1985: Packers Shut Out Bucs in “Snow Bowl”

It was a snowy day in Green Bay on December 1, 1985 as the Packers hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A foot of snow had already fallen by game time and it was accompanied by high winds that gusted to 40 mph and made for a wind chill of zero degrees.

Neither team was in contention coming into the game. The Packers, coached for the second year by Forrest Gregg, had a 5-7 record, although they had won two of their last three contests. WR James Lofton was outstanding but QB Lynn Dickey was showing signs of wear. There was a fair group of running backs but, overall, the team was mediocre. Tampa Bay, under Head Coach Leeman Bennett, also won two of its last three, but had lost the nine games before that and was at 2-10. There was talent in workhorse RB James Wilder and promising new QB Steve Young, who had gained experience in the USFL and recently moved into the starting lineup, but the defense was a liability.  

Attendance was held to 19,856 at Lambeau Field due to the severe weather. The snow did not let up and the conditions didn’t improve during the course of the game, obliterating the yard markers and obscuring visibility. Green Bay won the toss but chose to kick. The Buccaneers thus had the first possession, ran the ball three times, and punted. Lynn Dickey completed a pass to James Lofton, but the star receiver fumbled after gaining 27 yards to midfield and LB Ervin Randle recovered for Tampa Bay. The Bucs were unable to generate offense and punted once again. Green Bay responded with a long drive that took up nearly the remainder of the first quarter. RB Eddie Lee Ivery and FB Jessie Clark carried the ball for the most part but Dickey completed passes to Lofton for 14 and 17 yards and to TE Ed West for 11. The advance finally stalled at the Tampa Bay eight and the Packers came up empty when Al Del Greco’s 25-yard field goal attempt was blocked.

As the game proceeded into the second quarter, the Bucs again had to punt and the Packers put together a 61-yard possession in 11 plays that was helped along when, forced to punt, the Buccaneers were penalized for running into the kicker. Dickey completed passes to Lofton for 11 yards and WR Phillip Epps for seven to start the series and, following the penalty that kept the drive alive, he threw to Lofton for a pickup of 18 yards. Three plays later, and facing third-and-22, Dickey passed to TE Paul Coffman for 19 yards and shortly thereafter, unable to find an open receiver, kept the ball on a one-yard touchdown run. Del Greco added the extra point and the home team was ahead by 7-0.

That remained the score at halftime as the teams traded punts for the remainder of the half. While Dickey was able to complete passes and the Packers generated 243 yards in the wintry conditions, the Bucs were held to 43 yards and one first down.

RB Gerry Ellis returned the second half kickoff 40 yards and it took the Packers just four plays to score again. On second-and-12, Dickey connected with Coffman for a gain of 19 yards and, two plays after that, Ellis broke away for a 35-yard touchdown run. Del Greco again converted to put the home team up by 14-0.

Following another punt by the Bucs, the Packers, starting with good field position at their 48, again drove into Tampa Bay territory, helped along by a pass interference penalty. However, they came up empty this time when Del Greco was wide to the left on a 24-yard field goal attempt.

Another short series by the visitors concluded with another punt, and the teams exchanged turnovers in short order as FS Ivory Sully intercepted a Dickey pass at the goal line, CB Tim Lewis picked off a Steve Young throw two plays later, and Clark fumbled the ball back two plays after that. It appeared that the Bucs might finally get on the board when a long pass by Young intended for WR Kevin House on first down drew a 34-yard pass interference penalty on Lewis that put the ball at the Green Bay 30. Young completed a pass to House for 10 yards but the drive stalled at the 16 and Donald Igwebuike’s 33-yard field goal attempt to start the fourth quarter sailed wide to the left.

The Packers responded by advancing 80 yards in nine plays. Ivery gained 11 yards on a draw play and Ellis had a 15-yard run. Dickey had four pass completions, two of them to Epps for 19 and 18 yards, and the second set up Clark’s three-yard touchdown run up the middle. Del Greco added the extra point and, with Tampa Bay unable to threaten for the remainder of the game, it capped Green Bay’s 21-0 win.

The Packers completely dominated the Buccaneers, gaining far more yards (512 to 65) and first downs (31 to 5), and running 72 plays to Tampa Bay’s 36. Green Bay almost evenly distributed the yardage between running (232) and passing (280). The Packers were credited with five sacks, to two by the Bucs, but also turned the ball over four times, to one suffered by Tampa Bay.

Lynn Dickey completed 22 of 36 passes for 299 yards, and while none were for touchdowns and two were intercepted, it was still a fine showing under the circumstances. Eddie Lee Ivery (pictured at right) and Gerry Ellis both gained over a hundred rushing yards, with Ivery accumulating 109 yards on 13 carries and Ellis contributing 101 on just 9 attempts that included a TD. James Lofton had 6 catches for 106 yards.

For the Bucs, Steve Young was successful on just 8 of 17 throws for 53 yards with no TDs and one interception. He also led the club with 31 rushing yards on 7 carries. James Wilder was held to 23 yards on 12 attempts but led the team with 6 pass receptions for 33 yards.

“Some people can handle cold weather and some can’t. The big thing is, you have to give Lynn Dickey a lot of credit. To be able to throw the football in these conditions is phenomenal,” said Green Bay’s Coach Gregg with reference to his quarterback’s strong outing. “He did a hell of a job.”

Green Bay lost the next week but won the last two games of the season to finish with an 8-8 record for the third straight year, which placed a distant second behind the Bears in the NFC Central. The Buccaneers lost their remaining games, including the rematch with the Packers in the more agreeable climate of Tampa, to end up last in the division at 2-14. While the “Snow Bowl” had no impact on the race for the 1985 postseason, it has maintained a place in the lore regarding pro football games played in extreme weather conditions.

1981: Falcons Erupt in 4th Quarter, Overcome 17-Point Deficit to Defeat Packers

The Green Bay Packers hosted the Atlanta Falcons in the second week of the 1981 NFL season on September 13. Both teams had won in the first week against division rivals, with Green Bay defeating the Bears by a 16-9 tally and the Falcons shutting out New Orleans 27-0.

Expectations were greater for the visiting Falcons, who topped the AFC West in ’80 with a 12-4 record before losing a close NFC Divisional-round playoff game to the Cowboys. Coming into their fifth season under Head Coach Leeman Bennett, Atlanta had a productive offense guided by QB Steve Bartkowski (pictured above) and also featuring all-purpose FB William Andrews, wide receivers Alfred Jenkins and Wallace Francis, and TE Junior Miller. The defense was particularly strong at linebacker, including Al Richardson and Buddy Curry, who both received Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1980.

Green Bay, coached by Bart Starr, was a disappointing 5-10-1 the previous year. QB Lynn Dickey was an able passer when healthy and had an excellent receiver available in WR James Lofton. TE Paul Coffman was also noteworthy and FB Gerry Ellis was an effective runner and receiver. The defense had been riddled by injuries in 1980 and improvement was anticipated, with the biggest concerns regarding the defensive backfield.

There were 55,382 fans in attendance at Lambeau Field and for the first three quarters, they saw their team control the game. In the first quarter, OT Karl Swanke, lined up as an eligible receiver, caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Lynn Dickey. Jan Stenerud added the extra point. Dickey tossed another scoring pass in the second quarter, this time to Gerry Ellis from 11 yards out, and Stenerud again converted.

With time running out in the first half, Ellis ran 10 yards to the Atlanta six and the field goal unit quickly took the field. However, Stenerud’s 32-yard kick was nullified because Swanke was not yet properly set on the line at the snap. Still, the home team took a 14-0 lead into halftime. Lynn Dickey had completed 16 of 20 passes for 208 yards and two TDs, and the Packers outgained the Falcons by 288 yards to 173 and appeared to be very much in command. In addition, Steve Bartkowski was playing with a painful rib injury after a hard hit by DE Mike Butler in the first quarter.

The Packers turned conservative in the third quarter. The only scoring came late in the period when Stenerud kicked a 44-yard field goal to add to Green Bay’s lead. The Falcons finally got on the board early in the fourth quarter when Mick Luckhurst kicked a 32-yard field goal, but it hardly seemed of concern to the home fans.

The Packers had to punt on their next series and Ray Stachowitz kicked a line drive that traveled 43 yards and was returned by WR Reggie Smith, who raced past three defenders, picked up blockers as he reached the right sideline, and gained 53 yards to the Green Bay two. William Andrews plunged through the line for a touchdown on the next play and, with Luckhurst adding the point after, it was a 17-10 game with 10:35 to play.

The ferocious blitzing of the Falcons again kept the Packers in check on a three-and-out series and, getting the ball back, it took Atlanta just two plays to advance 52 yards. Bartkowski threw to Alfred Jenkins twice, first for 22 yards and then for a 30-yard TD, and Luckhurst’s conversion tied the game at 17-17.

The time remaining was eight minutes as the reeling Packers regained possession, and Dickey, under heavy pressure, attempted a short and poorly-thrown pass that was intercepted by LB Fulton Kuykendall (pictured at left), who returned it 20 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Luckhurst added the point after and, in a span of 4:24, the Falcons had scored 24 points to take a seven-point lead.

Green Bay still had a shot at tying the game, but after a Dickey throw to WR James Lofton picked up 27 yards, RB Terdell Middleton fumbled after catching a short pass and LB Joel Williams picked up the loose ball and ran 57 yards for the clinching touchdown. Luckhurst’s PAT capped the stunning Atlanta rally which resulted in a total of 31 fourth quarter points to win by a final tally of 31-17.

The Packers had the edge in total yards (396 to 335) and first downs (22 to 19), but crucially, they netted only seven rushing yards in the second half. Green Bay also turned the ball over five times, with two leading directly to touchdowns in the final period, while the Falcons suffered four turnovers. Atlanta recorded five sacks, to three by the Packers.

Steve Bartkowski completed 16 of 30 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown, although he was intercepted four times. William Andrews rushed for 87 yards on 19 carries that included a TD. Alfred Jenkins had five catches for 97 yards and a touchdown and WR Wallace Francis also pulled in five passes, for 88 yards.

For the Packers, Lynn Dickey was successful on 30 of 44 throws for 342 yards and two TDs, but was picked off three times. Gerry Ellis (pictured below) gained 59 yards on 9 rushing attempts and also caught 8 passes for 47 yards and a score. James Lofton gained 179 yards on his 8 pass receptions. LB Rich Wingo had 13 tackles as part of a defensive effort that stymied the Falcons for three quarters.

“It all starts with Reggie’s return,” said Steve Bartkowski, referencing the long punt return by Reggie Smith that led to Atlanta’s first touchdown. “When you’re 17 points down, one big play is not going to win for you. But that got us started.”

“We simply came apart at the seams there for a few minutes,” said Green Bay’s Coach Starr. “It’s one thing to have points scored against you. It’s another thing to have them scored like they did after that long punt return, that interception and that long pass (to Jenkins).”

“The tide of a game is going to turn sometimes,” summed up Lynn Dickey. “What happened to us today was a tidal wave.”

The Falcons won again the next week to reach 3-0 before dropping four of their next five contests on the way to a disappointing 7-9 record that placed them a distant second to the 49ers in the AFC West. Green Bay continued to struggle and was 2-6 at the season’s halfway point before breaking out with six wins in the remaining eight games to break even at 8-8.

Steve Bartkowski had another Pro Bowl year, throwing for 3829 yards and 30 touchdowns, which made him the first NFL quarterback since Y.A. Tittle in 1962-63 to reach 30 TD passes in consecutive seasons. However, he also gave up 23 interceptions and was sacked 37 times. Alfred Jenkins was a consensus first-team All-NFL as well as Pro Bowl selection, leading the league with 1358 pass receiving yards and 13 touchdowns among his 70 catches.  William Andrews placed second in all-purpose yards with 2036 and earned his second Pro Bowl selection.

1978: “Big Ben Right” Propels Falcons to Stunning Win Over Saints

The Atlanta Falcons had started the 1978 NFL season at 2-4 before embarking on a four-game winning streak that had them up to a 6-4 record as they faced the New Orleans Saints on November 12. Head Coach Leeman Bennett’s team was already known for aggressive defensive play, but now fourth-year QB Steve Bartkowski (pictured at right), who started the season on the bench, was beginning to display a knack for good clutch play while directing an offense full of overachieving performers behind a solid line.

New Orleans, a perennially losing team, was 5-5 and showing signs of improvement under first-year Head Coach Dick Nolan, who had enjoyed some success with the 49ers previously. QB Archie Manning was playing well and had good run support with FB Tony Galbreath and HB Chuck Muncie.

There were 70,323 fans present at the Louisiana Superdome. Neither team was able to put together much offense in the early going, with Steve Mike-Mayer kicking a 21-yard field goal for the Saints to provide the only scoring in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, after Tim Mazzetti booted a 22-yard field goal for Atlanta to tie the score, the Saints drove 64 yards in 11 plays. The series was helped along when New Orleans was able to convert a fourth-and-one situation after the Falcons were penalized for an offside penalty. Tony Galbreath scored on a one-yard touchdown carry and Mike Mayer added the extra point.

With 1:24 remaining in the first half, the Saints took possession and advanced 54 yards in six plays. Archie Manning passed to TE Henry Childs (pictured below) for a 14-yard TD and, with Mike-Mayer’s point after, New Orleans took a 17-3 lead into halftime.

The defenses again dominated in the third quarter, although Mazzetti kicked a 32-yard field goal for the Falcons that narrowed the score to 17-6. Early in the fourth quarter, a promising drive by the Saints came up empty inside the Atlanta 10 when Manning fumbled while rolling out and the Falcons recovered at their six.

The New Orleans defense continued to keep the visitors in check until, with time running short, the Falcons drove 80 yards in 12 plays. Bartkowski completed five passes for 64 yards and the Saints were twice called for pass interference. The series was capped by FB Haskel Stanback running the last yard for a touchdown and Mazzetti converted to narrow the New Orleans lead further to 17-13.

Still, there were only 57 seconds remaining and an onside kick was recovered by the Saints at their 49. Three running plays had the home team facing a fourth-and-two situation at the Atlanta 43. Rather than punt, Coach Nolan chose to try for a game-clinching first down, but Chuck Muncie was stopped for no gain.

With the clock down to 19 seconds and no timeouts remaining, Bartkowski faded back and lofted a long pass to the ten yard line, where three Falcons and an equal number of New Orleans defenders came together. WR Wallace Francis tapped the ball away to WR Alfred Jackson, who grabbed it and ran to the end zone for a 57-yard touchdown, stunning the crowd into silence. Mazzetti kicked the extra point and the Falcons came away the winners by a final score of 20-17.

The game-winning play, called “Big Ben Right”, was created to make use of a change in NFL rules that allowed two players from the same team to touch the ball without a defender having to have had contact with it in between. In this instance, it worked to perfection.

The Saints led in both total yards (347 to 284) and first downs (22 to 16), and they especially dominated in rushing yards (166 to 74). However, much of that offensive output by New Orleans occurred in the first half. The Saints also turned the ball over twice, to one by Atlanta, and the Falcons recorded three sacks, while the home team had one.

Steve Bartkowski completed 16 of 33 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown while giving up one interception, but was 10 of 17 in the fourth quarter. WR Billy Ryckman was Atlanta’s top receiver with four catches for 68 yards, while Alfred Jackson’s game-winning 57-yard reception his only one of the game. HB Bubba Bean rushed for 45 yards on 8 carries.

For the Saints, Archie Manning was successful on 14 of 25 throws for 169 yards and a TD with none intercepted, but was the opposite of Bartkowski in that he was most productive in the first half and made good on just one of five throws for seven yards in the second half. Rookie WR Wes Chandler had 7 receptions for 117 yards. Chuck Muncie gained 63 yards on 18 carries and Tony Galbreath contributed 54 yards on 17 attempts that included a TD.

“On the winning touchdown, there was no primary receiver,” explained Atlanta’s Coach Bennett. “We just batted the ball around and hoped someone could catch it.”

“My main objective was to trail the play,” added Alfred Jackson (pictured at left). “It’s a designed tip so another player could try to catch it. We worked on it several times this week. Wallace (Francis) tipped it to the side and no one else was there.”

The electrifying win made it five straight for the Falcons and, while the streak ended the next week at Chicago, they won another thriller over New Orleans that came down to the final seconds in the next game, and by an identical score. Atlanta finished with a 9-7 record to place second in the NFC West and, for the first time in franchise history, qualified for the playoffs. In the first year of two Wild Card entries per conference, the Falcons edged the Eagles in the first round, characteristically rallying in the fourth quarter to do so, and gave the Dallas Cowboys a tough battle before falling in the Divisional round. The Saints ended up third in the division at 7-9, which was their best record to date. Ultimately, the two closely-fought wins by Atlanta over the Saints played a key role in a noteworthy season for the Falcons – and prevented New Orleans from potentially achieving similar success. 

1977: Leeman Bennett Becomes Head Coach of Atlanta Falcons

On February 3, 1977 the Atlanta Falcons announced the hiring of Leeman Bennett to be the team’s head coach. Bennett was given a five-year contract by GM Eddie LeBaron, the ex-NFL quarterback-turned-lawyer who was himself a recent hire. Bennett was hired after Dallas assistant coach Dan Reeves turned down the job.

The 38-year-old Bennett (he turned 39 prior to the start of the ’77 season) had not previously been a head coach and most recently was wide receivers coach with the Rams. He had previously been an assistant with the Lions and Cardinals, and before that was a college assistant at Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Navy. The native of Paducah, Kentucky had played quarterback and defensive back in college at Kentucky.

“I’ve seen poor programs and strong programs and I’ve learned the difference,” Bennett said at his press conference. “I’m convinced I know what it takes to get a good program going.”

Since entering the NFL in 1966, the Falcons had finished with winning records in just two of eleven seasons. In 1976, they ended up at 4-10 with Head Coach Marion Campbell falling by the wayside five weeks into the campaign and then-GM Pat Peppler, who had last been a head football coach at the high school level in the 1940s, finishing out the year. While the Falcons upset the Cowboys along the way, they also were thrashed by the expansion Seahawks and were shut out three times, with the Rams annihilating them by a score of 59-0.

To be sure, promising second-year QB Steve Bartkowski had gone down with a knee injury five weeks into the season and it was the likes of Kim McQuilken and Scott Hunter directing the offense the rest of the way. Bartkowski was still not around at the start of the 1977 season and, when he finally returned, he struggled. Just as in ’76, the offense was a problem area for the Falcons, but the story was not all bad. RB Haskel Stanback had a good year, rushing for 873 yards and catching 30 passes for 261 more. TE Jim Mitchell was a fine player, despite an off-year in ’77, while wide receivers Alfred Jenkins and Wallace Francis were capable. The line was young, but anchored by solid center Jeff Van Note.

As much as the offense was a problematic work in progress, the attacking “Grits Blitz” defense was brilliant, setting a league record by giving up just 129 points over the course of 14 games. DE Claude Humphrey led a pass rush that recorded a team-record 42 sacks. The linebacker corps was a good one, with MLB Ralph Ortega flanked by Greg Brezina and Fulton Kuykendall (aka “Captain Crazy”), and the backfield had a star in CB Rolland Lawrence, who accounted for seven of the team’s 26 interceptions (also a club record at the time).

The final tally was 7-7, which reflected favorably on Bennett and LeBaron and boded well for the team’s future. In 1978, Atlanta took another step upward.

The trajectory didn’t appear to be moving that way when the team lost three consecutive games after beating Houston in the season-opening contest. The Falcons were 2-4 before posting five straight wins and seven in their last ten contests – some of which were in dramatic fashion – to finish second in the NFC West and thus qualifying as a Wild Card team in the playoffs.

Bartkowski (pictured above), who lost his starting job to backup June Jones for the first three games, finally broke out and had a good season. Wallace Francis caught 45 passes for 695 yards and, when Alfred Jenkins was lost for the year in the first week, WR Billy Ryckman stepped in and had 45 catches for 679 yards. The third wide receiver, rookie Alfred Jackson, brought needed speed and averaged 20.2 yards on his 26 receptions and Jim Mitchell bounced back with 32 catches and displayed his usual skill at blocking. Haskel Stanback had a lesser year running the ball and HB Bubba Bean led the club with 707 yards on the ground.

The defensive line lost Claude Humphrey, who quit the club four games into the season (he was traded to the Eagles afterward), and he proved hard to replace. But Greg Brezina provided leadership as well as good play at linebacker along with Fulton Kuykendall. Rolland Lawrence and CB Rick Byas performed ably and rookie safeties Frank Reed and Tom Pridemore were valuable additions.

Perhaps the most inspiring addition of all was placekicker Tim Mazzetti, a bartender in Philadelphia when the season began who had failed to catch on with other teams, but who was picked up by the Falcons six weeks into the schedule and not only provided an inspiring story but came through with 13 field goals in 16 attempts, some of which were crucial in winning close games.

Hosting their first-ever postseason game, the Falcons characteristically came from behind in the fourth quarter to edge the Eagles by a score of 14-13 and then fought hard against the powerful Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional round before succumbing 27-20. Overall, the season was considered a success and the combination of LeBaron and Bennett received praise.

However, Bennett himself suggested that the good luck in close games could not be expected to last, and that there was still building to be done. Such became apparent when the Falcons slipped to 6-10 in 1979.

Steve Bartkowski suffered from inconsistency and, while his overall numbers improved, he also tossed 20 interceptions. Tim Mazzetti attempted 25 field goals and was successful on only 13. More significantly, the defense that had performed so ably in 1977 and ’78 dropped to 25^th overall in the NFL and gave up 388 points as opposing teams became more adept at coping with the blitzing scheme and began to burn the Falcons through the air.

There was good news, too, as Alfred Jenkins returned from his injury and performed well (50 catches, 858 yards, 17.2 avg.) and Wallace Francis had another big year (74 catches, 1013 yards, 13 TDs). Rookie FB William Andrews proved to be an outstanding all-purpose talent, rushing for 1023 yards and catching 39 passes out of the backfield for 309 more.

After overachieving in 1978 and underachieving in ’79, the stage was set for an outstanding year in 1980. The Falcons won the NFC West with a 12-4 record that reflected tremendous improvement on both sides of the ball.

Bartkowski was consistent and outstanding in a year that saw him pass for 3544 yards and lead the league with 31 TD passes. Jenkins and Francis were again productive and were joined by rookie TE Junior Miller, who contributed 46 catches for 584 yards and nine touchdowns. William Andrews proved that his rookie performance was not a fluke as he gained 1308 rushing yards and 456 more yards on 51 pass receptions. HB Lynn Cain added 914 yards on the ground. Bartkowski, Jenkins, Miller, and Andrews were all selected to the Pro Bowl.

On defense, an influx of key rookies and second-year players made a significant difference in overall performance. Two of the newcomers, linebackers Al Richardson and Buddy Curry, received Rookie of the Year honors and second-year OLB Joel Williams (pictured at right), an unheralded player picked up on waivers in ’79, accounted for 16 sacks (unofficially) while blitzing from the outside. It was a young unit, with four rookies starting by the end of the season, but the newcomers proved valuable.

In the postseason, the Falcons faced Dallas in the Divisional round and suffered a heartbreaking defeat when the Cowboys came from behind in the fourth quarter.

The expectation for 1981 was that that Falcons would be contenders once again. The offense responded by putting up 426 points, second most in the NFL, and Bartkowski, Andrews, Jenkins, and Miller all returned to the Pro Bowl while Francis and Cain continued to be key contributors. The line was outstanding.  However, the defense regressed. Joel Williams was lost for a significant portion of the year with a knee injury, and that had an effect on the pass rush, which recorded 29 sacks in comparison to 46 in 1980. NT Don Smith played well on the line, and Tom Pridemore returned his 7 interceptions for a total of 221 yards, but overall the Falcons gave up more passing yards than any other NFL team.

After winning their first three games, the Falcons lost their next three and remained inconsistent for the rest of the way. They finished with a disappointing record of 7-9, with many of the losses coming in close games – they lost seven contests by a total of 19 points.

LeBaron and Bennett looked to fine-tune, rather than overhaul, the team for 1982. In a strike-interrupted season that limited the schedule to nine games, Atlanta got off to a 5-2 start before collapsing in the last two contests and finishing at 5-4. The defeats were bad ones, 38-7 to the Packers and 35-6 at the hands of the Saints. They still qualified for the revised playoff format, but lost to Minnesota in the first round in a game that was not as close as the 30-24 score would suggest (none of the points were produced by the offense).

The result was Bennett’s dismissal after six years. The low-key coach lacked charisma, but was knowledgeable and organized, and brought the Falcons to a new level of success. Ultimately, however, he paid for the team’s inconsistency and unevenness of that success. His overall record was 46-41 in the regular season and 1-3 in the playoffs. After two years out of football, he was hired by the Buccaneers to be head coach in 1985, but had far less success than in Atlanta and lasted just two years.

The Falcons hired Dan Henning to replace Bennett with the hope of moving up to the next level, but he failed to post a winning record in four seasons. In fact, Atlanta would not finish above .500 again until 1991, when the Falcons also next reached the playoffs. In retrospect, Bennett’s accomplishments, however checkered, came to look all the more impressive.  

1983: Vikings Overcome Falcons in First Round Playoff Game

Following a strike-interrupted regular season, two teams with 5-4 records met in a NFC First Round playoff game in Minneapolis on January 9, 1983. The 57-day work stoppage had limited the 1982 NFL season to nine games, resulting in the league eliminating divisions and having the top eight clubs in each conference make the playoffs. Minnesota was the fourth seeded team and Atlanta ranked fifth.

While the Vikings were coached by Bud Grant for the 16^th season, there was a significant change in terms of venue. Rather than being a rugged outdoor team that made the most of cold conditions at old Metropolitan Stadium, especially in the postseason, Minnesota had moved into the domed confines of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which took the elements out of the equation. Still, they had won four of their five games at the new stadium. QB Tommy Kramer provided emotional leadership as well as passing ability and FB Ted Brown (pictured above) paced the ground attack. Star DE Doug Martin had been joined by NT Charlie Johnson, who was obtained from the Eagles, and LB Matt Blair had a Pro Bowl year. 

The Falcons, under Head Coach Leeman Bennett, seemed to be going in the wrong direction. They were an inconsistent team that had been badly beaten in each of their last two regular season games with the offense struggling in particular, having managed just one touchdown in those two contests. QB Steve Bartkowski was a classic dropback passer with a strong and accurate arm, but the deep passing game was lacking. However, RB William Andrews was outstanding at both running the ball and catching out of the backfield. The linebacking corps was the strength of the defense, but ILB Buddy Curry was out for the playoff game with a knee injury.

There were 60,560 fans in attendance for the first postseason game at the Metrodome. The Falcons scored at just over a minute into the game when the Vikings were forced to punt following their first series. Punter Greg Coleman fumbled the snap and, while he got the kick off, it was blocked by LB Paul Davis. DE Doug Rogers recovered the ball in the end zone for an Atlanta touchdown. Mick Luckhurst kicked the extra point and the visitors had an early 7-0 lead.

Late in the first period, the Vikings benefited from a 25-yard pass interference call on FS Tom Pridemore. It set up a 33-yard field goal by Rick Danmeier that finished off a 33-yard drive in six plays and the score was 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Vikings drove 82 yards in seven plays to put more points on the board. HB Darrin Nelson had a 14-yard run and Tommy Kramer connected with WR Sammy White for a 25-yard gain. The series ended with Kramer again throwing to White for an 11-yard touchdown. Danmeier’s extra point put Minnesota ahead by three.

Down by 10-7, a promising drive by the Falcons came up empty when FS John Turner intercepted a Bartkowski pass at the Minnesota two and returned it 17 yards.

Minnesota added to its lead with a 30-yard Danmeier field goal in the last 30 seconds before the end of the half that capped a four-play series and made the score 13-7. It was set up by a 20-yard punt return by DB Rufus Bess and helped along by Ted Brown’s 14-yard run.

It had been a rough first half for both clubs. Bartkowski had only three pass completion against the tough Minnesota defense, which pressured him relentlessly. Meanwhile, the Vikings had injury problems as Ted Brown missed time with a sore shoulder and John Turner hurt his ankle to the extent that he was carried off the field and taken to a hospital for x-rays, although both returned to make big plays in the second half.

In the third quarter, Atlanta finally put together a solid drive, with Bartkowski completing three passes, including one for 25 yards to WR Floyd Hodge and another to WR Alfred Jenkins that picked up 22 yards. The series reached the Minnesota 17 before stalling and the Falcons lined up for a field goal attempt. However, QB Mike Moroski, the holder, took the snap and sprinted around right end, lateraling to PK Mick Luckhurst (pictured below), who ran the last 17 yards for a touchdown. It was the Englishman’s only career rushing attempt and capped an eight-play, 71-yard possession.

Two minutes later, SS Bob Glazebrook intercepted a Kramer pass at the Minnesota 35 and returned it for a touchdown. Despite their woes on offense, the Falcons were ahead by eight points at 21-13.

Minnesota drove to another score before the third quarter was over, going 70 yards in 13 plays, ending with a 39-yard Danmeier field goal. Along the way, an offside penalty in a third-and-four situation gave the Vikings a first down and Kramer completed a pass to TE Joe Senser for 18 yards.

The Falcons had to punt on their next series and, as the contest entered the fourth quarter, Minnesota responded with a ten-play possession that advanced 61 yards. Brown converted a fourth-and-inches situation with a three-yard run and Kramer completed a pass to WR Sam McCullum for 15 yards. The drive ended with Kramer throwing to WR Sam McCullum for an 11-yard TD and Danmeier again added the PAT to put the Vikings up by two at 23-21.

The Falcons moved back in front thanks to a 50-yard, seven-play drive that concluded with a 41-yard Luckhurst field goal with 6:45 left in regulation to make it 24-23. The big play was a Bartkowski pass to Jenkins that picked up 30 yards.

The Vikings, taking over with six minutes left in the game, put together a 72-yard drive. Ted Brown was the key player, running for gains of 11 and 10 yards along the way. In addition, Kramer threw to WR Terry LeCount for 19 yards. Brown finished off the series with a five-yard carry that was helped along by a block thrown by HB Rickey Young. The TD put the Vikings in front once more with 1:44 remaining.

There was still time for the Falcons to respond, but after advancing to the Minnesota 45, a pass by Bartkowski was intercepted by Turner to seal the win with 57 seconds left on the clock. The Vikings came out on top by a final score of 30-24.

Atlanta’s offense failed to score a touchdown, and the Vikings easily outgained the Falcons by 378 yards to 235. Minnesota also had an edge of 30 to 24 in first downs. The Vikings registered the game’s only three sacks and forced two Atlanta turnovers, to one for Minnesota. There were a total of 17 penalties, with the Vikings flagged 10 times at a cost of 84 yards.

Tommy Kramer completed 20 of 34 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown, also giving up an interception. Ted Brown ran for 81 yards and a TD on 23 carries. Joe Senser had 6 catches for 81 yards to lead the team’s receivers. Defensively, John Turner contributed two interceptions, with a trip to the hospital in between.

For the Falcons, Steve Bartkowski was successful on only 9 of 23 throws for 134 yards and no TDs while tossing two interceptions. William Andrews had 48 yards on 11 attempts and rookie RB Gerald Riggs added 38 yards on 9 carries and was one of three Atlanta receivers who led the club with two catches apiece, gaining 16 yards. Alfred Jenkins had 52 yards on his two receptions and Floyd Hodge gained 29 on his.

“It shows what we can do, but I sure don’t like to have to do it every week,” said Tommy Kramer. “We gave them 14 points. They really shouldn’t have been in the game.”

“We got beat today by a defensive football team that I thought whipped our offensive football team,” said Atlanta’s Coach Bennett. “I thought our offense left a lot to be desired.”

The Vikings went on to play Washington in the second round and lost 21-7. They dropped to 8-8 in 1983 and went into a period of decline, not returning to the postseason again until 1987. As for the Falcons, the loss to Minnesota proved to be the end for Leeman Bennett, who was fired and replaced by Dan Henning. They had an even longer period in the doldrums, not reaching the playoffs again until 1991.

1979: Falcons Defeat Saints in OT Thanks to Failed Punt

The September 2, 1979 season-opening game at the Louisiana Superdome featured fierce rivals who had a recent history of down-to-the-wire contests. The New Orleans Saints, coached by Dick Nolan, were coming off a 7-9 season in ’78 but seemed to be on the upswing. They had a good nucleus on offense of ninth-year veteran QB Archie Manning, RB Chuck Muncie, TE Henry Childs, and promising second-season WR Wes Chandler. In the first round of the ’79 draft, they had made the surprising decision to add Russell Erxleben from Texas, a celebrated all-purpose kicker.

The visiting Atlanta Falcons had reached the playoffs for the first time in 1978 and Head Coach Leeman Bennett’s team was looking to build upon that performance. QB Steve Bartkowski went from first-round bust to rising star in the course of the season. The scrappy defense ranked fifth in the NFL. The running game had been a cause of concern, however, and three backs were taken in the draft, including William Andrews from Auburn (pictured above), who would have an immediate effect. The Falcons defeated New Orleans in both of the previous year’s meetings, and in the final seconds in each instance.

The Saints opened the scoring in the first quarter with an 85-yard drive that culminated in Manning tossing a five-yard touchdown pass to WR Ike Harris. It was 7-0 after one period of play, but the second quarter saw both teams combine for a total of 41 points.

New Orleans extended its lead when Chuck Muncie connected with Wes Chandler on an option pass that covered 40 yards for a TD. Down 14-0, the Falcons responded with a 27-yard Tim Mazzetti field goal and then a 20-yard touchdown pass from Bartkowski to WR Alfred Jenkins. With the margin down to four points, the Saints came back with a 69-yard scoring run by Muncie. Bartkowski tossed another touchdown pass, this time covering 20 yards to WR Wallace Francis. Muncie ran for a four-yard TD and Mazzetti booted a 43-yard field goal to end the scoring barrage. New Orleans went into halftime with a 28-20 lead.

Russell Erxleben started off the second half scoring early in the third quarter with a 37-yard field goal. Again Atlanta closed to four points as Bartkowski threw to Francis for a 21-yard touchdown, and with the successful extra point the score was 31-27 going into the final period.

William Andrews put Atlanta in the lead with his first pro touchdown on a four-yard run. The Falcons then appeared set to clinch the game with less than five minutes remaining, but a promising drive ended when Bartkowski fumbled after being hit from the blind side by DE Joe Campbell, giving the Saints the ball on their own 18 yard line. New Orleans proceeded to drive 66 yards and, with 44 seconds left in regulation, Erxleben kicked a 38-yard field goal to tie the score. Atlanta still had a shot in regulation, but Mazzetti missed a field goal try from 52 yards out and the game went into overtime.

The contest went eight minutes into the extra period with neither team able to score. In the climactic play of the game, the Saints were lined up on fourth-and-six at their 32 for a punt. A bad snap by C John Watson sailed some four feet over Erxleben’s head, and the rookie kicker had to give chase. The ball rolled inside the five toward the goal line, where Erxleben grabbed it and tried to toss a two-handed pass to avoid a possible safety. Rookie RB James Mayberry, who was bearing down fast on Erxleben, pulled the throw out of the air and ran six yards untouched into the end zone for the improbable winning touchdown. Atlanta came away with yet another thrilling win over the Saints by a score of 40-34.

In a game that featured plenty of offense on both sides, the Falcons had the most total yards (552 to 512) and first downs (35 to 23). New Orleans was the more proficient through the air (324 to 295) but Atlanta generated 257 rushing yards to 188 for the Saints. Each club turned the ball over two times.

William Andrews had an impressive debut, rushing for 167 yards on 30 carries that included the one TD. Steve Bartkowski completed 22 of 38 passes for 312 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Alfred Jenkins had 7 catches for 131 yards and one of the TDs and Wallace Francis added 5 receptions for 65 yards and the other two scores.

For the Saints, Chuck Muncie (pictured at right) set a club record with 161 yards on 22 carries and scored two touchdowns while also passing for another. Also lost in the defeat was a big day for Wes Chandler, who gained 205 yards on 6 catches that included a TD. Archie Manning was successful on 14 of his 29 throws for 284 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

“I just heard the crowd and I knew something was wrong,” said James Mayberry of his special teams play that won the contest. “I saw the ball back there and I just took off after it…I just ran back there expecting to tackle him (Erxleben). He just threw the ball and I had nothing to do but score.”

The 40 points were easily the most scored in any game by the Falcons in 1979, and it ended up being a disappointing year in which they dropped to 6-10 and placed third in the NFC West. Ahead of them was New Orleans, which won the rematch between the rivals in Atlanta and, after a slow start, posted an 8-8 record – the first non-losing tally in the franchise’s history.

William Andrews continued to be a bright spot for the Falcons as he rushed for 1023 yards on 239 carries (4.3 avg.) and caught 39 passes for 309 more yards. The pass receiving tandem of Wallace Francis (74 catches, 1013 yards, 8 TDs) and Alfred Jenkins (50 catches, 858 yards, 3 TDs) remained productive. James Mayberry saw limited action as a backup running back and gained 193 yards while scoring one other TD during the season.

Chuck Muncie went on to a Pro Bowl year, gaining 1198 rushing yards while averaging five yards per carry and scoring 11 touchdowns and catching 40 passes. Wes Chandler also earned Pro Bowl recognition with his 65 pass receptions for 1069 yards (16.4 avg.) and six TDs.

It was not so good for Russell Erxleben, however. He was injured during workouts the week following the Atlanta game and did not play again in ’79 – FB Tony Galbreath handled the placekicking for one week and Chandler the punting for two before 35-year-old PK Garo Yepremian, released by the Dolphins late in the preseason, and P Rick Partridge were signed. Erxleben did return in 1980 and lasted four years with the Saints, almost exclusively as a punter (he came back to punt once for the Lions in ’87). He was never able to live up to his 11^th overall draft selection in 1979.

1981: LeRoy Irvin’s Punt Returns Help Rams to Win Over Falcons

The Week 6 matchup at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on October 11, 1981 featured two NFC West rivals, the host Falcons and the visiting Los Angeles Rams. The Rams, under Head Coach Ray Malavasi, had won their previous three games after losing the first two. Coming off an 11-5 season in ’80, they lost starting QB Vince Ferragamo to Montreal of the CFL and LB Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds was released following a contract dispute and went to San Francisco. Still, they had veteran QB Pat Haden, who had plenty of experience and savvy, even if not as powerful an arm as the departed Ferragamo, and there was still plenty of experience remaining in the defense.

The Falcons, coached by Leeman Bennett, were coming off a 12-4 division-winning year and had won their first three games in ’81. However, they lost their last two, including a hard-fought 16-13 Monday night decision to the Eagles the previous week. With QB Steve Bartkowski throwing to WR Alfred Jenkins and TE Junior Miller, the passing game was still healthy, and running backs William Andrews and Lynn Cain were talented both at running the ball and catching it out of the backfield. However, the defense was proving to be vulnerable, in particular the inexperienced secondary.

The Rams got on the board first, and in exciting fashion, as second-year CB LeRoy Irvin returned a punt for a 75-yard touchdown at 3:32 into the first quarter. Turnovers by the Falcons allowed LA to extend the lead. First, CB Rod Perry intercepted a Bartkowski pass and the Rams capitalized when Haden threw to WR Preston Dennard for a 29-yard gain and Frank Corral kicked a 25-yard field goal. Shortly thereafter, DT Mike Fanning recovered a fumble that resulted in a 37-yard Corral field goal four plays later. The Rams led by 13-0 after one quarter.

However, following the poor beginning, the Falcons came back with three touchdowns in an eight-minute segment of the second quarter. The first was dramatic as William Andrews took the handoff on a sweep around end on a fourth-and-one play and ran 25 yards for a touchdown to finish off an 80-yard drive.

The second score came following a fumbled snap on a Rams punt that led to an incomplete pass, giving the Falcons good field position at the LA 21. It took just four plays for Atlanta to score again as Bartkowski passed to Miller from 11 yards out. Mick Luckhurst’s extra point put the Falcons in front at 14-13. Atlanta then went 46 yards in seven plays while Bartkowski completed passes covering 16 yards to Andrews, 12 to WR Alfred Jackson, and 23 to Jenkins for a TD.

With the score now at 21-13 in favor of Atlanta, the next possession for LA started off with a 50-yard kickoff return by WR Drew Hill. Haden suffered a leg injury when hit by DE Wilson Faumuina after scrambling and completing a pass to Dennard for a 35-yard gain to the Atlanta 15, and backup QB Jeff Rutledge came into the game and completed the drive with a one-yard scoring pass to TE Henry Childs. Atlanta’s lead was narrowed to 21-20 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Rutledge connected with Hill for a 36-yard TD that put the Rams back in front at 27-21. The 63-yard drive was kept alive when RB Cullen Bryant ran for three yards in a fourth-and-one situation.

Atlanta came back on a possession that started with a 38-yard punt return by DB Scott Woerner. Andrews ran for a 26-yard gain and Bartkowski threw to Jackson for an eight-yard touchdown with 5:37 remaining in the third quarter. With the successful PAT, it was again a one-point game.

The Falcons extended their lead as they drove 65 yards, highlighted by a 19-yard Andrews run to set up his two-yard scoring carry early in the fourth quarter, making the tally 35-27. Irvin struck again with 8:23 to play by taking a punt and racing 84 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown that pulled the Rams to a point behind Atlanta at 35-34.

Getting the ball back, the Rams started their climactic drive at their 20 with 4:35 on the clock. Rutledge completed five passes, including 12 and 6 yards to Childs and 20 and 9 yards to Dennard to move the team down the field. After Bryant ran to the Falcons’ eight yard line and positioned the ball directly in front of the goal post, Corral’s 25-yard field goal with 24 seconds left put the Rams over the top. There was still time for the Falcons to come back, but FS Nolan Cromwell intercepted a Bartkowski pass to nail down the 37-35 win for the Rams.

Atlanta outgained the Rams (349 yards to 252), with 152 of those yards coming on the ground, and also had the edge in first downs (19 to 14). However, the Falcons turned the ball over three times, twice leading to LA field goals in the first quarter and once at the end of the game to finish off their hopes, while the Rams suffered two turnovers.

In relief of Pat Haden, Jeff Rutledge completed 11 of 20 passes for 130 yards with two touchdowns and one intercepted. Preston Dennard caught 4 passes for 84 yards and Henry Childs added 4 receptions for 26 yards and a TD. RB Wendell Tyler led the ground game with 48 yards on 14 carries and Cullen Bryant contributed 31 yards on his 10 attempts.

The return game was significant for the Rams, and while Drew Hill averaged 30 yards per return on his five kickoffs, it was LeRoy Irvin who starred, scoring two touchdowns while also setting a league record with 207 yards on his six punt returns.

For the Falcons, Steve Bartkowski was successful on 17 of his 38 throws for 214 yards that included three touchdowns as well as two interceptions. William Andrews (pictured below) rushed for 119 yards on 21 carries and scored twice and also caught 4 passes for another 35 yards. Alfred Jackson had 4 receptions as well, for 47 yards, while Wallace Francis gained 59 yards on his three catches.


Initially, Pat Haden’s leg was thought to be broken, but it proved to be strained ankle ligaments. Still, many on the LA side were angry about the play that knocked Haden out of the game.

“That play incited our team. It looked like the hit was late and low,” GM Don Klosterman said.

“It was a late hit. The whistle was late all day,” Coach Ray Malavasi added. “It is the officials’ responsibility to keep the game under control and they did a poor job of it.”

Haden suffered from injury problems the rest of the year (his last), as did many of the Rams, and the team’s performance suffered accordingly. While the win moved LA ahead of the Falcons in the NFC West, the Rams lost their next two games and won just twice more to finish a disappointing 6-10 and third in the division – their first losing record since 1972, which was also the last time they missed the playoffs. Just ahead of them was Atlanta at 7-9; the Falcons were in contention with three games left in the season, but lost them all, including one at Los Angeles.

The two touchdown returns against the Falcons gave LeRoy Irvin three on the season. He ended up running back 46 punts for a NFL-leading 615 yards and 13.4 average and was a consensus first-team All-Pro selection. Irvin developed into a star cornerback during his 11-year career, intercepting a total of 35 passes and gaining consensus first-team All-Pro consideration once more at that position as well as earning two Pro Bowl selections.

1981: Cowboys Come from Behind to Beat Falcons in Divisional Playoff Game

The NFC Divisional playoff game on January 4, 1981 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium featured two teams that had compiled 12-4 records during the 1980 regular season. However, the visiting Dallas Cowboys had been regular participants in the postseason since 1966 (they had only missed in 1974) while the host Atlanta Falcons were making just their second foray into the playoffs.

The Cowboys, coached by Tom Landry, were in transition. Gone was Hall of Fame QB Roger Staubach, who had retired following the ’79 season while still in top form, and replaced by backup Danny White (pictured above). Gone also to retirement was FS Cliff Harris, and questions regarding the secondary dogged the club all season. But Dallas still had RB Tony Dorsett (1185 yards rushing), wide receivers Drew Pearson and Tony Hill, DT Randy White, and MLB Bob Breunig, plus DE Ed “Too Tall” Jones had returned after a year’s retirement to pursue a boxing career. The Cowboys finished second in the NFC East and had easily dispatched the Rams (who had upset them in the 1979 postseason) in the Wild Card playoff game.

Atlanta, under Head Coach Leeman Bennett, had gotten off to a 3-3 start but then put together a nine-game winning streak on the way to placing first in the NFC West. QB Steve Bartkowski (pictured below left) led the league in touchdown passes (31) while placing fifth with 3544 passing yards and fourth with a passer rating of 88.2. RB William Andrews gained 1308 yards on the ground while WR Alfred Jenkins (58 catches, 1035 yards) and rookie TE Junior Miller also earned trips to the Pro Bowl. Two rookie linebackers, Buddy Curry and Al Richardson, had an impact on defense, as did LB Joel Williams, who was unofficially credited with 16 sacks (sacks were not yet an officially-compiled statistic).


The Falcons put together a scoring drive the first time they had the ball, although Jenkins dropped a pass in the end zone and they settled for a 38-yard field goal by Tim Mazzetti. However, on the next Atlanta possession, Jenkins made up for the drop by catching a bomb from Bartkowski for a 60-yard touchdown and 10-0 lead with 4:50 left in the opening period.

Just before the end of the first quarter, the Cowboys got on the board with a Rafael Septien field goal of 38 yards. Dallas tied the score in the second quarter after recovering a Bartkowski fumble at the Atlanta 44, which set up a five-yard TD pass from White to TE Billy Joe DuPree. But later in the period, Bartkowski completed a 50-yard pass to Jenkins to set up a one-yard TD carry by RB Lynn Cain. The Falcons took a 17-10 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, it appeared that Dallas was on the way to another score when Falcons FS Tom Pridemore intercepted a White pass at the Atlanta 15. The Falcons then responded by driving 70 yards and Bartkowski threw to Andrews for a 12-yard touchdown. Atlanta was now ahead by 24-10 with just over seven minutes remaining in the period.

Early in the fourth quarter, RB Robert Newhouse scored for the Cowboys on a one-yard TD plunge, but the Falcons came back with a Mazzetti field goal from 34 yards to make it 27-17 with 6:37 left to play.

With their backs to the wall, the Cowboys drove 62 yards, all on passes by White, the final one a 14-yard touchdown throw to Drew Pearson. It was now a three-point game, and on the ensuing possession the Falcons were stifled by the Dallas defense and had to punt. The Cowboys got the ball on their 30 with 1:48 remaining.

Once again the Dallas offense moved down the field, keyed by a 20-yard pass to WR Butch Johnson. White was playing for a tying field goal, but instead found Pearson for a 23-yard touchdown pass that put the Cowboys ahead – but by only three points, since the ensuing extra point attempt failed.

Atlanta had one last chance, but Bartkowski was sacked for a nine-yard loss and completed one of three passes before having to turn the ball over on downs. The Cowboys won by a score of 30-27.

Dallas outgained the Falcons (422 yards to 371) and had more first downs (22 to 18). Both teams turned the ball over twice, while the Cowboys sacked Bartkowski four times as against White being dumped just once.


Danny White completed 25 of 39 passes for 322 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, but 15 of 20 for 239 yards of that came in the second half. Drew Pearson (pictured at right) caught 5 passes, four of them in the last two drives, for 90 yards and the two big TDs. Tony Dorsett led the Cowboys in rushing with 51 yards on 10 carries and also had 5 pass receptions for 40 yards.

For White, it was the second time that he led the Cowboys to a playoff win over the Falcons - in 1978, after Staubach was injured with Dallas behind in a Divisional playoff game against Atlanta at Texas Stadium, he had rallied the team to a 27-20 victory. But since taking over as the starting quarterback, he had labored in his predecessor’s shadow, making the come-from-behind playoff win particularly gratifying.

The comeback scenario was even more familiar to the eighth-year veteran wide receiver Pearson, who had been part of several of them during the Staubach era – perhaps most notably the last-second “Hail Mary” catch in an NFC Divisional playoff game against the Vikings following the 1975 season.


As for Atlanta, Steve Bartkowski was successful on 18 of 33 passes for 320 yards with two touchdowns and one picked off. Alfred Jenkins (pictured at left) caught 4 passes for 155 yards and a TD, while WR Wallace Francis contributed 6 receptions for 66 yards. Both Lynn Cain and William Andrews rushed for 43 yards (on 13 and 14 attempts, respectively).

“What can you say? It was just a tremendous thing (the comeback),” Tom Landry said. “When we got down by two touchdowns (24-10) in the third quarter, I thought our chances of coming back were slim. But the ball bounces funny sometimes.”

“It was a bitter pill to swallow,” said Falcons' Coach Bennett. “I still feel we're good enough to go to the Super Bowl. Any team that wins 12 games is good enough. But it's a very empty feeling losing in the playoffs.”

Dallas lost the NFC Championship game the next week to the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. Atlanta dropped off to a disappointing 7-9 record in 1981.

Danny White led the Cowboys to three straight conference championship games, but failed to make it to the Super Bowl and, while he had a fine career, suffered in comparison to the legendary Staubach.

1978: Mazzetti’s 5 Field Goals Lead Falcons Past Rams

Just three weeks prior to the October 30, 1978 contest between the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams, 23-year-old PK Tim Mazzetti had been tending bar at Smokey Joe’s in Philadelphia. The University of Pennsylvania grad had failed to catch on with the Eagles, Cowboys, and Patriots and wondered if he would get another opportunity. But Atlanta’s placekicker, Fred Steinfort, had gotten off to a dreadful start and when the Falcons held a tryout to find a replacement, Mazzetti beat out two others to get the job. It didn’t take long for him to make a positive impression - he kicked a game-winning field goal in the final seconds to beat the 49ers in his second game. Now he would have the opportunity to kick before a Monday Night Football audience.

The Falcons were in their second season under the new organizational structure that most prominently included GM Eddie LeBaron, the former undersized star quarterback for the Redskins and Cowboys, and Head Coach Leeman Bennett. In 1977, they had gone 7-7 thanks to a dominating defense that allowed only 129 points all season while the offense was hindered by the frequent injuries to young QB Steve Bartkowski. Atlanta lost four of its first six games but had won the last two to be even at 4-4 going into the game against the Rams.

Los Angeles had been the dominant team in the NFC West for the past five seasons, but failed to make it to the Super Bowl. The head coach during that period, Chuck Knox, had run afoul of owner Carroll Rosenbloom and left for Buffalo, initially to be replaced by George Allen, who had been in LA from 1966 to ’70 before departing for Washington. However, Allen failed to last through the preseason and Ray Malavasi was now coaching the club. Despite the tumult in the front office, the team was off to an outstanding start on the field at 7-1 (including a shutout of the Falcons in LA); they had lost for the first time the previous week.

The crowd of 57,250 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was fired up and the Falcons defense responded in kind. However, it was the Rams threatening in the first quarter as they drove to the Atlanta five. They were helped along by a 12-yard pass from QB Pat Haden to WR Willie Miller (with a roughing-the-passer penalty tacked on) and 17-yard run by RB Lawrence McCutcheon. But LA came up empty when TE Terry Nelson fumbled at the two and it was recovered by Falcons CB Rick Byas.

The Rams got another shot when FS Bill Simpson intercepted a Bartkowski pass and returned it 24 yards. Haden threw a 10-yard TD pass to WR Ron Jessie on the first play of the second quarter to give Los Angeles a 7-0 lead.

To further complicate things for Atlanta, Bartkowski was lost to a shoulder separation later in the second quarter and replaced by backup June Jones. But the special teams made a big play when Falcons defensive lineman Edgar Fields blocked a punt at the LA 23. It set up Mazzetti’s first field goal of the night, from 21 yards.

The Atlanta defense came through with another big play when Byas intercepted a Haden pass at the Los Angeles 33 to set up another field goal attempt of 37 yards into a stiff cross wind with 32 seconds left in the half. Mazzetti was again successful and the Falcons went into halftime down by just a point at 7-6.

At the start of the third quarter, the Rams drove to the Atlanta 32, but Frank Corral missed a 49-yard field goal attempt. They were still leading late in the period when they tried to convert a fourth-and-one situation at the 50 and RB Cullen Bryant was stopped for a loss of a yard. It proved to be the turning point of the game.

The Falcons made the most of the opportunity, and Mazzetti put them ahead 9-7 with a 33-yard field goal to start the fourth quarter. Shortly thereafter, CB Rolland Lawrence intercepted his second pass of the game and Atlanta drove 64 yards in 10 plays capped by Mazzetti’s fourth field goal, of 26 yards, for a 12-7 lead with 6:44 left to play.

Atlanta continued to take advantage of LA turnovers. Rams DB Jackie Wallace fumbled a Falcons punt and RB Mike Esposito recovered at the Rams 25 yard line. Just before the two-minute warning, Mazzetti kicked a 37-yard field goal - his fifth of the contest.

Rams Coach Malavasi had replaced Haden with backup QB Vince Ferragamo to try and ignite the offense, but it was to no avail. When Corral missed a 43-yard field goal attempt in the last minute, LA’s fate was sealed and the Falcons came away with a 15-7 win.

Los Angeles outgained Atlanta, 234 yards to 185, and had the edge in first downs, 14 to 9. However, the Rams gave up a crucial five turnovers, to two by the Falcons, and Atlanta’s defense had five sacks.

June Jones played well in relief of Steve Bartkowski, completing 7 of 11 passes for 87 yards with none intercepted (Bartkowski threw one). Neither team was able to run effectively on the other, and RB Haskel Stanback led the Falcons with 51 yards on 21 carries; FB Bubba Bean added another 44 yards on 15 attempts. WR Alfred Jackson was the most productive of the team’s receivers, gaining 40 yards on two catches.

For the Rams, Pat Haden completed 13 of 23 passes for 130 yards with one TD but also three interceptions (two of them by Rolland Lawrence); Vince Ferragamo was two of four for 50 yards in relief. Lawrence McCutcheon was the team’s top rusher with 50 yards on 12 carries, while Ron Jessie caught four passes for 44 yards and WR Billy Waddy gained 50 yards on three catches.

“We moved the ball pretty well at first and had good field position and then started making mistakes. In fact we made too many mistakes, mainly fumbles and interceptions," said Rams Coach Malavasi.

Atlanta’s Leeman Bennett took note of his defense’s strong performance, in particular the momentum-changing stop on fourth down in the third quarter. “That was a big play,” he said. “It knocked the wind out of their sails when they didn't make it.”

The win was one of five straight for the Falcons, who went on to finish at 9-7 and in second place in the NFC West. They qualified for the playoffs as a wild card team – the franchise’s first postseason appearance – and in the first NFC Wild Card game defeated the Eagles. They succumbed to Dallas in the Divisional round, although in a tight 27-20 contest. The Rams, who went on to finish first once again in the division at 12-4, won in the Divisional round but lost the NFC Championship game to the Cowboys.

Tim Mazzetti tied the existing club record with his five field goals (since broken by Norm Johnson in 1994) on his way to leading the NFC in field goal accuracy (13 of 16, 81.3 %). It was an outstanding performance, especially for a kicker who started the season as a bartender. Mazzetti played for three seasons in the NFL and also kicked for three in the USFL.