List of the Day: Best Rushing Seasons, 1980s NFC

Eric Dickerson

TOP 10
1- Eric Dickerson, 1984 Los Angeles Rams
2105 yards, 379 att., 5.6 avg., 14 TD

2- Eric Dickerson, 1986 Los Angeles Rams
1821 yards, 404 att., 4.5 avg., 11 TD

3- Eric Dickerson, 1983 Los Angeles Rams
1808 yards, 390 att., 4.6 avg., 18 TD

4- Gerald Riggs, 1985 Atlanta Falcons
1719 yards, 397 att., 4.3 avg., 10 TD

5- Walter Payton, 1984 Chicago Bears
1684 yards, 381 att., 4.4 avg., 11 TD

6- George Rogers, 1981 New Orleans Saints
1674 yards, 378 att., 4.4 avg., 13 TD

7- Tony Dorsett, 1981 Dallas Cowboys
1646 yards, 342 att., 4.8 avg., 4 TD

8- William Andrews, 1983 Atlanta Falcons
1567 yards, 331 att., 4.7 avg., 7 TD

9- Walter Payton, 1985 Chicago Bears
1551 yards, 324 att., 4.8 avg., 9 TD

10-James Wilder, 1984 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1544 yards, 407 att., 3.8 avg., 13 TD


Gerald Riggs



Walter Payton



George Rogers

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
New York Giants: Joe Morris, 1986
1516 yards, 341 att., 4.4 avg., 14 TD

San Francisco 49ers: Roger Craig, 1988
1502 yards, 310 att., 4.8 avg., 9 TD

Detroit Lions: Barry Sanders, 1989
1470 yards, 280 att., 5.3 avg., 14 TD

Philadelphia Eagles: Wilbert Montgomery, 1981
1402 yards, 286 att., 4.9 avg., 8 TD

St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals: Ottis Anderson, 1981
1376 yards, 328 att., 4.2 avg., 9 TD

Washington Redskins: John Riggins, 1983
1347 yards, 375 att., 3.6 avg., 24 TD

Minnesota Vikings: Ted Brown, 1981
1063 yards, 274 att., 3.9 avg., 6 TD

Green Bay Packers: Gerry Ellis, 1981
860 yards, 196 att., 4.4 avg., 4 TD


Tony Dorsett



William Andrews



James Wilder



Joe Morris

1983: Long & Spencer Run Blitz to Win Over Wranglers

George Allen was a defensive-minded coach who preferred a conservative, run-based offense. With the Chicago Blitz of the United States Football League, the formula was unchanged from what it had been in the NFL. On May 30, 1983 the ground game lifted the Blitz to a win over the Arizona Wranglers before a sparse crowd of 13,952 at Soldier Field.

The running tandem of Kevin Long, an NFL veteran with five years of experience with the New York Jets, and rookie Tim Spencer (pictured above) keyed an attack that ran up 253 yards on the ground. It was especially welcome in that an inexperienced first-year quarterback, Tim Koegel, was getting his first start in place of 36-year-old veteran Greg Landry, who had suffered a broken ankle the week before.

Arizona, with a 4-8 record coming into the game, scored first when QB Alan Risher connected with WR Neil Balholm for a 21-yard touchdown pass play. The Wranglers went for two points and successfully converted for an 8-0 lead. Frank Corral put Chicago, 8-4 entering the contest, on the board later in the first quarter with a 40-yard field goal.

The Blitz took control in the second quarter, scoring 21 points on two more field goals by Corral, a 36-yard TD pass from Koegel to WR Trumaine Johnson that was followed by a successful two-point conversion, and a 40-yard punt return by WR Lenny Willis.

The Wranglers never got back into the game, with a 36-yard field goal by Phil Denfeld in the third quarter accounting for their remaining points. Chicago added two more field goals by Corral, a one-yard touchdown run by Spencer, and a safety to win the contest handily, 36-11. The margin could have been wider – while the veteran kicker Corral connected on four field goal attempts, he also missed three.

Long was the top rusher for the Blitz, gaining 102 yards on 19 carries. Spencer added another 90 yards on 16 attempts, including the short TD. Reserve RB Mack Boatner accounted for 47 yards on 8 runs. In all, Chicago ran the ball 50 times and averaged 5.1 yards-per-carry. Meanwhile, Koegel completed 12 of 29 passes for 202 yards with an interception and a touchdown. Trumaine Johnson had a typically solid outing, leading the receivers with 4 catches for 117 yards and a score.

The Blitz defense throttled Arizona’s offense. The Wranglers accumulated only 62 net yards of passing offense and gained 46 yards on 21 running plays. Chicago ran up five sacks, with DE Junior Ah You leading the way with two (Koegel wasn’t sacked at all). Arizona had just seven first downs (as opposed to Chicago’s 25) and was forced to punt 9 times. They also suffered 9 fumbles, losing 4 of them (the Blitz turned the ball over three times).

RB Calvin Murray led the Wranglers in rushing with 34 yards on 9 carries. Alan Risher threw 24 passes and completed 15 of them for 104 yards and the lone touchdown while having none picked off. Both Murray and RB Steve Howell caught 6 passes, with Murray’s 36 yards topping the receivers.

The Blitz, preseason favorites to dominate the USFL, failed to live up to expectations, but nevertheless concluded the regular season with a 12-6 record; that put them in second place in the Central Division behind eventual-champion Michigan due to tiebreakers. It was good enough for the lone wild card spot, but they lost to the Philadelphia Stars in the Semifinal round of the playoffs. Arizona fell to the bottom of the Pacific Division, continuing to lose the rest of the way and ending up with a 4-14 tally. Oddly enough, these franchises ended up switching locations for the 1984 season.

Both Tim Spencer and Kevin Long (pictured below) rushed for a thousand yards in ’83, with Spencer, despite nagging injuries, placing fourth in the league with 1157 yards on 300 carries (3.9 average) and six touchdowns and Long ranking sixth with 1022 yards on 262 attempts, also for a 3.9-yard average but with 12 TDs.

List of the Day: Best WFL Season Performances

(1974-75)


Tommy Reamon

TOP 5 RUSHING
1- Tommy Reamon, 1974 Florida Blazers
1576 yards, 386 att., 4.1 avg., 11 TD

2- J.J. Jennings, 1974 Memphis Southmen
1524 yards, 322 att., 4.7 avg., 11 TD

3- Jim Nance, 1974 Houston/Shreveport
1240 yards, 300 att., 4.1 avg., 8 TD

4- Anthony Davis, 1975 Southern California Sun
1200 yards, 239 att., 5.0 avg., 16 TD

5- John Land, 1974 Philadelphia Bell
1136 yards, 243 att., 4.7 att., 8 TD


Jim Nance



Tony Adams

TOP 5 PASSING YARDAGE
1- Tony Adams, 1974 Southern California Sun
3905 yards, 276-510, 54.1 %, 23 TD, 18 INT

2- Jim Corcoran, 1974 Philadelphia Bell
3631 yards, 280-545, 51.4 %, 31 TD, 30 INT

3- Bob Davis, 1974 Florida Blazers
3079 yards, 227-414, 54.8 %, 21 TD, 23 INT

4- Virgil Carter, 1974 Chicago Fire
2629 yards, 195-358, 54.5 %, 27 TD, 16 INT

5- John Huarte, 1974 Memphis Southmen
2416 yards, 154-294, 52.4 %, 23 TD, 16 INT


Jim "King" Corcoran



Virgil Carter

TOP 5 PASS RECEPTIONS
1- Tim Delaney, 1974 Hawaiians
89 rec., 1232 yards, 13.8 avg., 8 TD

2- Rick Eber, 1974 Houston/Shreveport
66 rec., 771 yards, 11.7 avg., 5 TD

3- James McAlister, 1974 Southern California Sun*
65 rec., 772 yards, 11.9 avg., 4 TD

4- Dennis Homan, 1974 Birmingham Americans
61 rec., 930 yards, 15.3 avg., 8 TD

5(tied)- Alfred Jenkins, 1974 Birmingham Americans
60 rec., 1326 yards, 22.1 avg., 12 TD

5(tied)- Ed Marshall, 1974 Memphis Southmen
60 rec., 1159 yards, 19.3 avg., 19 TD

*Running Back


Ed Marshall



Tim Delaney

TOP 5 PASS RECEIVING YARDS
1- Alfred Jenkins, 1974 Birmingham Americans
1326 yards, 60 rec., 22.1 avg., 12 TD

2- Tim Delaney, 1974 Hawaiians
1232 yards, 89 rec., 13.8 avg., 8 TD

3- Ed Marshall, 1974 Memphis Southmen
1159 yards, 60 rec., 19.3 avg., 19 TD

4- Dave Williams, 1974 Southern California Sun
979 yards, 59 rec., 16.6 avg., 11 TD

5- Jack Dolbin, 1974 Chicago Fire
942 yards, 54 rec., 17.4 avg., 7 TD


John Huarte



Anthony Davis

[Updated 4/13/12]

1968: George Halas Retires as Head Coach of Bears

By the spring of 1968, George Halas was a 73-year-old man with a bad hip that was hindering his mobility (it was a legacy of his brief major league baseball career with the Yankees back in 1919). Yet it was still something of a shock to pro football fans on May 27, 1968 when he announced that he was retiring as head coach of the Chicago Bears after a total of 40 years.

It is hard to do justice to the pro football career of “the Papa Bear” in just a few paragraphs. It has been said that Halas didn’t invent pro football, it just seemed that way. His involvement extended beyond a single franchise – he was a significant figure in the development of the entire NFL. Halas was present at the 1920 organizational meeting of what would become the National Football League, representing the Decatur Staleys. From that beginning, as a player, coach, and business manager, he became a part-owner of the team in 1921, when the Staley Starch Works decided to forego operating a company-sponsored football team, and moved the franchise to Chicago.

After a year as the Chicago Staleys (A.E. Staley provided Halas $5000 in startup money with the stipulation that the Staley name be kept for a year), Halas rechristened the team the Bears after working out a lease agreement to play at Wrigley Field, home of major league baseball’s Cubs. He retired as a player in 1929 and also gave up coaching, handing the reigns to Ralph Jones while working out business matters with co-owner Ed Sternaman. After buying out Sternaman, Halas returned to coaching the team in 1933 and left for a second time in 1942 to join the US Navy during World War II. Once discharged, he again took up coaching in 1946 and retired following the ’55 season. He came back one last time in 1958, after having effectively maintained control while longtime assistant Paddy Driscoll was head coach.

While Halas had the ultimate job security of owning the team, the fact was that he was an outstanding and innovative coach, leading the Bears to a title for the first time in 1921 and the last time over forty years later, in 1963. In all, he coached the team to six championships, with at least one in each of his stints (1921, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1946, 1963). They also won championships under Jones (1932) and co-coaches Luke Johnsos and Hunk Anderson (1943), with Halas still a major presence in the running of the club.

Halas pioneered in the development of the T-formation with man-in-motion, assisted by Ralph Jones and University of Chicago coach Clark Shaughnessy. He was the first coach to hold daily practices and regularly analyze game film of opponents. He was an outstanding judge of talent, of coaches as well as players, surrounding himself at all times with able assistants (most notably Driscoll, Johnsos, Anderson, George Allen, and Jim Dooley) – and Halas also pioneered in the use of an assistant coach as an “eye-in-the-sky” during games. The results were reflected in a 318-148-31 record (.682) with a 6-3 postseason tally. The Bears had winning records in 34 of his 40 seasons on the sideline.

Off the field, Halas was a party to many rules changes and innovations that helped the league to gain appeal and improved the game (use of hashmarks, allowing passing from anywhere behind the line of scrimmage, structuring of the league into divisions with a championship game concluding the season, etc.). He also recognized the value of revenue sharing among the teams for the good of the overall competitive balance of the league and the significance of radio and television as tools for popularizing pro football.

As a coach, Halas was a strong disciplinarian and an emotional leader who was notorious for storming up and down the sideline while berating referees during the course of a game. He took criticism for being tight with money and complicit in the unofficial color line that kept African-American players out of the NFL during the 1930s and 40s. However, he also was the first coach to allow a black and white player to room together on the road (Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo) and could be generous to players in need (during Piccolo’s ultimately losing battle with cancer, Halas reportedly paid all of his medical bills).

There were contradictions, but there could be no question that George Halas set high standards for later generations of coaches and showed farsightedness in moving the league forward. The influence of “the Papa Bear” is still felt decades after his death in 1983 – and some 90 years after he helped found the NFL.

List of the Day: Best Pass Receiving Seasons, 1970s AFC

Steve Largent

NOTE: Due to the adoption of the 16-game schedule as well as rules changes that had a major effect on opening up the passing game, the 1978 and ’79 seasons significantly skew the Top 10 results. Therefore, following the Top 10 is a list of the next 5 best performances that occurred exclusively from 1970-77.

TOP 10 RECEPTIONS
1- Joe Washington, 1979 Baltimore Colts*
82 rec., 750 yards, 9.1 avg., 3 TD

2(tied)- Lydell Mitchell, 1974 Baltimore Colts*
72 rec., 544 yards, 7.6 avg., 2 TD

2(tied)- Charlie Joiner, 1979 San Diego Chargers
72 rec., 1008 yards, 14.0 avg., 4 TD

4(tied)- Lydell Mitchell, 1977 Baltimore Colts*
71 rec., 620 yards, 8.7 avg., 4 TD

4(tied)- Steve Largent, 1978 Seattle Seahawks
71 rec., 1168 yards, 16.5 avg., 8 TD

6- John Stallworth, 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers
70 rec., 1183 yards, 16.9 avg., 8 TD

7(tied)- MacArthur Lane, 1976 Kansas City Chiefs*
66 rec., 686 yards, 10.4 avg., 1 TD

7(tied)- Steve Largent, 1979 Seattle Seahawks
66 rec., 1237 yards, 18.7 avg., 9 TD

9- Rick Upchurch, 1979 Denver Broncos
64 rec., 937 yards, 14.6 avg., 7 TD

10-Dave Casper, 1978 Oakland Raiders
62 rec., 852 yards, 13.7 avg., 9 TD

*Running Back


Joe Washington

NEXT 5 (1970-77)
1(tied)- Fred Biletnikoff, 1971 Oakland Raiders
61 rec., 929 yards, 15.2 avg., 9 TD

1(tied)- Bob Chandler, 1976 Buffalo Bills
61 rec., 824 yards, 13.5 avg., 10 TD

3(tied)- Cliff Branch, 1974 Oakland Raiders
60 rec., 1092 yards, 18.2 avg., 13 TD

3(tied)- Reggie Rucker, 1975 Cleveland Browns
60 rec., 770 yards, 12.8 avg., 3 TD

3(tied)- Lydell Mitchell, 1975 Baltimore Colts*
60 rec., 544 yards, 9.1 avg., 4 TD

3(tied)- Lydell Mitchell, 1976 Baltimore Colts*
60 rec., 555 yards, 9.3 avg., 3 TD

3(tied)- Bob Chandler, 1977 Buffalo Bills
60 rec., 745 yards, 12.4 avg., 4 TD

* Running Back


Charlie Joiner



John Stallworth

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Cincinnati Bengals: Don Bass, 1979
58 rec., 724 yards, 12.5 avg., 3 TD

Houston Oilers: Fred Willis, 1973*
57 rec., 371 yards, 6.5 avg., 1 TD

New York Jets: Clark Gaines, 1977*
55 rec., 469 yards, 8.5 avg., 1 TD

New England Patriots: Reggie Rucker, 1973
53 rec., 743 yards, 14.0 avg., 3 TD

Miami Dolphins: Nat Moore, 1977
52 rec., 765 yards, 14.7 avg., 12 TD

* Running Back


Fred Biletnikoff



Cliff Branch

TOP 10 YARDS
1- Steve Largent, 1979 Seattle Seahawks
1237 yards, 66 rec., 18.7 avg., 9 TD

2- John Stallworth, 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers
1183 yards, 70 rec., 16.9 avg., 8 TD

3- Wesley Walker, 1978 New York Jets
1169 yards, 48 rec., 24.4 avg., 8 TD

4- Steve Largent, 1978 Seattle Seahawks
1168 yards, 71 rec., 16.5 avg., 8 TD

5- Roger Carr, 1976 Baltimore Colts
1112 yards, 43 rec., 25.9 avg., 11 TD

6- Cliff Branch, 1976 Oakland Raiders
1111 yards, 46 rec., 24.2 avg., 12 TD

7- Otis Taylor, 1971 Kansas City Chiefs
1110 yards, 57 rec., 19.5 avg., 7 TD

8- Cliff Branch, 1974 Oakland Raiders
1092 yards, 60 rec., 18.2 avg., 13 TD

9- John Jefferson, 1979 San Diego Chargers
1090 yards, 61 rec., 17.9 avg., 10 TD

10-Frank Lewis, 1979 Buffalo Bills
1082 yards, 54 rec., 20.0 avg., 2 TD


Roger Carr

NEXT 5 (1970-77)
1- Ken Burrough, 1975 Houston Oilers
1063 yards, 53 rec., 20.1 avg., 8 TD

2- Charlie Joiner, 1976 San Diego Chargers
1056 yards, 50 rec., 21.1 avg., 7 TD

3- Marlin Briscoe, 1970 Buffalo Bills
1036 yards, 57 rec., 18.2 avg., 8 TD

4- Gary Garrison, 1970 San Diego Chargers
1006 yards, 44 rec., 22.9 avg., 12 TD

5- Paul Warfield, 1971 Miami Dolphins
996 yards, 43 rec., 23.2 avg., 11 TD


Marlin Briscoe



Paul Warfield

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
New England Patriots: Harold Jackson, 1979
1013 yards, 45 rec., 22.5 avg., 7 TD

Cleveland Browns: Dave Logan, 1979
982 yards, 59 rec., 16.6 avg., 7 TD

Denver Broncos: Haven Moses, 1979
943 yards, 54 rec., 17.5 avg., 6 TD

Cincinnati Bengals: Isaac Curtis, 1975
934 yards, 44 rec., 21.2 avg., 7 TD


Otis Taylor



Ken Burrough

List of the Day: Best Pass Receiving Seasons, 1970s NFC

Ahmad Rashad

NOTE: Due to the adoption of the 16-game schedule as well as rules changes that had a major effect on opening up the passing game, the 1978 and ’79 seasons significantly skew the Top 10 results. Therefore, following the Top 10 is a list of the next 5 best performances that occurred exclusively from 1970-77.

TOP 10 RECEPTIONS
1- Rickey Young, 1978 Minnesota Vikings*
88 rec., 704 yards, 8.0 avg., 5 TD

2- Ahmad Rashad, 1979 Minnesota Vikings
80 rec., 1156 yards, 14.5 avg., 9 TD

3(tied)- Tony Galbreath, 1978 New Orleans Saints*
74 rec., 582 yards, 7.9 avg., 2 TD

3(tied)- Wallace Francis, 1979 Atlanta Falcons
74 rec., 1013 yards, 13.7 avg., 8 TD

5- Chuck Foreman, 1975 Minnesota Vikings*
73 rec., 691 yards, 9.5 avg., 9 TD

6- Rickey Young, 1979 Minnesota Vikings*
72 rec., 519 yards, 7.2 avg., 4 TD

7- Dick Gordon, 1970 Chicago Bears
71 rec., 1026 yards, 14.5 avg., 13 TD

8- Harold Carmichael, 1973 Philadelphia Eagles
67 rec., 1116 yards, 16.7 avg., 9 TD

9- Ahmad Rashad, 1978 Minnesota Vikings
66 rec., 769 yards, 11.7 avg., 8 TD

10-Wes Chandler, 1979 New Orleans Saints
65 rec., 1069 yards, 16.4 avg., 6 TD

* Running Back


Rickey Young

NEXT 5 (1970-77)
1- Charle Young, 1974 Philadelphia Eagles
63 rec., 696 yards, 11.0 avg., 3 TD

2(tied)- Harold Jackson, 1972 Philadelphia Eagles
62 rec., 1048 yards, 16.9 avg., 4 TD

2(tied)- Drew Pearson, 1974 Dallas Cowboys
62 rec., 1087 yards, 17.5 avg., 2 TD

4(tied)- Bob Tucker, 1971 New York Giants
59 rec., 791 yards, 13.4 avg., 4 TD

4(tied)- Charley Taylor, 1973 Washington Redskins
59 rec., 801 yards, 13.6 avg., 7 TD


Dick Gordon



Harold Carmichael

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
St. Louis Cardinals: Pat Tilley, 1978
62 rec., 900 yards, 14.5 avg., 3 TD

Detroit Lions: Freddie Scott, 1979
62 rec., 929 yards, 15.0 avg., 5 TD

Green Bay Packers: Ken Payne, 1975
58 rec., 766 yards, 13.2 avg., 0 TD

San Francisco 49ers: Paul Hofer, 1979*
58 rec., 662 yards, 11.4 avg., 2 TD

Los Angeles Rams: Jack Snow, 1970
51 rec., 859 yards, 16.8 avg., 7 TD

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jimmie Giles, 1979**
40 rec., 579 yards, 14.5 avg., 7 TD

* Running Back
** Buccaneers joined NFL in 1976 as AFC team, moved to NFC in ‘77


Gene Washington



Harold Jackson

TOP 10 YARDS
1- Ahmad Rashad, 1979 Minnesota Vikings
1156 yards, 80 rec., 14.5 avg., 9 TD

2- Harold Carmichael, 1973 Philadelphia Eagles
1116 yards, 67 rec., 16.7 avg., 9 TD

3- Gene Washington, 1970 San Francisco 49ers
1100 yards, 53 rec., 20.8 avg., 12 TD

4- Drew Pearson, 1974 Dallas Cowboys
1087 yards, 62 rec., 17.5 avg., 2 TD

5- Harold Carmichael, 1978 Philadelphia Eagles
1072 yards, 55 rec., 19.5 avg., 8 TD

6- Wes Chandler, 1979 New Orleans Saints
1069 yards, 65 rec., 16.4 avg., 6 TD

7- Tony Hill, 1979 Dallas Cowboys
1062 yards, 60 rec., 17.7 avg., 10 TD

8- Harold Jackson, 1972 Philadelphia Eagles
1048 yards, 62 rec., 16.9 avg., 4 TD

9- John Gilliam, 1972 Minnesota Vikings
1035 yards, 47 rec., 22.0 avg., 7 TD

10(tied)-Dick Gordon, 1970 Chicago Bears
1026 yards, 71 rec., 14.5 avg., 13 TD

10(tied)-Drew Pearson, 1979 Dallas Cowboys
1026 yards, 55 rec., 18.7 avg., 8 TD


Drew Pearson

NEXT 5 (1970-77)
1- John Gilliam, 1970 St. Louis Cardinals
952 yards, 45 rec., 21.2 avg., 5 TD

2- Mel Gray, 1975 St. Louis Cardinals
926 yards, 48 rec., 19.3 avg., 11 TD

3- Gene Washington, 1972 San Francisco 49ers
918 yards, 46 rec., 20.0 avg., 12 TD

4- John Gilliam, 1973 Minnesota Vikings
907 yards, 42 rec., 21.6 avg., 8 TD

5(tied)- Dan Abramowicz, 1970 New Orleans Saints
906 yards, 55 rec., 16.5 avg., 5 TD

5(tied)- Sammy White, 1976 Minnesota Vikings
906 yards, 51 rec., 17.8 avg., 10 TD


John Gilliam



Wallace Francis

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Atlanta Falcons: Wallace Francis, 1979
1013 yards, 74 rec., 13.7 avg., 8 TD

Green Bay Packers: James Lofton, 1979
968 yards, 54 rec., 17.9 avg., 4 TD

Detroit Lions: Freddie Scott, 1979
929 yds., 62 rec., 15.0 avg., 5 TD

Los Angeles Rams: Harold Jackson, 1973
874 yards, 40 rec., 21.9 avg., 13 TD

Washington Redskins: Frank Grant, 1976
818 yards, 50 rec., 16.4 avg., 5 TD

New York Giants: Bob Tucker, 1971
791 yards, 59 rec., 13.4 avg., 4 TD

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Isaac Hagins, 1979**
692 yards, 39 rec., 17.7 avg., 3 TD

** Buccaneers joined NFL in 1976 as AFC team, moved to NFC in ‘77


Charley Taylor



Bob Tucker

1983: Gold Loses to Express After Firing of Head Coach

As the Denver Gold hosted the Los Angeles Express on May 22, 1983, they not only were in the midst of a four-game losing streak but were under the direction of an interim head coach, Charley Armey. Owner Ron Blanding, concerned that the team was on the verge of falling out of the running in the Pacific Division, had dismissed Head Coach Red Miller (pictured) following the previous week’s 17-9 loss to the Boston Breakers. Miller thus became the first USFL head coach to be fired.

However, the move was not a popular one with Denver football fans. Miller had coached the NFL’s Broncos to their first Super Bowl appearance in 1977 and was thus held in great esteem. He had compiled a 42-25 record in four seasons with the Broncos, easily the best up to that time in the club’s history. For Blanding to hire him to coach the Denver USFL franchise was great for public relations – firing him was not. Moreover, even though the Gold was a mediocre 4-7, they were only a game out of first place in a weak division.

The Express, 5-6 and tied for first with Oakland, had lost three of their last four contests. The teams may have been far from the cream of the crop in the league, but were in the running for the postseason, thus making this a key division matchup.

At halftime Denver held a 7-0 lead thanks to a 31-yard touchdown pass play from QB Alvin White to RB Harry Sydney. LA tied the score in the third quarter as QB Mike Rae connected with RB John Barnett for a 19-yard TD. Brian Speelman moved the Gold back in front later in the period with a 50-yard field goal, but the Express won in the fourth quarter as Barnett dove into the end zone from a yard out with 3:32 left to play. Los Angeles went home the winner by a 14-10 margin.

The lackluster effort by the Gold was reflected in the statistics. The Express led in time of possession (34:28 to 24:32), first downs (22 to 10), and yards from scrimmage (373 to 185). There was no dominant runner for LA - RB Wilbert Haslip led the club with 36 yards on 8 carries while John Barnett, with the two TDs, contributed 33 yards on 9 attempts and RB LaRue Harrington added 30 yards on 12 rushes. Mike Rae, formerly of Toronto in the CFL and a backup with Oakland and Tampa Bay in the NFL, completed 21 of 43 passes for 275 yards with the one TD and two interceptions. WR Anthony Allen led the receivers with 5 catches for 68 yards.


As he did all season, RB Harry Sydney (pictured at left) led Denver in rushing with 46 yards on 13 carries and added another 44 yards on three pass receptions, including the team’s lone touchdown. Alvin White saw his only action of the year at quarterback, completing 2 of 7 passes for 38 yards with two interceptions and the one TD. QB Ken Mortensen completed 9 of 15 throws for 109 yards with no touchdowns and none picked off. Along with Sydney, two other receivers had three catches apiece (TE Bob Niziolek and WR Johnnie Dirden), with Dirden accumulating the most yards with 54.

Owner Blanding sought to mollify the loyal Denver fans (the team led the USFL in attendance in 1983, averaging 41,736 per game). He hired Craig Morton, quarterback of the 1977 AFC Championship team, as head coach in the week following the loss to the Express. The Gold won their first two contests with Morton at the helm, but ultimately ended up in third place with a 7-11 record. Los Angeles also missed out on winning the league’s weakest division, finishing second at 8-10.

Denver had sought to remain competitive while adhering closely to the original USFL philosophy of eschewing high-priced players in order to control costs. The defensive unit was respectable, but the offense lacked firepower – the Gold had the lowest-rated passing offense. Harry Sydney was one of the few notable offensive performers, rushing for 801 yards on 176 carries (4.6 average) with 9 touchdowns and catching 31 passes for 306 yards and another two scores. Bob Niziolek also performed well, catching 37 passes for 373 yards and three TDs. But the quarterbacks combined for just 4.6 yards per pass attempt with 36 interceptions against 19 touchdowns.

1984: Gary Anderson Scores 3 TDs as Bandits Defeat Breakers

The Tampa Bay Bandits had started slowly in the United States Football League’s second season, but after a 3-3 beginning they won six straight contests. Coached by the offensive-minded Steve Spurrier, the team was adept at both passing and running.

On May 20, 1984 the Bandits (9-3) hosted the New Orleans Breakers (8-4) in a key Southern Division matchup before a crowd of 42,592 at Tampa Stadium. The Breakers had gotten off to the better start, going 7-2 before losing two of the prior three contests.

Tampa Bay scored first, thanks to a three-yard touchdown pass from the 34-year-old veteran QB John Reaves to WR Eric Truvillion. 20-year-old rookie RB Marcus Dupree tied the score for the Breakers near the end of the opening period on a one-yard run. The lead changed hands twice in the second quarter as Tim Mazzetti put New Orleans ahead 10-7 with a 31-yard field goal, followed by a two-yard TD run by Tampa Bay’s multi-talented RB Gary Anderson (pictured above), which was in turn followed by another Dupree one-yard touchdown carry that gave the Breakers a 17-14 advantage at halftime.

New Orleans turnovers in the third quarter proved crucial. The first was recovered by Tampa Bay LB Kelly Kirchbaum at the Breakers 20 yard line and resulted in a game-tying field goal by Zenon Andrusyshyn. On the very next New Orleans possession, it was DB Dwayne Anderson recovering a fumble for the Bandits, again deep in Breakers territory at the 30. This time it resulted in a touchdown as Gary Anderson ran for a three-yard score and 24-17 lead.

Mazzetti kicked a 19-yard field goal just over four minutes into the fourth quarter to narrow the margin, but Anderson’s third touchdown of the day, on a two-yard run with just under two minutes left to play, capped Tampa Bay’s 31-20 win.


Marcus Dupree was the game’s leading rusher, with 104 yards on 18 carries, while RB Buford Jordan contributed another 53 yards on 12 attempts as the Breakers outran the Bandits, 160 yards to 137. FB Greg Boone led Tampa Bay with 61 yards on 14 rushes while Gary Anderson, who scored all three of his TDs on the ground, had 57 yards on 16 carries. However, as an outstanding receiver out of the backfield as well as runner, Anderson gained 74 yards on 6 catches.

John Reaves had a typically solid passing performance, completing 23 of 32 throws for 276 yards with a TD and an interception. Eric Truvillion led the Bandits with 7 catches for 80 yards and a score. Meanwhile, John Walton connected on 19 of 32 passes for 258 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. WR Frank Lockett had an outstanding game with 5 pass receptions for 127 yards.

Neither team dominated the statistics, with Tampa Bay enjoying slight advantages in first downs (22 to 20) and time of possession (30:09 to 29:51). Both squads fumbled the ball away three times, but the Bandits better capitalized on their opportunities. Neither quarterback was sacked (not a surprise in the case of the Breakers, who allowed Walton to be sacked only 13 times all season).

Tampa Bay ended up with a 14-4 record, placing second in the Southern Division to Birmingham due to tiebreakers but losing to the Stallions in the first playoff round. New Orleans limped to an 8-10 mark to finish third in the division. Having moved from Boston after the ’83 season, the Breakers relocated to Portland, Oregon for 1985.

Gary Anderson gained 1008 yards rushing on 268 carries (3.8 average) with 19 touchdowns; he also caught 66 passes for another 682 yards and two more TDs. A sore hamstring ultimately hobbled Marcus Dupree, who compiled 684 yards on 145 carries (4.7 average) with 9 touchdowns.

John Reaves, who had been a disappointment in the NFL but a prolific USFL passer, ranked fourth in passing, including second in yards (4092) and completions (313) and third in TD passes (28). John Walton, a 36-year-old veteran of the Continental, World, and National Football Leagues, finished out his career with 3554 yards passing and 17 TDs to 19 interceptions.

Eric Truvillion had a second strong season as he caught 70 passes for 1044 yards (14.9 average) with 9 touchdowns. Frank Lockett snagged fewer passes (56) but for more yards (1199) and a 21.4 average with 8 TDs.

List of the Day: Best Passing Yardage Seasons, 1970s AFC

Dan Fouts

NOTE: Due to the adoption of the 16-game schedule as well as rules changes that had a major effect on opening up the passing game, the 1978 and ’79 seasons significantly skew the Top 10 results. Therefore, following the Top 10 is a list of the next 5 best performances that occurred exclusively from 1970-77.

TOP 10
1- Dan Fouts, 1979 San Diego Chargers
4082 yards, 332-530, 62.6 %, 24 TD, 24 INT

2- Brian Sipe, 1979 Cleveland Browns
3793 yards, 286-535, 53.5 %, 28 TD, 26 INT

3- Terry Bradshaw, 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers
3724 yards, 259-472, 54.9 %, 26 TD, 25 INT

4- Jim Zorn, 1979 Seattle Seahawks
3661 yards, 285-505, 56.4 %, 20 TD, 18 INT

5- Ken Stabler, 1979 Oakland Raiders
3615 yards, 304-498, 61.0 %, 26 TD, 22 INT

6- Joe Ferguson, 1979 Buffalo Bills
3572 yards, 238-458, 52.0 %, 14 TD, 15 INT

7- Steve Grogan, 1979 New England Patriots
3286 yards, 206-423, 48.7 %, 28 TD, 20 INT

8- Jim Zorn, 1978 Seattle Seahawks
3283 yards, 248-443, 56.0 %, 15 TD, 20 INT

9- Ken Anderson, 1975 Cincinnati Bengals
3169 yards, 228-377, 60.5 %, 21 TD, 11 INT

10-Bert Jones, 1976 Baltimore Colts
3104 yards, 207-343, 60.3 %, 24 TD, 9 INT


Terry Bradshaw



Jim Zorn

NEXT 5 (1970-77)
1- John Hadl, 1971 San Diego Chargers
3075 yards, 233-431, 54.1 %, 21 TD, 25 INT

2- Joe Namath, 1972 New York Jets
2816 yards, 162-324, 50.0 %, 19 TD, 21 INT

3- Joe Ferguson, 1977 Buffalo Bills
2803 yards, 221-457, 48.4 %, 12 TD, 24 INT

4- Ken Stabler, 1976 Oakland Raiders
2737 yards, 194-291, 66.7 %, 27 TD, 17 INT

5- Bert Jones, 1977 Baltimore Colts
2686 yards, 224-393, 57.0 %, 17 TD, 11 INT


Ken Stabler



Joe Ferguson

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT LISTED
Kansas City Chiefs: Mike Livingston, 1976
2682 yards, 189-338, 55.9 %, 12 TD, 13 INT

Denver Broncos: Craig Morton, 1979
2626 yards, 204-370, 55.1 %, 16 TD, 19 INT

Houston Oilers: Dan Pastorini, 1978
2473 yards, 199-368, 54.1 %, 16 TD, 17 INT

Miami Dolphins: Bob Griese, 1977
2252 yards, 180-307, 58.6 %, 22 TD, 13 INT


Ken Anderson



Bert Jones



Brian Sipe