NFL playoffs, 1996-97
Encyclopedia
The NFL playoffs
following the 1996 NFL season
led up to Super Bowl XXXI
. This post-season was remarkable in that the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers each made it all the way to their respective conference championships, only two years after their inception into the league as expansion teams.
's 7-yard touchdown pass to running back Thurman Thomas. However, Jacksonville tied the game after defensive end Clyde Simmons
intercepted Kelly's shovel pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. For the rest of the game, the score see-sawed back and forth: Hollis and Bills kicker Steve Christie
each scored 2 field goals, Thomas ran for a 2-yard touchdown, Jaguars running back Natrone Means ran for a 30-yard score, Buffalo cornerback Jeff Burris
scored on a 38-yard interception return, and Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell
threw a 2-yard touchdown to Jimmy Smith.
's 2-yard touchdown run. Minnesota running back Amp Lee caught a short pass from quarterback Brad Johnson
and appeared to be on his way for a 43-yard touchdown. But Cowboys safety George Teague
caught up with Lee at the 1-yard line and poked the ball out of his hands, and the ball bounced out of the end zone for a touchback. Teague later scored on a 27-yard interception return, running back Emmitt Smith
ran for two touchdowns from 37 and 1 yards out, and kicker Chris Boniol made 4 field goals. Johnson threw a 30-yard touchdown to wide receiver Cris Carter
and ran for another, but it was not enough.
This was the last time the Cowboys won a playoff game until January 9, 2010, when they beat the Philadelphia Eagles
in the 2009–10 Wild Card playoff
34-14.
gave the Steelers the 13-point advantage by the second quarter. However, Indianapolis cornerback Eugene Daniel intercepted Mike Tomczak
's pass and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown. Another interception led to a 9-yard touchdown from Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh
to wide receiver Aaron Bailey. But the Steelers controlled the rest of the game. Running back Jerome Bettis
, who finished with 102 rushing yards, scored two 1-yard touchdowns, running back Jon Witman recorded a 31-yard touchdown, and Stewart added a 3-yard touchdown. It was the second year in a row the Steelers had eliminated the Colts from the playoffs
ran for a 9-yard touchdown that capped off a 75-yard drive. The Eagles then reached the San Francisco 8-yard line, but quarterback Ty Detmer
threw an interception to defensive back Marquez Pope. The 49ers were forced to punt on their next drive, and Philadelphia advanced to the San Francisco 5-yard line. However, 49ers defensive end Roy Barker intercepted Detmer, and the Eagles would never seriously threaten again. Young would later throw a 3-yard touchdown to wide receiver Jerry Rice
.
's key punt returns enabled the Packers to jump to a 14-0 lead after only 3 offensive plays. On his first punt return, Howard ran 71 yards for a touchdown. He then returned a punt 46 yards to set up quarterback Brett Favre
's 4-yard touchdown to wide receiver Andre Rison
.
Early in the second quarter, defensive back Craig Newsome
's interception set up the Packers third touchdown of the day. Newsome fumbled the ball while being hit during the interception return, but his teammate Sean Jones recovered the ball on the 49ers 15-yard line. Three plays later, Edgar Bennett
's touchdown run increased the Packers lead to 21-0.
Two Green Bay turnovers enabled San Francisco to mount a comeback attempt. First, a 49ers punt bounced into Packers safety Chris Hayes and was recovered San Francisco's Curtis Bailey at the Green Bay 26-yard line. Six plays later, backup quarterback Elvis Grbac
(who had replaced injured starter Steve Young) threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Terry Kirby
with 24 seconds left in the half. Then the Packers fumbled the second half kickoff, and San Francisco defensive back Steve Israel ran the fumble recovery to the Green Bay 4-yard line. On the next play, Grbac's 4-yard touchdown run cut the score to 21-14.
However, the Packers marched 72 yards for another touchdown, in which a fumble by Bennett was recovered in the end zone by wide receiver Antonio Freeman
. Later on, with 5:31 left in the game, Kirby lost a fumble while being tackled by Green Bay defensive back Mike Prior
, and Hayes recovered the ball on the 49ers 32-yard line. 6 plays later, Bennett scored his second touchdown of the game to close out the scoring.
Because the weather dipped in and out of freezing causing both rain and snow, the field got extremely muddy as the game went on causing the Green Bay Press Gazette to call it the "Mud Bowl." Neither team had much success moving the ball on offense due to the field conditions. The Packers, who averaged over 345 yards per game during the season, gained just 210 yards, while the 49ers managed only 196. Bennett was one of the top players of the day with 80 rushing yards and two touchdowns, along with two receptions for 14 yards.
kicker Morten Andersen
missed a last second field goal), overcame a 12-point deficit and scored on six consecutive possessions to upset the Broncos, who had finished the season with an NFL best 13-3 record and were favored to win by over 14 points. Their loss meant that for the second consecutive year the AFC's top seed was eliminated in the divisional round.
Denver dominated the first quarter, scoring two touchdowns while preventing the Jaguars from gaining a single first down. On the Broncos second drive of the game, a 47-yard run by Terrell Davis
gave them a first down on the Jacksonville 2-yard line. The Jaguars kept Denver out of the end zone for the next three plays, but Vaughn Hebron
scored a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down, giving Denver a 6-0 lead after defensive lineman Clyde Simmons
blocked the extra point. Then after forcing a punt, Denver scored another touchdown when Elway connected with tight end Shannon Sharpe
for a 18-yard touchdown pass. But Elway's 2-point conversion pass to Sharpe was incomplete, keeping the score at 12-0.
In the second quarter, Jacksonville stormed back. After a controversial pass interference penalty wiped out a Tory James
interception for Denver, Jacksonville scored 13 points in the second quarter to take the lead at the half, 13-12, with two field goals by kicker Mike Hollis and an 8-yard touchdown by running back Natrone Means.
In the third quarter, Denver was limited to 14 plays for 37 yards. Meanwhile, Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell
connected on a 31-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keenan McCardell
. Hollis later kicked a 22-yard field goal to give Jacksonville a 23-12 lead with less than 11 minutes left in the game. But on Denver's next drive, Davis scored on a 2-yard touchdown run, a successful two-point conversion
shrunk the lead to 23-20. But Jacksonville responded with another touchdown drive, featuring a 29-yard run by Brunell, who later finished the drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jimmy Smith with 3:39 remaining, making the score 30-20. The Broncos then scored on Elway's 15-yard touchdown to wide receiver Ed McCaffrey
with 1:50 left, but they had no timeouts left and were unable to recover the onside kick.
Brunell had the best postseason performance of his career, throwing for 245 yards and 2 touchdowns without an interception, and also rushing for 44 yards. Davis rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 7 passes for 24 yards. It turned out to be the only playoff game of his career in which he didn't rush for 100 yards.
The game was featured as one of the NFL's Greatest Games
as Ambush at Mile High.
gained 166 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns. Martin scored on runs of 2, 78, and 23 yards. Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe
threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to running back Keith Byars
. The Steelers' lone score was Norm Johnson's 29-yard field goal in the third quarter. Pittsburgh quarterback Mike Tomczak
was held to 110 passing yards and intercepted twice in the final postseason game of his career.
then threw two touchdown passes, a 1-yarder to tight end Wesley Walls
and a 10-yarder to wide receiver Willie Green. The Cowboys countered with a 73-yard drive to score on Aikman's 2-yard touchdown pass to running back Daryl Johnston
, but they failed on the extra point attempt and the Panthers lead was only cut to 14-9. A bad snap on a Carolina punt attempt went out of the end zone to give the Cowboys a safety. But Panthers safety Chad Cota intercepted a pass and returned it 49 yards to set up kicker John Kasay
's 24-yard field goal with three seconds in the half, giving Carolina a 17-11 halftime lead. The second half was a battle of field goals with Kasey kicking 3 over Boniol's 2.
recorded 117 yards receiving and 88 yards rushing, including a 29-yard touchdown catch. Quarterback Brett Favre
managed to overcome two early turnovers that set up 10 Carolina points, completing 19 out of 29 passes for 292 yards and 2 touchdowns. Packers running back Edgar Bennett, who recorded 99 rushing yards, scored a touchdown from 4 yards out, and kicker Chris Jacke
added 3 field goals.
Early in the first quarter, Panthers linebacker Sam Mills
intercepted a pass from Favre and returned it to the Packers 3-yard line, setting up Kerry Collins
' 3-yard touchdown pass to fullback Howard Griffith
. Green Bay struck back with Favre's 29-yard touchdown pass to Levens, but after forcing a punt, Carolina lineman Lamar Lathon
recovered a fumble from Favre on the Packers 45-yard line. A few plays later, John Kasay
's 22-yard field goal put the Panthers back in the lead, 10-7.
But after that the Packers dominated the rest of the game. Favre responded by leading Green Bay 71 yards in 15 plays and scoring with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman
. Then on the first play after the ensuing kickoff, safety Tyrone Williams intercepted a pass from Collins on the Packers 38-yard line. Favre's completions to Andre Rison
and Freeman for gains of 23 and 25 yards moved the ball into field goal range, and Jacke's 31-yard field goal finished the drive, giving Green Bay a 17-10 halftime lead.
On the first drive of the second half, Green Bay moved the ball 73 yards in 11 plays and scored with another Jacke field goal. The Panthers managed to respond with an 11-play, 73-yard drive of their own and score with Kasay's second field goal, which cut their deficit to 7 points. But Green Bay stormed right back with a 74-yard touchdown drive, featuring a 66-yard reception by Levens. On the next play, Bennett's 4-yard touchdown run gave the Packers a 27-13 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Jacke's third field goal put the game out of reach.
This game is also the first time since 1991 that the Dallas Cowboys or the San Francisco 49ers did not appear in the NFC Championship Game.
's fumble and returned it 47 yards for the game-clinching touchdown with 2:24 left in the game. The Jaguars were forced to punt on their first possession, but a high snap enabled defensive back Larry Whigham to tackle punter Bryan Barker at the Jacksonville 4-yard line. Moments later, New England running back Curtis Martin scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run. After Jaguars kicker Mike Hollis made a 32-yard field goal, Jacksonville punt returner Chris Hudson's fumble set up Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri
's 29-yard field goal. Vinatieri then added a 20-yard field goal to give New England a 13-3 lead before halftime. Hollis later kicked a 28-yard field goal in the third quarter to cut the lead, 13-6. With under 4 minutes left in the game, the Jaguars reached the New England 5-yard line and attempted to score the game-tying touchdown, but Patriots defensive back Willie Clay
intercepted a Mark Brunell pass in the end zone.
The game was also notable for a power outage (due to the unprecedented power use at and around the stadium due to very cold temperatures) just minutes before halftime, which knocked out much of the lighting of the stadium, as well as most of the power in the surrounding community. (The television broadcast, however, was not affected, and stayed on throughout the outage by using generators.)
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 1996 NFL season
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
led up to Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game played on January 26, 1997, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1996 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers defeated the American...
. This post-season was remarkable in that the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers each made it all the way to their respective conference championships, only two years after their inception into the league as expansion teams.
Bracket
AFC: Jacksonville Jaguars 30, Buffalo Bills 27
The second year Jaguars won their first playoff game in team history as kicker Mike Hollis scored the winning 45-yard field goal with 3:07 left to play. The Bills scored first with quarterback Jim KellyJim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
's 7-yard touchdown pass to running back Thurman Thomas. However, Jacksonville tied the game after defensive end Clyde Simmons
Clyde Simmons
Clyde Simmons, Jr. is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League who played for the Philadelphia Eagles , Arizona Cardinals , Jacksonville Jaguars , Cincinnati Bengals , and the Chicago Bears . He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1991 and 1992...
intercepted Kelly's shovel pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. For the rest of the game, the score see-sawed back and forth: Hollis and 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,...
each scored 2 field goals, Thomas ran for a 2-yard touchdown, Jaguars running back Natrone Means ran for a 30-yard score, Buffalo cornerback Jeff Burris
Jeff Burris
Jeffrey Lamar Burris is a former professional American Football cornerback who played 10 years in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, and the Cincinnati Bengals from 1994 to 2003...
scored on a 38-yard interception return, and Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell
Mark Allen Brunell is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
threw a 2-yard touchdown to Jimmy Smith.
NFC: Dallas Cowboys 40, Minnesota Vikings 15
The Cowboys scored 23 points off of 5 Vikings turnovers. Perhaps the turning point of the game occurred in the first quarter after Dallas took the early 7-0 lead with 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...
's 2-yard touchdown run. Minnesota running back Amp Lee caught a short pass from quarterback Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
and appeared to be on his way for a 43-yard touchdown. But Cowboys safety George Teague
George Teague
George Theo Teague is a former American football player who played free safety in the National Football League with the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and Miami Dolphins.-College:...
caught up with Lee at the 1-yard line and poked the ball out of his hands, and the ball bounced out of the end zone for a touchback. Teague later scored on a 27-yard interception return, 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...
ran for two touchdowns from 37 and 1 yards out, and kicker Chris Boniol made 4 field goals. Johnson threw a 30-yard touchdown to 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 ....
and ran for another, but it was not enough.
This was the last time the Cowboys won a playoff game until January 9, 2010, when they beat the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 2009–10 Wild Card playoff
2009–10 NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs for the 2009 season began on January 9, 2010 and led up to Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida...
34-14.
AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 42, Indianapolis Colts 14
The Steelers blew a 13-point lead in the first half but scored 29 unanswered points in the second half. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh defense held the Colts to 146 total yards of offense. Two field goals by Norm Johnson and a 1-yard touchdown run by Kordell StewartKordell 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...
gave the Steelers the 13-point advantage by the second quarter. However, Indianapolis cornerback Eugene Daniel intercepted Mike Tomczak
Mike Tomczak
Michael John "Mike" Tomczak is a former American football player. Tomczak played quarterback for several NFL teams including the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers....
's pass and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown. Another interception led to a 9-yard touchdown from Colts quarterback 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 wide receiver Aaron Bailey. But the Steelers controlled the rest of the game. Running back Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
, who finished with 102 rushing yards, scored two 1-yard touchdowns, running back Jon Witman recorded a 31-yard touchdown, and Stewart added a 3-yard touchdown. It was the second year in a row the Steelers had eliminated the Colts from the playoffs
NFC: San Francisco 49ers 14, Philadelphia Eagles 0
Although they gained more yards than the 49ers, the Eagles were shut out in a rainy game with 51 miles per hour winds. Kicker Gary Anderson missed a 40-yard field goal attempt on Philadelphia's first possession. In the second quarter, San Francisco quarterback Steve YoungSteve 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...
ran for a 9-yard touchdown that capped off a 75-yard drive. The Eagles then reached the San Francisco 8-yard line, but quarterback Ty Detmer
Ty Detmer
Ty Hubert Detmer is a former National Football League and NCAA quarterback. He starred at Brigham Young University, where he set many records and won the Heisman Trophy in 1990...
threw an interception to defensive back Marquez Pope. The 49ers were forced to punt on their next drive, and Philadelphia advanced to the San Francisco 5-yard line. However, 49ers defensive end Roy Barker intercepted Detmer, and the Eagles would never seriously threaten again. Young would later throw a 3-yard touchdown to 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...
.
Byes
- AFC: Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, New England PatriotsNew England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... - NFC: Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, Carolina PanthersCarolina PanthersThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
NFC: Green Bay Packers 35, San Francisco 49ers 14
The Packers defense forced five turnovers en route to victory, while Desmond HowardDesmond Howard
Desmond Kevin Howard is a former NFL wide receiver, punt returner, and kickoff returner.He played football for the University of Michigan from 1989–1991 and won the Heisman Trophy in 1991...
's key punt returns enabled the Packers to jump to a 14-0 lead after only 3 offensive plays. On his first punt return, Howard ran 71 yards for a touchdown. He then returned a punt 46 yards to set up 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...
's 4-yard touchdown to wide receiver Andre Rison
Andre Rison
Andre Previn Rison is a retired American football wide receiver who played professionally for the National Football League's Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and the Canadian Football League's...
.
Early in the second quarter, 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...
's interception set up the Packers third touchdown of the day. Newsome fumbled the ball while being hit during the interception return, but his teammate Sean Jones recovered the ball on the 49ers 15-yard line. Three plays later, 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 touchdown run increased the Packers lead to 21-0.
Two Green Bay turnovers enabled San Francisco to mount a comeback attempt. First, a 49ers punt bounced into Packers safety Chris Hayes and was recovered San Francisco's Curtis Bailey at the Green Bay 26-yard line. Six plays later, backup quarterback Elvis Grbac
Elvis Grbac
Elvis M. Grbac is a retired American football quarterback who played in the NFL. During his career he was a starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens...
(who had replaced injured starter Steve Young) threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Terry Kirby
Terry Kirby
Terry Gayle Kirby , is a former professional American football player who played ten seasons in the NFL from 1993 to 2002. A 6'1" running back from the University of Virginia...
with 24 seconds left in the half. Then the Packers fumbled the second half kickoff, and San Francisco defensive back Steve Israel ran the fumble recovery to the Green Bay 4-yard line. On the next play, Grbac's 4-yard touchdown run cut the score to 21-14.
However, the Packers marched 72 yards for another touchdown, in which a fumble by Bennett was recovered in the end zone by 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...
. Later on, with 5:31 left in the game, Kirby lost a fumble while being tackled by Green Bay defensive back Mike Prior
Mike Prior
Michael Robert Prior , is a former American professional football player who was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 7th round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 6'0",...
, and Hayes recovered the ball on the 49ers 32-yard line. 6 plays later, Bennett scored his second touchdown of the game to close out the scoring.
Because the weather dipped in and out of freezing causing both rain and snow, the field got extremely muddy as the game went on causing the Green Bay Press Gazette to call it the "Mud Bowl." Neither team had much success moving the ball on offense due to the field conditions. The Packers, who averaged over 345 yards per game during the season, gained just 210 yards, while the 49ers managed only 196. Bennett was one of the top players of the day with 80 rushing yards and two touchdowns, along with two receptions for 14 yards.
AFC: Jacksonville Jaguars 30, Denver Broncos 27
The Wild Card Jaguars, who had barely made the playoffs with a 9-7 record by winning their last 5 games of the season (including their final one when Atlanta FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
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...
missed a last second field goal), overcame a 12-point deficit and scored on six consecutive possessions to upset the Broncos, who had finished the season with an NFL best 13-3 record and were favored to win by over 14 points. Their loss meant that for the second consecutive year the AFC's top seed was eliminated in the divisional round.
Denver dominated the first quarter, scoring two touchdowns while preventing the Jaguars from gaining a single first down. On the Broncos second drive of the game, a 47-yard run by Terrell Davis
Terrell Davis
Terrell Lamar Davis is a former American football running back who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League from 1995 to 2001. Davis was drafted by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Davis is the Denver Broncos all-time leading rusher, with 7,607 rushing...
gave them a first down on the Jacksonville 2-yard line. The Jaguars kept Denver out of the end zone for the next three plays, but Vaughn Hebron
Vaughn Hebron
Vaughn Harlen Hebron is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos.-Early life:...
scored a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down, giving Denver a 6-0 lead after defensive lineman Clyde Simmons
Clyde Simmons
Clyde Simmons, Jr. is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League who played for the Philadelphia Eagles , Arizona Cardinals , Jacksonville Jaguars , Cincinnati Bengals , and the Chicago Bears . He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1991 and 1992...
blocked the extra point. Then after forcing a punt, Denver scored another touchdown when Elway connected with tight end Shannon Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe is a former American Football tight end who played for the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. Sharpe is known for his creative commentary and trash talking. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and inducted on August 6, 2011...
for a 18-yard touchdown pass. But Elway's 2-point conversion pass to Sharpe was incomplete, keeping the score at 12-0.
In the second quarter, Jacksonville stormed back. After a controversial pass interference penalty wiped out a Tory James
Tory James
Tory James is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League.James attended Archbishop Shaw High School before going to college at Louisiana State University, and was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
interception for Denver, Jacksonville scored 13 points in the second quarter to take the lead at the half, 13-12, with two field goals by kicker Mike Hollis and an 8-yard touchdown by running back Natrone Means.
In the third quarter, Denver was limited to 14 plays for 37 yards. Meanwhile, Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell
Mark Allen Brunell is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
connected on a 31-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...
. Hollis later kicked a 22-yard field goal to give Jacksonville a 23-12 lead with less than 11 minutes left in the game. But on Denver's next drive, Davis scored on a 2-yard touchdown run, a successful two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
shrunk the lead to 23-20. But Jacksonville responded with another touchdown drive, featuring a 29-yard run by Brunell, who later finished the drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jimmy Smith with 3:39 remaining, making the score 30-20. The Broncos then scored on Elway's 15-yard touchdown to wide receiver Ed McCaffrey
Ed McCaffrey
Edward Thomas McCaffrey is a former American football wide receiver who played for the New York Giants , San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos of the National Football League...
with 1:50 left, but they had no timeouts left and were unable to recover the onside kick.
Brunell had the best postseason performance of his career, throwing for 245 yards and 2 touchdowns without an interception, and also rushing for 44 yards. Davis rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 7 passes for 24 yards. It turned out to be the only playoff game of his career in which he didn't rush for 100 yards.
The game was featured as one of 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...
as Ambush at Mile High.
AFC: New England Patriots 28, Pittsburgh Steelers 3
The Patriots blew out the Steelers, 28-3, with 346 yards of total offense. Running back Curtis MartinCurtis Martin
Curtis James Martin, Jr. is a former American football running back. He is an alumnus of Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh...
gained 166 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns. Martin scored on runs of 2, 78, and 23 yards. Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe
Drew 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...
threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to running back Keith Byars
Keith Byars
Keith Alan Byars is an American sports broadcaster and former American football player in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets.-Early life:...
. The Steelers' lone score was Norm Johnson's 29-yard field goal in the third quarter. Pittsburgh quarterback Mike Tomczak
Mike Tomczak
Michael John "Mike" Tomczak is a former American football player. Tomczak played quarterback for several NFL teams including the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers....
was held to 110 passing yards and intercepted twice in the final postseason game of his career.
NFC: Carolina Panthers 26, Dallas Cowboys 17
The second-year Panthers held Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman to 165 passing yards and forced three interceptions en route to their first playoff win in team history. On offense, running back Anthony Johnson was their top performer with 104 rushing yards and a 9-yard reception. Dallas scored first on kicker Chris Boniol's 22-yard field goal, but wide receiver Michael Irvin was knocked out of the game with a separated shoulder. Carolina quarterback Kerry CollinsKerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
then threw two touchdown passes, a 1-yarder to tight end Wesley Walls
Wesley Walls
Charles Wesley Walls is a former American football tight end who played 14 seasons in the National Football League.-Early career:...
and a 10-yarder to wide receiver Willie Green. The Cowboys countered with a 73-yard drive to score on Aikman's 2-yard touchdown pass to running back Daryl Johnston
Daryl Johnston
Daryl Peter "Moose" Johnston is a former National Football League fullback who played his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 1999.-High school career:...
, but they failed on the extra point attempt and the Panthers lead was only cut to 14-9. A bad snap on a Carolina punt attempt went out of the end zone to give the Cowboys a safety. But Panthers safety Chad Cota intercepted a pass and returned it 49 yards to set up kicker John Kasay
John Kasay
John David Kasay is an American football kicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
's 24-yard field goal with three seconds in the half, giving Carolina a 17-11 halftime lead. The second half was a battle of field goals with Kasey kicking 3 over Boniol's 2.
NFC Championship: Green Bay Packers 30, Carolina Panthers 13
The Packers recorded 201 rushing yards and 476 total yards of offense. Green Bay running back Dorsey LevensDorsey 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...
recorded 117 yards receiving and 88 yards rushing, including a 29-yard touchdown catch. 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...
managed to overcome two early turnovers that set up 10 Carolina points, completing 19 out of 29 passes for 292 yards and 2 touchdowns. Packers running back Edgar Bennett, who recorded 99 rushing yards, scored a touchdown from 4 yards out, and 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....
added 3 field goals.
Early in the first quarter, Panthers linebacker Sam Mills
Sam Mills
Samuel Davis "Sam" Mills, Jr. was an American football linebacker who played twelve seasons in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers.-Early life:...
intercepted a pass from Favre and returned it to the Packers 3-yard line, setting up Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
' 3-yard touchdown pass to fullback Howard Griffith
Howard Griffith
Howard Griffith is a retired American football fullback who spent 11 seasons in the NFL . While at the University of Illinois, Howard set the NCAA record for touchdowns in a game with eight. It occurred on September 8, 1990 against Southern Illinois University...
. Green Bay struck back with Favre's 29-yard touchdown pass to Levens, but after forcing a punt, Carolina lineman Lamar Lathon
Lamar Lathon
Lamar Lavante Lathon is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 1st round of the 1990 NFL Draft. A 6'3", 249 lbs...
recovered a fumble from Favre on the Packers 45-yard line. A few plays later, John Kasay
John Kasay
John David Kasay is an American football kicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
's 22-yard field goal put the Panthers back in the lead, 10-7.
But after that the Packers dominated the rest of the game. Favre responded by leading Green Bay 71 yards in 15 plays and scoring with a 6-yard touchdown pass to 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...
. Then on the first play after the ensuing kickoff, safety Tyrone Williams intercepted a pass from Collins on the Packers 38-yard line. Favre's completions to Andre Rison
Andre Rison
Andre Previn Rison is a retired American football wide receiver who played professionally for the National Football League's Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and the Canadian Football League's...
and Freeman for gains of 23 and 25 yards moved the ball into field goal range, and Jacke's 31-yard field goal finished the drive, giving Green Bay a 17-10 halftime lead.
On the first drive of the second half, Green Bay moved the ball 73 yards in 11 plays and scored with another Jacke field goal. The Panthers managed to respond with an 11-play, 73-yard drive of their own and score with Kasay's second field goal, which cut their deficit to 7 points. But Green Bay stormed right back with a 74-yard touchdown drive, featuring a 66-yard reception by Levens. On the next play, Bennett's 4-yard touchdown run gave the Packers a 27-13 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Jacke's third field goal put the game out of reach.
This game is also the first time since 1991 that the Dallas Cowboys or the San Francisco 49ers did not appear in the NFC Championship Game.
AFC Championship: New England Patriots 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 6
Patriots cornerback Otis Smith picked up Jaguars running back James StewartJames Stewart (football player)
James Ottis Stewart known as "Little Man," was a running back at his high school of Morristown West High School. Then went to college and, is a former professional American football running back who was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1st round of the 1995 NFL Draft. A 6'1",...
's fumble and returned it 47 yards for the game-clinching touchdown with 2:24 left in the game. The Jaguars were forced to punt on their first possession, but a high snap enabled defensive back Larry Whigham to tackle punter Bryan Barker at the Jacksonville 4-yard line. Moments later, New England running back Curtis Martin scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run. After Jaguars kicker Mike Hollis made a 32-yard field goal, Jacksonville punt returner Chris Hudson's fumble set up Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
's 29-yard field goal. Vinatieri then added a 20-yard field goal to give New England a 13-3 lead before halftime. Hollis later kicked a 28-yard field goal in the third quarter to cut the lead, 13-6. With under 4 minutes left in the game, the Jaguars reached the New England 5-yard line and attempted to score the game-tying touchdown, but Patriots defensive back Willie Clay
Willie Clay
Willie James Clay , is a former American football Defensive back in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, and New Orleans Saints....
intercepted a Mark Brunell pass in the end zone.
The game was also notable for a power outage (due to the unprecedented power use at and around the stadium due to very cold temperatures) just minutes before halftime, which knocked out much of the lighting of the stadium, as well as most of the power in the surrounding community. (The television broadcast, however, was not affected, and stayed on throughout the outage by using generators.)