1989: Johnson Gains 248 Receiving Yards as Lions Defeat Saints

WR Richard Johnson (pictured above) had been a star for two seasons with the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League, twice leading the Spring league in pass receptions, but, other than a brief stint with the Washington Redskins, drew little interest from the NFL after the USFL folded.  There were concerns about his lack of size (5’7”, 172) and speed, but the Detroit Lions finally gave him a tryout in 1989 thanks to the arrival of Darrel “Mouse” Davis as offensive coordinator, who had held the same post in Houston. Johnson made the team and, on December 3, 1989, had an especially noteworthy performance against the New Orleans Saints.

The Lions were struggling at 2-9 under Head Coach Wayne Fontes. Another, more heralded newcomer, rookie RB Barry Sanders, was outstanding, and NT Jerry Ball and LB Chris Spielman were having an impact on defense. But QB Rodney Peete was suffering through an injury-plagued season and, while journeyman Bob Gagliano was familiar with Davis’ run-and-shoot offense, but was no better than a fill-in. Johnson was the best of a receiving corps that was less than exceptional.  

New Orleans had a 6-6 record and was trying to remain in the playoff hunt. Coached by Jim Mora, the Saints had gotten off to a 1-4 start before winning five of six games, but had lost in overtime the previous week. QB Bobby Hebert was going through a rough patch, although RB Dalton Hilliard was filling in well for the injured Reuben Mayes. On defense, the corps of linebackers was outstanding and the Saints had the NFL’s number one rushing defense, but defending against the pass was problematic.

There were 38,550 fans in attendance at the Pontiac Silverdome. The teams exchanged punts until the Lions put together a nine-play, 70-yard drive. Rodney Peete completed passes to Richard Johnson for 27 yards and WR Walter Stanley for 37, and it was the quarterback keeping the ball and running six yards to score a touchdown. Ed Murray added the extra point.

On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Bobby Hebert threw to TE Hoby Brenner, who fumbled and LB Dennis Gibson recovered for the Lions. But two plays later, a high pass by Peete was intercepted by CB Robert Massey, who returned it 22 yards to the New Orleans 47. It led to a three-and-out series followed by a punt, but the Saints again quickly regained possession when Peete fumbled a snap and LB Pat Swilling recovered at the Detroit 34. As the opening period came to an end, New Orleans was moving methodically down the field and, two plays into the second quarter Dalton Hilliard ran for a one-yard TD. Morten Andersen tied the score with the PAT.

The Lions moved swiftly down the field on their next series, advancing 82 yards in five plays as Peete completed passes to Johnson that covered 46 and 36 yards. Barry Sanders broke three tackles on the way to a three-yard touchdown and, with Murray’s conversion, Detroit was back in the lead by 14-7. But RB Bobby Morse returned the kickoff 99 yards, Andersen kicked the extra point, and once again the score was knotted at 14-14.

After the swift exchange of scores, the teams reverted to trading punts. The Saints reached the Detroit 31 with 18 seconds remaining in the first half, but Andersen was wide to the right on a 48-yard field goal attempt and the tally remained unchanged at halftime.

Peete suffered a knee injury when sacked on the second play of the third quarter and Bob Gagliano replaced him. Neither team was able to move the ball as they exchanged punts until, with the ball at their 25, the Lions came through with a big play. Gagliano threw short to Johnson at the left sideline, and he ran the distance for a 75-yard touchdown. Murray again converted and the home team was back in the lead by seven points.

There was another exchange of punts before the Saints advanced into Detroit territory. Hilliard started off with a ten-yard carry that had another 15 yards added to it due to an unnecessary roughness penalty. Hilliard continued to run well and Hebert completed two passes, New Orleans having reached the Detroit 14 as the period ended. But after getting to the seven in the early moments of the fourth quarter, Hebert had a pass batted away in the end zone by CB Jerry Holmes, who nearly picked it off, and on the next throw Holmes succeeded, just keeping his feet inbounds as he came down with the ball.

Gagliano threw to Johnson for 33 yards on the next play, but the Lions had to punt after reaching their 47. Once again the teams kicked punts back and forth. John Fourcade replaced Hebert at quarterback for the Saints, and while he completed his first two passes to Brenner for 20 yards and Hilliard for nine, the result was the same as New Orleans couldn’t get out of its end of the field.

Tommy Barnhardt’s punt gave the ball to the Lions at their 32 with 4:11 remaining in regulation. They never gave the ball up as Gagliano completed passes of 11 and 19 yards to WR Jason Phillips for first downs and, in a third-and-eight situation with still over a minute remaining, Sanders took a handoff, started to his left, changed direction, and ran 27 yards to effectively seal the 21-14 win for Detroit.      

The Lions led significantly in total yards (401 to 169) and first downs (17 to 11), although New Orleans had the longer time of possession (33:47 to 26:13). Both teams turned the ball over twice, but Detroit was penalized 10 times, at a cost of 75 yards, while just three flags were thrown on the Saints. New Orleans also recorded four sacks, to three by the Lions.

Richard Johnson had a huge performance with 8 catches for 248 yards that included the one long touchdown. Barry Sanders rushed for 72 yards on 20 carries that included a TD. Rodney Peete completed 8 of 18 passes for 177 yards and was intercepted once while Bob Gagliano was 6-of-13 for 166 yards and a touchdown while giving up no interceptions. On defense, Jerry Holmes intercepted a pass for the fourth straight game.

For the Saints, Bobby Hebert was successful on 16 of 26 throws, but for just 99 yards with no TDs and one interception. Dalton Hilliard (pictured at right) gained 67 yards on 18 rushing attempts that included a score and also caught 6 passes for 31 yards. Hoby Brenner gained 48 yards on his four pass receptions.

“It seemed like a dream,” said Richard Johnson of his performance. “I’m just so excited it happened to me. I knew I had the ability to play in this league. I just had to get the opportunity.”

The win for Detroit was the second of five straight to close out the season. The Lions ended up third in the NFC Central with a 7-9 record. For the Saints, the loss effectively ended their hopes for a Wild Card playoff spot, although with John Fourcade starting at quarterback, they won their last three games to end up at 9-7 and in third place in the NFC West.

Richard Johnson led the Lions with 70 catches for 1091 yards (15.6 avg.) and eight touchdowns. Barry Sanders received the greater acclaim for his NFC-leading 1470 yards on 280 carries (5.3 avg.) and 14 TDs. He was not only a consensus Rookie of the Year but a first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl selection as well.

Dalton Hilliard went over a thousand yards rushing for the season with his performance against the Lions, and he finished with 1262 yards on 344 attempts (3.7 avg.) and caught 52 passes for 514 more yards (9.9 avg.). He led the NFL in touchdowns (18) and the NFC in yards from scrimmage (1776) and was named to the Pro Bowl.

1989: Anderson Gains 336 Receiving Yards as Rams Beat Saints

The Los Angeles Rams had started off the 1989 NFL season with five wins, lost four straight, but were back on track with two consecutive wins for a 7-4 overall record as they faced the New Orleans Saints on November 26. The Rams had been known as more of a running team in six prior seasons under Head Coach John Robinson, and while they still could run the ball with RB Greg Bell, the passing game was especially effective. QB Jim Everett had the solid veteran WR Henry Ellard to throw to, although he was not available for the game in New Orleans due to a strained calf muscle. However, he also had fleet second-year WR Willie “Flipper” Anderson (pictured above), who had the ability to stretch the field – and would do so in record fashion against the Saints.

New Orleans, coached by Jim Mora, had gotten off to a slow start at 1-4 due to cracks in the outstanding defense – most notably the absence of linebackers Pat Swilling (holdout) and Rickey Jackson (auto accident) at the beginning of the season. However, they then won five of their next six, including a big 40-21 win at LA, and were 6-5 as they hosted the Rams. RB Dalton Hilliard was the featured player on offense, while QB Bobby Hebert was suffering through a difficult season.

There were 64,274 fans in attendance for the Sunday night game at the Louisiana Superdome. The Rams had the first possession and immediately came out throwing as Everett connected with Anderson for gains of 14 and 11 yards. But after penetrating to the New Orleans 26 yard line, a holding penalty backed them up to the 36 and the drive stalled, forcing a punt.

Starting at their nine, it was the turn of the Saints to move the ball down the field, and it yielded results. Hilliard ran the ball six times in the 13-play, 91-yard drive and gained 26 yards while Hebert scrambled for a first down in a third-and-three situation and completed four passes, the last for a 19-yard touchdown to WR Eric Martin. The score stood at 7-0 after one quarter of play.

New Orleans started off the second quarter with Hebert passing to TE Greg Scales for a 17-yard gain and an eight-play possession ended up with Morten Andersen kicking a 36-yard field goal to extend the Saints’ lead to 10-0. The Rams responded with a scoring drive as Everett threw to Willie Anderson for a 43-yard gain on a third-and-13 play from their own 17 yard line and then converted another third down on another Everett-to-Anderson pass that gained 17 yards. Mike Lansford kicked a 32-yard field goal and it was a 10-3 game.

There was no further scoring during the remainder of the half as neither offense was able to effectively move the ball. Los Angeles had been held to 10 net rushing yards, but Anderson had already gained 85 yards on his four catches. There was much more to come.

On the first play following the second half kickoff, Hebert’s deflected pass was intercepted by DT Shawn Miller, giving the Rams the ball at the New Orleans 16. However, after driving down to the five, Lansford’s 22-yard field goal attempt was partially blocked by NT Jim Wilks and was no good.

The Saints moved the ball to their 44, largely due to a 29-yard gain on a Hebert throw to Martin, but New Orleans again had to punt. Anderson caught a six-yard pass on LA’s possession, but the Rams had to punt from midfield. Once again starting deep in their own territory, the Saints got a big gain when Hilliard broke through the line for a 40-yard pickup to the Los Angeles 47. Two plays later, Hilliard reached the hundred-yard rushing mark with a seven-yard carry and two plays after that he took a handoff, headed to his right, and then threw an option pass that Martin gathered in at the three yard line for a 35-yard touchdown. With less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, New Orleans was up by 17-3.

The Rams took possession at their 20 after the resulting kickoff was downed in the end zone, and needing a big play, they got it when Everett connected with Anderson for a 50-yard gain. The period ended two plays later with the ball on the New Orleans 29, but on a third-and-nine play, Everett was sacked by LB Vaughan Johnson for a 10-yard loss and once again the Rams had to punt. The ensuing kick was muffed by WR Rod Harris and LA recovered at the New Orleans 8. But still the Rams’ offense failed to take advantage of an opportunity and found itself with a fourth-and-goal situation at the 11. Everett suffered his fifth sack of the game, this time by Swilling, and the Saints took over on downs.

Following a short possession that resulted in a punt, the Rams got the ball back at their 40. Anderson caught a pass for a 16-yard gain and Everett completed two more short throws before he was intercepted by CB Robert Massey. The play withstood a review and the Saints again had the ball, only to punt it back shortly thereafter. Again Everett came out throwing, hitting WR Aaron Cox for 23 yards down the middle and then Anderson for 14 and RB Robert Delpino for six to the New Orleans 20. However, a pass to Anderson in the end zone fell incomplete and on the next play RB Greg Bell fumbled and DE James Geathers recovered for the Saints.

With time running out for the Rams, the two-touchdown New Orleans lead looked increasingly safe, but the Saints couldn’t get out from deep inside their own territory and had to punt once more. Los Angeles took over at its 39 yard line and Everett, following an incompletion, threw to RB Buford McGee for 11 yards. He went to the air again on the next play, and it resulted in a completion to Anderson for a 46-yard gain to the New Orleans four. Despite two penalties, the Rams were not denied this time as McGee ran for a five-yard touchdown and, with the successful extra point, it was now a 17-10 score.

The Saints took possession with 2:36 left in regulation, but once more the offense moved backward rather than forward and they had to punt from their 11 yard line. Tommy Barnhardt’s kick went 32 yards and, following a three-yard return, LA had the ball at the New Orleans 40.

It appeared that the Rams were still snake bitten, however, as Everett was sacked for the sixth time and then had a completion wiped out by a holding penalty. With second-and-32 at his own 38, Everett completed a pass to Anderson for 26 yards and followed up with a seven-yard completion to TE Pete Holohan for a first down at the New Orleans 29. The next two passes went to Anderson, for 14 yards and then a 15-yard touchdown. The clock was now down to a minute and Lansford tied the game at 17-17 with the successful conversion.

The Saints went three-and-out and punted, and Everett fired a pass down the middle to Anderson for a 24-yard gain to the New Orleans 35. However, Lansford missed a 52-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the fourth quarter and the game went into overtime.

New Orleans won the toss to receive the kickoff for the OT period, but once more the offense couldn’t move the ball and punted. The Rams took over at their 15 and, as had been their pattern, were penalized half the distance on their first play. However, they got a break when a long pass by Everett that was nearly intercepted drew an interference call for a gain of 35 yards. Everett had to throw the ball away under pressure on the next play and Bell ran for four yards, setting up a third-and-six situation at the LA 47. Not surprisingly, Everett looked to Anderson and connected for a 14-yard pickup and first down in Saints territory. Again a holding penalty backed the Rams up, but Everett threw to Holohan for eight yards and, for the climactic time, to Anderson for a 26-yard gain to the New Orleans 14. At 6:38 into the extra period, Lansford kicked a 31-yard field goal and the Rams came away with a hard-fought 20-17 win.

Los Angeles outgained the Saints (472 yards to 301), although only 57 of those yards came on the ground, and had more first downs (23 to 14). They also turned the ball over three times, to two turnovers by New Orleans, suffered six sacks while getting to Hebert four times, and repeatedly hurt themselves with penalties, accumulating a total of 10 (the Saints were flagged nearly as often, with 8).


Willie Anderson set a single-game NFL record with 336 yards on his 15 pass receptions and scored a touchdown (the previous record of 309 had been set by Kansas City’s Stephone Paige in 1985). Jim Everett (pictured at right) completed 29 of 51 passes for 454 yards with a TD and two intercepted. Robert Delpino led what there was of a running game as he gained 28 yards on 7 carries; he also accumulated 33 yards on his 5 pass receptions.

Dalton Hilliard was the star for New Orleans as he rushed for 112 yards on 24 carries. Bobby Hebert, continuing to have difficulties, completed 12 of his 26 throws for 155 yards with a TD and an interception. Eric Martin caught 5 passes for 107 yards and two TDs while, defensively, Robert Massey accounted for two of the team’s interceptions and Frank Warren was credited with two sacks.

“It was the most exciting and the happiest, yet also the most frustrating football game, I've ever been in,” said John Robinson afterward. “I don't know how many times we had the ball inside the 40 and came away with nothing repeatedly. I wasn't sure we'd score another touchdown as long as I lived. Willie Anderson put on the greatest performance I've ever seen by a wide receiver.”

The Rams went on to win three of their last four games to finish at 11-5, good enough for second place in the NFC West and a wild card berth in the playoffs. They easily defeated the Eagles in the first round and beat the Giants in the second, but lost decisively to their powerful division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, in the NFC Championship game. New Orleans, with John Fourcade eventually supplanting Bobby Hebert at quarterback, finished third in the division at 9-7.

“Flipper” Anderson led the NFL in yards per catch with a gaudy 26.0 figure (over six yards higher than his teammate and league runner-up, Henry Ellard, at 19.7). He had 44 receptions for 1146 yards and five touchdowns. Anderson again led the league with 21.5 yards per catch in ’90, but his productivity dropped off after that.

Jim Everett ranked third in the league in passing (90.6 rating) while leading in touchdown passes (29) and placed second (by just eight yards) in passing yardage with 4310. While he went to the Pro Bowl following the 1990 season, like Anderson, his early promise would give way to declining performance as his career moved forward.