NFL playoffs, 1990-91
The NFL playoffs for the 1990-91 season led up to Super Bowl XXV. The league expanded its playoff system from a 10-team to a 12-team tournament. With these changes, two wild card teams (those non-division champions with the conference's best won-lost-tied percentages) were added: The three division champions from each conference are seeded #1 through #3 based on their regular season won-lost-tied record. Three wild card qualifiers are seeded #4, #5 and #6 within the conference. The #3 and #6 seeded teams, and the #4 and #5 seeded teams, face each other during the first round of the playoffs, dubbed the "Wild Card Round." The #1 and #2 seeds from each conference do not participate in this round, earning an automatic berth in the following week's "Divisional Playoff" games, where they face the Wild Card survivors. The #1 seeded team plays against the lowest remaining seed while the #2 seeded team plays the other remaining team. In a given game, whoever has the higher seed gets the home field advantage. These changes forced the division winner with the worst record in each conference to play during the first round. This system was later modified before the 2002-2003 season after the league realigned the teams into eight divisions (four per conference).
Playoff seeds
Wild-card roundJanuary 5, 1991
AFC: Miami Dolphins 17, Kansas City Chiefs 16
:''at Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida
Kansas City led for most of the game until quarterback Dan Marino led the Dolphins on an 85-yard drive, ending with the winning 12-yard touchdown pass to receiver Mark Clayton with 2:28 remaining.Scoring*KC - FG Lowery 27*MIA - FG Stoyanovich 58*KC - Paige 26 pass from DeBerg (Lowery kick)*KC - FG Lowery 25*KC - FG Lowery 38*MIA - Paige 1 pass from Marino (Stoyanovich kick)*MIA - Clayton 12 pass from Marino (Stoyanovich kick)
NFC: Washington Redskins 20, Philadelphia Eagles 6
:at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
The Redskins overcame losing two turnovers in the first half by allowing only 6 Philadelphia points.Scoring*PHI - FG Ruzek 37*PHI - FG Ruzek 28*WAS - Monk 16 pass from Rypien (Lohmiller kick)*WAS - FG Lohmiller 20*WAS - FG Lohmiller 19*WAS - Clark 3 pass from Rypien (Lohmiller kick)
January 6, 1991
AFC: Cincinnati Bengals 41, Houston Oilers 14
:at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio''
The Bengals held the ball for 39:45 minutes and jumped to a 34-0 lead in the third quarter. Scoring*CIN - Woods 1 run (Breech kick)*CIN - FG Breech 27*CIN - Green 2 pass from Esiason (Breech kick)*CIN - FG Breech 30*CIN - Ball 3 run (Breech kick)*CIN - Esiason 10 run (Breech kick)*HOU - Givins 16 pass from Carlson (Garcia kick)*CIN - Kattus 9 pass from Esiason (Breech kick)*HOU - Givins 5 pass from Carlson (Garcia kick)
NFC: Chicago Bears 16, New Orleans Saints 6
:at Soldier Field, Chicago
The Bears defense held the Saints to 65 rushing yards, 6 first downs, and two field goals.Scoring*CHI - FG Butler 19*CHI - Thornton 18 pass from Tomczak (Butler kick)*NO - FG Andersen 47*CHI - FG Butler 22*NO - FG Andersen 38*CHI - FG Butler 21
ByesAFC: Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles RaidersNFC: San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants
Divisional roundJanuary 12, 1991
AFC: Buffalo Bills 44, Miami Dolphins 34
:at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York''
Quarterback Jim Kelly led the Bills with 339 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. Scoring*BUF - Reed 40 pass from Kelly (Norwood kick)*MIA - FG Stoyanovich 49*BUF - FG Norwood 40*BUF - FG Norwood 22*BUF - Thomas 5 run (Norwood kick)*MIA - Duper 64 pass from Marino (Stoyanovich kick)*BUF - Lofton 13 pass from Kelly (Norwood kick)*MIA - Marino 2 run (Stoyanovich kick)*MIA - FG Stoyanovich 22*BUF - FG Norwood 28*MIA - Foster 2 pass from Marino (Stoyanovich kick)*BUF - Thomas 5 run (Norwood kick)*BUF - Reed 26 pass from Kelly (Norwood kick)*MIA - Martin 8 pass from Marino (Stoyanovich kick)
NFC: San Francisco 49ers 28, Washington Redskins 10
:at Candlestick Park, San Francisco
Quarterback Joe Montana passed for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half to lead the 49ers to a 21-10 score by halftime. Scoring*WAS - Monk 31 pass from Rypien (Lohmiller kick)*SF - Rathman 1 run (Cofer kick)*WAS - FG Lohmiller 44*SF - Rice 10 pass from Montana (Cofer kick)*SF - Sherrard 8 pass from Montana (Cofer kick)*SF - Carter 61 interception return (Cofer kick)
January 13, 1991
AFC: Los Angeles Raiders 20, Cincinnati Bengals 10
:at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles
The Raiders had 235 rushing yards, but scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including a 41-yard touchdown pass from Jay Schroeder to Ethan Horton.Scoring*CIN - FG Breech 27*RAI - Fernandez 13 pass from Schroeder (Jaeger kick)*RAI - FG Jaeger 49*CIN - Jennings 8 pass from Esiason (Breech kick)*RAI - Horton 41 pass from Schroeder (Jaeger kick)*RAI - FG Jaeger 25
NFC: New York Giants 31, Chicago Bears 3
:at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
The Giants defense led New York to victory by allowing only 27 rushing yards and 3 Bears points. Scoring*NYG - FG Bahr 46*NYG - Baker 21 pass from Hostetler (Bahr kick)*CHI - FG Butler 33*NYG - Cross 3 pass from Hostetler (Bahr kick)*NYG - Hostetler 3 run (Bahr kick)*NYG - Carthon 1 run (Bahr kick)
Conference championshipsJanuary 20, 1991
AFC: Buffalo Bills 51, Los Angeles Raiders 3
:at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
The Bills shredded the Raiders, aided by running back Thurman Thomas' 138 rushing yards and running back Kenneth Davis' AFC playoff tying record 3 touchdowns.Scoring*BUF - Lofton 13 pass from Kelly (Norwood kick)*RAI - FG Jaeger 41*BUF - Thomas 12 run (Norwood kick)*BUF - Talley 27 interception return*BUF - K. Davis 1 run (kick blocked)*BUF - K. Davis 3 run (Norwood kick)*BUF - Lofton 8 pass from Kelly (Norwood kick)*BUF - K. Davis 1 run (Norwood kick)*BUF - FG Norwood 39
NFC: New York Giants 15, San Francisco 49ers 13
:''at Candlestick Park, San Francisco
In a mostly defensive battle, 49ers running back Roger Craig's fumble with 2:36 left in the game led to the Giants' game-winning field goal as time ran out. Scoring*SF - FG Cofer 47*NYG - FG Bahr 28*NYG - FG Bahr 42*SF - FG Cofer 35*SF - Taylor 61 yard pass from Montana (Cofer kick)*NYG - FG Bahr 46*NYG - FG Bahr 38*NYG - FG Bahr 42
|
|
