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.

1985: Johnson’s 3 TDs Lead Gold to Win Against Generals

Two 8-4 teams that were in the running for playoff spots in the United States Football League’s third season met in Denver on May 19, 1985. The hosts, the Denver Gold, were in contention with Oakland and Houston in the Western Conference while the visiting New Jersey Generals were trying to keep pace with the Birmingham Stallions, Tampa Bay Bandits, and Memphis Showboats in the Eastern Conference.

The Gold were coached by Darrell “Mouse” Davis and utilized his run-and-shoot offense. After starting slowly, Bob Gagliano replaced nine-year veteran Vince Evans at quarterback and the club had won four of five games. WR Leonard Harris was the favored target on pass plays and RB Bill Johnson (pictured above) was productive carrying the ball.

As had been the case since the Generals came into being, RB Herschel Walker was the key to the offense, and he had a string of six straight hundred-yard rushing games on the line coming into Denver. Prize rookie QB Doug Flutie was suffering growing pains but brought mobility and a strong arm to the offense.

There were 29,139 fans in attendance at Mile High Stadium. The Generals struck quickly on their first play from scrimmage as Herschel Walker looped out of the backfield and sped past the coverage to pull in a pass by Doug Flutie for a 68-yard touchdown. Roger Ruzek added the extra point for the early 7-0 lead.

Following an exchange of punts, the Gold put together a quick three-play, 63-yard drive that featured a carry by Bill Johnson and a personal foul on the Generals that set up a 30-yard scoring pass from Bob Gagliano to Leonard Harris. Jim Asmus tied the game with the point after.

Neither team threatened again until late in the opening period when the Gold, deep in their own territory, turned the ball over when Johnson fumbled while fighting for extra yardage on a running play and New Jersey recovered at the 12. A sack of Flutie moved the Generals back but they regained the lead by three points on a Ruzek field goal from 35 yards.

The score remained unchanged during the second quarter as the defenses dominated and a rain shower passed through. With 1:23 remaining in the first half, DE Calvin Turner of the Gold recovered a fumble by FB Maurice Carthon at the New Jersey 15 and, shortly thereafter, Johnson took a pitchout and ran three unmolested yards for a TD. Asmus converted and Denver took a 14-10 lead into halftime.

The Generals started the third quarter by advancing methodically on a 12-play, 80-yard drive that featured ten carries for 31 yards by Walker and a fine pass from Flutie to WR Walter Broughton. Walker crashed over for a touchdown from five yards out, Ruzek added the extra point, and the visitors were back in front by 17-14.

The Gold responded by going to the air and Gagliano connected with WR Vincent White for a 48-yard gain to the New Jersey 15. A pass to Johnson out of the backfield picked up 12 yards and Johnson powered over for a three-yard TD. Asmus kicked the point after and Denver was in the lead by 21-17.

The Generals were driving as the game headed into the fourth quarter and Walker started the final period off by hurdling for a yard to convert a fourth down at the Denver 16. Flutie bootlegged to the six and, with Walker pounding into the line play after play, the visitors again faced a fourth-and-goal situation at the one that resulted in a Walker touchdown dive. Ruzek’s kick had New Jersey ahead in the back-and-forth contest by 24-21.

Denver again responded with a 69-yard scoring drive in which Gagliano completed passes to four different receivers and concluded with Johnson blasting into the end zone for the final yard and a TD. Asmus converted to put the Gold up by four points with 6:02 remaining to play.

The offenses had taken command in the second half with every possession ending in a touchdown and it appeared that the Generals might continue the trend on the next series but, after reaching the Denver 43, Flutie was sacked for a five-yard loss on second down by LB Craig Walls and, while a throw to Walker gained seven yards, a fourth-and-four pass was tipped and fell incomplete. A clutch completion to Johnson that converted a third down allowed Denver to run the clock down to 22 seconds remaining before the Generals were able to regain possession and the Gold won by a final score of 28-24.

Denver had the edge in total yards (310 to 301) and first downs (17 to 15) although the Generals led in time of possession (32:42 to 27:18). New Jersey also accounted for four sacks, to two by the Gold, but the Generals turned the ball over twice, one of which led to a Denver touchdown, to one by the home team.

Bob Gagliano completed 17 of 31 passes for 242 yards (167 of which came in the second half) and a touchdown while giving up no interceptions. Bill Johnson rushed for 98 yards on 23 carries that included three TDs and caught four passes for another 46 yards. Leonard Harris also had a team-leading four pass receptions, for 62 yards and a score.

For the Generals, Herschel Walker was productive despite Denver’s efforts to stack the line of scrimmage, gaining 142 yards on 36 rushing attempts with two touchdowns and pulling in three passes for 106 yards that included the one long TD. Doug Flutie was successful on just 5 of 15 throws for 141 yards and a touchdown while being intercepted once.

Denver went on to place second in the Western Conference with an 11-7 record and qualified for the postseason where the club took a thrashing in the Quarterfinal playoff round at the hands of the Memphis Showboats. As for the Generals, the loss dropped them to 8-5 and they also finished at 11-7 and second in the Eastern Conference. They lost a close Quarterfinal round game to the Baltimore Stars.

Bill Johnson rushed for a total of 1261 yards on 212 carries (5.9 avg.) with 15 touchdowns. His yardage ranked third in the league and he received All-USFL recognition from College & Pro Football Newsweekly. At the top of the rushing rankings was Herschel Walker, who gained a gargantuan 2411 yards on 438 attempts (5.5 avg.) and also led the circuit in scoring with 22 touchdowns for 132 points. He received consensus Player of the Year as well as All-USFL honors.

1985: Denver Rolls Up Yardage to Defeat Stallions

The Denver Gold were 0-1 as they took on the Birmingham Stallions in a United States Football League game on March 3, 1985. A team that drew well at home but failed to post a winning record in either of its first two USFL seasons, the Gold now was coached by Darrel “Mouse” Davis, formerly of Portland State and most recently offensive coordinator of the Houston Gamblers. Utilizing the high-powered run and shoot offense, the Gamblers had been exciting and productive. Now Davis was bringing the same scheme to Denver, but the run and shoot had misfired in the opening week 31-10 loss to Oakland.

Birmingham, coached by Rollie Dotsch, was coming off of a 14-4 record in ’84 and won its first contest of 1985 (over New Jersey). The Stallions had QB Cliff Stoudt and WR Jim Smith, both formerly of the Steelers, and ex-Buffalo RB Joe Cribbs as key players on offense, which was anchored by an outstanding line.

There were 27,400 fans in attendance at Legion Field in Birmingham and they saw Denver get off to a fast start. On the offense’s first play from scrimmage, QB Vince Evans connected with RB Bill Johnson on a screen pass that gained 55 yards to the Birmingham one yard line. Johnson carried on the next play to gain the final yard and a touchdown and Brian Speelman added the extra point.

The Stallions responded by driving 80 yards in eight plays. Cliff Stoudt finished the series off with a seven-yard TD run and Danny Miller tied the score with the point after. It seemed as though the Gold would score again on the next possession as they reached the Birmingham nine, but FS Chuck Clanton recovered a fumble to snuff out the threat. Three plays later, however, Stoudt fumbled a bad snap that went out of the end zone for a safety to put the visitors back in the lead by 9-7.

Early in the second quarter, Evans threw long to RB Vincent White for a 48-yard touchdown. Speelman’s PAT put the Gold ahead by 16-7. Shortly thereafter, a Stoudt pass was intercepted by Clanton and, two plays after that, Evans completed a pass to WR Leonard Harris for a 39-yard TD. Speelman again converted and Denver was up by 23-7 with 8:33 remaining in the first half.

Later in the period, the Gold put together a 48-yard drive in nine plays that concluded with Speelman kicking a 28-yard field goal. The Stallions got a break on defense when Clanton intercepted his second pass of the game, returning it 23 yards to the Birmingham 48. Stoudt tossed a touchdown pass to Jim Smith eight plays later that covered nine yards with 32 seconds left on the clock. Miller kicked the extra point and the score was 26-14 at halftime.

Early in the third quarter, the Stallions drew closer as Stoudt threw to WR Joey Jones for a 53-yard TD. Miller converted and the Denver margin was down to five points at 26-21. The Gold came back with a 10-play, 78-yard series that was capped by Evans gaining one yard for a touchdown on a quarterback sneak. Speelman’s kick made it a 33-21 contest.

Early in the fourth quarter, Denver scored again when Johnson ran eight yards for a TD, followed by another Speelman extra point. The Stallions had opportunities to close the gap again, but twice came up empty inside the Denver ten in the final period.  They picked up two more points when Evans was tackled in the end zone for a safety, but it was of no consequence as the Gold came away with a convincing 40-23 win.

Denver compiled a total of 564 yards, with 284 coming on the ground, to 325 yards for the Stallions. The Gold also had the edge in first downs (24 to 19) and time of possession (35:02 to 24:58). However, Denver was hindered by five turnovers, to just one suffered by Birmingham, and 12 penalties, while only five flags were thrown on the Stallions.

Vince Evans completed 14 of 28 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns, although giving up three interceptions. RB Todd Gerhart led the impressive running game with 119 yards on 21 carries, followed by Bill Johnson’s 74 yards on 9 attempts that included two TDs, and Evans contributed 50 yards on five carries. Leonard Harris topped the Denver receivers with four catches for 74 yards.

For the Stallions, Cliff Stoudt was successful on 17 of 38 throws for 259 yards and two TDs, giving up one interception and scoring once on the ground. Joe Cribbs had just 36 yards on 9 carries. Jim Smith caught 6 passes for 83 yards and Joey Jones gained 96 yards on four receptions that included a TD. Chuck Clanton (pictured at left) starred on defense, accumulating all three interceptions, recovering a fumble, and getting credit for eight tackles.

“We still have a lot of work to do,” said Coach Davis of his team’s performance. “We had too many picks (interceptions), but we’re certainly pleased. We’re excited to get our first win and hope it’s the first of many.”

Denver won four of its next five games on the way to an 11-7 record that placed second in the Western Conference. The team ranked third in the USFL in total yards (6629) and, with Vince Evans splitting time at quarterback with Bob Gagliano, rated third in passing yards (4550). In the Gold’s only playoff game, they were thrashed in the Quarterfinal round by the Memphis Showboats. The Stallions recovered to go 13-5 and finish at the top of the Eastern Conference. They defeated Houston in the first round but lost to the Baltimore Stars at the Semifinal level. 

1977: TDs Off Turnovers Lead Bengals to Win Against Steelers

The Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers were both fighting for supremacy in the AFC Central as they met on December 10, 1977. The Bengals, coached by Bill Johnson, had gotten off to a 2-4 start and were 4-5 before a three-game winning streak pulled them up to 7-5 and a chance to win the division. QB Ken Anderson, normally a precision passer, was having a less stellar year but was still formidable. He was missing star WR Isaac Curtis due to a knee injury but second-year backup WR Billy Brooks (pictured above) was proving to be a good deep threat in his place and Pat McInally, the punter, was also effective in the other spot. Two ex-Ohio State stars, FB Pete Johnson and HB Archie Griffin, were the ball carriers. The Bengals had lost six consecutive games to the Steelers, including earlier in the season, and that made the difference in their placing second in each of the previous two years.

Pittsburgh had won three straight division titles, and twice went on to win the Super Bowl. The Steelers were coached by Chuck Noll, who had broken his arm due to slipping on ice and falling the night before the game and was wearing a cast. It was symbolic of a season in which Pittsburgh, while still formidable, was having difficulties, getting off to a 4-4 start before also turning hot and winning four straight games prior to the rematch with Cincinnati. There were off-field distractions that seemed to affect the club’s performance, which showed in the offense turning the ball over with greater frequency and the defense giving up more points.  

It was a bitterly cold Saturday for the game at Riverfront Stadium with temperatures down to single digits. Attendance was low at 36,133, with 23,518 no-shows. While the sky was clear, the artificial surface was frozen and in poor condition.

The Steelers had the game’s first possession, but on their third play CB Lemar Parrish intercepted a pass by QB Terry Bradshaw and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown. Chris Bahr added the extra point and the home team had a quick 7-0 lead.

On the next series, and following a holding penalty on the kickoff return that had the Steelers starting from their 12 yard line, HB Rocky Bleier fumbled and the Bengals gained possession at the Pittsburgh 7. However, Cincinnati came up empty when, facing fourth-and-goal at the one, Pete Johnson was stopped short of the goal line by linebackers Jack Ham and Jack Lambert.

The teams exchanged punts before the Bengals, starting from their 29, drove to the Pittsburgh 20. A pass interference penalty on a third-and-eight play gave Cincinnati 17 yards as well as a first down and Ken Anderson threw to TE Bob Trumpy for a 13-yard gain. But Bahr’s 37-yard field goal attempt was wide to the left and yet another scoring opportunity was for naught.

The Steelers were driving as the opening period drew to a close. Bradshaw completed a pass to TE Bennie Cunningham for 22 yards and FB Franco Harris ran effectively. On the first play of the second quarter, Harris picked up the last five yards for a TD and Roy Gerela’s point after tied the score.

The Bengals punted after a short series and Pittsburgh put together another promising drive as Bradshaw completed passes to WR Lynn Swann for 17 yards and Cunningham for 23. But a holding penalty backed the visitors up and the series stalled at the Cincinnati 42, forcing a punt.

Another Cincinnati punt was followed by another long possession by the Steelers. Harris rushed for 45 yards on six carries, Bleier had a 16-yard run, and Bradshaw completed two passes. A fourth down was converted when Bradshaw threw to Swann for 19 yards. With 51 seconds remaining in the first half, Gerela kicked a 32-yard field goal and Pittsburgh took a 10-7 lead into halftime.

On the first series of the third quarter, the Bengals advanced into Pittsburgh territory, but an Anderson pass was intercepted by CB Mel Blount. The Steelers were forced to punt but got the ball back three plays later when Billy Brooks fumbled after catching a pass for 35 yards and CB Jim Allen recovered. Bradshaw completed passes to rookie WR Jim Smith (pictured at left), subbing for the injured Swann, on consecutive plays and the Steelers reached the Cincinnati 24 before Harris fumbled the ball back to the Bengals.

Anderson immediately threw to Brooks for a big gain of 57 yards and, after the series stalled at the Pittsburgh seven, Bahr tied the game with a 24-yard field goal. On the ensuing kickoff, Smith fumbled on the return and Anderson again went to the air on first down, connecting with Pat McInally for a 43-yard touchdown. Bahr added the extra point to put the Bengals, who had scored ten points in just 18 seconds of playing time, ahead by seven points.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Steelers had a promising series following a Cincinnati punt. Bradshaw threw to Smith for a 27-yard pickup and a personal foul on the Bengals following a completion to WR John Stallworth gave Pittsburgh a first down at the Cincinnati 20. But Harris again fumbled after catching a short pass and CB Ken Riley recovered to end the threat.

With just under ten minutes to play, the Bengals put together another good drive. Anderson threw to McInally for 21 yards on a third-and-seven play, Johnson had a 17-yard run and Archie Griffin a 13-yard catch on a screen pass and 15-yard carry in a second-and-13 situation. But the Bengals couldn’t gain any further ground after reaching the Pittsburgh six and Bahr’s 24-yard field goal attempt hit the right upright and was no good.

A three-and-out series by the Steelers was followed by a Cincinnati possession that ended with Griffin fumbling and FS Glen Edwards recovering at the Pittsburgh 21. With the clock down to 1:51, Bradshaw threw to Harris for a gain of 17 yards and to Stallworth for 20 yards to the Cincinnati 40. But a sack by DE Gary Burley lost seven yards and, while an offsides penalty on the Bengals regained five yards, Bradshaw was unable to complete any more passes. A fourth-and-12 throw fell incomplete to clinch the 17-10 win for the Bengals.

Cincinnati had the edge in total yards (413 to 362) although the Steelers accumulated more first downs (21 to 17). Pittsburgh turned the ball over five times, to three suffered by the Bengals, and the Steelers were penalized 11 times, at a cost of 95 yards, to five flags for 55 yards thrown on Cincinnati.

Ken Anderson was successful on 15 of 33 throws, but they generated 303 yards and he had a touchdown as well as an interception. Billy Brooks caught 6 passes for 166 yards and Pat McInally (pictured at right) contributed 71 yards on three receptions that included the game-deciding TD. Archie Griffin topped the Bengals with 61 rushing yards on 13 carries and added another 31 on four catches.  Pete Johnson had 51 yards on 15 attempts.

For the Steelers, Franco Harris rushed for 101 yards in the first half, but was held to minus-six yards in the second and ended up with a net of 95 yards on 25 carries that included one touchdown. Terry Bradshaw completed 20 of 39 passes for 246 yards and had no touchdowns while giving up one interception. Four receivers caught four passes apiece, with Jim Smith gaining 80 yards on his first four pro receptions (although he also had the critical fumble on a kickoff return) and Bennie Cunningham generating 64 yards on his four.

“We beat them, and we beat them right,” exclaimed a jubilant Coach Johnson to his celebrating players in the locker room.

“It was a hell of a game between two good teams under lousy circumstances,” said Chuck Noll from the Pittsburgh side. “But it wasn’t exactly a fun afternoon out there for us today.”

The win put Cincinnati in the driver’s seat in the race for the AFC Central title, but the Bengals failed to cash in when they lost to Houston in the season finale. They finished at 8-6, falling to third place. Pittsburgh ended up on top at 9-5 with a win at San Diego. The Steelers were ousted by Denver in the Divisional playoff round.

Billy Brooks caught 39 passes for 772 yards (19.8 avg.) and four touchdowns in what was the most productive of his five NFL seasons. Pat McInally had 17 receptions for 258 yards (15.2 avg.) and three TDs. He also punted 67 times for a 41.8-yard average.

Jim Smith had no more pass receptions for the Steelers in ‘77, being used almost exclusively on kick returns in his rookie season. He would go on to catch 110 passes for 2075 yards and 24 touchdowns in six years with Pittsburgh before departing for the USFL.

1976: Bengals Fall Behind but Rally Past Chiefs

The Cincinnati Bengals were at 8-2 and had won four straight games as they faced the Kansas City Chiefs on November 21, 1976. The Bengals, coached for the first year by Bill Johnson, had a fine sixth-year quarterback in Ken Anderson, the league’s top passer the previous two seasons. With one of their two first-round draft choices, they took HB Archie Griffin (pictured at right), the two-time Heisman Trophy winner out of Ohio State, to add outside speed to their running game. The defense had talent in pass-rushing DE Coy Bacon, MLB Jim LeClair, cornerbacks Lemar Parrish and Ken Riley, and SS Tommy Casanova.

Head Coah Paul Wiggin’s Chiefs, meanwhile, were slogging along at 3-7. Kansas City was an aging team with far too many starters over 30. QB Mike Livingston had emerged from a long apprenticeship behind the now-retired Len Dawson, and second-year TE Walter White was developing into a good receiver. But the defense had too many holes, although rookie FS Gary Barbaro was proving to be a good find.

It was a sunny day with 46,259 fans in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium. It didn’t take them long to see the home team fall behind. On the first play from scrimmage, Archie Griffin broke away for a 77-yard touchdown for the Bengals. Another rookie, Chris Bahr, added the extra point.

The teams traded punts before the Chiefs mounted a drive that reached Cincinnati territory. FB MacArthur Lane had a 17-yard carry and HB Tommy Reamon got the ball to the Bengals’ 40 with a 10-yard run, but the possession stalled there as Mike Livingston overthrew three straight passes. Kansas City was forced to punt.

The Bengals, taking over at their 20, proceeded to advance 80 yards in nine plays. Griffin ran effectively and Ken Anderson completed three passes, including one to TE Bob Trumpy for 22 yards to the Kansas City 18. From there, FB Boobie Clark ran for a touchdown, and with Bahr’s second successful extra point, the visitors carried a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.

The Chiefs got a break early in the next period when Anderson, on a quarterback keeper up the middle, fumbled and MLB Willie Lanier recovered at the Cincinnati 35. But three running plays accumulated seven yards and Jan Stenerud’s 35-yard field goal attempt was wide to the left.

The teams once again exchanged punts before Anderson threw a pass that was intercepted by CB Emmitt Thomas, who returned it 29 yards to the Cincinnati 31. It looked like the Chiefs would again fail to take advantage when Lane was tossed for a two-yard loss and Livingston was sacked to put them seven yards further back. But on third-and-19, Livingston kept the ball himself and ran for the 19 yards he needed for a first down. Two plays later, Livingston passed to WR Henry Marshall for 23 yards to the one yard line, and from there Reamon went through the middle of the line for a TD. Adding Stenerud’s extra point, the Cincinnati lead was cut to 14-7.

With 4:39 left in the half, the Bengals advanced to the KC 29, but a running play that lost yards combined with Anderson being sacked by DE Whitney Paul moved the ball back to the 34 and, after a pass fell incomplete, Bahr missed a 51-yard field goal try. The score remained unchanged at the half.

The Chiefs had first possession in the third quarter and went three-and-out, but then got a break when Tommy Casanova fumbled the ensuing punt and LB Dave Rozumek recovered for Kansas City at the Cincinnati 10. Four plays later, Reamon scored a touchdown from a yard out and, with Stenerud’s successful PAT, the game was tied at 14-14.

The problems continued for the Bengals on the kickoff when HB Tony Davis lost the handle on the ball and WR Lawrence Williams recovered at the Cincinnati 30. But after a first-play Livingston pass to Lane that picked up 16 yards, the Chiefs gained seven more yards and Stenerud’s 24-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Coy Bacon.

After another trade of punts, the Bengals put together a 10-play, 62-yard drive. Anderson threw to Trumpy for 20 yards and, on a third-and-eight play, connected with the tight end again for 11 yards. Clark ran for 18 yards on a sweep and Anderson picked up 11 on a carry up the middle. FB Stan Fritts went one yard to cap the series with a TD, and while Bahr’s extra point try was unsuccessful, the visitors were back in front by 20-14.

Williams returned the kickoff 37 yards for the Chiefs and they were into Cincinnati territory as the game moved into the fourth quarter thanks to a Livingston pass to Lane for 23 yards and carries by Reamon and HB Ed Podolak that added another 12 yards to the Cincinnati 31. On the second play of the final period, Livingston connected with Walter White for 16 yards and, after two short runs and a reverse by Marshall that picked up seven yards, Stenerud kicked a 24-yard field goal to narrow the margin to three points.

The Bengals continued to have trouble holding onto kick returns as DB Melvin Morgan fumbled the kickoff and Gary Barbaro recovered for the Chiefs at the Cincinnati 21. From there, a loss on a running play and a holding penalty backed Kansas City up, but facing a third-and-23 situation, Livingston completed a pass to White in the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown. With the successful conversion, the Chiefs were in front by 24-20.

Once again a KC kickoff resulted in the Chiefs gaining possession as HB Lenvill Elliott’s 22-yard return ended with a fumble and FB Glynn Harrison recovered for the home team. With 11:44 left to play, the Chiefs started off at the Cincinnati 27 and gained five yards in three plays, but they failed to add to their lead when Stenerud missed a 39-yard field goal attempt.

Once more the teams exchanged punts before, with just under seven minutes remaining on the clock, the Bengals went 62 yards in six plays. Griffin picked up 15 yards on two carries and two plays later a controversial roughing-the-passer penalty that drew vehement argument from the Chiefs added another 15 yards to the Kansas City 33. Anderson then threw to TE Bruce Coslet for 32 yards and Tony Davis went up the middle for the last yard and a touchdown. Bahr added the extra point and the visitors were back in front by three.

Two kickoffs went out of bounds, resulting in penalties and backing the Chiefs up, and Harrison then ran the next one back 35 yards to give Kansas City excellent field position at the Cincinnati 38. However, after advancing to the 22, Livingston was dumped for a seven-yard loss and Stenerud’s 46-yard field goal attempt sailed wide to the left. The Bengals were able to run out the clock and came away with a 27-24 win.

The Bengals outgained Kansas City (373 yards to 251), with 269 yards of that total coming on the ground, and also had the edge in first downs (21 to 16). Cincinnati also recorded six sacks, to two by the Chiefs. However, the Bengals hurt themselves with six turnovers, five of them on fumbles, while Kansas City didn’t turn the ball over at all.

Archie Griffin rushed for 139 yards on just 13 carries that included the long touchdown. Boobie Clark added 91 yards on 15 attempts and also scored a TD. Ken Anderson completed 9 of 17 passes for 123 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Bob Trumpy topped the receivers with three catches for 53 yards.

For the Chiefs, Mike Livingston was successful on 12 of 25 throws for 179 yards and a TD with none intercepted. Walter White (pictured at left) had 5 pass receptions for 87 yards and a score. MacArthur Lane ran for 36 yards on 13 carries and added four catches for 40 yards. Tommy Reamon, the former World Football League star, gained just 19 yards on 10 rushing attempts, but two of them were good for touchdowns.

“It would have been a big win for us,” said a frustrated Coach Paul Wiggin, who vehemently questioned the roughing-the-passer penalty that allowed the Bengals to continue their winning scoring drive.

In the showdown for the AFC Central the next week, the Bengals again fell to the Steelers in a snowstorm and lost the following game as well. They ended up with a 10-4 record, which put them in second place and on the outside of the postseason. Kansas City won two of its last three contests to finish at 5-9 and fourth in the AFC West.

Archie Griffin, undersized at 5’9” and 191 pounds, had a good rookie season as he rushed for 625 yards while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. The 139-yard performance against the Chiefs ended up being the best single-game output of his career.

34-year-old MacArthur Lane led the NFL with 66 pass receptions, which gained 686 yards, and he also added 542 rushing yards, although averaging only 3.3 yards per attempt. Walter White caught 47 passes for 808 yards (17.7 avg.) and scored seven TDs.