NFL playoffs, 1993–94

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The NFL playoffs following the 1993 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXVIII.

Playoff seeds
Seed AFC NFC
1 Buffalo Bills (East winner) Dallas Cowboys (East winner)
2 Houston Oilers (Central winner) San Francisco 49ers (West winner)
3 Kansas City Chiefs (West winner) Detroit Lions (Central winner)
4 Los Angeles Raiders New York Giants
5 Denver Broncos Minnesota Vikings
6 Pittsburgh Steelers Green Bay Packers

Contents

[edit] Wild Card playoffs

[edit] January 8, 1994

[edit] AFC: Kansas City Chiefs 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 24 (OT)

1 2 3 4 OT Total
Steelers 7 10 0 7 0 24
Chiefs 7 0 3 14 3 27

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Chiefs kicker Nick Lowery made the winning 32-yard field goal after 11:03 of overtime. The Steelers scored first on tight end Adrian Cooper's 10-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Neil O'Donnell. Kansas City then tied the game after backup quarterback Dave Krieg, who temporarily replaced injured starter Joe Montana, threw a 23-yard touchdown to wide receiver J.J. Birden. However, Pittsburgh scored 10 unanswered points in the second quarter: kicker Gary Anderson's 30-yard field goal and O'Donnell's 26-yard touchdown completion to wide receiver Ernie Mills. After Lowery made a 23-yard field goal in the third quarter, the Chiefs eventually tied the game in the fourth period with running back Marcus Allen's 2-yard touchdown. However, the Steelers marched 74-yards to take the lead on O'Donnell's third touchdown pass of the game, a 22-yard score to tight end Eric Green. In the final minutes of regulation, Keith Cash blocked a Pittsburgh punt and Fred Jones returned it to the Steelers 9-yard line. On fourth down, wide receiver Tim Barnett scored on a 7-yard touchdown reception from Montana to tie the game. Then after forcing Pittsburgh to punt, Kansas City drove 47 yards to set up Lowery's 43-yard field-goal attempt in the closing seconds, but the kick was wide right and thus the game went into overtime. Montana finished the game with 276 passing yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions.

  • Scoring
    • PIT - Cooper 10 pass from O'Donnell (Anderson kick) PIT 7-0
    • KC - Birden 23 pass from Krieg (Lowery kick) Tie 7-7
    • PIT - field goal Anderson 30 PIT 10-7
    • PIT - Mills 26 pass from O'Donnell (Anderson kick) PIT 17-7
    • KC - field goal Lowery 23 PIT 17-10
    • KC - Allen 2 run (Lowery kick) Tie 17-17
    • PIT - Green 22 pass from O'Donnell (Anderson kick) PIT 24-17
    • KC - Barnett 7 pass from Montana (Lowery kick) Tie 24-24
    • KC - field goal Lowery 32 KC 27-24

[edit] NFC: Green Bay Packers 28, Detroit Lions 24

1 2 3 4 Total
Packers 0 7 14 7 28
Lions 3 7 7 7 24

at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan

The Packers overcame a 17-7 third quarter deficit as quarterback Brett Favre threw a 40-yard game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Sterling Sharpe with 55 seconds left. Favre and Sharpe connected on three scores during the game. After the Lions scored first on Jason Hanson's 47-yard field goal, Sharpe caught a 12-yard touchdown from Favre. However, Detroit built a 10-7 lead by halftime as Lions quarterback Erik Kramer completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brett Perriman. Then midway through the third period, Detroit defensive back Melvin Jenkins intercepted a pass from Favre and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown to extend the Lions' lead, 17-7. But the Packers countered with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Favre to Sharpe. Then with Detroit deep inside Green Bay territory, Packers defensive back George Teague intercepted Kramer's pass in the end zone and returned it 101 yards to give the Packers a 21-17 lead. The Lions would regain the lead on running back Derrick Moore's 5-yard touchdown before Favre and Sharpe connected on a miraculous winning score.

Lions running back Barry Sanders had the best postseason performance of his career, finishing the game with 167 rushing yards. Sharpe caught five passes for 101 yards and tied a playoff record with 3 touchdown receptions.

  • Scoring
    • DET - field goal Hanson 47 DET 3-0
    • GB - Sharpe 12 pass from Favre (Jacke kick) GB 7-3
    • DET - Perriman 1 pass from Kramer (Hanson kick) DET 10-7
    • DET - Jankins 15 interception return (Hanson kick) DET 17-7
    • GB - Sharpe 28 pass from Favre (Jacke kick) DET 17-14
    • GB - Teague 101 interception return (Jacke kick) GB 21-17
    • DET - D. Moore 5 run (Hanson kick) DET 24-21
    • GB - Sharpe 40 pass from Favre (Jacke kick) GB 28-24

[edit] January 9, 1994

[edit] NFC: New York Giants 17, Minnesota Vikings 10

1 2 3 4 Total
Vikings 0 10 0 0 10
Giants 3 0 14 0 17

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

A howling, gusting wind dominated the game as both teams could only score with the wind. However, the Giants managed to score two touchdowns, both by running back Rodney Hampton in the third quarter, to pull ahead for good. New York had the wind advantage in the first quarter, but could only score on kicker David Treadwell's 26-yard field goal. But after the teams switched sides at the start of second period, the Vikings scored 10 unanswered points: a 40-yard touchdown completion from quarterback Jim McMahon to wide receiver Cris Carter, and kicker Fuad Reveiz's 52-yard field goal. The Giants had the wind again in the third quarter, and on their first drive of the second half, Hampton scored on a 51-yard rushing touchdown. Then after a short punt gave New York the ball at the Minnesota 26-yard line, Hampton rushed for a 2-yard touchdown. Although the Vikings held the wind advantage again during the final period, the Giants defense managed to shut them down to preserve the victory.

Hampton finished the game with 33 carries for 161 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 6 receptions for 24 yards.

  • Scoring
    • NYG - field goal Treadwell 26 NYG 3-0
    • MIN - Carter 40 pass from McMahon (Reveiz kick) MIN 7-3
    • MIN - field goal Reveiz 52 MIN 10-3
    • NYG - Hampton 51 run (Treadwell kick) Tie 10-10
    • NYG - Hampton 2 run (Treadwell run) NYG 17-10

[edit] AFC: Los Angeles Raiders 42, Denver Broncos 24

1 2 3 4 Total
Broncos 7 14 0 3 24
Raiders 14 7 14 7 42

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

After a 21-21 tie at halftime, Raiders running back Napoleon McCallum scored three rushing touchdowns in the second half to lead his team to the victory. In the first half, both Raiders quarterback Jeff Hostetler and quarterback John Elway each threw 3 touchdowns. However, in the third quarter, a short punt enabled Los Angeles to take over the ball at the Denver 35-yard line, and to set up McCallum's 26-yard touchdown. Another short punt by the Broncos allowed the Raiders to take over at the Denver 48-yard line, and Hostetler's 33-yard pass to tight end Ethan Horton enabled McCallum to record a 2-yard touchdown. After Broncos kicker Jason Elam made a 23-yard field goal to cut the lead, 35-24, in the fourth quarter, the Raiders marched 76 yards to score on McCallum's 1-yard touchdown to clinch the victory.

Hostetler had one of the best performances of his career, completing 13 of 19 passes for 294 yards and 3 touchdowns. Elway completed 29 of 47 passes for 302 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 1 interception, while also rushing for 23 yards. Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe tied a playoff record with 13 receptions for 156 yards and a touchdown.

  • Scoring
    • RAI - Horton 9 pass from Hostetler (Jaeger kick) RAI 7-0
    • DEN - Sharpe 23 pass from Elway (Elam kick) Tie 7-7
    • RAI - T. Brown 65 pass from Hostetler (Jaeger kick) RAI 14-7
    • DEN - R. Johnson 16 pass from Elway (Elam kick) Tie 14-14
    • RAI - Jett 54 pass from Hostetler (Jaeger kick) RAI 21-14
    • DEN - Russell 6 pass from Elway (Elam kick) Tie 21-21
    • RAI - McCallum 26 run (Jaeger kick) RAI 28-21
    • RAI - McCallum 2 run (Jaeger kick) RAI 35-21
    • DEN - field goal Elam 23 RAI 35-24
    • RAI - McCallum 1 run (Jaeger kick) RAI 42-24

[edit] Byes

[edit] Divisional playoffs

[edit] January 15, 1994

[edit] AFC: Buffalo Bills 29, Los Angeles Raiders 23

1 2 3 4 Total
Raiders 0 17 6 0 23
Bills 0 13 9 7 29

at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

In one of the coldest games in NFL history, the Bills overcame a 17-6 Raiders lead by scoring three times in a span of 6:18 in the second half. After a scoreless first quarter, Los Angeles took a 3-0 lead with kicker Jeff Jaeger' 30-yard field goal. Buffalo countered with running back Kenneth Davis' 1-yard touchdown but the extra point attempt failed. The Raiders then jumped to a 17-6 lead with two touchdowns by running back Napoleon McCallum. But aided by a 37-yard pass interference penalty, Bills running back Thurman Thomas scored on an 8-yard touchdown with 50 seconds left in the first half to cut the lead, 17-13.

Buffalo then scored three times a span of 6:18 of the final two periods to put the game away. Quarterback Jim Kelly first threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Bill Brooks. Then after Bills defensive back Henry Jones recovered a fumble by McCallum, kicker Steve Christie made a 29-yard field goal. On the Raiders' next possession, wide receiver Tim Brown scored on an 86-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Jeff Hostetler. But Buffalo then drove 71 yards to score on Brook's 22-yard game-clinching touchdown reception from Kelly.

Brown had the best postseason performance of his career, catching 5 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. Kelly completed 27 of 37 passes for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns. Brooks caught 6 passes for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns.

  • Scoring
    • RAI - field goal Jaeger 30 RAI 3-0
    • BUF - Davis 1 run (kick failed) BUF 6-3
    • RAI - McCallum 1 run (Jaeger kick) RAI 10-6
    • RAI - McCallum 1 run (Jaeger kick) RAI 17-6
    • BUF - Thomas 8 run (Christie kick) RAI 17-13
    • BUF - Brooks 25 pass from Kelly (kick blocked) BUF 19-17
    • BUF - field goal Christie 29 BUF 22-17
    • RAI - T. Brown 86 pass from Hostetler (kick failed) RAI 23-22
    • BUF - Brooks 22 pass from Kelly (Christie kick) BUF 29-23

[edit] NFC: San Francisco 49ers 44, New York Giants 3

1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 0 3 0 0 3
49ers 9 14 14 7 44

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

49ers running back Ricky Watters rushed for 118 yards, caught 5 passes for 46 yards, and scored an NFL playoff record 5 touchdowns as San Francisco crushed the Giants, 44-3. San Francisco kicker Mike Cofer added a 29-yard field goal while running back Marc Logan recorded a 2-yard touchdown. Meanwhile the 49ers defense held the Giants to 41 rushing yards and intercepted quarterback Phil Simms twice. New York's lone score was a 25-yard field goal from kicker David Treadwell in the second quarter. The game was also notable in that it would end up being the final game in the storied career of New York linebacker Lawrence Taylor.

  • Scoring
    • SF - Watters 1 run (kick failed) SF 6-0
    • SF - field goal Cofer 29 SF 9-0
    • SF - Watters 1 run (Cofer kick) SF 16-0
    • SF - Watters 2 run (Cofer kick) SF 23-0
    • NYG - field goal Treadwell 25 SF 23-3
    • SF - Watters 6 run (Cofer kick) SF 30-3
    • SF - Watters 2 run (Cofer kick) SF 37-3
    • SF - Logan 2 run (Cofer kick) SF 44-3

[edit] January 16, 1994

[edit] NFC: Dallas Cowboys 27, Green Bay Packers 17

1 2 3 4 Total
Packers 3 0 7 7 17
Cowboys 0 17 7 3 27

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

The Cowboys broke the game open by scoring 10 points in the final 23 seconds of the first half. After the Packers stopped Dallas on a fake punt attempt, Chris Jacke's 30-yard field goal gave them a 3-0 lead. But on the next drive, Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman completed a 25-yard touchdown to wide receiver Alvin Harper. With 23 seconds left in the first half, Cowboys kicker Eddie Murray made a 41-yard field goal. On the ensuing kickoff, Dallas' Joe Fishback recovered Green Bay returner Corey Harris' fumble, and Aikman threw a 6-yard touchdown to tight end Jay Novacek to give the Cowboys a 17-3 lead before halftime. In the third quarter, Dallas wide receiver Michael Irvin caught a 19-yard touchdown reception. Packers quarterback Brett Favre completed two touchdowns in the second half, a 13-yarder to wide receiver Robert Brooks and a 29-yarder to Sterling Sharpe, but it was not enough.

Favre finished the game with 331 passing yards, just 1 yard short of a Packers playoff record. His top target was Sharpe, who caught 6 passes for 128 yards. Aikman completed 28 of 37 passes for 302 yards, while Irvin recorded 9 receptions for 126 yards.

  • Scoring
    • GB - field goal Jacke 30 GB 3-0
    • DAL - Harper 25 pass from Aikman (Murray kick) DAL 7-3
    • DAL - field goal Murray 41 DAL 10-3
    • DAL - Novacek 6 pass from Aikman (Murray kick) DAL 17-3
    • DAL - Irvin 19 pass from Aikman (Murray kick) DAL 24-3
    • GB - Brooks 13 pass from Favre (Jacke kick) DAL 24-10
    • DAL - field goal Murray 38 DAL 27-10
    • GB - Sharpe 29 pass from Favre (Jacke kick) DAL 27-17

[edit] AFC: Kansas City Chiefs 28, Houston Oilers 20

1 2 3 4 Total
Chiefs 0 0 7 21 28
Oilers 10 0 0 10 20

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

Chiefs quarterback Joe Montana threw three touchdown passes in the second half to give his team a 28-20 win. The Oilers jumped to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter with kicker Al Del Greco's 49-yard field goal and running back Gary Brown's 2-yard touchdown. Then after a scoreless second period, Montana threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Keith Cash in the third quarter. In the fourth period, Del Greco kicked a 43-yard field goal to give Houston a 13-7 lead. But aided by a 38-yard pass interference penalty, the Chiefs advanced 71 yards to score on wide receiver J.J. Birden's 11-yard touchdown reception form Montana. On the Oilers' next possession, Kansas City defensive lineman Dan Saleaumua recovered a fumble by Houston quarterback Warren Moon, setting up Montana's 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Willie Davis. The Oilers then drove 80 yards to score on wide receiver Ernest Givins' 7-yard touchdown catch, but the Chiefs responded with running back Marcus Allen's game-clinching 21-yard touchdown that capped off a 79-yard drive.

  • Scoring
    • HOU - field goal Del Greco 49 HOU 3-0
    • HOU - G. Brown 2 run (Del Greco kick) HOU 10-0
    • KC - K. Cash 7 pass from Montana (Lowery kick) HOU 10-7
    • HOU - field goal Del Greco 43 HOU 13-7
    • KC - Birden 11 pass from Montana (Lowery kick) KC 14-13
    • KC - W. Davis 18 pass from Montana (Lowery kick) KC 21-13
    • HOU - Givins 7 pass from Moon (Del Greco kick) KC 21-20
    • KC - Allen 21 run (Lowery kick) KC 28-20

[edit] Conference Championships

[edit] January 23, 1994

[edit] AFC: Buffalo Bills 30, Kansas City Chiefs 13

1 2 3 4 Total
Chiefs 6 0 7 0 13
Bills 7 13 0 10 30

at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Running back Thurman Thomas led the Bills to the 30-13 victory by recording 186 rushing yards, 3 receptions for 22 yards, and three touchdowns. Buffalo scored first on Thomas' 12-yard touchdown run before Chiefs kicker Nick Lowery kicked two field goals. In the second quarter, Thomas scored on a 3-yard touchdown and Bills kicker Steve Christie made two field goals to extend the lead 20-6. With 21 seconds left in the first half, the Chiefs reached the Buffalo 5-yard line, but quarterback Joe Montana's pass was intercepted by Bills defensive back Henry Jones. Montana later suffered a concussion during the third play of the third quarter and left the game. Kansas City backup quarterback Dave Krieg then led his team on a 90-yard drive to score on running back Marcus Allen's 1-yard touchdown. However, Buffalo scored 10 unanswered points in the final period, an 18-yard field goal by Christie and a 3-yard touchdown by Thomas, to preserve the victory

  • Scoring
    • BUF - Thomas 12 run (Christie kick) BUF 7-0
    • KC - field goal Lowery 31 BUF 7-3
    • KC - field goal Lowery 31 BUF 7-6
    • BUF - Thomas 3 run (Christie kick) BUF 14-6
    • BUF - field goal Christie 23 BUF 17-6
    • BUF - field goal Christie 25 BUF 20-6
    • KC - Allen 1 run (Lowery kick) BUF 20-13
    • BUF - field goal Christie 18 BUF 23-13
    • BUF - Thomas 3 run (Christie kick) BUF 30-13

[edit] NFC: Dallas Cowboys 38, San Francisco 49ers 21

1 2 3 4 Total
49ers 0 7 7 7 21
Cowboys 7 21 7 3 38

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/3:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), cloudy
  • TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden - This would be CBS' last NFL telecast (due to them losing the NFC package to FOX in December 1993) before resuming coverage in 1998.
  • Referee: Jerry Markbreit
  • Game attendance: 64,902

before the game, Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson famously guaranteed that his team would win the game, and his team did not disappoint. The Cowboys jumped to a 28-7 halftime lead by scoring four touchdowns in their first five possessions. Dallas took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards to score on running back Emmitt Smith's 5-yard touchdown. Early in the second quarter, the 49ers tied the game on quarterback Steve Young's 7-yard touchdown pass to running back Tom Rathman. But then the Cowboys scored 3 unanswered touchdowns before halftime: Running back Daryl Johnston's 4-yard run, Smith's 11-yard reception from quarterback Troy Aikman, and Aikman's 19-yard score to tight end Jay Novacek. In the third quarter, Aikman was knocked out of the game with a concussion, and San Francisco running back Ricky Watters ran for a 4-yard touchdown to cut the lead, 28-14. However, Dallas backup quarterback Bernie Kosar connected with wide receiver Alvin Harper for a 42-yard touchdown. Cowboys kicker Eddie Murray later added a 50-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to clinch the victory.

  • Scoring
    • DAL - Smith 5 run (Murray kick) DAL 7-0
    • SF - Rathman 7 pass from Young (Cofer kick) Tie 7-7
    • DAL - Johnston 4 run (Murray kick) DAL 14-7
    • DAL - Smith 11 pass from Aikman (Murray kick) DAL 21-7
    • DAL - Novacek 19 pass from Aikman (Murray kick) DAL 28-7
    • SF - Watters 4 run (Cofer kick) DAL 28-14
    • DAL - Harper 42 pass from Kosar (Murray kick) DAL 35-14
    • DAL - field goal Murray 50 DAL 38-14
    • SF - Young 1 run (Cofer kick) DAL 38-21

[edit] Super Bowl

Further information: Super Bowl XXVIII

Dallas Cowboys (NFC) 30, Buffalo Bills (AFC) 13, at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

[edit] Bracket

  Wild Card Playoffs Divisional Playoffs Conference Championships Super Bowl XXVIII
                                     
5  Minnesota 10  
4  N.Y. Giants 17  
  4  N.Y Giants 3  
    2  San Francisco 44  
      
        
  2  San Francisco 21  
NFC
  1  Dallas 38  
6  Green Bay 28  
3  Detroit 24  
  6  Green Bay 17
    1  Dallas 27  
      
        
  N1  Dallas 30
  A1  Buffalo 13
6  Pittsburgh 24  
3  Kansas City 27  
  3  Kansas City 28
    2  Houston 20  
      
        
  3  Kansas City 13
AFC
  1  Buffalo 30  
5  Denver 24  
4  L.A. Raiders 42  
  4  L.A. Raiders 23
    1  Buffalo 29  
      

[edit] References

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