Highlighted Year: Marlin Briscoe, 1970

Wide Receiver, Buffalo Bills

Age: 25 (Sept. 10)

3^rd season in pro football, 2^nd with Bills

College: Omaha Univ. (now Univ. of Nebraska at Omaha)

Height: 5’10” Weight: 177

Prelude:

Briscoe was a quarterback in college, where he passed for 2283 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior in 1967 and the team won the Central Intercollegiate Conference championship. He was chosen by the Denver Broncos in the 14^th round of the ’68 AFL/NFL draft with the expectation that he would be a defensive back or wide receiver. But when starting QB Steve Tensi was injured early in the season, he started five games (and thus became the first African-American to start at quarterback in the AFL or NFL). Highly mobile, “The Magician” completed only 41.5 percent of his passes, but they were good for 1589 yards and a league-leading 17.1 yards per catch. He also tossed 14 TD passes and rushed for 308 yards, scoring three touchdowns and averaging 7.5 yards per attempt. With the Broncos unwilling to commit to him as a quarterback, he was released, signed by Buffalo during preseason in 1969, and shifted to wide receiver. Despite joining the team late and changing positions, he caught 32 passes for 532 yards (16.6 avg.) and scored five TDs.

1970 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 57 [2, 1^st in AFC]     

Most receptions, game – 7 (for 145 yds.) vs. Miami 10/18, (for 78 yds.) vs. Baltimore 12/13

Yards – 1036 [2, 1^st in AFC]

Most yards, game – 145 (on 7 catches) vs. Miami 10/18

Average gain – 18.2 [12]

TDs – 8 [7, tied with Charley Taylor]

100-yard receiving games – 4

Rushing

Attempts – 3

Yards – 19

Average gain – 6.3

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 8 [14, tied with Willie Frazier, Leroy Kelly & Charley Taylor]

Points – 48

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFL: PFWA

1^st team All-AFC: AP, UPI, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Bills went 3-10-1 to finish fourth in the AFC East.

Aftermath:

Briscoe followed up in 1971 with 44 catches for 603 yards (13.7 avg.) and five touchdowns. Having played out his option with the Bills, he moved on to the Miami Dolphins for 1972 and saw limited action as backup to WR Howard Twilley, catching 16 passes while the team went undefeated in winning the NFL title. Briscoe moved into the starting lineup in ’73 and had 30 receptions for 447 yards (14.9 avg.) and two TDs but appeared in only four games in 1974 and was traded, playing for the Chargers and Lions in 1975 and finishing up with New England in ’76. He never again appeared at quarterback after his rookie year, but in eight seasons as a wide receiver he caught 224 passes for 3537 yards (15.8 avg.) and 30 touchdowns, with 133 of those receptions for 2171 yards (163 avg.) and 18 TDs coming with the Bills.

--

Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1970: Colts Defeat Bills to Win AFC East Title

The Baltimore Colts were looking to wrap up a division title as they took on the Buffalo Bills on December 13, 1970. In the newly-realigned league due to the merger between the AFL and NFL, the Colts found themselves in the American Football Conference, consisting primarily of ex-AFL franchises, and were ahead in the AFC East with a 9-2-1 record. Under first-year Head Coach Don McCafferty, the Colts had hardly been dominating in compiling their record. The running game was mediocre and 37-year-old QB Johnny Unitas was past his prime, although still effective with outstanding wide receivers in Roy Jefferson and Eddie Hinton. The defense was strong, however, especially with linebackers Mike Curtis and Ted Hendricks, and at safety with Jerry Logan and Rick Volk.

The Bills, coached by John Rauch, were struggling at 3-8-1 but had tied the Colts in their previous meeting. HB O.J. Simpson, the team’s rising star, went out for the year with a knee injury four weeks earlier, but rookie QB Dennis Shaw was playing well after having taken over the starting job in Week 3 and WR Marlin Briscoe was leading the conference in pass receiving. The defense was effective against the pass, but overall the team was chronically prone to penalties and turnovers.

There were 34,346 fans in attendance at Buffalo’s War Memorial Stadium and the field was slippery and covered with snow. The Colts scored first, at 5:46 into the first quarter, when Jim O’Brien kicked a 32-yard field goal. Buffalo got a boost when HB Roland Moss returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards to the Baltimore 40. Dennis Shaw completed four passes, HB Lloyd Pate scored a one-yard touchdown, and Grant Guthrie added the extra point to give the Bills a 7-3 lead.

Baltimore came back with a 14-play series that was helped along by a 30-yard pass interference penalty on the defense after running eight straight times. FB Tom Nowatzke gained the last yard for a TD with seconds remaining in the opening period and O’Brien converted.

In the second quarter, Buffalo put together a seven-play, 78-yard possession that led to Shaw throwing to WR Marlin Briscoe for a 10-yard touchdown. Guthrie’s successful point after provided the home team with a 14-10 lead at halftime.

A key sequence in the third quarter allowed the visitors to regain the lead. The Bills were at their 23, but a holding penalty backed them up to the 11, from where they had to punt.  Another penalty, this time for interfering with the fair catch, gave the Colts excellent field position at the Buffalo 33. From there, Johnny Unitas threw to Roy Jefferson for a 30-yard gain. FB Norm Bulaich powered over from three yards out for a touchdown and a fight also broke out, leading to CB Robert James of the Bills being ejected. O’Brien added the PAT to make it a three-point lead for Baltimore.

Buffalo was unable to put any more points on the board in the second half as the Colts stepped up on defense. In two instances, CB Charlie Stukes (pictured below) intercepted passes by Shaw to stop drives. The Colts scored once more when O’Brien kicked a 38-yard field goal and held on to win the sloppy game by a final score of 20-14.

The Bills had the edge in total yards (333 to 275) and first downs (18 to 15), with Baltimore managing just 49 rushing yards on 29 attempts. However, Buffalo turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by the Colts, and were hurt by seven penalties, totaling 103 yards, as against just one flag thrown on Baltimore. The teams combined for 15 punts (8 by the Bills, 7 for the Colts).

Johnny Unitas completed 13 of 31 passes for 236 yards and no touchdowns, but also had none intercepted. WR Roy Jefferson had 5 catches for 125 yards and WR Jimmy Orr added 70 yards on his three receptions. Tom Nowatzke led what there was of a rushing attack with 20 yards on 9 carries that included a TD. Norm Bulaich was held to 18 yards on 15 attempts that also included a score.

For the Bills, Dennis Shaw (pictured at left) was successful on 23 of 43 throws for 252 yards and a TD, although he gave up two interceptions. Marlin Briscoe caught 7 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown and WR Haven Moses gained 100 yards on his 6 receptions. Lloyd Pate rushed for 49 yards on 15 carries that included a TD and also had 6 catches for 29 yards.

Despite clinching the division title, there was much dissatisfaction with Baltimore’s performance, especially from Coach McCafferty, who didn’t give out any game balls. Starting WR Eddie Hinton was benched in the first quarter after blowing an assignment and DB Ron Gardin saw no further action after he fumbled a punt that the Bills recovered.

“The field was sloppy,” explained Johnny Unitas. “The cold didn’t bother us, it was the field. Nobody could cut. All had to be careful and round their turns.”

The mood may not have been particularly celebratory, but the Colts clinched first place in the AFC East and finished with an 11-2-1 record. Baltimore went on to win the first AFC Championship and defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl. Buffalo made it five straight losses to close out the season at 3-10-1 for fourth place in the division.

Johnny Unitas, in what proved to be his last effective season (he played for three more), threw for 2213 yards and 14 touchdowns, although with 18 interceptions. Roy Jefferson, in what was his only season in Baltimore (he was dealt to Washington the following year), caught 44 passes for a team-leading 749 yards (17.0 avg.) and seven touchdowns.

Dennis Shaw received Rookie of the Year plaudits as he placed second in the AFC in pass completions (178), yards (2507), and yards per attempt (7.8), although also in interceptions (20). Marlin Briscoe topped the AFC with 57 catches for 1036 yards.

1970: Dennis Shaw Leads Bills Past Jets in First Start

The Buffalo Bills were entering a restructured NFL due to the 1970 merger, but they were still a team that had been struggling since last winning the AFL Eastern Division in 1966. John Rauch, who had led the Raiders to the league championship in 1967 but had fallen out with that team’s managing general partner, Al Davis, came to Buffalo in ‘69 and the team suffered through a 4-10 season. While prize rookie HB O.J. Simpson was a rising talent coming into his second year in ’70, QB Jack Kemp had retired to enter politics and left a void behind center – an especially big problem considering Rauch’s preference for a pass-oriented attack.

Third-year veteran Dan Darragh performed poorly in the first two losing games of the 1970 season, and the quarterback who relieved him, rookie Dennis Shaw out of San Diego State (pictured above), was given the starting assignment for the Week 3 contest against the New York Jets on October 4.

The Jets were just two years removed from a Super Bowl-winning season in 1968 and had followed up with a 10-4 record to win the Eastern Division again in ’69. Under Head Coach Weeb Ewbank, and with QB Joe Namath directing the offense, New York was a veteran team that came into the contest at Buffalo as a 14-point favorite.

There were 46,266 fans jamming War Memorial Stadium. The Jets took an early lead three minutes into the game when rookie CB Steve Tannen, the team’s first draft choice out of Florida, blocked a Paul Maguire punt and ran 41 yards for a touchdown. However, on the ensuing kickoff the Bills evened the score when Simpson, after initially bobbling the ball, returned it 95 yards for a TD.

New York’s offense took the field for the first time, and following a running play that gained a yard, Namath went to the air and threw a bomb to TE Rich Caster for a 72-yard touchdown (it was Namath’s 100th career TD pass). Tannen made another big play as he intercepted a Shaw pass at the Buffalo 43 that set up a 22-yard Jim Turner field goal and the Jets led by 17-7 at the end of the first quarter.

The Bills responded with a field goal of their own, of 10 yards by Grant Guthrie. With 31 seconds left in the first half, Namath connected with WR George Sauer for a 25-yard touchdown. The second quarter scoring wasn’t over, however, as 30 seconds later, following a six-yard run by Shaw and a 13-yard pass to WR Haven Moses, Buffalo finished off the half with a 40-yard field goal by Guthrie. Still, the Jets held a 24-13 lead at the midway point.

In the third quarter, Shaw passed to WR Marlin Briscoe in the end zone for a 19-yard TD, cutting New York’s lead to 24-20. Namath responded by throwing to Caster for a 53-yard gain to the Buffalo 11 and HB Emerson Boozer followed up with a touchdown run from six yards out.

Now into the fourth quarter, Shaw set up a touchdown with passes of 45 yards to Briscoe and 27 yards to Moses. Simpson finished off the drive with a one-yard scoring run and, with the extra point, New York’s margin was cut to four points at 31-27.

The Bills went for an onside kick and it succeeded when FB Bill Enyart recovered at the New York 47. Simpson carried the ball twice for 22 yards. Shaw’s second scoring pass, of 25 yards to Briscoe, then put the Bills in front with 7:20 left in the game. They held on to win by a final score of 34-31 as Turner missed field goal attempts from 33 and 38 yards, either of which would have tied the game.

Buffalo led the Jets both in total yards (401 to 337) and first downs (20 to 11). However, the Bills also turned the ball over five times, to none by New York, and Shaw was sacked five times while Buffalo’s defense didn’t get to Namath at all.


Dennis Shaw completed 12 passes out of 21 attempts for 317 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions apiece. Marlin Briscoe (pictured at left) and Haven Moses both had big days, each catching four passes with Briscoe gaining 120 yards and scoring two TDs and Moses accumulating 118 yards. O.J. Simpson ran for 99 yards on 21 carries that included a touchdown and also caught three passes for 63 yards.

Joe Namath went to the air 26 times and also completed 12 passes, for 228 yards and two scores with none intercepted. Rich Caster had four receptions for 138 yards and a TD, while Emerson Boozer also caught four passes out of the backfield, for 40 yards; he gained just 11 yards rushing on 8 carries that included a touchdown. FB Matt Snell led the Jets in rushing with 88 yards on 22 attempts but suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the fourth quarter that knocked him out of action for the remainder of the season.

Steve Tannen had an uneven performance – while he scored on the blocked punt and had an interception, he was also the victim on both of Briscoe’s scoring receptions. The normally-reliable placekicker Jim Turner had a dreadful day – in addition to missing the two crucial three-point attempts in the fourth quarter, he was unsuccessful on five field goal tries overall after succeeding on his first attempt.

“I play the type of game where I think we can score on every play,” the ever-confident Dennis Shaw said afterward. “You can't play conservative ball against the Jets.”

Shaw went on to put together a solid rookie season, completing 55.5 percent of his passes (178 of 321) for 2507 yards with 10 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. He received Rookie of the Year honors from the Associated Press. The team, however, remained in the doldrums and finished at 3-10-1 for fourth place in the AFC East. Despite the promising start, Shaw’s career steadily declined thereafter - he lasted just four seasons in Buffalo and six overall.

Things got worse for the Jets, too. In addition to losing Snell, two games later Namath was also lost for the rest of the year with a broken wrist. By that point, New York was 1-4 and, while they rallied for three straight wins in November, the Jets ended up at 4-10 and just ahead of Buffalo in third.