Bradley Ruzicka

Headline: Six game losing streak to start the season, longest in franchise history, leads the Green Bay Packers to first ever 12 loss campaign.

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

Offseason Highlights: The 1986 NFL draft yielded only one future Pro Football Hall of Famer, 4th round and 96th overall selection, DE Charles Haley (San Francisco 49ers), out of James Madison University.

Without a first round draft pick, traded to the San Diego Chargers for CB Mossy Cade prior to the 1985 season, the Green Bay Packers’ 1986 draft yielded only one player of note. However, that player would become a future All-Pro. LB Tim Harris out of Memphis State, selected in the 4th round (84th overall), contributed right away, leading the Packers with 8 sacks in 1986. The 6 foot 6, 260 pound Harris would play a total of five seasons in Green Bay, starting 70 out of 76 games, contributing 55 sacks, while being elected All-Pro and playing in the Pro Bowl in 1989, before finishing his 10 year career with the San Francisco 49ers in 1995.

The Packers’ first pick in 1986, TCU RB Kenneth Davis, selected in the 2nd round (41st overall), led the team in rushing in 1986 and 1987 as a part-time starter. However, he would play only three seasons in Green Bay, starting 21 out of 35 games, gaining a total of 1,053 yards on 262 carries (4.0 yards per attempt) and 4 touchdowns. Davis subsequently signed with the Buffalo Bills in 1989, where he would become a key contributor over the next six seasons. Third round and 72nd overall selection, QB Robbie Bosco out of BYU, would play only two seasons with the Packers, before a shoulder injury suffered in his rookie campaign ended his career.

Of note, the NFL first implemented in 1986 a limited system of instant replay to aid officiating. A replay official in a booth would decide what plays to review and make the final ruling, regardless of the current score or the amount of time left in the game. The replay official communicated with the game officials via radio transmitters. However, there was no time limit on how long the replay official could review a play, leading to long game delays and becoming a major reason why the system was eventually repealed in 1992. Instant Replay would not be reinstituted until time limits for replays were established in 1999.

Finally, one former Green Bay player was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986, RB Paul Hornung. After winning the 1956 Heisman Trophy at Notre Dame, “The Golden Boy” was chosen by the Packers as the 1st overall selection in the 1957 NFL Draft, becoming one of the most versatile players in the history of the game. Hornung played the halfback position and was a placekicker for several seasons, leading the league in scoring for three straight seasons from 1959-61. Hornung was voted the NFL’s MVP in 1961, becoming one of only five players to win both the Heisman and the NFL’s MVP Award.

During the 1960 season, Hornung set an all-time record by scoring 176 points. That record stood for 46 years before San Diego RB LaDainian Tomlinson broke it with 180 points in 2006, scoring his 30th touchdown after 14 games, two more than Hornung played in 1960. In October 1965, Hornung also set a record for most points in a calendar month (77), again broken by Tomlinson in November 2006, when he scored 78 points. He set the record in 1961 for the most points scored in a championship game (19) against the New York Giants, Green Bay’s first NFL title under legendary head coach Vince Lombardi.

Hornung was named to the Pro Bowl in 1959 and 1960 as well as chosen an All-Pro in 1960 and 1961. However, Hornung’s penchant for high living would prove disastrous in 1963, when a major scandal erupted. Hornung and another of the league’s top stars, Detroit Lions’ DT Alex Karras, were suspended from football indefinitely by commissioner Pete Rozelle for betting on NFL games and associating with undesirable persons. Forthright in admitting to his mistake, Hornung’s image went relatively untarnished and, after one year, both his and Karras’s suspensions were re-evaluated by the league, allowing them to return for the 1964 season.

In the twilight of his career, Hornung became the only player to ever make a 50+ yard Fair Catch Kick in a 1964 game against the Chicago Bears. At age 29, Hornung scored a team record five touchdowns (three rushing and two pass receptions) in a December 13 1965 win over the Baltimore Colts, becoming the oldest player ever to score five touchdowns in a single game (29 years, 354 days). Hornung’s five TD’s were overshadowed by a record tying six touchdowns, scored by Chicago’s Gale Sayers later that same day. That victory over Baltimore was critical, as Green Bay wound up tied for first place in the Western Conference with those same Colts at season’s end.

The tie forced a playoff game which the Packers won in overtime, 13-10, to advance to the 1965 NFL Championship. Hornung subsequently ran for 105 yards and a touchdown in Green Bay’s 23-12 victory over the Cleveland Browns, starting a string of three consecutive NFL titles. But a pinched nerve in Hornung’s neck severely curtailed his playing time in 1966, and he did not see action in the first ever Super Bowl, when Green Bay defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. He was the only Packer on the roster who didn’t play in that game, choosing not to enter in the fourth quarter.

Due to age and injury, Hornung was selected in the 1967 NFL Expansion Draft by the New Orleans Saints after Lombardi left him unprotected. Hornung never suited up for the Saints, as the neck injury forced him to retire during training camp. Considered by many to be the best short yardage runner to ever play the game, Hornung finished his career with the record for most games with 30+ points (2), the most games with 25+ points (3), and the most games with 13 points (8) in a season. He also holds the dubious distinction of having missed an NFL record 26 field goals in 1964.

Regular Season Highlights: The Green Bay Packers lost 12 games in 1986, a Packer record, while winning only four, finishing fourth in the NFC Central Division, behind the 14-2 Chicago Bears, the 9-7 Minnesota Vikings, and the 5-11 Detroit Lions. Green Bay tied the San Diego Chargers for the third worst record in the league. Only the team with the worst record in the NFL, the 2-14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, prevented Green Bay from finishing last in the division.

After consecutive 8-8 seasons, Head Coach Forrest Gregg, in his third year, decided dramatic change was needed. As a result, many of former Head Coach Bart Starr’s most productive players, including QB Lynn Dickey, TE Paul Coffman, DE Mike Butler, LB Mike Douglass, LB George Cumby, and OT Greg Koch, were released. The door was now open for Gregg’s young draftees, including DE Alphonso Carreker and LB Brian Noble, starting their third and second seasons respectively, to make an impact.

By opening day, only 13 of Starr’s players were left in Green Bay. For his part, Lynn Dickey never did see eye-to-eye with Gregg, saying “He and I did not get along well. There was a clash there. He just thought, ‘You don’t care.’ I don’t care? Really?”. Dickey finished his ten year Packers’ career having started 101 out of 105 games during the nine seasons he was active, completing 1,592 passes in 2,831 attempts (56.2%) for 21,369 yards, 133 touchdowns, 151 interceptions, and a QB Rating of 73.8, behind only the great Bart Starr in Green Bay record books at that time.

Unfortunately, a series of injuries throughout his career prevented Dickey from being considered a great NFL quarterback. Drafted in the third round by the Houston Oilers in 1971, a hip injury wiped out his 1972 regular season, plaguing him the rest of his career. After being acquired by the Packers in 1976, a leg injury caused Dickey to miss the last five games of 1977, the entire 1978 season, and all but the last five games in 1979, a total of two complete calendar years. Yet, despite the injuries and a 43-56-2 record, Dickey reflected fondly on his time with Green Bay in 2016.

“I had a lot of fun and got paid to play a game I loved. There is no greater fraternity than the Green Bay Packers and it was a great privilege to be a small part of the Packers franchise and tradition.” One of Dickey’s favorite targets, Paul Coffman, played eight years for Green Bay after being picked up by Starr as an undrafted free agent in 1978. His 322 catches for 4,223 yards and 39 touchdowns are still a Packer record for a tight end. After his release, Coffman spent two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs before ending his career in 1988 with the Vikings.

Like Coffman, Mike Douglass played eight years for Green Bay, staring 106 games during which he intercepted 10 passes, recovered 16 fumbles, and garnered 19 sacks. His final season was spent with San Diego in 1986. Mike Butler, the 9th overall selection in the 1977 draft, played six seasons with the Packers before signing with the United States Football League (USFL) in 1983. Once the USFL folded, Butler rejoined Green Bay for the 1986 season before his career ended after 10 games due to a weight room injury. Butler started 87 out of 95 games he was active during his Packer career.

George Cumby, another first round selection, spent six seasons with Green Bay (1980-85), starting 56 out of a possible 57 games between 1981 and 1984, finishing with 5 interceptions, 5 fumble recoveries, and 5.5 sacks. Cumby played two more years with the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles, retiring after the 1987 season. Koch anchored the right tackle spot for nine years beginning in 1977, starting 120 games for the Packers before ending his career prior to the 1988 season after stints with the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota.

Unfortunately for Gregg, the decision to clean house along with a slew of injuries resulted in a lost season. Only once did Green Bay have a winning record, beating the New York Jets, 38-14, in their first preseason game. The Packers subsequently dropped their next three exhibition games and first six regular season games. During September, Green Bay was outscored 32-122 in double digit losses to Houston (31-3), the New Orleans Saints (24-10), Chicago (25-12), and Minnesota (42-7). Only once during those first six contests did the Packers exceed 14 points, a Week 5 34-28 loss in Milwaukee County Stadium to the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that finished the season with a 10-6 record.

Green Bay’s first win was a surprising 17-14 road victory over the eventual AFC Central Champion Cleveland Browns in Week 7. However, the Packers decent then continued with a three game losing streak, eventually falling to 1-9. In two of the losses, Green Bay again would be limited to single digits, 27-3 in Week 9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the next week, 16-7, against the Washington Redskins. The Packers ended the season winning three of their last six games, however, two of those victories were over the hapless Buccaneers, 31-7 in Week 11 and 21-7 in Week 15.

Green Bay’s most exciting game in an otherwise dismal season was a Thanksgiving Day road victory over Detroit, 44-40, when Walter Stanley returned a Lions’ punt 83 yards for the winning score with only seconds remaining. But high points were few and far between. With Dickey’s departure, Gregg put his faith in third year QB Randy Wright, who’d started only two games over the previous two years. But Packers’ management didn’t appear to be completely confident Wright was their quarterback of the future, exploring acquisition of Jim Everett and Doug Flutie over the course of the year. Ultimately, no deal was done.

Everett, drafted third overall by the Oilers in March, was traded in August to the Los Angeles Rams for a combination of two players, their 1st and 5th round selections in 1987, and their 1st round pick in 1988. Flutie was signed by Chicago after his rights, as well as a 1987 3rd round pick, were acquired from Los Angeles in exchange for the Bears’ 1987 4th and 6th round picks just prior to the October trading deadline. Flutie, the 1984 Heisman Trophy winner, played the 1985 season with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL).

Given his inexperience, Wright was adequate, completing 263 passes in 492 attempts (53.5%) for 3,247 yards, 17 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, and a QB Rating of 66.2, finishing 5th and 9th overall in attempts and completions respectively. Wright was only the second quarterback in Green Bay history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season. Unfortunately, his 23 interceptions tied him for second most in the league. Wright was backed up by little used QBs Vince Ferragamo, a nine year starter for the Rams and the Buffalo Bills, and Chuck Fusina. The two combined for only 72 attempts, 42 completions, 461 yards, and 1 touchdown.

Star WR James Lofton, playing his ninth and final season for the Packers, led Green Bay in both receptions and yardage (64 catches for 840 yards and 4 touchdowns) for the seventh consecutive season. However, 1986 was his lowest yardage total since the strike-shortened 1982 season. WR Phil Epps, now in his fifth season, finished second on the team in receptions with 49 catches for 612 yards and 4 touchdowns while second year WR Walter Stanley was second in receiving yards with 723 on 35 catches. His 20.7 yards per reception average was 2nd overall in the NFL.

Rookie RB Kenneth Davis led the Packers in rushing with 114 attempts for 519 yards. His 4.6 yards per carry tied him for 4th overall in the league. Seven year veteran RB Gerry Ellis, in his final year, was second with 345 yards in 86 attempts and 2 touchdowns. Like Lofton, Ellis’ yardage total was his lowest since 1982. Rookie RB Paul Ott Carruth and second year RB Gary Ellerson combined for 595 yards and 5 touchdowns. Also in his final year, eight year veteran and 1979 1st round choice, RB Eddie Lee Ivory, rushed for just 25 yards on 4 attempts, although he caught 31 passes, fourth highest on the team, for 385 yards and 1 touchdown.

In addition to his receiving duties, Stanley led Green Bay in kickoff and punt returns, totaling 875 yards on 61 returns, ranking him 6th and 5th overall respectively. His Week 13 punt return for a touchdown against Detroit was arguably the Packers most exciting play in 1986. K Al Del Greco, completing his third season in Green Bay, was again the team’s leading scorer, converting 17 of 27 field goals (63%) and 29 of 29 extra points for a total of 80 points.

According to Lew Freedman in his book, The Packers Experience, not one of seven coaches after 1950 could build a defense that guarded the Packers’ goal line the way Vince Lombardi had during his tenure. That trend continued in 1986 when the defense allowed a horrendous 418 points, their second worst in the Super Bowl era, behind only 1983’s 439 points. Seven times, the defense had 30 or more points hung on it, with the exclamation point being the last game of the season, a 55-24 road loss to the eventual World Champion New York Giants. Seven year veteran CB Mark Lee’s nine interceptions, tied for 2nd overall in the league, along with rookie LB Tim Harris’ eight sacks, were the only defensive highlights of the year.

In an ugly end to an ugly season, DB Mossy Cade, acquired by Gregg in 1985 for a first round draft pick, was charged with sexual assault on November 14. He continued to start the remainder of the season, unlike Lofton, who was suspended for the season finale after also being charged with sexual assault on December 18. Cade was convicted on two of three charges on May 23 1987, the same day Lofton was found not guilty. Cade would not play again in the NFL while Lofton was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders for two draft choices, a 1987 3rd round and 1988 4th round, on April 15.

On the field, Chicago QB Jim McMahon was on the receiving end of one of the most vicious hits in NFL history. In a Week 12 game, McMahon was blindsided by Green Bay DE Charles Martin. Martin, a 1984 Gregg draftee in his third season, had gone into the game with a hit list of Bear players. The fifth year veteran was his first victim. After he threw an interception, Martin hoisted the quarterback into the air and slammed him into the ground a few seconds after the play had ended. McMahon writhed on the ground in pain, having suffered a separated shoulder.

McMahon missed the remainder of the year, possibly costing Chicago a second Super Bowl appearance. Martin, on the other hand, received only a two game suspension. Head Coach Mike Ditka blamed this reckless attitude on Gregg, hinting that revenge was a motivation, going back to the Packers’ 1985 23-7 embarrassment on Monday Night Football. Ditka may have been correct. Bob Harlan, then the assistant to the president, said about that loss in 2007, “I saw Forrest in the locker room… and he was livid. And that wasn’t just in the locker room. He let everyone in the building know how upset he was for the next couple of weeks.”

Overall, Green Bay’s offense finished just 23rd in rushing (1,614), 14th in passing (3,447), and a disappointing 25th in scoring with 254 points, their worst since 1980. The Packers’ defense finished 21st against the run (2,095), a surprising 5th against the pass (2,920), and a dismal 27th out of 28 teams in scoring defense, ahead of only the lowly Buccaneers. In the end, while Gregg tried to rapidly turn over aging talent in a dramatic attempt to remake the roster, his replacements just didn’t seem up to the task.

The Bears, 1985 World Champions, and the Giants tied for the NFL’s best record at 14-2, winning the NFC Central and East titles respectively. New York was the NFC’s top seed and Chicago the second seed based on the Giants better conference record (11-1 to the Bears’ 10-2). The 10-5-1 San Francisco 49ers won the NFC West title and the third playoff seed. The 12-4 Redskins (fourth seed) and the 10-6 Rams (fifth seed) were the NFC’s Wild Card teams.

Meanwhile, Cleveland finished with the AFC’s best record at 12-4, winning the AFC Central title and the AFC’s top playoff seed. The Denver Broncos and the AFC Conference Champion New England Patriots finished at 11-5, winning the AFC West and East titles respectively. Denver was second playoff seed and New England the third seed based on the Broncos’ head-to-head victory over the Patriots in Week 4.

The Jets (fourth seed) and the Chiefs (fifth seed) were the AFC Wild Card teams at 10-6. New York was the first Wild Card team based on a better conference record (8-4) than Kansas City (9-5). The Chiefs were the second Wild Card team based on a better conference record than either the 10-6 Seattle Seahawks or the 10-6 Bengals (7-5).

For Kansas City, 1986’s 10 victories were the most wins for the franchise since 1971. The defining moment of the season came in the regular season finale against Pittsburgh on December 21. Despite being outgained in total yardage, 515 to 171, the Chiefs were able to notch a 24-19 victory, as all of the team’s points came via special teams; a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, a field goal, a kickoff returned for a touchdown, and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown, earning Kansas City a playoff berth.

Finally, the Giants’ LB Lawrence Taylor won the 1986 NFL Most Valuable Player Award as well as Defensive Player of the Year. Rams’ RB Eric Dickerson won Offensive Player of the Year. New Orleans’ RB Rueben Mayes won Offensive Rookie of the Year, while San Diego DE Leslie O’Neal won Defensive Rookie of the Year. Giants’ Head Coach Bill Parcells won Coach of the Year.

Post Season Highlights: In the AFC Wild Card Playoffs, the Kansas City Chiefs traveled to Giants Stadium to play the New York Jets while, in the NFC, the Washington Redskins hosted the Los Angeles Rams in RFK Stadium. The winners would advance to their respective Divisional Playoffs.

On December 28, after a season that saw the New York Jets start with a 10-1 record then drop their last five games, nine year veteran QB Pat Ryan led the Jets to victory with three touchdown passes, while New York’s defense held the Kansas City Chiefs to 241 yards and forced three turnovers.

Kansas City scored first as backup QB Todd Blackledge, the seventh overall pick in 1983 and filling in for injured starter Bill Kenney, led the team on a 67 yard drive, capped by RB Jeff Smith’s 1 yard touchdown, but K Nick Lowery was unsuccessful with the PAT, for a 6-0 lead. On their ensuing possession, New York faced 4th and 6 on the Kansas City 33 yard line. Rather than attempt a long field goal, Ryan faked a pitch to RB Freeman McNeil and rushed for a 24 yard gain. Two plays later, McNeil scored on a 4 yard rushing touchdown to give the Jets a 7-6 lead.

New York now had the momentum, and would not give it up for the rest of the game. On the Chiefs ensuing drive, the Jets tackled RB Larry Moriarty, forcing a fumble that was recovered by New York. Ryan then converted the turnover into a 1 yard touchdown pass to McNeil for a 14-6 lead. Kansas City was forced to punt on their next possession as the result of a sack by DE Mark Gastineau, and the Jets increased their lead to 21-6 with another score. The key player on this drive was WR Al Toon, who made a 30 yard reception from Ryan, and later finished the drive with an 11 yard touchdown catch.

On the first play of the third quarter, New York LB Kevin McArthur increased his team’s lead to 28-6, returning an interception 21 yards for a touchdown, which would be the only score of the period. Most of the quarter was taken up by the Chiefs’ ensuing drive, which ended with a failed 4th and 1 conversion attempt. In the fourth quarter, Kansas City finally managed to score, when DB Albert Lewis recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 28-13.

However, the Chiefs score was quickly countered on the Jets next possession, as Ryan completed a 38 yard pass to WR Wesley Walker, before finishing it with a 6 yard touchdown throw to TE Billy Griggs, for a 35-13 lead. The only other score of the game was a safety, when New York P Dave Jennings ran out of the end zone in the game’s closing minutes, for a 35-15 final.

Meanwhile, although the Los Angeles Rams outgained the Washington Redskins in total yards, 324-228, Los Angeles turned over the ball six times, including three fumbles by All-Pro RB Eric Dickerson, enroute to a defeat against the Redskins. Dickerson, the NFL’s leading rusher with 1,821 yards, finished with 158 yards on 26 carries.

In the first quarter, a fumble lost by Dickerson, now in his fourth year, led to Washington K Jess Atkinson’s 25 yard field goal, and a 3-0 lead. The Redskins then extended their lead, 10-0, driving 60 yards for QB Jay Schroeder’s 14 yard touchdown to RB Kelvin Bryant. A key play on the drive was a controversial pass interference penalty against Rams’ Pro Bowl CB LeRoy Irvin, which gave Washington 28 yards, 13 from the initial penalty and another 15 yards against Irvin for arguing with officials.

Los Angeles had a great chance to respond, when rookie QB Jim Everett, who’d replaced veteran QB Steve Bartkowski in Week 11, completed a 45 yard pass to WR Kevin House on the Redskins’ 28 yard line, but the drive ended with no points after Dickerson lost another fumble. In the second period, Rams’ TE David Hill lost a third fumble due to a hit by LB Monte Coleman. LB Neal Olkewicz recovered the ball, and returned 19 yards to the Los Angeles 30 yard line, setting up Atkinson’s 20 yard field goal, extending Washington’s lead to 13-0.

Hill’s fumble was confirmed by a replay review that lasted nearly five minutes. This was the first time in NFL postseason history a replay was used to confirm a field call of a fumble. Atkinson made two more field goals in the second half for a 19-0 Redskins lead. The Rams’ lone score of the game was Everett’s 12 yard touchdown pass to House during the final period, ending a 96 yard drive, that included a 65 yard run by Dickerson. Later on, Los Angeles had a chance to score again, but Dickerson lost his third fumble of the day, this one while trying to convert a 4th and 1 on the Washington 39 yard line, sealing the Redskins 19-7 victory.

In the Divisional Playoffs, the top seeded Cleveland Browns hosted the AFC’s Wild Card winner, the New York Jets, in Cleveland Stadium, while the NFC’s Wild Card winner, the Washington Redskins, traveled to Soldier Field to play the NFC Central Champion Chicago Bears. Meanwhile, the top seeded New York Giants hosted the NFC West Champion San Francisco 49ers in Giants Stadium, while the AFC East Champion New England Patriots traveled to Mile High Stadium to play the AFC West Champion Denver Broncos. The winners would advance to their respective Conference Championship games.

On January 3 1987, thirty eight year old Cleveland Browns’ K Mark Moseley, whom Cleveland had talked out of retirement in order to replace the injured Matt Bahr less than two months earlier, made the game winning 27 yard field goal against the New York Jets after 2:02 elapsed in the second overtime period. This was the third longest game in NFL history, and gave Cleveland their first postseason win since 1969.

New York scored first in the opening quarter, after an 82 yard drive, which was capped by QB Pat Ryan’s 42 yard touchdown pass to WR Wesley Walker on a flea flicker play, for a 7-0 lead. Cleveland responded by marching 98 yards to score on RB Herman Fontenot’s 37 yard touchdown reception from second year QB Bernie Kosar, tying the game at 7-7. In the second quarter, Ryan was knocked out of the game and replaced by former starting QB Ken O’Brien, in his third year.

After Moseley kicked a field goal to give the Browns a 10-7 lead, O’Brien led the Jets on a last second drive to tie the game at 10-10 on K Pat Leahy’s 46 yard field goal. A key play was a season long 16 yard run by O’Brien on 4th and 4 to keep the drive alive. In the third quarter, New York’s Leahy made a 37 yard field goal to break the tie, 13-10. Early in the fourth quarter, Cleveland drove all the way to the Jets’ 3 yard line, only to come up empty, when DB Russell Carter intercepted a Kosar pass in the end zone.

Then, after a punt, Kosar next pass attempt was again intercepted, setting up RB Freeman McNeil’s 25 yard touchdown run, to give his team a 20-10 lead with 4:14 left in regulation. But the Browns drove 68 yards to score on RB Kevin Mack’s 1 yard touchdown, aided by a roughing the passer penalty on DE Mark Gastineau that nullified a Kosar incompletion on 2nd and 24 from Cleveland’s 18 yard line, cutting the Browns deficit to 20-17. After a failed onside kick attempt, Cleveland stopped New York on two consecutive runs, and then sacked O’Brien on a quarterback draw, a key play since it stopped the clock.

Then the Browns got another lucky break when a punt that would have pinned them inside their own 10 yard line was called back by a Jets penalty. Following a second punt, they got the ball on their own 32 yard line with 51 seconds left and no timeouts. Following a 26 yard pass interference penalty on New York, Kosar completed a 37 yard pass to WR Webster Slaughter, to set up Moseley’s game tying 27 yard field goal with seven seconds remaining in regulation, to force overtime.

After stopping the Jets on the opening drive of overtime, Cleveland had a great chance to win after Kosar’s 35 yard completion to WR Reggie Langhorne landed them at the New York 5 yard line. They attempted a field goal on first down, but Moseley missed from 23 yards out. Still, their defense continued to hold down the Jets, forcing them to punt on their next two possessions. With 2:38 left in the first overtime period, the Browns got the ball on their own 31 yard line following P Dave Jennings’ playoff record 14th punt.

After moving the ball to New York’s 42 yard line, WR Brian Brennan made a key play when he broke up an errant pass that was nearly intercepted by the Jets. This turned out to be crucial, as Cleveland’s running game would go on to take total control of the drive. Fontenot rushed for 7 yards, and Mack added 26 yards on his next 3 carries, moving the ball to the 9 yard line, setting up Moseley’s second game winning field goal attempt. This time, his kick was good, winning the game for the Browns 23-20, after 17 minutes and 2 seconds of overtime play.

Later that day, the Washington Redskins converted two turnovers into two touchdowns in the second half to overcome the defending World Champion Chicago Bears’ 13-7 halftime lead. The Bears top ranked defense was unable to make up for their ailing offense, which finished the game with just 220 yards and 14 first downs while losing four turnovers.

Chicago had a great chance to score early when Dennis Gentry returned the opening kickoff 60 yards to the Redskins’ 35 yard line. But, after a three minute drive, the team ended up netting just three yards due to penalties, and K Kevin Butler missed a 49 yard field goal attempt. Later in the quarter, Washington took a 7-0 lead by driving 69 yards to score on second year QB Jay Schroeder’s 28 yard touchdown pass to WR Art Monk. The Bears then countered with 10:07 remaining in the second quarter.

WR Willie Gault’s 50 yard touchdown reception from QB Doug Flutie, signed by Chicago in October 1986, tied the score at 7-7. Flutie had replaced injured starter Jim McMahon as well as ineffective backups Mike Tomczak and Steve Fuller towards the end of the regular season. On Washington’s next possession, DB Mike Richardson intercepted a Schroeder pass, returning it 43 yards to the Redskin 4 yard line. Still, Chicago could not get into the end zone, and settled for a 10-7 lead with Butler’s 23 yard field goal. Shortly before halftime, Butler made a 41 yard field goal to put the Bears up 13-7.

However, Washington would take over the game in the second half. In the third quarter, DB Darrell Green returned a Flutie interception 17 yards to the Chicago 26 yard line, setting up Schroeder’s 23 yard touchdown pass to Monk, and a 14-13 lead. Chicago seemed primed to respond when Gentry returned their kickoff 48 yards to the Redskin 42 yard line. But, after advancing to the Washington 17 yard line, RB Walter Payton, now in his 10th season, lost a fumble, and the Redskins recovered the ball.

Washington then drove 83 yards for a touchdown. Aided by a 17 yard pass interference penalty against Richardson in the end zone, RB George Rogers scored on a 1 yard run, less than a minute into the fourth quarter, extending the Redskins lead to 21-13. Redskin K Jess Atkinson made two field goals in the final period to close out the scoring, giving Washington a 27-13 victory.

On January 4, New York Giants’ QB Phil Simms completed only 9 of 19 passes for 134 yards, but threw four touchdown passes and no interceptions. Meanwhile, the New York defense allowed only 29 rushing yards, 184 total yards, and a field goal, while forcing the San Francisco 49ers to turn the ball over four times.

On San Francisco’s first drive of the game, WR Jerry Rice caught a long pass from QB Joe Montana, and appeared to be on his way to a 50 yard touchdown. However, the future Hall of Famer inexplicably fumbled the football into New York’s end zone without being touched. The Giants subsequently recovered the ball for a touchback. New York then drove 80 yards in 10 plays to score on Simms’ 24 yard touchdown to TE Mark Bavaro, for a 7-0 lead. The 49ers responded with a 26 yard field goal by K Ray Wersching to cut the deficit to 7-3.

However, in the second quarter, Giants’ S Herb Welch intercepted a Montana pass and lateralled the ball to DB Elvis Patterson, who ran for 16 yards before being tackled. New York then converted the turnover into touchdown, on RB Joe Morris’ 45 yard run, for a 14-3 lead. On the Giants next possession, they scored on a 12 play, 57 yard drive, in which they burned San Francisco with a fake field goal when the 49ers field goal unit was caught without enough defensive backs on the field.

Backup QB Jeff Rutledge ended up throwing the ball to a wide open Bavaro for a 23 yard gain, down to the San Francisco 5 yard line. A penalty pushed them back 10 yards, but the Giants still scored on Simms’ 15 yard pass to WR Bobby Johnson, increasing their lead to 21-3. The situation only got worse for the 49ers, as Montana was knocked out of the game as a result of a hit by NT Jim Burt. LB Lawrence Taylor intercepted his pass and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown, giving the Giants a 28-3 halftime lead.

Simms threw two third quarter touchdown passes; a 28 yard pass to WR Phil McConkey and a 29 yarder to TE Zeke Mowatt, increasing their lead to 42-3. Near the end of the period, New York LB Pepper Johnson intercepted backup QB Jeff Kemp’s pass and returned the ball 27 yards to the San Francisco 5 yard line, setting up the final score of the game, a Morris 2 yard run with 16 seconds left in the third quarter. Defense took over in the fourth quarter as both teams were held scoreless for a 49-3 Giants victory.

Meanwhile, Denver Broncos QB John Elway, in his fourth season, ran for a touchdown and passed for another, while RB Sammy Winder rushed for 102 yards, leading Denver to victory over the 1985 AFC Champion New England Patriots. Although New England won the turnover battle, they were outgained by the Broncos in total yards, 441 to 271. Fellow 1983 1st round draft pick, QB Tony Eason, was sacked five times.

In the first quarter, Elway’s completions to RB Steve Sewell and WR Steve Watson, for gains of 39 and 21 yards respectively, propelled the team on a drive to the New England 4 yard line. From there, Elway tried to run the ball for a score, but was tackled just short of the end zone. Believing he had crossed the plain, Elway angrily spiked the ball into the ground, drawing a penalty that pushed Denver back five yards, and they ended up having to settle for K Rich Karlis’ 27 yard field goal, to go up 3-0.

In the second quarter, the Patriots took a 7-3 lead, when Eason completed a 19 yard touchdown pass to WR Stanley Morgan to cap an 87 yard drive. However, the Broncos countered with an 82 yard drive, to score on Elway’s 22 yard touchdown run, taking a 10-7 lead. Later in the second quarter, New England LB Johnny Rembert’s interception of an Elway pass on the Denver 29 yard line led to K Tony Franklin’s 38 yard field goal, tying the game at 10-10 at the end of the half. In the third quarter, the Broncos drove 80 yards in 15 plays on a drive that consumed more than nine minutes, and ended with Karlis’ 22 yard field goal, to give Denver a 13-10 lead.

The Patriots responded with a trick play, a flea flicker that involved RB Mosi Tatupu taking a handoff and then pitching the ball back to Eason, who threw a 45 yard touchdown pass to Morgan, to retake the lead, 17-13. But Elway then threw a 48 yard touchdown pass to WR Vance Johnson for the go ahead score on the last play of the third quarter, giving the Broncos a 20-17 lead. New England had four possessions in the fourth quarter, but the first three ended in punts, while Denver DE Rulon Jones ended the last one by sacking Eason in the end zone for a safety with 1:32 left in the game, insuring a 22-17 Denver victory.

On January 11, the AFC Championship Game pitted the Denver Broncos against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland Stadium. Meanwhile, the Washington Redskins played the New York Giants for the NFC Championship in Giants Stadium.

In the AFC, in a finish that will be remembered in NFL lore as the “The Drive”, the Denver Broncos drove 98 yards in 15 plays to tie the game with 37 seconds left in regulation. Denver K Rich Karlis then kicked the game winning 33 yard field goal, 5:38 into overtime, to defeat the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland scored first for a 7-0 lead, when QB Bernie Kosar threw a 6 yard touchdown pass to RB Herman Fontenot at the end of an 86 yard drive. But then the Browns turned the ball over on its next three drives. First, LB Rickey Hunley intercepted Kosar’s pass on the last play of the first quarter. Denver had to punt, but LB Jim Ryan then picked off another Kosar pass and returned it 21 yards to the Cleveland 9 yard line. The Broncos drove to the 1 yard line but were stopped, and decided to settle for Karlis’ 19 yard field goal, to narrow the lead to 7-3.

After the ensuing kickoff, RB Kevin Mack lost a fumble that was recovered by Denver on the Browns’ 37 yard line. On the next play, QB John Elway’s 34 yard scramble moved the ball to the 4 yard line. Once again, the Broncos ended up facing 4th and 1 on the 1 yard line but, this time, they decided to go for the touchdown, and RB Gerald Willhite scored on a sweep right for a 10-7 lead. Cleveland managed to respond with Kosar’s 42 yard completion to WR Clarence Weathers, setting up K Mark Moseley’s 29 yard field goal, to tie the score at 10-10 with less than a minute left in the half.

Early in the second half, Elway threw his first interception of the game. But Denver’s defense rose to the occasion and managed to force a punt. Elway then led the Broncos inside the Browns’ 20 yard line, where Karlis made a 26 yard field goal to break the tie, 13-10, with 2:50 left in the third quarter. Cleveland responded with a field goal of their own, a 24 yarder from Mosely, to tie the game again at 13-13 early in the fourth quarter. After a Denver punt, Kosar completed a 48 yard touchdown pass to WR Brian Brennan, giving the Browns the lead, 20-13, with 5:43 left in regulation.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Broncos’ Ken Bell misplayed the ball, and it hit the ground in front of him, bouncing to the 2 yard line before he managed to dive on it. From his own 2 yard line, Elway would lead his team on the biggest drive of his young career, tying the game at 20-20, on WR Mark Jackson’s 5 yard touchdown reception with just 37 seconds left in regulation. Jackson would also make a big play earlier in the drive, catching a 20 yard pass from Elway on 3rd and 18 from the Browns’ 48 yard line with 1:47 to go. Overall, the drive covered 98 yards in 15 plays, without ever facing a fourth down, and only facing a third down three times.

For the first time in NFL history, a conference championship game would go into overtime. After forcing Cleveland to punt on the opening drive, Elway led Denver 60 yards to set up Karlis’ game winning 33 yard field goal. The key play of the drive was a 28 yard completion to WR Steve Watson on 3rd and 12 at midfield. Two carries by RB Sammy Winder moved the ball to the 16 yard line, where Karlis made his game winning kick, barely getting the ball inside the left upright, for a 23-20 Bronco victory. To date, this remains the only AFC Championship game decided in overtime.

Meanwhile, the New York Giants shut out the Washington Redskins to win the NFC Championship, allowing only 150 passing yards and 40 rushing yards.

New York won the coin toss, but elected to kick off with a 32 mile per hour wind blowing through Giants Stadium. After Washington was forced to punt on their opening possession, P Steve Cox could only manage to kick the ball in the strong wind 23 yards to the Redskins’ 47 yard line. Six plays and 17 yards later, New York scored on K Raul Allegre’s 47 yard field goal, his longest of the season after joining the team in Week 4, for a 3-0 lead. After the ensuing kickoff, Washington was forced to punt again and Cox managed to only punt the ball 27 yards to the Redskins’ 38 yard line.

From there, the Giants advanced to the Washington 26 yard line. On 3rd and 10, QB Phil Simms threw an incomplete pass, and New York was called for holding. Rather than take the incompletion to bring up fourth down, Redskins’ Head Coach Joe Gibbs decided to accept the holding penalty, hoping to push the Giants out of field goal range. But, on the next play, Simms completed a 25 yard pass to WR Lionel Manuel for a first down. A few plays later, Simms finished the drive with an 11 yard touchdown pass to Manuel for a 10-0 lead.

Washington’s best chance to score came in the second quarter, when a 48 yard reception by WR Art Monk from QB Jay Schroeder set up a field goal attempt. However, it never got off the ground when Schroeder fumbled the snap. On their next drive, Simms completed a 30 yard pass to TE Mark Bavaro, and later rushed 8 yards to the Redskins’ 1 yard line. On the next play, RB Joe Morris completed the 51 yard drive by taking it into the end zone, extending New York’s lead to 17-0.

Just before halftime, Morris gave Washington another scoring opportunity by losing a fumble deep in Giant territory. But the Redskins came up empty when “The Big Blue Wrecking Crew” stopped them on a 4th and 1 conversion attempt. In the second half, Washington completely abandoned their running game, passing the ball on all but one of their plays, but to no avail. By the end of the game, Schroeder had been sacked four times, intercepted once, and finished with just 20 completions out of 50 attempts for 195 yards. New York had advanced to their first ever Super Bowl, 17-0.

Thus, the NFC’s top seed, the New York Giants, would meet the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI. For Denver, this would be their second Super Bowl appearance, the first a 27-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XII.

Super Bowl Highlights: On January 25 1987, at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena CA, the NFC Conference Champion New York Giants, led by fourth year Head Coach Bill Parcells, played the AFC Conference Champion Denver Broncos, led by sixth year Head Coach Dan Reeves, in Super Bowl XXI.

The New York Giants were one of five teams that joined the NFL in 1925, the league’s sixth year, and are the only one of that group still in existence. New York won their first NFL title just three years later, finishing 11-1-1 in 1927. Subsequently, in a 14-year span from 1933 to 1947, the Giants qualified to play in the NFL championship game eight times, winning twice (1934, 1938). During this period, New York was led by Hall of Fame coach Steve Owen, and Hall of Fame players Mel Hein, Red Badgro and Tuffy Leemans.

The 1944 Giants rank as the top defensive team in NFL history, giving up only 7.5 points per game (a record that still stands) and shutting out five of their 10 opponents. But they lost the NFL championship that year to the Green Bay Packers and again to the Chicago Bears in 1946. It wasn’t until 1956 that New York won its’ fourth NFL title, beating the Bears, aided by future Hall of Famers such as RB Frank Gifford, LB Sam Huff, and OT Roosevelt Brown, as well as two future Hall of Fame coaches, Defensive Coordinator Vince Lombardi and Offensive Coordinator Tom Landry.

Over the next seven years, the Giants played in five more NFL title games, but lost them all, including 1958’s 23-17 overtime loss to the Baltimore Colts in what is known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played”. However, after their last championship game appearance in 1963, the team rapidly declined, recording only two winning seasons between 1964 and 1980, including only 23 wins between 1973 and 1979. Finally, in 1979, New York initiated steps that would, in time, return them to the pinnacle of the NFL. Those included drafting QB Phil Simms in 1979 and LB Lawrence Taylor in 1981.

In Taylor’s first season, he won the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards, elevating the Giants into the playoffs for the first time since 1963. After Defensive Coordinator Bill Parcells was promoted to head coach in 1983, New York logged three straight winning seasons, beginning in 1984. In 1986, the Giants finished 14-2, led by Simms, now an eight year veteran. Simms completed 259 out of 468 attempts (55.3%) for 3,487 yards, throwing 21 touchdowns but also 22 interceptions, giving him a QB Rating of 74.6.

Simms’ started all 16 games, finishing in the NFL’s Top 10 in attempts, completions, passing yards, and touchdowns. Sims main target was All-Pro TE Mark Bavaro, who caught 66 passes for 1,001 yards and 4 touchdowns. In just his second season, Bavaro had more than twice as many catches as the team’s second leading receiver, RB Tony Galbreath. Although New York did not have one great wide receiver, they did have several good ones. WRs Stacey Robinson, in his second season, Bobby Johnson, and Phil McConkey, both in their third seasons, combined for 76 receptions and 1,307 yards.

But running the ball was the Giants’ priority, beginning with two time All-Pro RB Joe Morris. Morris, in his fifth year, finished the regular season with a then franchise record 1,516 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, both second in the league among all running backs, on 341 attempts (4.4 yards per carry). Morris also caught 21 passes for 223 yards and one touchdown. One reason for his success was second year FB Maurice Carthon, who provided Morris with excellent blocking and was the team’s second leading rusher with 260 yards. Overall, New York ranked 6th in rushing yards (2,245) and 8th in points scored (371), but only 17th in passing yards (3,133).

The Giants also had a lot of weapons on their defense, nicknamed The “Big Blue Wrecking Crew”, including four Pro Bowlers. After giving up 31 points in their opening day loss to the Dallas Cowboys, New York did not given up more than 20 points in a game until the last contest of the season, a 55-24 romp over Green Bay. During the playoffs, New York’s defense allowed a combined total of three points in victories over the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins.

In his sixth season, New York’s defensive leader was LB Lawrence Taylor, who led the league with 20.5 sacks during the regular season, won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award for the third time in his career, and became just the second defensive player to ever win the NFL Most Valuable Player Award. At 6’3″ and 245 pounds, the six time All-Pro was big enough to break through the offensive lines of many teams, but he still had enough speed to chase down running backs.

The Giants’ other starting LBs, Gary Reasons and Carl Banks, both in their third year, as well as 11 year veteran Harry Carson, did not get as much media attention as Taylor. However, Carson had been selected All-Pro 8 out of his 11 seasons, while Reasons had 2 interceptions, and Banks recorded 6.5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries. Pro Bowlers NT Jim Burt and DE Leonard Marshall, in their sixth and fourth year respectively, anchored the defensive line. Marshall recorded 12 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and one interception during the season.

Overall, New York had the second ranked scoring defense in the NFL, behind only Chicago, allowing 236 points. The Giants ranked first against the run, allowing 1,284 yards, but only 19th against the pass, allowing 3,473 yards. On special teams, P Sean Landeta, in his second season, made the Pro Bowl with an average of 44.8 gross yards per punt, a net average of 37.1, and 24 punts inside the 20 yard line. K Raul Allegre, in his first year with New York, led the team in scoring with 105 points, finishing 8th overall.

Since 1977, when Denver played in Super Bowl XII, the Broncos managed a winning record in six of their next eight seasons, but were unable to get back to the league championship. In 1986, many believed that Denver finally returned to the Super Bowl largely through the play of QB John Elway. In just his fourth season in the league, Elway made his biggest impact by using his ad-libbing skills. During the regular season, Elway completed 280 out of 504 attempts (55.6%) for 3,480 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, earning a QB Rating of 79.0.

Elway was also the team’s third leading rusher, gaining 257 yards. His performance ranked fourth in attempts, fifth in completions, and 10th in passing yards and touchdowns among all quarterbacks. Elway did not really have a particular receiver who caught most of his passes during the season, but rookie WR Mark Jackson, Vance Johnson, in his second year, and eight year veteran Steve Watson, as well as rookie TE Orson Mobley, all combined for 136 receptions and 2,132 yards. Jackson’s 19.4 yards per reception average ranked 8th overall.

Fifth year veteran and Pro Bowl RB Sammy Winder was the Broncos’ top rusher, with 789 yards on 240 carries (an anemic 3.3 yards per rush) and 9 touchdowns, while also catching 26 passes for another 171 yards and 5 touchdowns. His 14 total touchdowns ranked 4th in the league. Also in his fifth season, RB Gerald Willhite was the team’s second leading rusher, gaining 365 yards on 85 rushes (4.3 yards per carry) and 5 touchdowns. In addition, Willhite led the team in receptions with 64 catches for 529 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Denver’s defense led the AFC in fewest rushing yards allowed (1,651), 5th in the NFL, although they only ranked 15th in scoring defense, allowing 327 points, and 16th in pass defense, allowing 3,296 yards. The Broncos’ defensive line was anchored by two time All-Pro DE Rulon Jones, in his seventh season. Rulon led the team with 13.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Denver’s linebacking corps, led by All-Pro Tom Jackson, now in his 14th season, and two time All-Pro Karl Mecklenburg, in just his fourth year, were viewed as comparable to the Giants’ linebackers. Mecklenburg finished second on the team with 9.5 sacks.

Their secondary was spearheaded by Pro Bowl CBs Dennis Smith, in his sixth year, and 12 year veteran Louis Wright, twice an All-Pro, along with seven year S Mike Harden. Harden led the team in interceptions with 6 for 179 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wright, Steve Foley, and Jackson, representing the last remnants of the 1970’s Orange Crush defense, all retired after the Super Bowl. Denver’s special teams ranked third in the NFL in both punt return yards (468) and yards per return average (11.1), while K Rich Karlis, finishing his fifth year, led the team in scoring with 104 points, 9th overall.

On Denver’s first play after receiving the opening kickoff, John Elway faked a handoff then spun around and ran in the opposite direction for a 10 yard gain, to the Broncos’ 34 yard line. On third down, his 24 yard completion to Mark Jackson advanced the ball to the New York 39 yard line. However, the Giants’ defense tightened up and halted the drive at the 30 yard line, forcing Denver to settle for Rich Karlis’s 48 yard field goal, to give the Broncos a 3-0 lead. Karlis’ kick tied a Super Bowl record for longest field goal, set by Jan Stenerud in Super Bowl IV.

New York took the ensuing kickoff and stormed right back on a 9 play, 78 yard drive. First, Phil Simms completed a 17 yard pass to Lionel Manuel. Then Joe Morris ran for 11 yards to the Denver 41 yard line. The Giants marched to the Broncos’ 6 yard line, with Simms’ 18 yard pass to Stacy Robinson and a 17 yard completion to Mark Bavaro two plays later. Finally, Simms threw a 6 yard touchdown pass to TE Zeke Mowatt, giving New York a 7-3 lead. Denver’s Ken Bell gave his team great field position by returning the ensuing kickoff 28 yards to the Broncos’ 42 yard line.

Elway then completed three consecutive passes; a 14 yarder to Sammy Winder, an 11 yard completion to Orson Mobley, and a 9 yard screen pass to Winder. On the screen pass, the Giants were flagged for two 15 yard penalties; a personal foul called on Harry Carson and an unsportsmanlike conduct foul on Lawrence Taylor, who picked up the first penalty marker and threw it. The penalties moved the ball to the New York 6 yard line. Three plays later, Elway ran a quarterback draw for a 4 yard touchdown, giving Denver a 10-7 lead.

Those 17 points were the most combined first quarter points scored in Super Bowl history to date. On the Broncos first drive of the second quarter, Elway dropped back to pass from his own 18 yard line. The Giants’ pass rush forced Elway to scramble out of the pocket, but he found Vance Johnson wide open for a 54 yard completion. Elway continued moving the team down the field and, after a third down completion to Steve Sewell, had the ball on the New York 1 yard line, with a chance to go up by 10 points. In a pivotal moment, the Giants’ defense stood their ground.

First, Elway tried a run-pass option, but Taylor broke through the line and tackled him for a 1 yard loss. Carson stopped Gerald Willhite on the next play for no gain, and then Carl Banks chased down Winder as he attempted to score on a sweep, tackling him for a 4 yard loss. After losing five yards in three plays, Karlis tried to salvage the drive with a field goal, but missed from 23 yards, giving him a second Super Bowl record for the shortest missed field goal in a game.

The first use of instant replay in a Super Bowl game came with about three minutes to play in the half. With Denver deep in its own end of the field, Broncos’ TE Clarence Kay caught a pass from Elway for a gain of 25 yards. However, the officials conferred and ruled that Kay did not have control of the ball as he went down, thus the pass was incomplete. After the ruling, the officials conferred again and decided to review the play. Several minutes passed before Referee Jerry Markbreit announced the ruling on the field was confirmed.

This proved crucial as, on the next play, Giants’ DT George Martin sacked Elway in the end zone for a safety, cutting the Denver lead to 10-9. With less than a minute remaining in the half, Elway completed a 31 yard pass to Steve Watson and an 11 yard pass to Willhite, giving the Broncos a first down at the New York 20 yard line. But the Giants forced three consecutive incompletions, leaving Denver with a 34 yard field goal attempt. Karlis, who had made 11 of 12 field goals from inside 40 yards during the season, missed again, ending another Bronco drive with no points.

Karlis later admitted his two misses in the first half were devastating to Denver. “Both times I didn’t get my hips all the way through the kicks. I was steering the ball, and I know better than that. I felt the team unravel after that. I really hurt them.” New York took the opening kickoff in the third quarter but, facing 4th and 1 after three plays, sent their punt formation onto the field. Parcells had entertained the possibility of running a fake punt and sent Jeff Rutledge, his backup quarterback, onto the field to line up as a third blocking back.

Parcells said his reasoning was that if the Broncos were not going to pick up on Rutledge being used as a decoy for a potential fake, he would take advantage. As he had thought, Denver paid no attention to Rutledge, and he moved under center, while Sean Landeta split out as a receiver. Rutledge then took the snap from center and ran a quarterback sneak to the New York 48 yard line for a first down. On the next play, Simms completed a 12 yard pass to Morris, followed by a 23 yard completion to RB Lee Rouson.

Two plays later, Simms finished the drive with a 13 yard touchdown pass to Bavaro, to give the Giants a 16-10 lead. The Broncos were forced to punt on their next drive, and Phil McConkey returned the punt 25 yards to Denver’s 36 yard line. The Broncos managed to keep the Giants out of the end zone, but Raul Allegre kicked a 21 yard field goal, to increase their lead to 19-10. Denver was again forced to punt on their ensuing possession. Simms then completed a 17 yard pass to Manuel down to the Broncos’ 45 yard line.

On the next play, New York executed a flea flicker play for a long gain. Simms handed off to Morris but, before he crossed the line of scrimmage, Morris pitched the ball back to Simms. With the ensuing pass, Simms found McConkey, who was wide open at the Broncos’ 20 yard line. After eluding one tackler, he was upended just before he reached the goal line. On the next play, Morris scored on a 1 yard touchdown, increasing the Giants lead to 26-10. Elway then barely avoided a turnover by recovering his own fumble on the last play of the third quarter.

But, on the first play of the fourth quarter, Elway threw an interception to New York’s DB Elvis Patterson. After that, Simms completed a 36 yard pass to Robinson. Two plays later, from Denver’s 6 yard line, Simms threw a pass to Bavaro in the end zone. The pass bounced off Bavaro’s fingertips, but fell right into the hands of McConkey for a touchdown, extending the lead to 33-10. The Broncos finally managed to get a good drive going on their next possession, advancing the ball 74 yards in 13 plays.

Elway completed 5 of 6 passes for 46 yards and rushed for 14 yards, while Karlis finished the drive with a 33 yard field goal, making the score 33-13. But New York recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt, and stormed right back for more points. Rouson ran twice for 21 yards and Simms ran for a 22 yard gain. On the next play, RB Ottis Anderson scored a 2 yard touchdown, giving the Giants a 39-13 lead after Allegre missed the extra point.

Denver finally scored a touchdown when Elway found Johnson on a 47 yard bomb, the 100th recorded Super Bowl touchdown. However, by that point, the game was so far out of reach that it didn’t matter. Elway was eventually be replaced by reserve QB Gary Kubiak, who took a sack to end the game, and the Giants were victorious in a 39-20 rout of the Broncos. New York had won its’ first NFL title since 1956 and their fifth in team history.

Simms was named Super Bowl MVP, finishing with 22 completions out of 25 attempts for 268 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also had 25 rushing yards on 3 carries. His 88% completion percentage not only broke a Super Bowl record but set an NFL postseason record that lasted for 21 years. Simms finished with a passer rating of 150.92, the highest for one game in Super Bowl history. The Giants also posted a Super Bowl record 30 points in the second half, limiting the Broncos to only two net yards in the third quarter.

Conclusion: For Green Bay Packer fans, the season was a giant step backwards, and a huge disappointment.

After Gregg decided the solution to consecutive 8-8 seasons was to clean house, the team proceeded to regress in all phases of the game, losing a record 12 games, while turning in the second worst defensive performance in the almost 20 years since Vince Lombardi’s retirement as coach. According to Stanton Greene in his book, Falling Starr – Bart Starr As Head Coach Of The Green Bay Packers 1975-83, “Off the field, many of Gregg’s players were known for their thuggish behavior which resulted in four accusations of sexual assault, two trials, and one conviction. On the field, the Packers became known as a dirty team in 1986 [after the Charles Martin incident]. It was a squalid affair.”

After three years under Gregg, the franchise again seemed to be headed in the wrong direction, and patience was wearing thin.

Attached is the NFL Films Super Bowl XXI Highlight video.

Enjoy!!

As always, your feedback is appreciated!