Bradley Ruzicka

Headline: Green Bay Packers enjoys back-to-back playoff seasons for the first time since the Lombardi era.

Regular Season Record: 9 – 7 (Second Place NFC Central Division)

Offseason Highlights: The Green Bay Packers’ 1994 draft yielded four players of note; 1st round selection OG Aaron Taylor out of Notre Dame (16th overall), 4th round selection DE Gabe Wilkins from Gardner-Webb (126th overall), 5th round selection RB Dorsey Levens out of Georgia Tech (149th overall), and 6th round selection WR Bill Schroeder out of University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse (181st overall).

Aaron Taylor played three seasons with Green Bay, starting 46 out of 46 games. However, Taylor’s promising career was repeatedly interrupted by knee injuries, ultimately leading to his retirement after five years in the NFL, the last two with the San Diego Chargers. Gabe Wilkins started 25 out of 60 games during his four year Packers’ career, with his best season being 1997, when he recorded 5.5 sacks, before finishing his six year career with the San Francisco 49ers. Bill Schroeder played five seasons with Green Bay, his best years being his last three, when he started 48 out of 48 games, gaining 1,051 receiving yards in 1999, 999 yards in 2000, and 918 yards in 2001, before finishing his eight year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004.

Dorsey Levens was primarily a back up halfback to starter Edgar Bennett during his first three seasons in Green Bay. After a breakout game during the 1996 playoffs, Levens became the starting halfback after Bennett tore his achilles tendon in the 1997 pre-season. Levens rushed for over 1,400 yards that season and was voted to the Pro Bowl. However, he injured his knee during the 1998 season and was never the same. He gained 1,000 yards for the Packers during the 1999 season, but was mostly used in a reserve role after that. During his eight seasons with Green Bay, Levens rushed for a total of 3,937 yards on 1,006 attempts (3.9 yards per attempt) while scoring 28 touchdowns, before ending his 11 year career with the New York Giants in 2004. He officially retired as a Packer in 2006.

General Manager Ron Wolf further strengthened his defense by signing another key free agent in 1994, 10 year veteran and 1993 Pro Bowl selection, DE Sean Jones, from the Houston Oilers, forming a bookend at defensive end with 1993 free agent acquisition DE Reggie White. Jones started his NFL career in 1984 with the Los Angeles Raiders, playing in Los Angeles for four years, before being traded to Houston in 1988 for the 9th overall pick in the draft, opting to become a free agent after playing for the Oilers over six seasons. During his three seasons with Green Bay, Jones started in 47 out of 47 games, recording 24.5 sacks, before retiring in 1997 after a total of 13 NFL seasons.

Of note, this was the final season the Packers would play at Milwaukee County Stadium. They would play their home games exclusively at Lambeau Field beginning in 1995. Although the decision to hire Wolf was Harlan’s most consequential decision, it was not his most agonizing. Harlan said he felt a much greater burden when it became obvious to him that it was no longer financially feasible to play home games at Milwaukee County Stadium. “I never dreamed we’d have to leave Milwaukee,” Harlan said. “I always assumed that we’d have a new stadium and be there as long as I’d be around here.”

Overall, only two players selected in 1994 NFL Draft would ultimately be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including the 2nd overall selection, San Diego State RB Marshall Faulk (Indianapolis Colts), and the 46th overall selection, Sonoma State OG Larry Allen (Dallas Cowboys).

The highlight of the 1994 draft might have been a verbal altercation between ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. and Indianapolis Colts’ GM Bill Tobin, where Tobin famously said to the ESPN crew “Who in the hell is Mel Kiper, anyway? I mean, here’s a guy who criticizes everybody, whoever they take. In my knowledge of him, he’s never even put on a jockstrap, he’s never been a player, he’s never been a coach, he’s never been a scout, he’s never been an administrator, and all of a sudden, he’s an expert. Mel Kiper has no more credentials to do what he’s doing than my neighbor, and my neighbor’s a postman and he doesn’t even have season tickets to the NFL.”

The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL’s 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed, and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season. Also, a selection committee of media and league personnel named a special NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team honoring the best NFL players from the first 75 seasons. Three Packers had the distinction of being named to that team; DE Reggie White, WR Don Hutson, and LB Ray Nitschke. The league also honored its 75th season by having each team wear throwback uniforms during selected games throughout the season.

A package of rule changes were also adopted in 1994 to increase offensive production and scoring, including the two point conversion after touchdowns, moving the spot of the kickoff from the 35 yard line to the 30 yard line, and, after a field goal is missed, the defensive team taking possession of the ball at the spot of the kick instead of at the line of scrimmage or the 20 yard line, whichever is farther from the goal line.

In another change, 1994 was the first season that the then fledgling Fox Network televised NFL games, taking over the NFC package from CBS, which had previously broadcast NFC games since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger. The league also signed an exclusivity agreement with DirecTV to launch NFL Sunday Ticket, a satellite television subscription service that offers every regular season NFL game. Today, the package remains exclusive to DirecTV.

Finally, the Phoenix Cardinals changed their name to Arizona Cardinals in an attempt to widen their appeal to the entire state of Arizona.

Regular Season Highlights: After two straight winning seasons, it took all Green Bay could muster to produce a third consecutive 9-7 season in 1994. Starting the season 3-4, the Packers won three straight to get to 6-4, then lost the next three games to fall to 6-7. Green Bay subsequently had to beat the Chicago Bears, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to sneak into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. But they made it, for the second season in a row, the first time since the end of the Lombardi era. The Packers finished second behind the 10-6 Minnesota Vikings and ahead of the third place Detroit Lions and fourth place Chicago, both of whom finished 9-7, in the NFC Central division.

QB Brett Favre, now in his fourth season, was working towards true stardom, completing 363 out of 582 attempts for 3,882 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions, for an overall QB Rating of 90.7. Overall, Favre finished 2nd in both passer rating and touchdown passes, 4th in both passes attempted and completed, and 5th in passing yards, while finishing tied for 10th in passes intercepted, after finishing 1st in 1993. 1994 also marked the first of eight seasons in which Favre would throw more than 30 touchdown passes. Yet, despite another stellar season, Favre was not selected to play in the Pro Bowl for the first time since coming to Green Bay.

As often as Farve threw, there were plenty of balls to go around. RB Edgar Bennett caught 78 passes for 546 yards, and WR Robert Brooks caught 58 passes for 648 yards. Bennett also led the Packers in rushing with 623 yards on 178 attempts, followed closely by RB Reggie Cobb, with 579 yards on 153 attempts. WR Sterling Sharpe kept rolling along, with 94 catches for 1,194 yards and 18 touchdowns, finishing 1st overall in receiving touchdowns and 5th in receptions, as well as receiving his fifth Pro Bowl invitation in seven years. However, Sharpe complained of stinging sensations in his neck in the last two regular season games, and wound up missing the playoffs. Unfortunately for both Green Bay and for Sharpe, those stinging sensations would later be diagnosed as a career ending neck injury, making Sharpe’s seventh season his last in professional sports. He ended his career as the Packers’ all time leader in receptions (595) as well as finishing second all time in receiving yards (8,134) and touchdowns (65).

Overall, Green Bay finished 19th in rushing, 9th in passing, and 4th in total offense, scoring 382 points, an improvement over 1993’s 340 points and 1992’s 276 points. Defensively, the Packers continued to build on their strong 1993 performance, finishing 3rd against the run, 15th against the pass, and 5th in total defense, allowing 287 points. Newly acquired DE Sean Jones led Green Bay with 10.5 sacks, tied for 10th overall, followed closely by 1993 free agent acquisition Reggie White with 8 sacks, and 5th year LB Bryce Paup with 7.5 sacks.

The San Francisco 49ers finished with the NFL’s best record at 13-3, winning the NFC West title and the NFC’s top playoff seed. The 12-4 World Champion Dallas Cowboys won the NFC East title and the second seed, while Minnesota won the NFC Central title and the third seed with a 10-6 record. The 9-7 Packers (fourth seed), the Lions (fifth seed), and the Bears (sixth seed) were the NFC’s Wild Card teams. Green Bay was the first NFC Wild Card based on the best head-to-head record (3-1) vs. Detroit (2-2) and Chicago (1-3), and a better conference record (8-4) than the 9-7 New York Giants (6-6). Detroit was the second NFC Wild Card based on a better division record (4-4) than Chicago (3-5), and a head-to-head victory over New York. Chicago was the third NFC Wild Card based on a better record against common opponents (4-4) than the Giants (3-5).

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers finished with the AFC’s best record, at 12-4, winning the AFC Central title and the AFC’s top playoff seed. The 11-5 San Diego Chargers won the AFC West title and the second seed. The Miami Dolphins won the AFC East title and the AFC’s third seed over the New England Patriots, both 10-6. Miami finished ahead of New England in the AFC East based on a head-to-head sweep. The 11-5 Cleveland Browns (fourth seed), the Patriots (fifth seed), and the 9-7 Kansas City Chiefs (sixth seed) were the AFC’s Wild Card teams. Kansas City finished ahead of the 9-7 Los Angeles Raiders for the third Wild Card entry based on a head-to-head sweep.

For the World Champions, 1994 saw continued regular season success, but under new leadership. Although Head Coach Jimmy Johnson was one of only six men in NFL history to coach consecutive Super Bowl winners, Owner Jerry Jones decided to replace him with former University of Oklahoma Head Coach and University of Arkansas teammate, Barry Switzer, prior to the start of the season. Johnson’s relationship with Jones began to fall apart in 1993. It started with Jones wanting more say in player personnel decisions. Johnson had sole control over all football decisions, and refused to give it up. In March 1993, right after the Cowboys had won their first Super Bowl under Johnson, Jones told the media that any coach could have led the Cowboys to a Super Bowl, infuriating Johnson.

Another incident happened in December 1993, when the Cowboys were getting ready to play the Giants for the NFC East title. Johnson had said he would be interested in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coaching position. This led to Jones telling the media that he alone would decide Johnson’s coaching future. They agreed to part ways on March 28 1994, after the Cowboys had won their second straight Super Bowl, with Johnson getting a $2 million bonus. To this day, Johnson is not on the Dallas Cowboys “Ring of Honor”. When asked in the summer of 2014 why Johnson was not in the Ring of Honor despite his two Super Bowl victories as coach of the Cowboys, Jones stated: “Disloyalty … I couldn’t handle the disloyalty.”

For New England, it was the first season under Owner Robert Kraft, who purchased the team after preventing previous Owner James Orthwein from moving the Patriots to St. Louis. Under second year Head Coach Bill Parcells, who had returned to coaching after a two year absence, New England made the playoffs for the first time since 1986, and for only the seventh time in the team’s history. It was also their first winning season since 1988, with the team just two seasons removed from a 2-14 season. Meanwhile, the four time AFC Champion Buffalo Bills failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1987.

Lastly, San Francisco QB Steve Young won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award. Detroit RB Barry Sanders won Offensive Player of the Year, while San Francisco CB Deion Sanders won Defensive Player of the Year. Indianapolis Colts’ RB Marshall Faulk won Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Miami DT Tim Bowens won Defensive Rookie of the Year. New England Head Coach Bill Parcells won Coach of the Year.

Post Season Highlights: In the NFC Wild Card Playoffs, the fifth seed Detroit Lions traveled to Lambeau Field to play the fourth seed Green Bay Packers, while the NFC Central Champion and third seed Minnesota Vikings hosted the sixth seed Chicago Bears in the HHH Metrodome. In the AFC, the fourth seed Cleveland Browns hosted the fifth seed New England Patriots in Cleveland Stadium, while the AFC East Champion and third seed Miami Dolphins hosted the sixth seed Kansas City Chiefs in Joe Robbie Stadium. The winners would advance to their respective Divisional Playoffs.

On December 31, the Green Bay Packers’ defense held Detroit Lions’ RB Barry Sanders to −1 rushing yards, while holding Detroit to 12 points, and a post-season record low of −4 yards in 15 attempts on the ground. During the regular season, Sanders had rushed for a league-leading 117.7 yards per game. The previous record was Chicago giving up only seven yards to New England in Super Bowl XX. Sanders lost yardage on six of his 13 carries. After running the ball on the Lions’ first three plays, he didn’t carry more than twice in any other series. “It’s inconceivable to hold him to negative yards,” Packers DE Reggie White said. “He does things that no other back does.”

Playing without star WR Sterling Sharpe, Green Bay scored first with a 14 play, 76 yard drive. Packers’ QB Brett Favre completed 7 out of 8 passes for 57 yards, while rookie RB Dorsey Levens finished it off with a 3 yard touchdown run on 4th and inches, for a 7-0 lead. In the second quarter, Packers’ K Chris Jacke missed a 37 yard field goal attempt but, with 2:56 left in the half, he increased the score to 10-0 on a 51 yard field goal (a franchise post-season record) at the end of a 37 yard drive, jump started by Favre’s 20 yard completion to TE Mark Chmura. Detroit responded with QB Dave Krieg’s 46 yard completion to WR Brett Perriman, earning them a first down on the Packers 11 yard line. But, after two incompletions and a 1 yard loss by Sanders, K Jason Hanson’s 30 yard field goal attempt was no good.

On the first Green Bay drive of the second half, they reached the Lions 38 yard line, only to lose the ball, when RB Edgar Bennett was tackled for no gain on 4th and 1. On the next play, Krieg’s 36 yard completion to WR Herman Moore moved the ball to the Green Bay 25 yard line, and Hanson eventually finished the drive by squeezing a 38 yard field goal inside the left upright, cutting Detroit’s deficit to 10-3 with 5:58 left in the third quarter. The Packers struck back with a 28 yard field goal by Jacke, set up by Favre’s 26 yard completion to WR Robert Brooks, regaining a two score advantage at 13-3.

With time running out in the third quarter, Green Bay appeared to be in control of the game, but Detroit finally caught a break, as Mel Gray returned the ensuing kickoff a franchise playoff record 68 yards to the Packers 18 yard line. Krieg eventually cashed in the big return with a 3 yard pass to Perriman, cutting the deficit to 13-10 with 13:35 left the game. Following a punt from each team, Brooks’ 7 yard punt return gave the Packers the ball on their 49 yard line, where they proceeded to drive to a Jacke 28 yard field goal at the 5:35 mark, making it 16-10.

Once again, the Lions got a big boost from their special teams unit, this time a 27 yard return, that gave them a first down on the Packers 49 yard line. Detroit subsequently drove to the Green Bay 11 yard line, including a 3 yard sneak by Krieg on 4th and 1. But, over the next three plays, Sanders gained 2 yards, Krieg threw an incomplete pass, and then he was sacked by LB Bryce Paup for a 6 yard loss. On 4th and 14 from the 17 yard line, Detroit’s Moore caught Krieg’s pass at the back of the end zone, but went out of bounds past the end line prior to the catch, causing a turnover on downs. Afterwards, Green Bay ran out the clock, giving up an intentional safety, when P Craig Hentrich ran out of the end zone on the last play of the contest, for a 16-12 Packers’ victory.

Meanwhile, both the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs produced a lot of yardage, 381 for Miami and 414 for Kansas City, but the Chiefs two turnovers turned out to be a key difference, as the Dolphins didn’t turn the ball over the entire game.

The first half was a turbo charged shootout, as both teams scored on all three of their possessions. Kansas City started it off with an 11 play, 80 yard drive, in which QB Joe Montana completed 6 of 6 passes, the last a 1 yard touchdown toss to TE Derrick Walker, for a 7-0 lead. Miami responded with a 10 play, 72 yard drive, including an 18 yard reception by WR Irving Fryar, who lateraled the ball to RB James Saxon for an additional 9 yard gain, to the Kansas City 1 yard line. RB Bernie Parmalee ran the ball across the goal line, tying the game at 7-7 with 2:20 left in the first quarter.

However, it took just four plays for Kansas City to retake the lead at 14-7, with Montana’s 57 yard touchdown pass to RB Kimble Anders. Miami scored a 40 yard Pete Stoyanovich field goal on the next series, cutting the score to 14-10 with 12:15 left in the half. Kansas City pushed their lead back to seven, 17-10, with a 66 yard drive that ended with a 20 yard field goal by K Lin Elliott. With time running out in the second quarter, Miami struck back with a 13 play, 80 yard drive, in which QB Dan Marino converted two third downs and one fourth down, completing a 17 yard strike to WR O.J. McDuffie on 4th and 3 from the Chiefs 36 yard line. Marino finished the series with a 1 yard touchdown pass to TE Ronnie Williams, tying the score at 17-17 going into halftime.

In the first half alone, Montana completed 12 out of 15 passes for 178 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Marino finished 14 out of 16 for 172 yards and 1 touchdown. The Dolphins then took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 64 yards in 6 plays, to score on Fryar’s 7 yard touchdown reception from Marino, for a  24-17 lead. Stoyanovich then kicked a 40 yard field goal to extend Miami’s lead to 27-17. Early in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs drove from their own 44 yard line to the Miami 5 yard line. But the Dolphins’ intercepted a Montana pass at the goal line and ran the ball back 24 yards. Then, with 7:31 left in the game, Miami wrestled the ball away from Chiefs’ RB Marcus Allen at the Miami 34 yard line to stop a second Kansas City scoring threat, securing a 27-17 Dolphins’ victory.

This would be the final game for Joseph Clifford Montana, ending one of the greatest careers in NFL history. On April 18 1995, Montana announced his retirement after 15 years, 13 as a San Francisco 49er, before a huge crowd at San Francisco’s Justin Herman Plaza. Montana finished with 3,409 completions out of 5,391 attempts (63.2%), 273 touchdowns, 139 interceptions, and 40,551 yards, while rushing for 1,676 yards and 20 touchdowns. He had 35 300-yard passing games, including seven in which he threw for over 400 yards. When Montana retired, his overall career passer rating was 92.3, second only to his 49er successor, Steve Young (96.8). Montana led San Francisco to four Super Bowl victories, and was the first player ever to win three Super Bowl MVP awards. He was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times, and selected All-Pro six times. Montana’s number 16 was retired by the 49ers on December 15 1997. Montana was subsequently elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000, his first year of eligibility.

As storied as his NFL career was, Montana’s greatest game was arguably not one he played as a professional, but rather his final collegiate game. On January 1 1979, Notre Dame returned to the Cotton Bowl, this time against the Houston Cougars. Montana’s performance, in what came to be known as the “Chicken Soup Game,”, is still one of the most celebrated in college football history. In frigid, blustery conditions in the second quarter, Montana had to fight off hypothermia, as his body temperature dropped to 96°F. When the second half began, with Houston up 20-12, Montana stayed in the locker room, where Notre Dame medical staff gave him warmed intravenous fluids, covered him in blankets, and most famously, fed him chicken soup. Montana returned to the field late in the third quarter, with Houston leading 34-12. Montana subsequently led the Irish to three touchdowns in the last eight minutes of the game, the final one coming as time expired, and Notre Dame won the game, 35-34.

On January 1 1995, the Cleveland Browns intercepted three passes from New England Patriots’ QB Drew Bledsoe, and halted an attempted comeback in the final minutes of the game, to clinch the victory.

Aided by QB Vinny Testaverde’s completions to WRs Michael Jackson and Derrick Alexander for gains of 27 and 23 yards, Cleveland moved the ball 74 yards in 8 plays on their opening drive, and scored on K Matt Stover’s 30 yard field goal, for a 3-0 lead. The Browns’ got another chance to score when they returned a Bledsoe interception 16 yards to the Patriots 33 yard line, but could only gain one yard on their next three plays, and decided to punt. In the second quarter, New England took a 7-3 lead on a 60 yard drive, that ended with Bledsoe’s 13 yard touchdown pass to RB Leroy Thompson.

However, Cleveland returned the kickoff 24 yards to the Browns 49 yard line, and the team quickly drove 51 yards, to retake the lead at 10-7, with Testaverde rushing twice for 14 yards, and completing 2 passes for 29 total yards to Jackson, on the way to throwing a 5 yard scoring pass to WR Mark Carrier. New England responded by driving 71 yards in 17 plays, to score on a 23 yard field goal by K Matt Bahr, tying the game at 10-10 going into halftime. The key play of a the drive was a fake punt on 4th and 10 on the Browns 43 yard line, in which P Pat O’Neill completed a 21 yard pass to RB Corwin Brown.

Cleveland started the third quarter with a drive to the Pats 17 yard line, but lost the ball on RB Eric Metcalf’s fumble, the Browns’ only turnover of the game. After forcing a punt, Cleveland drove 79 yards in 9 plays. Testeverde completed a 25 yard pass to RB Leroy Hoard and a 14 yarder to Jackson, while Hoard eventually finished the drive with a 10 yard touchdown run, to put the Browns back in front at 17-10. New England had some success moving the ball on their next two drives, but both ended with Bledsoe interceptions. On the second one, DB Eric Turner picked off a Bledsoe pass, and returned the ball 28 yards to the New England 36 yard line, with 7 minutes left in the game. From there, Cleveland managed to run the clock down to 3:36, before Stover’s 21 yard field goal gave them a two score lead, at 20-10.

New England subsequently put together a 63 yard drive to score on Bahr’s 33 yard field goal with 1:33 remaining, to cut the Cleveland lead to 20-13. New England then recovered the ensuing onside kick but, after gaining a first down, Bledsoe threw four straight incompletions, and the ball was turned back to Cleveland on downs, giving the Browns a 20-13 victory, and Bill Belichick his first playoff victory as a head coach, ironically over the same team with which he would later experience such success as a head coach in the 2000’s. Unfortunately for Cleveland, this would be the Browns’ most recent home playoff game, and their most recent playoff victory, to date.

Later in the day, Chicago Bears’ QB Steve Walsh passed for 221 yards and 2 touchdowns, as he led Chicago to a road win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Things didn’t start well for Chicago, as they committed two turnovers on their first two possessions. On the Bears first play from scrimmage, RB Lewis Tillman lost a fumble that was recovered by Minnesota on the Chicago 6 yard line. The Vikings then scored on K Fuad Reveiz’s 29 yard field goal, to give them a 3-0 lead, but only after a holding penalty eliminated RB Terry Allen’s touchdown run. After the kickoff, the Bears lost another turnover, this time a Walsh interception, with Minnesota returning it 10 yards to the Chicago 39 yard line. However, the Vikings suffered another key holding penalty, this one forcing them to punt.

Early in the second quarter, Chicago went up 7-3 with a 16 play, 80 yard drive that ended on Tillman’s 1 yard touchdown. Then, the Bears intercepted a pass from Minnesota QB Warren Moon and returned it 7 yards to the Bears 29 yard line. Walsh subsequently led the Bears 71 yards, including his 52 yard completion to WR Jeff Graham, and finished the drive with a 9 yard scoring pass to TE Keith Jennings, for a 14-3 lead. Shortly before halftime, Moon’s 38 yard completion to RB Amp Lee set up his 4 yard touchdown pass to WR Chris Carter, that cut the score to 14-9, following a failed 2 point conversion attempt.

In the second half, Walsh completed a 23 yard pass to Graham and an 18 yarder to WR Curtis Conway, before RB Raymont Harris’ 29 yard touchdown run increased Chicago’s lead to 21-9. Near the end of the quarter, Moon’s 37 yard pass to Lee got the Vikings in range for Reveiz to kick a 48 yard field goal, making the score 21-12. But Walsh soon struck again with a 21 yard touchdown pass to Graham. giving the Bears a 28-12 lead.

Now needing 16 points with 12:42 left in the game, Minnesota managed to drive 76 yards in 15 plays for a touchdown on Moon’s 11 yard pass to Lee, but only after taking 7:06 off the clock in the process. Then Moon threw an incomplete pass on the 2 point conversion attempt, keeping the score at 28-18. The Vikings defense subsequently forced a Chicago punt but, after they got the ball back, the Bears forced a fumble that DB Kevin Miniefield returned 48 yards for a touchdown, giving Chicago a 35-18 victory.

In the Divisional Playoffs, the AFC Central Champion and top seed Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the fourth seed Cleveland Browns in Three Rivers Stadium, while the sixth seed Chicago Bears traveled to Candlestick Park to play the NFC West Champion and top seed San Francisco 49ers. Meanwhile, for the second consecutive season, the NFC East Champion and second seed Dallas Cowboys hosted the fourth seed Green Bay Packers in Texas Stadium, while the AFC East Champion and third seed Miami Dolphins traveled to Jack Murphy Stadium to play the AFC West Champion and second seed San Diego Chargers. The winners would advance to their respective Conference Championship games.

The Pittsburgh Steelers had defeated the Cleveland Browns twice during the season, and proved to be more than capable of doing so again. On January 7, aided by RB Barry Foster’s 133 rushing yards, the Steelers controlled the game by scoring on their first three possessions and holding the ball for 42:27. The Steelers finished the game with 424 yards of offense, including 238 yards on the ground, while holding the Browns to a mere 186 total yards.

On Pittsburgh’s opening drive, the Steelers moved the ball 65 yards in 13 plays, to score on K Gary Anderson’s 39 yard field goal, for a 3-0 lead. Cleveland had to punt on their next drive, and P Tom Tupa’s kick went just 26 yards to the Steelers 47 yard line. Pittsburgh then went 53 yards in 8 plays, including a 21 yard completion from QB Neil O’Donnell to WR Ernie Mills, to go up 10-0, on O’Donnell’s 2 yard touchdown pass to TE Eric Green. On the Steelers next possession, Foster rushed 3 times for 40 yards, as the team drove 74 yards, to score on RB John L. Williams’ 26 yard touchdown burst, for a 17-0 lead with 9:03 left in the second quarter.

After being completely dominated up to this point, Cleveland finally caught a break, when WR Mark Carrier returned Mark Royals’ 43 yard punt 20 yards to the Steelers 30 yard line, leading to K Matt Stover’s 22 yard field goal, cutting the lead to 17-3. However, in the closing seconds of the quarter, the Steelers intercepted a pass from Cleveland QB Vinny Testaverde and returned it 21 yards to the Browns 6 yard line. O’Donnell then completed a 9 yard touchdown to WR Yancey Thigpen with 16 seconds left in the first half, for a 24-3 lead. In the third quarter, the Steelers drove 72 yards to go up 27-3 on a 40 yard Anderson field goal.

In the final quarter, the Browns took advantage of a 35 yard pass interference penalty, converting it into a score, with Testaverde’s 20 yard touchdown pass to WR Keenan McCardell, narrowing the Pittsburgh lead to 27-9 after Stover missed the extra point. But, on their next drive, Testaverde was sacked in the end zone by Pittsburgh DB Carnell Lake for a safety with 2:45 left in the game, cementing a 29-9 victory. This was the first playoff win for Pittsburgh Head Coach Bill Cowher, who had watched his team get eliminated from the playoffs in the first round in each of the past three seasons.

Later that day, the San Francisco 49ers scored on six consecutive possessions, to crush the Chicago Bears.

Chicago scored first, after a fumble by San Francisco TE Brent Jones, that the Bears recovered on the 49er 36 yard line. Chicago then drove 14 yards to score on K Kevin Butler’s 39 yard field goal with 11:02 remaining in the first quarter, for a 3-0 lead. However, San Francisco subsequently scored 37 unanswered points, including 23 points in the second quarter. Chicago, meanwhile, would not score again until 14:11 remained in the game.

The 49ers responded to Butler’s field goal with a 13 play, 68 yard drive, to score on RB William Floyd’s 2 yard touchdown, for a 7-3 lead. On their ensuing possession late in the first quarter, San Francisco intercepted a pass from QB Steve Walsh on the 49ers 46 yard line. WR John Taylor rushed for 15 yards and caught a pass for 15 yards on the first two plays, as the team drove 54 yards to score on QB Steve Young’s 8 yard touchdown pass to Jones, giving the 49ers a 13-3 lead after K Doug Brien missed the extra point. Chicago had to punt on their next drive, and San Francisco scored again on a 61 yard drive that ended with a 4 yard touchdown run by Floyd, to make the score 20-3. On the next series, the 49ers returned a second Walsh interception 31 yards to the Bears 36 yard line, setting up Brien’s 36 yard field goal.

Now down 23-3, Chicago showed their desperation with 2:15 left in the half, when they attempted a fake punt in their own territory. RB Tony Carter took a direct snap but fumbled the ball as he started to run, and was downed on the Chicago 32 yard line. San Francisco then scored another touchdown on a 6 yard run by Young, giving them a 30-3 halftime lead. In the second half, each team scored two touchdowns. On San Francisco’s first drive, they moved the ball 70 yards in 9 plays, including a 23 yard run by RB Dexter Carter, to score on Floyd’s third touchdown, a 1 yard run, for a 37-3 lead. Young subsequently left the game and was replaced by backup QB Elvis Grbac.

Meanwhile, Chicago had already benched Walsh at the start of the second half, replacing him with backup QB Erik Kramer. This didn’t help on the Bears’ first two possessions but, with 5:06 left in the third quarter, Kramer completed 8 out of 8 passes for 75 yards, on drive that ended with his 2 yard touchdown pass to Jim Flanigan, an eligible lineman, on the second play of the final period. Still faced with a 37-9 deficit after a failed 2 point conversion attempt, Chicago attempted an onside kick, but the 49ers recovered it. Grbac then completed a 44 yard pass to Carter that set up San Francisco’s final score, RB Adam Walker’s 1 yard touchdown, to lead 44-9. Chicago responded by driving 70 yards in 17 plays, to score on 1 yard run by RB Lewis Tillman. Again, the 2 point conversion attempt was unsuccessful and, with less than six minutes remaining in the game, the Bears could score no more, giving the 49ers a dominating 44-15 victory.

On January 8, the Dallas Cowboys crushed the Green Bay Packers, with 450 yards of offense and five touchdowns. In the first half alone, Dallas’ QB Troy Aikman completed 16 of 21 passes for 278 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Dallas’ WR Kevin Williams returned the opening kickoff 36 yards to the Green Bay 49 yard line, sparking a 51 yard drive, that ended with RB Emmitt Smith’s 5 yard touchdown run, for a 7-0 lead. Smith ended up leaving the game in the first quarter with a hamstring injury but, before that, he racked up 44 yards, and his team never lost the edge without him. Green Bay responded to the touchdown by driving 47 yards, including a 20 yard run by WR Robert Brooks, scoring with a 50 yard field goal by K Chris Jacke, to cut the Cowboy lead to 7-3. However, from this point on, the Packers would be buried under a mountain of Dallas touchdowns.

Taking a snap from his own 6 yard line, Aikman dropped back into his own end zone and heaved a deep pass to WR Alvin Harper at midfield. Harper made the catch and raced all the way to the end zone, breaking a tackle attempt by S George Teague at the 14 yard line, on the way to a 94 yard touchdown reception. Harper’s score gave the Cowboys a 14-3 lead, and set an NFL playoff record for the longest play from scrimmage, breaking the old record (93 yards) set by QB Daryle Lamonica to WR Elbert Dubenion in the 1963 AFL post-season. Dallas increased their lead to 21-3 on their next drive, with Aikman completing a 53 yard pass to WR Michael Irvin and a 22 yarder to TE Jay Novacek at the Packers 1 yard line, before Smith’s replacement, RB Blair Thomas, ran the ball into the end zone.

Green Bay struck back with a 74 yard drive, featuring QB Brett Favre’s 59 yard completion to Brooks, scoring on RB Edgar Bennett’s 1 yard touchdown, narrowing the deficit to 21-9. But their 2 point conversion attempt failed, and this ended up being their final scoring play of the game. Meanwhile, a 39 yard kickoff return set off a 52 yard drive that ended with Aikman’s 1 yard touchdown pass to TE Scott Galbraith with 5 seconds left in the half, giving Dallas a 28-9 halftime lead. Green Bay had an early chance to score in the second half, when the Packers returned an Aikman interception 34 yards to the Cowboys 28 yard line. But their ensuing drive was halted at the 20 yard line, and ended with no points, when Jacke missed a 37 yard field goal attempt.

That would be the closest the Packers would get to scoring over the final two quarters, which included Green Bay turning the ball over on downs twice. Meanwhile, Dallas largely abandoned their passing game in the second half. But, even without Smith, their rushing attack proved capable of protecting their lead. Thomas finished the game with 70 rushing yards, and added a second touchdown on a 2 yard run in the fourth quarter, making the final score 35-9.

Meanwhile, the San Diego Chargers overcame a 21-6 halftime deficit, by limiting the Miami Dolphins’ offense to only 16 plays in the second half.

Miami QB Dan Marino completed 14 of 18 passes in the first half for 151 yards, as he led the team to three consecutive touchdowns. On their first touchdown drive, he completed 4 of 7 passes for 65 yards, the last an 8 yard scoring pass to TE Keith Jackson, for a 7-0 lead. San Diego responded by driving 72 yards in 15 plays, to score on K John Carney’s 20 yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 7-3. WR O.J. McDuffie returned the following kickoff 42 yards to the Miami 48 yard line, and the Dolphins ended up scoring another touchdown on Marino’s 9 yard pass to Jackson, giving them a 14-3 lead with 7:21 left in the second quarter. The Chargers then drove 60 yards, including three carries by RB Natrone Means for 38 yards, to score on Carney’s second field goal, this time from 21 yards, narrowing Miami’s lead to 14-6.

But this was countered again, with the Dolphins moving the ball 70 yards on a drive that featured a 24 yard reception by WR Irving Fryar. Marino finished it off with a 16 yard touchdown pass to WR Mike Williams with 27 seconds left on the clock, giving the Dolphins a 21-6 halftime lead. In the third quarter, San Diego drove all the way to the Dolphins 1 yard line on a 15 play drive that consumed over eight minutes, only to lose the ball on downs when Means was shoved out of bounds on a fourth down conversion attempt. However, the Chargers subsequently tackled Dolphins’ RB Bernie Parmalee in the end zone for a safety on the next play, sending Miami’s tired defense back onto the field to protect a 21-8 lead.

San Diego took the ensuing free kick and marched 54 yards, to score on Means’ 24 yard touchdown run, cutting the score to 21-15. Early in the fourth quarter, San Deigo drove to the Dolphins 37 yard line, only to lose the ball when QB Stan Humphries threw an interception. But, after forcing a punt with 3:39 left in the fourth quarter, the Chargers started a 61 yard drive, that ended with Humphries’ 8 yard touchdown pass to WR Mark Seay, giving San Diego a 22-21 lead with 35 seconds left in the game. Miami had one last chance to win, as Carney’s botched squib kick gave them the ball at their own 38 yard line. On the next play, a 32 yard pass interference penalty gave the Dolphins a first down on the San Diego 30 yard line. But, after two incomplete passes, Miami K Pete Stoyanovich was wide right on a 48 yard field goal attempt, giving the Chargers a narrow 22-21 victory.

The game was marred by several questionable officiating calls. On one play, Jackson batted the ball forward along the ground after making a reception, and San Diego recovered it, but officials ruled Jackson’s action to be an illegal forward pass rather than a botched lateral, allowing Miami to keep the ball. Later on, Chargers’ WR Shawn Jefferson caught a 37 yard touchdown pass, but the referees ruled him out of bounds, even though replays showed he was in. And, on Means’ 24 yard touchdown run, replays showed he had stepped out of bounds at the 2 yard line.

On January 15, the Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the AFC Championship at Three Rivers Stadium against the San Diego Chargers while, for the third consecutive year, the San Francisco 49ers played the Dallas Cowboys, this time in Candlestick Park, for the NFC Championship, and the right to represent their respective conferences in Super Bowl XXIX.

In the AFC, the San Diego Chargers scored 14 unanswered points in the second half to upset the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers. In one of the greatest games in his career, LB Junior Seau recorded 16 tackles while playing with a pinched nerve in his neck. Although Pittsburgh held advantages in total plays (80-47), total offensive yards (415-226), and time of possession (37:13-22:47), it was San Diego who made the big plays.

Pittsburgh took the opening kickoff and drove 67 yards for a 7-0 lead, on QB Neil O’Donnell’s 16 yard touchdown pass to RB John L. Williams. O’Donnell also made two big completions to WR Andre Hastings on the drive, the first for 18 yards and the second for 11 yards on 4th and 2. Later in the quarter, the Chargers got a big opportunity when they recovered a fumble from Steelers’ RB Barry Foster on the San Diego 41 yard line, but Pittsburgh’s defense stepped up and forced a punt. Pittsburgh then advanced the ball to the Chargers 27 yard line, but a holding penalty pushed them out of field goal range, and they ended up punting it back.

In the second quarter, San Diego’s offense finally managed to get a drive going, with RB Natrone Means rushing for 17 yards and catching a pass for 15 yards. On the next play, a long pass interference penalty gave the Chargers a first down on the Steelers 3 yard line, but they could not get into the end zone, settling for K John Carney’s 20 yard field goal, cutting the score to 7-3. Pittsburgh struck back with a 12 play, 51 yard drive, including three first down completions from O’Donnell to WR Ernie Mills, and scored on K Gary Anderson’s 39 yard field goal with 13 seconds left in the half. Although their halftime lead was only 10-3, Pittsburgh seemed in control of the game. They had outgained San Diego in total yards 229-46 and first downs 13-4.

The situation kept getting better for Pittsburgh in the second half. Humphries was intercepted on the third play of the quarter, and O’Donnell’s 33 yard strike to TE Eric Green set up Anderson’s 23 yard field goal, increasing their lead to 13-3. But, on the fifth play of the Chargers ensuing drive, QB Stan Humphries faked a handoff, fooling the Steelers’ defensive backs long enough to find TE Alfred Pupunu wide open, completing a 43 yard touchdown. The score was cut to 13-10, and would remain so going into the fourth quarter. Early in the final period, Humphries completed consecutive passes to Pupunu for 31 yards, moving the ball across midfield. Then, with 5:13 left in the game, Humphries threw a 43 yard touchdown pass to WR Tony Martin, giving the Chargers a 17-13 lead.

O’Donnell then completed seven consecutive passes, the longest a 21 yard gain to Green, that gave them 1st and goal at the Chargers 9 yard line, putting them in position for a potential winning touchdown. However, Foster was dropped for a 1 yard loss on the next play, followed by an incompletion, and a 7 yard catch by Williams. On fourth down, Chargers’ LB Dennis Gibson sealed the victory by tipping away O’Donnell’s pass, intended for Foster, to preserve a 17-13 San Diego victory. The Steelers had lost for the first time during the season in which they held a lead at halftime.

In the NFC, although the Dallas Cowboys eventually held a 451-294 advantage in total offensive, the San Francisco 49ers converted three turnovers into three touchdowns in the first quarter, en route to victory.

On the third play of the game, San Francisco DB Eric Davis intercepted QB Troy Aikman’s pass, returning it 44 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. On the next Dallas possession, Davis stripped the ball away from WR Michael Irvin and fellow DB Tim McDonald recovered it on the Dallas 39 yard line, setting up a 29 yard touchdown pass from QB Steve Young to RB Ricky Watters, who eluded several Cowboys defenders, high stepping his way down the sideline, en route to the goal line for a 14-0 lead.

Dallas then fumbled the ensuing kickoff and San Francisco recovered the ball at the Cowboys 35 yard line. Young went back to work, converting a 3rd and 1 with a 2 yard sneak, and then throwing a 14 yard pass to WR John Taylor. On the next play, Young ran the ball 9 yards to the 1 yard line, and RB William Floyd took the ball into the end zone from there, to give his team a 21-0 lead with 7:33 left in the first quarter. This time Dallas was able to respond, driving 62 yards in 8 plays, and converting a 3rd and 23 situation with a 44 yard touchdown pass from Aikman to Irvin, making the score 21-7 going into the second quarter.

After forcing a punt, Dallas drove to a 3rd and 10 situation on the 49ers 12 yard line. The Cowboys tried to fool San Francisco with a draw play by RB Emmitt Smith, but he was tackled after gaining 2 yards, and K Chris Boniol missed a 27 yard field goal on the next play. Aided by a 33 yard pass interference penalty, the 49ers drove 64 yards in 11 plays, including a 10 yard catch by TE Brent Jones on 4th and 3, for a 34 yard field goal by K Doug Brien, and a 24-7 lead. But Dallas countered with a 62 yard drive, in which Aikman completed passes to TE Jay Novacek for gains of 15 and 19 yards, on the way to a 4 yard rushing touchdown by Smith, closing the gap to 24-14.

In the closing minutes of the first half, Aikman threw three straight incompletions, and a 23 yard punt by the Cowboys’ P John Jett gave San Francisco the ball on the Dallas 39 yard line with 30 seconds remaining. Two carries by Floyd gained 11 yards, and then Young threw a 28 yard touchdown completion to All-Pro WR Jerry Rice, who made a diving catch in the back left corner of the end zone with eight seconds left in the half, to make the score 31-14. In the third quarter, San Francisco muffed the opening kickoff and Dallas recovered it on the 49ers 25 yard line. Aided by a personal foul penalty, Dallas drove 25 yards in 7 plays to score on Smith’s 1 yard touchdown, to cut the lead to 31-21.

However, the 49ers stormed right back with a 10 play, 70 yard drive, that ended with Young’s 3 yard rushing touchdown, and a 38-21 lead. Then, the 49ers ended the Cowboys next drive with an Aikman interception. San Francisco ended up punting, but Klaus Wilmsmeyer’s kick pinned Dallas back at their own 11 yard line. In the final quarter, Dallas finished an 89 yard, 14 play drive with Aikman’s 10 yard touchdown pass to Irvin, cutting the score to 38-28, but they could not score again. Smith, who compiled 74 yards and 2 touchdowns, departed during that drive with a reinjured hamstring. The Cowboys had two more drives, both of which resulted in turnovers on downs.

At one point, Dallas Head Coach Barry Switzer, furious that Sanders was not called for pass interference, stormed onto the field and bumped an official while arguing, resulting in a 15 yard penalty against the Cowboys, and Aikman was sacked on fourth down on the next play. Although both Aikman and Irvin broke NFC Championship Game records with 380 yards passing and 192 receiving yards respectively, ultimately the first quarter turnovers were too much for the Cowboys to overcome, and San Francisco had finally defeated Dallas, 38-28, after two straight NFC Championship losses.

Thus, the San Francisco 49ers would play the San Diego Chargers for the World Championship in Super Bowl XXIX. San Francisco would be attempting to win their fifth Super Bowl, while San Diego would be making its first appearance in an NFL Championship game.

Super Bowl Highlights: On January 29 1995, at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami FL, the NFC Champion and 18½ point favorite San Francisco 49ers, led by sixth year Head Coach George Seifert, played the AFC Champion San Diego Chargers, led by third year Head Coach Bobby Ross, in Super Bowl XXIX. The 18½ point margin with the largest since the 1968 Baltimore Colts had been favored by more than 19 points over the New York Jets in Super Bowl III. This was also the seventh Super Bowl to be played in Miami, at the time tying both New Orleans and the Greater Los Angeles area for hosting the Super Bowl the most times.

From the 1988 to the 1993 seasons, San Francisco played in five out of six NFC Championship Games, winning Super Bowls XXIII and XXIV. But after Seifert’s team lost two consecutive NFC Championship games to the Dallas Cowboys in 1992 and 1993, the 49ers brought in several veteran free agents to strengthen their defense in 1994. Among the players signed were defensive linemen Richard Dent (Super Bowl XX MVP), Charles Mann, Rhett Hall, and Rickey Jackson; linebackers Ken Norton Jr. and Gary Plummer; and cornerback Deion Sanders. The free agents enabled the 49ers to jump from the league’s 16th best defense against the run in 1993 (1,800 yards allowed) to the 2nd best defense against the run in 1994 (1,338 yards allowed), as well as rise from 16th in total defense (295 points allowed) to 6th overall (296 points allowed).

Pro Bowl DT Dana Stubblefield led the team with 8.5 sacks. Rookie DT Bryant Young was also a big threat to opposing quarterbacks and rushers, recording 42 tackles, 6 sacks, and a fumble recovery. Behind them, Norton played very effectively at the middle linebacker position, leading the team with 77 tackles and recording an interception. Pro Bowl S Merton Hanks led the team with 7 interceptions for 93 return yards, while Sanders had 6 interceptions for 303 return yards and 3 touchdowns, earning him the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. His 303 return yards was the third highest total in NFL history, while his touchdown returns of 74, 93, and 90 yards made him the first player ever to have two 90+ yard interception returns in one season. Pro Bowl S Tim McDonald was also a big contributor, recording 2 interceptions for 79 yards and a touchdown.

The 49ers’ offense was led by QB Steve Young, who completed 324 out of 461 attempts (70.3%) for 3,969 yards, 35 touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions, for a league leading QB Rating of 112.8, breaking former San Francisco QB Joe Montana’s record for the highest regular season rating in NFL history, while also winning Young the NFL’s MVP Award. But even with his impressive statistics, Young was criticized as “not being able to win the big games” as Montana had done in leading the 49ers to Super Bowl victories in XVI, XIX, XXIII, and XXIV. It also didn’t help that San Francisco had lost to Montana’s new team, the Kansas City Chiefs, 24-17, during the regular season.

However, with Young at the helm, San Francisco led the league with 505 total points scored. Pro Bowl RB Ricky Watters was the team’s leading rusher with 877 yards and 6 touchdowns, while also recording 66 receptions for 719 yards and 5 touchdowns. Rookie RB William Floyd was the team’s second leading rusher with 305 yards and 6 touchdowns, while also having 19 receptions for 145 yards. The team’s leading receiver was Pro Bowl WR Jerry Rice, who had 112 catches for 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns. WR John Taylor was also a reliable target, catching 41 passes for 531 yards and 5 touchdowns. Pro Bowl TE Brent Jones added 49 receptions for 670 yards and 9 touchdowns. The offensive line was led by Pro Bowl C Bart Oates, another offseason free agent pickup, and Pro Bowl OG Jesse Sapolu.

Meanwhile, San Diego was the biggest surprise of the 1994 season, with very few expecting them to even reach the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. After the retirement of Hall of Fame QB Dan Fouts in 1987, the Chargers suffered through losing seasons until former Washington Redskins’ General Manager Bobby Bethard joined the team in 1990. Beathard decided to rebuild San Diego using the same model he used to build Washington into a Super Bowl contender during the 1980s; a powerful running game built around big linemen, a passing game that helped sustain extremely long drives, and a bending but steady defense. After Bobby Ross was hired as Head Coach in 1992, San Diego won the AFC West, as well as won an opening round playoff game against Kansas City. But, in 1993, the Chargers slumped back to 8-8 and did not reach the postseason.

Before the start of the 1994 season, the Chargers were not expected to do well, because they had acquired so many newcomers via the draft and free agency, ending up with 22 new players on their roster, 10 of which becoming starters. However, San Diego won their first six regular season games, en route to their second AFC West championship in three years. The Chargers went into the final game of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers needing a win to get the second seed, which came with a first round bye and a home game in the divisional round of the playoffs. Backup QB Gale Gilbert, subbing for injured starter Stan Humphries, led the Chargers to a come from behind 37-34 win, with John Carney kicking a game winning field goal in the final seconds.

San Diego’s offense was led by QB Stan Humphries, who was Redskins’ QB Mark Rypien’s backup during their 1991 championship season, when they won Super Bowl XXVI. Bethard acquired Humphries from his former team for a 1993 3rd round draft pick prior to the start of the 1992 season, following a preseason injury to starting Chargers’ QB John Friesz. During the 1994 season, Humphries completed 264 out of 453 attempts (58.3%) for 3,209 yards, 17 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a QB Rating of 81.6.

WR Mark Seay was the team’s leading receiver, with 58 receptions for 645 yards and 6 touchdowns. WR Tony Martin had 50 catches for 885 yards and 7 touchdowns, WR Shawn Jefferson recorded 43 catches for 627 yards and 3 touchdowns, while TE Alfred Pupunu had 21 receptions for 214 yards and 2 touchdowns. RB Natrone Means led the team in rushing with 1,350 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also recorded 39 receptions for 235 yards, and was named to the Pro Bowl. RB Ronnie Harmon was also a big contributor, catching 58 passes for 615 yards and a touchdown.

The Chargers had an excellent defensive line; anchored by Pro Bowl DE Leslie O’Neal, who led the team with 12.5 sacks and forced 4 fumbles, DT Chris Mims, who recorded 11 sacks, and DT Shawn Lee, who added 6.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Their linebacking corps was led by Junior Seau, a Pro Bowl selection for the fourth consecutive year, recording 123 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries. DB Stanley Richard was a major weapon in the secondary, recording 4 interceptions, 224 return yards, and 2 touchdowns. DB Darrien Gordon was also a major asset to the team, recording 4 interceptions and 32 return yards, while also adding another 475 yards and 2 touchdowns returning punts.

On the opening kickoff, a 15 yard facemask penalty on San Diego gave San Francisco the ball at their own 41 yard line. On the third play of the drive, Steve Young threw a 44 yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice, for a 7-0 lead. The 49ers became the second team to take the opening kickoff and score a touchdown on that first drive, the first being the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VIII, and also set a new Super Bowl record for the fastest touchdown, 84 seconds. After forcing the Chargers to punt, the 49ers advanced 79 yards in 4 plays, with Young rushing for 21 yards, before throwing a 51 yard touchdown pass to Ricky Watters, giving San Francisco a 14-0 lead less than 5 minutes into the first quarter, setting a Super Bowl record for the fastest second touchdown scored by a team.

The Chargers responded on their ensuing possession, marching 78 yards in 13 plays, and taking more than 7 minutes off the clock. Natrone Means finished the drive with a 1 yard touchdown to cut San Diego’s deficit to 14-7. But the 49ers quickly countered after the ensuing kickoff, driving 70 yards in 10 plays. Rice started off the drive with a 19 yard reception and 10 yard run on a reverse play, while Young added a 12 yard completion to John Taylor and a 15 yard scramble before eventually finishing the drive with his third touchdown pass, this one a 5 yarder to William Floyd, for a 21-7 lead.

Later in the second quarter, the Chargers’ Bryan Wagner’s 40 yard punt from his own 9 yard line gave the 49ers the ball at the San Diego 49 yard line. San Francisco then marched on a 9 play drive to score on Young’s fourth touchdown pass, an 8 yard toss to Watters with 4:44 left in the half, making the score 28-7. The Chargers then took the ensuing kickoff and drove 62 yards from their own 25 yard line to the San Francisco 13 yard line, featuring a 33 yard gain on a screen pass from Stan Humphries to RB Eric Bieniemy, San Diego’s longest play of the game. But after three incomplete passes, one of which was a perfectly thrown Humphries pass that Mark Seay dropped in the end zone, they were forced to settle for K John Carney’s 31 yard field goal, cutting their deficit to 28-10.

A 33 yard completion from Young to Brent Jones helped the 49ers reach the San Diego 29 yard line on their next possession, but Young’s third down pass to Jones was overthrown, and rookie K Doug Brien missed a 47 yard field goal attempt. The Chargers then drove to their own 46 yard line, but the 49ers intercepted Humphries’ third down pass in the end zone with 10 seconds left in the half, and the score remained 28-10 at halftime. This was the closest San Diego would come to San Francisco for the rest of the game.

Leading by 18 points, the 49ers proceeded to add 14 more points in the third quarter. The Chargers were forced to punt after three plays on the opening drive of the second half, giving San Francisco the ball on their own 38 yard line. Young subsequently completed three consecutive passes for 53 yards on a 7 play, 62 yard drive that ended with Watters’ third touchdown, a 9 yard run, for a 35-10 lead. After a 33 yard kickoff return, the Chargers advanced to the San Francisco 33 yard line, but turned the ball over on downs when Humphries’ fourth down pass was incomplete. After the turnover, Young led his team on a 10 play, 67 yard drive, aided by a 22 yard pass interference penalty, to score on his fifth touchdown pass, a 15 yard completion to Rice, extending their lead to 42-10.

The Chargers’ only highlight of the quarter was when KR Andre Coleman returned the ensuing kickoff a Super Bowl record tying 98 yards for a touchdown. Mark Seay then caught a pass for a successful 2 point conversion, the first in Super Bowl history, but it only cut the deficit to 42-18. The 49ers were forced to punt on their next drive, but San Diego ended up turning the ball over on downs, when Means was tackled for a 4 yard loss on a 4th and 1 from their own 37 yard line. Six plays later, Young threw his record setting sixth touchdown pass to Rice with 13:49 remaining in the game, to give San Francisco an unreachable 49-18 advantage.

The Chargers responded with a 13 play, 59 yard drive to get to the San Francisco 7 yard line, but the 49ers intercepted backup QB Gale Gilberts’ fourth down pass in the end zone. After two San Francisco punts and a Humphries’ interception, the Chargers scored the final points of the game with a 30 yard touchdown pass from Humphries to Tony Martin, and another 2 point conversion, to make the final score 49-26. San Francisco thus became the first team ever to win five Super Bowls.

At the end of the game, Steve Young showed his jubilation at finally being able to win “the big one” while accepting the Super Bowl MVP trophy. “There were times when this was hard! But this is the greatest feeling in the world! No one — no one! — can ever take this away from us! No one, ever! It’s ours!” Young completed 24 out of 36 passes for 325 yards, and was the top rusher of the game with 49 yards, the first time both the top passer and rusher were the same person. WR Jerry Rice caught 10 passes for 149 yards and 3 touchdowns, tying his own record for most touchdown receptions in a Super Bowl, and becoming the first player ever to do it twice. This was also the first Super Bowl where two players, Rice and RB Ricky Watters, each scored three touchdowns.

Finally, San Francisco’s spectacular performance led to their Offensive Coordinator, Mike Shanahan, and Defensive Coordinator, Ray Rhodes, earning head coaching positions in 1995 for the Denver Broncos and the Philadelphia Eagles, respectively.

For the Packers’, 1994 brought the first back-to-back playoff berths since 1966-67. Under the leadership of General Manager Ron Wolf and Head Coach Mike Holmgren, the pieces were starting to come together. Now Green Bay needed to take the next step, starting with winning their first division title since the strike shortened 1982 season. The Packers also needed to prove they could complete with the heavyweights of the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers, in order to advance to their first NFL Championship since Super Bowl II, Vince Lombardi’s last season as head coach.

Attached is the NFL Films Super Bowl XXIX Highlight video.

Enjoy!!

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