NFL FOOTBALL - 1990's
1990
14/10/90 - San Francisco 49ers (45) @ (35) Atlanta Falcons - In a shoot-out, San Francisco QB Joe Montana (32-49-476-6) went ballistic, throwing 6 TD passes of which 5 went to WR Jerry Rice (13-225-5). The Falcons stayed with the 49ers through the game as QB Chris Miller (27-47-389-4) and Andre Rison (9-172-2) both had big games but a 45-21 deficit in the 4th quarter was too much to overcome (8, 2 Discs, CBS - Lundquist/Fouts, NTSC)
04/11/90 - Washington Redskins (41) @ (38) Detroit Lions - In a shootout in the Pontiac Silverdome, the Redskins rallied from a 21 point deficit in the 3rd quarter to beat the Lions. The Lions led 35-14 with 10:37 left in the 3rd quarter thanks to QB Rodney Peete (8-17-135-2) and RB Barry Sanders (11-104-1) and a defense that forced Redskins QB Stan Humphries (13-21-159-1) into 3 interceptions. But Washington coach Joe Gibbs replaced Humphries with veteran 3rd-string QB Jeff Rutledge (30-42-363-1) and he led the team back and forced Overtime himself with a 12 yard run with 18 seconds left. The Redskins then ended the game with a Chip Lohmiller FG. The 21 point comeback tied a team record. The Redskins also featured WR's Art Monk (13-168-0), Ricky Sanders (11-132-0) and Gary Clark (8-132-1) (8, Missing opening kick-off + 1 play in overtime - no scoring missed, 2 Discs, CBS - Brown/Cross, NTSC)
11/11/90 - Seattle Seahawks (17) @ (16) Kansas City Chiefs - Chiefs LB Derrick Thomas set an NFL record with 7 sacks of Seahawks QB Dave Krieg, but Kreig had the last laugh. On the last play of the game, Krieg escaped the tackle of Thomas and fired a 25 yard TD pass to WR Paul Skansi. The extra point was good and the Seahawks had won (8, 2 Discs, NBC - Donovan/McGuire, NTSC)
18/11/90 - Chicago Bears (16) @ (13) Denver Broncos - In a hard fought, physical game, both teams battled into Overtime where the Bears kicker Kevin Butler ended the game with the winning 44 yard FG. Both teams Defenses played hard in the 1st half with the Broncos leading 6-3 at the half. In the 2nd half, both teams managed a TD and the Bears had a chance to win the game with a last play 40 yard FG but Butler's kick hit the upright, forcing Overtime. The Broncos were led on Offense by QB John Elway (24-41-262-0) and RB Bobby Humphrey (23-83-0) and on Defense by DL Karl Mecklenburg, LB Simon Fletcher and DB's Steve Atwater and Dennis Smith. The Bears were led on Offense by QB Jim Harbaugh (13-28-147-0) and RB Neal Anderson (28-110-0) and on Defense by DL Richard Dent, LB Mike Singletary (career high 20 tackles) and LB Ron Cox. The Bears Defense sacked John Elway 6 times (8, 2 Discs, CBS - Summerall/Madden, NTSC)
02/12/90 - Philadelphia Eagles (23) @ (30) Buffalo Bills - The Bills extended their record to 10-2 with a big win over the Eagles. Buffalo led 24-0 after the 1st quarter with QB Jim Kelly (19-32-334-3) throwing 3 TD passes. But the Eagles scored 16 unanswered points in the 2nd quarter, including a dazzling 95 yard TD pass from QB Randall Cunningham (15-25-231-3 + 7-71-0) while somehow avoiding a sack in the end-zone by DL Bruce Smith. The 2nd half proved a defensive affair and the Bills held on to win. Buffalo also featured RB Thurman Thomas (21-53-0) and WR's James Lofton (5-174-1) and Andre Reed (7-95-1). The Eagles also featured RB Heath Sherman (11-70-0) and TE Keith Jackson (6-64-1) (8, 2 Discs, CBS - Lundquist/Fouts, NTSC)
22/12/90 - Washington Redskins (28) @ (35) Indianapolis Colts - Behind the play of rookie QB Jeff George, the Colts fought back from an 11 point deficit to win the game on an interception return in the final minute. QB Mark Rypien (18-37-249-2) and RB Ernest Byner (31-154-0) paved the way on Offense for the Redskins but the team had to settle for FG's rather than TD's and this allowed the Colts to come back from a 25-14 deficit at the start of the 4th quarter and tie the game on a TD pass from QB Jeff George (18-33-252-3) inside the final 2 minutes. As Rypien attempted to bring the Skins back he was intercepted and the pick was returned 25 yards for the game winner. The Colts also featured RB Eric Dickerson (10-31-1) and WR Stanley Morgan (4-85-2) (8, 2 Discs, ABC - Michaels/Gifford/Dierdorf, NTSC)
06/01/91 - AFC Wildcard - Houston Oilers (14) @ (41) Cincinnati Bengals - On a cold and rainy day at Riverfront stadium, the Bengals dominated the Oilers and booked their place in the next round of the Playoffs. Bengals QB Boomer Esiason (14-20-150-2), RB's Eric Ball (7-33-1), Ickey Woods (6-11-1) and James Brooks (6-17-0) all had a hand in the total team victory, as did the defense which shut out the Oilers in the 1st half. The Oilers were playing back-up QB Cody Carlson (16-33-165-2) in place of injured starter Warren Moon. The Bengals ran up the score as a result of the animosity between the 2 Head Coaches, Sam Wyche and Jerry Glanville (8, 4 Discs, NBC - Criqui/Trumpy, NTSC)
12/01/91 - AFC Divisional Playoff - Miami Dolphins (34) @ (44) Buffalo Bills - In a battle between 2 of the top QB's in the NFL, it was Buffalo QB Jim Kelly (19-29-339-3) who out-shone Miami QB Dan Marino (23-49-323-3) in the snow at Rich Stadium. Kelly played with a brace on his knee in his 1st game back after injury and ran the no-huddle offense to perfection. Marino set a personal playoff best with a 64 yard TD pass to Mark Duper (9, 2 Discs, NBC - Albert/Maguire, NTSC)
20/01/91 - AFC Championship - Los Angeles Raiders (3) @ (51) Buffalo Bills - The high-scoring Bills booked a place in their 1st Super Bowl with a dominating home win against the Raiders. The Bills scored in all 3 phases of the game, posting a 41-3 lead at the half before cruising through the 2nd half to the win. The Bills Offense amassed 502 yards of total Offense while the Defense forced 7 turnovers including 6 interceptions. The Bills featured QB Jim Kelly (17-23-300-2), RB Thurman Thomas (25-138-1 + 5-61-0), WR James Lofton (5-113-2), DL Bruce Smith, LB Darryl Talley (2 Interceptions) and DB Mark Kelso (1 Interception). The Raiders featured QB Jay Schroeder (13-31-150-0 + 4-33-0), RB Marcus Allen (10-26-0 + 2-19-0) and WR's Mervyn Fernandez (4-57-0) and Tim Brown (2-17-0) (8, 2 Discs, NBC - Enberg/Walsh, NTSC)
20/01/91 - NFC Championship - New York Giants (15) @ (13) San Francisco 49ers - The Giants played great defense against the high-powered 49ers offense and used the kicking of Matt Bahr to score all their points, including the game winner with the final play of the game. The Giants featured back-up QB Jeff Hostetler filling in for injured starter Phil Simms. The game is also notable for the hit by Giants DL Leonard Marshall on 49ers QB Joe Montana that knocked him out of the game and effectively ended his 49er career. It was also the last game as a 49er for RB Roger Craig (2 versions - 7, Jumpy picture in the 2nd half, 2 Discs, CBS, NTSC / 9, No pre-game, half-time or post-game, 2 Discs, CBS - Summerall/Maddden, PAL)
1991
03/11/91 - San Francisco 49ers (14) @ (17) Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons completed their 1st season sweep of the 49ers since 1980 but needed a 44 yard "Hail Mary" with 1 second left to do it. In a hard-hitting game, both teams were down to their 2nd string QB's in the 2nd half with the 49ers replacing Steve Young (11-19-187-1 including a 97 yard TD pass) with Steve Bono (9-16-111-1) and the Falcons replacing Chris Miller (1-9-11-0) with Billy Joe Tolliver (11-22-120-2). The 49ers held a 14-10 lead with 53 seconds left when Tolliver led a desperate drive that ended when he threw a "Hail Mary" into the end-zone that WR Michael Haynes pulled down in amongst 8 players to steal the win. The 49ers also featured WR's John Taylor (2-127-2) and Jerry Rice (6-44-0). The Falcons also featured WR Andre Rison (7-62-1) and a gimpy DB Deion Sanders (8, Slight Pixellation - Edited huddles on the final Falcons drive, 2 Discs, CBS - Nantz/Stram, NTSC)
10/11/91 - Atlanta Falcons (17) @ (56) Washington Redskins - The 10-0 Redskins continued their run to the Superbowl with a big game against the Falcons. Led by QB Mark Rypien (16-31-442-6), the Redskins led 28-3 at the half and scored 21 more points in the 4th quarter to crush any chance of a comeback. Washington rolled up 559 yards of Total Offense and scored on TD passes of 61, 64 and 82 yards. The Falcons, led by QB Billy Joe Tolliver (14-31-243-2), had a good game and even scored on 75 yard TD pass but were unable to keep up with the Redskins on both sides of the ball. The Redskins also featured RB's Earnest Byner (12-33-0) and Ricky Ervins (16-39-0) + WR's Gary Clark (4-203-3) and Art Monk (7-164-2). The Falcons also featured back-up QB Brett Favre (who threw his 1st NFL pass which was intercepted and returned for a TD), WR's Michael Haynes (2-105-1) and Andre Rison (7-72-1) but were missing DB Deion Sanders to injury (9, 2 Discs, CBS - Brown/Cross, NTSC)
24/11/91 - Detroit Lions (34) @ (14) Minnesota Vikings - In their 1st game after the career-ending injury to team-mate Mike Utley, the Lions honoured him with a big win against divisional rivals Minnesota. The star of the show was Lions RB Barry Sanders (23-220-4) who ran for a team record 220 yards and also broke 1,000 yards for the season. The Lions never trailed in the game, building on a 10-7 lead at the half by out-scoring the Vikings 24-7 in the 2nd half. The Lions also featured QB Erik Kramer (13-26-124-0), WR Brett Perriman (5-66-0) and a Defense that racked up 6 sacks, led by LB Chris Spielman. The Vikings featured QB Rich Gannon (19-30-243-0), RB Herschel Walker (9-28-1) and WR Cris Carter (7-111-0) (8, Player-to-Recorder copy, 1 Disc, CBS - Brown/Cross, NTSC)
04/01/92 - AFC Divisional Playoff - Houston Oilers (24) @ (26) Denver Broncos - The high-powered Oilers, led by QB Warren Moon, jumped out to a 21-6 lead in the 1st half but could only manage a FG after the break as Broncos QB John Elway brought the team back. But it still needed a game winning FG with 16 seconds left for Denver to reach the Championship game. Elway marched the Broncos from his own 2 yard line to the Oilers 11 yard line in the final 2 minutes to set up the FG. The drive included two 4th down conversions. The game is known as "The Drive 2" (8, 2 Discs, NBC - Jones/Christensen, PAL)
1992
Pre-Season - American Bowl - San Francisco 49ers (17) v (15) Washington Redskins - In a pre-season contest in London featuring the reigning Superbowl Champions, the Washington Redskins, it was the 49ers that prevailed as they won the game on a last play FG. The 49ers featured QB's Steve Young and Steve Bono. The Redskins featured QB's Mark Rypien and Gary Conklin, along with WR Art Monk (8, JIP 1st Quarter 9:04, no scoring - 1 hour hi-lites, 1 Disc, NBC - Jones/Christensen, PAL)
13/09/92 - Buffalo Bills (34) @ (31) San Francisco 49ers - In a wild shoot-out, the 49ers and Bills produced the 1st NFL game without any punts. The stars were all on offense as Bills QB Jim Kelly (403 yards) and 49ers QB Steve Young (449 yards) were awesome, but Young's interceptions were the difference. Bills RB Thurman Thomas sealed the win with an 11 yard TD with 3 minutes left (8, 2 Discs, NBC - Enberg/Trumpy, PAL)
20/09/92 - Cincinnati Bengals (23) @ (24) Green Bay Packers - The unbeaten Bengals knocked out starting QB Don Majkowski allowing 2nd year man Brett Favre to make his NFL debut. After a shaky start Favre settled down and led the Packers on a last minute drive to the winning 35 yard TD pass with 13 seconds left. The win was Packer coach Mike Holmgren's 1st (8, 2 Discs, NBC - Lampley/Rashad, PAL)
20/09/92 - Cleveland Browns (28) @ (16) Los Angeles Raiders - The Browns recorded their 1st win of the season with a big win in Los Angeles. The heroes were 3rd string QB Todd Philcox (10-20-200-3), in his 1st career start, and RB/WR Eric Metcalf (4-10-1 + 5-177-3), who had a career day against a strong Raiders Defense. The Raiders were led by QB Todd Marinovich (33-59-395-1) who had a big game but his 3 interceptions and the Offense's 2 fumbles ruined the Raiders chances of a win, despite the Raiders out-gaining the Browns by 464 yards to 231 yards. The Los Angeles Offense also featured RB'S Marcus Allen (8-52-0) and Eric Dickerson (6-22-0) + WR's Sam Graddy (6-114-0) and Tim Brown (2-29-0) while the Defense featured DL Howie Long, LB Anthony Smith and DB Ronnie Lott (8, Sparkles in the picture - Missing opening kick-off + 1st play - no scoring missed, 2 Discs, NBC - Enberg/Trumpy, NTSC)
25/10/92 - Indianapolis Colts (31) @ (20) Miami Dolphins - In a big upset, the Colts used a stunning last play interception returned for a TD to beat the 6-0 Dolphins. The Colts, led by QB Jeff George (18-33-179-0) and RB Anthony Johnson (16-55-0), moved the ball on a Miami defense missing star LB John Offerdahl to injury. But the real stars for the Colts were on a hard-hitting defense that featured #1 draft picks DL Steve Emtman and LB Quentin Coryatt. The Defense forced 5 turnovers including 3 interceptions of Miami QB Dan Marino (25-45-355-2), with the final interception returned 90 yards for a TD on the final play by Emtman as Marino was driving for the go-ahead score (8, 2 Discs, NBC - Jones/Christensen, NTSC)
30/11/92 - Denver Broncos (13) @ (16) Seattle Seahawks - The struggling Seahawks produced a stunning 4th quarter comeback to shock the Broncos on Monday Night Football. Denver were led by QB Tommy Maddox (11-26-127-1) who was subbing for an injured John Elway, and he led the Broncos to a 13-3 lead at the start of the 4th quarter. But the Seahawks suddenly found some Offense when back-up QB Stan Gelbaugh (12-21-164-1) entered the game for a struggling Kelly Stouffer (12-21-109-0) and he led Seattle to 10 unanswered points to tie the game and force Overtime. The game-tieing TD and conversion came on the last play of the game. Once in overtime, Seattle rode the momentum and Kicker John Kasay kicked the game-winning 32 FG to seal the win, only their 2nd of the season. Seattle also featured RB's Chris Warren (16-34-0) and John L Williams (10-40-0). Denver also featured RB Gaston Green (20-63-0) (8, 3 Discs, ABC - Michaels/Gifford/Dierdorf, NTSC)
06/12/92 - Dallas Cowboys (31) @ (27) Denver Broncos - Dallas overcame a gutsy performance from a Denver side missing QB John Elway and won the game with a TD run with 2:47 to go. Dallas started strong with QB Troy Aikman (25-35-231-3) leading the way but Denver's dual-QB rotation of Tommy Maddox (10-17-104-3) and Shawn Moore (7-13-104-0) pulled the Broncos back and gave them a 3 point lead in the 4th quarter. The Cowboys then mounted a 70 yard drive to the winning score, a 3 yard run from RB Emmitt Smith (26-62-1), and the Defense ended the game with Maddox's 4th interception. Denver also featured RB Greg Lewis (10-59-0) and WR Arthur Marshall who threw an 81 yard TD pass. Dallas also featured WR Michael Irvin (6-62-2) and TE Jay Novacek (7-87-1) (8, Slight Ghosting, 2 Discs, CBS - Summerall/Madden, NTSC)
03/01/93 - AFC Divisional Playoff - Houston Oilers (38) @ (41) Buffalo Bills - The Bills set an NFL record for the greatest comeback in history, overturning a 32 point 2nd half deficit. Bills back-up QB Frank Reich (21-34-289-4) had a stellar 2nd half, completing the comeback by taking the lead on a 17 yard pass to Andre Reed with 3 minutes left. The Oilers finally woke up and tied the game on a FG with 12 seconds left. Once in overtime the Bills drove back downfield and won the game on a Steve Christie FG (8, 3 Discs, NBC - Jones/Christensen, PAL)
17/01/93 - NFC Championship - Dallas Cowboys (30) v (20) San Francisco 49ers - The Cowboys celebrated their first NFC Championship game appearance since 1982 with a shootout win at Candlestick Park. Both teams combined for 831 yards of total Offense and 6 TD's. The win was the Cowboys first over the 49ers since 1980 and booked them a place in their first Superbowl since 1978. Both teams were evenly matched but the game turned on the 49ers 4 turnovers. The teams were tied at 10-10 at the half, but the Cowboys used 2 long TD drives to pull ahead 24-13 and then held off the 49ers with great Defense to secure the win. Dallas featured QB Troy Aikman (24-34-322-2), RB Emmitt Smith (24-114-1 + 7-59-1), WR's Alvin Harper (3-117-0) and Michael Irvin (6-86-0) and LB Ken Norton Jr.. San Francisco featured QB Steve Young (25-35-313-1 + 8-33-1), RB Ricky Watters (11-69-0 + 6-69-0), WR Jerry Rice (8-123-1), DL Tim Harris and LB Bill Romanowski (8, 2 Discs, CBS - Summerall/Madden, NTSC)
07/02/93 - Pro Bowl - AFC (23) v (20) NFC - In a wild game in Honolulu, the AFC gained a measure of revenge for the Superbowl loss with an overtime win over the NFC. The AFC overcame an enemic Offense with big plays from the Defense (31 yard interception return TD by Junior Seau) and the Special Teams (3 FG's from Nick Lowery + 1 blocked FG returned for a TD) to take a 7 point lead inside the final minute. NFC QB Steve Young forced overtime with a dramatic 23 yard TD pass on 4th Down with 10 seconds left but it only delayed the inevitable as Nick Lowery kicked the game winner with 10:51 remaining in overtime. The MVP was AFC Special Teams star Steve Tasker (4 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 Blocked FG). The NFC also featured QB's Troy Aikman and Brett Favre (in his 1st Pro Bowl) + WR's Michael Irvin and Jerry Rice + RB Emmitt Smith (8, 1 Disc, ESPN - Patrick/Theismann/Berman, NTSC)
1993
Pre-Season - Dallas Cowboys (13) v (13) Detroit Lions - Both teams played out the only tied game in American Bowl history at Wembley Stadium, as Cowboys kicker Lin Elliott had a miserable day by missing 4 FG's including 2 game-winners in Overime. The reiging Superbowl champions Dallas dominated the game but couldn't convert their chances and the Lions took advantage, forcing overtime by blocking a punt in the 4th quarter and returning it 33 yards for a TD. Neither team could find the winner in regulation or extra-time so the game ended a tie. The Cowboys were led by QB's Hugh Millen (22-33-185-0) and Jason Garrett (1 TD pass of 53 yards), WR Michael Irvin and RB Derrick Lassic but were missing Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. The Lions were led by QB's Andre Ware, Rodney Peete and Erik Kramer and also featured RB's Barry Sanders and Curvin Richards and LB's Pat Swilling and Chris Spielman. The game proved to be the final ever NFL pre-season game played at Wembley (8, English Channel 4 broadcast - 50 minutes hi-lites - Low Audio, 1 Disc, CBS - Gumbel/Bradshaw, PAL)
03/10/93 - Philadelphia Eagles (35) @ (30) New York Jets - In a shootout in the Meadowlands, the Eagles overcame a 21-0 deficit and the loss of their starting QB to beat the Jets. New York started quickly with QB Boomer Esiason (19-33-297-4) leading the Jets to a 21-0 lead in the 2nd quarter and things got worse for the Eagles as they lost QB Randall Cunningham (10-13-89-0) to a broken leg before half-time. Back-up QB Bubby Brister (11-17-108-2) then engineered a 2nd half comeback that was punctuated by 2 big defensive plays in the 4th quarter; a 94 yard interception return for a TD by DB Eric Allen and a stoppage on fourth-and-7 at the Philadelphia 28 that sealed the win. The Jets also featured RB Johnny Johnson (9-36-0), TE Johnny Mitchell (7-146-3) and WR Chris Burkett (4-103-0). The Eagles also featured RB Herschel Walker (6-29-1) and TE Mark Bavaro (4-60-1) (8, 2 Discs, CBS - Summerall/Madden, NTSC)
24/10/93 - Pittsburgh Steelers (23) @ (28) Cleveland Browns - The Browns mercurial RB Eric Metcalf won the game for the Browns with 2 punt return TD's of 91 and 75 yards. The 75 yarder came in the last minute of the game (2 versions - 8, 2 Discs, NBC - Hammond/Collinsworth, NTSC / 8, 46 mins hi-lites, 1 Disc, NBC - Hammond/Collinsworth, PAL)
02/01/94 - Dallas Cowboys (16) @ (13) New York Giants - With the NFC East title on the line, the old rivals battled tooth and nail for the win. The hero was Cowboys RB Emmitt Smith (32-229-1) despite seperating his shoulder on a long run in the 3rd quarter. The game went into overtime where Emmitt carried the ball on 9 of 11 plays to set up the game winning FG (8, 1 hour 41 minute hi-lites, 1 Disc, CBS - Summerall/Madden, PAL)
08/01/94 - NFC Wildcard Playoff - Green Bay Packers (28) @ (24) Detroit Lions - The Packers celebrated their 1st playoff game in 21 years with a big win over their Central Division rivals. The stars for both teams, Packers QB Brett Favre (15-26-204-3) and Lions RB Barry Sanders (27-169-0) both had big games. The Packers overcame a 17-7 deficit in the 3rd quarter with 2 TD passes from Favre and a playoff record 101 yard intereption return for a TD by DB George Teague. Favre's last TD pass was the game winner, a 40 yd TD pass with 55 secs left to WR Sterling Sharpe (5-101-3). The Lions were led by QB Erik Kamer (22-31-248-1) and WR Brett Perriman (10-150-1). The Packers also featured DL Reggie White (8, 2 Discs, ABC - Musberger/Vermeil, NTSC)
16/01/94 - AFC Divisional Playoff - Kansas City Chiefs (28) @ (20) Houston Oilers - The Chiefs, led by QB Joe Montana, rallied to beat the Oilers, scoring all their points in the 2nd half. Montana threw 3 TD passes and RB Marcus Allen chipped in with the clinching 21 yard TD run in the final minutes (8, Missing 2nd Quarter and only hi-lites of the 3rd quarter. 1st and 4th quarters complete, 1 Disc, NBC - Enberg/Trumpy, PAL)
1994
Regular Season - New England Patriots (35) @ (39) Miami Dolphins - The first Dolphins game of the NFL's 75th season featured QB Dan Marino's return from injury. In a shootout, Marino (23-42-473-5) battled 2nd year Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe (32-51-421-4) as both teams defied a muddy field to put up 997 yards of Offense (9, 2 Discs, NBC - Lampley/Christensen, PAL)
Regular Season - San Francisco 49ers (17) @ (24) Kansas City Chiefs - In his 1st game against the 49ers since he was traded by them, Chiefs QB Joe Montana (19-31-194-2) out-shone his replacement, QB Steve Young (24-34-271-1), and guided his team to a comprehensive victory. Chiefs LB Derrick Thomas put pressure on the 49ers offense, forcing 1 fumble and 3 interceptions (9, 2 Discs, FOX - Summerall/Madden, NTSC)
Regular Season - Los Angeles Rams (24) @ (37) New Orleans Saints - In a wild game in the Superdome, the Saints used a record-setting game from Kick-Returner Tyrone Hughes to beat the Rams. Hughes set an NFL record with 304 yards and also scored 2 TD's of 92 and 98 yards. He was matched by 2 long-distance returns by the Rams, who had a 98 yard fumble return TD and an NFL-record 103 yard punt return for a TD. The Saints were led by QB Jim Everett (17-26-206-1) and RB Derek Brown (26-86-1). The Rams were led by QB's Chris Miller (7-11-88-1) and Chris Chandler (7-17-74-0) + RB Jerome Bettis (18-63-0) (8, 2 Discs, FOX - Buck/Green, NTSC)
13/11/94 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9) @ (14) Detroit Lions - Lions RB Barry Sanders (26-237-0) posted the 6th best single game rushing yardage ever in a divisional match-up against the struggling Buccaneers. Tampa Bay led 3-0 at the half after holding Sanders to only 37 yards rushing, but in the 2nd half Sanders got un-tracked and marched the Lions up and down the field to the win. Detroit also featured QB Dave Krieg (5-13-99-1), WR Herman Moore (1-9-1) and LB's Chris Spielman and Broderick Thomas. Tampa Bay featured QB Craig Erickson (16-23-243-0), RB Errict Rhett (25-112-0) and WR's Horace Copeland (3-98-0) and Lawrence Dawsey (4-65-0) (8, Player-to-Recorder copy, 1 Disc, ESPN - Patrick/Theismann/Malone, NTSC)
Regular Season - Kansas City Chiefs (31) @ (28) Denver Broncos - In arguably the greatest Monday Night Football game ever, Broncos QB John Elway (18-29-263-2) and Chiefs QB Joe Montana (34-54-393-3) went head-to-head. Montana led the Chiefs on a last minute 75 yard drive and threw the winning TD pass with 8 seconds left for his 1st win ever at Mile High Stadium (2 versions : 10, 2011 Re-Broadcast - Missing action in 3rd quarter between 10:02 and 5:08 filled in from a different source with quality 7, 2 Discs, ABC - Michaels/Gifford/Dierdorf, PAL / 7, 2 Discs, ABC - Michaels/Gifford/Dierdorf, PAL)
1995
Regular Season - Washington Redskins (31) @ (38) Denver Broncos - In a wild game, it took a last play 43 yard TD pass from QB John Elway to WR Rod Smith to win the game. The catch was Rod Smith's first NFL catch and TD of his career. The Redskins featured QB Gus Frerotte, RB Terry Allen, WR Michael Westbrook and DB Darrell Green. The Broncos also featured RB Terrell Davis in his rookie season (8, 2 Discs, FOX - Stockton/Millen, NTSC)
Regular Season - Carolina Panthers (13) @ (7) San Francisco 49ers - The Panthers, in their inaugural season, upset the reigning Champions and registered their 4th win in a row. The Panthers used a great defensive game to keep the 49ers out of the end-zone, forcing 5 turnovers of which 3 were inside the Carolina 5 yard line. 1 of those turnovers produced the Panthers only TD, a 96 yard interception return by ex-49er Tim McKyer. 49ers QB Elvis Grbac (26-37-327-0) had a big game but the turnovers were too much to overcome. The Panthers were led on Offense by rookie QB Kerry Collins (17-30-150-0), RB Derrick Moore (18-42-0) and WR Mark Carrier (6-59-0) and on Defense by LB Sam Mills and DB Tyrone Poole. The 49ers also featured WR Jerry Rice (8-111-0) and RB Derek Loville (12-40-1) (8, Tracking issues for first 11 minutes then clears up, 2 Discs, FOX - Summerall/Madden, NTSC)
AFC Championship - Indianapolis Colts (16) @ (20) Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers redeemed themselves for the previous years failure in the AFC Championship game, but needed a lucky bounce on the last play of the game to win it. The over-achieving Colts, led on Offense by QB Jim Harbaugh (21-33-267-1) and on Defense by Jeff Herrod and Quentin Coryatt, kept the game close and only trailed 13-9 at the half. The 2nd half saw the Steelers ahead by 4 in the final minute with the Colts in possession. Harbaugh drove the ball to the Steelers 29 yard line and launched a last play "Hail Mary" into the end-zone which the Colts had a chance to catch for the winning score, but the ball fell to floor and the Steelers celebrated the win and a place in the Superbowl. The Steelers were led by QB Neil O'Donnell (25-41-205-1) on Offense and by DL Kevin Greene, LB Greg Lloyd and LB Chad Brown on Defense (8, 2 Discs, NBC - Enberg/Maguire/Simms, NTSC)
1996
01/09/96 - New England Patriots (10) @ (24) Miami Dolphins - In the opening game of the season for both teams, it was the Dolphins that took the win with a big all-around game. The Miami Offense, led by QB Dan Marino (16-22-176-0) and rookie RB Karim Abdul-Jabbar (26-115-1) ran out to a 17-3 lead at the half and never looked in trouble the rest of the game. The Miami Defense, led by rookie LB Zach Thomas (9 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble) in his first NFL game, played a big part by forcing 4 turnovers and scoring 1 TD. The Patriots were led by QB Drew Bledsoe (19-38-221-1), RB Curtis Martin (11-23-0) and TE Ben Coates (6-69-1). The game was the 1st as Head Coach of the Dolphins for Jimmy Johnson. Coverage includes 53 minutes of FOX pre-game (8, 2 Discs, NBC - Enberg/Simms/Maguire/Gray, NTSC)
Regular Season - Arizona Cardinals (37) @ (34) Washington Redskins - Cardinals QB Boomer Esiason (35-59-522-3) was awesome as he led the Cardinals to 3 4th quarter TD's to force overtime. 522 yards passing is the 3rd highest in NFL history (8, 2 Discs, FOX - Brennaman/Pitts, PAL)
Regular Season - Philadelphia Eagles (30) @ (36) Arizona Cardinals - In a wild 4th quarter, both teams conspired to score 24 points in the final 2:45 of the game and it was Cardinals QB Boomer Esiason (24-43-367-3) with the last word as he threw a 24 yd TD pass with 14 seconds left for win. Eagles QB Ty Detmer (21-38-322-0) had a good game in defeat (9, 2 Discs, FOX - Buck/Maas, PAL)
04/01/97 - AFC Divisional Playoff - Jacksonville Jaguars (30) @ (27) Denver Broncos - The underdog Jaguars pulled off a big upset over the 13-3 Broncos at Mile High Stadium to book a place in their first AFC Championship Game. The Broncos opened the game with 12 unanswered points but the Jaguars fought back with 23 unanswered points of their own to take a lead that they defended to the end. The Jaguars featured QB Mark Brunell (18-29-245-2), RB Natrone Means (21-140-1) and WR Keenan McCardell (5-59-1). The Broncos featured QB John Elway (25-38-226-2), RB Terrell Davis (14-91-1) and WR Ed McCaffrey (5-54-1). The game was also the last time the Broncos wore their "Orange Crush" uniforms before changing to their new-look uniforms in 1997 (9, Copied from the internet, 2 Discs, NBC - Enberg/Simms/Maguire, PAL)
1997
31/08/97 - Kansas City Chiefs (3) @ (19) Denver Broncos - The Broncos opened their season with a hard-fought win against their conference rivals. Sporting their new uniforms the Broncos took a 9-0 lead in at the half on 3 FG's then stymied any chance of a 2nd half comeback by the Chiefs with a great defensive effort. The Broncos were led on Offense by QB John Elway (17-28-246-0), RB Terrell Davis (26-101-1) and WR Rod Smith (5-122-0) and on Defense by DL Neil Smith, in his 1st game as a Bronco. The Chiefs were led by QB Elvis Grbac (14-25-115-0) and RB Greg Hill (7-92-0) (8, 1 Disc, NBC - Enberg/Simms/Maguire, NTSC)
21/09/97 - Miami Dolphins (21) @ (31) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The division-leading Bucs showed they were for real with a big win over their in-state rivals, their 1st win against Miami since 1982. The stars for the Bucs were QB Trent Dilfer (18-24-248-4) and RB Mike Alstott (18-95-0) as they paced Tampa Bay to a 24-7 lead at the end of 3 quarters and coasted home. The Dolphins were led by QB Dan Marino (24-37-235-2) but he had no help from a poor running game led by RB Karim Abdul-Jabbar (16-45-1) thanks to a strong Buccaneers defense featuring LB Hardy Nickerson and DB John Lynch (8, 2 Discs, TNT - Lundquist/Haden/May/Sager, NTSC)
Regular Season - Dallas Cowboys (22) @ (25) Arizona Cardinals - In the home opener for the Cardinals, they rallied from a 22-7 deficit to tie the game on a last minute TD pass from QB Kent Graham to TE Pat Carter and the ensuing 2 point conversion. This forced overtime where Kicker Kevin Butler knocked over a 20 yard FG off the upright to beat the Cowboys for the first time in 13 games. The Cardinals also featured WR Rob Moore and RB Larry Centers. The Cowboys featured QB Troy Aikman, RB Emmitt Smith and WR Michael Irvin (8, Raw Feed - No Commercials, 3 Discs, TNT - Lundquist/Haden/May, NTSC)
Regular Season - New York Jets (24) @ (27) New England Patriots - A very intense game was expected as former Patriots coach Bill Parcells returned to Foxboro with his new team, the Jets. In a game of major changes in momentum, it was the Patriots that won the game with an Adam Vinatieri FG in overtime. The final 2 minutes of the game saw the Jets tie the game on a Keyshawn Johnson catch from QB Neil O'Donnell with 31 seconds left, then the Patriots fumble the ensuing kick-off which the Jets recovered only for the Patriots to block the game-winning FG at the death. Jets QB O'Donnell (30-50-271-1) and Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe (16-34-162-1) both had solid games but the star was Patriots RB Curtis Martin (40-199-1) who rushed for a career high in yards (8, 2 Discs, TNT - Lundquist/Haden/May, PAL)
1998
06/09/98 - Miami Dolphins (24) @ (15) Indianapolis Colts - In the opening game of the season, the Colts debuted the #1 overall draft pick, QB Peyton Manning. He had a good game (21-37-302-1) but wasn't helped by a running game that managed only 64 total yards, led by RB Marshall Faulk (24-56-0 + 4-49-0). Miami led 17-7 at the half, led by QB Dan Marino (13-24-135-1) and RB Karim Abdul-Jabbar (23-108-1) but Manning finished strong, throwing his 1st career TD pass on the last play of the game, a 6 yard pass to WR Marvin Harrison (5-102-1). The game also marked the NFL debut of kicker Mike Vanderjagt (3 FG's) (9, 2 Discs, CBS - Eagle/May, NTSC)
05/10/98 - Minnesota Vikings (37) @ (24) Green Bay Packers - On Monday Night Football, the Vikings ended the Packers 25 game home win streak with a resounding win in the rain. The Vikings used the passing of QB Randall Cunningham (20-32-442-4) and the receiving of WR's Randy Moss (5-190-2) and Cris Carter (8-119-0) to keep the scoreboard ticking over and keep Packers QB Brett Favre (13-23-114-0) off the field. The 442 yards passing conceded by the Packers was a team record (8, 2 Discs, ABC - Michaels/Esiason/Dierdorf, PAL)
25/10/98 - Jacksonville Jaguars (24) @ (37) Denver Broncos - The Broncos eased out to a Franchise best record of 7-0 with a record-setting win over the Jaguars. Denver kicker Jason Elam and RB Terrell Davis both wrote themselves into the NFL record book. Elam kicked a 63 yard FG on the last play of the 1st half to tie for the longest FG made ever. Davis (31-136-3) rushed for 136 yards which put him over 1000 yards for the season, only the 2nd RB ever to do so in 7 games (Jim Brown & OJ Simpson). Denver QB John Elway (21-35-295-1) also had a big game on Offense while the Defense, led by LB Bill Romanowski (6 tackles, 1.5 sacks), DL Trevor Pryce (4 tackles, 2 sacks) and LB John Mobley (4 tackles), chipped in with 7 sacks of Jaguars QB Mark Brunell (28-46-353-3). The Jaguars also featured WR's Keenan McCardell (9-113-0) and Jimmy Smith (8-121-0) + RB Fred Taylor (6-27-0) (8, 2 Discs, CBS - Gumbel/Simms, PAL)
26/11/98 - Minnesota Vikings (46) @ (36) Dallas Cowboys - The Vikings kept their unbeaten streak going with a shootout win at Texas Stadium. Both teams combined for 984 yards of total Offense but also combined for 23 fouls for 230 yards. The Vikings Offense exploded for 5 TD's of 50 yards or more against a Dallas secondary missing Deion Sanders, but the Cowboys Offense had a big game, keeping pace with the Vikings right to the end. Minnesota featured QB Randall Cunningham (17-35-359-4), RB's Leroy Hoard (5-58-2) and Robert Smith (8-46-0), WR's Cris Carter (7-135-1) and Randy Moss (3-163-3), DL John Randle and LB Ed McDaniel. Dallas featured QB Troy Aikman (34-57-455-1), RB Emmitt Smith (18-44-3), WR Michael Irvin (10-137-0) and LB's Fred Strickland and Dexter Coakley (9, Downloaded from the Internet - Occasional Edited huddles + no Half-Time or Post Game, 1 Disc, FOX - Summerall/Madden, NTSC)
06/12/98 - Kansas City Chiefs (31) @ (35) Denver Broncos - The Broncos overcame a strong 21-0 start by the Chiefs to rally with 2 TD's in the final 6 minutes and take the win. The win put the Broncos at 13-0, only the 3rd team ever to start the season with 13 wins. Broncos QB John Elway (22-32-400-2) had a big game (8, 2 Discs, CBS - Gumbel/Simms, PAL)
21/12/98 - Denver Broncos (21) @ (31) Miami Dolphins - Miami clinched a post-season berth with a big upset over the 13-1 Broncos on Monday Night Football. The Broncos had the better of the 1st half and led 13-7 at the break. But Miami scored 21 unanswered points in the 2nd half to take control of the game and seal the win. The Dolphins were led by QB Dan Marino (23-38-355-4), WR Lamar Thomas (6-136-3), LB Zach Thomas (8 tackles) and DL Jason Taylor (6 tackles, 1 sack). Denver were led by QB John Elway (13-36-151-0), RB Terrell Davis (16-29-0) and WR Ed McCaffrey (3-42-0). The Broncos only score in the 2nd half came from a 95 yard kick-off return TD from Vaughn Hebron, the 1st by a Bronco since 1972 (8, 2 Discs, ABC - Michaels/Esiason/Dierdorf, NTSC)
27/12/98 - Seattle Seahawks (21) @ (28) Denver Broncos - On an historic day in Denver, Broncos RB Terrell Davis became only the 4th Running Back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Davis (29-178-0) needed 170 yards to claim the record and the NFL rushing title and, with 8 minutes left in the game, he burst off-tackle for 15 yards to reach 2,008 yards. The Broncos had already sealed home-field advantage in the playoffs but beat the Seahawks in a tight game, despite Seattle scoring 14 points in the 4th quarter to scare the home side. The Broncos were led by QB John Elway (26-36-338-4), in his final regular season home game, and WR Rod Smith (9-158-1). Seattle were led by QB Jon Kitna (22-37-242-1), RB Ricky Watters (10-13-1 + 1 TD pass) and WR Mike Pritchard (8-88-1) (8, 1 Disc, CBS - Harlan/Wyche, NTSC)
17/01/99 - NFC Championship - Atlanta Falcons (30) @ (27) Minnesota Vikings - The Falcons stunned the seemingly unbeatable Vikings as they used a stubborn defense and an outstanding game from QB Chris Chandler (27-43-340-3) to take the Vikings into Overtime where they won the game on a 38 yard FG from Morten Andersen. The Vikings were led by QB Randall Cunningham (29-48-266-2)and WR's Randy Moss (6-75-1) and Cris Carter (6-67-0). The Falcons also featured RB Jamal Anderson (8, 2 Discs, FOX - Summerall/Madden, PAL)
17/01/99 - AFC Championship - New York Jets (10) @ (23) Denver Broncos - On a blustery day in Denver, Broncos QB John Elway (13-34-173-1) played his last ever home game and led his team to a 2nd consecutive Superbowl. The Jets took a 3-0 lead into the locker room at the half but conceded 20 points in the 3rd quarter to hand the initiative to the Broncos (9, US version, 2 Discs, CBS - Gumbel/Simms, NTSC)
Pro Bowl - AFC (28) v (10) NFC - AFC QB John Elway and NFC DL Reggie White played their last NFL games in the sun in Hawaii. Elway completed 4 of 5 passes for 55 yards including a 3 yard TD pass. The AFC eased past the NFC with 3 FG's from the Broncos Jason Elam and a 67 yard interception return from the Patriots DB Ty Law (8, 22 minutes, 1 Disc, ABC - Michaels/Esiason/Dierdorf, PAL)
1999
Regular Season - St.Louis Rams (27) @ (31) Detroit Lions - In a shootout in the Silverdome, the Lions beat the Rams with a 12 yard TD pass with 28 seconds left. The heroes were back-up QB Gus Frerotte (12-16-209-2), on in the 3rd Quarter for the injured started Charlie Batch (10-20-148-1), and WR Johnnie Morton (4-59-1). The last minute heroics looked unlikely when the Lions faced 4th-and-28 on the final drive, but Frerotte tossed a 57 yard completion to WR Germane Crowell (8-163-1) to keep Detroit in the game. The Rams played well with QB Kurt Warner (24-41-305-3 inc. 75 yard TD pass) having a good game, but ultimately the Defense let him down. The Rams also featured RB Marshall Faulk (11-15-0 + 10-78-0) (8, 2 Discs, Player-to-Recorder copy, FOX - Stockton/Millen, NTSC)
AFC Wildcard Playoff - Buffalo Bills (16) @ (22) Tennessee Titans - The Titans used a 75 yard kick-off return off of a lateral pass from Frank Wycheck to stun the Bills and advance to the Divisional playoff. The Bills, featuring QB Rob Johnson (10-22-131-0) were under pressure all day from the Titans defense, and especially DL Jevon Kearse (2 sacks, 1 fumble forced, 1 safety scored) but took the lead with 16 secs left on a Christie 41 yard FG. But the Titans pulled the trick play on the kick-off and won the game with what is called "The Music City Miracle" (8, 2 Discs, ESPN - Patrick/Theismann/McGuire, PAL)