1978: Dusek Fumble Return Lifts Redskins Past Patriots

The Washington Redskins were under new leadership and facing long odds (they were 9.5-point underdogs) as they faced the New England Patriots in a season-opening game on September 3, 1978.

Jack Pardee was making his debut as head coach of the Redskins, the successor to George Allen and his seven straight winning records, including 9-5 in ‘77. Allen had dealt away draft picks to stockpile veterans, and there were concerns about retooling at certain positions. Foremost was at quarterback, where Bill Kilmer was almost 39 years old and being pressed by Joe Theismann, who was named the starter just prior to the opener. HB Mike Thomas was capable and it was hoped that FB John Riggins would rebound from an injury-plagued year. The defense was tough but old and there were concerns in particular about the backfield.

New England, coached by Chuck Fairbanks, had also been 9-5 the previous year but was considered to be a contender in the highly competitive AFC East. Steve Grogan brought grit and mobility to the quarterback position and there was a promising group of runners led by FB Sam Cunningham. WR Darryl Stingley’s career was cut short by a spinal cord injury suffered during the preseason and WR Harold Jackson was obtained from the Rams to take his place. The defense was fifth overall in 1977 and especially strong against the run.

There were 55,037 fans in attendance at Schaeffer Stadium in Foxboro, MA. The Redskins came through with a big gain on their first play from scrimmage as Joe Theismann fired a pass to WR Danny Buggs that picked up 63 yards to the New England 17. From there, the visitors made it to the eight before Mark Moseley came on to kick a 26-yard field goal for the early 3-0 lead.

That lead held up through the first half as both quarterbacks were erratic and the Patriots failed to take advantage of several opportunities. Drives to the Washington 23 and 26 both came up empty, the last when CB Lamar Parrish picked off a Grogan pass at his 18 with 20 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Three minutes into the third quarter, the Patriots finally got on the board as the result of an 80-yard drive in seven plays when QB Steve Grogan passed to WR Stanley Morgan for a 33-yard touchdown. John Smith added the extra point for a 7-3 advantage.

The Redskins responded later in the period thanks to 18-year veteran DE Ron McDole’s interception of a Grogan pass that he batted into the air at the line of scrimmage and that resulted in an 11-play, 55-yard advance. Mike Thomas converted one third down with a six-yard run and then another in which he made a diving catch for 14 yards to the New England 22. After reaching the 10, a fumbled snap lost five yards and Theismann’s throw to WR Frank Grant in the end zone was dropped. Once more it was Thomas, circling out of the backfield and getting open for a 15-yard TD toss from Theismann. Moseley’s extra point attempt hit the goal post and was unsuccessful but the visitors were in front by 9-7.

As the game headed into the fourth quarter, the Patriots put together an 80-yard drive as two reserves, HB Horace Ivory and TE Don Hasselbeck, made key plays and Grogan went long to Harold Jackson for a 45-yard touchdown. Smith’s conversion put New England back on top by 14-9.

Up by five points, the Patriots were attempting to run out the clock as they took possession in the last three minutes. But on a second down play Ivory, attempting to sweep around right end, was hit hard by DT Dave Butz, causing a fumble. LB Brad Dusek, a former member of the Patriots, grabbed the ball on one bounce and raced down the left sideline along with a convoy of teammates for a 31-yard touchdown. Moseley this time made good on the PAT and the visitors clung to a two-point lead with 2:40 left to play.

The Patriots still had time and a brisk wind at their backs. They got a break on the next series as Grogan fumbled when sacked by DE Diron Talbert and the Redskins recovered, but the play was nullified by an illegal bump on Parrish. That gave the Patriots a first down at their 32, but a handoff to HB Andy Johnson was botched, DE Coy Bacon sacked Grogan for a 13-yard loss, and a third down pass was dropped by WR Don Westbrook to force a punt. Washington then put the game away when John Riggins broke away for a 31-yard gain to the New England 16 in the last minute, allowing the Redskins to run out the clock and win by a final score of 16-14.

Total yards were nearly even, with the Patriots having a slight edge (326 to 324) although New England more decisively led in first downs (21 to 14). However, the Patriots also turned the ball over three times, to two suffered by Washington, and the Redskins recorded three sacks, to one by New England.

Joe Theismann completed 10 of 24 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown while giving up an interception. Mike Thomas ran for 70 yards on 11 carries and also led the Redskins with four catches, for 46 yards and a TD. With the long gain to start the game, Danny Buggs gained 89 yards on two pass receptions. John Riggins contributed 60 rushing yards on 16 attempts.

For the Patriots, Steve Grogan was successful on just 12 of 31 throws for 199 yards and two TDs with two interceptions. Despite the late fumble, Horace Ivory had a fine overall performance with 89 yards on 16 carries. Harold Jackson caught 7 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown.

The opening win was the first of six straight for the Redskins, but they slipped badly during the second half of the season to finish at 8-8 and third in the NFC East. New England recovered to win eight of the next nine games, and topped the AFC East with an 11-5 record. However, the announcement by Coach Fairbanks that he was resigning to take over at the University of Colorado just prior to the season finale, and his immediate dismissal by owner William H. Sullivan effectively pulled the plug on the season. The Patriots lost decisively to Houston in the AFC Divisional playoff round.

Brad Dusek, who was originally drafted by the Patriots, was in his fifth season with Washington and well established as the starting left linebacker. His game-winning fumble recovery was one of two for the year and 16 over the course of his career, three of which he returned for touchdowns.

1983: Stars Shut Down Walker & Turnover-Prone Generals

The Philadelphia Stars of the United States Football League were making their home debut as they hosted the New Jersey Generals on March 13, 1983. They had won their opening game of the league’s inaugural season in a closely-fought contest at Denver while the Generals lost theirs at Los Angeles.

Things had gotten off to a rocky start for the Stars when George Perles, originally hired to coach the team, left for Michigan State instead and Jim Mora, previously an assistant with the New England Patriots, was brought in with only weeks to prepare for the regular season. RB Kelvin Bryant (pictured above) had been signed out of North Carolina and was the club’s prize rookie and key to the conservative, ball-control offense that was directed by QB Chuck Fusina. The defense had shown its toughness in the opening win.

New Jersey was coached by Chuck Fairbanks and made the biggest splash in the run-up to the first season by signing Heisman Trophy-winning RB Herschel Walker, who left Georgia with a year of eligibility remaining to turn pro. Walker rushed for 65 yards in his debut against the Express the previous week following a short preparation period. QB Bobby Scott was a veteran NFL backup but had given up three interceptions in the opener.

It was a sunny day with a brisk wind in the 50s at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium with 38,205 fans in attendance. The Stars had the first possession and moved effectively down the field, mixing passes and runs by Kelvin Bryant, who also had a catch. However, the drive stalled at the New Jersey 24 and David Trout’s 41-yard field goal into the wind was unsuccessful.

The Generals moved well in response, but a fumble by Herschel Walker was recovered at the Philadelphia 46. Following a punt by the Stars, the next New Jersey possession ended with CB Antonio Gibson intercepting a pass by Bobby Scott at his own 32. The Stars had the ball as the game headed into the second quarter and, converting a fourth down along the way, they put together a drive that ended with an eight-yard pass from Chuck Fusina, rolling to his right under pressure, to WR Scott Fitzkee in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. Trout missed the try for extra point, hitting the left upright, but the home team was in front by 6-0.

The Stars got the ball back on an interception by LB George Cooper and he returned it to the New Jersey 32. With Bryant and FB Booker Russell running well, they advanced to the seven but, after being backed up five yards due to a delay of game penalty, Fusina scrambled to the two for a first down. From there, Bryant hurtled into the end zone for a TD to complete the six-play possession. The pass attempt for a two-point conversion failed, but Philadelphia held a 12-0 lead.

That remained the score at halftime. Scott threw another interception, this time picked off by FS Mike Lush, and while the Stars advanced quickly into New Jersey territory, CB Terry Daniels picked off a Fusina pass with the clock down to just over a minute remaining.

The Generals had turned the ball over to conclude all four of their first half possessions, and the trend continued on the first series of the third quarter as Walker fumbled after catching a swing pass and the Stars recovered at the New Jersey 31. Philadelphia turned that into three points and a 15-0 lead as Trout was successful on a 26-yard field goal attempt.

Yet another turnover gave the ball to Philadelphia in New Jersey territory, but this time the home team came up empty when Trout was wide to the right on a 34-yard try for a field goal. Dave Boisture was the quarterback when the Generals next had the ball and the results were no better as he quickly tossed an interception, grabbed by LB Sam Mills. The Stars moved methodically but, after getting inside the ten, it was their turn to fumble the ball away. The visitors punted for the first time from deep in their territory and Philadelphia again had good starting field position. This time, as the game headed into the final period, the Stars didn’t come up empty as Trout kicked a 31-yard field goal.

The remainder of the game brought no surprises. The Generals were unable to reach the end zone and Philadelphia, utilizing the formidable ground attack, drove to a clinching touchdown on a one-foot quarterback sneak by Fusina. Trout added the point after and that provided the final margin in the 25-0 win.

The Stars easily led in total yards (395 to 215), first downs (22 to 13), and time of possession (35:27 to 24:33). They also recorded five sacks, two of them by DE Don Fielder, to none by New Jersey. The Generals turned the ball over a debilitating seven times against three suffered by Philadelphia. There were only two punts, one by each club.

Chuck Fusina was efficient, completing 14 of 22 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown while giving up one interception. Kelvin Bryant rushed for 114 yards on 24 carries and also caught two passes for 22 yards. TE Steve Folsom topped the Philadelphia receivers with four catches for 60 yards.

For the Generals, Herschel Walker was held to 60 yards on 13 rushing attempts. Bobby Scott was successful on 12 of 20 throws for 103 yards with three interceptions and Dave Boisture was five-of-12 for 46 yards and was picked off once. FB Dwight Sullivan caught 6 passes, although for just 17 yards, while WR Larry Brodsky gained a team-leading 46 yards on his three receptions.

The Stars made it three straight wins to start the season the following week before losing to Tampa Bay, but remained consistent throughout the year in topping the Atlantic Division with a league-best 15-3 record. They advanced to the USFL Championship game before losing a close contest to the Michigan Panthers. New Jersey continued to struggle and ended up at 6-12 and third in the division.

Kelvin Bryant received All-League honors as he rushed for 1442 yards and 16 touchdowns and pulled in 53 pass receptions for 410 more yards and another score. His rushing total placed second to Herschel Walker, who finally got on track (even if his team didn’t) and gained 1812 yards on 412 attempts (4.4 avg.) with 17 TDs. He also received All-League recognition.

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.

1977: Browns Rally in Second Half, Defeat Patriots in Overtime

The Monday night game on September 26, 1977 featured the Cleveland Browns hosting the New England Patriots. The Browns were coming off of a 9-5 record in ’76 under Head Coach Forrest Gregg. QB Brian Sipe had emerged from an obscure backup role to replace the disappointing Mike Phipps and there was a fine all-purpose runner in HB Greg Pruitt (pictured at right). Cleveland pulled off an upset the previous week in defeating the Bengals and were 1-0 as they faced another significant test.

The Patriots were coached by Chuck Fairbanks and reached the playoffs the previous year with an 11-3 tally. QB Steve Grogan, like Sipe, had been unheralded coming into the league and was effective both passing and running with the ball. While the holdouts of G John Hannah and OT Leon Gray caused disruption, there was a good corps of running backs, starting with FB Sam “Bam” Cunningham and TE Russ Francis was one of the best at his position. The defense was tough, with CB Mike Haynes and FS Tim Fox coming off of outstanding rookie seasons. New England had also won its opener against Kansas City.

There were 76,413 fans in attendance at Municipal Stadium. The Browns had the first possession and advanced 85 yards in 12 plays. Brian Sipe completed a third-and-five throw to Greg Pruitt that picked up 35 yards to the New England 11 and Pruitt tossed an option pass to FB Brian Duncan for a five-yard touchdown. Don Cockroft added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The Patriots punted following a short series but got the ball back when SS Prentice McCray intercepted a Sipe pass at the New England 29. They again had to punt and, helped by a 23-yard return by DB Roland Woolsey, the Browns again advanced into New England territory in the final minutes of the opening period. The drive stalled at the 26 early in the second quarter and Cockroft missed to the right on a 44-yard field goal attempt.

The Patriots made the most of the reprieve, moving methodically down the field. Steve Grogan completed a pass to HB Don Calhoun that gained 21 yards and had additional yards tacked on due to a facemask penalty on the Browns. Following two carries by HB Ike Forte, Grogan finished the 10-play, 74-yard series with a throw to Sam Cunningham (pictured below) in the end zone for an eight-yard TD. John Smith tied the score with his successful conversion.

On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Tim Fox intercepted a Sipe pass and returned it to the Cleveland 22. The Patriots couldn’t reach the end zone but they did put more points on the board with Smith’s 35-yard field goal to go ahead by a 10-7 tally.

That was it for the scoring until a 46-yard punt return by Mike Haynes gave the Patriots the ball at the Cleveland 29 with 1:33 remaining in the first half. Cunningham and Grogan ran the ball down to the two, from where Calhoun scored a touchdown. Smith’s extra point made the halftime score 17-7 in favor of the visitors.

The Patriots had the ball first in the third quarter and punted. Cleveland advanced 54 yards in six plays as Pruitt ran for 11 yards on two carries and caught a pass for another six, and Sipe threw to TE Gary Parris for a 26-yard TD. Cockroft’s PAT made it a three-point game at 17-14.

The Browns immediately regained possession when CB Raymond Clayborn fumbled on the kickoff return and WR Ricky Feacher recovered for Cleveland at the New England 25. While the offense went three-and-out, Cockroft tied the score at 17-17 with a 37-yard field goal.

The Patriots got just past midfield on the next series but again had to punt. Starting from their 12, the Browns got a boost when Pruitt took off for a 37-yard run with a facemask penalty added on and they were into New England territory heading into the fourth quarter. However, they came up empty when Cockroft tried for a 39-yard field goal that was blocked by LB Rod Shoate.

New England responded with a 61-yard drive that took 13 plays. Grogan completed a pass to WR Steve Burks for 22 yards in a third-and-12 situation and Calhoun and Cunningham ran effectively. Grogan converted another third down play with a throw to Forte for 10 yards to the Cleveland two, and while the Patriots lost yards on the next two plays, Grogan connected with Russ Francis in the middle of the end zone for a six-yard touchdown. Smith converted and the visitors were back on top by 24-17 with 7:28 to play in regulation.

The Browns came back with a seven-play, 73-yard possession. Pruitt had a 17-yard run and Sipe completed passes to Parris for ten yards, WR Reggie Rucker for nine, and WR Dave Logan for 19 yards to the New England 13. It was Sipe to Pruitt for an eight-yard TD and, with Cockroft’s kick, the score was again knotted at 24-24.

Cleveland scored again after a Grogan pass was picked off by LB Charlie Hall. That gave the Browns the ball at the New England 27 and led to a 37-yard Cockroft field goal and a lead of 27-24 with the clock now down to 55 seconds.

That was still enough time for the Patriots to mount a drive. Grogan completed four passes to move New England down the field, the biggest to Francis for 28 yards to the Cleveland 17 with one second remaining. Smith kicked a 24-yard field goal to send the contest into overtime.

The Browns won the toss for the extra period, received the kickoff, and never gave up the ball. Sipe scrambled for four yards in a third-and-one situation and completed a pass to Parris for 12 yards while facing third-and-eight. A throw to Logan that picked up 22 yards got the ball into scoring territory at the New England 19, and two plays later Cockroft kicked a 35-yard field goal at 4:45 into overtime. Cleveland won by a final score of 30-27.    

The Browns led in total yards (393 to 263) and first downs (25 to 21). They also turned the ball over three times, to two by New England, but the Patriots drew 12 penalties at a cost of 80 yards to five flags thrown on Cleveland.

Greg Pruitt had an outstanding night for the Browns as he rushed for 151 yards on 26 carries, caught four passes for another 51 yards and a touchdown, and threw a scoring pass. Brian Sipe (pictured at right) completed 18 of 25 throws for 199 yards and two TDs while giving up two interceptions. FB Cleo Miller, who gained 31 yards on 11 rushing attempts, also had four pass receptions, for 19 yards.

For the Patriots, Steve Grogan completed 15 of 23 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns while being picked off once. Sam Cunningham gained 70 yards on 18 carries and also topped the club with 7 pass receptions for 52 yards and another TD. Don Calhoun contributed 49 yards on 13 rushes that included a TD.

“Greg’s a great player,” said Coach Fairbanks of the Patriots about Cleveland’s Pruitt, who had played for him in college at Oklahoma. “He helped me to win a lot and now he helped take one away from me.”

The Browns had pulled off two upsets to start the season, and while they lost the next two games, they reeled off three straight victories to be in first place with a 5-2 record at the midway point. They faltered from there and the loss of Brian Sipe for the last five games proved fatal as Cleveland won only one of its last seven contests to end up at 6-8 and at the bottom of the AFC Central Division, costing Coach Gregg his job. New England lost the next week, and while the Patriots then won four straight games, a midseason slump caused them to finish at 9-5 and third in the AFC East, just missing out on a Wild Card playoff slot.

In his fifth year with the Browns, Greg Pruitt was chosen to his fourth Pro Bowl as he rushed for 1086 yards on 236 carries, both career highs, for a 4.6-yard average and caught 37 passes for 471 yards (12.7 avg.). His 1557 yards from scrimmage ranked third in the NFL. In addition to the Pro Bowl selection, he received second-team All-NFL honors from the Newspaper Enterprise Association and second-team All-AFC recognition from UPI.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1983: Walker & Generals Hold Off Late Rally to Defeat Gilliam & Federals

The New Jersey Generals had made the biggest player signing heading into the inaugural United States Football League season, but were struggling at 1-6 as they hosted the Washington Federals on April 17, 1983. RB Herschel Walker (pictured above), who left Georgia after a Heisman-winning junior year in ’82 to sign with the new Spring league, overcame a slow start to rank among the top rushers, but Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks’ team as a whole was lacking. QB Bobby Scott, longtime NFL backup to Archie Manning in New Orleans, was mediocre and the defense was no better.

The Federals also came into the game with a 1-6 record. Coached by Ray Jauch, the club had some talent but suffered many injuries and was prone to losing close contests. Two rookies on offense, QB Mike Hohensee and RB Craig James, showed promise when healthy. The defense was woeful and the effort to find a reliable placekicker was not going well.

There were 35,381 fans in attendance at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. The only score of the first quarter came as a result of a safety on New Jersey’s opening possession when punter Dave Jacobs ran out of his end zone. Washington was ahead by a 2-0 margin.

The Generals took control in the second quarter. A 40-yard pass play from Bobby Scott to TE Victor Hicks was good for a touchdown although an attempted two-point conversion was unsuccessful. Midway through the period, a 46-yard New Jersey possession was capped by a two-yard Herschel Walker touchdown carry. This time Scott threw to FB Maurice Carthon to add two points and make the score 14-2.

With the Federals down by twelve points, Joe Gilliam entered the game at quarterback. The 32-year-old Gilliam had experience as a starting quarterback with the NFL Steelers, but had fallen on hard times in the intervening years due to off-field problems. He had started in place of Hohensee the previous week and now guided the visitors to their first offensive score, tossing an 18-yard TD pass to WR Mike Holmes. The the extra point attempt was missed, however, and New Jersey later added a 32-yard Jacobs field goal to take a 17-8 lead into halftime.

The third quarter was scoreless, but on the first play of the fourth quarter, Walker breezed into the end zone from eight yards out for a touchdown. The try for extra point failed, but the home team’s 23-8 lead appeared to be secure.

At this point, Washington began to mount a comeback. On a drive highlighted by two pass interference calls on Generals SS Dana Noel, Gilliam connected with WR Joey Walters for a nine-yard touchdown. Gilliam again threw to Walters for two points and New Jersey’s lead was narrowed to 23-16.

The Federals scored once more on a spectacular play when Gilliam passed to Craig James, who caught it at the New Jersey 35, was spun around at the 28, regained his balance, and sped the rest of the way for a 52-yard touchdown. However, down by a point and trying to take the lead, Washington attempted a two-point conversion that failed when Gilliam’s pass was knocked down by FS Keith Moody.

Still, there were eight minutes remaining. In the final minute, Gilliam drove the Federals down the field, starting at their own 13 and reaching the New Jersey 16 with a 26-yard completion to WR Vince Kinney highlighting the series. The Federals lined up for a field goal attempt with eight seconds left, but Ken Olson missed from 33 yards and New Jersey came away with a 23-22 win.

The Generals had the edge in total yards (389 to 312) and first downs (24 to 18). However, New Jersey also turned the ball over three times, to one by the Federals, and Washington accumulated three sacks, to two by the Generals. The Federals punted seven times, to two by New Jersey, while also drawing eight penalties to six flags thrown on the Generals.

Herschel Walker rushed for 143 yards on 28 carries that included two touchdowns, and his longest gain was for 38 yards. Maurice Carthon contributed 57 yards on 18 rushing attempts. Bobby Scott completed 13 of 25 passes for 206 yards with one TD but also three interceptions. Victor Hicks had four catches for 72 yards and a score.

For the Federals, Joe Gilliam was successful on 10 of 22 throws for 199 yards and three touchdowns, giving up one interception, in relief of Mike Hohensee, who was three-of-seven for 21 yards. RB Billy Taylor gained 85 yards on 17 carries and added four pass receptions for 26 yards while Craig James rushed for 28 yards on 10 attempts and gained 77 yards on his three catches that included a TD.

New Jersey lost a close game in overtime the next week on the way to a 6-12 finish, which placed a distant third in the Atlantic Division. Washington ended up in the cellar at 4-14.

Herschel Walker was in a virtual dead heat with another rookie, RB Kelvin Bryant of the Philadelphia Stars, in the USFL rushing standings following the win over the Federals and ultimately came out on top with 1812 yards. He also topped the new league with 17 rushing touchdowns and 18 overall. He received consensus All-League recognition.

Joe Gilliam continued to split time with Mike Hohensee and ended up completing 40 of 102 passes (39.2 %) for 673 yards and five TDs while giving up 12 interceptions.  

The missed field goal try at the end was Ken Olson’s first official attempt for the Federals. He had not had any attempts in his debut the previous week and an earlier miss from 37 yards against the Generals was nullified by a roughing-the-kicker penalty. Olson was gone by the next week.

1983: Norwood Kicks 5 Field Goals as Stallions Defeat Generals

The Monday night United States Football League matchup on May 9, 1983 featured the New Jersey Generals, with prize rookie RB Herschel Walker, against the visiting Birmingham Stallions. After a slow start, Walker came into the tenth week leading the new league with over a thousand yards on the ground. However, while they had won the previous week, the Generals were only 3-6 thus far under Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks. Other than Walker, the offense was ordinary and the defense mediocre.

The Stallions, under Head Coach Rollie Dotsch, were 4-5 and suffered with inexperienced Bob Lane and Reggie Collier at quarterback, but utilized an effective running back-by-committee approach. The young defense tended to keep opposing teams out of the end zone and had given up a total of just 21 points over the previous three contests.

There was a crowd of 38,734 in attendance at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. After the Stallions were forced to punt on their initial possession, the Generals took the early lead thanks to a 37-yard scoring pass from QB Bobby Scott to WR Tom McConnaughey on their second play from scrimmage at 2:22 into the first quarter. Unfortunately for the home team, that would prove to be the high point of the evening.

Birmingham came back with an 84-yard drive that culminated in a one-yard touchdown run by RB Bill White. Two more time-consuming drives led to field goals by Scott Norwood in the second quarter. The second came with 18 seconds remaining and made it 13-7 in favor of the Stallions at the half. But while the score was close, Birmingham had dominated time of possession by holding onto the ball for just over 22 minutes. As a result, Herschel Walker had just five carries for 19 yards.

Norwood kicked a 31-yard field goal with just under five minutes to play in the third quarter to extend Birmingham’s lead to 16-7 and then recovered a fumbled kickoff return by RB Thomas Lott. That set up his fourth field goal, from 37 yards.

Norwood booted a league-record fifth field goal in the fourth quarter from 25 yard but just missed a sixth from 41 yards. It was more than enough for the Stallions, who won comfortably by a score of 22-7.

Birmingham dominated in total yards (414 to 154), with 242 of that total coming on the ground, as opposed to just 38 yards for the Generals. The Stallions also were dominant in first downs (24 to 8) and time of possession (43:28 to 16:32). The visitors didn’t turn the ball over, while New Jersey did so once.

Four Birmingham runners outrushed Walker – Ken Talton (64 yards on 20 carries), Earl Gant (12 attempts for 56 yards), Bill White (15 carries for 53 yards), and Cornelius Quarles (11 for 47). Bob Lane was successful on 13 of 19 passes for 182 yards. WR Jim Smith topped the receivers with 5 catches for 78 yards. Scott Norwood, the rookie placekicker out of James Madison who had failed to catch on with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, was the scoring star with his five field goals in six attempts.

For the Generals, Herschel Walker gained just 28 yards on 11 carries. Bobby Scott completed 7 of 16 throws for 121 yards and a TD with none intercepted while backup Gene Bradley was successful on just 2 of 6 for 11 yards. TE Sam Bowers caught 4 passes for 62 yards.

“They kept the ball the whole game and I just stood back and watched,” said Herschel Walker. “I reckon I should have brought my rabbit’s foot – we didn’t have any luck.”

The Stallions went on to finish fourth in the tough Central Division with a 9-9 record. New Jersey ended up third in the Atlantic Division at 6-12.

Scott Norwood’s five field goals remained the USFL record, although it was tied twice – by David Trout of the Stars in 1984 and Brian Franco of Jacksonville in ’85. For the 1983 season, Norwood was successful on 25 of 34 field goal attempts and added 34 extra points to total 109 points, which ranked fourth in the league.

Herschel Walker bounced back with 87 yards the next week on his way to topping the circuit with 1812 yards on 412 carries (4.4 avg.) and 17 touchdowns. He also led the Generals in pass receiving with 53 catches for 489 yards and another TD.

1983: Corker Has 6 Sacks as Panthers Defeat Generals

The Michigan Panthers were struggling in the early going of the United States Football League’s first season as they took on the New Jersey Generals at the Meadowlands on April 10, 1983. Coached by Jim Stanley, they had lost four straight games following an opening-week win. The Panthers had unheralded rookie QB Bobby Hebert behind center and were waiting for their better known first-year player, WR Anthony Carter, to break out. LB John Corker had become the star of the defense and, while he missed the previous week’s game, had accounted for nine sacks in the two contests before and was back for the game against New Jersey.

The Generals, under Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks, were also 1-4 and had just broken into the win column in the previous contest. Star rookie RB Herschel Walker was the center of attention and had exploded for 177 yards in the winning effort. But QB Bobby Scott, a veteran backup from the New Orleans Saints, was mediocre and the rest of the team was lacking as well.

There were just 17,648 fans in attendance at Giants Stadium with a steady rain falling. Defense dominated as neither team was able to score during the first half. It stayed that way until, with 5:19 remaining in the third quarter, a punt by Dave Jacobs of the Generals was blocked by CB Clarence Chapman following a high snap. NT Ira Albright fell on the blocked kick in the end zone to finally break the scoreless battle and put the visitors in front.

The Generals came right back and scored less than two minutes later on a one-yard run by FB Dwight Sullivan. However the holder, WR Mike Friede, bobbled the snap for the extra point and it was missed. Michigan, having successfully added its PAT, thus maintained a one-point lead. With a minute remaining in the period, the Panthers extended their margin. Bobby Hebert passed to WR Derek Holloway for a 25-yard touchdown and, with another successful extra point the score was 14-6.

That was it until, with just under a minute to play in the fourth quarter, RB Ken Lacy ran for a nine-yard TD. Michigan ended up with a 21-6 win.

The Generals outgained Michigan (347 yards to 232) and had more first downs (20 to 12). However, the Panthers recorded nine sacks, six of them by Corker, while New Jersey had none.

Bobby Hebert completed 12 of 26 passes for 122 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Ken Lacy rushed for 77 yards on 14 carries that included a TD and also had 4 catches for 39 yards. Derek Holloway gained 40 yards and had a touchdown among his three receptions, while Anthony Carter was held to just two catches for 22 yards.

For the Generals, Herschel Walker, who ran the ball sparingly in the second half as the offense tried to rally through the air, still had a very productive day with 133 yards on 26 carries and another 51 yards on 6 pass receptions. Bobby Scott was successful on 16 of 31 throws for 220 yards and gave up an interception. FB Maurice Carthon, who added another 23 yards on six runs, also pulled in four throws for 52 yards and WR Tom McConnaughey gained 80 yards on his three catches.

The win marked a turnaround for the Panthers, who won five straight games on their way to topping the Central Division with a 12-6 record and ultimately defeating the Philadelphia Stars for the league’s first championship. The offense, helped by the addition of some veteran linemen, came together as Bobby Hebert led the league in passing, Anthony Carter caught 60 passes for 1181 yards and nine touchdowns, and Ken Lacy rushed for 1180 yards.

John Corker’s six sacks gave him 15 in three games on the way to a league-leading total of 28. He received All-League honors from both the league and Sporting News and gaining Defensive Player of the Year recognition.

Meanwhile, New Jersey’s frustrations continued and the Generals finished third in the Atlantic Division at 6-12. Herschel Walker led the new league in rushing with 1812 yards, but the passing attack ranked 9^th among the 12 USFL clubs and only one team, the Arizona Wranglers, gave up more than New Jersey’s 437 points.

1983: Chicago Loses QB but Beats Walker & Generals in Overtime

The Chicago Blitz had come into the inaugural season of the United States Football League as the heavy favorites to win the title. The Blitz had the most experienced pro head coach in George Allen and a great deal of veteran talent, including 36-year-old QB Greg Landry to direct the offense and 11-year NFL veteran LB Stan White on defense. In addition, Chicago picked up two prominent rookie prizes in WR Trumaine Johnson out of Grambling and Ohio State RB Tim Spencer.

The going had been tougher than anticipated in the highly-competitive USFL Central Division, but coming into the May 22 game against the visiting New Jersey Generals the Blitz had a 7-4 record and were a game behind the Tampa Bay Bandits.

The Generals, coached by Chuck Fairbanks, had made the most publicized single signing going into the new league’s first year. RB Herschel Walker (pictured at right), winner of the 1982 Heisman Trophy as a junior at Georgia, had chosen to forego his last year of college eligibility and went with the USFL. But while the signing generated plenty of publicity – and controversy – and Walker overcame a slow start to become a formidable ground gainer, New Jersey overall was not a good team and sported a 3-8 tally coming into the contest at Chicago.

Attendance at Soldier Field numbered a season-high 33,812 fans (helped by Walker’s presence) and they saw the visitors get the first break of the game. On Chicago’s initial possession, the Generals recovered a Landry fumble at his own eight yard line and four plays later Walker plunged over the goal line from a yard out for a touchdown.

That proved to be the end of the first half scoring. Landry had a rough two quarters, completing just 8 of 23 passes for 112 yards with three interceptions as well as the fumble.

Three minutes into the third quarter, Blitz DT Karl Lorch blocked a New Jersey field goal attempt, which seemed to ignite the Chicago offense. The Blitz went 80 yards in nine plays, highlighted by Landry completions of 22 yards to RB Kevin Long and 12 yards to TE Paul Ricker and culminating in a 36-yard Landry scoring pass to WR Lenny Willis. With the successful conversion, the score was tied at 7-7.

Landry was 7-for-10, accumulating 128 yards, in the third quarter as Chicago’s offense played more effectively. Late in the period, the Blitz took over at their own 35, but five plays into the series, and just 11 seconds into the fourth quarter, Landry suffered a season-ending broken ankle when C Wally Pesuit was knocked into him. With the ball at the New Jersey 25, rookie backup QB Tim Koegel came into the game and the Blitz continued their drive to the two yard line. On fourth-and-one, Coach Allen elected to go for a field goal and Frank Corral was successful from 20 yards. The Blitz had their first lead of the game at 10-7.

New Jersey came right back with a six-play, 72-yard possession. Walker put the Generals ahead with a 25-yard touchdown run with 8:40 left in the fourth quarter, but Dave Jacobs missed the extra point and it remained a three-point contest at 13-10.

Chicago’s next drive stalled but the veteran all-purpose kicker Corral booted a clutch 63-yard punt that rolled out of bounds at the New Jersey one. Four plays later, Walker fumbled when stripped by SS Don Schwartz and CB Lance Shields recovered for the Blitz. With just under three minutes remaining in regulation, Corral (pictured below) tied the game with a 35-yard field goal and the score remained knotted at 13-13 after four quarters.

In overtime, Chicago received the kickoff and Koegel’s 38-yard pass completion to Trumaine Johnson moved the ball to the New Jersey seven. On third-and-goal, Koegel, holding for an apparent field goal attempt, instead ran around left end for a five-yard touchdown and, at 3:53 into the extra period, the Blitz were winners by a score of 19-13.  

Chicago outgained the Generals (392 yards to 314), although New Jersey rolled up 225 yards on the ground, and had more first downs (20 to 15). The Blitz were called for 10 penalties, however, at a cost of 74 yards, while the Generals were flagged five times.

Prior to suffering his injury, Greg Landry completed 15 of 33 passes for 240 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. Tim Koegel performed well in relief, completing 6 of 9 throws for 74 yards and running for the game-winning TD. Tim Spencer led the ground game with 72 yards on 16 carries and also caught 5 passes for 70 more. WR Wamon Buggs had 5 catches for 77 yards.

For the Generals, Herschel Walker rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries but also suffered the key fumble in the fourth quarter. He was also one of three New Jersey receivers to catch two passes, for 17 yards, while WR Tom McConnaughey gained 36 yards on his two receptions. QB Bobby Scott went to the air 21 times and completed 10 for 112 yards with two intercepted.

“I’m obviously disappointed that it happened,” said the 15-year veteran Landry of the injury that prematurely ended his season. “I’ve had three season-ending knee operations before, so I’ve been in this situation, and it’s not what you want to happen.”

Four days after the game, the Blitz obtained Scott from the Generals to provide a veteran backup for Koegel. Chicago finished the regular season at 12-6 to place second to the Michigan Panthers (who had the same record but won the division title on tiebreakers) and qualify as a wild card for the postseason. They lost to the Philadelphia Stars in a come-from-behind thriller in the first round.

The Generals placed a disappointing third in the Atlantic Division at 6-12. Herschel Walker was the team’s brightest star, however, leading the USFL in rushing with 1812 yards.

1983: Boddie Upstages Walker as Express Beat Generals in USFL Debut

The United States Football League commenced its inaugural season with five games on March 6, 1983 (there was also a Monday night contest the following day to round out Week 1). Of those games, the one that drew the most attention was played in Los Angeles, where the Express hosted the New Jersey Generals.

There was a national television audience and a large press contingent in addition to 34,002 fans in attendance at the Memorial Coliseum. The reason for the intense scrutiny was the presence of one player, RB Herschel Walker. A three-time All-American and winner of the Heisman Trophy as a junior, he had left the Univ. of Georgia a year early to sign a three-year, $4.2 million contract with the USFL club in a stunning move just weeks before the season commenced.

Expectations were high for Walker, although he had only practiced with the club for a short time since his signing. When the contest was all over another rookie, RB Tony Boddie of the Express (pictured above), who was an unknown 12th round draft choice out of Montana State, would be receiving accolades for his performance.

With veteran NFL backup Mike Rae at quarterback, the Express started off the scoring in the first quarter with a 23-yard field goal by Vince Abbott. New Jersey, also with a veteran pro backup at quarterback in ex-Saint Bobby Scott, scored the first touchdown, and it was Walker running in from five yards out. The extra point attempt failed, however, and the Generals held to a three-point lead. Dave Jacobs booted a 38-yard field goal with just seconds remaining in the opening period to extend New Jersey’s lead to 9-3.

On the opening drive of the second quarter, LA added three points on a 27-yard field goal by Abbott. Rookie Tom Ramsey, a local product from UCLA, replaced Rae at quarterback for the Express five minutes into the period with the Generals holding a 9-6 lead. Ramsey passed to Boddie for an 11-yard touchdown late in the half to put the Express ahead at 13-9.

Four minutes into the third quarter, Los Angeles scored again when Ramsey threw to WR Vister Hayes for a 24-yard TD. The Generals came back with a touchdown of their own in the fourth quarter with Scott hitting WR Tom McConnaughey from ten yards out. Scott’s pass for a two-point conversion fell incomplete and the Express held onto a five-point lead.

With 3:48 left and the ball at the LA 31, Coach Hugh Campbell of the Express chose to go for it on fourth-and-inches. The gamble failed when reserve FB LaRue Harrington carried the ball into the middle of the line and was stopped for no gain. (Afterward, Campbell said that the Express had two injured defensive backs and he was concerned that they wouldn’t have been able to stop New Jersey’s passing attack, thus prompting the effort to maintain possession).

It appeared that it might prove fatal to the home team when the Generals moved swiftly to the Los Angeles five, but then Scott was sacked for a nine-yard loss and, with Walker standing on the sidelines, a fourth-down pass to WR Larry Brodsky came up inches short of a first down and LA was able to run out the clock for a 20-15 win.

The Generals outgained the Express (366 yards to 296), had more first downs (22 to 16), and held onto the ball longer (34:09 to 25:51). However, they also turned the ball over five times, to just one suffered by LA, and Scott was sacked four times while Express quarterbacks were tossed twice. Both teams ran the ball 33 times apiece and Los Angeles outgained the Generals by 169 to 147.

Herschel Walker’s pro debut was pronounced a disappointment as he gained 65 yards on 16 carries that included one TD and caught just one pass for three more yards. By contrast, the unknown Tony Boddie made a splash by gaining 77 yards on 13 attempts and adding 5 pass receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown.

Tom Ramsey completed only 8 of 20 passes for 117 yards for the Express, but two of them went for touchdowns against one interception. Mike Rae was 3-for-7 and 22 yards. While Boddie had the most catches, Vister Hayes was the yardage leader with 60 on his four receptions.

For the Generals, Bobby Scott was successful on 24 of 38 throws for 251 yards and a TD, but was picked off three times. TE Victor Hicks was the top receiver with 5 catches for 69 yards while Tom McConnaughey was right behind with 61 yards on his four receptions. After Walker, the next-leading rusher was FB Dwight Sullivan with 7 carries for 35 yards.


“A lot of the guys had more speed than I expected to see,” said Walker (pictured at left) in summing up his first pro game. “And the execution was better. I guess that’s the biggest adjustment I have to make.”

“I said before the game that we’d use other backs because Herschel had been with us only a week,” said Generals Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks. “In the second half, we were in a catch-up situation early and I felt I had to take him out because of his lack of preparation.”

“We didn’t block as well as we should have for him – we can help him out a lot more than we did today,” added Fairbanks.

“This was real fun,” said Tom Ramsey, whose first pro contest proved to be more satisfying. “I think this is one of the more exciting games I’ve ever played in. The fans got their money’s worth. When the fans are with you, like these fans were, it fires me up.”

Over the course of the season, Herschel Walker asserted himself as a ball carrier and ended up leading the USFL with 1812 yards on 412 carries (4.4 avg.) and 17 touchdowns – he was also New Jersey’s leading pass receiver with 53 catches for 489 yards and another TD. As for Tony Boddie, he returned to earth, ending up 23rd in the league in rushing (and second on the Express) with 403 yards on 109 attempts (3.7 avg.) and three scores while pulling in 46 passes for 434 yards and two TDs.

Both teams ended up with losing records. The Express went 8-10, which was still good enough to contend in the weak Pacific Division (the Oakland Invaders won the division title at 9-9). Alternating quarterbacks (a preference of Coach Campbell from his years in the CFL) and with a generally weak running game, LA could not generate the offensive consistency to put sufficient points on the board and negated the efforts of the fifth-ranked defense. New Jersey was more of a disappointment, finishing 6-12 and well out of the running in the Atlantic Division. Bobby Scott didn’t last the year – he was dealt to Chicago when injuries depleted their quarterback ranks – and Jeff Knapple, Gene Bradley, and Dave Boisture were found wanting.

1976: Raiders Come From Behind to Beat Patriots in Penalty-Filled Playoff Game

The AFC Divisional playoff game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 18, 1976 featured a team that had regularly contended but not yet reached the top against a club that had risen from 3-11 to 11-3 in one year.

The Raiders, coached by John Madden, were the regular contenders. They won the AFC West for the fifth straight time and sixth in seven years since the NFL/AFL merger with a league-best 13-1 record. However, for all of their success, they had consistently come up short in the postseason. QB Ken “The Snake” Stabler had an outstanding season in ’76 and had excellent wide receivers in Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff (pictured above), as well as talented TE Dave Casper. Running behind a superb offensive line, FB Mark van Eeghen rushed for 1012 yards. The defense had been switched to a 3-4 alignment with good results.

New England was the 11-3 Cinderella team, having posted their first winning record since they were still the Boston Patriots of the AFL in 1966. Coached by Chuck Fairbanks for the fourth year, they had benefited from the fine play of QB Steve Grogan in his first full season as the starter, a good group of running backs led by FB Sam “Bam” Cunningham, and the performance of second-year TE Russ Francis. The opportunistic defense that featured the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, CB Mike Haynes, and another first-year star in FS Tim Fox led the league in takeaways with 50. Moreover, the Patriots had inflicted the only defeat on Oakland during the regular season – a 48-17 thrashing in Week 4 – on the way to a second place finish in the AFC East and wild card spot in the playoffs.

New England started off the scoring with an 87-yard drive highlighted by a spectacular one-handed catch by Francis for a 48-yard gain on a third-and-seven play from the Patriots’ 33 yard line. Grogan threw to WR Darryl Stingley for 24 yards on a third-down play to the Oakland one and HB Andy Johnson capped the series with a one-yard scoring run at 3:41 into the first quarter.

The Raiders responded with a scoring drive of their own as Stabler completed his first two passes of the day, of 22 yards to Biletnikoff and 18 to Branch, to set up a 40-yard field goal by Errol Mann just before the end of the opening period.

There were no more points during the first half until just before halftime when CB Skip Thomas intercepted a pass to give the Raiders the ball on their 24. Oakland moved into New England territory and Stabler threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Biletnikoff. So while the Patriots had dominated the first thirty minutes of play, holding the ball for 42 plays to 25 by Oakland, the Raiders led by 10-7.

New England, playing ball-control football, scored twice in the third quarter to nearly take control of the game. The first score came on a drive helped along by a questionable holding call on the Raiders on the punt return that opened the series. New England went 80 yards and QB Steve Grogan finished it off with a 26-yard TD pass to Francis.

Five minutes later, the Patriots punted but retained possession following another penalty on Oakland (an offside call on LB Ted Hendricks). Keeping the ball on the ground, New England drove 55 yards with ex-Raider FB Jess Phillips running in for the touchdown from three yards out. At the end of three quarters, the Patriots held a 21-10 lead and it seemed as though the Raiders might once again fall short of reaching the Super Bowl.


Oakland came right back, however, as Stabler (pictured at left), who had been having problems with his passing, hit on five straight throws in a 70-yard possession into the fourth quarter that ended with van Eeghen running in over left tackle for a TD. With just over 11 minutes to play, New England’s margin was narrowed to 21-17.

The Raiders were stopped the next time they had the ball and then a potential New England scoring drive faltered due to a penalty. Grogan appeared to have successfully sneaked for a crucial first down at the Oakland 28, but the play was nullified by an offside call and Cunningham was then stopped on a draw play. Forced to try for a long field goal, John Smith was short on a 50-yard attempt. With 4:12 left on the clock, the Raiders took over at their 32.

Stabler threw to Biletnikoff for 12 yards and 21 yards to Casper, but “The Snake” was then sacked by DE Mel Lunsford. With the ball at the New England 28, Stabler threw two incompletions, but on the second NT Ray Hamilton was flagged for roughing the passer, giving the Raiders a first down at the 13 with 57 seconds remaining.

Stabler threw to Casper for five yards, and the tight end got out of bounds to stop the clock. HB Clarence Davis ran for four yards on a draw play. The Patriots were penalized for a personal foul on SS Prentice McCray, who kept moving the ball back after it had been spotted.

With a first down and over a yard to go, Coach Madden called for Stabler to run a bootleg option. He chose to send RB Pete Banaszak into the line with 37 seconds left, and the Patriots stopped him short. Stabler, not known for his running ability, went with the rollout on the next play. Scrambling to his left and following G Gene Upshaw, he dove into the end zone with 10 seconds left for the winning touchdown as the Raiders advanced by a final score of 24-21.

New England outgained the Raiders (331 yards to 282) and had more first downs (23 to 20). The Patriots were more effective on the ground, outgaining Oakland by 164 yards to 81, and sacked Stabler four times while Grogan was not sacked at all. However, they turned the ball over three times, to one by the Raiders.

Ken Stabler had problems with his passing accuracy during the first three quarters, not helped by the New England secondary’s success at shutting down the speedy Cliff Branch (3 catches for 32 yards), although it opened up opportunities to throw to Fred Biletnikoff. The result was that Biletnikoff had a big day, pulling in 9 passes for 137 yards and a TD. Stabler was successful on 19 of 32 throws for 233 yards with a touchdown and none intercepted. Mark van Eeghen led Oakland in rushing with 39 yards on 11 carries that included a touchdown.


For the Patriots, Steve Grogan completed 12 of 23 passes for 167 yards with a TD and one picked off. Russ Francis (pictured at right) caught 4 of those throws for 96 yards and a score. Sam Cunningham gained 68 yards on 20 rushing attempts.

Penalties had played a big role throughout the game, especially in some key situations. The Raiders were flagged 11 times at a cost of 93 yards while the Patriots were penalized 10 times for 83 yards. While it seemed that both teams had benefited from the calls, New England’s players and coaches were more vociferous as they complained about the officiating – not to mention alleged dirty play by the Raiders – throughout the contest, and there was plenty of bitterness expressed afterward.

“That was one of the worst-called games I have ever seen in my life,” said an angry Patriots DE Julius Adams.

Chuck Fairbanks kept quiet regarding the officiating in general, but with regard to the controversial call on Ray Hamilton said, “I just hope they were right. It looked to me like Ray Hamilton hit the ball first. If he did deflect the ball, it was an incorrect call.”

More composed later, Fairbanks added, “I’m proud of my team and the way we played today. We’re going home knowing we played our hearts out.”

“That's what YOU say,” said Coach John Madden when the Pats' complaints were brought to his attention by a writer. “If you could sit there for 60 minutes and say the officials turned that game around with penalties at the end, you were wasting your time. You were eating a hot dog somewhere instead of watching what was going on. There was some great football out there.”

For the Raiders, the close call against New England proved to be the biggest scare they suffered on the way to a championship. They defeated the Steelers more easily in the AFC Championship game and dominated the Minnesota Vikings in the Super Bowl. As for the Patriots, they started slowly in 1977 and, while posting a respectable 9-5 record, missed the playoffs in what was ultimately a disappointing campaign.

1975: Terry Metcalf’s 3 TDs Lead Cardinals Past Patriots

After three straight 4-9-1 seasons, the St. Louis Cardinals improved dramatically in 1974 under second-year Head Coach Don Coryell. They not only had a winning record for the first time since 1970, but at 10-4 won the NFC East. Coryell was an offense-minded coach, and three of the major cogs were veteran QB Jim Hart, second-year all-purpose HB Terry Metcalf (pictured at right), and fleet WR Mel Gray. All three were selected to the Pro Bowl.

The Cardinals were off to a 4-2 start in 1975 as they played host to the New England Patriots on November 2 at Busch Memorial Stadium. The Patriots, coached by Chuck Fairbanks, were off to a slow start, having lost their first four games before winning the two most recent. However, starting QB Jim Plunkett was out with a shoulder injury, and rookie Steve Grogan was taking his place.

New England got an early break when Hart’s arm was hit by DE Julius Adams as he attempted to pass and LB Steve Nelson intercepted at the St. Louis 40. The Patriots capitalized to take the lead on a 32-yard field goal by John Smith. However, the Cardinals got on the board in spectacular fashion in the second quarter when Metcalf returned a punt for a 69-yard touchdown - the only TD on a punt return of his career.

But St. Louis wasn’t able to get anything going on offense against a tough Patriots defense. Meanwhile, Grogan played well, completing 8 of 14 passes in the first half, including one for an 11-yard touchdown to WR Randy Vataha that put the Patriots back in front. The Cardinals came back, converting a fourth-and-one situation at the New England 33 with a two-yard run by slow-but-rugged FB Jim Otis. They came up empty, however, when Patriots nose tackle Ray Hamilton blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt by Jim Bakken, who had been successful on his last ten straight.

New England had another shot at the end of the half, but CB Norm Thompson intercepted Grogan’s pass at the St. Louis two yard line on the last play of the second quarter. The Patriots led by 10-7 at the intermission.

The Cardinals managed to run for only 35 yards in the first half as Metcalf had just four yards in seven attempts while Otis gained 31 yards on 10 carries, and Hart was having difficulty completing passes (not helped when veteran TE Jackie Smith was forced to leave the game with an injury).

In the third quarter, the defense added to New England’s margin as Hamilton picked up a fumble by Hart, who was attempting to hand off to Otis, and rumbled 23 yards for a touchdown. The Patriots were now ahead by ten points at 17-7.

In response, the Cardinals offense came alive and Hart was successful on six straight passes, including a 12-yard throw to WR Earl Thomas to the New England 10, on a drive that finally stalled at the three yard line. The result was a 21-yard Bakken field goal to narrow the Patriots’ lead to 17-10.


New England was forced to punt on its next series, and Gray (pictured at left), only recently being used on punt returns, ran the kick back 19 yards to give the Cardinals good field position at the Patriots’ 45. St. Louis made the most of it, driving to a one-yard touchdown plunge by Metcalf early in the fourth quarter, set up by a pounding eight-yard run by Otis.

After CB Roger Wehrli made a great play to break up a long pass attempt from Grogan to Vataha, Mike Patrick punted again for the Patriots and Gray returned the kick 27 yards to the New England 33. Five plays later Metcalf ran for a seven-yard touchdown that proved to be the winning score with 6:15 remaining.

The St. Louis defense took control in the second half, but the Patriots managed one last drive down the field late in the game. However, LB Pete Barnes intercepted a fourth down Grogan pass at the St. Louis 13 to clinch the 24-17 win for the Cardinals.

The team statistics were remarkably even, with the Patriots having a one-yard edge in total yardage (274 to 273) and the Cardinals having one more first down (18 to 17). Both teams turned the ball over three times. The game was very physical, with the Patriots playing aggressively on defense, as manifested by their being penalized 11 times to six flags on St. Louis.

After a slow start, Jim Hart completed 20 of 32 passes for 158 yards with no TDs and one intercepted. Jim Otis gained 65 yards on 21 carries, and Terry Metcalf was held to 44 yards on 17 attempts, although he had the two rushing touchdowns in addition to the TD on the long punt return. Metcalf also caught 5 passes for 33 yards, making him the team’s co-leader with Earl Thomas, who had 5 receptions for 58 yards.

Steve Grogan’s passing numbers went in the opposite direction of Hart’s - after the solid first half, he ended up completing just 14 of 34 passes for 173 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. A mobile quarterback, he also gained 21 yards on three carries. HB Andy Johnson led the Patriots with 50 yards on 16 attempts, while FB Sam Cunningham added 42 yards on 11 runs and also caught a team-leading four passes for 41 yards.

The big punt returns had made the difference, either directly scoring or setting up all three St. Louis touchdowns. Said New England’s Coach Fairbanks, “I take my hat off to Metcalf and Gray for the returns they made against us. We tried to make adjustments but they didn’t work.”

Of his punt return touchdown, Metcalf said, “Their contain man (DB Ron Bolton) kind of overran his position. It was what we had seen on their films.” He also pointed out that Gray was the lead blocker. Added Gray, “Since the offense wasn’t clicking, the special teams had to get on the ball. I think the special teams won the game.”

The win put the Cardinals in a three-way tie atop the NFC East with Dallas and Washington, on the way to repeating as division champions with an 11-3 record. They lost to the Rams in the Divisional playoff round. New England limped to a 3-11 finish at the bottom of the AFC East.

Terry Metcalf’s performance against the Patriots highlighted the all-around skills that allowed him to break the year-old record by New England’s Mack Herron for all-purpose yards with 2462 (his record would last for ten years). He gained a career-high 816 yards on 165 carries for a 4.9-yard average with nine touchdowns, caught 43 passes for 378 more yards (8.8 avg.) and two TDs, had 285 yards on 23 punt returns (an NFC-leading 12.4 avg.) with a score, and 960 yards on 35 kickoff returns (27.4 avg.) that included a touchdown. He topped all of that off with 23 yards on a fumble recovery. Maligned for a tendency to fumble, Metcalf nevertheless was a versatile and flashy key to the club’s success.

Mel Gray didn’t return many more punts (7 in all, for a 7.6 avg.), but had another good season at wide receiver as he caught 48 passes for 926 yards and a league-leading 11 touchdowns (tied with Pittsburgh’s Lynn Swann). His 19.3 yards per catch ranked second in the NFC and he was a consensus All-Pro selection.

Jim Otis (pictured below), the complement to Metcalf as the plodding inside runner, led the NFC with 1076 yards on 269 carries for a 4.0 average gain and five TDs. In the best season of his nine-year career, he was selected to the Pro Bowl along with Metcalf, Gray, Hart, CB Wehrli, PK Bakken, C Tom Banks, OT Dan Dierdorf, and G Conrad Dobler.