1992 NFC Championship Game - Harpers Catch

[PAPPYDOG]

Life is made of moments and this was a GREAT one!

 

[ICP]

The good ole days, good thing we still have these videos available

 

[America's Cowboy]

Not really, informed fans knew he was a perfect side kick and complement to the Playmaker. Just like Tony Hill was for Pearson.

CeeDee is still missing his WR sidekick.

Roger Staubach had Drew Pearson & Tony Hill.

Troy Aikman had Michael Irvin & Alvin Harper.

Dak has CeeDee. ...... That's it.

 

[Sjoseph316]

Great memories of when the Cowboys were a serious team. My son and I watch old Cowboys games often, there are many of them on YouTube

 

[DandyDon52]

Harper was good, he just never got many targets. This very play, the call was to go to Irvin, troy changed it.

 

[Quickdraw]

Every once in a while I stumble on these videos. I don't know how many times I've watched SB XXVII. Those were the good old days.

 

[JW82]

Oh, what a feeling!
The young bucks came into the bully's yard and
beat'em. The mental toughness of that team was
off the charts!

Yup. Miss that.

 

[JW82]

Jalen Tolbert scores on that play.

Of course. You don't get the nickname Big Play J waiting for a bus...

 

[Silver N Blue]

Cowboys - 49ers
Madden - Summerall
49ers just scored - Cowboys need to answer.
896 F flat - Aikman to Harper.
Cowboys return to glory.
Try watching this just once!
You better believe I was screaming my butt off.

remember it like it was yesterday--what a day what a game

 

[Vtwin]

Aikman's ability to understand what the defense was doing and react opposite to what he did every time they ran that same play previously, as well as his ability to quickly, accurately and under heavy pressure, fire that ball on a rope to exactly where it needed to be was instrumental in winning that game, and arguably in creating a dynasty.

So yea... get out of here with that "Aikman was a bus driver" crap.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Aikman's ability to understand what the defense was doing and react opposite to what he did every time they ran that same play previously, as well as his ability to quickly, accurately and under heavy pressure, fire that ball on a rope to exactly where it needed to be was instrumental in winning that game, and arguably in creating a dynasty.

So yea... get out of here with that "Aikman was a bus driver" crap.

People who didn’t actually live through the era have no idea.

 

[MapleLeaf]

Disagree. Watch the play again.

Put the video on pause and use the slider bar to go between the 13 and 16 second mark slowly you will be able to see the motion of the entire line - it is going backwards because they are going into passpro technique.

No one fires outward like they are in run blocking mode. Everyone goe into passpro. Within two seconds the entire Cowboys line has retreated at least two yards with the right guard having been beaten.

The RG John Gesek is clearly beaten like a used drum by Pierce Holt 78, and if Emmitt doesn't step up to pick him up...well who knows what might have happened. LG Newton retreats at least one step in preparation to take on rush and within two seconds is driven three yards back.

If you watch from the 13-16 second mark on pause while sliding the video bar back and forth you will see that this play was not the best showing of the o-line and if it wasn't for Stepnoski's man falling to his knees Aikman's pocket wouldn't be so great looking.

 

[MikeT22]

"Ball was thrown perfectly." Would be nice to hear that said again about a Cowboys QB in a playoff game.

“Ball was thrown perfectly…to the Packers DB”

 

[MapleLeaf]

Aikman's ability to understand what the defense was doing and react opposite to what he did every time they ran that same play previously, as well as his ability to quickly, accurately and under heavy pressure, fire that ball on a rope to exactly where it needed to be was instrumental in winning that game, and arguably in creating a dynasty.

So yea... get out of here with that "Aikman was a bus driver" crap.

Aikman's superpower was he was crazy accurate. At the 16 second mark you see the ball hit Harper right between the numbers.

Harper's left foot is forward so you know he was in stride when the ball arrived. There was a stutter step with the trailing right foot that I suspect was due to the 49er player possibly getting a hold of Harper's foot as he fell down. Can't be certain because the video put in pause mode is so poor in resolution.

But becaseu it was an accurate throw and the safety to that side of the field played really high a tight to the centre Harper was able to gather his feet and carry the momentum that Aikman's throw gave him.

 

[MarkP88]

I’ll be 80 watching that and I’ll still get chills and be right back in my dingy Hoboken apartment.

 

[plymkr]

Oh, what a feeling!
The young bucks came into the bully's yard and
beat'em. The mental toughness of that team was
off the charts!

Mental toughness and preparation. Aikman sized up the defense, knew what coverage was happening, saw the blitz, and threw an accurate well timed pass to seal it. I still feel this is the best play in Cowboys history, definitely top 5.

 

[KJJ]

That play couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. The 49ers had just scored and had the momentum. I’ll never forget the sick feeling I had in the pit of my stomach before Aikman connected with Harper. That play completely knocked the wind out of the 49ers sail. Arguably the second greatest and most important play in franchise history next to the Hail Mary.

 

[ottawacowpoke]

Arguably the second greatest and most important play in franchise history next to the Hail Mary.

I’d put this ahead of the Hail Mary play simply because this helped us to win a SB. We lost the SB in 75.

 

[acr731]

"Ball was thrown perfectly." Would be nice to hear that said again about a Cowboys QB in a playoff game.

Meanwhile, the current QB who has a difficult time throwing perfect passes in playoff games is making 13 mil more a season than Aikman made in his entire career.

Makes perfect sense, doesn't it.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/troy-aikman-15925/cash-earnings/

 

[nate dizzle]

Put the video on pause and use the slider bar to go between the 13 and 16 second mark slowly you will be able to see the motion of the entire line - it is going backwards because they are going into passpro technique.

No one fires outward like they are in run blocking mode. Everyone goe into passpro. Within two seconds the entire Cowboys line has retreated at least two yards with the right guard having been beaten.

The RG John Gesek is clearly beaten like a used drum by Pierce Holt 78, and if Emmitt doesn't step up to pick him up...well who knows what might have happened. LG Newton retreats at least one step in preparation to take on rush and within two seconds is driven three yards back.

If you watch from the 13-16 second mark on pause while sliding the video bar back and forth you will see that this play was not the best showing of the o-line and if it wasn't for Stepnoski's man falling to his knees Aikman's pocket wouldn't be so great looking.

Yeah but remember the time we dumbed down the offense for Aikman?