1985 Chicago Bears at
1972-73 Miami Dolphins
Final Score
Bears 20
Dolphins 23
Key Stats:
Jim McMahon: 13-25, 238 yds, TD
Bob Griese: 9-23, 177 yds
Mercury Morris: 22 rush, 127 yds, TD
Walter Payton: 23 rush, 174 yds, TD
Jim Kiick: 3 rush, 14 yds, TD, 1 reception, 30 yds
Larry Csonka: 4 rush, 4 yds
Nick Buoniconti: 9 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss
Dick Anderson: 10 tackles
Bears: 0 sacks on defense
2nd Half score
Bears 0
Dolphins 17
Notes:
The Dolphins overcame a 20-3 deficit to score the final 20 points of the game to defeat the Bears.
Mercury Morris had a big day for the Dolphins rushing for 127 yds and a TD. That offset a fine performance by
Walter Payton who ran for 174 yds and a TD. Jim McMahon and Ken Margerum hooked up on a 73-yd TD play to give the Bears
a 20-3 lead near the end of the 1st half. The Dolphins then scored on their next 3 possessions, capped by a 60-yd Morris
TD run that tied the game at 20. Jim Kiick scored the other Dolphins TD on a huge 3rd down run scoring from 5-yds out.
The Bears drove to the Dolphins 40 with a 1st and 10 inside 1:30, but were turned back on 4 straight plays.
1990 New York Giants at
1986 New York Giants
Final Score
1990 Giants 16
1986 Giants 31
Key Stats:
Phil Simms: 185 pass yds, 2 TD, INT
Joe Morris: 70 rush yds, TD
Kenny Hill: 11 tackles
Ottis Anderson: 142 rush yds
Everson Walls: 7 tackles
Notes:
The 1986 Giants jumped out to an early 24-0 lead and never looked back. The 1990 Giants cut the lead to 24-16 with 3:01 left,
but Joe Morris caught a 14-yd TD pass from Phil Simms with just over 2 minutes left to clinch the win for the 1986 Giants.
1988-89 San Francisco 49ers at
2003-04 New England Patriots
Final Score
49ers 19
Patriots 6
Key Stats
Tom Brady: 11-30, 119 yds
Joe Montana: 15-23, 198 yds
Roger Craig: 30 rush, 123 yds, TD
Jerry Rice: 5 receptions, 106 yds
Corey Dillon: 15 rush, 58 yds
Mike Cofer: 4-4 FG
Notes:
Roger Craig's 3rd quarter TD pushed the 49ers lead to 16-6 and Mike Cofer's 4th FG of the day in the 4th quarter (from 55-yds) were the final nails in the coffin for the Patriots, who were pushed around by the 49ers defense all day.
Total Offense
49ers 339
Patriots 163
1991 Washington Redskins at
1976 Oakland Raiders
Final Score
Redskins 27
Raiders 23
Key Stats
Mark Rypien: 12-19, 197 yds, 2 TD
Ken Stabler: 18-37, 381 yds, TD, 3 INT
Clarence Davis: 18 rush, 95 yds, TD
Ernest Byner: 24 rush, 156 yds, 2 TD
Cliff Branch: 6 receptions, 170 yds, TD
Notes
Trailing 27-23, Ken Stabler was INT twice in the last 2 minutes inside the Redskins 10-yd line as the Redskins held on to defeat the Raiders by 4. Ernest Byner's 84-yd TD run with 4:14 left in the game gave the Redskins the lead. The Raiders then drove to a 1st and goal inside the 5-yd line with just under 1:40 left. On third and goal, Stabler was picked off by Danny Copeland for the 2nd time in the game. After forcing a 3-and out, the Raiders got the ball at midfield with :50 left. Stabler then connected with Morris Bradshaw on a 45-yd pass play to put the ball at 1st and goal inside the 5 with just under :40 left. On 3rd and goal Stabler was picked off again, this time by Wilbur Marshall.
Semifinals
1986 New York Giants at
1972-73 Miami Dolphins
Final Score
Giants 14
Dolphins 16
Key Stats:
Bob Griese: 6-13, 190 yds, TD
Phil Simms: 12-21, 241 yds, TD, INT
Joe Morris: 9 rush, 17 yds, TD
Mercury Morris: 18 rush, 35 yds
Larry Csonka: 23 rush, 70 yds
Gary Reasons: 10 tackles, 1 for loss
Garo Yepremian: 3-3 FG
Notes:
On third and 14 with under a minute left, Bob Griese hit Paul Warfield on a 53-yd pass play to move the ball inside the Giants 25. There, Garo Yepremian booted a GW 41-yd FG with :05 left, as the Dolphins advanced to the finals.
1991 Washington Redskins at
1988-89 San Francisco 49ers
Final Score
Redskins 42
49ers 45
Key Stats:
Joe Montana: 15-29, 328 yds, 4 TD, 3 INT
Mark Rypien: 13-29, 299 yds, 5 TD, 3 INT
Ernest Byner: 25 rush, 101 yds
Roger Craig: 23 rush, 139 yds, TD, fumble
Jerry Rice: 7 receptions, 162 yds, 2 TD
John Taylor: 3 receptions, 95 yds, TD
Ricky Sanders: 5 receptions, 153 yds, 2 TD
Art Monk: 4 receptions, 101 yds, TD
Matt Millen (WSH): 10 tackles, sack
Andre Collins: 4 tackles, 2 INT
Ronnie Lott: 6 tackles, 2 INT
Don Griffin (SF), Martin Mayhew (WSH): INT returns for TD
Notes:
Neither's teams defense was successful at consistently stopping the opposing offense all game. Joe Montana threw 2 4th quarter TD
to Jerry Rice the latter giving the 49ers a 42-35 lead with just over 4 minutes left. Mark Rypien then led the Redskins on a 13-play 80-yd drive which included converting 3 4th down attempts, capping the drive on a 4-yd pass to Terry Orr that tied the game at 42 with :35 seconds left. Montana then took over at his 20 and completed consecutive passes, one a 30-yarder to Brent Jones and another a 20-yarder to Jerry Rice to put the ball at the Redskins 26-yd line with :21 remaining. Roger Craig was then stopped for a 2-yd loss, and the 49ers sent in Mike Cofer to kick a 45-yd game winning FG which sent the 49ers to the championship.
49ers 23
Dolphins 21
Key Stats:
Joe Montana: 9-21, 211 yds, 2 TD - NAMED MVP
Bob Griese: 14-30, 259 yds, 3 TD
Mercury Morris: 18 rush, 73 yds
Roger Craig: 30 rush, 114 yds
John Taylor: 3 receptions, 48 yds, TD
Jerry Rice: 1 receptions, 64 yds, TD
Howard Twilley: 5 receptions, 112 yds, TD
Keena Turner: 3 tackles, 2 sacks
Matt Millen: 7 tackles (2 for loss)
Mike Cofer: 3-3 FG
Scoring:
1st QTR
MIA: Griese 27-yd TD pass to Twilley (PAT) - 3:55
SF: Montana: 64-yd TD pass to Rice (PAT) - 0:43
2nd QTR
SF: Montana: 6-yd TD pass to Taylor (PAT) - 3:45
SF: Cofer: 18-yd FG - 1:24
MIA: Griese: 61-yd TD pass to Briscoe (PAT) - 0:53
SF: Cofer: 35-yd FG - 0:16
3rd QTR
SF: Cofer: 45-yd FG - 4:37
4th QTR
MIA: Griese: 12-yd TD pass to Warfield (PAT) - 3:21
Notes
The Dolphins took over at their own 27-yd line with 1:09 remaining and trailing 23-21. After an incompletion and a sack they completed a 3rd and 14 to advance to their 42-yd line with :43 left. Facing another 3rd down at midfield, Griese converted that also to put the ball on the 49ers 43 with just under :20. After 3 incompletions, the Dolphins faced 4th and 10 with :10 left when Griese completed a pass to Mercury Morris who was stopped a yard shy of the 33, turning the ball over on downs and giving the 49ers the win.
