Tag Archives: APBA Football Replay

1997 Game 235 (Week 17) Atlanta at Arizona

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Falcons finish at .500 with win in the desert

The Atlanta Falcons showed promise for their future with the way they ended their 1997 season. The Falcons won their last three games to finish 8-8 on the season including a 34-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium on Sunday.

QB Chris Chandler had his third straight outstanding game. On Sunday, he threw for 279 yards on 18 of 24 passing with three touchdowns. He finished with a 135.2 QB rating on the day. For the season, Chandler threw for 3,838 yards and 26 touchdowns. He only threw eight interceptions all season and ended with a 94.6 QB rating.

RB Jamal Anderson finished Sunday’s game against the Cards with 103 yards on the ground. In fact, the Falcons rushed for 176 yards as a team. On the season, Anderson rushed for 1,173 yards and six touchdowns.

The Falcons wide receivers had a heck of a year too. Bert Emanuel caught 102 passes for 1,584 yards and nine touchdowns, while Terrance Mathis had 86 receptions for 1,241 yards and 11 TDs.

As for the Cardinals, they finished with a 2-14 record, but have some promising rising stars. QB Jake Plummer threw for 322 yards on Sunday with 3 TDs. WR Rob Moore caught another 7 passes for 109 yards. Moore finished the season with 107 receptions for 1,674 yards and 12 TDs. WR Frank Sanders caught 74 passes for 957 yards and 10 TDs.

1997 Game 235 Stats

(I actually attended this game as I was visiting my sister and her family for Christmas in Phoenix that year)

1997 Game 234 (Week 17) NY Giants at Dallas

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Giants stomp the Cowboys

The New York Giants could have slammed the door shut on the Dallas Cowboys’ era of the 90s as they pummeled the Cowboys, 34-17, at Texas Stadium on Sunday.

The Giants got a huge performance from QB Danny Kanell. He threw for 241 yards on 14 of 26 passing with four touchdowns and one interception. Kanell hooked up with WR Chris Calloway five times for 129 yards and two touchdowns.

The Cowboys could not get any offense going once QB Troy Aikman went down with a concussion. Aikman finished the day nine of 16 for 111 yards and no interceptions or touchdowns. RB Emmit Smith rushed for 73 yards on 18 carries with a TD.

The Giants finished their season 9-7, while the Cowboys ended 7-9.

1997 Game 234 Stats

1997 Game 233 (Week 17) New Orleans at Kansas City

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Chiefs take AFC #1 seed in blowout of Saints

All roads in the AFC playoffs will go through Arrowhead. The Kansas City Chiefs pummeled the New Orleans Saints Sunday afternoon in Arrowhead Stadium, 34-7, and earned the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs.

Chiefs’ QB Elvis Grbac returned from a broken collarbone and picked up exactly where he left off when he went down to injury. He was efficient and effective directing the Chiefs’ offense. Grbac finished the day with 182 yards on 18 of 31 passing with a touchdown. He also proved he was back 100% because he scored a TD on a quarterback sneak in the 1st quarter to open up the scoring.

The Chiefs also dominated the line of scrimmage. They rushed for 159 yards on the day on a total of 37 carries. RB’s Greg Hill and Marcus Allen combined for 92 yards of rushing. FB Kimble Anders chipped in 40 yards and a TD.

WR Andre Rison continued his awesome season as he caught seven passes for 122 yards and a TD. Rison had 101 receptions on the season for 1,537 yards and 10 TDs.

The Chiefs’ defense dominated the Saints. They picked off Billy Jo Hobert five times on the day. CB Mark McMillan intercepted his league-leading 10th pass of the season and returned it 72 yards for a first half touchdown. DB James Hasty intercepted two passes and also recovered a fumble.

The Saints (10-6), despite the loss, still has a spot in the NFC playoffs. If all goes according to the way it is lining up, the Saints may have the 5th seed in the NFC tournament. If they tie with the Buccaneers, they will take the 5th seed because of a better conference record.

1997 Game 233 Stats

1997 Game 232 (Week 17) Indianapolis at Minnesota

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Vikings slay the Colts

The Minnesota Vikings’ offense woke up on the final Sunday of the NFL regular season. They racked up 546 total offensive yards in the 28-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the HHH Metrodome.

Viking backup QB Randall Cunningham showed signs of his youth as he had a huge game. He threw for 336 yards on 18 of 25 passing with two touchdowns. He also made some plays with his legs as he rushed for 45 yards on 7 totes.

The Vikings also rushed for 216 yards in the game. RB Robert Smith rushed for 119 yards on 25 carries with two touchdowns.

The Colts got 115 rushing yards from RB Marshall Faulk. QB Jim Harbaugh threw for 212 yards on 20 of 28 passing with 3 TDs and 0 INTs. WR Marvin Harrison caught six passes for 72 yards and 2 TDs.

The Vikings finished the season with an 8-8 record, while the Colts finished 5-10.

1997 Game 232 Stats

1997 Game 231 (Week 17) Chicago at Tampa Bay

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Bears take down the Buccaneers!

It’s been a disappointing season for the Chicago Bears, but they ended the season on a high note as they defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houlahan Stadium Sunday, 20-17, in the season finale.

The Bears blocked a Sean Landeta punt with 1:30 remaining in the 4th quarter that set the Bears up at the Buccaneer 12-yard line. A few plays later, Darnell Autry plunged into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with 15 seconds remaining to give the Bears the victory.

Autry rushed for 63 yards on the day on 22 carries and scored the game-winning touchdown. QB Eric Kramer was knocked out of the game early in the 4th quarter. He finished 11 of 19 passing for 107 yards with a TD and an INT. Rick Mirer came in and directed the Bears to the final TD. He was three of six for 19 yards on the day.

The Buccaneers finished the season with a 10-6 record and are the sixth seed in the NFC playoffs. They will travel to either Washington or San Francisco in the Wildcard round next weekend. The Bears won two of their last three games but finished up with a 3-13 record.

1997 Game 231 Stats

1997 Game 230 (Week 17) Baltimore at Cincinnati

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Bengals came from behind to win the Central!

The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 31-23, at Cinergy Field on Sunday and won the AFC Central Division Championship.

The Bengals trailed 17-10 at halftime, but the Bengals rallied behind three rushing touchdowns from RB Corey Dillon in the second half to win the game. Dillon rushed for 88 yards on 17 carries and three TDs. Dillon finished the season with 1,120 yards and 16 TDs.

Boomer Esiason had a very efficient day. He threw for 244 yards on 21 of 23 passing with a TD and no interceptions. Boomer replaced Jeff Blake and finished the season with a 96.9 QB rating.

For the Ravens, they finished the season 6-10. Eric Zeier threw for 312 yards on the day on 22 of 38 passing with one touchdown.

The Bengals will play in the Wildcard round and will have a home game. Their opponent will be determined later in the day. The Bengals and the Steelers both finished with 11-5 records, but the Bengals held the tiebreaker by sweeping the Steelers in their head-to-head meetings.

1997 Game 230 Stats

1997 Game 229 (Week 17) Pittsburgh at Tennessee

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Steelers beat Oilers; wait on the Bengals

The Pittsburgh Steelers did their part Sunday afternoon. They defeated the Tennessee Oilers, 31-12, at the Liberty Bowl. Now the Steelers must wait on the Cincinnati Bengals to find out who the AFC Central Champion will be. The Bengals were playing the Baltimore Ravens and were losing at halftime 17-10. If the Bengals win, they are the division champions. If the Bengals lose, the Steelers are the champs.

The Steelers played Steeler football on Sunday. They pounded at the Oiler defense rushing the ball 41 times. RB Jerome Bettis rushed for 111 yards on 32 carries with a touchdown. “The Bus”, in his first year with the Steelers, rushed for 1,425 yards and five touchdowns.

QB Kordell Stewart continued to hit on the big play for the Steelers. He threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Yancy Thigpen in scramble mode, which put the Steelers up big 28-3 in the second quarter. Stewart, in his first year as a starting quarterback, threw for 3,425 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also rushed for 415 yards and four touchdowns on the year. Thigpen caught 89 passes this year for 1,761 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The Oilers (6-10) could not penetrate the Steelers defensive front. The Oilers managed only 79 yards on the ground (30 of it came on a Steve McNair scramble). The Steelers held Eddie George to just 46 yards on the day on 14 carries. George rushed for 1,270 yards on the season with seven TDs.

McNair did throw for 328 yards on the day, but most of it came as they were down big in the game. McNair threw for 3,273 yards on the season with 15 TDs and 10 INTs.

The Steelers will find out shortly if they are division champs, but they are going to have to wait until later in the day to see if they play on the road or at home. The Broncos play the Seahawks. If the Broncos lose, the Steelers just may sneak into the #4 seed in the AFC, which will give them a home game in the Wildcard round of the playoffs.

1997 Game 229 Stats

1997 Game 228 (Week 17) Philadelphia at Washington

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Redskins have momentum going into the playoffs

The Washington Redskins are going to be a dangerous team heading into the NFC Playoffs. They defeated the Philadelphia Eagles at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium on Sunday, 21-14, and have won three in a row to end the ’97 season.

QB Jeff Hostetler did a tremendous job guiding the Redskins the final games of the season, but starting QB Gus Frerotte and RB Terry Allen will be back as the Redskins prepare for the NFC playoffs. Hostetler threw for 191 yards on Sunday on 19 of 30 passing with a touchdown and an interception.

RB Stephen Davis is another tough Redskin back as he rushed for 86 yards on 23 carries on Sunday with a touchdown. They also got 19 yards and a TD from fullback Larry Bowie.

The Eagles (5-11) finished the ’97 campaign in disappointing fashion. They lost six of their last seven games when QB Ty Detmer went down to injury. On Sunday, backup QB Bobby Hoying threw for 328 yards with 2 TDs and an interception. WR Irving Fryar caught seven passes for 173 yards and a TD.

The Redskins (11-5) still don’t know their place in the NFC playoffs. Depending on the Saints and the 49ers, the Redskins could host a playoff game on Wildcard weekend or they could actually have a first-round bye depending on the 49ers’ game versus the Seahawks.

1997 Game 228 Stats

1997 Game 227 (Week 17) St. Louis at Carolina

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Rams take down the Panthers

The St. Louis Rams ended their season on a high note as they took down the Carolina Panthers 23-20 Saturday at Ericcson Stadium in Charlotte. In fact, the Rams have won three of their last four games to close the 1997 campaign and finished 5-11.

Ram quarterback Tony Banks threw for 256 yards on 22 of 37 passing with a touchdown and no interceptions. Banks also rushed seven times for 17 yards and a touchdown. WR Isaac Bruce caught six passes for 32 yards and a TD. RB Amp Lee caught five passes for 75 yards. RB Jerald Moore rushed for 84 yards on 21 carries.

The Panthers, who were in the NFC Championship game a year ago, finished with a dismal 3-13 record. They lost six of their last seven games.

1997 Game 227 Stats

1997 Game 226 (Week 17) Buffalo at Green Bay

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Packers blowout the Bills for 15th win!

Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre made a case to win his third consecutive MVP award as he threw five touchdown passes against the Buffalo Bills Sunday in Lambeau in a 45-17 Packers victory.

The Packers finished the season with a 15-1 record and will head into the NFC Playoffs with a bye and the #1 overall seed. All roads to the Super Bowl will once again go through Lambeau Field as they did last season in which they were World Champions.

With five TD passes in the game, Favre ended the season with 34 total, which is his fourth consecutive season throwing over 30 TD passes. He also threw for 4,229 yards on the season, which is the second time he has surpassed the 4,000 mark in his career.

The Packers also got a strong performance from RB Dorsey Levens, who rushed for 119 yards against the Bills. Levens finished the season with 1,430 yards, which is the second highest total in Packers’ history. Jim Taylor rushed for 1,474 in 1962, but he did that in 14 games.

The Packers also had a dual 1,000 receiving yard performance from both Antonio Freeman and Robert Brooks. Freeman caught 84 passes for 1,361 yards and 13 TDs, while Brooks caught 83 passes for 1,242 yards and 11 TDs.

DE Reggie White finished the season 11.5 sacks on the year. It’s Reggie’s 11th season where he eclipsed double digits in the sack department.

As for the Bills, Marv Levy’s team is transitioning from their glory years and finished 4-12 this season. RB Thurman Thomas was once again the team’s leading rusher with 766 yards. Andre Reed led the Bills in receiving with 70 catches for 1,096 yards and 3 TDs. DE Bruce Smith finished with a team-high 15 QB sacks.

1997 Game 226 Stats