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.

Boyd’s 1997 Replay Game 120 (Week 9) Atlanta at Carolina

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Chandler takes down Panthers with 2 bombs

On Sunday Night Football, a banged-up Chris Chandler got the clearance to start at QB for the Atlanta Falcons and they are sure glad he did. Chandler hooked up with WR Bert Emanuel twice in the first half for long bombs, which was enough points to sink the fledgling Carolina Panthers, 17-6, at Ericsson Stadium Sunday night.

The Falcons had a dynamic first half. They rolled up 221 total yards and seemed as if they were going to blow the Panthers out. In the second half, the Falcons’ offense couldn’t move the ball and managed only 37 total yards in the half.

For the Panthers, they couldn’t do anything with the ball. They could only salvage 250 yards on offense and QB Kerry Collins was sacked 5 times by the Falcons’ pass rush…4 of them coming in the 4th quarter to seal the game.

The Falcons (3-5) will go home to the Georgia Dome next week to take on division rival St. Louis, while the Panthers (1-7) will continue their disappointing season as they host the Oakland Raiders.

1997 Game 120 Stats

Boyd’s 1997 Replay Game 119 (Week 9) Oakland at Seattle

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The Seahawks are a force

The Seattle Seahawks are a team to be reckoned with in the AFC. They defeated the Oakland Raiders Sunday afternoon in the Kingdome, 30-24, to improve their record to 5-3.

Warren Moon got some much-needed help from his running game as the Seahawks racked up 175 yards on the ground against one of the poorest run defenses in the league. Chris Warren rushed for 78 yards and a TD, while Steve Broussard rushed for 92 yards and a TD.

Moon threw for 246 yards, and he began the scoring output for the Seahawks when he hit Ronnie Harris for a 41-yard bomb. Joey Galloway caught nine of Moon’s passes for 93 yards.

Raiders’ QB Jeff George continued his good offensive performance as he threw for 279 yards and a TD. Through 8 games, George has not yet thrown an interception.

WR Tim Brown caught 7 passes for 72 yards, and he now has 62 catches on the season for 854 yards and 3 TDs.

The Seahawks have now won 3 games in a row and will travel to Denver next week for a showdown with the Broncos. The Hawks need it to keep pace with the AFC West leaders. The Raiders (1-7) will travel to Carolina next Sunday.

1997 Game 119 Stats

Boyd’s 1997 Replay Game 118 (Week 9) Jacksonville at Pittsburgh

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Steelers explode in the 2nd half

The Steelers have always been known as a great defensive team and they are in 1997, but now they have a high-powered offense to go with that defense led by 1st year starting QB Kordell Stewart.

The Jaguars came into Three Rivers Stadium with a desire and a focus to climb back into the AFC Central divisional race. For 30 minutes, their plan was working. QB Mark Brunell was on fire. He threw for 192 yards and 2 TDs to WR Jimmy Smith, and the Jaguars held a 20-7 lead at halftime.

Then the Steelers exploded. On the Steelers’ first possession of the 2nd half Stewart hit WR Yancy Thigpen on a bomb for a 63-yard TD. Late in the 3rd quarter, Stewart scrambled out of the pocket and then threw another bomb. Thigpen found himself under the ball again and scored on a 70-yard TD this time. The Steelers led 21-20.

The Jaguars would not give up as Reggie Barlow caught the ensuing kickoff. He exploded through the wedge and juked the kicker and found himself in the open field. The Steelers could not catch him, so Barlow took the lead back for the Jaguars with a 101-yard kickoff return touchdown. The Jaguars failed on a 2-point conversion and led 26-21.

On the next Steelers’ possession, Stewart called his own number. He got the corner of the Jaguar defense on a called run and raced down the sideline for a 61-yard touchdown. The Steelers failed on the 2-point conversion and then closed the game with a 27-26 victory.

Yancy Thigpen had one of the best days as a receiver in the history of the NFL. He became the 4th player in NFL history to have 300 or 300+ receiving yards in the game. Thigpen finished with 11 catches for 300 yards and 3 TDs. On the season, Thigpen has 54 receptions for 1067 yards and 8 TDs midway through the season.

Stewart threw for 328 yards and 3 TDs. He also had 62 yards rushing with the TD. On the season, Stewart has 1818 yards passing and 15 TD passes. He also had 303 yards rushing with 3 TDS.

The Steelers (7-1) will travel to Arrowhead Stadium next Monday to face the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs in an AFC powerhouse matchup. The Jaguars will travel to Tennessee next Sunday.

1997 Game 118 Stats

Boyd’s 1997 Replay Game 117 (Week 9) Indianapolis at San Diego

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Blanchard kicks the Colts to victory

At Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday, Indianapolis Colts’ kicker Carey Blanchard went 4 for 4 and the Colts beat the San Diego Chargers, 19-16, for their third victory of the season.

The Colts backup QB Paul Justin replaced starter Jim Harbaugh because Harbaugh punched out former Bills’ QB Jim Kelly and broke his throwing hand. Justin did a great job replacing Harbaugh. He threw for 229 yards on 17 of 28 passing with a 3-yard TD to Lamont Warren and he had no interceptions.

The Colts also got a good day from RB Marshall Faulk, who rushed for 78 yards on 22 carries. As a team, the Colts rushed for 126 total yards.

As for the Chargers, they had two crucial turnovers on strip, sack and fumbles against QB Stan Humphries. LB Quentin Coryatt and Tony McCoy had the strip and sacks. DE Dan Footman has been terrorizing QBs this season. He had three sacks in this game and has 9.5 sacks on the season, which leads the AFC and is third in the league.

Humphries threw for 221 yards in this game with 2 TDs to WR Tony Martin, who caught five passes for 79 yards. The Chargers only rushed the ball 16 times but had 111 yards. RB Gary Brown had 60 yards on 9 carries.

Next week, the Colts (3-5) will take on the tough Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home next Sunday, while the Chargers (1-7) travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals.

1997 Game 117 Stats

Boyd’s 1997 Replay Game 116 (Week 9) Tennessee at Arizona

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The Oilers explode in the Desert

The Tennessee Oilers have been sputtering on offense the entire 1997 campaign. They started the season with two wins, scoring a total of 54 points. Then they went on a four-game losing streak where their offense hit the skids, scoring a total of 45 points in those four losses. Last week, they beat the Redskins but could only manage 16. On Sunday, they traveled to Sun Devil Stadium and exploded on the Arizona Cardinals winning 45-31.

The Oilers unleashed a potent rushing attack led by 2nd year RB Eddie George, who rushed for 149 yards on 30 carries and a TD in this game. As a team, the Oilers rushed for 209 yards.

Oilers QB Steve McNair also showed his potential as he threw for 224 yards and 2 TDs on the day. He used the success of the running game to hit TE Frank Wycheck 7 times for 143 yards and 2 TDs.

As for the Cardinals, they have been excited of the play of rookie QB Jake “The Snake” Plummer. He led the Cardinals to a victory and he had a decent day today. He threw for 196 yards and 3 TDs. WR Rob Moore continued his outstanding season as he caught 5 passes for 43 yards and a score. On the season, Moore has 64 catches for 960 yards and 7 TDs in 8 games.

The Oilers (4-4) will try to keep their winning streak going next Sunday when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Cardinals (1-7) will take on the Eagles at home.

1997 Game 116 Stats

Boyd’s 1997 Replay Game 115 (Week 9) Chicago at Miami

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Dolphins outlast the Bears

The Dolphins had a disastrous start to the season as they began 0-5. Over the past few weeks, Jimmy Johnson has finally gotten his squad to play up to their capabilities and they did it again Sunday as they beat the Chicago Bears, 30-24, Sunday afternoon at Pro Player Stadium.

The Dolphins have had trouble in the red zone this season. Instead of scoring touchdowns, they have been forced to kick field goals. In fact, they came into today’s game with a Red Zone TD percentage of 38%. Today, they went 2 for 4 as they scored on a 2-yd Karim Abdul-Jabbar run and a 10-yd Jaris McPhail run. They still kicked 3 field goals today, but their offensive production in the red zone is slowly getting better.

QB Dan Marino threw for 263 yards on 18 of 30 passing with a 69-yard TD pass to Lamar Thomas. He also threw his first interception of the season in this game. Marino also got help from his running game as the Dolphins racked up 125 yards on the ground including 88 from Jabbar.

The Dolphins scored 27 points in the first half of this game. That is more points than they have scored in any full game this season. They came into the game averaging 16 points per game, so they shattered that in the first half.

The Bears were down 27-10 at halftime but made a game of it when they scored two TDs in the third quarter. Raymont Harris scored on a run from a yard out and Darnell Autry scored from 3 yards out to cut the lead to 27-24.

The Dolphins (3-5) will try to make it four in a row when they travel to Buffalo, while the Bears (1-7) host the Redskins next Sunday.

1997 Game 115 Stats

Boyd’s 1997 Game 114 (Week 9) Minnesota at Tampa Bay

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Tampa Bay lays the smack down on the Vikes

The Minnesota Vikings were on a surge. They lost their first four games of the season but have reeled off three consecutive wins…until they ran into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay didn’t waste time as they built a 17-0 lead in the first quarter of Sunday’s matchup at Houlihan Stadium. The Bucs took their opening possession and marched right down the field behind the running duo of Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott. Dunn plunged into the endzone from 3 yards out to give the Bucs a 7-0 lead. After Brad Johnson interception to CB Donnie Abraham, the Bucs scored when Michael Husted kicked in a 38-yard field goal.

Late in the first quarter, Johnson threw another interception. Again, Bucs CB Donnie Abraham picked off Johnson and went 13 yards for a pick-six to give the Bucs their 17-0 lead. It’s Abraham’s second INT of the game and 4th of the season.

The Bucs salted the game away as they controlled the time of possession with their powerful running game. The Bucs rushed for 179 yards on 35 carries, and they picked up an additional rushing TD from veteran Erict Rhett.

The Vikings couldn’t get their running game going. In their 3-game winning streak, the Vikings averaged 166 yards on the ground. Today, they rushed for 79 yards and lost running backs Robert Smith and Leroy Hoard due to injuries.

The Buccaneers are chasing the Packers in the NFC Central Division with a 6-2 record. Next week, the Buccaneers go on the road to take the Indianapolis Colts. The Vikings will host New England next Sunday.

1997 Game 114 Stats

Boyd’s 1997 Replay Game 113 (Week 9) Kansas City at St. Louis

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Chiefs start fast and stay undefeated

The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t waste any time Sunday afternoon in the TWA Dome as they jumped on the St. Louis Rams early taking a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.

The Chiefs took the opening possession and marched it right down the field. QB Elvis Grbac dropped back to pass but couldn’t find a receiver, so he scrambled 10 yards for the game’s first score, 7-0. Then the Rams fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and the Chiefs got the ball in scoring position again at the 14-yard line. Two plays later, Grbac found WR Andre Rison in the endzone for a TD and the Chiefs were up 14-0.

Rams’ RB Amp Lee fumbled on the Rams’ next possession and this time the Chiefs got the ball at the Ram 39-yard line. Again, the Chiefs drove the ball deep into Ram territory and Donnell Bennett capped off the drive with a 2-yd TD run giving the Chiefs a 21-0 lead with only 7 minutes gone in the 1st quarter.

With the score 21-7, Grbac put the game out of reach when he connected with WR Tamarick Vanover for a 57-yard TD pass to give the Chiefs a 28-7 lead. The Rams scored two TDs late in the 4th quarter to make the score respectable, but the game was a blowout from the opening kickoff.

Grbac threw for 202 yards and 2 TDs. He has brought consistency to the Chiefs’ QB position and that has made all the difference in the world.

The Chiefs’ defense gave up 352 passing yards to Tony Banks, but they sacked him 6 times. Most of the Rams’ offense came late in the 4th quarter on two meaningless TD drives.

The Chiefs are 8-0 at the halfway mark of the season, but they have a tough road the next 4 games. They host Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football next week. Then they travel to a resurging Jacksonville team and then host the Broncos. Then they travel to Seattle to take a very good Seahawks team. As for the Rams (2-6), they will try to snap their 4-game losing streak as they travel to Atlanta.

1997 Game 113 Stats

Boyd’s 1997 Replay Game 112 (Week 9) San Francisco at New Orleans

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49ers blow out Saints in NFC West Showdown

The Louisianna Superdome was electric Sunday as the New Orleans Saints had the opportunity to take control of the NFC West. Surprisingly, they came into the game with a 6-2 record and were atop the standings ahead of the San Francisco 49ers, who were 5-2. The Saints haven’t had this much excitement around their team for a few years now, but the Niners showed that they were still the kings of the division as they blew out the Saints 42-14 to take the lead back in the division and quiet the Saints’ faithful.

Steve Young and Merton Hanks stole the show. Young went 19 of 25 passing for 269 yards and 4 TDs. He is leading the league again in passing efficiency. Today he used his running backs to attack the Saints’ defense. FB William Floyd caught 7 passes for 90 yards and 2 TDs, while HB Garrison Hearst caught 3 passes for 68 yards including a 41-yard TD catch and score.

Merton Hanks picked off Saints’ QBs three times in the game and returned one for a TD late in the game. The Niners defense smothered the Saints as they held the Saints to only 237 yards total offense. The defense also had 3 sacks and 4 INTs.

Next week, the Niners will have their annual showdown with rival Dallas, while the Saints will have their bye and then travel to Oakland in two weeks.

1997 Game 112 Stats

Boyd’s 1997 Replay Game 111 (Week 9) Denver at Buffalo

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Atwater makes the play of the game!

Broncos’ veteran safety Steve Atwater is regarded as one of the best hitters in the game today; however, it was his hitting that won the day for the Denver Broncos. It was his big play ability.

The Broncos traveled to Rich Stadium on Sunday to take on the Bills. It was a tight contest early on as both defenses were crushing the offenses. The score was 3-3 and then Atwater made the play. He picked off Alex Van Pelt, who was playing due to an injury to starting QB Todd Collins. Atwater snaked his way through the Bills’ offense and raced 80 yards for the Broncos’ only TD of the day. The Broncos led 10-3 at halftime.

The Broncos’ offense could not get into the endzone. RB Terrell Davis and Co. would get the Broncos close but they could not make the play to get into the end zone. Kicker Jason Elam kicked four field goals on the day.

The Bills kept it close as Van Pelt eventually got into the end zone when he hooked up with Quinn Early on a 4-yard TD strike. They closed the gap to 16-13, but the Broncos drove the field and used up most of the time in the 4th quarter. Elam kicked his fourth field goal from 36-yards out and forced the Bills to score a TD to win the game, which they couldn’t. The Broncos won 19-13.

Next Sunday the Broncos (7-1) will host the Seattle Seahawks in a big AFC West clash, while the Bills (2-6) play again at home against the Dolphins.

1997 Game 111 Stats