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N.F.L. SUPER BOWL XXXII
DENVER BRONCOS 31
A.F.C WEST
V.S.
GREEN BAY PACKERS 24
N.F.C. NORTH
Super Bowl XXXII: Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24[edit]
Further information: Super Bowl XXXII
Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Packers (NFC) 7 7 3 7 24
Broncos (AFC) 7 10 7 7 31
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
Date: January 25, 1998
Game attendance: 68,912
Referee: Ed Hochuli
TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg… More (play-by-play), Phil Simms, and Paul Maguire (color commentators) Less

N.F.L. 1997 A.F.C. CHAMPIONSHIP
DENVER BRONCOS 24
A.F.C. WEST
V.S.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS 23
A.F.C. NORTH
gA0D

N.F.L. 1997 N F C CHAMPIONCHIP GAME
GREEN BAY PACKERS 23
N.F.C. NORTH
V.S.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 10
NFC Championship: Green Bay Packers 23, San Francisco 49ers 10[edit]
Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Packers 3 10 0 10 23
49ers 0 3 0 7 10
at 3Com Park, San Francisco, California
Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), rain
Game attendance: 68,987
Referee: Dick Hantak
TV announcers (Fox): Pat… More Summerall (play-by-play) and John Madden (color commentator)
[show]Game information
For the third year in a row, Green Bay easily trounced the 49ers in the playoffs, holding them to just 257 total yards while forcing four fumbles and five sacks. The 49ers gained just 33 rushing yards and running back Garrison Hearst, who rushed for over 1,000 yards during the season, had only 12 yards on eight carries. The average starting field position for the 49ers was from their own 17-yard line.
Green Bay took the opening kickoff and moved the ball 76 yards in 10 plays, with Brett Favre completing an 18-yard pass to Robert Brooks on the game's first play. On the next play, 49ers defensive back Rod Woodson was called for a 24-yard pass interference penalty, moving the ball to the 49ers 35. Green Bay eventually reached the 2-yard line before a pass was deflected falling short of the wide open fullback William Henderson, forcing the Packers to settle for a field goal from Ryan Longwell.
In the second quarter, San Francisco drove 60 yards from their own 12 to the Green Bay 28, where they faced third down and 8. On the next play, Steve Young's pass was intercepted by Packers safety Eugene Robinson and returned 58 yards to the 49ers 28 in what turned out to be a crucial play. Favre then found wide receiver Antonio Freeman slicing across the middle on a slant for a 27-yard touchdown pass to give the Packers a 10–0 lead.
Later on, Green Bay managed a drive deep into San Francisco territory, but Favre committed a 15-yard intentional grounding penalty on third and 14, and Longwell missed a 47-yard field goal attempt on the next play. On the 49ers ensuing drive, they drove 52 yards in nine plays, including Young's 48-yard completion to Terrell Owens on third down and 26, to reach the Packers 10-yard line. Young nearly completed a touchdown pass to J. J. Stokes, but Stokes landed with one foot out of bounds in the end zone and the 49ers settled for a Gary Anderson field goal, cutting the score to 10-3 with less than a minute left in the half. Only 51 seconds remained after Green Bay got the ball back, but Favre got his team into scoring range with a 40-yard completion to Freeman, and Longwell capitalized with a 43-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Packers a 13-3 halftime lead.
On the first play of the second half, Favre threw a pass to Henderson, who held it briefly before dropping it. The 49ers defense believed his drop was a fumble and returned it for a touchdown, but officials ruled it to be an incomplete pass, something replays seemed to contradict.[17] Both offenses were nearly shut down for the rest of the game, as neither team was able to mount a sustained drive. Late in the fourth quarter, Young threw an incomplete pass intended for tight end Brent Jones on third and 18 from his own 7-yard line. Jones argued vehemently after the play that he was held by LeRoy Butler. No flag was thrown, however, and Tommy Thompson's ensuing punt went just 28 yards to the 49ers 35. Green Bay then drove 28 yards and increased their lead to 16-3 with Longwell's 25-yard field goal with 5:02 left in the game.
Now in a desperate situation, San Francisco tried to convert a fourth down from their own 22 on the next drive, but linebacker Keith McKenzie sacked Young for an 11-yard loss on the play, setting up Dorsey Levens' 5-yard touchdown run that made the score 23-3. Chuck Levy returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, but the 49ers could do nothing else with the final 2:52 remaining on the clock.
Favre finished the game completing 16 of 27 attempts for 222 yards and a touchdown. Levens recorded a then-playoff team record 116 rushing yards and a touchdown, while also catching six passes for 37 yards. Freeman caught four passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. Owens was the sole offensive star for his team, catching six passes for 100 yards. Levy returned three kickoffs for 127 yards and a touchdown. This was the third year in a row the Packers defeated the 49ers in the playoffs, twice in San Francisco. Less

N.F.L 1997 A.F.C. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
DENVER BRONCOS
A.F.C.WEST
V.S.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
A.F.C. CENTRAL
January 11, 1998[edit]
AFC Championship: Denver Broncos 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 21[edit]
Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Broncos 7 17 0 0 24
Steelers 7 7 0 7 21
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C), clear
Game attendance: 61,382
Referee: Ron Blum
TV anno… Moreuncers (NBC): Dick Enberg (play-by-play), Phil Simms, and Paul Maguire (color commentators)
[show]Game information
For the second week in a row, Denver eliminated a team on the road who had beat them in the regular season. In Week 15, Pittsburgh had defeated the Broncos 35–24, with quarterback Kordell Stewart throwing for 303 yards and three touchdowns, while running for two more. But this time, Denver intercepted three of his passes and recovered a fumble, while also sacking him three times.
Most of the scoring came in the first half. Pittsburgh got an early scoring opportunity when Levon Kirkland intercepted a pass from Denver quarterback John Elway on the Broncos 43-yard line. The Steelers then moved the ball to the 20, only to have Norm Johnson miss a 38-yard field goal attempt. On the next play Denver running back Terrell Davis took off for a 43-yard run to the Steelers 29-yard line, and the team went on to score on Davis' 8-yard touchdown run. Will Blackwell returned the ensuing kickoff 18 yards to the 35-yard line, where Pittsburgh went on to move the ball 65 yards to tie the game. On the final two plays, Stewart completed a 20-yard pass to Yancey Thigpen and then ran the ball the final 33 yards to the end zone. Steelers defensive back Darren Perry ended Denver's next drive by forcing and recovering a fumble from Davis on the Pittsburgh 32-yard line. Pittsburgh then drove 68 yards in 11 plays to go up 14-7 on Jerome Bettis' 1-yard touchdown run a few minutes into the second quarter.
The Broncos took the ball back and went on a 10-play, 45-yard drive to score on kicker Jason Elam's 43-yard field goal. Both teams had to punt on their next drives, and Blackwell's 19-yard return gave the Steelers a first down on the Broncos 43-yard line. But two plays later, Stewart forced a throw into double coverage and safety Ray Crockett intercepted his pass in the end zone. After the turnover, Elway led the Broncos 80 yards to score on his 15-yard touchdown pass to fullback Howard Griffith, giving the Broncos the lead, 17-14. The Steelers had to punt on their next drive, and Darrien Gordon returned the ball 19 yards to the Broncos 46, setting up a 54-yard drive that ended on Elway's 1-yard touchdown pass to Ed McCaffrey that gave Denver a 24-14 lead with 13 seconds left in the half. 34 of their 54 yards came from a pass interference penalty on Steelers defensive back Carnell Lake on the first play of the drive.[14][15][16]
Both defenses controlled most of the second half. The Steelers took the opening drive of the second half and moved the ball methodically down the field and had a great scoring chance at the Broncos 5-yard line. But linebacker Allen Aldridge ended the possession with an interception in the end zone. The next time the Steelers got the ball, they moved it to the Broncos 32, only to lose it again when Neil Smith forced a fumble while sacking Stewart and Denver's Mike Lodish made the recovery.
Late in the fourth quarter, Stewart completed seven of eight passes for 68 yards and rushed twice for 11 yards on a 79-yard drive that ended with his 14-yard touchdown pass to Charles Johnson, cutting the score to 24-21 with 2:46 left in regulation. At the two-minute warning, facing third down and 5 on their own 15-yard line on their ensuing drive, Elway connected on an 18-yard completion to Shannon Sharpe for a first down. Then on the next play, he completed a 10-yard pass to McCaffrey for another first down, enabling his team to run out the rest of the clock. Sharpe later said that Elway made up the converting play in the huddle, seconds before the snap.
Davis rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown. Bettis rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown. This would turn out to be the final playoff game at Three Rivers Stadium. Less

N.F.L. 1997 N.F.C.DIVISION #2
N.F.C.DIVISOIN GAME #2
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
N.F.C. EAST
V.S.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
N.F.C CENTRAL
January 4, 1998[edit]
NFC: Green Bay Packers 21, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7[edit]
Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Buccaneers 0 0 7 0 7
Packers 7 6 0 8 21
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST
Game weather: 32 °F (0 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 60,327
Referee:… More Johnny Grier
TV announcers (Fox): Pat Summerall (play-by-play) and John Madden (color commentator)
[show]Game information
Packers running back Dorsey Levens rushed for a team playoff record 112 yards and a touchdown while also catching four passes for 29 yards as the Green Bay defense held Tampa Bay to 90 rushing yards and intercepted two passes from Trent Dilfer, who completed only 11 of 36 passes for 200 yards.
Early in the game, Tampa Bay sent their field goal unit onto the field three times, but failed to get any points each time. After the game started with a punt from each team, the Bucs drove to the Green Bay 25-yard line, but Packers defensive tackle Bob Kuberski blocked Michael Husted's 43-yard field goal attempt. Green Bay then drove 67 yards, including a 26-yard catch by Antonio Freeman, to score on Brett Favre's 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mark Chmura. Tampa Bay responded with a drive to the Packers 25-yard line, but came up empty again. On fourth and 2 they attempted a fake field goal with a pass by Steve Walsh, but tight end John Davis was tackled by Keith McKenzie at the line of scrimmage for no gain.
Early in the second quarter, Tampa Bay got another scoring chance when Warren Sapp forced and recovered a fumble from Levens on the Green Bay 30-yard line. The Bucs then moved the ball to the 12, only to come up empty again when Walsh fumbled a bad snap on their field goal attempt. Later on, Packers receiver Robert Brooks' 28-yard punt return and 21-yard reception set up a field goal by Ryan Longwell. Then on the first play of the Bucs ensuing drive, defensive back Tyrone Williams intercepted a pass from Dilfer and returned it 14 yards, setting up Longwell's second field goal with six seconds left in the half, making the score 13–0.
Green Bay receiver Antonio Freeman returned the second half kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, but a holding penalty on Darren Sharper eliminated the score and moved the ball all the way back to their own 11-yard line. Green Bay still managed to drive into scoring range, but on the eighth play of the drive, Bucs defensive back Donnie Abraham intercepted a pass from Favre on the Tampa Bay 6-yard line. Dilfer subsequently led the Bucs offense 94 yards in eight plays, completing a 54-yard pass to Reidel Anthony and a 28-yard pass to Dave Moore along the way, to score on fullback Mike Alstott's 6-yard touchdown run, cutting the score to 13–7. But two possessions later, Brooks' 14-yard punt return gave the Packers the ball on their 46-yard line, where they proceeded to drive 54 yards and score with a 2-yard touchdown run by Levens. Then, Favre closed out the scoring by running in the two-point conversion on a quarterback draw. Tampa Bay's final three possessions would result in two turnovers on downs and an interception by Packers defensive back Mike Prior.
Favre had a rough day, completing only 15 of 28 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. Anthony finished the game with 141 all-purpose yards (one reception for 52 yards, four kick returns for 68 yards, and one punt return for 21 yards). Less

N.F.L. 1997 DIVISION GAME #2
A.F.C. DIVISIONAL GAME #2
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
V.S.
DENVER BRONCOS
3 MEETING 1997
AFC: Denver Broncos 14, Kansas City Chiefs 10[edit]
Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Broncos 0 7 0 7 14
Chiefs 0 0 10 0 10
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/3:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 32 °F (0 °C), light fog
Game attendance: 76,965
Referee: Jerry Markbreit
TV announcers (NBC)… More: Dick Enberg (play-by-play), Phil Simms, and Paul Maguire (color commentators)
[show]Game information
For the third consecutive year the AFC's No. 1 seed fell in the divisional playoffs. One week after avenging the previous year's playoff loss against Jacksonville, the Broncos avenged their 24–22 regular season loss in Kansas City by knocking the Chiefs out of the playoffs. Denver running back Terrell Davis ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Broncos to victory. Chiefs quarterback Elvis Grbac threw for 260 yards, but his team could only score 10 points. Receiver Andre Rison caught eight passes for 110 yards.
Midway through the second quarter, Chiefs kicker Pete Stoyanovich appeared to open the scoring with a 34-yard field goal, but it was eliminated by a holding penalty and his second attempt hit the crossbar from 44 yards. Denver then went on an 8-play, 65-yard drive on the way to a 1-yard touchdown run by Davis on the first play after the two-minute warning, including John Elway's 27-yard completion to tight end Dwayne Carswell and a critical third and 7 completion to Rod Smith for 17 yards on the Chiefs 4-yard line to keep the drive going. This was the first rushing touchdown surrendered by Kansas City at home since the 1996 season, a string of 42 quarters.
In the second half, Kansas City drove 67 yards to the Broncos 3-yard line, starting with Grbac's 34-yard pass to Rison on the first play. But on third and goal, rookie tight end Tony Gonzalez was unable to keep both feet in bounds while making a catch, so they had to settle for Stoyanovich's 20-yard field goal that made the score 7–3. Denver had a big opportunity to respond on their next drive when Davis ran for a 41-yard gain to the Chiefs 11-yard line. But Derek Loville ended up losing a fumble that safety Reggie Tongue recovered. Following an exchange of punts, Grbac's 50-yard completion to receiver Joe Horn advanced the ball to the Broncos 15-yard line, and Gonzalez eventually caught a 12-yard touchdown pass to give Kansas City their first lead of the game, 10–7, going into the fourth quarter.
Early in the final quarter, Elway completed a 43-yard pass to Ed McCaffrey that set up Davis' second 1-yard touchdown run, giving the lead back to Denver, 14–10. Kansas City responded with a drive to the Denver 32-yard line. On fourth and six, they attempted to fool the Broncos with a fake field goal attempt, but holder Louie Aguiar was tackled by Darrien Gordon after picking up just three yards.
The Chiefs had one last opportunity to go ahead near the end of the game, moving the ball to the Broncos 20-yard line on a drive that included a 29-yard pass interference penalty against Denver and Grbac's 12-yard completion to Lake Dawson on fourth down and 9. Grbac later completed a 23-yard pass to Rison at the Broncos 28, but after the next three plays netted eight yards, Gordon deflected Grbac's fourth down pass in the end zone with 12 seconds left. Less

N.F.L. 1997 DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS N.F.C. GAME #1
San Francisco 49ers 38,
Minnesota Vikings 22
Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Vikings 7 0 7 8 22
49ers 7 14 10 7 38
at 3Com Park, San Francisco, California
Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), partly cloudy
Game attendance: 65,018
Referee: Bob McElwee
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton (play-by-play) and Matt Millen (color commentator)
[s… Morehow]Game information
Minnesota came into the playoffs with the second-to-last ranked defense during the regular season, something the 49ers proved more than capable of exploiting. By the end of the game, San Francisco racked up 394 yards without losing a single turnover and only giving up one sack. Filling in for the injured starter Garrison Hearst, 49ers running back Terry Kirby ran for a career-high 120 yards and two touchdowns, while receiver J. J. Stokes caught a career-high nine passes for 101 yards. Steve Young threw for 220 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 37. Minnesota had 374 yards, but lost 91 of them with 12 penalties. Vikings quarterback Randall Cunningham threw for 331 yards and three touchdowns, but also threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. His top target was Jake Reed, who caught five passes for 114 yards. Cris Carter added six receptions for 93 yards and two touchdowns.
Early in the first quarter, Vikings punter Mitch Berger shanked a 12-yard punt that gave the 49ers a first down on the Minnesota 26-yard line, leading to fullback William Floyd's 1-yard touchdown run. It the start of a long day for Berger, who finished the game with a measly 29.9 yards per punt average on his seven kicks. Still, the Vikings responded on their first play after the ensuing kickoff with Cunningham's 66-yard touchdown pass to Carter. Late in the second quarter, a 28-yard pass interference penalty on Vikings safety Torrian Gray and a personal foul call against linebacker Dwayne Rudd for kicking the penalty flag gave the 49ers a first down on the Minnesota 2-yard line. On the next play, a penalty against linebacker Dixon Edwards put the ball on the 1, and Kirby ran the ball into the end zone from there, giving the 49ers a 14-7 lead at the end of a 61-yard drive. Then on the Vikings ensuing drive, linebacker Ken Norton Jr. intercepted a pass from Cunningham and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown, making the score 21-7 going into halftime.
San Francisco increased their lead to 24-7 early in the third quarter, driving 46 yards in 10 plays to score with Gary Anderson's 34-yard field goal. But the Vikings responded with Cunningham's 53-yard completion to Reed setting up a 3-yard touchdown reception by Carter, narrowing the gap to 24-14. Replays showed the officials blew the call on Reed's reception because his second toe came down on the end line, but it didn't make much difference because the 49ers came back with a 75-yard touchdown drive with Kirby rushing for gains of 22 and 14 yards on the first two plays. Young's 15-yard pass to Terrell Owens made the score 31-14.[11]
In the fourth quarter, a 15-yard penalty against Vikings lineman John Randle and a 29-yard completion from Young to Stokes set up Kirby's second touchdown of the day to put the Niners up 38-14 before Cunningham led a desperate comeback attempt. After finishing a 73-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Hatchette that cut the score to 38-22, he led the team to the 49ers 16-yard line with about two minutes left in the game. But after spiking the ball on first down, he threw three consecutive incompletions, resulting in a turnover on downs that allowed San Francisco to run out the rest of the clock. Less

N.F.L. 1997 DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF A.F.C.GAME #1
1997 A.F.C DIVISIONAL GAME #1
NEW ENGLAND PARIOTS 6
A.F.C.EAST
Pittsburgh Steelers 7
A.F.C. CENTRAL
Divisional playoffs[edit]
January 3, 1998[edit]
AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 7, New England Patriots 6[edit]
Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Patriots 0 3 0 3 6
Steelers 7 0 0 0 7
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: 55 °F (13… More °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 61,228
Referee: Walt Coleman
TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond (play-by-play) and Randy Cross (color commentator)
[show]Game information
Quarterback Kordell Stewart's 40-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was the difference in a defense-dominated game.
The Patriots were severely depleted by injuries, playing without star running back Curtis Martin. Pro Bowl tight end Ben Coates was limited to just a few plays, while receiver Terry Glenn was out of the game a few minutes into the fourth quarter. On the third play of the game, rookie defensive back Chad Scott intercepted a pass from New England quarterback Drew Bledsoe and returned it 27 yards to the Steelers 38. Stewart then got the team to the Patriots 40-yard line, converting two third downs with 10-yard completions to Charles Johnson before taking the ball the rest of the way to the end zone on a 40-yard score, the longest touchdown run in Steelers playoff history at the time.
In the second quarter, Bledsoe completed two passes to Shawn Jefferson for 29 yards and a 36-yard throw to Glenn on a 65-yard drive that ended with Adam Vinatieri's 31-yard field goal, making the score 7-3. Later on, Pittsburgh drove to the New England 33-yard line, but defensive back Steve Israel intercepted a pass from Stewart. The only remaining highlight of the quarter would be Steelers receiver Will Blackwell's 58-yard punt return on the last play of the half.[9]
On the last play of the third quarter, Bledsoe's 39-yard completion to Glenn led to a 46-yard field goal from Vinatieri, cutting their deficit to 7-6. After a punt from each team, the Steelers had a chance to put the game away with a drive to the Patriots 1-yard line. On fourth down, coach Bill Cowher tried to ice the game with a conversion attempt, but Stewart was stuffed for no gain with 3:24 left in regulation. This gave New England one last chance to drive for a winning field goal and they managed to reach their own 42, but rookie linebacker Mike Vrabel stripped the ball from Bledsoe, and fellow linebacker Jason Gildon recovered it. The Patriots managed to get it back with 34 seconds left, but linebacker Levon Kirkland intercepted Bledsoe's Hail Mary pass on the game's final play.[10]
For the third time in four years, Pittsburgh would play and host the AFC Championship Game. Jefferson was the sole offensive star of the game with nine receptions for 106 yards. Jerome Bettis led the Steelers with 74 yards from scrimmage but was held in check by New England's defense. Blackwell had four punt returns for 78 yards and three kickoff returns for 36. Gildon had a sack and two fumble recoveries. Less

N.F.L. 1997 WILD CARD WEEKEND N.F.C.
N.F.C. WILDCARD GAME #2
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
N.F.C. EAST
V. S.
DETROIT LIOMS
N.F.C. NORTH
NFC: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20, Detroit Lions 10[edit]
Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Lions 0 0 3 7 10
Buccaneers 3 10 7 0 20
at Houlihan's Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), partly cloudy
Game attendance: 73,361
Referee: Mike Carey
TV announcers (Fox):… More Pat Summerall (play-by-play) and John Madden (color commentator)
[show]Game information
The Buccaneers won their first playoff game since 1979, in what turned out to be their final game at Houlihan's Stadium. Tampa Bay built a 20–0 lead midway through the third quarter. Lions quarterback Scott Mitchell completed only 10 of 25 passes for 78 yards, and running back Barry Sanders, who rushed for over 2,000 yards during the season, had 18 carries for just 65 yards.
Bucs quarterback Trent Dilfer's 23-yard completion to Karl Williams on third down and 1 set up the first score of the game, Michael Husted's 22-yard field goal with 5:25 left in the first quarter. The Lions received a huge scoring opportunity when Williams fumbled a punt at the end of the next drive. Lions linebacker Matt Russell got to the ball first, but instead of falling on the ball, he tried to pick it up and run with it. Instead of grabbing the ball, he accidentally batted it out of bounds, allowing the Bucs to keep possession on the Lions 11-yard line. Taking full advantage of their second chance, Tampa Bay subsequently drove 89 yards in 17 plays, taking 8:50 off the clock and converting three third downs, one from a 12-men on the field penalty against Detroit. Dilfer finished the drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Horace Copeland that put the team up 10-0. Later on, Buccaneers cornerback Anthony Parker intercepted a pass from Mitchell and returned it 19 yards to the Lions 20-yard line, setting up Husted's 43-yard field goal that gave the team a 13-0 lead at the end of the half. Tampa Bay had a chance to increase their lead even more before halftime with a drive to the Lions 43, but Ron Rice intercepted a pass from Dilfer on the last play of the second quarter.
Detroit had to punt on their opening drive of the third quarter, and John Jett's 31-yard kick gave Tampa Bay great field position on their own 47-yard line. Five plays later, Bucs fullback Mike Alstott scored on a 31-yard touchdown run (the longest run in franchise playoff history) to make the score 20-0. Detroit responded with their best drive of the day, moving the ball 73 yards to the Tampa Bay 8-yard line. But it ended with no points when Mitchell threw an incomplete pass on fourth down and 3. Less