1978: Cowboys Overcome Missed Opportunities to Defeat Cards in OT

It appeared to be a classic mismatch on October 15, 1978 as the Dallas Cowboys, with a 4-2 record, faced the winless St. Louis Cardinals, who were 0-6 and, going back to the previous season, had lost a total of ten straight contests.

Coached by Tom Landry for the 19th season, the Cowboys were the defending NFL Champions and, while off to a somewhat slow start, they remained formidable. QB Roger Staubach (pictured above) directed an offense that could run the ball effectively with HB Tony Dorsett or strike from the air to wide receivers Drew Pearson and Tony Hill. The defense was strong, with the line anchored by DE Harvey Martin and DT Randy White and containing an excellent secondary.

St. Louis had fallen on hard times after winning two division titles under Don Coryell in 1974 and ‘75. Coryell had departed following a 7-7 record in ’77 and Bud Wilkinson, a legendary college coach who had nevertheless been away from the sidelines for many years, was in his place. While the Cardinals had an able quarterback in Jim Hart and a good line, they lacked outside speed at running back. The club had yet to score more than 17 points in a game and the defense had difficulty against the run, giving up 216 yards on the ground in a loss at Dallas three weeks earlier.

There were 48,991 fans in attendance at Busch Memorial Stadium. In the first quarter and following a fumble by Roger Staubach that was recovered by NT Mike Dawson, the Cardinals advanced 47 yards in seven plays. FB Jim Otis ran for the last two and a touchdown, followed by Jim Bakken’s extra point.

Dallas missed an opportunity a few plays later when SS Charlie Waters nearly intercepted a Hart pass with a clear field in front of him, but dropped the ball. Later, however, and following a punt that had the Cowboys starting from their one yard line, the visitors drove 99 yards in 11 plays. Drew Pearson gained 28 yards on a reverse and Staubach completed passes to Tony Hill for 17 yards and TE Billy Joe DuPree for 20 along the way, and capped the series with a six-yard TD throw to FB Robert Newhouse. Rafael Septien tied the score at 7-7.

The Cards put together their own long drive, covering 87 yards, and Otis again capped it with another touchdown, this time from a yard out. Bakken’s point after put the home team back in front by 14-7. In the last minute of the first half, CB Roger Wehrli intercepted a Staubach pass and Jim Hart connected with HB Steve Jones for a 38-yard gain, but he lost his grip on the ball just short of the goal line and, while WR Pat Tilley nearly recovered in the end zone, CB Aaron Kyle recovered instead for the Cowboys. The score remained unchanged at halftime.

Still up by seven points in the third quarter and with a fourth down at their 37, the Cards were forced to punt. However, punter Steve Little dropped the snap and, while he recovered, was unable to run past the line of scrimmage. Dallas quickly capitalized on the next play, utilizing trickery. Tony Dorsett took a handoff, gave the ball to Drew Pearson coming around on an apparent reverse, and the wide receiver then flipped it back to Staubach, who threw long to Tony Hill in the corner of the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown. Septien added the game-tying extra point.

Two minutes later, and following Harvey Martin’s sack of Hart that had Little punting from his own end zone, WR Butch Johnson returned the line-drive kick 23 yards to the St. Louis 15. Helped along by a pass interference penalty, the Cowboys scored when Staubach connected with Hill for another TD, this time from six yards out. Septien’s conversion had the Cowboys in front by 21-14 with 1:17 remaining in the third quarter.

St. Louis came back with a nine-play, 68-yard series that stretched into the fourth quarter.  Hart threw to WR Mel Gray for gains of 30 and 19 yards and finished the possession off with a one-yard toss to HB Wayne Morris for a touchdown. Bakken’s conversion knotted the score again at 21-21.

Later in the period, the Cards drove from their 17 to the Dallas 16, but with 2:54 left in regulation, Bakken missed a 33-yard field goal attempt that struck the left upright, one of several instances in which both teams missed opportunities to win in regulation.

As the clock counted down to less than a minute to play, the Cards lost Hart, who was sacked again by Martin and had to leave the game due to a shoulder injury. With rookie QB Steve Pisarkiewicz now behind center, the Cards punted shortly thereafter and another good return by Johnson gave Dallas excellent field position at the St. Louis 32. Staubach passed to Pearson for 15 yards and, with the ball at the St. Louis 16, it appeared that the Cowboys were on the verge of putting the game away. Newhouse fumbled on the next play, however, and LB Steve Neils recovered for St. Louis. Pisarkiewicz then threw long for Gray, but it was intercepted by FS Cliff Harris. Staubach connected with Pearson to pick up 25 yards and, once again, Dallas had a shot to win. But with the clock down to one second, Septien’s 49-yard field goal attempt was blocked by DE John Zook and, following an eventful final minute of regulation, the game headed into overtime.

The Cowboys won the toss to start the extra period and, taking possession at their 23 after the kickoff, Staubach started off with two completions before he had to leave due to injury. It didn’t deter Dallas as Newhouse carried for 13 yards, Dorsett for six, and Septien kicked a 47-yard field goal at 3:28 into the extra period. The Cowboys came away with a hard-fought 24-21 victory.

Dallas led in total yards (418 to 372) and first downs (24 to 21). The Cowboys also recorded three sacks, to one by St. Louis. However, the visitors turned the ball over four times, to three by the Cards, and amassed 12 penalties at a cost of 109 yards while St. Louis was flagged four times.

Roger Staubach completed 23 of 40 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns while giving up two interceptions. Drew Pearson had 7 catches for 101 yards and carried the ball twice for 34 yards while Tony Hill contributed three receptions for 60 yards and two TDs. Tony Dorsett was held to 24 yards on 12 carries and Robert Newhouse topped the Dallas runners with 47 yards on 12 attempts against a surprisingly stiff St. Louis defense. Butch Johnson averaged 15.8 yards on four punt returns.

For the Cardinals, Jim Hart (pictured at right) was successful on 17 of 28 throws for 264 yards and a TD while being picked off once. Jim Otis gained 88 yards on 28 rushing attempts that included two touchdowns and Wayne Morris added 30 yards on 13 carries and had a TD among his four pass receptions for 26 yards. Mel Gray gained a team-leading 89 yards on his four catches.

Roger Staubach missed no time with his injury, which was minor, and while it was initially projected that Jim Hart would be out for at least three weeks, he missed just one. The Cowboys won their next game, lost two, and didn’t lose again as they finished atop the NFC East with a 12-4 record. They again reached the Super Bowl before losing to Pittsburgh. The Cardinals fell to 0-8 before turning around and winning six of their last eight contests. St. Louis ended up with a 6-10 tally and placed fourth in the division.

1966: Roland Stars as Cards Defeat Eagles

The St. Louis Cardinals were hoping to rebound from a disappointing 5-9 record in 1965 as they faced the Philadelphia Eagles on September 11, 1966. St. Louis had a new head coach in Charley Winner and plenty of veteran talent in QB Charley Johnson, FS Larry Wilson, and SS Jerry Stovall, all returning healthy from injury-plagued seasons in ’65. There were capable receivers in split end Sonny Randle, flanker Bobby Joe Conrad, and TE Jackie Smith, and a good stable of running backs that featured a newcomer in rookie HB Johnny Roland out of Missouri (pictured at right).

The Eagles were coached by Joe Kuharich and were also 5-9 in ’65 but swept the season series with the Cards. The defense had lost two disgruntled veteran stars, LB Maxie Baughan and CB Irv Cross, who both were dealt to Los Angeles and would be difficult to replace. QB Norm Snead had a strong arm, although was prone to inconsistency, and HB Timmy Brown was an outstanding all-purpose back. TE Pete Retzlaff was a reliable veteran and among the best at his position and the line, anchored by OT Bob Brown, was a good one.

It was the first regular season game for the Cardinals at the new Busch Memorial Stadium and there were 39,066 fans in attendance. Following an exchange of punts to start the first quarter, the Eagles drove 76 yards in 14 plays that featured six carries for 33 yards by FB Israel “Izzy” Lang and a screen pass from QB Norm Snead to Timmy Brown for 21 yards. Sam Baker kicked a 23-yard field goal to give the visitors the early lead.

HB Roy Shivers returned the ensuing kickoff 33 yards and St. Louis, helped along by a 15-yard penalty on the Eagles, started off near midfield and advanced into Philadelphia territory. However, after reaching the two, they were moved back by a delay of game penalty and had to settle for a nine-yard Jim Bakken field goal to tie the score at 3-3.

The Cardinals missed an opportunity when Johnny Roland returned a punt 52 yards for an apparent touchdown, but the play was nullified by a roughing-the-kicker penalty. The Eagles got another break on an interception by CB Jim Nettles, and while there was a clip on the return, the visitors took possession at the St. Louis 47. Snead completed a pass to Lang for 24 yards before Brown broke away for a 23-yard touchdown. Baker added the extra point and the score remained 10-3 at halftime.

St. Louis was having difficulty jelling on offense and finally added another long Bakken field goal from 47 yards to narrow Philadelphia’s lead to 10-6 in the third quarter. As the game headed into the final period, the Cards put together another promising drive but, following a sack of Johnson by LB Harold Wells, they faced a third-and-33 situation. Johnson threw to Sonny Randle, who bobbled the ball that was then deflected by FS Joe Scarpati and Roland alertly made the catch for a 37-yard gain to the Philadelphia 16. Johnson connected with Jackie Smith for nine yards and a pass interference penalty by Nettles in the end zone moved the ball to the one, from where Johnson plunged over for a touchdown. Bakken kicked the point after and the home team was ahead for the first time by 13-10.

The Eagles responded with a drive that featured a Snead pass to Pete Retzlaff for 17 yards and Baker capped it with a 33-yard field goal to tie the score at 13-13 with 1:56 remaining to play. With time running out for St. Louis, Johnson completed two passes to Randle, one for six yards that converted a third down and another for 15. Three plays later, FB Willis Crenshaw ran for 10 yards as the defense keyed on Roland and Johnson connected with Randle for six more yards. A fumbled snap lost three yards and Bakken came on to attempt a field goal that was made shorter when the Eagles were flagged for encroachment. With five seconds left on the clock, Bakken’s kick was good from 27 yards and the Cards came away winners by a final score of 16-13.

St. Louis had the edge in total yards (278 to 254) and first downs (20 to 18). The Cards also suffered the game’s only turnover and the Eagles, not known for their pass rush, were credited with four sacks, to one by St. Louis.

Johnny Roland had an impressive debut, rushing for 53 yards on 8 carries, catching two passes for 40 yards, and gaining 50 yards on two kickoff returns and 16 on two punt returns for a total of 159 all-around yards. Charley Johnson completed 19 of 26 passes for 191 yards and gave up an interception while scoring the only St. Louis TD. Sonny Randle had 6 catches for 58 yards and Jackie Smith gained 62 yards on his five pass receptions.

For the Eagles, Norm Snead was successful on 9 of 25 throws for 129 yards with no TDs but also none intercepted. Izzy Lang (pictured at left), who was particularly effective in the first half, gained 65 yards on 16 rushing attempts and caught two passes for 33 more yards while Timmy Brown ran for 59 yards on 13 attempts that included a touchdown, caught a team-leading three passes for 32 yards, and with 23 yards on two kickoff returns went over the 10,000-yard mark in career all-purpose yards. Pete Retzlaff was held to two catches, but his 36 yards led the club.

St. Louis won its first five games and surged to 7-1-1 before Charley Johnson suffered a knee injury and a late-season slump had them ending up at 8-5-1 and fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Eagles had an up-and-down year in which they finished strong for a 9-5 record that tied for second in the conference with Cleveland.

Johnny Roland went on to an outstanding rookie season, most notably rushing for 695 yards and leading the NFL with an 11.1 punt return average. His all-purpose yardage total of 1476 yards ranked fifth in the league and he received Rookie of the Year honors from UPI as well as selection to the Pro Bowl.

1976: Cards Beat Chargers in Preseason Game in Tokyo

It was a National Football League first on August 16, 1976 when the San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Cardinals met for a preseason game in Tokyo, Japan. While NFL contests had been played in Canada, never before had one occurred outside of North America.

The game was referred to as the Mainichi Star Bowl since it was jointly sponsored by the Mainichi Newspaper Company and the Sports Nippon Newspaper Company as part of the United States Bicentennial celebration.

There were 38,000 fans in attendance in a misty rain at the Korakuen Stadium, normally used for baseball. The crowd was mostly Japanese with some Americans for the Monday night contest and the atmosphere was festive. Fans were enthusiastic and occasionally engaged in chants during the contest, such as “Chargers, Chargers, Banzai! Banzai!” and “Cardinals, attack the ball!”

Many citizens of the city of Suwa in central Japan, which had engaged in several cultural exchanges with St. Louis, were at the game, led by Mayor Setsuji Iwamoto. Four firemen played Japanese army assault marches on their bugles while another citizen of the city banged on a drum.

“They are such nice people, and they respond very quickly to our action,” said Lori West, a University of Missouri student and cheerleader for the Cardinals.

As for the participants on the field, it was the third preseason game for each club. The Cardinals, coached by Don Coryell for the fourth year, were coming off of consecutive NFC East titles and had been 11-3 in 1975. San Diego was a less successful club under the direction of Head Coach Tommy Prothro and posted a 2-12 record the previous year, its sixth straight losing season. In a rebuilding mode, the Chargers hired Bill Walsh away from Cincinnati to be offensive coordinator and especially to provide guidance for young QB Dan Fouts.

Neither team generated much of a ground attack in the early going. In the first quarter, Jim Bakken kicked a 30-yard field goal for the Cards and, in the second quarter, St. Louis again moved into scoring position thanks to a nine-yard carry by HB Jerry Latin and a run by HB Wayne Morris that picked up five for a first down at the San Diego 15. From there, QB Bill Donckers threw a touchdown pass to WR Pat Tilley and Bakken converted to put the Cards up by 10-0. San Diego finally got on the board with four seconds left in the first half as Sergio Albert booted a 30-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, a bad punt by a heavily-rushed Terry Joyce of the Cards, kicking from his own end zone, gave the Chargers possession at the St. Louis 28. Dan Fouts tossed a four-yard completion to WR Charlie Joiner before throwing a 23-yard TD pass to WR Dwight McDonald and Albert added the extra point that tied the contest at 10-10.

The Cardinals came right back as Jim Hart went long to WR Ike Harris in a play that covered 52 yards for a touchdown. Bakken closed out the scoring with a 10-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and St. Louis won by a final tally of 20-10.

The game was pass-heavy, with the Cards running 41 times for 105 yards and San Diego gaining just 34 yards on 19 attempts. St. Louis had 20 first downs to 12 for the Chargers.

Bill Donckers and Jim Hart both threw 14 passes apiece for the Cardinals, with Donckers, the backup, completing 10 for 94 yards and a touchdown and Hart 9 for 111 yards and a TD. Neither was intercepted. Wayne Morris gained 49 yards on 14 carries and Pat Tilley caught 4 passes for 54 yards.

For the Chargers, Dan Fouts completed just 4 of 10 passes for 70 yards while backup Jesse Freitas was successful on 9 of 20 for 85 yards and was intercepted once. FB Jim Harrison had 28 yards on 6 carries to pace the club in rushing. Dwight McDonald caught two passes for 44 yards and a TD.

In the regular season, St. Louis put together a 10-4 record but just missed the playoffs this time, ending up third in the NFC East. The Chargers improved to 6-8 and third in the AFC West.

As a side note, Bill Walsh stayed for a year with the Chargers before departing for Stanford, and Dan Fouts, who showed much improvement under Walsh’s guidance, would go on to Hall of Fame success after Don Coryell left the Cards and came to San Diego to replace Tommy Prothro.

As for the NFL playing outside of North America, the next overseas preseason game occurred in London, UK in 1983, and London would become a regular host to preseason and, eventually, regular season contests. The NFL would also return to Tokyo, but not until 1989, and for preseason games only.

Highlighted Year: Bobby Joe Conrad, 1963

Flanker, St. Louis Cardinals

Age: 28 (Nov. 17)

6^th season in pro football & with Cardinals

College: Texas A & M

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 195

Prelude:

The versatile Conrad played at quarterback, halfback, and fullback in addition to end in college and was part of the 1956 Texas A & M team that won the Southwest Conference title. He also starred in the 1958 College All-Star Game upset of the Detroit Lions, kicking four field goals and intercepting a pass. Conrad was chosen by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the ’58 NFL draft but was traded to the Cards prior to the season and was used in the defensive backfield as a rookie, intercepting four passes, as well as for returning punts and placekicking. He was shifted to offense in 1959 and backed up at halfback for two seasons, rushing for a career-high 328 yards in ’59, before being moved to flanker in 1961, where he broke out with 30 catches for 499 yards (16.6 avg.) and two touchdowns. Conrad had a bigger year in 1962, hauling in 62 pass receptions for 954 yards (15.4) avg. and four TDs as part of a productive tandem with split end Sonny Randle.

1963 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 73 [1] 

Most receptions, game – 8 (for 112 yds.) vs. Green Bay 10/20

Yards – 967 [6]

Most yards, game – 122 (on 6 catches) vs. Philadelphia 12/8

Average gain – 13.2

TDs – 10 [4, tied with Gail Cogdill & Frank Clarke]

100-yard receiving games – 2

Rushing

Attempts – 1

Yards – 0

TDs – 0

Punt Returns

Returns – 1

Yards – 1

Average per return – 1.0

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 10 [6, tied with four others]

Points – 60 [15, tied with four others]

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: AP, UPI, NY Daily News

2^nd team All-NFL: NEA

Cardinals went 9-5 to finish third in the NFL Eastern Conference.

Aftermath:

Conrad followed up with 61 catches for 780 yards (12.8 avg.) and six touchdowns in 1964 and achieved Pro Bowl recognition. Consistent if not especially fast or flashy, he remained a capable possession receiver for the Cards through 1968, a total of 11 seasons, before finishing up with the Dallas Cowboys in 1969. Overall, he caught 422 passes for 5902 yards (14.0 avg.) and 38 TDs, with 418 of those catches for 5828 yards and all of the TDs coming with the Cardinals. Conrad also returned 33 kickoffs for a 24.6-yard average and 51 punts for an average of 9.1 yards and two TDs. As a placekicker he booted 14 field goals out of 33 attempts and made good on 95 of 99 extra points which, combined with his 42 touchdowns, accounted for a total of 389 points. Conrad received first-team All-NFL recognition once, second-team honors after one other season, and was selected to one Pro Bowl.

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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

1964: Browns and Cards Battle to Tie in Back-and-Forth Contest

The Cleveland Browns hosted the St. Louis Cardinals on September 20, 1964, the second week of the NFL season, in what was an early showdown between two teams widely viewed as contenders in the Eastern Conference. Both had won their opening-week games.

The Browns, coached by Blanton Collier, finished second in 1963 with a 10-4 record. The key to the offense, as it had been since he joined the club in 1957, was FB Jim Brown (pictured above), but QB Frank Ryan and flanker Gary Collins were up-and-coming talents, and they were being joined by rookie split end Paul Warfield, who brought needed speed to the receiving corps. The defense was capable, if showing some age, and was especially shaky in the backfield.

St. Louis was coming off of a 9-5 record in ’63 under Head Coach Wally Lemm. QB Charley Johnson was a productive passer with excellent receivers to throw to in split end Sonny Randle and flanker Bobby Joe Conrad. There was good depth at running back, and star HB John David Crow was back after missing virtually all of ’63 due to injury, although HB Bill Triplett was sidelined due to illness.

There were 76,954 fans in attendance at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium on a warm and sunny day. The Cardinals got a break on the first play from scrimmage when LB Larry Stallings intercepted a Frank Ryan pass and returned it 18 yards to the Cleveland 22. On the next play, Charley Johnson tossed a short pass to John David Crow that went the distance for a touchdown. Jim Bakken added the extra point for the quick 7-0 lead.

Flanker Walter Roberts returned the ensuing kickoff 60 yards to the St. Louis 44 and, with Jim Brown carrying most of the load the Browns reached the 25 before 40-year-old Lou Groza (pictured at left) kicked a 32-yard field goal. Now it was Cleveland’s opportunity to benefit from a turnover on the next series as Bobby Joe Conrad fumbled after catching a short pass from Johnson and DE Bill Glass recovered for the home team at the St. Louis 20. HB Ernie Green ran for five yards and Brown carried twice for another 14, but after advancing to the one, a penalty moved the Browns back and they had to settle for a 12-yard Groza field goal that made it a one-point contest.

The Cards put together a good drive in the waning minutes of the opening period. Johnson completed a pass to HB Joe Childress for 21 yards and Crow and Childress both ran effectively. Bakken kicked a 30-yard field goal and the visitors extended their lead to 10-6 heading into the second quarter.

The Browns went three-and-out on their next possession but got the ball back on an interception by CB Ross Fichtner. Starting from the St. Louis 33, the home team reached the 16 but was flagged for a personal foul on a third down play that not only backed them up 15 yards but cost them the services of Green, a capable blocker as well as running mate for Brown, who was ejected. Groza kicked his third field goal of the contest, from 37 yards, and the Cards’ lead was once again narrowed to a single point at 10-9.

On the next series, the Cardinals advanced past midfield as Crow and Childress again ran well and Johnson tossed a pass to Conrad.  The drive stalled at the Cleveland 44, but Bakken came through with a 51-yard field goal, which was a club record at the time and made the score 13-9. The Browns moved quickly to take the lead on the next possession, going 69 yards in just three plays. Ryan threw to Paul Warfield for 12 yards and Gary Collins for 17 more, and then followed up with a long pass to Warfield for a 40-yard touchdown. Groza converted and Cleveland was now ahead at 16-13, which remained the score at halftime.

St. Louis started off the third quarter with a 71-yard drive in seven plays. Crow carried four straight times for 18 yards and Childress added another nine before Johnson connected with Sonny Randle (pictured at right) for a 38-yard TD. Bakken added the point after and the Cards were back on top by 20-16.

The Cardinals got the ball back on the ensuing kickoff when Roberts fumbled and OT Herschel Turner recovered at the Cleveland 43. The short series was followed by another Bakken field goal, this time from 44 yards for an extended margin of 23-16.

The Browns went three-and-out and punted but now it was the Cardinals turning the ball over once more as Johnson faded back to pass and fumbled when hit by Glass. DT Dick Modzelewski recovered at the St. Louis 28. Ryan passed to Collins for 21 yards and then hit the flanker again for a seven-yard touchdown. Groza converted and the score was tied at 23-23.

The teams exchanged punts but the Cardinals were on the move at the end of the period and, on the first play of the fourth quarter, Johnson completed a pass to Randle for a 50-yard TD. Bakken added the PAT to make it a 30-23 game.

The Browns responded with a long drive of 72 yards that took 13 plays. Ryan was successful on three passes and ran out of the pocket for 17 yards to the St. Louis 12. However, he was also sacked for a 14-yard loss and, while a toss to Brown got eight yards back, Cleveland had to settle for another Groza field goal, from 25 yards, cutting the visitors’ lead to 30-26.

The Cards went three-and-out and punted on their next series and the Browns responded with a 12-play, 61-yard possession. Facing a fourth-and-19 situation at the St. Louis 45 after Ryan was sacked, and with only 1:28 remaining on the clock, Ryan completed a pass to Collins for 43 yards. Two plays later, Brown swept into the end zone from a yard out and, with Groza’s extra point, Cleveland was back on top by three points at 33-30 and appeared to have the game in hand.

St. Louis took over following the kickoff at its own 25 with 28 seconds to play. Johnson passed over the middle to Childress for a gain of 24 yards and then to Randle at the sideline for 14. Another completion, this time to Crow, put the Cards at the Cleveland 21 with the clock now down to seven seconds. Bakken came on to kick a 28-yard field goal and the game ended in a 33-33 tie. 

The Cardinals had the edge in total yards (344 to 281) while Cleveland had more first downs (18 to 17). While St. Louis had more net passing yards (241 to 189), the rushing totals were almost even (115 to 114, in favor of the Browns). Each club recorded two sacks and turned the ball over three times.  Jim Bakken (pictured below) and Lou Groza both were a perfect four-for-four on their field goal attempts. The Cards were penalized eight times, to two flags thrown on the Browns.

Charley Johnson completed 14 of 27 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns while giving up one interception. John David Crow rushed for 58 yards on 11 carries and caught three passes for 29 yards and a TD while Joe Childress contributed 52 yards on 14 rushing attempts and also pulled in three passes, for 50 yards. Sonny Randle led the Cards with four pass receptions for 121 yards and two TDs.

For the Browns, Frank Ryan, who was battered by the pass rush throughout the contest, was successful on 12 of 26 throws for 189 yards and two TDs and was intercepted twice. Gary Collins caught 6 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown and Paul Warfield added three receptions for 63 yards and a score. Jim Brown ran for 79 yards on 21 carries that included a touchdown.

Both teams remained in a battle for the top spot in the Eastern Conference throughout the season. The Cardinals got off to a 3-0-1 start before losing three of four while Cleveland lost just one game during that stretch to open up a two-game advantage. While the Cards finished strong, including a win over the Browns in the rematch at St. Louis, they finished in second place at 9-3-2 while Cleveland took the crown at 10-3-1 and went on to upset the Colts for the NFL Championship.

Jim Brown, for the seventh time in eight seasons, led the league in rushing with 1446 yards. Frank Ryan threw the most touchdown passes (25) while Gary Collins had 35 catches for 544 yards (15.5 avg.) and eight TDs and Paul Warfield had an outstanding first year with 52 receptions for 920 yards (17.7 avg.) and nine scores.

Charley Johnson (pictured above) led the NFL in pass attempts (420), completions (223), yards (3045), and, less fortunately, in interceptions (24). Sonny Randle appeared in only seven games due to a shoulder injury and compiled 25 pass receptions for 517 yards (20.7 avg.) and five touchdowns.

Lou Groza and Jim Bakken, who matched each other field goal for field goal in the Week 2 game, ended up tied for second in scoring with 115 points. Bakken led the NFL with 25 field goals (in 38 attempts), while Groza placed second with 22 (out of 33 tries). Groza had the edge in extra points by 49 to 40.     

Highlighted Year: Carl Birdsong, 1982

Punter, St. Louis Cardinals

Age: 23

2^nd season in pro football & with Cardinals

College: Southwestern Oklahoma State

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 192

Prelude:

After averaging 42.3 yards in two college seasons (he transferred from West Texas State to Southwestern Oklahoma State for academic purposes), Birdsong signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 1981. Failing to make it to the regular season, he was picked up by the Cardinals and averaged 41.8 yards on 69 punts, which included a NFL-high 75-yard kick.

1982 Season Summary

Appeared in all 9 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Punting

Punts – 54 [3]

Most punts, game – 10 at Washington 1/2

Yards – 2365 [3]

Average – 43.8 [3, 1^st in NFC]

Best average, game – 48.0 (on 6 punts) vs. Dallas 9/19

Punts blocked – 0

Longest punt – 65 yards

Postseason: 1 G (NFC First Round playoff at Green Bay)

Punts – 0

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFC: UPI

Cardinals went 5-4 in the strike-shortened season and were sixth seed in the NFC playoff tournament that replaced the usual postseason format. Lost First Round playoff to Green Bay Packers (41-16).

Aftermath:

Birdsong averaged 41.5 yards on 85 punts in 1983 and was selected to the Pro Bowl as well as receiving All-NFC honors from UPI and Pro Football Weekly. His performance dropped off in ’84 and he was released by the Cards after the 1985 season and went on to a career in pharmacology, having obtained his degree during his playing career. Overall, over five seasons Birdsong punted 360 times for a 41.4-yard average. He received first- or second-team All-NFC honors twice and was chosen to the Pro Bowl once.

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Highlighted Years features players who were 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

1972: Vikings Obtain Gilliam & Draft Picks from Cards for Cuozzo

On April 26, 1972 the Minnesota Vikings traded discontented QB Gary Cuozzo to the St. Louis Cardinals for WR John Gilliam and two draft choices, which were second and fourth picks for 1973.

The 31-year-old Cuozzo had played out his option and was due to become a free agent on May 1 and had demanded a trade. After being the primary starter in 1970, he had split time with Norm Snead, who was obtained from Philadelphia with the hope that he might supplant Cuozzo, and Bob Lee in ’71. While Snead was traded to the Giants three months earlier, it was as part of the deal that brought QB Fran Tarkenton back to Minnesota – a clear indication that Cuozzo was not part of the team’s plans.

Undrafted out of Virginia in 1963, Cuozzo had originally been a backup to Johnny Unitas for four seasons with the Colts. While he didn’t see much action, he had a five-touchdown passing performance against the Vikings in 1965 that drew a great deal of favorable attention and the New Orleans Saints traded a first-round draft pick for him in ’67. Cuozzo was unable to hold onto the starting job with the first-year team and was dealt to Minnesota the following year, this time for two first-round picks. He couldn’t unseat starting QB Joe Kapp, finally taking over when the fiery Kapp left the club after the 1969 season. Smart (he was Phi Beta Kappa in college) and an accurate passer, he lacked arm strength and was not nearly the leader that his predecessor in Minnesota was.  Overall with the Vikings, Cuozzo completed 49.6 percent of his passes for 3552 yards and 18 touchdowns, giving up 23 interceptions. And while the club was 16-5 during his regular season starts, it had not been able to win in the postseason.

Head Coach Bob Hollway of the Cardinals indicated that Cuozzo would be the starting quarterback, ahead of Jim Hart and Pete Beathard, who both had trouble with consistency. St. Louis was coming off of a 4-9-1 record in 1971, which marked a big drop from the previous year, and quarterback was an area of concern.

John Gilliam (pictured at top) was 26 and was a teammate of Cuozzo’s with the Saints in 1967, who had drafted him in the second round. He scored the first regular season touchdown in franchise history on the opening kickoff of the ’67 season, but the remainder of his tenure with the club was unremarkable and he was obtained by the Cards in 1969. With his great speed in a better offense, he broke out in St. Louis, catching 52 passes for 997 yards (19.2 avg.) and nine TDs in his first year with the club. Gilliam followed up with 45 receptions for 952 yards (21.1 avg.) and five touchdowns in ’70 and was coming off of a 1971 season with 42 catches for 837 yards (19.9 avg.). He led the team in receiving yards in each of his three seasons and in receptions in the last two. With WR Bob Grim having been traded to the Giants along with Snead, a spot was open in the Minnesota lineup for Gilliam.

Cuozzo (pictured above) proved to not be the answer in St. Louis. He started six games, only one of which resulted in a win for the Cards, while splitting time with Hart and unheralded Tim Van Galder (Pete Beathard was traded to the Rams during the preseason). He completed just 43.7 percent of his passes for 897 yards and five touchdowns while giving up 11 interceptions. It marked the end of the line for his pro career as he retired to practice dentistry.

Gilliam had much more success in Minnesota. He caught 47 passes for 1035 yards (22.0 avg.) and seven touchdowns and earned the first of four straight Pro Bowl selections, matching his number of seasons with the Vikings (he jumped to the Chicago Winds of the WFL in 1975, but when the team folded at the end of August after five games he returned to Minnesota in time for the regular season). He had a total of 165 catches for 3297 yards (20.0 avg.) and 27 TDs for the Vikings and added another 14 receptions for 261 yards (18.6 avg.) and five scores in the postseason. Gilliam moved on to the Atlanta Falcons in ’76, where his production dropped off significantly in his next-to-last year.

The 1973 second round draft choice that Minnesota also obtained was used to take Jackie Wallace, a defensive back from Arizona, while the fourth round pick was passed on to Kansas City (who used it to take Emporia State DE John Lohmeyer). Wallace started at cornerback in place of the injured Bobby Bryant and also returned kicks before moving on to the Colts, who shifted him to safety for two years, and eventually the Rams, where he led the league with 52 punt returns for 618 yards in 1978.

Highlighted Year: Jim Bakken, 1964

Placekicker, St. Louis Cardinals

Age:  24 (Nov. 2)

3^rd season in pro football & with Cardinals

College: Wisconsin

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 200

Prelude:

A quarterback in high school, Bakken played defensive back in addition to placekicking in college. He was chosen by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round of the 1962 NFL draft, was waived prior to the season, and picked up by the Cardinals. Bakken saw some action in the defensive backfield and missed his only field goal attempt, but he became the team’s placekicker in ’63 and was successful on 11 of 21 field goal attempts and all 44 of his extra points.

1964 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 25 [1]

Most field goals, game – 5 vs. Philadelphia 12/13

Field goal attempts – 38 [1, tied with Paul Hornung]

Most field goal attempts, game – 6 vs. Philadelphia 12/13

Field goal percentage – 65.8 [3]

PATs – 40 [4, tied with Fred Cox]

PAT attempts – 40 [5]

Longest field goal – 51 yards at Cleveland 9/20

Scoring

Field Goals – 25

PATs – 40

Points – 115 [2, tied with Lou Groza]

Cardinals went 9-3-2 to finish second in the NFL Eastern Conference.

Aftermath:

Bakken went on to kick for another 15 seasons, all with the Cardinals. He was chosen to the Pro Bowl in 1965 after leading the NFL in field goal percentage (67.7) as he connected on 21 of 31 attempts. Bakken led the league in number of field goals (a career-high 27), field goal percentage (69.2), and scoring (117 points) in 1967, a year in which he set a single-game record with 7 field goals in 9 attempts against the Steelers, and received first-team All-Eastern Conference honors from The Sporting News as well as again being selected for the Pro Bowl. He remained a steady performer, only twice dropping below a field goal percentage of 60 between 1967 and ’77 and remaining effective in his mid-thirties after the goal posts were moved to the back of the end zone in 1974. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection in 1975 and ’76, connecting on career-highs of 79.2 and 74.1 percent of his field goal attempts, respectively. Bakken’s performance finally dropped off in 1977 and ’78, his last two seasons. At the time of his retirement, he ranked second in NFL history in scoring (1380 points) and was tied for third in career field goals (282) with his contemporary, Fred Cox. His overall field goal percentage was 63.1. He also ranked third all-time in extra points (534, out of 553 attempts). Bakken was twice a consensus first-team All-NFL selection and was chosen to the Pro Bowl four times. One of the best of the old-school straight-ahead placekickers, he was chosen to the All-1960s team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was a second-team selection for the ‘70s.

--

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

1973: Cards Hire Don Coryell as Head Coach

On January 18, 1973 the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL dipped into the college ranks to hire Don Coryell as the new head coach. The 48-year-old Coryell of San Diego State replaced Bob Hollway, who was fired directly following a second straight 4-9-1 record in 1972 with one year remaining on his three-year contract. The Cardinals had not reached the postseason since 1948, although they were contenders several times under Wally Lemm and Charley Winner during the 1960s.

Coryell’s record at San Diego State was 104-19-2 over twelve seasons, including 10-1 in 1972. Prior to that, the former college defensive back spent one year as coach at Wenatchee Junior College in Washington in 1955 and then coached a service team at Fort Ord in California that went undefeated in ’56. Moving on to Whittier College, his teams had a 23-5-1 record and won three conference championships.

Prior to his arrival in 1961, the Aztecs had gone through lean years and hit rock bottom with back-to-back 1-6-1 records in the two seasons immediately preceding. Coryell recruited junior college players and his teams were known for their pass-oriented offense. He had success with future pro quarterbacks Don Horn, Dennis Shaw, and Brian Sipe, and notable wide receivers included Gary Garrison, Isaac Curtis, and Haven Moses. John Madden and Joe Gibbs were assistant coaches, and Gibbs rejoined Coryell in St. Louis along with two of his current assistants, Rod Dowhower and Jim Hanifan, who all went on to head coaching jobs in the NFL.

Asked about his decision to move to a pro team, Coryell explained that “I was as far as I could go in the situation I was in.” He had a written a letter to owner Bill Bidwill expressing his interest in the job.

“I’m not a disciplinarian in the way I try to get people to do things,” said the soft-spoken Coryell of his manner of handling players. “They do it or they don’t play.”

“I believe in a wide-open style of play,” said Coryell with regard to his offensive strategy, which ran counter to the prevailing wisdom in the NFL at the time. “I like to throw the ball. I believe in attacking the defense.”

The quarterback Coryell inherited was Jim Hart (pictured at left), a 29-year-old veteran who had been unheralded coming out of Southern Illinois in 1966, showed great promise when forced into the starting job in ’67, but had endured challenges from Pete Beathard, Gary Cuozzo, and Tim Van Galder in recent years.  A classic drop-back passer who was at his best throwing long, Hart prospered in Coryell’s offense.

TE Jackie Smith was a talented veteran receiver and WR Mel Gray was up-and-coming. HB Donny Anderson was still effective at age 30, but was joined by speedy rookie Terry Metcalf out of Long Beach State. There were also good young linemen in OT Dan Dierdorf, G Conrad Dobler, and C Tom Banks, in addition to savvy veteran OT Ernie McMillan. The defense included a good group of linebackers in Larry Stallings, Pete Barnes, and Mark Arneson. CB Roger Wehrli was the best of the defensive backs and DT Dave Butz was a promising rookie. To top things off, Jim Bakken was an accomplished placekicker who had been with the club since 1962.

The Cardinals duplicated their 4-9-1 record in 1973. Hart performed capably but played with injuries during the second half of the season and missed two games altogether (rookie Gary Keithley, also the punter, filled in). Moreover, the team ranked 12^th in the league in offensive production but 26^th in defense.

St. Louis broke out with a 10-4 record in 1974, making it into the postseason for the first time in 26 years. Hart had a Pro Bowl year as he threw for 2411 yards and led the NFC in touchdown passes (20) and completions (200), while giving up just eight interceptions. He was sacked only 16 times, a tribute to the improvement on the offensive line. Metcalf also gained Pro Bowl recognition for his outstanding all-around performance, gaining a total of 2058 yards (718 on 152 rushing attempts, 377 on 50 catches, 623 on 20 kickoff returns and 340 on 26 punt returns). FB Jim Otis provided inside power and Mel Gray also reached the Pro Bowl. The dependable Jackie Smith had a new backup and heir apparent in rookie J.V. Cain.  The defense, under the direction of coordinator Ray Willsey, was significantly better, allowing 147 fewer points and almost a thousand less yards than in ’73. Wehrli was chosen to the Pro Bowl and CB Norm Thompson intercepted six passes, while DT Bob Rowe was outstanding on the line that lost Butz for the year in the season’s opening week. After getting off to a 7-0 start, the Cards had a rougher time during the second half of the season but still topped the NFC East. They lost to Minnesota in the Divisional playoff round.

The Cardinals repeated as division champs in 1975 with an 11-3 record. The offense was even more productive. Hart threw more interceptions (19) but also 19 touchdowns and 2507 yards and again was chosen to the Pro Bowl. Metcalf outdid himself by setting a NFL record with 2462 all-purpose yards, scoring 13 touchdowns with at least one apiece via rushing, pass receiving, returning a punt, and returning a kickoff, and Otis led the NFC in rushing with 1076 yards. Both joined Hart as Pro Bowl choices, and so did Dan Dierdorf and Conrad Dobler on the line that allowed just eight sacks.  Gray was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection as well (48 catches, 926 yards, 11 TDs). On defense, the pass rush was still unexceptional, but Wehrli and Thompson intercepted 13 passes between them, and the former was also a consensus first-team All-Pro. But once more the Cards couldn’t win in the postseason, losing to the Rams.

The record in 1976 was still strong at 10-4, although in the highly-competitive NFC East that was only good for third place (thanks to being swept by the Redskins, who managed the same record) and the Cards missed the playoffs. Hart had a third straight Pro Bowl year, tossing 18 touchdown passes while his yardage increased (2946) and his interceptions dropped (13). Metcalf and Otis had lesser, if still good, seasons. WR Ike Harris emerged with 52 catches for 782 yards across from Gray, still a dangerous deep threat and Pro Bowler. Bakken was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection for the second straight year with perhaps his greatest season in his 15^th year, connecting on 20 of 27 field goal attempts, several of which were pivotal in victories. But the pass rush continued to be disappointing and injuries were a problem at middle linebacker.

The Cards dropped down to 7-7 in 1977. Hart, Metcalf, Gray, Dierdorf, Dobler, Banks, and Wehrli were still Pro Bowl performers, but after breaking out to a 7-3 start, the club lost its last four games. Friction developed with the front office, where Bidwill insisted on cutting costs and salary disputes with several veterans affected team morale. Coryell also chafed at not having a voice in personnel decisions, the team had not drafted well, and he became increasingly outspoken about the situation. 

Coryell resigned as head coach following the season, having compiled a 42-27-1 record that included two division titles. In just five years, he had become the winningest coach in the team’s long history (he was eventually surpassed by Ken Whisenhunt). At a time when zone defenses ruled and teams tended toward ground-oriented offenses, Coryell proved that an aggressive passing offense could still be successful.

Coryell did not remain out of work long, returning to San Diego as head coach of the Chargers during the 1978 season and remaining there until 1986, enjoying even more success (if still never achieving a championship).  With outstanding personnel and rules changes that went into effect in ’78 to benefit the passing game, Coryell was able to further innovate and develop an even more explosive offensive attack.

Bidwill and the Cardinals again went with a successful college coach to replace Coryell, although in this instance it was 62-year-old Bud Wilkinson, who had last manned the sidelines at Oklahoma 15 years earlier before moving to the broadcast booth. With the loss of key personnel, including Metcalf, who jumped to the CFL, and Harris and Dobler, dealt to New Orleans, the result was a drop to 6-10 in ’78. It was the first of four straight losing seasons until the team went 5-4 in the strike-shortened 1982 season under Jim Hanifan, the former Coryell assistant.