Notable NFL games to air on CBS
{{main|NFL on CBS}}
{{POV|date=December 2007}}
*'''Note''': From [[1956 NFL season|1956]]-[[1993 NFL season|1993]], CBS televised the games from the [[National Football Conference]]. Since [[1998 NFL season|1998]], they've covered the [[American Football Conference]].
==1950s==
===Thanksgiving Classic===
{{main|Thanksgiving Classic}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Season !! Visiting Team !! Score !! Home Team !! Score
|-
| [[1956 NFL season|Nov. 22, 1956]] || '''[[Green Bay Packers]]''' || 24 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 20
|-
| [[1957 NFL season|Nov. 28, 1957]] || [[Green Bay Packers]] || 6 || '''[[Detroit Lions]]''' || 18
|-
| [[1958 NFL season|Nov. 27, 1958]] || [[Green Bay Packers]] || 14 || '''[[Detroit Lions]]''' || 24
|-
| [[1959 NFL season|Nov. 26, 1959]] || '''[[Green Bay Packers]]''' || 24 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 17
{{end box}}
==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 NFL season|1965]] ([[Thanksgiving Day]]), CBS featured the first-ever [[Television#color|color broadcast]] of an NFL game.
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Season !! Visiting Team !! Score !! Home Team !! Score
|-
| [[1960 NFL season|Nov. 24, 1960]] || [[Green Bay Packers]] || 10 || '''[[Detroit Lions]]''' || 23
|-
| [[1961 NFL season|Nov. 23, 1961]] || '''[[Green Bay Packers]]''' || 17 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 9
|-
| [[1962 NFL season|Nov. 22, 1962]] || [[Green Bay Packers]] || 14 || '''[[Detroit Lions]]''' || 26
|-
| [[1963 NFL season|Nov. 28, 1963]] || ''[[Green Bay Packers]]'' || 13 || ''[[Detroit Lions]]'' || 13
|-
| [[1964 NFL season|Nov. 26, 1964]] || '''[[Chicago Bears]]''' || 27 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 24
|-
| [[1965 NFL season|Nov. 25, 1965]] || ''[[Indianapolis Colts|Baltimore Colts]]'' || 24 || ''[[Detroit Lions]]'' || 24
|-
| [[1966 NFL season|Nov. 24, 1966]] || '''[[San Francisco 49ers]]''' || 41 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 14
|-
| || [[Cleveland Browns]] || 14 || '''[[Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 26
|-
| [[1967 NFL season|Nov. 23, 1967]] || '''[[St. Louis Rams|Los Angeles Rams]]''' || 31 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 7
|-
| || [[Arizona Cardinals|St. Louis Cardinals]] || 21 || '''[[Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 46
|-
| [[1968 NFL season|Nov. 28, 1968]] || '''[[Philadelphia Eagles]]''' || 12 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 0
|-
| || [[Washington Redskins]] || 20 || '''[[Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 29
|-
| [[1969 NFL season|Nov. 27, 1969]] || '''[[Minnesota Vikings]]''' || 27 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 0
|-
| || ''[[San Francisco 49ers]]'' || 24 || ''[[Dallas Cowboys]]'' || 24
{{end box}}
==1970s==
*[[Super Bowl IV]]
*[[NFL playoffs, 1971-72]]
*[[Super Bowl VI]]
*[[NFL playoffs, 1972-73]]
During the [[October 13]], [[1973 NFL season|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]]
*'''[[Hail_Mary_pass#Origins|The Hail Mary]]''' ([[December 28]], [[1975]], [[Dallas Cowboys]] vs. [[Minnesota Vikings]], [[NFL playoffs, 1975-76|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
|-
| [[1970 NFL season|Nov. 26, 1970]] || [[Green Bay Packers]] || 3 || '''[[Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 16 ||
|-
| [[1971 NFL season|Nov. 25, 1971]] || [[Los Angeles Rams]] || 21 || '''[[Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 28 ||
|-
| [[1972 NFL season|Nov. 23, 1972]] || '''[[San Francisco 49ers]]''' || 31 || [[Dallas Cowboys]] || 10 ||
|-
| [[1973 NFL season|Nov. 22, 1973]] || '''[[Washington Redskins]]''' || 20 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 0 ||
|-
| [[1974 NFL season|Nov. 28, 1974]] || [[Washington Redskins]] || 23 || '''[[Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 24 ||
|-
| [[1975 NFL season|Nov. 27, 1975]] || '''[[Los Angeles Rams]]''' || 20 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 0 ||
|-
| [[1976 NFL season|Nov. 25, 1976]] || [[Arizona Cardinals|St. Louis Cardinals]] || 14 || '''[[Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 19 ||
|-
| [[1977 NFL season|Nov. 24, 1977]] || '''[[Chicago Bears]]''' || 31 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 14 ||
|-
| [[1978 NFL season|Nov. 23, 1978]] || [[Washington Redskins]] || 10 || '''[[Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 37 ||
|-
| [[1979 NFL season|Nov. 22, 1979]] || [[Chicago Bears]] || 0 || '''[[Detroit Lions]]''' || 20 ||
{{end box}}
==1980s==
*[[Super Bowl XIV]]
*[[NFL playoffs, 1980-81]]
*[[NFL playoffs, 1981-82]]
*[[The Catch (American football)]]
*[[Super Bowl XVI]]
On [[January 24]], [[1982 in television|1982]], CBS Sports broadcasted the highest [[Nielsen Ratings|rated]] (49.1/73) [[Super Bowl XVI|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 [[Play from scrimmage|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 XXI]]
On [[December 8]], [[1987 NFL season|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 NFL season|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
|-
| [[1980 NFL season|Nov. 27, 1980]] || '''[[Chicago Bears]]''' || 23 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 17 || (OT)
|-
| [[1981 NFL season|Nov. 26, 1981]] || [[Chicago Bears]] || 9 || '''[[Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 10 ||
|-
| [[1982 NFL season|Nov. 25, 1982]] || '''[[New York Giants]]''' || 13 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 6 ||
|-
| [[1983 NFL season|Nov. 24, 1983]] || [[Arizona Cardinals|St. Louis Cardinals]] || 17 || '''[[Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 35 ||
|-
| [[1984 NFL season|Nov. 22, 1984]] || [[Green Bay Packers]] || 28 || '''[[Detroit Lions]]''' || 31 ||
|-
| [[1985 NFL season|Nov. 28, 1985]] || [[Arizona Cardinals|St. Louis Cardinals]] || 17 || '''[[Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 35 ||
|-
| [[1986 NFL season|Nov. 27, 1986]] || '''[[Green Bay Packers]]''' || 44 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 40 ||
|-
| [[1987 NFL season|Nov. 26, 1987]] || '''[[Minnesota Vikings]]''' || 44 || [[Dallas Cowboys]] || 38 || (OT)
|-
| [[1988 NFL season|Nov. 24, 1988]] || '''[[Minnesota Vikings]]''' || 23 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 0 ||
|-
| [[1989 NFL season|Nov. 23, 1989]] || '''[[Philadelphia Eagles]]''' || 27 || [[Dallas Cowboys]] || 0 ||
{{end box}}
On [[1989#November|Thanksgiving]] [[1989 NFL season|1989]], [[John Madden (football)|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.
====See also====
*[[Bounty Bowl]]
==1990s==
*[[Super Bowl XXIV]]
*[[Porkchop Bowl]]
*[[NFL playoffs, 1990-91]]
*[[NFL playoffs, 1991-92]]
*[[Super Bowl XXVI]]
At [[Super Bowl XXVI]] ([[January 26]], [[1992 in television|1992]]), [[Lesley Visser]] became the first female sportscaster to preside over the [[Vince Lombardi Trophy]] presentation ceremony.
*[[NFL playoffs, 1992-93]]
*[[NFL playoffs, 1993-94]]
CBS televised its last game as the rights holder of the [[National Football Conference]] (formerly NFL) package on [[January 23]], [[1994 in television|1994]] when the [[Dallas Cowboys]] defeated the [[San Francisco 49ers]] in the [[NFL playoffs, 1993-94#NFC: Dallas Cowboys 38.2C San Francisco 49ers 21|NFC championship game]], 38-21.
On [[September 6]], [[1998 NFL season|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 NFL season|1998]], the first NFL game to be broadcast in [[High-definition television|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
|-
| [[1990 NFL season|Nov. 22, 1990]] || [[Washington Redskins]] || 17 || '''[[Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 27 ||
|-
| [[1991 NFL season|Nov. 28, 1991]] || [[Chicago Bears]] || 6 || '''[[Detroit Lions]]''' || 16 ||
|-
| [[1992 NFL season|Nov. 26, 1992]] || [[New York Giants]] || 3 || '''[[Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 30 ||
|-
| [[1993 NFL season|Nov. 25, 1993]] || '''[[Chicago Bears]]''' || 10 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 6 ||
|-
| [[1998 NFL season|Nov. 26, 1998]] || [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] || 16 || '''[[Detroit Lions]]''' || 19 || (OT)
|-
| [[1999 NFL season|Nov. 25, 1999]] || [[Miami Dolphins]] || 0 || '''[[Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 20 ||
|-
{{end box}}
====See also====
*[[Phil Luckett]]
==2000s==
*[[NFL playoffs, 2000-01]]
*[[Super Bowl XXXV]]
On [[January 28]], [[2001 in television|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 [[Super Bowl XXVI|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 [[2001 in television|year]]. [[Play-by-play|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 XXXVIII]]
CBS' [[February 1]], [[2004 in television|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 [[NFL playoffs, 2005-06|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 (American football)|Nick Harper]], who was on the verge of returning a fumble by running back [[Jerome Bettis]] for a touchdown.
{{see also|Pittsburgh sports lore}}
*[[National Football League playoffs, 2006-07]]
*[[Super Bowl XLI]]
===Thanksgiving Classic===
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Season !! Visiting Team !! Score !! Home Team !! Score !! OT
|-
| [[2000 NFL season|Nov. 23, 2000]] || [[New England Patriots]] || 9 || '''[[Detroit Lions]]''' || 34 ||
|-
| [[2001 NFL season|Nov. 22, 2001]] || '''[[Denver Broncos]]''' || 26 || [[Dallas Cowboys]] || 24 ||
|-
| [[2002 NFL season|Nov. 28, 2002]] || '''[[New England Patriots]]''' || 20 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 12 ||
|-
| [[2003 NFL season|Nov. 27, 2003]] || '''[[Miami Dolphins]]''' || 40 || [[Dallas Cowboys]] || 21 ||
|-
| [[2004 NFL season|Nov. 25, 2004]] || '''[[Indianapolis Colts]]''' || 41 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 9 ||
|-
| [[2005 NFL season|Nov. 24, 2005]] || '''[[Denver Broncos]]''' || 24 || [[Dallas Cowboys]] || 21 || (OT)
|-
| [[2006 NFL season|Nov. 23, 2006]] || '''[[Miami Dolphins]]''' || 27 || [[Detroit Lions]] || 10 ||
{{end box}}
==Rivalries covered by CBS==
{{main|Significant rivalries in the NFL}}
===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" <ref>http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=5532. Retrieved 25 October 2006.</ref>
:*'''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 [[Anterior cruciate ligament|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 [[NFL playoffs, 1994-95|1994]], which the Steelers won at [[Three Rivers Stadium]]. The teams met in the playoffs for a second time in [[NFL playoffs, 2002-03|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 [[NFL playoffs, 2001-02|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 (sports)#National Football League|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 NFL season|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 (football position)|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 NFL season|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 [[National Football League playoffs, 2006-07|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 NFL season|2000 season]] when the Ravens became the first road team to win in what was then known as [[LP Field|Adelphia Coliseum]]. The Titans hosted Baltimore in the AFC playoff and were beat again by [[Ray Lewis (NFL)|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 Baltimore Ravens season|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.
* [[Indianapolis Colts]] vs. [[New York Jets]]
:*'''Signature moment:''' In the [[NFL playoffs, 2001-02|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 NFL season|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 NFL season|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 [[NFL playoffs, 2004-05| 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 NFL season|2005]] the Patriots also gave Roethlisberger his first regular season loss, as the Patriots won 23-20.
===National Football League/National Football Conference (1956-1993)===
====Intradivisional rivalries====
* [[Green Bay Packers]] vs. [[Chicago Bears]]
:*'''Signature moment:''' On [[September 7]], [[1980 NFL season|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.<ref>[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.</ref>
:*'''Signature moment:''' In Week 12 of the [[1986 NFL season|1986 season]], Green Bay defensive tackle [[Charles Martin (football player)|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 NFL season|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 NFL season|1961]]. The upstart Minnesota Vikings upset the dominant Chicago Bears in the Vikings first game as a franchise.
* [[Washington Redskins-Dallas Cowboys NFL Rivalry|Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins]]
:*'''Signature moment:''' [[November 10]], [[1962 NFL season|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 [[Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium|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 NFL season|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 (football)|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 NFL season|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 (American football 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 NFL season|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 (football)|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."''<ref>http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/madden/story?id=1449798</ref> 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 NFL season|1978]] at [[Giants Stadium]], the Giants were leading the Eagles 17-12 with 20 seconds remaining. Offenseive 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 [[NFL Championship Game, 1967|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 (athlete)|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 game]]s, and three consecutive contests in the early 1990s (won by Dallas in [[NFL playoffs, 1992-93|1992]], [[NFL playoffs, 1993-94|1993]] and San Francisco in [[NFL playoffs, 1994-95|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 [[NFL playoffs, 1970-71|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 [[NFL playoffs, 1971-72|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 [[NFL playoffs, 1972-73|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 [[NFL playoffs, 1981-82|1981 NFC championship game]] played in [[Monster Park|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 (American football)|The Catch]]" and set San Francisco on the path to become the "Team of the 1980s."
:*A decade later for the [[NFL playoffs, 1992-93|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 NFL season|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 of the Cowboys logo by former [[Safety (football position)|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 [[NFL playoffs, 1981-82|1981]] and [[NFL playoffs, 1984-85|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 [[NFL playoffs, 1985-86|1985]] and [[NFL playoffs, 1986-87|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 XXI|Super Bowl]] that year. However, the 49ers would have their own rout in the [[NFL playoffs, 1993-94|1993 playoffs]], crushing the Giants 44-3.
:*'''Signature Moment:''' In [[1991#January|January]] [[NFL playoffs, 1990-91|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 XXV|Super Bowl]]. During the [[1990 NFL season|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 of 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==
<references/>
==See also==
*[[National Football League lore]]
*[[List of NFL on CBS announcers]]
*[[NFL on CBS commentator pairings]]
[[Category:National Football League lore|CBS]]
[[Category:National Football League lists]]
[[Category:CBS Sports]]
[[Category:National Football League on television]]