Notable NFL games to air on CBS

*Note: From 1956-1993, CBS televised the games from the National Football Conference. Since 1998, they've covered the American Football Conference.

1950s

Thanksgiving Classic

{| class="wikitable"
- bgcolor="#efefef"! Season !! Visiting Team !! Score !! Home Team !! Score
-
Nov. 22, 1956 || Green Bay Packers || 24 || Detroit Lions || 20
-
Nov. 28, 1957 || Green Bay Packers || 6 || Detroit Lions || 18
-
Nov. 27, 1958 || Green Bay Packers || 14 || Detroit Lions || 24
-
Nov. 26, 1959 || Green Bay Packers || 24 || Detroit Lions || 17
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

1960s

*NFL Championship Game, 1964
*NFL playoffs, 1965
*NFL Championship Game, 1965
*NFL Championship Game, 1966
*Super Bowl I
*NFL playoffs, 1967
*NFL Championship Game, 1967 ("The Ice Bowl")
*Super Bowl II
*NFL playoffs, 1968
*NFL Championship Game, 1968
*NFL playoffs, 1969
*NFL Championship Game, 1969

Thanksgiving Classic

On November 25, 1965 (Thanksgiving Day), CBS featured the first-ever color broadcast of an NFL game.

{| class="wikitable"
- bgcolor="#efefef"! Season !! Visiting Team !! Score !! Home Team !! Score
-
Nov. 24, 1960 || Green Bay Packers || 10 || Detroit Lions || 23
-
Nov. 23, 1961 || Green Bay Packers || 17 || Detroit Lions || 9
-
Nov. 22, 1962 || Green Bay Packers || 14 || Detroit Lions || 26
-
Nov. 28, 1963 || "Green Bay Packers" || 13 || "Detroit Lions" || 13
-
Nov. 26, 1964 || Chicago Bears || 27 || Detroit Lions || 24
-
Nov. 25, 1965 || "Baltimore Colts" || 24 || "Detroit Lions" || 24
-
Nov. 24, 1966 || San Francisco 49ers || 41 || Detroit Lions || 14
-
|| Cleveland Browns || 14 || Dallas Cowboys || 26
-
Nov. 23, 1967 || Los Angeles Rams || 31 || Detroit Lions || 7
-
|| St. Louis Cardinals || 21 || Dallas Cowboys || 46
-
Nov. 28, 1968 || Philadelphia Eagles || 12 || Detroit Lions || 0
-
|| Washington Redskins || 20 || Dallas Cowboys || 29
-
Nov. 27, 1969 || Minnesota Vikings || 27 || Detroit Lions || 0
-
|| "San Francisco 49ers" || 24 || "Dallas Cowboys" || 24
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

1970s

*Super Bowl IV
*NFL playoffs, 1971-72
*Super Bowl VI
*NFL playoffs, 1972-73During the October 13, 1973, New Orleans Saints-Cincinnati Bengals game, the broadcasting duo of play-by-play announcer Don Criqui and color commentator Irv Cross was supplemented by the contributions of the first woman ever on an NFL telecast, Jane Chastain. While providing limited commentary, Chastain was used on an irregular basis over the rest of the season.
*NFL playoffs, 1973-74
*Super Bowl VIII
*NFL playoffs, 1974-75
*The Hail Mary (December 28, 1975, Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings, NFC Divisional Playoff Game)
*NFL playoffs, 1975-76
*Super Bowl X
*NFL playoffs, 1976-77
*NFL playoffs, 1977-78
*The Miracle at the Meadowlands
*Super Bowl XII
*NFL playoffs, 1978-79
*NFL playoffs, 1979-80

Thanksgiving Classic

{| class="wikitable"
- bgcolor="#efefef"! Season !! Visiting Team !! Score !! Home Team !! Score !! OT
-
Nov. 26, 1970 || Green Bay Packers || 3 || Dallas Cowboys || 16 |
-
Nov. 25, 1971 || Los Angeles Rams || 21 || Dallas Cowboys || 28 |
-
Nov. 23, 1972 || San Francisco 49ers || 31 || Dallas Cowboys || 10 |
-
Nov. 22, 1973 || Washington Redskins || 20 || Detroit Lions || 0 |
-
Nov. 28, 1974 || Washington Redskins || 23 || Dallas Cowboys || 24 |
-
Nov. 27, 1975 || Los Angeles Rams || 20 || Detroit Lions || 0 |
-
Nov. 25, 1976 || St. Louis Cardinals || 14 || Dallas Cowboys || 19 |
-
Nov. 24, 1977 || Chicago Bears || 31 || Detroit Lions || 14 |
-
Nov. 23, 1978 || Washington Redskins || 10 || Dallas Cowboys || 37 |
-
Nov. 22, 1979 || Chicago Bears || 0 || Detroit Lions || 20 |
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

1980s

*Super Bowl XIV
*NFL playoffs, 1980-81
*NFL playoffs, 1981-82
*The Catch (American football)
*Super Bowl XVIOn January 24, 1982, CBS Sports broadcasted the highest rated (49.1/73) Super Bowl of all time as the San Francisco 49ers, led by quarterback Joe Montana, defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 26-21. Summerall and Madden called their first Super Bowl together as they go on to be one of the most popular NFL announce teams ever. During the Super Bowl XVI telecast, the telestrator made its major network debut. CBS introduced it as the "CBS Chalkboard" during their sports coverage. Madden utilized the device effectively to diagram football plays on the viewers' television screens. The telestrator is generally credited with popularizing the use of telestration during sports commentary.
*NFL playoffs, 1982-83
*NFL playoffs, 1983-84
*Super Bowl XVIII
*NFL playoffs, 1984-85
*NFL playoffs, 1985-86
*NFL playoffs, 1986-87
*Super Bowl XXIOn December 8, 1987, Cathy Barreto became the first woman to direct an NFL game at the network television level. (Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions)
*NFL playoffs, 1987-88
*NFL playoffs, 1988-89
*Fog Bowl (American football)
*Bounty Bowl II
*The Instant Replay Game (November 5, 1989, Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers)
*NFL playoffs, 1989-90

Thanksgiving Classic

{| class="wikitable"
- bgcolor="#efefef"! Season !! Visiting Team !! Score !! Home Team !! Score !! OT
-
Nov. 27, 1980 || Chicago Bears || 23 || Detroit Lions || 17 || (OT)
-
Nov. 26, 1981 || Chicago Bears || 9 || Dallas Cowboys || 10 |
-
Nov. 25, 1982 || New York Giants || 13 || Detroit Lions || 6 |
-
Nov. 24, 1983 || St. Louis Cardinals || 17 || Dallas Cowboys || 35 |
-
Nov. 22, 1984 || Green Bay Packers || 28 || Detroit Lions || 31 |
-
Nov. 28, 1985 || St. Louis Cardinals || 17 || Dallas Cowboys || 35 |
-
Nov. 27, 1986 || Green Bay Packers || 44 || Detroit Lions || 40 |
-
Nov. 26, 1987 || Minnesota Vikings || 44 || Dallas Cowboys || 38 || (OT)
-
Nov. 24, 1988 || Minnesota Vikings || 23 || Detroit Lions || 0 |
-
Nov. 23, 1989 || Philadelphia Eagles || 27 || Dallas Cowboys || 0 |
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

On Thanksgiving 1989, John Madden awarded the first "Turkey Leg Award," for the game's most valuable player. Reggie White of the Philadelphia Eagles was the first recipient.

ee also

*Bounty Bowl

1990s

*Super Bowl XXIV
*Porkchop Bowl
*NFL playoffs, 1990-91
*NFL playoffs, 1991-92
*Super Bowl XXVIAt Super Bowl XXVI (January 26, 1992), Lesley Visser became the first female sportscaster to preside over the Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation ceremony.
*NFL playoffs, 1992-93
*NFL playoffs, 1993-94CBS televised its last game as the rights holder of the National Football Conference (formerly NFL) package on January 23, 1994 when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the , 38-21.

On September 6, 1998, after 1,687 days since the last broadcast of "The NFL Today", host Jim Nantz welcomed back viewers to CBS for its coverage of the National Football League.

On November 8, 1998, the first NFL game to be broadcast in HDTV was televised on CBS. That game took place at Giants Stadium between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. It was also the first time two Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks started against each other in the NFL (Vinny Testaverde for the Jets and Doug Flutie for the Bills).
*NFL playoffs, 1998-99
*NFL playoffs, 1999-2000

Thanksgiving Classic

{| class="wikitable"
- bgcolor="#efefef"! Season !! Visiting Team !! Score !! Home Team !! Score !! OT
-
Nov. 22, 1990 || Washington Redskins || 17 || Dallas Cowboys || 27 |
-
Nov. 28, 1991 || Chicago Bears || 6 || Detroit Lions || 16 |
-
Nov. 26, 1992 || New York Giants || 3 || Dallas Cowboys || 30 |
-
Nov. 25, 1993 || Chicago Bears || 10 || Detroit Lions || 6 |
-
Nov. 26, 1998 || Pittsburgh Steelers || 16 || Detroit Lions || 19 || (OT)
-
Nov. 25, 1999 || Miami Dolphins || 0 || Dallas Cowboys || 20 |
-
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

ee also

*Phil Luckett

2000s

*NFL playoffs, 2000-01
*Super Bowl XXXVOn January 28, 2001, CBS Sports, Core Digital, and Princeton Video Image introduce state-of-the-art, three dimensional replay technology called "EyeVision" for its coverage of Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa. In CBS Sports' first Super Bowl broadcast since 1992, it draws 131.2 million viewers for the Baltimore Ravens win over the New York Giants. Super Bowl XXXV was thus the most watched television program of the year. Play-by-play announcer Greg Gumbel became the first African-American announcer to call a major sports championship. He was joined in the broadcast booth with color commentator Phil Simms.
*NFL playoffs, 2001-02
*The Tuck (NFL game)
*NFL playoffs, 2002-03
*NFL playoffs, 2003-04
*Super Bowl XXXVIIICBS' February 1, 2004 telecast of Super Bowl XXXVIII between the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers was witnessed by 144.4 million viewers, making it the most watched program in U.S. television history.
*NFL playoffs, 2004-05
*NFL playoffs, 2005-06
*The Immaculate Tackle refers to an event that occurred on January 15, 2006 during the AFC Divisional Round between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the heavily-favored Indianapolis Colts. Clinging to a 3-point lead, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made a potentially game-saving tackle against Colts cornerback Nick Harper, who was on the verge of returning a fumble by running back Jerome Bettis for a touchdown.
*National Football League playoffs, 2006-07
*Super Bowl XLI

Thanksgiving Classic

{| class="wikitable"
- bgcolor="#efefef"! Season !! Visiting Team !! Score !! Home Team !! Score !! OT
-
Nov. 23, 2000 || New England Patriots || 9 || Detroit Lions || 34 |
-
Nov. 22, 2001 || Denver Broncos || 26 || Dallas Cowboys || 24 |
-
Nov. 28, 2002 || New England Patriots || 20 || Detroit Lions || 12 |
-
Nov. 27, 2003 || Miami Dolphins || 40 || Dallas Cowboys || 21 |
-
Nov. 25, 2004 || Indianapolis Colts || 41 || Detroit Lions || 9 |
-
Nov. 24, 2005 || Denver Broncos || 24 || Dallas Cowboys || 21 || (OT)
-
Nov. 23, 2006 || Miami Dolphins || 27 || Detroit Lions || 10 |
-
Nov. 22, 2007 || New York Jets || 3 || Dallas Cowboys || 34 |
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Rivalries covered by CBS

American Football Conference (1998-present)

Intradivisional rivalries

*Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers:*A relatively recent rivalry, though termed by Sports Illustrated in 2006 to be "The Nastiest Rivalry in the NFL" [http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=5532. Retrieved 25 October 2006.] :*Signature moment: After a long drought of non-winning seasons, the Bengals reached the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. But their first playoff game was against the division-rival Steelers. In the second play of the January 2006 playoff game, Kimo von Oelhoffen (a former Bengal) ran into quarterback Carson Palmer, causing a tear in Palmer's ACL and MCL, a hit that the officials called "unavoidable". The Steelers would go on to win the game and advance to Super Bowl XL winning their fifth world championship.

* Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers:*Signature moment: In the Browns first season returning to the league the team met the arch rival Steelers in Week 10 of the 1999 NFL season. A last minute field goal kick by Phil Dawson got the Browns their second win of the year with a 16-15 upset victory in Pittsburgh. The game also served up some revenge for the 43-0 domination that the Steelers inflicted on the Browns home opener of their first season back to the NFL. In December 2006, the Cleveland Browns official website ranked Dawson's game winning field goal the number one most memorable moment in the Browns sixty year history. :*Signature moment: This rust belt rivalry moved from the old NFL Eastern Conference to the AFC after the AFL-NFL merger. Prior to the merger, the Browns had made the Steelers their favorite patsy, but Pittsburgh won four Super Bowls in the 1970s while the Browns floundered. The teams met in their first playoff battle in 1994, which the Steelers won at Three Rivers Stadium. The teams met in the playoffs for a second time in 2002 when Pittsburgh overcame a 17-point deficit and scoring 22 points in the 4th quarter to win 36-33.

* Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers:*Signature Moment: These two teams met in the 2001 AFC Divisional playoffs. There was a lot of jawing before the game as both teams split their regular season meetings. The Ravens were riding high following a 20-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card round. However, the Steelers defense proved to be too much as they physically dominated the Ravens offense, forcing four turnovers and recording three sacks while holding the Ravens offense to just 150 total yards as the Steelers prevailed 27-10.:*Signature Moment: In the 2002 season, Baltimore cornerback James Trapp intercepted a pass and was thrown out of bounds by Steelers wide receiver Antwaan Randle El. This triggered a wild chain of events as skirmishes broke out between both teams as Steelers safety Lee Flowers and wide receiver Hines Ward got into a scuffle with Baltimore cornerback Chris McAlister. Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress jumped into the fight in an effort to protect his fellow teammates but was thrown to the ground where Baltimore cornerback James Trapp stomped on Burress' stomach with both feet and ripped Burress' helmet right off. Consequently, Burress and Trapp got into a fight and both were ejected from the game.:*Signature Moment: In the 2004 NFL season, Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter shoved Baltimore tight end Todd Heap to the ground. The Ravens were not even running a play as they spiked the ball immediately as it was snapped. Heap was nursing an injured ankle that he suffered on the previous play and he limped to the line of scrimmage before Porter shoved him. Porter's shove made the injury worse as Heap was unable to return to the game. Many Ravens players were angry at Porter, accusing him of taking a cheap shot on Heap. Also in that game, the Ravens injured Pittsburgh QB Tommy Maddox, sticking rookie Ben Roethlisberger in the Pittsburgh starting lineup. Maddox never regained the starting job.:*Signature Moment: On November 26th, 2006, Baltimore sacked Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger a record 9 times as Baltimore embarrassed Pittsburgh by handing them a 27-0 defeat, worst in their history. By the middle of the 3rd quarter, the Ravens had substituted in their backups, such as QB Kyle Boller. In their next matchup on Christmas Eve, the Ravens beat Pittsburgh 31-7. Right now, the Ravens have beat Pittsburgh 3 straight, going back to their Overtime win in 2005.

* New York Jets vs. New England Patriots:*Signature moment: Much was made in 2006 when Eric Mangini, Bill Belichick's former defensive coordinator in New England, left to become head coach of the Jets in January. It was widely reported that Belichick was not happy with the move and that the relationship between the two had soured greatly. Indeed, much scrutiny was focused on the postgame handshakes between the two in their teams' two regular season games — a 24-17 Patriots victory in week two and a shocking 17-14 Jets road victory in week ten. The teams met again in the Wild Card round of the playoffs with the Patriots coming out victorious, 37-16. When the two coaches met at midfield, they embraced, surrounded by a mob of photographers.

* Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans:*Signature moment: The Jaguars made the leap from expansion team to title contender in three short years, and played the Titans in the 1999 AFC Championship, but Tennessee upset Jacksonville and went to Super Bowl XXXIV instead. It was the third Titans victory over the Jaguars, as the Titans swept both regular season meetings, and Tennessee was the only team to defeat Jacksonville that year. Rivalry fueled by quote from Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher claiming that the Jaguars' stadium was the Titans home away from home.

Intraconference rivalries

* Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans:*Signature moment: Baltimore and Tennessee were AFC Central division mates before the 2002 realignment-the Titans finished 13-3 and the Ravens finished 12-4 in the 2000 season when the Ravens became the first road team to win in what was then known as Adelphia Coliseum. The Titans hosted Baltimore in the AFC playoff and were beat again by Ray Lewis and company en route to the Ravens' only Super Bowl season.:*Signature moment: Former Titans QB Steve McNair signed with the Ravens before the start of the 2006 season. After an unsuccessful and injury-riddled 2005 season in Tennessee, McNair was locked out of Titans training camp before the 2006 season, before being released by the Titans. It was generally agreed that the situation was poorly handled by the Titans for a player of McNair's stature. McNair seems to have revitalized in Baltimore, until he suffered a season-threatening injury; the Ravens started the 2006 season 4-0. In his first game in Tennessee with the Ravens, McNair led the Ravens back from a 26-7 second-quarter deficit to win 27-26.

* Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots:*Signature moment: Despite spending 30+ seasons in the AFC East, the Colts' most memorable games with the Patriots came after realignment shifted them to the AFC South. From 2000-2004, the Patriots always managed to dismantle Indianapolis with precise victories. Also, Peyton Manning led a league-leading offense into Foxborough, only to be crushed in two consecutive AFC playoff games by New England's defense.:*Signature moment:In 2007, Manning led the Colts back from a 18 point deficit (the largest comeback margin in NFL Conference Championship game history) at halftime against the Patriots to win the AFC Championship game 38-34 and send the Colts to their first Super Bowl since 1971. :*Signature Moment: On November 4, 2007 the Patriots and Colts met in what was dubbed "Super Bowl 41 1/2" as the 8-0 Patriots faced the 7-0 Colts, the latest in a season that two undefeated teams had ever met. The Patriots rallied from a 20-10 gap in the final ten minutes for a 24-20 win in a game that drew some of the highest ratings in television history.

* Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Jets:*Signature moment: In the 2002 NFL playoffs, the Jets and Colts met in the Wild Card round. In Jets QB Chad Pennington's first playoff appearance, he led the Jets to a 41-0 rout of the Colts. The game was the second most lopsided shutout playoff game in the history of the NFL. Pennington tied the Jets franchise record for most TDs in a playoff game (Joe Namath, Vinny Testaverde). This game was the only time the Jets and Colts met in the postseason with the exception of Super Bowl III.

* New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers:*Signature Moment: In the 2001 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers dominated the regular season and earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Steelers were expected to dominate a Patriots team that many believed didn't really belong in the title game. However, the Patriots storybook season continued as Drew Bledsoe replaced an injured Tom Brady to lead the Patriots to a hard-fought 24-17 victory, stunning the crowd at Heinz Field. :*Signature Moment: These two teams met in the 2004 season with the Steelers coming out on top with a dominating 34-20 victory over the Patriots at Heinz Field. The victory ended the Patriots' record 21-game winning streak, and paved the way for the Steelers' 15-1 record and quarterback Ben Rothlisberger's own winning streak of 13 regular season games in 2004. The victory was also crucial to the Steelers eventually clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. However, the Patriots, led by Brady, once again went into Pittsburgh and came away with a 41-27 playoff victory in the AFC Championship game. For the second time in four seasons the Super Bowl ambitions of the Steelers fell short by one game. Not only did New England give Roethlisberger his first loss as a starter, but in a Week 3 rematch in 2005 the Patriots also gave Roethlisberger his first regular season loss, as the Patriots won 23-20.

* San Diego Chargers vs. New England Patriots:*Signature Moment In 2001 the Chargers led by former Patriot Doug Flutie and rookie running back LaDanian Tomlinson entered Foxboro Stadium and stormed to a 26-16 fourth quarter lead in a back-and-forth affair marked by dismal special teams play by the Patriots and the emergence of Tom Brady as a superstar; in only his third career start he rallied the Patriots with three scoring drives in the final minutes of regulation and into |overtime for a 29-26 Patriots win that launched them toward their first Super Bowl.:*Signature Moment The Chargers won their next two meetings with the Patriots, winning 21-14 in 2002 and 41-17 in 2005; the 2005 win ended the Patriots' 21-game home winning streak at Gillette Stadium.:*Signature Moment Both teams met in the playoffs of 2006 and 2007. The Patriots rallied from down 21-13 in the fourth quarter in 2006 in Qualcomm Stadium to win 24-21 and advance to the 2006 AFC Championship Game; the Patriots danced on the field after the final gun and a confrontation broke out between several Patriots and LaDanian Tomlinson. The next year in the 2007 AFC Championship Game Tomlinson was knocked out while quarterback Philip Rivers played through a serious knee injury. Tom Brady was picked off three times but led three touchdown drives in a 21-12 Patriots triumph.

National Football League/National Football Conference (1956-1993)

Intradivisional rivalries

* Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears:*Signature moment: On September 7, 1980, the Packers and the Bears were tied at 6-6 in overtime. A 32-yard pass from Lynn Dickey to James Lofton helped set up a game-winning field goal attempt by Packers' kicker Chester Marcol. Bears' defender Alan Page was able to block the field goal, sending the ball straight back to Marcol. Surprised by getting the ball back, Marcol ran around the Bears defenders who were confused by the play. Marcol received a block and was able to run in for the game winning touchdown. [ [http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=91261 Marcol still kickin' despite struggles] by "Gary D'Amato" of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, posted 28 October, 2002.] :*Signature moment: In Week 12 of the 1986 season, Green Bay defensive tackle Charles Martin wore a towel with specific Bears numbers written on it (#34, Walter Payton, #9 Jim McMahon). It was considered a hit list by many. Following a McMahon interception Martin came up from behind and body slammed him to the turf, separating McMahon's shoulder, ending the quarterback's season. Martin would be suspended for two games, at the time the largest in NFL history.:*Signature moment: Packers quarterback Don Majkowski led the Packers to a comeback and a game-winning touchdown pass to WR Sterling Sharpe with only seconds left to play. Initially the play was called a touchdown, but line judge Jim Quirk had called a penalty on Majkowski for being beyond the line of scrimmage when he threw the pass. With a nervous and tense crowd at Lambeau Field, the call went up to the instant replay official, Bill Parkinson. Several minutes later the call came down and the touchdown was correctly awarded as recorded by instant replay. The Lambeau faithful and Packer players erupted with joy because it marked the first time since 1984 that the Packers had beaten their long-time rivals. The game has been called "The Instant Replay Game" by many fans.

* Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings:*Signature moment: The first meeting between the two teams in 1961. The upstart Minnesota Vikings upset the dominant Chicago Bears in the Vikings first game as a franchise.

* Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins

:*Signature moment: November 10, 1962 was the date of the infamous Cowboy Chicken Club game, as four banners reading "CHICKENS" were unfurled over the 50 yard line and end zone facades of D.C. Stadium, during "Hail To The Redskins." Two acrobats then ran onto the field releasing a chicken and throwing colored eggs into the crowd, during the National Anthem. The chicken prank dated back to the season before as the Chicken Club planned to release 75 white chickens and one black chicken during the halftime show of a game on December 17, 1961. The black chicken and colored eggs symbolized then Redskins owner George Preston Marshall's stance against signing African-American players to play for the Redskins. After apprehending one of the acrobats (the other escaped), the game began and the Cowboys marched to a 38-10 victory.:*Signature moment: In their first ever playoff meeting, the Redskins would crush the Cowboys 26-3 in the 1972 NFC Championship Game, halting the Cowboys bid to reach three consecutive Super Bowls.:*Signature moment: On Thanksgiving 1974, backup Dallas QB Clint Longley, subbing for an injured Roger Staubach, threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson to cap an amazing comeback and defeat the Redskins 24-23. Longley never saw significant playing time after that.:*Signature moment: Washington led by 13 points late in the final game of the 1979 season, but Dallas QB Roger Staubach led two scoring drives as time was running out to win the game 35-34. Staubach threw an 8-yard pass to Tony Hill for the last touchdown. The win knocked the Redskins out of the playoffs for the 1979 season.:*Signature moment: Perhaps the most cherished memory (among Redskin fans) of this rivalry was the NFC Championship Game at RFK Stadium in 1982, where the rivalry was personified with the entire stadium chanting "We Want Dallas!" throughout the game. The game was highlighted by Redskins guard Darryl Grant high-stepping into the end zone to add insult to the Redskins 31-17 victory.

* Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles:*Signature moment: One of the first signs of the end of the Cowboys' dominance of the NFC in the late 1970s came in the 1980 NFC Championship, when the Eagles, led by quarterback Ron Jaworski toppled Dallas in a frigid Veterans Stadium, 20-7. :*Signature moment: The Cowboys' traditional home Thanksgiving game in 1989 saw several skirmishes between players of both teams, with Cowboys kicker Luis Zendejas eventually being knocked out of the game with a concussion. In the wake of the Cowboys' 27-0 defeat, the only shutout Dallas has ever suffered on Thanksgiving, Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson accused Eagles coach Buddy Ryan of placing bounties on Zendejas and Cowboys QB Troy Aikman. The game became known as the Bounty Bowl. Two weeks later, chaos again broke out in Veterans Stadium as snowballs were pelted at the Dallas bench, with Coach Jimmy Johnson needing a police escort on the way out. This is known as Bounty Bowl II. One of the participants in the snowball throwing was future Philadelphia mayor and Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, an avowed Eagles fanatic.:*Signature moment: Philadelphia defeated Dallas in 9 out of the last 10 meetings when the teams faced off in a late season game at Veterans Stadium in 1991. The young Cowboys were on the verge of being the "Team of the 1990s" and took a big step by winning the game 25-13 behind backup QB Steve Beuerlein, who started the game in place of an injured Troy Aikman. The Cowboys finished 11-5 and went to the playoffs as a wild card team while the Eagles missed the postseason despite a solid 10-6 record.

* New York Giants vs. Washington Redskins:*Signature moment: In 1986, the teams met for the NFC Championship Game after the Giants swept the Redskins during the regular season. When New York won the coin toss, the Giants opted to take advantage of a swirling wind at Giants Stadium that was gusting in excess of 50 miles per hour rather than have its offense battle the wind in the opening period. Washington was forced to punt into the gale, and the Giants scored a touchdown on their first drive. New York scored all of its points in the first half of a 17-0 victory, catapulting Big Blue to Super Bowl XXI and an eventual world championship.

* New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys:*Signature moment: In the final game of the 1993 season, with both teams at 11-4 and competing for playoff position, Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith suffered a separated right shoulder in the first half, but continued to play in obvious pain, amassing 168 rushing yards, including 41 on the game-winning drive, as Dallas won 16-13 in overtime. Smith also locked up the NFL rushing title with his tough, gritty performance. After the game, sportscaster John Madden paid a visit to Smith in the locker room to congratulate him, the only time Madden (as an announcer) would pay such a visit to a player, later writing " [It] was one of the toughest efforts I've ever seen by any football player in any game." [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/madden/story?id=1449798 John Madden ] ] The win earned the Cowboys a bye in the playoffs, giving Smith time to heal, and he would go on to lead the Cowboys to victory over the Bills as the MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII.

* New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles:*Signature moment: In a 1960 game, the Eagles' Chuck Bednarik cleanly blindsided Giants running back Frank Gifford, sending Gifford into an 18-month retirement due to a severe concussion.:*Signature moment: These two teams have had one of the longest rivalries in the NFL, due to their geographical proximity, although it has only lately picked up due to both teams struggles in the past. On November 19, 1978 at Giants Stadium, the Giants were leading the Eagles 17-12 with 20 seconds remaining. Offensive coordinator Bob Gibson called for a running play when all that was needed was for the Giants to take a knee. The handoff between quarterback Joe Pisarcik and Larry Csonka was fumbled and Eagles cornerback Herman Edwards grabbed the loose ball and returned it for the winning score. This play is commonly referred to as "The Miracle at the Meadowlands" by Eagles fans and just "The Fumble" by Giants fans.

* St. Louis Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers:*Signature moment: The rivalry was much more intense before 1995, when the Rams were in Southern California and not the Midwest. The Rams ran roughshod over the NFC West in the 1970s, but Joe Montana and the Niners dominated the 1981-1995 period, winning five Super Bowl titles.

Intraconference rivalries

* Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers:*Signature moment: The Ice Bowl was the 1967 NFL Championship game, played in arctic conditions in late December at Green Bay. The temperature was -13°F at kickoff and dropped throughout the day, with windchills of -40°F and below, and is considered one of the coldest NFL games ever played. Green Bay won 21-17 on a late quarterback sneak by Hall of Famer Bart Starr, and the game will undoubtedly live forever as the one that started the legend of "the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field."

* Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers:*Signature moment: The Cowboys and Niners battled for NFC supremacy throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The Niners won 4 Super Bowls in the 1980s, with quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young, as well as receiver Jerry Rice. he Cowboys would later rise to the top, winning 3 Super Bowls in the 1990s, with quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and receiver Michael Irvin.

:*The games between these teams, including six NFC Championship games, and three consecutive contests in the early 1990s (won by Dallas in 1992, 1993 and San Francisco in 1994) , always showcased the cream of NFL talent and coaching genius. These were two of the last great teams of the days before the NFL imposed a salary cap, eventually leading to major rebuilding as these franchises to cope with the new rules.

:*In the 1970 NFC championship game, Dallas used two touchdowns in the third quarter to take control of a tie game. The Cowboys held on for a 17-10 victory and their first berth in the Super Bowl. It was the last NFL game played at Kezar Stadium, with the 49ers moving to Candlestick Park in 1971.

:*The two teams met again in the NFC title game in 1971, this time at Texas Stadium. The game turned on a critical error by 49ers quarterback John Brodie, whose ill-advised screen pass deep in his own territory was intercepted by Cowboys defensive end George Andrie to set up a second quarter touchdown. San Francisco never recovered, and Dallas suffocated the 49er offense the rest of the way in a 14-3 victory en route to the world championship in Super Bowl VI.

:*The rivalry essentially began during the 1972 divisional playoffs, when the 49ers were close to sealing a win against the defending Super Bowl VI Champion Dallas Cowboys. In his earliest come-from-behind moment, Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach came off the bench to relieve rival quarterback Craig Morton to throw two touchdown passes in the last 90 seconds to defeat the 49ers in San Francisco 30-28.. :*Perhaps the best known game, however, was the 1981 NFC championship game played in Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Joe Montana completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Dwight Clark with 51 seconds left, to take a 28-27 lead and eventually win the game. Montana's pass was a high and desperate heave as he was about to be forced out of bounds, and Clark made a spectacular leaping grab at the back of the end zone. Clark's catch was captured perfectly by a photographer and placed on the cover of "Sports Illustrated", and the play has since been known in NFL lore as simply "The Catch" and set San Francisco on the path to become the "Team of the 1980s."

:*A decade later for the 1992 NFC Championship and the right to go to Super Bowl XXVII, in a hard fought battle on the very same field, it was the Cowboys emerging victorious with a 30-20 win against the 49ers cementing themselves as the "Team of the 1990s.":*In the 2000 season, Terrell Owens, then a member of the San Francisco 49ers, tried to re-ignite an old rivalry between two rebuilding franchises in what was best known as the Star Incident. In a game at Texas Stadium, Owens, after scoring a 2nd touchdown, ran out to midfield as he did the previous TD and posed on the Cowboys' star logo, before being blasted off the Cowboys logo by former Safety George Teague. In an instant, he became public enemy number one in Dallas, but ironically, 6 years later, he is currently a Dallas Cowboy and was quoted that he will now embrace the star.

* New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers:*Signature moment: The Giants and Niners have had seven playoff meetings over the last 25 years. In 1981 and 1984, San Francisco beat the Giants, both times at Candlestick Park (38-24 and 21-10 respectively), as they were in the midst of their 1980s dominance while the Giants were still rising to glory. However, New York exacted revenge in 1985 and 1986 at Giants Stadium, 17-3 in 1985 and a resounding 49-3 rout in 1986 as the Giants went on to win the Super Bowl that year. However, the 49ers would have their own rout in the 1993 playoffs, crushing the Giants 44-3. :*Signature Moment: In January 1991, the two teams met once again in the playoffs. Unlike their previous meetings, this game would determine the NFC Championship, and thus the right to advance to the Super Bowl. During the season, both teams started out 10-0 and met on "Monday Night Football", with the 49ers winning a defensive struggle 7-3. The 49ers were coming off back-to-back Super Bowl victories, had home-field advantage, and were the favorites to win. However, Matt Bahr would kick five field goals for the Giants, including the game-winner as time expired, and the Giants won 15-13. It would be the only time during the rivalry that the road team won a playoff game.

References

ee also

*National Football League lore
*List of NFL on CBS announcers
*NFL on CBS commentator pairings