[revrew]

The 14-2, short-down Rebels welcomed the St. Louis Rams in their first playoff game. The final score, 23-13, did not reflect the total domination by the Rebels in every facet of the game.

In the NFC Championship, Dallas came to Birmingham, but our defense was beat to snot, with our three biggest defensive stars all watching from the bench. Could the offense step up? Knowles, Chambliss, and Stockman did exactly that. Knowles rushed for 142, keeping our defense fresh, and Chambliss and Stockman each caught a TD in our 23-20 overtime win.

Another Superbowl? Could it be?

We faced our once heated enemy, the New England Patriots. Since Jeffrey Davis' antics had been exposed, the steam and lustre had faded from the early Patriot/Rebel rivalry. This game was between the best of the AFC and the best of the NFC, not between North and South.

Unfortunately for Johnny Reb, Marco Turtschin sprained his knee on the first play of the game. We went to backup, Casey Derlange, but unfortunately, Casey wasn't ready for the spotlight. Casey wasn't nearly as accurate in short-down play, his timing just not perfectly aligned as it was with Marco. Casey threw 2 picks in the game. With our defensive front banged up, New England ran down the clock and cleaned ours, 20-3.

Nonetheless, our small-down heroes had become league-wide stars. Chambliss and Stockman both won first team All-pro honors--Stockman's 3rd, Chambliss' fourth. Unfortunately, both would be unrestricted free agents the following year.

Now, time to pay the piper.