NFL playoffs, 1995-96
Encyclopedia
The NFL playoffs
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 1995 NFL season
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...

 led up to Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...

.

Bracket

AFC: Buffalo Bills 37, Miami Dolphins 22

Although Dolphins 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...

 completed 33 out of 64 passes for 422 yards, the Bills jumped to a 27-0 lead going into the fourth quarter, and rushed for an NFL playoff record 341 yards. Buffalo running back Thurman Thomas, who rushed for 158 yards and caught 3 passes for 42 yards, opened up the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run. Bills kicker Steve Christie
Steve Christie
Geoffrey Stephen Christie is a former Canadian American football placekicker in the National Football League, who, as a member of the Buffalo Bills, became known for his ability to kick clutch field goals, even in poor weather.-Early career:Christie, who grew up in nearby Oakville, Ontario,...

 kicked two field goals, running back Darick Holmes recorded a 21-yard touchdown, and quarterback Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....

 threw a 37-yard touchdown to wide receiver Steve Tasker
Steve Tasker
Steven Jay Tasker is a broadcaster for CBS Sports, who previously was a wide receiver/gunner in the National Football League. He was drafted in the ninth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played college football at Northwestern...

, who finished the game with 5 receptions for 108 yards. Marino eventually completed two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter: a 5-yarder to wide receiver O.J. McDuffie and a 45-yarder to wide receiver Randal Hill. However, Buffalo also scored 10 points during that period to seal the victory: running back Tim Tindale's 44-yard touchdown and a 42-yard field goal by Christie. Dolphins running back Terry Kirby's 1-yard touchdown and McDuffie's subsequent two-point conversion reception closed out the scoring. The game was the final game in the coaching career of Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....

, the NFL's all-time winningest head coach.

Both teams combined for a playoff record 1,038 total yards.

NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 58, Detroit Lions 37

Prior to this game, Detroit tackle Lomas Brown famously guaranteed on television that the Lions would win. The Eagles responded by opening up with a 51-7 lead over the Lions. The Eagles scored 31 points in the second quarter, recorded 6 interceptions, and held running back Barry Sanders
Barry 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 40 rushing yards en route to a 58-37 victory in the second highest scoring game in NFL postseason history. Philadelphia scored first with running back Charlie Garner
Charlie Garner
Charlie Garner III is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft...

's 15-yard touchdown, but was countered with Detroit quarterback Scott Mitchell's 32-yard touchdown pass to tight end David Sloan. Then Philadelphia exploded in the second quarter with Eagles kicker Gary Anderson's 21-yard field goal, quarterback Rodney Peete
Rodney Peete
Rodney Peete is a former American football quarterback from the University of Southern California who played in the National Football League for 16 years. He retired in 2004 and is now in broadcasting.-Early life:...

's 22-yard touchdown to wide receiver Fred Barnett
Fred Barnett
Fred Lee Barnett is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins...

, defensive back Barry Wilburn
Barry Wilburn
Barry Todd Wilburn is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the eight round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 6'3", 186-lb...

's 24-yard interception return for a touchdown, 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...

's 1-yard touchdown, and wide receiver Rob Carpenter's 43-yard touchdown reception on a Hail Mary pass at the end of the first half. In the second half, a 45-yard touchdown reception by Watters and two more field goals by Anderson increased the Eagles lead, 51-7, still with slightly more than nine minutes remaining in the third quarter. From there, backup quarterback Don Majkowski
Don Majkowski
Donald Francis Vincent Majkowski, "Majik", is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions.-College career:...

 replaced Mitchell and threw 3 touchdowns, and Ron Rivers
Ron Rivers
Ron Rivers is a former professional American football player who played running back for six seasons for the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, and Pittsburgh Steelers for one year....

 added a 1-yard touchdown run, but by then the game was well out of reach.

Peete completed 17 of 25 passes for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also rushing for 17 yards. Barnett caught 8 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. Watters rushed for 49 yards, caught 3 passes for 64 yards, and scored 2 touchdowns. Lions 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 7 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown.

NFC: Green Bay Packers 37, Atlanta Falcons 20

The Packers scored 13 unanswered points in the second quarter en route to a 37-20 victory over the Falcons. Atlanta scored first on quarterback Jeff George
Jeff George
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" George is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the first overall pick of the 1990 NFL Draft...

's 65-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Metcalf
Eric Metcalf
Eric Quinn Metcalf is a former American football running back and wide receiver in the National Football League who played for the Browns, Falcons, Chargers, Cardinals, Panthers, Redskins and Packers...

. But Green Bay countered with 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:...

's 8-yard touchdown, and later took the lead with wide 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:...

's 14-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...

. In the second quarter, the Falcons cut the lead with kicker Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen , nicknamed "The Great Dane", is a former National Football League kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and...

's 31-yard field goal. However, Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman
Antonio Freeman
Antonio Michael Freeman is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League, most notably for the Green Bay Packers. He attended the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, dominating his high school conference. Freeman played college football at Virginia Tech...

 returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown, and Green Bay extended their lead to 20-10 (after the two-point conversion attempt failed). In the closing minutes of the first half, the Packers marched 85-yards to score on Favre's 2-yard touchdown to tight end Mark Chmura
Mark Chmura
Mark William Chmura , is a former American football tight end, who played his entire career with the Green Bay Packers .-Biography:Chmura was born in Deerfield, Massachusetts, United States.-College:...

 to reach a 27-10 halftime lead. After a scoreless third quarter, the two teams exchanged touchdowns and field goals during the final period.

Bennett turned in the best postseason performance of his career, finishing the game with 108 rushing yards, 3 receptions for 11 yards, and a touchdown. Favre threw for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns.

AFC: Indianapolis Colts 35, San Diego Chargers 20

Rookie running back Zack Crockett
Zack Crockett
Zack Crockett is a scout for the Oakland Raiders and former American football fullback who is a retired NFL player. He was originally drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Crockett attended Ely High...

, who had only one rushing attempt during the regular season, found himself thrust into the starting lineup to replace injured starter Marshall Faulk
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...

 on the first play of the game. He proved up to the task, rushing for a franchise playoff record 147 yards and scoring two touchdowns to help the Colts win their first playoff game in 24 years. San Diego gained 429 yards of total offense, but 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...

 threw four interceptions, two to safety Jason Belser
Jason Belser
Jason Daks Belser is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League. He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners. He played high school football at Raytown South High School in Raytown, Missouri. He currently works for the NFL Players Association.-External...

. Chargers running back Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Keith Harmon is a former professional American football player. After a standout career at the University of Iowa in the Big Ten Conference, he played for 12 seasons in the NFL. A 6", 220-lb...

 caught 10 passes for 133 yards.

The Chargers jumped to a 3–0 lead in the first quarter with kicker John Carney's 54-yard field goal. Later in the period, Colts linebacker Steve Grant intercepted a pass from Humphries and returned it 13 yards to the Chargers 33-yard line. But his team was unable to capitalize on the turnover. Five plays later, San Diego linebacker Junior Seau
Junior Seau
Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and...

 picked off a pass from Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...

 at the San Diego 1 yard line.

Later on, a 46-yard punt return by Colts defensive back Ray Buchanan
Ray Buchanan
Raymond Louis Buchanan is a former American football player in the NFL. He was drafted out of Louisville in 1993 by the Indianapolis Colts in the 3rd round , and subsequently played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Oakland Raiders.-High school career:At Proviso East High School in Maywood,...

 set up Harbaugh's 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ken Dilger
Ken Dilger
Kenneth Ray Dilger is a retired professional American football player.-Early years:Ken Dilger was raised in Mariah Hill, Spencer County, Indiana. He attended Heritage Hills High School in Lincoln City, Indiana where he played quarterback; he also starred in basketball and baseball...

. But San Diego recaptured the lead on their ensuing possession by moving the ball 68 yards in 18 plays and scoring with Humphries's 6-yard scoring pass to 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:...

. However, Crockett later scored on 33-yard touchdown run to give the Colts a 14–10 lead. The Chargers countered with a drive to Indianapolis's 17-yard line. But with 17 seconds left in the first half, Humphries' pass was intercepted in the end zone by Colts defensive back Ray McElroy.

The two teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter with Humphries throwing an 11-yarder to wide receiver Shawn Jefferson
Shawn Jefferson
Shawn Jefferson , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 9th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...

 at the end of a 90-yard drive, and Harbaugh completing a 42-yarder to wide receiver Sean Dawkins
Sean Dawkins
Sean Russell Dawkins is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars from 1993 to 2001....

. In the fourth quarter, Carney kicked a 30-yard field goal to cut Indianapolis' lead to 21–20. But on the Colts' next drive, Crockett ran for a 66-yard touchdown and the Colts never looked back. On the Charger's next possession, Belser's 33-yard interception return of a Humphries pass set up Harbaugh's game-clinching 3-yard touchdown run.

Byes

  • AFC: Kansas City Chiefs
    Kansas City Chiefs
    The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...

    , Pittsburgh Steelers
    Pittsburgh Steelers
    The 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...

  • NFC: Dallas Cowboys
    Dallas Cowboys
    The 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...

    , San Francisco 49ers
    San Francisco 49ers
    The 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...


AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 40, Buffalo Bills 21

Running back Bam Morris
Bam Morris
Byron "Bam" Morris is a former American football running back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and the Kansas City Chiefs.-Early life:...

 scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter as the Steelers stopped the Bills from coming back. Pittsburgh jumped to a 20-0 lead by the second quarter with 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...

's 1-yard touchdown, quarterback Neil O'Donnell
Neil 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 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ernie Mills
Ernie Mills
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Mills, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for nine seasons during the 1990s...

, and two field goals by Norm Johnson. However, Buffalo running back Thurman Thomas scored a 1-yard touchdown run with 45 seconds left in the first half. But Johnson made a 34-yard field goal with eight seconds left to give the Steelers a 23-7 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Johnson added a 39-yard field goal before Bills tight end Tony Cline caught a 2-yard touchdown reception. With 11:23 left in the game, Thomas scored on a 9-yard touchdown reception to cut the lead, 26-21. But Pittsburgh then marched 76 yards to score on Morris' 13-yard touchdown run. Linebacker Levon Kirkland
Levon Kirkland
Lorenzo Levon Kirkland is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League...

 then intercepted a pass to set up Morris' 2-yard score with 1:58 remaining to clinch the victory.

With the Steelers win they snap the Bills 10 game postseason winning streak against the AFC dating back to 1990.

NFC: Green Bay Packers 27, San Francisco 49ers 17

The Packers jumped to a 21-0 lead en route to a 27-17 victory. Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre threw for 222 yards in the first half, and ended up with completing 21 out of 28 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns. 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 four passes for 103 yards. Meanwhile, their defense sacked 49ers quarterback Steve Young three times and intercepted him twice. Young ended up setting a playoff record with 65 pass attempts, but completed only 32 of them for 328 yards.

The Packers took the opening kickoff and held onto the ball for 7:11 before 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....

's 44-yard field goal attempt was blocked by 49ers defensive back Tim McDonald
Tim McDonald
Tim McDonald is a former professional American football player who played strong safety in the NFL.-High school:McDonald played high school football at Edison High School in Fresno....

. But on San Francisco's first play, running back Adam Walker fumbled after being hit by linebacker Wayne Simmons
Wayne Simmons (American football)
Wayne General Simmons was an American football linebacker in the National Football League.Simmons, an integral part of Clemson's #1 ranked defense in 1990, was drafted by the Green Bay Packers with the 15th pick of the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft. Simmons played for Green Bay for four and a...

, and defensive back Craig Newsome
Craig Newsome
Craig Newsome is a former NFL cornerback who was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the the Green Bay Packers, where he played for four years...

 picked it up and returned it 31 yards for the touchdown. Then after forcing the 49ers to punt, the Packers advanced 62 yards to score on Favre's 3-yard touchdown to tight end Keith Jackson, who finished the day with four receptions for 101 yards.

Green Bay would later score on tight end Mark Chmura
Mark Chmura
Mark William Chmura , is a former American football tight end, who played his entire career with the Green Bay Packers .-Biography:Chmura was born in Deerfield, Massachusetts, United States.-College:...

's 13-yard touchdown reception before San Francisco kicker Jeff Wilkins
Jeff Wilkins
For the American basketball player, see Jeff Wilkins .Jeffrey Allen Wilkins nicknamed "Money" is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and St Louis Rams. He played college football at Youngstown State University...

 made a field goal to cut the lead to 21-3 before halftime. In the second half, Jacke kicked two field goals while the 49ers could only manage two touchdowns: a 1-yard run by Young and a 2-yarder by running back Derek Loville
Derek Loville
Derek Kevin Loville is a former American football running back who played 8 years in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos from 1990 to 1998. He played for Archbishop Riordan High School...

.

This turned out to be the only time during the 1990s that an NFC team won a divisional playoff game on the road.

NFC: Dallas Cowboys 30, Philadelphia Eagles 11

With Eagles starting quarterback Rodney Peete injured, the Cowboys held Philadelphia to only 11 points, while scoring 27 unanswered points. The two teams exchanged field goals before Dallas capped off a 70-yard drive with 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...

's 21-yard touchdown on an end-around. The Cowboys then marched 79 yards to score on 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...

's 1-yard touchdown. In the third quarter, Dallas kicker Chris Boniol
Chris Boniol
Christopher Donald Boniol is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League. He played first at Alexandria Senior High School and then college football at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana...

 added two field goals from 18 and 51 yards out. Cowboys quarterback 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...

 then threw a 9-yard touchdown to 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...

. Philadelphia quarterback Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...

, who was the backup for most of the season, scored his team's only touchdown during the final period.

AFC: Indianapolis Colts 10, Kansas City Chiefs 7

The Chiefs, who held the league's best record during the regular season, lost four turnovers and 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...

 missed three field goals en route to a 10-7 Colts upset. Kansas City scored first on quarterback Steve Bono
Steve Bono
Steven Christopher Bono is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League.-Collegiate career:Bono attended the University of California at Los Angeles, where he received a degree in sociology. As a Bruins quarterback, Bono posted collegiate career numbers of 177...

's 20-yard touchdown to wide receiver Lake Dawson
Lake Dawson
Lake Dawson is a former professional American football player. He graduated from Federal Way High School in 1990, where he had participated in football, basketball, and track...

. In the second quarter, Elliot missed a 35-yard field goal attempt while Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Floyd Turner
Floyd Turner
Floyd Turner, Jr. is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played nine seasons for New Orleans Saints , the Indianapolis Colts , and the Baltimore Ravens...

 to tie the game. In the third period, Indianapolis kicker Cary Blanchard
Cary Blanchard
Robert Cary Blanchard is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League. He played eight years for five teams, the New York Jets for his first two years, the Indianapolis Colts after taking 1994 off, the Washington Redskins in 1998, the New York Giants in 1999, and he...

 made a 30-yard field goal to give his team the lead. Bono was replaced by backup quarterback Rich Gannon
Rich Gannon
Richard Joseph Gannon is a former football quarterback, who achieved most of his success late in his career with the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League...

 in the final period, but Elliot missed two more field goals that could have tied the game, including a 42-yard attempt with 37 seconds left.

AFC Championship: Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Indianapolis Colts 16

On the Steelers opening drive, Neil O'Donnell
Neil 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 first pass of the game was tipped by defensive tackle Tony Siragusa
Tony Siragusa
Anthony "Tony" Siragusa , nicknamed "Goose", is a former National Football League defensive tackle who spent twelve seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens. He currently works as a sideline analyst for NFL games broadcast on the Fox Network.-Early life:Siragusa attended David...

 and intercepted by Jeff Herrod
Jeff Herrod
Jeff Sylvester Herrod is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the ninth round of the 1988 NFL Draft...

, who returned it to the Pittsburgh 24-yard line. But the Colts drive was halted when Ray Seals
Ray Seals
Raymond Seals is a former football defensive end in the NFL. He is famous for not having attended college, a rarity in the NFL; and in 1992 he batted away Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre's pass which ended up being his first ever career completion which was to himself...

 tackled running back Lamont Warren
Lamont Warren
Lamont Warren is a former professional American football player who played running back for eight seasons for the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, and Detroit Lions....

 for a loss on third down and one. On the next play, Cary Blanchard
Cary Blanchard
Robert Cary Blanchard is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League. He played eight years for five teams, the New York Jets for his first two years, the Indianapolis Colts after taking 1994 off, the Washington Redskins in 1998, the New York Giants in 1999, and he...

 hit the right upright on his 34-yard field goal, but it still bounced in and the Colts took a 3-0 lead. After each team punted, Pittsburgh's Norm Johnson
Norm Johnson
Norman Douglas "Norm" Johnson is a former professional American football placekicker who played for 18 seasons in the National Football League. During that time, he played for the Seattle Seahawks , Atlanta Falcons , Pittsburgh Steelers , and the Philadelphia Eagles...

 kicked a field goal to even the game with under two minutes remaining in the first quarter. The field goal occurred after Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart, nicknamed "Slash" , is a former American NFL quarterback. Stewart attended the University of Colorado and was drafted 60th in the 1995 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...

 dropped a pass in the end zone. Replays showed Colts safety Jason Belser
Jason Belser
Jason Daks Belser is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League. He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners. He played high school football at Raytown South High School in Raytown, Missouri. He currently works for the NFL Players Association.-External...

 made contact with Stewart just before the ball arrived, but no penalty flag was thrown.

In the second quarter, a 30-yard reception by Colts receiver Sean Dawkins
Sean Dawkins
Sean Russell Dawkins is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars from 1993 to 2001....

 set up Blanchard's second field goal. But later on, Pittsburgh drove 80 yards in 17 plays, featuring three third down conversion runs by Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart, nicknamed "Slash" , is a former American NFL quarterback. Stewart attended the University of Colorado and was drafted 60th in the 1995 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...

, and scored on O'Donnell's 5-yard third and goal touchdown pass to Stewart with 13 seconds left in the half, making the score 10-6. Replays showed Stewart had put half a foot out of bounds before making the catch, which would have made him an ineligible receiver, but the penalty was not called.

On Indianapolis' first drive of the second half, they drove 61 yards in nine plays, featuring a 29-yard completion from Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...

 to tight end Ken Dilger
Ken Dilger
Kenneth Ray Dilger is a retired professional American football player.-Early years:Ken Dilger was raised in Mariah Hill, Spencer County, Indiana. He attended Heritage Hills High School in Lincoln City, Indiana where he played quarterback; he also starred in basketball and baseball...

. Blanchard finished the drive with his third field goal to cut their deficit to 10-9. Then after forcing a three and punt, Indy drove 35 yards in nine plays to set up another field goal try, which would have put the Colts up 12-10. But this time Blanchard's 47-yard attempt sailed wide right. Taking over on their own 37, Pittsburgh mounted a drive in Colts territory where Johnson's 37-yard field goal put them back up by four points, at 13-9.

Early in the fourth quarter, a long punt return by Steelers receiver Andre Hastings
Andre Hastings
Andre Orlando Hastings is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. A 6'1", . wide receiver from the University of Georgia, Hastings played in 8 NFL seasons from 1993 to 2000 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New...

 gave them the ball at midfield. But all they got out of their great field position was a missed field goal. After that, Harbaugh threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Floyd Turner
Floyd Turner
Floyd Turner, Jr. is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played nine seasons for New Orleans Saints , the Indianapolis Colts , and the Baltimore Ravens...

 to take the lead, 16-13. After a Steelers punt, their defense got a big chance when Warren fumbled deep in Colts territory, but guard Joe Staysniak
Joe Staysniak
Joseph Andrew Staysniak is a sports radio talk show host and a former professional American football offensive lineman who played six seasons for the Buffalo Bills, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Indianapolis Colts and the Arizona Cardinals...

 recovered the ball in mid-air to keep the drive going. Later on, defensive back Willie Williams tackled Warren behind the line on third down and one to force a punt, giving Pittsburgh the ball back with 3:03 left in the game.

Pittsburgh then marched 67 yards to score the winning touchdown. Running back Byron Bam Morris
Bam Morris
Byron "Bam" Morris is a former American football running back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and the Kansas City Chiefs.-Early life:...

 scored the game-winning 1-yard touchdown run with 1:34 remaining in the game to pull Pittsburgh ahead for good. The drive was aided by O'Donnell's 9-yard completion to Hastings on fourth down and 3 from the 47-yard line, as well as an earlier dropped potential interception that went in and out of the arms of linebacker Quentin Coryatt
Quentin Coryatt
Quentin John Coryatt is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played for the Indianapolis Colts and the Dallas Cowboys between 1992 and 1999.-Early years:...

. On the next play after Hastings' fourth down conversion catch, O'Donnell completed a 37-yard pass to Ernie Mills
Ernie Mills
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Mills, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for nine seasons during the 1990s...

 on the Indianapolis 1-yard line, setting up Morris' 1-yard scoring run. The Colts got the ball back and advanced to the Steelers' 29 with 5 seconds left, narrowly avoiding a turnover when defensive back Chris Hope
Chris Hope
Chris Hope is an American football player who plays for the Tennessee Titans.-High school:...

 dropped a wide open interception. On the game's final play, Harbaugh attempted a hail mary pass which he lofted high and came down into a crowd of players in the endzone, the ball momentarily was against Colts' WR Aaron Bailey's chest but it hit the turf before he could haul it in.

The Colts were the first No. 5 seed to advance to a conference championship game since the 1990 playoff expansion. Harbaugh completed 21 of 33 passes for 267 yards and a touchdown.

The game was featured in the NFL's Greatest Games
NFL's Greatest Games
NFL's Greatest Games is a series of 90-minute television programs that air on NFL Network, ESPN and related networks. They are condensed versions of some of the most famous games in the history of the National Football League, using footage and sound captured by NFL Films, as well as original...

television series, titled "60 Minutes."

NFC Championship: Dallas Cowboys 38, Green Bay Packers 27

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...

 rushed for 150 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns as the Cowboys overcame a Packers 27-24 lead in the fourth quarter. Green Bay scored first on 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....

's 36-yard field goal, but Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman responded by throwing 2 touchdowns to 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...

. Packers quarterback Brett Favre countered with two touchdown passes of his own: a 73-yarder to 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:...

 and a 24-yarder to tight end Keith Jackson. However, Cowboys kicker Chris Boniol made a 34-yard field goal to tie the game, 17-17. Dallas then took the lead with 24 seconds before halftime after marching 99 yards to score on running back Emmitt Smith's 1-yard touchdown. Green Bay then scored 10 unanswered points in the third quarter to take a 27-24 lead with Jacke's 37-yard field goal and 1-yard touchdown completion from Favre to Brooks. But Dallas regained the lead in the fourth quarter after Smith's 5-yard touchdown capped off a 90-yard possession. Then, Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown
Larry Brown (cornerback)
Larry Brown, Jr. is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Oakland Raiders. He is mostly known for being named the MVP of Super Bowl XXX. Brown was a starting cornerback on all three Dallas Cowboys championship teams of the nineties...

's 28-yard interception return set up Smith's 16-yard touchdown run to clinch the victory. Brooks finished the game with 6 receptions for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns.

After the contest, Reggie White was so visibly upset, he started shouting at television crews who were filming him on the sidelines. This was the third consecutive year that Dallas eliminated the Packers from the playoffs.

Super Bowl

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