Barry Sanders sealed his place in sporting history by becoming only the third NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season as he lifted the Detroit Lions into the play-offs.
It is a measure of Sanders' feat that 1,000 yards is normally considered the magic number for running backs. Sanders is not even as fast as he used to be; these days he can be caught from behind. But a better appreciation for the game has more than compensated for any loss of speed.
Sanders' stop and start style, his sudden changes in direction and sheer power have allowed him to form a small elite along with O J Simpson and Eric Dickerson, who was in the stands cheering Sanders on.
Sanders broke the 2000-yard barrier despite being bottled up for most of the game by the New York Jets, also needing a win to make the play-offs in what would have been a remarkable transformation under Bill Parcells, their new coach. The Jets won just one game and lost 15 last season.
Sanders obliged the Detroit fans in the Pontiac Silverdome by knifing through the Jets for a 47-yard gain on the last play of the third quarter. Three plays later, he burst through for a 15-yard touchdown for Detroit's winning points, allowing the Lions to squeeze out a 13-10 win over Parcells' Jets.
"I have learned to be patient," said Sanders, a soft-spoken and modest player. "We just stuck with it. The most significant thing was to win the game and to make sure we would be playing next week. The 2,000 yards was secondary."
Nor for Lions offensive linemen, who talked about that milestone all week. They were set on helping Sanders reach that target. "We promised to get this for Barry, said Kevin Glover, Detroit's Pro Bowl centre.
Sanders passed the 2,000 mark in the fourth quarter with a two-yard run, then uncorked a 53-yard dash in the closing moments to squelch any Jets comeback hopes. He finished the game with 184 yards, bringing his season's tally to 2053 yards.
In downing the Jets, the Lions earned a wild-card spot to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who beat the Chicago Bears 31-15. Their celebrations, however, were tempered by an injury to Reggie Brown, who received mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the field. He suffered a bruise to his spine at the neck but is expected to recover without permanent damage.
The play-off picture is now complete with 12 teams going on to the next stage, but the winners are likely to emerged from just a handful of teams - the Green Bay Packers, the defending champions, and the San Francisco 49ers, from the NFC. The best prospects from the AFC, on the losing end for 13 years running, are the Kansas City Chiefs, the Denver Broncos and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Results: Cincinnati 16, Baltimore 14; Ny Giants 20, Dallas 7; Kansas City 25, New Orleans 13; Minnesota 39, Indianapolis 28; Tampa Bay 31, Chicago 15; Tennessee 16, Pittsburgh 6; Washington 35, Philadelphia 32; Arizona 29, Atlanta 26; Denver 38, San Diego 3; Detroit 13, Ny Jets 10; Jacksonville 20, Oakland 9; Seattle 38, San Francisco 9.
