown to push the New York lead to 13-0 with 11:33 left in the second quarter.

Giants quarterback Danny Kanell completed 16 of 32 passes for 199 yards and threw one touchdown.

After another exchange of punts, the Vikings had the ball at their 34-yard-line when Cunningham was intercepted by Sehorn, whose 36-yard return gave the ball to the Giants at the Minnesota 47-yard-line.

The Giants would drive 23 yards before settling for another Daluiso field goal, this one from 41 yards out to increase the New York to 16-0.

The Giants defense would then force a three-and-out to seemingly got the ball back only to have Amani Toomer fumble the football after a short return which was recovered by Duane Butler to give the Vikings the ball at the Giants' 26-yard-line.

A 19-yard pass from Cunningham to Carter gave the Vikings a 1st & goal at the Giants' seven-yard-line but Minnesota would travel no further and would settle for a 24-yard field goal by Eddie Murray to put the Vikings on the scoreboard as they trailed 16-3 with 1:47 left before halftime.

The Giants would begin its next possession at their 40-yard-line following the kickoff which went out of bounds as New York would travel to the Minnesota 29-yard-line until three incomplete passes plus a false start penalty forced the Giants to settle for another field goal by Daluiso, this one from 51 yards out to make it 19-3 as the first half came to a close.

Despite the fact that Cunningham completed only five of 16 passes for 51 yards and committed three turnovers, he and the Vikings had to feel lucky they were only down 16 points as the Giants had to settle for four field goals in the first half.

The Vikings would get the ball to start the second half as they would drive 20 yards before punting the ball back to the Giants, who took over at their 20-yard-line.

Following a two-yard run by Barber on 1st down, Tiki got the ball again on 2nd down when Vikings defensive tackle Tony Williams jarred the ball loose leading to a recovery by Jerry Ball to give Minnesota the ball at the Giants' four-yard-line.

It would take only one play for the Vikings to get into the end zone as LeRoy Hoard punched it in for the four-yard touchdown to cut the Giants' lead to 19-10 with 10:26 left in the third quarter.

After a Giants three-and-out, the Vikings got the ball back at their 30-yard-line as a 33-yard pass from Cunningham to Jake Reed would help set up a 48-yard field goal attempt by Murray, which fell short of the goal posts to keep the score 19-10 with 5:10 remaining in the third quarter.

The Vikings would force another three-and-out to get the ball back at their 40-yard-line as Minnesota used the running game to help drive down to the Giants' eight-yard-line as the third quarter came to an end.

Two incomplete passes would force the Vikings to settle for another field goal attempt, which this time Murray made from 26 yards out to cut the Giants' lead to 19-13 just 15 seconds into the fourth quarter.

With their 16-point lead down to six points, the Giants needed to put together a drive that would result in some points as they began their ensuing possession at their 20-yard-line.

Kanell hit Patten for eight yards to start the drive only to lose those yards when Barber was dropped for a seven-yard loss on 2nd down to set up 3rd & 8 when Kanell found Patten again this time for 18 yards and a 1st down at the New York 40-yard-line.

Kanell would connect with Chris Calloway for 21 yards on the next play to put the Giants in Minnesota territory at the Vikings 39-yard-line when Barber carried the ball twice for six yards to set up 3rd & 4 when Kanell connected with Calloway again this time for four yards and a 1st down at the Minnesota 29-yard-line.

A 16-yard pass to Patten on 2nd & 11 would put the Giants at the Vikings' 14-yard-line as Kanell would find Calloway for seven yards plus a two-yard run by Way would set up Daluiso's 22-yard field goal which pushed the New York to 22-13 following a drive that took nearly eight minutes off the clock.

Brad Daluiso made accounted for 16 of the Giants' 22 points as he made five field goals and one extra point.

Following a Minnesota punt, the Giants got the ball at their 16-yard-line with a chance to put the game away.

However, the Vikings' defense would force a three-and-out to get the ball back at the Giants' 49-yard-line with 2:06 left on the clock and needing two scores to win.

After an incomplete pass to start the drive, Cunningham hit Carter for 19 yards and a 1st down at the New York 30-yard-line as Cunningham would spike the ball to stop the clock to set up 2nd down.

That is when Cunningham went deep and hit Reed in the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown that with Murray's extra point brought the Vikings to within two points at 22-20 with 90 seconds left in the game.

Every one knew what was coming next as the Vikings would attempt an onside kick in hopes of recovering and driving for a potential game-winning field goal.

The Giants had their "Hands" team in anticipation of the onside kick as Murray's kick would bounce in the direction of Calloway, who could not handle the bouncing ball leading to Minnesota's Chris Walsh to recover the onside kick and give the Vikings the ball at their 39-yard-line with 85 seconds left and a chance to win the game.

The drive got off to an auspicious start with a false start penalty and an incomplete pass to force 2nd & 15 when Cunningham hit Andrew Glover for 11 yards to bring up 3rd & 4 when Cunningham connected with Carter for 21 yards and a 1st down at the Giants' 34-yard-line.

Following an incomplete pass on 1st down, Cunningham looked for Reed on 2nd down only to draw a pass interference penalty on Giants cornerback Philippi Starks to give the Vikings 13 yards and a 1st down at the Giants' 21-yard-line.

That is when the Vikings surprised the Giants as Cunningham handed the ball off to Robert Smith, who ran up the middle for 16 yards to set up 1st & goal at the New York five-yard-line as the Vikings called time out with 13 seconds left to send Murray onto the field to attempt the game-winning field goal.

Murray, who had missed a potential game-winning field goal in the final seconds of the Detroit Lions' 24-23 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in the 1983 NFC Divisional Playoffs, would calmly make the 24-yard kick to give the Vikings their first lead of the game at 23-22 with 10 seconds to go.

The Giants would get one last chance at pulling off a miracle as they got the ball back at their 37-yard-line with seven seconds left only to have Kanell's "Hail Mary" pass fall incomplete to end the game with the Vikings on top 23-22.

The Vikings celebrate after Eddie Murray made his game-winning field goal in the final seconds.

The Giants would fall back into mediocrity as they went 8-8 and 7-9 the following two seasons before putting together a surprise run to the Super Bowl in 2000 where they would be defeated by the Baltimore Ravens 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV.

Fassel would coach the Giants for three more seasons after that which included another trip to the playoffs in 2002 when the Giants blew a 24-point lead against the 49ers to lose 39-38 in a NFC Wild Card game.

As for the Vikings, they would be eliminated the following week as they were defeated by the 49ers 38-22 in the Divisional Round.

Cunningham would return to the bench to start the 1998 season only to become the Vikings' starting quarterback following a ankle injury to Johnson.

With the help of Carter, Smith, Reed, and rookie wide receiver Randy Moss, Cunningham would have the best season of his NFL career as he threw for 3,704 yards and threw for 34 touchdowns in leading the Vikings to a 15-1 season in which they scored 556 points.

However, the Vikings' dream season would end in the NFC Championship Game when they were stunned by the Atlanta Falcons 30-27 in overtime as Gary Anderson, the Vikings' kicker who had missed a field goal or an extra point, would miss a crucial field goal late in the fourth quarter which provided the spark for the Falcons to come back and win.

Cunningham would go into the 1999 season as the Vikings' starter but would be benched in favor of Jeff George after six games and would leave Minnesota in the offseason as he would serve as the backup quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in 2000 and Baltimore Ravens in 2001 before retiring for good in the offseason.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Eagles Escape Pittsburgh With Win over Steelers

Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham threw for 276 yards and ran for 48 yards and two touchdowns in the Eagles' win over the Steelers.

 The Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers have an unique history when it comes to the NFL.

Not only do they play in the same state of Pennsylvania, they came into the league at the same time as both teams began play in 1933.

They even joined forces in 1943 when a player shortage because of World War II forced the two teams to merge and become the "Steagles".

The merger lasted only one season as the two intrastate rivals played each other two times a year from 1945-66, then down one game from 1967-70, until the rivalry was grinded to a halt following the AFL-NFL merger which saw the Steelers moved to AFC to play with the AFL teams and two other NFL teams(Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns) while the Eagles remained in the NFC.

The Eagles and the Steelers would play twice during the 1970s but would not meet again until week 11 of the 1988 NFL season when the Eagles traveled to Three Rivers Stadium to take on the Steelers.

The Eagles entered the game with a 5-5 record, needing a win to stay afloat in the race for a spot in the playoffs, somewhere the Eagles hadn't been in seven years.

The Eagles were led by head coach Buddy Ryan, who was in his third year at the helm in Philadelphia after being defensive coordinator of the famous 1985 Chicago Bears defense, and had the dynamic Randall Cunningham at quarterback and defensive end Reggie White leading the defense.

While the Eagles had dreams of reaching the postseason, the Steelers were in the midst of a nightmare of a season as they entered their game with Philadelphia with a 2-8 record and were coming off a 42-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals the week before.

The Steelers were coached by Chuck Noll, who was in his 20th season as the head coach of the Steelers, but  was far removed from the glory days of the 1970s where the Steelers won four Super Bowls as the Steelers were looking at their third losing season in four years and a fourth straight playoff appearance.

Worst of all, they had lost owner Art Rooney who had died just before the season started.

While an win over the Eagles wouldn't save their season, it would still put a smile on Steeler fans' faces to beat their intrastate rival.

  After the Eagles went three-and-out on their opening possession of the game, the Steelers drove down the field behind the legs of running back Merril Hoge, who carried the ball four times for 29 yards to set up a 52-yard field goal by Gary Anderson to give Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead just a little over five minutes into the game.

.The Steelers would force the Eagles to punt again on their next possession to give their offense the ball at the Philadelphia 48-yard-line where again Hoge lead the Pittsburgh offense down the field as he ran the ball four times for 29 yards, then caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Louis Lipps to increase the Steelers' lead to 10-0 with 2:55 left in the first quarter.

Steelers running back Merril Hoge ran the ball 21 times for 102 yards  and caught four passes for 56 yards including a touchdown.

The Eagles' offense finally got going on their next possession as Philadelphia used their backfield of Keith Byars, Michael Haddix, and Anthony Toney to help them drive on 12-play, 72-yard drive which took up nearly seven and a half minutes and culminated with an one-yard touchdown run by Byars to cut it to a 10-7 game with 10:30 left in the second quarter.

The Steelers would begin their next possession at their 36-yard-line and drive down to the Eagles' 12-yard-line in just three plays as Warren Williams ran for 21 yards on the first play of the drive, followed by a seven-yard run by Hoge, and then a 24-yard pass from quarterback Bubby Brister to Hoge.

A holding penalty on the Eagles would give Pittsburgh a 1st & goal at the seven-yard-line, but Ryan's defense would the Steelers out of the end zone and force a 21-yard field goal by Anderson, which he made to increase the Pittsburgh lead to 13-7 midway through the second quarter.

Philadelphia would get the ball back at its 20-yard-line for its next drive where the Eagles would pick up two 1st downs thanks to Pittsburgh penalties on back-to-back 3rd down situations.

First on 3rd & 4 from the 26-yard-line, Steelers linebacker Greg Lloyd was called for offsides, giving the Eagles five yards and the 1st down, which was followed by a more egregious penalty on 3rd & 10 when Cunningham was sacked by Pittsburgh defensive end Tim Johnson, only to have Steelers linebacker Aaron Jones get called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after throwing two punches at the helmet of Philadelphia right tackle Ron Heller, to give the Eagles a 1st down at their 38-yard-line.

From there, Cunningham would take over as he hit tight end Keith Jackson three times for 42 yards, then scrambled for a seven-yard touchdown to give the Eagles their first lead of the game at 14-13 with 2:44 left in the first half.

The Steeles would get the ball back at their 34-yard-line and quickly drive down to the Eagles' 18-yard-line as Lipps took an reverse and ran for 11 yards on the first play of the drive, then caught a 20-yard pass from Brister, who also completed a 17-yard pass to Hoge to set Pittsburgh up in the red zone following the two-minute warning.

However, the Eagles defense would stiffen once again and allow only six yards on the next three plays, forcing the Steelers to settle for Anderson's third field goal of the game, a 29-yarder to give Pittsburgh a 16-14 lead with 55 seconds left before halftime.

Following the kickoff, the Eagles would get the ball at their 19-yard-line with a chance to retake the lead before the halftime break as Cunningham would complete four of five passes for 43 yards, three of them to Haddix for 29 yards, to give Luis Zendejas a shot at a 56-yard field goal with three seconds left in the half.

But Zendejas' kick was short and the Eagles went into the locker room trailing 16-14 as the Steelers would get the ball to start the second half.

The Eagles would force the Steelers to punt on their opening possession of the first half, to give their offense the ball at their 45-yard-line where Cunningham would lead the Eagles offense down the field as he converted on two straight 3rd down situations; First, running for five yards on 3rd & 2 from the Pittsburgh 47-yard-line, then running for 14 yards on 3rd & 10 at the Pittsburgh 42-yard-line.

Cunningham would face another 3rd down, this time at the Pittsburgh 10-yard-line, only to lose seven yards, forcing the Eagles to settle for a 34-yard field goal by Zendejas to give Philadelphia a 17-16 lead midway through the third quarter.

An illegal block on the ensuing kickoff would force the Steelers to start their ensuing drive from their 10-yard-line where Hoge carried for just one yard to begin the drive.

That is when Brister dropped back and fired a pass down the right sideline for Lipps, who made the catch and then outran the Eagles defense for a 89-yard touchdown to give Pittsburgh a 23-17 lead with 7:23 left in the third quarter.

Steelers wide receiver Louis Lipps caught six passes for 171 yards and a touchdown plus threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Merril Hoge.

The Eagles turned it over on the first play of their next possession as Cunningham was intercepted on a deep pass intended for Ron Johnson by Steelers free safety Thomas Everett giving Pittsburgh the ball at their 25-yard-line.

After the Steelers punted the ball to the Eagles who took over at their eight-yard-line, Cunningham completed a ten-yard pass to Jackson, only to have Steelers linebacker Gregg Carr knock the ball loose which was recovered by fellow linebacker David Little, giving Pittsburgh the ball at the Philadelphia 16-yard-line with an excellent chance ton increase their lead.

But on 2nd & 11, Brister was picked off by Eagles cornerback Eric Allen, whose 21-yard return plus 15-yard penalty on Steelers right tackle Tunch Ilkin gave the Eagles the ball at their 41-yard-line.

The Eagles would drive down to the Steelers' 23-yard-line when it appeared Pittsburgh would get the ball as cornerback Rod Woodson picked off Cunningham, only to have it negated by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Lloyd to give the Eagles a 1st down at the Steelers' 12-yard-line.

Three plays later, the Eagles would have the lead again as Cunningham ran it in for a 12-yard touchdown to give Philadelphia a 24-23 lead with 12:14 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers would go three-and-out on their next possession giving the Eagles the ball back at their 18-yard-line who drove to their 39-yard-line until Cunningham was picked off by Steelers cornerback Dwayne Woodruff, whose 19-yard return gave Pittsburgh the ball at the Eagles' 36-yard-line.

Any chance of converting the turnover into points went out the window when Eagles defensive back Terry Hoage sacked Brister for a 11-yard-loss on 3rd & 6 from the Philadelphia 32-yard-line, forcing the Steelers to punt the ball away.

However, the Steelers defense would force a three-and-out to get the ball back at their 43-yard-line where Pittsburgh caught a break on the first play of the drive as Williams fumbled the ball at the end of a five-yard run, only to recovered by Steelers offensive line John Reinstra six yards downfield to give the Steelers a 1st down at the Eagles' 46-yard-line.

Following an incomplete pass, Hoge would for run 17 yards on a draw play to give Pittsburgh a 1st down at the Philadelphia 29-yard-line.

From here, the Steelers played it conservatively and ran the ball three straight times, gaining only five yards and forcing to them to settle for a 41-yard field goal by Anderson, to give Pittsburgh a 26-24 lead with 3:06 left in the game.

After a 19-yard return by Mark Konecny on the ensuing kickoff, the Eagles would take over at their 28-yard-line with 2:59 to go and three timeouts remaining as they had a chance to drive down the field for the winning score.

Cunningham hit Byars for a six-yard pass to begin the drive, which was followed by a 17-yard pass to Jimmie Giles to give the Eagles a 1st down at the Steelers' 49-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.

Cunningham would throw two straight incomplete passes setting up 3rd & 10 when the biggest play of the game occurred.

Cunningham took the snap, rolled right and fired a pass to a wide-open Cris Carter, who made the 41-yard reception to give the Eagles a 1st & goal at the Steelers' eight-yard-line.

From there, Byars would carry the ball three straight times, gaining seven yards but coming one yard short of the end zone as 4th down approached.

Probably tempted to go for the touchdown, Ryan wisely sent in the field goal unit as Zendejas calmly hit the 18-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 27-26 lead with 1:15 left.

Following a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, the Steelers took over at their 20-yard-line with 75 seconds left and one timeout remaining as they tried to drive down into field goal range to give Anderson a shot at winning the game.

Brister connected with Lipps for 12 yards to start the drive, then found running back Dwight Stone for nine yards as the Steelers burned their last timeout with 40 seconds to go in the game.

Two straight incomplete passes set up a do-or-die 4th & 1 where Hoge took a handoff from Brister and ran around the right side for six yards and a 1st down at the Pittsburgh 47-yard-line.

But the Steelers would go backwards as Ilkin was called for a false start penalty and Brister would be sacked by White for a four-yard-loss, forcing Brister to spike the ball to stop the clock as the Steelers were faced with a 3rd & 19 at their 38-yard-line with 12 seconds left.

That is when Brister hit Lipps for a 22-yard completion as Lipps stepped out of bounds at the Eagles' 40-yard-line with four seconds left to give Anderson a chance to win the game with a 57-yard field goal attempt.

Despite a low snap by Webster and a struggle to get a good hold by holder Harry Newsome, Anderson would get the kick away only to have it blocked by Philadelphia defensive end Clyde Simmons to preserve the 27-26 win for the Eagles.

Eagles kicker Luis Zendejas kicked the game-winning a field goal, a 18-yarder with 75 seconds left.

While the loss dropped the Steelers to 2-9, the loss did provide some momentum for the rest of the season as the Steelers would win three of their last five games to finish with a 5-11 record, but still bad enough for Pittsburgh's worst record since the 1969 season when they finished 1-13.

However, the Steelers would return to the playoffs the following year with a 9-7 record and then stunned the Houston Oilers 26-23 in the AFC Wild Card Game on Anderson's 50-yard field goal in overtime to advance to the Divisional Round, where they would fall to the Denver Broncos 24-23.

The 1989 playoff appearance marked the last time Noll would coach in the postseason as he retired following the 1991 season and was replaced by Bill Cowher, who would coach the Steelers for the next 15 years.

As for the Eagles, they would win four of their next five games to finish the season with a 10-6 record, good enough to win the NFC East and earn a trip to the postseason for the first time since 1981.

The Eagles would face the Chicago Bears in the NFC Divisional Round when a thick fog rolled over Soldier Field late in the first half, hampering the Eagles' chances to come back as they lost to the Bears 20-12.

The Eagles would make it to the playoffs the next two years but would not win a game, leading to Ryan's firing after the 1990 season.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Eagles Stun Saints With 26 Point 4th Quarter For Playoff Win

Eric Allen celebrates after scoring on a pick-six to complete the Eagles' comeback from a 13-point deficit.

When NFL fans think about the events of January 3, 1993,  the first thing that comes to their minds is the Buffalo Bills' legendary comeback from a 35-3 deficit to knock off the Houston Oilers 41-38 in overtime for the greatest comeback win in NFL history.

However, that game was not the only game to feature a memorable comeback as the Philadelphia Eagles faced off with the New Orleans Saints in a NFC Wild Card game.

The Eagles entered the game with a 11-5 record to earn their fourth playoff berth in five seasons, but things had not been easy.
Tragedy struck the Eagles on June 25, 1992 when all-pro defensive tackle Jerome Brown was killed in a car accident. He was only 27 years old.
The Eagles rallied around each other and vowed to "Bring It Home for Jerome" and win the Super Bowl in honor of their fallen teammate.
The Eagles would jump out to a 4-0 start with a defense that still featured defensive end Reggie White, linebacker Seth Joyner and cornerback Eric Allen as well as a offense with quarterback Randall Cunningham, who was coming off a knee injury that had sidelined him for the 1991 season.
However, the Eagles struggled in the middle of the season as they lost five of their next eight games to fall to 7-5.
But the Eagles would storm back with a four-game winning streak to earn a Wild Card spot and a trip to New Orleans with a chance to earn their first postseason win since 1980.
The Saints came into the game with a 12-4 record to earn New Orleans its fourth playoff berth in six seasons.
The Saints were led by their dominant defense, which allowed only 202 points during the season, the least amount of points allowed by a team during the 1990s.
All four of their linebackers: Rickey Jackson, Vaughn Johnson, Sam Mills, and Pat Swilling were all selected to the Pro Bowl for their outstanding season.
But the Saints knew it would mean nothing without a playoff victory, something they had been lacking as they had been one-and-done in all three previous trips to the playoffs, with two of those losses coming home at the Superdome.
Either way, one team was finally going get to a playoff victory after this game.
The Saints got the ball to start the game and promptly drove 73 yards in eight plays, culminating with a one-yard touchdown run by Craig "Ironhead" Heyward to give New Orleans a 7-0 lead with 9:20 left in the first quarter.
After both teams traded punts, the Eagles got the ball back at their 20-yard-line when Cunningham's legs got Philadelphia a 1st down as he scrambled for 15 yards to the Philly 43-yard-line on 3rd & 2.
On the very next play, Cunningham threw a a 57-yard touchdown pass to Fred Barnett, that along with the extra point, tied the game at 7 with 3:22 left in the first quarter.

Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham would complete 14 of 20 passes for 132 yards in the second half to finish with 219 yards on 19 of 35 passes.

The Saints would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line and were at midfield after Saints quarterback Hebert hit Eric Martin for 26 yards on 2nd & 6.
Hebert would connect with running back Dalton Hilliard on the very next play for 10 yards, only to have Hilliard fumble the football after he was hit by linebacker Byron Evans, leading to an recovery by Eagles strong safety Rich Miano at the Eagles' 40-yard-line.
However, the Saints defense would force the Eagles to go three-and-out to get the ball back at their 17-yard-line with 25 seconds left in the first quarter.
New Orleans would proceed to hold the ball for over seven minutes as they drove 71 yards in 13 plays, coming away with three points as Morten Andersen made a 35-yard field goal to break the 7-7 tie and give the Saints a 10-7 lead midway through the second quarter.
Then after forcing another three-and-out, the Saints got the ball back at their 47-yard-line and quickly drove down the field as Hebert hit Quinn Early for 20 yards to start the drive, which was followed up by a 24-yard run by rookie running back Vaughn Dunbar, setting up a 1st & goal for the Saints from the Eagles' nine-yard-line.
After Dunbar picked up two yards on 1st & goal, Hebert found Early in the end zone for the seven-yard touchdown to extend the Saints' lead to 17-7 with 4:14 to go in the first half.
Neither team would mount another scoring threat for the rest of the first half as the Saints would go into the locker room with a 17-7 lead at halftime.
The Eagles got the ball to start the second half and put together their best drive since their only touchdown as they drove 55 yards in eight plays until Cunningham lost the football when he was hit by Jackson, forcing as fumble that was recovered by Saints defensive end Wayne Martin at the New Orleans 31-yard-line.

Fred Barnett makes a fantastic catch, one of four for 102 yards, as he become the only receiver to have 100 receiving yards in a game against the Saints in 1992.

On the very next play, Hebert connected with Dunbar for a 35-yard catch & run to give the Saints a 1st down at the Eagles' 34-yard-line.
Soon, the Saints were faced with a 3rd & 1 from the Philly 25-yard-line when the Eagles defense made what might the first of several key stops in the second half as linebacker Ken Rose and defensive back William Frizzell stopped "Ironhead" for no gain, forcing Andersen to come on and kick a 42-yard field goal which extended the Saints' lead to 20-7 with 6:28 left in the third quarter.
The Eagles would go three-and-out again on their next drive, punting the ball back to the Saints who took over at their 25-yard-line.
That is when Allen made his presence felt as he picked off a Hebert pass intended for Early, giving the Eagles the ball at their 30-yard-line.
Cunningham and the Eagles would drive 39 yards in nine plays before settling for a 40-yard field goal by Roger Ruzak to cut the Saints' lead to 20-10 with 61 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Saints got the ball at their 20-yard-line and were faced with another 3rd & 1 as the 4th quarter began.
That is when Hebert then a pass intended for Martin, only to have Evans knock the ball away for an incomplete pass to force a three-and-out.
The Eagles would get the ball at their 36-yard-line and were able to convert on two straight 3rd down situations, with the first being a 3rd & 5 when Cunningham completed an eight-yard pass to Calvin Williams for a 1st down at the Philly 49-yard-line, which was followed by a seven-yard completion to Keith Byars for a 1st down at the Saints' 35-yard-line.
Two plays later, the Eagles would be faced with another 3rd down situation, this time needing 10 yards for the 1st down.
That is when Cunningham threw a pass for Barnett who made a spectacular leaping catch between two New Orleans defenders for a 35-yard touchdown to bring the Eagles to within three points at 20-17 with 10:37 left in the 4th quarter.
As the Eagles defense were on the sidelines waiting to get back on the field, Joyner told White that he was going to make a play when they got back on the field.
Sure enough on the next play from scrimmage, Joyner intercepted a Hebert pass and returned it 14 yards to the Saints' 26-yard-line.
It would take the Eagles five plays to get in the end zone as running back Heath Sherman punched in from six yards out off a sweep to the left side to give the Eagles its first lead of the game at 24-20 with 6:48 to go in the game.
Now trailing for the first time in the game, the Saints offense needed to put together a scoring drive as they took over at their 20-yard-line.
However, the Saints would go backwards as Eric Martin would be called for offensive pass interference on the first play of the drive, pushing the Saints back 10 yards to their 10-yard-line, which was followed by an incomplete pass and a pass to Dunbar that lost four yards setting up 3rd & 26.
That is when White sacked Hebert for a safety, giving the Eagles two points and extending their lead to 26-20 with 5:36 left to play.

Reggie White(92) celebrates after sacking Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert for a safety.

Following the free kick, the Eagles took over at their 38-yard-line and Sherman carried the ball three straight times for 32 yards to set up a 39-yard field goal by Ruzek to extend Philly's lead to 29-20 with 2:36 left in the game.
Now needing two scores to win, the Saints were need a miracle just like the Bills had done earlier in the day to pull out the win as they took over at their 16-yard-line.
But those hopes evaporated when Allen intercepted Hebert again and returned it for a 18-yard pick-six to put the final nail in the Saints' coffin as the Eagles would come away with the 36-20 win after scoring 29 unanswered points in the last 16 minutes of the game.
The Saints would not return to the postseason under Jim Mora as he coached the team until the middle of the 1996 season when he resigned after his infamous rant following a loss to the Carolina Panthers.

As for the Eagles, they would be eliminated the following week by their NFC East rival, the Dallas Cowboys 34-10 in the Divisional Round.

Then in the offseason, the Eagles would lose White to free agency as he signed with the Green Bay Packers.

Philadelphia would start the 1993 season 4-0 but season-ending injuries to Cunningham and Barnett brought their downfall as they finished the season 8-8 and out of the playoffs.
The Eagles got off to an even better start in 1994 as they jumped out to a 7-2 record, only to lose their last seven games to finish the season 7-9, which lead to the firing of Rich Kotite as head coach, who had been at the helm for Philly's win over New Orleans.
While many Eagles fans still wonder if their team could have won a Super Bowl during this era or if Brown hadn't died, the Eagles did finally "Bring It Home for Jerome" in 2018 as they defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018 on what would have been Brown's 53rd birthday.