1987: Saints Beat Bucs, Qualify for Playoffs for First Time

Prior to the 1987 NFL season, the New Orleans Saints had symbolized pro football futility. Since the franchise first took the field in 1967, the club had not only never qualified for the postseason in its first 20 seasons, but had never finished with a winning record (the Saints had gone 8-8 in 1979 and 1983).

However, the arrival of Jim Mora (pictured at right) as head coach in 1986 marked a significant change in the team’s direction. After a successful stint coaching the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars to two USFL championships, he was hired by the Saints (after a flirtation with the Eagles, who went with the brash Buddy Ryan instead). They had gone 7-9 in ’86, which was an improvement, and one they built upon. Coming into the December 6, 1987 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Saints were 8-3 and close to locking up a playoff spot.

The team’s strength was its defense, in particular the linebacker corps of Vaughan Johnson, Rickey Jackson, Pat Swilling, and Sam Mills (who had played for Mora with the Stars). They were at their best stopping the run and ended up leading the league in takeaways (30 interceptions, 18 recovered fumbles). The offense was conservative and run-oriented, featuring RB Rueben Mayes and QB Bobby Hebert, another former USFL star.

Tampa Bay, under the guidance of Head Coach Ray Perkins, was a dismal 4-7 and had lost four straight games coming into the contest at the Louisiana Superdome (two of the wins came while replacement players were in use during the month-long strike by the players’ union; the New Orleans replacement team also went 2-1). The season was a lost cause, but there was some anticipation as rookie QB Vinny Testaverde, the overall first draft choice and Heisman Trophy winner out of the University of Miami, was making his first start for the Buccaneers.

The game started out well for the Saints, playing before a home crowd of 66,471. On the third play from scrimmage, Testaverde fumbled and DE Bruce Clark recovered at the Tampa Bay 19 yard line. Four plays later, Hebert threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to TE John Tice.

No sooner did the Bucs get the ball back, following a 40-yard kickoff return by DB Bobby Futrell, and Testaverde again fumbled the ball away. Swilling recovered for the Saints at the Tampa Bay 38, and the resulting possession again ended in a Hebert to Tice TD pass, this time from six yards out. Barely six minutes into the game, New Orleans had a 14-0 lead.

Two possessions later, the Buccaneers went 48 yards in seven plays to get on the board. Testaverde completed passes to RB James Wilder and WR Bruce Hill along the way that converted third downs (a 17-yard pass interference call on the Saints also helped) and capped the drive himself by running the final yard for a touchdown. The first quarter ended with the Saints leading by 14-7.

New Orleans responded with a 10-play possession that covered 77 yards and was highlighted by a Hebert pass to WR Mark Pattison that covered 36 yards to the Tampa Bay 29. Mayes swept around end for a seven-yard touchdown and the lead was extended to 21-7.

The Bucs were forced to punt and the star kick returner for the Saints, RB Mel Gray (another USFL refugee), fielded the kick at his 16 and ran it back 80 yards to the Tampa Bay four yard line. In short order, RB Dalton Hilliard ran three yards for a TD that put New Orleans up by 21 points.

The Buccaneers managed to put together a long, 14-play drive that resulted in a 37-yard field goal by Donald Igwebuike and the score at halftime was 28-10.

New Orleans started off the third quarter by driving for a 40-yard field goal by the dependable Morten Andersen, and essentially had the game in hand. The Bucs fought back and Testaverde threw touchdown passes of 37 yards to WR Mark Carrier in the third quarter and 12 yards to Hill in the final period. Igwebuike also kicked a 43-yard field goal and RB Bobby Howard ran for a two-yard touchdown.

But the Saints added points on a two-yard run by Mayes and Andersen field goals of 24 and 32 yards. New Orleans won by a final score of 44-34 and clinched a postseason berth for the first time.

Going to the air often in attempting to catch up, Tampa Bay actually outgained the Saints (449 yards to 365) and had more first downs (27 to 19). However, they turned the ball over four times (to once by New Orleans) and the two early fumbles that led to touchdowns put the Bucs in a hole they were unable to dig out of.

Vinny Testaverde made up for the early miscues by setting a new rookie passing yardage record with 369 while completing 22 of 47 passes with two touchdowns and two interceptions apiece. Mark Carrier set a franchise record with 212 receiving yards on 8 catches, including one TD. The Buccaneers gained 97 yards on the ground, with RB Jeff Smith leading the way at 31 yards on 8 carries and James Wilder following close behind at 30 yards on six attempts.


In winning, Bobby Hebert (pictured at left) completed 16 of 24 passes for 255 yards with two touchdowns and none intercepted. WR Eric Martin gained 101 yards on just two catches thanks to a 67-yard reception, and WR Lonzell Hill caught three passes to lead the club (he gained 27 yards). Dalton Hilliard and Rueben Mayes ground out 117 rushing yards between them, with Hilliard gaining 62 yards on 16 carries, including one TD, and Mayes contributing 55 yards on 21 attempts with two scores.

“You bet we’re a playoff team,” said an exultant Coach Mora afterward. “Our guys are happy, but their attitude is they’re not done yet. They want more.”

The Saints kept winning, ending up with nine straight victories to close out the season with a 12-3 tally. Coming in second in the NFC West to the 49ers, they claimed a wild card spot and hosted Minnesota in the first round of the postseason. Their first playoff game proved to be a great disappointment as the Vikings rolled over them, 44-10. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay kept losing and finished at 4-11, tied with Detroit at the bottom of the NFC Central division.

Bobby Hebert, who had been experiencing difficulty in transferring his USFL success to the NFL, showed marked improvement as he threw for 2119 yards with 15 touchdowns against 9 interceptions. His 12.9 yards per completion ranked fourth in the NFC.

Rueben Mayes was selected for the Pro Bowl for the second time as he ranked second in the NFC (fifth in the league) with 917 yards on 243 carries (3.8 avg.) and five touchdowns. Injuries would steadily erode his production thereafter, and he didn’t start a game after 1990.


Mel Gray’s 80-yard punt return was no anomaly as he led the NFL with a 14.7-yard average on 24 returns. He would go on to be a highly-productive kick returner for the next decade, although his greatest notoriety would come as a member of the Detroit Lions.

In the first of 21 up-and-down seasons, Vinny Testaverde (pictured at right) completed 43 % of his passes for 1081 yards and five TDs along with six interceptions. Fellow rookie Mark Carrier caught 26 passes and accounted for half of his 423 receiving yards in the game against the Saints. He would go on to a productive 12-year career.

1987: Bo Jackson Runs for 221 Yards as Raiders Beat Seahawks

After a Heisman Trophy-winning career at Auburn, RB Bo Jackson followed a different path than usual in proceeding into the pro ranks. He was drafted first overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1986, but opted to sign with major league baseball’s Kansas City Royals instead. After playing minor league baseball and getting a brief call-up by the Royals in ’86, he played for KC in 1987. He also was eligible for the NFL draft again, having never signed with the Bucs, and the Los Angeles Raiders took him in the seventh round.

Unlike the Buccaneers, who insisted on his making a choice between football and baseball, the Raiders offered a unique arrangement in which Jackson could play football once his baseball season was concluded. The 6’1”, 225-pound outfielder/running back agreed, and seven games into the 1987 NFL season, Jackson debuted with the Raiders.

Los Angeles had won its first three games and then lost three by the time Jackson joined the team (due to a players’ strike, three of the contests were played with replacement players – those wearing Raiders uniforms went 1-2). The club had plenty of problems, but it already had an outstanding running back in Marcus Allen. The rookie split time in his first few games, and after four games he had gained 254 yards on 41 carries for a healthy 6.2-yard average gain and two touchdowns. On November 30, 1987, Jackson’s 25th birthday, he broke out in a big way.

The Raiders had continued to lose, although the last two had been by close scores, and were now at seven straight defeats by the time they took on the Seattle Seahawks at the Kingdome in the Week 11 Monday night contest. The Seahawks were 7-3 under Head Coach Chuck Knox and still had a solid core on offense with QB Dave Krieg, WR Steve Largent, and RB Curt Warner behind an aging but effective line. However, the defense was vulnerable against the run, and that would prove to be a significant factor against the Raiders.

Things didn’t start auspiciously for Jackson when he lost a yard on his first carry and then fumbled the ball away on his second. Following the fumble, the Seahawks drove 64 yards on nine plays that concluded with Kreig throwing to WR Daryl Turner for a 19-yard touchdown.

The Raiders came back in short order as QB Marc Wilson completed passes of 21 yards to TE Todd Christensen, 17 yards to WR Dokie Williams, and 46 yards and a TD to WR James Lofton. Jackson didn’t play much of a role in this drive, carrying once for four yards, but after LA took over again near the end of the opening period following a Seattle punt, he took off for a 15-yard gain to start the possession. The Raiders drove to another touchdown early in the second quarter, with Jackson catching a 14-yard pass from Wilson in the corner of the end zone for a 14-7 lead.

On the third play following another punt by the Seahawks, Jackson took a handoff at his own nine yard line and sprinted 91 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown – the longest run in Raiders history. That was it for the rookie in the first half, as Marcus Allen handled the running in the last two series of the half. Los Angeles added two field goals by Chris Bahr, of 23 and 47 yards, to take a stunning 27-7 lead at halftime (Seattle’s Norm Johnson missed a 54-yard attempt on the final play of the half). Bo Jackson had gained 122 yards on seven carries and a score and had the one catch for the 14-yard TD.

The Raiders took the second half kickoff and drove 75 yards in seven plays, highlighted by two Jackson carries – the first, a 42-yard run to the Seattle 22 and then, taking a pitchout at the two yard line, a touchdown in which he ran over the Seahawks’ highly-touted rookie linebacker, Brian Bosworth.

LA scored once more, on a possession that started with safety Vann McElroy intercepting a Krieg pass, as Bahr booted a 23-yard field goal to extend the lead to 37-7. Seattle finally scored again, on a three-yard touchdown pass from Krieg to TE Mike Tice near the end of the third quarter, but the outcome had long been decided. The final score was 37-14 in favor of the Raiders.

The statistics reflected LA’s domination of the Seahawks as the Raiders accumulated 507 total yards to 167 for Seattle. Of the Los Angeles total, 356 came on the ground, and Bo Jackson accounted for 221 yards on 18 carries with two TDs – while his 12.3-yard average gain was impressive enough, he had actually rolled up 202 on his first 11 attempts, before the Raiders turned conservative in the fourth quarter while running out the clock, an 18.4-yard average. The yardage total was a single-game franchise record that was eventually exceeded by Napoleon Kaufman in 1997.

Marcus Allen also carried the ball 18 times, for 76 yards - in addition, he threw a key block from the fullback position that launched Jackson on his 91-yard run. Marc Wilson completed 11 of 18 passes for 159 yards with two TDs and no interceptions. Dokie Williams was the leading receiver with 4 catches for 47 yards (James Lofton’s 46-yard TD reception was his only catch of the night).

The Seahawks were far less successful running the ball, gaining just 37 yards on 16 carries. Curt Warner led the way with 26 yards on 11 attempts. Dave Krieg went to the air 31 times and completed 17 for 170 yards with two touchdowns and two intercepted. WR Paul Skansi caught 4 passes for 54 yards.

“He’s awesome…he’s just awesome,” said veteran Raiders LB Rod Martin of Jackson afterward. “I mean, with the talent he has, I don’t know why he’d be looking for a curveball to hit.”

Bo Jackson would keep making it look easy, and would impress both football and baseball observers with his talent before a devastating hip injury curtailed both careers. In 1987, over the course of seven games he ended up running for 554 yards on just 81 carries for a 6.8-yard average and four touchdowns; Jackson added a career-high 16 catches for 136 yards and two scores.

As for the Raiders, it was a highlight in an otherwise gloomy year. In the 15-game season (the players’ strike resulted in the loss of one week of play), they finished with a 5-10 record, their worst since 1962, for fourth place in the AFC West. Seattle went 9-6 to place second in the division and secure a wild card spot in the postseason. The Seahawks lost to Houston in the first round.

1987: 49ers Defeat Bengals with Montana to Rice TD on Final Play

The San Francisco 49ers were coming off of a bad opening game loss to the Steelers as they took on the Cincinnati Bengals at Riverfront Stadium on September 20, 1987. Star QB Joe Montana (pictured at right) had passed for over 300 yards but was also intercepted three times and the 49ers trailed throughout. The Niners, under Head Coach Bill Walsh, had won at least ten games in five of the previous six seasons and had two Super Bowl victories and it was anticipated that they would contend once more.

The Bengals had won their opening game at Indianapolis. In their fourth season under Head Coach Sam Wyche, they had not won nearly as steadily as the 49ers but were coming off of a 10-6 record in ’86.

It certainly seemed that Cincinnati would keep up the momentum as they scored on their first possession, driving 80 yards in 13 plays capped by a two-yard touchdown run by FB Larry Kinnebrew. The next time they got the ball, the Bengals again put together a sustained scoring drive that ended with a 23-yard field goal by Jim Breech. The 49ers had just two short possessions that ended in punts and Cincinnati led by 10-0 after the opening quarter.

San Francisco finally put together an eight-play, 80-yard drive in the second quarter that resulted in Montana’s 38-yard touchdown pass to WR Mike Wilson. But the Bengals came back as QB Boomer Esiason tossed a 46-yard TD pass to TE Rodney Holman seven plays later. After another punt by the Niners, Breech capped the Cincinnati possession with a field goal, this time from 42 yards, and the Bengals took a 20-7 lead into halftime.

However, the 49ers dominated the third quarter. On their first possession, Montana passed to WR Jerry Rice for a 34-yard touchdown to narrow Cincinnati’s margin to 20-14. Then LB Keena Turner picked off an Esiason pass that led to Ray Wersching kicking a 24-yard field goal. The Bengals went three-and-out when they got the ball back and San Francisco responded with an 11-play drive that resulted in Wersching’s tying field goal from 31 yards.

In the fourth quarter, Cincinnati got a break when S David Fulcher recovered a fumble by Niners TE Ron Heller; four plays later Breech put them back in front with a 41-yard field goal. After the 49ers went three-and-out, the Bengals held onto the ball for ten plays that resulted in Breech’s fourth field goal of the day, this time from 46 yards.

When San Francisco went nowhere in three plays and had to punt with less than a minute remaining, it appeared that Cincinnati’s 26-20 lead was safe. The Bengals ran the clock down to six seconds. With fourth down on their own 30 yard line, Coach Wyche elected to run the ball rather than punt or take a safety, figuring that keeping the ball on the ground would use up the remaining time. RB James Brooks began to run a sweep but was stopped immediately by 49ers DE Kevin Fagan for a five-yard loss.

The play took up just four seconds, giving San Francisco one shot with 0:02 remaining and the ball on the Bengals’ 25 yard line. Montana lobbed the ball into the end zone where Rice leaped high to make the catch for a touchdown. Wersching kicked the extra point and the 49ers came away with a stunning 27-26 win.

Cincinnati outgained San Francisco in total yards (292 to 261) and significantly in rushing yardage (128 to 56), although both teams averaged less then three yards-per-carry.


Joe Montana hit on 21 of 37 passes for 250 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Mike Wilson led the receivers with 7 catches for 104 yards and a score, while Jerry Rice (pictured at left) had four receptions for 86 yards and two TDs. RB Roger Craig was the team’s top rusher with 35 yards on 12 carries.

For the Bengals, Boomer Esiason completed 14 of his 29 passes for 180 yards with a TD and one picked off. James Brooks and WR Cris Collinsworth caught three passes apiece, for 28 and 32 yards respectively, while Rodney Holman had the most receiving yards with 55 on his two catches that included the one long touchdown. Larry Kinnebrew gained 84 yards on 22 carries with a score to lead all runners.

In a season that was affected by a strike and games utilizing replacement players, the 49ers ended up with a 13-2 record to win the NFC West. They were upset by Minnesota in the Divisional round of the playoffs. Cincinnati had a disappointing 4-11 tally to place at the bottom of the AFC Central. These teams would next meet in the Super Bowl following the 1988 season.

Jerry Rice’s game-ending touchdown was just one of many highlights in a season (his third) in which he scored an astounding 22 touchdowns in just 12 games (due to missing the three games with replacement players, plus one that was eliminated altogether, during the strike) while catching 65 passes for 1078 yards. The total of receiving TDs set a new record that lasted 20 years, until 2007 – when New England’s Randy Moss had the advantage of playing in all 16 games to exceed Rice’s total by one. To further put it in perspective, Philadelphia’s Mike Quick was second to Rice in touchdown receptions in ’87 with 11 – exactly half as many.

31-year-old Joe Montana, in his ninth year, led the NFL in passing (102.1 rating), completion percentage (66.8), and touchdown passes (31); he tied with Seattle’s Dave Krieg in percentage of TD passes (7.8). Both he and Rice were consensus first team All-NFL selections.

1988: Redskins Ride 35-Point 2nd Quarter to Defeat Broncos in Super Bowl XXII

The Super Bowl following the strike-shortened 1987 season featured two teams who regularly reached the postseason in the 80s, the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos.

Washington, under Head Coach Joe Gibbs, was in the playoffs for the fifth time since 1982 and had appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one of them. Jay Schroeder had been the starting quarterback for most of the ’87 season, but had slumped and was replaced late in the campaign by veteran Doug Williams (pictured above). Williams, who had had a solid career with Tampa Bay followed by a stint in the USFL, rose to the occasion as the team won the NFC East with an 11-4 record and got past the Bears and Vikings, respectively, in winning the Divisional and conference title rounds. Behind an outstanding offensive line, the running attack utilized a stable of backs led by George Rogers (613 yards in 11 games) and Kelvin Bryant, the favored receiver out of the backfield (43 receptions). WR Gary Clark had an All-Pro season, catching 56 passes for 1066 yards in 12 games.

The AFC champions were the Denver Broncos, under Head Coach Dan Reeves, who were in the playoffs for the fourth time since 1983 and had lost the previous year’s Super Bowl to the Giants. QB John Elway was selected as NFL MVP by the Associated Press after throwing for 3198 yards and lifting the offense with his impressive overall skills. His receiving corps of wide receivers Vance Johnson, Ricky Nattiel, and Mark Jackson, known as “The Three Amigos”, combined for 99 catches and 1750 yards with 11 touchdowns. The rushing attack was led by RB Sammy Winder (741 yards). Denver easily got past Houston in the Divisional playoff and then won the AFC title contest in a 38-33 battle over Cleveland.

The Broncos were considered the favorites for the Super Bowl XXII matchup on January 31, 1988 before 73,302 fans at San Diego’s Jack Murphy Stadium. Denver certainly made it look easy on the team’s first play from scrimmage as Elway went long to Nattiel for a 56-yard touchdown. On the next possession, the Broncos again drove to a score on a drive that featured a gadget play in which RB Steve Sewell faked a run and then threw to Elway for a 23-yard gain. However, after having a first down at the Washington 13 yard line, Denver was forced to settle for a 24-yard Rich Karlis field goal.

Late in the first quarter the Broncos once again drove into Redskins territory. On third-and-10 at the 30 yard line, SS Alvin Walton sacked Elway for an 18-yard loss that took Denver out of field goal range and forced a punt. On the ensuing possession, Williams slipped while dropping back to pass and twisted his knee, forcing him to leave the game for the remainder of the series as Schroeder stepped in.

Williams was back under center when the Redskins got the ball back in the second quarter after Denver again had to punt, and while visibly limping led the offense on an unprecedented tear. The Redskins scored touchdowns on each of the next five possessions prior to halftime, four of them on Williams passes. On Washington's first play of the quarter, Williams hit WR Ricky Sanders for an 80-yard TD. Next, it was Williams hitting Clark for a 27-yard score and 14-10 lead. RB Timmy Smith, a backup during the season who had carried the ball only 29 times for 126 yards and was told just prior to game time that he would be starting, took off on a 58-yard touchdown run to make it 21-10. The fourth score came on another Williams to Sanders pass play, this time covering 50 yards. Finally, just a minute before the end of the half, Williams hit TE Clint Didier with an eight-yard throw and the score at the intermission was an astounding 35-10.

As for the Broncos in the second quarter, they punted twice, missed a field goal, and Elway threw two interceptions under heavy pressure. Washington’s domination had been as complete as the score indicated. The second quarter statistics alone showed Williams completing 9 of 11 passes for 228 yards and four TDs and Smith with 122 yards on just five carries.


The second half was an anticlimax. Williams directed the offense with time-consuming precision and Elway was barraged by a relentless pass rush. Washington scored once more in the fourth quarter on a 68-yard drive that was capped by a four-yard TD run by Smith. The final score was 42-10.

Doug Williams was the game’s MVP as he ended up completing 18 of his 29 passes for a then-Super Bowl record 340 yards with the four TDs and a lone interception. In doing so, he became the first African-American quarterback to lead a team to victory in the Super Bowl – a fact that had been endlessly hyped prior to the game and added an extra layer of pressure that he overcame admirably. Timmy Smith (pictured above left) justified the decision by Coach Gibbs to start him in place of the bigger but slower George Rogers as he set a Super Bowl record with 204 yards on 22 carries with two scores. Ricky Sanders (pictured below) caught 9 passes for 193 yards and two TDs.

For the losing Broncos, John Elway completed just 14 of 38 passes for 257 yards and a touchdown against three interceptions. Mark Jackson and Steve Sewell led the club with four pass receptions apiece, with Jackson accumulating the most yards (76). As it was, “The Three Amigos” accounted for only six receptions. Falling behind so quickly, Denver ran the ball 17 times, for 97 yards, with RB Gene Lang gaining the most yards with 38 on five attempts.

Overall, Washington burned the Broncos for 602 total yards (Denver had 327). The Redskins defense sacked Elway five times in addition to intercepting three of his passes.

The Redskins were unable to follow up on their success, going 7-9 in 1988 and tying for third place in the tough NFC East. Williams suffered from injuries and split time with Mark Rypien at quarterback. Timmy Smith gained just 470 yards and, for all intents and purposes, his career was over (he carried once for Dallas in a 1990 game). Denver also missed the playoffs in ’88, finishing in second place in the AFC West with an 8-8 record, but returned to the Super Bowl following the 1989 season – and lost in humiliating fashion once again, to the 49ers.