January 10.2C 1999 1998–99 NFL playoffs

at giants stadium, east rutherford, new jersey

game time: 12:30 p.m. est
game weather: 39 °f (4 °c), clear
game attendance: 78,817
referee: bob mcelwee
tv announcers (cbs): verne lundquist (play-by-play), randy cross (color commentator), , michele tafoya (sideline reporter)

quarterback vinny testaverde passed 284 yards jets held ball 39:16. receiver keyshawn johnson caught 9 passes 121 yards , touchdown, rushed 28 yards , touchdown, recovered fumble, , intercepted pass on defense near end of game when brought in defensive back. jets running curtis martin rushed 124 yards, caught 6 passes 58 yards, , scored 2 touchdowns. jacksonville receiver jimmy smith caught 5 passes 104 yards , 2 touchdowns. quarterback mark brunell threw 3 touchdowns, completed 12 of 31 passes 156 yards , intercepted 3 times.

on opening drive of game, new york drove 70 yards in 7 plays score on testaverde s 21-yard touchdown pass johnson. rest of first quarter scoreless, on second last play, new york started 59-yard drive ended on john hall s 51-yard field goal.

new york go on dominate second quarter, holding ball 51 seconds of it. on next drive, martin lost fumble safety chris hudson recovered on jaguars 18-yard line. during return, fumbled while attempting lateral teammate dave thomas being tackled testaverde, , johnson recovered ball on new york s 34-yard line. jets drove jacksonville territory , scored johnson s 10-yard run. however, brunell threw 52-yard touchdown pass smith on last play of half, cutting score 17–7.

early in third quarter, jets defensive corwin brown intercepted pass brunell on third down , returned 40 yards. on ensuing drive, testaverde s 23-yard completion johnson set 1-yard touchdown run martin. however, jacksonville s reggie barlow returned ensuing kickoff 88 yards new york 4-yard line, setting 3-yard touchdown pass brunell keenan mccardell , cutting deficit 24–14. new york struck right back, testaverde throwing 70 yards on six-minute drive ended martin s second touchdown run put them 31–14 going fourth quarter.

but jacksonville refused give up. first, 29-yard run fred taylor set off 64-yard scoring drive ended on brunell s 19-yard touchdown pass smith. linebacker kevin hardy forced fumble jets receiver wayne chrebet recovered thomas on jets 41-yard line, setting field goal mike hollis , bringing jaguars within 1 touchdown, 31–24. new york responded driving inside jacksonville 20-yard line. 2:30 left in game, rookie safety donovin darius intercepted pass testaverde in end zone, instead on kneeling down touchback, attempted return ball , tackled @ one-yard line. jacksonville unable first down on ensuing drive , turned ball on over downs. few plays later, hall kicked field goal put game away. johnson put finishing touch on exceptional performance intercepting brunell on next play.

nfc: minnesota vikings 41, arizona cardinals 21

at hubert h. humphrey metrodome, minneapolis

game time: 4:00 p.m. est/3:00 p.m. cst
game weather: played indoors, domed stadium
game attendance: 63,760
referee: tom white
tv announcers (fox): pat summerall (play-by-play), john madden (color commentator), , ron pitts (sideline reporter)

running robert smith led vikings victory ran team-playoff-record 124 yards , caught 2 passes 14 yards. fullback leroy hoard scored franchise playoff record 3 touchdowns, while quarterback randall cunningham completed 17 of 27 passes 236 yards , 3 touchdowns interception. arizona quarterback jake plummer threw more yards cunningham, intercepted twice robert griffith. running mario bates scored 3 touchdowns, had 4 rushing yards.

minnesota opened game 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive, featuring 21-yard completion cunningham receiver david palmer on third , 6. hoard s 1-yard touchdown run finished drive , gave vikings 7–0 lead. later in quarter, vikings drove way cardinals 7-yard line, on first play of second quarter, cornerback aeneas williams intercepted pass intended randy moss in end zone , returned 47 yards. however, griffith returned favor few plays later intercepting plummer , returning ball 31 yards vikings 38. on next play, cunningham completed 45-yard pass moss, , finished drive 15-yard touchdown pass tight end andrew glover, making score 14-0. on first play after ensuing kickoff, griffith intercepted pass plummer , returned 1 15 yards cardinals 16-yard line, setting 34-yard field goal gary anderson gave vikings 17–0 lead before arizona had made single completion or gained first down. aided 4 vikings penalties, arizona managed respond 12-play, 80-yard drive score on 1-yard touchdown run bates, smith s 3 carries 42 yards on ensuing drive set hoard s 16-yard touchdown reception, increasing vikings lead 24–7 halftime.

arizona regrouped on opening drive of second half, driving 80 yards in 14 plays, including 23-yard reception rob moore on third , 4, score on bates 1-yard touchdown run, cutting deficit 24-14. however, vikings go on dominate rest of half, starting cunningham s 45-yard completion cris carter set 20-yard anderson field goal. next time arizona got ball, plummer fumbled snap recovered minnesota lineman antonio banks on cardinals 10-yard line, leading cunningham s third touchdown pass of day, 3-yard pass moss.

in fourth quarter, cardinals took advantage of 36-yard punt return eric metcalf gave them first down on vikings 25-yard line, converting bates third 1-yard touchdown run make score 34-21. vikings subsequently put game away 12-play, 73-yard drive score on hoard s 6-yard touchdown 4:33 left on clock.

moore top receiver of game 6 receptions 91 yards. metcalf had 66 kick return yards, 36 punt return yards, , 2 receptions 9 yards.

the cardinals 9–7 record , wildcard win in dallas did not signal turnaround long-troubled franchise. fell 6–10 in following year , not make playoffs again until 2008 season.