Bradley Ruzicka

Headline: The “Majik Man” emerges as a star at quarterback, linebacker Tim Harris sets a record with 19.5 sacks, and 10 wins most in 15 years for Green Bay Packers, but team misses playoffs

Regular Season Record: 10 – 6 (Second Place NFC Central Division)

Offseason Highlights: On June 5 1989, the Green Bay Packers made one of the franchise’s most consequential decisions since the hiring of Head Coach and General Manager Vince Lombardi 30 years earlier, naming Bob Harlan their new president, replacing Robert Parins. Having joined Green Bay’s front office in 1971, Harlan had been involved in every facet of the organization at one time or another over the past 18 years, bearing witness to the team’s struggles. Now as president, he was determined not to repeat past mistakes.

In 1991, his third year as president, Harlan concluded the situation was getting worse instead of better. He then did what his predecessors had failed to do in similar situations, he acted. On November 21, after five years as executive vice president of football operations, Harlan fired Tom Braatz. This was a move uncharacteristic of anything the organization had done since the 1950s. Not since Gene Ronzani was fired as head coach with two games remaining in the 1953 season had Green Bay dismissed anyone in a position of meaningful authority in the midst of a season.

A week after firing Braatz, Harlan restructured football operations, hired Ron Wolf as general manager, and gave him total authority over all football decisions. When Wolf subsequently indicated he wanted to fire Head Coach Lindy Infante at the end of the 1991 season, with three years left on his contract, Harlan told Wolf it was his call, that he had his blessings to do whatever he wanted. Wolf proceeded to fire Infante and subsequently hire Mike Holmgren to be his head coach in 1992. Together, they overturned nearly the entire roster. The rest is history.

However, in 1989, Harlan’s tenure had started badly. Green Bay owned the second overall selection in the NFL draft due to 1988’s 4-12 record, their highest position since 1970. Unfortunately, their choice of OT Tony Mandarich from Michigan State University yielded one of the biggest failures in league history. Green Bay passed on prospects such as RB Barry Sanders, LB Derrick Thomas, and DB Deion Sanders, all future Hall of Famers, to select the highly touted offensive lineman. This despite Mandarich stating openly he didn’t want to play for the Packers.

Mandarich was a first team All-American, an Outland Award finalist, and a two time Big Ten Lineman of the Year. At the time he was drafted, Sports Illustrated called him “the best offensive lineman prospect ever.” But Mandarich was unable to live up to the very high expectations set for him. He held out the majority of the preseason, played most of the regular season on special teams, and was known for having attitude problems. Mandarich was once quoted as saying, “I am not like other players, I am Tony Mandarich, and they have to understand that. If they don’t like it, that is just the way I am and they are going to learn to like it.”

After three seasons of lackluster performance on a four year, $4.4M contract, Green Bay cut Mandarich in 1992, citing a non-football injury. He’d started only one full season (1990) and just 31 out of 45 games total at the right tackle position. After his release, Mandarich went to Traverse City MI for two years, addicted to painkillers and alcohol. His family checked him into a rehabilitation clinic in March 1995 and he eventually got sober. Mandarich subsequently returned to football for three years with the Indianapolis Colts beginning with the 1996 season.

Mandarich had a more successful, if not particularly noteworthy, career with the Colts, starting all 16 games during the 1997 season, before retiring in 1999 due to a shoulder injury. In 2008, Mandarich admitted to steroid use during his college career. In 2015, ESPN rated Mandarich as the third biggest sports flop in the past 25 years, behind QBs Jamarcus Russell in 2007 and Ryan Leaf in 1998. He was also the second major draft bust for the Packers in 1980s, after the spectacular failure of 1981’s 6th overall selection, QB Rich Campbell.

Twelve out of Green Bay’s remaining 13 draft choices yielded only a few role players, including DE Matt Brock, QB Anthony Dilweg, WR Jeff Query, and RB Vince Workman. But one selection would become a player of note, 6th round pick K Chris Jacke out of Texas-El Paso (142 overall). After cycling through four placekickers in 1988, Jacke solidified the position for the next eight seasons before finishing his career with the Arizona Cardinals in 1999. During his tenure with the Packers, Jacke converted 77.2% of his field goal attempts and 98.4% of his extra points, for a total of 820 points, second at that time behind only the great Don Hutson in Green Bay history.

Four of the first five players drafted in 1989 would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including the 1st overall selection, UCLA QB Troy Aikman (Dallas Cowboys), the 3rd overall selection, Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions), the 4th overall selection, Alabama’s Derrick Thomas (Kansas City Chiefs), and the 5th overall selection, Florida State’s Deion Sanders (Atlanta Falcons). Unfortunately for the Packers, Mandarich proved to be the exception.

The 1989 offseason also saw a major change impacting player movement. In an effort to address the issue of free agency, the primary reason behind the 1982 and 1987 player strikes, the owners unilaterally imposed Plan B free agency. Essentially, Plan B allowed each team to protect 37 out of their 47 players, with the remainder considered unrestricted free agents available to be signed by another team. Green Bay acquired a league-high 20 players under the new plan. Of those 20 signees, nine made the team with four appearing in all 16 games.

On the other hand, the Packers lost eight unprotected players, most notably 1984 1st round selection DE Alphonso Carreker (12th overall) and 1986 2nd round pick RB Kenneth Davis. Davis was left unprotected despite leading the team in rushing two out of his three seasons with the team, finishing with 1,053 yards on 262 attempts (4.0 yards per carry) and 4 touchdowns. He subsequently signed with the Buffalo Bills, playing another six seasons before retiring in 1995. Carreker ended his career with the Denver Broncos in 1991 after an unimpressive five year stint in Green Bay.

Another change effective beginning with the 1989 season was formal recognition of the “hurry up offense”. “Hurry up” is a strategy in which the offense takes steps to minimize any delays between plays. In many cases, the team will skip the huddle in order to speed things up. One advantage is that it makes it hard for the defense to make any substitutions, leaving fatigued players on the field. In addition, penalties for delay of game would be called against teams whose defenders faked injuries in order to slow down the tempo, unless those teams called timeouts.

Also of note, on the anniversary of the NFL’s 70th regular season, 63 year old Pete Rozelle announced his retirement as commissioner on March 23. A compromise candidate selected by owners on the 23rd ballot after the death of Commissioner Bert Bell in 1959, Rozelle stayed in the position for almost 30 years. During his tenure, the league thrived and became an American institution, despite two players’ strikes and two different competing leagues in the 1970s and 1980s. Rozelle’s most notable achievement was the merger between the NFL and the American Football League (AFL) in 1970, beginning the modern era of professional football.

By the time of his retirement, the league had grown from 12 teams playing a 12 game schedule to 28 teams playing a 16 game schedule. Owners presided over sizable revenues from both broadcast and cable networks, competing for the rights to broadcast games, as well as increased ticket sales and associated income from newer, larger stadiums. But, by 1989, Rozelle had grown weary of disputes with both owners and players that, while not affecting the popularity of his sport, had deeply impacted his being.

“The decade of the ’80s was tough on Pete because the league was playing defense on so many fronts,” said Joe Browne, an NFL executive for a half-century and one of Rozelle’s top assistants. “There was a general malaise in the league for almost the entire decade. Pete knew there never would be a time when all the league’s problems would be settled in a positive manner. It was enough to convince Pete to step down as commissioner after three decades of seven-day work weeks on the job.”

Rozelle was succeeded by Paul Tagliabue on November 5. While still commissioner, Rozelle was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. The NFL’s annual Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award was established at the time of his departure. Lastly, the league instituted the Pete Rozelle Trophy to honor the Super Bowl MVP, first awarded at Super Bowl XXV on January 27 1991. Rozelle died of brain cancer at age 70 on December 6 1996, in Rancho Santa Fe CA.

Finally, one former Green Bay player was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989, DB Willie Wood. Out of the University of Southern California, Wood was not drafted by any NFL team and had to try out before the Packers signed him as a free agent in 1960. He was recast as a free safety and became a starter that same season. From that point forward, Wood started for Green Bay until his retirement in 1971. In 1962, Wood led the league with nine interceptions, the highest single season total of his career, and was the league’s leading punt returner.

Wood won All-NFL honors nine times between 1962 and 1971, played in the Pro Bowl eight times, and participated in six NFL championship games, winning all except the first one in 1960. Wood was the starting free safety for Green Bay in Super Bowls I and II. In Super Bowl I, he recorded a key interception that helped the Packers put the game away in the second half. In Super Bowl II, he returned 5 punts for 35 yards, including a 31 yard return that stood as the record for longest punt return in a Super Bowl until Darrell Green’s 34 yard return in Super Bowl XVIII.

Wood finished his 12 pro seasons with 48 interceptions for 699 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also gained 1,391 yards on 187 punt returns (7.4 yards per return), scoring 2 touchdowns. Lastly, Wood holds the record for the most consecutive starts by a safety in NFL history.

Regular Season Highlights: Unexpectedly, Lindy Infante’s offensive credentials, amassed during his time as coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns, began to look quite real in 1989. Out of nowhere, the Green Bay Packers went 10-6, their best record since 1972’s 10-4, tying the Minnesota Vikings for first place in the NFC Central division. It was also the Packers first winning season since 1982’s strike shortened 5-3-1 finish. Unfortunately, Green Bay would not win the division nor a spot in the postseason.

Minnesota won the title based on a better division record (6-2 vs. Green Bay’s 5-3) while the Packers lost out on a Wild Card berth to the Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles, both of whom finished 11-5. Similar to 1978, when the Packers tied the Vikings for the division title, missed opportunities to win one more game, particularly in the first half of the season, kept the team from a chance to participate in the playoffs.

Two points separated Green Bay from victory in their home opener against a below average Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, 23-21, after being down 20-7 at halftime. In Week 3 against the Rams in Los Angeles, the Packers fought back from a 31 point halftime deficit, but again came up short, 41-38. In Week 7, Green Bay rallied from behind, this time down 20-6 in the fourth period, only to loss 23-20 on the road to the Miami Dolphins. A win in any one of those games and Green Bay was playoff bound.

On the other hand, the Packers barely eked out many of their 10 victories. Known as the “Cardiac Pack”, Green Bay won four games by one point, an NFL record, and seven games by four points or less. They came back to beat the New Orleans Saints in Week 2, 35-34, after being down 17 at the half. In Week 4, they came back from 15 down in the final quarter to beat the Atlanta Falcons, 23-21. Week 8 saw the Packers edge the Detroit Lions in overtime, 23-20, evening their record at 4-4 midway through the season.

Next up, their long time rival, the Chicago Bears. In what became known as the “Instant Replay” game, QB Don Majkowski led Green Bay to a 14-13 comeback victory, completing a game winning 14 yard touchdown pass to WR Sterling Sharpe with less than a minute left to play. Initially the play was ruled a touchdown, but Line Judge Jim Quirk called a penalty on Majkowski for being beyond the line of scrimmage when he threw the pass. With a nervous and tense crowd at Lambeau Field, the call went up to the instant replay official, Bill Parkinson.

Several minutes later, the call came down, and the touchdown was awarded as recorded. The Lambeau faithful and Packer players erupted with joy, because it marked the first time since 1984 that Green Bay had beaten the Bears. The win propelled the Packers to a 6-2 finish over the second half of the season, including a second victory over Chicago, 40-28, in Week 15. Green Bay recorded two more single point victories, one over Minnesota, 20-19, and the other over Tampa Bay, 17-16, in Weeks 12 and 13 respectively. Most impressive was a 21-17 Week 11 win over the eventual Super Bowl Champion San Francisco 49ers.

The loss to Green Bay would be one of only two all season for San Francisco and the last before finishing out the regular season with five straight victories. Similarly, the Packers finished 1989 with convincing road wins over Chicago and the Dallas Cowboys, 20-10, in their Christmas Eve finale. A Vikings loss to 8-7 Cincinnati on Monday night in the last regular season game of the year would give Green Bay the division and a playoff spot. Unfortunately, the team’s Christmas Day wish went unfulfilled, as Minnesota was the victor, 29-21.

For at least one season, Majkowski appeared to Packer fans to be the team’s quarterback of the future, the first since Lynn Dickey was acquired from the Houston Oilers in 1975. After being drafted in the 10th round, Majkowski’s first achievement was making the team in 1987. After his playing time gradually increased over his first two seasons, Majkowski burst upon the scene in his third year. He started every game, completing 353 out of 599 attempts (58.9%) for 4,315 yards, 27 touchdowns, 20 interceptions, and a 82.3 QB Rating.

Overall, Majkowski led the league in pass attempts and completions as well as passing yards. He also finished 3rd overall in passing touchdowns and 8th in passer rating. And he was the team’s second leading rusher, with 358 yards on 75 carries, scoring five rushing touchdowns. It was the best Packers’ quarterback season since Dickey threw for 4,458 yards and 32 touchdowns in 1983, and was one of the best ever in franchise history. By the end of the season, Majkowski had become known as the “Majik Man and was selected to play in his first Pro Bowl.

The one blemish on Majkowski’s record was his 20 interceptions, tied for third overall in the NFL. The fact he remained healthy throughout the season was certainly beneficial, as his only backup was rookie third round selection Anthony Dilweg, the 74th overall pick. Five year veteran Randy Wright was released prior to the start of the regular season. Wright finished his Packers career completing 602 out of 1,119 attempts (53.8%) for 7,106 yards, 31 touchdowns, 57 interceptions, and a QB Rating of 61.4. Dilweg appeared in just a single game, attempting and completing one pass for seven yards.

Meanwhile, in only his second year, Sharpe became a superstar. He played huge, gathering in 90 passes for 1,423 yards and 12 touchdowns, to make his first All-Pro team. Overall, Sharpe led the league in receptions while finishing second in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. RB Keith Woodside and WR Perry Kemp, also in their second seasons with Green Bay, finished well behind Sharpe, with 59 receptions and 611 yards respectively. Overall, the Packers passing offense finished 5th in the league with 4,048 yards.

RB Brent Fullwood led Green Bay in rushing for the second straight season, gaining 821 yards on 204 attempts (4.0 yards per carry) and 5 touchdowns. This was the most rushing yards by a Packer running back since Eddie Lee Ivory’s 831 yards in 1980. Like Majkowski, Fullwood, also in his third year, was selected to play in his first Pro Bowl. However, in total, Green Bay’s rushing offense finished in the bottom third of the league (20th overall) gaining 1,732 yards. Rookie K Chris Jacke led the Packers in scoring, finishing 8th overall in both points scored (108) and field goal percentage (78.6%).

Overall, Green Bay finished 9th in scoring offense, with 362 points, the most since 1984. On the other side of the ball, fourth year LB Tim Harris absolutely terrorized opposing quarterbacks, recording 19.5 sacks, a franchise record that stands to this day, and second most in the NFL in 1989. Like Sharpe, Harris was selected to his first All-Pro team. Unfortunately, the defense had little to offer outside of Harris, finishing just 19th against the run (2,008), 13th against the pass (3,339), and 18th in scoring, allowing 356 points, a step back from 1988’s 315 points and 11th overall ranking.

In recognition of Green Bay’s turnaround, Infante was chosen NFL Coach of the Year in only his second season. Since The Associated Press began selecting a coach of the year in 1957, just two Packer coaches had won the award, Vince Lombardi in 1959 and now, 30 years later, Lindy Infante. In 2009, Infante reflected, “That was a great honor for me personally because of the company I’m in.” For his efforts, the Executive Committee gave the head coach a two year contract extension on January 16 1990, pushing his tenure out through the 1994 season.

As noted, San Francisco, the 1988 World Champions, finished with the NFL’s best record at 14-2, winning the NFC West title and the NFC’s top playoff seed. The New York Giants won the NFC East title with a 12-4 record, good for the second playoff seed, while Minnesota won the NFC Central title and the third playoff seed. Philadelphia (fourth seed) and Los Angeles (fifth seed) were the NFC’s Wild Card teams. The Eagles were the first Wild Card ahead of the Rams based on a better record against common opponents (6-3 to Los Angeles’ 5-4).

Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos finished with the AFC’s best record at 11-5, winning the AFC West title and the AFC’s top playoff seed. Cleveland finished with a 9-6-1 record, winning the AFC Central title and the second playoff seed, while the Buffalo Bills won the AFC East title with a 9-7 record and the third playoff seed. The Houston Oilers (fourth seed) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (fifth seed) were the AFC’s Wild Card teams at 9-7. Houston finished ahead of Pittsburgh in the Central division and won the fourth seed based on a head-to-head sweep.

Lastly, San Francisco QB Joe Montana won the 1989 NFL Most Valuable Player Award as well as Offensive Player of the Year. Minnesota DT Keith Millard won Defensive Player of the Year. Detroit RB Barry Sanders won Offensive Rookie of the Year while Kansas City Chiefs’ LB Derrick Thomas won Defensive Rookie of the Year. As mentioned previously, Green Bay’s Lindy Infante won Coach of the Year.

Post Season Highlights: In the NFC Wild Card Playoffs, the Los Angeles Rams traveled to Veterans Stadium to play the Philadelphia Eagles. In the AFC, the Houston Oilers hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Astrodome. The winners would advance to their respective Divisional Playoffs.

On December 31, the Los Angeles Rams outgained the Philadelphia Eagles in total yards, 409 to 306, jumping to a 14-0 first half lead, on the way to their first playoff win in four years.

Los Angeles scored on the opening drive, moving the ball 83 yards in 5 plays. Fourth year QB Jim Everett finished the drive with a long pass to WR Henry Ellard, who outjumped DB Izel Jenkins for the ball, and raced 39 yards to the end zone for a 7-0 advantage. The next time the Rams had the ball, Everett’s 30 yard completion to Ellard set up his 4 yard touchdown pass to TE Damone Johnson, giving the team a 14-0 lead less than eight minutes into the game.

By the end of the first quarter, Everett had completed 7 out of 11 passes for 173 yards. At the end of the first half, Philadelphia had a mere 77 total yards and three first downs while trailing by two touchdowns. But the Rams blew several opportunities to put the game away in the second half, enabling the Eagles to remain in the contest. RB Greg Bell lost a fumble on the Philadelphia 4 yard line, Everett threw a second interception to Jenkins, and K Mike Lansford missed a 47 yard field goal.

On the other hand, Philadelphia’s offense made a major improvement, gaining 229 yards and 11 first downs. But the Eagles couldn’t get their first score until 10:38 remained in the fourth quarter, when RB Anthony Toney capped an 80 yard drive with a 1 yard touchdown, cutting the score to 14-7. Philadelphia LB Seth Joyner subsequently picked off a third Everett pass on the Eagle 30 yard line, giving the team a great chance to drive for the tying score. However, at the end of an ugly series, Philadelphia was forced to punt.

First, they had to recover RB Heath Sherman’s fumble after an 11 yard gain. QB Randall Cunningham then recovered a fumbled snap followed by throwing two incompletions to end the drive. Los Angeles subsequently put the game away with a 84 yard, 7 play scoring drive. Everett kept it going on 3rd and 5 with a 15 yard completion to RB Buford McGee. Bell took off for a 54 yard burst on the next play, moving the ball to the Eagles’ 10 yard line. Bell then finished the drive with a 7 yard touchdown run, making the final score 21-7.

Later that day, Pittsburgh Steelers’ DB Rod Woodson recovered a fumble to set up K Gary Anderson’s winning 50 yard field goal in overtime, giving them the win over the Houston Oilers.

Houston took the opening kickoff, advancing to the Steelers’ 40 yard line, but were stopped. K Tony Zendejas missed a 55 yard field goal, ending the drive with no points. Later in the quarter, Pittsburgh blocked a Greg Montgomery punt and recovered it on the Oilers’ 23 yard line. Eventually, facing 4th and 1 on the Houston 9 yard line, Steelers’ Head Coach Chuck Noll decided to go for the first down instead of kick a field goal. It paid off, as rookie RB Tim Worley took a pitch and ran all the way to the end zone, for a 7-0 Pittsburgh lead with 2:36 left in the first quarter.

The Oilers responded on their next drive, moving the ball 96 yards to the Steelers’ 3 yard line. Again, Houston could go no further and were forced to settle for a 26 yard Zendejas field goal, cutting the deficit to 7-3. The Oilers then recovered a Worley fumble on the Pittsburgh 41 yard line. From there, Houston advanced to the 17 yard line but, when faced with 4th and 1, decided to settle for another Zendejas field goal, this time from 35 yards out, further cutting the score to 7-6. The Steelers struck back with a drive to the Oilers’ 9 yard line, featuring a 49 yard run by third year RB Merrill Hoge.

However, Pittsburgh also ended up facing 4th and 1. This time, they decided to kick a 25 yard Anderson field goal, putting them up 10-6 at halftime. The field goal battle continued in the third quarter, with Zendejas kicking a 26 yarder and Anderson adding a 30 and a 40 yard field goal, making the score 16-9 Steelers at the start of the fourth quarter. QB Warren Moon, now in his sixth season with Houston, finally got his team into the end zone with a 10 play, 80 yard drive, scoring on his 18 yard touchdown pass to WR Ernest Givins to tie the game 16-16.

Following a Pittsburgh three and out, Harry Newsome’s punt went just 25 yards to the Steeler 38 yard line. From there, it took only five plays for the Oilers to take their first lead of the game, scoring on Moon’s 9 yard touchdown pass to Givens to put them up 23-16 with 5:16 left in regulation. Starting from their own 18 yard line after the kickoff, Pittsburgh proceeded to drive 82 yards, featuring a 22 yard run by WR Dwight Stone on a reverse play. With only 46 seconds left in regulation, the Steelers scored on Hodge’s 2 yard touchdown, tying the game 23-23 and sending it into overtime.

Pittsburgh won the coin toss and received the ball first but were quickly forced to punt. Another short kick gave Houston the ball with great field position on the Steeler 45 yard line. Unfortunately, on the Oilers first play, RB Lorenzo White fumbled the football and Pittsburgh recovered it on the Houston 46 yard line. From there, the Steelers could gain just 13 yards before facing fourth down. But it was enough. Anderson kicked a 50 yard field goal, his longest attempt of the season, which he sent perfectly through the uprights, giving Pittsburgh the win, 26-23.

It was a particularly tough loss for Houston Head Coach Jerry Glanville, who was fired a few days after the game. On the other hand, it was a particularly satisfying win for Pittsburgh, who had started the season with a 51-0 loss to the Cleveland Browns and a 41-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. They had been shutout three times, outgained by their opponents in 10 consecutive games, and had to recover from a 4-6 record to get into the playoffs by winning five of their last six games.

In the Divisional Playoffs, the AFC Central Champion Cleveland Browns hosted the AFC East Champion Buffalo Bills in Cleveland Stadium. For the third consecutive season, the NFC Central Champion Minnesota Vikings traveled to Candlestick Park to play the NFC West Champion and top seed San Francisco 49ers. Meanwhile, the NFC East Champion New York Giants hosted the NFC’s Wild Card winner, the Los Angeles Rams, in Giants Stadium. The AFC’s Wild Card winner, the Pittsburgh Steelers, traveled to Mile High Stadium to play the AFC West Champion and top seed Denver Broncos. The winners would advance to their respective Conference Championship games.

On January 6 1990, 33 year old Cleveland Browns’ LB Clay Matthews intercepted Buffalo Bills’ QB Jim Kelly at the Cleveland 11 yard line with three seconds left to preserve a victory. Kelly, now in his fourth season with Buffalo, threw for 405 yards and 4 touchdowns. Fifth year Cleveland QB Bernie Kosar threw for 251 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The contest was played on a cold, icy field that would have a big impact on the game’s outcome. Cleveland took the opening kickoff and drove into Buffalo territory. But the Browns came up empty when K Matt Bahr slipped while planting his foot on a 45 yard field goal attempt. On the Bills second play after the missed kick, Kelly threw a short pass to WR Andre Reed. DB Felix Wright slipped, leaving Reed wide open, and he took the ball 72 yards to the end zone, for a 7-0 lead.

Cleveland struck back with a 45 yard field goal by Bahr and a 52 yard touchdown pass from Kosar to WR Webster Slaughter in the second quarter, for a 10-7 lead. Kelly’s 33 yard touchdown pass to former Green Bay Packer WR James Lofton put Buffalo back in the lead, 14-10. But the Browns retook the lead, 17-14, with WR Ron Middleton’s 3 yard catch from Kosar shortly before the end of the first half.

On the opening drive of the second half came the first turnover of the game. Cleveland intercepted a Kelly pass on the Browns’ 46 yard line. Kosar then hooked up with Slaughter for another touchdown pass, this one 44 yards, to increase their lead to 24-14. The Bills responded with a 6 yard touchdown catch by RB Thurman Thomas, who tied an NFL playoff record with 13 receptions for 150 yards, to cut the deficit to 24-21.

But Cleveland RB Eric Metcalf returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, restoring the Browns 10 point lead, 31-21, at the end of the third quarter. An exchange of field goals, 30 yards by Norwood and 47 yards by Bahr, made the score 34-24 late in the fourth quarter. Buffalo then drove 77 yards to score on Kelly’s 3 yard touchdown pass to Thomas, again cutting the deficit to one score, 34-30.

However, Norwood slipped on an icy patch of the field while attempting the extra point, forcing the Bills to have to score a touchdown instead of a field goal to win the game. With time running out, Kelly led Buffalo to Cleveland’s 11 yard line. But RB Ronnie Harmon dropped a potential game winning catch in the end zone. Kelly then ended their last chance, throwing an interception to Matthews on the next play, to preserve Cleveland’s 34-30 victory.

Later that day, San Francisco 49ers’ QB Joe Montana threw for 241 yards and four touchdowns as San Francisco dominated the Minnesota Vikings. The 49ers gained 403 total yards and forced five Vikings turnovers, four of them interceptions by three different Minnesota quarterbacks.

Minnesota scored first on a 38 yard field goal by K Rich Karlis for a 3-0 lead. But San Francisco overwhelmed the Vikings during the remainder of the first half. Montana completed four touchdown passes; a 72 yarder to WR Jerry Rice, an 8 yarder to TE Brent Jones, an 8 yarder to WR John Taylor (K Mike Cofer missed the extra point), and a 13 yarder to Rice. The 49ers headed to the locker room with a 27-3 halftime lead. Minnesota’s Karlis kicked a second field goal, this one from 44 yards, to cut San Francisco’s lead to 27-6 at the end of three quarters.

However, in the fourth quarter, the 49ers ended any hope of a Viking comeback. DB Ronnie Lott returned an interception 58 yards for a touchdown to extend San Francisco’s lead to 34-6. A 41 yard interception return, this time by DB Tim McKyer, set up the 49ers final score. RB Roger Craig’s 4 yard run gave his team a 41-6 advantage. San Francisco could have had an even bigger lead, but Cofer missed two fields goals, while Craig lost an early fumble on the Viking 9 yard line. Minnesota ultimately scored a consolation touchdown on RB Rick Fenney’s 3 yard run late in the game, making the final score 41-13.

On January 7, the Los Angeles Rams upset the New York Giants when QB Jim Everett threw a 30 yard touchdown pass to WR Flipper Anderson with 1:06 gone in overtime to seal the win.

On Los Angeles’ first drive of the game, New York’s eight time All-Pro LB Lawrence Taylor forced an Everett fumble that the Giants recovered on the Rams’ 11 yard line. This set up a 35 yard field goal by K Raul Allegre to give New York an early 3-0 lead. Allegre later kicked a second first quarter field goal, a 41 yarder, to make the score 6-0. However, late in the second quarter, Giants’ QB Phil Simms, in his 11th season, threw a pass that was intercepted by S Michael Stewart.

Stewart returned the ball 29 yards to the New York 20 yard line. On the next play, Everett threw a 20 yard touchdown pass to Anderson with just 17 seconds left in the half, giving Los Angeles a 7-6 advantage. On the opening drive of the second half, the Giants struck back, intercepting Everett in the end zone. New York subsequently put together an 82 yard, 14 play drive to take the lead. Simms completed passes to RB Dave Meggett for 11 yards and TE Zeke Mowatt for 23 yards.

RB Ottis Anderson rushed 6 times for 28 yards during the drive, including a 2 yard touchdown, to make the score 13-7 Giants. With two minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Rams stormed right back. Everett completed two passes to WR Henry Ellard for gains of 23 and 16 yards. A 16 yard run by RB Greg Bell culminated in a 31 yard field goal by K Mike Lansford, cutting the deficit to 13-10.

Everett next completed 6 of 7 passes for 44 yards and rushed for 12 yards on a 75 yard drive that ended with Lansford’s 21 yard field goal. With 3:01 left in the fourth quarter, the game was tied at 13-13. However, when neither team could score during the remainder of regulation, the game went into overtime. After winning the coin toss, Los Angeles needed just one drive and 1:06 to seal the victory.

Starting from their own 23 yard line, Everett’s completions to TE Pete Holohan and Ellard for gains of 12 and 13 yards respectively moved the ball to the 48 yard line. On the next play, the Giants’ were called for a 27 yard pass interference penalty, moving the ball into New York territory. Following a 5 yard false start penalty against the Rams, Everett connected with Anderson for a 30 yard touchdown and a 19-13 victory.

Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos recovered from two early 10 point deficits to eventually win on a 71 yard drive, capped by RB Melvin Bratton’s 1 yard touchdown with 2:27 left in the game. For the second game in a row, Pittsburgh Steelers’ RB Merril Hoge had a superb performance, rushing for 120 yards on 16 carries and catching 8 passes for 60 yards.

Pittsburgh jumped to a 3-0 early lead with a 32 yard field goal by K Gary Anderson. On the first play of the second quarter, Hoge ripped off a 45 yard run, the longest of his career. He ended up rushing for 60 yards on the Steelers drive, including a 7 yard touchdown carry, to increase Pittsburgh’s lead to 10-0. Denver responded with a 12 play, 75 yard drive, scoring on Bratton’s 1 yard touchdown run, cutting the lead to 10-7. But the Steelers stormed right back, with fourth year QB Bubby Brister completing a 25 yard pass to TE Mike Mularkey.

RB Tim Worley contributed a 19 yard carry on the way to a 9 yard scoring reception from Brister to WR Louis Lipps for a 17-7 lead. Shortly before the end of the half, Broncos’ rookie K David Treadwell made a 43 yard field goal, putting the score at 17-10 going into halftime. In the third quarter, Denver LB Karl Mecklenburg and DT Greg Kragen forced a fumble from Worley that the Broncos recovered on Pittsburgh’s 37 yard line. The result was QB John Elway’s 37 yard touchdown pass to WR Vance Johnson, tying the game at 17-17.

Again, the Steelers struck back. Brister completed a 19 yard screen to Hoge and a 30 yard pass to rookie WR Mark Stock on the way to a 35 yard Anderson field goal and a 20-17 lead. In the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh DB Thomas Everett intercepted an Elway pass and returned it 26 yards to midfield, setting up a second Anderson field goal, this time from 32 yards, to make the score 23-17. The Steelers appeared to have a chance to put the game away following a Denver punt. But, after a productive start to their drive, Braxton tackled Hodge 1 yard short of a first down at the Bronco 41 yard line, forcing a punt.

With seven minutes left in the game, Elway led Denver 71 yards in 9 plays, including a 36 yard completion to Jackson and a 15 yarder to WR Ricky Nattiel. Bratton finished the drive with his second 1 yard touchdown of the game, this one with 2:27 left, for a 24-23 lead. On first down of the Steelers ensuing possession, Brister fired a pass to a wide open Stock. However, he tried to turn upfield before securing the catch and the ball fell to the turf, incomplete. Then, after another incompletion, Brister fumbled a low snap in shotgun formation. Denver S Randy Robbins recovered the ball, securing a 24-23 Denver win.

On January 14, for the third time in four years, the AFC Championship Game pitted the Denver Broncos against the Cleveland Browns in Mile High Stadium. Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers played the Los Angeles Rams for the NFC Championship in Candlestick Park.

In the AFC, QB John Elway led the Denver Broncos to victory with 385 passing yards and 3 touchdowns while also leading Denver in rushing with 39 yards. The Broncos outgained the Cleveland Browns in total yards, 497 to 256, while the defense forced three Cleveland turnovers.

Denver scored first, with K David Treadwell’s 29 yard field goal, five plays after Broncos’ S Dennis Smith intercepted a Bernie Kosar pass on the Cleveland 35 yard line with just over two minutes left in the first quarter. On Denver’s next drive, WR Michael Young caught a pass from Elway for a 70 yard touchdown reception, putting the Broncos up 10-0 at the end of the half. The Browns struck back on their opening drive of the third quarter with a 79 yard, 8 play touchdown drive. Kosar scrambled for 16 yards on the possession, eventually throwing a 27 yard touchdown pass to WR Brian Brennan, cutting the score to 10-7.

However, Denver responded with a touchdown of their own. RB Sammy Winder rushed for 22 yards on the drive while Elway completed a 53 yard pass to Young. The Pro Bowl quarterback finished the drive with a 5 yard scoring pass to TE Orson Mobley, putting the team back up by 10 points at 17-7. Later in the quarter, Cleveland DB Kyle Kramer was called for 15 yard spearing penalty on Elway’s 25 yard run, setting up Winder’s 7 yard touchdown, extending the Broncos’ lead to 24-7.

With 4:19 left in the third quarter and down by 17 points, Kosar desperately rallied the Browns. The fifth year quarterback completed passes to WRs Reggie Langhorne, Lawyer Tillman, and Webster Slaughter for gains of 27, 15, and 16 yards respectively. He then connected with Brennan for a 10 yard touchdown, cutting the score to 24-14. A few plays after the ensuing kickoff, DE Al Baker forced a fumble from Denver’s RB Melvin Bratton. DB Felix Wright recovered the ball and returned it 27 yards to the Bronco 1 yard line.

RB Tim Manoa’s 2 yard touchdown further narrowed the deficit to 24-21 going into the fourth quarter. But Denver quickly dashed Cleveland’s comeback hopes with their opening drive of the fourth quarter. On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Elway completed a 23 yard pass WR Vance Johnson. Then, on 3rd and 10 from the Bronco 43 yard line, Elway completed a 20 yard pass to Johnson. Two plays later, he hooked up with Winder for a 39 yard touchdown completion, extending Denver’s lead to 31-21. The Broncos then scored field goals on each of their next two drives (34 and 31 yards), to put the game away, 37-21.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers crushed the Los Angeles Rams. The 49er offense gained 442 total yards, holding the ball for a total of 39:48. Los Angeles finished the game with just 156 yards. QB Jim Everett completed only 16 of 36 passes for 141 yards and was intercepted three times.

Los Angeles took advantage of a 31 yard punt, giving them a first down at midfield. The Rams drove to the San Francisco 6 yard line in 10 plays, scoring on K Mike Lansford’s 23 yard field goal, for a 3-0 lead. But this would turn out to be Los Angeles’ only score of the game. The Rams did have a second scoring chance in the first quarter, when 49er TE Brent Jones lost a fumble. While Los Angeles had momentum at this point, it shifted to San Francisco’s favor for good when S Ronnie Lott batted down a pass intended for a wide open Flipper Anderson. Had Anderson made the catch, he would have scored easily, giving the Rams a 10-0 lead.

Instead, Los Angeles ended up punting, and the 49ers stormed down the field on a 13 play, 89 yard scoring drive. Montana completed 5 of 6 passes for 67 yards on the possession. The last one was a 20 yard touchdown to Jones, 3:33 into the second quarter, giving San Francisco a 7-3 lead. On the Rams ensuing drive, Everett threw a pass that bounced off Ellard before being intercepted by CB Tim McKyer, who returned the ball 27 yards to the Los Angeles 27 yard line. Five plays later, RB Roger Craig increased the 49ers lead to 14-3 with a 1 yard touchdown.

After a Rams punt, Montana completed 8 of 10 passes for 90 yards on a 14 play, 87 yard drive. San Francisco scored on an 18 yard touchdown pass to WR John Taylor with just nine seconds left in the half for a 21-3 lead. Early in the third quarter, an 11 play, 62 yard drive ended with a 28 yard Mike Cofer field goal, increasing the 49ers lead to 24-3. Cofer later missed a field goal after Lott picked off an Everett pass, but subsequently made a 36 yarder on the first play of the fourth quarter, as well as a 25 yard kick with 5:40 left in the game, to make the final score 30-3.

Thus, for the fourth time in the 1980s, and for the second year in a row, the San Francisco 49ers would compete for the World Championship of Professional Football in Super Bowl XXIV. Their opponent would be the Denver Broncos, also playing in their fourth Super Bowl, as well as their third NFL Championship game in four years.

Super Bowl Highlights: On January 28 1990, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers, led by rookie Head Coach George Seifert, played the AFC Champion Denver Broncos, led by 12 year veteran Head Coach Dan Reeves, in Super Bowl XXIV. This would be a record seventh time that New Orleans had hosted a Super Bowl.

San Francisco entered the game seeking to win their second straight Super Bowl, this time without the man who’d been primarily responsible for their success during the 1980s. Head Coach Bill Walsh retired immediately after the 49ers’ 20-16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII, motivated by a desire to step away from the game. During his 10 year tenure, Walsh went 102-63-1, winning 10 of 14 postseason games along with six division titles, three NFC Championship titles, and three Super Bowls. He was named NFL Coach of the Year in 1981 and 1984. In 1993, Walsh was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Walsh’s offense scored 3,714 points during his tenure, the most of any team over that span. In 1989, his successor didn’t miss a beat, as Seifert guided San Francisco to a league best regular season record with an offense that was just as dominating as it had been in previous years. All-Pro QB Joe Montana had another MVP season, completing 271 out of 386 attempts (70.2%) for 3,512 yards, 26 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and a 112.4 QB Rating, giving him what was then the highest single season QB Rating in NFL history.

Montana also finished first overall in completion percentage as well as 4th overall in touchdown passes and 8th overall in passing yards. His 227 yards and 3 touchdowns ranked third on the team in rushing yards and second in rushing touchdowns. Even Montana’s backup, QB Steve Young, had a great year. Young started three games, completing 64 out of 92 attempts (69.6%) for 1,001 yards and 8 touchdowns, throwing only 3 interceptions, for a QB Rating of 120.8. He also rushed for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Like Montana, WR Jerry Rice had another outstanding season, catching 82 passes for 1,483 yards (18.1 yards per catch) and 17 touchdowns. Rice, the second of three All-Pros for the 49ers, finished first overall in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns while finishing 5th overall in receptions and 9th overall in yards per reception. RB Roger Craig was the team’s leading rusher, with 1,054 yards and 6 touchdowns, while recording 49 receptions for 473 yards and another touchdown.

Other stars on San Francisco’s offense began to emerge in 1989, enabling the team to spread the ball around. After being used primarily as a punt returner during his first two seasons, WR John Taylor had a breakout season, catching 60 passes for 1,077 yards (18.0 yards per catch) and 10 touchdowns. Taylor also returned 36 punts for 417 yards. His 11.6 yards per return was fifth best in the NFL. TE Brent Jones recorded 40 receptions for 500 yards. RB Tom Rathman had the best season of his career, rushing for 305 yards and catching 73 passes for 616 yards, second on the team in both rushing yards and receptions.

K Mike Cofer led both the team and the league in scoring with 136 points. Cofer also made a career high 80.6% of his field goals, fifth overall. With all of these weapons, San Francisco’s offense led the league in scoring (442 points) while finishing 2nd in passing yards (4,302) and 10th in rushing yards (1,966). The defense allowed the third fewest points (253) and rushing yards (1,383) in the league as well as finished a respectable 11th in passing yards allowed (3,235).

DE Pierce Holt recorded 10.5 sacks as did LB Charles Haley, in their second and fourth seasons respectively. In addition to Haley, their linebacking corps was anchored by veterans Keena Turner, Matt Millen, and Bill Romanowski. All-Pro S Ronnie Lott, now in his ninth year, led the team with 5 interceptions. DB Eric Wright, also in his ninth season, and SS Chet Brooks combined for 5 interceptions. A total of six 49ers were selected to play in the 1989 Pro Bowl.

On the other hand, Denver was trying to avoid becoming the second team, after the Minnesota Vikings, to lose a fourth Super Bowl. After blowout losses to the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXII respectively, the Broncos missed the 1988 playoffs with an 8-8 record. But they acquired several new players in the offseason to help them win 10 of their first 12 games in 1989. One of Denver’s major new additions was rookie RB Bobby Humphrey.

Humphrey rushed for 1,151 yards on 294 attempts (3.9 yards per carry), caught 22 passes for 156 yards, and scored a total of 8 touchdowns, finishing 6th and 8th overall in attempts and rushing yards respectively. The Broncos now had the type of running attack they’d lacked in their previous Super Bowl seasons. Also new to the team was rookie K David Treadwell. Treadwell made the Pro Bowl with an 81.8% field goal percentage and 120 points, finishing fourth and third in the league respectively.

In his fifth year, WR Vance Johnson had the best season of his career, catching 76 passes for 1,095 yards and 7 touchdowns as well as returning 12 punts for 118 yards. Johnson was by far the best of the Bronco receivers. WR Mark Jackson finished a distant second with 28 catches for 446 yards and 2 touchdowns. Although named to his third Pro Bowl in seven years, QB John Elway played inconsistently throughout the season. Elway completed 223 out of 416 attempts (53.6%) for 3,051 yards, 18 touchdowns, 18 interceptions, and a below average 73.7 QB Rating. Elway’s 18 interceptions tied for the sixth most in the league.

Overall, Denver’s offense finished 6th in rushing yards (2,092) and 8th in points scored (362). However, their passing offense was less than stellar, finishing 23rd with just 3,001 yards. Like the offense, the defense added new weapons. One was rookie S Steve Atwater. Together with nine year veteran DB Dennis Smith as well as Wymon Henderson and Tyrone Braxton, both in their third season, the Broncos’ secondary combined for 14 interceptions. Braxton lead the team with 6 interceptions, returning them for 103 yards and a touchdown, while also recovering 2 fumbles.

Another new addition was five year veteran DE Ron Holmes, acquired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who recorded 9 sacks. Along with All-Pro LB Karl Mecklenburg (7.5 sacks and 4 fumble recoveries) and DE Simon Fletcher (12 sacks), in their seventh and fifth years respectively, Denver had one of the top defensive lines in the AFC. Overall, Denver’s defense allowed the fewest points in the NFL during the 1989 season (226) while finishing 3rd in rushing yards allowed (2,827) and 6th in passing yards allowed (1,580).

On the opening possession, Denver was forced to punt after three plays. San Francisco scored on their ensuing drive, marching 66 yards, and scoring on a 20 yard touchdown pass from Joe Montana to Jerry Rice for a 7-0 lead. The Broncos responded with a 49 yard scoring drive, mainly on plays by Bobby Humphrey, who rushed 4 times for 22 yards and caught a 27 yard shovel pass, John Elway’s longest completion of the game. David Treadwell finished the drive with a 42 yard field goal to cut the Broncos’ deficit to 7-3.

Denver’s defense forced the 49ers to punt on their next drive after three plays. Vance Johnson gave his team good field position at the Broncos’ 49 yard line. But then Humphrey lost a fumble at midfield and San Francisco recovered the loose football. At this point, the 49ers completely took over the game. Ten plays after the fumble recovery, San Francisco scored on a 7 yard pass from Montana to Brent Jones. Mike Cofer pushed the extra point attempt wide right, keeping the score at 13-3. This, however, would be the only miscue the 49ers would make the rest of the game.

Once again, Denver was forced to punt three plays after the ensuing kickoff. San Francisco subsequently advanced 69 yards in 13 plays to score another touchdown. The key player on the drive was Tom Rathman, who caught 3 passes for 39 yards, and kept the drive alive with a successful run on a fourth down. Rathman capped it off with a 1 yard touchdown, making the score 20-3. With under two minutes left in the first half, John Taylor’s 17 yard punt return gave the 49ers the ball near midfield.

Just over a minute later, San Francisco scored another touchdown, with a 38 yard completion from Montana to Rice, increasing their lead to 27-3 at the end of the half. When the second half started, the 49ers picked up right where they left off. LB Michael Walter intercepted Elway’s first pass of the third quarter. Montana threw a 28 yard touchdown pass to Rice on the next play, extending San Francisco’s lead to 34-3. Then Elway was intercepted again on the Broncos’ ensuing drive, this time by Chet Brooks, who returned the ball 38 yards to the Denver 37 yard line.

Two plays later, Montana fooled Steve Atwater with a pump fake in Rice’s direction, and then threw a 35 yard touchdown pass to Taylor, making the score 41-3. The Broncos lone touchdown came on their next possession, a 61 yard, 5 play drive. First, Denver returned the kickoff to the 39 yard line. Elway’s 13 yard completion to Johnson, a 34 yard run from Humphrey, and a 49er pass interference penalty moved the ball to the San Francisco 1 yard line. On third and goal, after losing 2 yards on their first two attempts, Elway capped off the drive with a 3 yard touchdown, cutting Denver’s deficit to 41-10.

But the 49ers domination continued. San Francisco responded to the Broncos score with an 11 play, 75 yard drive that took 6:56 off the clock, ending with Rathman’s 3 yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, for a 48-10 lead. After the ensuing kickoff, Elway was sacked for a 6 yard loss by DE Danny Stubbs. After an offsides penalty on the 49ers, Elway was sacked for a second time, forcing a fumble. Stubbs recovered the loose ball and returned it 15 yards to Denver’s 1 yard line. San Francisco’s Roger Craig then closed out the scoring with a 1 yard touchdown on the next play, to make the final score 55-10.

With their second consecutive Super Bowl victory, and their fourth championship in nine seasons, San Francisco took their place in pro football history as the NFL’s team of the ’80s. The 49ers joined the team of the 70s, the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the only other team to win four Super Bowls, as well as the Green Bay Packers, the only team to win five NFL Championships, during the 1960s. San Francisco, Pittsburgh, and Green Bay are also the only teams in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowls.

Super Bowl XXIV confirmed Joe Montana’s status as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Montana was named Super Bowl MVP, the third time he’d won the MVP award in four Super Bowl appearances, and the first to win the award three times. Montana completed 22 of 29 passes for 297 yards and a Super Bowl record five touchdowns. Montana’s 75.9 completion percentage was the second highest in Super Bowl history and he also set a record by completing 13 consecutive passes.

Jerry Rice finished the game with 7 receptions for 148 yards and a Super Bowl record 3 receiving touchdowns. He joined teammate Roger Craig as the only players to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl. Craig was the leading rusher of the game with 69 rushing yards and a touchdown, also catching 5 passes for 34 yards. The game itself remains the most lopsided in Super Bowl history to date. San Francisco’s 55 points were the most ever scored by one team and their 45 point margin of victory was the largest ever. The 49ers are also the only team to score at least eight touchdowns in a Super Bowl and at least two touchdowns in each quarter.

John Elway was held to just 10 completions in 26 attempts for 108 yards with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Elway did run for a touchdown, but also fumbled twice. Bobby Humphrey was Denver’s leading rusher and receiver, with 61 rushing yards and 3 receptions for 38 yards. Worst of all, Denver was now only the second team in NFL history to lose four Super Bowls. It would be seven years before the Broncos and Elway got another chance to win an NFL championship.

Conclusion: For the Green Bay Packers, the 1989 season was a ray of hope in an otherwise dark period in franchise history. For just the third time in 20 years, excluding the strike shortened 1982 season, the Packers had finished a full season with a winning record. Green Bay was also a relatively young team at such key positions as quarterback, wide receiver, and running back. While the defense wasn’t yet playing at the same level as the offense, the Packers had young players such as LB Tim Harris to build around. With 1989 NFL Coach of the Year Lindy Infante in charge, and after so many disappointing seasons, fans were cautious, but hopeful, that perhaps the “glory days” were once again within reach.

Attached is the NFL Films Super Bowl XXIV Highlight video, appropriately entitled “Coronation”.

Enjoy!!

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