Steve Beuerlein Stephen Taylor " Steve " Beuerlein ( born March 7 , 1965 ) is a former American football quarterback , and is currently an NFL and college football analyst for CBS . Although often referred to as a " journeyman " during his NFL career due to his playing for six different NFL teams , frequent status as a backup , and lack of running ability , he made up for any deficiencies in his game with his quick release , exceptional ability to read defenses , confident leadership , and poised pocket presence . In 1999 , he had an historic statistical season , which ranked up with some of the greatest seasons by a quarterback in NFL history . During his college and pro careers , Beuerlein managed to overcome numerous injuries , coaching changes , quarterback controversies , team changes , and disputes with several NFL coaches and owners , to carve out a successful 17 - year NFL career . High school career . In his senior year , Beuerlein led Anaheim ' s Servite High School to the California Interscholastic Federation 1982 Big Five state championship , where he was named player of the year , and displayed all the skills and leadership of a major - college quarterback recruit . In the first game of the year he played against Ohio ' s famed Moeller High School . Although Servite led Moeller early in the 4th quarter , Moeller won 29 - 15 , but Beuerlein ' s performance caught the eye of Notre Dame head coach Gerry Faust , who had coached for 18 years at Moeller prior to taking the Notre Dame job . After Servite went on to win its final eleven games en route to a 31 - 7 victory over Long Beach Poly in the state championship game ( and a # 4 national ranking ) , Faust offered Beuerlein a full scholarship , and he attended Notre Dame the following year . Collegiate career . 1983 season . As a true freshman in the 1983 Notre Dame season , the 18 - year - old Beuerlein got his first start in the fourth game , relieving struggling senior quarterback and four - year starter Blair Kiel , who had begun the season with a 1 - 2 record . Kiel won the opener in a 52 - 6 blowout at Purdue , but then lost two straight , including a shutout loss to the eventual national champion Miami Hurricanes , who at the time were unranked and not thought of as a top team . The Irish subsequently dropped from # 4 in the Coaches ' Poll after the Purdue win to unranked in only two weeks . Beuerlein started the remaining eight games of the regular season , splitting playing time with Kiel , and winning his first five starts ( including 30 - 6 win at # 7 South Carolina , a 42 - 0 blowout win at Army , and a 27 - 6 victory over arch - rival USC - the first since 1977 - which propelled the Irish back into the rankings ) . He lost his final three starts of the regular season in close games decided by five points or less , but the Irish ' s 6 - 5 record was good enough for a Liberty Bowl bid , where Kiel got the start for the first time since the Miami game and led the Irish to a 19 - 18 victory over Doug Flutie ' s 13th - ranked Boston College team . 1984 season . Beuerlein entered his sophomore 1984 season as the undisputed starter at quarterback . In the fifth game of the season against # 14 Miami , he was knocked out of the game with an injury to his throwing shoulder , which at the time was misdiagnosed as a muscle tear . He missed only one game , and started the rest of the season ' s games , taking repeated cortisone injections . He led the Irish to a 4 - 1 finish to the regular season and a 7 - 4 record , losing only to # 11 South Carolina , and with impressive road victories at # 6 LSU and # 14 USC , before losing in the Aloha Bowl to # 10 SMU . In that game , Beuerlein noticed a marked deterioration in the condition of his throwing shoulder , which had been worsening since the injury . " I had no velocity and no spiral , " he said . " I could hardly lift my shoulder over my head . I could hear a constant clicking and popping in it . " He also believed the injury contributed to his school - record 18 interceptions that season . After an unsuccessful offseason rehab , Notre Dame sent Beuerlein to a California orthopedist in April , where the doctor discovered a bone chip in his collarbone , which had ground away much of his acromioclavicular joint . He had surgery immediately , which removed an inch of his collarbone and the entire remaining parts of his AC joint . 1985 season . Miraculously , less than five months after major surgery on his severely - damaged throwing shoulder , Beuerlein was starting the 1985 season opener at Michigan . The Irish did not fare as well as the previous season , stumbling to a 1 - 4 start , and neither did Beuerlein , still feeling the effects of his healing shoulder . He only threw three touchdown passes all season , and was benched for the Ole Miss game in favor of sophomore backup Terry Andrysiak . Still , Beuerlein came off the bench that game and led the Irish on two touchdown drives in the first half , including a 14 - yard TD pass to Tim Brown . Notre Dame won easily , 37 - 14 , winning their fourth - straight game and improving their record to 5 - 3 , and Beuerlein won his starting job back . The following week proved to be a tougher challenge , as the Irish traveled to # 1 ranked Penn State , who was undefeated at 9 - 0 , and lost 36 - 6 . After a close 10 - 7 loss to # 17 LSU , the Notre Dame ' s season ended with a humiliating 58 - 7 loss to the 4th - ranked Hurricanes at the Orange Bowl , and Notre Dame ' s 0 - 5 road record doomed them to a 5 - 6 finish and no bowl bid . 1986 season . Before Beuerlein ' s senior year , Faust resigned after five seasons of mediocrity , including a 30 - 26 - 1 record , only one bowl win in two appearances , and never finishing a season ranked . The university then hired Minnesota head coach Lou Holtz . Beuerlein enjoyed his best statistical season in 1986 under Holtz , throwing for 2211 yards , 13 TDs and 7 INTs , the first season he managed to throw more touchdowns than interceptions , a feat never accomplished by his predecessor Kiel . Still , the Irish did not fare any better in Holtz ' s first season , with a 4 - 6 record heading into the final game of the season at rival USC . Beuerlein ' s last collegiate game would be a memorable one . Notre Dame trailed 30 - 12 in the 3rd quarter , when Beuerlein caught fire and threw three second - half touchdowns , and the Irish made a field goal with two seconds remaining , stunning the 17th - ranked Trojans and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum crowd with a 38 - 37 victory and claiming their fourth - straight Jeweled Shillelagh . The win gave Beuerlein a perfect 4 - 0 record against the Trojans , the only Notre Dame quarterback ever to do so besides Ralph Guglielmi from 1951 - 1954 . Still , another 5 - 6 season did not qualify the Irish for a bowl . Earlier that season at 2nd - ranked Alabama , Beuerlein was on the receiving end of one of the more memorable sacks in college football history . Alabama linebacker Cornelius Bennett , who would go on to an All - Pro NFL career , knocked Beuerlein unconscious with a brutal hit that was featured by sports artist Daniel A . Moore in the painting , " The Sack " . Even after his NFL career ended , Beuerlein would claim that " The Sack " was the hardest he ' d ever been hit . Beuerlein started 39 out of 46 games for the Irish during his four - year career , with a 21 - 18 record . He graduated in 1987 with a degree in American Studies , having broken nearly every passing and total offense record in Notre Dame history . Professional career . Los Angeles Raiders . Beuerlein was drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders in the fourth round of the 1987 NFL Draft , but suffered a season - ending injury in preseason play . He made his NFL debut in 1988 under new head coach Mike Shanahan , starting and winning the season opener against the San Diego Chargers 24 - 13 , his first game in Memorial Stadium since upsetting USC in college two years prior . The Raiders would lose Beuerlein ' s next two starts in close games , including a loss to the crosstown Los Angeles Rams , where Beuerlein threw for 375 yards , then the third - highest total in Raiders history . Despite solid play from Beuerlein in the first three games behind an injury - ravaged offensive line ( 42 - 91 , 675 yards , 5 TDs , 2 INTs ) , Shanahan decided to start Jay Schroeder , who had been acquired from the Washington Redskins only one day before the season opener . While praising Beuerlein ' s play , Shanahan wanted a quarterback with more experience and felt Schroeder fit his system better . In the Week 4 " Monday Night Football " game at the Denver Broncos , Schroeder started and the Raiders won in overtime , evening their record at 2 - 2 . Schroeder struggled in his next two starts , throwing four interceptions in each game and losing both . The following week at Kansas City , Beuerlein came off the bench and rallied the Raiders for a 27 - 17 victory . He came off the bench for Schroeder once again the following week before regaining the starting job , winning his first three and losing two , before Shanahan went back to Schroeder to end the season . The Raiders finished third in the AFC West division , with a record of 7 - 9 . In 1989 , Shanahan started the season with Schroeder at quarterback , and was fired after the fourth game and a 1 - 3 start . Under new coach Art Shell , Beuerlein started the final six games after a three - interception outing by Schroeder in a Week 10 loss to San Diego , finally winning the Raiders ' starting job . The Raiders finished 8 - 8 with another third - place finish in the AFC West . Going into the 1990 season , Beuerlein was to be the lowest - paid starting QB in the league , at a salary of $ 140 , 000 . This led to a contract dispute and holdout , and although he eventually signed before the start of the season , he drew the ire of Raiders owner Al Davis , who refused to allow the Raiders ' coaches to play Beuerlein . Schroeder was handed the starting job with Vince Evans as the backup , and Beuerlein was held inactive for every game . Dallas Cowboys . Less than a week before the start of the 1991 season , the Raiders traded Beuerlein to the Dallas Cowboys to back up Troy Aikman . According to head coach Jimmy Johnson , the Cowboys had " been actively pursuing Beuerlein for quite some time " , including a trade agreement worked out in January that Davis reportedly backed out of . When Aikman ' s knee was injured in the Week 13 game at the Redskins , Beuerlein came off the bench and threw a 4th - quarter touchdown strike to Michael Irvin , as the Cowboys held on for a 24 - 21 victory , stunning the 11 - 0 Redskins in their home stadium and ruining their hopes of a perfect season . He then started the remaining four games of the season , winning all four and leading the Cowboys to an 11 - 5 record , their best since the 1983 season under Tom Landry . They also made the playoffs for the first time since the 1985 season , capturing the fifth seed as a wild - card team . While Cowboys players like Irvin would praise his leadership and confidence , Beuerlein repeatedly denied there was a quarterback controversy . " I plan on driving this car as hard as I can , until they take the keys out of my hand , " he said , " And I know that ' s gonna happen as soon as Troy gets well , so I understand that . " Even though Aikman ' s knee had healed sufficiently to start the first playoff game at the Chicago Bears , Johnson decided to continue playing Beuerlein . Johnson claimed his star quarterback ' s knee was not yet fully healed , but also wanted to stick with the " hot hand " in Beuerlein who had won five straight games , a move that upset Aikman at the time . Beuerlein was efficient and effective against the Bears , throwing for 180 yards , with 1 TD and no INTs in leading the Cowboys to a 17 - 13 win at Soldier Field . It was Cowboys ' first road playoff win over a decade . The following week , he started at Detroit , but was relieved by Aikman after the Lions jumped to an early lead . Aikman was equally ineffective at moving the offense , and the Cowboys lost 38 - 6 , ending their season . In 1992 , a healthy Aikman had a breakout season , and Beuerlein played sparingly but still managed to appear in all 16 games . The Cowboys finished with a 13 - 3 record and reached Super Bowl XXVII . Beuerlein relieved Aikman with 7 : 06 left in the game and Dallas up by 35 points . On his last play as a Cowboy , Beuerlein fumbled the ball on a botched handoff to Derrick Gainer . This was followed several plays later by Leon Lett ' s infamous fumble . Neither play had any impact on the outcome , as neither team would score again and the Cowboys routed the Buffalo Bills 52 - 17 and Beuerlein received his first and only Super Bowl championship . Phoenix / Arizona Cardinals . After the clutch play and flashes of potential he showed in Dallas , as an unrestricted free agent entering the 1993 season Beuerlein was a highly sought - after quarterback on the free agent market . He would eventually sign a three - year , $ 7 . 5 million contract with the Phoenix Cardinals and became their new starting quarterback . After three - straight seasons of five wins or less , head coach Joe Bugel was on the hot seat before the season even began after owner Bill Bidwill gave him what was known in Phoenix as " the ultimatum " , demanding that Bugel win at least nine games in order to keep his job . After the Cardinals started the season 2 - 6 - and requiring Bugel to win seven of the last eight games to keep his job - Beuerlein was briefly benched in favor of Chris Chandler , but regained the job after two games . Beuerlein led the Cardinals to victories in four of their last five games , including passing for three touchdowns and a career - high 431 yards in a dramatic 30 - 27 overtime win at Seattle , a game where the Cardinals had trailed 20 - 7 at halftime . Beuerlein passed for the first of his three career 3000 - yard seasons in 1993 , finishing in the top - 10 in almost every statistical passing category , despite throwing passes in only 14 games . But the Cardinals ' 7 - 9 record and late - season surge was not good enough to save head coach Bugel ' s job , as Bidwill held firm to his nine - win requirement and Bugel was fired . In 2007 Beuerlein would recall , " We had built a pretty good thing under Bugel , but then the owner gave Bugel that nine - win ultimatum and even though we didn ' t reach it that year , our offense was in the top five in every category , our defense was coming around and at the end of the year , I don ' t think anybody wanted to play us . " The newly - renamed Arizona Cardinals hired Buddy Ryan as both head coach and general manager in 1994 . Ryan made major changes immediately , gutting the coaching staff and much of the roster , signing many of his former players from Chicago and Philadelphia to large contracts , and hiring his sons Rex and Rob as assistant coaches . Always the defensive - minded coach , Ryan focused chiefly on the defense , usually to the detriment of the offense , particularly the offensive line , which after only the second game one reporter called " the most inept , cowardly offensive line to appear in the National Football League in 30 years . " This left Beuerlein , well known for standing tall in the pocket under even the most ferocious of pass rushes , increasingly skittish in the face of heavy pressure on almost every passing play . The cantankerous Ryan blamed Beuerlein for the team ' s 0 - 2 start , benching him after Week 2 , calling him one of the worst quarterbacks he had ever seen , and even implied to the press that Beuerlein was a " a cancer that needed to be cut out . " During the Week 4 bye week , Ryan brought in free - agent QB Rich Gannon for a tryout , and pursued the 38 - year - old former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms , who was coming off torn labrum surgery and working for ESPN , ultimately deciding to stay retired when a deal could not be reached . Ryan even praised the quarterback play of Jeff Feagles , the Cardinals ' punter . Ryan played a classic " quarterback carousel " that season with Beuerlein , his ex - Bears quarterback Jim McMahon , and Beuerlein ' s old Raiders teammate Jay Schroeder , switching starters four different times and benching his quarterbacks frequently in the middle of games . Beuerlein went 3 - 4 as a starter and the team finished with an 8 - 8 record , with Ryan making him a scapegoat for the team ' s mediocrity . For years , Beuerlein refused to discuss his experience with Ryan , stating that , " He just doesn ' t deserve to be talked about . " In 2000 , former Cardinals receiver Ricky Proehl said , " That was the worst situation I have ever been around . Of course Buddy didn ' t take any responsibility ; to him it was all Steve ' s fault . Steve is the best leader I have ever played with . It just killed him to be thought of like that . " In 2007 , Beuerlein would finally recount his year with Ryan , stating , " ( It ) still doesn ' t sit well with me today . The bottom line , Buddy didn ' t really care . He didn ' t even know what he was doing . He came in there and it was all about the defense . And we didn ' t have any experience on the coaching staff at all . . . The roster changed , too , and all of a sudden , we had a bunch of people who couldn ' t play football anymore . " Jacksonville Jaguars . At the end of the 1994 season , Ryan and Beuerlein ' s contentious relationship would come to an end when Ryan exposed him to the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft . He was widely expected to be the first pick of the draft , which occurred when the Jacksonville Jaguars took him with the number one selection . He was the starting quarterback for the first game in team history , starting the first two games before spraining his right MCL in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals . When he was healthy two weeks later , backup Mark Brunell would keep the starting job , and Beuerlein would not see action again until Week 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . He came off the bench for an injured Brunell in the fourth quarter and led a team - record 96 - yard touchdown drive , throwing what was potentially the game - tying touchdown , until head coach Tom Coughlin decided to go for a two - point conversion and the win , which failed and the Jaguars lost 17 - 16 . Beuerlein started the next four games in relief of Brunell - all losses - until Brunell returned and the Jags finished their inaugural season with a 4 - 12 record . Beuerlein reportedly had a confrontational relationship with Coughlin , and finished the season as the third quarterback behind rookie Rob Johnson . As he was in the last year of his original three - year deal with the Cardinals , after the season he became a free agent . Carolina Panthers . 1996 season . Before the 1996 season , the Carolina Panthers signed Beuerlein to a three - year contract , as a backup to second - year QB Kerry Collins . His five seasons in Carolina would prove to be the most productive years of his career . Much like the situation in Dallas five years prior , Beuerlein knew his role was to back up the team ' s young star QB , but also was again instrumental in helping the second - year expansion team to a playoff run . He made four starts in relief of an injured Collins , going 3 - 1 , and leading the Panthers to several key victories including dominant performances at the Houston Oilers ( where he threw for 3 TDs and no INTs ) , and a 23 - 7 win over the perennial NFC West powerhouse San Francisco 49ers , which at the time was called " perhaps the best game of his career . " Beuerlein finished the year with eight touchdowns and only two interceptions , and a passer rating of 93 . 5 . Boosted by meticulous head coach Dom Capers ' innovative 3 - 4 zone blitz defensive scheme , the Panthers finished the regular season with a 12 - 4 record , including a perfect 8 - 0 at home , and winning the NFC West . They reached the NFC Championship Game against the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field , where the temperature at kickoff was 3 degrees , with a wind chill of - 16 . The Panthers jumped out to an early 10 - 7 lead before the Packers ' offensive juggernaut took over , and the Panthers lost 30 - 13 . 1997 season . Expectations could not have been higher for the Panthers entering the 1997 season , but two events in the preseason involving quarterback Collins put a damper on the season before it began . In a highly - publicized incident at a bar on the last night of training camp , a drunken Collins jokingly used a racial slur to refer to a teammate , which was poorly received and hurt Collins ' status as a team leader . Two days later , in a preseason game against the Broncos , Denver linebacker Bill Romanowski laid a vicious helmet - to - helmet hit on Collins , displacing Collins ' helmet and breaking his jaw in several places . Beuerlein started the first two regular season games in relief of the injured Collins , going 1 - 1 . Collins returned in Week 3 and although he was able to pull out a win at San Diego with a strong running game and solid defensive play , he often looked timid and indecisive , still not fully healed from his traumatic jaw injury . He threw seven interceptions in the next two games - both losses - including a home loss to the 49ers on " Monday Night Football " , where Beuerlein replaced Collins after his third interception and the 49ers up 27 - 7 . Beuerlein rallied the Panthers with two 4th - quarter TD passes , but it was not enough as the 49ers won 34 - 21 . Beuerlein replaced Collins as the starter for one game after the bye week , giving Collins two more weeks to heal , as well as to try and gain some of his confidence back . Beuerlein also served as a mentor to Collins , relating his stories of watching other young quarterbacks struggle in their early years before becoming stars . In Week 8 , Collins returned as the starter , playing better and winning three - straight against weaker opponents , before losing the next two where he threw 6 interceptions and only one touchdown , including an embarrassing 34 - 0 shutout loss to Denver at Mile High Stadium . After a win at the 2 - 9 Rams , which evened the Panthers ' record at 6 - 6 and kept them in playoff contention , they suffered a devastating three - point home loss to the 4 - 8 New Orleans Saints . Despite out - gaining the Saints ' offense by more than 100 yards , they were doomed by four turnovers , as Beuerlein again came off the bench in the first half in relief of a concussed Collins , who had thrown two early interceptions . The Panthers entered the final week with a slim chance at the last NFC playoff seed , but lost at home to the 11 - loss Rams . Once again , Collins threw three interceptions and was benched late in favor of Beuerlein , who threw for a 4th - quarter touchdown , but the Rams ' 30 - 8 lead proved insurmountable and the Panthers lost 30 - 18 . Despite appearing in only 13 games and playing only six full games , Collins led the NFL in interceptions that year with 21 . Beuerlein played much better in his three starts and seven appearances , with a passer rating almost 30 points higher than Collins . Capers saw his 7th - ranked scoring offense of 1996 fall to 27th out of 30 teams , as the Panthers were unable to repeat the success of 1996 , and finished with a disappointing 7 - 9 record . 1998 season . In 1998 , Beuerlein gained the starting job permanently in Week 5 after Collins ' on - field and off - field problems continued , and he benched himself after an 0 - 4 start and was ultimately waived one week later . The durable Beuerlein would start the next 44 consecutive games , every game during the rest of his tenure with the Panthers . This season , however , would turn out to be disastrous , as the hapless Panthers fell to 0 - 7 after a prime - time " Sunday Night Football " home loss of 30 - 14 to Doug Flutie and the Buffalo Bills . Poor play due to a rash of injuries , new players that never meshed , aging veterans , the fallout from Collins situation , and a string of embarrassing on - field incidences ( including linebacker Kevin Greene attacking his linebackers coach Kevin Steele on the sidelines during the Redskins game , after which the Panthers fell to 2 - 12 ) , all contributed to the team falling apart . Beuerlein played remarkably well considering the circumstances ( 2613 yards , 17 TDs , 12 INTs , and a 63 % completion percentage in 12 games ) , and led the Panthers to victories in their last two games , throwing for three touchdowns and only one interception . Despite the late rally , however , the Panthers finished the season with an abysmal 4 - 12 record , and Capers , who less than two years prior was called " the perfect football coach " , and had what owner Jerry Richardson called a " lifetime contract " to coach the Panthers , was fired . 1999 season . In 1999 , Beuerlein put up what was then one of the greatest statistical seasons by a quarterback in NFL history . Though new head coach George Seifert had traded for quarterback Jeff Lewis during the offseason - John Elway ' s former " heir apparent " in Denver - Beuerlein went into camp as the number - one quarterback and never looked back . He made the Pro Bowl for the first and only time in his career , tying offensive guard Bob Young for the most seasons in the league ( 13 ) before making his first Pro Bowl . While his accomplishments were somewhat upstaged by the emergence of NFL MVP Kurt Warner and St . Louis ' record - breaking and Super Bowl - winning " The Greatest Show on Turf " offense , his 4 , 436 passing yards still led the league , and at the time was the 11th - highest passing yardage total ever . He also led the NFL with 343 completions , and his 94 . 6 passer rating and 36 touchdown passes were second only to the 1999 MVP Warner . Prior to that season , only Dan Marino and Brett Favre had ever thrown for more touchdowns in a season than Beuerlein . In Week 14 at Green Bay , Beuerlein was the key player in one of the most memorable games - and plays - in franchise history . The Packers had not lost at Lambeau Field in December since the 1993 season , and the 5 - 7 Panthers desperately needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive . Despite the below - freezing temperatures , Beuerlein was red - hot , out - dueling Brett Favre and connecting on 29 of 42 attempts , with 3 TDs and no INTs , and passing for a then franchise - record 373 yards . In a seesaw battle that had seen eight lead changes , the Panthers found themselves at the Packers ' 5 - yard line on a 4th - and - goal play , trailing 31 - 26 with five seconds remaining in the game . Before what was certainly to be the game ' s final play , Beuerlein went to the sidelines during the timeout to get the call from head coach Seifert . Seifert suggested a quarterback draw , which Beuerlein initially didn ' t believe and literally had backup QB Steve Bono laughing . The famously - immobile Beuerlein had all of two rushing TDs in his entire 13 - year career - both coming from the one - yard line - but Seifert was serious , stating that no one would expect a Beuerlein rush with the game on the line . When Beuerlein called the play in the huddle , it elicited more laughter from his offense , followed by criticism of the call , when he told them , " Hey guys , I ' m serious . . . do your job . " Beuerlein lined the offense up in a single set back formation , sending his fullback in motion , resulting in an empty backfield and a clear passing formation . When he saw the Packers in an obvious pass defense , he took a three - step drop as he would in a pass play , and took off running through a gaping hole in the middle . Safety Rodney Artmore was the only player with a chance to stop Beuerlein , but the quarterback dove over his low tackle attempt , with Artmore ' s helmet smashing into Beuerlein ' s left knee in the process . Beuerlein landed just across the end zone line at time expired , scoring by mere inches and giving the Panthers a 33 - 31 victory that completely silenced the stunned Lambeau Field crowd . As Beuerlein winced in " excruciating pain " from his knee , he threw his out arms in victory and let out triumphant scream as his teammates piled on him . After the season , the two - time Super - Bowl winner Seifert would say , " I have had some incredible highs in my coaching career , but I haven ' t experienced anything as exciting as that moment . " Beuerlein counts the play as his favorite NFL memory , and in a 2008 interview about what became known in Carolina as " The Draw " , he said that " people still ask me about that play almost every single day . " The Panthers entered the final week with a 7 - 8 record , needing a home win against the Saints and some help to clinch the last NFC playoff spot . The 7 - 8 Cowboys controlled their destiny , only needing to beat the Giants to get in the playoffs . If they were to lose , the spot would go to either Carolina or Green Bay . Although the Panthers had defeated the 7 - 8 Packers two weeks prior , due to the NFL ' s convoluted tiebreaker rules they needed to beat the Saints by 18 points more than the Packers were to beat the Cardinals in their game at Lambeau ( assuming the Packers were to win ) . In what was almost certainly the strangest game in franchise history , as the Panthers played the Saints , the Panthers ' coaches , players , and fans constantly monitored the stadium ' s NFL scoreboard and the Packers - Cardinals score . Although the Panthers held a commanding 31 - 0 lead early in the 4th quarter after four touchdown passes by Beuerlein - tying his team record set only two weeks prior - they saw that the Packers ( who also knew they needed to score as many points as possible to stay ahead of the Panthers ) had pulled out to a 35 - 10 lead of their own . Needing a lead of at least 12 more points , they found themselves in the awkward position of having to " run up the score " on the Saints , a move that would upset Saints head coach Mike Ditka and many Saints players . All - Pro kick returner Michael Bates scored on a 95 - yard return , and Beuerlein threw for a new team - record fifth touchdown , but Saints ( and future Panthers ) QB Jake Delhomme - in only his second career game - never gave up despite throwing four interceptions , and threw and ran for two 4th - quarter touchdowns . The final score of 45 - 13 and 32 - point margin of victory was seven points shy of overcoming the Packers ' 49 - 24 drubbing of the Cardinals , and the Panthers were assured of missing the playoffs . After the game , Panthers linebacker Micheal Barrow said , " Even though we won the game , we came in the locker room and felt like we lost . " Said receiver Patrick Jeffers , " It really was like we were playing the Packers more than we were the Saints . " The whole ordeal was rendered irrelevant when the Cowboys beat the Giants later in the day , and neither the Panthers nor the Packers made the playoffs . Although Beuerlein ' s offense was 4th in the league in scoring in the 1999 season , the defense was 26th in points allowed , and this deficiency contributed to the Panthers ' mediocre 8 - 8 record . In a season where two 8 - 8 NFC teams made the playoffs , the Panthers ' season was over . They finished second in the NFC West behind the 13 - 3 and eventual Super Bowl champion St . Louis Rams . 2000 season . For perhaps the first time in his career , Beuerlein entered the 2000 season with a firm grip on his team ' s starting quarterback position . After a less successful but still solid year , Beuerlein threw for another 3 , 730 yards . Unfortunately for the Panthers , their prolific offense from 1999 began to deteriorate , especially the offensive line , as Beuerlein was a sacked league - leading 62 times , which was then tied for the second - most sacks ever on a quarterback in a season . The rushing attack was even worse , only managing to muster an anemic 1186 yards , which would have easily been worst in the league in an average year , but was relegated to only third - worst in 2000 by two historically bad rushing efforts by the 3 - 13 Cleveland Browns ( 1085 yards ) and 1 - 15 San Diego Chargers ( 1062 yards ) . As of 2012 , the 2000 Chargers and Browns still hold the two lowest rushing totals ever in a 16 - game season , with the 2000 Panthers still 10th - worst . Running back Tim Biakabutuka played the most games in a season ( 12 ) of his injury - riddled career , but still only ran for a lackluster 627 yards and two TDs , with a 3 . 6 yard average behind the shaky offensive line . Unbelievably , Beuerlein was the team ' s third - leading rusher ( behind rookie fullback Brad Hoover ) , with his second - straight 100 - yard rushing season . This lack of a running game forced the Panthers to rely heavily on Beuerlein ' s still - lively 35 - year - old right arm , where often under a heavy pass rush he had to force throws , and threw a career - high 18 interceptions . Still , he managed to throw for more TDs than INTs for the fifth - straight season , but the team dropped to 20th in total offense and 21st in scoring , and the team finished with their third 7 - 9 record in six seasons , ending the season with a dismal 52 - 9 loss at Oakland . In a stunning move that proved not only to be wildly unpopular with fans , but also with many inside the Panthers organization ( including owner Jerry Richardson ) , Beuerlein was unexpectedly released two months into the offseason by Seifert . Despite Beuerlein ' s stellar play during his tenure , he had always longed for a more mobile quarterback , as well as younger one ; Beuerlein was 36 and had undergone eight operations in the past 14 months . " Believe me , I know this is not a very popular decision , not in the community and not in this building . " said Seifert . " Steve can certainly still play , but for what period of time ? We have three young quarterbacks and we would like to evaluate where we are with them . It ' s just time to put our feet to the fire . " Backup Jeff Lewis was the starter heading into camp , but was cut in the preseason , leaving rookie Chris Weinke as the starter . Beuerlein ' s release led to a catastrophic 1 - 15 season for the Panthers in 2001 , which saw them lose their last 15 consecutive games , an NFL record ( until the 0 - 16 Detroit Lions lost 16 straight in 2008 ) , and Seifert was summarily fired after the season . During his five seasons in Carolina , Beuerlein set almost every Panthers passing record , including most career attempts ( 1 , 723 ) , completions ( 1 , 041 ) , passing yards ( 12 , 690 ) , passing touchdowns ( 86 ) , highest completion percentage ( 60 . 4 % ) , and highest passer rating ( 87 . 7 ) , some of which have since been broken by former Panthers starter Delhomme . Beuerlein still holds virtually every single - season passing record , including passing yards ( 4 , 436 ) , touchdowns ( 36 ) , attempts ( 571 ) , completions ( 343 ) , completion percentage ( 63 . 0 % ) and passer rating ( 94 . 6 ) . As of 2012 , he holds three of the top eight single - game passing yard totals in Carolina team history ( 373 , 368 , and 364 ) , and his five touchdown passes in the last game of the 1999 season are still a single - game team record . Denver Broncos . Before the 2001 season , Beuerlein signed with the Denver Broncos to back up Brian Griese , reuniting him with Mike Shanahan , his Raiders coach from the 1980s . He had worn the number 7 on his jersey since high school , but was forced to choose # 11 due to John Elway ' s # 7 jersey having been retired by the Broncos . In 2001 , Beuerlein missed his first full season due to injury since his rookie year , but returned in 2002 , starting three games and appearing in eight , including a remarkable finish in Seattle in Week 11 . The Broncos held a tenuous 10 - 6 lead over the Seahawks - in a game that was 3 - 0 at halftime - when Griese was knocked out of the game with a knee injury . Beuerlein came off the bench and threw two 4th - quarter touchdowns on his only two pass attempts of the game . The Broncos ended up blowing out the Seahawks 31 - 9 , and improving their record to 7 - 3 . They dropped four of their final six games to finish the season with a 9 - 7 record , missing the 2002 playoffs on a tiebreaker to the 9 - 7 Browns . Before the 2003 season , after the Broncos signed former Cardinals QB Jake Plummer to be their new starter , Beuerlein considered retiring at age 38 , but decided to play one more year after Shanahan personally visited his home and asked him to stay . He appeared in four games and started two in relief of an injured Plummer , and helped the Broncos to a 5 - 1 start before his season ended in a Week 7 game at the undefeated Minnesota Vikings . Beuerlein played poorly , throwing 3 INTs as the Vikings blitzed him relentlessly , sacking him five times and knocking him down numerous others . He was knocked out of the game late in the third quarter with a gruesome finger injury on his throwing hand . Rookie defensive tackle and future All - Pro Kevin Williams hit Beuerlein hard , knocking him down on the Metrodome ' s hard AstroTurf surface just as he released the pass , and causing Beuerlein to land on his hand , crushing his little finger . It appeared to be dislocated on the field as it stuck out at an odd angle , but was later found to be fractured . Although the injury was expected to keep him out for only a maximum of six weeks , the Broncos needed the roster spot and he was placed on injured reserve , ending his season . The play would prove to be the final one of Beuerlein ' s NFL career . Retirement . Although the Broncos wanted him to return for his 18th NFL season , at age 39 Beuerlein decided to retire . Only one week after his finger injury , Beuerlein reflected on the many struggles he had to endure in his NFL career to " Sports Illustrated ' s " Peter King . Beuerlein said , " Hey , I ' ve been in the wrong place at the wrong time a lot . But I was a fourth - round pick . To last 15 , 16 , 17 years in the league , what can I complain about ? I ' ve lived the dream a long time . The only thing I ' d change is how it ended . " In July 2004 , he signed with the Panthers - where he still held virtually every passing record - and retired immediately in an emotional sendoff ceremony . " This in my mind was the way it was meant to be , " he said . " I couldn ' t think of a better way to bring this 17 - year run to an end . My heart has always been here with this organization and when I sat back and decided I wanted to step down , there was no doubt I wanted to do it as a Carolina Panther . " Football analyst . In 2004 , Beuerlein joined CBS Sports as a game analyst for " The NFL on CBS " , where he travels each week during the season to NFL venues in order to provide color commentary for games . He made a notable gaffe during a November 25 , 2007 telecast of a game between the Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bengals . After the Titans ' LenDale White and Bengals ' Marvin White had an altercation that resulted in offsetting personal fouls , the Bengals called a brief timeout resulting in a commercial break . Beuerlein did not realize the break was a short one , and once the game resumed was overheard saying " USC thugs , man , " over the air . This was explained as a joke which was not intended for airing , as LenDale White was a former player for Beuerlein ' s old college rival , the University of Southern California . Beuerlein also occasionally calls college football games for CBS .