1976: Bengals Break Out in Third Quarter to Defeat Rams

The Monday night NFL game on November 8, 1976 featured two contenders, the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams, both of which were battling for control in their respective divisions.

The Bengals were 6-2 under first-year Head Coach Bill Johnson, successor to Paul Brown (the founding coach and still owner and GM), and seeking to remain ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Central. The offense featured the efficient passing of QB Ken Anderson while the defense, which already had an outstanding backfield that included CB Ken Riley and SS Tommy Casanova, was benefiting from the pass-rushing prowess of DE Coy Bacon. 

The Rams, coached by Chuck Knox, had a 6-1-1 record and were looking to pick up ground on the 49ers in the NFC West, which they had topped in each of the previous three seasons. While there was instability at quarterback, with James Harris the current starter, the running game, featuring HB Lawrence McCutcheon, was sound and the tough defense was effective against both the run and the pass.

It was a cold 27-degree night at Riverfront Stadium with 52,480 fans in attendance. On the first play from scrimmage, Coy Bacon clotheslined FB John Cappelletti of the Rams behind the line of scrimmage, causing a fumble that DT Bob Brown recovered for the Bengals. They were unable to cash in a few plays later, however, when Chris Bahr’s 44-yard field goal was nullified by a penalty and his second try from 50 yards missed the mark.

Cincinnati’s next possession ended with a punt and Pat McInally’s shanked kick traveled only 24 yards. That set up a 50-yard drive in seven plays by the Rams in which Cappelletti had runs of 9 and 17 yards and a pass interference penalty gave Los Angeles a first down at the Cincinnati 24. But after advancing to the two, the visitors couldn’t reach the end zone and settled for Tom Dempsey’s 19-yard field goal that nevertheless put them ahead by 3-0.

The Bengals had a breakaway run by rookie HB Archie Griffin canceled by a penalty and remained stymied on offense for the remainder of the half. Meanwhile, the Rams had another shot when they gained possession at midfield, but penalties kept them out of scoring range.

In the second quarter, the Rams put together a 13-play, 80-yard possession but, after reaching the Cincinnati 15, Lawrence McCutcheon was stopped for a three-yard loss on first down and the drive stalled. Dempsey booted a 23-yard field goal that extended the lead to 6-0. In their last series of the first half, LA reached the Cincinnati 28 but QB James Harris fumbled when sacked by Bacon, and while the Rams recovered, they lost 14 yards and were taken out of field goal range. The score remained unchanged at halftime.

The Rams outgained Cincinnati 173 yards to 57 in the first half, but had only two field goals to show for it. Ken Anderson was ineffective in the first 30 minutes, completing just two of 12 passes for five yards as the Los Angeles defense kept the receivers in check.

The tables began to turn early in the third quarter. Harris fumbled while being sacked by DE Gary Burley and Ken Riley’s recovery gave the Bengals possession at the LA nine. Cincinnati quickly cashed in as FB Boobie Clark (pictured below) ran for a touchdown on the next play and Chris Bahr kicked the extra point to put the home team in the lead by 7-6.

The score off of the turnover ignited the Cincinnati offense. On their next series, the Bengals advanced 80 yards in six plays as Ken Anderson threw to Clark for 19 yards, had a 25-yard run, and followed up by firing a pass to TE Bob Trumpy, who split the safeties for a 30-yard TD. The extra point try failed, but Cincinnati’s lead was now 13-6.

The Rams were forced to punt from deep in their own territory and Cincinnati went 53 yards in seven plays on the next possession. Anderson completed passes to WR Billy Brooks for 14 yards and TE Bruce Coslet for 17 before a toss to Clark coming out of the backfield went the distance for a 17-yard touchdown. Bahr successfully converted this time and the Bengals were up by 20-6.

There was still plenty of time and the Rams had scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter. First, they reached the Cincinnati 14, but a second down pass by Harris intended for WR Ron Jessie bounced off the receiver’s hands and was intercepted by Tommy Casanova. On their next possession, the Rams advanced to the Cincinnati five, but again turned the ball over when McCutcheon fumbled and FS Bernard Jackson recovered.

Late in the game, and following a fumble by HB Tony Davis that LB Isiah Robertson recovered at the Cincinnati 38, LA finally reached the end zone three plays later. Harris completed passes to McCutcheon for 21 yards and to Jessie for a 17-yard TD. But Dempsey missed the point after, maintaining an eight-point spread, and the Bengals held on to win by a final score of 20-12.

The Rams led in total yards (342 to 299) and first downs (21 to 15). However, they also turned the ball over four times, to two by Cincinnati, and squandered too many scoring opportunities.

Ken Anderson overcame his slow start to complete 11 of 26 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns while giving up one interception, and was particularly sharp during Cincinnati’s scoring drives in the third quarter. Boobie Clark rushed for 70 yards on 16 carries that included a TD and added another score among his three catches for 30 yards. Billy Brooks also contributed three pass receptions for 44 yards.

For the Rams, James Harris was successful on 16 of 28 throws for 193 yards and a TD as well as an interception. John Cappelletti (pictured at right) topped the runners with 86 yards on 20 carries and Lawrence McCutcheon added 76 yards on his 20 attempts. WR Harold Jackson and Ron Jessie caught 5 passes apiece, for 75 and 59 yards, respectively, and Jessie scored LA’s only touchdown.

Cincinnati kept on winning and was at 9-2 before losing two straight contests, including the rematch with the Steelers. Both ended up at 10-4 and the Bengals, having been swept by Pittsburgh in the season series, found themselves in second place and out of the playoffs. As for the Rams, Coach Knox made a change at quarterback following the loss to the Bengals, replacing James Harris with Pat Haden. They went 4-1 the rest of the way to once again top the NFC West with a 10-3-1 record but, after edging the Cowboys in the Divisional playoff round, lost the NFC Championship game to Minnesota.

Ken Anderson didn’t lead the NFL in passing, as he had in 1974 and ’75, but he still had a respectable year as he threw for 2367 yards and 19 touchdowns, while giving up 14 interceptions, and had a passer rating of 76.9. He was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Highlighted Year: Dave Casper, 1976

Tight End, Oakland Raiders

Age: 25 (Sept. 26)

3^rd season in pro football & with Raiders

College: Notre Dame

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 228

Prelude:

Casper played two seasons as a tackle in college before moving to tight end and caught 21 passes for 335 yards and four touchdowns. He received consensus first-team All-American honors in 1973 and was chosen by the Raiders in the second round of the ‘74 NFL draft. Casper spent his first two seasons backing up TE Bob Moore and caught a total of nine passes for 97 yards, although four were for touchdowns and he also performed well when pressed into action in the AFC Championship game loss to the Steelers in ’75. With Moore gone in 1976, Casper moved into the starting lineup.

1976 Season Summary

Appeared in 13 of 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 53 [8, tied with Ahmad Rashad]  

Most receptions, game – 12 (for 136 yds.) at New England 10/3

Yards – 691 [17]

Most yards, game – 136 (on 12 catches) at New England 10/3

Average gain – 13.0

TDs – 10 [3, tied with Sammy White & Bob Chandler]

100-yard receiving games – 3

Rushing

Attempts – 1

Yards – 5

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 10 [9, tied with Sammy White, Bob Chandler & Andy Johnson]

Points – 60

Postseason: 3 G

Pass receptions – 9

Most pass receptions, game – 4 vs. New England, AFC Divisional playoff; vs. Minnesota, Super Bowl

Pass receiving yards – 122

Most pass receiving yards, game – 70 vs. Minnesota, Super Bowl

Average yards per reception – 13.6

Pass Receiving TDs – 1

Rushing attempts – 1

Rushing yards – -13

Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly

1^st team All-AFC: AP, UPI, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Raiders went 13-1 to finish first in the AFC West. Won AFC Divisional playoff over New England Patriots (24-21), AFC Championship over Pittsburgh Steelers (24-7) & Super Bowl over Minnesota Vikings (32-14).

Aftermath:

Casper’s breakout season in 1976 was the first of four straight in which he was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection. Big and fast, he was a formidable blocker as well as outstanding receiver, and made memorable plays in the postseason. Casper was traded to the Houston Oilers during the 1980 season, where he was reunited with former Raiders QB Ken Stabler. His production gradually dropped off and, following a short stint with Minnesota in 1983, he finished up back with the Raiders, now in Los Angeles, in ’84. Overall, Casper caught 378 passes for 5216 yards (13.8 avg.) and 52 touchdowns. Of that, 255 receptions for 3294 yards and 44 TDs came with the Raiders. He added another 27 catches for 363 yards and seven TDs in the playoffs. In addition to receiving first-team All-NFL honors four times, Casper was chosen to five Pro Bowls. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2002.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

Highlighted Year: Roger Carr, 1976

Wide Receiver, Baltimore Colts

Age: 24

3^rd season in pro football & with Colts

College: Louisiana Tech

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 196

Prelude:

A walk-on punter in college, Carr instead developed into an outstanding wide receiver and was All-Southland Conference in 1972 and ’73. Overall, he caught 114 passes for 2717 yards and 19 touchdowns and was chosen by the Colts in the first round of the 1974 NFL draft (24^th overall). With tremendous speed, Carr showed flashes of big-play ability, averaging 19.3 yards on 21 catches as a rookie and following up with 23 receptions for 517 yards and a 22.5-yard average in 1975. His two touchdown catches covered 86 and 90 yards.

1976 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 43      

Most receptions, game – 6 (for 198 yds.) vs. Cincinnati 9/19

Yards – 1112 [1]

Most yards, game – 210 (on 5 catches) at NY Jets 10/24

Average gain – 25.9 [1]

TDs – 11 [2]

200-yard receiving games – 1

100-yard receiving games – 3

Scoring

TDs – 11 [6, tied with Don McCauley & Lawrence McCutcheon]

Points – 66

Postseason: 1 G (AFC Divisional playoff at Pittsburgh)

Pass receptions – 2

Pass receiving yards – 35

Average yards per reception – 17.5

Pass Receiving TDs – 1

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA

1^st team All-AFC: AP, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News

2^nd team All-AFC: UPI

Pro Bowl

Colts went 11-3 to finish first in the AFC East while leading the NFL in passing yards (2933), total yards (5236), touchdowns (51), and scoring (417 points). Lost AFC Divisional playoff to Pittsburgh Steelers (40-14).

Aftermath:

The big breakout season in 1976 was followed by an injury-plagued year in ’77 in which Carr appeared in only seven games and caught 11 passes for 199 yards and a TD. He bounced back in 1978 with 30 receptions for 629 yards (21.0 avg.) and six touchdowns but injuries set in again in ‘79. With both he and star QB Bert Jones healthy in 1980, Carr pulled in a career-high 61 catches for 924 yards and five TDs, but his production again dropped off in 1981 and, following a dispute with Head Coach Frank Kush, he was traded to Seattle just prior to the ’82 season. Carr caught 15 passes for the Seahawks and two with the Chargers in 1983, his last year. Overall, Carr caught 271 passes for 5071 yards (18.7 avg.) and 31 touchdowns, with 254 of the receptions for 4770 yards and 29 TDs coming with the Colts. The 1976 season remained his best and the only one in which he received selection to All-Pro teams as well as Pro Bowl recognition.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1976: Cards Beat Chargers in Preseason Game in Tokyo

It was a National Football League first on August 16, 1976 when the San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Cardinals met for a preseason game in Tokyo, Japan. While NFL contests had been played in Canada, never before had one occurred outside of North America.

The game was referred to as the Mainichi Star Bowl since it was jointly sponsored by the Mainichi Newspaper Company and the Sports Nippon Newspaper Company as part of the United States Bicentennial celebration.

There were 38,000 fans in attendance in a misty rain at the Korakuen Stadium, normally used for baseball. The crowd was mostly Japanese with some Americans for the Monday night contest and the atmosphere was festive. Fans were enthusiastic and occasionally engaged in chants during the contest, such as “Chargers, Chargers, Banzai! Banzai!” and “Cardinals, attack the ball!”

Many citizens of the city of Suwa in central Japan, which had engaged in several cultural exchanges with St. Louis, were at the game, led by Mayor Setsuji Iwamoto. Four firemen played Japanese army assault marches on their bugles while another citizen of the city banged on a drum.

“They are such nice people, and they respond very quickly to our action,” said Lori West, a University of Missouri student and cheerleader for the Cardinals.

As for the participants on the field, it was the third preseason game for each club. The Cardinals, coached by Don Coryell for the fourth year, were coming off of consecutive NFC East titles and had been 11-3 in 1975. San Diego was a less successful club under the direction of Head Coach Tommy Prothro and posted a 2-12 record the previous year, its sixth straight losing season. In a rebuilding mode, the Chargers hired Bill Walsh away from Cincinnati to be offensive coordinator and especially to provide guidance for young QB Dan Fouts.

Neither team generated much of a ground attack in the early going. In the first quarter, Jim Bakken kicked a 30-yard field goal for the Cards and, in the second quarter, St. Louis again moved into scoring position thanks to a nine-yard carry by HB Jerry Latin and a run by HB Wayne Morris that picked up five for a first down at the San Diego 15. From there, QB Bill Donckers threw a touchdown pass to WR Pat Tilley and Bakken converted to put the Cards up by 10-0. San Diego finally got on the board with four seconds left in the first half as Sergio Albert booted a 30-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, a bad punt by a heavily-rushed Terry Joyce of the Cards, kicking from his own end zone, gave the Chargers possession at the St. Louis 28. Dan Fouts tossed a four-yard completion to WR Charlie Joiner before throwing a 23-yard TD pass to WR Dwight McDonald and Albert added the extra point that tied the contest at 10-10.

The Cardinals came right back as Jim Hart went long to WR Ike Harris in a play that covered 52 yards for a touchdown. Bakken closed out the scoring with a 10-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and St. Louis won by a final tally of 20-10.

The game was pass-heavy, with the Cards running 41 times for 105 yards and San Diego gaining just 34 yards on 19 attempts. St. Louis had 20 first downs to 12 for the Chargers.

Bill Donckers and Jim Hart both threw 14 passes apiece for the Cardinals, with Donckers, the backup, completing 10 for 94 yards and a touchdown and Hart 9 for 111 yards and a TD. Neither was intercepted. Wayne Morris gained 49 yards on 14 carries and Pat Tilley caught 4 passes for 54 yards.

For the Chargers, Dan Fouts completed just 4 of 10 passes for 70 yards while backup Jesse Freitas was successful on 9 of 20 for 85 yards and was intercepted once. FB Jim Harrison had 28 yards on 6 carries to pace the club in rushing. Dwight McDonald caught two passes for 44 yards and a TD.

In the regular season, St. Louis put together a 10-4 record but just missed the playoffs this time, ending up third in the NFC East. The Chargers improved to 6-8 and third in the AFC West.

As a side note, Bill Walsh stayed for a year with the Chargers before departing for Stanford, and Dan Fouts, who showed much improvement under Walsh’s guidance, would go on to Hall of Fame success after Don Coryell left the Cards and came to San Diego to replace Tommy Prothro.

As for the NFL playing outside of North America, the next overseas preseason game occurred in London, UK in 1983, and London would become a regular host to preseason and, eventually, regular season contests. The NFL would also return to Tokyo, but not until 1989, and for preseason games only.

Highlighted Year: Tommy Casanova, 1976

Safety, Cincinnati Bengals

Age: 26

5^th season in pro football & with Bengals

College: LSU

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 194

Prelude:

The versatile Casanova saw action on both offense and defense in college, as well as returning kicks, and despite injuries, he received consensus All-American honors as a defensive back in 1970 and ’71. Casanova was chosen by the Bengals in the second round of the 1972 NFL draft and moved directly into the starting lineup at free safety, intercepting five passes while also returning 30 punts for a 9.6-yard average that included a touchdown. He missed five games due to injury in ’73, although still intercepted four passes, but came back to gain a Pro Bowl selection in 1974. Casanova was shifted to strong safety in ’75 and received first-team All-AFC honors from the Associated Press.

1976 Season Summary

Appeared in 11 of 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions – 5 [17, tied with six others]

Most interceptions, game – 1 on five occasions

Int. return yards – 109 [9]

Most int. return yards, game – 33 (on 1 int.) vs. Green Bay 9/26

Int. TDs – 2 [2, tied with Prentice McCray, Jim Merlo & John Rowser]

Fumble recoveries – 1

Fumble recovery TDs – 1

Punt Returns

Returns – 10

Yards – 45

Average per return – 4.5

TDs – 0

Longest return – 15 yards

Scoring

TDs – 3

Points – 18

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: AP

2^nd team All-NFL: PFWA, NEA

1^st team All-AFC: AP, UPI, Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Bengals went 10-6 to finish second in the AFC Central while leading the conference in interceptions (26).

Aftermath:

Casanova had another Pro Bowl season in 1977 but, having started medical school while playing football, he retired to complete his degree and go into medicine. Overall, Casanova started 65 games for the Bengals and intercepted 17 passes, two of which he ran back for touchdowns. He also scored on a fumble recovery. As a punt returner, he averaged 8.6 yards on 91 returns with one TD. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL choice once, received first- or second-team All-AFC recognition after three other seasons, and was chosen to three Pro Bowls. In addition to practicing medicine as an ophthalmologist, Casanova also went on to serve in the Louisiana state senate.

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Highlighted Years features players who were first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1976: Jackson & Williams Lead 49ers to Upset of Vikings

The San Francisco 49ers were trying to remain in contention in the NFC West as they faced the Minnesota Vikings on November 29, 1976. Under the guidance of Head Coach Monte Clark, the 49ers had gotten off to a 6-1 start before dropping four straight games, and were now 6-5. To make matters worse, starting QB Jim Plunkett, an offseason acquisition from the Patriots, was injured and untested rookie QB Scott Bull, a sixth-round draft choice out of Arkansas, would have to start in his place. They did have a reliable ground game with HB Delvin Williams (pictured above) and FB Wilbur Jackson, and would be even more dependent upon them.

Minnesota was coached by Bud Grant for the tenth year and was used to contending, having topped the NFC Central in each of the last three seasons. The Vikings were 9-1-1 as they came to San Francisco. 36-year-old QB Fran Tarkenton was still one of the league’s best and the receiving corps was bolstered by the addition of wide receivers Ahmad Rashad, formerly with Buffalo, and rookie Sammy White. HB Chuck Foreman was outstanding both running the ball and catching it out of the backfield. The defense had been the team’s bedrock over the years and, while age was becoming a factor, it was still a tough unit.

There were 56,775 fans in attendance at Candlestick Park on a cool, clear Monday evening. The Vikings had the game’s first possession and punted. With Wilbur Jackson and Delvin Williams running effectively, the 49ers advanced 51 yards in eight plays. Jackson finished the drive off with a two-yard touchdown carry, Steve Mike-Mayer added the extra point, and San Francisco had the early 7-0 lead.

The Vikings responded with a promising drive that was fueled by the running of Chuck Foreman, who gained 27 yards on the first three plays. However, the visitors came up empty when the series stalled at the San Francisco 34 and Fred Cox was short on a 51-yard field goal attempt. Jackson (pictured below) carried five times for 21 yards and Williams had a 30-yard run as the Niners drove to the Minnesota eight, but they failed to add to their lead when Mike-Mayer hit the right upright on a 25-yard field goal try.

As the game headed into the second quarter, the Vikings had to punt and this time the 49ers didn’t come up empty. Jackson had a 24-yard run to advance the ball into Minnesota territory and Scott Bull threw to WR Jim Lash, an ex-Viking, for 10 yards. Bull was sacked for a ten-yard loss on third down, but Mike-Mayer was successful on a field goal from 45 yards and San Francisco was ahead by 10-0.

The Vikings put together a long drive of 85 yards in 17 plays. Facing a third-and-11 situation from their own 14, Fran Tarkenton threw to Ahmad Rashad for a 33-yard gain and a third-and-six play from the San Francisco 36 resulted in a Tarkenton completion to Foreman for nine yards. A pass interference penalty allowed Minnesota to convert another third down and the final play of the series resulted in a Tarkenton toss to Sammy White in the end zone for a 17-yard TD. Cox converted to make it a three-point game at 10-7.

The 49ers had to punt from deep in their own territory and the Vikings needed just five plays this time to score again. Tarkenton threw to Rashad for a 47-yard pickup and, two plays later, it was Tarkenton-to-Rashad once more for an eight-yard touchdown. DT Cleveland Elam blocked the extra point attempt but the visitors were ahead by 13-10 with 2:24 remaining in the first half.

San Francisco responded by advancing 83 yards in seven plays. Williams started the series off with a 23-yard run and, just after the two-minute warning, Bull completed a pass to WR Gene Washington for 16 more yards. A pass interference call on CB Nate Wright placed the ball on the Minnesota one, and Bull dove into the end zone from there for a TD. Mike-Mayer converted and the 49ers were back in front by 17-13 at halftime.

The 49ers had the ball first in the third quarter but FS Paul Krause intercepted a Bull pass and that resulted in Cox kicking a 37-yard field goal that narrowed the score to 17-16. Once again it was Jackson and Williams carrying the load as the Niners kept the ball on the ground, but the drive stalled at the Minnesota 30 and Mike-Mayer was short on a 47-yard try for a field goal.

The teams exchanged punts for the remainder of the period, but the 49ers were winning the field position battle and had advanced to the Minnesota 25 as the contest entered the fourth quarter. Mike-Mayer booted a 38-yard field goal early in the final period and San Francisco was up by four points.

The Vikings punted following their next series and, on the second play of the ensuing possession, Williams took off on a 26-yard run that put him over a thousand yards for the season. However, he also had to leave the game with a sprained ankle, hobbling off the field to a loud ovation from the crowd. The teams returned to exchanging punts and now it was Minnesota benefiting from the exchanges. A 44-yard kick by Neil Clabo had the 49ers pinned back at their five yard line with 9:38 remaining to play.

The Niners went three-and-out and punted, giving the Vikings possession at the San Francisco 24 following a 14-yard return by DB Autry Beamon. Foreman ran the ball three straight times and, after LB Skip Vanderbundt stopped him short of a first down on a three-yard carry, the Vikings faced fourth-and-one at the 15. Foreman carried once more, and this time it was LB Dave Washington stopping him for no gain.

The 49ers were unable to maintain control of the ball as Bull’s six-yard run on third down came up inches short of a first down and forced a punt. Minnesota still had 1:19 to work with after taking over at the San Francisco 47. On second down, following an incomplete pass, Tarkenton was penalized for intentional grounding in order to avoid being sacked for a sizeable loss. As it was, it cost the Vikings 15 yards and a down, and a completion to Rashad for seven yards had them facing fourth-and-18. Tarkenton threw to WR Bob Grim for a gain of 27 yards to keep the series alive, but two passes into the end zone fell incomplete as time ran out. The 49ers held on to win by a final score of 20-16.  

San Francisco had the edge in total yards (331 to 282), with 317 on the ground, and first downs (17 to 16). The 49ers also were credited with three sacks, to two for Minnesota, although they also suffered the game’s only turnover and drew more penalties (9 to 8). Both teams had problems with placekicking as Minnesota’s Fred Cox missed an extra point as well as a field goal attempt and Steve Mike-Mayer failed on two of four field goal tries.

Wilbur Jackson and Delvin Williams both gained over 150 rushing yards, with Jackson accumulating 156 on 30 carries that included a touchdown and Williams compiling 153 yards on 20 attempts despite being knocked out of the game with an injury during the fourth quarter. Scott Bull went to the air only eight times and completed three for 32 yards with one interception. Three receivers had a catch apiece for the 49ers, with Gene Washington gaining a team-leading 16 yards on his reception.

For the Vikings, Fran Tarkenton (pictured at right) completed 16 of 37 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns while giving up no interceptions. Ahmad Rashad had 6 receptions for 103 yards and a TD. Chuck Foreman rushed for 93 yards on 23 carries and gained another 23 yards on three catches.

“We wanted to run at them and that’s what we did,” explained Delvin Williams. “We ran it straight up the middle. Our plan was to run the ball and to pass as little as possible, to keep the pressure off Scott (Bull).”

The 49ers split their last two games of the season with Scott Bull at quarterback and finished with an 8-6 record that was good for second place in the AFC West but not good enough to qualify for the postseason. Minnesota recovered to win its last two games to once more top the NFC Central at 11-2-1 and advanced to the Super Bowl before losing to the Oakland Raiders.

Delvin Williams broke Joe Perry’s 22-year-old franchise rushing record with 1203 yards on 248 carries (4.9 avg.) and scored seven touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl. Wilbur Jackson gained 792 yards on 200 attempts (4.0 avg.) with one TD. Scott Bull ended up completing 21 of 48 passes for 252 yards (43.8 %) with two touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 66 yards and two TDs.

1976: Quick Jones-to-Doughty TD Passes Spur Colts to Win Against Patriots

The teams that finished on the top and bottom of the AFC East the previous year met in a NFL opening-week game at Foxboro, Massachusetts on September 12, 1976.

The Baltimore Colts were coming off of a 10-4 record in their first year under Head Coach Ted Marchibroda, who had received Coach of the Year recognition for turning around a club that had gone 11-31 in the preceding three seasons. QB Bert Jones (pictured at right) emerged as an outstanding performer and productive all-purpose HB Lydell Mitchell was selected to the Pro Bowl. The defensive line, anchored by DE John Dutton and DT Joe Ehrmann, was solid, as was the corps of linebackers.

The Patriots, on the other hand, had not compiled a winning record since they were a pre-merger AFL club and went 3-11 in ’75. Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks was back for his fourth season and was committed to a new starting quarterback in Steve Grogan, the second-year successor to QB Jim Plunkett, who was traded to the 49ers after five up-and-down seasons. The draft yielded promising players in CB Mike Haynes, C Pete Brock, safety Tim Fox, and HB Ike Forte. There were good returning players in FB Sam Cunningham, HB Andy Johnson, TE Russ Francis, tackle Leon Gray, and guards John Hannah and Sam Adams on offense, and DE Julius Adams, NT Ray Hamilton, and LB Steve Nelson on defense.   

There were 43,512 fans in attendance on a sunny and mild day at Schaefer Stadium. The Colts got the first break of the game on the third play from scrimmage when Ike Forte of the Patriots fumbled deep in his own territory and CB Nelson Munsey recovered at the New England 14. The visitors couldn’t reach the end zone but came away with a 28-yard field goal by Toni Linhart.

A clipping penalty on the ensuing kickoff had the Patriots starting from their own seven, but this time they put together a sustained drive of 77 yards. Forte, Sam Cunningham, and Andy Johnson all ran effectively and Steve Grogan completed three passes. The result was a 31-yard John Smith field goal to tie the score at 3-3.

Two short possessions that resulted in punts closed out the opening period, but Baltimore HB Howard Stevens had a 27-yard return to give the Colts good starting field position at the New England 40 to start the second quarter. They reached the seven before coming up empty when FB Roosevelt Leaks fumbled and SS Prentice McCray recovered for the Patriots.

New England proceeded to put together another long drive, advancing 86 yards. A roughing-the-passer penalty on third down helped the series along and Grogan completed four passes, the longest to WR Marlin Briscoe for 21 yards. Johnson also had an 18-yard run to get the ball to the Baltimore 16, and while the possession finally stalled at the 10, the Patriots moved in front on a 27-yard field goal by Smith.

The Colts regained possession with a little over three minutes remaining in the first half and they put together a 78-yard drive in nine plays. Bert Jones immediately connected with WR Glenn Doughty (pictured at left) for 25 yards and a swing pass to FB Don McCauley picked up 12. McCauley had a seven-yard run and, after the fullback dropped a pass, Jones was successful on his next three, the last of which was to Doughty in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. Linhart added the extra point and Baltimore was up by 10-6.

There were 46 seconds remaining on the clock as the Patriots took over on offense and Grogan went to the air. A short completion of three yards to Russ Francis was followed by a 21-yard gain to WR Ricky Feacher, but when Grogan tried to pass to Feacher again, it was intercepted by FS Jackie Wallace. Wallace returned the pickoff 32 yards to the New England 20, and three plays later Jones again completed a scoring pass to Doughty in the end zone, this time from six yards out. Linhart converted and, thanks to the two touchdowns in a span of 41 seconds, the Colts took a 17-6 lead into halftime even though they significantly trailed the Patriots in time of possession.

Baltimore had the ball first in the third quarter and was forced to punt. A long return by Mike Haynes gave the Patriots excellent starting field position at the Colts’ 25. They were unable to capitalize, however, when Grogan’s third down pass into the end zone fell incomplete and a field goal attempt by Smith from 39 yards was blocked by DT Mike Barnes.

The Colts put together a long series in which they converted two third downs and nearly scored another TD when a Jones throw to McCauley in the end zone was nullified by a penalty. However, they did come away with a 32-yard Linhart field goal and, rather than the home team narrowing the margin, the Colts extended their lead to 20-6.

The next possession for the Patriots ended with an interception but Baltimore, after advancing to the New England 32 early in the fourth quarter, failed to convert a fourth-and-two situation. The Patriots responded with a 68-yard drive in eight plays. Grogan completed passes to TE Al Chandler for 29 yards and Briscoe for 16 and had an 11-yard scramble that set up Johnson’s four-yard carry for a TD. Smith added the point after and the home team was now down by seven points at 20-13.

The teams exchanged punts before the Colts got the ball back at the New England 39 following a 34-yard punt by the Patriots from deep in their own territory. Lydell Mitchell ran for 14 yards on first down and, following a penalty, picked up another ten yards on two more carries. Mitchell caught a pass from Jones for 11 more yards and then ran straight through the middle of the line for a clinching 10-yard touchdown with less than two minutes remaining to play. Linhart provided the final point as Baltimore came away with a 27-13 win.   

The Patriots had the edge in total yards (317 to 272) while Baltimore compiled more first downs (20 to 17). However, New England turned the ball over five times, to one suffered by the Colts.

Bert Jones completed 17 of 23 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns while giving up no interceptions. Lydell Mitchell rushed for 73 yards on 18 carries that included a TD and also had 6 catches for 72 yards. Glenn Doughty contributed 50 yards on his four receptions that included the two key touchdowns.

For the Patriots, Steve Grogan (pictured at right) was successful on 12 of 22 throws for 179 yards but tossed four interceptions. FB Sam Cunningham picked up 56 yards on 14 rushing attempts and also topped the club with four catches, for 19 yards. Andy Johnson had 53 yards on his lone catch and also gained 51 yards on 14 carries that included a TD.

“New England gained a lot of yardage in the first half,” said Baltimore’s Coach Marchibroda. “But we pretty well stopped them after that. We came up with the big play when we had to.”

The Colts won eight of their first nine games on the way to repeating as AFC East champs with an 11-3 record, losing to Pittsburgh in the first playoff round. New England recovered to win its next three contests on the way to also going 11-3, good for a second-place finish in the division (while they split their season series with Baltimore, the Colts had a better record against division opponents to claim the higher spot in the standings). The upstart team qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card and lost narrowly to the Raiders in their Divisional game.  

Bert Jones received consensus league MVP recognition as he topped the circuit in passing yards (3104) and ranked second in touchdown passes (24), yards per attempt (9.0), and overall rating (102.5). He was selected to the Pro Bowl, as was Lydell Mitchell, who rushed for 1200 yards and caught 60 passes for 555 more yards, which made him second in all-purpose yards with 1755. Glenn Doughty had a fine year as a possession receiver with 40 catches for 628 yards (15.7 avg.) and five TDs.

1976: Patriots Trade Jim Plunkett to 49ers

A deal that had been in the making for two weeks was consummated on April 5, 1976 when QB Jim Plunkett was traded by the New England Patriots to the San Francisco 49ers. A moratorium on NFL trades had only been lifted the previous week and the deal was conditional on San Francisco being able to agree on contract terms with Plunkett, who signed for three years. It was something of a homecoming for the 28-year-old quarterback as he was from San Jose and went to college at Stanford, but he had failed to live up to his promise in New England and the 49ers paid a steep price, giving up three number one draft picks, two in 1976 and the top choice for ‘77, plus a 1977 second-round choice in addition to QB Tom Owen, a two-year veteran.

The Patriots thus came away with three of the top 22 picks in the ’76 draft that was just days away. They used the choices to take C Pete Brock from Colorado twelfth overall and Ohio State DB Tim Fox 21^st (with their own choice, the fifth overall, they grabbed Arizona State DB Mike Haynes). The 1977 first-round pick was used for Texas DB Raymond Clayborn and RB Horace Ivory from Oklahoma was chosen in the second round.

“Obtaining Jim Plunkett is a vital cornerstone toward building the kind of club we want the 49ers to become,” said Head Coach Monte Clark of the 49ers.

“Jim didn’t feel he had accomplished what he had set out to do individually or for the team as a whole,” explained New England Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks. “He told me that in some respects, ‘I’m leaving the job unfinished’. He found that distasteful. But in our judgment, it was the best possible trade we could make, as opposed to Jim playing out his option year and us not getting anything in return.”

The 1970 Heisman Trophy winner was at the top of a highly-regarded quarterback draft class in ‘71. Plunkett was the first overall pick and moved quickly into the starting lineup for the rebuilding Patriots. The results were very favorable that first year as Plunkett passed for 2158 yards and 19 touchdowns, giving up 16 interceptions, and the team improved to 6-8.

The 1972 season was far less successful. With the offensive line doing a poor job of pass protection, Plunkett led the league in yardage lost to being sacked (385) and was often flushed out of the pocket. When he did get the ball away, it was often into coverage, the result being 25 interceptions, as opposed to only eight TDs. The team dropped to 3-11 and Fairbanks arrived as head coach in ’73.

Plunkett’s performance improved, helped by the addition of better receivers and the presence of rookies John Hannah at guard, bolstering a still-shaky line, and FB Sam Cunningham, a solid blocker in the backfield.  New England still had a losing record, but in 1974 broke out to a 6-1 start, although the defense received most of the credit for the improvement. Nevertheless, the offense played its part as Cunningham added solid running in addition to blocking, and diminutive (5’5”, 170) all-purpose HB Mack Herron was highly productive. The attack was far better balanced and scored 348 points, which ranked second in the NFL, but injuries to Cunningham and the receivers were part of an overall drop that saw the Patriots lose six of their last seven games and finish at 7-7. Plunkett, who was bothered by a thigh injury, was sacked only 21 times and matched his rookie total with 19 touchdown passes, although he also led the league by giving up 22 interceptions.

The situation deteriorated in 1975 as Plunkett was troubled by knee and shoulder injuries for much of the season, appearing in five games and throwing only 92 passes. In his place, rookie Steve Grogan struggled but also flashed enough potential to gain the favor of Coach Fairbanks. With Plunkett expressing a desire to return to the West Coast and threatening to play out his option, the stage was set for the trade to San Francisco. Overall, in five years with the Patriots, Plunkett completed 48.5 percent of his passes for 9932 yards and 62 TDs while giving up 87 interceptions.

As for the 49ers, since the retirement of long-time QB John Brodie in 1973, there had been instability at quarterback with Steve Spurrier, Tom Owen, Joe Reed, Dennis Morrison, and Norm Snead all starting games over the ensuing two seasons. The team had not posted a winning record since topping the NFC West for the third straight year in 1972 and now had a new head coach in Clark, replacing Dick Nolan, who paid the price for the decline.

The trade for Plunkett certainly looked good during the first half of the 1976 season as the 49ers broke out to a 6-1 start, but they dropped their next four games and ended up with an 8-6 record. Plunkett had problems with consistency, throwing fewer touchdowns (13) than interceptions (16). His best performance came in a Week 3 win over Seattle in which he passed for 239 yards and three touchdowns. Overall, the offense was more effective on the ground with HB Delvin Williams gaining 1203 yards and garnering a Pro Bowl selection and FB Wilbur Jackson adding 792 yards. Plunkett was even briefly benched in favor of rookie QB Scott Bull late in the season.

With an ownership change that brought Joe Thomas in as general manager, Clark was out and Ken Meyer in as head coach for 1977 and the record dropped to 5-9. Plunkett was all too ordinary, passing for 1693 yards with only nine TDs and 14 interceptions. He was let go during the preseason in ’78, having again fallen short of high expectations.

Plunkett moved across the bay to the Oakland Raiders, where he became a seldom-used backup to Ken Stabler for two years. In 1980, Stabler was dealt to Houston for Dan Pastorini, and while a frustrated Plunkett initially wanted out, his fortunes changed significantly when the newcomer suffered a broken leg four games into the season. Plunkett had a fine season as the Raiders became the first Wild Card team to win the Super Bowl. He received NFL Comeback Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP honors to cap the improbable rise from the ashes. Plunkett remained with the Raiders (who moved to Los Angeles in 1982) through 1986 and was behind center for another Super Bowl victory after the ’83 season. The two years in San Francisco became a nearly-forgotten byway on the path to eventual success.

As for the players the Patriots obtained in the trade for Plunkett, Pete Brock, despite taking longer than anticipated to develop into a starting lineman, spent his entire 12-year career in New England, playing in 154 games and starting 88 of them. More successful was Tim Fox, who moved directly into the starting lineup at free safety and stayed there through the 1981 season. He was chosen to the Pro Bowl in 1980 and intercepted a total of 17 passes before moving on to the Chargers in 1982. Raymond Clayborn was used primarily as a kickoff returner in his first two years, leading the league with a 31.0 average as a rookie, before becoming an outstanding cornerback who tallied 36 interceptions and three Pro Bowl selections before departing after the 1989 season. Horace Ivory became part of a good group of running backs and had his most productive seasons in 1978 and ’79, gaining a high of 693 rushing yards in ’78. As for Tom Owen, he threw a total of five passes in 1976 as the backup to Steve Grogan and remained in that role through 1981. The team as a whole posted five consecutive winning records from 1976 to ’80 and reached the postseason twice.

Highlighted Year: Marv Bateman, 1976

Punter, Buffalo Bills

Age: 26

5^th season in pro football, 3rd with Bills (2nd complete)

College: Utah

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 214

Prelude:

Twice a consensus first-team All-American in college in 1970 and ‘71, Bateman was chosen by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 1972 NFL draft. Veteran Ron Widby was traded away and Bateman averaged 38.2 yards on 51 punts as a rookie and 41.6 yards on 55 punts in ’73. A poor start in 1974 caused the Cowboys to waive him midway through the season and he was picked up by Buffalo. Bateman’s performance improved and he averaged 43.9 yards for the Bills, up from 36.9 in his first seven games for Dallas. He had a good 1975 season, averaging 41.6 yards.

1976 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Punting

Punts – 86 [8]

Most punts, game – 11 at Dallas 11/15

Yards – 3678 [4]

Average – 42.8 [1]

Best average, game – 46.8 (on 5 punts) at New England 11/7

Punts blocked – 1

Longest punt – 78 yards

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-AFC: UPI

Bills went 2-12 to finish fifth in the AFC East.

Aftermath:

Bateman averaged 39.9 yards on 81 punts in 1977 but was released during the ’78 preseason. An attempt to come back with the 49ers ended with his choosing to retire during the preseason, but he did try one more abortive comeback with the Cardinals in ’80 before leaving the game for good. Over the course of six years, Bateman punted 401 times and averaged 40.9 yards, with 262 punts for a 41.7-yard average coming with the Bills. He was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.

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Highlighted Years features players who were first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

Rookie of the Year: Sammy White, 1976

Wide Receiver, Minnesota Vikings

Age: 22

College: Grambling

Height: 5’11” Weight: 189

Prelude:

White was a wingback in college who scored 43 touchdowns overall and was Southwestern Athletic Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 1975. He was chosen by the Vikings in the second round of the ’76 NFL draft and he moved into the starting role vacated by John Gilliam, who had departed for the Falcons.

1976 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 51 [11, tied with Ken Burrough]   

Most receptions, game – 9 (for 139 yds.) vs. LA Rams 9/19, (for 120 yds.) at Miami 12/11

Yards – 906 [5, 1st in NFC]

Most yards, game – 210 (on 7 catches) vs. Detroit 11/7

Average gain – 17.8 [15]

TDs – 10 [3, tied with Bob Chandler & Dave Casper, 1st in NFC]

200-yard receiving games – 1

100-yard receiving games – 3

Rushing

Attempts – 5

Yards – -10

Average gain – -2.0

TDs – 0

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 9

Yards – 173

Average per return – 19.2

TDs – 0

Longest return – 36 yards

Punt Returns

Returns – 3

Yards – 45

Average per return – 15.0

TDs – 0

Longest return – 31 yards

Scoring

TDs – 10 [9, tied with Bob Chandler, Dave Casper & Andy Johnson]

Points – 60

Postseason: 3 G

Pass receptions – 9

Most pass receptions, game – 5 vs. Oakland, Super Bowl

Pass receiving yards – 141

Most pass receiving yards, game – 77 vs. Oakland, Super Bowl

Average yards per reception – 15.7

Pass Receiving TDs – 3

Rushing attempts – 1

Rushing yards – 7

Rushing TDs – 0

Kickoff returns – 4

Kickoff return yards – 79

Kickoff return avg. – 19.8

Kickoff return TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

NFC Rookie of the Year: UPI, NEA, Sporting News

1^st team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Vikings went 11-2-1 to finish first in the NFC Central while leading the conference in passing yards (2855). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Washington Redskins (35-20) and NFC Championship over Los Angeles Rams (24-13). Lost Super Bowl to Oakland Raiders (32-14).

Aftermath:

Fast and a potent deep receiver, and benefiting from the presence of Ahmad Rashad on the other side, White had another Pro Bowl year in 1977 as he caught 41 passes for 760 yards (18.5 avg.) and nine touchdowns. While he was not chosen to the Pro Bowl again, he remained a consistent and productive receiver, peaking with a 1981 season in which he achieved career highs in receptions (66) and yards (1001). White missed five games due to a muscle pull in 1983 and further injuries limited his effectiveness in his last two seasons of 1984 and ’85. Over the course of ten seasons that were all with the Vikings, White caught 393 passes for 6400 yards (16.3 avg.) and 50 touchdowns, and he had another 17 catches for 313 yards (18.4 avg.) and five TDs in the postseason.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year).