NFL playoffs, 1994-95
Encyclopedia
The NFL playoffs
following the 1994 NFL season
led up to Super Bowl XXIX
.
to -1 rushing yards, while holding Detroit to 12 points and -4 yards on the ground. Green Bay scored first when running back Dorsey Levens
capped the Packers opening 76-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown. The Packers later led 13-3 going into the fourth quarter after Packers kicker Chris Jacke
made two field goals and Lions kicker Jason Hanson
made one. In the final quarter, Detroit quarterback Dave Krieg
threw a 3-yard pass to wide receiver Brett Perriman
, cutting the deficit to 13–10. However, Jacke made a 28-yard field goal with 5:35 left to make it 16-10. The Lions reached the Green Bay 11-yard line with 2:00 to play, but Packers linebacker Bryce Paup
sacked Krieg for a 6-yard loss. Then on fourth down and 14 from the 17-yard line, Detroit wide receiver Herman Moore
caught Krieg's pass at the back of the end zone, but came out of bounds past the end line. Afterwards, Green Bay ran out the rest of the clock, giving up an intentional safety on the last play of the contest.
crew came to Miami to cover a game between these two teams - on December 12, the Dolphins beat the Chiefs 45-28
After a 17–17 tie at halftime, the Dolphins forced two turnovers in the second half to stop any Chiefs scoring threat. Both teams scored on each of their first three possessions of the game. Kansas City quarterback Joe Montana
, playing in his last NFL game before retiring, threw two touchdowns in the first half: a 1-yard completion to tight end Derrick Walker and a 57-yarder to running back Kimble Anders
. Meanwhile, Kansas City kicker Lin Elliot
made a 21-yard field goal. For Miami in the first half, running back Bernie Parmalee
scored a 1-yard touchdown, quarterback Dan Marino
threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ronnie Williams, and kicker Pete Stoyanovich
made a 40-yard field goal.
The Dolphins then took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 64 yards to score on wide receiver Irving Fryar
's 7-yard touchdown reception. Stoyanovich then kicked a 40-yard field goal to give Miami a 27-17 lead. Early in the fourth quarter, Dolphins defensive back J.B. Brown intercepted a pass from Montana at the goal line. Then with 7:31 left in the game, Dolphins defensive back Michael Stewart wrestled the ball away from Chiefs running back Marcus Allen
at the Miami 34-yard line with 7:31 left to stop a second Kansas City scoring threat.
Montana finished his final postseason game with 314 passing yards and two touchdowns.
and halted attempted comeback in the final minutes of the game to clinch the victory. Cleveland scored first on kicker Matt Stover
's 30-yard field goal, but New England responded with Bledsoe's 5-yard touchdown pass to running back Leroy Thompson
. The Browns then scored on Mark Carrier
's 5-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Vinny Testaverde
, but Patriots kicker Matt Bahr
made a 23-yard field goal before halftime to tie the game, 10-10. In the third quarter, Cleveland running back Leroy Hoard scored on a 10-yard rushing touchdown. Then, Stover made a 21-yard field goal, giving the Browns a 20-10 lead with 3:36 left in the game. However, New England put together a 63-yard drive to score on Bahr's 33-yard field goal with 1:33 remaining. New England then recovered the ensuing onside kick, but after gaining a first down, Bledsoe threw 4 straight incompletions and the ball was turned back to Cleveland on downs.
passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns as he led Chicago to a win. However, the Bears committed two turnovers on their first two possession, leading to Vikings kicker Fuad Reveiz
's 29-yard field goal to open the scoring. But Chicago scored two unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter: running back Lewis Tillman's 1-yard run and Walsh's 9-yard completion to tight end Keith Jennings. Minnesota wide receiver Cris Carter
caught a 4-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Warren Moon
with 19 seconds left in the first half, cutting the score to 14-9 (the two-point conversion failed). In the third quarter, Bears running back Raymont Harris
scored a 29-yard touchdown before Reveiz made a 48-yard field goal. Then in the fourth quarter, Walsh threw a 21-yard touchdown completion to wide receiver Jeff Graham. Moon later threw an 11-yard touchdown to running back Amp Lee, but Chicago defensive back Kevin Minniefield returned a fumble 48 yards for a touchdown to close out the scoring.
's 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Eric Green
, and running back John L. Williams
' 26-yard touchdown run. Browns kicker Matt Stover
made a 22-yard field goal to cut the lead, 17-3, but in the closing seconds of the quarter, Steelers defensive back Tim McKyer
intercepted a pass from Cleveland quarterback Vinny Testaverde
and returned it to the Browns 6-yard line. O'Donnell then completed a 9-yard touchdown to wide receiver Yancey Thigpen
with 16 seconds left in the first half. In the final quarter, Testaverde completed a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keenan McCardell
, but the Cleveland quarterback was then sacked in the end zone by Pittsburgh defensive back Carnell Lake
for a safety.
set up kicker Kevin Butler
's 39-yard field goal. However, the 49ers then scored 37 unanswered points, including 23 in the second quarter. They led 30–3 at halftime. San Francisco rookie running back William Floyd
scored three touchdowns from 2, 4, and 1 yard out. 49ers quarterback Steve Young
threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jones, and ran for a 6-yard score. San Francisco kicker Doug Brien
also added a 36-yard field goal. The Bears eventually scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the game was already out of reach and the 49ers had already replaced their starters with their backups.
led his team to victory by completing 23 out of 30 passes for 337 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wide receiver Alvin Harper
caught 2 passes for 108 yards, including a 94-yard touchdown reception that broke the NFL playoff record for the longest play from scrimmage. Wide receiver Michael Irvin
recorded 6 receptions for 111 yards. Tight end Scott Galbraith
scored on a 1-yard catch and tight end Jay Novacek
added 11 catches for 104 yards. Dallas running back Emmitt Smith
recorded a 5-yard touchdown before leaving the game with a hamstring injury, while backup running back Blair Thomas
rushed for 70 yards and scored from 1 yard and 2 yards out. For the Packers, kicker Chris Jacke made a 50-yard field goal while running back Edgar Bennett
scored on a 1-yard touchdown. Receiver Robert Brooks
caught 8 passes for 138 yards.
tackled Dolphins running back Bernie Parmalee
in the end zone for a safety. San Diego then took the ensuing free kick and marched 54 yards to score on running back Natrone Means' 24-yard touchdown. The Chargers later took the lead, 22–21, with 35 seconds left with quarterback Stan Humphries
's 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mark Seay
. Miami kicker Pete Stoyanovich
then attempted a game-winning 48-yard field goal on the final play of the game, but his kick was wide right.
. Then after the two teams exchanged field goals in the second quarter, Pittsburgh kicker Gary Anderson made a 23-yard field goal to give his team a 13-3 advantage.
Midway through the third quarter, Chargers quarterback Stan Humphries faked a handoff, fooling the Steelers defensive backs long enough to find tight end Alfred Pupunu
wide open to complete a 43-yard touchdown. With 5:13 left in the game, Humphries threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tony Martin
, who out-jumped defensive back Tim McKyer
to make the catch and give the Chargers a 17–13 lead. Pittsburgh then marched from their own 17-yard line to the San Diego 3 to put themselves in position for a potential winning touchdown. However on fourth down, Chargers linebacker Dennis Gibson
sealed the victory by tipping away O'Donnell's pass intended for running back Barry Foster. The Steelers lost for the first time during the season in which they held a lead at halftime. (In 1994, the Steelers were 9–0 when leading at halftime prior to this game.)
entered the game with a 7–0 win-loss record as a starter in the playoffs.
Although the Cowboys eventually held a 451–294 advantage in total offensive yards, the 49ers converted three turnovers into three touchdowns in the first quarter en route to the 38–28 victory. On the third play of the game, San Francisco cornerback Eric Davis intercepted Aikman's pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown. Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin
lost a fumble on the next Dallas possession, setting up a 29-yard touchdown pass from Young to running back Ricky Watters
, who eluded several Cowboys defenders high-stepping his way down the sideline en route to the goal line in spectacular showboating fashion. Dallas returner Kevin Williams
then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, San Francisco kicker Doug Brien
recovered the ball at the Cowboys 35-yard line, and running back William Floyd scored on a 1-yard touchdown to give his team a 21–0 lead with 7:33 left in the first quarter.
A 44-yard touchdown pass from Aikman to Irvin cut the lead 21-7 going into the second quarter. Brien then kicked a 34-yard field goal, but Dallas countered with a 4-yard rushing touchdown by running back Emmitt Smith
. In the closing minutes of the first half, Aikman threw three straight incompletions, and a short punt by the Cowboys set up Young's 28-yard touchdown completion to All-Pro wide receiver Jerry Rice
(which during the halftime show, Terry Bradshaw said was one of the best passes he had ever seen), who made a diving catch in the back-left corner of the end zone with 8 seconds remaining in the first half.
In the third quarter, Smith scored on a 1-yard touchdown, but was countered with Young's 3-yard rushing touchdown. In the final quarter, Smith, who compiled 74 yards and two touchdowns, departed with an injured hamstring, which he had already injured before this game, it got enough wear and tear to the point he couldn't play anymore. Aikman then completed a 10-yard touchdown to Irvin in the final quarter, but Dallas could not score again. The Cowboys came very close to scoring with 6:14 left in the game when Troy Aikman
lofted a pass to Michael Irvin
. Deion Sanders
who was covering Michael Irvin clearly violated the pass interference rule with his physical contact of Michael Irvin
. Both John Madden
and Pat Summerall
both supported this up after they viewed the replay. The penalty would have given the Cowboys possession very deep into 49er territory. The refs threw a flag but it was on Cowboys coach Barry Switzer
for being on the field. Although Aikman broke an NFC Championship Game record with 380 yards passing, and Irvin also broke an NFC Championship Game record with 192 receiving yards, ultimately the first-quarter turnovers were too much to overcome.
NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
following the 1994 NFL season
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
led up to Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1994 regular season...
.
Bracket
NFC: Green Bay Packers 16, Detroit Lions 12
The Packers defense held Lions running back Barry SandersBarry Sanders
Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Sanders left the game just short of the all-time rushing record...
to -1 rushing yards, while holding Detroit to 12 points and -4 yards on the ground. Green Bay scored first when running back Dorsey Levens
Dorsey Levens
Herbert Dorsey Levens is a retired American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame and later Georgia Tech.In his career, Levens also played for the...
capped the Packers opening 76-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown. The Packers later led 13-3 going into the fourth quarter after Packers kicker Chris Jacke
Chris Jacke
Christopher Lee Jacke is a former professional American football placekicker best known for playing for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League....
made two field goals and Lions kicker Jason Hanson
Jason Hanson
Jason Douglas Hanson is an American football placekicker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League, where he has spent his entire 20 year career. He was drafted by the Lions in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft...
made one. In the final quarter, Detroit quarterback Dave Krieg
Dave Krieg
David Michael Krieg is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He attended Milton College and made the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent...
threw a 3-yard pass to wide receiver Brett Perriman
Brett Perriman
Brett Perriman is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints , the Detroit Lions , the Kansas City Chiefs , and the Miami Dolphins...
, cutting the deficit to 13–10. However, Jacke made a 28-yard field goal with 5:35 left to make it 16-10. The Lions reached the Green Bay 11-yard line with 2:00 to play, but Packers linebacker Bryce Paup
Bryce Paup
Bryce Eric Paup is a former American football defensive end and linebacker, who played professionally for the Green Bay Packers , the Buffalo Bills , the Jacksonville Jaguars , and the Minnesota Vikings .-Biography:Paup grew up on a farm in Scranton, Iowa, where he played football at Scranton...
sacked Krieg for a 6-yard loss. Then on fourth down and 14 from the 17-yard line, Detroit wide receiver Herman Moore
Herman Moore
Herman Joseph Moore is a former American National Football League wide receiver. At George Washington High School in Danville he played mostly as a kicker and also as a tight end. He went to the University of Virginia, where he was a 2-sport athlete...
caught Krieg's pass at the back of the end zone, but came out of bounds past the end line. Afterwards, Green Bay ran out the rest of the clock, giving up an intentional safety on the last play of the contest.
AFC: Miami Dolphins 27, Kansas City Chiefs 17
This game marked the second time in December 1994 that the Monday Night FootballMonday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
crew came to Miami to cover a game between these two teams - on December 12, the Dolphins beat the Chiefs 45-28
After a 17–17 tie at halftime, the Dolphins forced two turnovers in the second half to stop any Chiefs scoring threat. Both teams scored on each of their first three possessions of the game. Kansas City quarterback Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
, playing in his last NFL game before retiring, threw two touchdowns in the first half: a 1-yard completion to tight end Derrick Walker and a 57-yarder to running back Kimble Anders
Kimble Anders
Kimble Lynard Anders is a former American football fullback in the National Football League.The Galveston, Texas native played collegiate at the University of Houston where he produced 261 carries for 1,359 yards and 16 TDs to go with 115 receptions for 1,718 and 11 scores.Kimble was a free agent...
. Meanwhile, Kansas City kicker Lin Elliot
Lin Elliot
Lindley Franklin Elliott Jr. is a former kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. He played college football for Texas Tech...
made a 21-yard field goal. For Miami in the first half, running back Bernie Parmalee
Bernie Parmalee
Bernard "Bernie" Parmalee is the current Tight End Coach for the Kansas City Chiefs.Parmalee played high school football at Lincoln High School in Jersey City, New Jersey.-Professional playing career:...
scored a 1-yard touchdown, quarterback Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ronnie Williams, and kicker Pete Stoyanovich
Pete Stoyanovich
Peter Stoyanovich and is an American football placekicker of Macedonian descent who played with the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and briefly the St. Louis Rams in the NFL. He attended college at Indiana University.A first-team all-pro in 1992, Stoyanovich finished his career in the top 35 in...
made a 40-yard field goal.
The Dolphins then took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 64 yards to score on wide receiver Irving Fryar
Irving Fryar
Irving Dale Fryar is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League.Fryar grew up in Mount Holly Township, New Jersey and played high school football at Rancocas Valley Regional High School...
's 7-yard touchdown reception. Stoyanovich then kicked a 40-yard field goal to give Miami a 27-17 lead. Early in the fourth quarter, Dolphins defensive back J.B. Brown intercepted a pass from Montana at the goal line. Then with 7:31 left in the game, Dolphins defensive back Michael Stewart wrestled the ball away from Chiefs running back Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen
Marcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
at the Miami 34-yard line with 7:31 left to stop a second Kansas City scoring threat.
Montana finished his final postseason game with 314 passing yards and two touchdowns.
AFC: Cleveland Browns 20, New England Patriots 13
The Browns intercepted three passes from New England quarterback Drew BledsoeDrew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
and halted attempted comeback in the final minutes of the game to clinch the victory. Cleveland scored first on kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
's 30-yard field goal, but New England responded with Bledsoe's 5-yard touchdown pass to running back Leroy Thompson
Leroy Thompson (running back)
Leroy Thompson is a former professional American football player who played running back for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the New England Patriots, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has 3 kids named Tionna, Brooke, and Dezmond.-References:*...
. The Browns then scored on Mark Carrier
Mark Carrier (wide receiver)
John Mark Carrier is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1987 NFL Draft 57th overall. A 6'0", 198-lb. wide receiver from Nicholls State University, Carrier played in 12 National Football League seasons from 1987 to...
's 5-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Vinny Testaverde
Vinny Testaverde
Vincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
, but Patriots kicker Matt Bahr
Matt Bahr
Matthew David Bahr is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League. He attended Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pennsylvania where he excelled in both football and soccer...
made a 23-yard field goal before halftime to tie the game, 10-10. In the third quarter, Cleveland running back Leroy Hoard scored on a 10-yard rushing touchdown. Then, Stover made a 21-yard field goal, giving the Browns a 20-10 lead with 3:36 left in the game. However, New England put together a 63-yard drive to score on Bahr's 33-yard field goal with 1:33 remaining. New England then recovered the ensuing onside kick, but after gaining a first down, Bledsoe threw 4 straight incompletions and the ball was turned back to Cleveland on downs.
NFC: Chicago Bears 35, Minnesota Vikings 18
Bears quarterback Steve WalshSteve Walsh (NFL)
Stephen John "Steve" Walsh is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League.-Personal life:...
passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns as he led Chicago to a win. However, the Bears committed two turnovers on their first two possession, leading to Vikings kicker Fuad Reveiz
Fuad Reveiz
Fuad Reveiz is a former placekicker for the Miami Dolphins, the San Diego Chargers, and the Minnesota Vikings. He played for Miami Sunset Senior High and was voted one of the top high school football players from Miami of all time by the Miami Herald...
's 29-yard field goal to open the scoring. But Chicago scored two unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter: running back Lewis Tillman's 1-yard run and Walsh's 9-yard completion to tight end Keith Jennings. Minnesota wide receiver Cris Carter
Cris Carter
Cristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
caught a 4-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Warren Moon
Warren Moon
Harold Warren Moon is a former American professional gridiron football quarterback who played for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and the National Football League's Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs...
with 19 seconds left in the first half, cutting the score to 14-9 (the two-point conversion failed). In the third quarter, Bears running back Raymont Harris
Raymont Harris
Raymont LaShawn Harris is a former college and professional American football running back. He played 6 seasons in the NFL from 1994 to 2000 for the Chicago Bears, the Green Bay Packers, the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots.-College career:He starred at the Ohio State University, where...
scored a 29-yard touchdown before Reveiz made a 48-yard field goal. Then in the fourth quarter, Walsh threw a 21-yard touchdown completion to wide receiver Jeff Graham. Moon later threw an 11-yard touchdown to running back Amp Lee, but Chicago defensive back Kevin Minniefield returned a fumble 48 yards for a touchdown to close out the scoring.
Byes
- AFC: Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, San Diego ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - NFC: San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 29, Cleveland Browns 9
Aided by running back Barry Foster's 133 rushing yards, the Steelers controlled the game by scoring on their first three possessions and holding the ball for 42:27. Pittsburgh jumped to a 17-0 lead by the second quarter with a 39-field goal by kicker Gary Anderson, quarterback Neil O'DonnellNeil O'Donnell
Neil Kennedy O'Donnell is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tennessee Titans...
's 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Eric Green
Eric Green (tight end)
Bernard Eric Green , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1st round of the 1990 NFL Draft...
, and running back John L. Williams
John L. Williams
John L. Williams is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for ten seasons during the 1980s and 1990s...
' 26-yard touchdown run. Browns kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
made a 22-yard field goal to cut the lead, 17-3, but in the closing seconds of the quarter, Steelers defensive back Tim McKyer
Tim McKyer
Timothy Bernard McKyer is a former professional American football player who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 174-lb. cornerback from the University of Texas at Arlington, McKyer played in 12 NFL seasons for 7 different teams from 1986 to 1997...
intercepted a pass from Cleveland quarterback Vinny Testaverde
Vinny Testaverde
Vincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
and returned it to the Browns 6-yard line. O'Donnell then completed a 9-yard touchdown to wide receiver Yancey Thigpen
Yancey Thigpen
Yancey Dirk Thigpen is a former professional American football wide receiver who played for the San Diego Chargers , the Pittsburgh Steelers , and the Tennessee Oilers/Titans...
with 16 seconds left in the first half. In the final quarter, Testaverde completed a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keenan McCardell
Keenan McCardell
Keenan Wayne McCardell is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League and current wide receivers coach for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Redskins in the 12th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...
, but the Cleveland quarterback was then sacked in the end zone by Pittsburgh defensive back Carnell Lake
Carnell Lake
Carnell Augustino Lake is a former professional American football player who was a member of the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team. He was the Cornerbacks Coach for the UCLA Bruins under head coach Rick Neuheisel in 2009 before leaving after one season for family reasons.-College career:Lake played for...
for a safety.
NFC: San Francisco 49ers 44, Chicago Bears 15
The 49ers scored on six consecutive possessions to crush the Bears, 44–15. Chicago scored first after a fumble by San Francisco tight end Brent JonesBrent Jones
Brent Michael Jones is a former American Football tight end who played almost his entire career with the San Francisco 49ers from 1987 to 1997. He was selected in the 5th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1986 NFL Draft...
set up kicker Kevin Butler
Kevin Butler (American football)
Kevin Gregory Butler is a former professional American football placekicker. He played college football for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, and then played professionally for the Chicago Bears and the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League...
's 39-yard field goal. However, the 49ers then scored 37 unanswered points, including 23 in the second quarter. They led 30–3 at halftime. San Francisco rookie running back William Floyd
William Floyd (football player)
William Ali Floyd is a former American football fullback in the NFL.At Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Florida, he compiled a 34 - 4 record and led the Spartans to the only undefeated regular season in school history in 1988...
scored three touchdowns from 2, 4, and 1 yard out. 49ers quarterback Steve Young
Steve Young (athlete)
Jon Steven "Steve" Young is a former American football quarterback, best known for his time with the NFL's San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League...
threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jones, and ran for a 6-yard score. San Francisco kicker Doug Brien
Doug Brien
Douglas Robert Zachariah Brien is a former American football placekicker. He played twelve seasons for seven teams in the National Football League:...
also added a 36-yard field goal. The Bears eventually scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the game was already out of reach and the 49ers had already replaced their starters with their backups.
NFC: Dallas Cowboys 35, Green Bay Packers 9
Cowboys quarterback Troy AikmanTroy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
led his team to victory by completing 23 out of 30 passes for 337 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wide receiver Alvin Harper
Alvin Harper
Alvin Craig Harper is a former American football player in the National Football League. After going 1-15 in 1989 and 7-9 in 1990, the Dallas Cowboys were poised to capitalize on some key draft opportunities...
caught 2 passes for 108 yards, including a 94-yard touchdown reception that broke the NFL playoff record for the longest play from scrimmage. Wide receiver Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
recorded 6 receptions for 111 yards. Tight end Scott Galbraith
Scott Galbraith
Alan Scott Galbraith is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League for nine seasons for the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Green Bay Packers....
scored on a 1-yard catch and tight end Jay Novacek
Jay Novacek
Jay McKinley Novacek is a former American football tight end in the National Football League who played for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys . Novacek was a five-time Pro Bowler, who was selected to play each year from 1991 through 1995...
added 11 catches for 104 yards. Dallas running back Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
recorded a 5-yard touchdown before leaving the game with a hamstring injury, while backup running back Blair Thomas
Blair Thomas
Blair Lamar Thomas is a former professional American football player and coach. He played running back for six seasons in the National Football League. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.-High school:Thomas was an all-state football player at Frankford High School...
rushed for 70 yards and scored from 1 yard and 2 yards out. For the Packers, kicker Chris Jacke made a 50-yard field goal while running back Edgar Bennett
Edgar Bennett
Edgar Bennett III is a former National Football League running back who played for the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears , and is currently a coach for the Green Bay Packers.-High school years:...
scored on a 1-yard touchdown. Receiver Robert Brooks
Robert Brooks
Robert Darren Brooks is a former American football wide receiver who attended University of South Carolina and played for the Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos.-Early life:...
caught 8 passes for 138 yards.
AFC: San Diego Chargers 22, Miami Dolphins 21
The Chargers overcame a 21-6 halftime deficit by limiting the Dolphins offense to only 16 plays in the second half. Miami quarterback Dan Marino threw three touchdowns in the first half: two to tight end Keith Jackson for 8 and 9 yards, and a 16-yarder to wide receiver Mike Williams. San Diego could only counter with two field goals by kicker John Carney. But in the third quarter, Chargers defensive lineman Reuben DavisReuben Davis (American football)
Reuben Cordell Davis is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the ninth round of the 1988 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina.-External links:*...
tackled Dolphins running back Bernie Parmalee
Bernie Parmalee
Bernard "Bernie" Parmalee is the current Tight End Coach for the Kansas City Chiefs.Parmalee played high school football at Lincoln High School in Jersey City, New Jersey.-Professional playing career:...
in the end zone for a safety. San Diego then took the ensuing free kick and marched 54 yards to score on running back Natrone Means' 24-yard touchdown. The Chargers later took the lead, 22–21, with 35 seconds left with quarterback Stan Humphries
Stan Humphries
William Stanley "Stan" Humphries is a former professional American football quarterback. He played for the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He played college football at Northeast Louisiana...
's 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mark Seay
Mark Seay
Mark Edward Seay is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Long Beach State University...
. Miami kicker Pete Stoyanovich
Pete Stoyanovich
Peter Stoyanovich and is an American football placekicker of Macedonian descent who played with the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and briefly the St. Louis Rams in the NFL. He attended college at Indiana University.A first-team all-pro in 1992, Stoyanovich finished his career in the top 35 in...
then attempted a game-winning 48-yard field goal on the final play of the game, but his kick was wide right.
AFC Championship: San Diego Chargers 17, Pittsburgh Steelers 13
The Chargers scored 14 unanswered points in the second half to upset the heavily favored Steelers. Although Pittsburgh held advantages in total plays (80–47), total offensive yards (415–226), and time of possession (37:13–22:47), it was San Diego who made the big plays. The Steelers scored first on quarterback Neil O'Donnell's 16-yard touchdown pass to fullback John L. WilliamsJohn L. Williams
John L. Williams is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for ten seasons during the 1980s and 1990s...
. Then after the two teams exchanged field goals in the second quarter, Pittsburgh kicker Gary Anderson made a 23-yard field goal to give his team a 13-3 advantage.
Midway through the third quarter, Chargers quarterback Stan Humphries faked a handoff, fooling the Steelers defensive backs long enough to find tight end Alfred Pupunu
Alfred Pupunu
Alfred Sione Pupunu is a former professional American football tight end who played nine seasons in the National Football League from 1992 to 2000.-High school career:...
wide open to complete a 43-yard touchdown. With 5:13 left in the game, Humphries threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tony Martin
Tony Martin (football player)
Tony Derrick Martin , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New York Jets in the 5th round of the 1989 NFL Draft. A 6'1", 177-lb. wide receiver from Mesa State College.-Career:...
, who out-jumped defensive back Tim McKyer
Tim McKyer
Timothy Bernard McKyer is a former professional American football player who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 174-lb. cornerback from the University of Texas at Arlington, McKyer played in 12 NFL seasons for 7 different teams from 1986 to 1997...
to make the catch and give the Chargers a 17–13 lead. Pittsburgh then marched from their own 17-yard line to the San Diego 3 to put themselves in position for a potential winning touchdown. However on fourth down, Chargers linebacker Dennis Gibson
Dennis Gibson
Dennis Michael Gibson is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League from 1987-1995 for the Detroit Lions and the San Diego Chargers...
sealed the victory by tipping away O'Donnell's pass intended for running back Barry Foster. The Steelers lost for the first time during the season in which they held a lead at halftime. (In 1994, the Steelers were 9–0 when leading at halftime prior to this game.)
NFC Championship: San Francisco 49ers 38, Dallas Cowboys 28
This was the third consecutive season that the Cowboys and the 49ers met in the NFC Championship Game, with Dallas winning the first two conference title games. San Francisco quarterback Steve Young still faced the pressure of "never being able to win the big ones", while Dallas quarterback Troy AikmanTroy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
entered the game with a 7–0 win-loss record as a starter in the playoffs.
Although the Cowboys eventually held a 451–294 advantage in total offensive yards, the 49ers converted three turnovers into three touchdowns in the first quarter en route to the 38–28 victory. On the third play of the game, San Francisco cornerback Eric Davis intercepted Aikman's pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown. Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
lost a fumble on the next Dallas possession, setting up a 29-yard touchdown pass from Young to running back Ricky Watters
Ricky Watters
Richard "Ricky" James Watters is a former American football running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. Watters played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he played wide receiver on the...
, who eluded several Cowboys defenders high-stepping his way down the sideline en route to the goal line in spectacular showboating fashion. Dallas returner Kevin Williams
Kevin Williams (wide receiver)
Kevin Ray Williams is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys, the Arizona Cardinals, the Buffalo Bills, and the San Francisco 49ers....
then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, San Francisco kicker Doug Brien
Doug Brien
Douglas Robert Zachariah Brien is a former American football placekicker. He played twelve seasons for seven teams in the National Football League:...
recovered the ball at the Cowboys 35-yard line, and running back William Floyd scored on a 1-yard touchdown to give his team a 21–0 lead with 7:33 left in the first quarter.
A 44-yard touchdown pass from Aikman to Irvin cut the lead 21-7 going into the second quarter. Brien then kicked a 34-yard field goal, but Dallas countered with a 4-yard rushing touchdown by running back Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
. In the closing minutes of the first half, Aikman threw three straight incompletions, and a short punt by the Cowboys set up Young's 28-yard touchdown completion to All-Pro wide receiver Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
(which during the halftime show, Terry Bradshaw said was one of the best passes he had ever seen), who made a diving catch in the back-left corner of the end zone with 8 seconds remaining in the first half.
In the third quarter, Smith scored on a 1-yard touchdown, but was countered with Young's 3-yard rushing touchdown. In the final quarter, Smith, who compiled 74 yards and two touchdowns, departed with an injured hamstring, which he had already injured before this game, it got enough wear and tear to the point he couldn't play anymore. Aikman then completed a 10-yard touchdown to Irvin in the final quarter, but Dallas could not score again. The Cowboys came very close to scoring with 6:14 left in the game when Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
lofted a pass to Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
. Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
who was covering Michael Irvin clearly violated the pass interference rule with his physical contact of Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
. Both John Madden
John Madden (American football)
John Earl Madden is a former American professional football player in the National Football League, a former Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League and later the NFL, and a former color commentator for NFL telecasts. In 2006, he was inducted into...
and Pat Summerall
Pat Summerall
George Allen "Pat" Summerall is a former American football player and television sportscaster, having worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN.Summerall is best known for his work with John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox.-High school:...
both supported this up after they viewed the replay. The penalty would have given the Cowboys possession very deep into 49er territory. The refs threw a flag but it was on Cowboys coach Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer is a former football coach, active in the college and professional ranks between 1962 and 1997. He has one of the highest winning percentages of any college football coach in history, and is one of only two head coaches to win both a college football national championship and a...
for being on the field. Although Aikman broke an NFC Championship Game record with 380 yards passing, and Irvin also broke an NFC Championship Game record with 192 receiving yards, ultimately the first-quarter turnovers were too much to overcome.