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DVD Transfer 119 (Mostly 1992 NFC Wild-Card Game - Eagles at Saints)

by: Feature Films for Families; National Football League; ABC News-The Walt Disney Company; KELO-Nexstar Media Group; KSFY-Gray Television

DVD Transfer 119 contains mostly recordings from Sioux Falls, SD CBS affiliate KELO-TV 11 - primarily the 1992 NFC wild-card game between the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles on January 3, 1993 (this came from the same VHS tape as the AFC wild-card game between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers earlier that day); thus most of the description will be pertaining to the game, called by CBS' Pat Summerall and John Madden; with sideline reports by Lesley Visser and Pat O'Brien.

Worth noting is that whoever originally had this tape accidentally taped over most of the first quarter with the first half of the 1992 All-Madden Team special (January 24, 1993 - with Pat & John doing interviews with San Francisco 49ers quarterback and NFL MVP Steve Young, offensive tackle Harris Barton and Washington Redskins wide receiver Gary Clark)

BACKGROUND

The Philadelphia Eagles were in the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons after missing the playoffs in 1991 despite a 10-6 record and the NFL's top-ranked defense (for what it's worth, the NFC playoff picture was very crowded in '91, as the San Francisco 49ers also found themselves the other odd team out with a 10-6 record) due to the offense being hampered by quarterback Randall Cunningham suffering a torn ACL in Week 1 that ended his season. The off-season would see some friction between the Eagles who supported 2nd year head coach Rich Kotite and the players (mostly on defense) who missed Kotite's predecessor Buddy Ryan (who had been fired after a 3rd straight one-and-done playoff run in 1990; with Kotite being promoted from offensive coordinator) and a salary dispute leading to the departure of tight end Keith Jackson - who signed with the Miami Dolphins a few weeks into the 1992 season. However, the biggest story was a tragedy that saw the loss of star defensive tackle Jerome Brown, who was killed on June 25, 1992 along with his nephew Gus when Brown - apparently speeding - lost control of his Corvette and crashed (many locals ended up learning about Brown's death from teammate Reggie White; who broke the sad news while in Veterans Stadium speaking at a Billy Graham crusade). The Eagles - under the rallying cry of "Bring It Home for Jerome" - looked very much like they were on their way to bringing a Lombardi Trophy to the City of Brotherly Love with a 4-0 start (including a Week 1 15-13 win over New Orleans, a 30-0 shutout of the Denver Broncos and a 31-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys); and after a mid-season slump (with the team's best performance during that period was a 7-3 win over the Phoenix Cardinals best remembered for a 7-play {thanks to penalties} goal-line stand by the Eagles) won 5 of their last 6 (including a 47-34 comeback win over the New York Giants and a playoff-clinching 17-13 Week 16 win over the defending champion Washington Redskins when Eric Allen intercepted a Mark Rypien pass in the end zone) to finish 11-5.
The New Orleans Saints - whose history had until 1987 been marked by consistent losing - were seeking their third consecutive playoff appearance and 4th in 6 years after winning the NFC West in 1991 (the first division championship in team history); though they had yet to win a playoff game after losing to the Atlanta Falcons 27-20 in the NFC wild-card game. Like the Eagles, Jim Mora's Saints had their strength primarily on defense, especially a linebacker quartet known as the "Dome Patrol" (with Pat Swilling, Vaughan Johnson and future Hall-of-Famers Rickey Jackson and Sam Mills); all of whom made the Pro Bowl while leading a Saints defense that gave up just 202 points (fewest during the 1990s); the 2nd fewest total yards in the NFL (allowing only 254.6 yards per game) and forcing 38 turnovers. New Orleans would finish 12-4, aided by a 5-game mid-season winning streak and a late-season period where the Saints won 3 home games in a 10-day stretch (beginning with a 20-3 Monday Night win over the Redskins; followed by a 24-13 win over the eventual AFC East champion Miami Dolphins {aided by Swilling forcing a Dan Marino fumble that nose tackle Robert "Pig" Goff recovered for a touchdown and a later interception return for a touchdown by Saints cornerback Vince Buck} and a Thursday Night 22-14 win over the Atlanta Falcons that had the Saints' only touchdown also come on a "pick-six", this time by cornerback Toi Cook) to clinch the #4 seed (then the highest wild-card; as they finished 2nd behind the San Francisco 49ers - who finished a league-best 14-2).

GAME INFORMATION

In a game overshadowed by "The Comeback" earlier that afternoon; the game began with the Saints - aided by a 25-yard pass from New Orleans quarterback Bobby Hebert to fullback Craig "Ironhead" Heyward and a pass interference penalty against the Eagles in the end zone (leading to the ball being placed at the 1) - scoring the opening touchdown off a 1-yard rumble by Heyward. The Eagles answered with a 57-yard touchdown pass from Randall Cunningham to Fred Barnett to tie the game at 7-7. The Saints then scored 10 2nd quarter points (first off a drive ending with a 35-yard field goal by Morten Andersen; followed by a drive ending with Hebert finding Quinn Early for a 7-yard touchdown) to go into the locker room with a 17-7 lead.
The 2nd half saw the Saints drive to the Eagles' 25 (aided by rookie running back Vaughn Dunbar catching a pass and running 35 yards to Philadelphia's 34); only for Dunbar to be ruled short of a first down on 3rd and 1, forcing the Saints to settle for a 42-yard field goal that may have been the turning point.
While the Saints were able to force a Philadelphia punt; Hebert overthrew Early and his pass was subsequently intercepted by Eagles cornerback Eric Allen; with Philadelphia converting the turnover into a 40-yard Roger Ruzek field goal that cut New Orleans' lead to 20-10. The Eagles forced a punt; and their next drive ended with another Cunningham-to-Barnett touchdown connection, this time from 35 yards out, to draw within 20-17. Eagles linebacker Seth Joyner then intercepted a Hebert pass and returned it to New Orleans' 26, with the Eagles capitalizing on a 6-yard touchdown run by running back Heath Sherman to put the Eagles ahead for the first time 24-17. Soon afterwards; Reggie White sacked Hebert in the end zone for a safety, followed by the Eagles - upon receiving the free kick - adding a 39-yard field goal and Allen intercepting his second pass of the day, returning this one for an 18-yard touchdown to make the final score 36-20; with Philadelphia's 26 4th quarter points one behind the NFL record set by the New York Giants way back in 1934.

AFTERMATH

The Saints' loss dropped the team (and head coach Jim Mora) to 0-4 in post-season play, and the Saints would not make the playoffs again until 2000 (that season would see them get their first playoff win when they dethroned the defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams 31-28)
As for the Eagles; the victory snapped a 5-game post-season losing streak that began at the Superdome when the Eagles lost Super Bowl XV to the Oakland Raiders 27-10 on January 25, 1981. However; the Eagles would fall two games short of their goal in the Divisional round, being blown out by the NFC East (and eventual Super Bowl XXVII champion) Dallas Cowboys 34-10. Eventually, the Eagles would win their first Super Bowl championship (and first NFL title since 1960) 25 years later upon defeating the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII (played on February 4, 2018 - in a sense fulfilling the "Bring It Home for Jerome" mission a quarter-century late - as the date of the game would have been on Jerome Brown's 53rd birthday).