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1996 Dallas Cowboys: The Dynasty Starts To Wind Down

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With three Super Bowl championships in the previous four years, Dallas was already a dynasty. All of the key players were back in tow for another shot at the ring. The 1996 Dallas Cowboys were good and they had a few moments where flashes of their championship selves came shining through. But they also lacked consistency and ’96 was the year when the dynasty began to wind down.

It was no fault of the defense. The Cowboy D ranked third in the NFL in points allowed. Deion Sanders, the Hall of Fame cornerback was one big reason. So was Darren Woodson, who wasn’t one of the big names in this era of Cowboy football, but was consistently the best strong safety in the league.

Dallas got a career year from defensive end Tony Tolbert, who made the Pro Bowl with twelve sacks. So even though the Cowboys had suffered personnel losses in free agency—cornerback Larry Brown,  defensive tackle Russell Maryland and linebacker Robert Jones—the defense didn’t miss a beat.

Troy Aikman, the future Hall of Fame quarterback, saw his numbers slip from the championship year of 1995, even though he did make another Pro Bowl at the age of 30.  Aikman’s 64 percent completion rate was still second-best among starting quarterbacks. But his 6.7 yards-per-attempt was mediocre. He was intercepted on 2.8 percent of his passes, which was above average, but still down from ’95.

The loss of tight end Jay Novacek to retirement was a blow to the passing game. Kevin Williams, who had started to emerge late in the season in 1995 as a viable second receiver and deep threat, was limited by injuries. Aikman found himself dumping more passes to new tight end Eric Bjornson and fullback Daryl Johnston. Deion got a little time at receiver, as head coach Barry Switzer looked for answers.

It might have been a complete disaster, but another future Hall of Famer, Michael Irvin, was there to at least provide some stability at receiver. Irvin caught 64 balls, averaged 15 yards a catch and made sure the passing game didn’t disappear.

The same can’t be said of another great player from this era of Cowboy football. Emmitt Smith is one of the great running backs of all time. He had won four rushing titles in the previous five years, including an MVP award in 1993. And he ran for over 1,200 yards in this 1996 season. But if you look below the surface, he averaged less than four yards a pop. This is in spite of four offensive lineman—Nate Newton, Ray Donaldson, Larry Allen and Erik Williams having Pro Bowl years.

It’s Smith’s down season that was the biggest difference between this Cowboy team and those that won Super Bowls in 1992, 1993 and 1995, and was the clear second-best team in 1994. The inability to muscle past opponents is the key reason the Dallas offense ranked a woeful 25th in the league in points scored.

The problems showed up right away on an opening Monday Night in Chicago. Dallas couldn’t run the ball against a mediocre opponent, lost three fumbles and took a 22-6 Labor Day loss to start the season.

The Cowboys came home and dispatched a bad New York Giants team 27-0, behind early touchdown passes from Aikman to Deion, Kevin Williams and Emmitt. A week later, at home against playoff-bound Indianapolis, the Cowboys built a 21-6 lead in the third quarter. They were getting big days from Tolbert and defensive tackle Leon Lett, who combined for five sacks. But in the fourth quarter, Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh heated up. Dallas melted down in front of the late Sunday afternoon national audience and lost 25-24.

Buffalo had been Dallas’ Super Bowl foil in the 1992-93 seasons and were still a playoff team here in 1996. The Cowboys went on the road for another late afternoon national game. Facing a backup quarterback in Todd Collins, the defense played exceptionally well. The offense did not. Aikman threw three interceptions. Dallas only rushed for 32 yards. They lost 10-7.

At 1-3, the Cowboys were reeling and the rest of the league could see blood in the water. The Philadelphia Eagles had been the top challenger in the NFC East and Dallas had a Monday Night date in Philly to close September. When they dug a 10-0 hole in the first quarter, disaster loomed. But the defense stepped up with six sacks, two by Tolbert, and getting five turnovers. A 23-13 win stopped the bleeding going into the bye week.

The week off seemed to be what the running game needed. Emmitt went for 112 yards in a 17-3 home win over mediocre Arizona. Then a bad Atlanta Falcons team came in the following week, and put the Cowboys in a 25-17 hole in the third quarter. Facing a complete embarrassment, Aikman threw a short touchdown pass to Emmitt and converted the two-point play to tie the game. Then, trailing 28-25, Aikman hit Kelvin Martin on a 60-yard TD strike that salvaged a 32-28 win.

Dallas was back on the right side of .500 at 4-3, but still looked nothing like a Super Bowl contender. And they were entering a crucial four-week stretch of high-profile games.

Jimmy Johnson had been the Dallas coach for the first two Super Bowl titles. He left in a soap opera dispute with owner Jerry Jones. After two years out of the game, Johnson was back on the sidelines in Miami this year. And as luck would have it, the Cowboys and Dolphins were due to play each other on the AFC-NFC rotation. They were in the late Sunday afternoon national window on the final weekend of October.

Dallas moved the ball consistently in the first half, but three deep drives ended in field goals. They trailed 10-9 at the half. But Aikman and Irvin took over. The quarterback finished 33/41 for 363 yards and no interceptions. Irvin, one of his former coaches’ favorites, showed why, with 12 catches for 186 yards. The Cowboys took over the second half and won 29-10.

It was a great time to build on the momentum with the Eagles coming to Big D. Instead, Aikman was outplayed by Philadelphia counterpart Ty Detmer and the Cowboys lost 31-21. They were 5-4.

A road trip to San Francisco was next. The previous four years in the NFL had been defined by the Cowboys and 49ers, clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the league. Dallas trailed this game 17-10 in the fourth quarter. With 49er quarterback Steve Young out, Aikman ended up making the difference. He finished 24/39 for 230 yards, including a late TD pass to Bjornson that tied the game. Dallas won 20-17 in overtime.

The next big contender on the docket was the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys had ousted the Packers from the playoffs each of the previous three seasons. But this year’s Green Bay team was different. The Brett Favre era in Lambeau Field was fully emerging and the Packers were playing the best football of anyone. But they knew they had to be able to beat Dallas.

This writer is originally from southeastern Wisconsin and was gathered with a group of Packer fans who watched this Monday Night game in horror. The Dallas defense was vintage, sacking Favre four times and preventing him from getting the ball down the field. The offense comfortably marched up and down the field. In a rather strange circumstance, they kept kicking field goals—seven of them in all—but was enough to win 21-6.

Now 7-4, with consecutive wins over the 49ers and Packers, Dallas was back in the Super Bowl conversation. It was another great time to build some momentum. But this Cowboy year was different and the following Sunday in the Meadowlands showed it. There was no running game against the Giants. Dallas turned it over five times. A 20-6 loss broke up all the good feelings they had come over the last month.

As we approached Thanksgiving and the final quarter of the season, Dallas was in a jam-packed race in the NFC East. At 7-5, the Cowboys and Eagles each trailed the 8-4 Washington Redskins. The Arizona Cardinals (an NFC East team prior to 2002) were 6-6, but had a potentially favorable tiebreaker situation shaping up.

The very top of the NFC had Green Bay at 9-3, with San Francisco and Carolina (NFC West rivals prior to the ’02 realignment that created the NFC South) at 8-4. Of course Dallas had their own potentially favorable tiebreakers working here. But first, they had to somehow push through the logjam in their own division.

That would start on Thanksgiving, with the Redskins coming into town. It looked like the Cowboys of old, mainly because Emmitt looked like his old self. He muscled his way for 155 yards. The ‘Skins could only muster 46 yards rushing. Dallas won 21-10. That Sunday, the Cardinals lost. The NFC East was down to Dallas, Washington and Philly, all 8-5. It was a mad race to the finish.

Down in Arizona, the Cowboys were sluggish for a half, trailing 6-0 into the third quarter. Aikman found Irvin on a 50-yard touchdown pass. It was the showcase point of a game when Aikman went 15/24 for 255 yards and Irvin’s eight catches produced 198 yards. The Cowboys won 10-6. Meanwhile, the Eagles and Redskins both lost.

Dallas not only had a one-game lead, but the tiebreakers were falling their way. They hosted the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots in the season’s penultimate game. With 22mph winds swirling, neither offense could do much of anything. But the Cowboys won the turnover battle 4-2, which led to them winning a battle of field goals 4-2. The 12-6 win clinched a fifth straight NFC East crown.

The Cowboys were locked into the 3-seed and the Redskins had collapsed, so a potentially high-profile season finale in the final game of Washington’s old RFK Stadium ended up not meaning anything. Switzer mailed this one in and got players some rest. It ended a 37-10 loss.

No one knew quite what to make of this Dallas team going into the playoffs. Their pedigree was unquestioned. So was the fact they had clearly demonstrated an ability to dominate the league’s best teams in this season. But could they string together the four consistent games it would take to win a fourth Super Bowl title in five years?

Minnesota came in for a late afternoon Saturday visit to start the playoffs on the final weekend of December. The championship Cowboys showed up for this one. Emmitt ran for 116 yards. Irvin caught eight balls for over 100 yards. Dallas was ahead 30-0 by halftime and cruised to a 40-15 win.

Carolina had outlasted San Francisco in the NFC West, so the Panthers had the 2-seed. Divisional Round Weekend started when the 49ers were eliminated up in Green Bay. The Cowboys and Panthers took the field on late Sunday afternoon.

All the negative patterns of the regular season came through for Dallas. They didn’t run the ball and dug themselves an early 14-3 hole. They game stayed tight, with the Cowboys pulling to within 14-11, 17-14 and 23-17 at various points. But Aikman threw three interceptions and the season ended with a 26-17 loss.

The dynasty was officially over. It seemed like an inappropriate end. The folks up in Green Bay badly wanted Dallas to have come to Lambeau Field. Losing to San Francisco would have been a worthy final chapter. A defeat to a franchise in its second season of existence wasn’t what any scriptwriter would have produced.

But it’s what happened. And the cracks that showed in 1996 opened wide in 1997. The Cowboys slipped to 6-10 and Switzer was fired. Even though the franchise would get back into the playoffs in 1998, they were never an elite team and it was never the same. Aikman retired after the 2000 season. The dynasty came to an end in 1996.

1993 Minnesota Vikings: Solidifying A Playoff Foundation

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Dennis Green arrived in Minnesota in 1992, and promptly won a division title. The 1993 Minnesota Vikings didn’t quite match that feat. But they made it back to the playoffs and solidified what would be a perennially contending team throughout the 1990s.

The defensive front was the foundation on which this team was built. John Randle, the great Hall of Fame defensive tackle, had a 12 ½ sack season in 1993. Henry Thomas had nine more sacks at the other tackle spot and made the Pro Bowl. No combo anywhere in the league could disrupt the interior like Randle and Thomas. And that allowed another great talent, Hall of Fame defensive end Chris Doleman to pick up 12 ½ sacks of his own.

All that pressure on the quarterback enabled free safety Vencie Glenn to intercept five passes. Even with weaknesses at other spots in the back seven, the Vikings still ranked 12th in the NFL in points allowed.

The offense was the problem. Green was looking for a solution at quarterback. There were certainly good targets to throw to. Cris Carter, a future Hall of Famer, would catch 86 passes this season and make the Pro Bowl. Anthony Carter (no relation) was a veteran and caught 60 more balls. Steve Jordan’s 56 catches showed he was still as reliable a tight end as there was.

But there weren’t a lot of good options at QB. Green signed Jim McMahon. A veteran of the Super Bowl champion 1985 Chicago Bears, McMahon was colorful, a leader…and also injury-prone with a weak arm. His 5.9 yards-per-attempt in 1993 was one of the league’s worst. But his 60 percent completion rate was solid and he steered clear of mistakes. It made him a good fit for a team that wanted to win with defense.

A running game would have helped a lot, but even with another Hall of Famer, Randall McDaniel, keying the offensive line, the Vikings could not generate a consistent attack. Everyone from Scottie Graham to Barry Word to Robert Smith to Roger Craig got a chance. None maintained any consistency. So the Minnesota offense ranked just 20th in a 28-team league for points scored.

The Vikings opened the season in Los Angeles against the Raiders, another team that had the postseason in their future. The McMahon experiment didn’t begin well—he was intercepted twice, there was no running game, Minnesota was in a 21-0 hole by half and lost 24-7.

A home game with Chicago saw the Vikes play more to their identity. It was a tough defensive game and McMahon made the big throw—a 16-yard touchdown pass Carter was the difference in the 10-7 win. After a bye week, Minnesota won another physical  home game against a key division rival. They beat Green Bay 15-13 on the strength of five field goals from Fuad Reveiz and McMahon avoiding mistakes, while young Brett Favre made them on the other side.

Minnesota went back on the road to play San Francisco, one of the league’s best teams in this era, with Steve Young at quarterback. McMahon threw an early touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead, and then a fourth-quarter TD toss that had the Vikings within 24-19. But with an upset in sight, the defense collapsed and the 49ers pulled away, 38-19.

Back at home against a division rival, Minnesota got back in their comfort zone. They beat Tampa Bay (prior to the realignment of 2002, the Bucs shared the NFC Central with the four current teams of the NFC North) 15-0 thanks to five turnovers, including two picks by Glenn.

A second bye week—a concept the NFL experimented with this season and then thankfully dropped—preceded a Monday Night visit to Chicago. It was a homecoming of sorts for McMahon, even though he’d had a couple of stops since his glory days in the Windy City. The Minnesota defense stole the stage. They got nine sacks, three from Randle and two by Doleman. Audrey McMillan produced a Pick-6. The Vikes won it 19-12.

Another prime-time game against a division rival was up when Detroit came in for Sunday Night Football. McMahon was knocked out early. Sean Salisbury, last season’s primary starter, came in and showed he wanted his job back. Salisbury went 25/37 for 234 yards. Smith rushed for 115 yards. The Vikings led 27-13 in the fourth quarter. Then the defense completely fell apart and lost 30-27.

The job was still Salisbury’s for a home game with mediocre San Diego. The backup QB produced his numbers—29/47 for 347 yards, with Cris Carter catching ten balls for 164 yards. Minnesota led 17-16 after three quarters. Then the defense again came apart in the fourth quarter, the result being a 30-17 loss.

Salisbury started again at playoff-bound Denver and again had a big day. He went 19/37 for 366 yards, with both the Carters going for 100-plus yards receiving. Minnesota got a big road win over John Elway, 26-23.

At 5-4, the Vikings needed to keep it going when they went to Tampa Bay for another Sunday Night appearance. Salisbury was hot. Maybe this new revved-up attack was going to work. Actually, no.

Salisbury played poorly, the running game continued to be non-existent and Minnesota lost 23-10 in a game where they were an eight-point favorite. A 17-14 home loss to mediocre New Orleans, marked by giving up a special teams TD, pushed the Vikes under .500.

It wasn’t too much to say that the season was on the line when Minnesota went to Detroit. McMahon returned to the lineup. The Lions had taken a big blow themselves, losing their great running back, Barry Sanders, to a knee injury on Thanksgiving. Not having to key on Sanders, freed up on the Viking defensive front. And did they ever unleash. Randle had a three-sack game. Doleman added two more. Seven sacks on the day led a 13-0 shutout.

The NFC Central was jam-packed. Minnesota was 6-6, and chasing Detroit, Green Bay and Chicago, who were all 7-5. The alignment and playoff format of the time had three divisions per conference and three wild-card spots. One of the wild-cards would go to the NFC East, where the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants were having big years. But the other two were open, with only 7-5 New Orleans being in the mix outside of the NFC Central.

Unfortunately for the Vikes, the eventual Super Bowl champion Cowboys were next on the schedule. In the late afternoon window at home, both McMahon and Salisbury played. Neither particularly well. Minnesota trailed 27-6 by the third quarter and lost 37-20. Detroit and Green Bay both won and created some space in the race for the division title. The good news was that Chicago and New Orleans both lost. The Vikes were still within a game of the playoffs.

But they had to win against Green Bay. Playing in old Milwaukee County Stadium, where the Packers used to play three home games a year, the Vikings trailed 10-7 at the half. McMahon then did what proud veterans do. He played beyond what his body could still realistically do. The quarterback finished 22/31 for 207 yards. He threw three touchdown passes, two of them to Cris Carter in the second half. The 21-17 win kept Minnesota alive. Chicago and New Orleans both lost.

The Vikings were in a three-way tie for one spot, themselves, the Bears and Saints all 7-7. Minnesota would have the tiebreaker on Chicago within the division, but would lose a tiebreaker with New Orleans. And on top of all this, the Vikings were still only a game back in the NFC Central…and their 6-2 divisional record ensured they would win any tiebreaker.

The next game was a Sunday Night home date with a good Kansas City Chiefs team that had Joe Montana at quarterback. The events of that afternoon sorted a lot out. Detroit and Green Bay both won, ensuring their head-to-head game the following week would settle the division. But Chicago and New Orleans both lost. The Vikings controlled their own destiny for the playoffs. And if you wanted more good news for Minnesota, it’s that the day’s results clinched the AFC West for Kansas City and reduced the Chiefs’ urgency.

McMahon threw a 31-yard TD pass to Cris Carter for a 10-0 lead in the second quarter. At 10-3 in the third quarter, McMahon and Carter hooked up again from 29 yards out. Graham had his best night of the season, with 166 yards. The Vikings cruised to a 30-10 win.

They weren’t in yet, but they had control and the schedule would finally work in their favor. The Washington Redskins, one of the league’s best teams for the previous 12 years, were in a massive downward spiral following the retirement of head coach Joe Gibbs. That was all that was standing in the way of Minnesota and the postseason.

New Year’s Eve fell on Friday and the league decided to schedule this game for 3 PM that afternoon, so the Vikings went to D.C. on a short week. They didn’t play well up front, being outrushed 112-46. But McMahon and Cris Carter had something going together down the stretch and it continued here. The receiver caught seven balls for 113 yards and keyed a 14-9 win.

For the playoffs, Minnesota might have preferred not to be so strong in the tiebreakers. Because it meant that they would be in the 5-seed position, ahead of whomever lost the Detroit-Green Bay game. Which meant that instead of playing the winner of that game (it would be the Lions), the Vikings had to go and play the 11-5 New York Giants, who had chased Dallas to the final game of the season.

But the Giants had lost an overtime showdown with the Cowboys in that regular season finale and perhaps were a little drained. Playing in the swirling winds of the Meadowlands early the following Sunday afternoon, McMahon threw a 40-yard TD pass to Carter and put Minnesota up 10-3 at the half.

An upset was brewing, but the physical New York ground attack finally took over. The Vikings were outrushed 176-79. Not being able to run the football was fatal in a game like this, on a day when passing was difficult. Minnesota lost 17-10.

It was a second straight playoff trip, but Green and the Vikings clearly wanted more. In the ensuing offseason, they swung a trade for Warren Moon, the future Hall of Fame quarterback with the Houston Oilers. The results didn’t change dramatically, but Minnesota got back on top of the balanced NFC Central in 1994. And they continued to churn out playoff appearances all the way through 2000.

1993 Detroit Lions: A Return To The Top Of The NFC Central

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The Barry Sanders Era in Detroit had its first big breakthrough in 1991, when the Lions reached the NFC Championship Game. After a hard fall to last place in 1992, it looked like that breakout might be a fluke. The 1993 Detroit Lions answered those doubts—they won a division title, returned to the postseason and begin a string of playoff appearances that carried them through the decade.

Sanders had a Pro Bowl season. Even in a year where he missed four games due to injury, Barry rushed for over 1,110 yards, and his 36 catches were third-most on the team. He ran behind an offensive line that was keyed by future Hall of Fame tackle Lomas Brown having a Pro Bowl season of his own. Herman Moore opened up space from his wide receiver spot, catching 61 balls at better than fifteen yards a pop. Brett Perriman was a reliable second receiver and Willie Green a big play threat.

The journey at quarterback…well, that was a little more interesting. Rodney Peete had the job when the season opened and he did start ten games. His 62 percent completion rate was fourth-best among starting QBs. His 6.6 yards-per-attempt, while mediocre, could have been managed.

But what couldn’t be managed was his 6-14 TD/INT ratio. Or being intercepted on an astonishingly high 5.6 percent of his throws, easily the worst in the league. The result was the quarterback job being up for grabs and Peete ending up on the bench for the season’s biggest moments. And the offense as a whole finished 16th in a 28-team league for points scored, in spite of having a generational talent in the backfield.

Detroit made a big move in the offseason to upgrade their defense. They acquired outside linebacker Pat Swilling from New Orleans. In retrospect, the Lions lost on the trade—they gave up a draft choice that the Saints used to get a Hall of Fame offensive lineman in Willie Roaf, just at a point when Swilling’s decline from being one of the game’s best was beginning.

But in fairness, Swilling still had a Pro Bowl year in 1993. He was the only one on the defense to do so, a unit that would rank 15th in the NFL for points allowed.

The season opened at home against a subpar Atlanta Falcons team. Sanders struck first with a 26-yard touchdown jaunt in the first quarter. Linebacker George Jamison returned an interception for another TD. The Lion defense shut down the Atlanta running game and came up with six sacks. The result was an easy 30-13 win.

A visit to Foxboro was up next. The Patriots were beginning a rebuilding project under Bill Parcells and were not a good team. But they played a lot of close games and this was one of them. Sanders did his thing, going for 148 yards on 32 carries. Peete struggled and threw three interceptions. Detroit needed overtime to escape with a 19-16 win.

Swilling’s return home to New Orleans was a disaster. The Lions were crushed up front, giving up 172 yards on the ground. Barry only got 16 carries, while Peete was sacked five times and then benched for Andre Ware midway through the 14-3 loss.

Ware, a former Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Houston, who never really panned out in the pros, got the start the following week against the mediocre Phoenix Cardinals at home. Pass protection was still porous, as Ware hit the deck five times. But he steered clear of the mistakes and a 3-0 edge on turnovers was the reason Detroit won the football game, 26-20.

But a road date to face a bad Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad showed that Ware was not any kind of long-term solution. He was erratic and was pulled for Erik Kramer. Even though Barry ripped off 130 yards, including an early TD that staked the Lions to a 10-zip lead, they fell apart and lost 27-10.

Detroit went into a bye week at 3-2, but looking for answers. Particularly, looking for a quarterback. Peete got his job back when they returned to play at home against Seattle two weeks later. Moore stepped up and caught eight balls for 98 yards. Sanders ran for 101 yards. The Lions held a 14-7 lead in the third quarter when a red-zone stop on defense forced a Seahawks field goal. Mel Gray then returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. Detroit pulled away to win 30-10.

Peete played his best game of the season the following week in Los Angeles against the Rams. He went 15/25 for 249 yards. Moore caught six of those balls for 120 yards. Detroit won 16-13.

The Lions were 5-2, but they had yet to play a team that would finish the season over .500. Of their first seven opponents, only the Saints might have even been reasonably expected to do so. So the record was nice, but in a balanced division, there were plenty of key tests ahead. And the first one came on Sunday Night in Minnesota.

With Sanders being kept in check, held to 64 yards on 14 carries, the test was being failed when Detroit trailed 27-13 in the fourth quarter. They were backed up deep in their own end. Then Peete and Moore hooked up on a 93-yard touchdown pass. Peete finished the night 20/28 for 273 yards and led a fourth-quarter flurry that produced a 30-27 win.

Tampa Bay made their return visit to Detroit a week later (prior to the realignment of 2002, the Bucs were in the NFC Central, along with the four current teams of the NFC North). The Lions got some revenge when Sanders went off for 187 yards and led a 23-0 whitewashing. Detroit was riding high at 7-2 when the second bye week (a concept the NFL thankfully dropped after just this one season) arrived.

Green Bay was in their second year with Brett Favre at quarterback and aiming for a breakthrough playoff appearance. Detroit went to Milwaukee, where the Packers used to play three home games a year, for the first meeting. Sanders was kept under control, Peete was outplayed by Favre and the Lions lost 26-17.

The stretch of big divisional games continued when contending Chicago came in for the annual Thanksgiving Day game at the old Silverdome. To call the result a disaster for the Lions understates the case. Not only did they lose 10-6, but Sanders injured his left knee. He was out for at least a few weeks.

Without the great running back to take the pressure off, Peete was completely exposed at home against Minnesota ten days later. He threw four interceptions. Ware came in threw another one. In spite of a good effort from the Detroit defense, the Lions lost 13-0.

A season that had such possibilities just a month ago was now reeling. But it was far from lost. Detroit’s 7-5 record was still tied for first in the NFC Central, along with Green Bay and Chicago. Minnesota was a game back at 6-6.

The alignment of the time had just three divisions per conference, meaning there were three wild-card berths available. While the runner-up in the NFC East (either the New York Giants or Dallas Cowboys) would clearly get one of them, the other two were wide open. And New Orleans, at 7-5, was the only other contender outside the NFC Central. So with everything still on the line, head coach Wayne Fontes gave the quarterback job to Kramer. And to further underscore his dissatisfaction, the head coach fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning.

Another scheduling quirk of the pre-2002 era was that last-place finishers in the same conference played each other twice the following year. Thus, Detroit went to Phoenix for a second game against the Cardinals. The Lions finally found a running game, with Derrick Moore gaining 107 yards. Kramer played well, going 19/25 for 257 yards and three TD passes. Detroit snapped their losing streak with a 21-14 win.

The potent San Francisco 49ers, headed for the 2-seed in the NFC, came into Motown for a late Sunday afternoon kickoff. Kramer had another good game, going 19/29 for 220 yards with no mistakes. But it was drop in the bucket compared to the offensive avalanche Steve Young’s 49ers unleashed. Detroit gave up 565 yards of total offense and got crushed, 55-17.

At least no one in the NFC Central was really good enough to step up and take the bull by the horns. Chicago was on a two-game losing streak that dropped them to 7-7. Minnesota was also 7-7. Outside the division, so was New Orleans. So Detroit and Green Bay were sitting on 8-6 records, tied for first and looking at a head-to-head showdown in the final week of the season.

Before that was  a visit to the Windy City on the day after Christmas. Kramer completely outplayed Bears’ counterpart Jim Harbaugh, going 23/31 for 223 yards. Kramer was the difference in a 20-14 win that clinched at least a wild-card spot. Green Bay held serve, clinching a wild-card berth of their own. The NFC Central would come down to one game in the Silverdome.

By the time kickoff arrived, it was known that the Lions and Packers would be the #3 and #6 seeds, depending on the outcome of this game. Meaning they were guaranteed to play each other again in the Wild-Card Round. But there was still the matter of NFC Central pride, to say nothing of homefield advantage for next week.

Detroit trailed 20-16 after three quarters. But even in his later years, Favre could be more than a little mistake-prone. As a young quarterback, the tendency was even more pronounced. The Lions picked off four passes, turned everything around in the fourth quarter and won 30-20. They were NFC Central champs.

The news kept getting better. Barry was back and healthy for the playoffs. On a late Saturday afternoon in Detroit, he and Favre put on an electrifying show. Sanders went off for 169 yards. Perriman caught 10 balls for 150 yards. Favre was having a big day of his own. But this time it was Kramer who made the biggest mistake.

Leading 17-14 and driving, late in the third quarter, Kramer threw a ball into coverage that was intercepted in the end zone and brought back all the way to the house. The Lion quarterback still led another drive and gave his team a 24-21 lead. But Favre had the last word, throwing a late touchdown pass that broke Detroit’s heart, 28-24.

Any loss like this that ends a season, especially to a division rival, is always hard to swallow. But Detroit had gotten back in the playoffs. And it continued through the decade. This was the first of three straight playoff trips, four in five years and five in seven years. All on top of the ’91 NFC Championship Game trip. The 1993 Detroit Lions were a big part of a rare run of success for this franchise.

1993 Denver Broncos: A Return To The Playoffs

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An era of John Elway’s career came to an end in 1992, when head coach Dan Reeves was fired. Elway and Reeves didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but they had reached Super Bowls together in 1986, 1987 and 1989. Wade Phillips was elevated from defensive coordinator to the head coaching job. Elway picked up where he left off and the Broncos returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence.

Now 33-years-old, Elway put together a Pro Bowl season with excellent numbers across the board. He completed 63 percent of his throws for 7.3 yards-per-attempt. He threw 25 touchdown passes and was only intercepted 1.8 percent of the time. All of those numbers ranked ninth or better among starting quarterbacks.

Elway benefitted in no small part from the emergence of Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe. With 81 catches for nearly 1,000 yards, Sharpe was 1st-team All-NFL. Derrek Russell and veteran Vance Johnson rounded out the receiving corps.

The passing attack had to carry the offense, as the lack of good talent up front led to pedestrian production from Rod Bernstine and Robert Delpino in the backfield. But with Elway and Sharpe leading the way, Denver ranked third in the NFL in points scored.

Karl Mecklenburg was the defensive equivalent of Elway—33-years-old and an important holdover from the Super Bowl years. Like Elway, the inside linebacker had a Pro Bowl campaign in 1993. Simon Fletcher, an outside linebacker in Phillips’ aggressive 3-4 scheme, rang up 13 ½ sacks. Shane Dronett provided a quality pass rush from his defensive end spot.

The secondary had a couple Pro Bowl safeties who could lay the heavy lumber. Dennis Smith was the veteran, 34-years-old at strong safety. Steve Atwater was the up-and-comer, age 25 and roaming at free safety. Smith and Atwater rounded out a defense that ranked a solid 10th in the league for points allowed.

Denver opened the season in the Meadowlands, facing a New  York Jets team that would contend deep into the season for a playoff spot. Elway was sharp, going 20/29 for 269 yards and no interceptions. The Broncos led 26-6 after three quarters and closed out a 26-20 win.

San Diego had won the AFC West a year earlier and they came to Mile High Stadium for the home opener. After a scoreless first quarter, Elway opened up. He tossed a couple second-quarter touchdowns, finished 24/34 for 297 yards and led a 34-17 win.

A big Monday Night visit to Kansas City was up next. The Chiefs had just acquired Joe Montana in the effort to make the leap from playoff team to Super Bowl contender. But neither great quarterback was the story in this game. The story was that the Broncos got pounded in the trenches, losing rush yardage 160-35. Elway’s 28/45 for 300 yards night was mostly empty numbers in a 15-7 loss.

After a bye week, Denver hosted the Indianapolis Colts. Elway carved up a bad team, going 20/30 for 230 yards, two TDs and zero mistakes. The running game advantage was 196-83. The Broncos were up 28-zip by halftime and won 35-13.

Green Bay was aiming for a breakthrough year with second-year quarterback Brett Favre. The Packers would indeed make the playoffs this season. The Broncos dug themselves a 30-7 hole on the Sunday Night stage in Lambeau Field, thanks in part to 13 penalties. Elway nearly pulled off some magic. He went 33/59 for 367 yards. Vance Johnson caught 10 balls for 148 yards. Denver closed to within 30-27, but couldn’t come all the way back.

At 3-2, the Broncos hosted the Los Angeles Raiders, another Monday Night game against a rival with designs on contending in 1993. Bernstine had a good night on the ground, rushing for 101 yards. But this time it was the passing game that failed. Elway was sacked seven times. When he did get his throws off, he was only 16/30 for 188 yards. Denver lost 23-20 and slipped to .500.

It was time for a second bye. This was the one season the  NFL experimented with a double bye. It was a concept that went over poorly with everyone, although the timing was providential for Denver, coming off two straight losses. They returned at home against Seattle with their play considerably cleaned up. Elway was 23/36 for 255 yards. The Seahawks were the team that committed the penalties. Dronett was the player getting the sacks. The Broncos were the team winning the football game, 28-17.

Denver went on to Cleveland, facing a Browns team that was improving under Bill Belichick, but a year away from being playoff-caliber. Elway went up top to Russell from 38 yards and Sharpe from 33. The Broncos controlled the game in all phases and won 29-14.

That was followed by jumping out to a 20-3 lead over playoff-bound Minnesota at home, with Elway going 30/40 for 290 yards and Sharpe going over 100 yards receiving. But there was no running game and they couldn’t hold the lead. The Broncos dropped a tough one, 26-23.

At 5-4, Denver needed to pick up the pace, especially with an AFC playoff contender in Pittsburgh coming to town next. Elway was making big plays, going 18/25 for 276 yards and no mistakes. Defensively, Mecklenburg and Fletcher picked up two sacks apiece. The Broncos crushed a good team, 37-13.

A week later they beat a bad one in Seattle (the Seahawks were an AFC West team prior to 2002) 17-9 thanks to six more sacks, with Fletcher and Mike Croel leading the way.

The Chargers were struggling through a mediocre season, but Denver could not escape San Diego with a win. Elway was erratic, he was sacked five times and there was no running game. Even though the Broncos led 10-3 after three quarters, they couldn’t close this one and lost 13-10.

At 7-5, Denver was in the middle of a jam-packed wild-card race. They were two games back of Kansas City in the AFC West. The league structure of the time had just three divisions per conference, meaning there were three wild-cards. It looked like Miami, at 9-3 and chasing Buffalo in the AFC East, had a hold on the first one. The Broncos, Raiders, Steelers and Jets were all 7-5 in the push for the final two spots.

The Chiefs came to Mile High and it was a terrific game. Elway threw two TD passes to Sharpe and Bernstine rushed for 90 yards. The Broncos still trailed 21-17 in the fourth quarter. The Elway-to-Sharpe combination came through one more. They pulled out a 27-21 win and not only strengthened their playoff hopes, but kept the division title in play.

A visit to mediocre Chicago in the early afternoon the following Saturday, saw a tough game on a cold and wet day. Bernstine rushed for 103 yards, the defense forced five turnovers and Denver won it 13-3. They still trailed KC by a game in the AFC West and the Chiefs had the tiebreaker. But the Broncos, along with the Raiders and the suddenly slumping Dolphins, were all 9-5 and had control of the wild-card spots. The Steelers and Jets continued to be in chase at 8-6, but Denver had a head-to-head win over both teams.

So maybe there was some urgency missing the following week at home against a bad Tampa Bay team. There were no big plays on either side of the ball. The Broncos fell flat as a two-touchdown favorite and lost 17-10. But everyone else in the wild-card picture also lost. It wasn’t the most inspiring way to clinch a playoff berth, but the Broncos were back in.

The season finale was in Los Angeles against the Raiders. By the time kickoff arrived, it was established that these teams would be in the 4-5 spots in the AFC bracket and playing each other in the wild-card round. The winner of this game would host the next one.

For the better part of three quarters, it looked like Denver would have one more home game. Elway threw a couple touchdown passes to Sharpe, one from 54 yards. Elway finished 25/36 for 361 yards and the Broncos led 30-13.

Then came a complete defensive collapse that didn’t stop until the season was over. Denver gave up big plays in the passing game and blew this one, 33-30 in overtime. The following week, even with Elway and Sharpe hot again, the wild-card game was in a 21-21 tie at halftime. Then the rush defense fell apart in the second half. The Raiders pulled away to a 42-24 win and sent the Broncos home.

It was a bitter end to an otherwise pretty good season. The Broncos had looked much better than a 9-7 team that lost in the first round of the playoffs. But, as the saying goes, you are what your record says you are. The Broncos followed up the late fade of 1993 with non-playoff years the next two years. Not until 1996, when Mike Shanahan was the head coach, did the last great run Elway’s career begin.

The Playoff Season Of The 1993 Los Angeles Raiders

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Art Shell’s first full season coaching the Raiders in 1990 had been a clear success, with a division title and AFC Championship Game appearance to show for it. But the next two years marked decline. A year later, the Raiders snuck into the playoffs and were quickly eliminated. In 1992, they slipped under .500. The 1993 Los Angeles Raiders got the trend reversed, returning to postseason play and advancing once they got there.

Making a change at quarterback was a priority in the offseason, and the Raiders went out and signed Jeff Hostetler. A career backup, the veteran Hostetler had made the most of his opportunity in 1990 with the New York Giants. When Phil Simms got hurt late in the year, Hostetler took over and led the Giants to a Super Bowl victory. That’s the kind of performance that will get you a shot at starting.

What’s more, Hostetler’s arm strength fit the desires of longtime Raider owner Al Davis to have his offenses built around the home run ball. Even though Hostetler’s 56 percent completion rate was low, his 7.7 yards-per-attempt ranked fourth among starting quarterbacks. And he was in the top half of the league when it came to avoiding interceptions.

Tim Brown was the heart and soul of the passing game. The future Hall of Fame receiver and return man had a Pro Bowl year in 1993, catching 80 balls for nearly 1,200 yards. Tight end Ethan Horton caught 43 more passes.

Surrounding the steady Brown and the consistent Horton were a group of speedsters who could stretch the field. James Jett averaged a stunning 23.4 yards-per-catch. Rocket Ismail and Anthony Wright were other playmakers on the outside. Having receivers with names like “Jett” and “Rocket” is a pretty apt way of capturing how explosive the Los Angeles passing game could be.

And that’s a good thing, because the running game lacked consistency. Even though guards Steve Wisniewski and Max Montoya made the Pro Bowl, the Raiders could not run the ball. Their future Hall of Fame legend, Marcus Allen, had a bad falling out with Davis and signed on with AFC West rival Kansas City. Allen was productive. His replacement in L.A., Greg Robinson, was not.

All of which is why, even with the vertical passing game, the Raider offense ranked 14th, squarely in the middle of the 28-team league, for points scored.

The defense was anchored by its strength up front. Howie Long was 33-years-old, but the future Hall of Famer had another Pro Bowl season at defensive end. Anthony Smith recorded 12 1/2 sacks. Greg Townsend added 7 ½ sacks of his own on the edge. Chester McGlockton got home seven times coming up the middle.

But the back seven was a problem. Even though Terry McDaniel was a Pro Bowler at corner, the Raiders were vulnerable and they finished 21st in the league in points allowed.

No problems of any kind showed in the season opener at home against the Minnesota Vikings. Facing a team that had made the playoffs in ’92 and would again this season, Hostetler went 23/27 for 225 yards. The defense had the Vikes under control in a 24-7 win.

A Sunday Night trip to the old Seattle Kingdome was next. In a 10-10 tie in the second quarter, Hostetler hit Brown with a 33-yard touchdown strike. The defense made it stand up. Anthony Smith had four sacks, and the Raiders won 17-13.

The Cleveland Browns, gradually improving in their third year under Bill Belichick, came to the L.A. Coliseum in Week 3. The Raider defense was playing well and intercepted four passes. They led 13-0 after three quarters. But the offensive line was having an awful afternoon. There was no running game. Hostetler was sacked five times and eventually knocked out. The lead disappeared in a 19-16 loss.

After a bye week, Los Angeles went to Kansas City for a big divisional showdown. Hostetler was still not ready to return and veteran Vince Evans got the start. But the week off didn’t help the pass protection—Evans hit the deck six times in a 24-9 loss.

Hostetler got the start the following week at home against the Jets. But an early Pick-6 showed he clearly wasn’t ready. Evans stepped in facing a 17-0 hole. In a game that would prove significant as the season came down the stretch, Evans threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Jett and a 68-yarder to Wright. The backup rallied the Raiders to a 24-20 win.

That set the stage for a Monday Night visit to traditional AFC West rival Denver, and John Elway. Hostetler got the start and this time he was ready. He played mistake-free football and Brown caught six balls for 116 yards. Los Angeles led 13-3 in the fourth quarter. The lack of a running game gave Elway time to rally the Broncos to a 20-20 tie and force overtime. It was L.A. kicker Jeff Jaeger that ended up the hero, nailing a 53-yard field goal to win it.

In 1993, the NFL experimented with the concept of a double bye. It was an idea that mercifully ended after one year. The Raiders took their second bye week coming off the Monday Night win. When they returned, the San Diego Chargers came to town.

The Bolts had won the AFC West in 1992 and would reach the Super Bowl in 1994. This year in between was more mediocre. When Hostetler got the day started with a 71-yard TD strike to Brown, all looked well. The quarterback went on to a 20/32 for 424 yards performance.

But he also made the game’s signature mistake. In a 17-17 tie and driving for the lead in the third quarter, Hostetler was intercepted in the end zone and it came back all the way. That was the difference in what ended a tough 30-23 loss.

Not having a running game was killing the Raiders and undoubtedly galled Shell, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman in his playing days for the Silver-N-Black. That changed at Chicago on November 7. A balanced running game produced 179 yards on the ground and the Raiders got a 16-14 survival win over a team on the fringe of the NFC playoff picture.

At 5-3, the home game with the Chiefs was a big one. With Robinson rushing for 90 yards, L.A. was up 17-7 at the half. But in an inverse of what this offense normally was, Hostetler was erratic. He was only 16/35 for 187 yards. The second half was a disaster and ended in a 31-20 loss.

The return visit to San Diego was next. To look at the individual stats suggests the Raiders dominated the game. They controlled the ball over 41 minutes. Jett caught seven balls for 138 yards. Robinson gained 89 yards on the ground. But bogging down in the red zone kept it close. Even so, L.A. was able to get out of town with a 12-7 win.

At 6-4, a date with lowly Cincinnati seemed just what the doctor ordered, even if it was on the road. But the Raiders played their worst game of the season. Hostetler was awful. There was no running game. An embarrassing 16-10 loss put L.A.’s playoff hopes in serious jeopardy.

Especially with a road trip to Buffalo coming up. The Bills were the three-time defending AFC champions. Playing them on the road to begin December wasn’t exactly an ideal spot, especially in a must-win situation. The Raiders fell behind 24-16 going into the fourth quarter, with Hostetler being sacked five times. What’s more, an eight-point deficit prior to 1994 when the two-point conversion was introduced at the pro level, was a two-score deficit.

Their backs to the wall, the Raiders responded. Brown caught ten passes for 183 yards on the day and that included a 29-yard TD pass that got Los Angeles back in the game. Jaeger’s 47-yard field goal delivered L.A. the win they had to have.

Kansas City was leading the AFC West comfortably at 9-3. Prior to 2002 though, there were only three divisions per conference. Meaning that three wild-card spots were available to fill out the postseason bracket. Miami seemed a lock for one spot at 9-3 and in a race with Buffalo in the AFC East. After that, the Raiders joined the Broncos, Jets and Steelers at 7-5. It was a wide open race to the finish.

Seattle was in the AFC West prior to that ’02 realignment and their return visit to the L.A. Coliseum was up next. Hostetler hit Jett on a 56-yard touchdown pass to get the scoring started. Brown showcased his return skills with a 74-yard punt return to the house. Hostetler was 18/25 for 278 yards and no mistakes. The Raiders led 27-9 after three quarters and then hung on to win 27-23.

Meanwhile, everything else tightened up. Miami lost. Kansas City lost to Denver. The Raiders were within a game in the AFC West and within a game of the top wild-card—which, being the 4-seed, had a home game as its reward.

Business still had to get taken care of at home against lowly Tampa Bay. Hostetler and Wright got the game off to a fast start, with a 27-yard touchdown pass. Los Angeles took a quick 14-0 lead and then chiseled out a 27-20 win.

News from around the league was mostly good. The Dolphins lost again. So did the Jets and Steelers. The Raiders, Broncos and Dolphins were now 9-5 and holding down the three wild-card spots.

A road trip to Green Bay was next. The Packers were seeking their first playoff berth in the Brett Favre era. On a frigid day, the Raiders could do nothing offensively. Neither team protected their quarterback particularly well, but Los Angeles was also turning the ball over and unable to run it. They were routed 28-0.

That ended any longshot hopes of chasing down Kansas City for the division title and prevented Los Angeles from clinching a playoff spot, but it wasn’t a disaster. Every other wild-card contender had lost, so it was still Raiders, Broncos and Dolphins at 9-6 and in control, with the Steelers and Jets giving chase at 8-7.

Denver was coming to town for the season finale. The tiebreaker situation meant the Broncos had already clinched a spot. In the early afternoon out East, Miami completed their collapse with an overtime loss in New England. That result clinched a spot for the Raiders. By the time kickoff arrived, the Raiders and Broncos knew they would be playing each other the following week. This game would determine where.

When L.A. dug themselves a 30-13 hole in the third quarter, team travel agents were undoubtedly looking at flights to Denver. Then Hostetler threw a 24-yard TD pass to Brown. A field goal cut the lead to seven points. A short TD pass to Wright tied it. Hostetler finished the afternoon 25/41 for 310 yards and no interceptions. For the second time this season, Jaeger beat the Broncos in overtime. The 33-30 win ensured that Wild-Card Weekend would conclude the following Sunday at the Coliseum.

Both Hostetler and Elway were ready for the showdown. A nine-yard TD pass to Horton and a 65-yard strike to Brown gave the Raiders a 14-7 lead after one quarter. Hostetler then threw a 54-yard TD pass to Jett. But Elway was responding in kind and the game went to the locker room at 21-21.

With both quarterbacks having huge days, it would be, ironically enough, the running game that would save Los Angeles. Shell gave the ball to Napoleon McCallum and the veteran running back who had his career briefly interrupted to serve in the U.S. Navy, delivered in spades. McCallum carried 13 times for 81 yards. In the second half, he found the end zone three times. The Raiders pulled away to a 42-24 win.

Thus, at the season’s money moments, the Raiders had outscored their most hated rival 62-24 going back to the start of the fourth quarter in the regular season finale. And it earned them a ticket to Buffalo.

Shell kept giving the football to McCallum and the early Saturday afternoon television audience watched in surprise as Los Angeles jumped on Buffalo for a 17-6 lead in the second quarter. This Bills team was a veteran group though, and a year earlier had rallied from a 35-3 deficit in the third quarter to beat the Houston Oilers in the playoffs. Being down 11 in the first half wasn’t going to intimidate them.

Buffalo cut it to 17-13 by the half and took a 22-17 lead in the third quarter. Hostetler and Brown then found some more magic—an 86-yard touchdown pass that gave them a 23-22 lead. They took that lead into the fourth quarter, but the Bills got the last word—a touchdown pass that ended the Raiders’ season with a 29-23 loss.

The 1993 season was still a success. It was a 10-win season, a return to the playoffs and a win over Denver when they got there. It’s ending was a respectable loss to a team that went on to a record fourth straight AFC title.

Where the disappointment really comes in is that this was the last high point for Shell. When a 1994 team of great expectations went only 9-7 and missed the playoffs, he was fired. Mediocrity was the story for the rest of the decade, until Jon Gruden got them back into the playoffs in 2000 and reached the Super Bowl in 2002.

1993 Houston Oilers: A Big Tease & A Final Collapse

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The 1993 Houston Oilers had spent the previous six seasons as a consistent playoff team that always seemed just ready to break through to the league’s elite. But postseason success was missing. They had not even made the AFC Championship Game during this time period, much less gotten to a Super Bowl. The ’93 Oilers, after a slow start, had the look of a team ready to do just that. But instead, another playoff collapse spelled the end of the era.

1992 had ended with the collapse of all collapses, blowing a 35-3 second half lead in the wild-card round at Buffalo. Suffice it to say, Houston was looking to make some changes. They went out and hired Buddy Ryan, architect of the great 1985 Chicago Bears defense, and more recently, a modestly successful head coach in Philadelphia, to be the new coordinator.

Buddy got the defense playing well, with the trademark pressure he liked to bring. A veteran defensive line, with all the key players 31-years-old, saw William Fuller, Ray Childress and Sean Jones combine for 31 sacks. Childress and Jones made the Pro Bowl.

The pressure allowed free safety Marcus Roberts to have the year of his life, intercepting seven passes and making 1st-team All-NFL. Cris Dishman and Steve Jackson at the corners combined for 11 more picks themselves. Houston’s defense ranked fourth in the NFL In points allowed.

But the Oilers of this era were ultimately defined by Warren Moon, the future Hall of Fame quarterback, and the spread-the-field attack that was the first of its kind to consistently use four wide receivers at a time. Webster Slaughter was the prime target in 1993, catching 77 passes for over 900 yards and making the Pro Bowl. Ernest Givins and Haywood Jeffires were each in the high 60s for receptions. Curtis Duncan caught 41 more balls.

In spite of these targets, Moon did not have one of his better statistical years. His 6.7 yards-per-attempt was squarely in the middle of the league and that was his strongest area. The 58 completion rate was subpar. And the 21-21 TD/INT ratio, while not as awful as it would be today, was still poor by the standards of 1993.

Houston might have been in serious trouble offensively, but the running game picked up the slack. Gary Brown emerged as a 1,000-yard rusher. He ran behind an offensive line  that had veteran Pro Bowlers in Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews. And it was enough for the Oilers to still rank fourth in the league in points scored.

The season started on a Sunday Night in New Orleans. The Saints had been another consistent playoff team going back to 1987, that also couldn’t advance deep in the playoffs. Even though they slipped to mediocrity this year, it didn’t start in Week 1. Houston lost four fumbles and were beaten up front to the tune of a 142-70 deficit in rush yardage. The result was a 33-21 loss.

The home opener was against Kansas City. The Chiefs were not only another consistent playoff team looking to take the proverbial next step, but they had signed the great Joe Montana as their quarterback. But Montana wasn’t ready to play yet and the Oilers had their way with the Dave Krieg-led offense. They forced five turnovers. Moon went 22/35 for 204 yards. Houston cruised to a 30-0 blowout.

A road trip to San Diego followed. The Chargers had won the AFC West a year earlier, and would slip to .500 this year. Like New Orleans though, their slippage didn’t come against Houston in September. Moon played terribly, throwing four interceptions. Some timely red zone defense and a Pick-6 by defensive back Darryl Lewis kept them in the game. But it ended an 18-17 loss.

A home date with a bad Los Angeles Rams team resulted in a passing battle between Moon and Jim Everett. But Moon was erratic in getting his 310 yards, while Everett’s 316 yards came with efficiency. The Oilers lost this one 28-13 and were 1-3 going into a bye week.

The two weeks prep time, combined with the revenge factor, didn’t help them in a return to Buffalo for Monday Night Football. Moon threw three more interceptions. Houston lost four fumbles. They lost the football game 35-7.

There was nothing in this Oiler team that looked like a contender. But a soft part of the schedule was ahead. Moon played clean football the following week in New England, where Bill Parcells was just starting on a rebuilding project. The Oilers beat the Patriots 28-14. They came back home and beat lowly Cincinnati 28-12, with Moon going 24/34 for 253 yards and spreading the ball around effectively.

1993 was the one year the NFL experimented with the concept of a double-bye, so just when Houston had some momentum, they took another week off. No matter. They were able to keep it going when they returned at home against Seattle. Moon played his best game of the year, going 36/55 for 369 yards. Slaughter caught nine balls for 135 yards and the Oilers won 24-14. They were back to .500.  

The alignment of the era had the Oilers in the AFC Central along with the Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. The return visit to Cincinnati was next and it marked the emergence of Brown. He rolled up 166 yards, enabling Houston to control the ball for over 36 minutes in a 38-3 rout. Brown was even better a week later in Cleveland, piling up 194 yards and leading the way to a 27-20 win.

Pittsburgh had won this division a year earlier and would make the playoffs again in ’93. So the first matchup with the Steelers got the Sunday Night stage, a couple days after Thanksgiving. Fuller put on a show and picked up four sacks. Jeffires caught seven passes for 139 yards. The Oilers rolled, 23-3.

Then they came home to face Atlanta. The Falcons weren’t very good, but they were coached by Jerry Glanville, who had guided the Oilers to their playoff trips in 1987, 1988 and 1989 before being replaced by Jack Pardee. Ryan’s defense intercepted six passes and turned a 14-6 third quarter deficit into a 33-17 win.

Houston was riding high at 9-4. Their ability to run the ball and play defense was getting noticed nationally. They were a game up on Pittsburgh in the AFC Central and already had control of the tiebreaker, even if they were to lose the second game with the Steelers in two weeks.

With Brown surging, the Oilers didn’t look like they could lose. He went for 109 yards in a 19-17 win over Cleveland, who was making great strides under Bill Belichick and would get into the playoffs a year later. Houston had the chance to clinch when they went to Pittsburgh.

Brown showed he could also catch the football, bringing in a 38-yard TD pass from Moon. Safety Bo Orlando came up with a Pick-6 and the Oilers had a quick 14-0 lead. It was 23-3 by the third quarter and with Brown delivering another 100-yard game, Houston salted away the AFC Central title with a 26-17 win.

Now it was time to focus on getting one of the two first-round byes and, hopefully, the 1-seed in the AFC bracket. The Oilers, along with the Chiefs and Bills were 10-4. Houston had the tiebreaker on KC, did not with Buffalo, but in the event of a three-way tie, Houston would end up on the top line thanks to their conference record.

On Christmas Night, they went to San Francisco. The 49ers had an explosive offense led by Steve Young and were bound for the NFC Championship Game. In this high-profile spot, the Oilers showed how far they had come. Brown rushed for 114 yards. The defense was dominant. Houston won 10-7. A defensive-oriented game on the road was exactly the kind of game that had typically been their vulnerability. Winning it seemed to send a message on who the team to beat in the AFC was.

But the Oilers didn’t control their fate, and when Kansas City lost the next day, it reduced the top of the AFC to Houston and Buffalo at 11-4. That Monday Night debacle from October would be the difference for the 1-seed and the Bills wrapped it up on the early TV window in the final week.

The Oilers were locked into the 2-seed when they took the field Sunday Night against the Jets. It was not a game that had playoff implications and in our own day, would have been flexed out of the prime-time spot. Which would have denied America some considerable entertainment.

Not because it was a noteworthy game. Even with Moon and Brown sitting out, the Oilers got three sacks from Childress, dominated on defense and won 24-0. No, what was most entertaining is that the internal tension between Ryan and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride boiled over. What makes me say that? How about the fact that, on national television, Ryan threw a punch at Gilbride.

Even allowing the obvious dislike between the coaches, and even allowing that Buffalo was the 1-seed and three-time defending AFC champs, Houston still looked like the team to beat. Dallas, the defending Super Bowl champ and NFC 1-seed was the odds-on favorite to win it all, but this had the feel of a Lone Star State Super Bowl ahead.

After a week off, the Oilers hosted the Chiefs in the late Sunday afternoon window on Divisional Round Weekend. Montana was healthy, but for three quarters, Ryan’s defense continued to stay in control. With Moon on his way to a 32/43 for 306 yards performance, Houston led 10-0 at the half and 13-7 after three quarters.

But the offensive line was not able to keep control of the line of scrimmage. Brown was held to 17 yards. Gilbride only gave him the ball 11 times. With the season on the line, Houston was reverting to their complete dependence on Moon. And they paid the price for it. The quarterback was sacked nine times. The result was another collapse. Montana led KC to three fourth-quarter touchdowns and sent Houston packing with a 28-20 loss.

This is a franchise that endured its share of playoff disappointments—blown fourth-quarter leads against Pittsburgh in 1989 and Denver in 1991 also marked the recent landscape. This one, coming on top of the ’92 disaster in Buffalo, was the final blow.

With so many key players over the age of 30, it was time to rebuild. Moon was traded to Minnesota in the offseason. Munchak retired. And the Oilers completely collapsed in 1994. By the time the franchise started to be competitive again in the latter part of the decade, they had relocated to Tennessee. The city of Houston waited until 2002 to get pro football back. They’re still waiting for that first Super Bowl trip ever, and the first AFC Championship Game appearance since 1979.

Dan Reeves Puts The 1993 New York Giants Back In The Playoffs

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The 1993 New York Giants were looking for a fresh start. After their Super Bowl title of 1990, Bill Parcells went into temporary retirement and the Giants slipped out of the playoff picture. With Dan Reeves’ successful tenure in Denver coming to an end in 1992, he was available. It proved to be providential timing for both the coach and the franchise. The Giants hired Reeves and returned to the playoffs in 1993.

A defense led by outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor had been New York’s calling card through Parcells’ run from 1984-90. That was still the case in ’93. The great “LT” was 34-years-old, but he was still effective. Other contributors on the defensive side included veteran corner Mark Collins and outside linebacker Corey Miller.

What’s most notable about this edition of the Giants defense is that even though there were no Pro Bowlers, they were still the best unit in the NFL in terms of points allowed. It was yeoman’s work done by Mike Nolan, getting his first chance to be a defensive coordinator in the league.

Phil Simms was 38-years-old at quarterback, but the veteran stepped up with a Pro Bowl campaign. He finished with a 62% completion rate at 7.6 yards-per-attempt. He was intercepted on just 2.3% of his throws. Each stat ranked in the top 10 among starting quarterbacks.

Simms’ favorite target was Mark Jackson, who caught 58 balls for over 700 yards, but a balanced receiving corps also included Chris Calloway, Ed McCaffrey (father of current NFL star Christian) and running back Dave Meggett. Mike Sherrard at wideout and Howard Cross at tight end also figured into the passing attack.

The offensive line was anchored by two Pro Bowlers in offensive tackle Jumbo Elliot and center Bart Oates. They paved the way for Rodney Hampton to rush for just over 1,000 yards. Lewis Tillman, with nearly 600 yards on the ground was a valuable second option.

But what hindered the New York attack was the lack of a big playmakers. Hampton averaged less than four yards per carry. No one in the receiving corps could really be considered a field-stretcher. For that reason, an offense that looks pretty good on the surface was only 18th in points scored in what was then a 28-team league.

The season opened in Chicago. The Bears were another team on a fresh start, in this first year post-Mike Ditka. Simms was sharp, going 24/34 for 277 yards. He outplayed counterpart Jim Harbaugh and that was the difference in the Giants’ 26-20 win.

Hampton’s running was the story in the home opener against Tampa Bay. He gained 134 yards on 29 carries and keyed a 23-7 win. A week later at home against the Los Angeles Rams, everything worked. Simms was 21/27 for 217 yards with no mistakes. Hampton muscled his way for 134 yards on 41 carries. The defensive front picked up five sacks and the Giants held the ball for over 43 minutes. They won 20-10.

New York was going into the bye week riding high at 3-0. But none of the wins were against teams that would finish the year over .500 and none had been over .500 in 1992. So while the consistency could be appreciated, there was still something to prove.

A road trip to Buffalo was good place to start. The Bills were en route to a record fourth straight AFC title in 1993. A game that was a rematch of the Super Bowl that New York won in 1990 unfolded in much the same way that battle four years earlier had. The Giants were running the football. They were controlling the clock. But unlike that ’90 Super Bowl, they were making mistakes. The biggest came when they drove inside the red zone in the first quarter…and Simms threw an interception that came back 85 yards the other way. It was the difference in a 17-14 loss.

Another powerhouse of the 1980s was facing new beginnings in 1993, as the division rival Washington Redskins played their first season in the post-Joe Gibbs era. The Redskins were beginning a dark age of franchise history that hasn’t lifted to this day. New York was dominant. They won the rush yardage battle 199-65. Simms was an efficient 14/17 for 182 yards and no interceptions. Even Meggett got in on the act and threw a TD pass. An easy 41-7 win put the Giants back on track.

Philadelphia was a mediocre opponent and with Hampton out, it was Tillman who piled up the yardage—169 yards on 20 carries as the Giants won 21-10. They were 5-1 and headed into another week off, courtesy of the double-bye concept that the NFL adopted for 1993, and then mercifully abandoned after one year.

A crosstown battle was waiting on the far side of the bye, as the Giants met a Jets team that would contend for a playoff spot deep into December. With winds gusting at 21mph, neither offense could do much of anything. Each team made two deep drives. The difference is that the Jets got one touchdown, while the Giants settled for field goals both times. They lost 10-6.

The loss was doubly disappointing because it preceded a road trip to Dallas. The Cowboys were the defending Super Bowl champs and the heavy favorites to win it all again. When Dallas’ great running back, Emmitt Smith, held out the first two weeks and the Cowboys lost both games, it gave the Giants a head start in the NFC East race. But Dallas was starting to come on strong.

New York was a decisive ten-point underdog and they looked overmatched. Simms was sacked five times. The defense gave up big plays in the passing game. They lost 31-9. There was nothing to do but lick their wounds and hope that Dallas’ return trip to the Meadowlands for the last game of the season would be meaningful.

A home date with the Redskins was a good tonic for a team on a two-game losing streak. The Giants grabbed a quick 14-zip lead and cruised home, 20-6. Then they went to Philly and won a defensive war. Trailing 3-0 in the fourth quarter in front of the late Sunday afternoon audience, Simms found Jackson on a 26-yard touchdown pass. New York escaped 7-3.

The winning continued against the Phoenix Cardinals, although so did the tight escapes against mediocre competition. With no running game going, the Giants trailed 17-13 in the fourth quarter. They got a couple field goals, the last one a 54-yarder from Brad Daluiso to win it 19-17.

In the meantime, Dallas had stumbled. They lost two consecutive games, including a dramatic Thanksgiving Day defeat to Miami in the snow. New York was back in the NFC East lead, but now they had to play the Dolphins, who were riding high at 9-2.

New York went to South Beach and got a terrific performance from Simms, 17/24 for 257 yards. The 19-14 win triggered a Miami free-fall where they lost every remaining game and missed the playoffs. As for the Giants, they were 9-3 and the Cowboys were in hot pursuit at 8-4.

What’s more, the NFC East was shaping up as the battle that would decide the 1-seed in the NFC playoffs. Prior to 2002, the alignment in each conference had three divisions, with three wild-cards filling out the bracket. The NFC Central was balanced, but had no one that would get homefield advantage. The NFC West was owned by the San Francisco 49ers, but they were on their way to a 10-6 season. Not spectacular. It was looking like the top line in the NFC was left to the survivor of New York and Dallas.

The Giants kept churning in a 20-6 home win over lowly Indianapolis that was keyed by 173 yards from Hampton. They went to mediocre New Orleans for Monday Night Football. Simms threw TD passes to Jackson and Cross to put New York up 14-0. The running game took over, with a 133-11 edge in rush yardage salting away the 24-14 win.

Dallas was keeping pace and they had the tiebreaker. So when New York went to Phoenix (the Cardinals were in the NFC East prior to the ’02 realignment), the Giants knew that unless the Cowboys lost at home to the Redskins, everything was coming down to next week’s head-to-head showdown. Perhaps that explains New York’s flat performance in a 17-6 loss.

So both the Giants and Cowboys were 11-4 coming into January 2’s final regular season game. In today’s world, this would be a clear choice to get flexed into Sunday Night Football. In 1993, it didn’t even get the late afternoon—a 1 PM kickoff in the Meadowlands would settle the NFC East title and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

Oddsmakers installed New York as a 6 ½ point underdog. Factoring in homefield, it shows that the assessment of the Giants vis-à-vis the Cowboys had really not changed since their November meeting in Dallas. When New York dug themselves a 13-0 hole at halftime, the oddsmakers appeared to be right.

But Hampton was having a good day, with 114 yards on the ground. And the second half reversed the first. The Giants pulled even 13-13. It was a dead even game. Each team had to settle for one short field goal in the red zone. Each was reliant on the running game.

We went to overtime. But for as good as Hampton was, he wasn’t Emmitt Smith. The Cowboy running back put the finishing touches on his MVP season by rushing for 168 yards and pounding Dallas into field goal range. The 16-13 loss sent New York into the 4-seed for the playoffs.

The Minnesota Vikings came in for the wild card round’s early Sunday afternoon kick. At 9-7, with no real downfield passing game, the Vikings seemed a tailor-made opponent for the Giants. New York could play their slug-it-out style and they were better at it than Minnesota was.

Presuming that is, that the Giants were ready to play. And for a half, they may not have been. New York faced a 10-3 deficit. On a classic Meadowlands day with the winds over twenty miles per hour, a touchdown deficit seemed substantial.

Enter Hampton. He ripped off a 51-yard TD run that tied up the game. He ended the afternoon with 161 yards. He added another short TD run and keyed 35 minutes of possession time for Big Blue. The 17-10 win had New York moving on.

The previous day, Green Bay’s young quarterback Brett Favre had pulled off some late heroics to get a win for the 6-seed Packers. That meant New York could avoid having to go to Dallas for the divisional round. The Giants instead headed west to play the 49ers.

Even with all they had accomplished this season, the close wins still had oddsmakers skeptical. New York was an eight-point underdog. And on this late Saturday afternoon, even that proved to be too generous. The Giants ran out of steam. They were outrushed 178-41. Simms threw two interceptions and was sacked four times. By halftime, New York was in a 23-3 hole and they suffered an embarrassing 44-3 loss.

Losing in that fashion was an inappropriate ending for a season of success and overachievement. There was reason for optimism moving forward, given Reeves’ past track record. But those hopes did not pan out. A 9-7 non-playoff year in 1994 was followed by two losing seasons. Reeves would reach another Super Bowl as a head coach, but it would be in Atlanta in 1998. As for the Giants, it took Reeves’ successor, Jim Fassel, to get back on top of the NFC East in 1997 and into the Super Bowl by 2000.   

1992 New Orleans Saints: Contention & Collapse

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Consistent winning football was still a pretty new thing in the New Orleans of the early 1990s. It took the arrival of Jim Mora to finally put the Saints into the playoffs for the first time in 1987. They made it back in 1990, with two winning seasons in between. In 1991, the franchise won its first division title. There was still one thing they hadn’t done—win a playoff game. The 1992 New Orleans Saints spent all season looking very much the part of a Super Bowl contender…until those January problems came back and bit Mora one more time.

Mora’s success was built around the defense, specifically some great linebacker play. Pat Swilling was as good as it got at the outside linebacker position. In ’92, Swilling was 1st-team All-NFL and got 10 ½ sacks. Rickey Jackson was the other side in the 3-4 defensive scheme and recorded 13 ½ sacks in a Pro Bowl season. Veteran Sam Mills was another Pro Bowler on the inside.

The quality of the linebacking corps freed up defensive end Wayne Martin to get 15 ½ sacks of his own. The pressure on opposing quarterbacks led to six interceptions for cornerback Toi Cook. And the New Orleans defense ranked first in the NFL for points allowed.

Bobby Hebert was at quarterback and had a big-play arm. He was modestly above average with his 59 percent completion percentage, and his 19-16 TD/INT ratio. But when it came to bang for your buck, Hebert’s 7.8 yards-per-attempt was outstanding and second-best among starting QBs.

Eric Martin was the prime beneficiary of Hebert’s arm, catching 68 passes for over 1,000 yards. Quinn Early caught thirty balls, and at nearly 19 yards a pop, he could stretch the field. Dalton Hilliard was a versatile running back who caught 48 more passes out of the backfield.

The running game had problems. Even though Joel Hilgenberg was a Pro Bowl center and there were three viable runners in Hilliard, big Craig Heyward and young Vaughn Dunbar, the running game had a tendency to come and go—and to disappear at the most crucial moments. But even allowing that, this New Orleans offense was still a solid 10th in what was then a 28-team league for points scored.

A road game at Philadelphia opened the season. The Eagles were a perennial contender and known for their physical defensive front. The Saints were outrushed 184-55 and lost a tough game 15-13. Then they trailed Mike Ditka’s Chicago Bears 6-0 at home in the third quarter of Week 2. The offense needed to step it up.

Hebert found Martin a 52-yard touchdown pass to get the lead. Then the quarterback hit Wesley Carroll on a 72-yard strike to make it 14-6. The avalanche had started. The defense scored two more touchdowns. The Saints rolled to a 28-6 win.

Dunbar had a solid game against Atlanta, rushing for 85 yards, and that was enough to pull out a 10-7 home win against the Falcons. It wasn’t a particularly inspiring win, but it did get New Orleans to 2-1 before San Francisco came to town.

Prior to the realignment of 2002, the 49ers were a divisional rival of the Saints. Both teams were in the NFC West, along with the Los Angeles Rams and the Falcons. What’s more, San Francisco had been the pre-eminent team in all of football for over a decade. With MVP quarterback Steve Young coming into his own, the 49ers were a powerhouse.

New Orleans’ defense cold hold its own and the Sunday Night game at the Superdome was in a 10-10 tie after three quarters. But the Saints were being outrushed, 154-77. Hebert threw three interceptions, while Young threw none. The Niners got a couple field goals in the fourth quarter and sent New Orleans to a 16-10 loss.

At 2-2, the Saints had a six-week soft spot on the schedule coming up, five bad opponents sandwiched around a bye. They took full advantage of the opportunity to get some wins and get the running game moving.

New Orleans enjoyed a 133-42 edge in rush yardage at Detroit, with the defense shutting down the great Barry Sanders. Hebert played an efficient, mistake-free game and New Orleans won a tough 13-7 decision.

The Saints were a solid nine-point favorite when the Rams came to town. The passing game never really got untracked and the game stayed tight. But New Orleans won the rushing battle 135-43 and with Jackson picking up three sacks, they got a 13-10 win. 

A road trip to Phoenix to face the Cardinals proved to be what Hebert needed. He lit up the desert to the tune of 19/26 for 355 yards and three touchdowns. Eric Martin caught eight balls for 151 yards. A 30-21 win sent the Saints into their bye week at 5-2.

A home game with lowly Tampa Bay was on the far side of the bye. New Orleans continued to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football, winning rush yardage 145-84. But four turnovers, including three interceptions by Hebert kept this one tight. It took a 50-yard field goal from the Saints’ Hall of Fame kicker Morten Andersen to escape with a 23-21 win.

New Orleans went up to Foxboro to face a bad New England Patriots team. Hebert and Early hooked up on a couple of first-quarter TD passes. The defense teed off and picked up five sacks. A 31-14 win pushed the Saints to 7-2 and set up the next big showdown. The 49ers were also 7-2 and it was time for the annual trip to the Bay Area.

Hebert was ready and he went 22/35 for 301 yards. There were no mistakes. With a 20-7 lead after three quarters, New Orleans was poised to push into first place.

But they weren’t running the ball and couldn’t salt this one away. They were outrushed 176-43. San Francisco’s ability to run the ball freed up Young to win the game with a couple of fourth quarter touchdown passes. The crushing 21-20 loss put the Saints in a huge bind for the NFC West race. They were only one game back in the standings, but had already lost the tiebreaker.

New Orleans came back home to face the Washington Redskins. The defending Super Bowl champion, the Redskins would make the playoffs again this year, but were more of a fringe postseason team rather than a true contender. The Saints defense dominated, Hebert played an efficient game and a 20-3 win got the bad taste from San Francisco washed out.

A tough home date with Miami, a team destined for the AFC Championship Game, was next. This one was tied 10-10 in the third quarter. Then defensive tackle Robert Goff scooped up a fumble and raced 28 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Holding a 17-13 lead in the fourth quarter, defensive back Vince Buck picked off Dan Marino and raced 34 yards to the house. The 24-13 win pushed New Orleans to 9-3.

The Saints were still a game back of the 49ers and expecting San Francisco to lose twice in the final four weeks was more than a longshot. The alignment and playoff structure of the time had three wild-cards joining three division champs. That meant earning the top wild-card spot got you the 4-seed and a home game. The Saints were in control of that race, with the Eagles and Redskins giving chase at 7-5.

Thursday Night Football was not the norm at this time, so the prime-time home game with Atlanta was a treat for NFL fans. New Orleans drove the ball consistently, but kept having to settle for field goals. They clung to a 15-14 lead in a game they had complete control off. Cook finally put this one away with a 48-yard interception return to secure the 22-14 win.

Everything clicked ten days later in Los Angeles. Hebert was 15/25 for 238 yards, no mistakes and he spread the ball around. Dunbar ran for 91 yards, while Heyward chipped in 50 on eleven carries. The Saints were ahead 37-zip and closed out the 37-14 win.

Buffalo, the two-time defending AFC champ and headed back to another Super Bowl this year, came to the Superdome for a marquee game in the early afternoon TV window. San Francisco had formally clinched the NFC West the day before, but this was still a chance for New Orleans to secure the 4-seed.

The Saints led 16-10 going into the fourth quarter. But again, they were not running the ball and they were being gashed by the running game of a top opponent. The final rush yardage deficit was 181-48. The Bills took over the fourth quarter and won 20-16.

Meanwhile, the Eagles were playing the Redskins. The winner would move to within one game of the Saints for the top wild-card and home game. The fact it was Philadelphia was bad luck—New Orleans would lose the head-to-head tiebreaker to Philly, whereas they had it with Washington. So there was still something to play for in the final week.

In an early Saturday afternoon kick, the Saints went up the Meadowlands to face a terrible New York Jets team. New Orleans did not play particularly well. Hebert threw three interceptions. But the defense was dominant and that included a 76-yard fumble return from Mills to start the scoring in the first quarter. The 20-0 whitewashing ensured that the Eagles-Saints wild-card game would be played at the Superdome.

For three quarters, New Orleans looked comfortably in control. With a 20-10 lead, they were set to finally give the city its first playoff victory. But there’s a saying in any sport and it’s that in the postseason, your weaknesses find you. Never did that unfold more dramatically than in the fourth quarter of this final game of Wild-Card Weekend.

The Saints again couldn’t run the ball against a quality opponent and gained only 76 yards. Hebert again made mistakes, with another three-interception game. Just like against the 49ers and Bills, a fourth-quarter lead disappeared. In fact, this time it collapsed. New Orleans allowed 26 points in the final period. The stunning meltdown led to a 36-20 loss.

It was an incredibly bitter way for such a fine season to end. And in retrospect, it was the effective end of this period of ascendancy led by Mora. Three mediocre seasons followed. Mora eventually left for Indianapolis. The hiring of Mike Ditka later in the 1990s was a bust. It was not until 2000 that the Saints finally returned to the playoffs—and won a game. And not until Sean Payton arrived in 2006, did the franchise again see a consistent contender.

1990 Los Angeles Raiders: Ending A Playoff Drought

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After a great run through the 1970s and the first part of the 1980s—a stretch that included three Super Bowl victories—the proud Raider franchise was in a bit of a dry spell. The 1990 Los Angeles Raiders came into the season looking to snap a four-year postseason drought. They did just that in the first full season under head coach Art Shell, reaching the AFC Championship Game.

Shell, who had been a Hall of Fame offensive tackle, on some of the best Raider teams, had taken over midstream in 1989. Inheriting a 1-3 team, Shell went 7-5 and created some optimism for the ’90 season. That optimism would be fueled this year by a defense that ranked seventh in the NFL in points allowed.

The front four was the key to the defensive success. Greg Townsend was a Pro Bowler at one end, with 12 ½ sacks. On other end, Howie Long’s best years were behind him, but the future Hall of Famer was still productive at age 30. Scott Davis recorded ten more sacks coming up the middle.

The Raider offense had two more Pro Bowlers in the trenches. Steve Wisniewski was in his second year at left guard and beginning a long and productive career. Don Mosebar was one of the league’s top center. They paved the way for a running game that included another future Hall of Fame player in Marcus Allen.

Allen ran for nearly 700 yards. That figure is low, because he had to share duty with someone who was doing a little moonlighting. Bo Jackson spent the first month of the football season playing baseball in Kansas City. After he got to the Raiders in October, Bo averaged 5.6 yards per carry and made the Pro Bowl.

Jay Schroeder was at quarterback and he had the big downfield arm that owner Al Davis traditionally loved. Even though Schroeder’s 55 percent completion rate was below average, his 8.5 yards-per-attempt was the best in the NFL. And with a 19-9 TD/INT ratio, he was pretty good at steering clear of mistakes. He had big play threats in Mervyn Fernandez and Willie Gault. And the Raider offense was a respectable 13th for points scored.

The Raiders’ ancient rival, the Denver Broncos, had been to the Super Bowl three of the past four seasons, and they were coming to the Los Angeles Coliseum to open the 1990 campaign. L.A. trailed 6-0 at the half. But they got two defensive touchdowns in the third quarter. Four sacks—two from Long—helped put away the 14-9 win.

Los Angeles went on the road to play Seattle. Prior to the realignment of 2002, the Seahawks were an AFC West team, along with the division’s four current occupants. The Seahawks were a respectable team in 1990. And the Raider offense was again extremely sluggish. They trailed 10-3 after three quarters. Schroeder finally opened up. He threw a touchdown pass to Fernandez and finished the day 10/17 for 236 yards. The Raiders pulled out a 17-13 road win in the old Kingdome.

Pittsburgh had gone to the playoffs in 1989 and would contend to the final week this season. The Raiders led 6-3 after three quarters, keyed by two sacks from outside linebacker Aaron Wallace. A TD run from Allen gave them some breathing room and a 66-yard Schroeder-to-Fernandez scoring strike sealed the 20-3 win.

They still hadn’t scored an offensive touchdown prior to the fourth quarter. But with the defense playing this well, it wasn’t coming back to bite. Facing a good Chicago Bears team, Wallace got two more sacks and the Raiders finished with six sacks overall. Townsend recovered a fumble for a touchdown and L.A.s 24-10 win pushed the record to 4-0.

It set up a big game at Buffalo, one of the AFC’s top teams. This time the offense got off to a better start and the Raiders took a 24-14 lead. This time it was L.A.’s opponent doing all the strange scoring in the fourth quarter. The Raiders allowed a blocked punt to be returned for one score. They lost three fumbles for the day and one of them was taken to the house in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles took their first loss, 38-24.

Schroeder came out firing back home against Seattle. He went 19/26 for 235 yards and no mistakes. Three early touchdown passes put the Raiders up 21-0 and they hung on to win 24-17. That set the stage for Bo to make his season debut at home against San Diego. He carried twelve times for 53 yards, a couple scores and the Raiders won again, 24-9. They were going into the bye week at 6-1 and riding high.

With Denver going through a down year, Kansas City had emerged as the primary challenger for L.A. in the AFC West. The Raiders and Chiefs would play twice in the next four weeks.

The first game in KC on the first weekend in November was a defensive war. What the Raiders could not overcome was sloppiness. They lost the turnover margin 3-1 and committed eleven penalties. The result was a 9-7 loss. That was followed by a poor showing at home against mediocre Green Bay. The Raiders were flagged ten more times, committed four more turnovers and watched an early 13-3 lead disappear, turning into a 29-16 loss.

A road trip to playoff-bound Miami on Monday Night was now an even bigger game for L.A. And they responded. Bo and Marcus combined to pound away on the ground, gaining 99 and 79 yards respectively. The Raider defense held the Dolphins to 14 yards on the ground. Dan Marino was kept firmly in check. Los Angeles got a big 13-10 win.

The good running continued when Kansas City rolled into the Coliseum on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The Raiders’ ground edge was 155-97. Schroeder made big plays, turning nine completions into 202 yards. But he was also sacked five times. They Raiders turned the ball over three times while forcing none. The defense did not play well. And it created a 27-24 loss.

Los Angeles and Kansas City were tied for first at 7-4 and of course the Raiders had lost the tiebreaker. The good news was that prior to this season, the NFL had expanded the number of wild-card berths per conference from 2 to 3 (each conference had just three divisions prior to 2002). Miami and Buffalo were having big years in the AFC East and the runner-up would claim one berth. There were three teams in the AFC Central jousting at 6-5. The Raiders/Chiefs runner-up was in good position to snag a wild-card.

So long as they took care of business that is. And that’s what the Raiders starting doing. They went to Denver. Gault caught nine balls for 99 yards. Bo ripped off a big 62-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of a 23-20 win.

A Monday Night visit to Detroit set up a running back battle between Bo and the great Barry Sanders. Both were ready. Bo went for 129 yards. Barry went off for 176. Schroeder was the difference. He went 12/19 for 195 yards and threw a couple second-half TD passes to help bring the Raiders from behind. They won a shootout 38-31.

At 9-4, L.A. was now very comfortable for getting into the playoffs. Kansas City was still holding serve, at 9-4 themselves. Both teams would play contenders from the AFC Central on December 16. In the early afternoon window, the Chiefs lost in Houston. Los Angeles took the field in the 4 PM ET window against Cincinnati, knowing the division was now theirs for the taking.

Schroeder went 10/20 for 163 yards, with three touchdowns and no mistakes. Bo’s eight carries went for 117 yards. The Raiders won 24-7. They went to Minnesota the following Saturday. In the late afternoon against a collapsing opponent, Schroeder threw a 17-yard TD pass to Fernandez and a 47-yard strike to Sam Graddy. The Raiders took a quick 14-0 lead, later went ahead 28-10, and then held on to win 28-24.

A home date with San Diego was all that stood between L.A. and the division crown, one that would net them the 2-seed and a first-round playoff bye. For three quarters, the Raider offense reverted to September form. They weren’t running the ball and trailed 12-10. To lose a game where they were a 10 ½ point home favorite would be a disaster that would drop them to the 5-seed and make the first playoff game next week in Miami.

Schroeder was still stretching the field and his 11/22 line went for 162 yards. He played mistake-free. The Raiders got the fourth-quarter touchdown they needed and clinched the division with a 17-12 win.

After a week off, the Raiders ended up with a rematch against the Bengals. Bo would carry the ball six times for 77 yards, but the last one was a disaster. Even though it went for over thirty yards, he badly injured his hip on the tackle. This generational talent was not only lost for the rest of the season, but his football career was over. And his baseball career never regained its former allure.

In the short-term, L.A. was in a tough fight that was tied 10-10 in the fourth quarter. What they still had was Marcus Allen and the great veteran always did seem to save his best games for the biggest moments. Today he carried 21 times for 140 yards. Schroeder found tight end Ethan Horton for a 41-yard touchdown pass to get the lead. Townsend’s three sacks helped make it stand up. An insurance field goal wrapped up the 20-10 win.

Another trip to Buffalo was at hand. The Bills were surging and installed as a seven-point favorite. To say this game didn’t go well for the Raiders…well, that does understate the case. Schroeder was awful, going 13/31 for 150 yards and five picks. There was no running game, because when you fall behind 41-3 by halftime, there really isn’t room for running the football. The final ended up 51-3. At the time, the margin of defeat was the worst in playoff history. It’s since been eclipsed, but remains the worst rout in a conference championship game.

That’s an unfortunate ending, because the bigger picture is that Raider football was back. And while Shell would never again have a team this good, it was the start of a nice stretch where the franchise made the postseason three times in four years.

1990 New Orleans Saints: A Series Of Fortunate Events

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After earning the franchise’s first-ever playoff berth in 1987, the New Orleans Saints had gone through modest decline. Off an 11-win campaign in ’87, the Saints won 10 games in 1988 and went 9-7 in 1989. But they were left out of the playoff party both times. The 1990 New Orleans Saints continued the decline in terms of W-L record. But a series of well-time events got them back into the playoffs.

New Orleans was wracked by quarterback controversy. Bobby Hebert was the established starter, but a contract dispute would keep him out for the entire 1990 season. The Saints tried backup John Fourcade, but without success. They swung an early season trade to get Steve Walsh. While that provided for some improvement, Walsh’s numbers of 54% completion rate, 6.0 yards-per-attempt and 12/13 TD-INT ratio were still subpar.

Eric Martin was the best receiver, catching 63 passes for over 900 yards. But there was a steep drop in production after him. The Saints weren’t going to win games throwing the football.

Nor were they going to do so by running it. Craig Heyward and Reuben Mayes were both respectable enough, sharing duties and each rushing for over 500 yards. There was no Pro Bowl talent on the offensive line. And the Saints’ offense ranked 22nd in what was then a 28-team NFL for points scored.

Where New Orleans did win games was on defense. This was the side of the ball where head coach Jim Mora came from. It was where the Saints had two Pro Bowl linebackers in Vaughn Johnson and the great Pat Swilling, who recorded eleven sacks. The New Orleans defense ranked a solid eighth in the league for points allowed.

The season started off with a big-time test—the two-time defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers came to the Superdome for Monday Night Football. In this era, the 49ers were a division rival. Prior to the realignment of 2002, the Saints and Atlanta Falcons were in the NFC West, along San Francisco and the L.A. Rams.

The New Orleans defense played well and kept a potent attack led by Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana under control. But Fourcade was awful, going 12/34 for 186 yards and throwing three interceptions. The Saints turned it over five times on the night and took a tough 13-12 loss.

It was more of the same at Minnesota a week later. Facing a team that had been in the playoffs three years’ running, Fourcade again threw three picks. The offense as a whole again turned it over five times. This week they added ten penalties to the mix. And this week, the defense did not play well in a humiliating 32-3 loss on the late Sunday afternoon stage.

New Orleans desperately needed a win and a bad Phoenix Cardinals team came in for Week 3. With no offense, the game was tied 7-7 in the third quarter. But Mayes was running well today. He went for 99 yards on 16 carries, including three touchdowns down the stretch. The Saints pulled away to a 28-7 win and were off the schneid going into an early bye week.

Fourcade came out of the bye and played well in Atlanta. He got the scoring started with a 68-yard TD strike to Floyd Turner. Fourcade went 10/17 for 235 yards, with no mistakes. He had the Saints ahead 24-21 and driving for a potential insurance touchdown. But that drive bogged down inside the 10-yard line and ended with a field goal. The Falcons scored a late touchdown and handed New Orleans a 28-27 loss.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys had two young quarterbacks. They were clearly going with Troy Aikman. But Walsh was also well-regarded. With the Saints desperate, the Cowboys milked New Orleans for three high draft picks. Even though it was smaller in scope than Dallas’ famous trade of Herschel Walker to Minnesota a year earlier, you can argue that was even more one-sided. Because Walker was at least a pretty good NFL player. Walsh was never more than what he would be this year, which was a modestly competent backup if your legitimate starter is out with an injury (or contract dispute).

Anyway, Walsh did play well in his debut, a home game with lowly Cleveland. He went 15/26 for 243 yards. Martin caught eight balls for 153 yards. The Saints led 25-6 in the fourth quarter and held on to win 25-20.

But the offense quickly reverted to type over the next two weeks. They went to the playoff-bound Houston Oilers, fell behind 20-3 after three quarters and lost 20-10. In a home game with lowly Detroit, Walsh was unable to get the ball down the field and also threw three interceptions. A game that was tied 10-10 in the third quarter ended up a 27-10 loss. That’s in spite of the defense holding Detroit’s outstanding runner, Barry Sanders, to ten yards on the ground.

At 2-5, this was looking like one big lost season. But the NFL had just expanded its postseason from 5 teams per conference to 6. The NFC was top-heavy, with a lot of mediocrity around the playoff bubble. And the Saints got back in the race.

The running game unleashed at home against playoff-bound Cincinnati. Both Heyward and Mayes went for 100-plus yards in a 21-7 win. Heyward tacked on 155 more in a 35-7 rout of a bad Tampa Bay team. The record was up to 4-5.

Walsh played well at Washington, where the Redskins, bound for the postseason themselves. He went 23/38 for 274 yards. But losing the turnover battle 4-1 meant the Saints lost the football game 31-17. Atlanta’s return visit to New Orleans was a defensive battle. Heyward ran for 88 yards. Trailing 7-3 in the fourth quarter, Walsh found Martin a six-yard scoring toss to pull out a 10-7 win.

It set up a road game at Dallas on the first Sunday of December. It was Walsh’s return home. And more important, the Cowboys were one of several teams that were trying to get traction in the push for the 6-seed. New Orleans took a 10-0 lead by the second quarter. But they bogged down after that. In a game that was played pretty evenly both ways, the Saints lost 17-13.

They were 5-7 as the season turned into its final quarter. The Vikings and Green Bay Packers were tied for the lead in the race for the final playoff berth at 6-6. The Cowboys were nestled in between at 6-7. The standings said the Saints had a chance. But they had head-to-head losses to Minnesota and Dallas. New Orleans trailed Green Bay in conference record. If the Saints were going to qualify, it wouldn’t be via tiebreaker.

When they went to Los Angeles and trailed the Rams 20-10 in the third quarter, it looked like the faint playoff hopes would finally be put of their misery. Then backup running back Gill Fenerty took off on a 60-yard touchdown run. Walsh threw a short TD pass to Martin. The Saints won 24-20. The Vikings and Packers lost. With the Cowboys on a bye, there was now a four-way tie at 6-7.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were another team on the playoff bubble. Their visit to New Orleans turned into a complete display of defensive dominance both ways. Walsh went 8/26 for 95 yards. The Steeler attack fared no better. The only scoring came on five field goals and four of them were from over 40 yards. But the Steelers had three of those field goals.

The 9-6 loss was another moment that should have ended New Orleans hopes. But Minnesota and Green Bay were both in the throes of a full-scale meltdown. Both lost and neither would win again this season. The Cowboys had won to go to 7-7. The standings said they were in control. But early the following week, Aikman was knocked out for the year. Dallas had no viable backup. As it turns out, getting Walsh was huge for the Saints, if only to get him away from the Cowboys.

There was still this little matter of needing to win their remaining games. And one of them was at San Francisco. The 49ers had locked up the 1-seed. They were resting Montana. Although facing backup Steve Young really didn’t qualify as a major break. New Orleans was still a nine-point underdog. But they recovered four fumbles and got a couple sacks from defensive lineman Renaldo Turnbull. A 13-10 win, coupled with a Dallas loss, kept the season alive.

The season finale with the Rams was on Monday Night. So the Saints watched on Sunday as the Cowboy offensive collapse continued. Playing without Aikman, Dallas scored only 10 points combined in the final two weeks. They lost again in the finale. New Orleans now controlled their own fate.

Walsh came out and threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Turner to get the scoring started. A short TD run by Heyward made the lead 14-3 in the second quarter. It had the feel of a night where the party could start early. But Los Angeles didn’t quit. The Rams chipped away and tied the game 17-all in the fourth quarter. Walsh led one final drive.

The Saints reached the 12-yard line in the closing seconds. Their Hall of Fame kicker, Morten Andersen, trotted on for the kick that would send them to the playoffs. It was blocked.

Except there was a flag on the field. Offsides on the Rams. Andersen got another chance. The 24-yarder was good. The ending to the finale was like the season itself—nothing that looked particularly pretty, but enough to put you in the postseason.

New Orleans went on to play Mike Ditka’s Chicago Bears. Playing in the late afternoon on Sunday, the temperatures were down to nine degrees with the wind chill and it was a defense-oriented game. An early 10-0 deficit was too much to overcome. Field goals kept the Saints within 10-3 and then 13-6. But Walsh only went 6/16 for 74 yards. Fourcade came in and went 5/18 for 79 yards. They were outrushed 189-65 and finally lost 16-6.

The season was over. It wasn’t a great year by any stretch. But it was a playoff year. Hebert came back the following season. And this was the start of a four-year stretch where the Saints got into the postseason three times.

1994 Dallas Cowboys: A 3-Peat Bid Falls Short

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Super Bowl victories in 1992 and 1993 had been the culmination of Jimmy Johnson’s historically rapid rebuilding program in Dallas. But the three-peat bid of the 1994 Dallas Cowboys would be quickly awash in uncertainty. Johnson’s feud with owner Jerry Jones boiled to a head, and the head coach was fired. Barry Switzer, a three-time collegiate national champion at Oklahoma, but lacking in NFL experience, took over.

Meanwhile, Dallas’ key rival for supremacy in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers, were doing some plotting of their own. The 49ers acquired future Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders. The Cowboys had a stiff challenge ahead of them.

Switzer’s strength at Oklahoma was that he simply let great talent play and didn’t overcoach. Dallas had great talent and much of Johnson’s fine coaching staff remained intact. Barry just let the ship stay the course. That ship was led by the Big Three—eventual Hall of Famers in quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin. Aikman’s 65% completion rate and 7.4 yards-per-attempt were each second among starting quarterbacks in 1994, even if his 3.3% interception rate was subpar.

Irving caught 79 passes and averaged nearly 16 yards a catch, as he joined Aikman in the Pro Bowl. Alvin Harper was a big-play receiver whose 33 catches averaged a stunning 25 yards per. Jay Novacek at tight end and Daryl Johnston at fullback were each Pro Bowlers and their combined 91 catches ensured Aikman could always work the short game.

But Emmitt made this offense go and he did so the tune of 1,484 yards. He was 1st-team All-NFL running behind an all-time great offensive line. Mark Stepnoski at center and Mark Tuinei at left tackle were each Pro Bowlers. Nate Newton at guard was 1st-team All-NFL .And a rookie tackle named Larry Allen was getting started on what proved to be a Hall of Fame career.

It all added up to the second-most prolific offense in the NFL. And the defense wasn’t far behind, coming in third in the league for points allowed. Charles Haley was 1st-team All-NFL at defensive end with his 12 ½ sacks. Darren Woodson was another 1st-teamer at strong safety. Leon Lett punched a Pro Bowl ticket at defensive tackle. Even with Johnson gone, the defense that was his baby, continued to roll on.

Dallas opened the season at Pittsburgh. The Steelers would end up with the 1-seed in the AFC, but they were no match for the Cowboys. Emmitt ran for 171 yards, Aikman went 21/32 for 245 yards, with Irvin catching eight balls for 139 yards. It was vintage Dallas, as they cruised to a 26-9 win.

But a late afternoon home game with the Houston Oilers (today’s Tennessee Titans) did not go well. The Oilers had just parted ways with Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon and were on their way to a horrible season. But Dallas had a hard time breaking free. They only led 13-10 at the half before Aikman found Harper on a 53-yard touchdown pass. The 20-17 win had the feel of a warning sign.

That warning came to fruition the following Monday Night. Facing the Detroit Lions, Emmitt and the Lions’ Barry Sanders had an electric running back duel. Emmitt went for 143 yards, but Sanders ripped off 194. The Cowboys lost in overtime, 20-17.

They went into an early bye week at 2-1, clearly looking vulnerable, but just as clearly with time to get it all figured out. Dallas came out of the bye and blasted the Washington Redskins 34-7, controlling the ball for forty minutes and holding the Redskins to 28 yards rushing. A week later, the Cowboys routed the Arizona Cardinals 38-3 in a late afternoon home game. Neither the Redskins or Cardinals were any good, but at least Dallas was back to blowing out bad teams.

Another late Sunday afternoon home kickoff followed with mediocre Philadelphia. The Cowboys forced five turnovers and won 24-13. A return visit to Arizona (prior to 2002 the Cardinals were in the NFC East along with the division’s four current teams) was a little tougher. After three quarters, Dallas trailed 21-14. Worse, Aikman had been knocked out and backup Rodney Peete was in the game.

Peete played well and went 12/19 for 186 yards. He also threw two touchdown passes, including a 65-yard strike to Irvin to tie it up. Dallas survived 28-21. Another narrow escape on the road followed at Cincinnati. The Bengals were awful, but the Cowboys dug a 14-0 hole. Aikman had returned and rallied the team to a 23-20 win behind six catches for 125 yards from Harper. But this was two weeks in a row of less than inspired football.

Dallas was 7-1 and their “problems” were high-class concerns, to say the least. But when the Super Bowl is the only measure of success and you have a rival the quality of San Francisco, there’s no room for error. And the head-to-head battle with the 49ers was just two weeks away.

The Cowboys hosted the New York Giants on Monday Night and clicked back into gear. Aikman was a sharp 19/24 for 241 yards and no mistakes. Irvin caught seven of those passes for 118 yards, while Emmitt rolled up 163 yards on the ground. The final was 38-10. It was time to go to San Francisco.

November 13 at old Candlestick Park was as anticipated as any regular season game could be. The 49ers were 7-2, so Dallas had a one-game lead and could all but salt away the 1-seed with a win here. But it didn’t happen. While Aikman made big plays, he also made mistakes. His final line was 23/42 for 339 yards, but three interceptions. More alarming was San Francisco’s 147-87 edge in rush yardage. The Cowboys lost 21-14.

A home date with Washington followed. A couple of early rushing TDs from Emmitt, along with two interceptions from corner Kevin Smith, paved the way for an easy 31-7 win. But Aikman was again knocked out. So was Peete. With the traditional Thanksgiving Day feast ahead, there was no time to recover.

So it was left to third-stringer Jason Garrett to face the Green Bay Packers and a young Brett Favre. The Cowboys had knocked the Packers out of the playoffs the year before. But without their top quarterbacks, Dallas was in a 24-13 hole. Then Garrett became a Thanksgiving Day legend. He heated up and the Cowboys ripped off 26 straight points. Garrett finished the day 15/26 for 311 yards. Dallas won 42-31.

A road trip to Philadelphia began December. The Cowboys clung to a 24-19 lead late in the fourth quarter. The Eagles were driving. Woodson saved the day. He intercepted a pass on the six-yard line and raced 94 yards to the house, sealing the win.

Dallas was up to 11-2. They had blown away the NFC East, which didn’t even produce a second playoff team, much less a viable challenger to the Cowboys. San Francisco was also 11-2. Both teams had blown away the field for what were then two first-round byes. Dallas just needed a break to get to the top seed.

They hosted the playoff-bound Cleveland Browns, coached by Bill Belichick for a late afternoon Saturday game. Belichick’s defense prevented Aikman from getting the ball down the field. The Cowboys turned the ball over four times. Even though Emmitt ran for 112 yards, the Cleveland running game was also respectable. Dallas lost 19-14.

San Francisco won the following day and again the following Sunday. By the time the Cowboys played again, on Monday Night in New Orleans, they were locked into the 2-seed. They knocked off the mediocre Saints 24-16, mailed on the finale on the road at the Giants in a 15-10 loss and went into the postseason at 12-4.

For the second straight year, the Packers beat the Lions in the wild-card round and earned a ticket to Dallas for the divisional playoffs. I was living in Wisconsin at the time. While the loyal Packer fans were realistic about their chances, they were hopeful that this season—unlike 1993—could at least be a competitive game into the fourth quarter.

For a quarter, Green Bay hung in. Dallas led 7-3 in the second quarter and were backed up on their own six-yard line. Then Aikman hit Harper on a 94-yard strike. Emmitt had to go to the sidelines with a hamstring problem, but it didn’t matter. Aikman was too hot, going 23/30 for 337 yards. He spread the ball around, with Irvin and Novacek joining Harper with 100 yards receiving on the day. It was 28-9 by halftime and ended 35-9.

The previous day, San Francisco had taken care of their own business in blowing out Chicago. After Dallas’ win, Irvin said what everyone in football knew—that the only point of the regular season was to determine where this particular NFC Championship Game matchup would be played. It was time for the battle.

But there were concerns about Emmitt’s health. He played, but the uncertain footing of Candlestick was not ideal for a running back under even the best of circumstances. And in either case, Dallas would have to throw the very idea of running the ball out the window much earlier than anyone anticipated.

Aikman threw a Pick-6 on the first possession. Two more turnovers followed and they were immediately converted into 49er touchdowns. Dallas was staring at a stunning 21-0 deficit in the first quarter. They battled gamely—especially Irvin, who caught 12 balls for 192 yards. They stayed close enough to keep it interesting. But they also never got closer than ten points and ended up losing 38-28.

The 49ers went on to win the Super Bowl in a blowout. As everyone believed back in August, Dallas and San Francisco were both several lengths ahead of the rest of the league.

Dallas would regroup. Jerry Jones went out and got Deion Sanders for himself and shifted the balance of power back in the Cowboys direction for 1995, when the franchise got another Super Bowl ring.

1977 Pittsburgh Steelers: Modest Regression In A Dynastic Decade

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The 1977 Pittsburgh Steelers were looking to get back on top of the football world. After Super Bowl victories in 1974 and 1975, the Steelers had “slipped” to losing in the AFC Championship Game in 1976. But that loss had been riddled with injuries and Pittsburgh still had the best defense in the league. There was every reason to see ’77 as a year they returned to the top. Instead, the season saw regression across the board and it required some breaks simply to earn a sixth consecutive playoff trip.

Franco Harris continued to be reliable on offense. The future Hall of Fame running back went for over 1,100 yards and was 1st-team All-NFL. Lynn Swann had a Pro Bowl year on the flanks, catching 50 balls for 789 yards. John Stallworth was starting to emerge as a big-time threat on the other side, catching 44 passes for nearly 18 yards a pop. Bennie Cunningham was a reliable tight end.

Terry Bradshaw was pulling the trigger on the offense and Terry could make big plays. His 8.0 yards-per-attempt was the best in the league. But his TD-INT ratio was 17-19. While that’s considerably more normal for this era than it would be today, the interceptions still amount to over 6 percent of his total passes. And that ranked 20th in the 28-team league. The completion percentage of 52 percent was mediocre.

Even so, the offense wasn’t the problem. With the running game and the boom-or-bust passing attack, the Steelers ranked seventh in the NFL in points scored.

Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain defense had been its crown jewel and the D was coming off a ’76 campaign where they had spun five shutouts in what was then a 14-game schedule. This year, there was drastic slippage.

The Steelers still got Pro Bowl years from great players in defensive tackle Joe Greene and linebacker Jack Lambert. Jack Ham, another great linebacker, was 1st-team All-NFL. Mel Blount intercepted six passes from his cornerback spot. Steve Furness and Dwight White combined for 15 sacks up front. But it wasn’t enough. Pittsburgh tumbled to 17th in the NFL in points allowed.

A home game with subpar San Francisco opened the season on Monday Night. The defense picked up where they had left off, allowing just four completed passes. Harris ran for 100 yards and the Steelers won 27-0.

It set up another visitor from the Bay Area—a more hated one. Pittsburgh and the Oakland Raiders had met five previous times in the playoffs in this decade alone, including the past three AFC Championship Games. The Steelers were 3-2 in those games, but the Raiders were the defending Super Bowl champs. Pittsburgh had played the previous year’s playoff game without Harris or fullback Rocky Bleier. This was their chance to show the loss had been a fluke.

In today’s NFL world, this would probably be a Sunday Night Game. At the very least, in the late afternoon TV window. In the world of 1977, it was a 1 PM ET kickoff. And it showed that the 1977 Pittsburgh Steelers might not be what their recent predecessors had been.

Bradshaw was intercepted three times. He was sacked five times. A 16-7 home loss showed that there was going to be no immediate re-establishment of the old guard.

The Steelers went on the face mediocre Cleveland. Trailing 14-7 in the second quarter, Bradshaw hit Frank Lewis on a 65-yard TD strike. Terry went on top again, 14 yards to Swann in the third quarter. With a 218-80 edge in rush yardage, Pittsburgh pulled away to win, 28-14.

A road trip to Houston showed that the Oilers were an up-and-coming contender in the old AFC Central Division that they shared with the Steelers, Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. Pittsburgh turned the football over nine times and lost 27-10.

The Steelers and Bengals had gone to the wire for the division title the previous season and would do so again this year. Cincinnati came in to old Three Rivers Stadium for Monday Night Football. Playing in 18mph winds, the Pittsburgh D picked off four passes and chiseled out a 20-14 win. Then they got a revenge home win over Houston 27-10 behind a 16/24 for 227 yards performance from Bradshaw.

A late Sunday afternoon home visit to the Baltimore Colts was up next. The Colts were a consistent contender, but one the Steelers had usually handled—like the previous year’s 40-14 blowout in the playoffs in Baltimore. This one went down differently. Pittsburgh committed 17 penalties and Bradshaw threw five interceptions. They trailed 24-0 in the third quarter before making the final score a cosmetically respectable 31-21.

Another big road game was up in Denver where the Broncos were emerging as a legitimate contender for the first time in their short history. The Steelers again dug a huge hole, this time 21-0. Bradshaw was sacked six times by Denver’s “Orange Crush” defense. The final was 21-7.

At 4-4, Pittsburgh needed to stop the bleeding when Cleveland came into Three Rivers. The big-play passing attack was ginned up. Bradshaw was 13/21 and those 13 completions went for 283 yards. Swann and Stallworth each had 120-plus yards receiving. This time it was the Steelers getting the big lead, 35-10, before hanging on to win 35-31.

It was time for another big game. The Dallas Cowboys, another one of this decade’s outstanding teams and on their way to a Super Bowl title in 1977, were coming in for a late Sunday afternoon kick. The game was tight at halftime, with Pittsburgh’s 14-13 lead coming to thanks to a missed extra point from Dallas.

But the Steelers were pounding the football. Harris rolled up 179 yards on the ground. Bradshaw found Stallworth on a 28-yard touchdown pass. In their best performance of the season, Pittsburgh won it 28-13.

The AFC Central was very balanced, but no one stood out. That was enough for Pittsburgh’s 6-4 record to still be tied with Cleveland at the top. Houston and Cincinnati were both 5-5. It was anyone’s race to take in these final four weeks.

The Steelers went to old Shea Stadium in New York to play the lowly New York Jets. Pittsburgh did not play well, giving up over 200 yards on the ground. But five interceptions, two from free safety Glen Edwards, were enough to get out of Queens with a 23-20 win. In the meantime, the Bengals lost, while the Browns and Oilers won. Pittsburgh was 7-4 and the field was chasing at 6-5.

Another bad opponent, the Seattle Seahawks in their second year of existence, came to Three Rivers. The Steelers again played less than inspired football and were in a 13-13 tie after three quarters. But Bradshaw’s 22-yard TD pass to Swann triggered a fourth quarter outburst and Pittsburgh won 30-20. Good news came from elsewhere in the league—while Cincinnati kept the pressure on, Cleveland and Houston both lost, falling two games back.

What the Steelers did not have was the tiebreaker on Cincinnati—at least if they lost their second game to the Bengals. That made an early Saturday afternoon game between the two teams seem like a de facto winner-take-all battle.

In a game where the temperature was (-17) with the wind chill, Bradshaw threw an early Pick-6. Even though Terry turned it around and went 20/39 for 246 yards, the defense was not playing well and allowed over 300 passing yards. Pittsburgh lost 17-10. They were 8-5. So was Cincinnati. The tiebreaker was gone. There was only one wild-card available and Denver and Oakland, jousting in the AFC West, had a stranglehold on that. It was all but over.

But not so fast. Cincinnati still had to go Houston, a game that was far from a sure thing. Pittsburgh was closing the season at mediocre San Diego. Steeler fans were able to watch with delight in the early TV window on the final Sunday, as the Oilers knocked off the Bengals 21-16.

Pittsburgh again had control of their fate. They spent the first half in San Diego showing that this team wasn’t what previous editions of the Steel Curtain had been, falling behind 9-0. They spent the second half showing that whatever their flaws, they were still the Steelers, pulling out a 10-9 win and crawling back into the postseason.

For the second straight year, Pittsburgh was the 3-seed. Last year, they were highly regarded enough to be a road favorite in both of their playoff games. This year, as they went to Denver, they were a modest two-point underdog.

In the late afternoon on Christmas Eve, two franchises that have since developed a nice playoff history, met for the first time in postseason play. For three quarters, they traded blows and the game was tied 21-21. But Bradshaw’s play was pedestrian, 19/37 for 177 yards and three picks. The Steelers committed ten penalties. They only forced one turnover of their own. The fourth quarter got away and ended with a  34-21 loss.

1977 was still a good year by any reasonable measurement. It was still the sixth straight year in the playoffs and the fifth AFC Central crown in that timeframe. But it wasn’t what Pittsburgh Steelers fans had gotten used to. Not to worry though. In 1978, Pittsburgh regrouped and won another Super Bowl. In 1979, they did it again. The 1977 regression was just a blip on the radar.

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