Tag Archives: APBA Football Replay

1997 Game 163 (Week 12) NY Jets at Chicago

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Adrian Murrell & the Jets blowout the Bears

Football teams usually take on the disposition of their head coach. Last year, the New York Jets were the laughing stock of the NFL finishing with a league-worst 1-15 record. This year, under the helm of Bill Parcells, the Jets are starting to mold into what Bill Parcells wants from his football team…run the ball and play tough defense.

On Sunday, Parcells’ team played to the image of their tough coach as they blew out the Chicago Bears, 27-7, at Soldier Field behind a strong defense and a physical running game to run their record to 7-4, already five games better than last year.

Adrian Murrell is a quintessential Bill Parcells running back…tough and physical. Murrell powered through the Bears’ defense for 134 yards on 29 carries on the day. He scored two touchdowns also from a yard and 37 yards out.

On defense, the Jets held the Bears to only 192 yards of total offense. Gang Green built a wall in the running game giving up 79 yards on the ground. Through the air, the Jets were relentless pressuring QB Eric Kramer. They sacked him three times and picked him off.

The only blemish on the Jets’ day was that QB Glenn Foley went down in the first half. Before he left, he was 9 of 13 for 59 yards. Fortunately, Neil O’Donnell was ready to go and he sprang into action. He was 11 of 18 with 132 yards and a TD in relief.

The Jets are just a game back of the AFC East leading New England Patriots and are right in the thick of the Wild Card race in the AFC. Next week, the Jets host the Minnesota Vikings, while the Bears (1-10) play on Thanksgiving against Detroit.

1997 Game 163 Stats

1997 Game 162 (Week 12) Carolina at San Francisco

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49ers continue to roll; shut down Panthers

The San Francisco 49er defense could be the most dominant group in the NFL today, on either side of the ball. They dominated the Carolina Panthers, 19-10, on Sunday at 3-COM Park at Candlestick Sunday afternoon.

The Niners defense held the Panthers to just 222 total yards on the day, with 80 of it coming in their 3rd quarter touchdown drive. They forced the Panthers to turn the ball over and harassed Panther QB Kerry Collins all day long, even though, they didn’t record a sack.

On the season, the Niners defense is only giving up 11.5 points per game, which is best in the NFL. They yield just 69.3 yards on the ground and only 122.6 yards in the air. Offenses only average 191.9 yards per game against the Niners, which is a league best. They are also among the league leaders in sacks and forcing turnovers.

The Niners 9 game winning streak is also because they have changed the way they attack teams offensively. Instead of relying solely on the pass game, they have beefed up their running game and average 140 yards on the ground for the season. In Sunday’s game, Garrison Hearst rushed for 60 yards on 20 carries.

Without All-Pro Jerry Rice, the Niners passing attack has relied on youngsters Terrell Owens and JJ Stokes. QB Steve Young is still the top passer in the NFL and today against the Panthers he threw for 231 yards on 16 of 28 passing with a TD and no interceptions.

With this win, the Niners are now 9-2 on the season and will host the San Diego Chargers next week. In 2 weeks, San Francisco will have a huge showdown with the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. As for the Panthers, they are now 2-9 on a disappointing season and will travel next week to take on the St. Louis Rams.

1997 Game 162 Stats

1997 Game 161 (Week 12) Washington at Dallas

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Cowboys save their season

The Dallas Cowboys finally looked like the team that has won three of the last five Super Bowls Sunday afternoon as they defeated the Washington Redskins at Texas Stadium, 28-11.

Cowboy QB Troy Aikman had a huge day as he led the Cowboys to back-to-back wins. Aikman threw for just 201 yards but threw 4 touchdowns in the victory. It was clearly the best day of a tough season for Aikman.

The Cowboy defense zeroed their game plan in stopping Redskin RB Terry Allen. They held the All-Pro running back to just 18 yards on 12 carries.

Cowboy CB Kevin Smith had a big day for the Boys. He intercepted Gus Frerotte twice and recovered a Frerotte fumble.

The Cowboys have won two and a row and are back in the Wild Card hunt in the NFC; however, they travel to Lambeau Field next Sunday to take on the Packers, who have circled this game on the calendar. The Cowboys have owned the Packers the last few years, but the Packers are looking to avenge those losses next Sunday.

The Redskins are now tied with the Giants for the NFC East lead at 7-4. The two teams will clash next Monday Night in a battle for the NFC East lead. The game will be at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium.

1997 Game 161 Stats

1997 Game 160 (Week 12) Seattle at New Orleans

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Moon’s acquisition paying dividends

Seattle Seahawks’ QB Warren Moon was one of the big free agent moves in the offseason and it’s starting to pay off. The Seahawks went into the Louisianna Superdome Sunday and thumped the New Orleans Saints, 34-16. The victory has propelled the Seahawks into a legitimate Wild Card spot in the AFC now that they are 7-4.

Moon struggled to start the season. At one time, he held the distinct honor of throwing the most interceptions on the season. Over the past six weeks, the Seahawks have won 5 of their last six games and you can’t point to Moon’s play as the cause of it.

On Sunday, Moon came out slinging the football. In the second quarter, he zipped two touchdown passes to give the Seahawks a 17-0 lead. The first TD was a 49-yard catch and run from WR Mike Pritchard and the other was a 61-yard bomb to Joey Galloway. Later in the 4th quarter, Moon hooked up with WR James McKnight on another bomb from 68 yards out.

On the day, Moon threw for 316 yards on 18 of 28 passing with 3 TDs and 0 interceptions. He had a 138.4 quarterback rating.

The Seahawks defense has been up to the challenge also. They knocked Saints’ starting QB Heath Shuler out of the game and then harassed Billy Joe Hobert the rest of the game. The two quarterbacks were sacked and intercepted three times. DB Willie Williams had two of the Seahawks’ interceptions.

Seattle (7-4) will have a huge showdown on Sunday as they face the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs in the Kingdome. After starting the season 6-2, the Saints have now dropped three consecutive games and will travel to Atlanta next Sunday.

1997 Game 160 Stats

1997 Game 159 (Week 12) Philadelphia at Baltimore

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Eagles hold on to defeat the Ravens

The Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens faced each other at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday where the Eagles came up with a huge defensive stand to hold off the Ravens, 13-6.

The Eagles had a 7-point lead going into the final drive the game. The Ravens offense was putrid all day long. They kicked two field goals, missed a field goal, turned the ball over 3 times and punted six times; however, they were still in the game in the final seconds.

QB Vinny Testaverde led the Ravens down the field on the final drive and hooked up with WR Michael Jackson to get the ball inside the Eagles’ 10-yard line with three plays remaining. Then the Eagles’ defense rose to the occasion. LB Mike Mamula and DT Rhett Hall sacked Testaverde on back-to-back plays giving the Ravens one more opportunity at the Eagles’ 18-yard line. Testaverde tried to force the ball into Jackson again, but the pass fell incomplete giving the Eagles the victory.

On the day, Eagles’ backup QB Bobby Hoying wasn’t spectacular, but he didn’t make too many crucial mistakes. He threw for 130 yards on 13 of 27 passing with an interception; however, he allowed the Eagles’ running game to take the spotlight.

The Eagles rushed for 119 yards with RB Ricky Watters getting 74 of them. Charlie Garner rushed for 16 yards and had the game’s only touchdown.

As for the Eagles’ defense, they dominated the day. They sacked Testaverde six times and picked him off twice. They held the Ravens to 232 total yards with 54 of them coming on the final drive.

The Eagles are now 5-6 and have climbed into the hunt for an NFC Wild Cars spot. They have won 3 of their last four games and will host the reeling Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. As for the Ravens at 5-6, they will host the Arizona Cardinals.

1997 Game 159 Stats

1997 Game 158 (Week 12) New England at Tampa Bay

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Patriots get back on track with big win in Tampa

The Patriots came into Sunday’s game at the “Big Sombrero” against Tampa Bay losing 2 of their last three games. The Buccaneers are a formidable opponent, so tensions were high in the New England area hoping the Patriots could get back on track.

The Patriots came out swinging and they rolled up a 20-7 halftime lead against a very stout Tampa Bay defense. Drew Bledsoe came up with two explosive plays in the second quarter to put the Patriots up 20-0. He hit Shawn Jefferson for a 63-yard touchdown and then connected with RB Keith Byars on a 44-yard pass to give the Patriots their commanding lead.

The Patriot defense was formidable all day long. They gave up one explosive play as QB Trent Dilfer threw a short pass to RB Warrick Dunn, who took it to the house for the Buccaneers only touchdown from 49-yards out. Otherwise, the Patriot defense stuffed the Bucs.

The Bucs were only able to rush for 65 yards, which is the staple of their offense. The Patriots were able to force three big turnovers also. They picked Dilfer off twice and then stopped a Bucs drive in Patriot territory when they forced a Mike Alstott fumble.

Bledsoe and the offense had a so-so day. The Bucs defense stiffened in second half. Bledsoe threw for 224 yards but only completed 15 of 35 passes on the day. The threw 2 touchdowns but also threw a pick. RB Curtis Martin rushed for just 57 yards on 24 carries.

Next week, the Patriots, 8-3, will take on division rival the Miami Dolphins at Foxboro. The Buccaneers will need to get their ship righted as they travel to Chicago next Sunday. The Buccaneers started 5-0, but now have lost four of the last six games and now have a 7-4 record. They sit third in their division and are clinging to a Wildcard spot in the NFC.

1997 Game 158 Stats

1997 Game 157 (Week 12) Minnesota at Detroit

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Lions get back on track with an explosive second half

After a stunning loss last week to the Redskins, the Detroit Lions got back on track Sunday inside the Silver Dome with a huge second half against the Minnesota Vikings to win 29-17.

Trailing 14-6 at halftime, the Lions’ offense exploded behind the running game of Barry Sanders and the passing attack of QB Scott Mitchell. The Lions rolled up 302 yards in the second half alone and scored three touchdowns.

Sanders, the leading rusher in the NFL, had 56 yards at halftime on the ground with a crucial fumble. In the second half, he rushed for 89 yards and scored two touchdowns. He finished the day with 145 yards on 23 carries. On the season, Sanders now has rushed for 1,573 yards and scored 13 TDs. He is on pace to blow away the single-season rushing record. He is on pace for 2,288 yards. Eric Dickerson rushed for 2,105 yards in 1984 and has the record.

Mitchell got hot in the second half as well. He threw for 210 yards in the second half and connected with Sanders on a 19-yard scoring strike. Along with his 145 rushing yards, Sanders caught three passes for 31 yards and a TD. WR Johnnie Morton caught nine passes for 129 yards.

On the defensive side, the Lions were dominated by DE Robert Porcher. He had another ½ of a sack on the day giving him 14.5 on the season, which is tops in the NFL. Porcher also tackled Vikings’ RB Robert Smith in the end zone for a safety.

As for the Vikings, their offense fizzled out in the second half. They accumulated 180 yards in the first half and two touchdowns. Chris Carter caught a one-yard pass from Brad Johnson, and Robert Smith plunged in from a yard out to give the Vikings a 17-6 lead at halftime. In the second half, the Vikings mustered up 78 total yards.

The Lions (8-3) have a firm grip on a Wildcard spot in the NFC. They will host the Indianapolis Colts next weekend in the Silver Dome before their Thanksgiving matchup with the Bears. The Vikings won 5 of their last 6 games before the loss in the Silver Dome. They are now 5-6 on the season and are outside looking in at a Wildcard spot. They will travel to New Jersey next weekend to face the Jets.

1997 Game 157 Stats

1997 Game 156 (Week 12) Tennessee at Jacksonville

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Oilers overpower the Jaguars

In a battle of 4-6 teams, it was the Tennessee Oilers who took a step forward and launched themselves in the AFC Wildcard picture. The Oilers used a physical running game to pound the Jaguar defense. They racked up 234 yards on the ground in the 38-19 win at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville.

The Oiler running game not only kept their offense moving but it also kept the ball away from QB Mark Brunell and the Jaguar explosive offense. The Oilers held the ball for over 33 minutes and won the time of possession battle.

RB Eddie George rushed for 94 yards on 25 carries. Backup RB Rodney Thomas rushed for 51 yards on only 7 carries and had 3 rushing touchdowns on the day. Even QB Steve McNair was hard to corral as he rushed for 89 yards on 11 scrambles.

Missed opportunities were the story for the Jaguars. They had multiple scoring opportunities throughout the game; however, they squandered most of them with trading in field goals for touchdowns. The Oilers also came up with some huge sacks, which forced the Jaguars out of scoring opportunities.

The Jaguars were only able to muster up 164 total yards. Brunell was only able to throw for 116 yards and they could only rush for 90 yards.

The Oilers are now in the AFC Wildcard race. They host the Buffalo Bills next week. The Jaguars are now 4-7, but they have a favorable schedule down the stretch, but they are in a must-win scenario next week at Cincinnati, who has been red-hot.

1997 Game 156 Stats

1997 Game 155 (Week 12) Green Bay at Indianapolis

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Packers dominate the Colts

The Green Bay Packers didn’t play their best offensive football; however, the defense was up to the task Sunday Afternoon in the RCA Dome against the Indianapolis Colts as the Packers went to an NFC-best 10-1 with a 31-9 victory.

Many experts called this game a “trap” game. Next week, the Packers take on their nemesis the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field, so many thought the Packers would overlook the Colts. It didn’t happen. The Packers defense held the Colts to just three field goals and limited them to 231 total yards in the victory.

Reggie White led the Packers defense with 2.5 sacks in the game. The Packers had a season-high six sacks. Leroy Butler and Doug Evans picked backup QB Paul Justin off twice in the game. The defense held Marshall Faulk and Co. to just 46 yards rushing.

As for the offense, Brett Favre was efficient. He completed 18 passes on 30 attempts for 184 yards and 2 TDs. He didn’t throw any interceptions but did have a fumble.

The Packers relied mostly on their run game and RB Dorsey Levens delivered. He rushed for 133 yards on 23 carries with 2 TDs. Levens is on pace to break the Packers’ single-season rushing record held by Jim Taylor in 1962.

The Packers will try to erase past playoff failures and validate their Super Bowl win next Sunday against the Cowboys. The Packers won the title, but many say it wasn’t complete because they didn’t face the Cowboys. Sunday the Packers can erase those doubters.

As for the Colts, they are now 4-7 on the season and have dropped out of the AFC race for a Wildcard position. Next week, they travel to Detroit.

1997 Game 155 Stats

1997 Game 154 (Week 12) Denver at Kansas City

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Chiefs sweep the Broncos and stay undefeated

The big AFC Showdown didn’t turn into the big defensive battle that many experts predicted. Instead, a shootout from the old West could describe this game more accurately as the Kansas City Chiefs outdueled the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, 41-33, staying undefeated, and more importantly, taking control of the AFC West.

The Chiefs threw a knockout punch to start each of the halves. In the first half, the Chiefs jumped out to a 20-0 lead after an Andre Rison TD reception from QB Rich Gannon and then a 42-yard interception return for a TD by DB Mark McMillan. On the season, McMillan now has 8 interceptions to lead the AFC and returned 3 of those for TDs.

Broncos’ QB John Elway threw a TD pass to Rod Smith and Jason Elam kicked a field goal right before the end of the half to cut the lead to 20-10; however, the Chiefs came out with a few more haymakers to start the 3rd quarter. Rich Gannon threw a pair of 16-yard TD passes. One was to Kimble Anders and the other was to Rison to give the Chiefs a commanding 34-10 lead.

Elway and company fired back as he threw back-to-back TD passes. He threw a 21-yard screen pass TD to Shannon Sharpe and a 17-yard bullet to Willie Green; however, Rich Gannon threw the knockout punch in this game when he connected with Rison for the third time in the game and this one was from 63 yards out to give the Chiefs a 41-26 lead.

Gannon played the game of his life. He threw for 284 yards on 18 of 27 passing with 4 TD passes. He had a QB rating of 141.1. Many thought the Chiefs were done when Elvis Grbac went down with a broken collar bone, but Gannon has played awesome. Since he took over, Gannon is completing 62.5% of his passes for 554 yards and 7 TDs with 0 INTs. He has a QB rating of 135.

Andre Rison is still having a spectacular season. He caught nine passes for 204 yards in this game with 3 TDs. On the season, Rison has 68 catches for 1016 yards and 7 TDs.

Elway had his best game of the season in a losing effort. He threw for 348 yards on 25 of 41 passing with 4 TDs but threw 3 costly interceptions. Rod Smith caught 9 passes for 134 yards and 2 TDs.

Now that the Chiefs (11-0) have firm control of the AFC West, they will go into another divisional showdown next week with the red-hot Seattle Seahawks in the Kingdome. The Broncos will try to pick themselves up off the turf as they host the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night at Mile High.

1997 Game 154 Stats