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Nfl Playoffs, 1989-90




This was the last season in which the NFL used a 10-team playoff format. The league would expand the playoffs to 12 teams next season.

For this year only, the traditional starting times for the Conference Championship Games were changed from 12:30 PM and 4:00 PM to 1:30 PM and 5:00 PM
  AFC 1 Denver Broncos
  AFC 1 Div West
  AFC 2 Cleveland Browns
  AFC 2 Div Central
  AFC 3 Buffalo Bills
  AFC 3 Div East
  AFC 4 Houston Oilers
  AFC 5 Pittsburgh Steelers
  NFC 1 San Francisco 49ers
  NFC 1 Div West
  NFC 2 New York Giants
  NFC 2 Div East
  NFC 3 Minnesota Vikings
  NFC 3 Div Central
  NFC 4 Philadelphia Eagles
  NFC 5 Los Angeles Rams



''Note: The San Francisco 49ers (the NFC 1 seed) did not play the Los Angeles Rams (the 5 seed) in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.''


WILD CARD PLAYOFFS


December 31 1989


NFC: Los Angeles Rams 21, Philadelphia Eagles 7

  Road '''Rams'''
  R1 14
  R2 0
  R3 0
  R4 7
  RT 21
  Home Eagles
  H1 0
  H2 0
  H3 0
  H4 7
  HT 7



''at Veterans Stadium , Philadelphia ''

  • Game time: 12:30 pm EST

  • '''TV announcers ( and John Madden

  • Referee: Gordon McCarter


Rams quarterback Jim Everett threw two touchdown passes in the first half as the Rams allowed only one Eagles touchdown in the fourth quarter. Everett connected on a 39-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Henry Ellard and a 4-yarder to tight end Damone Johnson. After Philadelphia running back Anthony Toney scored on a 1-yard rushing touchdown, Los Angeles running back Greg Bell, who rushed for 124 yards, scored on a 7-yard touchdown to clinch the victory.

  • Scoring

  • ---RAMS - Ellard 39 pass from Everett (Lansford kick)

  • ---RAMS - Johnson 4 pass from Everett (Lansford kick)

  • ---PHI - Toney 1 run (Ruzek kick)

  • ---RAMS - Bell 7 run (Lansford kick)



AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 26, Houston Oilers 23 (OT)

  Road '''Steelers'''
  R1 7
  R2 3
  R3 3
  R4 10
  R5 3
  RT 26
  Home Oilers
  H1 0
  H2 6
  H3 3
  H4 14
  H5 0
  HT 23



''at Astrodome , Houston, Texas ''

  • Game time: 4:00 pm

  • '''TV announcers ( and Bob Trumpy

  • Referee: Pat Haggerty


Steelers defensive back Rod Woodson 's recovered a fumble to set up Gary Anderson 's winning 50-yard field goal in overtime to give Pittsburgh the win. The Steelers scored first with running back Tim Worley's 1-yard rushing touchdown. But from that point on until the fourth quarter, the two teams exchanged 6 field goals. In the final period, Oilers quarterback Warren Moon threw two touchdowns to wide receiver Ernest Givins , an 18-yarder and a 9-yarder. However, Pittsburgh running back Merrill Hoge tied the game on a 2-yard ruching touchdown with 46 seconds left in regulation.

  • Scoring

  • ---PIT - Worley 9 run (Anderson kick)

  • ---HOU - FG Zendejas 26

  • ---HOU - FG Zendejas 35

  • ---PIT - FG Anderson 25

  • ---HOU - FG Zendejas 26

  • ---PIT - FG Anderson 30

  • ---PIT - FG Anderson 40

  • ---HOU - Givins 18 pass form Moon (Zendejas kick)

  • ---HOU - Givins 9 pass form Moon (Zendejas kick)

  • ---PIT - Hoge 2 run (Anderson kick)

  • ---PIT - FG Anderson 50



DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS


January 6 1990


AFC: Cleveland Browns 34, Buffalo Bills 30

  Road Buffalo
  R1 7
  R2 7
  R3 7
  R4 9
  RT 30
  Home '''Browns'''
  H1 3
  H2 14
  H3 14
  H4 3
  HT 34



''at Cleveland Stadium , Cleveland, Ohio ''

  • Game time: 12:30 pm EST

  • '''TV announcers ( and Merlin Olsen

  • Referee: Dick Jorgenson


In a shootout, Browns linebacker Clay Matthews intercepted Bills quarterback Jim Kelly at the Cleveland 1-yard line with 3 seconds remaining to preserve a 34-30 victory. Kelly threw 4 touchdowns while Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar completed 3. Buffalo scored first with wide receiver Andre Reed 's 72-yard touchdown reception. But after a 45-yard field goal by Cleveland kicker Matt Bahr, the two teams exchanged 5 touchdowns. Later, the Browns' Eric Metcalf scored on a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to give his team a 31-21 lead by the end of the third quarter. After an exchange of field goals, Buffalo running back Thurman Thomas , who tied an NFL playoff record with 13 receptions for 150 yards, caught a three yard touchdown pass. But the extra point failed, forcing the Bills to attempt to score a touchdown instead of a field goal on their final drive.

  • Scoring

  • ---BUF - Reed 72 pass from Kelly (Norwood kick)

  • ---CLE - FG Bahr 45

  • ---CLE - Slaughter 52 pass from Kosar (Bahr kick)

  • ---BUF - Lofton 33 pass from Kelly (Norwood kick)

  • ---CLE - Middleton 3 pass from Kosar (Bahr kick)

  • ---CLE - Slaughter 44 pass from Kosar (Bahr kick)

  • ---BUF - Thomas 6 pass from Kelly (Norwood kick)

  • ---CLE - Metcalf 90 kickoff return (Bahr kick)

  • ---BUF - FG Norwood 30

  • ---CLE - FG Bahr 47

  • ---BUF - Thomas 3 pass from Kelly (Kick failed)



NFC: San Francisco 49ers 41, Minnesota Vikings 13

  Road Vikings
  R1 3
  R2 0
  R3 3
  R4 7
  RT 13
  Home '''49ers'''
  H1 7
  H2 20
  H3 0
  H4 14
  HT 41



''at Candlestick Park , San Francisco ''

  • Game time: 4:00 pm

  • '''TV announcers ( and Terry Bradshaw

  • Referee: Tom Dooley


49ers quarterback , an 8-yarder to tight end Brent Jones , an 8-yarder to wide receiver John Taylor , and a 13-yarder to Rice. 49ers defensive back Ronnie Lott returned an interception 58 yards for a touchdown, and running back Roger Craig rushed for a 4-yard score.

  • Scoring

  • ---MIN - FG Karlis 38

  • ---SF - Rice 72 pass from Montana (Cofer kick)

  • ---SF - Jones 8 pass from Montana (Cofer kick)

  • ---SF - Taylor 8 pass from Montana (Cofer kick)

  • ---SF - Rice 13 pass from Montana (Cofer kick)

  • ---MIN - FG Karlis 44

  • ---SF - Lott 58 interception return (Cofer kick)

  • ---SF - Craig 4 run (Cofer kick)

  • ---MIN - Fenney 3 run (Karlis kick)



January 7 1990


NFC: Los Angeles Rams 19, New York Giants 13 (OT)

  Road '''Rams'''
  R1 0
  R2 7
  R3 0
  R4 6
  R5 6
  RT 19
  Home Giants
  H1 6
  H2 0
  H3 7
  H4 0
  H5 0
  HT 13



''at Giants Stadium , East Rutherford, New Jersey ''

  • Game time: 12:30 pm EST

  • '''TV announcers ( and John Madden

  • Referee: Bob McElwee


The Rams upset the Giants with quarterback Jim Everett's 30-yard touchdown pass to scored on a 2-yard touchdown. But in the fourth period, Los Angeles kicker Mike Lansford made two field goals to tie the game, the second one coming with 3:01 left in regulation.

  • Scoring

  • ---NYG - FG Allegre 35

  • ---NYG - FG Allegre 41

  • ---RAMS - F. Anderson 20 pass from Everett (Lansford kick)

  • ---NYG - O. Anderson 2 run (Allegre kick)

  • ---RAMS - FG Lansford 31

  • ---RAMS - FG Lansford 22

  • ---RAMS - F. Anderson 30 pass from Everett



AFC: Denver Broncos 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 23

  Road Steelers
  R1 3
  R2 14
  R3 3
  R4 3
  RT 23
  Home '''Broncos'''
  H1 0
  H2 10
  H3 7
  H4 7
  HT 24



''at Mile High Stadium , Denver, Colorado ''

  • Game time: 4:00 pm

  • '''TV announcers ( and Bill Walsh

  • Referee: Gene Barth


A 71-yard Broncos drive was capped by Melvin Bratton's 1-yard touchdown run with 2:27 remaining to win the game. The Steelers jumped to a 10-0 early lead with a 32-yard field goal by Gary Anderson and a 7-yard touchdown by running back Tim Worley. Bratton's 1-yard touchdown cut the deficit to 10-7, but Pittsburgh responded with quarterback Bubby Brister 's 9-yard touchdown to wide receiver Louis Lipps. Denver kicker David Treadwell then made a 43-yard field goal before halftime to cut the Steelers' lead, 17-10. In the third quarter, Broncos defensive back Tyrone Braxton recovered a fumble at the Pittsburgh 37-yard line, setting up quarterback John Elway 's 37-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Vance Johnson. Anderson later kicked two field goals to give the Steelers a 23-17 lead before Bratton scored the winning touchdown.

  • Scoring

  • ---PIT - FG Anderson 32

  • ---PIT - Worley 7 run (Anderson kick)

  • ---DEN - Bratton 1 run (Treadwell kick)

  • ---PIT - Lipps 9 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)

  • ---DEN - FG Treadwell 43

  • ---DEN - V. Johnson 37 pass from Elway (Treadwell kick)

  • ---PIT - FG Anderson 35

  • ---PIT - FG Anderson 32

  • ---DEN - Bratton 1 run (Treadwell kick)



CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS


January 14 1990


AFC: Denver Broncos 37, Cleveland Browns 21

  Road Browns
  R1 0
  R2 0
  R3 21
  R4 0
  RT 21
  Home '''Broncos'''
  H1 3
  H2 7
  H3 14
  H4 13
  HT 37



''at Mile High Stadium , Denver, Colorado ''

  • Game time: 1:30 pm

  • '''TV announcers ( and Bill Walsh

  • Referee: Dick Hantak


Quarterback John Elway led the Broncos to a 37-21 victory with 385 passing yards and three touchdowns. Denver jumped to a 10-0 halftime lead with kicker David Treadwell's 29-yard field goal and wide receiver Michael Young's 70-yard touchdown reception. However, the two teams scored a combined 5 touchdowns in the third period. Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar completed a 27-yard touchdown pass to receiver Brian Brennan, but Elway countered with a 5-yard touchdown to tight end Orson Mobley. Running back Sammy Winder's 7-yard rushing touchdown extended the Broncos lead to 24-7. However, Cleveland scored two touchdowns in a span of 2:11 to cut the lead to 24-21: a 10-yard touchdown reception by Brennan and 2-yard touchdown run by Tim Manoa. But then Denver scored 13 unanswered points in the final period to clinch the victory: Winder's 39-yard touchdown reception and two field goals by Treadwell.

  • Scoring

  • ---DEN - FG Treadwell 29

  • ---DEN - Young 70 pass from Elway (Treadwell kick)

  • ---CLE - Brennan 27 pass from Kosar (Bahr kick)

  • ---DEN - Mobley 5 pass from Elway (Treadwell kick)

  • ---DEN - Winder 7 run (Treadwell kick)

  • ---CLE - Brennan 10 pass from Kosar (Bahr kick)

  • ---CLE - Manoa 2 run (Bahr kick)

  • ---DEN - Winder 39 pass from Elway (Treadwell kick)

  • ---DEN - FG Treadwell 34

  • ---DEN - FG Treadwell 31



NFC: Los Angeles Rams 3, San Francisco 49ers 30

  Road Rams
  R1 3
  R2 0
  R3 0
  R4 0
  RT 3
  Home '''49ers'''
  H1 0
  H2 21
  H3 3
  H4 6
  HT 30



''at Candlestick Park , San Francisco ''


The 49ers crushed the Rams with 442 total yards and held the ball for 39:48. Los Angeles jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter with a 23-yard field goal by Mike Lansford, but that eventually was their lone score of the game. San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana threw 2 touchdown passes in the second period: a 20-yarder to tight end Brent Jones and an 18-yarder to wide receiver John Taylor. Running back Roger Craig recorded a 1-yard rushing touchdown, while kicker Mike Cofer made 3 field goals in the second half.

  • Scoring

  • ---RAMS - FG Lansford 23

  • ---SF - Jones 20 pass from Montana (Cofer kick)

  • ---SF - Craig 1 run (Cofer kick)

  • ---SF - Taylor 18 pass from Montana (Cofer kick)

  • ---SF - FG Cofer 28

  • ---SF - FG Cofer 36

  • ---SF - FG Cofer 25



BRACKET

  RD2 Divisional Playoffs
  RD3 Conference Championships
  RD4 Super Bowl XXIV
  Group1 '''NFC'''
  Group2 '''AFC'''
  RD1-seed01 5
  RD1-team01 '''Rams'''
  RD1-score01 '''21'''
  RD1-seed02 4
  RD1-team02 Eagles
  RD1-score02 7
  RD1-seed13 5
  RD1-team13 '''Steelers'''
  RD1-score13 '''26'''
  RD1-seed14 4
  RD1-team14 Oilers
  RD1-score14 23
  RD2-seed01 5
  RD2-team01 '''Rams'''
  RD2-score01 '''19'''
  RD2-seed02 2
  RD2-team02 Giants
  RD2-score02 13
  RD2-seed03 3
  RD2-team03 Vikings
  RD2-score03 13
  RD2-seed04 1
  RD2-team04 '''49ers'''
  RD2-score04 '''41'''
  RD2-seed05 3
  RD2-team05 Bills
  RD2-score05 30
  RD2-seed06 2
  RD2-team06 '''Browns'''
  RD2-score06 '''34'''
  RD2-seed07 5
  RD2-team07 Steelers
  RD2-score07 23
  RD2-seed08 1
  RD2-team08 '''Broncos'''
  RD2-score08 '''24'''
  RD3-seed01 5
  RD3-team01 Rams
  RD3-score01 3
  RD3-seed02 1
  RD3-team02 '''49ers'''
  RD3-score02 '''30'''
  RD3-seed03 2
  RD3-team03 Browns
  RD3-score03 21
  RD3-seed04 1
  RD3-team04 '''Broncos'''
  RD3-score04 '''37'''
  RD4-seed01 N1
  RD4-team01 '''49ers'''
  RD4-score01 '''55'''
  RD4-seed02 A2
  RD4-team02 Broncos
  RD4-score02 10


  • The 49ers (the NFC 1 seed) did not play the Rams (the 5 seed) in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.



SUPER BOWL


San Francisco 49ers (NFC) 55, Denver Broncos (AFC) 10, at Louisiana Superdome , New Orleans, Louisiana


REFERENCES

  • ''Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League'' (ISBN 0062701746)

  • ''The Sporting News Complete Super Bowl Book 1995'' (ISBN 089204523X)



  Title NFL Playoffs
  Years 1989-90
  Before NFL Playoffs, 1988-89
  After NFL Playoffs, 1990-91