2004: Eagles Convert 4th-and-26, Force Overtime, and Beat Packers

The NFC Divisional playoff game on January 11, 2004 was the first to be played at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field as the host Eagles, NFC East champions in 2003 with a 12-4 record, took on the 10-6 Green Bay Packers, who had finished atop the NFC North.

The Eagles, under fifth-year Head Coach Andy Reid (a former Green Bay assistant), had won the division title and made it to the conference title game in each of the previous two seasons, but had struggled early in ’03. They were badly beaten in their first two contests and had a 2-3 record before reeling off nine straight wins. QB Donovan McNabb (pictured below right) suffered from a bruised thumb to start the year and was ineffective through the first six games, but came on strong in the second half along with the rest of the club. The three-headed running attack of Duce Staley, Brian Westbrook (who would be out for the playoffs due to an arm injury suffered in the season finale), and Correll Buckhalter was effective, combining for 1618 yards rushing and 83 pass receptions, although the wide receivers were average, at best. Defensively, star FS Brian Dawkins had missed nine games with a foot injury, but was healthy for the playoffs, while DT Corey Simon and CB Troy Vincent turned in Pro Bowl seasons.

Green Bay was coached for the fourth year by Mike Sherman and, as had been the case since 1992, featured 34-year-old QB Brett Favre, who passed for 3361 yards and a league-leading 32 touchdowns, but also 21 interceptions. WR Donald Driver and Pro Bowl TE Bubba Franks led the receiving corps, while RB Ahman Green ran for an NFC-leading 1883 yards.


It was a cold night in the teens with 67,707 fans in attendance at the new stadium. Neither club was able to generate much offense initially, with the Eagles failing to get a first down on any of their first three possessions. The Packers got a break when McNabb fumbled and LB Nick Barnett recovered. On the next play, Favre threw to WR Robert Ferguson for a 40-yard touchdown.

Eagles WR James Thrash returned the ensuing kickoff 36 yards and McNabb took off on a 41-yard run down to the Green Bay 15 on Philadelphia’s first play. However, the drive stalled and David Akers missed on a 33-yard field goal attempt. The Packers responded with an eight-play, 86-yard drive that included a 26-yard run by Green. Favre again hit Ferguson with a scoring pass, this time of 17 yards, and Green Bay had a 14-0 lead after one quarter of play.

The teams traded punts as the game moved into the second quarter. McNabb hit on five passes in a six-play drive that covered 77 yards and included a 45-yard completion to WR Todd Pinkston that in turn set up a seven-yard TD pass to Staley.

Green Bay came back with a drive deep into Eagles territory, but after getting a first-and-goal at the four yard line, the defense held and, when Green was stopped for no gain on a fourth down play at the one, Philadelphia regained possession. The first half ended with the Packers leading by 14-7.

Both offenses bogged down again in the third quarter, but as the period was winding down the Eagles, starting at their 11 yard line, began to drive. McNabb was successful on passes of 23 yards to TE L.J. Smith, 10 yards to Pinkston, and 15 to Staley. The fifth-year quarterback had started the drive with a 13-yard carry and he ran again, for 24 yards down to the Green Bay 36, as the period came to an end. On the first play of the fourth quarter, McNabb, barely scrambling out of trouble, threw to Pinkston for a 12-yard touchdown and, with the successful PAT by Akers, the game was tied at 14-14.

The teams traded punts before Favre completed a pass to WR Javon Walker for a 44-yard gain to the Philadelphia seven. The Packers had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell, but had regained the lead at 17-14. The Eagles punted again following their next possession, and Green Bay put together a drive that burned over six minutes off the clock. But with fourth-and-one at the Philadelphia 41, Coach Sherman elected to punt rather than risk another failure to convert a fourth down.

Following Josh Bidwell’s kick, the Eagles got the ball on their own 20 with 2:21 remaining in regulation. Staley took off on a 22-yard run, but then McNabb threw an incomplete pass, was sacked for a 16-yard loss, and tossed another incompletion. With the ball on the Philadelphia 26 and facing a fourth-and-26 situation, it appeared that the Eagles’ season was practically over. However, McNabb completed a pass to WR Freddie Mitchell, in the midst of two defenders, for a 28-yard gain and an improbable first down (pictured at top).

The Eagles continued their drive to the Green Bay 19, and with five seconds remaining Akers booted a 37-yard field goal to tie the contest at 17-17 and send it into overtime.

Philadelphia received the kickoff in the sudden death period and went three-and-out. But Favre threw a long, high pass that was intercepted by Dawkins and returned 35 yards to the Green Bay 34. Six plays later, Akers kicked a 31-yard field goal and the Eagles came away with a 20-17 win.

For the most part, the team statistics reflected the closeness of the outcome. The Packers had the most yards (381 to 363) while Philadelphia had the edge in first downs (19 to 16). Both teams turned the ball over once. But the Packers sacked McNabb eight times, while the Eagles got to Favre only once.

Despite the punishing pass rush, Donovan McNabb completed 21 of 39 passes for 248 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and also ran for 107 yards on 11 carries, a NFL playoff-record rushing performance for a quarterback. Todd Pinkston caught 7 passes for 95 yards and a TD. Duce Staley led the running backs with 45 yards on five attempts and also caught three passes for 26 yards and a score.


Brett Favre was successful on 15 of 28 passes for 180 yards and two TDs against the one big interception. Ahman Green (pictured at left) ran for 156 yards on 25 carries, although the yard he failed to get on the fourth down play at the goal line in the second quarter had a profound effect on the outcome. Robert Ferguson led Green Bay’s receivers with 4 catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns.

“I tried to beat my man across from me and just go deep, and I went deep,” Mitchell said of the fourth-and-26 pass play. “I didn't see the guy on top of me but Donovan read that and threw a back shoulder to me and I saw it in the air and I made a play.”

“That shouldn't have happened,” Green Bay DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila said. “But it did.”

The dramatic win didn’t translate into success the following week for the Eagles, however, as they lost their third consecutive NFC Championship game, this time to the Carolina Panthers.

For Freddie Mitchell, the big catch against the Packers was the highlight of an otherwise-disappointing career in Philadelphia. The Eagles’ first round draft pick in 2001 out of UCLA, he ended up with a total of 90 receptions for 1263 yards and five touchdowns, and was released following the 2004 season, effectively ending his NFL career. But for one play, he reached the heights that had been expected of him.

2003: Ravens Overcome 17-Point Deficit to Force OT & Beat Seahawks

The Baltimore Ravens were 5-5 and had lost their previous two games as they prepared to host the Seattle Seahawks at M & T Bank Stadium on November 23, 2003. Moreover, while Head Coach Brian Billick’s rebuilding team still had an outstanding defense, the offense was being directed for just the second time by QB Anthony Wright (pictured at right), in place of the injured Kyle Boller. Wright had been with the Cowboys for two seasons and had already gained a reputation as a career backup, at best, with limited skills. While RB Jamal Lewis was a capable runner, the passing game was suspect.

Seattle was leading the NFC West with a 7-3 record under Head Coach Mike Holmgren, who was steadily improving the club. The offense, with Matt Hasselbeck in his first full season as the starting quarterback and star RB Shaun Alexander, was becoming more explosive. But while they were a perfect 6-0 at home, the Seahawks were a disconcerting 1-3 on the road.

It appeared that the game would be a low-scoring affair after a scoreless first quarter. Josh Brown put Seattle on the board first with a 45-yard field goal three minutes into the second quarter, and the Ravens matched it late in the period with a 21-yard Matt Stover kick. But in the final minute of the half, the Seahawks scored twice. First, they capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive with Hasselbeck tossing a two-yard touchdown pass to WR Darrell Jackson. Then, as the Ravens were attempting to run out the clock, the Seahawks recovered a fumble by RB Chester Taylor at the Baltimore 10 yard line and Hasselbeck threw a quick 10-yard TD pass to WR Bobby Engram with a second left on the clock. In short order, Seattle had built a 17-3 halftime lead.

The Ravens came right back in their first possession of the third quarter, with a six-play drive highlighted by pass from Wright to WR Travis Taylor that covered 43 yards. Wright then tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to WR Marcus Robinson that cut Seattle’s margin to 17-10.

The reduced margin didn’t last long as, on the third play of the next possession, Hasselbeck connected with WR Koren Robinson for a 38-yard touchdown. Seattle added to its lead following a 24-yard punt by Baltimore’s Dave Zastudil that provided good field position and set up a 46-yard field goal by Brown to make the tally 27-10.

Once again the Ravens narrowed the margin as Wright completed a five-play drive with a 50-yard TD pass to Marcus Robinson. And once again the Seahawks came right back with a score as Hasselbeck immediately completed an 80-yard touchdown pass to Jackson. There was still time left in the eventful third quarter, and Wright found Marcus Robinson for a third touchdown pass that covered 25 yards. The period ended with Seattle up by 10 at 34-24.

Early in the fourth quarter, it seemed as though the Seahawks had finally put the game away when Hasselbeck tossed his fifth touchdown pass, of five yards to Engram, for a renewed 17-point lead of 41-24. But with 6:41 remaining on the clock, Baltimore safety Ed Reed blocked a Jeff Feagles punt and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown. The Ravens got the ball back when LB Ray Lewis recovered a fumble at his own 29 and Wright led the team on a 71-yard drive through a soft Seattle defense that ended with a nine-yard scoring pass to Marcus Robinson.

The Seahawks still led by 41-38 with 1:12 remaining, and it appeared that they would prevail when they recovered an attempted onside kickoff by the Ravens. But in a pivotal play at the Baltimore 33 with 39 seconds left, Hasselbeck’s quarterback sneak was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-one, and the Ravens got the ball back. A 44-yard pass interference penalty on Seattle CB Marcus Trufant set up the game-tying 40-yard field goal by Stover, and the teams headed into overtime.

The Seahawks had the initial possession in the extra period but were forced to punt. The Ravens responded with a 55-yard drive, with the key play being a 19-yard pass from Wright to Marcus Robinson in a third-and-15 situation. Stover booted a 42-yard field goal, and Baltimore came away with an improbable 44-41 win.

Reflecting the closeness of the final score, each team gained 426 yards of total offense. The Ravens had the edge in rushing yards (150 to 133) while Seattle had the most net passing yards (293 to 276). Both teams sacked the opposing quarterback six times apiece. The Seahawks gave up three turnovers, as opposed to two by Baltimore, while the Ravens were penalized 14 times for 112 yards, compared to Seattle being flagged six times for 89 yards.

Anthony Wright had a career game, completing 20 of 37 passes for 319 yards with four touchdowns – all to Marcus Robinson – and none intercepted. Robinson, for his part, caught 7 passes for 131 yards and the four TDs. Jamal Lewis gained 117 rushing yards on 26 carries.


In defeat, Matt Hasselbeck (pictured at left) was successful on 23 of 41 passes for 333 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. Darrell Jackson was the top receiver with 7 catches for 146 yards and two of the TDs. Shaun Alexander ran for 72 yards on 22 attempts.

Said Wright afterward, “It was looking very, very dim. But we just let it all hang out. Everything came together. It's unbelievable, for us to be down as much as were and to come back.” He was then off to the hospital where his wife was expecting delivery of a baby girl.

“We let them back in the football game,” said a disappointed Mike Holmgren. “It was just a bizarre, bizarre ending.”

Referring to the failed quarterback sneak that could have sealed the game in regulation, Matt Hasselbeck said, “We just needed one more play. One more play and we could have won the game. We should have won the game, and we just didn't make it.”

The Ravens built upon the stunning comeback victory to win five of their last six games and finish first in the AFC North with a 10-6 record. They lost to Tennessee in the Wild Card playoff game. The loss to Baltimore knocked Seattle out of first place, but the Seahawks also completed the regular season at 10-6 to end up second in the NFC West. Qualifying for the postseason as a wild card, they too lost in the first round, in overtime to the Green Bay Packers, Holmgren’s previous coaching stop.

Anthony Wright’s performance was easily the greatest of his career. He ended up throwing for 1199 yards with 9 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in ’03, and was 5-2 as the starting quarterback. He never again came close to passing for 300 yards in a game, or tossing more than two TD passes in a contest, and missed the 2004 season altogether due to injury.

Jamal Lewis topped the NFL with 2066 yards rushing on 387 carries (5.3 avg.) with 14 touchdowns and remained the key player on offense.

Marcus Robinson’s four touchdown receptions represented two thirds of his total output of six for the year. He caught 31 passes for 451 yards (14.5 avg.) all told.

Matt Hasselbeck, who had a big passing day in defeat, ranked fourth in the NFL in passing yards (3841) and tied for third in TD passes (26). His 7.5 yards per attempt ranked fourth (tied with Peyton Manning of the Colts) and 12.3 yards per completion placed second. He was selected for the Pro Bowl.

2003: Fred Taylor Runs for 152 Yards as Jaguars Upset Colts

The Jacksonville Jaguars were a dreadful 1-7 as they hosted the 7-1 Indianapolis Colts at ALLTEL Stadium on November 9, 2003. Jacksonville was coming off of three straight losing seasons and was struggling under first-year Head Coach Jack Del Rio. Veteran QB Mark Brunell, anticipated to be on his way out after eight seasons with the club, was injured and had been replaced by rookie first-round draft pick Byron Leftwich, who was experiencing typical growing pains. Moreover, the Jaguars had never beaten the Colts in five meetings (they had only just become members of the same division as a result of the NFL’s realignment the previous year).

It hardly seemed likely that the Jaguars would have better luck this time against Head Coach Tony Dungy’s Colts. With significant playmakers on offense that included QB Peyton Manning, WR Marvin Harrison, and RB Edgerrin James and a tough defense anchored by DE Dwight Freeney, the Colts were playing like a championship contender and had pulled out some impressive wins along the way.

Jaguars RB Fred Taylor (pictured above) set the tone in the lead-up to the game as he complained about excessively rough play by Colts rookie SS Mike Doss in the previous meeting of the two teams earlier in the season and said, “I'm going to punish him. If he hits me, fine, but if I catch him, believe me, I'm going to get the better shot.” The veteran running back, one of the key players on the offense, was both healthy and motivated, and ultimately, the team gained a lift as a result.

It was Indianapolis getting on the board first, though, as Manning connected with Harrison for a 30-yard touchdown. Jacksonville responded with a seven-play, 43-yard drive later in the first quarter that ended with Taylor running for a five-yard touchdown. But the second quarter was all Colts as Mike Vanderjagt kicked field goals of 27 and 26 yards and TE Marcus Pollard scored a touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Manning just before the end of the half. Indianapolis had a seemingly-secure 20-7 lead at the intermission. However, they had lost Harrison for the remainder of the game due to a strained hamstring.

The Jaguars, who had been held to 85 total yards in the first half, opened the third quarter with an 80-yard drive in 13 plays that resulted in Leftwich running for a four-yard touchdown. Then, early in the fourth quarter, Leftwich completed a 28-yard pass to TE George Wrighster that bounced off of at least three Colts defenders before the tight end pulled it in. Leftwich followed up with a 43-yard touchdown pass to veteran WR Jimmy Smith, and with the successful extra point, Jacksonville was in the lead at 21-20.

The Colts came right back as Manning completed a pass to Pollard for a 70-yard gain to the Jaguars’ nine yard line, but an apparent touchdown throw to WR Troy Walters was nullified because Walters had stepped out of bounds prior to making the catch. The Colts settled for a 27-yard field goal by Vanderjagt to retake the lead, 23-21, with 5:16 left on the clock.

Jacksonville responded by driving to the Indianapolis 11, but an attempted field goal was botched when holder Mark Royals couldn’t handle the snap and, tossing a desperation pass, was intercepted by LB David Thornton.

There were just over two minutes remaining, but the Colts were unable to gain a first down that would have allowed them to run out the clock and had to punt. The short kick was returned 27 yards by Jacksonville RB David Allen to the Indianapolis 31. Two plays later, and after losing a yard, Taylor broke three tackles (including one by Doss) and ran 32 yards for a touchdown.

The Jaguars had a five-point lead, but the Colts still had one last opportunity with a timeout remaining. However, with 11 seconds left safety Deke Cooper picked off a Manning pass to seal the stunning 28-23 win for the Jaguars.

Jacksonville dominated the second half, gaining 268 of 353 total yards and successfully converting seven of eight third down situations. The Colts outgained the Jaguars overall with 394 yards, but the fact that the yardage total ended up being so close and that the clubs were even with 20 first downs apiece testified to Jacksonville’s strong second half surge after being dominated for the first two quarters.


Fred Taylor had his best game of the season, gaining 152 yards on 28 carries with two touchdowns; he also caught two passes for another 32 yards. Byron Leftwich (pictured at left) had his strongest performance to date, completing 12 of 22 passes for 179 yards with a TD and none intercepted. Jimmy Smith led the receivers with four catches for 87 yards and a score.

For the Colts, Peyton Manning was successful on 28 of 45 passes for 347 yards with two touchdowns, but also two interceptions. Edgerrin James led the rushers with just 44 yards on 15 carries – he went largely unused during much of the second half and was replaced by Ricky Williams, considered the better receiver out of the backfield, although he was co-leader for the Colts with six pass receptions (for 26 yards). WR Reggie Wayne also caught six passes, for 46 yards, while Marcus Pollard gained 92 yards and scored a TD on his three receptions.

A frustrated James complained in the locker room afterward, “Maybe I'm not good enough, but I don't make those decisions. I don't know why we had so many screens called. That's not my call. I just do my job.” However, all was well the next week as he ran for 127 yards, Manning passed for 401, and the Colts defeated the Jets. Indianapolis ended the regular season atop the AFC South with a 12-4 record and won two playoff games before succumbing to New England in the AFC Championship game.

A happy Fred Taylor said afterward, “I probably should have just taken the silent approach, but sometimes things happen, so I just put it out there, and my teammates backed me up.” The Jaguars crashed back to earth at Tennessee the next week in a 10-3 loss, but won three more games the rest of the way to finish at 5-11, the same as the Texans, at the bottom of the division.

Taylor ranked sixth in the NFL with a career-high 1572 yards on 345 carries (4.6 avg.) with six touchdowns. In 11 seasons with Jacksonville, he gained 11,271 yards on the ground.

While his career with the Jaguars was ultimately disappointing, Byron Leftwich had a decent rookie season in which he completed 57.2 % of his passes and averaged a healthy 11.8 yards on 239 completions. He threw 14 touchdown passes, against 16 interceptions.

2003: Punchless Eagles Beat Giants on Stunning Punt Return by Westbrook

The Philadelphia Eagles had been to the NFC Championship game in 2001 and ‘02, but Head Coach Andy Reid’s team was off to a slow start in 2003. They were embarrassed 17-0 by the reigning champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in the opening game that was also their regular season debut at the new Lincoln Financial Field, and then lost badly to the Patriots the following week. QB Donovan McNabb had been struggling through the first five games due to a bruised right thumb and lingered at the bottom of the passing rankings. The team’s record stood at 2-3 as they traveled to Giants Stadium to take on the division rival New York Giants on October 19.

The Giants were also underachieving at 2-3 under Head Coach Jim Fassel. The club had scored a total of 16 points in the prior two games as QB Kerry Collins tossed seven interceptions and no touchdown passes.

Philadelphia got the early advantage in its second possession of the game, driving 89 yards in 11 plays and highlighted by McNabb throwing to TE L.J. Smith for a 25-yard gain. RB Brian Westbrook ran around end for the last six yards and a touchdown that gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

Neither team was able to move the ball effectively for the remainder of the half. A promising second quarter drive by the Giants ended with TE Jeremy Shockey fumbling the ball away at the Philadelphia 19 yard line after a nine-yard gain on a pass from Collins. However, three plays later McNabb was intercepted by CB Will Allen and the Giants had the ball at the Eagles’ 29 with 1:23 remaining in the half. Brett Conway kicked a 39-yard field goal to make the score 7-3 at the intermission.

New York went ahead 10-7 in the third quarter after a 12-play drive that went 62 yards and produced a one-yard TD pass from Collins to Shockey. It looked like that would be enough as the game moved through the fourth quarter and the Eagles offense remained stymied, ending five consecutive possessions with punts – all but one of them had been three-and-out.

Midway through the fourth quarter it appeared that the Giants would score again, but on a third-and-five play at the Philadelphia 10 yard line Collins fumbled after being hit by LB Mark Simoneau and DT Corey Simon recovered for the Eagles to end the threat.

With Philadelphia out of time outs and 1:34 remaining on the clock, the Giants entrusted their defense to finish the job and Jeff Feagles punted. Westbrook fielded the short, wobbly kick on the bounce and quickly blew through the wall of defenders. Running past the Giants’ bench, he flew past Feagles and then just stayed inbounds as he eluded one last tackler, TE Marcellus Rivers, before completing the 84-yard touchdown return (pictured at top).

78,883 fans sat in stunned silence as the play was reviewed by the officials, who ascertained that Westbrook had indeed not stepped out of bounds.

New York still had one last chance and, following the ensuing kickoff, Collins tossed a pass to WR Amani Toomer for a 20-yard gain to the Philadelphia 44 yard line with 1:12 now left to play. But four more passes netted just one more completion for six yards, and the last one on fourth-and-four was broken up by CB Bobby Taylor. The Eagles came away with a shocking 14-10 win.

The stunning nature of the victory was all the more evidenced by the statistics. The Eagles had gained just 134 total yards, to 339 for the Giants. A net of just 47 of those yards had come through the air (McNabb was sacked three times for a loss of 17 yards) while they had gained 87 yards on the ground. Philadelphia accumulated 9 first downs, while the Giants had 25.

Donovan McNabb completed only 9 of 23 passes for 64 yards with an interception. L.J. Smith’s one catch had made him the team’s receiving yardage leader with 25. Brian Westbrook led the team in rushing with 67 yards on 15 carries, caught three passes for another 11, and returned three kickoffs for 61 yards and the punt for 84 – the combined total came to 223 yards and included both of the team’s touchdowns.

In defeat, Kerry Collins was successful on 22 of 36 passes for 174 yards with one TD and none intercepted. RB Tiki Barber gained 79 yards on 19 carries and RB Dorsey Levens, playing in his first game for the Giants, contributed another 64 yards on 16 attempts. Barber and Jeremy Shockey each caught five passes (for 34 and 23 yards, respectively) while Amani Toomer was the receiving yardage leader with 54 yards on four catches.

For the Eagles, the dramatic result proved to be the turning point of the season as they proceeded to win nine straight and finished once again at the top of the NFC East with a 12-4 record. They made it to a third straight conference title game, but lost to Carolina. New York won its next two contests, but then lost the remaining eight to close out at 4-12 and at the bottom of the division. In the housecleaning that followed, both Coach Fassel and Collins were sent packing.

Donovan McNabb’s return to full health was a significant factor in Philadelphia’s second-half surge. He ended up passing for 3216 yards with 16 TDs and 11 interceptions and was named to his fourth of an eventual five straight Pro Bowls (six overall with the Eagles).


In his second season out of Villanova, Brian Westbrook (pictured at left) emerged as a major all-purpose talent. He returned a second punt for a touchdown during the season and ranked first in the NFC with a 15.3 average on 20 returns. Overall, he gained 1738 all-purpose yards with 613 rushing on 117 carries, 332 on 37 pass receptions, 487 on 23 kickoff returns, and 306 returning punts. While he would be used far less on punt returns in future seasons (and not at all on kickoff returns), his yards from rushing and pass receiving rose greatly.

2003: Colts Rally From 21 Points Down in 4th Quarter to Beat Bucs in OT

The defending NFL champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers had started out the 2003 season at 2-1 and were coming off of the bye week as they faced the Indianapolis Colts in a Monday Night Football matchup on October 6. Under Head Coach Jon Gruden, the Bucs had finally made it to the Super Bowl after reaching the postseason in four of the previous five seasons, falling short each time.

The head coach who had built the Buccaneers into a contender after years of futility was Tony Dungy, fired after the 2001 season for his playoff failures and now returning to Tampa for the first time as coach of the Colts. Indianapolis had reached the postseason with a 10-6 record in 2002 and was undefeated after four games in ’03. However, they would be without the services of star RB Edgerrin James for a second week due to a back injury.

Dungy received a polite reception from the 65,647 fans at Raymond James Stadium. For most of the game, it appeared that the former coach’s homecoming would not be a pleasant one.

Tampa Bay scored on its second possession when QB Brad Johnson connected with WR Keenan McCardell on a 74-yard touchdown pass play. Then, later in the first quarter, the Bucs got a huge break. After a badly thrown pass by Johnson was intercepted by safety Mike Doss, Doss returned it 16 yards but fumbled; McCardell picked up the loose ball and ran 57 yards for a TD and 14-0 lead.

It was 21-0 in favor of Tampa Bay at halftime as WR Reggie Barlow scored on a three-yard pass from Johnson. The Buccaneer defense had been the team’s strength, and with the Colts offense stifled and the Bucs up by three touchdowns, there was plenty of reason for the home fans to feel optimistic.

Early in the third quarter, the Colts finally got on the board as QB Peyton Manning (pictured above) hit WR Marvin Harrison on a touchdown pass play that covered 37 yards. However, the Buccaneers methodically drove 85 yards in 12 plays that culminated in a 15-yard Johnson-to-McCardell touchdown pass and Tampa Bay again had a three touchdown lead at 28-7 after three quarters.

Indianapolis scored again early in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run by RB Ricky Williams to cap an eight-play possession. The Bucs were then forced to punt, but it seemed as though any hopes for a comeback by the Colts were snuffed out when CB Rhonde Barber intercepted a pass by Manning and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown. With 5:09 remaining on the clock, the 35-14 lead appeared impregnable.

However, WR Brad Pyatt returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards to set up a three-yard touchdown run by RB James Mungro. Now with the time remaining down to 3:37, DB Idrees Bashir recovered an onside kick and, six plays later on a fourth-and-six play, Manning tossed a 28-yard TD pass to Harrison.

The Tampa Bay margin had now been cut to 35-28 with 2:29 to play and the Colts again attempted an onside kick. This one was recovered by RB Aaron Stecker of the Buccaneers, but the Colts defense forced the Bucs to punt and took over on their 15 yard line with 1:41 now left on the clock.

A Manning completion had yardage tacked on after the quarterback was roughed by Tampa Bay DT Warren Sapp. From the Indianapolis 42, Manning connected with Harrison on a 52-yard pass play down to the Buccaneer six yard line. Shortly thereafter Williams scored on a one-yard run and, with 35 seconds remaining in regulation, the score was tied at 35-35.

The Buccaneers tried to score in the time remaining, but Martin Gramatica’s 62-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the fourth quarter failed when it was tipped at the line of scrimmage.

The Bucs had the first possession in overtime but had to punt. Taking over on their own 13, the Colts moved downfield with Manning connecting on third down passes of eight yards to Harrison, 16 yards to WR Reggie Wayne, and 9 yards to WR Troy Walters. With less than four minutes remaining in OT, it appeared that the Buccaneers had avoided defeat when Mike Vanderjagt’s 39-yard field goal attempt missed wide to the right. However, Tampa Bay DE Simeon Rice was penalized for leaping onto a teammate to attempt to block the kick and, with a second chance from 29 yards, Vanderjagt was successful and the Colts had capped their astounding comeback with a 38-35 win.

No team in NFL history had ever come from three touchdowns behind so late in the game to come out on top.

Peyton Manning completed 34 of 47 passes for 386 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Marvin Harrison caught 11 passes for 176 yards and two TDs. The Colts, without Edgerrin James, only ran for 74 yards and Ricky Williams was the leading ground gainer with 56 yards on 13 carries with two scores.


For Tampa Bay, Brad Johnson was successful on 26 of 39 passes for 318 yards with three touchdowns and one picked off. While TE Ken Dilger caught 6 passes for 63 yards, Keenan McCardell (pictured at left) was the most productive receiver with 106 yards on four receptions and two touchdowns. RB Michael Pittman gained 106 yards rushing on 16 carries.

Afterward, Coach Gruden said “A lot of those plays, I tip my hat to Manning. He made some miraculous throws, and they made some incredible catches.”

Indianapolis was knocked from the ranks of the undefeated the next week by Carolina but still went on to win the AFC South with a 12-4 record. The Colts made it to the AFC Championship game before losing to the New England Patriots. The Buccaneers, however, moved in a different direction. While they recovered to win at Washington in their next game, they ended up going 4-7 therafter for a disappointing 7-9 tally that placed them third in the NFC South and well out of playoff contention.

Peyton Manning led the NFL in pass completions (379), yards (4267), and completion percentage (67.0) and ranked second in passing (99.0 rating), pass attempts (566), and TD passes (29). He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time and was a consensus first-team All Pro selection for the first time in his illustrious career and also received MVP honors (Associated Press, NEA, Bert Bell Trophy).

Marvin Harrison (pictured below), at age 31 and after four consecutive 100-catch seasons, dropped off to 94 receptions for 1272 yards with 10 touchdowns – still respectable numbers for sure. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the fifth consecutive year, of an eventual eight straight.

Keenan McCardell remained a bright spot for Tampa Bay, putting together a Pro Bowl season at age 33 with 84 catches for 1174 yards (14.0 avg.) with eight TDs.