January 2.2C 1999 1998–99 NFL playoffs

at pro player stadium, miami

game time: 12:30 p.m. est
game weather: 80 °f (27 °c), partly cloudy
game attendance: 72,698
referee: mike carey
tv announcers (abc): al michaels (play-by-play), dan dierdorf, boomer esiason (color commentators), , lesley visser (sideline reporter)

the dolphins forced 5 bills turnovers, including buffalo quarterback doug flutie s fumble @ miami 5-yard line 17 seconds left in game. buffalo s wide receiver eric moulds set nfl postseason record 240 receiving yards, including 32-yard touchdown catch.

the bills had great scoring chance when moulds caught 65-yard pass flutie on first play scrimmage, terrell buckley knocked ball out of hands , safety brock marion recovered fumble, returning 17 yards miami 29. miami drove 57 yards in 16 plays score on kicker olindo mare s 31-yard field goal. after forcing punt, miami went on long field goal drive, 1 covering 66 yards in 11 plays, including 22-yard reception ed perry , 2 pass interference calls against buffalo total of 26 yards.

mare s 40-yard field goal gave dolphins 6-0 lead on 10 minutes left in second quarter, failed surprise onside kick attempt gave buffalo ball on dolphins 42. moulds caught 37-yard pass set thurman thomas 1-yard touchdown run. near end of half, buffalo drove dolphins 6-yard line, marion intercepted pass flutie in end zone less minute left on clock. miami blew scoring chance dan marino completed 52-yard pass oronde gadsden @ bills 9-yard line on next play, mare missed 26-yard field goal on last play of half.

in third quarter, miami got scoring chance when derrick rodgers forced fumble while sacking flutie linebacker zach thomas recovered on bills 40-yard line. bills defense allowed 3 yards on next 3 plays , forced punt. miami s defense returned favor forcing buffalo punt after 3 plays, , o. j. mcduffie returned chris mohr s 39-yard kick 20 yards dolphins 48-yard line. miami went on take 14-7 lead 12-play, 52-yard drive score on karim abdul-jabbar s 3-yard run (and stanley pritchett s 2-point conversion). however, buffalo stormed right 4-play, 81-yard touchdown drive tie game, taking advantage of pass interference call against patrick surtain gave them 29 yards. on next play, flutie s 23-yard completion moulds moved ball miami 32-yard line, , ended finishing drive 32-yard touchdown completion moulds less minute left in quarter.

on miami s opening drive of fourth quarter, marino completed 5/5 passes 54 yards on 75-yard drive ended mare s third field goal, giving dolphins 17-14 lead. jerry wilson forced fumble while tackling andre reed, , buckley recovered ball miami @ midfield, leading marino s 11-yard touchdown pass lamar thomas made score 10-point game @ 24-14 3:42 left on clock.

with time running out in game, flutie completed 31-yard pass moulds , threw ball reed, tackled on miami 1-yard line. believing had scored, reed argued vehemently referee steve zimmer , bumped him, drawing unsportsmanlike conduct foul got receiver ejected game. pushed bills 15 yards , left them facing second , goal 15 instead of 1. flutie s next 2 passes incomplete, forcing bills settle steve christie s 33-yard field goal 1:47 left. buffalo subsequently recovered onside kick , drove 64 yards in 10 plays dolphins 5-yard line. flutie stepped make throw, lost ball while being sacked miami s trace armstrong , lineman shane burton recovered fumble.

there wasn t doubt in , bills coach wade phillips said reed s ejection after game. game looks lot different @ end. andre reed in game , down 3, have done different things @ end.

nfc: arizona cardinals 20, dallas cowboys 7

at texas stadium, irving, texas

game time: 4:00 p.m. est/3:00 p.m. cst
game weather: 61 °f (16 °c), clear
game attendance: 62,969
referee: bernie kukar
tv announcers (abc): mike patrick (play-by-play), joe theismann, paul maguire (color commentators), , solomon wilcots (sideline reporter)

quarterback jake plummer passed 213 yards , 2 touchdowns led cardinals first playoff victory since 1947, ending longest playoff win drought in nfl history. victory satisfying against cowboys, defeated them twice during season (38–10 on opening day , 35–28 in week 11). arizona running adrian murrell rushed 95 yards , caught 2 passes 16 yards , touchdown, while defense sacked cowboys quarterback troy aikman 4 times (twice linebacker jamir miller , 2 more andre wadsworth) , intercepted 3 of passes (two cornerback aeneas williams).

dallas had chance score on second drive when tyrone hughes returned arizona punt 11 yards cowboys 38. aikman led team cardinals 19-yard line, drive ended there , richie cunningham missed 36-yard field goal attempt. on first play of cardinals following possession, plummer completed 59-yard pass receiver frank sanders, setting murrell s 12-yard touchdown catch few plays later.

in second quarter, cowboys got scoring opportunity when cornerback kevin mathis picked off pass plummer on dallas 37. dallas went on drive cardinals 7-yard line. on fourth , 1, cowboys tried convert run emmitt smith, stopped linebacker mark maddox, broke through line , dropped him 1-yard loss. dallas 3 remaining drives of half result in interception williams , 2 punts, second returned 10 yards cardinals 38 running eric metcalf less 2 minutes left in half. plummer completed 15-yard pass receiver rob moore , 20 yarder metcalf, setting 37-yard chris jacke field goal gave arizona 10-0 lead going halftime.

on second play of second half, murrell took off 74-yard run cowboys 3-yard line. longest postseason run ever surrendered cowboys in 52-postseason game history. on next play, plummer threw 3-yard touchdown pass fullback larry centers, making score 17–0. on first play of fourth quarter, williams recorded second interception aikman, setting 46-yard field goal jacke. desperate points, dallas tried convert fourth , 1 deep in own territory, have aikman sacked miller 10-yard loss. interception darren woodson prevented arizona scoring, ten minutes remaining on clock, there little hope comeback. dallas avoid shutout when deion sanders 41-yard punt return set aikman s 6-yard touchdown pass billy davis 3:33 left in game.

it last time abc aired game between these 2 teams, after 6 games on monday night football. espn aired game between these 2 in 2017 (though did meet on sunday night on espn once).