When is the last time a playoff game went to multiple OTs?
January 10, 2004 - NFC Divisional Playoff
Time of Game: 75:10
Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23
The
St. Louis Rams, known colloquially as "The Greatest Show On Turf," took the field against the upstart Carolina Panthers who two years before finished the season with an abysmal 1-15 record. The Panthers' starting quarterback, Jake Delhomme, had been signed by the
New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent, and cut after the 2002 season whereupon he was signed by the Panthers. Rodney Peete started the season opener, but when he proved ineffective, Delhomme took over and never looked back.
En route to a most improbable
Super Bowl run, the Panthers had the unfortunate luck of the draw to face the buzz saw that was the St. Louis Rams.
With less than three minutes left in the 4[SUP]th[/SUP] quarter, the Panthers had an 11-point lead...but the Rams managed to tie the game on a Marshall Faulk touchdown run, a two point conversion, and a field goal after Carolina botched the ensuing St. Louis
on-sides kick. After that last scoring frenzy, the game remained tied into the second overtime. Rams head coach Mike Martz was criticized for going for the field goal without first attempting to win the game, opting to take the chance in overtime in the friendly confines of the Rams' home stadium.
This is not to say there were not opportunities to end the game sooner: the Panthers first possession ended with a delay of game penalty, resulting in a failed re-kick of a field goal attempt. Had they lost, the Panthers would have beaten themselves - they had committed 13 penalties for 92 yards.
But they did not. Carolina's Ricky Manning, Jr. intercepted the Rams' quarterback Marc Bulger at the Carolina 38 yard line - well within field goal range - and capitalized with a Delhomme touchdown pass on the first play of the second overtime, ending the game. The Panthers would meet the
Philadelphia Eagles the next week in the NFC Championship game for the right to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XXXVIII.