Of the 52 Super Bowl champions competing in this year's tournament, we still have 17 with unblemished records, although it's important to note that some of these teams have only played one game so far. With an odd number of teams in every group, we're getting four byes each week.
At the end of group play, the top six from each group will advance to elimination play. We're still a way's out from that yet, but these games are still just as important as the ones to come over the summer.
In an effort to make this as accurate as possible, I'm taking weather conditions from the host cities over the weekend and setting those for these games. Standings and round by round scores can be found here. All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. Let's get to Week 3!
Group A
@ '99 STL 13, '69 KC 6
The defending champs move to 2-0 after a solid defensive effort. The Chiefs moved the ball on their opening drive, but Jan Stenerud banked a 37 yard field goal off the upright, and after a 64 yard Marshall Faulk run, the Rams had to settle for a chip shot of their own to go up 3-0. Early in the second the Chiefs found the red zone and were able to convert a 29 yarder to tie the game, though the Rams answered with a 36 yarder to retake the lead on the ensuing drive. St. Louis didn't opt for a 55 yarder near the end of the first half, punting instead and taking that 6-3 lead into the break. Kansas City went on to tie the game early in the third quarter on a 35 yard field goal, but couldn't press the advantage, and a minute into the fourth Kurt Warner capped an 11 play drive with a 21 yard touchdown strike to Torry Holt. The Chiefs had two separate drives to try and tie the game but turned it over on downs on both to end the contest.
'02 TB 17, @ '16 NE 10
The Patriots got off to a quick start, going 72 yards in 11 plays on the opening drive and capping it with a two yard strike from Tom Brady to Martellus Bennett. Tampa's opening play couldn't have gone worse, as Michael Pittman fumbled on a pitch right, and the Pats recovered deep in Buccaneer territory. Fortunately for Tampa, they held the Pats to just a field goal and were only down 10-0 eight minutes in. They marched down to the two, but were stuffed short of the goal line. Despite that the Bucs forced a punt, and on the ensuing drive Aaron Stecker punched one in from 11 yards out to make it 10-7, a score that held until the fourth quarter. Martin Gramatica would miss a 50 yarder wide left late in the third, but the Patriots couldn't take advantage and then compounded this by surrendering a punt return to their own 10, and on the first play of the fourth quarter. Brad Johnson hit Keenan McCardell for a go-ahead touchdown. Tampa would add a field goal with about five and a half to play, then survived an 18 play desperation drive, allowing a pair of fourth down conversions before stuffing the third in the red zone to finish off the game.
'84 SF 23, @ '87 WAS 14
The 49ers were in control from the outset of this one, embarking on a nine play opening drive with Joe Montana hitting Russ Francis from 10 yards out to open the scoring. They did not score again until midway through the second quarter on a 24 yard Ray Wersching field goal. Jay Schroeder was picked off on the ensuing drive, and the Niners were able to go 41 yards in seven plays to tack on another field goal for a 13-0 halftime lead. This is where the Redskins mounted a comeback, with Schroeder leading a 10 play, 67 yard drive helped by a pair of encroachment penalties on the Niners, capping it off with a 10 yard touchdown to Art Monk. The 49ers were able to make it a two possession game again on the ensuing drive when Wersching hit from 38, but the Redskins went right back to work, mounting a 13 play drive bridging the final two quarters capped off by a two yard touchdown pass to Gary Clark to make it 16-14. Washington still had a chance with about two and a half minutes to go pinned deep in their own territory, but turned it over on downs, and the Niners put it away when Roger Craig punched it in from two yards out.
'72 MIA 23, @ '81 SF 6
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| Photographer uncredited (photo from Miami Dolphins) |
'95 DAL 28, @ '03 NE 14
Make it 0-2 for the Pats in Foxboro this past weekend. After forcing a punt near midfield, the Cowboys went 81 yards in just under eight minutes on their first drive with Emmitt Smith angling in from two yards out to open the scoring. Dallas forced a three and out then went right back to work as Troy Aikman found Kevin Williams from 19 yards out to make it 14-0. Another three and out led to a Dallas field goal and a 17-0 lead when the Patriots finally got going. Kevin Faulk and Antowain Smith helped lead the Patriots downfield and Brady hit Daniel Graham from 11 yards out to get New England on the board, but left a minute on the clock. Emmitt Smith picked up 48 yards on the first play of the ensuing drive to help set up a chip shot field goal at the gun for a 20-7 halftime lead. The Patriots made it a game with an 11 play touchdown drive in the third, capped by a Brady to Bethel Johnson connection from 18 yards out. But it was too little, too late as the Cowboys marched 54 yards in eight plays, scoring early in the fourth quarter on a connection from Aikman to Michael Irvin, then repeating it for a two point converison and a 28-14 lead. New England would miss a 47 yard field goal and turn it over on downs on their two complete fourth quarter drives.
@ '80 OAK 20, '77 DAL 13
Both offenses struggled in the early going with each quarterback throwing an interception, but finally late in the first quarter after an almost eight minute drive, the Raiders got on the board first when Jim Plunkett found Dave Casper from two yards out on fourth and goal. The Cowboys responded with a long drive into Raider territory, but Oakland stuffed a fourth and 1 at the 18, and after a nice setup on a 68 yard pass from Plunkett to Bob Chandler, Mark Van Eeghen ran one in from five yards out for a 14-0 Oakland lead. The Cowboys needed just four plays to get those points back as Tony Dorsett broke free for a 53 yard touchdown. Efren Herrera missed a 36 yard field goal at the halftime gun to keep it 14-7, and the Raiders took advantage in the third with a pair of Chris Bahr field goals. The Cowboys got those points back early int eh fourth when Dorsett scored again, this time from 11 yards out, but Herrera missed the extra point to keep it a 20-13 game. A Preston Pearson fumble killed a red zone drive at the Oakland nine, but Chris Bahr missed a 39 yard field goal to give the Cowboys one last chance. However, Staubach was sacked on the first play and Dallas failed a fourth and 18 to end it.
Group B
'71 DAL 38, @ '97 DEN 0
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| Photo by Walter Iooss, Jr. (Sports Illustrated) |
'92 DAL 22, @ '17 PHI 3
The defending Super Bowl champs are still searching for their first Tournament of Champions win after struggling again in this one. Neither team did much on offense in the first quarter, but the field position game favored the Cowboys, who finally took advantage with seven minutes to go in the second when Lin Elliott hit a 32 yard field goal. The Eagles got it right back, with Corey Clement's 32 yard run helping set up a 22 yard Jake Elliott kick to tie it. Philly kept it tied with a huge forced fumble on an Emmitt Smith run late in the frame, but couldn't keep it tied in the third when the Cowboys added a 40 yard Elliott field goal fairly early on. Dallas added another after a Philadelphia three and out, then pulled away after a pair of monster Smith runs led to a 14 yard touchdown pass from Troy Aikman to Michael Irvin. Lin Elliott would add two more field goals in the fourth as the Eagles were unable to mount a comeback.
'08 PIT 20, @ '74 PIT 0
The newer incarnation of the Steelers was able to get its offense going early, though they'd miss a 49 yard field goal on the opening drive. But the defense forced a three and out, and after a Mewelde Moore 36 yard run, Ben Roethlisberger fourn Santonio Holmes for a 13 yard touchdown to open the scoring. The older Steelers were able to respond with a long drive, but Ray Gerala missed a 33 yard field goal, and after the Steel Curtain forced a three and out, Bradshaw and company turned it over on downs at the '08 team's 35. Late in the half the '08 Steelers got an outstanding punt return into field goal range, and Jeff Reed hit from 49 for a 10-0 halftime lead. Late in the third Deshea Townsend picked off Bradshaw deep in '74 Steeler territory, and on the next play Roethlisberger found Hines Ward from four yards out for a 17-0 edge. Reed would add a 36 yard field goal midway through the fourth for the final margin.
@ '70 BAL 13, '09 NO 6
The high powered Saints offense that scored 65 points in the first two games puttered out in this one. The teams traded interceptions in the first quarter, with Drew Brees getting picked on first and goal from the nine. Baltimore got a long drive going when Johnny Unitas found Eddie Hinton for a 49 yard gain that set up a 25 yard field goal early in the second. John Carney matched it with a 44 yarder on the ensuing drive, but again the Saints couldn't corral Colts as Jim O'Brien connected again, thsi time from 44 yards out to make it 6-3, a score that held up when the Saints turned it over on downs at the Baltimore 20 and Unitas was picked by Tracy Porter in the end zone to end the half. Darren Sharper would pick off Unitas early in the third quarter, his second of the game, and after Brees found Kyle Eckel for a 45 yard gain, the Saints would tie the game on a 30 yard Carney kick. Bridging the final two quarters, Unitas led the Colts on an 11 play, 76 yard drive that culminated in a Tom Nowatzke two yard touchdown run on fourth and goal to give Baltimore a 13-6 lead. Brees led the Saints past midfield but stalled at the 42, where Sean Payton opted to punt with 6:51 left. New Orleans never touched the ball again other than a strip with just under two minutes remaining and no timeouts left, but the Colts recovered it, and Unitas was able to kneel the game out.
@ '06 IND 33, '86 NYG 21
The Giants were unable to slow down an aerial assault by the Colts, but it didn't help that they turned it over on downs on their first drive when Phil Simms overthrew a receiver in the end zone on fourth and 7. Five plays later, Adam Vinatieri nailed a 46 yard field goal to give the Colts the early edge, one that they'd build on after a three and out. Joseph Addai picked up 45 yards to open the Colts' second possession, and three plays later, Peyton Manning found Marvin Harrison from two yards out for a 10-0 lead. Simms would throw a pick late in the first and Raul Allegre missed a 50 yard field goal early in the second, allowing the Colts to add to their lead with another Vinatieri field goal late in the frame. The Giants got a short field after an outstanding kick return, and four plats later Phil Simms found Mark Bavaro from 12 yards out to get the Giants back in the game. Unfortunately Simms was picked on their next drive, and two plays later the Colts took advantage of the old rule allowing advancing of fumbles inside of two minutes when they recovered a Ran Carthon fumble in the end zone. There was still time left, and the Colts were able to add another field goal late in the half for a 23-7 halftime lead. They made it 26-7 when Vinatieri connected from 50, though the Giants were able to answer with a touchdown on the ensuring drive when Joe Morris punched one in from four yards out. The Giants threatened to narrow the gap further, but Simms was picked again, and 11 plys later Mannign found Harrison for another touchdown to make it 33-14. New York would add a garbage time touchdown a few minutes later.
'93 DAL 31, @ '11 NYG 13
After forcing a near midfield punt, the Cowboy offense went to work early in this one, with an Emmitt Smith 59 yard run helping set up an eight yard touchdown from Troy Aikman to Michael Irvin. The Giants would get on the board with a 38 yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes late in the frame, but the Cowboys would match it early in the second when a 45 yard catch by Jay Novacek set up a 28 yard Eddie Murray make. Late in the half Aikman was picked off by Darnell Burks deep in his own territory, and Tynes cut the lead back to four with a 31 yard field goal. Dallas got the opening kickoff of the second half and embarked on an 11 play, 74 yard drive capped by a three yard touchdown from Aikman to Irvin to make it 17-6. The Cowboys put it away early in the fourth when Aikman connected with Irvin a third time. While the Giants were able to answer with a touchdown of their own, the Cowboys picked up one more near the two minute warning to ice it away.
Group C
@ '79 PIT 16, '88 SF 13 (OT)
Were it not for another game this week, this might be the best one of the tournament so far. A Joe Montana interception and missed field goal by the 49ers meant a scoreless opening quarter until the Steelers took possession early in the second, from where they marched 81 yards in ten plays, with a 45 yard pass to Lynn Swann setting up Terry Bradshaw's one yard touchdown to John Stallworth that opened the scoring. San Francisco answered right back, with Roger Craig rumbling 61 yards downfield to set up a one yard Tom Rathman touchdown run two plays later. The score remained tied going into the break after Mike Cofer missed a 45 yard field goal at the buzzer. Matt Bahr would hit from 30 yards out late in the third for a 10-7 lead, though Cofer would tie early in the fourth from 50, and gave the 49ers the lead from 46 with 2:53 to play. But Bradshaw led a 50 yard drive that saw Bahr hit from 38 at the gun to force the extra session. After the Steel Curtain forced a three and out, Franco Harris had a 42 yard run that put the Steelers in striking distance, and eight plays later Bahr hit from 31 to win the game for Pittsburgh.
@ '14 NE 41, '66 GB 21
New England was able to get at least one home game this weekend, and did it in fairly convincing fashion. A monster return on the opening kick positioned the Pats with first and goal at the eight to start the game, and Shane Vereen ran it in on the first play of the game for an early 7-0 lead. The Packers got good field position when Jim Taylor broke a 37 yard run on Green Bay's first play from scrimmage, but Don Chandler missed a 40 yard field goal, and later in the quarter the Patriots doubled their lead when Tom Brady found Julian Edelman from three yards out. Green Bay avoided some further damage when they recovered a Vereen fumble, but couldn't do anything with it, and Brady hit Danny Amendola for a 33 yard touchdown. It just got worse when Chandler missed from 48 on the ensuing drive, and six plays later the Packers were in again when Brandon LaFell hauled in a three yard touchdown from Brady. Zeke Bratkowski came in to stop the bleeding even though Bart Starr hadn't done anything wrong, and he found Bob Long for a 13 yard touchdown two plays after a Willie Wood interception to get Green Bay on the board. Early in the second half a phenomenal punt return set up the Packers on the doorstep, and Starr found Jim Taylor for a one yard touchdown. After a Patriot three and out, Elijah Pitts broke a 40 yard run to set up a three yard touchdown from Starr to make it a seven point game again. But that was all the Packers could muster; Chandler missed from 47 on the next Green Bay drive, and the Patriots scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth to pull away.
@ '90 NYG 17, '85 CHI 9
The Giants' defense forced a three and out to open the game, then Phil Simms converted a 3rd and 16 en route to an 18 yard touchdown to Mark Ingram that got the Giants the early lead. From there the defenses settled in, and when Raul Allegre missed a 44 yard field goal early in the second, the Bears marched down to answer with a 21 yarder, failing to take advantage of first and goal at the four. Chicago's defense forced a quick punt, then got a 22 yarder from Kevin Butler after another botched goal to go offensive series. Late in the half deep in his own territory, Simms was picked off by Richard Dent, and with not a ton of time, Butler hit a 45 yard field goal to give the Bears a 9-7 lead going into intermission. The Giants struggled early in the second half, with Simms getting picked by Mike Singletary and and the Bears forcing a goal line stand before the Giants finally broke through with just under ten minutes to go and Simms hit Mark Bavaro from 20 yards out to retake the lead. Chicago had a chance to regain the lead late, but Dennis Gentry dropped a handoff on fourth and 1 near midfield, the Giants recovered, and Allegre hit a dagger field goal with three seconds left to effectively ice the game.
'10 GB 17, @ '07 NYG 14
Aaron Rodgers avenges an old heartbreak with some help from an opportunistic defense. The Giant ground game destroyed the Green Bay defense to open the game to set up an eight yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Amari Toomer. Rodgers responded by picking apart the Giants secondary, finding Greg Jennings for a 37 yard touchdown that tied the game. Rodgers went back to work again after the defense forced a punt, with a 43 yard pass to Jordy Nelson helping set up a 42 yard field goal by Mason Crosby. Eli and Sinorice Moss led the Giants into a first and goal at the seven, but Clay Matthews picked off Eli to end the threat. Nick Collins would pick Manning off in the third deep in Giant territory, and after a 23 yard screen to Donald Driver, Rodgers found James Jones from six yards out for a 17-7 lead. Collins picked off Manning again late in the quarter, but the Packers couldn't take advantage. The ground game got back on track in the fourth, with Derrick Ward picking up 38 yards on one carry to help set up a Brandon Jacobs 16 yard touchdown on a draw. Green Bay's offense couldn't put the game away, but Atari Bigby logging the fourth pick by Packer defenders helped, and Manning's last ditch effort to find Amari Toomer in the end zone fell short, allowing the Packers to escape with a win.
'76 OAK 30, @ '12 BAL 26
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| Photo from the Oakland Raiders (photographer uncredited) |
'00 BAL 7, @ '82 WAS 3
A battle of Mid Atlantic champions goes the way over the newer team who scored the lone touchdown on the second play of the game when Jamal Lewis scored from 23 yards out after a 39 yard pass to Travis Taylor. The Redskins would have something of an answer, going 51 yards in ten plays where Mark Moseley hit a 31 yard field goal to get us to our final margin. Neither offense could muster much, with the Skins breaking a string of three and outs but not getting into scoring range until late in the first half, but Joe Theismann failed to convert a fourth and six at the Raven 34. They'd get a first and goal from the seven late in the third quarter, but the Ravens stopped them at the two, then thwarted a fourth and one from the 35 on Washington's next drive. A Duane Starks interception of Theismann with about two minutes left ended the contest and allowed Trent Dilfer to ultimately kneel the game out.
Group D
'89 SF 24, @ '91 WAS 21 (OT)
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| Photographer uncredited (photo from Pro Football Hall of Fame) |
'68 NYJ 21, @ '15 DEN 16
The Jets seemed to have the early edge in this one, making a goal line stand on the opening drive, and nine plays later after barely making a dent offensively Joe Namath found Don Maynard for a 70 yard touchdown to open the scoring. In the second things started to go south as the Jets lost a pair of fumbles, the second of which occurred in New York territory, and on the next play Peyton Manning found Bennie Fowler on a screen, and Fowler took it 27 yards to the house. After the touchdown the Broncos blocked a Jet punt, though Denver had to settle for a 30 yard field goal. It proved somewhat costly, as the Jets ran a perfect two minute drive, going 53 yards in eight plays, capped by another Namath to Maynard connection, this one from nine yards out, to take a 14-10 lead into the locker room. Denver would retake the lead late in the third quarter on an 11 play, 82 yard drive capped by a 27 yard strike from Manning to Owen Daniels, though Brandon McManus would miss the extra point and keep it a 16-14 lead. In the fourth, the Jets embarked on a 12 play, 90 yard drive capped when Namath found Matt Snell from 27 yards out for a 21-16 lead. Manning managed to lead the Broncos to a first and goal from the four, but after a one yard run, Manning threw three straight incompletions, and the Jets were able to run out the clock.
'94 SF 24, @ '05 PIT 10
The Niners set the tone early, getting a good opening kick return, and Ricky Watters ran one in from 24 yards out just two minutes into the game for the early 7-0 lead. The Steelers would tie it fairly early in the second quarter, capping a seven and a half minute drive with a seven yard strike from Ben Roethlisberger to Hines Ward. The Niners went back to work on the ensuing drive, with a 34 yard pass to Jerry Rice helping set up a 14 yard touchdown from Steve Young to John Taylor. An interception of Roethlisberger two plays later deep in Pittsburgh territory gave San Francisco a field goal and a 17-7 halftime lead. The 49ers all but put it away early in the second half by forcing a three and out, then marching 58 yards in just five plays, with Watters punching it in a second time from three yards out for a 24-7 edge. The Steelers would get a field goal back late in the third after pinning San Francisco deep, but the Steelers, who inexplicably threw Tommy Maddox out for a chunk of the fourth, threw an interception and was unable to lead his team beyond midfield in a comeback effort.
'73 MIA 38, @ '01 NE 16
This game started well enough for the hosts, who forced a fairly quick punt to open the game, then ?Tom Brady marched his offense 90 yards in 11 plays, capping it with a 22 yard touchdown pass to Terry Glenn. But then bottom fell out when a Larry Csonka 37 yard run set up a 46 yard Garo Yepremian field goal, and after a three and out Mercury Morris broke free for a 48 yard touchdown run to give Miami a 10-7 lead late in the first. The bottom fell out from there as Morris broke free again for a 52 yard touchdown a few minutes into the second quarter, the Dolphins' defense forced a three and out, and a Morris 45 yard run set up Bob Griese hitting Paul Warfield from 10 yards out for a 24-7 lead. Brady would throw back to back interceptions to sandwich a missed field goal, and the Dolphins took advantage of the second with a 21 yard Griese to Ron Sellers touchdown pass. Adam Vinatieri would tack on a field goal late in the half, but by then it was still 31-10 Dolphins. Morris would add a fourth quarter garbage time touchdown to finish it off.
'98 DEN 23, @ '67 GB 6
The two teams traded field goals to open the game, but after that the defenses settled in. Green Bay got a little lucky early in the second when Jason Elam missed from 39 yards, but the offense couldn't take advantage, and eventually the Broncos broke through when Terrell Davis broke a 27 yard touchdown run inside of two minutes. Bart Starr did lead another field goal drive before halftime to make it 10-6, but that was it. Green Bay would force a turnover on downs early in teh third quarter, but couldn't do much on offense, and after Davis set up the Broncos with a 48 yard run, John Elway found Ed McCaffrey from five yards out to go up 17-6. Davis would add the dagger with an 18 yard touchdown run early in the fourth, which prompted Zeke Bratkowski to come in, though he would be picked off on his only drive.
@ '83 LAR 16, '78 PIT 14
Neither offense was able to muster much until late in the first when the Raiders began a drive. They cashed in early in the second when Marcus Allen punched one in from seven yards out. They would tack on a field goal after a three and out, then one more before the half after the Steelers missed one of their own, going into the break up 13-0. Pittsburgh got on the board midway through the third after an eight play, 45 yard drive was capped by a six yard Rocky Bleier touchdown run. The Raiders responded by taking more than ten minutes off the clock, and Chris Bahr hit a 29 yard field to give Los Angeles a 16-7 lead. Pittsburgh answered with a touchdown on its ensuing drive, with Terry Bradshaw tearing apart the Raider secondary before finding Bennie Cunningham from a yard out to make it 16-14. The Steelers had a couple chances to take the lead, but Lyle Alzado strip sacked Bradshaw and the Raiders recovered. The Steelers got a stop and the ball back with 1:36 left, but with 18 seconds left he found Lynn Swann for a 17 yard gain, but Swann was unable to get out of bounds and the clock ran out before Pittsburgh could run another play.
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