1976: Raiders Hold Off Rally by Chiefs for Monday Night Win

Two fierce rivals, the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, were featured in a Monday night NFL game on September 20, 1976. The visiting Raiders had won their opener over Pittsburgh the previous week while Kansas City lost to the Chargers, but beyond that, the two clubs were in very different places as they met for the 35^th time.

Oakland, coached by John Madden for the eighth season and coming off an 11-3 record in ‘75, had topped the AFC West in five of the previous six seasons. QB Ken “The Snake” Stabler (pictured above) was an able, if immobile, passer and had fine wide receivers available in Cliff Branch and the aging Fred Biletnikoff, plus up-and-coming TE Dave Casper. There was also a good, if unspectacular, group of running backs operating behind an excellent line. The defense was tough and aggressive.

The Chiefs had not done so well in recent years. They finished at 5-9 in each of the previous two seasons, including their first under Head Coach Paul Wiggin, successor to the esteemed Hank Stram, in ’75. QB Len Dawson had finally retired after an outstanding career and longtime backup Mike Livingston was taking over the reins, but there were still too many aging players on the roster.

It was a clear Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium with 60,884 fans in attendance. The teams traded punts before the Raiders drove 67 yards in 12 plays. Ken Stabler completed six passes, including two that converted third downs and the last for a 15-yard touchdown to Dave Casper. Fred Steinfort added the extra point.

Following another short possession leading to a punt by the Chiefs, Oakland put together another 12-play scoring drive that extended into the second quarter, advancing 72 yards. FB Mark van Eeghen (pictured below) and HB Pete Banaszak ran effectively and Stabler connected twice on passes to Cliff Branch, the first for 13 yards to convert a third down and the second for a 10-yard TD. Steinfort again converted and the Raiders were ahead by 14-0 and clearly the dominant team.

The teams exchanged punts until the Raiders got the ball back at their 14 with three minutes to play in the half. HB Clarence Davis ran for the necessary 14 yards in a third-and-14 situation and Banaszak followed up with a 15-yard carry. Completions to Branch, Casper, and Fred Biletnikoff advanced the ball to the Kansas City 20 and, with the clock down to 27 seconds Steinfort kicked a 37-yard field goal to stake Oakland to a 17-0 halftime lead. Kansas City had managed just 37 yards of offense thus far.

The Chiefs had the first possession of the third quarter and, with Mike Livingston completing passes to TE Walter White for 25 yards and WR Henry Marshall for 21, reached the Oakland 23. However, they came up empty when Jan Stenerud was wide on a 41-yard field goal attempt.

CB Tim Collier intercepted a Stabler pass on the next series, but the Chiefs fumbled the ball right back. Oakland went three-and-out and had to punt, and Kansas City put together another good drive of 54 yards in nine plays, and this time didn’t fail to put points on the board. HB Woody Green ran the ball four times for 35 yards and FB MacArthur Lane carried for the last yard and a touchdown. Stenerud added the extra point and it was a 17-7 game after three quarters.

The Raiders responded by driving 72 yards in eight plays. A 16-yard Stabler completion to Biletnikoff had an unnecessary roughness penalty on FS Gary Barbaro tacked onto it to advance Oakland to the KC 14, and from there Stabler connected with WR Mike Siani for a TD. Steinfort’s PAT again made it a 17-point margin favoring the visitors, although “The Snake” was injured from a hit by DE Wilbur Young on the scoring play.

The Chiefs had to punt following their next series and the Raiders, now with Mike Rae at quarterback for Stabler, punted the ball back in turn. With 3:41 left on the clock, Kansas City took over and drove 87 yards in 12 plays. Livingston completed three passes but it was the running of Green and Lane that fueled KC’s advance. Livingston ran the ball himself for a one-yard touchdown and, with Stenerud again adding the extra point, Oakland’s lead was narrowed to 24-14.

That still appeared formidable as the Raiders took possession, but Banaszak ran the ball three straight times, fumbled on the last carry after gaining first down yardage, and LB Billy Andrews recovered for the Chiefs at the Oakland 25. On the next play, Livingston threw to TE Billy Masters in the middle of the end zone for a TD, Stenerud converted, and the home team was only behind by a touchdown.

That was as far as Kansas City’s surge would carry, however. The ensuing try for an onside kick failed and, with the Chiefs out of timeouts, the Raiders were able to run out the clock as van Eeghen carried four times for 27 yards and two first downs. Oakland held on to win by a final score of 24-21.

The Raiders dominated in total yards (446 to 280), with 211 of that total coming on the ground, and also had the edge in first downs (25 to 18). Oakland also recorded the only three sacks of the game, but also turned the ball over twice (to one by KC) and was penalized 11 times at a cost of 104 yards, to 8 flags thrown on the Chiefs.

Ken Stabler was highly efficient as he completed 22 of 28 passes, including 11 of his first 12, for 224 yards and three touchdowns while giving up one interception, until a strained right knee forced him from the contest. Mark van Eeghen ran for 84 yards on 19 carries, Pete Banaszak contributed 61 yards on 11 attempts, and Clarence Davis gained 59 yards on his 12 runs. Cliff Branch had 5 catches for 62 yards and a TD and Dave Casper was right behind at 5 receptions and 57 yards with a score.

For the Chiefs, Mike Livingston was successful on 12 of 21 throws for 190 yards and a TD with none intercepted. Woody Green ran for 75 yards on 14 attempts and caught three passes for 28 more yards while MacArthur Lane (pictured below) gained 34 yards on 9 carries that included a touchdown and had a team-leading four pass receptions for 69 yards.

“I can’t account for the first half,” said Kansas City’s Coach Wiggin. “I wish I could. It was just a solid indication we were playing a superior football team.”

The Raiders lost only once all season, again topping the AFC West at 13-1 and advancing to a win over the Vikings in the Super Bowl. Kansas City compiled a third straight 5-9 record to place fourth in the division.

Ken Stabler missed the following week due to his injury but came back to lead the NFL in passing (103.4 rating) in addition to completion percentage (66.7), yards per attempt (9.4), and TD passes (27). He was chosen to the Pro Bowl and received the Bert Bell award as NFL Player of the Year. Cliff Branch (46 catches, 1111 yards, 24.2 avg., 12 TDs) and Dave Casper (53 catches, 691 yards, 10 TDs) were both consensus first-team All-NFL as well as Pro Bowl selections. Mark van Eeghen ran for 1012 yards on 233 carries (4.3 avg.), his first of three straight thousand yard ground-gaining seasons.

Woody Green’s career ended four weeks later due to a knee injury that required surgery while 34-year-old MacArthur Lane led the Chiefs in rushing with 542 yards and topped the NFL with 66 catches, for 686 yards.

1976: Bengals Fall Behind but Rally Past Chiefs

The Cincinnati Bengals were at 8-2 and had won four straight games as they faced the Kansas City Chiefs on November 21, 1976. The Bengals, coached for the first year by Bill Johnson, had a fine sixth-year quarterback in Ken Anderson, the league’s top passer the previous two seasons. With one of their two first-round draft choices, they took HB Archie Griffin (pictured at right), the two-time Heisman Trophy winner out of Ohio State, to add outside speed to their running game. The defense had talent in pass-rushing DE Coy Bacon, MLB Jim LeClair, cornerbacks Lemar Parrish and Ken Riley, and SS Tommy Casanova.

Head Coah Paul Wiggin’s Chiefs, meanwhile, were slogging along at 3-7. Kansas City was an aging team with far too many starters over 30. QB Mike Livingston had emerged from a long apprenticeship behind the now-retired Len Dawson, and second-year TE Walter White was developing into a good receiver. But the defense had too many holes, although rookie FS Gary Barbaro was proving to be a good find.

It was a sunny day with 46,259 fans in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium. It didn’t take them long to see the home team fall behind. On the first play from scrimmage, Archie Griffin broke away for a 77-yard touchdown for the Bengals. Another rookie, Chris Bahr, added the extra point.

The teams traded punts before the Chiefs mounted a drive that reached Cincinnati territory. FB MacArthur Lane had a 17-yard carry and HB Tommy Reamon got the ball to the Bengals’ 40 with a 10-yard run, but the possession stalled there as Mike Livingston overthrew three straight passes. Kansas City was forced to punt.

The Bengals, taking over at their 20, proceeded to advance 80 yards in nine plays. Griffin ran effectively and Ken Anderson completed three passes, including one to TE Bob Trumpy for 22 yards to the Kansas City 18. From there, FB Boobie Clark ran for a touchdown, and with Bahr’s second successful extra point, the visitors carried a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.

The Chiefs got a break early in the next period when Anderson, on a quarterback keeper up the middle, fumbled and MLB Willie Lanier recovered at the Cincinnati 35. But three running plays accumulated seven yards and Jan Stenerud’s 35-yard field goal attempt was wide to the left.

The teams once again exchanged punts before Anderson threw a pass that was intercepted by CB Emmitt Thomas, who returned it 29 yards to the Cincinnati 31. It looked like the Chiefs would again fail to take advantage when Lane was tossed for a two-yard loss and Livingston was sacked to put them seven yards further back. But on third-and-19, Livingston kept the ball himself and ran for the 19 yards he needed for a first down. Two plays later, Livingston passed to WR Henry Marshall for 23 yards to the one yard line, and from there Reamon went through the middle of the line for a TD. Adding Stenerud’s extra point, the Cincinnati lead was cut to 14-7.

With 4:39 left in the half, the Bengals advanced to the KC 29, but a running play that lost yards combined with Anderson being sacked by DE Whitney Paul moved the ball back to the 34 and, after a pass fell incomplete, Bahr missed a 51-yard field goal try. The score remained unchanged at the half.

The Chiefs had first possession in the third quarter and went three-and-out, but then got a break when Tommy Casanova fumbled the ensuing punt and LB Dave Rozumek recovered for Kansas City at the Cincinnati 10. Four plays later, Reamon scored a touchdown from a yard out and, with Stenerud’s successful PAT, the game was tied at 14-14.

The problems continued for the Bengals on the kickoff when HB Tony Davis lost the handle on the ball and WR Lawrence Williams recovered at the Cincinnati 30. But after a first-play Livingston pass to Lane that picked up 16 yards, the Chiefs gained seven more yards and Stenerud’s 24-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Coy Bacon.

After another trade of punts, the Bengals put together a 10-play, 62-yard drive. Anderson threw to Trumpy for 20 yards and, on a third-and-eight play, connected with the tight end again for 11 yards. Clark ran for 18 yards on a sweep and Anderson picked up 11 on a carry up the middle. FB Stan Fritts went one yard to cap the series with a TD, and while Bahr’s extra point try was unsuccessful, the visitors were back in front by 20-14.

Williams returned the kickoff 37 yards for the Chiefs and they were into Cincinnati territory as the game moved into the fourth quarter thanks to a Livingston pass to Lane for 23 yards and carries by Reamon and HB Ed Podolak that added another 12 yards to the Cincinnati 31. On the second play of the final period, Livingston connected with Walter White for 16 yards and, after two short runs and a reverse by Marshall that picked up seven yards, Stenerud kicked a 24-yard field goal to narrow the margin to three points.

The Bengals continued to have trouble holding onto kick returns as DB Melvin Morgan fumbled the kickoff and Gary Barbaro recovered for the Chiefs at the Cincinnati 21. From there, a loss on a running play and a holding penalty backed Kansas City up, but facing a third-and-23 situation, Livingston completed a pass to White in the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown. With the successful conversion, the Chiefs were in front by 24-20.

Once again a KC kickoff resulted in the Chiefs gaining possession as HB Lenvill Elliott’s 22-yard return ended with a fumble and FB Glynn Harrison recovered for the home team. With 11:44 left to play, the Chiefs started off at the Cincinnati 27 and gained five yards in three plays, but they failed to add to their lead when Stenerud missed a 39-yard field goal attempt.

Once more the teams exchanged punts before, with just under seven minutes remaining on the clock, the Bengals went 62 yards in six plays. Griffin picked up 15 yards on two carries and two plays later a controversial roughing-the-passer penalty that drew vehement argument from the Chiefs added another 15 yards to the Kansas City 33. Anderson then threw to TE Bruce Coslet for 32 yards and Tony Davis went up the middle for the last yard and a touchdown. Bahr added the extra point and the visitors were back in front by three.

Two kickoffs went out of bounds, resulting in penalties and backing the Chiefs up, and Harrison then ran the next one back 35 yards to give Kansas City excellent field position at the Cincinnati 38. However, after advancing to the 22, Livingston was dumped for a seven-yard loss and Stenerud’s 46-yard field goal attempt sailed wide to the left. The Bengals were able to run out the clock and came away with a 27-24 win.

The Bengals outgained Kansas City (373 yards to 251), with 269 yards of that total coming on the ground, and also had the edge in first downs (21 to 16). Cincinnati also recorded six sacks, to two by the Chiefs. However, the Bengals hurt themselves with six turnovers, five of them on fumbles, while Kansas City didn’t turn the ball over at all.

Archie Griffin rushed for 139 yards on just 13 carries that included the long touchdown. Boobie Clark added 91 yards on 15 attempts and also scored a TD. Ken Anderson completed 9 of 17 passes for 123 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Bob Trumpy topped the receivers with three catches for 53 yards.

For the Chiefs, Mike Livingston was successful on 12 of 25 throws for 179 yards and a TD with none intercepted. Walter White (pictured at left) had 5 pass receptions for 87 yards and a score. MacArthur Lane ran for 36 yards on 13 carries and added four catches for 40 yards. Tommy Reamon, the former World Football League star, gained just 19 yards on 10 rushing attempts, but two of them were good for touchdowns.

“It would have been a big win for us,” said a frustrated Coach Paul Wiggin, who vehemently questioned the roughing-the-passer penalty that allowed the Bengals to continue their winning scoring drive.

In the showdown for the AFC Central the next week, the Bengals again fell to the Steelers in a snowstorm and lost the following game as well. They ended up with a 10-4 record, which put them in second place and on the outside of the postseason. Kansas City won two of its last three contests to finish at 5-9 and fourth in the AFC West.

Archie Griffin, undersized at 5’9” and 191 pounds, had a good rookie season as he rushed for 625 yards while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. The 139-yard performance against the Chiefs ended up being the best single-game output of his career.

34-year-old MacArthur Lane led the NFL with 66 pass receptions, which gained 686 yards, and he also added 542 rushing yards, although averaging only 3.3 yards per attempt. Walter White caught 47 passes for 808 yards (17.7 avg.) and scored seven TDs.

1972: Packers Trade Donny Anderson to Cards for MacArthur Lane

On February 22, 1972 the NFL announced a straight-up swap of former Pro Bowl running backs as the Green Bay Packers sent Donny Anderson to the St. Louis Cardinals for MacArthur Lane.

Anderson, a two-time All-American at Texas Tech, had come to the Packers amidst great fanfare in 1966. Drafted in the first round of the ’65 draft as a future pick (a practice that was allowed at the time; he still had a year of college eligibility remaining), he signed for an estimated $600,000. Along with FB Jim Grabowski, the 1966 first round selection out of Illinois who signed for $400,000, much was made of the combined million dollar commitment made by Green Bay to both keep the highly-touted runners away from the AFL as well as provide successors to the aging starting backfield of HB Paul Hornung and FB Jim Taylor.

The 6’3”, 210-pound Anderson started off slowly in the NFL, running tentatively and blocking poorly – Coach Vince Lombardi considered moving him to flanker after the ’66 season. But while Grabowski, the power runner, was never able to fully recover from a 1967 knee injury and had a mediocre career (he was cut a year prior to the Anderson trade, signing on with the Bears), Anderson broke into the starting lineup when injuries began to decimate the backfield during the ’67 season and rose to the occasion, contributing to a third straight championship as well as a win in Super Bowl II.

While the Packers dropped to 6-7-1 in the first post-Lombardi coaching year of 1968, Anderson led the team in rushing with 761 yards and was selected to the Pro Bowl. With a crowded situation in the backfield (veteran Elijah Pitts and speedy Travis Williams were also available at halfback), he saw less action in ’69, but bounced back with 853 yards rushing and 36 pass receptions in 1970. In addition to his play at halfback, Anderson also was a highly-regarded left-footed punter.

Anderson was involved in a contract dispute with the team in 1971 and considerable animosity arose between him and Head Coach/GM Dan Devine, who arrived that same year. Also arriving was rookie FB John Brockington, who pushed him into a supporting role. Devine was critical of Anderson’s blocking and expressed a preference for backup HB Dave Hampton, who he considered to be a better blocker.

“I tried to overcome the fact that there was a line between us,” said Anderson immediately following the trade to St. Louis. “I tried to play better football. I couldn't do it because when someone is down on you, you've got to prove yourself day after day. I didn't feel I had to prove myself on that basis, but maybe I'll have to do it in St. Louis.”

MacArthur Lane was a year older than Anderson (Anderson was 28 and Lane 29 at the time of the deal), but also bigger at 6’1” and 220 pounds, which seemed a better fit in tandem with the 6’1”, 225-pound Brockington. Lane had also been a first round draft choice, taken by the Cardinals in the 1968 draft with the thirteenth overall pick. He also stepped into a crowded backfield situation in St. Louis and saw scant action as a backup and kick returner in his first two years with the club.

Lane had a breakout season in 1970, showing off his power-running skill to gain 977 yards on the ground while catching 32 passes for another 365 yards, and scoring a league-leading 13 touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl. But like Anderson, he also ran afoul of a new head coach, Bob Hollway, in 1971. Lane slumped to 502 yards rushing and was suspended for the season finale after publicly criticizing the team’s vice president, Bill Bidwill, due to a salary dispute.

Following the trade, Hollway said. “As far as the Cardinals - myself and management – are concerned, we resolved any problems we had with Lane. The trade came
about because we were able to get a more versatile running back.”

Both players expressed relief at the trade, although Anderson paid tribute to his prior experiences and the fans in Green Bay. “Certainly I will miss the players and the fans in Green Bay,” he said. “There's nobody in the world like them and I wish them the best of everything. I cannot deny that the greatest, most rewarding athletic experiences of my life were having the honor to play for Vince Lombardi and to have played in the first two Super Bowls.”


The deal worked more to the benefit of the Packers in 1972. Following a 4-8-2 record in ’71, the team went 10-4 and won the NFC Central Division title. The running game was the key to the conservative offense led by young quarterback Scott Hunter, who only went to the air 199 times and completed just 43.2 percent of those passes. While Brockington, who had gained 1105 yards as a rookie, followed up with 1027 in ’72 (thus becoming the first player in NFL history to rush for a thousand yards in each of his first two seasons), Lane (pictured at left) contributed 821 yards on 177 carries for a healthy 4.6-yard average, led the team with 26 pass receptions for another 285 yards, and was named the club’s MVP.

In St. Louis, the 4-9-1 record of 1971 was duplicated in ’72. Anderson played respectably in combination with veteran RB Johnny Roland, leading the team with 536 yards on 153 rushing attempts (3.5 avg.) and catching 28 passes for 298 yards. As he had in Green Bay, he also handled the punting, averaging 39.5 yards on 72 kicks.

The situation was different in 1973, when things did not go so well for the Packers. While the running tandem of Brockington and Lane was still considered to be one of the best in the NFL, there was still no viable passing attack to complement them. Hunter failed to improve at quarterback, and when backup QB Jerry Tagge was given the opportunity to start, he was found wanting as well, as was young veteran backup Jim Del Gaizo, obtained from the Dolphins amid much fanfare. Brockington ran for 1144 yards and Lane 528, although Lane’s yards per carry average dropped to 3.1. The team as a whole fell to 5-7-2.

Lane played one more season in Green Bay, with the numbers continuing to diminish, and played four years in Kansas City, where he ran the ball less but was used effectively as a receiver out of the backfield – he led the NFL with 66 catches in 1976. Overall, in 11 seasons he ran for 4656 yards on 1206 carries (3.9 avg.) with 30 touchdowns and caught 287 passes for 2786 yards (9.7 avg.) and 7 more TDs.

As for Anderson in St. Louis, his numbers improved in 1973 as he again led the team in rushing with 679 yards on 167 carries (4.1 avg.) with 10 touchdowns and caught a career-high 41 passes for 409 yards and three more scores. The team was still 4-9-1 for the third straight year, but under a new head coach, Don Coryell.

Coryell turned the team around dramatically in 1974, winning the NFC East with a 10-4 tally, but Anderson’s production dropped off significantly with the emergence of explosive all-purpose HB Terry Metcalf. Traded to Miami in the offseason, Anderson retired during the 1975 preseason. His overall totals were 4696 yards rushing on 1197 attempts (3.9 avg.), including 41 touchdowns, and 209 pass receptions for 2548 yards (12.2 avg.) with 14 TDs. He also averaged 39.6 yards on 387 punts.