Game 74. Las Vegas at Denver
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Tag Archives: APBA Football Replay
AFL – Game 10. N.Y. Jets at Denver
I’ m looking for feedback regarding my new video recording style. Since, I’m using the Master boards, it’s much easier to just verbally announce the play result instead of trying to view through camera. You still see play selection and play reporting but I want it to look more like an actual game. Let me know what you think. Also, after a quick review, I’ve added a four-yard catch to both Namath and Mathis.
1997 Game 251 – Super Bowl XXXII – Kansas City vs. Green Bay
Click on the links below to read the summary of the game and the stats of the game.
1997 Game 250 – AFC Championship – Denver at Kansas City
Chiefs blowout the Broncos to set up a rematch of Super Bowl I
The Kansas City Chiefs were the best team in the AFC all season long and they proved it in the AFC Championship game Sunday afternoon in Arrowhead as they beat the Denver Broncos, 40-16, to set up a rematch with the Green Bay Packers of the first Super Bowl.
The Chiefs got to Super Bowl XXXII thanks to their defense, who were opportunistic today as they have been all season. The Chiefs sacked Bronco QB John Elway six times and picked him off four times. Erik McMillan and Darren Anderson returned two of those interceptions for touchdowns. McMillan’s was a 100-yard return, which iced the game for the Chiefs.
QB Elvis Grbac didn’t have to do much today, but when he did, he took advantage of the Broncos aggressiveness. Grbac hooked up with FG Kimble Anders for two big pass plays. Anders caught a 27-yard wheel route to score the game’s first touchdown. Then late in the first half, Anders caught another pass and raced 52-yards for another touchdown. On the day, Anders rushed the ball seven times for 36 yards and then caught three passes for 87 yards and the two touchdowns.
Elway had a rough day. He threw for 264 yards and a TD, but threw four costly interceptions. RB Terrell Davis rushed for 87 yards on 21 carries, while WR Rod Smith caught 7 passes for 138 yards.
The Chiefs and the Packers will matchup for Super Bowl XXXII. They were the two best teams in their conferences. The Packers finished 15-1, while the Chiefs finished 14-2 on the season.
1997 Game 249 – NFC Championship – San Francisco at Green Bay
Longwell boots the Packers to the Super Bowl!
What a game! In a game of twists and turns and ups and downs, the Green Bay Packers’ rookie kicker Ryan Longwell booted a 40-yard walk-off field goal to send the Green Bay Packers to Super Bowl XXXII with a win over the San Francisco 49ers, 26-23, in front of a hysterical Lambeau Field crowd.
Despite the drama of the Ice Bowl, this game could very well go down as the greatest game in Lambeau Field history. Brett Favre vs. Steve Young…two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks and they didn’t disappoint.
The euphoric Packer fans nearly had their hearts broken as time wound down in the 4th quarter. With the game tied at 23, the 49ers were on a drive that seemed as if they were going to win this classic duo on the Frozen Tundra. He drove the ball down the field with completions to Terry Kirby, Terrell Owens and a big-time catch by Iheanyi Uwaezuoke that put the 49ers on the Packers 25-yard line with 2:15 to go. That’s where it all fell apart for the 49ers.
49er head coach Steve Mariucci thought he had 49ers in field goal range. He ran William Floyd, who was stuffed at the line of scrimmage by the Packer front. Then Garrison Hearst tried outside but was stuffed for a 2-yard loss. At 3rd and 12, many would have thought that Mariucci would just run the ball and set up a field goal for kicker Gary Anderson to win the game. Instead, Mariucci gambled. He wanted to give the 49er kicker a better opportunity than a 44-yarder, so he called a pass play. What happened? The greatest defensive end in NFL history is what happened! Reggie White sacked Steve Young at the Packer 36-yard line. Instead of a 44-yarder, Anderson now had to attempt a 53-yarder.
With the wind blowing across the Frozen Tundra, Anderson didn’t get a chance to boot the 49ers to the Super Bowl. On the snap, the holder fumbled the football! There was a chaotic scramble for the football and DT Santana Dotson came up with the football for his third fumble recovery of the game! The Packers took over at their 43-yard line to a ruckus Lambeau Field crowd!
Favre didn’t waste this opportunity. He had a minute to go with no time outs. On his first play, he hit Bill Schroeder, who went out of bounds for a six-yard gain. On the next play, Favre rifled a shot to Antonio Freeman for 15 yards to the 49er 36-yard line. The Packers hurried up and Favre spiked the football to stop the clock. On second down, Favre dropped back and connected with his roommate and best friend TE Mark Chmura to the 49er 23-yard line and a 13-yard gain. Favre waited for the clock to wind down and then he spiked the football with just 4 seconds remaining.
With all of Packer Nation holding its collective breath, Longwell sent the ball through the uprights and the Packers are on their way to Super Bowl XXXII to defend their Super Bowl Championship.
In the battle of QBs, Favre finished the game 21 of 37 for 295 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs. Young finished 22 of 32 for 254 yards and a TD.
The Packers will now await the AFC Championship game to find out their opponent for Super Bowl 32. Denver travels to Kansas City to have a showdown in Arrowhead Stadium.
1997 Game 248 – AFC Divisional – Seattle at Kansas City
Chiefs scalp Seahawks and advance
The Kansas City Chiefs stopped the Cinderella season of the Seattle Seahawks Sunday with a 23-10 victory at Arrowhead Stadium and will play the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship next Sunday.
The Chiefs’ defense once again dominated the game. They held the potent Seahawk offense led by QB Warren Moon to just 10 points and 329 total yards. The Chiefs harassed Moon all game long forcing him to throw 22 incompletions and two interceptions. The Chiefs only got to Moon one time on the day on a blitz from middle linebacker Anthony Davis.
As for the offense, the Chiefs relied on their power running game. They busted a long run from RB Greg Hill and then powered through the middle with Marcus Allen, Donnell Bennett and Kimble Anders. Altogether, the Chiefs rushed for 145 yards and scored two red zone touchdowns from Allen and Bennett.
As for Elvis Grbac, he played efficient football. He was 16 of 29 throwing for 157 yards and an interception. He hit two big plays of 49 and 41 yards to rookie TE Tony Gonzalez that set up scores.
Arrowhead will be loud next weekend as the Chiefs welcome in their hated rivals, the Denver Broncos, for the AFC Conference Championship game. The Chiefs won both matchups this season, but Denver is hoping the third time is the charm for them.
1997 Game 247 – NFC Divisional – Tampa Bay at Green Bay
Packers blowout Tampa to advance to NFC Title Game
Brett Favre showed why he is a 3-time MVP on Sunday as the Green Bay Packers blew out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 30-6, at Lambeau Field to advance to their third consecutive NFC Championship game.
Favre was laser sharp on Sunday as he torched the Buccaneer defense for 298 yards on 19 of 27 passing with three touchdowns. Favre didn’t waste any time on Sunday as he connected with WR Antonio Freeman on a 52-yard bomb on the first play of the first Packer series that set up a Ryan Longwell field goal.
It seemed like this game would be like all the games in the ’97 playoffs so far…a field goal fest. Longwell booted two field goals, but late in the first half, Favre finally busted through to get the Packers in the end zone. He hit FB William Henderson in the flat and Henderson did the rest. He plowed through the Buccaneer defense and scored from 17-yards out giving the Packers a big 13-0 lead at halftime.
Coming out of halftime, the Packers didn’t waste any time again. This time, RB Dorsey Levens blasted through the defense for a 34-yard scamper. Then a few plays later, Favre hit WR Robert Brooks in the corner of the end zone for an 11-yard scoring strike giving the Packers a 20-0 lead.
Then late in the third quarter, Favre and Brooks hooked up again but this time on a 49-yard bomb that put the game away, 27-0. Brooks had a big day catching six passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. His partner, Antonio Freeman, caught three passes for 99 yards.
The Packer defense was dominant. They basically gave up only one drive to the Buccaneers all day long and held the Bucs to just 163 total yards. More specifically, they ganged up on the Buccaneer running game, which is the Buc’s strength. They held Alstott and Dunn to just 30 yards on 20 carries.
The Packers will now host the NFC Championship game at Lambeau Field next Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. The Packers have never lost a playoff game or a championship game in Green Bay or Lambeau Field.
1997 Game 246 – NFC Divisional – Detroit at San Francisco
Niners Defense denied Sanders at the goal line to advance!
With the Divisional semi-final game between the Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers hanging in the balance, Lion coach Bobby Ross put the ball in the hands of the league MVP, Barry Sanders, who broke the single-season rushing record this year and the single-game playoff rushing record last week. The Lions had a first-and-goal at the 49ers eight-yard line with just seconds to play in the 4th quarter and the 49ers leading 16-9.
With the Candlestick Park fans screaming for the Niners to tighten up, Sanders rushed for five yards on first down to get to the Niners 3-yard line. On second down, Sanders went off tackle and picked up two more putting the ball just feet from tying the score and sending the game into OT. On third down, Sanders tried outside again and once again the Niners’ defense rose to the occasion and stuffed the league’s MVP.
On fourth down, Ross gave the ball to Sanders again, but this time he did so between the tackles. There appeared to be a crease in the Niners defense and Sanders accelerated to the hole. Just as he seemed he was going to score, the hole was slammed shut by Niner All-Pro defensive tackles Dana Stubblefield and Bryant Young! Sanders tried to bounce outside but ran smack into Tim McDonald and Ken Norton, Jr. They took him down and the 49ers will advance to the NFC Championship game!
(APBA – I actually rolled a 66 on that 4th down play! I thought Sanders scored; HOWEVER, a 66 on Sanders’ card is a K. When I rerolled in the K-Column , I rolled a 55. Again, I said touchdown! Not so fast! In the K-column in Sanders’ card is a 3. A 3 on the inside run boards at the goal line in C index and a G alignment is a 0!!!!! They way I see it in my minds’ eye is that Sanders tried to go up the middle but was shut down so he tried to bounce it outside and was stopped. What a way to end the game! Wow! Had my heart pumping! This is what makes APBA so great! Defensive stand by the Niners to win the game! I’ve probably rolled 100 playoff games in my personal replay history, but no game has ended like this! I will always remember this one.)
This was a matchup of the league’s best defense (49ers) versus the league’s best offense (Lions). The Niners held the potent Lion offense to 360 yards of total offense, most of it coming on the final two drives, and three field goals!
Sanders finished with 105 yards on the day on 22 carries. QB Scott Mitchell was shut down most of the game until the final two drives started to heat up and finished 16 of 34 for 223 yards. WR Johnny Morton had ten catches for 125 yards.
Besides the goal line stand, the biggest play of the game came not from Steve Young or Terrell Owens or JJ Stokes…but from… Chuck Levy! Early in the 4th quarter with the Niners leading 9-6, Levy caught a John Jett punt at the ten-yard line. He exploded up the middle and then found his way to the boundary. He had only Jett to beat and he juked him! Levy went 90 yards for the game’s only and deciding touchdown of the game on a punt return!
QB Steve Young finished 19 of 30 passing for 217 yards. He moved the ball, but the 49ers could not get in the end zone. They had to settle for three Gary Anderson field goals.
The Niners were without running back Garrison Hearst again because of injury. As a result, the Niners could only rush for 29 yards on 19 carries in the game.
Now the Niners must wait until Sunday to find out who and where they will play. If Green Bay wins tomorrow, the Niners will play the Pack at Lambeau in the championship game. However, if the Buccaneers win tomorrow, the 49ers will host the NFC Championship game at 3 Com Park at Candlestick!
1997 Game 245 – AFC Divisional – Denver at New England
Defense takes Broncos to AFC Title game!
Strong Safety Steve Atwater made the play of the season so far for the Denver Broncos. His second quarter interception and 94-yard return for a touchdown lifted the Broncos to the AFC Championship game next weekend.
The Bronco defense was dominant. They forced the Patriots into a one-dimensional team. The Patriots were without All-Pro running back Curtis Martin and could not run the ball. The Patriots rushed for 30 yards on the day and that forced Bledsoe to make plays in the passing game; however, the Broncos were relentless. They sacked Bledsoe six times on the day (Alfred Williams had 3 of them) and forced him to throw two interceptions.
With the defense dominating, the Bronco offense focused on the running game. RB Terrell Davis had 137 yards on the ground on 25 carries. QB John Elway didn’t make any mistakes. He was 13 of 23 passing with 135 yards and no interceptions but could not get the Broncos in the end zone.
Because the Bronco offense was forced to kick two field goals, the Patriots still had an opportunity to win the game. Bledsoe led a drive for a field goal early in the 4th quarter and then hooked up with WR Shawn Jefferson on a 13-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 13-10 with 1:30 left in the game. The Broncos shut the door on the game when they recovered the ensuing onside kick.
The Broncos will now go to the AFC Championship game. They will have to wait to find out who and where that will take place. The Chiefs host the Seahawks in the other Division Round game. If KC wins, the game will take place at Arrowhead, but if the Seahawks spring the upset, the title game will be played in Mile High in Denver.
1997 Game 244 – NFC Wildcard – New Orleans at Detroit
Sanders breaks another rushing record as Lions advance
Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders continues to have the greatest season in a running back’s career. Sanders broke Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record during the regular season with 2,127 yards, and now Sanders broke Dickerson’s single-game rushing record as well.
Against the New Orleans Saints in the Wildcard game in the Silverdome, Sanders rushed for 255 yards, which broke Dickerson’s 248 yards that he set in 1984 against the Dallas Cowboys. Sanders rushed 32 times to get those 255 yards and he also scored the Lions’ two touchdowns.
It wasn’t easy for the Lions though. The best offense in the NFL moved the ball in the first half but trailed 7-3 at halftime. The Saints broke through first when QB Billy Jo Hobert took advantage of a Lions’ blitz and connected with WR Eric Guliford for a 33-yard touchdown in the first quarter to give the Saints a 7-0 lead.
The Lions moved the ball up and down the field in the first half, generating 190 yard of offense, but could only manage a 30-yard Jason Hanson field goal in the first half.
In the second half, the stars showed out for the Lions. Sanders ran all over the Saints and WR Herman Moore demanded the football in the second half. As a result, the Lions racked up 253 yards of offense in the second half and 20 points. In fact, the Lions controlled the ball as they had 20:45 of time of possession compared to 9:15 for the Saints.
Hobert was harassed by the Lions in the second half and the Saints only managed 59 yards in the half. Hobert was picked off twice, one of them thwarting the only promising drive the Saints mustered up.
Besides Sanders, Moore caught 12 passes for 133 yards. WR Johnny Morton caught six for 61 yards and Scott Mitchell threw for 208 yards on 20 of 35 passing with an interception.
The Lions will now travel to Candlestick Park next weekend to take on the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs. It will be a matchup of the best offense in the league against the best defense in the league.