[NFL] Game of the Century, Part IV of 2007

First, it was Cowboys and Patriots, then Colts and Patriots, later a more smaller Giants and Cowboys games......but next week......we could have the




Packers vs. Cowboys


Both teams after this week can be sitting at 10-1, if both win on Thanksgiving, the Boys have the Jets, and the Pack have the Lions as usual.


Romo vs. Favre

Owens, Hurd, Crayton vs. Jones, Driver, and Jennings

Barber vs. the Packer Front Seven

NFC's best offense vs. NFC's Best Defense

But this game is bigger than the mere players involve -----
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Historical Games:

NFL 1997 Season - Week 13: The Super Bowl champion, Green Bay Packers dismantle the triplets and the struggling and aging Cowboys in their last appearance at Lambeau Field. Favre had his fifth 3 or more touchdown game in this season. 4 TDs on top of one interception. Final Score: 45-17

NFL 1996 Season - Week 12: Chris Boniol kicks a record 7 FGs, as the defending champion Cowboys defeat the soon to be champs Green Bay Packers, Final Score: 21-6

NFC Championship Game (1995 Season): Cowboys over Packers (MVP - Brett Favre),who previously knocked off the defending champion 49ers. Emmitt runs for a buck fifty and three TDs and the Boyz put up another 400 yards of total offense against Pack in the playoffs. Final Score: 38-27

NFC Divisional Playoffs (1994 Season): The two-time defending Super Bowl Champions rout the young upstart Packers lead Brett Favre, as the Boys pile up 450 yards of total offense. Final Score: 35-9

NFL 1994 Season - Week 13 : Favre throws 257 and 4tds, but the Packers fall short in Dallas, as the Boyz puts 36 points on the board in 2nd Half (with a 1 point lead in 3rd Quarter, 25-24) to come back from 17-6 half time deficeit. Final Score: 42-31

NFC Divisional Playoffs (1993 Season): The Cowboys once again defeat Green Bay Packers en route to its second Super Bowl victory and total NFC dominance. Final Score: 27 -17

NFL 1993 Season - Week 5: The young Brett Favre makes his very first start and appearance against the Cowboys, as the Triplets and struggling Cowboys toyed with Packers. Final Score: 36-14

NFL 1989 Season - Week 5 and Week 16: In their first meeting of 1989, the Packers destroy the Cowboys lead by first year NFL head coach Jimmy Johnson, who later turns these 1-15 Cowboys into the Beast of NFL in 90s. Final Score: 31-13

And one the last day of season, The Packers defeat the Cowboys once again in Dallas (for futile victory). Final Score: 20-10

Why is the 1989 season, so important:

#1 - This is same season, Jimmy Johnson traded away the dynamic Herschel Walker for five veteran players and eight (8.....EIGHT) draft picks to Minnesota Vikings. Among the eight future draft choices, included little know players, like Emmitt Smith , Russell Maryland, Kevin Smith, Pat Harlow, and Darrien Woodson. Two perennial pro-bowlers, a decent OLman, a CB who stayed in the league for 10 years, one borderline HOF, and one of the greatest RBs of all time (all time leading rusher). Dallas received Draft picks all the way up until 1993.

This basically proves how unlucky Vikings have been, historically , how much of genius at player personnel Jimmy Johnson and how much more logic he had than the entire Vikings franchise.

#2 - Although, the Packers finished the season at 10-6, they did not make the playoffs, as their division rival....guess who........the Minnesota Vikings managed to defeat the reigning AFC Champions Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) to finish at 11-5. Also, if the Bengals won, they would've received the last wild card spot in the AFC over the Houston Oilers, who finished at 9-7, but was swept by the Bengals, who also had the best division record (5-1).

We all must thank God for the Vikings beating the Bengals (29 to 21) and him letting the KC Chiefs and Browns end their Week 11 game in a tie. Or we would've had total chaos in AFC playoff picture in 1989. If the Bengals won, and the Chiefs found way to make a simple FG in OT..... It would've been the first time in the NFL history that an entire division (AFC Central) finished with the same record (9-7). Finally, the team that crushed the Vikings playoffs that year was the same team, Vikings embrassed in two playoffs earlier (which also resulted in a benching of a certain HOF QB, in middle of the game). Even though that same team and player came in snatched the Super Bowl from the Bengals in the final seconds of the very next season.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1989.htm/ (Could you imagine the BCS scenario in NFL?)

Side notes: In the AFC, they were only 4 teams that had a losing record, and one finished at 7-9. Also, then Browns head coach Marty Schottenheimer became the coach of the KC Chiefs in 90s who won an AFC best in 1995, 13 games and were a Super Bowl favorite by many critics.....and if they reached the Super Bowl that year ..... the Chiefs would've played the Cowboys of 95.

This is also weird, because KC owner, Lamar Hunt originally tried to acquire an NFL franchise in this popular Texas city, not named Houston, S.A., or Austin. He succeeded in getting his own franchise in Dallas with AFL called the Dallas Texans who later became the Kansas City Chiefs.

NFL 1972 Season - Week 3: Landry's playoff bound Cowboys travel to Lambeau Field to take on Vince.....no Dan Devine's Packers. The game came down to nail bitter with Cheeseheads going home happy hoping for their first post season appearance, since the "Old Man" left. Final Score: 16-13

the Pack and Cowboys, both finished their season at 10-4 and each one made playoffs, but their showdown didn't occur, because of those damn Redskins in Washington who ended both of their seasons. It wasn't the "Old Man" that did it, but that Allen guy...who allowed both teams to score 3 points against them, respectively. Green Bay in divisonal playoffs and Dallas in NFC title game.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/gnb1972.htm/
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/was1972.htm/
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal1972.htm/

NFC Championship Game (1967 Season): The Packers take out the Cowboys for the NFC crown for the 2nd consecutive year in another close contest. As this would be the last year for Lombardi and the "Immortal" Packers of the 60s. And, The Packers decided to win another one of these things called Super Bowl against the lowly AFL. Final Score: 21-17


NFC Championship Game (1966 Season): ICE BOWL: Bart Starr, QB Sneak over Handoff, 3rd straight NFL Championship, and 1st Super Bowl Champion in NFL history. Final Score 34-27

NFL Season 1964 - Week 12: The eliminated 'Packers' show their pride, as they easily put away the struggling Cowboys. The Packers were eliminated from playoff contention a few weeks earlier by the soaring 'Baltimore Colts' who have reeled off an 11 game winning streak and sole positon of the Western spot in NFL Championship game. Yet, Lombardi want let his team finish the season on a low note and try to get them ready for next season with a chip on their shoulders. Final Score: 45-21

NFL Season 1960 - Week 8: The improving 4-2 Packers with 2nd year head coach Vince Lombardi annilhilate the winless, expanision Dallas Cowboys and first year head coach, Tom Landry. Final Score: 41-7

 

1, at least not this week, I almost have a whole week off....so I pretty much don't have life and i don't plan on going anywhere for Thanksgiving.