Rams quarterback Kurt Warner committed four turnovers (three interceptions and a fumble), while running back Marshall Faulk, who shredded the Saints with 220 rushing yards during their encounter in the regular season, was held to a season-low 24 yards on the ground. The Thanksgiving coin toss, Nov. 26, 1998. ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN The Saints responded with quarterback Aaron Brooks completing 7 consecutive passes for 85 yards, the last a 2-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Dave Stachelski, his first career NFL touchdown. Instead, they lost 39-38. JAX | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN No team has won more than two consecutive NFC championships. The Cardinals won in overtime and went on to win the division while Washington missed the playoffs by two games -- but they also entered a final-game loss to Philadelphia knowing they were already eliminated. They appeared to suffer a setback when Brooks' 50-yard completion to Willie Jackson on their next drive was nullified by Devin Bush's interception a few plays later. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay's final two drives of the game would both result in turnovers on downs. A season-ticket holder even filed a lawsuit, which was quickly thrown out. Ive never been part of a game more lopsided than that., When asked about the cheating accusations after their 2000 NFC Championship victory, former Giants head coach Jim Fassell called them ludicrous.. With three seconds on the clock, McNair once again tried to punch it in for the score but Sam Adams, Corey Harris and Ray Lewis stopped the run short of the goal line to preserve the win as time expired. On the CBS broadcast, Pat Summerall and John Madden both believed the pass was a completion. That's a real and true sentence. The Jaguars went three-and-out after the turnover, and the Patriots responded with their first of two fourth-quarter touchdowns. After the opening kickoff, Collins led the Giants 74 yards in just four plays, throwing a 46-yard touchdown pass to Hilliard to give them a 70 lead less than two minutes into the game. The two surviving teams from each conference's divisional playoff games then meet in the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championship games, hosted by the higher seed. Even though they had only 134 yards of total offense and six first downs, with quarterback Trent Dilfer completing just five of 16 passes, the Ravens broke a 1010 tie in the fourth quarter with Anthony Mitchell's 90-yard blocked field goal touchdown return and Ray Lewis' 50-yard interception touchdown return. How it unfolded was that the Giants got up big in the opening minutes, thwarting the Vikings at every turn, and Griffith believes there was a different power at play than just incredible game-planning and play-calling. The Tuck Rule, Jan. 19, 2002. Then on the second to last play of the quarter, Robert Tate's interception of a Brooks pass gave the Vikings a first down on the Saints 29-yard line, and they went on to clinch the game with Smith's 2-yard touchdown run. Mel Gray's phantom catch, Nov. 16, 1975. After a four-minute delay, the replay official ruled that -- even without clear indisputable video evidence -- Majkowski was behind the line and awarded the touchdown (and victory) to the Packers. Faulk's reception on the two-point conversion made it 3128 with 2:36 left. They needed every one of them to finish a game ahead of the Baltimore Ravens in what was then known as the AFC Central. China's rover, Zhurong, could . -- Jordan Raanan, "Stay off the bottle," Dec. 9, 2018. Twenty years ago today -- on Jan. 23, 2000, in the NFC Championship Game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and St. Louis Rams -- wide receiver Bert Emanuel caught a pass he thought would propel the . Heres what Griffith told a Cleveland radio station in 2009. Under the current rules, Bryant's reception would have stood. PickCenter | ESPN Chalk It's likely no coincidence that Rams coach Mike Martz was on the Competition Committee that, in 2004, made illegal contact a point of emphasis. This led to Gannon's 6-yard touchdown pass to James Jett, giving the Raiders a 20-0 lead going into halftime. Faced with third down and 12 from the Dolphins 42-yard line, Manning completed an 11-yard pass to Marvin Harrison. Why the Packers' transition to Jordan Love, whenever it happens, will require patience, A new home for Michael Thomas? Basically, the Toronto newspaper alleged that the Giants knew what plays Minnesota was going to run before each snap during the matchup. Gannon was knocked out of the game on the Raiders next drive and replaced by Hoying. Do you have a sports website? The Bucs were trailing the St. Louis Rams 11-6 in the NFC Championship Game with 51 seconds to go. The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. [1], at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Twenty minutes later, players came back from the safety of the tunnels so the game could be finished. Jennifer Bubel Update: January 24th, 2023 09:20 EST A penalty would have allowed the Saints to run out most of the clock and put them in better position for a TD. -- Turron Davenport. CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Rams cornerback Dr Bly recovered the ensuing onside kick. In the fourth quarter, an 11-yard run by Fiedler and a 19-yard run by Smith set up a 38-yard field goal from Mare, making the score 1410. Doug Brien finished the drive with a 33-yard field goal to make the score 73. Ravens receiver Jermaine Lewis returned the ensuing kickoff 29 yards to the 38-yard line. Regular Season; Preseason; Postseason; Strength of Schedule; 2023 Opponents; . To this day, Tony Gonzalez -- not the most impartial observer -- will insist he landed in the end zone on a third-down catch in the third quarter of a divisional-round game. But as Griffith alluded to, it was incredibly odd that Minnesotas high-powered offense was unable to score any points against a Giants defense that wasnt exactly the second coming of the 1985 Chicago Bears. Jenkins' hit on Jourdan Lewis caused a fumble that Kamu Grugier-Hill came out of the pile with. Two days later, the regular referees were back. -- ESPN staff. This was the second postseason meeting between the Saints and Vikings. The Philadelphia Eagles are going to the Super Bowl. The 33-yard field goal was good, leading to a 3-0 Patriots win in a strike-shortened regular season. Early in the third quarter, Chris Oldham's interception gave New Orleans the ball at the Rams 45-yard line, setting up Brooks' 10-yard touchdown pass to Jackson that increased their lead to 177. Chinese scientists are scrambling to make contact, according to the South China Morning Post. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques. "That was a pretty terrible call," Jenkins said. Recap: NFC Championship Game: Eagles headed to Super Bowl with 31-7 rout of 49ers. Yet officials on the field ruled the pass incomplete and checked an available replay in what is believed to be the first time replay was used in a Super Bowl. It was almost like they knew the call. During an impromptu news conference afterward, Browns president Carmen Policy noted, "Those bottles are plastic. The Dolphins were offside on the play, but the Colts elected to decline the penalty and attempt a 49-yard field goal to win the game. Baltimore also recorded five sacks and held running back and Rookie of the Year Mike Anderson, who rushed for nearly 1,500 yards during the season, to 40 yards on 15 carries. So Payton was involved in multiple events in which Minnesotas opponents were accused of cheating. #DezCaughtIt, Jan. 11, 2015. Tom, c'mon now, fess up. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. With 34 seconds left in regulation, Fiedler's 9-yard touchdown pass to Jed Weaver sent the game into overtime. As he picked up the coin, Luckett announced Bettis had called heads and the coin landed on tails. James rushed for 107 yards and caught three passes for 33. The following is a list of all regular season and postseason games played between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings. Huge huge swing plays. 10. Gonzalez has a valid argument, but he was instead ruled out of bounds, and the Chiefs had no recourse in those pre-instant replay days. Their 2000 squad went 7-9. . The Raiders marched down the field to score the game-winning touchdown. "I was complaining, but it was already over with,'' White said. As the Bears celebrated, replay officials began reviewing the play. The Chargers finished that season 9-7, one game behind the Broncos in the AFC West. Lewis 1 run (Stover kick) BAL 70, BAL Sharpe 58 pass from Dilfer (Stover kick) BAL 143, BAL Ja. The game: The Seahawks became the first team to win a division with a 7-9 record, finishing atop the lowly NFC West. The NFC Championship game of the NFL Playoffs will see the San Francisco 49ers (13-4) and Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) meet at Lincoln Financial Field on January 29, starting at 3:00 PM ET.The 49ers The original Hail Mary, Dec. 28, 1975. [1], at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey. "There's no way that that team we fielded gets blanketed 41-0," Griffith reiterated. The Eagles never recovered after the Giants' Ron Dixon returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. -- Paul Gutierrez. Most memorable officiating controversies for all 32 NFL teams, Top draft prospect Carter charged in fatal crash, Trade Lamar? But the team could only get to the 34 and ended up punting. In the history of the Minnesota Vikings, one of . It was almost like every play we had called, they had the counter to it. ESPN reveals their decision, Why massive blame for brutal 2015 loss is undeserving for Blair Walsh, 15 Worst Free Agents Signings of All-Time, 5 former Vikings coaches who won a Super Bowl with another team, NBA Best Bets Today (Murray vs. Holmgren to Shine in Wednesday Summer League Evening Slate), 5 Vikings players you forgot about from the Mike Zimmer era, Minnesota Vikings all-time 53-man roster: Mike Zimmer era. The next time Miami had the ball, they turned it over on downs at the Raiders 37. Warner finished the game with 365 passing yards and three touchdowns, but was intercepted three times. Following their blowout 41-0 win over the Minnesota Vikings in the 2000 NFC Championship, the New York Giants were accused of cheating in the game. In the 2012 NFC Championship Game against San Francisco, receiver Roddy White said he was held/interfered with by NaVorro Bowman on a fourth-and-4 play from the 49ers' 10-yard line with just over a minute remaining. The 1 and 2 seeds from each conference then received a bye in the first round. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Adam "Pacman" Jones' unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the infamous 2016 AFC wild-card round still stings. Meanwhile, Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon was knocked out of the game by a ferocious hit from Baltimore defensive tackle Tony Siragusa. With Moss making the Vikings into an elite team, Minnesota returned to Giants Stadium in 2000 for the NFC Championship game. The top-seeded Eagles manhandled the San Francisco 49ers, 31-7, in the NFC championship game Sunday and will meet either the . Oakland was forced to punt on their ensuing possession, and Shane Lechler's 56-yard kick pinned the Ravens deep in their own territory. If you look back at the 1998 team, we had an explosive offense that could score. Griffith added that a 41-0 loss was difficult to believe without Minnesota having to deal with something strange in New York that day. Matt Ryan's pass was incomplete, and the 49ers advanced to the Super Bowl with a 28-24 road win. Miami responded with a 14-play, 80-yard scoring drive. In the fourth quarter with the score tied at 20, Lamar Miller ran on third-and-2 and appeared to have the first down -- but was called short. Do you have a blog? The following year, the league pushed the start of the . 2000: St. Louis Rams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 11-6: St. Louis: Jan. 17, 1999: Atlanta Falcons: Minnesota Vikings: 30 . Five plays later, the Raiders scored the game-winning touchdown. -- Mike DiRocco, Steve McNair's TD should have counted, Nov. 12, 2001. Rather, the champion is decided by the NFC Championship Game as part of the post-season playoffs involving the teams with the best regular season records. Which officiating blunder -- or perceived blunder -- still makes fans irate for all 32 teams? Philadelphia then scored with McNabb's 10-yard touchdown pass to Small, making the score 2010, but their subsequent onside kick failed and the Giants held the ball for the rest of the game. An official, however, felt Majkowski crossed the line of scrimmage before the ball left his hand and called a penalty. Home; News. -- Nick Wagoner. Search through thousands of plays from pro football history using our Event Finder tool. So as we get ready for the conference championship games this weekend, our NFL Nation reporters picked out one such controversy for each team. Philadelphia then drove 57 yards in eight plays to go up 21-3 on the third play of the fourth quarter with McNabb's 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Thomason. Or write about sports? We were always missing a piece here or there that got exploited down the stretch." The NFC's top seed Philadelphia Eagles are heading to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 2017, the year they won Super Bowl LII. Was this a coincidence? This time, the Colts made it into the end zone with Manning's 17-yard touchdown pass to Pathon with 7:47 left in the second quarter. As of the 2021 season, this game is tied for the most lopsided NFL playoff game from the 2000 playoffs to the present with the New York Jets' 41-0 win over Indianapolis in the 2002 playoffs. The substitution trick, Jan. 10, 2015. Topline. However, Minnesota could not advance the ball, and Mitch Berger's 26-yard punt gave the Giants great field position on the Minnesota 41-yard line. Rightly or wrongly, every NFL team's fan base has at least one call or non-call from over the years that still leaves it irate. Tight end Dave Casper briefly kicked it around himself before falling on it in the end zone, giving the Raiders an improbable victory. The Giants denied it, claiming the Vikings just have sour grapes after one of the worst championship game beat-downs in league history. NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF The Dolphins then marched 61 yards in 11 plays, ending with Smith's game-winning touchdown. In the divisional round of the playoffs, Dez Bryant made a spectacular fourth-down catch of a Tony Romo fade pass near the Green Bay goal line that should have put the Cowboys in position to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. 2000 NFC Championship Game Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants. Tennessee kicker Al Del Greco attempted two field goals before halftime, but his 45-yard try was blocked and he missed a 31-yard attempt. Then Giants safety Lyle West recovered a fumble from kick returner Moe Williams on the Vikings 18-yard line and Collins capitalized with an 18-yard touchdown pass to fullback Greg Comella on the next play, giving New York a 140 lead before the Vikings offense had even stepped onto the field. Cotchery's bobble, Feb. 7, 2016. But more than a decade later, there are still questions about whether Holmes' right foot touched down or if his toes were pressed against the bottom of his left cleat. Brad Daluiso finished the drive with a 25-yard field goal that gave New York a 20-3 lead on the last play of the quarter. This was the second postseason meeting between the Eagles and Giants. Emanuel had complete possession of the ball, which then would've put the Bucs on the doorstep. Smith rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 2 passes for 25. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper led the Vikings to victory with 305 passing yards and three touchdowns, without being sacked or throwing any interceptions. Black And Blue: The Story Of The 1980 NFC Championship Game. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. In an AFC divisional playoff game, the Ravens fumed about the Patriots' use of deceptive ineligible receiver plays, which ultimately resulted in a 35-31 loss. Both teams made it to the playoffs that year, where the Dolphins got revenge in the form of a 28-13 win and a trip to Super Bowl XVII. -- Adam Teicher. Then on the Eagles fourth drive, Torrance Small fumbled while being tackled by Shaun Williams, and Dave Thomas recovered the loose ball for New York on the Eagles 34-yard line to set up Brad Daluiso's 37-yard field goal. *2000 NFC Championship Game:* The Vikings entered their conference title game matchup against the Giants as slight favorites. 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