As an American Football League expansion team, the Miami
Dolphins were going through the typical growing pains in their inaugural
season. They were 0-5 as they hosted the Denver Broncos on October 16, 1966.
Head Coach George Wilson’s team was the usual first-year grouping of unwanted
veterans and inexperienced young players. Quarterback was a problem area as
veteran Dick Wood was found wanting and the coach’s son, George Wilson Jr., was
getting a shot. Fullback was another problem area, as Billy Joe (pictured above), formerly of
the Broncos and Bills, did not appear to be the answer. Coach Wilson had
considered starting ex-Bears FB Rick Casares, but he missed the team’s Saturday
practice and lost his starting chance. The defense had been the more impressive
unit thus far, but even then the new team had suffered some bad defeats.
The Broncos were 7.5-point favorites coming into the game,
although they were hardly any better. They were 1-4 and had already undergone a
coaching change with Mac Speedie resigning after the second game and assistant
coach Ray Malavasi taking his place. They also had problems at quarterback,
where injury-prone John McCormick was starting. HB Abner Haynes’ best years
were behind him, as were split end Lionel Taylor’s, and they were missing FB
Cookie Gilchrist, highly productive in 1965 but who was holding out (and, as
rumored at the time of the game in Miami, was about to be dealt to the
Dolphins). The team that seemed constantly to be in rebuilding mode had 17
rookies on the roster.
There were 23,393 fans in attendance at the Orange Bowl. The
teams traded punts to start the first quarter. On their second series, a
well-executed screen pass from George Wilson Jr. to Billy Joe resulted in a
67-yard touchdown. Gene Mingo added the extra point to give the Dolphins the
early 7-0 lead.
It immediately got worse for the Broncos when Abner
Haynes fumbled the ensuing kickoff and TE Bill Cronin recovered for the
Dolphins at the Denver 20. Three plays later, Mingo added more points with a
25-yard field goal.
Neither team was able to move effectively until the
Broncos got a break when Miami HB Joe Auer fumbled the ball away at his own 22.
John McCormick completed a pass to TE Al Denson and Haynes finished off the
ensuing series with a five-yard touchdown carry. Gary Kroner added the extra
point to narrow Miami’s lead to 10-7.
Heading into the second quarter, neither team was able to
get out of its own end of the field. The Dolphins nearly scored again on a long
carry by Joe in the second quarter, but a 62-yard run down the sideline was
nullified by an illegal use of hands penalty. However, three plays later Miami
got another big play when Wilson threw to flanker John Roderick for a 64-yard
gain to the Denver six, but another Auer fumble that LB Archie Matsos recovered
for the Broncos ended their chance to score again.
Neither team moved the ball to start the third quarter
and Denver’s second series concluded with McCormick being intercepted by LB Tom
Erlandson, giving the Dolphins possession at the Broncos’ 37. On the second
play, Wilson took off for a 19-yard run and six plays later Auer scored a
touchdown from a yard out. Mingo’s PAT extended the home team’s lead to 17-7.
The Broncos again fumbled the ball away on the ensuing
kickoff, but the Dolphins fumbled it back to them two plays later. 38-year-old
QB Tobin Rote relieved McCormick. Rote had played for Miami’s Coach Wilson in
Detroit, made successful stops in the CFL and San Diego in the intervening years,
and was lured out of retirement by the Broncos. With the old pro at the helm, the Broncos
reached the Miami 49 before Rote was sacked on consecutive plays for losses
totaling 18 yards. Denver once again had to punt the ball away as the game
entered the fourth quarter.
Both teams remained stymied on offense and McCormick
re-entered the game, only to be intercepted on consecutive possessions by CB
Dick Westmoreland. The second gave the Dolphins the ball at the Denver 16 and,
four plays later, Auer ran for another TD from three yards out. With less than
two minutes remaining on the clock, it only served to further bury the visitors
as Miami came away with a 24-7 win.
In a game in which both teams had difficulty sustaining
drives, the Dolphins outgained Denver (217 yards to 118) although the Broncos
had the edge in first downs (11 to 10). Denver turned the ball over six times,
to four suffered by Miami, and the Dolphins, who had recorded only two sacks in
their previous games, had five, as opposed to three by the Broncos.
George Wilson Jr. (pictured below, handing off to Joe Auer) completed 9 of 18 passes for 176 yards
and a touchdown with one intercepted; he also rushed for 21 yards on three
carries. Billy Joe had only 15 rushing yards on 11 attempts, but caught three
passes for 60 yards and the big first quarter touchdown. TE Dave Kocurek had
four catches for 46 yards while John Roderick led the Dolphins in receiving
yards with 64 on his lone reception. Joe Auer rushed for 32 yards on 17 carries
that included two touchdowns, but he also had problems with fumbling.
Defensively, DE Ed Cook unofficially was in on three of the sacks, DT Al
Dotson, recently reactivated, was in on two along with his eight tackles and
three assists, and Dick Westmoreland had the two fourth quarter interceptions.
For the Broncos, John McCormick had a dismal passing
performance as he was successful on just 9 of 25 throws for 90 yards and gave
up four interceptions. Tobin Rote was one-of-two for 12 yards and was sacked
four times. Abner Haynes gained 38 rushing yards on 14 carries that included a
TD and also caught three passes for 28 yards. Lionel Taylor also had three pass
receptions, for 45 yards.
“We felt we could win this one before the game and they
went out and did a fine job,” said Coach George Wilson of his team in the
jubilant locker room. “The defense was great. Billy Joe’s was the big play (the
67-yard touchdown in the first quarter). It was a hell of a call.”
“When you get a taste of honey, you’re like a snowball
going downhill,” said an elated Billy Joe. “You can throw all those mistakes of
the past out the window. We got the momentum now.”
The Dolphins won again the next week at Houston but lost
the remainder of their games until the season finale to finish at 3-11 and tied
with the Oilers at the bottom of the Eastern Division. Denver continued to
struggle and ended up last in the Western Division with a 4-10 record.
George Wilson Jr. was the starting quarterback for two of
Miami’s wins but went down with an injury. As it was, he completed only 41.1
percent of his passes for 764 yards with five touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Billy
Joe, who fell by the wayside following Cookie Gilchrist’s arrival, rushed for
232 yards on 71 carries (3.3 avg.) and caught 13 passes for 116 yards and the
long touchdown against the Broncos – his only one of the season. Joe Auer led
the team in rushing with 416 yards, caught 22 passes for 263 more yards, and
led the club with nine touchdowns.
