1985–86 NFL playoffs
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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 1985 season began on December 28, 1985. The postseason tournament concluded with the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
defeating the
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in Super Bowl XX, 46–10, on January 26, 1986, at the
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in
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; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
,
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.


Participants


Bracket


Schedule

Because the Jets and
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both used
Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
as their home field, the two wild card playoff games were held on different days. In the United States,
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televised the
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playoff games, while
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broadcast the AFC games and Super Bowl XX.


Wild Card playoffs


Saturday, December 28, 1985


AFC: New England Patriots 26, New York Jets 14

In the NFL's first playoff game at
Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
, the Patriots dominated the game by forcing five sacks and four turnovers from a Jets offense that had ranked #1 during the season for fewest turnovers lost (29). This was New England's first playoff win since 1963. New England jumped to 3–0 lead in the first quarter after Tony Franklin made a 33-yard field goal. Then after New York scored on quarterback
Ken O'Brien Kenneth John O'Brien Jr. (born November 27, 1960) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. When he retired he was the only Jets quarterback to have ever ...
's 11-yard touchdown pass to running back Johnny Hector, Franklin kicked his second field goal from 41 yards. Late in the second quarter, safety Fred Marion intercepted a pass from O'Brien and returned it 26 yards to the Jets 33-yard line. A few plays later, Jets defensive back Russell Carter failed to make contact with receiver Stanley Morgan while trying to jam him at the line of scrimmage, enabling Morgan to take off past Carter and haul in a 36-yard touchdown completion from
Tony Eason Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason IV (born October 8, 1959) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. Taken 15th overall by the Patriots in t ...
, giving New England a 13–7 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Franklin made a 20-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 16–7 lead and on the ensuing kickoff, Hector was stripped of the ball by linebacker
Johnny Rembert Johnny Lee Rembert (born January 19, 1961) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 10 seasons with the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tig ...
, who then picked up the fumble and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown, which gave the Patriots a commanding 23–7 lead. However, Hector returned the next kickoff 33 yards to the Pats 43-yard line. From there, Pat Ryan replaced O'Brien, who had been suffering from a concussion since the first half, and completed 5/7 passes on a 57-yard scoring drive, the last a 12-yard touchdown throw to tight end
Mickey Shuler Mickey Charles Shuler Sr. (born August 21, 1956), is a former professional American football tight end from 1978 to 1991. He played in 181 games over 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eag ...
, making the score 23–14. But in the fourth quarter, Patriots linebacker
Andre Tippett Andre Bernard Tippett Sr. (born December 27, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was an outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football ...
deflected a Ryan pass into the arms of defensive end Garin Veris, who returned the interception 18 yards to set up Franklin's fourth field goal and finish off the scoring. Veris finished the game with three sacks and an interception. Eason completed 12 of 17 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown. Hector returned six kickoffs for 115 yards and added 24 more yards rushing and receiving. Jets receiver
Al Toon Albert Lee Toon Jr. (born April 30, 1963) is a former professional American football wide receiver who played for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. A two-time First-team All-Big Ten pick at the Univers ...
set a franchise playoff record for receptions (9), good for 93 yards. This was the first postseason meeting between the Patriots and Jets.


Sunday, December 29, 1985


NFC: New York Giants 17, San Francisco 49ers 3

In the Giants first home playoff game since 1962, despite the fact that the 49ers recorded 362 yards of total offense, with receiver
Dwight Clark Dwight Edward Clark (January 8, 1957 – June 4, 2018) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1979 He was a member of San ...
catching eight passes for 120 yards, the Giants defense limited San Francisco to only one field goal the entire game. It was a very satisfying win for New York, who had lost their last five games played against the 49ers, including playoff losses in 1981 and 1984. Meanwhile, the 49ers dropped nine passes and finished without a touchdown for the first time in their last 40 games. The Giants scored on their opening possession of the game with kicker Eric Schubert's 47-yard field goal. Then in the second quarter, New York safety
Terry Kinard Alfred Terance "Terry" Kinard (born November 24, 1959) is a former American college and professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. He played college football ...
intercepted a pass from 49ers quarterback
Joe Montana Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
and returned it 15 yards to set up
Phil Simms Phillip Martin Simms (born November 3, 1955) is an American former football quarterback who spent his entire 15-year professional career playing for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He is currently a television sport ...
' 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Mark Bavaro Mark Anthony Bavaro (born April 28, 1963) is a former American football tight end who played for the New York Giants (1985–1990), Cleveland Browns (1992), and Philadelphia Eagles (1993–1994) in the National Football League (NFL). Bavaro was ...
. San Francisco managed to drive inside the Giants 10-yard line with a 15-play drive that included two personal fouls and a holding call against New York's defense. However, they could not get into the end zone and had to settle for
Ray Wersching Raimund "Ray" Wersching (born August 21, 1950) is an Austrian former placekicker in the NFL. He played in the NFL for a span of 15 years, from 1973 through 1987. Early career He attended Warren High School in Downey, California. NFL career Un ...
's 21-yard field goal, cutting the score to 10-3 going into halftime. A 77-yard drive in the third quarter was capped by Simms' 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Don Hasselbeck Donald William Hasselbeck (born April 1, 1955) is a former professional football player, a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, and the New York Giants. Early life ...
, increasing New York's lead to 17–3. In the fourth quarter, the Giants made two key defensive stands to keep the game out of range. First, they forced San Francisco to turn the ball over on downs at the New York 26 with 4:46 left. Following a New York punt, the 49ers drove into the Giants red zone. With 2:16 left in the game, Montana threw a touchdown pass to tight end John Frank, but it was eliminated by a holding penalty against guard
John Ayers John Ayers (April 14, 1953 – October 2, 1995) was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1977 through 1987. During that span, he appeared in two Super Bowls: Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XIX for the San Francisco 49ers. Ay ...
. On the next play, he threw a pass to running back
Carl Monroe Carl Monroe (February 20, 1960 – April 26, 1989) was a professional American football player who played running back and wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers from 1983 to 1987. Monroe's career highlight came during Super Bowl XIX versus t ...
, only to have him drop it in the end zone. Then on fourth and 15, Montana's final pass was incomplete and New York ran out the rest of the clock. New York running back Joe Morris finished the game with 141 rushing yards. Defensive lineman Jim Burt had two of New York's four sacks. 49ers running back Roger Craig, who became the first player in NFL history to gain over 1,000 rushing and receiving yards during the regular season, was held to just 24 rushing yards and 18 receiving yards. This was the third postseason meeting between the 49ers and Giants. San Francisco won both previous meetings.


Divisional playoffs


Saturday, January 4, 1986


AFC: Miami Dolphins 24, Cleveland Browns 21

Barely making the playoffs with an 8–8 record, Cleveland hardly seemed a match for the 12–4 defending AFC champion Dolphins. However, the Browns jumped to a 21–3 lead midway through the third quarter, but the Dolphins then scored 21 unanswered points—the final touchdown with 1:57 left to play. Aided by a 17-yard run from Woody Bennett on the first play of the game, Miami scored on their opening drive with a 51-yard field goal by
Fuad Reveiz Fuad Reveiz (born February 24, 1963) is a former American football placekicker who played 10 seasons in the National Football League. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He also played for the San ...
. Cleveland later marched 82 yards in 10 plays, mainly on the strength of their ground game, with
Kevin Mack James Kevin Mack (born August 9, 1962) is a former professional American football player who played fullback. Early life Mack was born in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. He began playing football as a youth in Pop Warner football games, but ...
rushing for 12,
Curtis Dickey Curtis Raymond Dickey (born November 27, 1956) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 7 seasons, spending most of his career with the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts. C ...
picking up 9, and
Earnest Byner Earnest Alexander Byner (born September 15, 1962) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He is now the running back coach of Out-of-Door Academy. Playing career East Carolina University (1980–83 ...
's 15-yard carry taking them into the red zone.
Bernie Kosar Bernard Joseph Kosar Jr. (born November 25, 1963) is a former American football quarterback who played collegiately at the University of Miami where he led the team to a national championship in 1983. He subsequently played professionally in ...
eventually finished the drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Ozzie Newsome Ozzie Newsome Jr. (born March 16, 1956) is an American former professional football player and executive who is the executive vice president of player personnel of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Newsome was a tight e ...
to give the Browns a 7–3 lead. In the second quarter, Miami got two big chances to score, but came up empty both times. First, they threatened to score with a drive to a first down on the Cleveland 36-yard line. But the Browns defense stepped up, forcing two incompletions and a run for no gain, and the Dolphins decided to punt rather than risk another long field goal. On the Browns next drive, Paul Lankford intercepted Kosar and returned the ball to the Cleveland 25-yard line. Miami then drove to the 6-yard line, only to lose the ball when Marino was picked off in the end zone by Browns safety Don Rogers, who returned it 45 yards to set up a 21-yard rushing touchdown from Byner, increasing the lead to 14–3. Miami responded with a drive to the Browns 29-yard line, but Reveiz missed a 47-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the half. Byner ran for a 66-yard touchdown with 11:03 left in the third quarter, the longest play in Cleveland's postseason history, to give Cleveland a 21–3 lead. However, Miami then controlled the rest of the game. A 13-play 74-yard drive, aided by a 15-yard late hit penalty against Cleveland and a 15-yard reception by Mark Clayton, was capped by Marino's 6-yard touchdown pass to
Nat Moore Nat or NAT may refer to: Computing * Network address translation (NAT), in computer networking Organizations * National Actors Theatre, New York City, U.S. * National AIDS trust, a British charity * National Archives of Thailand * National As ...
. Miami's defense quickly forced a punt, and
Jeff Gossett All American D2 Baseball at Eastern Illinois. All American punter 1977 D2 at Eastern Illinois. Jeffrey Alan Gossett (born January 25, 1957) is a former American football punter who played in the National Football League (NFL) and the United Sta ...
's kick went just 26 yards to the Browns 49-yard line. From there it took just five plays to score on a 31-yard burst by Ron Davenport, who trucked right through Rogers and linebacker
Clarence Weathers Clarence Weathers (born January 10, 1962 in Greenville, South Carolina) is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. Weathers played nine seasons for the New England Patriots (1983–1984), the Clevela ...
on the way to the end zone. Browns receiver Glen Young gave his team a chance to get their momentum back with a 35-yard kickoff return to the 42-yard line. But after a holding penalty wiped out a first down run, Cleveland could not recover and had to punt. In the fourth quarter, Marino got the team rolling on a 74-yard, 10-play drive for the game winning score, connecting with halfback
Tony Nathan Tony Curtis Nathan (born December 14, 1956) is a former American football running back. Nathan played college football at the University of Alabama and was selected in the third round (61st overall) of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, ...
for a 39-yard gain (the longest reception of the day from either team) to the Browns 35-yard line, and later finding tight end
Bruce Hardy Bruce Alan Hardy (born June 1, 1956 in Murray, Utah), is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 9th round of the 1978 NFL Draft. A 6'5", 232 lbs. tight end from Arizona State University ...
for 18 yards inside the Cleveland red zone. On the first play after the two-minute warning, Davenport went into the end zone on a 1-yard score with 1:57 left to give the Dolphins the lead, 24–21. Cleveland then took the ball and tried to drive for the tying field goal, but on the game's last play, Byner was tackled on the Miami 45-yard line as time expired. Byner finished the game with 161 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 16 carries, while also catching four passes for 25 yards. Nathan rushed for 21 yards and caught 10 passes for 101 yards. Marino was 25/45 for 238 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Cleveland racked up a whopping 251 rushing yards against the Dolphins defense, which turned out to be an omen of what lay in store for them in the AFC Championship Game. This was the second postseason meeting between the Browns and Dolphins. Miami won the only previous meeting.


NFC: Los Angeles Rams 20, Dallas Cowboys 0

Running back
Eric Dickerson Eric Demetric Dickerson (born September 2, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Dickerson played college football for the Mustangs of Southern Meth ...
led the Rams to a victory by scoring two touchdowns and recording a playoff record 248 rushing yards, while LA's defense held the Cowboys to 243 yards and forced six turnovers. Rams receiver
Henry Ellard Henry Austin Ellard (born July 21, 1961) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams (1983–1993), Washington Redskins (1994–1998), and the New England Patriots (1998) of the Nation ...
's 23-yard punt return to the Dallas 38-yard line and 21-yard reception on the next play set up the first score of the game, a 33-yard field goal by
Mike Lansford Michael John Lansford (born July 20, 1958 in Monterey Park, California) is a former National Football League placekicker from 1982–1990 for the Los Angeles Rams. In 1989, he led the league with 51 extra point The conversion, try (American fo ...
5:19 into the first quarter. This ended up being the only score of the first half, while Ellard's 21-yard catch ended up being nearly half of the Rams total passing yards (47) for the entire game. LA running back Charles White returned the second half kickoff (a
squib kick A squib kick is a term used in American football meaning a short, low, line drive kickoff that usually bounces around on the ground before it can be picked up by a member of the receiving team. The ball is kicked so short that it forces the receivi ...
by punter
Mike Saxon Michael Eric Saxon (born July 10, 1962) is a former American football punter in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at San Diego State University. He won Sup ...
, who had replaced injured kicker
Rafael Septién José Rafael Septién Michel (born December 12, 1953) is a Mexican-American former placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Louisiana at La ...
) 14 yards to the Rams 45-yard line. Dickerson scored on a 55-yard touchdown run on the next play, giving the Rams a 10–0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Kenny Duckett fumbled, and the ball was recovered by Vince Newsome on the Dallas 18 to set up Lansford's second field goal. In the fourth quarter, Dallas managed to reach the Rams 20-yard line, but Kevin Greene sacked Cowboys quarterback
Danny White Wilford Daniel White (born February 9, 1952) is a former quarterback and Punter (football), punter for the Dallas Cowboys and an American football coach in the Arena Football League. He has been the color commentator for Cowboys games on Compas ...
on third down. Now on 4th and 14 from the Rams 24 and without their injured kicker, the Cowboys seemed unsure of what to do. First they sent their field goal unit in, with linebacker Brian Salonen, who played kicker in college, lined up to make the kick. This caused the Rams to sense a potential fake try, so they kept their regular defense on the field. Then Dallas called a timeout and sent their regular offense back to try and convert the fourth down, which failed as White's pass was batted away. The Cowboys defense subsequently forced a punt, but
Gordon Banks Gordon Banks (30 December 1937 – 12 February 2019) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he made 679 appearances during a 20-year professional caree ...
muffed the kick and Rams cornerback
Jerry Gray Jerry Don Gray (born December 16, 1962) is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Gray played college footbal ...
recovered the ball to set up Dickerson's 40-yard rushing touchdown. This was
Tom Landry Thomas Wade Landry (September 11, 1924 – February 12, 2000) was an American professional football player and coach. He was the first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL), a position he held for 29 seasons. Dur ...
's final postseason game as the Cowboys head coach, and also the final NFL playoff game at
Anaheim Stadium Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a baseball stadium located in Anaheim, California. Since its opening in 1966, it has served as the home ballpark of the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB), and was also the home stadium to the Los Angel ...
. The Rams would not host another NFL postseason game until 1999, the team's fifth season following their
1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
relocation to St. Louis. The Rams would not host another playoff game as the Los Angeles Rams until 2017. It would be their record breaking eighth playoff meeting between the two teams and the last one until the 2018 season. Rams defensive end
Gary Jeter Gary Michael Jeter (January 24, 1955 – March 9, 2016) was a professional American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). An All-American at the University of Southern California in 1976, Jeter was drafted by the New Yor ...
finished the game with three sacks, while Gray had a fumble recovery and an interception. The Rams won despite a dismal day for their 34-year old rookie quarterback
Dieter Brock Ralph Dieter Brock (born February 12, 1951) is a former Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL) player and coach. He is best remembered as the quarterback for the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers where he led the league in pas ...
, who completed just 6 of 22 passes for 50 yards and was intercepted once. "It seemed like we just gave up," said Dallas future hall of fame running back
Tony Dorsett Anthony Drew Dorsett Sr. (born April 7, 1954) is a former American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. From Western Pennsylvania, Dorsett attended the ...
, who was held to just 58 rushing yards, though he did catch 8 passes for 80. "We should have gone back to Dallas and gave them the ball game at halftime." "As far as playoff games go, I don't think we've ever been dominated like we were today," added White, who was sacked five times and threw three interceptions. This was the eighth postseason meeting between the Cowboys and Rams. Dallas had won four of the previous seven meetings.


January 5, 1986


NFC: Chicago Bears 21, New York Giants 0

The Bears defense dominated the game by allowing only 32 rushing yards, 181 total yards, and sacking the Giants quarterbacks for 60 yards. Giants quarterback
Phil Simms Phillip Martin Simms (born November 3, 1955) is an American former football quarterback who spent his entire 15-year professional career playing for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He is currently a television sport ...
was sacked six times during the game, 3.5 of them coming from Chicago defensive end
Richard Dent Richard Lamar Dent (born December 13, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Chicago Bears. He was the MVP of Super Bowl XX. He was elected to t ...
. New York's offense passed for just 104 yards in the first half, and had 89 total yards in the third quarter. Chicago's first touchdown resulted on a New York punt attempt from their own 12, forcing
Sean Landeta Sean Edward Landeta (born January 6, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a punter in both the United States Football League (USFL) and the National Football League (NFL). Landeta played 22 seasons in the NFL for f ...
to attempt the kick three yards behind his goal line. As Landeta dropped the ball to kick it, the wind altered the ball's descent and caused it to go off the side of his foot. As a result, the ball went right into the ground and bounced a short distance before reserve safety
Shaun Gayle Shaun Lanard Gayle (born March 8, 1962) is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League (NFL). He played twelve seasons, eleven for the Chicago Bears (1984–1994), and one for the San Diego Chargers (1995). He was a m ...
picked it up and returned the -7 yard punt five yards for a touchdown. Gayle's run was the shortest punt return touchdown in NFL history. New York had their best chance to score late in the second quarter when Simms completed passes to George Adams and
Bobby Johnson Robert Alan Johnson (born February 8, 1951) is a retired American football coach and former player. He was most recently the head football coach at Vanderbilt University, a position he held from the 2002 season until his retirement in 2010. In ...
for gains of 31 and 17 yards, giving the team a first down on the Chicago 2-yard line. But Simms' next three passes were incomplete, and with just 11 seconds left in the half, kicker Eric Schubert hit the left upright on his 19-yard field goal attempt. In the third quarter, Bears quarterback
Jim McMahon James Robert McMahon Jr. (born August 21, 1959) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. McMahon played college football at BYU, where he wa ...
increased the Bears lead to 14–0 with a 23-yard touchdown pass to receiver
Dennis McKinnon Dennis Lewis McKinnon (born August 22, 1961) is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys. McKinnon played college football at Florida State University an ...
. Later in the quarter, with Chicago facing second and 12 on their own 34, the Giants made another key error. The Giants defense came out of the huddle planning for a massive blitz, but decided to switch to a zone defense after reading the Bears formation. However, half the defenders were unable to hear the new play call over the roaring crowd at
Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since ...
and ended up blitzing, leaving receiver
Tim Wrightman Timothy John Wrightman (born March 27, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end. He played for two seasons for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Wrightman played college football fo ...
completely uncovered. McMahon threw the ball to Wrightman for a 46-yard gain, and then finished the drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to McKinnon on the next play, making the final score of the game 21–0. The Bears could have had a much larger lead, but the normally reliable rookie kicker Kevin Butler had an uncharacteristically bad day, missing three field goal attempts from distances of 26, 49 and 38 yards. McMahon finished the game with 216 passing yards, while running back
Walter Payton Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American football running back who played ...
rushed for 94 yards and caught a 4-yard pass. This was the seventh postseason meeting between the Giants and Bears. Chicago won four of the previous six meetings.


AFC: New England Patriots 27, Los Angeles Raiders 20

LA had defeated New England 35–20 during the regular season, but in this game, Patriots running back Craig James rushed for 104 yards, caught three passes for 48 yards, completed one pass for eight yards, and scored a touchdown while the Patriots defense forced six turnovers and shut out the Raiders in the second half. In the first quarter, Patriots safety Jim Bowman recovered a muffed punt by returner
Fulton Walker Fulton Luther Walker Jr. (April 30, 1958 – October 12, 2016) was a professional American football cornerback who played for the Miami Dolphins (1981-1985) and Los Angeles Raiders (1985-1986) in the National Football League (NFL). He played ...
to set up
Tony Eason Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason IV (born October 8, 1959) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. Taken 15th overall by the Patriots in t ...
's 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Lin Dawson James Linwood Dawson, legally changed to Lin Dawson in 1993 (born June 24, 1959), is an American former professional footballl player who was a tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He serves as the M ...
. On LA's next drive, Ronnie Lippett intercepted a pass from Marc Wilson, but the Patriots were unable to move the ball. Then Raiders defensive end
Greg Townsend Gregory Townsend Sr. (born November 3, 1961) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders in the fourth round of the 1983 NFL Draft. Townsend also played for the Philadelph ...
blocked
Rich Camarillo Richard Jon Camarillo (born November 29, 1959) is a former professional American football punter who played 16 seasons in the NFL for the New England Patriots (1981–1987), Los Angeles Rams (1988), Phoenix Cardinals (1989–1993), Houston Oi ...
's punt, getting the ball back for his team at the Pats 16-yard line and leading to a 29-yard field goal by
Chris Bahr Christopher Kurt Bahr (born February 3, 1953) is a former professional American football and soccer player. He was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) and played midfielder in the North American Soccer League. High school Atte ...
. In the second quarter, Bahr missed a 44-yard field goal, but their defense once again held the Patriots down and forced a punt, which Walker returned 16 yards to start off a 52-yard scoring drive culminating in Wilson's 16-yard touchdown throw to receiver
Jessie Hester Jessie Lee Hester (born January 21, 1963) is a former professional American football wide receiver who played 11 years in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Raiders, the Atlanta Falcons, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Los Angele ...
. On New England's first play from scrimmage after the turnover, Raiders lineman
Howie Long Howard Matthew Moses Long (born January 6, 1960) is an American sports analyst and former professional football player. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons as a defensive end, spending his entire career with the Raider ...
recovered
Mosi Tatupu Mosiula Faasuka Tatupu (April 26, 1955 – February 23, 2010) was an American professional football player who was a running back for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Southern Ca ...
's fumble on the New England 19, and LA scored another touchdown on
Marcus Allen Marcus LeMarr Allen (born March 26, 1960) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the greatest goal line and short- ...
's 11-yard run, increasing their lead to 17–7. The Patriots stormed back with an 80-yard touchdown possession. Tatupu helped make up for his fumble with a 22-yard run, while James caught a 24-yard reception and rushed for 27 yards on the drive, including a 2-yard touchdown on third down out of shotgun formation that cut the score to 17–14. Then on LA's ensuing possession, Lippett recorded his second interception of the day, giving the Patriots the ball at LA's 28-yard line and setting up a Tony Franklin field goal to tie the game. There was just 1:40 left in the half at this point, but the Raiders still managed to retake the lead before halftime, with Allen rushing for a 17-yard gain and Wilson completing a 31-yard pass to tight end
Todd Christensen Todd Jay Christensen (August 3, 1956 – November 13, 2013) was an American football player who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1978 until 1988, spending most of that time playing tight end for the Oakland / Los Angeles Ra ...
on the way to a 32-yard field goal from Bahr. Midway through the third quarter, Allen lost a fumble that led to Franklin's field goal, tying the game back up at 20. Then in what turned out to be the key play of the game, Raiders cornerback
Sam Seale Samuel Ricardo Seale (born October 6, 1962) is a Barbadian-born former American football cornerback who played ten seasons in the National Football League, mainly for the Los Angeles Raiders The Los Angeles Raiders were a professional American ...
fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Bowman recovered in the end zone for a touchdown to give his team a 27–20 lead. There was still a full quarter left to play, but the Raiders would get no further in the game than the New England 41-yard line. Los Angeles' three fourth quarter drives would result in a punt, an interception by Fred Marion and a turnover on downs at their own 13. Allen finished the game with 121 rushing yards and a touchdown, along with three receptions for eight yards. This was the last victory by a road team in an AFC divisional playoff game until 1992, when the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was the second postseason meeting between the Patriots and Raiders. The Raiders won the only previous meeting when they were based in Oakland.


Conference Championships


Sunday, January 12, 1986


NFC: Chicago Bears 24, Los Angeles Rams 0

The Bears defense dominated the game by limiting Rams running back
Eric Dickerson Eric Demetric Dickerson (born September 2, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Dickerson played college football for the Mustangs of Southern Meth ...
to 46 yards, forcing him to fumble twice, and holding quarterback
Dieter Brock Ralph Dieter Brock (born February 12, 1951) is a former Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL) player and coach. He is best remembered as the quarterback for the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers where he led the league in pas ...
to just 10 completions on 31 attempts for 66 yards. While Chicago's offensive numbers were hardly stellar (232 yards and 10 punts), Los Angeles only gained 130 yards of total offense and had to punt the ball 11 times. After forcing the Rams to go
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 the game's first possession, Bears quarterback
Jim McMahon James Robert McMahon Jr. (born August 21, 1959) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. McMahon played college football at BYU, where he wa ...
threw consecutive 20-yard completions to tight end
Emery Moorehead Emery Matthew Moorehead (born March 22, 1954) is a former American football tight end and wide receiver in the National Football League for the New York Giants, Denver Broncos, and the Chicago Bears. He won a Super Bowl ring as the starting ...
and receiver
Willie Gault Willie James Gault (born September 5, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the ...
before finishing the drive with a 16-yard touchdown run on third down and 10. Kevin Butler added a 34-yard field goal to give the Bears a 10-0 first quarter lead. With 1:04 left in the second quarter, LA had a huge opportunity to get back in the game when
Dale Hatcher Roger Dale Hatcher (born April 5, 1963) is a former American football punter for the Los Angeles Rams and the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Clemson University. In 1985, Hatcher was named ...
's punt bounced into the leg of Bears defensive back
Reggie Phillips Reginald Keith Phillips (born December 12, 1960) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Chicago Bears (1985–1987) and Phoenix Cardinals (1988). He was drafted by the Bears in the sec ...
and safety
Jerry Gray Jerry Don Gray (born December 16, 1962) is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Gray played college footbal ...
recovered the ball for the Rams on Chicago's 21-yard line. Dickerson rushed twice for nine yards and caught a pass for 7, but on his reception he was tackled on the 5 as time expired in the half. "We did call time out right before the half", John Robinson, the Rams' coach, insisted. "It depends on how long the ref takes to recognize that a player has called a timeout." The Rams drove to their own 47-yard line on their first drive of the second half, but then linebacker
Otis Wilson Otis Ray Wilson (born September 15, 1957) is an American former professional football player who was an outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Raiders. He won a Super Bowl as a mem ...
forced a fumble from Dickerson that was recovered by Mike Richardson on the Bears 48. Faced with fourth down and 6 on the Rams 35-yard line on the ensuing drive, Chicago picked up a first down with McMahon's 13-yard completion to running back
Walter Payton Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American football running back who played ...
. Then they took a 17–0 lead with McMahon's 22-yard touchdown pass to Gault on the next play. LA responded with a drive into Chicago territory, but Leslie Frazier ended it with an interception. With 2:37 left in the fourth quarter, Dent forced Brock to fumble while sacking him, and linebacker
Wilber Marshall Wilber Buddyhia Marshall (born April 18, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for five teams from 1984 until 1995. Marshall played college football for the F ...
picked up the loose ball and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown. It marked the end of a long day for Brock, having been sacked three times and taken numerous additional hits and harassment the entire game by the stifling Bears defense. This was the second postseason meeting between the Rams and Bears. Los Angeles won the only prior meeting.


AFC: New England Patriots 31, Miami Dolphins 14

In an upset, the Patriots racked up 255 rushing yards and converted six Dolphins turnovers into 24 points. On Miami's first offensive play, Steve Nelson stripped the ball from running back
Tony Nathan Tony Curtis Nathan (born December 14, 1956) is a former American football running back. Nathan played college football at the University of Alabama and was selected in the third round (61st overall) of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, ...
, and Patriots defensive end Garin Veris recovered it to set up Tony Franklin's 23-yard field goal. The Dolphins later scored on an 80-yard drive, with quarterback Dan Marino completing passes to
Bruce Hardy Bruce Alan Hardy (born June 1, 1956 in Murray, Utah), is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 9th round of the 1978 NFL Draft. A 6'5", 232 lbs. tight end from Arizona State University ...
for 12 yards and
Mark Duper Mark "Super" Duper (born January 25, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) from 1982 to 1992. He played collegiately at Northwestern State ...
for 18 before finding tight end Dan Johnson in the end zone with an 11-yard touchdown pass. But New England responded on a 66-yard possession, featuring a 45-yard run from
Robert Weathers Robert James Weathers (born September 13, 1960) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played college football a ...
, to score on quarterback
Tony Eason Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason IV (born October 8, 1959) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. Taken 15th overall by the Patriots in t ...
's 4-yard touchdown to Tony Collins, giving the Pats a 10–7 lead. On Miami's next drive, Marino fumbled the ball and nose tackle Lester Williams recovered for New England on the Dolphins 36-yard line. Patriots running back Craig James then rushed for 23 yards on three carries and Eason completed a 12-yard pass to Stanley Morgan on the 1-yard line before throwing a 1-yard touchdown toss to tight end
Derrick Ramsey Derrick Kent Ramsey (born December 23, 1956) was the Kentucky Secretary of Education and Workforce Development, having been appointed by Governor of Kentucky, Governor Matt Bevin. He was the Deputy Secretary of Commerce under former Kentucky Gov ...
, giving the Patriots a 17–7 lead. Just before halftime Miami missed the chance to cut the deficit down to three points when tight end Dan Johnson dropped a pass from Marino in the end zone on a first and 10 from the Patriots' 16. As the next two plays fell short of a first down, Miami settled for a field goal from the Patriots' 14 yard-line, but
Fuad Reveiz Fuad Reveiz (born February 24, 1963) is a former American football placekicker who played 10 seasons in the National Football League. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He also played for the San ...
' kick sailed wide to the right after a badly taken snap. Miami's
Lorenzo Hampton Lorenzo Timothy Hampton (born March 12, 1962) is an American former college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the 1980s. Hampton played college football for the ...
then lost a fumble on the second half kickoff on a hit from
Mosi Tatupu Mosiula Faasuka Tatupu (April 26, 1955 – February 23, 2010) was an American professional football player who was a running back for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Southern Ca ...
, and
Greg Hawthorne Greg Hawthorne (born September 5, 1956) is a former American football player with the National Football League. Drafted out of Baylor University, Hawthorne played nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. As a rookie, he won a Super Bowl ring ...
recovered for New England on the Dolphins 25. Eason then converted the turnover into points at the end of a 6-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Weathers, making the score 24–7. The Dolphins had a chance to take the momentum back when safety Bud Brown recovered Fred Marion's fumbled punt return on the Patriots 45-yard line. But after a 19-yard run by
Joe Carter Joseph Chris Carter (born March 7, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays ...
and a 16-yard catch by Ron Davenport, Marion made up for his error by intercepting Marino's pass in the end zone to keep Miami from scoring. New England then put together a 13-play drive that took nearly eight minutes off the clock and moved the ball to the Dolphins 24-yard line. But Franklin missed a 41-yard field goal attempt, keeping the Dolphins' slim comeback hopes alive going into the fourth quarter. Three plays into the final quarter, New England fumbled another punt return, this one lost by
Roland James Roland Orlando James (born February 18, 1958) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 11 year career for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and early 1990s. James ...
, and Miami took over on the Patriots 10-yard line. This time, they took advantage of their scoring opportunity with Marino's 10-yard touchdown pass to
Tony Nathan Tony Curtis Nathan (born December 14, 1956) is a former American football running back. Nathan played college football at the University of Alabama and was selected in the third round (61st overall) of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, ...
on the next play, cutting their deficit to 24–14. Things looked even more promising for the Dolphins when they forced a punt and drove to the New England 38-yard line. But then Carter fumbled the ball and defensive end
Julius Adams Julius Adams (April 26, 1948 – March 24, 2016) was an American professional football player who spent his entire career as a defensive lineman for the New England Patriots in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football ...
picked it up for the Patriots fourth fumble recovery of the day. New England then put the game away with a 9-play drive, featuring a 14-yard run by Tony Collins and a 13-yard carry by James. Tatupu later finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, putting the score out of reach at 31–14. With 7:34 left in the game, Miami mounted one last spirited drive, moving the ball to the NE 8-yard line. But two penalties pushed them back to the 28, and then a desperate pass from Marino was picked off by
Raymond Clayborn Raymond DeWayne Clayborn (born January 2, 1955 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for the New England Patriots (1977–1989) and Cleveland Browns (1990, 1991) of the National Football ...
in the end zone. James was their main contributor on offense, rushing for a career postseason high 105 yards of the Patriots 255 total rushing yards in a game played in a steady rain. Of note, the Patriots ran the ball on 59 out of 71 offensive plays, amassing 255 rushing yards in an upset of the favored Dolphins. Weathers added 87 yards, while Collins rushed for 61 and caught three passes for 15. Eason threw for just 71 yards, but completed 10 of 12 passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions. The win was the first for the Patriots at the
Miami Orange Bowl The Miami Orange Bowl was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida from 1937 until 2008. The stadium was located in the Little Havana neighborhood west of Downtown Miami. The Miami Orange Bowl was considered a landmark and served as the ho ...
since 1966, the Dolphins inaugural season, ending a string of 18 consecutive losses by the Patriots in Miami and earning the Patriots their first trip to the
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
in franchise history, and becoming the first to do so by winning three playoff games on the road. This was the second postseason meeting between the Patriots and Dolphins. Miami won the only prior meeting.


Super Bowl XX: Chicago Bears 46, New England Patriots 10

This was the first Super Bowl meeting between the Bears and Patriots.


References

*''Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League'' () *''The Sporting News Complete Super Bowl Book 1995'' () {{DEFAULTSORT:1985-86 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 ...
Los Angeles Rams postseason