1985: Campbell Runs for 160 Yards as Saints Defeat Vikings

RB Earl Campbell (pictured at right) was nearing the end of his Hall of Fame NFL career as the New Orleans Saints played the Minnesota Vikings on November 24, 1985. Once the league’s premier running back with the Houston Oilers, he had been dealt to New Orleans midway through the 1984 season, which reunited him with Head Coach O.A. “Bum” Phillips, who had coached Campbell during his best years with the Oilers. It had not brought a turnaround for the worn-down 30-year-old power runner who had last run for a hundred yards in a game during the ’83 season, which was also the last time he reached a thousand yards and gained Pro Bowl recognition.

The Saints were having plenty of other difficulties. After starting out at 3-2, they were in the midst of a six-game-losing streak that had them at 3-8. Ex-USFL star QB Bobby Hebert started for the first time in the previous week’s loss at Green Bay, replacing the mediocre Dave Wilson. The defense, which had been an asset during most of Phillips’ coaching reign, was performing badly.

Minnesota had a 5-6 record, attempting to bounce back after a disastrous 3-13 campaign with Les Steckel as head coach in ’84. His predecessor, Bud Grant, had come out of retirement to try and right the ship.   

There were 54,117 fans in attendance at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The Vikings had the first possession, went three-and-out, and punted. Earl Campbell carried on each of New Orleans’ first four plays, gaining a total of 29 yards. Faking a pitch to Campbell on the fifth play, Bobby Hebert instead handed off to FB Wayne Wilson, who ran 41 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown. Morten Anderson added the extra point.

WR Buster Rhymes returned the ensuing kickoff 38 yards to the Minnesota 42 and the Vikings struck quickly as, two plays later, QB Tommy Kramer threw to RB Arthur Anderson for a 54-yard TD. Jan Stenerud converted to tie the score at 7-7.

The Saints got good starting field position for their next series thanks to a 45-yard kickoff return by CB Willie Tullis to the Minnesota 46. It was Campbell running three times for 25 yards to start it off. Wilson netted a one-yard loss on two carries and, facing third-and-11, Hebert tossed his first pass of the game to WR Eugene Goodlow for a pickup of 17 yards to the five yard line. Two plays later, Campbell ran for a four-yard touchdown and, adding Andersen’s conversion, the visitors were on top by 14-7.

The Vikings responded strongly as Kramer connected with TE Steve Jordan for 18 yards and RB Ted Brown broke loose for a 21-yard run. But another running play lost yardage and Kramer’s next pass was intercepted by LB Glen Redd, who returned it 25 yards to the Minnesota 38. It was Campbell again carrying the load as the Saints reached the nine yard line at the end of the period and, two plays into the second quarter, Andersen booted a 26-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-7.

A short Minnesota possession resulted in a punt and the Saints advanced 48 yards in seven plays to score again. Campbell continued to run effectively and a pass interference penalty on CB Carl Lee picked up 34 yards. The drive stalled but Andersen kicked another field goal, this time from 47 yards, to make it a 20-7 game with less than eight minutes to go in the first half.

The teams exchanged punts until, just after the two-minute warning, New Orleans TE Hoby Brenner fumbled when hit by CB Willie Teal after catching a pass for 26 yards to midfield, and Teal recovered. Kramer completed three straight passes, the longest to Rhymes for 27 yards to the New Orleans five. The Vikings couldn’t penetrate the end zone, but Stenerud kicked a 22-yard field goal to narrow the margin to 20-10 at halftime.

The Saints had the ball first in the third quarter and advanced 33 yards in eight plays that culminated in a 45-yard Andersen field goal. New Orleans was up by 23-10. The Vikings punted following their possession and it looked promising for the Saints as Campbell ran the ball four times for 25 yards and Hebert completed a pass to Brenner for 14. However, after reaching the Minnesota 30, Lee intercepted an Hebert pass and returned it 33 yards to the New Orleans 39. Kramer completed four consecutive throws, the longest to WR Mike Jones for 17 yards, but after achieving a first-and-goal at the 10, the home team once again couldn’t score a touchdown and settled for a 22-yard Stenerud field goal. The spread was once again ten points as the game headed into the fourth quarter.

Following a punt by the Saints early in the period, the Vikings again drove into New Orleans territory. Facing third-and-ten at the 43, Minnesota got a break when the Saints were called for defensive holding, giving them another first down, and Kramer immediately passed to WR Anthony Carter for a pickup of 19 yards. The drive bogged down at the 20, but Stenerud chipped away further at the New Orleans lead with a 37-yard field goal that made the tally 23-16.

WR Eric Martin returned the kickoff 48 yards and the Saints started their next series off at the Minnesota 49, but Wilson fumbled on a third-down carry and DE Keith Millard recovered for the Vikings at the 38. Kramer had completions to Carter for 25 yards and RB Allen Rice for six as Minnesota advanced to the New Orleans 26, but a long pass by Kramer was picked off by CB Dave Waymer and returned 15 yards to the 18.

The Saints managed to reach their 42 before having to punt. Minnesota was quickly back in business when a first down pass intended for Carter drew a pass interference call on Waymer that picked up 45 yards to the New Orleans 30. This time the Vikings didn’t come up empty as a third-down pass from Kramer to Jones was good for a six-yard touchdown. Stenerud added the extra point to tie the score at 23-23 with 1:47 left in regulation.

The ensuing kickoff went out of bounds and the next, squibbed kick was returned 23 yards by RB Bobby Fowler to the 50. Campbell carried twice for 11 yards before Hebert threw to TE John Tice for a 39-yard TD. Andersen added the point after and New Orleans held on to win by a final score of 30-23.

The Saints had the edge in total yards (371 to 284) and first downs (19 to 17). Of the yardage total for New Orleans, 234 came on the ground. Each team turned the ball over three times.

Earl Campbell rushed for 160 yards on a team-record 35 carries that included one touchdown.  Wayne Wilson (pictured at left) contributed 65 yards and a TD on his 12 attempts. Bobby Hebert completed 10 of 14 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown, his first in the NFL, while being intercepted once. Hoby Brenner topped the Saints with three pass receptions for 51 yards.

For the Vikings, Tommy Kramer was successful on 19 of 45 throws for 240 yards and two TDs with three interceptions. Ted Brown ran for 40 yards on 8 attempts and also topped the club with 8 catches for 54 yards. Alfred Anderson also gained 54 yards on his one long scoring reception. Greg Coleman averaged 51.6 yards on his five punts.

The 160-yard outing against the Vikings was Earl Campbell’s fortieth, and last, career hundred-yard performance. He ended up with 643 yards on 158 carries (4.1 avg.) and his TD at Minnesota was the only one he scored in what was his last season.  

The game against the Vikings was also the last for Coach Phillips, who resigned and was replaced by his son, Wade, the defensive coordinator. The Saints won again the next week but lost their last three contests to end up with a 5-11 record and placed third in the NFC West. Minnesota bounced back to split the remaining four games and finished at 7-9, which ranked third in the NFC Central and was considered a respectable outcome after the debacle of ‘84. Bud Grant retired for good and offensive coordinator Jerry Burns was elevated to head coach.

1978: Oilers Overcome 23-Point Deficit to Defeat Patriots

Two AFC contenders, the Houston Oilers and New England Patriots, faced each other in Foxboro, MA on November 12, 1978. The Oilers, coached by O.A. “Bum” Phillips for the fourth year, had a 6-4 record, with most of those wins coming in closely-fought contests. The offense benefited from the addition of star rookie RB Earl Campbell (pictured above), who was in contention for the league rushing title and drawing comparisons to Hall of Fame FB Jim Brown with his combination of power and speed. QB Dan Pastorini was playing with greater maturity at age 29 and behind a capable line. The defense was especially tough up front where NT Curley Culp was flanked by DEs Elvin Bethea and Jim Young, and the linebacker corps headed by Robert Brazile was outstanding.

New England was guided by sixth-year Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks and was on a roll at 8-2, having won seven consecutive contests. The team was highly talented on both sides of the ball, with QB Steve Grogan directing an offense that featured a fine group of running backs led by FB Sam “Bam” Cunningham and receivers that included game-breaking WR Stanley Morgan and TE Russ Francis, one of the NFL’s best at the position. The defense was strong from front the back, although injuries were becoming a factor. 

There were 60,356 fans in attendance at Schaeffer Stadium on a windy and cloudy day. CB Raymond Clayborn returned the opening kickoff 36 yards and the Patriots advanced 33 yards in seven plays. Steve Grogan threw to Russ Francis for 13 yards and Sam Cunningham (pictured at right) ran for 14 along the way. David Posey kicked a 32-yard field goal for the early 3-0 advantage.

The Oilers drove into New England territory on their first series, keeping the ball on the ground with Earl Campbell and FB Tim Wilson handling the ball carrying. The drive stalled at the 44 and Houston was forced to punt. New England came back with a 62-yard advance in seven plays, the big ones Grogan passes to Cunningham for 13 and 27 yards. Posey made it 6-0 with a 34-yard field goal.

The Patriots quickly regained possession when Campbell fumbled following a six-yard run and LB Rod Shoate recovered at the Houston 35. Grogan went to the air on first down and his pass was complete to Stanley Morgan for a gain of 32 yards as the first quarter came to an end. HB Horace Ivory started the second quarter with a three-yard touchdown run and, following Posey’s extra point, the home team was now in front by 13-0.

It got worse for the Oilers on the ensuing kickoff when WR Johnnie Dirden fumbled after returning it 20 yards and LB Ray Costict recovered at the Houston 28. The Patriots were only able to advance nine yards in six plays, but added another three points when Posey booted his third field goal, this time from 37 yards.

The Oilers moved well on their next series as Dan Pastorini completed passes to FB Rob Carpenter for nine yards and TE Mike Barber for 16. But they continued to be afflicted by turnovers as Wilson fumbled and the Patriots recovered at their 41. Cunningham ran effectively, with two 12-yard carries along the way, and Grogan scored a touchdown on a three-yard bootleg to complete the 59-yard drive in nine plays. Posey added the point after and, with 11:36 to go in the first half, the home team had an imposing 23-0 lead.

Now in a deep hole, Houston had a three-and-out series but got a break when Morgan fumbled Cliff Parsley’s punt and LB Ted Thompson recovered for the Oilers at the New England 32. Pastorini immediately threw to WR Ken Burrough for a 20-yard gain and, two plays later, Carpenter (pictured below) ran eight yards for a TD. Toni Fritsch added the PAT and the visitors were finally on the board, although down by 23-7. That remained the score at halftime as Posey’s 38-yard field goal attempt on the last play of the half was unsuccessful.

The start to the third quarter was unpromising for the Oilers when a Pastorini pass was intercepted by LB Steve Nelson and he returned it 17 yards to the Houston 37. Runs by Ivory and Cunningham got the ball inside the 10, but the drive stalled at the seven and Posey’s 25-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright and was no good.

Given a reprieve, Houston advanced 80 yards in 17 plays, helped along when a punt was wiped out by an illegal chuck on the Patriots to keep the series going. Pastorini completed five passes, the longest to Barber for 18 yards, and Campbell, who caught a swing pass for 14 yards, pounded away on seven carries for 24 yards. Carpenter dove into the end zone from a yard out and, with Fritsch adding the point after, the New England lead was narrowed to 23-14.

With time running out in the period, Grogan passed on the first play following the kickoff and it was picked off by CB Willie Alexander. As the game headed into the fourth quarter, the Oilers moved methodically down the field, covering 72 yards in 15 plays. Following two runs by Carpenter, Pastorini was sacked by Shoate for a six-yard loss but, facing second-and-16, he completed passes to Barber for six yards and WR Mike Renfro for 14 to keep the series going. Lining up for a 48-yard field goal attempt, Houston instead faked with Pastorini tossing a shovel pass to Carpenter for an 18-yard gain and first down at the New England 13. Five plays later, Campbell blasted into the end zone from a yard out. A bad snap forced the extra point attempt to be aborted, but Houston was now down by just three points at 23-20.

Clayborn’s 30-yard kickoff return had 15 yards tacked on for unnecessary roughness on Dirden of the Oilers, giving the Patriots good starting field position at the Houston 49. Three running plays netted eight yards and a Grogan pass on fourth down was broken up by FS Mike Reinfeldt. The Oilers proceeded to drive 59 yards in ten plays. Pastorini converted a third-and-10 situation with a pass to Barber for 14 yards and followed up with a throw to Burrough that gained 26. Pastorini finished the series off by floating a pass to WR Rich Caster, who had gotten free in the corner of the end zone, and that resulted in a 10-yard touchdown. While they again had to abort the try for extra point, the visitors, who were once behind by 23-0, were ahead by three points.

There was 2:29 left on the clock as the Patriots came back on offense but, facing fourth-and-five, they again failed to convert when Grogan, facing a heavy rush, threw an incomplete pass. The Oilers ran the clock down, punted, and Grogan’s last-ditch pass with seven seconds remaining was intercepted by CB J.C. Wilson. Houston came away with a 26-23 win.

The Oilers led in total yards (322 to 274) and first downs (24 to 16) and, most critically, controlled the ball for almost 23 minutes in the second half. Each club turned the ball over four times apiece.

Dan Pastorini, who was three-of-nine at the half, completed 15 of 28 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown while giving up one interception. Earl Campbell rushed for 74 yards on 24 carries that included a TD and Rob Carpenter, in addition to gaining 33 yards on 11 rushing attempts, two of them for scores, also caught four passes for 39 yards. Unfortunately, he also suffered a season-ending knee injury. Mike Barber (pictured below) had four pass receptions as well, for 54 yards, and Ken Burrough led the team with 62 yards on his three receptions.

For the Patriots, Steve Grogan was successful on 9 of 18 throws for 130 yards with no TDs and two interceptions. He also ran the ball five times for 22 yards and a touchdown. Sam Cunningham rushed for 87 yards on 16 carries and caught three passes for 45 more. Stanley Morgan gained 49 yards on two pass receptions. David Posey had a mixed day, hitting on his first three field goal attempts but then missing two kicks.

“A comeback like that, I won’t ever forget it,” said Ken Burrough. “I think I’ll purchase a copy of the game film and carry it with me the rest of my life.”

It was the sixth time that Houston rallied to a win in 1978 and the Oilers went on to finish second in the AFC Central with a 10-6 record, thus qualifying for a Wild Card playoff spot. They reached the AFC Championship game before bowing to the powerful division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots placed first in the AFC East at 11-5, but the departure of Coach Fairbanks just prior to the season finale took the air out of the team and New England lost meekly to the Oilers in the Divisional playoff round.

Earl Campbell won the league rushing title with 1450 yards and received MVP honors from the Pro Football Writers and NEA as well as being named Rookie of the Year and a consensus first-team All-NFL selection.

1980: Steelers Defeat Oilers for Second Straight Year in AFC Title Game

The AFC Championship game on January 6, 1980 featured a rematch of the previous year’s participants, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Oilers. The clubs were rivals in the AFC Central, where the Steelers had finished first with a 12-4 record and then thrashed the Dolphins in a Divisional playoff game and Houston came in second at 11-5 to qualify for the postseason as a Wild Card, defeating Denver in the first round and then upsetting the Chargers in their Divisional game. The teams had split their games during the regular season, each winning at home.

Under Head Coach Chuck Noll, the Steelers had won the Super Bowl the previous season and three in five years. At 31, QB Terry Bradshaw (pictured above) was at the height of his abilities and directed the NFL’s highest-scoring offense that included wide receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth plus the running of FB Franco Harris, who crossed the thousand-yard rushing threshold for the seventh time in eight years. HB Rocky Bleier was splitting time with Sidney Thornton, but remained a capable performer. The top-rated defense was still anchored by DT Joe Greene and contained such stalwarts as DE L.C. Greenwood, OLB Jack Ham, MLB Jack Lambert, CB Mel Blount, and SS Donnie Shell.

Houston was coached by O.A. “Bum” Phillips and featured an offense centered around second-year RB Earl Campbell, who rushed for 1697 yards and 19 TDs. QB Dan Pastorini had an outstanding deep threat in WR Ken Burrough (40 catches, 752 yards, 18.8 avg.). However, Campbell was playing hurt and had missed the Divisional playoff game and Burrough was below par and ended up seeing little action against the Steelers. The heart of Houston’s 3-4 defense was NT Curley Culp and linebackers Robert Brazile and Gregg Bingham, and there were other notable performers in DE Elvin Bethea and FS Mike Reinfeldt, who led the NFL with 12 interceptions, plus SS Vernon Perry, who intercepted four passes in the previous week’s game.

There were 50,475 fans in attendance at Three Rivers Stadium on a bitterly cold day. The Steelers had the first possession and advanced into Houston territory thanks to a pass from Terry Bradshaw to John Stallworth for 17 yards, but after reaching the 35, a throw intended for TE Bennie Cunningham was intercepted by Vernon Perry, who returned it 75 yards for a touchdown. Toni Fritsch added the extra point.

The teams exchanged punts, but the Oilers started off at their 17 and lost yards when Dan Pastorini was sacked on third down back to his 10 by L.C. Greenwood. Cliff Parsley’s 31-yard punt gave Pittsburgh the ball at the Houston 40 and Bradshaw immediately threw to Lynn Swann for 15 yards. A penalty moved the Steelers back and they were facing a third-and-14 situation when Bradshaw, unable to find an open receiver, scrambled for 25 yards to the four yard line. They couldn’t penetrate the end zone from there, but Matt Bahr kicked a 21-yard field goal to narrow Houston’s margin to 7-3.

The Oilers made a big play on their next series when Pastorini completed a screen pass to FB Tim Wilson that gained 41 yards to the Pittsburgh 44. Two plays netted a loss of a yard, but on third-and-14 Pastorini threw to HB Ronnie Coleman for 32 yards. Two plays into the second quarter, Fritsch kicked a 27-yard field goal to put the Oilers up by 10-3.

The Steelers responded with a 67-yard drive in 10 plays. Bradshaw completed five passes, starting the series with a 17-yard completion to Swann, keeping it going with third down throws to Rocky Bleier for eight yards and Swann for 11, and finishing it off with a seven-yard pass to Cunningham for a touchdown (pictured at left). Bahr kicked the point after to tie the score at 10-10.

Houston’s next series ended with a third-and-19 pass from Pastorini to WR Mike Renfro that was complete, but the receiver fumbled and Mel Blount recovered for the Steelers. Pittsburgh advanced 49 yards in six plays as Harris and Bleier ran effectively and Harris also gained 15 yards on a swing pass. Bradshaw threw to Stallworth for a 20-yard TD, Bahr converted, and Pittsburgh was in front by 17-10.

The Oilers regained possession with 2:25 to go in the first half, and on the third play CB Dwayne Woodruff intercepted a Pastorini pass to give the Steelers the ball at their 45. However, after reaching the Houston 23 with seven seconds to go, Bahr’s 40-yard field goal attempt was wide and the score remained unchanged at halftime.

The teams traded punts throughout the third quarter, with neither able to mount a drive until the Oilers, starting from their own 14 with 6:39 remaining in the period, advanced methodically down the field. Pastorini completed three passes, with one to Renfro (pictured below) for a 21-yard gain to the Pittsburgh 23 and a third-and-seven throw to Coleman for 14 yards to the six. The visitors could get no farther, with a pass to Renfro in the corner of the end zone ruled incomplete because the receiver failed to maintain possession before going out of bounds (a call that was vigorously disputed), and on the first play of the fourth quarter, Fritsch kicked a 23-yard field goal to narrow Pittsburgh’s lead to 17-13.

The Steelers came back with an 11-play, 55-yard possession. Franco Harris ran for 13 yards on first down and Bradshaw completed a pass to Swann for 21 yards on a third-and-21 play. The series finally stalled at the Houston 22 and Bahr was successful on a 39-yard field goal attempt, once more putting the defending champs ahead by seven points.

A penalty on the ensuing kickoff had the Oilers starting from their 11 and, while Pastorini completed five passes, the last one to WR Guido Merkens resulted in a fumble that Donnie Shell recovered for the Steelers at the Houston 45. Harris ran twice for eight yards and, on third-and-two, Bradshaw threw to Bleier for a 20-yard gain. With Harris and Bleier picking away, Pittsburgh reached the four, and from there it was Bleier running for a touchdown. Bahr added the extra point, but with less than a minute remaining on the clock, the result was not in doubt. The Steelers won by a final score of 27-13.

Pittsburgh led in total yards (358 to 227) and first downs (22 to 11), grinding out 161 yards on the ground and holding the Oilers to 24 rushing yards. Houston turned the ball over three times, to two suffered by the Steelers, although the Oilers had a three to one edge in sacks.

Terry Bradshaw completed 18 of 30 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns while giving up one interception. Franco Harris (pictured at left) rushed for 85 yards on 21 carries and also caught six passes for 50 yards. Lynn Swann gained 64 yards on four pass receptions and John Stallworth added three catches for 52 yards that included a TD. Rocky Bleier contributed 52 yards on 13 rushing attempts and caught three passes for 39 yards.

For the Oilers, Dan Pastorini was successful on 19 of 28 throws for 203 yards and no TDs while being picked off once. Earl Campbell was well defensed by the Steelers, who did an excellent job of closing off his running lanes, and he was held to just 15 yards on 17 carries. Tim Wilson, who gained nine yards on four rushing attempts, led the team with 7 catches for 60 yards. Mike Renfro had three receptions for 52 yards, but it was the one that was ruled incomplete in the end zone late in the third quarter that drew the most comments afterward.

Of that controversial call on the non-catch in the end zone, Houston’s Bum Phillips summed up by saying “The officials are human. We had fifty-nine other minutes to beat Pittsburgh.”

The Steelers went on to defeat the Rams in the Super Bowl, giving them back-to-back titles and a total of four in six years. Houston again went 11-5 in 1980, finishing second to the Browns this time (Pittsburgh fell to third place at 9-7). The Oilers didn’t make it to the conference title game, as they were routed by Oakland in the Wild Card playoff round (a defeat that cost Coach Phillips his job).

1975: Oilers Defeat Dolphins Thanks to Two Bubba Smith Blocks of PATs

The Houston Oilers were a surprising 6-2 as they hosted the Miami Dolphins on November 16, 1975. Under first-year Head Coach Bum Phillips, the team that had been 1-13 in both 1972 and ’73 was playing like a contender. The Oilers ran the ball effectively with HB Ronnie Coleman and FB Don Hardeman carrying most of the load, and while the passing game was unexceptional, there was an emerging star in WR Ken Burrough. The solid 3-4 defense was the key to Houston’s success, with NT Curley Culp anchoring the line and rookie LB Robert Brazile proving to be a valuable addition. Topping it off was WR Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, who was an exciting kick returner and had already scored twice on punt returns.

One lineup change for the Miami game involved a fading star who had been brought in to provide defensive depth. 30-year-old DE Bubba Smith (pictured above) had been let go by the Raiders and was now backing up his younger brother, Tody, on the defensive line, who was out with a knee injury.

The Dolphins came into Houston at 7-1, having not lost since the opening week. Since Head Coach Don Shula’s arrival in 1970, Miami had been as successful as the Oilers were mediocre. But while there were still some stalwarts, such as QB Bob Griese and HB Eugene “Mercury” Morris, remaining, the Dolphins were in the process of retooling.

There were 48,892 fans in attendance at the Astrodome. The Oilers had first possession and drove 48 yards in 13 plays. Ronnie Coleman and Don Hardeman ran effectively, picking up three first downs, but after reaching the Miami 17 QB Dan Pastorini was sacked by LB Bob Matheson on third down and Skip Butler kicked a 43-yard field goal.

The teams exchanged punts following short possessions, and Miami was driving as the first quarter ended. Bob Griese completed a screen pass to FB Norm Bulaich for 13 yards on a third-and-nine play and then hit on three straight throws to WR Freddie Solomon for eight yards, TE Jim Mandich for 10, and WR Howard Twilley for 31 yards to the Houston 18. But on the second play of the second quarter, another Griese pass was intercepted by LB Ted Washington, who returned it 23 yards.

On a series that advanced 63 yards in seven plays, Pastorini threw to FB Fred Willis for 16 yards and Hardeman broke away for a 37-yard carry to the Miami 12. Butler kicked a 26-yard field goal to make it a 6-0 game.

Miami responded with an eight-play, 64-yard possession. Griese completed three of his passes, the last to Mandich for a 26-yard touchdown. However, the score remained tied when Bubba Smith blocked Garo Yepremian’s try for the extra point.

The Oilers moved into Miami territory on the next series thanks to a Pastorini throw to Ken Burrough that covered 24 yards, but after reaching the 35, two sacks backed them up and they were forced to punt. With time running out in the first half, the Dolphins drove to the Houston 32 before Griese was sacked by Robert Brazile and DE Elvin Bethea. The teams went into halftime still tied at 6-6.

A short Miami series to start the third quarter lost yardage and ended with a punt that Billy “White Shoes” Johnson returned 83 yards for a touchdown. Butler converted and the home team was ahead by 13-6.

Griese started off the next series for the Dolphins by throwing to Twilley for 24 yards and they drove methodically to the Houston nine. However, a completion to HB Larry Seiple at the goal line that was originally called a touchdown by one official was instead ruled down inches short of the goal line by the referee.  FB Don Nottingham was stopped by Smith on a fourth down play and Miami came up empty.

The Oilers went three-and-out and punted and this time Miami didn’t fail to put points on the board. Again facing fourth down, HB Benny Malone ran for the last two yards and a TD and, with Yepremian successfully adding the point after, the score was tied at 13-13 as the game headed into the fourth quarter.

Houston had to punt from deep in its own territory following the next series and the Dolphins took possession at the Oilers’ 48. Three plays later, Solomon took the handoff on a double reverse and sped 35 yards to the Houston three, and from there Nottingham ran for a TD. But once again Bubba Smith blocked Yepremian’s extra point try and the visitors held onto a six-point lead at 19-13.

Following another exchange of punts, the Oilers took possession at their 11. They proceeded to drive 89 yards in 15 plays. Johnson ran for 19 yards on an end-around, Pastorini completed a pass to TE Mack Alston for 24 yards, and on a third-and-seven play from the Miami 26 at the two-minute warning, Pastorini connected with Coleman for 10 yards. Still, the Oilers were facing fourth-and-six when it appeared that another pass intended for Alston was picked off by SS Charlie Babb. But Miami was penalized for defensive holding, allowing Houston to keep the ball with a first down at the seven. Coleman swept around end for a touchdown from there, breaking three tackles in the process, and Butler’s all-important extra point was good to put the Oilers on top by one. A few plays later, an interception by LB Gregg Bingham sealed the 20-19 win for Houston.

The Dolphins led in total yards (350 to 239) and first downs (23 to 15). They also recorded four sacks, to three by Houston, and the Oilers were penalized 10 times at a cost of 90 yards while Miami was flagged five times. However, the Dolphins turned the ball over twice, to none by Houston, and gave up the punt return touchdown as well as the two blocked extra points that ultimately determined the outcome.

Dan Pastorini completed 11 of 22 passes for 111 yards and no touchdowns, although also with none intercepted. Don Hardeman gained 60 yards on seven attempts and Ronnie Coleman rushed for 58 yards on 13 carries that included a TD and caught three passes for another 20 yards. Fred Willis, in addition to running the ball 9 times for 32 yards, led the Oilers with four pass receptions for 33 yards. In addition to his third punt return touchdown of the season, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson (pictured at left) had two catches for 10 yards plus the one 19-yard run.

For the Dolphins, Bob Griese was successful on 21 of 29 throws for 257 yards and a TD, but was intercepted twice. Jim Mandich caught 6 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown and WR Nat Moore contributed five receptions for 59 yards. The ground game was not strong and Benny Malone was the club’s top rusher with 38 yards on 12 carries that included a score.

“Take a step, watch for the kick, and jump up. Just as easy as that,” said Bubba Smith of how he blocked the two extra point attempts, also noting that in film study they had noticed that Yepremian tended to kick low and center Jim Langer took a step back to block.

“I hit the ball low on the second (blocked) one,” explained a dejected Garo Yepremian in talking about his two blocked extra point tries, his fourth and fifth of the season. “I had a bad day…I got to go back to work. I cost us the game. There’s nobody to blame but myself.”

Houston lost its next two games to the only teams it lost to all year, the Steelers and Bengals, and ended up in third place behind those AFC Central rivals with a 10-4 record, missing out on the postseason. The Dolphins lost again the next week, and it was especially costly because Bob Griese went down with a knee injury. They also finished at 10-4, placing second in the AFC East and missing the postseason for the first time since Shula’s arrival.

Bubba Smith appeared in 12 games for the Oilers and started two of them in what was his next-to-last season in the NFL. Billy “White Shoes” Johnson led the league with a 15.3-yard average on 40 punt returns, including the three touchdowns. He also averaged 24.2 yards on 33 kickoff returns and returned one for a TD. Adding in his 393 pass receiving yards and 17 by rushing, he totaled a career-high 1820 all-purpose yards and was named to the Pro Bowl.

Garo Yepremian, in his sixth year with the Dolphins, ended up failing on six of his 46 extra point attempts, but led the NFL with a field goal percentage of 81.3 (13 for 16). He spent another three seasons with Miami.

1978: Campbell-less Oilers Rally Past Browns

Both teams meeting in Cleveland on October 1, 1978 were missing key personnel and coming off losses the previous week. The visiting Houston Oilers were without star rookie RB Earl Campbell, who was sidelined by a pulled hamstring, and WR Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, the outstanding kick returner who had gone down with a knee injury. Head Coach Bum Phillips’ team was 2-2 after a low-scoring loss to the Rams and still had a potent defense while QB Dan Pastorini continued to direct the ball-control offense.

The host Cleveland Browns had won their first three games under first-year Head Coach Sam Rutigliano, but lost a close contest to the Steelers the previous week thanks to a flea-flicker pass in overtime after an apparent Pittsburgh fumble had been blown dead. They were without HB Greg Pruitt, who had a calf injury, although FB Mike Pruitt (no relation) was healthy. QB Brian Sipe was showing improvement and had capable receivers in WRs Reggie Rucker and Dave Logan plus rookie TE Ozzie Newsome. There was talent in the defensive backfield, but the pass rush was lacking.

It was an overcast day at Municipal Stadium with 72,776 fans in attendance. The Oilers took the opening kickoff and drove into Cleveland territory. HB Ronnie Coleman (pictured above), starting in place of Campbell, carried four times for 15 yards and caught a pass for another seven, but when the drive was held up at the Cleveland 33, an attempt to convert a fourth-and-one situation failed when Dan Pastorini was stopped for no gain.

The Browns advanced 43 yards in nine plays, helped by a pass interference penalty in a third-and-10 situation. Brian Sipe converted another third-and-10 play with a pass to Reggie Rucker for 18 yards to the Houston 26, but the drive finally stalled and Don Cockroft kicked a 41-yard field goal.

The Oilers put together a long series. Pastorini completed three passes and Coleman and FB Tim Wilson ran effectively, but after getting a first-and-goal at the seven, the drive came to a halt at the one. On the first play of the second quarter, Pastorini once again tried to convert a fourth down, and once again was stopped short when tackled by LB Charlie Hall before he could reach the goal line.

Cleveland managed to get out to the 14 before punting and Coleman’s 17-yard return gave Houston good field position at the Browns’ 41. With Coleman and Wilson carrying the load and Pastorini throwing to WR Mike Renfro for eight yards to convert a third-and-four play, the Oilers again moved into scoring territory, but Coleman fumbled at the 15 and DE Mack Mitchell recovered for the Browns.

The teams traded punts until, with 1:40 remaining in the half, CB Clarence Scott intercepted a Pastorini pass to give the Browns the ball at the Houston 42. They scored in seven plays, four of them Sipe pass completions. The last two were to Dave Logan, for a 21-yard gain followed by a seven-yard touchdown. Cockroft added the extra point and the home team took a 10-0 lead into halftime.

The Browns went three-and-out to start the third quarter but got the ball back when Coleman fumbled again and CB Ron Bolton recovered. However, four plays later the Oilers benefited from a turnover when CB Willie Alexander intercepted a Sipe pass at midfield. Pastorini converted a third down with an 18-yard completion to Renfro and, two plays later, connected with WR Rich Caster for a 41-yard TD. Toni Fritsch’s extra point attempt was blocked, but the Oilers were on the board and behind now by 10-6.

The teams again traded punts, with Houston winning the battle for field position. A kick that pinned the Browns back at their two led to a punt that gave the Oilers the ball at the Cleveland 43, and in a series that extended into the fourth quarter, they went 43 yards in eight plays. FB Rob Carpenter ran for the last seven and a touchdown, and this time Fritsch successfully converted to give the visitors a three-point lead.

Neither team was able to move the ball and punted following a possession apiece. They then traded turnovers, with FS Mike Reinfeldt intercepting a Sipe pass and Hall recovering a Coleman fumble at the Houston 24, and that led to Cockroft booting a 40-yard field goal that tied the score at 13-13.

There were just over six minutes remaining as the Oilers started their next series, and they were forced to punt. Cleveland took over at its 30 but, four plays later and with 1:24 left on the clock, Mike Pruitt fumbled and LB Art Stringer recovered for Houston at the Browns’ 48. Pastorini immediately went long to WR Ken Burrough, who out-wrestled Bolton for a 44-yard gain. To the Browns and their fans, it appeared that Bolton had been the winner in the battle for the ball and that it should have been ruled an interception. Cans and bottles came flying out of the east stands, delaying play and finally causing the officials to shift to the other end of the field. Three running plays were followed by a Fritsch field goal from 19 yards. A last-gasp pass by Sipe was intercepted and the Oilers won by a final score of 16-13.

The yardage totals were low, reflecting the defensive nature of the game, with Houston gaining the most (215 to 104) and also accumulating the most first downs (20 to 11). Even without Earl Campbell, the Oilers rushed for 164 yards, to just 78 for Cleveland. Each team turned the ball over four times.

Dan Pastorini completed 14 of 29 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown as well as an interception. Tim Wilson led the ground game with 72 yards on 16 carries and Ronnie Coleman contributed 63 yards on 19 attempts to go along with his team-high four catches, good for another 63 yards. With the controversial late-game catch, Ken Burrough (pictured at left) had 68 yards on three pass receptions.

For the Browns, Brian Sipe was successful on just 12 of 32 throws for 106 yards and a TD, giving up three interceptions. Reggie Rucker topped the club with three catches for 48 yards. Mike Pruitt ran for 41 yards on 11 attempts. 

“I think it was a helluva call,” said Coach Phillips of the Oilers regarding the controversial catch awarded to Ken Burrough. “When you go down in a tie, it goes to the offense…I know the fans didn’t like it.”

“I reached over and pulled the ball in and he came with it,” added Burrough. “I caught the ball and Bolton held on.”

Not surprisingly, Ron Bolton’s perspective was different (Bolton pictured below). “I had the ball,” he said. “He came across my back, which is a foul, reached over my shoulder and got his hand on the ball.” 

The Oilers, with Earl Campbell back in action, lost at Oakland the following week but then won seven of their last ten games to finish at 10-6 and second in the AFC Central. Qualifying for a Wild Card playoff spot, they advanced to the AFC Championship game before succumbing to the Steelers. Cleveland won the next game but was successful only sporadically thereafter, ending up third in the division at 8-8.

For Ronnie Coleman, once a starting halfback for the Oilers but now relegated to backup duty when Campbell was playing, the rushing total against the Browns was his highest output of the season as he gained 188 yards on 61 carries (3.1 avg.) and caught 19 passes for 246 yards.  

1983: Rogers Runs for 206 Yards as Saints Defeat Cardinals

The New Orleans Saints opened their 17^th NFL season on September 4, 1983, and while they had yet to finish with a winning record, there was hope for continued progress following a 4-5 result in the strike-shortened ’82 season. Heading into their third year with Bum Phillips as head coach, the Saints had assembled promising young talent that included RB George Rogers, LB Rickey Jackson, DE Bruce Clark, and others who were making the club more competitive. Rogers, in particular, had rushed for 1674 yards as a rookie in 1980 after winning the Heisman Trophy at South Carolina, but was coming off of an injury-plagued ’82 season and was looking to bounce back. Another promising player, QB Dave Wilson, had missed all of the previous year due to knee surgery and was viewed as the heir to the starting quarterback job, although 37-year-old Ken Stabler had resurrected his career with New Orleans in ’82 and was still the quarterback of the present.

Opposing the Saints in the opener were the St. Louis Cardinals, coming off of a 5-4 record that had qualified them for the playoffs in the expanded tournament format adopted due to the strike. Starting their fourth year under Head Coach Jim Hanifan, the Cards were also in the midst of a transition at quarterback, with Neil Lomax having taken over the starting duties from 39-year-old Jim Hart. RB Ottis Anderson was highly productive and there were talented targets in WR Roy Green, a converted defensive back, and Pat Tilley, a fine possession receiver.  

There were 65,225 fans in attendance at the Louisiana Superdome. Following a short series by the Saints that ended with a punt (not to mention the loss of Ken Stabler due to injury suffered when hit by DT Elois Grooms while passing), the Cards, starting off with good field position at the New Orleans 47, drove to the game’s first score. Ottis Anderson carried four times for 29 yards and Neil Lomax completed two passes, the second for an 11-yard touchdown to TE Doug Marsh. Neil O’Donoghue added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

New Orleans took possession and George Rogers carried twice for 16 yards before Dave Wilson, the replacement for Stabler, threw to TE Hoby Brenner for nine yards and then to WR Jeff Groth for a 42-yard gain to the St. Louis 35. However, the Saints came up empty when, three plays later, LB Bob Harris intercepted a Wilson pass.

The teams traded punts as the game headed into the second quarter and New Orleans then put together an 88-yard drive in seven plays. The big play along the way was a 36-yard carry by Rogers to the St. Louis 15, and three plays later RB Wayne Wilson ran nine yards up the middle for a TD. Morton Andersen’s extra point tied the score.

The Cards responded by moving the ball well on their next series. Lomax completed three passes, including one to WR Mike Shumann for 33 yards to the New Orleans 19 in a third-and-five situation. A penalty on the Saints advanced the ball inside the ten, but two Lomax passes fell incomplete and O’Donoghue’s field goal attempt from 24 yards sailed wide to the left.

Starting from their own 20, the Saints drove into St. Louis territory once again. Rogers carried three times for 24 yards and FB Hokie Gajan ran for 14 yards, but on a third-down play at the Cards’ 38, Wilson fumbled while being sacked by DE Al “Bubba” Baker and DT Mark Duda recovered. St. Louis made the Saints pay for the turnover, advancing 21 yards in seven plays that resulted in O’Donoghue booting a 47-yard field goal with 48 seconds left on the clock. The Cardinals took a 10-7 lead into halftime.

Lomax was out with a shoulder injury and the veteran Jim Hart was at quarterback when St. Louis started off the third quarter, and he completed his first four passes, most notably one of 26 yards to Pat Tilley. The drive bogged down after reaching the New Orleans 14, however, with Anderson being thrown for a loss on a draw play and Hart tossing two incompletions. The Cards came up empty when O’Donoghue missed on a 38-yard field goal try.

It didn’t take long for the Saints to turn the tables. On their second play, Rogers took a handoff, went through the middle of the line, and then cut to the right, breaking a couple of tackles along the way to a 76-yard touchdown. Andersen added the extra point and, instead of the Cardinals adding to their lead, New Orleans was in front by 14-10.

It got worse for the visitors on the second play after the kickoff when a Hart pass was deflected and intercepted by LB Dennis Winston, who fumbled after returning it 15 yards, but CB Rodney Lewis (who knocked the ball off course in the first place) recovered at the New Orleans five. Three plays later, Rogers scored again, this time from a yard out. Andersen’s PAT put the Saints up by 11 points at 21-10.

The teams exchanged punts before the Cardinals put together a long series that extended into the final period. Just before the end of the third quarter, Hart completed a third-and-19 pass to Roy Green for 20 yards to reach the New Orleans 46. Green picked up another 25 yards on a reverse, but once again the drive bogged down and a field goal attempt went awry, this time due to a bad snap that was batted away and gave the Saints possession at midfield.

The Saints capitalized on their good fortune, moving 50 yards in five plays. Wilson threw deep for WR Kenny Duckett in the end zone, who hauled it in for a 35-yard touchdown. Andersen converted and the Saints enjoyed a comfortable 28-10 lead.

The Cardinals fought back with a nine-play, 72-yard possession. Hart completed five passes, the last for 16 yards and a TD to Tilley, but that was it. There were just over five minutes remaining to play, and the visitors had the ball once more to no effect before succumbing by a final score of 28-17.

The Saints gained the most yards (383 to 340) while St. Louis had the edge in first downs (20 to 15). New Orleans was far more productive on the ground, gaining 272 rushing yards, while the Cardinals produced 225 net yards through the air. The Saints recorded four sacks, to one by St. Louis, although they were also penalized 14 times, at a cost of 101 yards, to 8 flags for 50 yards on the visitors. New Orleans also turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by the Cards, but St. Louis was damaged by failures on field goals, two by missed kicks and one on a bad snap.

George Rogers rushed for a team-record 206 yards on 24 carries that included two for scores. Hokie Gajan added six attempts for 34 yards and Wayne Wilson contributed 32 yards and a TD on his 10 carries. Dave Wilson didn’t go to the air often, completing 7 of 11 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown along with an interception. Jeff Groth, Kenny Duckett, and Hoby Brenner each had two catches apiece, for 50, 44, and 23 yards, respectively, and Duckett scored a TD on one of his. 

For the Cardinals, Neil Lomax was successful on 11 of 16 throws for 111 yards and a touchdown, while giving up no interceptions, before leaving the contest and Jim Hart went 11 of 20 for 141 yards with a TD and an interception in relief. Ottis Anderson ran for 60 yards on 18 carries. Roy Green (pictured above) caught 8 passes for 82 yards and added 25 yards on his one running play. Pat Tilley contributed 65 yards on four receptions that included one for a score.

New Orleans lost the next week but went on to post an 8-8 record and finished third in the NFC West, just missing out on a winning record and playoff spot with a loss to the Rams in the season finale. The Cardinals started out at 1-5 before surging during the second half of the year and ending up with an 8-7-1 tally and third place in the NFC East.

George Rogers injured his knee the following week and missed three games, but was productive the rest of the way as he rushed for 1144 yards on 256 carries (4.5 avg.) and scored five touchdowns. He went over a hundred yards three more times. After being dealt to Washington in 1985, Rogers matched his 206-yard rushing total, also in a contest against the Cardinals.

1979: Steelers Bury Oilers to Win AFC Championship

The AFC Championship game on January 7, 1979 featured the Pittsburgh Steelers, seeking to return to the Super Bowl after falling short the previous two seasons, against the division-rival Houston Oilers. Under Head Coach Chuck Noll, the Steelers were in the playoffs for the seventh straight year. In his ninth season, QB Terry Bradshaw (pictured above) was at his best and had wide receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth to pass to while FB Franco Harris was a consistent ground-gainer, in tandem with HB Rocky Bleier. The “Steel Curtain” defense was well-seasoned and still sound, featuring DT “Mean Joe” Greene, DE L.C. Greenwood, MLB Jack Lambert, OLB Jack Ham, and CB Mel Blount. Pittsburgh topped the AFC Central with a 14-2 record, splitting the season series with the Oilers, and easily dispatched Denver in the Divisional playoff round.

Houston was coached by O.A. “Bum” Phillips for the fourth year and was in the postseason for the first time since 1969, the last year of the American Football League. The key player on offense was FB Earl Campbell, the power-running Heisman Trophy winner out of Texas who led the league in rushing as a rookie (1450 yards). QB Dan Pastorini had a good year and benefited not only from Campbell’s running but the break-out season of TE Mike Barber. The defense was solid and included DE Elvin Bethea, MG Curley Culp, and LB Robert Brazile. The Oilers went 10-6 to finish second in the division to Pittsburgh and defeated Miami in the Wild Card playoff game and the Patriots at the Divisional level to advance to the AFC title game.

It promised to be a rugged contest. The last time the teams met during the regular season, 13 players were injured during the course of the game, including Earl Campbell, who suffered a broken rib.

49,417 fans were in attendance on a wet day at Three Rivers Stadium, with a cold rain leaving puddles scattered on the artificial surface. The precipitation occurred throughout the contest, but the partisan crowd was enthusiastic and waved their “Terrible Towels” in earnest.

The tempo was set on Houston’s first play when Earl Campbell took a handoff and was tackled by Jack Ham for a loss of two yards. The Oilers went three-and-out and punted, with WR Theo Bell returning the kick 12 yards to give the Steelers good field position at their own 43. They went 57 yards in five plays, the biggest a pass from Terry Bradshaw to Lynn Swann for 34 yards. Franco Harris ran for a seven-yard touchdown, Roy Gerela kicked the extra point, and Pittsburgh had the early lead.

Following another Houston series that ended with a punt, Bradshaw completed back-to-back passes to TE Randy Grossman that picked up 29 and 14 yards, respectively, to reach the Houston 21, but two plays later CB Willie Alexander came up with an interception. The Oilers weren’t able to take advantage – two plays after that, Mel Blount returned the favor by picking off a throw by Pastorini, and his 16-yard return gave Pittsburgh the ball at the Houston 26.

The Steelers couldn’t move in three plays and Gerela’s 40-yard field goal attempt fell short. Once again the Oilers gave the ball back as Campbell fumbled and Ham recovered for Pittsburgh at the Houston 17. Harris fumbled the slippery ball on the next play, but the Steelers maintained possession and Rocky Bleier (pictured at right) went around right end for 15 yards and a TD. Gerela added the PAT and Pittsburgh took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.

The ball was hard to handle and, at one point in the second quarter, there were fumbles on three consecutive plays. Bradshaw fumbled on first down from his own 32 and, while the Steelers recovered, it was at a cost of 20 yards. Harris carried and lost the handle on the ball, with Robert Brazile recovering for the Oilers at the Pittsburgh 19. Campbell then fumbled on Houston’s first play, but managed to recover, and the Oilers, helped by a pass interference penalty, advanced to first-and-goal at the four. They couldn’t reach the end zone and settled for a Toni Fritsch field goal of 19 yards to at least get on the board.

The Steelers responded by driving into Houston territory, with Bradshaw scrambling for 13 yards and then passing to Swann for 18. But two plays after Bradshaw connected with Bleier for a 16-yard gain to the five yard line, he was again intercepted, this time by CB Greg Stemrick in the end zone.

L.C. Greenwood sacked Pastorini on the next play and Houston went three-and-out and had to punt. Harris fumbled twice on the ensuing series, the second recovered by the Oilers at their own 30. The clock showed 2:16 remaining in the half, but before it was over the Steelers put the game out of reach.

Pastorini threw to HB Ronnie Coleman, but after he gained 15 yards, Ham stripped the ball away and made the recovery. Four plays later, and with the clock down to 52 seconds, Bradshaw connected with Swann for a 29-yard touchdown. The extra point put the Steelers ahead by 21-3.

On the ensuing kickoff, WR Johnnie Dirden fumbled the return and HB Rick Moser recovered for Pittsburgh at the Houston 17. After a run by Harris gained nothing, Bradshaw threw to John Stallworth for a touchdown from that distance. However, the first half scoring still wasn’t over. On Houston’s next play, Coleman again fumbled and DT Steve Furness recovered at the Oilers’ 24. Gerela kicked a 37-yard field goal and, in a matter of less than two minutes, the Steelers had scored 17 points and taken a commanding 31-3 lead.

The second half was only a formality. The Steelers had the first possession in the third quarter and punted, but two plays later Ham intercepted a Pastorini pass and it set up another Gerela field goal, this time from 22 yards.

MG Ken Kennard recovered a fumbled handoff for Houston at the Pittsburgh 20, but SS Donnie Shell intercepted a Pastorini throw that gave the Steelers the ball at their one yard line. The Oilers did come up with points when LB Ted Washington tackled Bleier in the end zone for a safety, but that was it. Houston’s next two possessions ended in interceptions as the Steelers continued to dominate on defense. Pittsburgh won the AFC title by a final score of 34-5 and moved on to the Super Bowl.

The teams combined for 12 fumbles, breaking a 45-year-old NFL record. The Oilers lost four of their six fumbles and also gave up five interceptions (four in the second half alone) on the way to a staggering total of nine turnovers. Pittsburgh turned the ball over five times, three on fumbles and twice on intercepted passes. The Steelers outgained Houston by 379 yards to 142, running for 179 yards while holding the Oilers to 72 rushing yards – their seventh straight contest in which they held their opponent to under a hundred yards on the ground. Pittsburgh also recorded four sacks, to none by Houston.

Terry Bradshaw completed 11 of 19 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns with two intercepted. Franco Harris ran for 51 yards on 20 carries that included a TD, and fumbled four times in the first half, losing two. Rocky Bleier contributed 45 yards and a score on 10 rushing attempts and also caught four passes for another 42 yards. Lynn Swann also had four pass receptions, for a total of 98 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Jack Ham (pictured below, tackling Earl Campbell) had a sack, an interception, and recovered two fumbles while Jack Lambert was credited with 11 tackles.

Earl Campbell was held to 62 yards on 22 carries and fumbled three times, losing one. Dan Pastorini was successful on 12 of 26 throws for 96 yards with the five interceptions. TE Rich Caster had 5 catches for 44 yards and FB Tim Wilson also caught 5, for 33 yards.

Responding after the game to a pre-game comment by Bum Phillips that the Oilers were breaking off diplomatic relations with the Steelers and declaring war, Coach Chuck Noll wryly commented, “Our football team wanted an unconditional surrender. And we got it.”

“The big thing was the fact that we got up on them so fast,” explained Jack Ham. “To try to play catch-up football in that weather was about impossible.”

The Steelers went on to defeat the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl and repeated the next year. The Oilers again finished second in the AFC Central in 1979 and advanced once more to a showdown with Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship, which the Steelers won by a score of 27-13.

1982: Saints Overcome Late Rally to Beat 49ers

Under second-year Head Coach Bum Phillips, the perennially-losing New Orleans Saints were showing signs of improvement. They started off the 1982 NFL season at 1-1 before the whole league went on hiatus for eight weeks due to a players’ strike. Upon returning, the Saints defeated the Chiefs and headed to San Francisco for a matchup with the 49ers on November 28.

36-year-old QB Ken Stabler (pictured at right) had been picked up just before the season began after having been unceremoniously released by the Oilers. Taking the spot of injured QB Dave Wilson, “The Snake” had beaten out 11^th-year veteran QB Archie Manning for the starting job. RB George Rogers was also a key player in the conservative offense that Phillips preferred to utilize. The defense had promising young talent, most notably DE Bruce Clark and LB Rickey Jackson.

The 49ers, under Head Coach Bill Walsh, were coming off a championship season in 1981 but had lost their first two pre-strike games in ’82 and, having also won their first post-strike contest, were at 1-2 as they hosted the Saints. While QB Joe Montana, who had emerged as a star in the title year, was still playing at a high level, the running game was insufficient and injuries on defense were a problem.

There were 51,611 fans at Candlestick Park on a rainy day in San Francisco. Things didn’t start out in promising fashion for the visitors. On their initial possession, a Stabler pass was deflected and intercepted by LB Willie Harper. While the 49ers weren’t able to capitalize on the turnover, they advanced to the New Orleans 34 and Jim Miller’s punt pinned the Saints down at their own one yard line.

However, Ken Stabler completed all five of his passes as the Saints drove 99 yards in the rain for the early lead. “The Snake” started with a 16-yard pass to TE Hoby Brenner from the one yard line, included another pass to Brenner for 25 yards, and finished off the series with a 10-yard scoring throw to FB Wayne Wilson.

San Francisco came back in the second quarter with a 57-yard drive in eight plays that ended with Ray Wersching kicking a 40-yard field goal. But later in the period, Rickey Jackson (pictured below) recovered a fumble at midfield and New Orleans capitalized as George Rogers ran for a 38-yard gain and RB Jimmy Rogers capped the five-play possession with a two-yard run for a touchdown. While Toni Fritsch’s extra point attempt hit the upright and was unsuccessful, the Saints were ahead by 13-3. Just before the end of the first half, Wersching booted a 45-yard field goal to narrow the margin to 13-6.

In the third quarter, New Orleans had first possession and methodically went 54 yards in 11 plays ending with Fritsch kicking a 27-yard field goal. Shortly thereafter, Jackson made another big play on defense as he intercepted a Montana pass and returned it 32 yards to the San Francisco six to set up a second scoring run by George Rogers, this time of just a yard. The extra point was good and the Saints held a seemingly-comfortable 23-6 lead.

The New Orleans defense stymied the 49ers until late in the fourth quarter and San Francisco also fumbled the ball away twice, once at the New Orleans 24. But with just over five minutes remaining to play, Montana and the 49ers caught fire. They drove 79 yards in nine plays that featured pass completions of 24 and 12 yards to WR Dwight Clark and 14 yards to WR Freddie Solomon. Following Montana’s completion to FB Earl Cooper for 13 yards to the New Orleans 17 in a second-and-15 situation, HB Jeff Moore ran for five yards and a first down and Montana fired a 12-yard touchdown pass to Moore. 

After a short series and punt by the Saints, the Niners got the ball back at their 41. A Montana pass to Solomon, who lateraled to Moore, got the ball to the New Orleans 29. It took a total of six plays to get into the end zone with Montana hitting TE Russ Francis from 17 yards out. But the score came with just five seconds remaining and San Francisco’s slim comeback hopes ended on the ensuing onside kick that WR Jeff Groth recovered for the Saints. New Orleans came away with a 23-20 win.

The 49ers gained more yards (376 to 324) and had more first downs (21 to 17) than the Saints, but also turned the ball over three times while New Orleans did so just once. San Francisco’s problems running the ball were also a hindrance, with 55 yards on 16 carries.

Ken Stabler completed 11 of 20 passes for 154 yards with a touchdown and an interception. George Rogers (pictured below) rushed for 97 yards and a TD on 17 carries, the biggest chunk of the 170 yards on the ground for New Orleans. Wayne Wilson, who ran for 25 yards in 8 attempts, had 53 receiving yards on his three catches to lead the club, and scored a touchdown. Hoby Brenner also had three receptions, for 49 yards.

For the Niners, Joe Montana was successful on 27 of 42 throws for 334 yards and two scores while tossing one interception. Dwight Clark pulled in 6 passes for 90 yards and Earl Cooper also had 6 catches for 68 yards to go along with his 15 yards on five runs. Likewise Jeff Moore, the team’s leading rusher with 23 yards on 8 attempts, gained more yards through the air as he caught four passes for 65 yards and a TD.

“That was one of the finest football games I’ve seen in the last few years,” said Bum Phillips. “The 49ers didn’t give up, showed why they are champs.”

“A lot of people had written me off, but I don’t ever remember leaving,” said Ken Stabler.

It was the high point of the abbreviated season for the Saints, who at 3-1 were off to the best start in franchise history and thinking playoffs. They lost their next four games and ended up with a 4-5 record, placing ninth and just out of the running for a postseason slot in the revised post-strike structure (no divisions with the top eight teams in each conference qualifying for spots in the playoff tournament. The Detroit Lions, also 4-5, came in eighth due to a better conference record than New Orleans). San Francisco had an even more disappointing year in going 3-6 to finish eleventh in the NFC.

Ken Stabler didn't have a big statistical season but helped the Saints with his leadership and savvy. He completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 1343 yards with six touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Injuries wore him down, as was also the case with George Rogers, who was nagged by a hamstring injury but rushed for 535 yards in six games and earned a second straight trip to the Pro Bowl.

1978: Campbell Leads Oilers Past Dolphins in Monday Night Thriller

The Houston Oilers were a team on the rise as they hosted the Miami Dolphins at the Astrodome on November 20, 1978. Under Head Coach Bum Phillips, the Oilers were 7-4 and coming off a dramatic come-from-behind win at New England the previous week. The key to their resurgence was rookie RB Earl Campbell (pictured above), the 1977 Heisman Trophy-winner out of Texas, whose power running fueled the ball-control offense.

The visiting Dolphins, under Head Coach Don Shula, had missed the postseason the past three years but were 8-3 and winners of their previous three contests. QB Bob Griese had missed the first five games with a knee injury, but was back in action. The proficient running attack was led by offseason-addition RB Delvin Williams, who was leading the league in rushing coming into the game at Houston.

There were 50,290 fans on hand as well as a national television audience for the Monday night contest. In the first quarter, Miami drove to the first score of the game with the help of Griese’s passing (he hit on four of five attempts), including one of 27 yards down the middle to WR Nat Moore that, in turn, set up a ten-yard touchdown throw to Moore

The Oilers responded with Pastorini completing passes to TE Mike Barber for gains of 29 and 12 yards, the latter to the Miami four yard line, setting up Campbell’s first TD from a yard out with 3:32 to play in the opening period.

Moving into the second quarter, DE Elvin Bethea sacked Griese on a third down play that forced the Dolphins to punt. Houston drove 87 yards in seven plays, helped along by a 38-yard pass interference call. WR Mike Renfro gained nine yards on an end-around run and then caught a pass from Pastorini for eight more. A completion to WR Ken Burrough gained 13 yards to the Miami 18 and on a third-down play, Pastorini avoided the blitz and connected on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Barber.

Down 14-7, Griese completed five of six passes on a drive that ended with a one-yard scoring plunge by Williams with 21 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The score was tied at 14-14 at the half. After thirty minutes of play, the Dolphins defense had held Campbell to 44 yards on the ground, but it would be a different matter in the second half.

The Oilers went back in front at 21-14 in the third quarter when Campbell ran for a six-yard TD, but the Dolphins drove 89 yards and FB Leroy Harris scored from a yard out to again knot the score at 21-21.

The evenly-matched teams had scored a touchdown apiece for the first three quarters. The tie was broken once again early in the fourth quarter, this time as the result of a safety as Miami DE A.J. Duhe sacked Pastorini in the end zone for two points. The Dolphins then got the ball back on the free kick with excellent field position at the Houston 45 and seemed poised to put the game away. But in a key series, the Oilers defense held and Miami was forced to punt.

Houston got the ball back and put together an 80-yard drive in which Pastorini connected with WR Ken Burrough on a 24-yard pass play and Campbell twice converted third downs with runs of six and eight yards, respectively. With less than five minutes to go, Campbell capped the possession as he ran around right end for a 12-yard touchdown that put the Oilers back in front at 28-23

The Dolphins responded by driving into Houston territory, with WR Duriel Harris gaining 31 yards on a pass reception along the way, but FS Mike Reinfeldt deflected a Griese pass intended for TE Andre Tillman at the eleven yard line and LB Steve Kiner intercepted. The turnover proved to be decisive. After running the ball three times to gain another first down, Campbell took off on a sweep to the right, got a key block from OT Greg Sampson, made a move on SS Tim Foley, and charged down the sideline for an electrifying 81-yard touchdown run, his fourth of the game. While Griese threw to WR Jimmy Cefalo for an 11-yard score at the end, it only narrowed Houston’s winning margin of 35-30.

Miami outgained the Oilers (454 yards to 406) and had more first downs (27 to 23). However, the Dolphins turned the ball over twice, including the big interception that set up the decisive touchdown run, while Houston turned the ball over once.

Earl Campbell was the game’s biggest star as he ran for 199 yards on 28 carries with four touchdowns. Dan Pastorini made good use of slip screen passes (passes to a wide receiver who has stepped back behind the line of scrimmage), going to the air 15 times and completing 10 for 156 yards with a TD and an interception. Mike Barber led the Oilers in pass receiving with 3 catches for 56 yards, including a score.

For Miami, Bob Griese (pictured below) was in top form as he completed 23 of 33 passes for 349 yards with two touchdowns and one intercepted. Delvin Williams was well-contained as he rushed for 73 yards on 18 attempts that included one TD. Nat Moore caught 3 passes for 84 yards and a score while Duriel Harris had 4 pass receptions for 79 yards and Leroy Harris grabbed 5 passes out of the backfield for 25 yards (he also rushed 12 times for 51 yards and a TD).


“I just try and do my best, that's all,” said the soft-spoken Earl Campbell afterward, who passed Williams as the NFL’s leading rusher. “Sometimes my best looks like my worst, but it's not important how it looks. What matters is how we do, whether we win.”

“After the safety we got the ball in good position and didn’t do anything,” said Bob Griese. “That was the key series. They have a good defense and you’re not going to score every time you get the ball.”

“Give credit to Don Shula for making my night a track meet,” said veteran CB Willie Alexander. “He's one of the greatest of all time. His game plan was magnificent. We didn't know where they were coming from next.”

“It was two great offenses on the field tonight and they really carried it to each other,” summed up Steve Kiner.

Houston ended up second in the AFC Central with a 10-6 record and qualified for a wild card slot, as did 11-5 Miami in the AFC East. The two clubs met again in the Wild Card playoff round and the Oilers again came away winners, this time by a score of 17-9. Houston won again at the Divisional level over New England but lost decisively to the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC title game.

Earl Campbell led the NFL with a then-rookie record 1450 yards on 302 carries with 13 touchdowns. The player nicknamed “The Tyler Rose” (he was from Tyler, Texas) was a consensus first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection, and received league MVP honors from the Pro Football Writers Association and Newspaper Enterprise Association, as well as being named Offensive Player of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press. It was the beginning of a relatively brief but brilliant pro career in which Campbell led the league in rushing in each of his first three seasons, and the AFC in his first four.

1979: Injury-Wracked Oilers Upset Chargers in Divisional Playoff Game

Coming into the AFC Divisional playoff game at San Diego Stadium on December 29, 1979, the odds were not favorable for the visiting Houston Oilers. The team, coached by O.A. “Bum” Phillips, had finished second in the AFC Central with an 11-5 record, good enough to secure a wild card spot. They also won the Wild Card playoff against Denver the previous week, but it was at high cost. QB Dan Pastorini and WR Ken Burrough had gone down with groin and tailbone injuries, respectively, that would keep them out of the game at San Diego (Burrough would come in during the second half, but was used solely as a decoy). Even more significant was the loss of the consensus league MVP, RB Earl Campbell, who had run for 1697 yards and scored 19 touchdowns during the season and would also be unavailable due to a groin injury.

The San Diego Chargers had prospered in their first full season under offensive-minded Head Coach Don Coryell, going 12-4 to win the AFC West. The explosive passing attack was led by QB Dan Fouts, who set a new league record with 4082 yards through the air and included outstanding receivers in WRs John Jefferson and Charlie Joiner as well as TE Bob Klein (rookie TE Kellen Winslow played well until lost seven games into the season with a broken leg). The defense was solid, too, and it seemed certain that they would defeat the crippled Oilers.

All seemed to be going to plan when San Diego scored on its first possession of the game, driving 81 yards in 11 plays. Highlights were a 34-yard pass from Fouts to TE Greg McCrary to the San Diego 43 and, three plays later, a completion to Jefferson for 17 yards to the Houston 26. RB Clarence Williams capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.

However, another San Diego drive into Houston territory during the first quarter ended when Oilers SS Vernon Perry intercepted a Fouts pass at his own 18 to shut down the potential scoring threat.

Midway through the second quarter, Perry made a big play on special teams when he blocked a 26-yard field goal attempt by San Diego’s Mike Woods, then picked up the ball and ran 57 yards before being forced out of bounds at the San Diego 28. Five plays later, Toni Fritsch kicked a 26-yard field goal to make the score 7-3.

Before the half ended, Perry struck again, intercepting a second pass; he lateraled to FS Mike Reinfeldt (pictured at top), who picked up seven yards to the San Diego 38 yard line. On the fourth play of the Houston possession, QB Gifford Nielsen ran 18 yards to the San Diego four, and after two more running plays got the ball down to the one. Nielsen threw an incomplete pass to stop the clock and, at that point, Fritsch kicked a field goal. However, the Chargers were penalized for having 12 players on the field and, with the ball moved half the distance, Coach Phillips gambled. He took the points off the board and the Oilers went for it with fourth down and less than a yard to go with 19 seconds left on the clock. It paid off when RB Boobie Clark took a pitchout and found running room to his left to score a touchdown that put Houston ahead, 10-7, at halftime.

The Chargers regained the lead on their first possession of the third quarter. Starting at the San Diego 35, Fouts completed passes of 20 yards to Joiner and 16 to Klein, and with the help of a roughing the passer penalty, the ball was at the Houston 14. Williams ran for six yards and then RB Lydell Mitchell finished off the drive with an 8-yard TD run.

Later in the period, CB J.C. Wilson intercepted a Fouts pass at the San Diego 45. RB Rob Carpenter, who was filling in for Campell although playing hurt himself, was thrown for a one-yard loss and Nielsen threw an incomplete pass. Facing a third-and-13 situation, Nielsen connected with WR Mike Renfro over the middle, who proceeded to break a tackle and run for a 47-yard touchdown. There was 2:05 left in the third quarter, but that would prove to be the end of the scoring.

San Diego had two more shots in the fourth quarter, and both ended in Perry interceptions. With 3:18 left in the game, Perry picked off his third pass at the Houston 35 and his last interception came on a desperation pass by Fouts intended for Jefferson with two seconds remaining in the game. The Oilers came away with a stunning 17-14 win.

The Chargers won the statistical battle, outgaining Houston (380 yards to 259) and accumulating more first downs (25 to 15). However, they also turned the ball over five times (all by interceptions) to just one suffered by the Oilers.

Vernon Perry was the star, intercepting four passes, a NFL playoff-record. He also had the blocked field goal and return that was one of the contest’s most significant plays. Perry had gone undrafted out of Jackson State and played two years with the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes before joining the Oilers in ’79. He had intercepted just three passes during the regular season.

“We knew when we signed him as a free agent out of Canada that the kid was a player,” Coach Bum Phillips said of Perry. “If the Canadian League never does anything else for the NFL, they did something for us.”

“We played the pass all the time,” said Perry. “I was surprised he (Fouts) kept coming at me, but I'm glad that he did because I got four of them (interceptions).”


Offensively for the Oilers, second-year QB Gifford Nielsen (pictured at left) performed ably in place of Pastorini, completing 10 of 19 passes for 111 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Campbell-less Oilers still gained 148 yards on the ground, with Rob Carpenter leading the way with 67 yards on 18 carries. Carpenter also caught four passes for 23 yards, while Mike Renfro, with his one long 47-yard TD catch, was the team’s receiving yardage leader.

As for San Diego, Dan Fouts threw for 333 yards as he completed 25 of 47 passes, but he had no touchdown passes and gave up the five interceptions. Bob Klein caught 5 passes for 41 yards while Charlie Joiner had 81 yards on four receptions and John Jefferson was right behind with 70 yards on four catches as well. The Chargers gained only 63 yards on 19 rushing attempts, with Lydell Mitchell gaining 33 yards on 8 carries with a TD and Clarence Williams accumulating 30 yards on 11 rushes, also with a score.

“I've been around football 31 years, and I've never seen a team with more character,” summed up Bum Phillips regarding the Oilers.

“We just made too many mistakes, that's all,” Dan Fouts said from the San Diego perspective. “We didn't play very well and they did.”

The Oilers lost the following week in the AFC Championship game to the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers, despite a 75-yard Vernon Perry interception return for a touchdown. San Diego went to the postseason in each of the next three seasons, making it as far as the conference championship game in the next two, but never made it to the Super Bowl during the Coryell era.