Highlighted Year: Steve DeBerg, 1989

Quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs

Age: 35

13^th season in pro football (12^th active), 2^nd with Chiefs

College: San Jose State

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 210

Prelude:

Following a senior year in college in which DeBerg passed for 2084 yards and 19 touchdowns, he was chosen by the Dallas Cowboys in the tenth round of the 1977 NFL draft. Failing to make the club, he was picked up by the San Francisco 49ers and spent a year on the taxi squad. DeBerg became the starting quarterback in ’78 and had a rough year with a poor team, completing just 45.4 percent of his passes and giving up 22 interceptions, as opposed to 8 TD passes. With Head Coach Bill Walsh’s arrival in 1979, DeBerg set NFL records in pass attempts (578) and completions (347) and threw for 3652 yards and 17 touchdowns. However, in a pattern that would be oft-repeated, he lost his starting job to Joe Montana in ’80 and was traded to the Denver Broncos in 1981, where he backed up Craig Morton for a year, saw considerable action during the strike-shortened ’82 season, and split time with prize rookie John Elway in 1983. Dealt to Tampa Bay in 1984, he had a strong year, completing 60.5 percent of his passes for 3554 yards and 19 TDs, but followed with a lesser season in ’85 and was supplanted by Steve Young, who joined the club from the USFL. DeBerg saw little action in 1986 and started the first eight games in 1987 until another highly-regarded rookie, Vinny Testaverde, was put into the lineup. He was traded to the Chiefs in 1988 and split time with Bill Kenney, passing for 2935 yards and 16 touchdowns as well as 16 interceptions. A hard worker and capable leader, DeBerg was a classic pocket passer with both a good arm and ball handling skills.  

1989 Season Summary

Appeared in 12 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 324

Most attempts, game – 40 at Cleveland 11/19

Completions – 196 [19]

Most completions, game – 24 at Pittsburgh 10/29

Yards – 2529 [20]

Most yards, game – 338 at Pittsburgh 10/29

Completion percentage – 60.5 [4, 1^st in AFC]

Yards per attempt – 7.8 [6]

TD passes – 11

Most TD passes, game – 2 vs. Miami 12/3, at Green Bay 12/10

Interceptions – 16 [11, tied with Mike Tomczak]

Most interceptions, game – 5 at San Diego 9/24

Passer rating – 75.8 [14]

300-yard passing games – 1

200-yard passing games – 8

Rushing

Attempts – 14

Most attempts, game – 3 (for -6 yds.) vs. LA Raiders 9/17

Yards – -8

Most yards, game – 15 yards (on 1 carry) at Cleveland 11/19

Average gain – -0.6

TDs – 0

Chiefs went 8-7-1 to finish second in the AFC West.

Aftermath:

DeBerg followed up with an outstanding season in 1990 in which he passed for 3444 yards and a career-high 23 touchdowns, while giving up only four interceptions, and had a 96.3 passer rating. He had one last year as a full-time starter in ’91 before he moved on to the Buccaneers for a second stint and then the Dolphins, where he was a fill-in for the injured Dan Marino in 1993. Retiring after that season, DeBerg returned as a 44-year-old backup with Atlanta in 1998 when injuries depleted the depth at quarterback, and started one game. Overall over the course of 17 active seasons with six teams, DeBerg passed for 34,241 yards and 196 TDs while giving up 204 interceptions. He enjoyed his greatest success with the Chiefs, where he threw for 11,873 yards and 67 TDs with 50 INTs and appeared in three playoff games.

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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

1988: Buccaneers Trade Steve DeBerg to Chiefs

On March 31, 1988 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded QB Steve DeBerg to Kansas City for safety Mark Robinson and two draft choices that were fourth and eighth-round selections in the pending NFL draft.

The 34-year-old DeBerg was considered to be intelligent and a hard worker, but also athletically limited. He was drafted out of San Jose State by the Dallas Cowboys in the tenth round in 1977 and was cut, catching on with the San Francisco 49ers for ’78. He became the starting quarterback for a poor team that went 2-14, and DeBerg completed just 45.4 percent of his passes while giving up 22 interceptions as opposed to 8 touchdowns. The arrival of Bill Walsh as head coach in 1979 didn’t bring an immediate improvement in record, but DeBerg had a much better season in Walsh’s controlled passing offense, setting then-NFL records for pass attempts (578) and completions (347) while gaining 3652 yards through the air and 17 TD passes against 21 interceptions.

DeBerg lost the starting job to the up-and-coming Joe Montana during the 1980 season and was dealt to the Denver Broncos for ’81, with Coach Walsh pronouncing the verdict that he was “just good enough to get you beat”.  He backed up Craig Morton for a year, saw most of the action behind center during the strike-shortened 1982 season, and then split time with first draft choice John Elway in ’83. Tampa Bay obtained DeBerg from Denver in 1984 for two draft picks. He had a good first year with the 6-10 Bucs, setting a franchise record by completing 60.5 percent of his passes, for 3554 yards and 19 touchdowns. But the return was less in 1985 and Steve Young, a refugee from the USFL, started the last five games. Young was gone by 1987, but another overall top draft choice, Vinny Testaverde, joined the club and took over for the last four games after DeBerg started the first seven in the strike-interrupted campaign.

With the team committing to Testaverde, Head Coach Ray Perkins decided that dealing DeBerg for draft choices would be more beneficial to improving the club. Thus far in his career, DeBerg had passed for 19,582 yards and 116 touchdowns while giving up 139 interceptions, although in ’87 he led the NFC with the lowest percentage of interceptions thrown (2.5). He started 33 games for the Bucs, but they won only eight of them.

As for the other players involved in the trade, four-year veteran Mark Robinson was drafted in the fourth round out of Penn State in 1984 and had backed up star safeties Deron Cherry and Lloyd Burruss. He came highly recommended by Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Doug Graber, who had previously coached the KC defensive backs. Safety was viewed as a significant area of need, and he became the starting strong safety and intercepted 12 passes in three seasons, with a high of six in 1989. The fourth-round draft pick received for DeBerg (86^th overall) was used to take Tennessee G John Bruhin, who lasted four years with Tampa Bay and started 21 games. Eighth-round draft choice RB Anthony Simpson from East Carolina failed to make the team.

DeBerg signed a three-year contract with the Chiefs and Head Coach Frank Gansz indicated that he would back up injury-prone starting QB Bill Kenney. He ended up seeing most of the action behind center, throwing for 2935 yards and 16 touchdowns, as well as 16 interceptions, for a team that went 4-11-1. DeBerg started the games that KC won and Kenney was released in the offseason. Under a new head coach, Marty Schottenheimer, DeBerg began and ended 1989 as the starting quarterback, but in between was benched in favor of two other veterans, Ron Jaworski and Steve Pelluer. Overall, the Chiefs led the AFC with a 59.5 completion percentage, and DeBerg’s was 60.5, but none of the quarterbacks were especially effective.

DeBerg finally put it all together in 1990, starting every game and passing for 3444 yards and 23 touchdowns while giving up only four interceptions. Along the way, he had a streak of 233 consecutive passes without an interception, which ranked second in NFL history at the time. The Chiefs ran the ball well with Christian Okoye and Barry Word, and that set up opportunities to utilize play-action, which worked to DeBerg’s advantage due to his excellent ball-handling skills. Kansas City finished with an 11-5 record, its best since 1971, and a Wild Card spot in the playoffs for the first time in four years.

The Chiefs qualified for the postseason again in 1991, compiling a 10-6 tally, and this time won a playoff game before falling to Buffalo in the Divisional round. DeBerg had a lesser statistical season, however, passing for 2965 yards while having fewer TDs (17) and more interceptions (14). He missed one game due to injury during the regular season and went down again in the playoff loss to the Bills. At age 37, the Chiefs determined that it was time for a change and DeBerg was allowed to depart as a free agent in the offseason, with Seattle’s Dave Krieg brought in as his replacement.

DeBerg returned to Tampa Bay in a strictly backup role in 1992, and split time with the Buccaneers and Dolphins in ‘93, with Miami putting him in the lineup after Dan Marino was lost due to injury. He then retired, but came back with Atlanta in 1998 at age 44 to provide depth when QB Chris Chandler was injured and started one game.

Despite his limitations, Steve DeBerg lasted for 17 NFL seasons in all. He completed 57.2 percent of his passes for 34,241 yards and 196 touchdowns while giving up 204 interceptions. Of that, 11,873 yards and 67 TDs came with the Chiefs, and in terms of team performance, he enjoyed his greatest success in Kansas City, which went 31-20-1 in games he started (he didn’t reach double figures in wins with any of the other five teams he suited up for).

1980: Hofer Stars as 49ers Defeat Cards in Overtime

The San Francisco 49ers, fresh off an opening week victory to start the 1980 NFL season, hosted the St. Louis Cardinals on September 14 in Week 2. The 49ers were coming off consecutive 2-14 records in 1978 and ’79 and were in their second season under Head Coach Bill Walsh. QB Steve DeBerg had set league records for pass attempts and completions in Walsh’s innovative system and had a fine, if injury-prone, HB Paul Hofer (pictured above) to hand off and pass to as well as rookie FB Earl Cooper. DeBerg’s passing statistics were heavily skewed by his tendency to dump off short passes to his backs rather than throw downfield and, in the Week 1 win over the Saints, 17 of DeBerg’s 21 completions were to Hofer and Cooper.

The Cardinals had been 5-11 in 1979 and surrendered 41 points in losing to the Giants in their opener. Jim Hanifan was the new head coach but 36-year-old QB Jim Hart had been a familiar face in St. Louis since first taking over the starting job in 1967. RB Ottis Anderson was outstanding as a rookie in ’79, rushing for 1605 yards, and WR Pat Tilley a quality possession receiver. The defense was a work in progress and had most notably added rookie DE Curtis Greer, the team’s first draft choice.

There were 49,999 fans in attendance at Candlestick Park. Starting off at their 45 after a 37-yard return of the opening kickoff by DB Roy Green, the Cardinals drove to the San Francisco 17. Jim Hart completed three passes, including one to WR Mark Bell for 15 yards in a third-and-14 situation, but they came up empty when Steve Little’s 35-yard field goal attempt was wide to the right.

St. Louis got the ball back a few plays later when CB Tim Collier intercepted a bomb by Steve DeBerg at the goal line. Hart completed consecutive passes to TE Doug Marsh that totaled 42 yards, but after again advancing into San Francisco territory, the Cards were forced to punt.

Neither team could reach scoring territory until the 49ers put together a six-play, 56-yard series in the second quarter. DeBerg, who was suffering from laryngitis and using an electronic voice amplifier so his teammates could hear him, completed two passes to Earl Cooper, the longest covering 19 yards, and the drive was capped by a throw to Paul Hofer for a 19-yard touchdown. Ray Wersching added the extra point to make the score 7-0.

On the Cards’ next play from scrimmage, Marsh fumbled after catching a pass and LB Bobby Leopold recovered for the 49ers, who returned it to the St. Louis 22. But the home team was unable to capitalize, having to settle for a Wersching field goal try from 34 yards that was partially blocked and missed the mark. The teams traded punts thereafter for the remainder of the half.

St. Louis got a break on the second half kickoff when WR Terry Anderson fumbled and FS Ken Stone recovered for the Cards at the San Francisco 22. Seven plays later, Hart threw to FB Theotis Brown for a 13-yard touchdown and, adding on Little’s extra point, the score was tied at 7-7.

The 49ers punted following a short series and the Cards drove to another score, this time taking 13 plays to cover 67 yards. Hart passed to Anderson for 17 yards on a third-and-five play, one of six completions along the way, with the last to Marsh for a five-yard touchdown. Little added the PAT and the visitors were ahead by 14-7.

San Francisco was on the move as the period came to a close. DeBerg tossed a pass to Hofer for a 23-yard gain and HB Lenvil Elliott ran around end for 19 yards to the St. Louis 22. On the second play of the fourth quarter, DeBerg connected with Cooper for a nine-yard TD and Wersching’s extra point again tied the score.

Now it was the Cards suffering a turnover on a kickoff, as HB Randy Love coughed up the ball when hit by LB Dan Bunz and DB Charles Cornelius recovered at the St. Louis 26. But the opportunity was missed when DeBerg threw for the goal line four plays later and was picked off by CB Roger Wehrli, who returned it 25 yards. The visitors made the most of the reprieve, advancing 75 yards in eight plays as Hart completed passes to WR Mel Gray for 29 yards and to Pat Tilley for 18. HB Willard Harrell ran for a five-yard touchdown that, adding Little’s conversion, put the Cards back in front at 21-14.

The 49ers fought back, with Cofer catching two straight passes from DeBerg, the second for 27 yards to the San Francisco 48. However, penalties set them back and then DeBerg again tossed an interception, this time by SS Ken Greene, who ran it back 26 yards to give St. Louis excellent field position at the San Francisco 25.

Faced with the prospect of falling behind even farther, the 49ers toughened on defense. Harrell was thrown for a two-yard loss and then lost another seven yards after catching a pass and being hit by LB Willie Harper. The teams exchanged punts until San Francisco, getting the ball back with 1:51 remaining in regulation, put together an 80-yard drive in eight plays. DeBerg completed five passes, the longest to WR Dwight Clark for 16 yards in a do-or-die, fourth-and-eight situation, and Hofer ran for a 26-yard touchdown. Wersching added the all-important extra point, and the game went into overtime tied at 21-21.

The Cardinals had the first possession in the extra period but went three-and-out and punted. Starting at their 32, the 49ers gained 15 yards on a DeBerg completion to Hofer and, following a short gain by Cooper, DeBerg threw to TE Eason Ransom for nine yards to advance into St. Louis territory at the 43. Hofer took off for an 18-yard run to get into scoring range and, four plays later and at 2:25 into overtime, Wersching kicked a 33-yard field goal to win the game for the 49ers by a score of 24-21.

San Francisco had the edge in total yards (392 to 342) although the Cardinals generated more first downs (21 to 19). St. Louis was held to 86 yards on 36 running plays, while gaining 256 net passing yards, while the 49ers had 132 yards on the ground and 260 through the air. Both teams turned the ball over four times apiece.

Paul Hofer had an outstanding all-purpose day, rushing for 89 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and catching 9 passes for 135 yards and another TD, a total of 224 yards from scrimmage. Steve DeBerg completed 25 of 42 throws for 266 yards and two touchdowns, but also gave up three interceptions, and as usual only five completions were to wide receivers. Earl Cooper also had 9 pass receptions, for 51 yards and a score, while running for 13 yards in 8 attempts.

For the Cardinals, Jim Hart completed 28 of 38 passes for 265 yards and two TDs while being picked off once. Doug Marsh (pictured at right) topped the receivers with 7 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. Ottis Anderson, who was knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter, was held to 59 yards on 20 carries.

With two wins in the first two games, the 49ers equaled their total of the previous season, and they reached 3-0 before losing eight straight games. They rallied to finish at 6-10 for third place in the NFC West, and by that point Steve DeBerg had been supplanted by second-year QB Joe Montana. The stage was nearly set for Bill Walsh’s rebuilding project to yield a NFL title in 1981. The Cardinals reached 0-3 before winning their next two games, but, with the defense beset by injuries, they ended up at 5-11 and fourth in the NFC East.

“Paul Hofer to me is one of the great players in the league today,” said Coach Bill Walsh following Hofer’s outstanding effort against the Cardinals. “I don’t understand why people don’t recognize him as such.”

Hofer continued to be productive until a knee injury ended his season in the sixth week. He rushed for 293 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and had 41 catches for 467 yards (11.3 avg.) and totaled three touchdowns. Hofer returned for 1981, but would be placed on injured reserve long before the postseason run in what was the final year of his promising but injury-filled career. Earl Cooper led the 49ers in both rushing and pass receiving as a rookie, gaining 720 yards on the ground and catching 83 passes for 567 yards (6.8 avg.).

1991: Dolphins Rally to Defeat Chiefs in Wild Card Playoff Game

The Miami Dolphins were in the playoffs for the first time in five years as they hosted the Kansas City Chiefs at Joe Robbie Stadium on January 5, 1991. In their 21^st season under Head Coach Don Shula, the Dolphins placed second in the AFC East with a 12-4 record, good enough to grab a Wild Card spot. RB Sammie Smith brought a much-needed ground-gaining element to the offense, which had been too dependent on the outstanding passing of QB Dan Marino (pictured above). The defense, which contained an established star in LB John Offerdahl, was also tougher and benefited from the added presence of veteran CB Tim McKyer.

Kansas City, with Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer for the second year, finished second in the AFC West at 11-5 to secure a Wild Card spot and reach the playoffs for only the second time since 1971. 36-year-old journeyman QB Steve DeBerg had an outstanding season and running backs Christian Okoye and Barry Word paced the running attack. The defense, anchored by LB Derrick Thomas, was opportunistic and led the NFL with 60 sacks.

There were 67,276 fans on hand for the late Saturday afternoon Wild Card Playoff game. The Dolphins reached midfield on their first drive but, after Marino was sacked for a loss on third down, Reggie Roby’s punt was blocked by CB Charles Washington and the Chiefs gained possession at the Miami 37. Kansas City drove 28 yards in nine plays that resulted in Nick Lowery kicking a 27-yard field goal.

Miami responded by driving 40 yards, with Marino completing a pass to WR Mark Duper for 12 yards to convert a third-and-four situation, but the opening period ended with the series stalled at the KC 40. On the first play of the second quarter, Pete Stoyanovich (pictured at left) kicked a NFL playoff-record 58-yard field goal to tie the score at 3-3.

The Chiefs came out throwing on their next series as QB Steve DeBerg connected with WR Stephone Paige for 33 yards and WR Robb Thomas for another 15 yards to the Miami 37. But after advancing to the 30, a DeBerg pass was intercepted by SS Jarvis Williams to end the threat.  The teams traded punts before the Dolphins drove to the Kansas City 39 and Stoyanovich again attempted a long field goal, this time from 57 yards. This one fell short and the Chiefs went 61 yards in four plays. RB Christian Okoye gained 16 yards on the first play of the series and, after a short gain by Okoye, DeBerg threw to Paige, first for 16 yards, and then for a 26-yard touchdown.

The Dolphins again advanced into KC territory but Marino was stripped by DE Neil Smith and CB J.C. Pearson recovered for the Chiefs at his own 38. The score was 10-3 in favor of Kansas City at halftime.

Kansas City’s first series of the third quarter ended with a punt, but Bryan Barker’s 44-yard kick went out of bounds at the Miami six. Pinned deep in their own territory, the Dolphins had to punt it back, although Roby’s 64-yard kick carried to the KC 30. DeBerg threw to WR Emile Harry for 26 yards but, following a sack and incomplete pass, the Chiefs faced a third-and-15 situation. DeBerg threw a screen pass to RB Todd McNair for 13 yards and, on a fourth-and-two play from the Miami 36, Okoye ran for five yards and a first down. Two more pass completions got the ball to the one yard line, but the Chiefs were unable to penetrate the end zone. An intentional grounding call on DeBerg on a second down play moved the ball back ten yards and Kansas City ultimately had to settle for a 25-yard Lowery field goal.

On the first play of the ensuing series, Marino threw to WR Mark Duper for 16 yards, but the receiver fumbled when hit by FS Deron Cherry and LB Dino Hackett recovered at the Miami 29. Three handoffs to Okoye gained eight yards and Lowery kicked a 38-yard field goal to extend Kansas City’s lead to 16-3.

Desperately needing to score, the Dolphins converted a fourth down on a two-yard run by Sammie Smith (pictured at right) at the end of the third quarter on their way to going 66 yards in 10 plays. Marino threw to Clayton for 23 yards to reach the KC 11 and three plays later he connected with RB Tony Paige for a TD. With the successful extra point, Miami was down by just six points with over twelve minutes remaining to play.

DeBerg threw to Harry on first down, who broke away from Tim McKyer along the sideline and gained 33 yards. But the drive was stopped at the Miami 41 and the Chiefs punted. Starting from their 15, the Dolphins immediately moved into Chiefs territory when Marino passed to TE Ferrell Edmunds for a 37-yard gain to the KC 48. Miami methodically drove down the field from there, converting three third downs and with Marino capping the 11-play, 85-yard series with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Clayton. Stoyanovich added the all-important extra point to put the Dolphins in front by one.

With 3:28 left on the clock, the Chiefs still had a chance. Two DeBerg passes got the ball to the Kansas City 47 and Okoye then ran for 26 yards to the Miami 26. However, a holding penalty moved the ball back ten yards (and negated a 12-yard carry by Okoye) and the Chiefs were only able to get back to the 34 before having to try for the winning field goal. Lowery’s attempt from 52 yards was close but short – breaking a streak of 24 consecutive successes - and the Dolphins survived to win by a score of 17-16.

The Chiefs outgained Miami (367 yards to 311) although the Dolphins had the edge in first downs (23 to 16). Miami also turned the ball over twice, to one by Kansas City.

Dan Marino completed 19 of 30 passes, including ten straight during the fourth quarter comeback, for 221 yards with two touchdowns and none intercepted. Sammie Smith ran for 82 yards on 20 carries. Mark Clayton caught 5 passes for 66 yards and a TD while Tony Paige also caught 5, for 30 yards and a score.

For the Chiefs, Steve DeBerg was successful on 17 of 30 throws for 269 yards and a TD with one intercepted. Stephone Paige had 8 pass receptions for 142 yards and the touchdown. Christian Okoye (pictured below) keyed the running game with 83 yards on 13 attempts.

“We’re disappointed as hell, but we’re proud,” said Marty Schottenheimer. “We’re frustrated because we didn’t achieve the things we wanted to do, which was win a championship. We’re going to hold our heads up and build from here.”

Miami advanced to the Divisional playoff round and lost to division-rival Buffalo by a score of 44-34. The Dolphins regressed to 8-8 in 1991 but won the AFC East in ’92. The Chiefs made the postseason in each of the next five seasons under Schottenheimer but failed to gain an elusive championship, advancing to the AFC title game just once in that stretch.

1987: Cardinals Pull Off 28-Point Fourth Quarter Rally to Beat Bucs

The Cardinals team that hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 8, 1987 was already a lame duck franchise in St. Louis, and there were just 22,449 fans in attendance at Busch Stadium. Owner Bill Bidwill, frustrated in efforts to gain a new, larger stadium for the team to play in, made it clear that he was looking to relocate in 1988.

It had been dismal, particularly in a year that featured a players’ strike and the use of replacement players for three games. The Cardinals, coached by Gene Stallings, were 2-5 and had lost their previous three contests (the replacement players went 1-2). The passing game was proficient with QB Neil Lomax (pictured above), WR J.T. Smith, and rookie TE Robert Awalt. But the defense did not rush opposing passers particularly well and was prone to giving up big plays.

Tampa Bay was 4-3 (2-1 with replacement players) and seemed to be moving in the right direction under Head Coach Ray Perkins. While Vinny Testaverde, in his second year after being the first overall draft pick, was the quarterback-in-waiting, veteran Steve DeBerg was still the quarterback of the present. FB James Wilder was productive as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield. While the defense was improved, especially at linebacker, there were problems at safety.

The Cardinals had the ball first and drove to the Tampa Bay 21 yard line, but Jim Gallery’s 38-yard field goal attempt was no good. The Buccaneers punted following their initial possession, but got the ball back when Lomax was intercepted by CB Rod Jones. With good starting field position at the St. Louis 49, they scored in six plays that were highlighted by a 32-yard gain on a DeBerg pass to Wilder. DeBerg threw to WR Mark Carrier for a five-yard touchdown and the Bucs were ahead by 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Cardinals started off the second quarter with another drive into Tampa Bay territory that featured Lomax completions of 15 yards to Smith and 24 yards to Awalt. However, after driving down to the seven yard line, an errant pitchout by Lomax to RB Stump Mitchell was recovered by LB Ervin Randle for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers made the most of the break, driving 92 yards in 15 plays that ate up over six minutes. DeBerg completed passes for 25 yards to WR Gerald Carter on a third-and-ten play, 16 yards to WR Bruce Hill, and to Wilder for 17 yards that was further helped along by a facemask penalty on the Cardinals. A three-yard scoring pass to Carter finished it off and gave Tampa Bay a 14-0 lead.

With five minutes left in the first half, the Cardinals engineered a 14-play drive of their own. Lomax twice threw to J.T. Smith, for a total of 24 yards, and twice to Awalt for 21. Gallery was successful on a 31-yard field goal attempt and the score was 14-3 at halftime.

Tampa Bay started off the second half with another long scoring possession of 80 yards in 12 plays. DeBerg completed a 34-yard touchdown pass to RB Jeff Smith and the Bucs were ahead by 21-3. Following a St. Louis punt, Tampa Bay methodically drove to another TD. This time it was 12 plays and 75 yards that included four pass completions by DeBerg and a 16-yard run by Wilder down to the St. Louis three. From there, Smith ran in for the score and the Buccaneers had a seemingly-comfortable 28-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The third quarter ended with the Cardinals converting a fourth-and-one with a three-yard carry up the middle by Mitchell. Four plays later, Lomax threw to Mitchell for a 39-yard gain to the Tampa Bay four and immediately followed up with a touchdown pass to Awalt. Still, the Bucs held a formidable 28-10 lead.

On the second play of the ensuing series, Wilder fumbled and LB Niko Noga recovered and returned it 24 yards for a TD. The margin was narrowed to 28-17. The Bucs had a short possession that, with a holding penalty and three-yard loss on a carry by RB Bobby Howard, moved backward to their own 13. Frank Garcia’s 37-yard punt was returned eight yards by RB Vai Sikahema to give the Cardinals excellent field position at the Tampa Bay 39. While a holding penalty moved the ball back, the ensuing five-play series included four pass completions by Lomax, three of them to Awalt for 36 yards and one to J.T. Smith for 11 yards and a touchdown. Gallery’s extra point made it a four-point game as Tampa Bay’s once-large lead was now just 28-24, and there were still just over eight minutes left to play.

The Buccaneers, helped by a personal foul penalty on CB Mark Jackson of the Cardinals, got near midfield on their next possession but the offense again quickly stalled. Garcia’s punt carried into the end zone for a touchback, giving St. Louis the ball on its 20.

Mitchell ran the ball twice for 11 yards. After an incompletion, Lomax threw to WR Don Holmes for 23 yards and then to Awalt for 27 more to the Tampa Bay 19. Three plays later, Lomax connected with Smith for a 17-yard TD and, with another Gallery PAT, the Cardinals had an improbable three-point lead thanks to four fourth-quarter touchdowns.

There were just under two minutes remaining on the clock and the reeling Buccaneers came out throwing. Starting at his eight yard line, DeBerg completed three passes for 23 yards, missed on two, but converted a fourth-and-three with a three yard throw to Jeff Smith. Three plays later, DeBerg connected with Carter for 25 yards and then six yards to Smith to get the ball to the St. Louis 35. However, on the game’s final play, Donald Igwebuike missed a 53-yard field goal attempt and the Cardinals came away with a stunning 31-28 win. It was the greatest fourth quarter comeback in NFL history.

St. Louis outgained the Buccaneers, 415 yards to 377, while both teams generated 26 first downs apiece. Tampa Bay actually had more net passing yards (294 to 278) but was less effective at running the ball (83 yards on 33 attempts to 137 yards on 31 carries for the Cardinals). The Bucs also had more sacks (four to one, with two of them by LB Chris Washington) and fewer turnovers (one to two) and penalties (8 to 11). However, the one turnover led directly to a score during the big St. Louis comeback, and combined with the inability to maintain possession and stop the Cardinals when they had the ball, it proved fatal during the fourth quarter.

Neil Lomax completed 25 of 36 passes for 314 yards with three touchdowns (all, of course, in the fourth quarter) and one intercepted. Robert Awalt (pictured below) caught 9 passes for 124 yards and a TD and J.T. Smith was right behind with 8 receptions for 96 yards and the last two all-important touchdowns. Stump Mitchell rushed for 79 yards on 17 carries and also caught 4 passes for 58 more yards.


For Tampa Bay, Steve DeBerg was successful on 23 of 37 throws for 303 yards with three TDs and had none intercepted. James Wilder rushed for 49 yards on 11 attempts and caught 6 passes for 87 yards. Jeff Smith was right behind in the rushing department with 48 yards on 19 carries; he also caught three passes for 43 yards and a TD. Gerald Carter had 6 receptions for 82 yards and a score.

The dramatic game had a significant effect on the performance of both teams thereafter. The previously-lackluster Cardinals lost a close contest to the Rams the next week, but they won four of their last six contests (including another win over Tampa Bay) to nearly qualify for the postseason. While a final-game loss to the Cowboys ended their playoff hopes, their record was 7-8, respectable considering the poor start, for a third-place finish in the NFC East. It was something of a fitting climax to the franchise’s 28-year existence in St. Louis – the club moved to the Phoenix area for 1988.

As for the Buccaneers, a season of promise degraded into disaster. The loss to the Cardinals was the first of eight straight to close out the year. The final tally was 4-11, putting them at the bottom of the NFC Central along with Detroit.

Neil Lomax led the NFL in pass attempts (463), completions (275), and yards (3387) and ranked third in touchdown passes (24) and fifth in passing (88.5 rating). However, he also placed third by being sacked 48 times. Lomax was selected to the Pro Bowl.

J.T. Smith (pictured below) led the league in both pass receptions (91) and yards (1117) while scoring 8 touchdowns, although he was bypassed for postseason honors. Robert Awalt received Rookie of the Year honors from UPI and The Sporting News thanks to his 42 catches for 526 yards and six TDs.

1979: 49ers Beat Falcons for First Win Under Bill Walsh

In his first season as head coach/general manager of the San Francisco 49ers, Bill Walsh had suffered through seven losses without winning a game as they prepared to face the Atlanta Falcons on October 21, 1979 at Candlestick Park. To be sure, not much had been expected, for he had inherited a club that was a mess. From a team that had played for the NFC Championship in 1970 and ’71, the 49ers had dropped to a league- and franchise-worst 2-14 record in 1978. New owner Edward DeBartolo Jr. had hired Joe Thomas as general manager in ’77, and after two seasons of wheeling-and-dealing, and going through three head coaches (one interim), Thomas had been sent packing. In that period, QB Jim Plunkett had been let go (to resurface with the Raiders), as well as popular veteran WR Gene Washington, and productive players such as RB Delvin Williams, DE Tommy Hart, and G Woody Peoples were traded away for little return. Meanwhile, over-the-hill RB O.J. Simpson came to the 49ers from Buffalo at a big price – well beyond what he was now capable of producing as his career slid downward.

The 47-year-old Walsh had most recently been head coach at Stanford University and was known for having an innovative approach to the passing game. As an assistant with Oakland in the mid-60s and then, more prominently, under Paul Brown with the Cincinnati Bengals, he had begun to develop what came to be known as the West Coast offense, which featured a short-to-medium passing game, characterized by low-risk throws spread around to several receivers. He developed QB Ken Anderson into a precision passer and, as an assistant with the Chargers for a year before accepting the position at Stanford, played a significant role in the growth of QB Dan Fouts.


San Francisco had drafted QB Joe Montana out of Notre Dame in the third round of the 1979 NFL draft, but for the first year it would be Steve DeBerg (pictured at right) behind center, a second-year pro who threw 22 interceptions in ’78. The team was in early rebuilding mode – and played like it.

The 49ers were the last still-winless team in the NFL as they hosted the Falcons (3-4). They started things off in exciting fashion in the first quarter as WR Freddie Solomon scored a 56-yard touchdown on a reverse, thanks to a block by G John Ayres.

In the second quarter, and following a fumble recovery by LB Robert Pennywell, Tim Mazzetti kicked a 23-yard field goal to put the Falcons on the board. Atlanta took advantage of another San Francisco turnover, this time an interception by CB Rolland Lawrence, and WR Alfred Jenkins scored on a seven-yard pass from QB Steve Bartkowski. The extra point attempt was missed, but the Falcons took a 9-7 lead into halftime.

The 49ers got back in front late in the third quarter. HB Paul Hofer scored on a two-yard run with 2:36 remaining in the period and San Francisco held a 14-9 lead. But a lapse on special teams worked to Atlanta’s benefit. Lawrence ran 41 yards with a punt blocked by DB Frank Reed to score for the Falcons in the fourth quarter, putting them back in front. Mazzetti had his second extra point attempt of the game blocked, leaving the tally at 15-14.

Following the Atlanta touchdown, the 49ers drove 70 yards for the winning score in the fourth quarter. DeBerg completed all six of his passes along the way and Hofer capped the drive with his second TD, this time from three yards out, with 5:30 to go. The extra point was no good (it was not a great day for the kicking game on either side), but the Niners nevertheless held a five-point lead.

The Falcons still had a chance, but CB Gerard Williams batted down a Bartkowski pass at the San Francisco 25 that would have given the Falcons a first down and followed that up with an interception to seal the 20-15 win.

The 49ers led in total yards with 397, to Atlanta’s 214, and also had the lead in first downs, 22 to 13. Both teams turned the ball over twice, and there were just three penalties called (two on San Francisco, one on the Falcons).

Paul Hofer (pictured below) was a hero of the game for the Niners. Even though he ran for just 33 yards on 10 carries, two were touchdowns, and he caught 7 passes for 84 yards, several coming in key situations. Steve DeBerg completed 24 of 37 throws for 245 yards with no TDs and one intercepted. Freddie Solomon, with the long scoring run on the reverse, led the club in rushing with 68 yards on two attempts. FB Wilbur Jackson gained 29 yards on 13 carries and O.J. Simpson added 10 rushes for 21 yards.


Steve Bartkowski was successful on just 13 of 27 passes for the Falcons, for 126 yards and a touchdown as well as an interception. RB Lynn Cain gained 58 yards on 11 attempts. FB William Andrews was the top receiver with 6 catches for 41 yards while rushing for 36 yards on 12 carries. WR Wallace Francis gained 71 yards on his 5 receptions.

“We’ve been working too hard and losing too many close ones to let this one get away,” said Steve DeBerg afterward.

“I'm trying to be casual about this,” a smiling Walsh said when it was all over, “but it was great to win. I knew sooner or later this would happen. I hope it’s the start of a solid finish. No question, this was our best performance of the year.”

San Francisco returned to its losing ways with a one-point loss the next week to the Bears. In fact, the Niners lost six straight before winning another game and finishing again at 2-14 and at the bottom of the NFC West. The Falcons went 6-10 to place third in the division.

While it was another poor finish for the 49ers, things would improve in 1980, at which point Montana supplanted DeBerg, and in ’81 the pieces were in place for a championship. Walsh would direct the team to three Super Bowl victories before stepping aside, and his West Coast offense would quickly become popular throughout the NFL.

As a footnote, Steve DeBerg prospered in ’79 as he set league records with 578 pass attempts and 347 completions. He ranked third with a 60.0 completion percentage and threw for 3652 yards with 17 touchdowns. While he still tossed 21 interceptions, it was one less than he threw in ’78 on 276 fewer pass attempts. His future would not be in San Francisco, but he went on to play 17 years in the NFL with six different teams.