6. 2006 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS at 2. 1993 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION DALLAS COWBOYS
2. 1993 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION DALLAS COWBOYS
Record: 12-4
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 2nd
Def: 2nd
1st NFC East
d. Packers Div Rnd 27-17
d. Niners NFC Title 38-21
d. Bills Super Bowl 30-13
d. '53 Rams 35-12 (PotG-Troy Aikman)
d. '98 Falcons 41-14 (PotG-Troy Aikman)
HC: Jimmy Johnson, OC: Norv Turner, DC Butch Davis
Texas Stadium: 55 degrees
Brad Sham/Dale Hansen
Offense
QB Troy Aikman (27 UCLA) 15 td/6 int 69.1% 7.9 y/c 221.4 y/g 99.0
RB Emmitt Smith (24 Florida) All Pro 1486 yds 5.3 y/c 57 catch 414 yds 7.3 y/c 10 td
FB Moose Johnston (27 Syracuse) 74 yds 3.1 y/a 50 catch 372 yds 7.4 y/c 4 td
WR Alvin Harper (25 Tenn) 36 ctch 777 yds 21.6 y/c 5 td
WR Michael Irvin (27 Miami) 88 ctch 1330 yds 15.1 y/c 7 td
TE Jay Novacek (31 Wyoming) 44 ctch 455 yds 10.1 y/c td (1 rush)
LT Mark Tuinei (31 Hawaii )
LG Nate Newton (32 Florida A&M)
C Mark Stepnowski (26 Pitt)
RG Kevin Gogan (29 Wash)
RT Erik Williams (25 Cen St) All Pro
Defense
LDE Tony Tolbert (26 UTEP) 7.5 sacks
LDT Tony Casillas (30 Oklahoma) 2 scks
RDT Russell Maryland (24 Miami) 2.5 scks
RDE Charles Haley (29 J Madison) 4 scks
LLB Dixon Edwards (25 Mich St) 1.5 scks
MLB Ken Norton (27 UCLA) 1 int 2 sck
RLB Darrin Smith (23-R Miami) sck
LCB Kevin Smith (23 A&M) 6 int
RCB Larry Brown (24 TCU)
SS Darren Woodson (24 Ariz St)
FS Thomas Everett (29 Baylor) 2 int
K Eddie Murray (37 Tulane)
P John Jett (25 E Carolina)
KR/PR Kevin Williams (22 Miami) 2 td
Here's the 2nd seeded team in the Region - the 31st overall seed in the tournament - the 1993 Dallas Cowboys. 2nd in both offense and defense. 8 offensive starters named to the Pro Bowl, 27 year old Troy Aikman threw for 15 scores and 6 picks; nearly 1500 yards on the ground for 24 year old All Pro Emmitt Smith. RT Erik Williams is 25, he also was named All Pro. Defensively, 23 year old Kevin Smith had 6 picks. 26 year old Tony Tolbert had 7.5 sacks. The Cowboys whipped the '53 Rams in rnd 1, just 2 incompletions for Aikman. Jimmy Johnson's last Cowboys team, so whenever the tournament ends for Dallas, it ends his Dallas run. Aikman threw for 3 scores in Dallas's second round win - Aikman Player of the Game in both rounds.
6. 2006 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Record: 12-4
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 7th
Def: 2nd
1st AFC East
d. Jets WC 37-16
d. Chargers Div Rnd 24-21
Lost Colts AFC Title 38-34
d. '17 Vikings 20-10 (PotG-Kevin Faulk)
d. '97 Broncos 24-16 (PotG-Asante Samuel)
HC: Bill Belichick OC: Josh McDaniels, DC: Dean Pees
Gillette Stadium, Avg Temp 55 degrees
Announcers: Gil Santos/Gino Cappelletti
Offense
QB Tom Brady (29 Michigan) 24 td/12 int 61.8% 6.8 y/a 220.6 y/g 87.9
RB Corey Dillon (32 Wash) 812 yds 4.1 y/a 15 catch 147 yds 13 td
WR Troy Brown (35 Marshall) 43 ctch 384 yds 8.9 y/a 4 td
WR Reche Caldwell (27 Florida) 61 ctch 760 yds 12.5 y/c 4 td
TE Daniel Graham (28 Colorado) 21 ctch 235 yds 11.2 y/c 2 td
TE Ben Watson (26 UGA) 49 ctch 643 yds 13.1 y/c 3 td
LT Matt Light (28 Purdue)
LG Logan Mankins (24 Fres St)
C Dan Koppen (27 B College)
RG Steve Neal (30 C St Bakersfield)
RT Nick Kaczur (27 Toledo)
Defense
LDE Ty Warren (25 Tex A&M) 7.5 scks
NT Vince Wilfork (25 Miami) 1 sck
RDE Richard Seymour (27 UGA) 1 int 4 scks
LOLB Rosevelt Colvin (29 Purdue) 8.5 scks
LILB Junior Seau (37 USC) 1 sck
RILB Tedy Bruschi (33 Arizona) 1 int 1.5 scks
ROLB Mike Vrabel (31 Ohio St) 3 int 4.5 scks
LCB Asante Samuel (25 Cen Florida) 10 int
RCB Ellis Hobbes (23 Iowa St) 2 int
SS Rodney Harrison (34 W Illinois) 1 int 1 sck
FS Artrell Hawkins (30 Cincinnati) 1 int
K Stephen Gostkowski (22 Memphis)
P Ken Walter (34 Kent)
KR Laurence Maroney (21 Minnesota)
PR Kevin Faulk (31 LSU)
Lost the AFC Title game to the Colts and are the 6th seed in the region on the backs of the 2nd bes defense from 2006. Not a single All Pro on the roster. Ty Warren's 25, Rosevelt Colvin 29 they combined for 16 sacks. Asante Samuel is 25, he picked off 10 balls. Brady's 29, threw for 29 scores and a dozen picks. 13 scores for 32 year old Corey Dillon. New England really struggled to move the ball in round 1, only 8 first downs against the '17 Vikes, but they still came away with the win. The defense again led the way in the Rnd 2 upset of the third seeded '97 Broncos
Dallas giving 9 here to the Pats - Dallas is running through this tournament and now looks to reach the rnd of 32. Let's go out for the kick
1st Qtr
Patriots at the 36.
3 and out including Darrin Smith sacking Tom Brady.
Dallas at the 28, they go 3 and out.
Patriots at the 26.
1/10 - Brady to Reche Caldwell, 6 yard gain.
2/4 - Incomplete
3/4 - Brady to Laurence Maroney out of the backfield - 6 yards and a first down for the Pats.
1/10 - Brady to Troy Brown - 10 yards and a first down.
1/10 - Maroney for 5. Patriots cross midfield.
2/5 - Brady finds a wide open Ben Watson - Watston running - Watson all the way to the Cowboy 17 yard line! 30 yards from Brady to Watson!
1/10 - Dillon busts out a 13 yard pickup and it is a first and goal!
1/goal - Brady --- End Zone -- Reche Caldwell --- TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS -- 74 yards for Brady - right down the field and the Pats get off to the early lead.
Dallas at the 29.
1/10 - Troy Aikman to Jay Novacek - 13 yards.
1/10 - Aikman is sacked by Mike Vrabel.
2/17 - Moose Johnston hit in the backfield.
3/18 - Aikman -- finds Alvin Harper on a crossing route, Harper goes 23 yards to the Pats 43, they go back 5 yards on a false start, 3 minutes left in the quarter.
1/10 - Emmitt loses 1
2/11 - Derrick Lassic gets a carry, 8 yards.
2/3 - Aikman to the Playmaker; Michael Irvin 11 yards to the Patriot 30 yard line.
1/10 - Junior Seau comes up the gut on a blitz and sacks Aikman.
2/16 - Emmitt gets 2 and the quarter ends.
2nd Qtr: Patriots 7 Cowboys 0
Dallas got off to a slow start in rnd 2 - here, they trail, 3rd and 14 at their own 34.
They don't get it - Pats will start at the 34.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Maroney runs for 11 - big gainer to the 45.
But --- that's all. And after the punt, Dallas at their own 8.
1/10 - Emmitt for 4.
2/6 - Aikman to Johnston, first down.
1/10 - Johnston 5 yards to the 23, 10 left in the half, Patriots up 7.
2/5 - Aikman hits Harper in stride - Harper runs for a 21 yard gain -- Dallas at the 44
1/10 - Aikman -- Aikman going Downfield -- Jay Novacek -- Novacek -- NOVACEK BREAKS A TACKLE -- NOVACEK THE 30-20- JAY NOVACEK INTO THE ENDZONE -- TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS - Troy Aikman, the first man in the tournament with 2 Player of the Game awards, 56 yards to his tight end and we are tied at 7!
Patriots at the 26.
1/10 - Maroney for 7
2/3 - Dillon is just short.
3/1 - Maroney picks it up, Pats at their own 37, 7 minutes left in the half.
But - the drive ends here -- Dallas gets it back at their own 26, little over 5 to play in the half. 7-7.
1/10 - Aikman to Kevin Williams -- 14 yards.
1/10 - Aikman to Emmitt, 8 yards to the 48.
2/2 - 5 for Emmitt, first down at the Pats 47.
1/10 - Aikman. Irvin. 9 yards. A holding call on the next play makes it 2nd and 11.
2/11 - Lassic goes for 5.
3/6 Aikman to Irvin again, 9 more - Dallas is at the 34 and weve hit the 2 minute warning.
1/10 - Emmitt for 6.
2/4 - Emmitt busts one, 16 yards, Dallas down to the 12 yard line!
The drive ends here - With less than a minute left, Murray makes it 10-7.
Patriot ball at their own 28. 53 seconds, all 3 timeouts.
1/10 - Maroney goes 11 yards on the draw - Pats timeout at the 39.
1/10 - Brady goes downfield to Gaffney -- big strike to Gaffney, dragged down, 33 yard gain, Pats at the 28, 34 seconds left, timeout New England.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Brady finds Troy Brown -- Brown's gonna go all the way to 11 yard line! 17 yard pickup - New England uses its final timeout with 12 seconds left - one incompletion later and Gostkowski comes on, hits the tying FG and we go to the half. 10-10.
3rd Qtr: Cowboys 10 Patriots 10
Dead tied. We head to the second half - one of these teams will win the bottom half of region 2.
Dallas at the 24.
1/10 - Emmitt 3 yards.
2/7 - Aikman to Moose, he gets the first down.
1/10 - Aikman to Emmitt, 4 yards.
2/6 - Nothing for Emmitt.
3/6 - Aikman to Moose, 9 yards and the Cowboys are at the 47.
1/10 - 2 for Emmitt.
2/8 - Lassic gets 1.
3/7 - Aikman to Irvin and #88 just fights, drags a defender, drags two defenders - Irvin has the first down, Dallas at the 39.
The drive ends here -- 37 year old Eddie Murray just....barely squeaks a 50 yeard FG over the crossbar and the Cowboys have the lead.
Pats at the 27.
1/10 - Brady to Caldwell, a dozen yards.
1/10 - Brady to Kevin Faulk, Faulk's got a step, 17 yards, just like that, New England's at the Dallas 44.
1/10 - Dillon stopped at the line.
2/10 - Brady 3 yards to Maroney.
3/7 Brady to Watson....he is just short of the first down, Pats with 4th and less than a yard at the 35...
Belichick to go for it - turn down the attempt at the game tying FG, big spot here, 4th and say 2 feet.
4/1 - Brady sneak ---- HE IS STOPPED! RUSSELL MARYLAND! KEN NORTON --THE MIDDLE OF THE DALLAS DEFENSE STOPS BRADY COLD!!
That's the big play - if Dallas holds on here that's the moment they did it.
3:46 left in the third. Dallas at their own 35.
1/10 - Emmitt for 4.
2/6 - Emmitt picks it up.
1/10 - Aikman to Johnston, it's a 10 yd gain, Dallas at the Patriot 46.
1/10 - Emmitt for 7.
2/3 - Aikman in trouble -- scrambling - gets the first down - Dallas is at the Patriot 36.
1/10 - Moose busts a 10 yard gain, And the Cowboys have a first down at the 26 as the qtr ends.
4th Qtr: Cowboys 13 Patriots 10
15 minutes left - Dallas got the 4th down stop and is driving now, first down at the 26.
They don't pick it up -- Murray....Hits his 3rd FG of the day, Dallas 16 New England 10.
Maroney with the big kick return, out to the 45.
1/10 - Maroney, 13 yards.
1/10 - Faulk, 16 yards. Just like that, Pats at the 26. Down 6, less than 12 minutes to play.
But the drive ends right here -- Gostkowski kick and it is 16-13.
9 and a half minutes to play. Kevin Williams with the big, big, big kick return - he's had a great tournament returning kicks - Dallas is at their own 43. Up 3. Can they go down and win this game?
1/10 - Aikman - Alvin Harper, 10 yards and a quick first.
1/10 - Emmitt busts an 11 yard gain and Dallas is at the 36, halfway through the 4th.
1/10 - Aikman to Emmitt, 6.
2/4 - Aikman finds Michael Irvin -- Look at Irvin, racing to the first down -- Dallas is at the 14 yard line! 7 minutes left.
1/10 - Lassic 5 yards, holding on the next play makes it 2nd and 15.
The drive stops. Big stop for NE -- Murray hits his 4th FG, but with 4 and a half minutes to play, Tom Brady comes back out on the field, Down 19-13. 36 yard line.
1/10 - Brady has to run, gets 3.
2/7 - Maroney stopped.
3/8 - Brady to Brown -- Brown 9 yards to the 47.
1/10 - Dillon 5 yards.
2/5 - Maroney gets 2 yards, that's the 2 minute warning, Pats at the Cowboy 46 yard line.
3/3 - Incomplete
Big spot. 1:53 to play. 4th and 3. Patriots are down 6, at the Cowboy 46.
4/3 - Charles Haley drills Brady as he throws - the ball goes nowhere - it's an incomplete pass and Dallas regains the ball, they are at their own 46, 1:47 left.
3 run plays, 3 timeouts. Dallas punts it away - with 43 seconds left, New England is at their own 9. 91 yards to go. No timeouts.
4 incomplete passes later the game is over.
Final: Cowboys 19 Patriots 13
Form holds in Region 2 - the top seeded '85 Bears will meet the 2nd seeded '93 Cowboys in the Regional Final; the Rgion 1 Final, recall, is a battle of the 3rd and 4th seeds, the '67 Raiders v. '02 Bucs. So - 3 of the 4 teams currently in the rnd of 32 are Super Bowl Champs.
Aikman: 19 for 23, 249 yds TD
Brady: 13 for 22, 158 yds, TD
Smith: 23 carries, 83 yds
Maroney: 11 carries, 57 yds
Irvin: 5 catches, 56 yds
Brown: 3 ctches, 34 yds
Murray: 4 FGs.
Player of the Game: Eddie Murray
