1973: Falcons Deal Bob Berry to Minnesota for Bob Lee

On May 14, 1973 the Atlanta Falcons traded starting QB Bob Berry along with their 1974 first draft choice to the Minnesota Vikings for QB Bob Lee and LB Lonnie Warwick, two players who had played out their options.  

Berry was surprised at learning of the trade that sent him back to the Vikings, the club he had started out with in 1965. Collegiately, he had starred at Oregon, where he led the Ducks to three straight winning seasons (something they hadn’t done in 30 years) and passed for 4148 yards and 37 touchdowns.  Minnesota obtained his rights from the Philadelphia Eagles, who chose him as a future selection in the eleventh round of the ’64 NFL draft. He saw little action in his first three seasons in Minnesota but became the starting quarterback for the Falcons in 1968, where he was reunited with Norm Van Brocklin, the head coach when he joined the Vikings in ’65 who was now in Atlanta. Lacking ideal size (5’11”, 185) and with a weak arm, Berry compensated with mobility, passing accuracy, and good leadership qualities.

Berry was a Pro Bowl selection in 1969 and led the NFL by averaging 8.9 yards per attempt in 1971, when he also completed a NFC-high 60.2 percent of his passes. Overall in Atlanta, he threw for 8489 yards and 57 TDs, giving up 56 interceptions, with a completion percentage of 56.4. But typically his throws were short, often to his backs and TE Jim Mitchell, and Berry took many sacks. After achieving a 7-6-1 record in ‘71, the first over .500 in franchise history, the Falcons essentially held steady at 7-7 in 1972 and Van Brocklin became disenchanted.  

“His won-lost record was the yardstick,” explained Van Brocklin of the decision to deal Berry. “We need an improvement in our passing game other than in completion percentages. We needed more than a short yardage quarterback.”

The quarterback the Falcons got in return, Bob Lee (pictured above), was a 17^th round draft pick out of the College of the Pacific in 1969 and had been Minnesota’s punter as a rookie. He saw some action at quarterback in 1970 and ‘71, even starting a playoff game, but in 1972 Lee was stuck behind Fran Tarkenton, who was back in Minnesota following five years with the Giants, and threw just six passes.

The Falcons were intending to use QB Pat Sullivan, the Heisman Trophy winner out of Auburn who was drafted the previous year, but it was journeyman backup Dick Shiner starting the season with Lee, who was set back by an injury in training camp, in reserve. However, when Shiner went down with an injury in the fourth week, and with the team at 1-3, Lee took over the starting job and the Falcons responded with seven straight wins on the way to a 9-5 record, barely missing the postseason.

Lee wasn’t required to go to the air often, averaging 12 completions per game as he threw for 1786 yards and 10 touchdowns against 8 interceptions. He was helped by a sound running game led by HB Dave Hampton and a good offensive line, plus a defense that could keep games close. Placekicker Nick Mike-Mayer also had a career year, kicking 26 field goals.

The bubble burst in 1974, however, as Lee completed just 45.3 percent of his passes for 852 yards and three touchdowns while giving up 14 interceptions. Sullivan and Kim McQuilken took over the starting quarterback duties with equally disastrous results as the Falcons dropped to 3-11. Coach Van Brocklin was gone after eight games, replaced by Marion Campbell, and in the 1975 NFL draft Atlanta traded up to get California QB Steve Bartkowski in the first round. Lee, the subject of adulation the previous year, was released.

     

As for Bob Berry (pictured at right), he spent the remaining three years of his career backing up the durable Tarkenton in Minnesota. He threw all of 78 passes, completing 47 for 450 yards and six TDs. Ironically enough, Lee returned to the Vikings in 1975 and ended up replacing Berry as Tarkenton’s backup, spending four seasons with the club in his second stint before moving on to the Rams in 1979 and ’80. He went to two Super Bowls, one with each club, but only as a backup quarterback.  

With regard to other players involved in the 1973 deal, Lonnie Warwick had been with the Vikings for eight years and was the starting middle linebacker for most of them. He was 31 at the time of the trade and had struggled with injuries the previous two seasons. Warwick spent two years with Atlanta as a backup in a strong unit that included MLB Tommy Nobis and OLBs Greg Brezina and Don Hansen.

The first draft choice that the Vikings obtained from the Falcons was used to take LB Fred McNeill from UCLA with the seventeenth overall pick in 1974. McNeill spent twelve seasons with Minnesota, moving into the starting lineup at right outside linebacker in his fourth year and staying there until 1985.   

Highlighted Year: Bob Berry, 1971

Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons

Age:  29

7^th season in pro football, 4^th with Falcons

College: Oregon

Height: 5’11” Weight: 190

Prelude:

Berry passed for 4148 yards and 37 touchdowns in college and led Oregon to three consecutive winnings seasons and a Sun Bowl victory. He was a future draft pick of the NFL Eagles (11^th round) and AFL Broncos (26^th round) in 1964. The Minnesota Vikings traded for his rights and Berry joined them as a backup in 1965. He saw limited action behind Fran Tarkenton, Ron VanderKelen, and later Joe Kapp, over the course of three seasons. Berry threw a total of 46 passes and started one game in 1966 before being obtained by Atlanta in ‘68, where he was reunited with ex-Vikings Head Coach Norm Van Brocklin and given an opportunity to start in competition with Randy Johnson. Very competitive and a good leader, Berry was also undersized and prone to being sacked. He was an accurate passer at short range, typically rolling out and throwing to his backs and tight ends, and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1969.

1971 Season Summary

Appeared in 11 of 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 226 [17]

Most attempts, game – 27 vs. St. Louis 10/10, at New Orleans 12/19

Completions – 136 [14, tied with Greg Landry]

Most completions, game – 18 at New Orleans 12/19

Yards – 2005 [12]

Most yards, game – 309 at Detroit 10/3

Completion percentage – 60.2 [2, 1^st in NFC]

Yards per attempt – 8.9 [1]

TD passes – 11 [13, tied with Pete Liske, Fran Tarkenton & Dennis Shaw]

Most TD passes, game – 3 at Detroit 10/3

Interceptions – 16 [9, tied with Jim Plunkett & Daryle Lamonica]

Most interceptions, game – 4 vs. St. Louis 10/10

Passer rating – 75.9 [6]

300-yard passing games – 2

200-yard passing games – 4

Rushing

Attempts – 19

Most attempts, game – 5 (for 4 yds.) vs. Green Bay 11/22

Yards – 31

Most yards, game – 19 yards (on 3 carries) vs. St. Louis 10/10

Yards per attempt – 1.6

TDs – 0

Falcons went 7-6-1, the first winning record in franchise history, to finish third in the NFC West.

Aftermath:

Berry passed for a career-high 2158 yards in 1972 but, deemed too limited to continue to start, was dealt back to Minnesota. He spent the last three seasons of his career as a backup to Fran Tarkenton. Overall, Berry completed 56.4 percent of his passes for 9197 yards and 64 touchdowns, with an equal number of interceptions. 8489 yards and 57 TDs came with the Falcons.

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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

1970: Falcons Upset 49ers as Last Second FG Attempt Fails

The Atlanta Falcons had gotten off to a 1-1 start as they hosted the San Francisco 49ers on October 4, 1970. Under Head Coach Norm Van Brocklin, they were looking to improve upon a 6-8 record in ’69. QB Bob Berry (pictured above) was efficient, if limited, and there was an outstanding tight end in Jim Mitchell, but there was a lack of speed at wide receiver where able but aging veterans Paul Flatley and Gail Cogdill were available. The defense was tough and included DE Claude Humphrey, linebackers Tommy Nobis and Don Hansen, and CB Ken Reaves.

San Francisco, coached by Dick Nolan, was 2-0 and good on both sides of the ball. 35-year-old QB John Brodie was a fine passer and had WR Gene Washington leading the receiving corps while steady FB Ken Willard was the best runner. The defense was talented and included such stalwarts as DT Charlie Krueger, DE Tommy Hart, LB Dave Wilcox, and CB Jimmy Johnson.

There were 58,850 fans in attendance at Atlanta Stadium on a sunny afternoon. The Falcons had first possession and drove to midfield with FB Art Malone and HB Jim “Cannonball” Butler running effectively, but ultimately they had to punt. San Francisco had to punt as well following its first series, got the ball back quickly when Butler fumbled, but went three-and-out and punted again. John Brodie was off to a slow start, missing on his first six passes.

Butler took off for a 33-yard gain to advance the ball into San Francisco territory at the 42 and Bob Berry threw to WR Gail Cogdill for 10 yards, but the drive stalled and Ken Vinyard’s 42-yard field goal attempt fell short.

The teams traded punts but, as the scoreless game moved into the second quarter, the 49ers were on the move. From deep in their own territory, Brodie threw to WR Preston Riley on a third-and-six play and it was good for a 68-yard gain to the Atlanta 21. Brodie connected with Riley again for 12 yards and Ken Willard ran the ball three straight times, the last for a three-yard touchdown. Bruce Gossett kicked the extra point to stake the visitors to a 7-0 lead.

The Falcons moved well in response, with Malone and Butler carrying and Berry tossing a pass to Cogdill for a 16-yard gain on a third-and-six play. But after reaching the San Francisco 42, Vinyard again missed on a field goal attempt, this time from 50 yards.

The teams exchanged punts until Atlanta, taking possession with 1:40 left in the half, put together a scoring drive. Berry had three completions to WR Paul Flatley that covered 16, 15, and 11 yards and a 12-yard throw to Jim Mitchell (pictured at left). He then tossed a three-yard scoring pass to Butler and, with Vinyard adding the PAT, the score was tied at 7-7 at halftime.

San Francisco had the first possession in the third quarter and put together an 11-play, 62-yard drive. Brodie connected with Gene Washington twice for 12 and 14 yards and to TE Bob Windsor for a 16-yard gain in a third-and-seven situation and again for a one-yard touchdown. Gossett converted and the 49ers were back on top by 14-7.

The Falcons moved well in response, with Berry completing a pass to Flatley for 30 yards to reach midfield, but Butler fumbled at the San Francisco 42 and Tommy Hart recovered for the Niners. The turnover resulted in another scoring series, with Willard running effectively and Brodie hitting on consecutive passes to HB Doug Cunningham of nine and seven yards. The drive finally stalled at the Atlanta 19 and Gossett kicked a 27-yard field goal that put the visitors ahead by ten.

In a possession highlighted by a 29-yard carry by Butler, the Falcons reached the San Francisco 34 before a holding penalty and a sack moved them all the way back to their 34. They punted on the first play of the fourth quarter, and CB Bruce Taylor returned the kick 40 yards to the San Francisco 45, but two plays later Willard fumbled and DE John Zook recovered for the Falcons at his 46. Berry immediately went to Mitchell for 29 yards and, with a penalty tacked on, Atlanta was all the way to the Niners’ 12. Two plays later, Berry passed to Mitchell again, this time for a nine-yard TD, and with Vinyard’s extra point the visitors’ lead was narrowed to 17-14.

The ensuing kickoff produced another good return for the 49ers as HB Bill Tucker ran it back 43 yards. Three runs by Cunningham gained a total of 17 yards to the Atlanta 40 and, after a third down pass to Tucker came up a yard short, Gossett kicked another field goal, this time of 43 yards. The 49ers were ahead by six with less than ten minutes to play.

The Falcons had to punt following their next series, and San Francisco got a break on its next possession when Steve Spurrier, back to punt, was roughed. However, two plays later Cunningham, hit hard by linebackers Tommy Nobis and Don Hansen, turned the ball over on a fumble and, thanks to FS Tom McCauley’s 45-yard return, Atlanta had possession at the San Francisco 13. Two carries by HB Sonny Campbell and an incomplete pass set up a fourth-and-four situation at the seven, but Berry threw to Cogdill in the left corner of the end zone for a touchdown. Vinyard added the all-important extra point and the Falcons were ahead by one.

The 49ers regained possession at their 27 with the clock at 3:46. Cunningham ran up the middle for eight yards followed by Willard carrying for 14. Three plays later they faced third-and-six and Willard ran for seven yards. Two more Brodie completions mixed with three more carries by Willard had the ball down to the Atlanta 12 with six seconds in the game, but the normally reliable Gossett was wide by a few inches on a 19-yard field goal attempt. Atlanta came away with a 21-20 upset victory.

The statistics reflected the closeness of the score. The Falcons had the edge in total yards (356 to 326) while both teams accumulated 18 first downs apiece. The also each turned the ball over two times, although San Francisco’s were more untimely.

Jim Butler (pictured at right) set two club records, rushing for 127 yards on 17 carries but also fumbling four times. Bob Berry completed 17 of 32 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Paul Flatley caught 6 passes for 99 yards and Jim Mitchell also had 6 receptions, for 77 yards and a TD. Gail Cogdill contributed three catches for 33 yards and a score.

For the 49ers, John Brodie, who was on his way to a consensus MVP year, was successful on 16 of 27 throws for 182 yards and a TD while giving up no interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 90 yards on 25 carries that included a touchdown and Doug Cunningham added 69 yards on 14 attempts as well as four catches for 29 more yards. Preston Riley and Gene Washington had four receptions apiece, for 90 and 37 yards, respectively.

“I don’t care how we do it as long as we win,” said Bob Berry, “and the people are getting their money’s worth, I guess. I didn’t see anybody leaving.”

The Falcons failed to win often, losing their next two contests and finishing in third place in the NFC West with a 4-8-2 record. San Francisco recovered to go 5-0-1 over the next six games on the way to a division-topping 10-3-1 tally. In the first year of the merged and realigned NFL, the 49ers reached the NFC Championship game before succumbing to the Dallas Cowboys.

Bob Berry completed a healthy 58.0 percent of his passes, 16 of them for touchdowns. Jim Butler rushed for 636 yards and fumbled a total of 10 times. Jim Mitchell led the team with 44 catches for 650 yards (14.8 avg.) and six touchdowns while Paul Flatley had 39 receptions for 544 yards (13.9 avg.) and the one TD. Gail Cogdill, injury-plagued as his career that was played mostly in Detroit reached its final season, managed just seven catches for 101 yards in six games of action, with the touchdown against the 49ers his last.

1971: Falcons Beat Saints to Cap First Winning Season

The Atlanta Falcons had not posted a winning record in their first five years since joining the NFL as an expansion team in 1966. However, as they faced the New Orleans Saints in the 1971 season finale on December 19, their record was 6-6-1 and the prospect of ending up over .500 a distinct possibility. In their third full year under Head Coach Norm Van Brocklin, the Falcons were better on defense than offense, despite the loss of star MLB Tommy Nobis to a knee injury. OLB Don Hansen was a solid player, and the defensive line had outstanding talent in ends Claude Humphrey and John Zook. The secondary, led by CB Ken Reaves, was tough against the pass. Van Brocklin emphasized toughness, and that was most apparent in the nondescript offense directed by small-but-accurate QB Bob Berry and featuring a group of running backs that were pluggers and lacked outside speed.

New Orleans, which had joined the NFL a year after the Falcons, was also seeking a franchise-best record under Head Coach J.D. Roberts, but at a more modest level. The Saints were 4-7-2 and trying to outdo their 5-9 record of 1969 – they were already assured of besting 1970’s 2-11-1 tally. Moreover, three of their wins had come against contending teams (the Rams, 49ers, and eventual-champion Cowboys), thus providing encouragement that the club might be heading in the right direction. The offense was led by rookie first draft pick QB Archie Manning, who had suffered through an injury-plagued campaign, but there was too little talent surrounding him and the defense was a liability.

There were 75,554 in attendance at Tulane Stadium, and they saw the Falcons score first on a six-yard run by FB Art Malone that was set up by the recovery of a New Orleans fumble at the Saints’ 15. The home team responded with a six-yard touchdown run of its own, by HB Bob Gresham, to make it a 7-7 game after one quarter.

The Saints moved ahead with just over four minutes to play in the first half, capping a six-minute drive with Charlie Durkee’s 30-yard field goal. Atlanta put together a 10-play, 76-yard series in response that was highlighted by a 35-yard gain on a pass from Berry to rookie WR Ken Burrow and finished off with a 12-yard field goal by Bill Bell. The score was tied at 10-10 at halftime.

The Saints got a break midway through the third quarter after a punt hit Atlanta HB Willie Belton and was recovered by LB Ray Hester at the Falcons’ 12. Manning ran for a six-yard touchdown and New Orleans held a 17-10 edge going into the final period.

Atlanta’s struggling offense finally came alive in the last six minutes of the game, sparked by a big play. Berry threw to Burrow for an 84-yard gain to the New Orleans three yard line, and Malone capped the series with a one-yard scoring run. With Bell’s extra point, the game was tied once more at 17-17.

The Saints came right back, however, as HB Virgil Robinson returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to set up a 36-yard field goal by Durkee that put them back in front with 3:14 to play.

HB Jim “Cannonball” Butler came up with a good kickoff return of his own, running it back 36 yards to his own 49. Nine plays later, on a series highlighted by a Berry throw to his other rookie starting wide receiver, Wes Chesson, for a 19-yard gain on a third-and-18 play to the New Orleans 26, the Falcons scored when Berry tossed a 22-yard touchdown pass to Burrow with just 34 seconds left to play. Atlanta held on to win by a final score of 24-20.

The Falcons outgained the Saints (319 yards to 300) although New Orleans had more first downs (20 to 14). Atlanta gained only 57 yards on 22 running plays but the defensive line came through with five sacks. Each team turned the ball over once.

Ken Burrow had a huge performance as he caught 8 passes for 190 yards and a TD. Bob Berry completed 18 of 27 passes for 269 yards with a touchdown and had none intercepted. Art Malone was the team’s leading rusher with 24 yards on 8 carries that nevertheless included two TDs. “Cannonball” Butler was right behind with 22 yards, also on eight attempts.


For the Saints, Archie Manning went to the air 26 times and completed 17 for 174 yards with none for scores, but also no interceptions – in addition, he ran the ball three times for 28 yards and a TD. Bob Gresham was the top receiver with 6 catches for 60 yards while also rushing 18 times for 52 yards and a score. FB Jim Strong was the leading ground-gainer as he accumulated 73 yards on 17 carries.

“The Saints played the run a lot tougher this time and we just couldn't get our hands on the ball much because they controlled it,” said Coach Norm Van Brocklin. “I think the Saints are the most improved team in football.”

Atlanta concluded the schedule with a 7-6-1 record that placed the Falcons third in the NFC West. They would break even in 1972 at 7-7 and contend for a time in ’73 while ending up at 9-5, but the Falcons would not reach the postseason until 1978. The Saints, who finished behind Atlanta at 4-8-2, would find their hopes dashed with a 2-11-1 mark in 1972. It would take far longer – until 1987 – for New Orleans to finally put together a winning mark and make it into the playoffs.

Bob Berry, who had the best years of his 11-season career under Van Brocklin’s tutelage, ranked second in the NFL in yards per attempt (8.87, to 8.92 for Roger Staubach of the Cowboys) and completion percentage (60.2) and fourth overall in the conference in passing under the system in use at the time (third by today’s system at 75.9).

Ken Burrow caught 33 passes for 741 yards (22.5 avg.) and six touchdowns. Over the course of a five-year career, all with the Falcons, he never exceeded the yardage total and had a high of 34 catches in 1974. Overall, he ended up with 152 receptions for 2668 yards (17.6 avg.) and 21 TDs. The 84-yard catch against the Saints was his longest and the eight pass receptions his most in a single game, and the 190 receiving yards tied his career high.