NFL Tournament of Champions: Round One, Group Four

The first round of the NFL Tournament of Champions wraps up with the final group's round one games.


1950 Cleveland Browns 33, 1976 Oakland Raiders 21
At Cleveland Muncipal Stadium
Player of the Game: RB Dub Jones CLE: 12 carries 169 yards two touchdowns, three catches 38 yards

The 1950 Browns overpowered the '76 Raiders in a tough matchup at Muncipal Stadium. The Raiders led 21-19 after three quarters before the Browns busted the game open with two long touchdowns from Dub Jones. Dave Casper and Ken Stabler hooked up twice for the Raiders and Mark Van Eeghen scored also for Oakland, but it was to no avail.


1973 Miami Dolphins 9, 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3
At Raymond James Stadium
Player of the Game: DT Ellis Wyms TB: Five tackles, three sacks

On a hot afternoon in Tampa, the Dolphins won a defensive struggle over the 2002 Buccaneers. Three field goals from kicker Garo Yepremin accounted for all of Miami's scoring, while Tampa got a single field goal from Martin Gramatica. Miami mustered just 211 yards of total offense and Tampa Bay just 188, but there were surprisingly no turnovers in the game.


1969 Kansas City Chiefs 33, 1997 Denver Broncos 25
At KC Municipal Stadium
Player of the Game: RB Mike Garrett KC: 15 carries 88 yards two touchdowns, two catches 46 yards

In a high scoring battle, the '69 Chiefs outlasted their rivals, the 1997 Broncos. RB Mike Garrett ran for two critical touchdowns in the game for Kansas City and Robert Holmes added a third. John Elway threw for two late touchdowns for the Broncos in a comeback attempt, but time ran out on Denver as a late onside kick attempt failed.


1975 Pittsburgh Steelers 10, 1967 Green Bay Packers 7
At Three Rivers Stadium
Player of the Game: RB Franco Harris PIT: 19 carries 102 yards one touchdown, three catches 24 yards

In a tough battle at Three Rivers, the '75 Steel Curtain shut down the Packers attack, edging them out 10-7. Franco Harris had over 100 yards rushing and the Steelers lone touchdown to lead Pittsburgh offensively. A Ben Wilson touchdown run was the only score for Green Bay, who failed to even tie the game in the second half with the score 10-7.


1951 Los Angeles Rams 24, 1981 Washington Redskins 13
At RFK Stadium
Player of the Game: RB Dick Hoerner LA: 12 carries 107 yards two touchdowns

The '51 Rams managed a fourth quarter rally to break a 10-10 tie and knock out the '81 Redskins at RFK. Dick Hoerner had two Los Angeles touchdowns, including the score that broke the tie in the fourth. Dan Towler added a third rushing touchdown for the Rams. A Joe Theismann pass was the lone touchown for the Redskins in the game.


1978 Pittsburgh Steelers 41, 2006 Indianapolis Colts 16
At RCA Dome
Player of the Game: QB Terry Bradshaw PIT: 11 of 20 232 yards two touchdowns two interceptions, three carries six yards one touchdown

Indoors at the RCA Dome, the '78 Steelers went on a poitn scoring spree, demolishing the 2006 Colts. Terry Bradshaw threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third in the win, and Rocky Bleir adde a rushing touchdown for the Steelers. The Colts got a single touchdown on a DeDe Dorsey run as the Steel Curtain shut own Peyton Manning's offensive attack.


1980 Oakland Raiders 48, 1981 San Francisco 49ers 6
At Candlestick Park
Player of the Game: QB Jim Plunkett OAK: 18 of 23 255 yards four touchdowns, four carries 46 yards

In the biggest blowout in the tournament so far, the 1980 Raiders whipped the '81 49ers in a Bay Area battle. Jim Plunkett threw an incredible four TD passes for Oakland, two of which went to Raymond Chester. Kenny King ran for over 100 yards and a touchdown an Mark Van Eeghen adde a sixth touchdown for the Raiders.


2007 New York Giants 19, 1956 New York Giants 15
At Giants Stadium
Player of the Game: RB Derrick Ward '07: 11 carries 97 yards one touchdown, four catches 26 yards

In a down to the wire battle, the 2007 Giants won with one second on the clock and knocke off their 1956 counterparts in dramatic fashion. Eli Manning found Plaxico Burress in the end zone similar to the Super Bowl XLII ending for the win with a second left. Derrick Ward scored the other touchdown for the 2007 team. Alex Webster and Frank Gifford had rushing touchdown for the '56 Giants.


Group Four Second Round Previews

1973 Miami Dolphins at 1950 Cleveland Browns
The solid defense and run game of the '73 Dolphins has to take down the tough 1950 Browns juggernaut.

1975 Pittsburgh Steelers at 1969 Kansas City Chiefs
The solid '75 Steelers defense have a tough test ahead against a well-rounded Kansas City Chief team.

1951 Los Angeles Rams at 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers
In an interesting matchup, the '78 Steelers will have to shut down a high powered '51 Ram team.

2007 New York Giants at 1980 Oakland Raiders
The '07 Giants barely escaped the first round, and will have to travel west to battle the red hot 1980 Raiders.