The
National Football League playoffs
The National Football League (NFL) playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Currently, seven teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs. A tie-breaki ...
for the
2003 season
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
began on January 3, 2004. The postseason tournament concluded with the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
defeating the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
in
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Carolina Panthers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) c ...
, 32–29, on February 1, at
Reliant Stadium
NRG Stadium, formerly Reliant Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to have a retrac ...
in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
.
Beginning with the 2003–04 season, the NFL changed the selection procedures regarding officials for playoff games. The league suspended the prior practice of assembling "all-star" officiating crews of highly rated individual officials. Instead, the league began using the entire crews that were highest rated during the regular season, preserving familiarity and cohesiveness in the officiating. The "all-star" crews were later resumed, beginning with the
2005–06 Conference Championships.
Participants
Bracket
Schedule
In the United States,
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
broadcast the first two Wild Card playoff games.
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
then televised the rest of the
NFC
NFC may refer to:
Psychology
* Need for cognition, in psychology
* Need for closure, social psychological term
Sports
* NFC Championship Game, the National Football Conference Championship Game
* NCAA Football Championship (Philippines)
* Nati ...
games.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
broadcast the rest of the
AFC playoff games and
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Carolina Panthers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) c ...
.
Wild Card playoffs
Saturday, January 3, 2004
AFC: Tennessee Titans 20, Baltimore Ravens 17
![Titans enter the field at Houston at Tennessee 10-12-03 031012-N-0987M-504](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Titans_enter_the_field_at_Houston_at_Tennessee_10-12-03_031012-N-0987M-504.jpg)
In a defensive struggle,
Gary Anderson kicked the winning 46-yard field goal for the Titans with 29 seconds left. The winning kick was set up after a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Ravens offensive tackle
Orlando Brown Sr. forced Baltimore to punt and enabled Tennessee to start its final drive from its own 37-yard line. Titans quarterback
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair (February 14, 1973 – July 4, 2009),[Steve McNair Found Dead](_blank)
...
threw three interceptions. Meanwhile, the Ravens running back
Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lewis (born August 26, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. He played college football at Tennessee and was s ...
, the league's regular season rushing leader, was limited to 35 yards on 14 carries.
On the Titans opening drive of the game, McNair completed passes to
Drew Bennett
Andrew Russell Bennett (born August 26, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football at UCLA.
Be ...
and
Frank Wycheck
Frank John Wycheck (born October 14, 1971) is a former American football tight end and sports talk radio host. He played college football at the University of Maryland. As a professional, Wycheck played 11 seasons for the Washington Redskins an ...
for gains of 17 and 14 yards, while
Eddie George
Edward Nathan George Jr. (born September 24, 1973) is an American football coach and former player who is the current head coach at Tennessee State. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily f ...
rushed five times for 25 yards on a 10-play, 67-yard drive. Running back
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run to give Tennessee a 7–0 lead. The Ravens were forced to punt on their ensuing drive, but three plays later, safety
Ed Reed
Edward Earl Reed Jr. (born September 11, 1978) is an American former football safety in the National Football League (NFL), spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, wher ...
tipped a pass from McNair into the arms of cornerback
Will Demps
William Henry Demps, Jr. (born November 7, 1979) is a former American football safety who was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at San Diego State.
Demps also played for the New York ...
, who returned it 56 yards for a touchdown.
Early in the second quarter, a 15-yard punt return from Titans receiver
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason (born January 17, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the ...
gave his team the ball at the Ravens 35-yard line. McNair then led them to the 17-yard line, but Reed intercepted a pass from him and returned it 23 yards to the 29. After an exchange of punts, Ravens quarterback
Anthony Wright completed four passes for 56 yards and rushed for 11, setting up a 43-yard field goal by
Matt Stover
John Matthew Stover (born January 27, 1968) is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Ravens. After five seasons for the Cleveland Browns, he was amon ...
giving Baltimore a 10–7 halftime lead.
Midway through the third quarter, McNair's 49-yard touchdown pass to
Justin McCareins
Justin Morgan McCareins (born December 1, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He also played for the New York Jets. ...
gave the Titans a 14–10 lead. Then in the fourth quarter, Tennessee cornerback
Samari Rolle
Samari Toure Rolle (born August 10, 1976) is a retired American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.
Rolle has also played for the Ba ...
intercepted a pass from Wright at the Ravens 30-yard line, setting up a 45-yard field goal from Anderson. But Wright led Baltimore back, completing five passes for 80 yards on their ensuing drive. Tight end
Todd Heap
Todd Benjamin Heap (born March 16, 1980) is a former American football tight end who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
After playing college football for Arizona State University, he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in ...
caught three of Wright's passes for 55 yards, and finished the drive with a leaping 35-yard catch in the back of the end zone to tie the game.
After an exchange of punts, the Titans took the ball on their own 37-yard line and drove 35 yards to Ravens 28-yard line where Anderson's 46-yard field goal with 33 seconds left gave them the win. This would be the Titans last playoff win until
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
.
This was the second postseason meeting between the Titans and Ravens. Baltimore won the only previous meeting.
NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, Dallas Cowboys 10
The Cowboys' turnaround season under coach
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells (born August 22, 1941) is an American former football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons. He rose to prominence as the head coach of the New York Giants from 1983 ...
came to a crashing halt. The Panthers outgained the Cowboys in total yards 380–204 and held the ball for 34:23. Dallas quarterback
Quincy Carter
LaVonya Quintelle "Quincy" Carter (born October 13, 1977) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Georgia and for the National Football League teams Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets. Outside the NFL, he also was ...
threw for only 154 yards and an interception, while being sacked three times. Meanwhile, Panthers quarterback
Jake Delhomme
Jake Christopher Delhomme (; born January 10, 1975) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). Delhomme played college football at Louisiana, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana ...
threw for 273 yards and a touchdown to
Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to:
Academics
* Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager
* Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...
, who had five receptions for 135 yards and added 22 return yards on special teams.
Stephen Davis ran for 104 yards and another touchdown, while
Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad II (; born Melvin Darnell Campbell Jr. May 5, 1973) is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Muhammad played college football for ...
caught four passes for 103 yards.
John Kasay
John David Kasay (born October 27, 1969) is a former American football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Georgia and was selected by the Se ...
kicked five field goals for Carolina.
On the Panthers third play of the game, Delhomme completed a 70-yard pass to Smith on the Cowboys 1-yard line, setting up Kasay's first field goal. Later in the first quarter,
Toby Gowin
Toby is a popular, usually male, name in many English speaking countries. The name is from the Middle English vernacular form of Tobias. Tobias itself is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew טוביה ''Toviah'', which translates to ''Good i ...
's 31-yard punt gave the Panthers the ball at the Cowboys 41-yard line, and they scored another field goal to take a 6–0 lead. On the Cowboys ensuing drive, Carter completed a 28-yard pass to
Joey Galloway and
Troy Hambrick
Troy Hambrick (born November 6, 1976) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at University of South Carolina and Savannah State Universit ...
ran for 16 yards, giving Dallas a first down at the Panthers 20-yard line. But two plays later, fullback
Richie Anderson fumbled the ball and Carolina safety
Mike Minter
Michael Christopher Minter (born January 15, 1974) is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina, a position he has held since the 2013 season. Minter played ...
recovered it.
Later in the second quarter, Gowin once again gave the Panthers great field position with a 17-yard punt to the Carolina 49-yard line, and this time they managed to get the ball into the end zone with a 23-yard touchdown run by Davis, giving them a 13–0 lead. Carter managed to respond on the Cowboys ensuing drive, completing an 18-yard pass to Galloway, a 21-yard pass to
Terry Glenn
Terry Tyree Glenn (July 23, 1974 – November 20, 2017) was an American football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, and Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted by t ...
, and a 12-yard pass to Anderson.
Billy Cundiff
William Ambrose Cundiff (born March 30, 1980) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Drake University, and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2002.
College career
Cundiff played for ...
finished the drive with a 37-yard field goal to cut the score to 13–3 with 1:03 left in the second quarter. But after the ensuing kickoff, Delhomme's 57-yard completion to Muhammad set up Kasay's third field goal on the last play of the half.
The Panthers continued to dominate the game in the second half. Smith returned a Gowin punt seven yards to the Panthers 37-yard line. Then after a 24-yard reception by Muhammad, he caught a 7-yard pass and capped the drive with a 32-yard touchdown catch. Later on, he returned a punt to his own 40-yard line, setting up a 38-yard drive that ended with Kasay's fourth field goal, increasing the Panthers lead to 26–3.
Dallas receiver
Michael Bates returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to the Panthers 47-yard line, sparking a desperate rally. Carter then completed six consecutive passes and finished the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run, cutting the score to 26–10. Dallas' defense managed to force a punt on Carolina's next drive, but two plays later, Panthers lineman
Julius Peppers
Julius Frazier Peppers (born January 18, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, ...
intercepted a screen pass from Carter and returned it 34 yards to the Cowboys 11-yard line. Four plays later, Kasay kicked his fifth field goal with 3:04 left in the game to close out the scoring.
This was the second postseason meeting between the Cowboys and Panthers. Carolina won the only previous meeting.
Sunday, January 4, 2004
NFC: Green Bay Packers 33, Seattle Seahawks 27 (OT)
Packers cornerback
Al Harris returned an interception 52 yards for the game-winning touchdown 4:25 into overtime, making this the first playoff game ever to be won in overtime with a defensive touchdown. The game is memorable for Seahawks quarterback
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck (born September 25, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boston College and was drafted in the sixth ro ...
's ironic comment after winning the coin toss for the start of overtime, telling the microphoned referee, and thus the crowd at
Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field is an outdoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The home field of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), it opened in 1957 as City Stadium, replacing ...
and the national television audience, "We want the ball, and we're going to score."
After forcing a punt, the Seahawks scored on their opening drive, with Hasselbeck completing two passes to
Koren Robinson
Koren Lynard Robinson (born March 19, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for North Carolina State University. He was drafted by the S ...
for 25 yards and
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander (born August 30, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the ...
rushing for 22 on the way to a 30-yard field goal by
Josh Brown. In the second quarter,
Tom Rouen
Thomas Francis Rouen (born June 9, 1968) is a former American football punter who was the long-time punter for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League.
Early life
Rouen attended Heritage High School in Littleton, Colorado, where h ...
's 38-yard punt gave the Packers the ball at midfield. Green Bay quarterback
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...
then completed a 29-yard pass to fullback
William Henderson to set up a 31-yard field goal from
. Seattle struck back with a 51-yard drive, featuring a 28-yard reception by
Bobby Engram
Simon J. "Bobby" Engram III (born January 7, 1973) is a retired American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State.
Engram also played for ...
, and scored another Brown field goal to retake the lead. But on the first play of the Packers ensuing drive, Favre completed a 44-yard pass to
Javon Walker
Javon Liteff Walker (born October 14, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers 20th overall of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.
Walker also played for the Den ...
. Then after a 13-yard run from
Ahman Green
Ahman Rashad Green (; born February 16, 1977) is a former American football running back who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Green played college football at Nebraska and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd ro ...
, Favre threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Bubba Franks
Daniel Lamont "Bubba" Franks (born January 6, 1978) is a former American football tight end who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Miami. He was drafted by the Green Bay ...
. Seattle was forced to punt from their own 7 on their next drive, and receiver
Antonio Chatman
Antonio Tavaras Chatman (born February 12, 1979) is a former American football wide receiver and punt returner. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at Cincinnati.
Chatman also ...
returned the ball six yards to the Seahawks 39-yard line. Two plays later, Favre's 23-yard completion to
Donald Driver
Donald Jerome Driver (born February 2, 1975) is a former American football wide receiver. After playing college football for Alcorn State University, Driver was picked by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He ...
set up Longwell's 27-yard field goal with 41 seconds left in the half, giving the Packers a 13–6 lead.
Seattle took the second half kickoff and stormed down the field, driving 74 yards in 10 plays. Hasselbeck started out the drive with a 25-yard pass to
Darrell Jackson
Darrell Lamont Jackson (born December 6, 1978) is an American former college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 2000s. Jackson played college football for ...
, followed it up with a 15-yard completion to
Itula Mili
Itula Mili (born April 20, 1973) is a former American football tight end. Mili played college football for Brigham Young University (BYU). He played with the Seattle Seahawks for 10 seasons.
High school
Mili attended Kahuku High School and live ...
, and later completed a 14-yard pass to Mili. Alexander finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down to tie the game. Then after forcing a punt, Hasselbeck completed five of seven passes for 72 yards, including a 33-yard pass to Robinson, and Alexander scored with another 1-yard touchdown run to give his team a 20–13 lead. Green Bay fullback
Nick Luchey
James Nicolas Luchey (born James Nicolas Williams March 30, 1977) is a former American football fullback in the National Football League. Luchey was drafted in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft (135th overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals out ...
returned the ensuing kickoff 12 yards to his own 40-yard line, and Favre subsequently led the Packers 60 yards in 11 plays, taking over seven minutes off the clock. At the end of the drive, Green's 1-yard touchdown run tied the game with 9:56 left in the fourth quarter.
Seattle went
three-and-out
A down is a period in which a play transpires in gridiron football. The down is a distinguishing characteristic of the game compared to other codes of football, but is synonymous with a "tackle" in rugby league. The team in possession of the ...
on their next drive, and Chatman returned Rouen's punt 21 yards to the Seahawks 49-yard line. Favre once again led the Packers on another long scoring drive, moving the ball 49 yards in 12 plays and consuming 6:51 off the clock. Green finished the drive with another 1-yard touchdown run, and Longwell's extra point gave the Packers a 27–20 lead with 2:39 left in regulation. But Hasslbeck responded by completing three of five passes for 59 yards, including a 34-yard pass to Engram, on the way to Alexander's third 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Favre's 27-yard completion to Walker on the Packers ensuing drive gave them a chance to win, but Longwell missed a 47-yard field goal attempt on the last play of regulation, and it went into overtime.
After the Seahawks won the overtime coin flip, Hasselbeck inadvertently spoke into the referee's microphone, "We want the ball and we're gonna score!" After both teams went three-and-out on their first drives of the extra period, Seattle drove to their own 45-yard line before Harris intercepted Hasselbeck's pass and returned it 52 yards for the winning touchdown.
Favre completed 26 of 38 passes for 319 yards (his second highest post season total) and a touchdown. This was his 14th consecutive postseason game with a touchdown pass, a postseason record. Walker caught five passes for 111 yards. This would be the final game for
John Randle
John Anthony Randle (born December 12, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was a six-time first-tea ...
in his
Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
career.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Seahawks and Packers.
AFC: Indianapolis Colts 41, Denver Broncos 10
Colts quarterback
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with th ...
earned his first playoff victory as he completed 22 of 26 passes for 377 yards and five touchdowns, giving him a perfect
passer rating
Passer rating (also known as passing efficiency in college football) is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks, in gridiron football. There are two formulas currently in use: one used by both the National Football Leag ...
of 158.3 as the Colts crushed the Broncos, scoring on every possession until running back
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James (; born August 1, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at the University of Miami for the Miami Hurr ...
lost a fumble with 14:14 left in the fourth quarter. Manning passed for four touchdowns in the first half alone, including one to
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver who played 13 seasons for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL), much of it with Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton ...
where he got up and scored after falling down untouched. Both Harrison and
Brandon Stokley
Brandon Ray Stokley (born June 23, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver and current radio personality. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at University of L ...
scored two touchdowns for Indianapolis, with
Reggie Wayne
Reginald Wayne (born November 17, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver who played 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Miami, and was drafted ...
added the fifth. Meanwhile, the Colts defense picked off two passes from Broncos quarterback
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer (born December 19, 1974) is a former professional American football player, a quarterback for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 ...
and recovered a fumble. Harrison recorded a career postseason high seven receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns, while Stokley caught four passes for 144 yards and two scores.
The Colts took the opening kickoff and stormed down the field. James gained 39 yards on the first five plays of the drive, and then Manning finished it with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Stokley. Denver responded on their ensuing drive, advancing the ball 49 yards in 12 plays and taking 8:13 off the clock.
Jason Elam
Jason Elam (born March 8, 1970) is a former American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft and played 15 seasons with the Broncos and two with the Atlanta Falcons.
A three-time Pro B ...
capped off the drive with a 49-yard field goal to cut their deficit to 7–3, but it was as close as Denver would ever get for the rest of the game. After the kickoff, Harrison caught three passes for 70 yards, including a pass in which he made a diving catch around three Denver players. All of them thought Harrison was down by contact and started to leave the field, but no one had actually touched him, and Harrison got back up and ran 46 yards for a touchdown.
After forcing a punt, the Colts drove 80 yards in nine plays. James rushed for 17 yards on the drive, while Manning started it off with a 25-yard completion to tight end
Marcus Pollard
Marcus LaJuan Pollard (born February 8, 1972) is a former American football tight end and current director of player development and youth football for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
College career
Born in Lanett, Alabama, Pollard attended Valley Hi ...
and finished it with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Harrison, giving the Colts a 21–3 lead with 11:07 left in the second quarter. Denver managed to move the ball to the Colts 36-yard line on their ensuing drive, but a 15-yard penalty on guard
Dan Neil pushed them out of field goal range and forced them to punt.
Micah Knorr
Micah J. Knorr (born January 9, 1975) is a former American football Punter (football), punter . He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Utah State Aggies ...
managed to pin Indianapolis back at their own 13-yard line with his punt, but on the first play after that, Manning threw an 87-yard touchdown pass to Stokley. Plummer's 18-yard completion to
Rod Smith helped the Broncos advance to the Indianapolis 37-yard line on Denver's next possession, but then he threw an interception to cornerback
David Macklin
David Thurman Macklin (born July 14, 1978) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State.
Macklin has also been a member o ...
, who returned it 21 yards to the Colts 45-yard line. After the turnover, Manning completed four passes for 48 yards, moving the ball to the Broncos 10-yard line where
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John Vanderjagt ( ; born March 24, 1970) is a Canadian former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily with the Indianapolis Colts. He served as the Colts' placekicker from 1998 to ...
made a 27-yard field goal on the last play of the half, giving the Colts a 31–3 halftime lead.
The Colts defense stepped up in the third quarter, forcing three turnovers. Denver took the second half kickoff and drove to the Colts 23-yard line, featuring a 34-yard reception by Smith. But then Plummer was sacked on third down and Elam's 46-yard field goal attempt was blocked. After the botched field goal, the Colts drove 64 yards and scored with Manning's fifth touchdown pass, a 7-yard toss to Wayne. Three plays after the ensuing kickoff, Colts linebacker
Rob Morris recovered a fumble from Plummer on the Broncos 20-yard line, setting up a 20-yard field goal from Vanderjagt. Then four plays after the ensuing kickoff, Macklin recorded his second interception from Plummer and returned it 32 yards to the Broncos 49-yard line.
This time, the Colts were unable to get any points. Three plays after the interception, Broncos linebacker
Reggie Hayward
Reginald Joseph Hayward Jr. (born March 14, 1979) is a former American football defensive end who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at Iowa State U ...
recovered a fumble from James on the Broncos 38-yard line. After that, the Broncos drove 62 yards in 12 plays and scored with Plummer's 7-yard touchdown pass to Smith, cutting their deficit to 41–10. But by then, there was only seven minutes left in the game.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Broncos and Colts.
Divisional playoffs
Saturday, January 10, 2004
NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)
The Panthers stunned the favored Rams in double-overtime, the fifth longest game in NFL history, in a thrilling finish to a game that featured big swings in momentum.
St. Louis scored on their first drive of the game, with
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger (; born April 5, 1977) is a retired American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth r ...
completing passes to
Dane Looker
Dane Alan Looker (born May 5, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) He played college football for the Washington Huskies. Looker was signed by the St. Louis Ram ...
and
Isaac Bruce
Isaac Isidore Bruce (born November 10, 1972) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and a member of the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round o ...
for gains of 24 and 17 yards on the way to a 20-yard
Jeff Wilkins
Jeffrey Allen Wilkins (born April 19, 1972), nicknamed "Money", is a former American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams of the National Football League (NFL). With the Rams, he won Super Bo ...
field goal. They went on to add another field goal on their first drive of the second quarter, set up by
Tommy Polley's 37-yard interception return to the Panthers 22-yard line. On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Carolina managed to take the momentum with a 65-yard run by
Stephen Davis, giving them a first down on the Rams 4. Eventually faced with third and goal from the 5, quarterback
Jake Delhomme
Jake Christopher Delhomme (; born January 10, 1975) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). Delhomme played college football at Louisiana, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana ...
was tackled behind the line and fumbled the ball while attempting a shovel pass, but it rolled into the end zone where receiver
Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad II (; born Melvin Darnell Campbell Jr. May 5, 1973) is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Muhammad played college football for ...
recovered it for a touchdown that gave the Panthers a 7–6 lead. The Rams got the ball back on their own 46 due to a 15-yard face mask penalty by
Mike Minter
Michael Christopher Minter (born January 15, 1974) is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina, a position he has held since the 2013 season. Minter played ...
while tackling
Arlen Harris
Arlen Quincy Harris (born April 22, 1980) is a former National Football League, NFL running back played for the St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions, and the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football for the University of Virginia and Hofstra Universi ...
at the end of a 30-yard return, and retook the lead with a third field goal from Wilkins. However, the Panthers also received good field position to start their next series, as
Brad Hoover returned the next kickoff 19 yards to the Carolina 41. Delhomme then led the Panthers to the St. Louis 27 where
John Kasay
John David Kasay (born October 27, 1969) is a former American football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Georgia and was selected by the Se ...
kicked a 45-yard field goal, giving the team a 10–9 lead at the end of the half.
For the third time in three quarters, St. Louis scored a field goal on their first drive, this one a franchise playoff record 51-yard kick from Wilkins that was set up by Bruce's 24-yard reception. However, the Panthers stormed back with three unanswered scoring drives. Kasay soon responded with a franchise playoff record field goal of his own, this one from 52 yards, to retake the Panthers lead at 13–12. Following a Rams punt, Carolina drove 64 yards in 14 plays and scored again on Kasay's 34-yard kick. Then in the fourth quarter, Minter intercepted a pass from Bulger on the Panthers 27. Carolina subsequently drove 73 yards, including a 36-yard catch by
Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to:
Academics
* Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager
* Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...
, to score on Hoover's 7-yard touchdown run and increase their lead to 23–12.
Carolina now seemed to be in control of the game, especially when
Deon Grant
Deon D'Marquis Grant (born March 14, 1979) is a former American football safety who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football for the University of Tennessee, was a member of Tennessee's national championship ...
intercepted Bulger's pass on the first play after the ensuing kickoff and returned it 16 yards to the Rams 28. But the Panthers went three and out, and on their third down play, defensive tackle
Tyoka Jackson's 11-yard sack pushed them to the outer limits of field goal range, where Kasay missed a 53-yard kick attempt with 6:26 left in regulation.
St. Louis took the ball back and drove 57 yards in 15 plays, featuring a 22-yard reception by
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
on fourth down and two, and scored with Faulk's 1-yard touchdown run. Bulger's subsequent 2-point conversion pass to Looker cut the score to 23–20 with 2:39 to go. Then Wilkins recovered his own onside kick, setting up a 43-yard drive that ended with his 33-yard field goal. The field goal would cause some controversy, as the Rams held the ball inside the Carolina 20-yard line with less than a minute remaining, and one timeout. But Rams coach
Mike Martz
Michael Martz (born May 13, 1951) is an American football coach. Best known for his coaching tenure with the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League (NFL), he served as the offensive coordinator for the Rams' Greatest Show on Turf offe ...
elected to play for the tie, allowing the clock to run down and kick the tying field goal, rather than let his quick-scoring offense try for the winning touchdown. Wilkins sent the game into overtime when he booted his fifth field goal of the afternoon through the uprights to tie the score at 23 as time expired in regulation.
Both teams blew scoring chances in the first overtime period. The Panthers would march down to the Rams 22-yard line on their first drive in overtime, and Kasay made a 40-yard field goal that would have won the game. But the Panthers were flagged for delay of game, and Kasay's second attempt from 45 yards was wide right. On the Rams ensuing possession, Wilkins attempted a 53-yard field goal, but it fell short. On the first play after Wilkins' miss, Muhammad caught a 22-yard pass on the Rams 35. But two sacks and a false start penalty pushed the Panthers all the way back to their own side of the field and they ended up punting the ball away.
The Rams took the ball back and drove into Carolina territory, however an errant Bulger pass was intercepted by Carolina cornerback
Ricky Manning
Richard "Ricky" Manning Jr. (born November 18, 1980) is an American football coach former cornerback who is currently a defensive assistant for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He played college football at UCLA and was drafted ...
. On the first play of the second overtime period, Delhomme needed only ten seconds to throw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Smith to win the game. It marked the first double-overtime game and longest NFL game since
the 1986 playoffs.
Delhomme completed 16 of 26 passes for 290 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Smith caught six passes for 163 yards and a touchdown. Bulger threw for 332 yards, but was intercepted three times. Bruce caught seven passes for 116 yards. Panthers kick returner
Rod Smart
Torrold DeShaun "Rod" Smart (born January 9, 1977) is a former professional American football running back. He played college football for Western Kentucky. He was originally signed by the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL ...
returned five kickoffs for 123 yards, while Harris returned five for 124. Rams defensive end
Brian Young had two sacks.
This turned out to be the last hurrah for
The Greatest Show on Turf
"The Greatest Show on Turf" was a nickname for the record-breaking offense of the St. Louis Rams during the 1999, 2000, and 2001 National Football League seasons. The offense was designed by attack-oriented offensive coordinator (during the 1 ...
, as the Rams would head into a steady decline over the next several seasons. It was also the last playoff game for the Rams in St. Louis before returning to Los Angeles in 2016 and their last home playoff game overall until 2017.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Panthers and Rams.
AFC: New England Patriots 17, Tennessee Titans 14
In one of the coldest games in NFL history, with temperatures reaching , the Patriots survived the cold and NFL co-MVP
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair (February 14, 1973 – July 4, 2009),[Steve McNair Found Dead](_blank)
...
, relying on yet another game-winning field goal from kicker
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Considered one of the greatest ...
late in the fourth quarter and a key defensive stand.
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
stormed out the gates with a 19-yard completion to
Kevin Faulk
Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ).
The variant '' Kevan'' is anglicized from , a ...
with his first pass attempt. A few plays later, the Titans defensive scheme confused him and caused him to burn a timeout, but it was well spent. On the next play, he threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to
Bethel Johnson
Bethel Johnson (born February 11, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He ...
. McNair struck back with a 15-yard completion to
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason (born January 17, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the ...
and a 24-yard pass to running back
Eddie George
Edward Nathan George Jr. (born September 24, 1973) is an American football coach and former player who is the current head coach at Tennessee State. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily f ...
, moving the ball to the Patriots 22-yard line.
Roman Phifer
Roman Zubinsky Phifer (born March 5, 1968) is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League. Phifer is currently Senior Personnel Executive for the Denver Broncos.
Phifer played for the New England Patriots, the New York ...
almost ended the drive by intercepting a pass from McNair, but defensive end
Richard Seymour
Richard Vershaun Seymour (born October 6, 1979) is an American professional poker player and former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) . He played college football for the Georgia ...
was penalized for roughing the passer and the Titans got the ball back with a first down on the New England 9-yard line. Two plays later,
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
scored a 5-yard touchdown run to tie the game.
After the ensuing kickoff, Brady completed a pass to
Dedric Ward
Dedric Lamar Ward (born September 29, 1974) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys. He also was an assistant c ...
for 22 yards on a 38-yard drive to the Titans 26-yard line. The drive ended with no points when Vinatieri missed a 44-yard field goal attempt, but on the next play, safety
Rodney Harrison
Rodney Scott Harrison (born December 15, 1972) is an American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots. He was selected in the fifth round of th ...
intercepted a pass from McNair and returned it seven yards to the Patriots 43-yard line. Brady subsequently completed four of six passes for 49 yards and rushed for three on the way to a 1-yard touchdown run by
Antowain Smith
Antowain Drurell Smith (born March 14, 1972) is a former American Football running back in the National Football League who played nine NFL seasons, most notably with the New England Patriots, with whom he won two Super Bowls, and the Buffalo Bi ...
to retake the lead less than two minutes into the second quarter. Later in the quarter, the Titans drove 51 yards in nine plays to the Patriots 13-yard line, featuring a 29-yard completion from McNair to Mason. But New England's defense kept them out the end zone and blocked
Gary Anderson's 31-yard field goal attempt.
Early in the third quarter, McNair led the Titans on a 70-yard scoring drive, completing five consecutive passes for 59 yards and capping it off with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Mason. The rest of the third quarter was scoreless, but midway through the fourth quarter,
Troy Brown
Troy Fitzgerald Brown (born July 2, 1971) is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers and kick returners coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a wide receiver and ki ...
's 10-yard punt return gave the Patriots great field position at the Titans 40-yard line. The Patriots gained only 13 yards on their ensuing possession (including a critical 4-yard completion from Brady to Brown on fourth down and 3), but it was enough for Vinatieri to make a 46-yard field goal, giving New England a 17–14 lead with 4:02 left in regulation.
The Titans took the ensuing kickoff and drove to the Patriots 33-yard line. But two penalties, a 10-yard intentional grounding call and a holding penalty, pushed them back 20 yards. McNair threw an 11-yard completion on the next play, but after that,
Drew Bennett
Andrew Russell Bennett (born August 26, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football at UCLA.
Be ...
had the ball knocked out of his hands on fourth down and 12, and the Titans turned the ball over on downs with 1:38 left.
This was the second postseason meeting between the Titans and Patriots. The Titans won the only prior meeting as the Houston Oilers.
Sunday, January 11, 2004
AFC: Indianapolis Colts 38, Kansas City Chiefs 31
This offensive shootout became the second
puntless game in NFL playoff history. For the second game in a row, Colts punter
Hunter Smith
Hunter Dwight Smith (born August 9, 1977) is a former American football punter. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.
Smith earned a Super Bowl ring ...
took the day off while quarterback
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with th ...
completed 22 of 30 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns (to
Reggie Wayne
Reginald Wayne (born November 17, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver who played 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Miami, and was drafted ...
,
Brandon Stokley
Brandon Ray Stokley (born June 23, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver and current radio personality. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at University of L ...
and
Tom Lopienski respectively), while
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James (; born August 1, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at the University of Miami for the Miami Hurr ...
ran for a career postseason high 125 yards and two scores. On the Kansas City side,
Dante Hall
Damieon Dante Hall (born September 20, 1978) is an American former football wide receiver and return specialist who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is nicknamed the "Human Joystick" and the "X-Factor". Hall was a ...
caught a touchdown and returned seven kickoffs for 207 yards and another score, and
Priest Holmes
Priest Anthony Holmes (born October 7, 1973)
''www.databasefootball.com.'' Retrieved February 13, 2016 ...
, who set the regular-season rushing touchdown record in 2003, rushed for 176 yards, caught five passes for 32 yards, and scored twice. Kansas City's 33-year-old quarterback
Trent Green
Trent Jason Green (born July 9, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for fifteen seasons. He played college football for Indiana University. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in ...
threw for 212 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 18 yards in his first career postseason game. A touchdown pass called back by a penalty and Holmes' third-quarter fumble, which set up a Colts' field goal, turned out to be too much for the Chiefs to overcome. Kansas City defensive coordinator
Greg Robinson resigned the following week in disgrace. "He is the master," Kansas City defensive end
Eric Hicks said of Manning. "That was an amazing performance. I never would have thought a quarterback would play two games in a row like that. They took us behind the woodshed and just beat us. It was embarrassing."
Manning started off the day leading the Colts 70 yards and finished the opening drive with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Stokley. Kansas City responded with a 73-yard drive, with Holmes gaining 44 yards on five carries before
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen (born 19 August 1960), nicknamed the "Great Dane", is a Danish former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 25 seasons, most notably with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. ...
kicked a 22-yard field goal to cut the score to 7–3. The Colts stormed right back, driving 76 yards in six plays. Manning completed a 38-yard pass to
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver who played 13 seasons for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL), much of it with Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton ...
on the drive, and James finished it with an 11-yard touchdown run. But then Kansas City came back, driving 77 yards in 12 plays, converting three third downs, and finishing the drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Green to Hall in the second quarter.
After that, Manning led the Colts 71 yards and scored with a 2-yard touchdown pass to
Tom Lopienski, giving them a 21–10 lead. Once again, the Chiefs drove deep into Colts territory, but this time they failed to score. First,
Tony Gonzalez
Anthony David Gonzalez (born February 27, 1976) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he is the NFL's all-time leader ...
's 27-yard touchdown catch was called back by a pass interference penalty, and then Andersen missed a 31-yard field goal attempt.
The end of the first half briefly interrupted the barrage of scoring, but it quickly resumed in the second. On the second play of the half, Holmes' 48-yard run moved the ball to the Colts 22-yard line. But on the next play, Indianapolis cornerback
David Macklin
David Thurman Macklin (born July 14, 1978) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State.
Macklin has also been a member o ...
stripped the ball from Holmes and recovered it. After that, the Colts drove to the Chiefs 22-yard line before Kansas City's first key defensive play of the game, defensive tackle
Shawn Barber
Shawn William Barber (born January 14, 1975) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Richmon ...
tackling James for a 5-yard loss on third down, forced them to settle for a
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John Vanderjagt ( ; born March 24, 1970) is a Canadian former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily with the Indianapolis Colts. He served as the Colts' placekicker from 1998 to ...
field goal, increasing their lead to 24–10. But the Chiefs were not about to go down. Hall returned the ensuing kickoff 26 yards to his own 44-yard line. Then Holmes made up for his earlier mistake by carrying the ball on six of the eight plays of Kansas City's possession, gaining 44 yards and finishing the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Not to be outdone, Manning responded with five consecutive completions for 57 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown pass to Wayne to put the Colts back up by 14 points. But this margin turned out to be short lived; Hall returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown.
But once again, the Chiefs defense had no ability to stop the Colts. Manning led them on a 10-play, 81-yard drive that ended with James' 1-yard touchdown run with 10:38 left in the game. The Chiefs responded with a touchdown of their own, but it took too long. By the time Holmes finished the 17-play, 76-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, only 4:16 remained in the game. The Colts then put the game away by running the clock down to eight seconds on their ensuing drive. This game is known among Chiefs fans in the pantheon of great Chief playoff losses as "The No Punt Game".
This was the second postseason meeting between the Colts and Chiefs. Indianapolis won the only prior meeting.
NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 20, Green Bay Packers 17 (OT)
Ahman Green
Ahman Rashad Green (; born February 16, 1977) is a former American football running back who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Green played college football at Nebraska and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd ro ...
's franchise postseason record 156 rushing yards and an early 14–0 lead was not enough to lift the Packers to victory. Facing fourth down and 26 yards to go, with 1:12 left in the fourth quarter and the Packers leading 17–14, Eagles quarterback
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before his NFL career, he played football and b ...
completed a 28-yard pass to
Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Lee Mitchell II (born November 28, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He was chosen as a consensus All-American in 2000 whi ...
on a famous play now known as "
4th and 26". The play set up
David Akers
David Roy Akers (; born December 9, 1974) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He began his career in 1998 with the Washington Redski ...
' 37-yard field goal to send the game into overtime. In the extra period, an interception by
Brian Dawkins
Brian Patrick Dawkins Sr. (born October 13, 1973) is an American former football safety who played 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Clemson and was drafted b ...
set up another Akers field goal to win the game.
Midway through the first quarter, Packers lineman
Nick Barnett
Nicholas Alexander Barnett (born May 27, 1981) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for Oregon State University, and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He has played p ...
recovered a fumble from McNabb on the Eagles 40-yard line, and
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...
threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to
Robert Ferguson on the next play.
James Thrash
James Ray Thrash (born April 28, 1975) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Missouri Southern State University.
Thrash also pla ...
returned the ensuing kickoff 36 yards to the 44-yard line. Then McNabb made up for his mistake with a 41-yard run to the Packers 15. But the drive stalled at the 14-yard line and ended with no points when Akers missed a 31-yard field goal attempt. After the missed field goal, Green rushed three times for 31 yards before Favre threw his second touchdown pass to Ferguson, giving the Packers a 14–0 lead with 1:16 left in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, McNabb led the Eagles on a scoring drive, completing five consecutive passes for 77 yards, including a 45-yard pass to
Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston (born April 23, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught 184 passes for 2,816 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles w ...
. On the last play, his 7-yard touchdown pass to
Duce Staley
Duce Staley (born February 27, 1975) is an American football coach and former player who is the assistant head coach and running backs coach for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served in the same capac ...
cut the deficit to 14–7. Green Bay took the kickoff and drove 67 yards to the Eagles 1-yard line, featuring a 33-yard run by Green, but on fourth down, Green was stuffed by linemen
Jerome McDougle
Jerome McDougle (born December 15, 1978) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles 15th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. McDougle played college football at the University of Miami. He has also played ...
and
Mark Simoneau
Mark Lee Simoneau (born January 16, 1977) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for Kansas State University and was r ...
for no gain and the Packers turned the ball over on downs.
Late in the third quarter, the Eagles drove 88 yards in eight plays to tie the game, despite two 10-yard penalties against them on the drive. McNabb was responsible for all of the yards on the drive, rushing for 37 yards and completing four passes for 72, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to Pinkston that tied the game on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Later on,
Antonio Chatman
Antonio Tavaras Chatman (born February 12, 1979) is a former American football wide receiver and punt returner. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at Cincinnati.
Chatman also ...
's 10-yard punt return gave the Packers great field position on their own 49-yard line. On the next play, Favre threw a 44-yard completion to
Javon Walker
Javon Liteff Walker (born October 14, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers 20th overall of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.
Walker also played for the Den ...
. Philadelphia's defense kept Green Bay out of the end zone, but
kicked a 21-yard field goal to give them a 17–14 lead. After an exchange of punts, the Eagles got the ball on their own 20-yard line with 2:22 left in regulation.
Staley started out the drive with a 22-yard run. Over the next three plays, McNabb was sacked for a 16-yard loss and threw two incompletions, bringing up
4th and 26 to go with just 1:16 left in the game. But he managed to overcome the situation with a 28-yard completion to Mitchell to keep the drive alive. He then added a 3-yard run, a 9-yard pass to Mitchell, and a 10-yard completion to Pinkston to get his team into field goal range, where Akers' 37-yard field goal sent the game into overtime.
Philadelphia won the coin toss in overtime, but they were forced to punt after three plays and Chatman returned the ball 15 yards to the 42-yard line. However, Dawkins intercepted Favre's first pass of the ensuing drive and returned it 35 yards to the Packers 34-yard line. An 11-yard run by Staley and an 8-yard reception by Pinkston then set up a 31-yard field goal from Akers to win the game.
Although he was sacked eight times and lost a fumble, McNabb had a solid performance in the game, completing 21 of 39 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 107 yards on 11 carries. His 107 rushing yards were a postseason record for a quarterback. Pinkston caught seven passes for 95 yards and a touchdown, while Thrash returned five kickoffs for 125 yards.
This was the second postseason meeting between the Packers and Eagles. Philadelphia won the only prior meeting.
Conference Championships
Sunday, January 18, 2004
AFC: New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 14
New England's defense dominated the Colts, only allowing 14 points, intercepting four passes from
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with th ...
(3 of them by
Ty Law
Tajuan Edward "Ty" Law (born February 10, 1974) is an American former American football, football cornerback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football a ...
), recording four sacks (three by
Jarvis Green
Jarvis Pernell Green (born January 12, 1979) is a former American football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL draft. He played college ...
), and forcing a safety. Although New England's offense fared no better and only scored one touchdown, Vinatieri's five field goals made up for the difference as the Patriots won, 24–14, to advance to their second Super Bowl appearance in three seasons.
The Patriots took the opening kickoff and scored on their first drive, advancing the ball 65 yards in 13 plays.
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
completed four passes to receiver
David Givens
David Lamar Givens (born August 16, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Not ...
for 40 yards on the drive, including a 7-yard touchdown pass, and converted a fourth down on his own 44-yard line with a 2-yard run. Manning seemed ready to counter, driving the Colts 68 yards to the New England 5-yard line, but on third down and 3, his pass was intercepted by
Rodney Harrison
Rodney Scott Harrison (born December 15, 1972) is an American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots. He was selected in the fifth round of th ...
in the end zone. After the interception, the Patriots drove 67 yards to the Colts 13-yard line where Vinatieri's 31-yard field goal increased their lead to 10–0.
The Patriots defense continued to dominate the Colts in the second quarter. On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Law intercepted a pass from Manning and returned it six yards to the 41-yard line. The Patriots then drove 52 yards and increased their lead to 13–0 with a second Vinatieri field goal. Brady completed three passes for 42 yards on the drive, including a 17-yarder to Givens and a 16-yard completion to
Troy Brown
Troy Fitzgerald Brown (born July 2, 1971) is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers and kick returners coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a wide receiver and ki ...
on fourth down and 8. For the first time in the entire postseason, the Colts were forced to punt on their next drive. Apparently, they were very out of practice, because the snap from center
Justin Snow
Justin Snow (born December 21, 1976) is a former American football long snapper who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Baylor University. He signed as an undrafted free agent in 2000 with the Indianapolis ...
sailed over the head of punter
Hunter Smith
Hunter Dwight Smith (born August 9, 1977) is a former American football punter. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.
Smith earned a Super Bowl ring ...
. The ball went into the end zone, and Smith was forced to knock it out of bounds for a safety, making the score 15–0.
The Colts had a great opportunity to score when cornerback
David Macklin
David Thurman Macklin (born July 14, 1978) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State.
Macklin has also been a member o ...
recovered a fumble from receiver
Bethel Johnson
Bethel Johnson (born February 11, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He ...
three plays after the free kick, giving Indianapolis a first down on the Patriots 41-yard line. But five plays later, Harrison forced a fumble while tackling
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver who played 13 seasons for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL), much of it with Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton ...
, and cornerback
Tyrone Poole
Tyrone Poole (born February 3, 1972) is a former American professional football player who played 13 seasons as a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers 22nd overall of the 1995 NFL Draft. He ...
recovered it.
Trailing 15–0 at halftime, the Colts finally managed to build some momentum in the third quarter. First,
Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Dondrell Rhodes (born January 17, 1979) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Midwestern State and was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001.
Rhodes was also a member ...
gave them great field position by returning the second half kickoff 35 yards to the 49-yard line. Then running back
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James (; born August 1, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at the University of Miami for the Miami Hurr ...
spearheaded a 52-yard scoring drive, carrying the ball on seven of 12 plays for 32 yards and capping it off with a 2-yard touchdown run to cut the score to 15–7. But the Patriots took over the rest of the quarter. After
Patrick Pass
Patrick Pass (born December 31, 1977) is an American football coach and former fullback, who is currently the director of football personnel development for the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League. He was drafted by the New Eng ...
returned the ensuing kickoff 21 yards to the 43-yard line, Brady completed passes to
Larry Centers
Larry Eugene Centers (born June 1, 1968) is a former American football fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, mostly for his first-team, the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (1990–1998). Centers then played for the Washington ...
for 28 yards, Brown for 17, and
Kevin Faulk
Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ).
The variant '' Kevan'' is anglicized from , a ...
for 8, setting up Vinatieri's third field goal to increase their lead to 18–7. Three plays after the ensuing kickoff, Indianapolis was forced to punt.
Antowain Smith
Antowain Drurell Smith (born March 14, 1972) is a former American Football running back in the National Football League who played nine NFL seasons, most notably with the New England Patriots, with whom he won two Super Bowls, and the Buffalo Bi ...
then rushed four times for 53 yards on New England's next possession, advancing the ball to the Colts 3-yard line where Vinatieri kicked his fourth field goal. Two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Law recorded his second interception from Manning on the Colts 31-yard line. But this time, the Patriots failed to score because cornerback
Walt Harris picked off a pass from Brady in the end zone.
After the turnover, the Colts drove 57 yards to the New England 31-yard line. But then Manning threw his third interception to Law with 8:17 left in the fourth quarter. After forcing a punt, Manning led the Colts back, completing eight of nine passes for 64 yards and finishing the drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to
Marcus Pollard
Marcus LaJuan Pollard (born February 8, 1972) is a former American football tight end and current director of player development and youth football for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
College career
Born in Lanett, Alabama, Pollard attended Valley Hi ...
with 2:22 left in regulation. The Colts failed to recover their ensuing onside kick attempt, but forced a punt with 2:01 left. However, the Patriots defense limited Manning to four consecutive incompletions, causing the Colts to turn the ball over on downs. Then after making Indianapolis use up all of their timeouts, Vinatieri's fifth field goal increased the Patriots lead to 24–14. The Colts attempted one last desperation drive, but ended up turning the ball over on downs again with seven seconds left in the game.
Brady completed 22 of 37 passes for 237 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Smith rushed for 100 yards. Pollard caught six passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. Rhodes returned five kickoffs for 121 yards, rushed for 16 yards, and caught two passes for 17 yards.
Colts players would later publicly complain that the game officials did not properly call illegal contact, pass interference, and defensive holding penalties on the Patriots' defensive backs. This, and similar complaints made by other NFL teams, would prompt the NFL during the 2004 offseason to instruct all of the league's officials to strictly enforce these types of fouls.
NFL will crack down on pass interference – The Boston Globe
/ref>
This was the first postseason meeting between the Colts and Patriots.
NFC: Carolina Panthers 14, Philadelphia Eagles 3
Carolina's defense shut down the Eagles offense, only allowing a field goal and holding Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before his NFL career, he played football and b ...
to just 10 of 22 completions for 100 yards. Rookie cornerback Ricky Manning
Richard "Ricky" Manning Jr. (born November 18, 1980) is an American football coach former cornerback who is currently a defensive assistant for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He played college football at UCLA and was drafted ...
intercepted McNabb three times, while the Panthers defense recorded a total of five sacks. McNabb also sustained a lower-rib injury early in the game but stayed in until the second half. Although Carolina's offense only scored 14 points, it was more than enough for the team to earn their first trip to the Super Bowl with a 14–3 win. For the Eagles, it was their third straight NFC Championship Game loss.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Panthers mounted the only long scoring drive of the game, advancing the ball 79 yards and scoring with Jake Delhomme
Jake Christopher Delhomme (; born January 10, 1975) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). Delhomme played college football at Louisiana, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana ...
's 24-yard touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad II (; born Melvin Darnell Campbell Jr. May 5, 1973) is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Muhammad played college football for ...
. The Eagles responded by driving 44 yards and scoring with a 41-yard field goal from David Akers
David Roy Akers (; born December 9, 1974) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He began his career in 1998 with the Washington Redski ...
. Philadelphia then forced a punt and drove to their own 44-yard line, but McNabb was intercepted by Manning and the score remained 7–3 at halftime.
The Eagles took the second half kickoff and drove to the Panthers 18-yard line before Manning ended the drive with his second interception. Then after a punt, Manning recorded his third interception and returned it 13 yards to the Eagles 37-yard line. Four plays later, DeShaun Foster
DeShaun Xavier Foster (born January 10, 1980) is a former American football running back, who currently serves as the running backs coach at UCLA. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played colleg ...
's 1-yard touchdown run increased Carolina's lead to 14–3.
In the fourth quarter, the Eagles had one last chance to come back, driving 74 yards in 11 plays to the Panthers 11-yard line. But linebacker Dan Morgan
Daniel Thomas Morgan, Jr. (born December 19, 1978) is an American football executive and former linebacker who is the assistant general manager for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the direct ...
picked off a pass from backup quarterback Koy Detmer
Koy Dennis Detmer (born July 5, 1973) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado. He is the younger brother of former NF ...
in the end zone with 5:16 left. The next time Philadelphia got the ball back, they turned the ball over on downs and Carolina ran out the clock to win the game.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Panthers and Eagles.
Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29
This was the first Super Bowl meeting between the Panthers and Patriots.
References
NFL.com scores for the 2003 playoffs
(Last accessed January 9, 2006)
External links
2003–04 NFL playoffs at ESPN
{{DEFAULTSORT:2003-04 NFL Playoffs
National Football League playoffs
Playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
St. Louis Rams postseason