Author Archives: bboyd31573

About bboyd31573

I'm a resident of Mission, SD, which is in the south-central part of the state along the Nebraska border. I am a literature teacher at my hometown high school. I just retired from 25 years a very successful coaching career - basketball and football. I have two children. My daughter is a physical therapist living in Phoenix, AZ, and my son recently graduated from Notre Dame and is working in Wisconsin in the political arena. I am an owner of the Green Bay Packers, and I am a huge LA Lakers fan. I have a beautiful husky dog named Oakley. I have been playing APBA football since I was 13 and my first set was the 1985 NFL season.

1997 Game 149 (Week 11) Baltimore at Pittsburgh

Posted on by
Reply

Ravens shock the Steelers on Sunday Night Football

Not too many experts gave the Baltimore Ravens a shot at beating the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday night at Three Rivers Stadium. The Ravens have dropped four straight games, and the Steelers were angry after getting pummeled last Monday Night at Kansas City. Many experts thought the Steelers would take their frustrations out on the Ravens, but that’s not what happened. The Ravens shocked the football world and beat the Steelers 13-6.

The Ravens got some power running on offense and their defense bent but didn’t break. The Ravens racked up 131 yards on the ground and controlled the ball; however, the Steelers moved the ball but went 0-5 in scoring TDs in the Red Zone and that was the difference in the game.

The Ravens’ defense did give up some big plays to the Steelers in the pass game, however, they held the Steelers to just 29 yards on the ground. The Ravens stuffed Steelers’ running back Jerome Bettis as he carried the ball 14 times but netted only 18 yards of rushing.

The Ravens finally got their ground game going with the two-headed monster of RBs Bam Morris and Earnest Byner. Morris rushed for 63 yards and the lone TD in the game, while Byner chipped in 52 yards on 14 carries.

Ravens’ QB Vinny Testaverde didn’t have a great game, but he managed to not turn the ball over and that was huge. Testaverde threw for just 160 yards and completed just 44% of his 32 attempts.

As for Kordell Stewart, he continued to impress with his abilities. He threw for 310 yards on 22 of 32 passing; however, he did make a huge mistake midway through the fourth quarter. He thew an interception in the endzone to thwart another Steeler drive.

The Ravens’ defense had a goal line stand, an interception in the end zone and held the Steelers to 2 out of 3 field goals in the Red Zone. That was the key to victory.

On a side note, WR Yancy Thigpen continues to have a career-year. He caught 8 passes for 137 yards in this game. On the season, Thigpen has 70 receptions for 1,361 yards and 9 TDs in just 10 games this year.

The Steelers are now 7-3 on the season but they have lost 3 of their last four games. Next week, they have a humongous showdown for control of the AFC Central as they host the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are just one game out first place with a 6-4 record and they beat the Steelers, 26-11, three weeks ago. The winner will take control of the division.

As for the Ravens, they have a favorable schedule down the stretch of the season and might have a chance to climb into the Wildcard hunt in the AFC. They are 4-6 now and they host two NFC East opponents in the next two weeks in Philadelphia and Arizona.

1997 Game 149 Stats

1997 Game 148 (Week 11) Seattle at San Diego

Posted on by
Reply

Moon leads Seahawks past the Bolts

Warren Moon has been brought to the Seattle to take the Seahawks to the playoffs. He took a huge step towards accomplishing that goal with a huge comeback against the San Diego Chargers Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

Moon and the Hawks fell behind late in the 4th quarter when Chargers’ RB Gary Brown plunged into the end zone to give the Chargers a 21-17 lead. Then RB Aaron Craver ran in the 2-pt. conversion to take a 23-17 lead.

The Seahawks took over and Moon, who had been struggling in the second half, got hot. He completed three passes and took the Seahawks down to the Chargers’ 36-yard line. Just before the 2-minute warning, Moon slung a ball deep in the end zone and WR Joey Galloway came down with it for a touchdown! Greg Davis booted the extra point, and the Seahawks took the lead 24-23. The Seahawks’ defense shut down the Chargers and the Seahawks won their sixth game of the season.

Moon completed 21 of 31 passes for 237 yards and the game-winning TD. Galloway caught six passes for 99 yards and the TD.

Chargers’ backup QB Craig Whelihan filled in Stan Humphries and did pretty well. He completed 19 of 38 passes for 266 yards, but he did throw 2 costly interceptions; both to Darryl Williams, who now has eight picks on the season to lead the NFL.

The Seahawks are in the middle of the AFC Wildcard race at 6-4. Next week, they will travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints in the Superdome. Both teams are fighting for Wildcard positions in their conference.

The Chargers will continue their disappointing season at 1-9 when they host Oakland on Sunday Night Football next week.

1997 Game 148 Stats

1997 Game 147 (Week 11) NY Giants at Tennessee

Posted on by
Reply

Giants run over the Oilers

The New York Giants used their running game to overpower the Tennessee Oilers, 20-12, Sunday at the Liberty Bowl.

With rookie RB Tiki Barber back in the lineup from injury, the Giants used a three-headed monster to rush 43 times for 184 yards in the victory. Barber rushed 11 times for 41 yards and a TD. Tyrone Wheatley led the Giants in rushing, though, as he carried the ball 14 times for 79 yards and a TD. Charlie Way carried the ball 11 times for 59 yards.

The running game was used to compensate for the poor performance from backup QB Danny Kannell, who threw for only 111 yards on 7 of 19 passing. Kannell also threw 2 interceptions on the day.

As for the Oilers, they rushed for 147 yards but could not get into the endzone. They reached the Red Zone four times and came away with only three field goals. QB Steve McNair threw an interception on the other opportunity in the Red Zone. K Al Del Greco did all the scoring for the Oilers with 4 made field goals.

McNair struggled on the day. He was 15 of 37 passing with 201 yards and 3 costly interceptions. McNair did scramble for 60 yards. Eddie George rushed for 70 yards on 15 carries.

The Giants got a huge play on the second offensive play of the game. OLB Jesse Armstead picked off McNair and raced 27 yards for an interception return for a touchdown. K Brad Daluiso missed the extra point, but the Giants led 6-0 45-seconds into the game.

The Giants will host Arizona next week in an NFC East matchup. The Giants defeated the Cardinals 27-14 earlier in the season. The Giants are just one game behind the Redskins for the NFC East lead and they will face them in two weeks on Sunday Night Football at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium.

The Oilers are now 4-6 and still in the hunt in the AFC playoff race. Next week, they will travel to Jacksonville to take on the struggling Jaguars.

1997 Game 147 Stats

1997 Game 146 (Week 11) New Orleans at Oakland

Posted on by
Reply

George bombs Raiders to victory

Oakland Raiders’ QB Jeff George is having a career-year despite the Raiders’ struggles as a team. They are now 2-8 with their victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, 33-13, but they have had an All-Pro season from George. He continues to put up unbelievable numbers in the passing game.

On Sunday, it was George’s big play ability that propelled the Raiders to victory. George threw two dynamic TD passes. One was an 80-yard bomb to WR James Jett, and the other was a 57-yarder to RB Napolean Kaufman. In the game, George threw for 258 yards on just 15 of 26 passing with the 2 TDs.

On the season, George is the leading passer in the AFC. He has completed 56.6% of his passes for 2,727 yards and 21 TD passes. The amazing part of his performance is that he has only thrown one interception all season. He has a 103 passing rating and that is second to only Steve Young in the entire NFL.

The Raiders also got a huge performance from RB Kaufman on the ground. Once the Raiders got the lead, Kaufman went to work. He rushed 28 times for 153 yards on the day.

As for the Saints, they have been one of the most surprising teams of the 1997 season. Most experts picked the Saints to finish at the bottom of the NFC West and no one thought they would be contending for the division title let alone a Wildcard position. However, despite their surprising start, the Saints fell back to Earth on Sunday.

QB Heath Shuler threw for 228 yards in the game, but he threw another interception. That gives Shuler 18 INTs on the season. The Saints’ defense has been the strength of the team, but they gave up 409 yards to the Raiders with 164 of it coming on the ground.

Next week, the Saints (6-3) will take on another surprising team in the Superdome…the Seattle Seahawks. As for the 2-8 Raiders, they will play on Sunday Night Football next week against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

1997 Game 146 Stats

1997 Game 145 (Week 11) New England at Buffalo

Posted on by
Reply

Patriots hold off the Bills

The New England Patriots had a 27-13 lead midway through the 4th quarter on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills at Rich Stadium but needed a big defensive play to hold them off.

Patriot QB Drew Bledsoe laced a bullet to WR Shawn Jefferson, who raced 72 yards for a TD to give the Patriots what seemed to be a game-clinching 27-13 lead. However, the Bills fought back under QB Todd Collins. On the Bills next possession after the Patriot TD, Collins rifled a pass to Quinn Early, who eluded Patriot defenders and ran 72 yards for a TD to cut the lead to 27-20.

After the Bills forced a Patriot punt, the Bills took over at the 44 in their own territory. After a few dinks and dunks here and there, Collins threw a pass to Andre Reed, who was roughed up by the Patriot defense and was flagged 15 yards. RB Thurman Thomas skated through the Patriot defense on a draw play and got the ball down inside the Patriot ten-yard line to the 9.

After an incompletion and a couple of short passes, the Bills had a 4th down on the final play of the game. Collins dropped back and hit Eric Moulds at the 4-yard line. He tried to juke and jive to get into the end zone, but CB Ty Law tripped Moulds up and he hit the Rich Stadium turf 4 yards short of the end zone allowing the Patriots to escape with a 27-20 victory.

Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe threw for 269 yards in the game with 2 TDs and an INT. Bledsoe’s new favorite target has been WR Shawn Jefferson, who has really broken out this year as a potent threat on the outside. In this game, Jefferson caught four passes for 147 yards and 2 TDs. One of them was a 50-yard catch, while the other was the 72-yarder. On the season, Jefferson has 38 catches for 856 yards and 9 TDs. The yards and TDs are both career-highs for Jefferson.

With the win, the Patriots snapped a two-game losing streak. They are still atop the AFC East standings at 7-3 but have a formidable opponent next Sunday in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As for the Bills, they are now 3-7 and will travel to Pro Player Stadium next Sunday to face the Dolphins.

1997 Game 145 Stats

1997 Game 144 (Week 11) Carolina at Denver

Posted on by
Reply

Elway and Sharpe explode on the Panthers

Despite their 8-1 record coming into today’s game against the Carolina Panthers, QB John Elway has been struggling. He was among the AFC’s lowest rated passers and had 9 TD passes compared to 13 INTs. There was a small buzz in Denver about replacing the future Hall of Famer, but Elway silenced his critics with a huge day in the Broncos’ 41-6 drubbing of the Carolina Panthers at Mile High on Sunday.

Elway threw for 296 yards on 14 of 21 passing with 4 TD passes. He had a 149.3 quarterback rating. He and TE Shannon Sharpe were lasered in as they connected on 8 passes for 235 yards and 3 TDs. In the second quarter alone, Sharpe caught TD passes of 66 and 64 yards. The 235 yards and 3 TDs were career-highs for Sharpe.

RB Terrell Davis had a huge day rushing the football as well. He rushed for 115 yards on 24 carries.

As for the Broncos’ defense, they harassed QB Kerry Collins all day long. The Broncos had only one sack all day long, but they caused Collins to throw three INTs. The Panthers could only muster 153 total yards on day and only 66 through the air.

Next week, the Broncos will have a huge showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead next Sunday. The leader in the AFC West will be on the line. The Chiefs are 10-0 and the Broncos are now 9-1. The Chiefs beat the Broncos 26-7 in week 1 at Mile High.

As for the Panthers, they are now 2-8 on the season and will travel to California to take on the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC West tilt.

1997 Game 144 Stats

1997 Game 143 (Week 11) Tampa Bay at Atlanta

Posted on by
Reply

Buccaneers defense stuffs the Falcons

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were shocked last week when they lost to the Indianapolis Colts and their backup QB Paul Justin. On Sunday, the Buccaneers defense took their frustrations out on the Atlanta Falcons, 22-17, in front of 46,000 fans in the Georgia Dome.

The Tampa Bay Defense was dominant despite a putrid output by their offense. The Buc’s offense totaled a mere 176 total yards of offense. QB Trent Dilfer was 9 of 19 passing with 122 yards. He did have 2 TD passes but threw 2 interceptions. The strength of the Bucs has been their running game, but they could only manage 67 yards on 36 carries for 1.9 yards a carry.

On the flip side, the Buc’s defense held the Falcons to 276 yards of offense. They sacked QB Chris Chandler seven times and picked him off once. DT Warren Sapp sacked Chandler in the end zone for a safety. They also held the Falcons’ running game to 84 yards on 20 carries.

Atlanta pulled to within five points late in the game when Byron Hanspard returned a kickoff 89-yards for a TD to pull to within 22-17; however, the Bucs fell on an onside kick and sealed the game.

The Buccaneers are now tied for second in the NFC North with a 7-3 record and are poised for a Wildcard spot in the NFC. They have a huge test next Sunday when the New England Patriots come to Houlihan Stadium.

As for the Falcons, they fall to 4-6 on the season, but are still on the cusp of a Wildcards spot. They face Rams next weekend in St. Louis. They beat the Rams a couple of weeks ago 16-13 at home.

1997 Game 143 Stats

1997 Game 142 (Week 11) St. Louis at Green Bay

Posted on by
Reply

Packers get back on track after pummeling the Rams

The Green Bay Packers lost to the Detroit Lions last Sunday Night losing for the first time this season. The Packers welcomed the St. Louis Rams to Lambeau Sunday and dominated them 31-13, to get back to their winning ways.

The Packers’ defense was the story of the day as they held the Rams to just 99 total yards. In fact, they stuffed the Rams’ running game to 13 yards on 15 carries.

On the offensive side, Packers’ QB Brett Favre slung the ball all over the field. He went 25 of 37 for 280 yards and a TD on the day. Favre also rushed for 2 TDs on QB Sneaks. WR Antonio Freeman caught 7 passes for 96 yards, while Robert Brooks caught 4 passes for 41 yards and a TD.

The Packers’ offense racked up 397 yards and possessed the ball for over 37 minutes in the game. The Packers have scored more than 30 points in 8 of their 10 games this season and are averaging 31.2 points per game.

As for the Rams, QB Tony Banks struggled all day long. He was 9 of 24 passing for 90 yards and a 27-yard touchdown to WR Isaac Bruce. RB Lawrence Phillips had 12 yards rushing on 9 carries.

The Packers have the top record in the NFC at 9-1. They travel to Indianapolis next Sunday and will host the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field in two weeks. The Packers have been dominated by the Cowboys since 1993, but all of those losses took place in Dallas.

The Rams have now lost six in a row and will host Atlanta and Carolina in the next two weeks.

1997 Game 142 Stats

1997 Game 141 (Week 11) NY Jets at Miami

Posted on by
Reply

Dolphins sweep the Jets

Things have not been great for Jimmy Johnson’s Dolphins in 1997; however, if they played the New York Jets every week, they would have a banner year. The Dolphins defeated the Jets, 19-3, in front of nearly 74,000 people at Pro Player Stadium in Miami on Sunday to complete the season sweep of the Jets. The Dolphins beat the Jets 24-17 earlier in the year in New Jersey.

The now 4-6 Dolphins controlled the football on their way to victory. The Dolphins held a huge time of possession advantage as they ran the football 39 times in the game. The Dolphins possessed the ball 34:15 of the clock, while the Jets held it for just under 26 minutes.

The other story in the game was the Jets were without their starting QB Neil O’Donnell, who was out with a separated shoulder. Backup Glen Foley had a rough day as he was 17 of 37 passing for 168 yards and an interception. The Jets couldn’t get their run game going either. They were held to 58 yards on 17 carries.

Dolphins’ QB Dan Marino had a good day. He was 17 of 28 for 192 yards. He moved the Dolphins into scoring territory multiple times, but it seemed like when they hit the Jets’ 25-yard line, the Dolphins’ drive stalled out. Olindo Mare booted three 42-yard field goals on the day. He also kicked a 23-yarder late in the 4th quarter.

The only TD of the day was scored by running back Karim Abdul-Jabbar. He rushed 26 times for only 80 yards, but he did have the TD.

After starting 0-5, the Dolphins have now won 4 of their last five games and hope to keep it rolling against Buffalo at home on Monday Night Football next week. As for the Jets, they are still battling New England for the AFC East crown despite losing three of their last four games. The Jets are currently 6-4 and will go to Chicago next Sunday to try to get back on track. It sounds like O’Donnell may be back next week against the Bears.

1997 Game 141 Stats

1997 Game 140 (Week 11) Kansas City at Jacksonville

Posted on by
Reply

Chiefs smack the Jaguars to stay undefeated

The Kansas City Chiefs stayed undefeated with a 44-10 beatdown of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville. The Chiefs are now 10-0 and are the only undefeated team in the NFL.

Starting QB Elvis Grbac is out with a broken collarbone, so Chiefs’ fans were nervous heading into Sunday, but Rich Gannon proved that this veteran QB can come in and deliver. Gannon finished the day 17 of 29 passing for 270 yards and 3 TDs to keep the Chiefs rolling.

Of course, the defense stole the show for the Chiefs. They gave up some yardage, 382 total yards, but they sacked Jaguar QB Mark Brunell six times and forced five Jaguar turnovers.

LB Derrick Thomas showed why he is one of the most dangerous defenders in all of football as he registered 4.5 sacks in this game and forced a fumble. He now has 11 sacks on the season. DE Dan Williams leads the Chiefs with 11.5 sacks. The Chiefs lead the NFL in defensive sacks and now have a +20 turnover ratio on the season. It’s no wonder they are undefeated.

As for the Jaguars, QB Brunell threw for 329 yards on 26 of 38 passing with 2 TDs but was picked off 3 times. The final pick was returned 71 yards by DB Derrick Anderson for a TD to cap off the Chiefs dominant performance.

Jaguar WR Keenan McCardell caught 9 passes for 117 yards, while Jimmy Smith caught 7 passes for 69 yards on the day. Natrone Means rushed for 69 yards on 15 carries.

The big AFC West showdown will be next week in Arrowhead as the undefeated Chiefs try to stay that way against their division rival the Denver Broncos, who are currently 9-1 on the season. The Broncos are trying to avenge the 26-7 drubbing that the Chiefs gave them in week 1 and tie the Chiefs for the division lead.

As for the Jaguars, they will host the Tennessee Oilers at home. Last week, the two teams played and the Jaguars came away with a 27-20 victory in Nashville. The Jaguars are 4-6 on the season and are still in the hunt for a Wildcard in the AFC.

1997 Game 140 Stats