1987: Browns Rally to Defeat Jets in OT of AFC Divisional Playoff Game

The AFC Divisional playoff game on January 3, 1987 featured the Cleveland Browns, winners of the AFC Central Division, hosting the New York Jets, the second place finisher in the AFC East that qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card.

The Browns were coached by Marty Schottenheimer and won the last five games of the 1986 regular season to finish with a 12-4 record. Second-year QB Bernie Kosar (pictured above) had the league’s lowest interception percentage (1.9), being picked off just 10 times while tossing 17 TD passes. The receiving corps was a good one although the running back tandem of Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner, who was out against the Jets, had been disrupted by injuries.  A knee injury had cost the team the services of PK Matt Bahr and 38-year-old Mark Moseley, long-time kicker for the Redskins who was released earlier in the season and also was the league’s last remaining straight-ahead placekicker, was signed to take his place.

New York, under Head Coach Joe Walton for the fourth year, had gotten off to an impressive 10-1 start before losing five straight games to end up at 10-6. Injuries were a problem, especially on the offensive and defensive lines, and QB Ken O’Brien’s performance dropped off significantly. He was benched in favor of backup QB Pat Ryan, who led the Jets to a win over Kansas City in the Wild Card playoff round.  WR Al Toon was an All-Pro and RB Freeman McNeil, when healthy, was very productive. But the injuries on defense played havoc with the ability of the Jets to defend against the pass.

There were 78,106 fans in attendance at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. The Jets had first possession and punted. The short kick by Dave Jennings had the Browns starting at their 44 and a personal foul on the defense two plays later moved the ball into New York territory. However, after reaching the 29, Cleveland came up empty when Mark Moseley was short on a 46-yard field goal attempt.

The teams exchanged punts before the Jets advanced 82 yards in four plays. Pat Ryan threw to Al Toon for 28 yards and WR Wesley Walker for seven before firing to Walker once more on a flea-flicker for a 42-yard touchdown. Pat Leahy added the extra point and the visitors held the early 7-0 advantage.

The Browns started at their two following the ensuing kickoff but responded with a 98-yard drive in six plays. Bernie Kosar passed twice to TE Ozzie Newsome for 21 and 23 yards and to TE Harry Holt for nine yards to the New York 42. After an offside penalty on the Jets, Kosar went to the air once again, this time to RB Harry Fontenot for a 37-yard TD. Moseley’s point after tied the score.

The Jets punted after a short possession and the Browns were on the move as the opening period came to a close with Kosar connecting with WR Webster Slaughter for 15 yards and Newsome for 14. But the drive stalled at the New York 40 and, now in the second quarter, Cleveland was forced to punt.

The teams returned to trading punts until the Browns, regaining possession at midfield, advanced 29 yards in seven plays. Kosar completed three passes, the biggest to Newsome for 13 yards and Kevin Mack (pictured at right) for 25 down to the New York nine. However, a holding penalty moved the ball back and the offense could get no further. Moseley booted a 38-yard field goal to put Cleveland in the lead by 10-7.

Following another exchange of punts, the Jets took possession at their 31 with 1:29 remaining in the first half. QB Ken O’Brien, now behind center because of a groin injury to Ryan, twice scrambled for gains of nine and 16 yards and completed two passes. With the clock down to seven seconds, Leahy came on to kick a 46-yard field goal and the teams went into halftime with the score tied at 10-10.

The Browns had the ball first in the third quarter, punted, and New York started off with good field position at the Cleveland 41. Freeman McNeil ran three straight times for 23 yards but was then tackled for a loss and two O’Brien passes fell incomplete. Still, the Jets took the lead when Leahy kicked a 37-yard field goal that made the tally 13-10.

Cleveland responded by driving into New York territory, the big play being a Kosar throw to Holt for 33 yards. But after RB Curtis Dickey ran for three yards, two passes intended for Fontenot were incomplete, the second after being tipped by DT Tom Baldwin, and the Browns came up empty when Moseley was wide to the left on a 44-yard try for a field goal.

The teams returned to trading punts for the remainder of the period, with the Browns coming out ahead on the battle for field position. Starting at midfield early in the fourth quarter, Kosar threw to Newsome for a 34-yard gain and a pass interference call on a third-and-six play gave Cleveland a first down at the New York 10. But after Mack carried twice for eight yards, Kosar’s third down pass into the end zone was intercepted by CB Russell Carter. It ended a streak of 133 consecutive passes without an interception for Kosar.

O’Brien completed passes to Toon for 11 yards and FB Tony Paige for 10, and McNeil ran effectively as the Jets reached the Cleveland 43 before having to punt. However, they got the ball right back when Kosar was again picked off, this time by CB Jerry Holmes at the Cleveland 25. On the next play, McNeil carried the ball on a sweep to the right and went the distance for a touchdown. Leahy converted and New York was ahead by 20-10 with only a little over four minutes remaining in regulation.

It looked dire for the Browns on the next series as they faced third-and-24 at their 18, but a roughing-the-passer penalty on DE Mark Gastineau earned them 15 yards and a first down and, after two passes were incomplete to set up third-and-10, Kosar connected on five straight throws. WR Reggie Langhorne caught the first two, for 10 and 13 yards, and WR Brian Brennan followed up with receptions for 22 and 19 yards to get the ball to the New York three. Two plays later, Mack scored a TD from a yard out and, with Moseley’s extra point, the visitors’ lead was cut to 20-17.

The try for an onside kick was recovered by the Jets and they were able to run the clock down to 1:03 before punting. Starting from their 33, the Browns were helped along by a pass interference penalty that moved the ball to the New York 42. Kosar threw to Slaughter for 37 yards and, after the next pass was incomplete, Moseley kicked a 22-yard field goal with 11 seconds left to tie the score at 20-20 and send the game into overtime.

The Jets went three-and-out on the first possession of OT. It looked good for the Browns, starting from their 26, as Kosar completed five passes, the last to Langhorne for 35 yards down to the New York five. But Moseley then missed to the right on a 23-yard field goal attempt and the game continued.

Neither team could move on the next few possessions, resulting in punts. Cleveland had the ball at the New York 35 as time expired in the first overtime period and three runs by Mack picked up 26 yards to the nine before Moseley, given another opportunity, came through with a game-winning 27-yard field goal at the 2:02 mark of the second overtime period. The Browns advanced by a final score of 23-20.

Cleveland had by far the most total yards (558 to 287) and first downs (33 to 14). The Browns also recorded nine sacks, three of them by DE Carl Hairston, to four by New York. Cleveland turned the ball over twice, to none by the Jets, but the visitors were flagged 10 times at a cost of 94 yards, to four penalties for 40 yards on the Browns.

Bernie Kosar completed 33 of 64 passes for 489 yards, the attempts and yards setting new NFL postseason records, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Kevin Mack rushed for 63 yards on 20 carries that included a TD and also had 5 catches for 51 yards. Ozzie Newsome (pictured at left) had 6 pass receptions for 114 yards and Webster Slaughter also caught 6 passes, for 86 yards. Mark Moseley was successful on three of six field goal attempts.

For the Jets, Pat Ryan was 6 of 11 for 103 yards and a TD and, in relief, Ken O’Brien completed 11 of 19 throws for 134 yards. Al Toon caught 5 passes for 93 yards and Freeman McNeil rushed for 71 yards on 25 attempts that included a score along with four pass receptions for 35 yards. Dave Jennings punted 14 times for a 37.9-yard average.

“It has to be one of the finest games in the history of the game,” said Cleveland’s Coach Schottenheimer. “It equals any comeback I’ve ever seen and it is certainly the best I’ve ever been a part of.”

“I think the Browns just got revved up and played very well,” said Coach Walton of the Jets. “The big thing was our inability to move the ball.”

Cleveland advanced to the AFC Championship game and lost a close contest to the Denver Broncos, the first of two consecutive conference title game meetings between the clubs that were both won by the Broncos. The Jets dropped to 6-9 in 1987 and didn’t return to the postseason until 1991.

1987: Broncos Tie Score with “The Drive”, Beat Browns in OT for AFC Title

The AFC Championship game on January 11, 1987 featured the Denver Broncos, who had topped the AFC West with an 11-5 record, against the Cleveland Browns, champions of the AFC Central at 12-4.

The Broncos, coached by Dan Reeves, were benefiting from the continued development of QB John Elway (pictured above), who appeared to be hitting his stride in his fourth year. The running game was ordinary, but young receivers like WRs Vance Johnson and Mark Jackson plus TE Orson Mobley enhanced the passing attack. Key players on defense were DE Rulon Jones, linebackers Karl Mecklenburg and Tom Jackson, and SS Dennis Smith. Denver had gotten off to a 6-0 start but was less consistent during the season’s second half. Still, the Broncos topped the division and got past New England at the Divisional round to advance to the conference title game.

Cleveland seemed the hotter club coming into the matchup with Denver. Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer’s team was 4-3 after seven weeks but lost only one game after that. The Browns won their last five contests to close out the regular season with the best record in the AFC and then defeated the Jets in overtime at the Divisional playoff level. They, too, had a good young quarterback in 23-year-old Bernie Kosar, who may have lacked Elway’s mobility but was a fine passer who led the league with the lowest percentage of interceptions (1.9). Star TE Ozzie Newsome had suffered through an injury-plagued season, but Kosar spread his passes among several capable receivers, including utility back Herman Fontenot, who had 47 receptions. The ground game was also missing RB Earnest Byner due to injury, but FB Kevin Mack, who also had missed time, was back in action for the postseason. The defense was solid, if not spectacular. Placekicker Matt Bahr had undergone surgery during the season and in his place was 38-year-old Mark Moseley, the NFL’s last straight-ahead kicker who had finally reached the end of the line in Washington.

It was an overcast day in Cleveland with nearly 80,000 fans in attendance at Municipal Stadium. The teams traded punts before the Browns put together a 14-play, 86-yard drive. On a third-and-twelve play, Bernie Kosar passed to WR Reggie Langhorne for 13 yards and followed up with a completion to Herman Fontenot for another 13 yards to the Cleveland 38. Kevin Mack ran three straight times for 23 yards and, facing a third-and-seven situation, Kosar connected with Fontenot once again for 24 yards to the Denver 15. The series ended with Kosar passing to Fontenot for a six-yard touchdown. Mark Moseley added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The Broncos again punted following their next possession, with WR Gerald “Ice Cube” McNeil returning Mike Horan’s 48-yard kick for 18 yards to the Cleveland 37. McNeil fumbled at the end, but DB Chris Rockins recovered for the Browns. However, two plays later Kosar threw a pass that was intercepted by LB Ricky Hunley at midfield that, with a 14-yard return, gave Denver possession at the Cleveland 36.

The Broncos were unable to move the ball following the turnover and punted on the second play of the second quarter. Once again Kosar threw an interception, this time by LB Jim Ryan, who ran 26 yards to give the visitors first-and-goal at the Cleveland nine. Denver got to the one in three plays and Rich Karlis kicked a 19-yard field goal to make it 7-3.

The Broncos got the ball back quickly when, on Cleveland’s next play from scrimmage, Mack fumbled and LB Ken Woodard recovered for Denver at the Browns’ 37. On first down, Elway was flushed out of the pocket but, despite a sprained ankle, scrambled for 34 yards to the three yard line. Two running plays got the ball to the one and, on third down, Elway, under pressure from LB Clay Matthews, threw an incomplete pass. The Broncos chose to go for it this time on fourth down, and, catching the Browns unprepared on defense, were rewarded when HB Gerald Willhite ran off right tackle for a TD. Karlis kicked the PAT and Denver was ahead by 10-7.

The Browns reached the Denver 45 on the next series, with Kosar completing three straight passes for 24 yards to start the drive off, but they could get no farther and had to punt. The Broncos had to punt it back and, starting at their 35, the Browns advanced 53 yards in nine plays. The highlight was a Kosar completion to WR Clarence Weathers that picked up 42 yards to the Denver 20 in a third-and-seven situation. Mack ran the ball twice for a total of five yards and, after Kosar was called for intentional grounding, Moseley came on to kick a 29-yard field goal that tied the score at 10-10 with 20 seconds remaining in the half.

The teams exchanged punts to start the third quarter. On their second series, the Broncos reached midfield, but an Elway pass that was originally ruled incomplete was overturned, having been intercepted by DB Mark Harper. Still, the Browns went three-and-out. Following the punt, Denver put together an 11-play, 61-yard series. RB Sammy Winder ran four times for 20 yards and Elway had a completion to TE Clarence Kay for 15 yards and to Orson Mobley for nine, plus another 15 yards added at the end due to a roughing-the-passer penalty. The drive finally stalled at the Cleveland nine and Karlis kicked a 26-yard field goal that put the visitors back in front at 13-10.

The Browns responded by going 76 yards in ten plays that extended into the fourth quarter. Kosar had completions to WR Webster Slaughter for 20 yards and Langhorne for 22 to the Denver 38. Mack ran six straight times for a total of 31 yards and the possession finally ended with Moseley once again tying the score with a 24-yard field goal.

The teams again exchanged punts until the Browns, starting at their 48 after a ten-yard McNeil return, struck quickly. A pass was incomplete and Fontenot ran for four yards before, on third down, Kosar threw to WR Brian Brennan for a 48-yard touchdown, putting the home crowd in a frenzy. Moseley’s extra point gave the Browns a 20-13 lead with 5:43 left on the clock.

Things did not look promising for the Broncos, especially when they started their next series at the two yard line following the squibbed kickoff that was mishandled by RB Ken Bell. Elway threw to Winder for five yards and then, following three straight running plays, Denver was facing second-and-seven at the 15. Elway scrambled for 11 yards and followed up with completions to RB Steve Sewell for 22 yards and WR Steve Watson for 12 to the Cleveland 40.

However, another pass was incomplete and then Elway was sacked by NT Dave Puzzuoli, losing eight yards and bringing up a third-and-18 situation. But Elway connected with WR Mark Jackson for 20 yards and the Broncos had a first down at the 28. Two plays later, Sewell caught a pass for 14 yards and, with just under a minute remaining in regulation, the ball was at the 14. Following an incomplete pass, Elway was again forced to run and gained nine yards to set up third-and-one with the clock now down to 42 seconds. Elway, under a heavy rush, threw to a diving Jackson in the end zone for a five-yard touchdown to complete the 15-play, 98-yard series that would henceforth be referred to as “The Drive”. Karlis kicked the all-important extra point and the game went into overtime tied at 20-20.

The Browns had the first possession in OT but ran three plays and had to punt. Taking over at their 25, the Broncos gained five yards on a carry by Winder before Elway threw to Mobley for a 22-yard gain. A pitchout to Winder lost two yards and it was third-and-12 after a pass fell incomplete. Once again, Elway came through with a big play as he connected with Watson for 28 yards to the Cleveland 22. The Broncos ran the ball three times to set up a 33-yard field goal attempt by Karlis. While the kick hooked to the left, it passed just inside the upright and was successful.  At 5:48 into overtime the Broncos were AFC Champions by a score of 23-20.

Denver had the edge in total yards (374 to 356) and first downs (22 to 17). The Browns turned the ball over three times, to one turnover by the Broncos, and were penalized nine times at a cost of 76 yards, to six flags thrown on Denver.

John Elway completed 22 of 38 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown with one interception. He also ran the ball four times for 56 yards. Four Broncos caught three passes apiece, with Steve Watson gaining a team-leading 55 yards on his and Steve Sewell accumulating 47 yards. Sammy Winder rushed for 83 yards on 26 carries.

For the Browns, Bernie Kosar was successful on 18 of 32 throws for 259 yards and two TDs, but also two interceptions. Herman Fontenot had 7 catches for 66 yards and a touchdown and Brian Brennan, with the long scoring catch, gained 72 yards on his four pass receptions. Kevin Mack ran for 94 yards on 26 attempts. On special teams, Gerald McNeil averaged 12.3 yards on his three punt returns and Mark Moseley, in the final game of his long career, was successful on both of his field goal attempts as well as his extra points.

“I don’t know where to start, there are so many places you can start to talk about in this football game,” said Dan Reeves. “It was just a tremendous drive at the end.”

There was no Elway-inspired magic in the Super Bowl, where the Broncos lost decisively to the New York Giants. The Broncos and Browns, who again topped their divisions in 1987, met again to vie for the AFC title in a rematch, this time in Denver in a game that the Broncos won thanks to a late fumble by the Browns. 

1970: Eagles Upset Giants in Monday Night Game

The New York Giants were riding a six-game winning streak as they came to Philadelphia for a Monday night contest on November 23, 1970. Head Coach Alex Webster’s team was 6-3, having lost its first three games before catching fire. While QB Fran Tarkenton remained the key to the offense in his fourth year with the club, the addition of HB Ron Johnson, who played his rookie season with the Browns in ’69, added a versatile ground-gaining element. Veteran WR Clifton McNeil and rookie TE Bob Tucker were good receivers who were also newcomers to the club. While the defense had talent in DE Fred Dryer and FS Carl “Spider” Lockhart, there were concerns about the remainder of the line and linebacking corps. The Giants had not been to the postseason since 1963 and were looking to keep pace in the newly-formed NFC East.

Philadelphia was coached by Jerry Williams for the second year and was already well out of the running at 1-7-1. However, the Eagles were showing signs of life, having upset Miami two weeks earlier and then tying Atlanta. QB Norm Snead (pictured above) had a strong arm but was prone to tossing interceptions. The running game had lost FB Tom Woodeshick to injury, although rookie FB Lee Bouggess was a good receiver out of the backfield and HB Cyril Pinder was picking up yards. The defense had a rising star in Tim Rossovich, a colorful character who had been shifted to middle linebacker from defensive end.

It was a cold night at Franklin Field with 59,117 fans in attendance for Philadelphia’s first-ever Monday Night Football contest. The Eagles moved methodically down the field with the game’s first possession. Cyril Pinder ran for 14 yards on a third-and-six play and Norm Snead converted a third-and-ten situation with a pass to TE Gary Ballman for 19 yards. The drive finally stalled and Philadelphia came up empty when Mark Moseley missed a 39-yard field goal attempt.

The teams traded punts before the Giants put points on the board. The kick by Philadelphia’s Bill Bradley sailed only 28 yards, giving the visitors excellent starting field position at the Eagles’ 46. It resulted in a 29-yard field goal by Pete Gogolak.

Heading into the second quarter, the Eagles took advantage of a bad pass from center by the Giants on fourth down that gave them the ball at the New York one. Snead scored from there on a quarterback sneak but Moseley missed the extra point and the Philadelphia lead remained 6-3.

The Giants got a break when they recovered a fumble at the Philadelphia 13 that set up a two-yard touchdown carry by Ron Johnson. Gogolak added the PAT and New York was up by four.

As the first half wound down, New York added to its lead, getting a 29-yard Gogolak field goal with 36 seconds left on the clock. However, Eagles WR Billy Walik (pictured below) returned the ensuing kickoff 57 yards and it set up a 29-yard Moseley field goal on the last play of the half. New York’s lead was cut to 13-9 at the intermission.

New York punted following the first series of the third quarter and the Eagles moved well as Snead completed passes to WR Ben Hawkins for 25 yards and to WR Harold Jackson for 27 yards to the New York 13. Six plays later, after Pinder and Lee Bougess carried the load, Snead threw to TE Fred Hill for the last yard and a touchdown. Moseley added the extra point and Philadelphia was ahead by 16-13.

The Giants came right back with an 11-play, 60-yard scoring drive of their own. Tarkenton completed three passes, including one to Bob Tucker for 18 yards, and Philadelphia was hurt by two 15-yard penalties. Tarkenton kept the ball himself for the last yard and a TD and Gogolak added the point to again put the visitors in front by four.

Walik struck again as he returned the kickoff 45 yards to give the Eagles good starting field position at the New York 46, and a Snead pass to Hawkins picked up 31 yards. While the receiver fumbled at the end, G Jim Skaggs fell on the ball to not only save the possession but gain another three yards. The home team was inside the ten yard line as the action moved into the fourth quarter and Snead scored on a one-yard plunge less than a minute into the final period.

An exchange of fumbles followed and the Giants again had to punt. The Eagles took over from their 14 with over ten minutes remaining and put together a key series that allowed them to control the ball for the next 9:26. While they came up empty when Moseley missed a 36-yard field goal attempt, there were only 50 seconds remaining for the Giants to work with.

Tarkenton desperately tried to pass the Giants into field goal position. He got them as far as the Philadelphia 42, but a penalty for an illegal receiver downfield moved the Giants back and time ran out on them. The Eagles pulled off the upset by a score of 23-20.

Statistically, the game was very even. New York had the edge in total yards (287 to 281) while the Eagles were slightly ahead in first downs (18 to 17). The Giants turned the ball over three times, to two suffered by Philadelphia, all on fumbles. Missed kicks were a problem for the Eagles as Moseley failed on two of three field goal attempts as well as an extra point, but Billy Walik returned four kickoffs for 147 yards and a 36.8 average, with the two longest setting up scores.

Norm Snead completed 12 of 17 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown with none intercepted, and had the two short rushing TDs. Cyril Pinder ran for 89 yards on 19 carries and caught three passes for 25 more yards. Ben Hawkins pulled in four passes for 99 yards. Tim Rossovich (pictured below) was a standout performer with his inspired play on defense.

For the Giants, Fran Tarkenton was successful on 15 of 30 throws for 178 yards and ran the ball five times for 33 yards and a TD. FB Tucker Frederickson, who was effective on screen passes throughout the game, had 6 catches for 81 yards along with 32 yards on 8 rushing attempts. Clifton McNeil contributed four pass receptions for 62 yards. But the Eagles held Ron Johnson to just 35 yards on 16 carries that included a short touchdown.

“What hurt us most was Walik’s kickoff returns which gave them great field position,” summed up Coach Webster for the Giants.

The win was a high point of an otherwise-bleak season for the Eagles, who lost their next three games before winning the finale against Pittsburgh – their last regular season game at Franklin Field. They ended up at the bottom of the NFC East with a 3-10-1 record. New York remained in the hunt for a Wild Card playoff spot, recovering to win three straight before losing the season finale against the Rams. While their 9-5 record was the franchise’s best in seven years and put them second in the division, the Giants were a game behind the 10-4 Lions in the race for the Wild Card.

In his seventh (and last) year with the Eagles, Norm Snead passed for 2323 yards and 15 touchdowns, but also 20 interceptions. Billy Walik, a rookie out of Villanova, ranked fifth in the NFC with a 25.2 average on 32 kickoff returns. As his performance against the Giants demonstrated, Mark Moseley, also a rookie, struggled with inconsistency throughout the year, connecting on 14 of 25 field goal attempts and 25 of 28 extra point tries, with several of his missed kicks coming at particularly inopportune times. He was cut during the 1971 preseason but would eventually put together a long and successful career that lasted until 1986, primarily with the Redskins.

Ron Johnson became the first thousand-yard rusher in Giants history, gaining 1027 yards on 263 carries (3.9 avg.) while also catching 48 passes for 487 more yards. He scored a total of 12 touchdowns and was a consensus first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl selection.

As a side note, the game became notorious for what occurred in the broadcast booth during the national telecast. The Monday night games were in their first year and already becoming noteworthy for the acerbic commentary of Howard Cosell, the playful responses of ex-quarterback Don Meredith, in addition to the play-by-play offered by Keith Jackson. Eagles owner Leonard Tose had sent copious amounts of food and alcohol to the press box, which was unheated on the brutally cold night. During the first half, Cosell was noticeably slurring his words and departed at halftime after reportedly vomiting on Meredith’s cowboy boots. Cosell was accused of being drunk during the telecast, which he vehemently denied, insisting that he was suffering from an inner ear infection. Whatever the truth, the incident became an often-referenced part of Monday Night Football lore.

1983: Cowboys Overcome 20-Point Deficit, Beat Redskins in Opener

The Washington Redskins, champions of the NFL in 1982, began their title defense with a Monday night game on September 5, 1983 against their arch-rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. It was a humid 87 degree night in Washington, but it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the sellout crowd of 55,045 at RFK Stadium.

Washington, coached by Joe Gibbs, featured the passing of QB Joe Theismann and the ground-gaining of rugged RB John Riggins on offense, along with an outstanding line known as “The Hogs” and a capable group of receivers led by WR Art Monk. The defense lacked big names but played well as a unit.

As for Head Coach Tom Landry’s Cowboys, they had most recently lost to the Redskins in the NFC Championship game – their third straight trip to the conference title contest that ended in defeat. QB Danny White was capable but also living in the shadow of his illustrious predecessor, Roger Staubach, and RB Tony Dorsett, TE Doug Cosbie, and wide receivers Tony Hill (pictured above) and Drew Pearson were all solid offensive performers. The defense had slipped in ’82, however, showing signs of age.

The Redskins were emotionally high coming into the opening game and did well at exploiting weaknesses in the Dallas defense during the first half. The Cowboys started their first drive from their own 16 yard line and that was typical during the first two quarters of play as they were consistently kept on their own half of the field.

In the first quarter, Mark Moseley started the scoring off with a 23-yard field goal and Riggins scored a touchdown on a one-yard carry. The biggest first half highlight for Dallas came in the second quarter on a 77-yard run by Tony Dorsett, who was caught from behind by fleet CB Darrell Green. Stifled again by Washington’s defense, the Cowboys had to settle for a 26-yard Rafael Septien field goal.

Moseley followed up with field goals of 30 and 39 yards and, with 40 seconds left in the first half, WR Charlie Brown made an outstanding catch of a Theismann pass for a 41-yard touchdown that seemingly put the Redskins in command at 23-3.

Theismann amassed 181 passing yards in the first half, making good use of short sideline passes to his wide receivers. Meanwhile, Danny White was a miserable one-for-nine. Dallas managed just three first downs, one of them on a penalty. However, for all the dominance Washington had scored just two touchdowns, along with three field goals.

The Cowboys made adjustments to the defense at halftime that successfully countered Washington’s attack during the second half. Things began to turn around early in the third quarter when White completed a pass to Tony Hill, who raced past CB Vernon Dean for a 75-yard touchdown.

Shortly thereafter, White hit Hill again for another long scoring play, this time victimizing the inexperienced CB Anthony Washington in the secondary. Suddenly, the Washington lead was down to 23-17.

Still ahead by six points, the Redskins drove to the Dallas 14 yard line but were moved back by a holding penalty and then Moseley had a critical missed field goal attempt from 31 yards. Dallas responded by driving 80 yards – 27 coming on runs by Dorsett and aided by a late hit of White called on LB Mel Kaufman - and taking the lead with White running around end for a short TD, followed by Septien’s extra point.

With just over two minutes to play, the game-clinching points were set up thanks to reserve CB Ron Fellows intercepting a Theismann pass at the Washington 40 and returning it to the four yard line. TE Doug Cosbie caught a touchdown throw by White from a yard out with less than two minutes to play.

The Redskins finally scored again in the waning seconds to close to one point, but it was inconsequential to the outcome once a desperation onsides kick was recovered by the Cowboys. Dallas came away with a 31-30 win.

Washington outgained the Cowboys (447 yards to 356) and had more first downs (26 to 16), but was also penalized seven times, to just two flags thrown on Dallas. Moreover, the inability to put more points on the board in the second half until it was too late, combined with the big plays by the Cowboys that exploited weaknesses in Washington’s defense, made the difference.

Danny White, recovering from the horrible first half showing, ended up completing 9 of 20 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Tony Dorsett (pictured below) rushed for 151 yards on 14 carries. With the two long scoring plays, Tony Hill gained 133 yards on 3 receptions while Doug Cosbie also caught 3 passes, for 36 yards and the clinching TD.

For the Redskins, Joe Theismann was successful on 28 of 38 throws for 325 yards with two TDs and the one late interception. Alvin Garrett caught 10 of those passes for 101 yards and Charlie Brown added 6 for 97 yards. John Riggins ran the ball 27 times for 89 yards and a touchdown.

“That pass to Hill was the play that turned the game around,” said Joe Theismann. “It didn’t kill us, but it woke up the Cowboys.”

“Anytime I can look up here and see the stands half-empty and the fans grumbling on their way out, it’s the most gratifying experience in football,” said Dennis Thurman, who recovered the climactic onsides kick for the Cowboys that effectively ended the game. “Those fans were screaming ‘we want Dallas’. I’m not too sure they want us now.”

The opening defeat was easily overcome by the Redskins, who won the rematch in Dallas later in the season and lost only one other game in compiling a 14-2 record. Featuring their high-scoring offense, they again advanced to the Super Bowl, only to be upset by the Los Angeles Raiders. The Cowboys finished second in the NFC East but qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card with a 12-4 tally. They didn’t make it to the NFC Championship game this time, falling to the Rams in the first round.

Danny White (pictured at right) placed third in the league with 3980 passing yards and tied with Joe Theismann for second with 29 TD passes. Tony Hill caught 49 passes for a team-leading 801 yards (16.3 avg.) and 7 touchdowns. Doug Cosbie was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first of three straight yeas as he pulled in 46 receptions for 588 yards and 6 TDs. Also chosen for the Pro Bowl was Tony Dorsett, for the fourth time, who rushed for 1321 yards on 289 yards (4.6 avg.) and caught 40 passes for 287 more yards and a total of 9 touchdowns. 

MVP Profile: Mark Moseley, 1982

Placekicker, Washington Redskins



Age: 34
12th season in pro football, 9th with Redskins
College: Stephen F. Austin
Height: 6’0” Weight: 205

Prelude:
Taken by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 14th round of the 1970 NFL draft, Moseley had a mediocre rookie year and lost his job to Happy Feller in the ’71 preseason. Catching on with the Houston Oilers during the season, he had a better year but was cut in favor of Skip Butler after one game in 1972. Moseley caught on with the Redskins in 1974 and finally hit his stride, leading the NFL in field goals kicked three times (1976, ’77, and ’79) and gaining selection to the Pro Bowl following a 1979 season in which he connected on 75.8 % of his field goal attempts (25 of 33). His performance dipped in ’80 and he nearly lost his job to Dan Miller during the 1982 preseason.

1982 Season Summary
Appeared in all 9 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking
Field goals – 20 [1]
Most field goals, game - 4 at St. Louis 12/12
Field goal attempts – 21 [4, tied with Joe Danelo]
Most field goal attempts, game – 4 at St. Louis 12/12
Field goal percentage – 95.2 [1]
PATs – 16 [17, tied with Florian Kempf & Ed Murray]
PAT attempts – 19 [14]
Longest field goal – 48 yards at Philadelphia 9/12

Scoring
Field Goals – 20
PATs – 16
Points – 76 [4]

Postseason: 4 G
Field goals – 4
Most field goals, game – 2 vs. Miami, Super Bowl
Field goal attempts – 8
Most field goal attempts, game – 2 in all four contests
PATs – 14
Most PATs, game – 4 vs. Detroit, NFC First Round playoff, vs. Dallas, NFC Championship
PAT attempts – 14
Longest field goal – 31 yards vs. Miami, Super Bowl

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: AP
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly
1st team All-NFC: UPI
Pro Bowl

Redskins went 8-1 in strike-shortened season and were top seed in the NFC playoff tournament that replaced the usual postseason format. Defeated the Detroit Lions in the First Round playoff (31-7), Minnesota Vikings in the Second Round playoff (21-7), Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship (31-17), and Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl (27-17).

Aftermath:
With the high-scoring 1983 Redskins, Moseley set a then-record for points that didn’t include TDs with 161 (62 extra points and 33 field goals). He was finally let go during the 1986 season and finished up his career that year with Cleveland as the last straight-ahead placekicker in regular service in the NFL. At the time of his retirement, he ranked fourth all-time in career scoring with 1382 points, including 300 field goals in 457 attempts (65.6 %) and 482 extra points. His 1206 points and 263 field goals with the Redskins are franchise records.

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 2/10/14]