1970: Big Plays Lift Raiders Over Dolphins in AFC Divisional Playoff Game

The AFC Divisional playoff game on December 27, 1970 featured the Oakland Raiders, winners of the AFC West with an 8-4-2 record, hosting the Miami Dolphins, who had gone 10-4 to place second in the AFC East and qualified as a Wild Card entry. In this first year of the enlarged and reorganized NFL, Wild Card teams were being introduced to the postseason (at this point one per conference).

Oakland, coached for the second year by John Madden, had been one of the American Football League’s strongest teams during the past three years, and remained successful in its first NFL season. QB Daryle Lamonica (pictured above) was an accomplished long passer, although he occasionally ran into difficulties that had 43-year-old backup QB George Blanda relieving him with surprising success. The receiving corps was capable with wide receivers Fred Biletnikoff and Warren Wells plus rookie TE Raymond Chester, and the ground game was effective with HB Charlie Smith and FB Hewritt Dixon. The defense was beginning to show its age in spots, but was still formidable. Blanda provided reliable placekicking.

The Dolphins were in their first year under Head Coach Don Shula and in the postseason for the first time. There were several newcomers on the roster, most notably WR Paul Warfield, obtained in a trade with Cleveland. QB Bob Griese was developing into a star and the AFC-leading ground game, led by FB Larry Csonka, was highly productive. The defense contained four rookie starters plus FS Jake Scott, who had a year’s experience in the CFL, and was anchored by veteran MLB Nick Buoniconti. Miami defeated the Raiders during the regular season and the team’s immediate success under Coach Shula was a major surprise.     

There were 54,401 fans in attendance on a damp day at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum and the field was muddy. The Dolphins had the first possession and punted. Oakland moved well with Hewritt Dixon and Charlie Smith running the ball and Daryle Lamonica completed a pass to Fred Biletnikoff for 12 yards on a third-and-two play. But the drive stalled at the Miami 16 and the Raiders came up empty when George Blanda’s 23-yard field goal attempt hit the goal post and bounced away.

Miami put together a promising drive in response. Larry Csonka had a pair of five-yard runs and halfbacks Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick handled most of the running load while Bob Griese completed three passes, including to WR Howard Twilley for 14 yards and Kiick for 15 to convert third downs. But they too failed to get on the board when Garo Yepremian was wide on a 24-yard try for a field goal.

The teams traded punts as the game headed into the second quarter. Miami got a break when DE Bill Stanfill recovered a Smith fumble at the Oakland 19. Two plays later, Griese passed to Paul Warfield for a 16-yard touchdown, Yepremian added the extra point, and the Dolphins led by 7-0.

The teams exchanged punts until, taking over with 4:35 remaining in the first half, the Raiders drove 62 yards to a score. Lamonica completed a third-and-six pass to Raymond Chester for 21 yards to the Miami 37 and converted another third down with a throw to Biletnikoff for 11 yards. Another completion to Biletnikoff in the end zone was good for a 22-yard TD and Blanda converted to tie the score.

The Raiders took the kickoff to start the third quarter and advanced deep into Miami territory. FB Marv Hubbard ran six times for 22 yards and Lamonica completed third down passes to Smith for nine yards and Chester for 26. But facing second-and-goal at the two, Smith fumbled again and Jake Scott recovered for the Dolphins at their 10 yard line.

Griese immediately passed to Warfield for 24 yards and, after two short running plays, he connected with Kiick for nine yards on a third-and-six play. But Griese was then sacked for a 12-yard loss by DT Tom Keating and DE Tony Cline and, two plays later, Griese’s third-and-19 pass was intercepted by CB Willie Brown and returned 50 yards for a touchdown. Blanda added the point after to give Oakland a 14-7 lead.

The Dolphins had the ball as the contest moved into the fourth quarter. A 12-yard run by Morris got the ball to the Oakland 40 and Griese passed to Warfield for 16 yards. The series stalled at the Oakland 17 and Yepremian missed to the left on a 24-yard field goal attempt.

Oakland struck quickly. Hubbard ran for four yards and HB Pete Banaszak fumbled on the next play, which was recovered by OT Harry Schuh but had the Raiders facing third-and-12. Lamonica, anticipating a blitz, threw long for WR Rod Sherman who pulled the ball in at the Miami 45 and went the distance for an 82-yard touchdown (pictured below). Blanda’s extra point put the home team up by 21-7.

The Dolphins came back with a long drive of 69 yards in eight plays. A personal foul on the Raiders erased a sack and Griese completed a throw to WR Willie Richardson for 23 yards. Kiick ran for 13 yards on the next play and Griese again connected with Richardson, this time in the right corner of the end zone for a seven-yard TD. Yepremian’s conversion again made it a seven-point game.

However, time was running out on the Dolphins. They were unable to recover an onside kick that went out of bounds and, following a short Oakland possession, they got the ball back at their 13 with 2:28 left on the clock. Morris ran for four yards, two passes fell incomplete, one of which was intended for Warfield and knocked away by LB Gus Otto, and on fourth down a toss to Kiick came up a yard short. The Raiders were able to run out the clock and won by a final score of 21-14.  

Oakland had the edge in total yards (307 to 242) although the Dolphins had more first downs (16 to 12) and ran more plays (63 to 52). The Raiders also turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by Miami, and committed the only four penalties. Both placekickers had difficulty on the muddy field as Miami’s Yepremian missed both of his field goal attempts and Blanda missed one.

Daryle Lamonica completed 8 of 16 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Fred Biletnikoff had three catches for 46 yards and a TD and Rod Sherman, with his one long scoring reception, led the Raiders with 82 receiving yards. Marv Hubbard topped the rushers with 58 yards on 18 carries.

For the Dolphins, Bob Griese was successful on 13 of 27 throws for 155 yards and two TDs with one interception that was returned for a score. Jim Kiick gained 64 yards on 14 rushing attempts and also caught four passes for 34 yards. Paul Warfield (pictured at left) gained 62 yards on his four receptions that included a touchdown. Larry Csonka was held to 23 yards on 10 carries and Mercury Morris contributed 29 yards on 8 attempts.

Oakland advanced to the AFC Championship game and lost to the Baltimore Colts. The Raiders missed the playoffs in 1971 but bounced back to top the AFC West in each of the next five years. The Dolphins built upon their 1970 success to win the next three AFC Championships, including consecutive Super Bowl victories in 1972, a year in which they went undefeated, and ’73.

1972: Dolphins Overcome Browns in AFC Divisional Playoff Game

The Miami Dolphins had put together a 14-0 regular season record and were starting off the postseason with an AFC Divisional playoff game against the Cleveland Browns on December 24, 1972. Coached by Don Shula, the Dolphins had an outstanding ball-control offense fueled by the running of FB Larry Csonka and halfbacks Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick (pictured above). When QB Bob Griese went down with a broken ankle, the team kept winning with 17-year veteran QB Earl Morrall at the helm, and if teams concentrated too heavily on stopping the ground attack, WR Paul Warfield provided a potent deep receiving threat. The defense was less-heralded but was tough and effective, giving up fewer points and yards than any other NFL team.

Cleveland placed second in the AFC Central with a 10-4 record to grab the conference’s Wild Card spot in the playoffs. Under the direction of Head Coach Nick Skorich for the second year, the Browns had a young quarterback in Mike Phipps, who replaced Bill Nelsen as the starter early in the year with some success. HB Leroy Kelly, fading at age 30, and FB Bo Scott were the leading ground gainers. The defense was suspect against the run, although better at rushing opposing passers.

There were over 80,000 fans in attendance at the Orange Bowl, vigorously waving handkerchiefs on a clear afternoon. The Dolphins had the game’s first possession, went three-and-out and punted, but immediately got the ball back when LB Doug Swift intercepted a deflected pass by Mike Phipps at the Cleveland 40. Miami still couldn’t move on offense, however, and Garo Yepremian was wide on a 46-yard field goal attempt.

The Browns were having no better luck on offense, also going three-and-out, but Don Cockroft’s punt was blocked by DB Charlie Babb, who recovered the ball at the five and ran in for a touchdown. Yepremian added the extra point and the Dolphins were ahead by 7-0.

Another short series for the Browns ended with a punt and Miami drove from its 16 to the Cleveland 33. Paul Warfield ran for 21 yards on a reverse and Earl Morrall completed a pass to WR Howard Twilley for 11 yards to highlight the possession that was capped by Yepremian kicking a 40-yard field goal to open up a ten-point lead.

In a series that extended into the second quarter, the Browns finally showed life on offense. Bo Scott (pictured at left) had runs of 17 and 15 yards and Phipps scrambled for 14 yards to the Miami 25. But a third down pass was intercepted by CB Curtis Johnson to snuff out the threat.

The Dolphins advanced just past midfield on their next series, with Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris running effectively, but a 53-yard field goal try by Yepremian was short and wide. The teams exchanged punts before the Browns, again forced to kick from their own territory, suffered another miscue. Cockroft couldn’t handle a high snap and fell on the ball to give Miami possession at the Cleveland 39. But a holding penalty moved the Dolphins back 15 yards, Morrall was sacked by DT Walter Johnson for the loss of another nine yards, Morris was tackled for the loss of another 12 yards, and they had to punt.

Phipps threw another interception, with FS Dick Anderson picking off the long throw at the Miami 29, and in the last two minutes the Dolphins again drove into Cleveland territory. Warfield gained 20 yards to midfield on another end-around, Morrall completed two short passes, and Morris had runs of 12 and 14 yards. But a 17-yard Yepremian field goal attempt with four seconds remaining in the first half was wiped out by an illegal procedure penalty and the teams went into the locker room at halftime with Miami holding a 10-0 lead. It could have been far worse for the Browns, who had given up three interceptions and two fumbles thus far.

The teams exchanged punts to start the third quarter before the Browns put together a five-play scoring drive, spurred by a 37-yard punt return to the Miami 44 by SS Thom Darden. Phipps completed passes to TE Milt Morin for 21 yards and WR Fair Hooker for six, Scott ran twice for 10 yards, and Phipps, rolling out to his right, kept the ball himself on a five-yard touchdown carry. Cockroft added the point after and the Miami lead was cut to 10-7.

Jim Kiick carried four times for 26 yards on the next Dolphins’ series, and Morrall threw to Twilley for a gain of 17 yards, but Kiick’s fifth rushing attempt resulted in a fumble and LB Charlie Hall recovered at the Cleveland 33. The Browns went three-and-out and punted, and the Dolphins went right back to Kiick, who carried for 12 yards on two attempts before, following an incomplete pass, Morris put together back-to-back 12-yard carries to finish out the period. Three plays into the fourth quarter, and after Morris was stopped for no gain in a third-and-one situation, Yepremian kicked a 46-yard field goal and Miami was up by six points at 13-7.

A clipping penalty on the ensuing kickoff had the Browns starting from their ten yard line. Phipps started the series off with a 14-yard scramble and a pass to Hooker (pictured at right) picked up 18 yards. After reaching the Miami 38, Anderson intercepted a pass but fumbled on the return and Hooker recovered for Cleveland at the 30. Two plays later, it was Hooker catching a Phipps pass for a 27-yard touchdown and, with Cockroft adding the extra point, the Browns were in front by 14-13.

The Dolphins, with their perfect season suddenly in peril, responded with an 80-yard drive in six plays. Morrall completed passes to Warfield for 15 and 35 yards, interspersed with carries by Morris that picked up 12 yards. Another throw intended for Warfield resulted in a pass interference penalty on LB Bill Andrews, giving Miami first-and-goal at the Cleveland eight, and from there Kiick ran for a TD. Yepremian converted and the Dolphins were back in the lead by six points with 4:49 to play.

The Browns couldn’t get beyond their 39 on the next series and punted, and Miami punted in turn. Cleveland regained possession at its 49 and, with the clock now down to 1:40, Phipps ran for eight yards, passed to Scott for another eight, but following a short running play, a pass intended for Hooker was intercepted by Swift to seal the 20-14 win for the Dolphins.     

Playing from behind most of the way, the Browns led in total yards (283 to 272) while Miami had a slight edge in first downs (17 to 15). Both teams accumulated most of their yardage on the ground, with the Dolphins gaining 198 yards to Cleveland’s 165. The Browns registered four sacks, to two by Miami. However, Cleveland turned the ball over five times, to two turnovers by the Dolphins.

Earl Morrall threw just 13 passes and completed 6 of them for 88 yards, with no touchdowns but also no interceptions. While Larry Csonka was held to 32 yards on 12 carries, Mercury Morris (pictured at left) gained 72 yards on 15 attempts and Jim Kiick contributed 50 yards on 14 carries that included a TD. Paul Warfield had two catches for 50 yards in addition to 41 yards on the two end-around plays and Howard Twilley caught three passes for 33 yards. On defense, Dick Anderson and Doug Swift each had two interceptions.

For the Browns, Mike Phipps was successful on just 9 of 23 throws for 131 yards and a TD, and was intercepted five times. He also ran for 47 yards on 8 carries that included a touchdown. Bo Scott had 94 yards on 16 rushing attempts and added 30 yards on a team-leading four pass receptions. Fair Hooker gained 53 yards on three catches and scored once.

“The best thing for us (the Dolphins) was to get behind,” said Larry Csonka. “It got very quiet and somebody said ‘If we’re gonna get anything done, now’s the time to do it’. It got done.”

The Dolphins kept getting things done with wins in the AFC Championship game and the Super Bowl, completing an unblemished season from beginning to end. Cleveland, a perennial contender that had been in the postseason in six of the preceding eight years, dropped to 7-5-2 and third place in the AFC Central in 1973 and didn’t return to the playoffs until 1980. 

1967: Kelly & Browns Overcome Late Charge by Jurgensen & Redskins

The Cleveland Browns were 6-4 and, in this first season in which the NFL conferences were broken down into divisions, at the top of the Century Divison of the Eastern Conference as they hosted the Washington Redskins on November 26, 1967. Head Coach Blanton Collier’s Browns had an outstanding running tandem in HB Leroy Kelly (pictured at right) and FB Ernie Green. Despite assorted injuries, Frank Ryan was still an effective quarterback and had excellent receivers in split end Paul Warfield and flanker Gary Collins.

The Redskins were coached by an ex-quarterback, Otto Graham, and boasted an outstanding aerial game that generated lots of points. QB Sonny Jurgensen was an accomplished passer and had a receiving corps of split end Charley Taylor, flanker Bobby Mitchell, and TE Jerry Smith that was top rate. However, the running game was far less impressive and the defense could give up points as readily as the offense could score. Washington had a mediocre 4-4-2 record but was coming off of two straight wins.

There were 72,798 fans in attendance at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. The Browns had the first possession and moved methodically and mostly on the ground with Leroy Kelly and Ernie Green carrying the load. Finally, Kelly took a flip from Frank Ryan and sped 42 yards for a touchdown to conclude the 10-play series. The venerable Lou Groza, in his 21^st year at age 43, added the extra point.

Washington responded by advancing into Cleveland territory as Sonny Jurgensen completed four passes, but another was deflected by DE Paul Wiggin and LB Johnny Brewer (pictured at left) intercepted and returned it 70 yards for a TD. Groza’s PAT put the Browns ahead by 14-0.

The Redskins advanced quickly to midfield on their next possession. HB Gerry Allen ran around end for a 30-yard gain, and he and FB A.D. Whitfield combined for another 11 yards. Jurgensen threw to Charley Taylor for eight yards to reach the Cleveland 31, but the drive stalled there and, trying to convert a fourth-and-two situation, Jurgensen was sacked by Brewer.

The Browns punted to finish out the opening period and Washington started off the second quarter by going 59 yards in five plays. Jurgensen connected with Jerry Smith for 14 yards on a third-and-seven play and then threw to Taylor for a 23-yard touchdown. Gene Mingo converted and the home team’s lead was cut to 14-7.

Ryan threw to Paul Warfield for 23 yards as the Browns reached their 45 on the next series, but on the next play Green fumbled the handoff and CB Rickie Harris recovered for the Redskins. Jurgensen completed two passes to Whitfield, the second for 24 yards to the Cleveland 20, but three incompletions were followed by a 27-yard Mingo field goal. However, the Browns quickly expanded their margin again when DB Carl Ward returned the ensuing kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown. Groza’s point after made the tally 21-10.

Jurgensen again passed the Redskins into Cleveland territory, thanks to two completions to Bobby Mitchell, but after Allen was thrown for a loss on a running play, Taylor dropped a pass and, on third-and-12, Jurgensen was sacked to force the visitors to punt. It took the Browns just four plays to score again, with Ryan passing to Warfield (pictured below) down the left sideline for a 48-yard TD. Groza again converted and Cleveland was up by 28-10.

With less than four minutes remaining in the first half, Jurgensen came out passing on Washington’s next series. Five of them hit the mark, with the last to Taylor for a 15-yard touchdown. Mingo’s successful extra point again made it an 11-point contest. There was time enough for the Browns to make one last try to add points before halftime, and Kelly gained 30 yards on a sweep to near midfield. However, Groza’s field goal attempt from 42 yards was short and the score remained 28-17 at the intermission.

The Redskins had a short series and punted to start off the third quarter. Cleveland advanced 68 yards in six plays, the big one a swing pass by Ryan to Kelly that gained 48 yards to the Washington 21. A pass into the end zone drew a penalty for face-guarding and Green ran for the final yard and a TD. Groza’s extra point made the home team’s lead 35-17.

In response, the Redskins drove 75 yards. The hardly-nimble Jurgensen scrambled for 21 yards to convert a third-and-nine situation and he had back-to-back pass completions to Whitfield for 21 and 11 yards to reach the Cleveland 20. Now it was the turn of the Browns to make a penalty on a pass into the end zone, in this instance a pass interference call on DB Ben Davis, and Allen ran for a one-yard TD. Mingo converted and once more the margin was 11 points at 35-24.

The Browns had to punt on the next series after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty moved them out of field goal range and Washington punted in turn. Cleveland was on the move as the game moved into the fourth quarter, helped along by the running of Kelly and Green and a 20-yard gain on a pass from Ryan to Gary Collins. Kelly ran for a 21-yard touchdown and Groza’s PAT staked the Browns to a big 42-24 margin.

The Redskins struck back quickly. On the fourth play of the ensuing series, Jurgensen went long for Mitchell and the result was a 48-yard TD. Mingo’s kick made the score 42-31. The teams then traded punts before Washington put together another scoring drive. Jurgensen completed four straight passes, two of them to Taylor (pictured below), and one to Whitfield for 12 yards to the Cleveland one, from where Allen went over for the touchdown. Mingo’s extra point attempt was partially blocked and hit the crossbar, thus keeping it a five-point margin.

There were less than three minutes remaining in the game and Kelly ran for 18 yards on Cleveland’s next play from scrimmage, but the Browns could get no more first downs and punted. With the clock down to 1:33, Jurgensen went to the air, completing passes to Jerry Smith for 17 and 21 yards and to Taylor for 19 to the Cleveland 25. But that was as close as the Redskins were able to get. The next three passes were incomplete, with one of them barely deflected by CB Erich Barnes in the end zone, and DE Bill Glass flattened Jurgensen on fourth down to effectively end the contest. Cleveland held on to win by a final score of 42-37.  

Washington had the edge in total yards (481 to 424) and first downs (33 to 19). Most of those yards came through the air as the Redskins generated 373 net passing yards, although Cleveland accumulated 203 yards on the ground. The Browns also recorded five sacks, to two by Washington, and each team turned the ball over one time apiece. Cleveland was penalized 10 times, at a cost of 148 yards, to six flags for 49 yards thrown on the Redskins. Ultimately, the interception and kickoff returns for touchdowns were the keys for the Browns.

Leroy Kelly rushed for 163 yards on 20 carries that included two touchdowns and also gained another 44 yards on two pass receptions. Frank Ryan didn’t go to the air often, completing 11 of 17 passes, but they were good for 233 yards and a TD while none were intercepted. Paul Warfield caught three passes for 96 yards and a score and Gary Collins contributed three receptions also, for 58 yards.

For the Redskins, Sonny Jurgensen had a huge performance in defeat, going to the air 50 times and completing 32 for 418 yards with three touchdowns against one interception. Three receivers went over a hundred yards, with Charley Taylor leading as he caught 11 passes for 123 yards and two TDs. Bobby Mitchell gained 106 yards on his 6 receptions that included a score and A.D. Whitfield accumulated 102 yards on 8 catches out of the backfield. Whitfield also rushed for 28 yards on 14 carries while Gerry Allen led the club with 59 yards on 14 attempts that included two short touchdowns.

The win kept the Browns a game ahead of the Giants in the Century Division and they stayed on top with a final record of 9-5. However, they were pulverized by the Cowboys in the Eastern Conference playoff. Washington ended up at 5-6-3 for third place in the Capitol Division.

Leroy Kelly passed the thousand-yard threshold for the second straight year with his fine performance against the Redskins and went on to lead the NFL in rushing with 1205 yards on 235 carries (5.1 avg.) and 11 touchdowns. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection and also was named to the Pro Bowl.

Sonny Jurgensen (pictured at right) set new NFL records with 508 pass attempts, 288 completions, and 3747 yards (Joe Namath threw for 4007 yards in the AFL). He also led the league in TD passes (31) and passing overall (87.3 rating) and was chosen to the Pro Bowl. The 418-yard performance against Cleveland ended up being the third-highest of his Hall of Fame career.

Charley Taylor was a consensus first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl choice as he led the NFL with 70 pass receptions, which were good for 990 yards and nine TDs. Indeed, he, Jerry Smith, and Bobby Mitchell placed first, second, and fourth, respectively, among the league’s pass receiving leaders.

1970: Eagles Upset Dolphins for First Win of Season

The Philadelphia Eagles were winless at 0-7 and, going back to the previous year, were struggling with an 11-game losing streak as they hosted the Miami Dolphins on November 8, 1970. QB Norm Snead, in his seventh season with the team, had a strong arm but was immobile and interception-prone. There were good receivers, most notably WR Harold Jackson (pictured at right), but the running game missed FB Tom Woodeshick, who had gone down for the year with an ankle injury. The defense had some talent, especially at linebacker and in the backfield, but the pass rush had not been impressive thus far. Head Coach Jerry Williams made some lineup changes coming into the game, inserting rookie first draft choice Steve Zabel at tight end and moving Gary Ballman from tight end to flanker, thus benching Ben Hawkins, in the hope of improving blocking for the running game.

Miami was in its first season under Head Coach Don Shula, having suffered through four lackluster years as an AFL expansion team (1970 was the first year with AFL teams merged into the reorganized NFL). Another new arrival, WR Paul Warfield, was obtained from Cleveland and proved beneficial to the young offense with his ability to stretch defenses. QB Bob Griese was still a work in progress, while halfbacks Jim Kiick and Eugene “Mercury” Morris, and FB Larry Csonka, were all talents on the rise. The young defense was anchored by veteran MLB Nick Buoniconti, who had rookies Mike Kolen and Doug Swift starting on either side of him, and also benefited from the presence of FS Jake Scott, a CFL veteran. After getting off to a surprising 4-1 start, however, the Dolphins had been shut out in their previous two contests and were 4-3 coming into Philadelphia.

There were 58,171 fans in attendance at Franklin Field. The teams started off the game trading punts, with each blunting promising drives by committing penalties. Miami got the first break when CB Curtis Johnson recovered a fumble by FB Lee Bouggess at the Philadelphia 45. Bob Griese ran the ball himself for a 16-yard gain, but the drive stalled at the 21 and Garo Yepremian missed on a 28-yard field goal attempt.

The Eagles were driving as the first quarter came to an end. Norm Snead completed consecutive passes to Harold Jackson for 15 and 9 yards and HB Cyril Pinder ran effectively. Snead capped the 80-yard, nine-play series with another pass to Jackson that was good for a 31-yard touchdown, Mark Moseley added the extra point, and the home team was ahead by 7-0.

The teams again exchanged punts, with the Eagles pinning the Dolphins back at their four yard line. The visitors dug out of the hole, however. After reaching their 13, Griese threw to Paul Warfield (pictured at left) for 15 yards and Larry Csonka followed up with a 14-yard carry to the 42. But Jim Kiick lost two yards and Griese’s next pass was intercepted by FS Steve Preece, who returned it 19 yards to the Miami 37. The Eagles advanced to the 16 and Moseley booted a 23-yard field goal.

Mercury Morris returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to give the Dolphins good field position at the Philadelphia 49 with 1:45 remaining in the first half. Kiick ran for 12 yards and caught a pass for another seven, but Griese again was picked off, this time by LB Adrian Young. Philadelphia drove 71 yards in six plays, with Snead throwing to Bouggess for a gain of 34 yards and Pinder running up the middle for 15 yards along the way. Snead connected with Jackson once again for a 15-yard TD and, with Moseley’s conversion, the Eagles took a 17-0 lead into halftime.

The teams started off the third quarter with an exchange of punts before Griese again gave up an interception, this time by CB Ray Jones, who returned it 17 yards to the Miami 16. The Eagles again took advantage of the turnover and Snead passed to Steve Zabel for a two-yard touchdown. Moseley added the PAT.

Down by 24-0, John Stofa replaced Griese at quarterback for the Dolphins. Miami had to punt after a short series, but this time the visitors were the beneficiaries of an interception as Jake Scott picked off a Snead pass and returned it 47 yards to the Philadelphia 19. On the third play of the fourth quarter, Yepremian finally got the Dolphins on the board with a 24-yard field goal.

The Eagles went three-and-out and punted, and the Dolphins struck quickly as Stofa threw long to Warfield for a 52-yard touchdown. Yepremian’s extra point made it a 14-point game with plenty of time remaining.

Philadelphia got a 23-yard gain on a pass from Snead to WR Ben Hawkins on the next series, but once again had to punt, and both teams followed up with short possessions leading to punts. Finally, starting at their own 38 with 5:16 to go, the Dolphins put together a six-play, 62-yard drive. Stofa converted a third down with a pass to Kiick that gained 20 yards and finished off the series with a toss to WR Willie Richardson for a 27-yard TD. Yepremian again converted and Philadelphia’s margin was down to seven points.

That was the last gasp for Miami, however. Following a short series that led to a punt by the Eagles, the Dolphins got the ball back at their 20 with the clock showing 1:40 to play. Stofa completed a pass to Morris for 14 yards but then was intercepted by Young, whose second pickoff of the day sealed the 24-17 win for the Eagles.

Philadelphia had the edge in total yards (291 to 245) and first downs (17 to 14). The inspired Eagles defense accounted for four sacks and four interceptions, which accounted for Miami’s turnover total. Philadelphia turned the ball over twice and gave up just one sack. The Dolphins also were penalized eight times, at a cost of 62 yards, while the Eagles were flagged on six occasions.

Norm Snead (pictured above) completed 15 of 29 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns while giving up one interception. Harold Jackson had 5 catches for 74 yards, two of them for TDs. Lee Bouggess also had 5 receptions, for 57 yards, although he gained only two rushing yards on 12 carries. Cyril Pinder ran for 99 yards on 23 attempts. Defensively, Adrian Young accounted for two of Philadelphia’s four interceptions.

For the Dolphins, Bob Griese was successful on just 6 of 14 throws for 42 yards with no TDs and three interceptions. In relief, John Stofa went five-of-15 for 120 yards, two of them good for touchdowns and with one picked off. Willie Richardson caught three passes for 39 yards and a TD and Paul Warfield gained 67 yards on his two receptions that included one for a long score.

The Eagles tied Atlanta the next week and then upset the Giants on the way to a 3-10-1 record that placed last in the NFC East. The season turned around in a good way for Miami, which won its remaining six games to end up second in the AFC East at 10-4. The Dolphins qualified for a Wild Card playoff spot in the revamped postseason format brought about by the AFL/NFL merger and lost in the Divisional round to Oakland.

Norm Snead, in his last year with the Eagles, passed for 2323 yards and 15 touchdowns, but with 20 interceptions. Harold Jackson caught 41 passes for 613 yards (15.0 avg.) and five TDs. The performance by the rookie Lee Bouggess was characteristic as he led the club with 50 pass receptions, for 401 yards (8.0 avg.) and two TDs, but averaged just 2.5 yards per rushing attempt with 401 yards on 159 carries.

Just as Miami’s fortunes improved, so did Bob Griese’s. The fourth-year quarterback completed 58.0 percent of his passes for 2019 yards and 12 touchdowns, although with 17 interceptions, and was named to the Pro Bowl. Paul Warfield missed three games due to injury but averaged 25.1 yards on 28 catches for 703 yards and six TDs.

1972: Griese Leads Dolphins to Win Over Steelers for AFC Championship

The Miami Dolphins had gone undefeated through the regular season and were looking to move on to the Super Bowl as they faced the Pittsburgh Steelers for the AFC Championship on December 31, 1972. The Dolphins had immediately benefited from the arrival of Don Shula as head coach in 1970, reaching the playoffs in each of his first two seasons and topping the AFC in ’71. It seemed as though they would be in trouble when star QB Bob Griese (pictured above) went down with a broken ankle in the fifth game, but 38-year-old backup Earl Morrall stepped in and the club kept winning. The ball control offense set a league record with 2960 rushing yards and bulldozing FB Larry Csonka and fleet HB Eugene “Mercury” Morris both reached the thousand-yard mark. When the Dolphins needed to go to the air, WR Paul Warfield was one of the best deep threats in the league. The “No-Name” defense in reality had plenty of outstanding players, including pass rushing ends Bill Stanfill and Vern Den Herder, MLB Nick Buoniconti, and the excellent safety tandem of Dick Anderson and Jake Scott. After going 14-0, Miami won a tough AFC Divisional battle over the Browns to reach the conference title game.

The Steelers, coached by Chuck Noll, were an up-and-coming club that was in the postseason for the first time since 1947. After going 11-3 during the regular season to top the AFC Central, Pittsburgh won a hard-fought Divisional round game over the Raiders thanks to an astonishing play – the “Immaculate Reception” – scored by FB Franco Harris. Harris had rushed for 1055 yards as a rookie while third-year QB Terry Bradshaw continued his development. The defense was especially strong, with an outstanding line anchored by DT “Mean Joe” Greene, a fine pair of outside linebackers in Jack Ham and Andy Russell, and a group of backs that included a rising star in CB Mel Blount. A source of concern coming into the game, however, was that several of the players were battling the flu, including Bradshaw.

There were over 50,000 fans in attendance at Three Rivers Stadium on a 63-degree day in Pittsburgh. The Dolphins had the first possession and it ended with SS Glen Edwards intercepting an overthrown Earl Morrall pass that he returned 28 yards to the Miami 48. Pittsburgh moved methodically in ten plays, with Franco Harris carrying on the first four and seven times overall for 35 yards. Facing third-and-two at the Miami three, Terry Bradshaw ran around left end but fumbled into the end zone when hit by Jake Scott. OT Gerry Mullins recovered for a touchdown and, with Roy Gerela adding the extra point, the Steelers had the early 7-0 lead. However, Bradshaw was shaken up on the play and Terry Hanratty came in at quarterback when Pittsburgh next had the ball.

The teams exchanged punts and, as the first quarter ended, the Dolphins had a first down at their 46 after a Morrall throw to TE Marv Fleming picked up 15 yards. The series stalled at the Pittsburgh 42, but Larry Seiple, lined up to punt, caught the Steelers napping and instead took off and ran 37 yards to the 12 (pictured below). Two plays later, Morrall threw to Larry Csonka for a nine-yard TD and Garo Yepremian added the extra point to tie the score. Neither team was able to get out of its end of the field for the remainder of the half as they traded punts and failed at connecting on long passes. The score remained 7-7 at the half.

Pittsburgh took the second half kickoff and drove into Miami territory. On third-and-13, Hanratty completed a pass to TE John McMakin for 22 yards and followed up with a throw to WR Ron Shanklin for 24 yards to the Miami 37. The Steelers got another big gain, this time on a draw play as HB John “Frenchy” Fuqua ran for another 24 yards. The series finally stalled at the seven and Gerela booted a 14-yard field goal to put Pittsburgh back in front by 10-7.

When the Miami offense came on the field, Bob Griese was at quarterback, making his first appearance since suffering the injury in Week 5. After two short running plays, Griese went to the air and connected with Paul Warfield for a 52-yard gain to the Pittsburgh 24. The Dolphins got a huge break when LB Jack Ham intercepted a pass that was nullified by an offside penalty on the Steelers. The series continued and ended after 80 yards and 11 plays with HB Jim Kiick taking a pitchout and running two yards for a touchdown. Yepremian added the PAT and Miami was on top by 14-10.

The teams exchanged punts to finish off the third quarter. Pittsburgh had good field position to start the final period at the Miami 48 following a 33-yard Seiple punt. Harris ran for seven yards but then Hanratty threw two incomplete passes and a 48-yard field goal attempt by Gerela was blocked.

Taking over at the Pittsburgh 49, the Dolphins put together another scoring drive. Griese passed just once in the 11-play possession, as Csonka, Kiick, and Mercury Morris carried the load. Kiick again finished off the drive with a three-yard touchdown carry and Yepremian’s extra point made Miami’s lead 21-10.

Terry Bradshaw was back behind center for the Steelers as they took possession at their 29 following the kickoff. He wasted no time moving the team down the field, completing a nine-yard pass to TE Larry Brown and following up with consecutive 25-yard completions to WR Al Young and Shanklin. The fourth play was a 12-yard TD pass to Young and Gerela’s conversion cut the Miami lead to four points.

The Dolphins went three-and-out on their next series and had to punt. Bradshaw was tossed for a nine-yard loss, threw an incomplete pass, and then was intercepted by Nick Buoniconti. Miami was able to run the clock down to 48 seconds, turning the ball over on downs at the Pittsburgh nine. Two plays later, LB Mike Kolen intercepted Bradshaw’s last-gasp pass and the Dolphins were winners by a score of 21-17.

Miami had the edge in total yards (314 to 250), with 193 of that total coming on 49 running plays, and first downs (19 to 13). The Dolphins also recorded the only two sacks of the game on defense. The Steelers turned the ball over twice, late in the contest, while Miami suffered the one early turnover.

Bob Griese completed three of five passes for 70 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions after relieving Earl Morrall, who was 7-of-11 for 51 yards with a TD and an interception. Mercury Morris led the ground attack with 76 yards on 16 carries while Larry Csonka contributed 68 yards on 24 attempts and also scored on his one catch. Jim Kiick (pictured above) gained just 12 yards on 8 carries, but two were good for TDs. Marv Fleming caught 5 passes for 50 yards and Paul Warfield, thanks to his one long reception on Griese’s first throw, gained 63 yards on his two catches.

For the Steelers, both Terry Bradshaw and Terry Hanratty were successful on 5 of 10 passes, with Bradshaw tossing for one TD while giving up the two late interceptions while Hanratty’s completions gained 57 yards. Franco Harris ran for 76 yards on 16 attempts. Al Young was the team’s top receiver with four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown.

Miami, with Bob Griese starting at quarterback, went on to crown its undefeated season with a win in the Super Bowl over the Washington Redskins. The Dolphins won a third consecutive AFC Championship in 1973 and again won the Super Bowl. The Steelers were a 10-4 Wild Card team in ’73, losing to Oakland in the Divisional playoff round, but would succeed Miami as the NFL’s top team with back-to-back Super Bowl victories in 1974 and ’75.

1974: Raiders Stun Dolphins in AFC Divisional Playoff Game

The Miami Dolphins had won the Super Bowls following the 1972 and ’73 seasons and were looking to make it three straight as they faced the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Divisional playoff round on December 21, 1974. Coached by Don Shula for the fifth year, Miami featured a highly productive ground game on offense led by FB Larry Csonka. QB Bob Griese was an able field general who, on the occasions when he passed, was very effective and WR Paul Warfield was a deep threat who kept defenses honest. The fact that Csonka and Warfield, along with HB Jim Kiick, were lame ducks in Miami because of having signed with the World Football League’s Memphis Southmen for 1975 didn’t limit their performance in ‘74. Defensively, the team was strong with solid ends Bill Stanfill and Vern den Herder, aging MLB Nick Buoniconti anchoring a fine corps of linebackers, and the outstanding safety tandem of Jake Scott and Dick Anderson. The Dolphins topped the AFC East with an 11-3 record and appeared primed for another title run.

Oakland, coached by John Madden, was an annual title contender but had not been to the Super Bowl since representing the AFL after the 1967 season. QB Ken “The Snake” Stabler was an exciting performer who led the league with 26 TD passes during the regular season. The starting wide receivers were excellent, with Cliff Branch providing the speed and Fred Biletnikoff the reliability as a possession receiver.  The stable of running backs was a good one and the defense, while not the best, was rugged. The Raiders topped the AFC West at 12-2 and, in the eyes of many fans, the Raiders and Dolphins were the league’s two best teams and this Divisional playoff, as a result, was the “real” Super Bowl.

There were 52,317 fans in attendance on a gray Saturday at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The game got off to an exciting start when Miami WR Nat Moore ran the opening kickoff back 89 yards for a touchdown. Garo Yepremian added the extra point and the Dolphins were ahead by 7-0 after just 15 seconds of action.

The contest settled into a battle for field position as the teams traded punts until the Raiders put together a seven-play, 78-yard drive to get on the board in the second quarter. Ken Stabler completed two nine-yard passes, to Fred Biletnikoff and FB Marv Hubbard, and HB Clarence Davis had a 19-yard carry to the Miami 36. Three plays later, Stabler connected with HB Charlie Smith for a 31-yard TD and George Blanda’s extra point tied the score.

The Dolphins responded with a long scoring drive of 63 yards in 11 plays. The first six were running plays, with HB Benny Malone, Larry Csonka, and Jim Kiick carrying the load. Facing third-and-four at the Oakland 29, Bob Griese threw to Kiick for five yards and, after getting to the 16, Yepremian kicked a 33-yard field goal with just over a minute remaining in the half. The Dolphins held a 10-7 lead at halftime.

The teams again exchanged punts to start the third quarter. On their second series, the Raiders advanced 60 yards in nine plays. Stabler passed to Biletnikoff for 20 yards on the first play, taking the ball into Miami territory, and a pass to TE Bob Moore on third-and-seven was just enough for a first down. A run by HB Pete Banaszak picked up nine yards and Davis gained eight. Finally, Stabler connected with Biletnikoff for a 13-yard touchdown. Blanda added the PAT and Oakland was on top for the first time by 14-10.

The Dolphins came back with another score. Griese helped his cause with a nine-yard scramble and Malone and Csonka had good gains along the way. A pass interference penalty on the Raiders gave Miami a first down at the Oakland 16 and, from there, Griese threw to Paul Warfield for a touchdown. Yepremian’s extra point attempt was blocked by DE Bubba Smith, but the Dolphins remained ahead by two points at 16-14.

The teams again traded punts until, on the last play of the third quarter, Csonka ran for 15 yards to spark a drive that covered 60 yards in nine plays. With Malone and Csonka running effectively and Griese completing a pass to Warfield for 20 yards along the way, the visitors reached the Oakland 28. Yepremian kicked a 46-yard field goal to widen the Miami lead to 19-14.

After another exchange of punts, and with less than five minutes remaining in the game, the Raiders scored in spectacular fashion. Stabler threw to Cliff Branch, who made a diving catch at the Oakland 28. However, CB Henry Stuckey failed to touch him and the alert Branch leaped up and ran the distance for a 72-yard TD. Blanda’s extra point put the home team on top at 21-19 with 4:37 remaining to play.

In response, the Dolphins went 68 yards in just four plays. Griese threw to Nat Moore for 23 yards and then Miami ran at the Oakland defense, with Csonka picking up a total of 22 yards on two carries. Finally, Malone (pictured below) swept around end on a 23-yard touchdown run that put Miami back in the lead. Yepremian added the extra point and it was 26-21 with a little over two minutes on the clock.

Starting from the Oakland 32 after the ensuing kickoff, Stabler completed passes to Biletnikoff of 18 and 20 yards and two more throws, to Branch and WR Frank Pitts, got the ball to the Miami 14. Facing third-and-one, Coach Madden called for a running play and Davis gained six yards off tackle for first-and-goal at the eight. The time remaining was now down to 35 seconds and the Raiders used their final timeout. On the next play, with the primary receivers well covered Stabler seemed about to be sacked by Vern Den Herder but caught a glimpse of Davis in the end zone and threw while falling forward. Leaping amid a crowd of defenders, Davis pulled the ball away from LB Mike Kolen and fell to the ground for a touchdown (pictured at top). Blanda again converted and Oakland had a two-point lead.

That was enough. The Dolphins got the ball back, but Griese threw a pass that was intercepted by LB Phil Villapiano, and the Raiders won the classic encounter and advanced by a final score of 28-26.

Oakland had more total yards (411 to 294) and the edge in first downs (19 to 18). The Dolphins ran the ball well, totaling 213 yards on the ground (to 135 for the Raiders) while Oakland had 276 net passing yards to Miami’s 81. Each team recorded two sacks and turned the ball over one time apiece.

Ken Stabler  (pictured below) completed 20 of 30 passes for 293 yards and four touchdowns with one interception.  Fred Biletnikoff had 8 catches for 122 yards and a TD and, with the long scoring reception, Cliff Branch contributed 84 yards on three catches. Clarence Davis led the team’s running attack with 59 yards on 12 attempts while also accounting for two pass receptions for 16 yards and the game-winning score. Marv Hubbard was right behind with 55 yards on 14 carries.

For the Dolphins, Bob Griese was successful on 7 of 14 throws for 101 yards and a TD, while one pass was picked off. Larry Csonka rushed for 114 yards on 24 attempts and Benny Malone gained 83 yards on 14 carries that included a touchdown. Paul Warfield caught three passes for 47 yards and a TD.

“When you lose like that, you know it wasn’t meant to be,” said Don Shula. “Your dreams just go down the drain.”

The loss did indeed end Miami’s dream of a third consecutive NFL Championship, but, ironically enough considering the speculation that the winner of this game would be sure to advance to the Super Bowl, the Raiders did not make it that far as they lost to Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game.

Oakland topped the AFC West again in 1975, and again reached the AFC title game before falling to the Steelers. The Raiders finally achieved the elusive NFL Championship in ’76. As for the Dolphins, the loss to the Raiders did mark the end of an outstanding run that was highlighted by the three straight AFC titles as well as the back-to-back Super Bowl victories. The loss of the veterans Csonka, Warfield, and Kiick in 1975 had an effect, with Csonka’s role at fullback proving difficult to replace. Miami just missed the playoffs with a 10-4 record and fell to 6-8 in 1976; the Dolphins would not return to the postseason until 1978. 

1967: Browns Beat Cards to Clinch Century Division Title

The Cleveland Browns were seeking to nail down the NFL Century Division title as they faced the St. Louis Cardinals on December 10, 1967. In the first year in which the Eastern and Western Conferences were broken up into four-team divisions, the Browns were at 8-4 after winning their three previous contests. Coached by Blanton Collier, Cleveland had the league’s rushing leader in HB Leroy Kelly, helped by a good veteran line and with a solid backfield partner in FB Ernie Green. 31-year-old QB Frank Ryan was battling assorted injuries but had outstanding receivers in split end Paul Warfield and flanker Gary Collins.

The Cardinals, under Head Coach Charley Winner, had gotten off to a fast start but were at 6-5-1 and barely staying alive in the division race. QB Charley Johnson had been called up to military service in the offseason and the untested Jim Hart had taken his place, showing great poise and potential, but also making his share of mistakes due to inexperience. Second-year HB Johnny Roland was right behind Kelly in the rushing race, the receivers were sound, and the defense was good, particularly with CB Pat Fischer and FS Larry Wilson in the backfield. In addition, the Cards had an outstanding placekicker in Jim Bakken.

It was an overcast day in St. Louis with 47,782 fans in attendance at Busch Memorial Stadium. They saw a scoreless first quarter with the teams exchanging punts and battling for field position until DB Ben Davis fumbled a Chuck Latourette kick and FB Willis Crenshaw recovered for the Cardinals at the Cleveland 20. In a series that extended into the early part of the second quarter, St. Louis methodically moved down the field and Bakken kicked a 12-yard field goal.

Davis (pictured at left) redeemed himself on the ensuing kickoff with a 48-yard return to the St. Louis 41. However, the Browns advanced nine yards in three plays and came up empty when 43-year-old Lou Groza missed a 40-yard field goal attempt.

A short series by the Cardinals resulted in a punt that gave the Browns starting field position at their 49. Three plays later, Frank Ryan threw to Paul Warfield for a 38-yard touchdown and, with Groza’s extra point, the visitors were ahead by 7-3.

The Cards responded with a nine-play series that went 40 yards. HB Prentice Gautt ran four times for 18 yards and Jim Hart completed two passes. Bakken booted a 42-yard field goal to narrow Cleveland’s margin to a point.

The Browns went three-and-out on their next possession, but the punt by Gary Collins was blocked by Larry Wilson and the Cards took over at the Cleveland 25 with 2:15 remaining in the first half. Gautt ran twice for seven yards and, after Hart threw an incomplete pass, Bakken kicked his third field goal, this time from 26 yards. St. Louis held a 9-7 lead at halftime.

The third quarter started with Davis returning the kickoff 58 yards to the St. Louis 33. Three plays later, Groza kicked a 33-yard field goal and the Browns were back in front by one.

On the next series, a trick play went wrong when TE Jackie Smith took the handoff on an apparent end-around and then threw a pass that was intended for flanker Bobby Joe Conrad but was instead intercepted by CB Erich Barnes. The 10-year veteran returned the pickoff 40 yards to the St. Louis 21. The Browns again had difficulty moving on offense but still put points on the board as Groza kicked a field goal from 23 yards.

Down by 13-9, the Cards gained nine yards on three plays and, facing fourth-and-one, lined up for a punt. It was a fake, however, but Latourette lost four yards in his attempt to circle the end and the Browns had the ball at the St. Louis 36. They failed to add points as the offense still couldn’t get on track. Ryan was sacked for a loss of 11 yards by DT Chuck Walker and Cleveland ended up having to punt, although Collins’ kick was able to pin the Cards back at their four.

The Browns clung to a four-point lead as the game headed into the fourth quarter. With the Cards deep in their own territory, LB Jim Houston (pictured at top) came through with a big play as he intercepted a Hart pass and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown. Groza’s PAT made it 20-9.

The Cards were unable to make much headway on offense and had to punt. They got the ball back in short order, however, when Leroy Kelly fumbled a bobbled handoff on the next play and LB Bill Koman recovered at the Cleveland 17. Hart threw to Smith for a 15-yard touchdown and, with Bakken’s PAT, it was again a four-point game.

There were still just under eight minutes remaining in the contest, but the Browns helped themselves with a long, time-consuming series. Ryan had an 11-yard run for a first down, Kelly converted a third-and-one situation with a four-yard carry, and Cleveland was down to the St. Louis 34 before back-to-back completions to Ernie Green lost yards and took the Browns out of field goal range. Still, the clock was down to 1:11 as Collins punted and the Cards found themselves pinned back at their four yard line.

Hart (pictured at right) went to the air on every play, but time ran out on St. Louis with the ball at the Cleveland 18 following a 41-yard completion to Smith, who was unable to get out of bounds at the end of the play. The Browns were winners by a final score of 20-16.

In a game dominated by the defenses, the Cardinals had more total yards (295 to 131) and first downs (16 to 8) than Cleveland. The Browns were helped by 126 yards on kickoff returns by Ben Davis. Both teams turned the ball over twice.

Frank Ryan, who suffered an injury to his left (non-throwing) arm in the first half, completed just 8 of 15 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Ernie Green led the club with 48 rushing yards on 12 carries as well as 5 pass receptions, which netted only three yards. Paul Warfield had 57 yards on two pass receptions that included a TD. Leroy Kelly was held to 15 yards on 15 attempts and was credited with the fumble that set up the only St. Louis touchdown. But Ben Davis averaged 42.0 yards on his three kickoff returns and Jim Houston put vital points on the board with his key interception return.

For the Cardinals, Jim Hart was successful on 18 of 36 throws for 182 yards and a TD, but also tossed the one big interception. Jackie Smith was the top receiver with 6 catches for 91 yards and a score, although he also threw an interception on his one pass, and Bobby Joe Conrad contributed 5 receptions for 46 yards. Prentice Gautt rushed for 63 yards on 16 attempts. Johnny Roland ran for 27 yards on 12 attempts before he was lost to a knee injury in the third quarter. Jim Bakken was successful on all three of his field goal attempts.

“The defense was magnificent, Houston did the job again!” exclaimed Coach Blanton Collier afterward. It was the second consecutive week that Jim Houston had scored on an interception.

The Browns lost their season finale to finish at 9-5 atop the Century Division but lost badly to the Dallas Cowboys in the Eastern Conference Championship game. St. Louis also dropped the last game to end up third in the division at 6-7-1.

Leroy Kelly ended up with the NFL rushing title, gaining 1205 yards while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Rookie Ben Davis, a 17^th-round draft choice, was at his best on kickoff returns against the Cards, but led the league in punt returning with a 12.7 average on 18 runbacks. He ranked seventh with a 26.2 average on 27 kickoff returns. 

1968: Kelly Runs for 130 Yards as Browns Hand Colts Only Loss of Season

The Baltimore Colts were cruising at 5-0, and had lost only once in their previous 19 games (that included two ties), as they hosted the Cleveland Browns on October 20, 1968. Head Coach Don Shula’s team was winning despite the loss of star QB Johnny Unitas to a severe elbow injury in the preseason. 34-year-old QB Earl Morrall, acquired from the Giants as insurance, was filling in admirably for the all-time great. The rest of the club was solid. If anything, with the Browns coming into town they could be excused for looking ahead to a showdown with the Rams the next week – the team that had inflicted the defeat at the end of the 1967 that cost the Colts a spot in the postseason.

Cleveland, coached by Blanton Collier, had a 2-3 record and was most recently coming off a loss to the Cardinals. They, too, had gained a new quarterback in the prior offseason in Bill Nelsen, who came from the Browns and supplanted veteran Frank Ryan three weeks into the schedule. They had an outstanding runner in HB Leroy Kelly (pictured above) and equally great receiver in split end Paul Warfield and, after starting slowly, the offense was beginning to come to life following the change at quarterback.

There were 60,238 fans in attendance at Memorial Stadium on a sunny afternoon. The Browns took the opening kickoff and put together a long series that featured Bill Nelsen throwing to WR Eppie Barney for 15 yards and Leroy Kelly gaining 14 yards on a draw play in a third-and-six situation. But after reaching the Baltimore 29, Nelsen was dropped for a 10-yard loss on a third-down play and Don Cockroft’s 47-yard field goal attempt fell short and was returned by FS Rick Volk to the Baltimore 25.

The Colts got a quick first down when Earl Morrall threw to WR Jimmy Orr for seven yards and FB Jerry Hill followed up with a four-yard run. However, three plays later Morrall faced a heavy blitz and, hit by DT Jim Kanicki, fumbled. LB Jim Houston recovered for the Browns and they took advantage by driving 37 yards in seven plays. Nelsen threw two passes to Paul Warfield, for 15 and 9 yards apiece, and Kelly took a swing pass to gain the last two yards for a touchdown. With Cockroft’s extra point, the Browns were up by 7-0.

HB Preston Pearson returned the ensuing kickoff 35 yards to his own 40 and the Colts were at the Cleveland 49 as the first quarter ended, but had to punt. The Browns, pinned down at their 10, went three-and-out and Baltimore regained possession at midfield. Morrall immediately went to the air and hit Orr for 27 yards and HB Tom Matte then ran the remaining 23 yards for a TD. With the conversion by Lou Michaels, the score was tied.

The teams traded punts as neither offense was able to move until, with just under three minutes remaining in the half, the Browns took possession at their 19 and mounted an 81-yard drive in 10 plays. Kelly ran the ball well and gained 16 yards on a pass completion. A throw by Nelsen to TE Milt Morin picked up 20 yards and had another 15 yards tacked on for a roughing-the-passer penalty to get the ball to the Baltimore 19. The drive culminated in Nelsen passing to Warfield for a five-yard touchdown with the clock down to 24 seconds and Cockroft added the PAT. Cleveland went into halftime with a 14-7 lead.

When the Colts came out for their first series of the third quarter, Johnny Unitas was at quarterback, much to the excitement of the crowd. It was not a promising return for the veteran star, however, when his first pass was deflected and intercepted by FS Mike Howell. Starting at the Baltimore 34, the Browns methodically drove to another score in eight plays. Nelsen threw to Barney for a two-yard TD, Cockroft booted the extra point, and the visitors were now leading by 21-7.

Unitas threw two incomplete passes on the next series, but the Colts got a break when CB Ben Davis fumbled the resulting punt and LB Bob Grant recovered at the Cleveland 37. The rusty Unitas still had difficulty completing passes, but Baltimore managed to get a 17-yard Michaels field goal to make it a 21-10 game.

The Colts managed to retain possession on the following kickoff when Michaels recovered his own short, bouncing kick at the Cleveland 29. Baltimore picked up only four yards in three plays and Michaels kicked another field goal, this time from 33 yards.

The teams traded punts for the remainder of the period. The fourth quarter started with Unitas throwing for Orr, but the pass bounced out of the receiver’s hands and was intercepted by LB Bob Matheson, who returned it 30 yards to the Baltimore four. From there on the next play, Kelly ran around end for a touchdown. While Cockroft’s extra point attempt was blocked by DE Bubba Smith, Cleveland was now ahead by 27-13.

Another short series for the Colts ended in Unitas throwing an interception, this time with DE Bill Glass grabbing the deflected pass and giving the visitors the ball at the Baltimore 17. By this point, many in the crowd that was earlier buoyed by his return were booing the all-time great as he left the field. The Browns reached the four before Cockroft kicked an 11-yard field goal.

Morrall was back at quarterback for the Colts, to the cheers of the fans, and he went to the air eight times, completed five, with the last pass to WR Willie Richardson for an eight-yard touchdown. The extra point by Michaels made it a ten-point game, but that was the last gasp for Baltimore. An onside kick was recovered by the Browns and they were able to maintain possession and nail down the 30-20 win.

Cleveland had more total yards (305 to 212) and first downs (19 to 13) than the Colts. The Browns especially ran the ball effectively, gaining 179 yards on the ground. The key was Baltimore’s five turnovers, to one suffered by Cleveland.

Leroy Kelly was the star on offense with 130 rushing yards on 30 carries that included a touchdown plus 18 more yards on two catches that included another TD. Bill Nelsen (pictured at right) completed 15 of 23 passes for three touchdowns with none intercepted and also ran the ball four times for another 32 yards. Paul Warfield had 5 pass receptions for 46 yards and a score.

For the Colts, Earl Morrall was successful on 10 of 18 throws for 130 yards and a TD and one interception. Johnny Unitas completed only one of 11 passes for 12 yards and suffered three interceptions. Tom Matte rushed for 64 yards and a TD on 13 carries and gained another 37 yards on two catches. John Mackey led the receivers with three receptions for 41 yards while Jimmy Orr also caught three passes, for 38 yards.

“I couldn’t get the ball down,” explained Johnny Unitas of his difficulties throwing the ball. “I was releasing it high. But I did have some bad luck.”

When asked further about his reaction to being booed by the home crowd, Unitas responded with a terse “I could care less.”

With Morrall continuing to start for the remainder of the season, the Colts regained their footing to decisively defeat the Rams the next week and continue on to a 13-1 record and first place in the Coastal Division. The win over the Colts initiated an eight-game winning streak for the Browns, who topped the Century Division at 10-4. Both teams won their conference title games, with Cleveland upsetting Dallas in the Eastern Conference and Baltimore easily dispatching the Vikings in the Western Conference. In the rematch for the NFL Championship, the Colts gained their revenge by a convincing 34-0 score. However, the dream season ended with a stunning loss to the AFL-Champion New York Jets in the Super Bowl.

Leroy Kelly led the NFL in rushing for the second straight year with 1239 yards on 248 carries (5.0 avg.) and 16 touchdowns. Adding in 22 catches for 297 yards and another four TDs, he led the league in yards from scrimmage (1536), touchdowns (20), and scoring (120 points). In addition to receiving consensus first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl honors, he was named as recipient of the Maxwell Club’s Bert Bell Award as NFL Player of the Year.

Earl Morrall was the consensus league MVP, however, as he led the league in passing (93.2 rating), touchdown passes (26), yards per attempt (9.2), and yards per completion (16.0) while placing second in passing yards (2909) and completion percentage (57.4). In sixth place (third by the current rating system, at 86.4) was Bill Nelsen, who ranked in the top five in yards (2366), touchdowns (19), yards per attempt (8.1), and yards per completion (15.6).

Johnny Unitas saw scant action during the remainder of the regular season, but did lead the Colts to their only touchdown in the Super Bowl defeat in relief of Morrall. While there were concerns as to his ability to come back (he was 36 by the start of the 1969 season), he did return to the starting job, although with increasingly diminishing returns until his last year in 1973.  

1970: Warfield Stars as Dolphins Defeat Raiders

The Miami Dolphins were a team in transition as they hosted the Oakland Raiders on October 3, 1970. A losing franchise since entering the American Football League in 1966, they also had trouble drawing fans and owner Joe Robbie had taken the big step of luring Don Shula away from the Colts to be head coach. Another move that significantly benefited the offense was the acquisition of WR Paul Warfield (pictured above) from the Browns. Added to a mix that included rising young players in QB Bob Griese, FB Larry Csonka, and HB Jim Kiick, Warfield brought a much-needed element of speed to the wide receiver position. However, the Dolphins were also starting five rookies on defense. Miami was 1-1 coming into the game against Oakland, a team it had never beaten.

The Raiders, under second-year Head Coach John Madden, were perennial contenders that had reached the last three AFL title games, winning one of them. However, they were off to a slow start, sporting a record of 0-1-1 as they faced the Dolphins. The offense, directed by QB Daryle Lamonica, was still proficient but the defense was giving up points.

There was a good crowd of 57,140 in attendance for the Saturday night game at the Orange Bowl. The first quarter was scoreless as the teams traded punts and Miami CB Curtis Johnson intercepted a Lamonica pass at his 28 yard line. However, on the first play of the second quarter Bob Griese threw to Paul Warfield for a 49-yard touchdown. Garo Yepremian added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

A torrential downpour struck soon thereafter that flooded the field but finally let up at halftime. Lamonica again threw an interception, this time by SS Dick Anderson, giving the Dolphins possession at the Oakland 33. But three plays later, Griese was picked off by CB Willie Brown.

HB Charlie Smith immediately took off for a 16-yard gain and the Raiders kept the ball on the ground as Smith and FB Hewritt Dixon ran the ball effectively in the rain. The drive stalled at the Miami 35, but George Blanda’s field goal attempt was blocked by CB Lloyd Mumphord.

Following the blocked kick, the Dolphins took over in Oakland territory and a short possession yielded a missed 49-yard field goal try by Yepremian. Another pass by Lamonica was intercepted, this time by Mumphord, however Miami was unable to move the ball and punted. WR Rod Sherman returned the kick 45 yards to the Dolphins’ 37 and the Raiders made good use of the field position. They went 32 yards in seven plays and Blanda kicked a 12-yard field goal with 27 seconds left in the half. There was still time remaining and the first half ended with Yepremian booting a 47-yard field goal. Miami took a 10-3 lead into the intermission.

The Dolphins had to punt following their first series of the third quarter and Oakland proceeded to go 64 yards in 13 plays. They got a break when rookie TE Raymond Chester, having caught a pass from Lamonica on third down, fumbled but WR Warren Wells recovered and reached the Miami 38. Again Smith and Dixon ran the ball well and Wells gained 14 yards on a reverse. Blanda capped the series with a 17-yard field goal to narrow Miami’s margin to 10-6.

Following a punt by the Raiders early in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins took over at their 20. On a second-and-10 play, Griese connected with Warfield for a 54-yard gain to the Oakland 24. Three plays later, Griese passed to Warfield again for a 17-yard touchdown and, with the successful PAT, a 17-6 lead.

Oakland’s next possession ended with another Lamonica interception and, following a punt by the Dolphins, the Raiders gambled on a fourth-and-one play at their own 35 and Lamonica was stopped for no gain.

The Dolphins extended their lead with a 40-yard Yepremian field goal. FB Marv Hubbard returned the ensuing kickoff 25 yards to the Oakland 49 and, with just over two minutes remaining, Lamonica went to the air three times, the third for a 36-yard touchdown to Wells against Miami’s prevent defense. Blanda’s extra point made it a seven-point game, but the onside kick was recovered by the Dolphins and Miami was able to run out the clock for a 20-13 win.

The Raiders led in total yards (334 to 279) and first downs (14 to 7). They outrushed the Dolphins by 180 yards to 104. However, Oakland also turned the ball over four times, to one suffered by Miami, although the Dolphins drew 11 penalties at a cost of 135 yards, to 6 flags thrown on the Raiders.

Bob Griese completed just 8 of 16 passes for 180 yards, but two were for touchdowns while one was intercepted. Paul Warfield had three catches for 120 yards and both TDs. Larry Csonka led the running game with 62 yards on 10 carries and Jim Kiick ran the ball 20 times for 44 yards and added 34 yards on two pass receptions.

For the Raiders, Daryle Lamonica was successful on 12 of 22 throws for 154 yards and a TD but also tossed four interceptions. Charlie Smith gained 68 yards on 15 rushing attempts and Hewritt Dixon was right behind with 67 yards on 14 carries. Warren Wells (pictured at left) had three catches for 61 yards and a TD and also ran the ball three times for another 34 yards. Fred Biletnikoff also caught the ball three times, for 36 yards.

The Dolphins won their next two contests before losing three straight, but then regained their footing and were victorious in their remaining games to finish at 10-4. It was good enough to place second in the AFC East and qualify as the Wild Card team in the playoffs. Oakland recovered to go 6-0-1 in its next seven games and 8-4-2 overall, which placed them first in the AFC West. The Raiders got their revenge on the Dolphins in the AFC Divisional playoff round, winning 21-14, but lost the AFC Championship game to the Colts.

Paul Warfield missed three games due to injury but received Pro Bowl recognition as he averaged a spectacular 25.1 yards-per-catch on 28 receptions for 703 yards with six touchdowns. Bob Griese also was a Pro Bowl selection, completing 58 percent of his passes for 2019 yards and 12 TDs, although with 17 interceptions.