This week we will hit the halfway point of group play as the elimination round picture starts to clear up a little bit. There isn't a ton of dominance; we lost half of our remaining undefeated teams last week and now only three teams remain unblemished. Six more teams, however, are sitting here with just a single loss to date. If the tournament were to end today, 3-2 would be the cutoff record in basically every group, though one group has a tie at 3-2 which would leave one team out.
To further clear this picture up, we're running through 24 more games today. Weather conditions from the weekend will be taken into account. You can view standings and scores here. All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. Let's get to it!
Group A
'84 SF 17, @ '69 KC 9
Len Dawson threw an interception on the opening drive, and Ray Wersching turned it into three points with a 36 yard field goal. The Chiefs made up for it on their next drive though, with Robert Holmes picking up 37 yards on one carry to help set up Jan Stenerud for a 21 yard field goal that tied the game. The defenses stepped up from here, with Joe Montana throwing a pick midway through the second quarter, but Stenerud missed a 47 yard field goal. He'd make up for it by hitting from 37 right before halftime to give the Chiefs a 6-3 lead. After halftime though the 49ers came out roaring, with Montana finding Renaldo Nehemiah for a 44 yard gain to help set up an eigh tyard touchdown to Wendell Tyler. Mike Livingston inexplicably came in for Kansas City, and threw a pick near midfield, though he got away with it when Jim Kearney picked off Montana. Unfortunately, the Chiefs couldn't capitalize and the Niners added to their lead with a 26 yard Tyler touchdown run. Stenerud hit a 23 yard field goal a couple minutes into the fourth quarter to make it a one score game. They picked off Montana in their own territory with about four minutes to go, but went four and out, failing to convert a fourth and two, though the Niners weren't able to run out the clock. Ronnie Lott however did get a key sack of Dawson with under a minute to play and the Chiefs turned it over on downs again, allowing San Francisco to seal the win.
@ '13 SEA 27, '72 MIA 13
Miami looked like they were going to have a great day at the start, as Mercury Morris rumbled for 55 yards on the first play from scrimmage, followed by an 18 yard touchdown run by Larry Csonka. But the Seahawks had an immediate answer, as on their second play from scrimmage Russell Wilson found Doug Baldwin for a 75 yard catch and run touchdown. Steven Hauschka gave Seattle its first lead late in the frame with a 50 yard field goal as the Dolphin ground game started to dry up a bit. They did tie the game early in the second quarter on a 37 yard Garo Yepremian field goal, but couldn't maintain the tie as the Seahawks got a 32 yard Hauschka field goal with 1:15 to go in the half. Earl Morrall compounded the issue with an interception, and Hauschka hit again from 43 to make it 16-10 going into the break. The Dolphins got a break midway through the third quarter when Marshawn Lynch fumbled a handoff and Miami recovered. They weren't able to move the chains, but Yepremian hit a 42 yard field goal to make it 16-13. Hauschka hit another long field goal with just over five minutes to play to make it a six point game again, and after the Dolphins turned it over on downs at their own 42, the Dolphins put it away when Wilson took off for a 16 yard touchdown, and Marshawn Lynch provided the exclamation point with a two point conversion to make it a 14 point game.
'95 DAL 30, @ '99 STL 14
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| Photo by Paul Buck (Getty Images) |
'77 DAL 29, @ '16 NE 23 (OT)
Roger Staubach threw an interception on the first play of the game deep in his own territory, though the Patriots would have to settle for a 35 yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal. The Cowboys' offense failed to get anything going until after a 48 yard Gostkowski kick made it 6-0, when they finally hit midfield by the end of the quarter, and about two minutes into the second tied the game when Staubach found Drew Pearson for a seven yard touchdown pass, with the extra point being blocked. D.D. Lewis picked off Tom Brady on the ensuing drive, and the Cowboys added onto their lead when Robert Newhouse rumbled for a 36 yard touchdown run. New England would pull back within four with a 39 yard Gostkowski field goal, but the Cowboys added fuel to the fire when Tony Dorsett tacked on a 48 yard touchdown run for a 20-9 halftime lead. The Patriots got back in the game with a 34 yard Dion Lewis touchdown run in the third, and after forcing a punt in their own territory, Brady led a 13 play, 90 yard drive and capped it off with a 12 yard strike to Julian Edelman that gave the Pats a 23-20 lead. The Cowboys marched well into New England territory on the ensuing drive, but Efren Herrera missed a 43 yard field goal with 2:35 left. New England was unable to pick up more than one first down, and the Cowboys took all their timeouts to get the ball back on their own 18 with 1:37 to play. Staubach went to work, picking apart the Patriot secondary and getting into range, where Herrera nailed a 46 yard field goal with 10 seconds left, though the Cowboys could have taken more time off the clock to get a little closer. It ended up not mattering, as Gostkowski missed a 43 yarder that could have won the game on the first possession of overtime. Dallas went to work, with a 23 yard completion to Pearson setting the Cowboys up in New England territory, and seven plays later Newhouse won the game with a one yard scoring plunge.
'80 OAK 20, @ '87 WAS 17
Oakland opened the scoring about ten minutes in when Chris Bahr hit a 27 yard field goal thanks to pinning the Redskins in deep. Washington responded with a seven play drive that stalled in scoring range, but Obed Ariri missed a 50 yard field goal with 17 seconds to go in the first. The Raiders took advantage, marching 60 yards in just five plays, with a couple 20-plus yard completions by Jim Plunkett setting up a ten yard Mark Van Eeghen touchdown run to make it 10-0. The Redskins had a long drive in them to follow that up, taking almost ten minute off the clock to march 96 yards, converting four third downs in the process with Jay Schroeder finding Clint Didier from 12 yards out to pull Washington within three. The Redskins would tie the game late in the third when Ariri hit from 27 yards out to cap an 11 play drive, but the Raiders had an answer, bridging the final two quarters with an eight and a half minute drive that was capped by a 20 yard Bahr field goal. The Redskins would go on to punt, and Oakland put it away on the ensuing drive, recovering their own fumble but seeing Van Eeghen and Kenny King pick apart Washington's run defense, with King delivering the finishing blow with a 19 yard touchdown run. The Redskins actually did make it interesting with a 39 second touchdown drive capped by a 26 yard strike from Schroeder to Anthony Allen, but the Raiders recovered the onside kick, and Van Eeghen picked up 11 yards on the first play of the drive to end the contest.
'03 NE 14, @ '81 SF 10
New England spent a little time in the opening frame in San Francisco territory, but punted each time. The Niners, meanwhile, got an extended drive in Patriot territory in the final five minutes of the first branching into the second quarter, but Ray Wersching missed a 37 yard field goal, and the Patriots took advantage by marching 73 yards in 11 plays with Tom Brady finding Deion Branch for a 13 yard touchdown midway through the frame. The 49ers responded quickly with a four play scoring drive capped by a 31 yard touchdown pass from Joe Montana to Earl Cooper. But the Patriots were able to grab the lead again right before halftime with a perfect two minute drive, moving 89 yards in a minute and a half with Brady finding Troy Brown for an eight yard touchdown with 20 seconds left. The Pats missed an opportunity in the third after forcing a three and out when Adam Vinatieri missed a 35 yard field goal, but Wersching bounced one from 47 off the upright on the ensuing drive. New England continued to give San Francisco chances when Brady failed to convert a fourth and seven from the Niner 35 with his legs, and the Niners made them pay when Wersching finally converted from 34 with just under ten minutes to play. New England punted and gave the ball back with 5:24 to go, and Montana went to work, leading the 49ers into the red zone. But a Mike Vrabel sack on third and ten from the 12 set up one last gasp that saw Montana's throw get broken up, and the Patriots were able to run out the clock.
Group B
@ '71 DAL 14, '08 PIT 9
Dallas had a phenomenal first quarter and made it hold up. Pittsburgh did get on the board first though with a 22 yard Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes pass helping set up a 41 yard Jeff Reed field goal. The Cowboys had a quick answer though, as on their fourth play from scrimmage Roger Staubach found Bob Hayes for a 49 yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead. After forcing a three and out Dallas went right back to work, marching 51 yards in nine plays with Duane Thomas scoring from four yards out. Both teams started to have trouble hanging onto the ball in the second, with Staubach getting intercepted by Lawrence Timmons on the first play of the second quarter and seeing Lance Alworth lose a fumble on the next drive deep in his own territory. The Steelers botched it when Mewelde Moore fumbled inside the Dallas 10. Pittsburgh would get back in the game with a 29 yard Reed field goal with about 30 seconds to go, going into the half down eight. Both teams blew chances in the third when Roethlisberger threw a pick midway through, and Mike Clark missed a 43 yard field goal on the ensuing drive. The Steelers bridged the third and fourth quarters with an extended drive, but they stalled inside the ten and had to settle for another Reed chip shot. The Cowboys returned the ensuing kick to midfield, but Clark bonked a 47 yard field goal off the upright, giving Pittsburgh a chance to grab the lead. They crossed midfield, but Roethlisberger was picked off by Mel Renfro. The Steeler defense got a quick stop and took all their timeouts to get the ball back at their 37 with 1:29 to go. Roethelisberger moved the team quickly with a big completions to Willie Parker, Nate Washington, and Hines Ward, the latter of whom was knocked out at the one with ten seconds to go. Parker lost a yard but got out of bounds with six seconds to go, and on the final play, Roethlisberger overthrew Heath Miller and the Cowboys picked up the home win.
@ '96 GB 40, '09 NO 14
The Packers are the lone unbeaten team remaining in group play after a dominating victory. Green Bay got off to a slow start, punting on their first drive before embarking on a 10 play, 70 yard drive that ended with a 41 yard field goal for a 3-0 lead late in the first. The Saints responded with an aerial assault, with Drew Brees hitting Marques Colston for a 32 yard pickup on the first play of the second quarter before he hit Reggie Bush for a seven yard touchdown to give the Saints the lead. It was short lived as Edgar Bennett picked up 38 yards on one carry to eventually set up a nine yard touchdown by William Henderson. Bush would fumble on the ensuing drive, recovered by Green Bay, and four plays later the Packers were in the end zone again as Brett Favre found Robert Brooks for a 20 yard touchdown and a 17-7 lead. Brees and company would get those points back with a six play, 55 yard drive capped by a 20 yard strike to Devery Henderson. Green Bay almost scored at the halftime gun as Favre found Antonio Freeman down the sideline, but he was knocked out at the one, keeping it a three point game at the break. The Packers forced a punt to open the second half and extended the lead with a 37 yard Chris Jacke field goal. Sean Jones took over on the next drive with two straight sacks to force a punt that set the Packers up at the Saint 38, and four plays later Favre found Keith Jackson for a two yard touchdown to go up 13. The Packers put it away early in the fourth when Favre found Mark Chmura for an 11 yard touchdown less than a minute in.
'86 NYG 27, @ '97 DEN 24
The Broncos got off to a fairly quick start, as eight plays in Vaughn Hebron broke free for a 42 yard touchdown run to open the scoring. But the Giants had an answer, marching 77 yards in just under seven minutes on their opening drive, with Phil Simms finding Mark Bavaro on third and 26 for a 36 yard touchdown to tie the game. It remained tied at seven until halftime with the Broncos punting three times in Giant territory and Simms throwing a pick deep in Denver territory late in the half. The Giants took over in the third, with Simms finding Bavaro for a 50 yard pickup to set up a one yard Joe Morris touchdown run. Simms would throw a pick on the Giants' next drive, but the defense forced a couple punts and picked off Elway late in the frame, returning it to the Bronco 36, and five plays later Allegre hit a 32 yard field goal to make it a ten point game. Denver got those points back on a 46 yard Scott Bentley field goal early int he fourth, but a Morris 43 yard run followed by a 23 yard scamper by Maurice Carthon set up Allegre to hit a 30 yarder to push the lead back to 10. Denver then managed to pull back within a field goal on a six play, 74 yard drive with a couple long passes by Elway setting up a 31 yard strike to Ed McCaffrey. But the Giants put it away with a couple big plays bby Morris and Bavaro, and Tony Galbreath put it away with a 10 yard touchdown run with just under two minutes to go. The Broncos did make it interesting as Elway found McCaffrey again from a yard out with 19 seconds to go, but the Giants recovered Denver's onside kick and Simms knelt to end it.
'93 DAL 23, @ '17 PHI 21
The reigning Super Bowl champs played well but are still in search of their first Tournament of Champions win after a heartbreaking loss. The Eagles' defense kept the Cowboys pinned deep on their first drive, and on the first play from scrimmage Nick Foles found Mack Hollins on a screen, and Hollins ran it in for a 45 yard touchdown and the early lead. The Cowboys answered quickly with Derrick Lassic running for 43 yards, then Lincoln Coleman nearly scored before fumbling, though Dallas fell on the ball in the end zone for the touchdown and the tie game. Foles followed up with a strong seven play drive, but stalled in the red zone and had to settle for a 30 yard Jake Elliott field goal. The Eagle defense kept the Cowboys in check until midway through the second quarter when Aikman found Alvin Harper for a 23 yard gain, then Michael Irvin for a 25 yard touchdown. Jay Ajayi would fumble on the very next play, Dallas recovered inside the Philly 30, and six plays later Daryl Johnston scored from five yards out for a 21-10 Cowboy lead. Elliott would get Philly back within one score with a 20 yard field goal to end the half. Both teams went three and out and punted in opposing territory in the third quarter, but Philly got a little momentum with a sustained drive bridging the third and fourth quarters (albeit one that ended in a punt). The defense came up huge with a goal line stand with about four and a half minutes to go. Nate Sudfeld, in for Foles for some reason, then led a clutch drive, aided by a 53 yard LeGarrette Blount run, and capped it off by finding Zach Ertz from two yards out, then found him again on the two point conversion that tied the game with 46 seconds to go. But it was too much time for the Cowboys, who got a 26 yard completion from Aikman to Irvin followed by a 16 yard dumpoff to Daryl Johnston that got the Cowboys into long field goal range, and with two seconds left, Eddie Murray hit a 51 yarder to win the game.
'11 NYG 30, @ '74 PIT 23
This was a fantastic comeback win for the Giants. They actually did get the early lead after forcing a three and out and getting a 34 yard Brandon Jacobs run to set up a 46 yard Lawrence Tynes field goal. Then the Steelers took over, with Franco Harris running 46 yards to flip the field, Pittsburgh recovering a Rocky Bleier fumble, and cashing in when Harris punched it in from three yards out, though Roy Gerala would miss the extra point. The Giants went three and out and the Steelers went right back to work, with Harris picking up 45 yards on a sweep to set up a 14 yard Bleier touchdown. After another New York three and out, Pittsburgh went right back to work with Bleier scoring from two yards out for a 20-3 lead. The Steelers would then pick Eli Manning off, and six plays later Gerala hit a 22 yard field goal for a 23-3 lead. The Giants were able to pull a little closer before halftime with a 14 play, 67 yard drive capped by a two yard touchdown pass to Ahmad Bradshaw. Tynes made it a ten point game six minutes into the third quarter with a 30 yard field goal, surviving a Hakeem Nicks fumble to do so. After forcing a Pittsburgh three and out the Giants got even closer with an outstanding punt return, and five plays later Bradshaw ran it in from five yards out to make it a 23-20 game. The Steeler defense actually held up pretty well from there for a while, including recovering a D.J. Ware fumble, but right after the two minute warning the Giants tied the game on a 46 yard Tynes kick. Terry Bradshaw then all but killed the Steelers' chances, throwing a pick to Deon Grant on the very next play inside his own 20. Five plays later, Eli found Jake Ballard for a go-ahead three yard touchdown with 36 seconds to go. Joe Gilliam came in to try and supply the game winning drive and got the Steelers to the New York 44, but his Hail Mary was broken up and the Giants pulled off the 20 point comeback win.
@ '70 BAL 40, '06 IND 21
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| Photo by Carl D. Harris (Baltimore Sun) |
Group C
'85 CHI 40, @ '88 SF 10
Chicago dominated this one from the get go, as Joe Montana's second pass of the game was picked off, and the Bears turned it into a 34 yard Kevin Butler field goal for the early 3-0 lead. The Bears would add on late in the frame when Walter Payton punched it in from 25 yards out. Butler would hit a 23 yard field goal about five minutes into the second for a 13-0 edge, and made it 20 when Jim McMahon found Ken Margerum from seven yards out with under two minutes to go in the half. Mike Cofer would get the 49ers on the board with 46 seconds to go with a 25 yard field goal after an outstanding kick return. The Bears would get those points back midway through the third when Butler hit from 41, but San Francisco responded with a 48 yard Roger Craig touchdown run late in the third after McMahon got picked off. That was as close as the Niners would get for the rest of the game, as the Bears poured it on with another Payton touchdown run in the fourth, plus a Matt Suhey one yard plunge and another Butler field goal.
'10 GB 17, @ '75 PIT 13
Aaron Rodgers went right to work in this one, leading a 13 play, 81 yard drive that took over half the first quarter and was capped by a five yard strike to Greg Jennings to put the Packers on top early. Rocky Bleier responded with a 40 yard run for the Steelers, but Roy Gerala missed a 49 yard field goal, and Rodgers went right back to it, finding Jordy Nelson from seven yards out less than a minute into the second quarter for a 14-0 edge. Mason Crosby would hit a 36 yard field goal on the next drive after a Pittsburgh punt, though the Steelers would get those points back on the final play of the half after a Rodgers interception deep in his own territory. Pittsburgh got right back to it with Gerala hitting from 35 five minutes into the third quarter, then pulled within four after forcing a Green Bay punt and seeing a 37 yard completion from Terry Bradshaw to John Stallworth set up a three yard Franco Harris touchdown run. The Steelers had a scoring chance early in the fourth, but squandered it when Terry Bradshaw only picked up one yard on the ground on a fourth and seven, then after a Packer three and out got to the red zone, but Bradshaw threw back to back incompletions from the 15 to turn it over on downs with 2:31 to play. The Packers took all but 10 seconds off the clock including their punt, but Bradshaw's desperation heave to Stallworth was escorted out of bounds at the Green Bay 41.
@ '79 PIT 33, '76 OAK 19
This wasn't the best game for kickers, but it didn't really impact the outcome. Oakland got on the board first nine minutes in with a Fred Steinfort chip shot field goal, and the Steelers responded with a few big plays, including a 31 yard touchdown run by Franco Harris. Pittsburgh forced a punt then went right back to work, with Terry Bradshaw finding Lynn Swann for a 30 yard touchdown, though Chris Bahr would miss the extra point. They made up for it when Ken Stabler threw a pick three plays later, and Pittsburgh capitalized with a 17 yard Sidney Thornton touchdown run to take a 20-3 lead. Mark Van Eeghen finally made his presence felt with a 43 yard run to help set up a Steinfort 32 yard field goal to make it a 14 point game, and they survived another Stabler interception to see him find Ted Kwalick from five yards out with 25 seconds left to make it an eight point game at halftime when Steinfort missed the extra point. The Raiders punted after the first drive of the third quarter, and the Steelers all but put it away on the ensuing drive when Harris' 32 yard run helped set up a one yard touchdown pass from Bradshaw to Bennie Cunningham, though Bahr missed the extra point again. A Bradshaw interception later in the quarter did no harm, and the Steelers put it away when he found Swann from three yards out with 8:36 to play, though the Raiders would get a garbage time touchdown.
'00 BAL 27, @ '14 NE 20
The Ravens jumped out to a huge lead in the second quarter of this game following a quiet first. New England forced a punt and got the lead on a Stephen Gostkowski 37 yard field goal midway through the first. Baltimore answered with a 43 yarder from Matt Stover, then the defense came through by stripping LeGarrette Blount in his own territory at the end of the frame. A 28 yard touchdown pass from Trent Dilfer to Qadry Ismail opened the second quarter to give the Ravens a 10-3 lead, and they compounded it when Rod Woodson picked off Tom Brady, and five plays later Priest Holmes scored from 10 yards out to make it 17-3. The Patriots got back in the game when Brady hit Brandon LaFell for a 46 yard touchdown four plays later, but the Ravens' offense got right back to work, with Dilfer hitting Shannon Sharpe for a 61 yard gain to set up a two yard Holmes touchdown run. Stover would add a 48 yard field goal just inside the two minute warning to make it a 27-10 ballgame, a score that would carry into the break. Dilfer and Brady traded interceptions to open the third, with Dilfer's coming near the red zone, but neither offense could capitalize until midway through the fourth when Gostkowski hit a 43 yard field goal to pull within two touchdowns. Baltimore went three and out, but their defense made the Patriots work on the ensuing drive. New England had to convert a fourth and 14 and a fourth and four before the Ravens' defense stood firm on fourth and one at the six. That stand proved vital, as the Patriots got a 30 yard touchdown from Brady to LaFell with 23 seconds left, and the Ravens were able to recover the ensuing onside kick to preserve the win.
@ '90 NYG 13, '82 WAS 3
The Giants grabbed the lead late in the first quarter after a 26 yard pass from Phil Simms to Rodney Hampton and a 37 yard Ottis Anderson run set up a 20 yard Raul Allegre field goal. Washington tied it in the second quarter on a Mark Moseley 47 yard field goal, but they couldn't prevent the Giants from going right back down and retaking the lead on a 33 yard Allegre field goal. They had a shot at one more after Lawrence Taylor picked off Joe Theismann, but Allegre missed from 53 at the gun. The Redskins were unable to get past their own 40 in the third, and it helped the Giants get great field position, which led to a 33 yard Anderson run to set up a 10 yard Hampton touchdown run that made it 13-3 New York with under a minute to go in the third. Washington had some golden chances to get back in the game in the fourth, recovering a Simms fumble in Giants territory, but they punted on fourth and 11 from the 37. Simms would throw a pick on the next drive in the red zone, but the Redskins turned it over on downs to end the threat.
'12 BAL 23, @ '07 NYG 21
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| Photo by Mike Ehrmann (Getty Images) |
Group D
@ '89 SF 28, '94 SF 3
Joe Montana outdueled Steve Young, and by a sizable margin. After going three and out, the hosts forced a punt and their second drive was much better, with Montana completing his first three passes for 48 yards to set up a 31 yard Roger Craig touchdown run. Doug Brien missed from 49 yards out for the '94 Niners on the ensuing drive, and from there the bottom started to fall out. Montana led a 61 yard drive bridging the first and second quarters, capping it with a 22 yard touchdown to Jerry Rice. The '94 Niners would lose a fumble on the ensuing drive, and the '89 team responded with an 11 play, 48 yard drive capped by a four yard strike from Montana to John Taylor. The hosts made it 28-0 before the half when Montana found rice again, this time from four yards out with 46 seconds to go. That was more than enough as Doug Brien missed from 49 again at the halftime gun for the '94 team. Mike Cofer missed a 48 yarder for the '89 Niners, and Brien finally got the guests on the board with a 37 yarder early in the fourth, with the only other threat being a late drive by Young and company that saw his team turn it over on downs in the red zone.
@ '04 NE 16, '73 MIA 7
The Patriots' offense really struggled out of the gate, with David Givens losing a fumble and Tom Brady throwing a pick on New England's first two drives. But the Dolphins couldn't take advantage, going three and out on their first six possessions. The seventh saw Tully Banta-Cain pick off Bob Griese and return it 39 yards for a touchdown that got New England a 7-0 lead. The very next play saw the Dolphins get their first first down, but they ended the half with a punt. Miami would punt just inside New England territory to open the second half, and the Patriots added on when Adam Vinatieri hit a 41 yard field goal on the ensuing drive after taking over eight minutes off the clock. Vinatieri added another early in the fourth from 33 yards out, which proved big when Griese and company finally got going, moving 67 yards in 12 plays with Griese finding Marlin Briscoe from 11 yards out on third and goal to make it 13-7 with 5:15 to play. But Brady and company ran a flawless drive that ended with a Vinatieri chip shot and just 19 seconds left. Griese threw two incompletions to end the contest and Miami's undefeated group campaign.
@ '91 WAS 17, '98 DEN 5
Denver's defense came to play in this one, with Mark Rypien throwing an interception on Washington's first play from scrimmage, and on their second drive Maa Tanuvasa sacked Rypien in the end zone for a safety. The Broncos kept up momentum on the ensuing return, starting from the Washington 27, but Jason Elam missed a 47 yard field goal. Elam's bad luck continued in the second quarter hwen he had a 44 yard kick blocked, and the Redskins recovered, moving the ball 45 yards to give Chip Lohmiller a 24 yard kick to tie the game. Elam would miss again with about 30 seconds left in the half, sending Washington into the break up 3-2. The Redskins broke it open in the third, marching 81 yards in ten plays to open the quarter with Ricky Ervins scoring from 26 yards out. Denver had a decent answer, getting a 31 yard pass from John Elway to Ed McCaffrey to set up a 43 yard make by Elam, but the Redskins sandwiched the field goal with a quick strike, with Ervins escaping for 33 yards to set up a three yard Gerald Riggs touchdown. Lohmiller would miss a field goal with just under ten minutes to go that would have made it a full two touchdown lead, but the Broncos couldn't take advantage, turning it over on downs in the red zone. They would fail again inside the two minute warning, ending the contest.
'78 PIT 17, @ '15 DEN 10
The defenses came to play in this one. Roy Gerala missed a 39 yard field goal to open the game, but the Steelers had an answer, forcing a C.J. Anderson fumble on the ensuing drive to keep the Broncos off the board. The Steelers would eventually strike first, as Gerala hit from 31 yards out for a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter. Jack Lambert would pick off Peyton Manning on the ensuing drive, but the Steelers couldn't take advantage, and with under five to play in the half, Manning found Emmanuel Sanders for a 21 yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead. Denver also forced a Randy Grossman fumble in their territory to stop a drive, but couldn't take advantage, and early in the third the Steelers retook the lead with a drive starting in Bronco territory that ended when Lynn Swann hauled in a ten yard touchdown pass from Terry Bradshaw. The Broncos would tie the game late in the third with a 52 yard Brandon McManus field goal, and from there the game turned into a battle of field position. The Broncos inexplicably punted on fourth and three from the Pittsburgh 38 with under seven minutes to play, and the Steelers made the Broncos pay for their cowardice by marching 87 yards, the last five of which came on the legs of Franco Harris for the go-ahead touchdown with 54 seconds to go. Manning led a desperate last minute drive, but an intentional grounding on third and one pushed his offense back into his own territory, and he missed Demaryius Thomas on fourth and 11 to allow the Steelers to escape with a road win.
@ '05 PIT 19, '83 LAR 3
Chris Bahr missed a 41 yard field goal to waste a 43 yard Jim Plunkett to Malcolm Barnwell pass on the second play of the game, though the Raiders redeemed themselves by stripping Jerome Bettis at their ten and recovering the ball. In fact, defense would prove to be the early factor, when after the Raiders made a goal line stand to force a turnover on downs, Plunkett took a safety about a minute into the second to give the Steelers an early 2-0 lead. Pittsburgh moved the ball enough to take on a 44 yard Jeff Reed field goal, then pulled away late in the half when Ben Roethlisberger found Willie Parker for a ten yard touchdown and a 12-0 lead the Steelers took into the locker room after Reed missed a 55 yarder at the halftime gun. Los Angeles finally got on the board midway through the third quarter when Bahr hit from 34 yards out, but the Steelers put the game away on the ensuing drive when Roethlisberger hit Heath Miller for a 17 yard touchdown. The Raiders would block a Pittsburgh punt in the fourth and got in the red zone, but turned it over on downs.
'67 GB 17, @ '01 NE 16
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| Photo by Neil Leifer (Sports Illustrated) |
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