Wikipedia

1985–86 NFL playoffs

TheNational Football League playoffsfor the1985 seasonbegan on December 28, 1985. The postseason tournament concluded with theChicago Bearsdefeating theNew England PatriotsinSuper Bowl XX,46–10, on January 26, 1986, at theLouisiana SuperdomeinNew Orleans,Louisiana.

1985–86 NFL playoffs
TheChicago Bearsmaking a rushing play in the end zone against theNew England PatriotsduringSuper Bowl XX
DatesDecember 28, 1985–January 26, 1986
Season1985
Teams10
Games played9
Super Bowl XXsite
Defending championsSan Francisco 49ers
ChampionsChicago Bears
Runners-upNew England Patriots
Conference
runners-up
NFL playoffs
←1984–86 1986–87→

Participants

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Within each conference, the three division winners and the twonon-division winners with the best overall regular season recordsqualified for the playoffs. The NFL did not use a fixed-bracket playoff system. The three division winners wereseeded1–3 based on their overall won-lost-tied record, and received afirst-round byewhile the wild card teams were seeded 4 and 5, and played in the first round, dubbed thewild-card playoffsorwild-card weekend,with the 4 seed hosting. The second round, thedivisional playoffs,had a restriction where two teams from the same division could not meet: the surviving wild card team visited the division champion outside its division that had the higher seed, and the remaining two teams from that conference played each other. The two surviving teams from each conference's divisional playoff games then met in the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championship games, hosted by the higher seed. Finally theSuper Bowl,the championship round of the playoffs, was played at a neutral site, with the designated home team based on an annual rotation by conference.

Playoff seeds
Seed AFC NFC
1 Los Angeles Raiders(Westwinner) Chicago Bears(Centralwinner)
2 Miami Dolphins(Eastwinner) Los Angeles Rams(Westwinner)
3 Cleveland Browns(Centralwinner) Dallas Cowboys(Eastwinner)
4 New York Jets(wild card) New York Giants(wild card)
5 New England Patriots(wild card) San Francisco 49ers(wild card)

Bracket

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Jan 4 –Anaheim Stadium
3 Dallas 0
Dec 29 –Giants Stadium Jan 12 – Soldier Field
2 LA Rams 20
NFC
5 San Francisco 3 2 LA Rams 0
Jan 5 –Soldier Field
4 NY Giants 17 1 Chicago 24
NFC Championship
4 NY Giants 0
Jan 26 –Louisiana Superdome
1 Chicago 21
Divisional playoffs
Wild Card playoffs N1 Chicago 46
Jan 5 –Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
A5 New England 10
Super Bowl XX
5 New England 27
Dec 28 – Giants Stadium Jan 12 – Miami Orange Bowl
1 LA Raiders 20
AFC
5 New England 26 5 New England 31
Jan 4 –Miami Orange Bowl
4 NY Jets 14 2 Miami 14
AFC Championship
3 Cleveland 21
2 Miami 24
This box:

Schedule

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Because theJetsandGiantsboth usedGiants Stadiumas their home field, the two wild card playoff games were held on different days.

In the United States,CBStelevised theNFCplayoff games, whileNBCbroadcast theAFCgames andSuper Bowl XX.

Away team Score Home team Date Kickoff
(ET/UTC–5)		 TV
Wild card playoffs
New England Patriots 26–14 New York Jets December 28, 1985 4:00 p.m. NBC
San Francisco 49ers 3–17 New York Giants December 29, 1985 1:00 p.m. CBS
Divisional playoffs
Cleveland Browns 21–24 Miami Dolphins January 4, 1986 12:30 p.m. NBC
Dallas Cowboys 0–20 Los Angeles Rams January 4, 1986 4:00 p.m. CBS
New York Giants 0–21 Chicago Bears January 5, 1986 12:30 p.m. CBS
New England Patriots 27–20 Los Angeles Raiders January 5, 1986 4:00 p.m. NBC
Conference Championships
Los Angeles Rams 0–24 Chicago Bears January 12, 1986 12:30 p.m. CBS
New England Patriots 31–14 Miami Dolphins January 12, 1986 4:00 p.m. NBC
Super Bowl XX
Louisiana Superdome,New Orleans, Louisiana
Chicago Bears 46–10 New England Patriots January 26, 1986 5:00 p.m. NBC

Wild card playoffs

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Saturday, December 28, 1985

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AFC: New England Patriots 26, New York Jets 14

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See also:Jets–Patriots rivalry
New England Patriots vs. New York Jets – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 3 10 10326
Jets 0 7 7014

atGiants Stadium,East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information
  • Scoring
    • NE – field goal Franklin 33 NE 3–0
    • NYJ – Hector 11 pass from O'Brien (Leahy kick) NYJ 7–3
    • NE – field goal Franklin 41 NYJ 7–6
    • NE – Morgan 36 pass from Eason (Franklin kick) NE 13–7
    • NE – field goal Franklin 20 NE 16–7
    • NE – Rembert 15 fumble return (Franklin kick) NE 23–7
    • NYJ – Shuler 12 pass from Ryan (Leahy kick) NE 23–14
    • NE – field goal Franklin 26 NE 26–14

This was the first postseason meeting between the Patriots and Jets.[1]In the NFL's first playoff game atGiants Stadium,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 afterTony Franklinmade a 33-yard field goal. Then after New York scored on quarterbackKen O'Brien's 11-yard touchdown pass to running backJohnny Hector,Franklin kicked his second field goal from 41 yards. Late in the second quarter, safetyFred Marionintercepted a pass from O'Brien and returned it 26 yards to the Jets 33-yard line. A few plays later, Jets defensive backRussell Carterfailed to make contact with receiverStanley Morganwhile trying to jam him at the line of scrimmage, enabling Morgan to take off past Carter and haul in a 36-yard touchdown completion fromTony Eason,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 linebackerJohnny Rembert,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 Ryanreplaced 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 endMickey Shuler,making the score 23–14. But in the fourth quarter, Patriots linebackerAndre Tippettdeflected a Ryan pass into the arms of defensive endGarin 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 receiverAl Toonset a franchise playoff record for receptions (9), good for 93 yards.[2]

Sunday, December 29, 1985

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

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See also:49ers–Giants rivalry
San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
49ers 0 3 003
Giants 3 7 7017

atGiants Stadium,East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information
  • Scoring
    • NYG – field goal Schubert 47 NYG 3–0
    • NYG – Bavaro 18 pass from Simms (Schubert kick) NYG 10–0
    • SF – field goal Wersching 21 NYG 10–3
    • NYG – Hasselbeck 3 pass from Simms (Schubert kick) NYG-17-3

In the Giants first home playoff game since 1962, despite the fact that the 49ers recorded 362 yards of total offense, with receiverDwight Clarkcatching 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.[3]

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 safetyTerry Kinardintercepted a pass from 49ers quarterbackJoe Montanaand returned it 15 yards to set upPhil Simms' 18-yard touchdown pass to tight endMark Bavaro.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 forRay Wersching'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 endDon Hasselbeck,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 endJohn Frank,but it was eliminated by a holding penalty against guardJohn Ayers.On the next play, he threw a pass to running backCarl Monroe,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.[4]

New York running backJoe Morrisfinished the game with 141 rushing yards. Defensive linemanJim Burthad two of New York's four sacks. 49ers running backRoger 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.[1]

Divisional playoffs

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Saturday, January 4, 1986

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AFC: Miami Dolphins 24, Cleveland Browns 21

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Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Browns 7 7 7021
Dolphins 3 0 14724

atMiami Orange Bowl,Miami,Florida

Game information
  • Scoring
    • MIA – field goal Reveiz 51 MIA 3–0
    • CLE – Newsome 16 pass from Kosar (Bahr kick) CLE 7–3
    • CLE – Byner 21 run (Bahr kick) CLE 14–3
    • CLE – Byner 66 run (Bahr kick) CLE 21–3
    • MIA – Moore 6 pass from Marino (Reveiz kick) CLE 21–10
    • MIA – Davenport 31 run (Reveiz kick) CLE 21–17
    • MIA – Davenport 1 run (Reveiz kick) MIA 24–21

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 fromWoody Bennetton the first play of the game, Miami scored on their opening drive with a 51-yard field goal byFuad Reveiz.Cleveland later marched 82 yards in 10 plays, mainly on the strength of their ground game, withKevin Mackrushing for 12,Curtis Dickeypicking up 9, andEarnest Byner's 15-yard carry taking them into the red zone.Bernie Kosareventually finished the drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight endOzzie Newsometo 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 Lankfordintercepted 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 safetyDon 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 byMark Clayton,was capped by Marino's 6-yard touchdown pass toNat Moore.Miami's defense quickly forced a punt, andJeff Gossett'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 byRon Davenport,who trucked right through Rogers and linebackerClarence Weatherson the way to the end zone. Browns receiverGlen Younggave 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 halfbackTony Nathanfor a 39-yard gain (the longest reception of the day from either team) to the Browns 35-yard line, and later finding tight endBruce Hardyfor 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.[1]

NFC: Los Angeles Rams 20, Dallas Cowboys 0

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See also:Cowboys–Rams rivalry
Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 0 000
Rams 3 0 10720

atAnaheim Stadium,Anaheim, California

Game information
  • Scoring
    • RAMS – field goal Lansford 33 RAMS 3–0
    • RAMS – Dickerson 55 run (Lansford kick) RAMS 10–0
    • RAMS – field goal Lansford 34 RAMS 13–0
    • RAMS – Dickerson 40 run (Lansford kick) RAMS 20–0
Rams' running back Dickerson (29) rushing the ball through the Cowboys' defense in the NFC Divisional Playoff game.

Running backEric Dickersonled 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.[5][6]

Rams receiverHenry Ellard'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 byMike Lansford5:19 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 backCharles Whitereturned the second half kickoff (asquib kickby punterMike Saxon,who had replaced injured kickerRafael Septién) 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 Duckettfumbled, and the ball was recovered byVince Newsomeon the Dallas 18 to set up Lansford's second field goal. In the fourth quarter, Dallas managed to reach the Rams 20-yard line, butKevin Greenesacked Cowboys quarterbackDanny Whiteon 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 linebackerBrian 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, butGordon Banksmuffed the kick and Rams cornerbackJerry Grayrecovered the ball to set up Dickerson's 40-yard rushing touchdown.[7]

This wasTom Landry's final postseason game as the Cowboys head coach, and also the finalNFLplayoff game atAnaheim Stadium.The Rams would not host another NFL postseason game until1999,the team's fifth season following their1995relocation 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 endGary Jeterfinished 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 quarterbackDieter Brock,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 backTony Dorsett,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.[7]

This was the eighth postseason meeting between the Cowboys and Rams. Dallas had won four of the previous seven meetings.[1]

January 5, 1986

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NFC: Chicago Bears 21, New York Giants 0

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See also:Bears–Giants rivalry
New York Giants vs. Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Giants 0 0 000
Bears 7 0 14021

atSoldier Field,Chicago,Illinois

Game information
  • Scoring
    • CHI – Gayle 5 punt return (Butler kick) CHI 7–0
    • CHI – McKinnon 23 pass from McMahon (Butler kick) CHI 14–0
    • CHI – McKinnon 20 pass from McMahon (Butler kick) CHI 21–0

The Bears defense dominated the game by allowing only 32 rushing yards, 181 total yards, and sacking the Giants quarterbacks for 60 yards. Giants quarterbackPhil Simmswas sacked six times during the game, 3.5 of them coming from Chicago defensive endRichard Dent.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, forcingSean Landetato 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 safetyShaun Gaylepicked 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 toGeorge AdamsandBobby Johnsonfor 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 quarterbackJim McMahonincreased the Bears lead to 14–0 with a 23-yard touchdown pass to receiverDennis McKinnon.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 atSoldier Fieldand ended up blitzing, leaving receiverTim Wrightmancompletely 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 kickerKevin Butlerhad 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 backWalter Paytonrushed for 94 yards and caught a 4-yard pass.[8]

This was the seventh postseason meeting between the Giants and Bears. Chicago won four of the previous six meetings.[1]

AFC: New England Patriots 27, Los Angeles Raiders 20

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New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Raiders – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 7 10 10027
Raiders 3 17 0020

atLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum,Los Angeles,California

Game information
  • Scoring
    • NE – Dawson 13 pass from Eason (Franklin kick) NE 7–0
    • RAI – field goal Bahr 29 NE 7–3
    • RAI – Hester 16 pass from Wilson (Bahr kick) RAI 10–7
    • RAI – Allen 11 run (Bahr kick) RAI 17–7
    • NE – James 2 run (Franklin kick) RAI 17–14
    • NE – field goal Franklin 45 17–17
    • RAI – field goal Bahr 32 RAI 20–17
    • NE – field goal Franklin 32 20–20
    • NE – Bowman recovered fumble in end zone (Franklin kick) NE 27–20

LA had defeated New England 35–20 during the regular season, but in this game, Patriots running backCraig Jamesrushed 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 safetyJim Bowmanrecovered a muffed punt by returnerFulton Walkerto set upTony Eason's 13-yard touchdown pass to tight endLin Dawson.On LA's next drive,Ronnie Lippettintercepted a pass fromMarc Wilson,but the Patriots were unable to move the ball. Then Raiders defensive endGreg TownsendblockedRich Camarillo's punt, getting the ball back for his team at the Pats 16-yard line and leading to a 29-yard field goal byChris Bahr.

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 receiverJessie Hester.On New England's first play from scrimmage after the turnover, Raiders linemanHowie LongrecoveredMosi Tatupu's fumble on the New England 19, and LA scored another touchdown onMarcus Allen'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 aTony Franklinfield 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 endTodd Christensenon 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 cornerbackSam Sealefumbled 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 byFred Marionand 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 until1992,when theBuffalo Billsdefeated thePittsburgh 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.[1]

Conference Championships

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Sunday, January 12, 1986

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NFC: Chicago Bears 24, Los Angeles Rams 0

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Los Angeles Rams vs. Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Rams 0 0 000
Bears 10 0 7724

atSoldier Field,Chicago,Illinois

Game information
  • Scoring
    • CHI – McMahon 16 run (Butler kick) CHI 7–0
    • CHI – field goal Butler 34 CHI 10–0
    • CHI – Gault 22 pass from McMahon (Butler kick) CHI 17–0
    • CHI – Marshall 52 fumble return (Butler kick) CHI 24–0

The Bears defense dominated the game by limiting Rams running backEric Dickersonto 46 yards, forcing him to fumble twice, and holding quarterbackDieter Brockto 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 gothree-and-outon the game's first possession, Bears quarterbackJim McMahonthrew consecutive 20-yard completions to tight endEmery Mooreheadand receiverWillie Gaultbefore finishing the drive with a 16-yard touchdown run on third down and 10.Kevin Butleradded 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 whenDale Hatcher's punt bounced into the leg of Bears defensive backReggie Phillipsand safetyJerry Grayrecovered 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."[9]

The Rams drove to their own 47-yard line on their first drive of the second half, but then linebackerOtis Wilsonforced a fumble from Dickerson that was recovered byMike Richardsonon 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 backWalter Payton.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, butLeslie Frazierended it with an interception.

With 2:37 left in the fourth quarter, Dent forced Brock to fumble while sacking him, and linebackerWilber Marshallpicked 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

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See also:Dolphins–Patriots rivalry
New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 3 14 7731
Dolphins 0 7 0714

atMiami Orange Bowl,Miami,Florida

Game information
  • Scoring
    • NE – field goal Franklin 23 NE 3–0
    • MIA – Johnson 11 pass from Marino (Reveiz kick) MIA 3–7
    • NE – Collins 4 pass from Eason (Franklin kick) NE 10–7
    • NE – Ramsey 1 pass from Eason (Franklin kick) NE 17–7
    • NE – Weathers 2 pass from Eason (Franklin kick)NE 24–7
    • MIA – Nathan 10 pass from Marino (Reveiz kick) NE 24–14
    • NE – Tatupu 1 run (Franklin kick) NE 31–14

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 Nelsonstripped the ball from running backTony Nathan,and Patriots defensive endGarin Verisrecovered it to set upTony Franklin's 23-yard field goal. The Dolphins later scored on an 80-yard drive, with quarterbackDan Marinocompleting passes toBruce Hardyfor 12 yards andMark Duperfor 18 before finding tight endDan Johnsonin the end zone with an 11-yard touchdown pass. But New England responded on a 66-yard possession, featuring a 45-yard run fromRobert Weathers,to score on quarterbackTony Eason's 4-yard touchdown toTony Collins,giving the Pats a 10–7 lead. On Miami's next drive, Marino fumbled the ball and nose tackleLester Williamsrecovered for New England on the Dolphins 36-yard line. Patriots running backCraig Jamesthen rushed for 23 yards on three carries and Eason completed a 12-yard pass toStanley Morganon the 1-yard line before throwing a 1-yard touchdown toss to tight endDerrick Ramsey,giving the Patriots a 17–7 lead. Just before halftime Miami missed the chance to cut the deficit down to three points when tight endDan Johnsondropped 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, butFuad Reveiz' kick sailed wide to the right after a badly taken snap.

Craig James rushes the ball past the Dolphins' defense in the AFC Championship game.

Miami'sLorenzo Hamptonthen lost a fumble on the second half kickoff on a hit fromMosi Tatupu,andGreg Hawthornerecovered 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 safetyBud BrownrecoveredFred Marion's fumbled punt return on the Patriots 45-yard line. But after a 19-yard run byJoe Carterand a 16-yard catch byRon 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 byRoland 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 toTony Nathanon 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 endJulius Adamspicked 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 byTony Collinsand 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 byRaymond Claybornin the end zone.[10]

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.[11]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 theMiami Orange Bowlsince 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 theSuper Bowlin franchise history, and becoming the first to do so by winning three playoff games on the road.[12]

This was the second postseason meeting between the Patriots and Dolphins. Miami won the only prior meeting.[1]

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

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Further information:Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX – Chicago Bears vs. New England Patriots – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bears (NFC) 13 10 21246
Patriots (AFC) 3 0 0710

atLouisiana Superdome,New Orleans,Louisiana

This was the first Super Bowl meeting between the Bears and Patriots.[1]

References

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  1. ^abcdefgh"Team Matchup History".footballdb.
  2. ^Eskenazi, Gerald (December 29, 1985)."Jets Routed from Playoffs by Patriots, 26-14".The New York Times.
  3. ^Litsky, Frank (December 30, 1985)."Giants Stop 49Ers in Wild-Card Playoff, 17-3".The New York Times.
  4. ^Litsky, Frank (December 30, 1985)."Giants Stop 49Ers in Wild-Card Playoff, 17-3".The New York Times.
  5. ^"New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung from New Braunfels, Texas on January 5, 1986 · Page 11".
  6. ^"Dickerson (248 Yards), Rams Roll 20-0 - Sun Sentinel".Archived fromthe originalon April 30, 2014.
  7. ^ab"Rams Overwhelm Cowboys, 20-0 - The Washington Post".
  8. ^Litsky, Frank (January 6, 1986)."Bears Pound Giants, 21-0, in Wind and Cold".The New York Times.
  9. ^Janofsky, Michael (January 13, 1986)."Bears and Patriots Advance to Super Bowl; 24-0 Defeat for Rams".The New York Times.
  10. ^"1986: Patriots Upset Dolphins to Win AFC Title".January 12, 2012.
  11. ^100 Things Dolphins Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Armando Salguero, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2020, ISBN 978-1-62937-722-3, p.147
  12. ^"AFC Championship - New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins - January 12th, 1986".Pro-Football-Reference.
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