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The NFL Playoffs Thread
- Thread starter Matlock
- Start date
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"They have appeared in the playoffs seven years since then, with their best advance to the AFC championship game in 1995, when they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-16"
Wasn't that the year Harbaugh almost Hailmary'd the Colts into the SuperBowl? Or was that game not the AFC championship game?
Wasn't that the year Harbaugh almost Hailmary'd the Colts into the SuperBowl? Or was that game not the AFC championship game?
Redemption
1995 AFC Championship Game
vs. Indianapolis Colts
January 14, 1996
The Hail Mary Falls Short
After the debacle in the 1994 Championship Game, the Steelers devoted the entire 1995 season to redeeming that loss to the Chargers. The goal and theme for the year was "three more yards", because the Steelers had been stopped on the three yard line the year before. The 1995 season started off slowly, but the Steelers came back and finished with an 11-5 record. The Kansas City Chiefs finished with a 13-3 record, so they had the homefield advantage in the AFC. However, in the divisional playoffs the Chiefs were upset by the upstart Indianapolis Colts. Behind QB Jim Harbaugh, the Colts put together a cinderella season, and to the surprise of everyone they were going to play for the right to go to the Super Bowl. The Steelers got to host the Championship Game for the second straight year, but it there was an eerie feeling of deja' vu surrounding this game. It was very similar to the previous year. The Steelers were the heavy favorites and everyone expected them to win. Still, they couldn't let tragedy strike two years in a row, could they? As the game progressed, it became apparent that the Steelers were in for a tough game. At halftime, the Steelers grabbed a 10-7 lead thanks to a late 5 yard TD pass from Neil O'Donnell to Kordell Stewart. There was controversy on the play. The replay showed that Stewart had stepped out of bounds in the back of the endzone, and then had come back in to make the catch (illegal touching). It was difficult to determine if Stewart had stepped out or if he was pushed out. Anyway, there was no flag and the TD stood. The Colts and Steelers traded FG's in the third quarter.
As the game wound down to the final 10 minutes, nobody wanted to speak of the horror of the previous year's game. In that game, the Steelers led the Chargers 13-10 in the 4th when Stan Humphries hit Tony Martin for a 43 yard TD bomb which cost the Steelers the AFC Championship. To the complete shock of everyone watching, it happened again. With just under nine minutes remaining, Jim Harbaugh threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Floyd Turner. The Colts had taken the lead - it really was deja' vu. The Steelers were in dismay. All the focus on "three more yards" and now it had come down to this again! However, the Steelers were unable to put a drive together. The Colts got the ball back and began attempting to run down the clock. On a key third and 1 play, CB Willie Williams tackled Colts FB Lamont Warren from behind as he was ready to run through a wide open hole. Had Williams not made this incredible tackle, the Colts would have got a huge gain, and would have probably been able to run out the clock. So the Steelers got the ball back with a chance to finish off the drive they failed on the previous year. Neil O'Donnell and his great group of receivers began stringing together some plays, but at midfield the drive began to stall. Amazingly, the Steelers were faced with 4th and 3. O'Donnell hit Hastings for a 9 yard gain to the Colts 38. On the very next play, O'Donnell threw a bomb down the right sidelines which was pulled in at the one yard line by Ernie Mills. Two plays later Bam Morris ran it in for the touchdown. The Steelers had done it! They had avenged last year's loss...but the game was not over yet. The Colts still had just over one minute left and they had "Captain Comeback" Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh led a furious drive to the Steelers 35, a drive that included a big 4th down conversion. With just a few seconds left in the game and down by 4, the Colts only had only one option - throw the Hail Mary. Harbaugh dropped back and threw it into the corner of the endzone. The ball was tipped several times before it fell to Colts receiver Aaron Bailey, who nearly closed his hands around the ball. Instead the ball fell to the ground. The game was over and the Steelers had won. This was possibly the most dramatic NFL game of the decade. It was certainly one of the great games in Steelers history and their game of the 90's.
Final Score: 20-16
Man, I wanted the Colts to win so bad. I don't know why but I had grown to like Harbaugh. :\
That would have been a friggin awesome way to get into the SuperBowl. I remember sitting at some hospital or something cause someone was sick or something, a friend of my uncles, and I stayed in the lobby watching the game on a small like, 17 inch TV. I was there for like 3 hours, and happened to get there right as the game was starting. That was such an awesome game.
1995 AFC Championship Game
vs. Indianapolis Colts
January 14, 1996
The Hail Mary Falls Short
After the debacle in the 1994 Championship Game, the Steelers devoted the entire 1995 season to redeeming that loss to the Chargers. The goal and theme for the year was "three more yards", because the Steelers had been stopped on the three yard line the year before. The 1995 season started off slowly, but the Steelers came back and finished with an 11-5 record. The Kansas City Chiefs finished with a 13-3 record, so they had the homefield advantage in the AFC. However, in the divisional playoffs the Chiefs were upset by the upstart Indianapolis Colts. Behind QB Jim Harbaugh, the Colts put together a cinderella season, and to the surprise of everyone they were going to play for the right to go to the Super Bowl. The Steelers got to host the Championship Game for the second straight year, but it there was an eerie feeling of deja' vu surrounding this game. It was very similar to the previous year. The Steelers were the heavy favorites and everyone expected them to win. Still, they couldn't let tragedy strike two years in a row, could they? As the game progressed, it became apparent that the Steelers were in for a tough game. At halftime, the Steelers grabbed a 10-7 lead thanks to a late 5 yard TD pass from Neil O'Donnell to Kordell Stewart. There was controversy on the play. The replay showed that Stewart had stepped out of bounds in the back of the endzone, and then had come back in to make the catch (illegal touching). It was difficult to determine if Stewart had stepped out or if he was pushed out. Anyway, there was no flag and the TD stood. The Colts and Steelers traded FG's in the third quarter.
As the game wound down to the final 10 minutes, nobody wanted to speak of the horror of the previous year's game. In that game, the Steelers led the Chargers 13-10 in the 4th when Stan Humphries hit Tony Martin for a 43 yard TD bomb which cost the Steelers the AFC Championship. To the complete shock of everyone watching, it happened again. With just under nine minutes remaining, Jim Harbaugh threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Floyd Turner. The Colts had taken the lead - it really was deja' vu. The Steelers were in dismay. All the focus on "three more yards" and now it had come down to this again! However, the Steelers were unable to put a drive together. The Colts got the ball back and began attempting to run down the clock. On a key third and 1 play, CB Willie Williams tackled Colts FB Lamont Warren from behind as he was ready to run through a wide open hole. Had Williams not made this incredible tackle, the Colts would have got a huge gain, and would have probably been able to run out the clock. So the Steelers got the ball back with a chance to finish off the drive they failed on the previous year. Neil O'Donnell and his great group of receivers began stringing together some plays, but at midfield the drive began to stall. Amazingly, the Steelers were faced with 4th and 3. O'Donnell hit Hastings for a 9 yard gain to the Colts 38. On the very next play, O'Donnell threw a bomb down the right sidelines which was pulled in at the one yard line by Ernie Mills. Two plays later Bam Morris ran it in for the touchdown. The Steelers had done it! They had avenged last year's loss...but the game was not over yet. The Colts still had just over one minute left and they had "Captain Comeback" Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh led a furious drive to the Steelers 35, a drive that included a big 4th down conversion. With just a few seconds left in the game and down by 4, the Colts only had only one option - throw the Hail Mary. Harbaugh dropped back and threw it into the corner of the endzone. The ball was tipped several times before it fell to Colts receiver Aaron Bailey, who nearly closed his hands around the ball. Instead the ball fell to the ground. The game was over and the Steelers had won. This was possibly the most dramatic NFL game of the decade. It was certainly one of the great games in Steelers history and their game of the 90's.
Final Score: 20-16
Man, I wanted the Colts to win so bad. I don't know why but I had grown to like Harbaugh. :\
That would have been a friggin awesome way to get into the SuperBowl. I remember sitting at some hospital or something cause someone was sick or something, a friend of my uncles, and I stayed in the lobby watching the game on a small like, 17 inch TV. I was there for like 3 hours, and happened to get there right as the game was starting. That was such an awesome game.
"I wasn't at this game. As a result, the thing I remember most about it involved watching the Hail Mary play on television. When the ball came down, NBC's first-year announcer Phil Simms excitedly screamed, "He caught it! He caught the ball!!" Almost immediately veteran announcer Dick Enberg waved off Simms' call, and after an agonizing few seconds of confusion, we all realized it was indeed an incomplete pass and the Steelers were going to the Super Bowl."
:lol
I KNEW there was something I was forgetting about the game. :lol, That's why I remember it so much, I was all giddy that Harbaugh had thrown the TD...then Enberg came and crushed me. :lol
:lol
I KNEW there was something I was forgetting about the game. :lol, That's why I remember it so much, I was all giddy that Harbaugh had thrown the TD...then Enberg came and crushed me. :lol
FrenchMovieTheme
Member
the steelers should have thanked the chargers for beating them in that afc championship game because we would have raped the shit out of them in the superbowl, just like we did to the chargers. CHAMPIONS!!
Slo said:
:lol :lol
I remember that Harbaugh play so vividly. me and my friends were so freakin' excited. not because we cared about either team, but because it was a hail mary to win the game. we were screaming, all like "NO WAY!!!!" and i remember someone on the Colts on one knee praying after he thought they won.
then the cowboys kicked shit in in the superbowl. that was a fun year
Spectral Glider
Member
That would have been a classic matchup that all NFL fans were deprived of. In the divisional game that year, the Steelers gave up just 186 total yards to the Browns. In the following championship game, they gave up just 226 total to the Chargers, only 69 rushing on 20 carries to Natron Means. The following year in Super Bowl 30, with much the same defensive players, they held the vaunted Dallas triplets in check, Aikman - 209, Irvin- 76, Smith- 49. They would have matched up well against the Niners in 94, certainly much better than the Chargers or anyone else of that year.
That game just killed me, was tearing me up. And that 4th down play almost pushed me over the edge with all the tension. Those were two of the greatest throws in Steeler post season history, especially the one to Mills (what a catch he made), since the days of Bradshaw. Despite the crap of the super bowl, NOD was the best QB they had since Bradshaw. Till now of course.
It was kinda hard to root against those Colts though. Little old Ted Marchibroda was their coach then and he just seemed like the nicest guy on the planet. About the only player on there that I hated was big, fat Siragusa.
FrenchMovieTheme
Member
yeah you would have given us a better game than the chargers, but we still would have won in a blowout i believe. our offense was unbelieveable that year. steve young was ricockulous.
keep in mind that i was steelers fan #1 in the superbowl Vs. dallas. you have no idea how much i hate the cowboys/packers/rams, so i wanted them to lose BADLY. fucking neil odonnell... dumb bitch. i dont know how steelers fans as a whole look @ neil odonnell, but if anyone tanked that badly in a superbowl for the niners and we lost i would want that asshole banned from the nfl
keep in mind that i was steelers fan #1 in the superbowl Vs. dallas. you have no idea how much i hate the cowboys/packers/rams, so i wanted them to lose BADLY. fucking neil odonnell... dumb bitch. i dont know how steelers fans as a whole look @ neil odonnell, but if anyone tanked that badly in a superbowl for the niners and we lost i would want that asshole banned from the nfl
soulja224466
Member
what about jose cortez? i remember you wanted him banned from the nfl a few years back. i think i saw him kicking for another team this season actually :lol
Spectral Glider
Member
FrenchMovieTheme said:
Immediately afterwards I hated him, but years later, after watching kordell pitch balls either into the dirt or to the other team, I mellowed on him. Neil could lead the team to come from behind or overtime victories, kordell tended to implode on the spot. Couple of things about Neil in the Super Bowl, he was sick just days leading up to the game. He was tossing some balls that were sailing high. Not sure if that was sickness, nerves or a combination of both. He did complete 57% of his throws for 239. Still, the WRs were giving gutsy performances in going for those balls, Hastings (10 catches) and Mills (8 catches) were all over the place. Mills getting injured late was key because it meant Corey Holliday had to come in. That's a guy who wound up playing a career total of 16 regular season games and had 1 career catch. He had virtually no clue about the plays, missed the hot route, and that lead to the 2nd pick that put the nail in the coffin. First pick of the game was all Neil's fault though, he overthrew it bad. The third pick was just a hail mary toss at the end of the game. So in a way, he only half choked the game. But he did get them to the big dance and years later filled in for McNair for half a season and played very well in helping the Titans get to the show, so I honestly can't bitch about the guy, I've seen too many players that were worse.
WILD CARD
St. Louis at Seattle
N.Y. Jets at San Diego
Denver at Indianapolis
Minnesota at Green Bay
DIVISIONAL
San Diego at Pittsburgh
Green Bay at Atlanta
St. Louis at Philadelphia
Indianapolis at New England
CONFERENCE
New England at Pittsburgh
Atlanta at Philadelphia
SUPER BOWL XXXIX
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh
I'd love to see Indy win, but I feel their defense is a year away. Plus dome teams just don't do well at this time of year, particularly when they've gotta do battle in cold regions. That said, they won't have the Patriots secondary holding their ass down field like they saw a year ago, so we'll see.
I've got a gut feeling about Atlanta for some reason, but I'm gonna go with Philly at least getting to the final dance. And if TO can return in time for the Super Bowl and be even 80% of his peak, that would be huge for Philly. I still like the Steelers though...they've done it all year.
That said, a sick part of me would like to see the boring ass Patriots (who I don't like at all) win another Super Bowl, just so all the people who shout "salary cap = competitive balance!!" can FINALLY shut the fuck up. The cap is just one part of the equation.
St. Louis at Seattle
N.Y. Jets at San Diego
Denver at Indianapolis
Minnesota at Green Bay
DIVISIONAL
San Diego at Pittsburgh
Green Bay at Atlanta
St. Louis at Philadelphia
Indianapolis at New England
CONFERENCE
New England at Pittsburgh
Atlanta at Philadelphia
SUPER BOWL XXXIX
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh
I'd love to see Indy win, but I feel their defense is a year away. Plus dome teams just don't do well at this time of year, particularly when they've gotta do battle in cold regions. That said, they won't have the Patriots secondary holding their ass down field like they saw a year ago, so we'll see.
I've got a gut feeling about Atlanta for some reason, but I'm gonna go with Philly at least getting to the final dance. And if TO can return in time for the Super Bowl and be even 80% of his peak, that would be huge for Philly. I still like the Steelers though...they've done it all year.
That said, a sick part of me would like to see the boring ass Patriots (who I don't like at all) win another Super Bowl, just so all the people who shout "salary cap = competitive balance!!" can FINALLY shut the fuck up. The cap is just one part of the equation.
FrenchMovieTheme
Member
jets are the #5 seed, therefore the jets are the higher seed.
I'll have a little faith this year, and go out on a limb.
WILD CARD
St. Louis at Seattle
N.Y. Jets at San Diego
Denver at Indianapolis
Minnesota at Green Bay
DIVISIONAL
San Diego at Pittsburgh
Green Bay at Atlanta
St. Louis at Philadelphia
Indianapolis at New England
CONFERENCE
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh
St. Louis at Green Bay
SUPER BOWL XXXIX
Green Bay at Pittsburgh
And we'll lose in the Super Bowl by a score of about 176 to 6.
WILD CARD
St. Louis at Seattle
N.Y. Jets at San Diego
Denver at Indianapolis
Minnesota at Green Bay
DIVISIONAL
San Diego at Pittsburgh
Green Bay at Atlanta
St. Louis at Philadelphia
Indianapolis at New England
CONFERENCE
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh
St. Louis at Green Bay
SUPER BOWL XXXIX
Green Bay at Pittsburgh
And we'll lose in the Super Bowl by a score of about 176 to 6.
Spectral Glider
Member
Think I'm taking the Seahawks, Jets, Colts and Packers this week.
Lambtron said:
The Steelers won't beat anyone by more then 21. Once we get a 14 point lead Cowher sits on the offense and leds the offensive line and the defense win the game. Not the most exciting strategy and it kills the stats our of qb and recievers, but it hasn't failed us yet.
soulja224466
Member
Game time. LETS GO RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMS!!!!!!!
soulja224466
Member
TOUCHDOWN RAMS!!!
Stuggernaut
Grandma's Chippy
Was that a legal catch or not? Can't watch replays
Chesapeake Silt
Member
That was PATHETIC.
soulja224466
Member
Damn bulger
its okay, lets keep it going
its okay, lets keep it going
soulja224466
Member
MARSHALL MARSHALL MARSHALL
soulja224466
Member
man what a bullshit call on that interception. the ball was well in the air before the facemask.
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