[stkelly52]

Al Coble RB Cincinnati 11-5 @ Huntsville 14-3
When it is time for the Super Bowl, everyone wants to see a close exciting game. We got that this week. The Bengals starting QB is hurt, and they will instead have to turn to an 11 year journeyman Bart Phillips. Phillips was undrafted and has bounced around for his whole career, but he has never started an NFL game.
The Bengals were able to stop the #1 offence on their first drive of the game, and were then successfully able to move the ball 63 yards into the end zone. Coble finished that one off with a 7 yard TD run to give the Bengals the 7-0 lead.

However Huntsville was able to return the favor with an 62 yard drive to tie the score at 7-0.

The Bengals again put together a beautiful drive that took all but the final second off of the 1st quarter clock. They moved the ball 88 yards on 11 plays to regain the lead, 14-7 The score was Phillip’s first every TD pass. The Bengals offence is looking unstoppable.

The Packers were again forced to punt after converting just 1 first down, but the Pack defense finally stepped up and stopped the Bengals and forced them to punt.. They traded a few punts until the final 6 minutes for the half. The Packers took control of the ball at their own 7 and were able to march the ball down to inside the 5, but they took almost all of the time off of the clock, and had to settle for a 20 yard field goal. (Interestingly, the drive is listed as a 102 yard drive, I don’t get it) 14-10 Cincinnati

As the game went into the half, everyone was stunning that the Bengals were doing such a wonderful job shutting down the best offence in the game.
In the second half Phillips tosses another TD on Cincy’s first drive. 21-10 Bengals.

But the Pack wasn’t going to sit around and take losing lightly. They marched right down the field and scored, needing just 5 plays to do it.. 21-17

QB Phillips continued to throw the ball well, coupled with some key third down runs by Coble, the Bengals again extended their lead to 11. 28-17

The game moved into the fourth quarter as the Packers monster offence moved the ball at will against the Bengals. A 2 point conversion cut the lead to just 3. 28-25.

Suddenly the two defenses stepped up and forced a few punts, 3 for the Bengals and 2 for the Pack. But then the Packers took control of the ball knowing that it was now or never. 80 yards from victory, they could smell the championship glory. The drive began. 5 yards here, another 10, 3 yards occasionally. After 11 plays it was clear that the Packers were not going to be able to score the winning TD. Facing fourth down with 43 second remaining they lined up for the 54 yard kick. Their rookie kicker’s longest had been 46. Could he make the kick to send the Super Bowl into OT? The ball fell just shy of the cross bar. NO GOOD.

But the Bengals still needed to kill the clock, and the Packers had all of their timeouts. On 3 plays they were only able to pick up 3 yards and they had left 12 seconds left on the clock.

The Packers had time for one last play. All the Bengals needed to do was knock down the hail mary. He goes back to pass, evades the rush, pulls back and lets the pass go. He’s got a man who has been left open. How did this happen!?!! He’s at the 30, the 20, the 15 the…he’s grabbed from behind and pulled down at the 8 yard line, and the clock expires. The Bengals win. What an exciting conclusion to a great Super Bowl. QB Phillips is named MVP in what may end up being the only game he starts in his career.
Al Coble also had a solid game. He had several key 3rd down conversions that kept 3 different scoring drives alive. His game stats are: 19 carries for 130 yards and 1 TD, 5 receptions for 49 yards.

The Bengals pull off their second big upset of the post season to win the Super Bowl. They had to beat the two highest rated teams in the league to do so, so there is no doubt that they are the NFL Champions.