NJLMFL AFC Championship Game- San Diego 10...Houston 7. Recap and photos.

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Today in the NJLMFL- Where the LEGENDS Play


SB 50 Tournament

AFC Championship Game

Houston Texans at San Diego Chargers- Qualcomm Stadium


RECAP- This game was a battle of attrition as these 2 teams battled it out for 60 minutes in the trenches. The San Diego Chargers defeated the Houston Texans 10-7 in a game full of turnovers , mistakes and defenses that gave the opposing quarterbacks fits. The stats were poor but the Chargers did prevail in the end and will advance to Super Bowl 50 in Pasadena.

Houston took the opening kickoff to their own 43 but a holding penalty pushed them back to their own 7. On the Texans first play RB Steve Slaton ran for 10 yards but fumbled and was recovered by San Diego’s Gil Byrd on the Texans 8. On first down Charger QB Dan Fouts scrambled to inside the Texans 1 yard line. Ladanian Tomlinson lost a yard on 2nd down and Fouts missed Kellen Winslow on 3rd down. San Diego coach Don Coryell decided to go for it and Tomlinson was hit for a 3 yard loss by Mario Williams and Houston took over on downs at their own 4. Houston QB Matt Schaub then hit Slaton for a 55 yd catch and run all the way to the Chargers 41. On the next play Schaub threw for Andre Joihnson but Gil Byrd was the man on the spot again intercepting the pass and returned it to the San Diego 48. On 2nd down Fouts hit WR Charlie Joiner for 38 yds down to the Houston 8. Fouts then threw incomplete, LT ran for 1 yard to the 7 as the first quarter ended scoreless. Fouts then threw incomplete again so San Diego went for the points this time and K John Carney kicked a 24 yd FG to give San Diego a 3-0 lead. On the insuing kickoff Andre Davis returned iot to the Texan 40 but a facemask penalty was called against San Diego and Houston started from the Charger 45. RB Arian Foster then ran 18 yards for a first down at the SD 27. Foster ran again for 5 yds to the 22. Slaton then gained 11 yards but the play was called back for holding and Houston had 2nd and 15 from the SD 32. Schaub then misfired twice to make it 4th down. Kris Brown was sent in to attempt a 49 yard FG. The kick was blocked and recovered by the Chargers on the Houston 46. Chuck Muncie ran for 2 yards to the Houston 44 and Tomlinson followed with a 9 yard run to the Texans 35. A pass to Lance Alworth took it to the 35. On second down Fouts threw for Alwoth again but Houston DB Marcus Coleman picked it off at the Houston 22. It was now inside 2:00. Schaub hit Slaton for 20 to the Texans 45 and the Kevin Walter to the SD 33. After a sack Brown attempted a 54 yd FG but missed wide left and the half was over. Huston had 2 turnovers, a blocked field goal and a missed field goal in the first half but only trailed 3-0.

San Diego began the second half at their own 20 and right away Tomlinson had his longest run of the day, a 37 yarder to the Houston 43. After Muncie lost a yard and Fouts threw incomplete, Fouts hit Tomlinson for a short 4 yard gain to the Texans 40 with a 4th down and 7. Coryell decided to gamble again and went for the first down instead of punting. The gamble paid off when Fouts found Alworth for 17 yards to the Texans 23. Two plays later Tomlinson ran 17 yards for a Charger TD and a 10-0 lead midway through the 3rd quarter. Houston did not panic and came out with a different strategy. They tried their running game.
Foster ran for 15 yards on 1st down to the Houston 43 Slaton then ran for 4 and on 3rd and 1 Foster slammed off tackle for 6 yards and a 1st down. Slaton then carried to the SD 45 and on second down and 5 Slaton lined up in an I formation and found a huge hole and was off on a 45 yd TD run. The extra point made it a 10-7 game with 1:10 left in the 3rd. As the game entered the 4th quarter San Diego made it as far as the Houston 47 featuring an 18 yard pass to Joiner but Fouts was really struggling missing open receivers. San Diego was forced to punt and it was a touchback. Houston took over with 9:10 left in the game and were confident. Slaton ran for 15 yards to the Texans 35 and a first down. Slaton ran again for 3 yards to the 38. San Diego’s defense the stiffened and forced Schaub to throw incomplete twice and Houston had to punt. Punter Chad Stanley got the punt out of bounds at the San Diego 16 with 5:11 left in the game. LT carried twice for 7 yards to the SD 23 and Houston called their first timeout with 3:31 to go. John Hadl had replaced Fouts at QB and on 3rd and 3 Chuck Muncie ran a draw play for 10 yards and a huge first down at the SD 33 and Houston took time out number 2 at the 3:12 mark. Tomlinson and Muncie both carried for no gain taking it to the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 10 Hadl completed his only pass attempt to his all time favorite receiver Lance Alworth for 26 yards to the Houston 41. Tomlinson then lost 4 yards back to the Houston 45 and the Texans used their final timeout with just 1:31 to go. Muncie then lost 6 yards back into Charger territory at the SD 49 and the clock ran down to :50. On 3rd and 20 Tomlinson ran around and lost 4 more yards to the SD 45 but with no time outs left Houston watched the clock wind down to :14. Jerrell Wilson then punted the ball out of bounds at the Houston 24 with just 8 seconds left. Schaub threw deep for TE Owen Daniels but missed and time ran out giving San Diego the 10-7 victory. This was the 3rd AFC Championship for the Chargers and will now play either Dallas who they played in Super Bowl 46 or the expansion San Jose Breakers which would be an all California Super Bowl played in California. Lance Alworth was named the games MVP for his clutch catches.

SCORING Turnovers…Houston-2…San Diego-1

Houston 0-0-7-0…7
San Diego 0-3-7-0…10

1st QTR.
No Scoring……………………………………⠀¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦..0-0.

2nd QTR
SD- Carney 24 yd FG………………………………………… ……………….3-0. 14:03

3rd QTR
SD- Tomlinson 17 yd run (Carney kick)……………………………10-0 6:39
HOU- Slaton 45 yd run (Brown kick)…………………………………10-7 1:10

4th QTR-
No Scoring……………………………………⠀¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦10-7 0:00

Stats
Houston Rushing
Slaton 6-82 yds…1TD
Foster 4-35 yds
Schaub 2-7 yds

Houston Receiving
Slaton 2-75 yds
Walter 1- 22 yds
Foster 1- 0 yds

Houston Passing
Schaub 4-12 97 yds 1 Int.

San Diego Rushing
Tomlinson 14- 71 yds 1TD
Muncie 5- 5 yds
Fouts 3-7 yds

San Diego Receiving
Alworth 3- 48 yds
Joiner 2- 56 yds
Tomlinson 1- 4 yds

San Diego Passing
Fouts 5-13 82 yds 1 Int.
Hadl 1-1 26 yds

Hou SD
7 Points 10
6 First Downs 7
117 Rushing 83
97 Passing 108
214 Total Yds. 191
2 Turnovers 1
2-20 Penalties 2-25
Photos
1. Texans set to run
2. LT 37 yd run
3. Tomlinson 17 yd TD
4. Slaton 45 yd TD
5. Alworth big catch
6. NFL Films shot of the game- Alworth extends drive
7. Final score.