Bradley Ruzicka

Headline: Holdouts and injuries limit the Green Bay Packers’ offense resulting in another losing campaign after promising 1989 season.

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

Offseason Highlights: To begin the NFL’s 71st season, the league changed the schedule so that all NFL teams would play their 16 game schedule over a 17 week period, giving each team a “bye week” during the regular season. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 10 to 12 teams, adding another wild card participant from each conference. The addition of two more contests to the post-season schedule would remain in effect for the next 30 years.

Had these playoff format changes been in effect in 1989, the Green Bay Packers would have been in the playoffs, a particularly disappointing outcome given the results of the 1990 season. ABC was granted the rights to televise the two additional Wild Card games. In addition, Ted Turner’s TNT network was granted the right to broadcast Sunday night games during the first half of the regular season. ESPN would continue to broadcast those games during the second half of the season.

Green Bay entered the 1990 NFL draft with two first round draft choices (18th and 19th overall). Unfortunately, only one, LB Tony Bennett out of the University of Mississippi, proved to be a difference maker. The other, RB Darrell Thompson from the University of Minnesota, started just 28 games over five years, rushing for more than 500 yards in a season only once (654). He retired after the 1994 season with a total of 1,641 yards on 464 carries (3.5 yards per attempt) and 7 rushing touchdowns.

In addition to Bennett, 1990 yielded three players of note; 2nd round pick and 48th overall selection, DB LeRoy Butler (Florida State University), 4th round pick and 102nd overall selection, TE Jackie Harris (Northeastern Louisiana University), and 6th round pick and 159th overall selection, LB Bryce Paup (Northern Iowa University). While Bennett played only four seasons for the Packers, starting 39 out of 56 games, he still finished fourth on Green Bay’s all-time sack list with 36 sacks. Bennett concluded his eight year career with the Indianapolis Colts in 1997 after totaling 64.5 sacks.

Similarly, Harris played only four years with the Packers, starting 32 out of 60 games, catching 133 passes for 1,620 yards (12.2 yards per catch) and 9 touchdowns. His best seasons with Green Bay came in 1992 and 1993, when he finished second in receiving behind WR Sterling Sharpe. He went on to play for three other teams during his 12 year career, his last as a Dallas Cowboy, retiring prior to the 2002 season. Paup played five seasons with Green Bay, starting 41 out of 64 games, recording 32.5 sacks, and making the Pro Bowl in 1994. Paup also went on to play for three other teams, finishing his 11 career with the Minnesota Vikings in 2000.

Meanwhile, LeRoy Butler, perhaps best known for being the first Packers’ player to do a “Lambeau Leap” on December 26 1993, played his entire 12 year career with Green Bay. He started 165 out of 181 games, recording 953 tackles, 38 interceptions, 553 return yards, 12 fumble recoveries, 3 touchdowns, and 20½ sacks. Butler led or tied for the team lead in interceptions in five different seasons and was the first defensive back in NFL history to gain entrance in the 20 Sack / 20 Interception Club.

Butler was both an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler four times. Unfortunately, a broken shoulder blade sustained while tackling Atlanta Falcons’ RB Maurice Smith during the 2001 season forced him to retire prior to 2002 when it was discovered the shoulder had not healed properly. Butler was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 2007, named to the 1990s NFL All-Decade Team, and was a finalist in 2020 for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Dallas Cowboys would have had the first overall pick for the second consecutive year by virtue of their league worst 1-15 record in 1989. However, the Cowboys forfeited that pick by selecting QB Steve Walsh with the second overall selection in the previous year’s supplemental draft. That first pick instead went to the Atlanta Falcons, who traded it to the Indianapolis Colts for Pro Bowl OT Chris Hinton and WR Andre Rison. The Colts, desperate for a franchise quarterback, subsequently selected Jeff George out of the University of Illinois. Regrettably, it didn’t work out the way either Indianapolis or George had hoped.

Five players drafted in 1990 would ultimately be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including the 3rd overall selection, University of Miami DT Cortez Kennedy (Seattle Seahawks), the 5th overall selection, USC LB Junior Seau (San Diego Chargers), the 17th overall selection, University of Florida RB Emmitt Smith (Dallas Cowboys), and the 192nd overall pick, Savannah State TE Shannon Sharpe (Denver Broncos), younger brother of Packers’ WR Sterling Sharpe.

Lastly, one former Packers’ player was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990, LB Ted Hendricks. Although he played just one season in Green Bay (1974) after being acquired from the Baltimore Colts, Hendricks had one of the best seasons of his career; 5 interceptions, 7 blocked kicks (3 field goals, 3 punts, and 1 extra point), a safety, 2 sacks, 75 tackles, and 2 knocked down passes, earning consensus All-Pro honors for the second time. In 1975, the Oakland Raiders, by virtue of the “Rozell Rule”, forfeited two first round draft choices in 1976 and 1977 as compensation to the Packers for signing Hendricks after his contract expired and the team chose not to re-sign him.

Regular Season Highlights: In 1990, Green Bay Packers’ Head Coach Lindy Infante proceeded to use up the year of goodwill earned as a result of the team’s success during the 1989 season. Green Bay flipped its’ 10-6 record, going 6-10, finishing behind the 11-5 Chicago Bears as well as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions in the NFC Central.

Actually, Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Detroit, and the Minnesota Vikings all compiled 6-10 records. However, the Buccaneers were second based on the best head-to-head record (5-1) against the Lions (2-4), Packers (3-3), and Vikings (2-4). Detroit finished third based on best net division points (-8) over Green Bay (-40). The Packers finished ahead of Minnesota based on a better conference record (5-7 to Vikings’ 4-8).

The season got off to an ominous start, with 18 players holding out of training camp. This included four of the previous year’s five starting offensive linemen as well as two 1989 Pro Bowlers, QB Don Majkowski and RB Brent Fullwood. So brilliant the year before, Majkowski held out for 45 days, signing a $1.5M deal only five days before the season opener. Fullwood also missed training camp before signing a two-year, $1.07 million contract. Veteran OTs Alan Veingrad and Ken Ruettgers as well as OGs Rich Moran and Ron Hallstram missed 101 practices between them. In total, holdouts missed a combined total of 13 exhibition games.

Reluctant to expose Majkowski after such a short time back with the team, Infante held his quarterback out of the starting lineup for the first two regular season games. Still, Green Bay managed a 1-1 record with second year backup QB Anthony Dilweg at the helm. Playing behind an unsettled offensive line, Dilweg held his own during his first NFL start, giving the Packers a strong performance in the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Lambeau Field. Dilweg completed 20 of 32 passes for 248 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions in a 36-24 victory over a team that had been in the NFC Championship Game the year before.

However, against division rival Chicago in Week 2, Dilweg was sacked six times and eventually gave way to a clearly rusty Majkowski, who completed 8 of 12 attempts for 84 yards and 1 interception, in a 31-13 home loss. Majkowski’s struggles continued in his first start the next week against the Kansas City Chiefs, throwing two more interceptions and leading the team to just three points in a second straight home loss, 17-3. Week 4 against the Lions saw Majkowski briefly return to form when he completed 28 of 46 passes for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 24-21 road victory.

But consecutive road losses to the Bears (27-13) and Buccaneers (26-14) left the Packers with a disappointing 2-4 record going into their bye week. The impact of so many starters missing the preseason was clearly felt, especially on offense. Contributing to the mediocre quarterback play was an offensive line that gave up 21 sacks, 18 in the first four games. Green Bay’s running backs were unable to gain 50 or more yards in any of their first six contests. As a team, the Packers scored a total of just 43 points in their four losses.

But Green Bay showed signs of life coming out of the bye week, winning four of their next five games, including a particularly impressive Week 10 victory over the playoff bound Los Angeles Raiders, 29-16. Their only loss was a close one in Week 9 to the World Champion San Francisco 49ers, 24-20, in a game that saw Majkowski play his best ball of the season. The 1989 Pro Bowler completed 22 of 33 passes for 274 yards, 2 touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 112.4 QB Rating. Despite starting slowly, the Packers were still in the hunt for a playoff berth, sitting at 5-5 with six games left.

However, that life was snuffed out in Week 11, when Majkowski was lost for the remainder of the season after sustaining a shoulder injury during a 24-21 victory over the Phoenix Cardinals. With “The Majik Man” out, Green Bay could win only one more game, a 20-10 victory over Tampa Bay in Week 12, before losing their last five and finishing with a fourth losing season in five years. For Majkowski, now in his fourth year, 1990 was not only a lost season but one that altered the course of his career.

After dropping three of his first four starts, Majkowski led the Packers to wins in three of their next four games before he was upended and tackled on his shoulder by Cardinals’ DT Freddie Joe Nunn. At first thought to be a bruise, his injury turned out to be much more serious; a torn rotator cuff. Majkowski finished the season with only eight starts, completing 150 out of 264 passes (56.8%) for 1,925 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, resulting in a disappointing 73.5 QBR. By season’s end, Majkowski’s career year in 1989 was but a distant memory.

With Majkowski out, Dilweg started a total of seven games, five of which were losses. The grandson of Packers’ great Lavvie Dilweg, who played receiver for the team between 1927 and 1934, Anthony completed 101 of 192 passes (52.6%) for 1,267 yards, 8 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and a QBR of 72.1. It was the only season Dilweg saw substantial action in an NFL career that lasted less than three years. He simply didn’t possess the athletic ability, scrambling talents, or quarterbacking skills necessary to make it as a professional.

Fifth year QB Blair Kiel, in his second stint with Green Bay after being on the roster in 1988, backed up Diweg. He started one contest, a late season 24-17 home loss to Detroit. Kiel completed a total of 51 of 85 passes (60%) for 504 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, for a QBR of 74.8. With Dilweg and Kiel at the helm during the Packers season ending losing streak, the offense averaged a mere 10 points per game. However, Green Bay’s quarterbacks were only part of the problem. None had the benefit of either strong pass protection or a strong running game throughout the year.

After his hold out, Fullwood had an awful start to the season, gaining an anemic total of 124 yards on 44 attempts over five games. But the worst was yet to come. The fourth year running back pulled himself out of the October 7th contest against the Bears after just two carries, complaining of a sore throat and an upset stomach. When he was seen partying at a nightclub that same night, Fullwood was shipped off to the Cleveland Browns two days later for a 1991 7th round draft pick. He appeared in only one other NFL game the remainder of his career. Fullwood finished with a total of 1,702 yards on 433 attempts (3.9 yards per carry) and 19 touchdowns.

With their marquee running back gone, 1990’s leading rusher was 1989 Plan B free agent acquisition Michael Haddix. Haddix gained only 311 yards on 98 attempts (3.2 yards per carry) in what would turn out to be the final season of his eight year career. Haddix spent just two years with the Packers after playing his first six seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles. During his short tenure with Green Bay, Haddix gained 446 yards on 142 carries (3.1 yards per rush) and had 3 touchdown receptions.

Green Bay was hoping that their second first round draft pick, Darrell Thompson, would take over as the primary ball carrier. But he gained only 264 yards on 76 attempts to finish as the Packers second leading runner. Despite his injury shortened season, Majkowski was the third leading rusher, with 186 yards on 29 attempts. No runner scored more than a single touchdown and the team totaled just five rushing touchdowns in 16 games. Underlying the offense’s ineffectiveness was the struggles of the offensive line. Green Bay quarterbacks suffered a league leading 62 sacks. Only one 1989 starter, LT Ken Ruettgers, remained by season’s end.

There were a few bright spots. Third year WR Sterling Sharpe caught 67 passes for 1,105 yards and 6 touchdowns. Sharpe both surpassed 1,000 yards and led the Packers in catches for the second straight season, finishing 5th in the league in receiving yards. Also for the second consecutive year, WR Perry Kemp finished second on the team in both receptions (44) and yards (527). In just his second season, K Chris Jacke again led Green Bay in scoring with 97 points, converting 23 out of 30 field goals (76.7%). Rookie Charlie Wilson finished 5th in the league with 22.8 yards per kickoff return.

However, in total, the news was bad. The offense finished 26th in rushing, 8th in passing, and 23rd in scoring, with 271 points, a significant reduction from 1989’s 362 points. Defensively, the Packers finished 20th against the run, 22nd against the pass, and 18th in total defense, allowing 347 points. Green Bay recorded only 27 sacks, down from 34 sacks the year before, yielded an average of 340 yards and 21.7 points per game, and forced only 30 turnovers, while committing 43, for a turnover ratio of -13. While fifth year LB Tim Harris again led the Packers on defense, his total of 7 sacks was a far cry from 1989’s 19.5 sacks.

San Francisco continued their dominance 1990, finishing with the NFL’s best record at 14-2, winning the NFC West and the NFC’s top playoff seed. Not far behind, the New York Giants won the NFC East with a 13-3 record, good for the second seed. Chicago won the NFC Central and the third seed with a 11-5 record. The Philadelphia Eagles (fourth seed), the Washington Redskins (fifth seed), and the 8-8 New Orleans Saints (sixth seed) were the NFC’s Wild Card teams.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills rose to the top of the AFC, finishing with a 13-3 record, winning the AFC East and the conference’s top playoff seed. The Los Angeles Raiders finished with a 12-4 record, winning the AFC West and the second seed, while the Cincinnati Bengals won the AFC Central with a 9-7 record and the third seed. The 12-4 Miami Dolphins (fourth seed), the 11-5 Kansas City Chiefs (fifth seed), and the 9-7 Houston Oilers (sixth seed) were the AFC’s Wild Card teams.

Both Philadelphia and Washington finished with a 10-6 record, but the Eagles earned the NFC’s fourth seed based on a better division record (5-3 to Redskins’ 4-4). Cincinnati finished ahead of Houston and the 9-7 Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Central based on the best head-to-head record (3-1 to Oilers’ 2-2 to Steelers’ 1-3). The Oilers were the third AFC Wild Card based on a better conference record (8-4) than the 9-7 Seattle Seahawks (7-5) and Pittsburgh (6-6).

After four seasons out of the playoffs, with a combined record of 30 wins and 31 losses, Miami returned to post-season play for the first time since 1985. Like the Dolphins, the Raiders were back in the playoffs for the first time in four years. During those years, the team finished no better than 8-8 while posting consecutive losing seasons in 1987 and 1988 for the first time since 1961-62. Meanwhile, as a result of the league adding two wild card teams in 1990, New Orleans and Houston became the first sixth seeds in their respective conferences. The Saints were only the fifth team in NFL history at or below .500 to qualify for post-season play, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 1987.

For the second consecutive season, San Francisco QB Joe Montana won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award. Houston QB Warren Moon won Offensive Player of the Year, while Buffalo DE Bruce Smith won Defensive Player of the Year. Dallas Cowboys’ RB Emmitt Smith won Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Chicago S Mark Carrier won Defensive Rookie of the Year. Dallas Head Coach Jimmy Johnson won Coach of the Year, finishing with a record of 7-9 in 1990 after winning a total of four games the previous two years.

Post Season Highlights: With the addition of a third Wild Card team in each conference, the third and sixth seeds now played each other in one game, and the fourth and fifth seeds in a second game, making up what was dubbed the “Wild Card Round”. The first and the second seeds from each conference didn’t participate in this round, earning an automatic berth in the following week’s “Divisional Playoff” round, where they face the Wild Card survivors.

In the Divisional round, the first seeded team played against the lowest remaining seed, while the second seed plays the other remaining team. In a given game, whoever has the higher seed gets the home field advantage. In addition, the rule stating that teams from the same division could not play against each other in the divisional round, in existence since the league merger in 1970, was finally abolished.

The changes forced the division winner with the worst record in each conference to play in the Wild Card round. However, it also guaranteed that division winner a home game. In the previous format, the highest seeded wild card team earned a home playoff game while the lowest seeded division winner, despite earning a bye, was forced to play the second seeded or top seeded division winner. Thus, the lowest seeded division winner could not host any playoff game before their respective conference championship, provided that they were the highest remaining seed.

As a result, in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs, the fifth seed Washington Redskins traveled to Veterans Stadium to play the fourth seed Philadelphia Eagles while the NFC Central Champion and third seed Chicago Bears hosted the sixth seed New Orleans Saints in Soldier Field. In the AFC, the fourth seed Miami Dolphins hosted the fifth seed Kansas City Chiefs in Joe Robbie Stadium while the AFC Central Champion and third seed Cincinnati Bengals hosted the sixth seed Houston Oilers in Riverfront Stadium. The winners would advance to their respective Divisional Playoffs

On January 5 1991, the Washington Redskins overcame losing two turnovers and a 6-0 deficit to score 20 unanswered points. This game was sweet revenge for the Redskins, who had lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-14, in a November 12 Monday night game. In that contest, the Eagles defense scored two touchdowns and knocked out nine Washington players, including all of their quarterbacks. The game became known as “The Body Bag Game” because Philadelphia’s defense taunted the Redskins by asking if the team had enough body bags.

Philadelphia started the game strong. Six year veteran QB Randall Cunningham completed a 66 yard pass to three time All-Pro TE Keith Jackson on their third play from scrimmage, giving the team a first down at the Redskins’ 11 yard line. However, the next three plays resulted in a 1 yard run, an incomplete pass, and a sack, forcing a 37 yard field goal by K Roger Ruzek and a 3-0 lead. On Washington’s ensuing drive, the Eagles got a second chance to score when RB Gerald Riggs lost the ball and the defense recovered it on the Redskin 25 yard line.

A few plays later, a defensive holding penalty against Washington gave Philadelphia a first and goal on the 2 yard line. But, again, they could not get into the end zone. First, the Redskins tackled RB Heath Sherman for a 1 yard loss. Cunningham tried to pass the ball on the next two plays. His first attempt was incomplete. On his second try, he was sacked for an 8 yard loss. Ruzek then kicked a second field goal, this time from 28 yards out, to give the Eagles a 6-0 lead just under five minutes into the second quarter.

Philadelphia earned a third chance to score by intercepting third year QB Mark Rypien’s pass on their 46 yard line. But, in what turned out to be a critical defensive stand, the Eagles couldn’t move the ball and had to punt. From this point on, the Redskins took over the game. Faced with 3rd and 9 on his own 33 yard line, Rypien completed a 28 yard pass to 11 year veteran WR Art Monk. He followed it up with a 23 yard completion to RB Earnest Byner, now in his second season with Washington after five years with the Cleveland Browns. On the next play, Rypien’s 16 yard touchdown pass to Monk gave the Redskins a 7-6 lead with 5:54 left in the half.

Monte Coleman recovered a Sherman fumble to end Philadelphia’s next drive. While the Eagles defense forced Washington to punt, their next drive fared no better as Cunningham was intercepted at midfield. But a few plays later, Byner lost a fumble and Philadelphia CB Ben Davis turned it into a 94 yard touchdown, giving his team a brief 13-7 lead. However, after review, the play was overturned. The Redskins thus kept possession and ultimately increased their lead to 10-6 on a 20 yard Chip Lohmiller field goal. Lohmiller upped that lead to 13-6 late in the third quarter with a 19 yard field goal.

Unhappy with his quarterback play, Head Coach Buddy Ryan benched Cunningham and replaced him with backup QB Jim McMahon. The former Chicago Bears starting quarterback, in his first season with the Eagles, promptly threw three straight incompletions. Washington’s Brian Mitchell returned the ensuing punt to Philadelphia’s 45 yard line. Rypien then completed a 47 yard pass to WR Gary Clark on 3rd and 5, hitting him with a 3 yard touchdown pass on the next play, expanding the Redskins lead to 20-6. Cunningham returned to the starting lineup the next series but could not lead the Eagles to any more points, giving Washington the victory.

Later that day, with 3:28 left in the game, the Miami Dolphins capped an 85 yard drive with eight year veteran QB Dan Marino’s 12 yard touchdown pass to WR Mark Clayton, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs.

On Miami’s opening drive, the Dolphins reached midfield before stalling after Marino was sacked. Reggie Roby’s punt was blocked, giving Kansas City the ball at the Miami 37 yard line. After nine plays and despite a 28 yard gain, the Chiefs were held to a 27 yard field goal from K Nick Lowery for a 3-0 lead. Miami responded with a 40 yard drive including Marino completing a 12 yard pass to WR Mark Duper on a crucial 3rd and 4. The drive ended on Kansas City’s 40 yard line where K Pete Stoyanovich made an NFL playoff record 58 yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3.

The Chiefs responded with a drive to the Dolphins’ 30 yard line, featuring a 33 yard reception by WR Stephone Paige from QB Steve DeBerg, playing with his fourth team in 13 years. But the drive ended with no points after a DeBerg interception. After an exchange of punts, Miami drove to the Kansas City 39 yard line. Stoyanovich attempted another long field goal, this time from 57 yards, but it was no good. The Chiefs finally got rolling with a 16 yard run from fourth year RB Christian Okoye. DeBerg got his team into the end zone with two completions to Paige; the first for 16 yards and the second a 26 yard touchdown, making the score 10-3.

The Dolphins later threatened to score with a drive into Kansas City territory, but the Chiefs forced a Marino fumble, keeping the score 10-3 at halftime. Kansas City was forced to punt on their first drive of the second half. P Brian Barker’s 44 yard kick pinned Miami back at their own 6 yard line. The Chiefs’ defense forced a three and out, but Roby’s 64 yard punt sent Kansas City all the way back to their own 30 yard line. DeBerg started off the possession with a 26 yard completion to WR Emile Harry.

Following a sack and an incompletion, the Chiefs faced 3rd and 15. RB Todd McNair picked up 13 yards on a screen pass from DeBerg. Then, on 4th and 2 from Dolphins’ 36 yard line, Okoye rushed 5 yards for a first down. Two more DeBerg completions advanced the ball to the 1 yard line. But an intentional grounding penalty moved the ball back 10 yards. Kansas City ultimately had to settle for a 25 yard Lowery field goal, increasing their lead to 13-3. On the first play of Miami’s next drive, Duper lost a fumble and the Chiefs recovered on the Dolphins’ 29 yard line.

Three runs by Okoye gained only 8 yards, forcing Lowery to kick his third field goal of the day for a 16-3 Kansas City lead. Down by 13 points, Miami fought back with a 66 yard, 10 play touchdown drive. On the last play of the third quarter, RB Sammie Smith converted a fourth down with a 2 yard run. At the beginning of the fourth period, Marino connected with Clayton for a 23 yard gain. Marino’s 1 yard touchdown pass to RB Tony Paige cut their deficit to 16-10 with 12 minutes left in the game.

DeBerg responded with a 33 yard completion to Harry on the first play of the Chiefs ensuing drive. But Kansas City stalled on the Dolphins’ 41 yard line. Berker had to punt it away, giving Miami the ball at their own 15 yard line. Marino then led his team 85 yards for the go ahead score, starting with a 37 yard completion to TE Ferrell Edmunds. After 10 plays and three third down conversions, Marino finished the drive with a 12 yard touchdown pass to Clayton, giving the Dolphins a 17-16 lead with 3:28 left in the game.

The Chiefs took the ball back and fought hard for the winning field goal, driving into Miami territory. Okoye’s 26 yard burst moved the ball to the Dolphins’ 26 yard line. But, on the next play, a holding call wiped out his 12 yard run and pushed the team back 10 yards. As the final seconds of the game approached, Kansas City could only make it back to the 34 yard line. Lowery, who had made his last 22 field goals, attempted a game winner from 52 yards out. However, it fell just short, giving Miami a 17-16 victory.

On January 6, despite losing starting RB James Brooks to injury in the first quarter, the Cincinnati Bengals crushed the Houston Oilers. The Bengals jumped to a 34-0 lead in the third quarter, holding the ball for over 39 minutes.

On the opening drive, Cincinnati advanced 70 yards in 11 plays, including a 46 yard completion from seven year veteran QB Boomer Esiason to TE Rodney Holman. RB Ickey Woods scored on a 1 yard run for a 7-0 lead. Houston never recovered. Before the end of the first half, Bengals’ K Jim Breech made two field goals (27 and 30 yards) and S David Fulcher’s 43 yard interception return set up another touchdown, a 2 yard reception by RB Harold Green from Esiason, for a 20-0 halftime lead.

The Oilers finished the half with one first down and 36 total yards while Cincinnati gained 15 first downs, 222 yards, and 20 points. In the second half, the Bengals scored on their first drive, a 3 yard touchdown run by RB Eric Ball, extending their lead to 27-0. Less than a minute later, Houston backup QB Cody Carlson fumbled a snap and Cincinnati recovered on the Oilers’ 10 yard line. Esiason ran the ball into the end zone on the next play, giving Cincinnati a 34-0 lead with just 3:51 elapsed in the third quarter.

In the final period, Houston got on the board with a 16 yard touchdown pass from Carlson to WR Ernest Givins, briefly narrowing the Bengal lead to 34-7. But Cincinnati came back with another touchdown on Esiason’s 9 yard pass to TE Eric Kattus to reestablish a 34 point lead, 41-7. Givins caught a second touchdown pass from Carlson, this time from 5 yards out, but the Bengals’ had their 41-14 blowout victory. To date, this win stands as the last Cincinnati playoff victory. It was also the last one in Sam Wyche’s 12 year coaching career. The next season, the Bengals fell to 3-13, Wyche was fired, and Cincinnati began a streak of 14 consecutive non-winning seasons.

Later in the day, the Chicago Bears’ defense held the New Orleans Saints to 193 total yards, 65 rushing yards, six first downs, and two field goals. Meanwhile, the Bears’ offense recorded 365 yards to secure a playoff victory.

The score was 10-3 Chicago at the end of the first half as a result of a 19 yard Kevin Butler field goal and backup QB Mike Tomczak’s 18 yard touchdown pass to TE James Thornton. The Saints’ only score of the half was a 47 yard field goal by K Morten Andersen. With three minutes left before halftime, New Orleans’ QB Steve Walsh, acquired three games into the season from the Dallas Cowboys for a 1991 1st and 3rd round pick and a 1992 2nd round pick, was knocked out of the game after completing just 6 of 16 passes. Walsh was replaced by backup QB John Fourcade.

Fourcade fared no better, finishing the game just 5 of 18 for 79 yards, including two interceptions. Still, the Saints were trailing only 10-3 near the end of the third quarter and had a great chance to tie the game after blocking Butler’s 45 yard field goal attempt. New Orleans’ DE Vince Buck recovered the ball and returned it 62 yards for a potential touchdown, only to see the play wiped out by an offsides penalty. That penalty not only eliminated the score, but gave the Bears a first down. Seven plays later, Butler kicked a 25 yard field goal to put Chicago up 13-3.

With 5:52 left in the fourth quarter, Andersen’s 38 yard field goal brought the scoring difference back to just a touchdown for the Saints, 13-6. However, when faced with 3rd and 11 on the Bears ensuing drive, Tomczak completed a 38 yard pass to WR Dennis Gentry, enabling Chicago to maintain possession. The drive ended with Butler’s game clinching 21 yard field goal with 3:47 remaining on the clock, preserving a 16-6 victory. Unbeknownst to Bears fans at the time, this would turn out to be Mike Ditka’s last playoff win as Chicago’s head coach.

In the AFC Divisional Playoffs, the East Division Champion and top seed Buffalo Bills hosted the fourth seed Miami Dolphins in Rich Stadium while the Central Division Champion Cincinnati Bengals traveled to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to play the Western Division Champion Los Angeles Raiders. In the NFC, the fifth seed Washington Redskins traveled to Candlestick Park to play the West Division Champion and top seed San Francisco 49ers while the East Division Champion New York Giants hosted the Central Division Champion Chicago Bears in Giants Stadium. Winners would advance to their respective Conference Championship games.

On January 12, in a shootout, the Buffalo Bills jumped to a 20-3 lead in the first half and kept pace with the Miami Dolphins as the two teams matched each other score for score over the rest of the game. By the end, both teams finished even in first downs (24) and nearly even in total yards (493 for Buffalo, 430 for Miami). Ultimately, the Dolphins three turnovers against the Bills’ two would make a key difference.

Buffalo took the opening kickoff and scored with a typical fast paced drive, moving 76 yards in 5 plays. RB Thurman Thomas rushed for 14 yards and caught a pass for 20 yards. QB Jim Kelly finished it off with a 40 yard touchdown pass to WR Andre Reed for a 7-0 lead. Aided by three Bills penalties, the Dolphins responded with a 40 yard drive that ended on K Pete Stoyanovich’s 49 yard field goal, cutting their deficit to 7-3.

Buffalo struck back with Kelly’s 44 yard completion to former Green Bay Packer WR James Lofton, setting up a 24 yard Scott Norwood field goal, retaking their seven point lead at 10-3. On the next series, Miami QB Dan Marino’s pass was intercepted and returned to the Dolphins’ 38 yard line. Faced with 3rd and 8 on their ensuing possession, Kelly took off for a 16 yard gain. He fumbled at the end, but the Bills recovered the ball for a first down on the 18 yard line. Norwood completed the drive with his second field goal, this one from 22 yards, upping the lead to 13-3.

The Dolphins had to punt early in the second quarter at the end of their next drive. Thomas rushed twice for 8 yards and caught an 11 yard pass before Kelly’s 43 yard completion brought up 1st and goal on Miami’s 5 yard line. Thomas ran it across the goal line from there, giving Buffalo a 20-3 lead. But the Dolphins responded, as Marino completed an 11 yard pass to WR Mark Duper on 3rd and 5. The three time All-Pro then hooked up with Duper again for a 64 yard touchdown completion that cut the score to 20-10.

Not to be outdone, Kelly led the Bills back on a 68 yard scoring drive, starting with a 19 yard pass to Lofton followed by a 9 yard run. Later in the drive, he kept it going with a 13 yard pass to Reed on 4th and 3 from the Miami 32 yard line. Eventually, Kelly finished off the drive with a 7 yard touchdown toss to Lofton. With Norwood’s extra point, Buffalo was up by 17 at 27-10 with five minutes left in the half. The game seemed to be slipping away from the Dolphins, particularly as they were forced to punt on their next possession.

The Bills returned the punt 17 yards but fumbled the ball. Miami recovered it on their 47 yard line. The Dolphins then made another big play, when Marino completed a 38 yard pass to Duper on 4th and 5 from the 42 yard line. With just 27 seconds left on the clock, Marino scored on a 2 yard touchdown run, cutting the halftime deficit to 27-17. Miami continued to whittle away Buffalo’s lead in the third quarter with an 8 play, 62 yard scoring march, featuring a 17 yard run by RB Sammie Smith on 3rd and 2.

Stoyanovich finished the drive with a 22 yard field goal that brought the Dolphins within one score at 27-20. The Bills responded with a drive to the Miami 27 yard line. But this time, the Dolphins defense was up to the task, intercepting Kelly on the 2 yard line. However, pinned deep in their own territory, Miami couldn’t pick up a first down. When Marino tried to go deep on third down, Buffalo picked him off at the Dolphin 48 yard line, leading to a 28 yard Norwood field goal, increasing the Bills lead to 30-20.

But Miami wasn’t done. They returned the ensuing kickoff 30 yards to their own 43 yard line. Marino completed a 23 yard pass to eight year veteran WR Mark Clayton on the next play. Smith then ran twice for 18 yards, bringing up first down on Buffalo’s 13 yard line. The Dolphins were on a roll and didn’t stop until Marino completed the drive with a 2 yard touchdown pass to G Ray Foster, who had checked in as an eligible receiver.

Foster’s touchdown brought Miami back within three points, 30-27, less than two minutes into the fourth quarter. However, their comeback hopes were swiftly snuffed out by the Bills offense. Buffalo stormed back 63 yards in 10 plays, including Kelly’s 5 yard completion to TE Keith McKeller on 4th and 2. They subsequently retook a 10 point lead, 37-27, with Thomas’ 5 yard touchdown run. The Bills forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, recovering the ball on the Dolphins’ 29 yard line.

Two plays later, Kelly essentially put the game away with a 26 yard touchdown pass to Reed, giving Buffalo a 44-27 lead with 9:42 left in regulation. Miami tried to fight back, driving to the Bills’ 35 yard line, but lost the ball as Marino threw four straight incompletions. Following a Buffalo punt, the Dolphins drove 91 yards in 15 plays to score on Marino’s 8 yard pass to WR Tony Martin. But by then there was only 1:15 left on the clock. The Bills recovered Miami’s onside kick attempt, sealing a 44-34 win.

Later that day, although the Washington Redskins outgained the San Francisco 49ers in total yards, 441 to 338, they were unable to overcome QB Mark Rypien’s three interceptions, several controversial calls that went against them, and the performance of three time All-Pro QB Joe Montana. Montana passed for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half alone.

Washington opened up the scoring with an 8 play, 78 yard drive that culminated in Rypien’s 31 yard touchdown completion to former All-Pro WR Art Monk for a 7-0 lead. San Francisco struck back by driving 74 yards in 8 plays to tie the game, 7-7, on a 1 yard touchdown run by RB Tom Rathman. A key play of the drive was an unnecessary roughness call against Redskins, turning WR Jerry Rice’s reception into a 25 yard gain. Near the end of the quarter, Washington K Chip Lohmiller made a 44 yard field goal that put the Redskins back in front at 10-7.

Montana quickly rallied the 49ers back in the second quarter, leading them on an 80 yard scoring drive that included a halfback option play. RB Harry Sydney completed a 28 yard pass to TE Brent Jones, ultimately leading to a Montana to Rice 10 yard touchdown pass. Rice caught the ball between two defenders to give San Francisco their first lead of the day, 14-10. After a Washington punt, Montana again went to work, completing a 32 yard pass to RB Roger Craig and a 47 yarder to Jones. The league MVP finished off the 89 yard possession with an 8 yard scoring toss to WR Mike Sherrard.

During the drive, the 49ers were aided by another controversial call; Jones caught his 47 yard reception in the air and landed with a foot out of bounds but officials ruled he had been forced out. At the time, a reception made by a player forced out of bounds still counted as a catch. Sherrard’s touchdown gave San Francisco a 21-10 advantage going into halftime. It turned out to be the final score of the day for both offenses. Washington advanced inside the 49ers’ 15 yard line three times in the second half but failed to score on any of them.

On their second possession of the third period, the Redskins advanced 66 yards to the 49ers’ 7 yard line before Rypien was picked off on a third down pass intended for Monk in the end zone. Early in the fourth quarter, Monk caught 3 passes for 63 yards on a drive to the San Francisco 15 yard line, only to see Rypien get hit as he threw the football. The pass floated right into the hands of CB Darryl Pollard for a second Redskin turnover. But LB Monte Coleman quickly gave Washington another chance to get back in the game.

Coleman intercepted a Montana pass and returned it 18 yards to the 49ers’ 19 yard line with 10:28 left in regulation. Faced with 4th and 5 from the 14 yard line, Rypien threw the ball to WR Gary Clark in the end zone. DB Eric Davis seemed to make contact with Clark before the ball arrived but no flag was thrown and the pass fell incomplete, causing a turnover on downs. In the closing minutes of the game, San Francisco subsequently deflected a Rypien pass into the arms of DT Michael Carter, who rumbled 61 yards to the end zone, to make the final score 28-10.

On January 13, the New York Giants defense dominated the Chicago Bears, allowing only 27 rushing yards and three points. This was the lowest number of rushing yards Chicago had gained in a game since 1967. Bears’ RB Neal Anderson was held to 19 yards on 12 carries. New York QB Jeff Hostetler, playing because starter Phil Simms suffered a season ending injury in Week 15, completed 10 out of 17 passes for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns while also rushing for 43 yards and another score.

On Chicago’s second possession of the game, New York intercepted six year veteran QB Mike Tomczak’s pass after it bounced out of the hands of WR Dennis Gentry. An 11 yard return set up K Matt Bahr’s 46 yard field goal for a 3-0 Giant lead. The Bears took the ensuing kickoff and drove to the Giants’ 27 yard line. However, on 4th and 12, Head Coach Mike Ditka decided against attempting a field goal in the 13 mph winds and go for a first down. Anderson caught the pass from Tomczak but was stuffed after a short gain.

New York then drove 75 yards, including a 6 yard fourth down conversion catch by reserve TE Bob Mrosko, to go up 10-0 on Hostetler’s 21 yard completion to WR Stephen Baker. In the second quarter, Hosteler, starting just the fifth game of his career, lost a fumble while being sacked. Chicago recovered the ball, then drove to the Giants’ 1 yard line. But, on yet another fourth down conversion attempt, New York tackled RB Brad Muster for a loss. Still, the Bears forced a three and out and converted good field position into a 33 yard Kevin Butler field goal, cutting the lead to 10-3.

But, before the end of the half, the Giants increased their lead to 17-3 with an 80 yard, 11 play scoring drive. On the first play, Hostetler scrambled away from a Chicago blitz and rushed for 11 yards. Later on, he converted a 4th and 1 at the Bears’ 32 yard line with a 10 yard burst. Eventually, Hostetler finished the drive with a 5 yard touchdown pass to TE Howard Cross. In the third quarter, Hostelter converted his third fourth down of the day with 9 yard scramble on 4th and 6. He finished the drive with a 3 yard touchdown run, putting New York up 24-3.

Chicago responded with a drive to the Giants’ 5 yard line. On 4th and goal, Muster caught a pass at the 1 yard line but was tackled before he could get across the goal line. In the fourth quarter, New York DB Everson Walls returned a Tomczak interception 37 yards to the Giants’ 49 yard line. New York then went on a grueling 51 yard drive, consisting of 16 running plays, the last a 1 yard touchdown plunge by RB Maurice Carthon. The drive ate up a staggering 10:30 of play time and gave the Giants a decisive 31-3 victory.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Raiders, who had defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 24-7, during the regular season, recorded 235 rushing yards while holding Cincinnati to just 182 total yards. The Raiders also sacked QB Boomer Esiason four times.

Cincinnati came into the game crippled by injuries. Starting RB James Brooks, still recovering from a dislocated thumb he received the previous week, was held to just 26 rushing yards on 11 carries. Starting OT Anthony Munoz and OG Bruce Reimers both had to miss the game. The injury to Monuz, a future Hall of Famer, was particularly devastating. Cincinnati was forced to assign Kirk Scrafford, a rookie in his first NFL start, to block DE Greg Townsend. During the regular season, Townsend led Los Angeles with 12.5 sacks.

After forcing the Bengals to punt on the opening drive, WR Tim Brown gave the Raiders good field position with a 17 yard return to the Los Angeles 45 yard line. The Raiders then drove to the Cincinnati 24 yard line, only to turn the ball over when QB Jay Schroeder’s pass was batted down on 4th and 1. Los Angeles later advanced to midfield where Jeff Gossett’s punt pinned the Bengals back at their own 5 yard line.

But Cincinnati still managed to drive 87 yards in 9 plays for a score. Esiason, a three time Pro Bowler, completed a 22 yard pass to Brooks and a 40 yard throw to TE Rodney Holman. RB Ickey Woods’ 11 yard run gave the Bengals a first down on the Raiders’ 19 yard line. However, Los Angeles’ defense managed to keep Cincinnati out of the end zone, forcing them to settle for K Jim Breech’s 27 yard field goal and a 3-0 lead with 12:07 left in the second quarter.

The Raiders quickly countered, starting with RB Bo Jackson rushing 3 times for 36 yards and RB Marcus Allen, in his ninth season, rushing once for 19 yards. The drive ended with a 13 yard touchdown pass from Schroeder to WR Mervyn Fernandez for a 7-3 Los Angeles lead. On the third play of the second half, Jackson broke off a 34 yard run but was knocked out of the game on the play. The Raiders failed to score when Bengals’ S David Fulcher intercepted a pass that bounced out of Allen’s hands. Fulcher returned the ball 11 yards to the Cincinnati 19 yard line.

After forcing a punt, Los Angeles drove 45 yards in 8 plays, scoring on a 49 yard Jeff Jaeger field goal, increasing their lead to 10-3. The Bengals responded with a 13 play, 71 yard drive, to score on Esiason’s 8 yard touchdown pass to RB Stanford Jennings, tying the game at 10-10 with just under 12 minutes left. But the Raiders took over the game from that point with consecutive scoring drives. On the first drive, Cincinnati’s defense seemed ready to force a punt when they sacked Schroeder for a 10 yard loss, bringing up 3rd and 20 from the Los Angeles 22 yard line.

But, on the next play, Schoeder completed a 26 yard pass to Brown for a first down. Following two running plays, Schroeder threw a 41 yard touchdown bomb to TE Ethan Horton, putting the Raiders up 17-10 at the end of a 7 play, 80 yard drive. On the third play of the Bengals ensuing drive, Townsend sacked Esiason for a 15 yard loss, forcing Cincinnati to punt. Taking over on their own 30 yard line, Los Angeles put the game away with a 62 yard drive, featuring runs by Allen of 20 and 18 yards, that ate up over five minutes.

Jaeger’s 25 yard field goal with 19 seconds left sealed the 20-10 victory. However, the win was a costly one as it would be Bo Jackson’s final game as a professional. Jackson injured his left hip during the third quarter while being tackled from behind by Bengals’ LB Kevin Walker. The injury was later revealed to have caused a degenerative bone condition in Jackson’s hip called avascular necrosis, necessitating his retirement after just four seasons.

On January 20, the Buffalo Bills hosted the Los Angeles Raiders at Rich Stadium for the AFC Championship. The New York Giants traveled to Candlestick Park to play the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC Championship. The winners would advance to Super Bowl XXV.

In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills shredded the Los Angeles Raiders, limiting former Washington QB Jay Schroeder, now in his third year in Los Angeles, to 13 of 31 completions for 150 yards, intercepting him five times. Buffalo also held RB Marcus Allen to just 26 yards on 10 carries. On offense, the Bills amassed 502 total yards, including 202 yards on the ground. RB Thurman Thomas rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown while QB Jim Kelly threw for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns. Buffalo also set an NFL playoff record by scoring 41 points in the first half.

On Buffalo’s opening drive, Kelly completed six consecutive passes. The last one was a 13 yard touchdown throw to WR James Lofton, after Kelly recovered a fumbled snap in shotgun formation, for a 7-0 lead. Los Angeles responded with Schroeder’s two 26 yard completions to WRs Willie Gault and Mervyn Fernandez, setting up a 41 yard field goal from K Jeff Jaeger, cutting the lead to 7-3. But the Bills stormed back to score just four plays after the ensuing kickoff. Following a 41 yard completion from Kelly to Lofton, and an 11 yard scramble by Kelly, Thomas’ 12 yard touchdown run gave Buffalo a 14-3 lead.

After a punt, Los Angeles intercepted a Kelly pass. But, two plays later, Bills LB Darryl Talley intercepted a Schroeder pass and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown, giving them a 21-3 advantage. The Raiders were again forced to punt on their next possession. Buffalo once more stormed down the field, scoring with a 1 yard touchdown run by Davis on fourth down. An interception by DB Nate Odomes set up Davis’ second touchdown less than a minute later, this time a 3 yard run. Before the half ended, Lofton caught his second touchdown pass from Kelly to give the Bills a 41-3 first half lead.

The misery continued for Los Angeles in the second half as their first three drives ended with interceptions. Meanwhile, Buffalo increased their lead to 48-3 with Davis’ third touchdown, another 1 yard score, on the first play of the fourth quarter. Later on, Talley intercepted a pass from Raider backup QB Vince Evans and returned it 31 yards to the Los Angeles 27 yard line. K Scott Norwood closed out the scoring with a 39 yard field goal, making the final a 51-3 blowout.

In the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants were meeting in the playoffs for the fifth time in 10 years. The teams were 2-2 against each other in the post-season, with San Francisco winning in 1981 and 1984 and New York in 1985 and 1986. The Giants were seeking their first trip to the Super Bowl since they won it in 1986. On the other hand, the 49ers were looking to advance to their third consecutive Super Bowl, the first team to do so since the 1971-73 Miami Dolphins.

During the first half, RB Dave Meggett, on a halfback option, rolled out and delivered a strike to RB Maurice Carthon. Carthon dropped the ball in the back of the end zone. It was the closest the Giants would get to scoring an offensive touchdown the rest of the game. Instead, both teams settled for two field goals a piece (47 and 35 yards by San Francisco’s Mike Cofer and 28 and 42 yards by New York’s Matt Bahr) for a 6-6 halftime tie. In the third quarter, a 61 yard touchdown pass from QB Joe Montana to WR John Taylor gave the 49ers their first lead, 13-6. Bahr then made a 46 yard field goal to cut San Francisco’s lead to 13-9.

In the fourth quarter, Giants’ QB Jeff Hostetler was hit at the knees by 49ers’ DT Jim Burt. Hostetler was injured on the play but walked off the field without assistance. New York LB Carl Banks later recalled that the defense was infuriated by the play and looked to strike back. “It was unspoken…that if you hurt one of our guys, we knew who to go after,” Banks said. On San Francisco’s next drive, Montana called a pass play on third down. With the Giants defense covering all of his receivers, Montana was forced to move outside the pocket to make a play.

LB Lawrence Taylor was the first to try to bring Montana down, with DE Leonard Marshall trailing the play. Taylor swiped at Montana but missed, only briefly holding him up. Marshall, charging from Montana’s blind side, was able to take advantage of the slowing of the quarterback’s momentum and drilled him hard in the back. Montana was already suffering from a lingering back injury and Marshall’s hit broke a finger on his throwing hand while also giving him a severe concussion.

The 49ers almost turned the ball over, as Montana fumbled, but OT Steve Wallace recovered to retain possession. However, the damage was done. Montana would not only miss the rest of the game, he would be out of action for the majority of the next two years. The injury culminated in a quarterback controversy that ended Montana’s career in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Hostetler returned for the next drive but New York went three and out. On the next play, the Giants called a fake punt, with the ball snapped directly to LB Gary Reasons, who ran 30 yards for a first down.

Hostetler subsequently drove New York to the San Francisco 21 yard line but could get no further. Bahr kicked his fourth field goal of the game, with 5:47 left, to bring the score to 13-12. Reserve QB Steve Young came in to replace Montana on the next drive and the 49ers tried to run as much time as they could off the clock. On the second play of the drive, TE Brent Jones got behind the Giants defense and Young hit him for a 25 yard gain. Two plays later, Craig recorded a 6 yard gain for San Francisco’s first rushing first down of the day.

But, on the very next play, DB Erik Howard poked the ball out of Craig’s arms as he hit the line and Taylor caught it out of the air, giving New York possession on the game’s first turnover. With 2:36 left and with all three timeouts, Hostetler and the Giants began driving again. He hit TE Mark Bavaro for 19 yards on the first play and later hit WR Stephen Baker for 13 more yards on a second down, setting up a short 2 yard run by RB Ottis Anderson for a first down. New York then ran two plays to get the ball to the middle of the field. With four seconds left, Bahr was called on to try for the win. His kick went through the uprights as time ran out, and the Giants had the victory, 15-13.

Thus, the New York Giants would play the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV. For Buffalo, it was the first Super Bowl appearance in their history while New York was making their second Super Bowl appearance in five years.

Super Bowl Highlights: On January 27 1991, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa FL, the NFC Champion New York Giants, led by eight year Head Coach Bill Parcells, played the AFC Champion Buffalo Bills, led by Head Coach Marv Levy, in the silver anniversary of the league’s World Championship Game, Super Bowl XXV. For Tampa, it would be their second time as host.

After defeating the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI, New York failed to make the playoffs the next two seasons before returning in 1989. Even though they lost in the divisional round the previous year, the Giants, along with the World Champion San Francisco 49ers, were considered Super Bowl favorites in 1990. The prediction came true for New York when they defeated the 49ers, 15-13, in the NFC Championship Game. This version of the Giants were built to Parcell’s specifications of “power football”; a strong defense and an offense that sustained extremely long drives.

New York’s defense ranked first in fewest points allowed (211), 4th in the league in rushing yards allowed (1,459), and 6th in passing yards allowed (2,747). The Giants boasted three Pro Bowl selections; DT Erik Howard and LB Pepper Johnson, both in their fifth seasons, as well as 10th year veteran and eight time All-Pro LB Lawrence Taylor. The secondary was led by another 10 year veteran, DB Everson Walls, an off-season acquisition from the Dallas Cowboys. Walls recorded 6 interceptions while S Greg Jackson, in just his second year, recorded 5 interceptions and 4 sacks.

The offense was unspectacular, ranking 15th in points scored (335) and a dismal 22nd in passing yards (2,756). But they wore down opposing teams’ defenses with a strong running game (8th overall) and extremely long drives, keeping their opponents’ offense on the sidelines and preventing them from scoring. More importantly, the Giants set an NFL record by losing only 14 turnovers in a 16 game regular season. A big reason for the team’s offensive success was the blocking of offensive linemen Bart Oates and William Roberts, the only Pro Bowlers on the offense.

New York began the regular season by winning their first 10 games but then went into a tailspin, losing three of their next four. One week after losing to the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, 31-13, the 10-1 Giants were defeated on Monday Night Football in a 7-3 defensive battle by the 10-1 San Francisco 49ers. Then, in their 17-13 loss to the Buffalo Bills, New York suffered a major setback, when starting QB Phil Simms went down for the season with a broken bone in his foot.

Simms, in his 12th year, finished the season completing 184 of 311 attempts (59.2%) for 2,284 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions for a QB Rating of 92.7. Simms’ replacement, Jeff Hostetler, had started only two games in his seven years as a backup with the Giants. However, Hostetler displayed fine passing and scrambling ability in his limited playing time during the season, completing 47 out of 87 attempts for 614 yards and 3 touchdowns, while throwing only one interception and committing no fumbles.

With Hostetler at the helm, the Giants righted the season by winning their final two games, finishing the regular season with 13 victories, their most since 1986. Ottis (O.J.) Anderson led New York in rushing with 784 yards in 225 attempts and 11 touchdowns, tied for 5th overall in rushing scores. WR Stephen Baker lead the Giants in receiving with 26 catches for 541 yards. He was followed closely by WR Mark Ingram with 26 catches for 499 yards.

RB Dave Meggett led the NFL with 43 punt returns for 467 yards, finishing third overall in yards per punt return (10.9). Meggett also gained 492 yards on kickoff returns, rushed for 164 yards, and caught 39 passes for 410 yards, leading the team in catches. K Matt Bahr led the team in scoring with 80 points, converting 17 of 23 field goals (73.9%). P Sean Landeta finished third in the league with a 44.1 yard per kick average.

One of the American Football League’s founding franchises in 1960, Buffalo won consecutive championships in ’64 and ’65. Twenty five seasons and eleven head coaches later, the Bills finally had another chance at a title. During their long dry spell, Buffalo finished with a winning record just eight times. Not until Marv Levy was hired midway through 1986 did the Bills return to contention. Levy won three Canadian Football League titles in the 1970s and spent five years coaching the Kansas City Chiefs until he was released at the end of the 1982 season. In 1988, Levy led Buffalo to a division title before ascending to their first Super Bowl in 1990.

Levy had assembled a very talented team in just three seasons, with nine Pro Bowl selections on their roster. Their defense was led by DE Bruce Smith, who recorded 19 sacks, and won Defensive Player of the Year. In just his sixth year, Smith was a three time All-Pro and a four time Pro Bowler. Behind him, three of Buffalo’s starting LBs, Darryl Talley, Shane Conlan, and Cornelius Bennett, were also selected to the Pro Bowl in 1990. On special teams, Pro Bowler Steve Tasker was a major threat, forcing fumbles, delivering jarring tackles, and blocking kicks.

But as good as their defense was, it was the Bills’ flashy, high powered offense that gained the most attention. Unlike the Giants, the Bills routinely used the no huddle offense to storm down the field and score points very quickly. Instead of going into a huddle after each play, QB Jim Kelly, playing his fifth season in Buffalo, would immediately send his offense back to the line of scrimmage and call the play there after reading the defense. This strategy prevented opposing defenses from properly reading the Bills’ formation, making substitutions, or even catching their breath.

The Bills’ no huddle, “K-Gun” offense worked well enough for Kelly to finish the regular season as the top rated quarterback in the NFL (101.2). The three time Pro Bowler completed 219 of 346 attempts for 2,829 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. One reason for his success was that he had two future Hall of Fame wide receivers at his disposal. Andre Reed, who made his specialty going across the middle on slants and crossing routes, recorded 71 receptions for 945 yards and 8 touchdowns. Reed, in his sixth season, led Buffalo in catches, finishing tied for 10th highest overall.

Thirteen year veteran James Lofton, who was the deep threat, caught 35 passes for 712 yards (20.3 yards per catch) and 4 touchdowns. Lofton was in just his second season with the Bills after nine years with the Green Bay Packers and two with the Los Angeles Raiders. Pro Bowl RB Thurman Thomas had an AFC best 1,297 rushing yards on 271 carries (4.8 yards per carry). Thomas also caught 49 passes for 532 yards, second on the team in receptions, and scored 13 total touchdowns. Thomas also led the NFL in yards from scrimmage (1,829) for the second consecutive season.

A key to Buffalo’s prolific offense was the blocking of its superb offensive line, led by All-Pro C Kent Hull and Pro Bowl OT Will Wolford. Even though Kelly missed the last two games of the season with a knee injury, suffered in the same game in which the Giants lost Simms, the Bills finished tied with the Giants for the second best record in the NFL. Backup QB Frank Reich filled in admirably, completing 36 out of 63 attempts for 469 yards and 2 touchdowns, with no interceptions. K Scott Norwood led the Bills in scoring with 110 points, 5th highest in the league.

To counteract Buffalo’s no-huddle offense, New York used a tough nosed, conservative plan on both sides of the ball. On offense, the plan was to use a power running game, featuring 12 year veteran O.J. Anderson, aided by quarterback rollouts, bootlegs, and play action fakes. This enabled them to take time off the clock and limit Buffalo’s possessions. The Giants set a Super Bowl record for time of possession with 40 minutes and 33 seconds, including 22 minutes in the second half. On defense, New York wanted to be physical with Buffalo’s wideouts, play with extra defensive backs to concentrate on stopping the Bills’ passing game, and shift the focus away from trying to stop Buffalo’s running game.

In his book, The Education of a Coach, author David Halberstam wrote that one of defensive coordinator Bill Belichick’s specific plans to combat the Bills involved convincing his defense that they would win the game if Thurman Thomas ran for more than 100 yards. Belichick also felt that Jim Kelly was not as good at reading defenses as some other elite quarterbacks, as he tended to “freeze” what he was seeing from a series and use that information on the next one, which meant the Giants could be a step ahead of him all game if they alternated their cover plans from drive to drive.

The contrast in strategies was evident during the first quarter. After forcing the Bills to punt on the opening drive of the game, the Giants consumed 6:15 off the clock, marching 58 yards in 10 plays, to score on a 28 yard field goal from Matt Bahr for a 3-0 lead. In that drive, New York ran five rushing plays and five passing plays. But Buffalo struck right back on their ensuing possession, with a 5 play, 66 yard drive that took only 1:23 off the clock, including a tipped 61 yard completion from Kelly to Lofton. Scott Norwood kicked a 23 yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3.

After forcing the Giants to punt on their ensuing possession, the Bills’ offensive strategy started to work to perfection. Kelly led the Bills on a 12 play, 80 yard scoring drive that consumed 4:27, moving the ball so effectively that the team never faced a third down. Kelly completed six consecutive passes for 62 yards. RB Don Smith capped off the drive with a 1 yard touchdown to give Buffalo a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter. Andre Reed’s five first quarter receptions were a Super Bowl record. However, he’d catch only three passes during the remainder of the game.

After trading punts, New York was pinned at their own 7 yard line. On second down, Bruce Smith sacked Hostetler in the end zone for a safety, increasing the Bills’ lead to 12-3. On the play, Smith had a chance to force a fumble, since Hostetler was holding the football with only his throwing hand. But, to his credit, Hostetler held the ball away from Smith, helping to ensure that only two points would be surrendered. Later on, the Giants got the ball at their own 13 yard line with 3:43 left in the second quarter.

New York briefly abandoned their long drive strategy and employed a quick strike attack of their own. It worked, as Hostetler led the Giants 87 yards and scored on a 14 yard touchdown pass to Stephen Baker with just 25 seconds left in the half, cutting New York’s deficit to 12-10. The Giants opened the third quarter by resuming their original game strategy, driving 75 yards in 14 plays to score on Anderson’s 1 yard touchdown run. New York had their first lead of the game, 17-12. The drive consumed a then Super Bowl record 9:29 and included four successful third down conversions.

The highlight was a 14 yard pass to Mark Ingram on 3rd and 13. Ingram caught a short pass and broke five Buffalo tackles to get the first down and keep the drive alive. The Bills were forced to punt on their ensuing possession and New York drove to Buffalo’s 35 yard line. But, on 4th and 2, Smith tackled Anderson for a 2 yard loss. The Bills then took over and stormed down the field, advancing 63 yards in just 4 plays. They scored on a 31 yard burst from Thomas on the first play of the fourth quarter, regaining the lead at 19-17.

Thomas’ touchdown run marked 1,000 points scored in Super Bowl history. However, before Buffalo’s defenders had a chance to catch their breath, they found themselves back on the field, trying to contain another long Giants drive. This one went for 14 plays and 74 yards, half of which came off passes from Hostetler to TE Mark Bavaro. Another 7:32 came off the clock. The Bills managed to halt the drive at their own 3 yard line when Cournelius Bennett broke up Hostetler’s third down pass. Bahr kicked his second field goal of the game to give New York a slim 20-19 lead.

On Buffalo’s ensuing possession, they could only advance to their own 41 yard line before having to punt, enabling the Giants to take more time off the clock. The Bills finally forced New York to punt and took over at their own 10 yard line with 2:16 remaining. On Buffalo’s final possession, Kelly led the team down the field with a mix of scrambles, short passes, and Thomas runs. The last was for a critical 7 yards, managing to get the Bills to the Giants 29 yard line, just within field goal range, with eight seconds to play.

On the final play of the game, Norwood attempted a 47 yard field goal for the win. But, in one of the most famous plays in Super Bowl history, Norwood’s kick sailed wide right, less than a yard outside of the goalpost upright. To this day, this is the only potential Super Bowl winning field goal attempt in which the kicker’s team would lose if the kick were missed. After Norwood’s miss, the Giants ran out the clock for their second Super Bowl victory, 20-19. Unbeknownst to Buffalo, Super Bowl XXV would end up being their best chance to win a championship during the Marv Levy / Jim Kelly era.

O.J. Anderson, who carried the ball 21 times for 102 yards and 1 touchdown, was named Super Bowl MVP. He was the first awardee to receive the newly named “Pete Rozelle Trophy” after the former commissioner, who retired in November of 1989. However, there were many impressive performances in the game by players from both teams. Kelly completed 18 of 30 passes for 212 yards with no interceptions while Hostetler completed 20 of 32 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown.

New York’s Dave Meggett recorded 129 combined net yards (48 rushing, 18 receiving, 37 on punt returns, 26 on kickoff returns). But the best performances came from both teams’ starting running backs. While the Giants’ Anderson won the MVP for his performance, Buffalo’s Thurman Thomas rushed for 135 yards and caught 5 passes for 55 yards, giving him 190 total yards from scrimmage. Thomas’ 135 yards are the most yards rushing for a member of a losing team.

Because of Thomas’ high production, some sports writers felt that he should have won the game MVP even though his team lost, just as Dallas Cowboys’ LB Chuck Howley had done in Super Bowl V. This was only the second Super Bowl to have two 100 yard rushers and the first in which neither team committed a turnover. The defensive game plan for New York, written by Belichick, is now included in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Giants’ triumph helped both Belichick and Tom Coughlin to make their names, eventually landing them NFL head coaching jobs of their own.

Finally, Super Bowl XXV would be Bill Parcells last as the New York Giants’ head coach. Parcells decided to retire due to health problems prior to the beginning of the 1991 season. However, the Super Bowl winning head coach was far from finished. After a two year hiatus, Parcells returned to the league in 1993 as head coach of the New England Patriots. He subsequently coached the New York Jets after a falling out with New England, retiring again in 2000. Parcells returned one last time to coach the Dallas Cowboys in 2003 before retiring for good after the 2006 season.

Conclusion: For the Green Bay Packers, the 1990 season became just another false hope after a taste of success the previous year. Head Coach Lindy Infante’s 1989 Coach of the Year award guaranteed him another season at the helm in 1991 despite the Packers 6-10 finish. However, after witnessing only four winning seasons over two decades, fans were not only losing hope, they were losing interest.

With a third string quarterback under center, thousands of seats sat empty at Lambeau Field during the home finale, a lackluster loss to the Detroit Lions. Arguably the most loyal fans in professional football were becoming increasingly disillusioned after years of futility. The offense, so promising a year earlier, was decimated by holdouts and injury. The defense struggled, as so often had been the case since Vince Lombardi and Phil Bengtson walked the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Bob Harlan, in his second year as president, was increasingly concerned. Green Bay’s second losing season in three years under Infante seemed to be continuing a decades long pattern. None of the five head coaches employed since 1968 had been able to achieve Lombardi’s sustained success. If the franchise was to turn around, Harlan knew major changes at all levels of the organization would be required. Patience was wearing thin.

Attached is the NFL Films Super Bowl XXV Highlight video.

Enjoy!!

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