Bradley Ruzicka

Headline: Lindy Infante becomes the 10th head coach in Green Bay Packers’ history; result is a record tying 12 loss season

Regular Season Record: 4 – 12 (Fifth Place NFC  Division)

Offseason Highlights: On February 3 1988, Lindy Infante was given a five year contract, leaving the position of Cleveland Browns’ Offensive Coordinator and becoming an NFL head coach for the first time, replacing Forrest Gregg as the 10th Head Coach of the Green Bay Packers. General Manager Tom Braatz hired Infante after Michigan State Head Coach George Perles accepted the job, then changed his mind the next day. “Tom Braatz thought he had George Perles,” said future Green Bay President Bob Harlan. “That had been Tom’s first choice. When Perles backed out, Tom went to Lindy as his next coach.”

Infante was the Cincinnati Bengals’ Offensive Coordinator in the early 1980s under Gregg. His offense led the Bengals to the 1981 AFC title and a berth in Super Bowl XVI. During the summer of 1983, Infante became Head Coach of the United States Football League’s (USFL) Jacksonville Bulls, serving as the Bulls’ coach during their 1984 and 1985 spring football seasons. After the USFL folded following its second season, he took over Cleveland’s offense as coordinator during the 1986 and 1987 seasons under Head Coach Marty Schotttenheimer. With Infante calling the plays, the 1987 Browns were the AFC’s second highest scoring offense.

For the second year in a row, Green Bay had a Top 10 draft pick as a result of 1987’s 5-7-1 record. Unlike the 1987 draft, the Packers hit the jackpot with the 7th overall selection in 1988. WR Sterling Sharpe out of the University of South Carolina would go on to become the best Packers’ receiver since Don Hutson. Before his career ended prematurely due to a neck injury in 1994, Sharpe would start 112 out of 112 games, catch 595 passes for 8,134 yards (13.7 yards per catch) and 65 touchdowns, become a five time Pro Bowl and a three time All-Pro selection, lead the NFL in receptions three times, and lead the league in touchdown receptions twice.

The only other 1998 draft choice of note was Green Bay’s second 4th round pick, S Chuck Cecil (89th overall). Cecil played five of his seven seasons with the Packers, started 42 out of 65 games, intercepted 13 passes, and was named to one Pro Bowl, before retiring from the Houston Oilers in 1995 due to the effects of multiple concussions. Other than Sharpe and Cecil, out of 12 selections, including two 3rd and two 4th round choices, none made a significant contribution.

The 1988 NFL draft yielded five future Pro Football Hall of Famers; 1st round and 6th overall selection, Notre Dame WR Tim Brown (Los Angeles Raiders), 1st round and 11th overall selection, University of Miami WR Michael Irvin (Dallas Cowboys), 1st round and 19th overall selection, Arizona State University OG Randall McDaniel (Minnesota Vikings), 2nd round and 40th overall selection, Oklahoma State RB Thurman Thomas (Buffalo Bills), and 2nd round and 44th overall selection, Kentucky C Dermontti Dawson (Pittsburgh Steelers).

Of note, not long after the 1987 season, Owner Bill Bidwell agreed to move the St. Louis Cardinals to the Phoenix area on a handshake deal with state and local officials. On March 16 1988, NFL owners approved the move. Thus, the team became the Phoenix Cardinals beginning with the 1988 season. In 1994, the franchise changed to its current name of Arizona Cardinals due to fan preference. The overall mediocrity of the Cardinals in St. Louis (just three playoff appearances in 28 years), combined with a then 21 year old stadium, caused game attendance to dwindle. Despite public apathy, hard core Cardinals fans were unhappy at losing their team, and Bidwill, fearing for his safety, stayed away from several of the 1987 home games.

Regular Season Highlights: Although the Green Bay Packers head coach was new, the outcome was the same. Green Bay finished at 4-12, last in the NFL Central Division, behind the 12-4 Chicago Bears, the 11-5 Minnesota Vikings, the 5-11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the 4-12 Detroit Lions. Detroit finished fourth in the division based on their head-to-head sweep of the Packers.

It didn’t take long for the 1988 Packers to crush fans hopes for a fresh start. After a 1-2-1 preseason, Green Bay dropped their first five regular season games, including blowout home losses to the Los Angeles Rams in the season opener (34-7) and Chicago (24-6) in Week 4. Starting QB Randy Wright, in his fifth season, was replaced by second year QB Don Majkowski for the Packers’ Week 6 contest against the New England Patriots after suffering a groin injury. Whether or not as a result of the change, Lindy Infante got his first win as Green Bay’s head coach in spectacular fashion.

The Packers crushed the Patriots, 45-3, in Milwaukee County Stadium. Second year RB Brent Fullwood rushed for 118 yards on just 14 carries, scoring three touchdowns. Majkowski added a passing touchdown, threw for 210 yards, and earned a QB Rating of 106.2. On the day, Green Bay’s offense gained 399 total yards, 207 of those on the ground. The defense also had its best day of the year, picking off five New England passes. Majkowski started again in Week 7 against Minnesota and the Packers won their second in a row, routing the Vikings, 34-14, on the road. Like the previous week, the defense played well, forcing five turnovers, four of them fumbles.

But success was fleeting, as Green Bay proceeded to loss their next seven games, leaving them with a 2-12 record. Majkowski continued to start, but with limited success, including three shutouts in five games. Wright took back the starting job in Week 14, a 30-14 road loss to Detroit. But Majkowski again replaced Wright the next week after he reinjured his groin during the Packers surprising 18-6 victory over Minnesota in Lambeau Field, their final home game of the year. Majkowski subsequently started the season finale, a road win over the newly relocated Phoenix Cardinals, 26-17.

The end of another disappointing campaign marked the end of the Randy Wright era in Green Bay. Wright started seven games, completing 141 out of 244 attempts (57.8%) for 1,490 yards, 4 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a QB Rating of only 58.9, before being released prior to the 1989 season. Majkowski emerged as Infante’s No. 1 signal caller. However, he didn’t exactly set the world on fire, completing 178 out of 336 attempts (53.0%) for 2,119 yards, 9 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a 67.8 QB Rating. In addition to being the Packers leading passer, Majkowski was Green Bay’s second leading rusher, with 225 yards on 47 attempts.

Rookie WR Sterling Sharpe was the team’s leading receiver, with 55 catches for 791 yards (14.4 yards per reception) and 1 touchdown, followed by second year WR Perry Kemp, with 48 catches for 620 yards. Kemp was in his first season with the Packers after playing for the Cleveland Browns in 1987. Fullwood was the Packers leading rusher, with 101 attempts for 483 yards and 7 touchdowns. His 4.8 yards per carry average ranked 4th in the league.

Fullwood was also Green Bay’s top kickoff return man as well as the team’s leading scorer, with 48 points, due to a revolving door at placekicker over the course of the season. A combination of ineffectiveness and injuries saw a procession of players come and go, including Max Zendejas (8 games, 44 points), Dale Dawson (4 games, 10 points), Dean Dorsey (3 games, 6 points), and Curtis Burrow (1 game, 2 points). Zendejas, who took over for Al Del Greco during the 1987 season, was released in October after connecting on only 9 out of 16 field goals (56.3%) and 17 out of 19 extra points in 1988.

Dawson was next signed but released just four games later. Dorsey was subsequently picked up but lasted only three games, let go after missing two field goals against Chicago on November 27 and an extra point against Minnesota on December 11. Burrow became the last man standing, signed to finish the season against the Cardinals. Like 1987, fourth year P Don Bracken was busy once again, punting 85 times for 3,387 yards, ranking 6th and 9th in the NFL respectively.

On defense, Green Bay was respectable given the difficulties on offense. Third year LB Tim Harris led Green Bay with 13.5 sacks, 5th in the league. Overall, Green Bay’s offense finished a lowly 26 out of 28 teams in scoring (240) and rushing yards (1,379) while finishing 13th in passing (3,285). Defensively, the Packers finished 20th against the run (2,110), 5th against the pass (2,733), and 13th in scoring defense, allowing 315 points, slightly worse than 1987.

Chicago tied for the NFL’s best record at 12-4, winning the NFC Central title and the NFC’s top playoff seed. The Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers finished with 10-6 records, winning the NFC East and West titles respectively. San Francisco was the second seed and Philadelphia the third seed, based on the 49ers’ better record against common opponents (6-3 to Eagles’ 5-4). The 11-5 Vikings (fourth seed) and the 10-6 Rams (fifth seed) were the NFC’s Wild Card teams.

Philadelphia finished first in the NFC East, based on a head-to-head sweep of the 10-6 New York Giants, while San Francisco finished first in the NFC West based on a better head-to-head record (3-1) against Los Angeles (2-2) and the 10-6 New Orleans Saints (1-3). The Rams finished second in the NFC West based on a better division record (4-2) than New Orleans (3-3) and earned the last NFC Wild Card based on a better conference record (8-4) than the Giants (9-5) and the Saints (6-6). The World Champion Washington Redskins finished at 7-9, becoming the seventh team in NFL history to enter a season as the defending Super Bowl champion and miss the playoffs.

The Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills tied Chicago for the best record in the NFL at 12-4, wining the AFC East and Central titles respectively. Cincinnati was the top AFC playoff seed and Buffalo the second seed, based on a head-to-head victory during Week 13. The Seattle Seahawks finished at 9-7, winning the AFC West title and the third playoff seed. The Cleveland Browns (fourth seed) and the Houston Oilers (fifth seed) were the AFC Wild Card teams at 10-6. Cleveland finished ahead of Houston in the AFC Central based on a better division record (4-2 to Oilers’ 3-3).

Playoff races came down to the final day. Seattle won their first AFC West title in franchise history by one game over the 1987 AFC Champion Denver Broncos. Philadelphia and San Francisco won their respective divisions in a five-way tie that included the Giants, Rams, and Saints, with New Orleans and New York losing the final NFC Wild Card berth to Los Angeles on tiebreakers. For Buffalo, it was their first winning season and first playoff berth since 1981, their first 12 win season since the 1964 AFL Championship season, and only their fifth double digit win total in team history. The Eagles were also making their first playoff appearances since 1981.

Of note, 1988 marked the final season for legendary Dallas Cowboys’ Head Coach Tom Landry, the only head coach the Cowboys had ever known since the team’s creation in 1960. Landry compiled a 270-178-6 record, the third most wins all time for an NFL coach, behind only the Miami Dolphins’ Don Shula and the Chicago Bears’ George Halas. Landry’s accomplishments included 20 consecutive winning seasons during his 29 years with Dallas, an NFL record.

Landry also won two Super Bowl titles (VI, XII), five NFC titles, and 13 Divisional titles. His 20 career playoff victories are the second most of any coach in NFL history, behind only the New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick. Unfortunately, Dallas finished the 1988 season at 3-13, the worst record in the NFL, earning the Cowboys the No. 1 pick in the 1989 draft. It was the fourth time in five years that Dallas had missed the playoffs, as well as their third consecutive losing season.

Nonetheless, in February 1989, Landry remained determined to coach into the 1990s “unless I get fired”, having one year left on a contract that paid him $1 million a season. However, on February 26 1989, Landry was dismissed as head coach shortly after Owner Bum Bright sold the team to new Owner Jerry Jones. Jones subsequently hired Jimmy Johnson, his former teammate at the University of Arkansas and current coach of the University of Miami, as the new Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Cincinnati QB Boomer Esiason won the 1988 NFL Most Valuable Player Award. San Francisco RB Roger Craig won Offensive Player of the Year, while Chicago LB Mike Singletary won Defensive Player of the Year. New England RB John Stephens won Offensive Rookie of the Year, while New York Jets S Erik McMillan won Defensive Rookie of the Year. Chicago Head Coach Mike Ditka won Coach of the Year for the second time in four years.

Post Season Highlights: In the AFC Wild Card Playoffs, the Houston Oilers traveled to Cleveland Stadium to play the Cleveland Browns. Meanwhile, in the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings hosted the Los Angeles Rams in the HHH Metrodome. The winners would advance to their respective Divisional Playoffs. Due to Christmas, the two wild card playoff games were held over a span of three days.

On December 24, in a brutal game in which both teams combined for 22 penalties, including four personal fouls, Houston Oilers’ CB Richard Johnson’s interception set up K Tony Zendejas’ game clinching 49 yard field goal with 1:54 left in the game.

On the second play of the game, Cleveland DB Felix Wright intercepted a pass from Houston’s Pro Bowl QB Warren Moon. Wright returned it 13 yards to set up the first score of the game, a 33 yard field goal by K Matt Bahr, for a 3-0 lead. The Oilers responded with a 91 yard possession that consumed 9:44, ending on Moon’s 14 yard touchdown pass to RB Allen Pinkett, for a 7-3 lead. On the first play of the Browns next drive, former Miami Dolphins’ QB Don Strock, filling in for injured starter Bernie Kosar and starting in a playoff game for the first time in his 16 year career, fumbled the snap.

Houston DE Richard Byrd recovered the fumble. Strock sprained his wrist going after the ball and was replaced by third string QB Mike Pagel. In his seventh NFL season and his third with Cleveland, he would now lead the offense. Meanwhile, the Oilers scored on their first play after the turnover, with Pinkett’s 16 yard touchdown burst, upping their advantage to 14-3. They had a chance to make it 21-3 near the end of the half, but Wright picked off another Moon pass in the end zone.

Pagel led his team 71 yards to score on Bahr’s second field goal of the day, a 26 yarder, cutting the deficit to 14-6. Bahr added one more field goal before the end of the half, a 28 yarder, to further cut the score to 14-9 at halftime. In the third quarter, Moon threw his third interception of the day. The Browns took over on the Oiler 11 yard line and eventually scored on Pagel’s 14 yard touchdown pass to WR Webster Slaughter, giving Cleveland the lead at 16-14. However, Houston came back, marching 76 yards for the go ahead score.

Moon completed passes to WRs Jamie Williams and Drew Hill for gains of 14 and 18 yards, while Pinkett chipped in a 27 yard carry. Rookie RB Lorenzo White capped off the drive with a 1 yard rushing touchdown, giving the lead back to the Oilers, 21-16. After that, Houston stopped the Browns on their next two drives, including Johnson’s pick that set up Zendejas 49 yard field goal, increasing the Oilers lead to 24-16 with less than two minutes left in the game.

Cleveland now needed two scores to win. Pagel led the Browns 71 yards to score on a 2 yard pass to Slaughter, cutting the deficit to 24-23 with 31 seconds left. Cleveland attempted an onside kick, which they failed to recover, but got another chance as a result of a Houston penalty. The Browns then recovered a second onside kick, but had to do it over again due to a penalty. Finally, on the third try, Cleveland was penalized for touching the ball before it went 10 yards, giving the Oilers the ball and a 24-23 win.

On December 26, Minnesota Vikings’ S Joey Browner recorded two interceptions in the first quarter, setting up a two touchdown lead, from which the Los Angeles Rams could never recover.

Browner’s first interception of third year Los Angeles’ QB Jim Everett led to a Minnesota 73 yard drive, featuring QB Wade Wilson’s 34 yard completion to reserve WR Jim Gustafso. The drive was capped by an Alfred Anderson 7 yard rushing touchdown for a 7-0 lead. Then, on the first play of the Rams next possession, Browner intercepted another Everett pass, returning it 14 yards to the Los Angeles 17 yard line. RB Allen Rice subsequently took it in for a touchdown on the next play, extending the Vikings lead to 14-0.

In the second quarter, the Rams had three chances to score but managed to do so only once. First, K Mike Lansford missed a 41 yard field attempt. Then the team drove to a 3rd and 1 on the Minnesota 30 yard line before being stopped for no gain on consecutive running plays. But, just before halftime, Everett led his team 70 yards to cut the lead to 14-7 with his 3 yard touchdown pass to TE Damone Johnson. The Vikings took the second half kickoff and moved the ball all the way to the end zone, with a 1 yard touchdown by Anderson, going back up by two touchdowns, 21-7.

The Rams countered with a 33 yard field goal from Lansford to cut the lead to 21-10. However, in the fourth quarter, Wilson completed a 44 yard pass to WR Anthony Carter, down to the Los Angeles 5 yard line. On the next play, Wilson threw a 5 yard touchdown pass to TE Carl Hilton, giving Minnesota a 28-10 lead, essentially putting the game out of reach. The Rams managed one more touchdown with 1:11 left in the game, on Everett’s 11 yard throw to TE Pete Holohan, but Browner recovered Los Angeles’ onside kick attempt. The Vikings subsequently ran out the clock for a 28-17 victory.

In the Divisional Playoffs, the NFC Central Champion and top seed Chicago Bears hosted the NFC East Champion Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field. The AFC West Champion Seattle Seahawks traveled to Riverfront Stadium to play the AFC Central Champion and top seed Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile, the AFC East Champion Buffalo Bills hosted the AFC’s Wild Card winner, the Houston Oilers, in Rich Stadium. The NFC’s Wild Card winner, the Minnesota Vikings, traveled to Candlestick Park to play the NFC West Champion San Francisco 49ers. The winners would advance to their respective Conference Championship games.

On December 31, in a game known as the “Fog Bowl”, the Chicago Bears defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in a contest in which a heavy, dense fog rolled over Chicago’s Soldier Field during the second quarter, cutting visibility to between 15 and 20 yards for the rest of the game.

Chicago scored first, with QB Mike Tomczak’s 64 yard touchdown pass to WR Dennis McKinnon, for a 7-0 lead. The Eagles responded by driving to the Bear 26 yard line, but K Luis Zendejas missed a 43 yard field goal attempt. Philadelphia quickly got the ball back after LB Seth Joyner picked off a Tomczak pass. This time, the Eagles managed to score on Zendejas’ 42 yard field goal, but only after committing two costly mistakes; twice on the drive Philadelphia had touchdowns nullified by penalties.

Chicago drove to the Eagles’ 33 yard line on their ensuing drive, but it stalled. Kevin Butler missed a 51 yard field goal attempt, giving the ball back to Philadelphia with great field position. Veteran QB Randall Cunningham, in his fourth season, then led the Eagles inside the Bear 20 yard line, where Zendejas kicked a 29 yard field goal, cutting the deficit to one point, 7-6. Two possessions later, Chicago drove 44 yards and scored on RB Neal Anderson’s 4 yard touchdown, giving the Bears a 14-6 lead.

Both teams scored another field goal before halftime, a 46 yarder by Butler and a 30 yarder by Zendejas, and the teams went into their respective locker rooms with Chicago leading 17-9. By the time the second half began, the heavy fog made it extremely difficult for either team to move the ball. Each would only score a short field goal in the second half. A 35 yarder by Zendejas in the third quarter cut the deficit to 17-12. A 27 yarder by Butler in the fourth quarter sealed a 20-12 Bears victory.

Later that day, the Seattle Seahawks’ defense completely shut down Cincinnati Bengals’ QB Boomer Esiason, the NFL’s top rated quarterback, limiting him to just 7 completions out of 19 attempts for 108 yards. But Seattle was unable to contain Cincinnati on the ground. The Bengals recorded 254 rushing yards, 126 of them from RB Ickey Woods, for a franchise postseason record. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati defense held Seattle to a mere 18 yards rushing.

Nearly half of Esiason’s passing yards on the day came from two completions on their opening possession; a 30 yarder to WR Chris Collinsworth and a 23 yard leaping catch by WR Eddie Brown. The Bengals consumed 5:49 with an 11 play, 85 yard drive, scoring on Wilson’s 3 yard touchdown, for a 7-0 lead. Following an exchange of punts, Cincinnati intercepted a long pass from nine year veteran QB Dave Krieg on the Seahawks’ 25 yard line. TE Rodney Holman subsequently caught 2 passes for 20 yards from Esiason and RB James Brooks ripped off a 26 yard burst.

The Bengals ultimately drove to a 14-0 lead on Wilson’s second 3 yard touchdown, just over four minutes into the second quarter. Seattle was forced into a three and out on their next possession and the Seahawks punt gave Cincinnati possession on their 44 yard line. On the next play, Woods took a handoff and raced down the right sideline for a 30 yard carry to the Seattle 26 yard line. Then, Brooks ran the ball 17 yards to the 9 yard line. Wilson got the ball again, slicing through the middle for an 8 yard gain.

The Seahawks defense managed to stuff Woods for no gain on the next play. However, Woods subsequently scored a 1 yard touchdown, giving the Bengals a 21-0 lead with 7:40 left in the half. At the end of Cincinnati’s next drive, Seattle finally got a chance to score, when the Bengals muffed a punt and the Seahawks recovered on the Cincinnati 24 yard line. Two plays later, Krieg’s 14 yard completion to RB John L. Williams brought up 1st and goal. But, on the next play, DT Tim Krumrie stripped the ball from Williams and DE Jim Skow recovered, to keep the score 21-0 at halftime.

Cincinnati had dominated the first half, massively outgaining Seattle in rushing yards (167-0), total yards (241-49), first downs (16-3), and time of possession (20:35-9:25). Midway through the third quarter, the Seahawks drove deep into Bengals territory, aided by a 23 yard reception by Williams from Krieg and a 24 yard pass interference penalty. But, once again, Seattle failed to score, when DB Ray Horton broke up Krieg’s pass on 4th and goal from the 2 yard line. Cincinnati then drove to the Seahawks 3 yard line, featuring a 24 yard catch by Holman.

But the Bengals also turned the ball over on downs as Woods was dropped for a 1 yard gain on 4th and 2 with under a minute left in the third quarter. Early in the final period, Seattle forced a fumble while sacking Esiason and DE Joe Nash recovered it. With the ball on the Cincinnati 31 yard line, Seattle attempted a fourth quarter comeback. Krieg started off the drive with a pair of completions to rookie WR Brian Blades and TE John Spagnola, for gains of 17 and 7 yards. Eventually, the Seahawks converted a 4th and 3 with a 7 yard touchdown pass to Williams, cutting the score to 21-7 with 11:40 left in the game.

Next, after forcing a Bengal punt, Seattle drove 69 yards, including a 32 yard reception by WR Ray Butler, to score on Krieg’s 1 yard touchdown at the 6:04 mark. But K Norm Johnson missed the extra point, keeping his team behind by two scores at 21-13. Later in the quarter, Cincinnati P Lee Johnson essentially put the game away with a 43 yard kick that pinned the Seahawks back at their own 2 yard line with just over two minutes remaining. Seattle subsequently turned the ball over on downs, preserving a 21-13 Bengals victory.

On January 1 1989, the Buffalo Bills dominated the Houston Oilers for the majority of the game, blocking a punt, converting a turnover into the game clinching field goal, and forcing a turnover on Houston’s final drive, to defeat their comeback attempt.

On the first drive of the game, Buffalo drove to the Houston 18 yard line. But a bad snap on third down pushed them back to the 32 yard line, and K Scott Norwood came up short on a 50 yard field goal attempt. The Oilers then moved the ball to the Bills’ 32 yard line. But QB Warren Moon, in his fifth year with Houston, was sacked for a 13 yard loss by DE Bruce Smith. Out of field goal range, P Greg Montgomery’s kick was blocked, allowing the Buffalo to take over on the Oilers’ 46 yard line.

QB Jim Kelly, in just his third season with Buffalo, subsequently completed two passes to WR Trumaine Johnson for 28 yards. The drive ended with RB Robb Riddick’s 1 yard touchdown for a 7-0 Bills lead. Houston responded by driving 71 yards for a score. Moon completed a 21 yard pass to WR Drew Hill and RB Alonzo Highsmith rushed for a 31 yard gain, to score with a 35 yard field goal from K Tony Zendejas, cutting their deficit to 7-3. Following a punt, the Oilers threatened to score again with a drive to the Buffalo 25 yard line.

But Smith blocked Zendejas’ second field goal attempt and the score remained 7-3 at halftime. In the third quarter, Houston got another scoring opportunity when they intercepted Kelly’s pass on the Bills’ 47 yard line. Moon led his team inside the 5 yard line but, after an errant pitchout lost 12 yards, Zendejas missed another field goal try, this one from 31 yards. Following an exchange of punts, Buffalo drove 59 yards in 6 plays with Kelly completing a pass to WR Chris Burkett for 26 yards and running for 10 yards. The Bills scored on rookie RB Thurman Thomas’ 11 yard rushing touchdown for a 14-3 lead.

Near the end of the period, Kelly’s 55 yard completion to WR Andre Reed gave Buffalo a 1st and goal on the Oilers’ 2 yard line. But Houston’s defense made a big goal line stand, keeping the Bills out of the end zone for four consecutive plays, to force a turnover on downs. Two plays after the turnover, Buffalo intercepted a Moon pass and returned it 28 yards to the Oilers’ 18 yard line. Norwood’s 27 yard field goal subsequently increased the Bills lead to 17-3. Buffalo’s defense then forced another turnover on Houston’s ensuing drive. WR Haywood Jeffries fumbled on the Oilers’ 26 yard line and the Bills recovered.

Buffalo now had a chance to put the game away but Norwood hit the uprights on a 36 yard field goal attempt. Moon then completed four passes, including 29 yards to WR Leonard Harris, on a 9 play, 80 yard drive. A pass interference penalty in the end zone moved the ball to the Bills’ 1 yard line. RB Mike Rozier subsequently scored a touchdown, cutting the lead to just seven points, 17-10, with over five minutes left in the game. Houston then forced a punt with two minutes remaining, but Buffalo forced a fumble on the return, allowing them to run out the clock for a 17-10 win.

Meanwhile, San Francisco 49ers’ QB Joe Montana threw for 178 yards and 3 touchdowns, RB Roger Craig rushed for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns, and DB Ronnie Lott added two interceptions, avenging the previous year’s upset loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Overall, the 49ers gained 376 yards, including 201 on the ground, while holding the Vikings to 262 yards, sacking QB Wade Wilson six times.

Minnesota scored first on a 51 yard, 12 play drive that ended with K Chuck Nelson’s 47 yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. But, later in the quarter, John Taylor’s 14 yard punt return, and a penalty against the Vikings, gave the 49ers the ball on Minnesota’s 48 yard line. From there, Montana threw his first touchdown of the game to Rice on a 2 yard pass, giving San Francisco a 7-3 lead. On the next series, Lott’s first interception of a Wilson pass gave the 49ers a first down on the Vikings’ 30 yard line.

Rice started off their drive with a 21 yard run on a double reverse play and eventually caught a 4 yard touchdown pass, giving San Francisco a 14-3 second quarter lead. Rice added a third touchdown catch with 38 seconds left in the half, increasing the team’s lead to 21-3. Minnesota scored on their first possession of the second half, with Wilson’s 5 yard pass to WR Hassan Jones, but Nelson missed the extra point. Minnesota would get no closer than 21-9. In the fourth quarter, Craig finished off an 80 yard drive with a 4 yard touchdown, and scored an NFL postseason record 80 yard touchdown run on San Francisco’s next drive, for a 34-9 victory.

On January 8, the AFC Championship Game pitted the Buffalo Bills against the Cincinnati Bengals in Riverfront Stadium. Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers played the Chicago Bears for the NFC Championship in Soldier Field.

In the AFC, the Cincinnati Bengals forced three interceptions while allowing only 45 and 136 rushing and passing yards respectively. The Bengals offense held the ball for 39:29 to defeat the Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo started their first drive on the 46 yard line but it soon ended with a Cincinnati interception off QB Jim Kelly. On the next play, QB Boomer Esiason’s 29 yard run moved the Bengals into scoring range. However, Cincinnati’s drive ended up with no points, when Esiason’s pass was intercepted by Bills’ LB Ray Bentley. Later, the Bengals took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter after DB Eric Thomas’ 26 yard interception return of a second Kelly pass to the Bills’ 4 yard line, setting up RB Ickey Woods’ 1 yard touchdown.

However, a 15 yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Cincinnati after the touchdown was assessed on the ensuing kickoff. As a result, Buffalo had good field position on their 43 yard line. Kelly then led the Bills back with four straight completions, starting out with a pair of throws to WR Andre Reed, for gains of 9 and 19 yards. Kelly next hooked up with WR Trumaine Johnson for a 22 yard gain, to the Bengals’ 9 yard line. On the next play, Kelly found Reed in the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown, tying the game, 7-7. Following a punt, Buffalo drove to Cincinnati’s 26 yard line, only to have K Scott Norwood miss a 43 yard field goal attempt.

The Bengals then took over and stormed down the field on an 11 play, 74 yard drive. A 16 yard burst by Woods ultimately set-up a 10 yard touchdown reception by RB James Brooks from Esiason for a 14-7 lead. Later on, Bills’ DB Mark Kelso intercepted an Esiason pass and returned it 25 yards to Cincinnati’s 29 yard line, setting up a 39 yard field goal by Norwood. This cut Buffalo’s deficit to 14-10 at halftime. But the Bengals took over the game in the second half, forcing the Bills to start all of their drives from inside their own 23 yard line.

Cincinnati held Buffalo to 9:04 time of possession, 53 yards, 2 first downs, and 0 points. On their first three drives of the second half, the Bills totaled −12 yards. Midway through the third quarter, the Bengals pinned Buffalo at their own 1 yard line with a 58 yard punt. The Bills went three and out and  Cincinnati returned their punt to the Bengal 40 yard line. Three plays into the ensuing drive, Cincinnati faced a 4th and 4.

But RB Stanley Wilson ran 6 yards for a first down on a fake punt, enabling the Bengals to keep their drive alive. Later on, Buffalo was penalized for a personal foul, turning what would have been a 3rd and goal from the 8 yard line into a 1st and goal from the 4 yard line. The Bengals subsequently scored on Woods’ 1 yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, increasing their lead to 21-10. The Bills later managed a drive to the Cincinnati 18 yard line, but the Bengals picked off a desperate fourth down pass from Kelly in the end zone, preserving a 21-10 victory.

Meanwhile, despite playing in a game time temperature of 17°F, a wind chill of −26°F, and wind gusts up to 30 mph, the San Francisco 49ers scored a touchdown in every quarter. The 49ers gained 406 total yards while limiting Chicago Bears’ QB Jim McMahon, in his seventh and final season with the Bears, to just 121 passing yards with no touchdowns and 1 interception.

San Francisco QB Joe Montana threw for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns, including 9 of 15 for 199 yards and 2 scores in the first half. After the first five possessions of the game ended in punts, the 49ers faced a third and long from their own 39 yard line. Despite the high winds, Montana completed a long pass to WR Jerry Rice, who beat double coverage, to score a 61 yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead. Midway through the second quarter, San Francisco DB Jeff Fuller intercepted a McMahon pass on the 49ers’ 36 yard line.

San Francisco subsequently moved the ball 64 yards, including Rice’s 20 yard catch and RB Tom Rathman’s 12 yard run. Montana finished the series with a 27 yard touchdown pass to Rice, in which he caught a low slant pass from Montana in stride and scored untouched, increasing their lead to 14-0. Chicago responded with a 25 yard field goal by K Kevin Butler, cutting the 49er lead to 14-3. The Bears then recovered a fumble by San Francisco WR John Taylor on Chicago’s 18 yard line with 2:45 left in the half.

The Bears subsequently advanced to the 49ers 47 yard line but, on third down, CB Don Griffin tackled RB Neal Anderson for a 5 yard loss, forcing a punt. Chicago would not score again. In the third quarter, San Francisco marched 78 yards, including a 17 yard reception by Rice, to score on TE John Frank’s 5 yard touchdown reception from Montana, for a 21-3 lead. The 49ers final score was Rathman’s 4 yard rushing touchdown, giving San Francisco a 28-3 victory.

Thus, for the second time in the 1980s, the San Francisco 49ers would play the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. For San Francisco, it would be their third opportunity for an NFL championship after winning Super Bowl XVI in 1981 and Super Bowl XIX in 1984.

Super Bowl Highlights: On January 22 1989, at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami FL, the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers, led by 10 year veteran Head Coach Bill Walsh, played the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals, led by five year Head Coach Sam Wyche, in Super Bowl XXIII. It was Miami’s first Super Bowl in 10 years, and the first in Joe Robbie Stadium.

For San Francisco, it was their first Super Bowl appearance since 1984, when they defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX. They made the playoffs in the three seasons between Super Bowls, but were eliminated each time in the first round, primarily due to poor performances by their offensive stars. QB Joe Montana, WR Jerry Rice, and RB Roger Craig all failed to produce a single touchdown during those losses. The previous season’s 36-24 playoff loss to the Minnesota Vikings had been a particularly low point for Montana, who had played so poorly that Walsh benched him early in the third quarter.

In the 1988 season, San Francisco won the NFC West, but it was an uphill battle. The team had a brief quarterback controversy, with Montana, now in his 10th season, starting 13 games. Steve Young, completing his second year with the 49ers after spending two years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and his first two professional seasons with the United States Football League (USFL), started three games. But, after a 6-5 start, Montana led San Francisco to wins in four of their final five games to make the playoffs. The 49ers ended the season with five Pro Bowlers and two All-Pro players (Rice and Craig).

Montana completed 238 out of 397 attempts (59.9%) for 2,981 yards, 18 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a 87.9 QB Rating, 6th highest in the NFL. He added 132 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. His favorite target was Rice, who recorded 64 receptions for 1,306 yards (a 20.4 yards per catch average) and 9 touchdowns. Overall, Rice finished 2nd in receiving yards, tied for 3rd in yards per catch, and tied for 5th in receiving touchdowns. Craig was also a key contributor, leading the team in receptions while finishing the season with a total of 2,036 combined rushing and receiving yards, most in the NFL, and 10 touchdowns.

Craig finished 3rd overall in both rushing attempts (310) and yards (1,502) as well as 4th in rushing yards per attempt (4.8). In addition, Craig was 6th in the league in receptions (76). RB Tom Rathman also made a big impact, rushing for 427 yards on 102 attempts and catching 42 passes for 387 yards. San Francisco had a major special teams threat in second year WR John Taylor, who led the NFL in punt return yards (556), yards per return, (12.6), and touchdowns (2). He also gained 228 yards on kickoff returns, and 325 receiving yards on just 14 receptions (23.2 yards per catch). K Mike Cofer scored 121 points, 2nd in the league.

The 49ers’ defense was led by DBs Ronnie Lott and Eric Wright, both in their seventh season, as well as Jeff Fuller and Tim McKyer, recording a combined total of 18 interceptions. McKyer, in just his third year, led the team with 7 interceptions while Lott recorded 5 picks. LB Charles Haley, also in his third season, was a big contributor, with 11.5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries. Overall, San Francisco’s offense finished 2nd in rushing yards (2,523), 10th in passing yards (3,377), and 7th in points scored (369). Their defense finished 3rd against the run (1588), 8th in pass defense (2987), and 8th in points allowed (294).

Cincinnati was also a team on the rebound. Forrest Gregg, head coach in Super Bowl XVI, was replaced by Wyche in 1984. During the 1987 season, QB Boomer Esiason, in his fourth season, and Wyche openly feuded, and the team finished 4-11 after finishing 10-6 the previous year. A lot of Bengals fans would have been happy to see them both leave the team, but they worked out their differences in the offseason. Esiason ended up having an MVP season in 1988, the best of his career, finishing 1st in the NFL in passer rating, 2nd in passing touchdowns, and 4th in passing yards.

During the regular season, Esiason completed 223 out of 388 attempts (57.5%) for 3,572 yards, 28 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, and a QB Rating of 97.4. He also rushed for 248 yards and a touchdown. Cincinnati had a number of offensive weapons, boasting six Pro Bowl selections. WR Eddie Brown was the top receiver on the team, with 54 receptions for 1,273 yards and 9 touchdowns, setting franchise records for most receiving yards in season, highest yards per catch average in a season (24.0), and most receiving yards in a single game (216).

WR Tim McGee and Pro Bowl TE Rodney Holman were also major threats, combining for 75 receptions, 1,213 yards, and 9 touchdowns. Rookie RB Ickey Woods was their top rusher and scorer, running for 1,066 yards on 203 attempts (5.3 yards per carry), catching 21 passes for 199 yards, and scoring 15 touchdowns for a total of 90 points. Woods was first in the NFL in yards per attempt and 2nd in rushing touchdowns. Multi-talented RB James Brooks was also a key contributor, gaining a total of 1,218 combined rushing and receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.

The Bengals’ offensive line was led by such players as OT Anthony Munoz. Muñoz was named the NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year for the third time in his career and was selected to play in the Pro Bowl for the eighth season in a row. With all these weapons, Cincinnati’s offense led the NFL in scoring (448 points), rushing yards (2,710), and total yards (6,302) while finishing 11th in passing yards (3,347). The Bengals’ defense, however, ranked only 18th overall in rushing yards allowed (2,048) and 16th in points allowed (329).

Cincinnati did, however, finish a respectable 10th in passing yards allowed (3,134). The defensive line was led by All-Pro DT Tim Krumrie, in his sixth year, along with Jim Skow (9.5 sacks), David Grant (5 sacks), and Jason Buck (6 sacks). Their linebacking corps was led by 13 year veteran Reggie Williams, one of six players remaining from the 1981 Super Bowl team. Pro Bowl DBs Eric Thomas and David Fulcher, in their second and third seasons respectively, combined for 12 interceptions. Third year veteran CB Lewis Billups added 4 interceptions.

The game started out with devastating injuries on both sides. On the third play of the game, San Francisco OT Steve Wallace was taken off the field with a broken ankle. Later on, Cincinnati’s Tim Krumrie twisted his ankle nearly 180 degrees, shattering two bones in his left leg. After the teams traded punts on their initial possessions, the 49ers, aided by a roughing the passer penalty and a 17 yard screen pass to Tom Rathman, marched 73 yards from their own 3 yard line to the Bengals’ 24 yard line. But dropped passes, including one by Mike Wilson on the 2 yard line, forced them to settle for a 41 yard field goal from Mike Cofer, and a 3-0 lead.

On San Francisco’s next drive, Montana threw a pass to Jerry Rice, who first tipped it to himself, and then made a one handed catch, before stepping out of bounds at the 49ers’ 45 yard line. After reaching the Cincinnati 42 yard line, Montana completed another pass to Rice at the 10 yard line. But two plays later, the Bengals David Fulcher made a touchdown saving tackle at the 2 yard line to keep Rathman from scoring. Cofer attempted a 19 yard field goal, but a poor snap from Randy Cross threw off the kicker’s timing, and his kick sailed wide left.

Cofer thus succeeded Rich Karlis, who missed a 21 yard field goal in Super Bowl XXI, as the kicker with the shortest missed field goal in Super Bowl history. San Francisco then forced Cincinnati to punt on their next drive. On the play, the 49ers John Taylor misplayed P Lee Johnson’s kick and it sailed over his head, bouncing all the way to the San Francisco 9 yard line, to make it a Super Bowl record 63 yard punt. But Taylor made up for his mistake by chasing the ball down and returning it a Super Bowl record 45 yards to the Bengals’ 46 yard line. However, the 49ers were unable to take advantage of their excellent field position.

On first down, RB Harry Sydney fumbled a pitch from Montana and was downed for a 10 yard loss. On the next play, Montana was sacked by DT David Grant. On third down, Fulcher forced a fumble from San Francisco’s Roger Craig and Cincinnati’s Jim Skow recovered the ball on their own 41 yard line. The Bengals then drove to the 49er 42 yard line but, after two incomplete passes and an 8 yard sack of Boomer Esiason, they were forced to punt. Cincinnati’s punt pinned San Francisco back at their own 11 yard line.

The Bengals defense subsequently limited the 49ers to just a single yard, and ended up with great field position, after they returned San Francisco’s punt to the 49er 44 yard line. Cincinnati managed to get into scoring range by driving 28 yards to the San Francisco 16 yard line, assisted by an 18 yard completion from Esiason to Tim McGee. But, after Esiason’s third down pass intended for Eddie Brown was overthrown, the Bengals were forced to settle for K Jim Breech’s 34 yard field goal, tying the game at 3-3 with 1:15 left in the half.

This was the first halftime tie in Super Bowl history, and the lowest halftime score since Super Bowl IX. On their opening possession in the second half, Cincinnati managed to get a sustained drive going, moving the ball 61 yards in 12 plays and taking 9:15 off the clock. Esiason, who completed only 4 of 12 passes for 48 yards in the first half, completed 3 of 4 passes for 54 yards on the drive; a 20 yard completion to James Brooks as well as 23 yard and 11 yard completions to Chris Collinsworth.

This set-up a 43 yard field goal from Breech, to give the Bengals their first lead of the game, 6-3. Cincinnati then forced San Francisco to punt but, on the first play of their drive, 49ers’ rookie LB Bill Romanowski intercepted an Esiason pass at the Bengals’ 23 yard line. After a dropped pass by Rice, San Francisco’s offense could not get a first down and had to settle for Cofer’s 32 yard field goal, tying the game, 6-6. With less than a minute left in the third quarter, it appeared this would be the first Super Bowl ever to go three quarters without either team scoring a touchdown.

But, on the ensuing kickoff, Stanford Jennings received the ball at the 7 yard line, ran straight up the middle behind a wedge of blockers, and burst out of the pack into the open field. The 49ers managed to chase him down and trip him up at the 1 yard line, but he still fell into the end zone for a 93 yard touchdown return, giving Cincinnati a 13-6 lead. Jennings was only the second player to return a kickoff for a touchdown in Super Bowl history. But San Francisco immediately responded with a touchdown of their own on an 85 yard, 4 play drive.

First, Montana threw a short pass to Rice, who turned it into a 31 yard gain. Then Montana completed a 40 yard pass to Craig on the first play of the fourth quarter, moving the ball to the Bengals’ 14 yard line. Montana’s next pass was nearly intercepted but dropped by Lewis Billups in the end zone. Montana then threw a 14 yard touchdown pass to Rice, and the game was tied, 13-13. Cofer’s ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, giving Cincinnati the ball at their own 35 yard line.

But the Bengals could only reach the 43 yard line before being forced to punt. Taylor nearly fumbled the ball away, but the 49ers recovered it at the San Francisco 18 yard line. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Montana completed a 44 yard pass to Rice, and Craig ran for 7 yards, moving the ball to the Bengals’ 31 yard line. But, after Craig was tackled for a 1 yard loss on the next play, Fulcher broke up a third down pass intended for Taylor. Cofer’s ensuing 49 yard field goal attempt sailed wide right. Cincinnati took over at their own 32 yard line following the missed field goal.

The Bengals then retook the lead with a 10 play, 46 yard drive. Esiason threw a 17 yard completion to backup WR Ira Hillary, Ickey Woods gained 21 yards on 3 carries, and Esiason completed a 12 yard play action sideline pass to James Brooks. At the end of the drive, Breech kicked a 40 yard field goal, giving Cincinnati a 16-13 lead with 3:20 left in the game. The 49ers returned the ensuing kickoff to their 15 yard line, but an illegal block penalty on the play pushed the ball back half the distance to the goal, giving them possession on their own 8 yard line with 3:10 left in the game.

Montana then led San Francisco on one of the most memorable drives in Super Bowl history to score the winning touchdown. Assuming the Bengals would expect him to throw the ball near the sidelines, Montana first threw a pair of completions in the middle of the field, one to Craig and one to John Frank. His next pass went to the right sideline, 7 yards to Rice, which was followed up by a pair of runs by Craig, to reach their own 35 yard line. Montana then completed a 17 yard pass to Rice to advance to Cincinnati’s 48 yard line. He followed it up with a 13 yard completion to Craig to move them to the Bengals’ 35 yard line.

But, on the next play, Montana threw his first incomplete pass of the drive, overthrowing Rice. On second down, Cross committed an illegal man downfield penalty, moving the ball back to the 45 yard line, bringing up 2nd and 20 with just 1:15 left in the game. But Montana overcame the setback on the next play, with a 27 yard completion to Rice, who caught the ball at the 33 yard line, evaded three Cincinnati defenders, and ran to the 18 yard line before the Bengals managed to tackle him and prevent a touchdown.

An 8 yard pass to Craig advanced San Francisco to the 10 yard line. With just 39 seconds left in the game, Montana finished the drive with a 10 yard touchdown pass to Taylor, completing an 11 play, 92 yard drive, to give the 49ers the lead for good. San Francisco’s defense sealed the victory after Esiason’s pass to Collinsworth was broken up as time expired, for a 20-16 victory. The 49ers had won their third NFL championship of the decade.

Jerry Rice was named the Super Bowl MVP, catching 11 passes for a Super Bowl record 215 yards and a touchdown. Montana also had an MVP worthy performance, completing 23 of 36 passes for a Super Bowl record 357 yards and 2 touchdowns. Craig finished the game with 71 yards rushing and 8 receptions for 101 receiving yards, becoming the first running back in Super Bowl history to gain over 100 receiving yards. Taylor finished the game with a Super Bowl record 56 punt return yards. His 18.7 yards per return was also the highest average in Super Bowl history.

Conclusion: For Green Bay Packer fans, the 1988 season was another in a long line of disappointments. Another new coach, Lindy Infante, delivered the same results as those achieved by his last four predecessors, extending back over 20 years. However, in Infante’s defense, his immediate predecessor, former Head Coach Forrest Gregg, had left the cupboard pretty bare after cleaning house in 1986.

Gregg failed to put in place players that could win in an ever changing NFL. As a result, Infante and Braatz were left with a rebuilding effort that would have challenged the best football minds. Yet, after two 4-12 seasons in three years, no one could blame fans for feeling pessimistic about the immediate future. Packer backers couldn’t have guessed that 1989 would bring one of the few bright moments in an otherwise dark time in franchise history.

Attached is the NFL Films Super Bowl XXIII Highlight video.

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