Each week, BV Sports will look back at the top performances by black quarterbacks in each round of the playoffs. This week, we run down every start in championship games. Get the best divisional performances here and click here for the best wild card performances.
2005 -- Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons -- Thirty years after Shack Harris became the first black quarterback to start a championship game, two black quarterbacks finally squared off for the right to go to the Super Bowl. In his fourth consecutive game, McNabb finally earned a trip to the Super Bowl, passing for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the curse-lifting win. Vick, harrased by the Philadelphia defense, managed just 162 yards of total offense, with no touchdowns and an interception. McNabb and the Eagles lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX two weeks later.
2004 -- Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Carolina Panthers -- The third time most definitely wasn’t the trick as McNabb threw three interceptions and managed just 100 yards through the air as the Panthers defense dominated the Eagles 14-3.
2003 -- Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Bucaneers -- The Bucs defense kept the Eagles at bay all game long. McNabb played efficiently, shouldering much of the load with a 243 yard, one interception effort, but the Tampa Bay defense proved impenetrable after an opening drive Duce McAllister touchdown. The championship loss seemed almost fitting as the final game at Veteran’s Stadium.
2003 -- Steven McNair, Tennessee Titans vs. Oakland Raiders -- On the opposite side of the playoffs, McNair led the Titans back to the championship game, but couldn’t keep up with the Raiders’ aerial attack. McNair was far from blame. The Alcorn State product had a hand in each of Tennessee’s scores, passing for 194 yards and a touchdown and running for 53 yards and two additional scores.
2002 -- Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles vs. St. Louis Rams -- The 'Greatest Show on Turf' was too much for the Philadelphia defense to handle as Marshall Faulk and Kurt Warner powered the Rams to the Super Bowl with a comeback 29-24 win. McNabb played like a veteran field general, however, passing for 171 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another score.
2002 -- Kordell Stewart, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots -- Stewart's last appearance in the AFC Championship was as much a mixed bag as his Pittsburgh career. Stewart threw for a playoff-best 255 yards and rushed for another 41, but three interceptions, including two in the final three minutes, thwarted a would-be comeback. The Steelers lost 24-17 to the eventual Super Bowl champs.
2001 -- Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants -- The most anemic offensive output in the NFC Championship game was led by one of the most dynamic quarterbacks ever to play in it. Culpepper threw for just 78 yards -- more than 200 less than his worse playoff performance otherwise -- and tossed three picks as the Vikings were blown out of the NFC championship by the New York Giants, a team that finished 15th in the NFL in scoring. Kerry Collins and the Giants went on to face Trent Dilfer and the Ravens in the most offensive-challenged Super Bowl in history.
2000 -- Steve McNair, Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars -- McNair became just the second black quarterback to play in the Super Bowl after authoring a dominant 33-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. McNair only passed for 112 yards and a score, but he was the Titans’ leading rusher as well, scampering for 91 yards and two touchdowns and outpacing backfield mate Eddie George. Twelve years after Doug Williams won the Super Bowl, a black quarterback was finally going back for a repeat performance.
2000 -- Shaun King, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. St. Louis Rams -- Playing on the NFC side of the bracket, King came nowhere close to matching McNair’s day. Although King would become the only quarterback to lead his team to the playoffs as a rookie with no professional experience, he threw two costly interceptions in an ugly 11-6 loss to the Rams.
1999 -- Randall Cunningham, Minnesota Vikings vs. Atlanta Falcons -- Cunningham’s storybook comeback with the Vikings nearly had a Cinderella ending. The unemployed football player-turned backup-turned captain of the most dynamic offense in NFL history threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another in an NFC Championship game that should’ve been more of a coronation than competitive affair. But Gary Anderson missed his first field goal of the season with two minutes to go and the Falcons rallied to win in double OT.
1998 -- Kordell Stewart, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos -- It took 20 years after Shack Harris’ breakthrough performance before a black quarterback would start an AFC Championship. Stewart ran the Pittsburgh offense efficiently in his first start at quarterback in a championship game, completing 21-24 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown. “Slash” ran for another touchdown, but the turnover problem that plagued the multi-positional Stewart struck again. Stewart tossed three interceptions and John Elway’s Broncos ground out a 24-21 win.
1988 -- Doug Williams, Washington Redskins vs. Minnesota Vikings -- Until 1988, Williams’ career was one of the league’s great ‘What If’ scenarios. The Grambling quarterback with a Howitzer for an arm had met misfortune his entire career -- from the struggles of the Buccaneers who drafted him to injury to his contract-dispute detour through the USFL. When he arrived in Washington as a veteran backup quarterback to Jay Schroeder, Williams seemed to be playing out the string on a career a play away from greatness. But when Schroeder was injured in the 1987 regular season, Williams took over and led the Redskins all the way to the Super Bowl. His championship game was flawless -- 119 yards, two touchdowns and no picks as the Redskins dropped the Vikings 17-10.
1980 -- Doug Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. L.A. Rams -- Williams became the first black quarterback to play in the NFC Championship, but the moment was largely overshadowed by an injury early in the second. Williams was just 2-13 or 12 yards when a biceps injury sent him to the bench for the rest of the game as the Rams won 9-0. With Williams talent, his eventual spot in the Super Bowl seemed assured, though there would be many turns and eight years before it finally happened.
1976 -- James “Shack” Harris, L.A. Rams vs. Dallas Cowboys -- Harris’ encore to his barrier-breaking 1975 performance was as brief as it was disappointing. Harris was just 0-2 when he left in the first quarter of a 37-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys with a finger injury. Ron Jaworski, who would lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl five years later, finished the game.
1975 -- James “Shack” Harris, L.A. Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings -- One week after becoming the first black quarterback to start a playoff game, Harris earned another distinction as the first to start an NFC Championship. Harris provided a stable presence in the Rams’ chaotic quarterback spot and, after completing a 55-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, he came within a touchdown of making the Super Bowl. But Fran Tarkenton’s Vikings held on for the win. It would be thirteen years before Doug Williams followed through where Harris failed.
2005 -- Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons -- Thirty years after Shack Harris became the first black quarterback to start a championship game, two black quarterbacks finally squared off for the right to go to the Super Bowl. In his fourth consecutive game, McNabb finally earned a trip to the Super Bowl, passing for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the curse-lifting win. Vick, harrased by the Philadelphia defense, managed just 162 yards of total offense, with no touchdowns and an interception. McNabb and the Eagles lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX two weeks later.
2004 -- Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Carolina Panthers -- The third time most definitely wasn’t the trick as McNabb threw three interceptions and managed just 100 yards through the air as the Panthers defense dominated the Eagles 14-3.
2003 -- Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Bucaneers -- The Bucs defense kept the Eagles at bay all game long. McNabb played efficiently, shouldering much of the load with a 243 yard, one interception effort, but the Tampa Bay defense proved impenetrable after an opening drive Duce McAllister touchdown. The championship loss seemed almost fitting as the final game at Veteran’s Stadium.
2003 -- Steven McNair, Tennessee Titans vs. Oakland Raiders -- On the opposite side of the playoffs, McNair led the Titans back to the championship game, but couldn’t keep up with the Raiders’ aerial attack. McNair was far from blame. The Alcorn State product had a hand in each of Tennessee’s scores, passing for 194 yards and a touchdown and running for 53 yards and two additional scores.
2002 -- Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles vs. St. Louis Rams -- The 'Greatest Show on Turf' was too much for the Philadelphia defense to handle as Marshall Faulk and Kurt Warner powered the Rams to the Super Bowl with a comeback 29-24 win. McNabb played like a veteran field general, however, passing for 171 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another score.
2002 -- Kordell Stewart, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots -- Stewart's last appearance in the AFC Championship was as much a mixed bag as his Pittsburgh career. Stewart threw for a playoff-best 255 yards and rushed for another 41, but three interceptions, including two in the final three minutes, thwarted a would-be comeback. The Steelers lost 24-17 to the eventual Super Bowl champs.
2001 -- Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants -- The most anemic offensive output in the NFC Championship game was led by one of the most dynamic quarterbacks ever to play in it. Culpepper threw for just 78 yards -- more than 200 less than his worse playoff performance otherwise -- and tossed three picks as the Vikings were blown out of the NFC championship by the New York Giants, a team that finished 15th in the NFL in scoring. Kerry Collins and the Giants went on to face Trent Dilfer and the Ravens in the most offensive-challenged Super Bowl in history.
2000 -- Steve McNair, Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars -- McNair became just the second black quarterback to play in the Super Bowl after authoring a dominant 33-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. McNair only passed for 112 yards and a score, but he was the Titans’ leading rusher as well, scampering for 91 yards and two touchdowns and outpacing backfield mate Eddie George. Twelve years after Doug Williams won the Super Bowl, a black quarterback was finally going back for a repeat performance.
2000 -- Shaun King, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. St. Louis Rams -- Playing on the NFC side of the bracket, King came nowhere close to matching McNair’s day. Although King would become the only quarterback to lead his team to the playoffs as a rookie with no professional experience, he threw two costly interceptions in an ugly 11-6 loss to the Rams.
1999 -- Randall Cunningham, Minnesota Vikings vs. Atlanta Falcons -- Cunningham’s storybook comeback with the Vikings nearly had a Cinderella ending. The unemployed football player-turned backup-turned captain of the most dynamic offense in NFL history threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another in an NFC Championship game that should’ve been more of a coronation than competitive affair. But Gary Anderson missed his first field goal of the season with two minutes to go and the Falcons rallied to win in double OT.
1998 -- Kordell Stewart, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos -- It took 20 years after Shack Harris’ breakthrough performance before a black quarterback would start an AFC Championship. Stewart ran the Pittsburgh offense efficiently in his first start at quarterback in a championship game, completing 21-24 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown. “Slash” ran for another touchdown, but the turnover problem that plagued the multi-positional Stewart struck again. Stewart tossed three interceptions and John Elway’s Broncos ground out a 24-21 win.
1988 -- Doug Williams, Washington Redskins vs. Minnesota Vikings -- Until 1988, Williams’ career was one of the league’s great ‘What If’ scenarios. The Grambling quarterback with a Howitzer for an arm had met misfortune his entire career -- from the struggles of the Buccaneers who drafted him to injury to his contract-dispute detour through the USFL. When he arrived in Washington as a veteran backup quarterback to Jay Schroeder, Williams seemed to be playing out the string on a career a play away from greatness. But when Schroeder was injured in the 1987 regular season, Williams took over and led the Redskins all the way to the Super Bowl. His championship game was flawless -- 119 yards, two touchdowns and no picks as the Redskins dropped the Vikings 17-10.
1980 -- Doug Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. L.A. Rams -- Williams became the first black quarterback to play in the NFC Championship, but the moment was largely overshadowed by an injury early in the second. Williams was just 2-13 or 12 yards when a biceps injury sent him to the bench for the rest of the game as the Rams won 9-0. With Williams talent, his eventual spot in the Super Bowl seemed assured, though there would be many turns and eight years before it finally happened.
1976 -- James “Shack” Harris, L.A. Rams vs. Dallas Cowboys -- Harris’ encore to his barrier-breaking 1975 performance was as brief as it was disappointing. Harris was just 0-2 when he left in the first quarter of a 37-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys with a finger injury. Ron Jaworski, who would lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl five years later, finished the game.
1975 -- James “Shack” Harris, L.A. Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings -- One week after becoming the first black quarterback to start a playoff game, Harris earned another distinction as the first to start an NFC Championship. Harris provided a stable presence in the Rams’ chaotic quarterback spot and, after completing a 55-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, he came within a touchdown of making the Super Bowl. But Fran Tarkenton’s Vikings held on for the win. It would be thirteen years before Doug Williams followed through where Harris failed.
