1978: Dusek Fumble Return Lifts Redskins Past Patriots

The Washington Redskins were under new leadership and facing long odds (they were 9.5-point underdogs) as they faced the New England Patriots in a season-opening game on September 3, 1978.

Jack Pardee was making his debut as head coach of the Redskins, the successor to George Allen and his seven straight winning records, including 9-5 in ‘77. Allen had dealt away draft picks to stockpile veterans, and there were concerns about retooling at certain positions. Foremost was at quarterback, where Bill Kilmer was almost 39 years old and being pressed by Joe Theismann, who was named the starter just prior to the opener. HB Mike Thomas was capable and it was hoped that FB John Riggins would rebound from an injury-plagued year. The defense was tough but old and there were concerns in particular about the backfield.

New England, coached by Chuck Fairbanks, had also been 9-5 the previous year but was considered to be a contender in the highly competitive AFC East. Steve Grogan brought grit and mobility to the quarterback position and there was a promising group of runners led by FB Sam Cunningham. WR Darryl Stingley’s career was cut short by a spinal cord injury suffered during the preseason and WR Harold Jackson was obtained from the Rams to take his place. The defense was fifth overall in 1977 and especially strong against the run.

There were 55,037 fans in attendance at Schaeffer Stadium in Foxboro, MA. The Redskins came through with a big gain on their first play from scrimmage as Joe Theismann fired a pass to WR Danny Buggs that picked up 63 yards to the New England 17. From there, the visitors made it to the eight before Mark Moseley came on to kick a 26-yard field goal for the early 3-0 lead.

That lead held up through the first half as both quarterbacks were erratic and the Patriots failed to take advantage of several opportunities. Drives to the Washington 23 and 26 both came up empty, the last when CB Lamar Parrish picked off a Grogan pass at his 18 with 20 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Three minutes into the third quarter, the Patriots finally got on the board as the result of an 80-yard drive in seven plays when QB Steve Grogan passed to WR Stanley Morgan for a 33-yard touchdown. John Smith added the extra point for a 7-3 advantage.

The Redskins responded later in the period thanks to 18-year veteran DE Ron McDole’s interception of a Grogan pass that he batted into the air at the line of scrimmage and that resulted in an 11-play, 55-yard advance. Mike Thomas converted one third down with a six-yard run and then another in which he made a diving catch for 14 yards to the New England 22. After reaching the 10, a fumbled snap lost five yards and Theismann’s throw to WR Frank Grant in the end zone was dropped. Once more it was Thomas, circling out of the backfield and getting open for a 15-yard TD toss from Theismann. Moseley’s extra point attempt hit the goal post and was unsuccessful but the visitors were in front by 9-7.

As the game headed into the fourth quarter, the Patriots put together an 80-yard drive as two reserves, HB Horace Ivory and TE Don Hasselbeck, made key plays and Grogan went long to Harold Jackson for a 45-yard touchdown. Smith’s conversion put New England back on top by 14-9.

Up by five points, the Patriots were attempting to run out the clock as they took possession in the last three minutes. But on a second down play Ivory, attempting to sweep around right end, was hit hard by DT Dave Butz, causing a fumble. LB Brad Dusek, a former member of the Patriots, grabbed the ball on one bounce and raced down the left sideline along with a convoy of teammates for a 31-yard touchdown. Moseley this time made good on the PAT and the visitors clung to a two-point lead with 2:40 left to play.

The Patriots still had time and a brisk wind at their backs. They got a break on the next series as Grogan fumbled when sacked by DE Diron Talbert and the Redskins recovered, but the play was nullified by an illegal bump on Parrish. That gave the Patriots a first down at their 32, but a handoff to HB Andy Johnson was botched, DE Coy Bacon sacked Grogan for a 13-yard loss, and a third down pass was dropped by WR Don Westbrook to force a punt. Washington then put the game away when John Riggins broke away for a 31-yard gain to the New England 16 in the last minute, allowing the Redskins to run out the clock and win by a final score of 16-14.

Total yards were nearly even, with the Patriots having a slight edge (326 to 324) although New England more decisively led in first downs (21 to 14). However, the Patriots also turned the ball over three times, to two suffered by Washington, and the Redskins recorded three sacks, to one by New England.

Joe Theismann completed 10 of 24 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown while giving up an interception. Mike Thomas ran for 70 yards on 11 carries and also led the Redskins with four catches, for 46 yards and a TD. With the long gain to start the game, Danny Buggs gained 89 yards on two pass receptions. John Riggins contributed 60 rushing yards on 16 attempts.

For the Patriots, Steve Grogan was successful on just 12 of 31 throws for 199 yards and two TDs with two interceptions. Despite the late fumble, Horace Ivory had a fine overall performance with 89 yards on 16 carries. Harold Jackson caught 7 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown.

The opening win was the first of six straight for the Redskins, but they slipped badly during the second half of the season to finish at 8-8 and third in the NFC East. New England recovered to win eight of the next nine games, and topped the AFC East with an 11-5 record. However, the announcement by Coach Fairbanks that he was resigning to take over at the University of Colorado just prior to the season finale, and his immediate dismissal by owner William H. Sullivan effectively pulled the plug on the season. The Patriots lost decisively to Houston in the AFC Divisional playoff round.

Brad Dusek, who was originally drafted by the Patriots, was in his fifth season with Washington and well established as the starting left linebacker. His game-winning fumble recovery was one of two for the year and 16 over the course of his career, three of which he returned for touchdowns.

1982: Patriots Beat Dolphins in “Snowplow Game”

It was a snowy day in Foxboro, Massachusetts on December 12, 1982 as the New England Patriots hosted the Miami Dolphins. Temperatures were in the 20s with the wind gusting up to 30 mph. The artificial surface was frozen, having been soaked by rain the previous day, and now a heavy snow was falling. Snowplows and sweepers were busily employed at clearing the field during the pregame warmups and beyond.

The Patriots had a 2-3 record thus far in the season that was interrupted by a 57-day players’ strike, which was as many wins as the team had compiled in going 2-14 in ‘81. The roster had been significantly overturned upon the arrival of new Head Coach Ron Meyer. QB Steve Grogan had reclaimed his starting job from Matt Cavanaugh while 30-year-old FB Mark Van Eeghen, formerly of the Raiders, joined a good group of running backs that included FB Mosi Tatupu and HB Tony Collins. Veteran PK John Smith was just returning after missing all of the season thus far due to a knee injury.

Miami, in its thirteenth season under Head Coach Don Shula, was at 4-1. The ground-oriented offense was directed by QB David Woodley and included FB Andra Franklin and HB Tony Nathan. The 3-4 defense was tough up front with ends Doug Betters and Kim Bokamper and NT Bob Baumhower. Backing them up were linebackers A.J. Duhe, Bob Brudzinski, and Larry Gordon.

Only 25,716 fans were in attendance at Schaefer Stadium, the smallest regular season turnout in the stadium’s history going back to 1971. The teams exchanged punts throughout the first quarter. Late in the opening period, the Patriots took possession at their 20 and mounted a long 19-play drive that extended into the second quarter. Mark van Eeghen carried twice for four yards, Steve Grogan converted third-and-six with a pass to TE Lin Dawson for seven yards, and van Eeghen ran three more times for 13 yards before Mosi Tatupu carried eight consecutive times, picking up 27 yards. But the last of those carries came on third-and-goal at the Miami one and Tatupu was stopped for no gain. John Smith came in to try for an 18-yard field goal, but the kick was partially blocked and missed the mark.

The Dolphins responded with a long drive of their own. Andra Franklin (pictured at right) started off with 20 yards on two carries and David Woodley threw to TE Bruce Hardy for 12 more yards to the New England 48. Franklin and Tony Nathan ran the ball to pick up another first down and Woodley took off for 14 yards. But after Nathan gained six yards to the 18, Franklin lost a yard and Woodley was sacked by LB Clayton Weishuhn for a loss of 12 yards. Miami had to punt with 19 seconds remaining in the first half and the game remained scoreless at the intermission.

The snow was still falling steadily as the clubs traded punts during the third quarter. The Dolphins again advanced into New England territory as Woodley completed two short passes and Nathan, Franklin, and HB Tommy Vigorito ran effectively. But after getting a first down at the 28, Woodley’s next three throws fell incomplete and Uwe von Schamann’s 45-yard try for a field goal was blocked and rolled into the end zone.

The Patriots had the ball as the period ended and, on the first play of the fourth quarter, Grogan’s pass was intercepted by CB Gerald Small at the Miami 30, and he returned it 21 yards to the New England 49. The Dolphins were able to reach the 34 before punting.

Taking possession at their own seven, the Patriots drove 77 yards in 11 plays. Van Eeghen carried for the first four and gained 25 yards. Tatupu took his place and immediately ran for 15 yards off tackle, followed by a burst through the middle in which he shook off two tackles and picked up 26 yards to the Miami 28. Three more carries by Tatupu gained 13 yards and Tony Collins then ran for two. But Collins fumbled the next handoff, and while he recovered, the play lost three yards and created a fourth-and-ten situation.

The Patriots called timeout and Coach Meyer waved one of the tractor-driven snowplows, which had been periodically used to clear the yard stripes, onto the field. Mark Henderson, a prisoner on work release who was its driver, cleared an arc that included the area from where the kick would occur (pictured at top). While some observers stated afterward that the plowing was of little consequence, whether or not that was the case Smith kicked a 33-yard field goal to finally break the scoreless tie.

There was still 4:33 to go as Miami came on offense after the ensuing kickoff. Woodley immediately passed to WR Duriel Harris for 17 yards to the New England 48 and then connected with TE Joe Rose for four. Woodley picked up five yards on a quarterback draw and, on third-and-one, Franklin hit the line but a measurement showed he was inches short of a first down. Nathan dove for two yards to keep the series alive and a sideline pass by Woodley to Harris was complete for 16 yards to the 20. Franklin ran for a yard, Woodley threw an incomplete pass, and then on third-and-nine Woodley went to the air again and was intercepted by LB Don Blackmon.

There were just 30 seconds remaining but the Dolphins used all three of their timeouts while Van Eeghen ran three times and the Patriots punted. There was only time for one long pass by Woodley from midfield, and it was picked off near the goal line by SS Roland James to end the game. The Patriots, thanks to the controversial field goal, came away winners by a final score of 3-0.

In the slippery conditions, Miami had the edge in total yards (235 to 212) and first downs (16 to 13). 199 of New England’s yards came on the ground, to 176 for the Dolphins. The Patriots went to the air just five times and gained 13 net passing yards to Miami’s 59. The Dolphins turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by New England.

Mark van Eeghen (pictured at left) rushed for 100 yards on 22 carries (his only hundred-yard performance in two seasons with New England) and Mosi Tatupu contributed 81 yards on his 13 attempts. Steve Grogan completed two of five passes for 13 yards and gave up one interception. Both completions were to Lin Dawson.

For the Dolphins, David Woodley was successful on 9 of 18 throws for 76 yards and tossed the two late interceptions. Andra Franklin gained 107 yards on 23 carries and Tony Nathan added 29 on 10 attempts in addition to two catches for 14 yards. Two other Miami receivers caught two passes apiece, with Duriel Harris gaining a team-leading 33 yards on his. 

“I did wave the guy on the field,” admitted Ron Meyer regarding the tractor affixed with a plow and power brush that cleared the space for the winning field goal. “I would have waved the guy on the field for the Dolphins in a similar situation. It was just something that happened. The main thing is that we kicked the field goal and earned a great and very gratifying win for the Patriots.”

“The officials shouldn’t have let it happen,” said Miami’s Don Shula, who had a less charitable view of the snowplow incident. “The official nearest me said he didn’t see the guy come out before it was too late.”

“Game officials have no control over the removal of the snow done by a maintenance man with a power brush on the plow,” explained referee Bob Frederic (a situation that would be addressed in the offseason).

“The Dolphins players weren’t happy,” said Henderson, the snow plow operator, who became something of a minor celebrity. “They called me an (expletive), but maybe that was because I sprayed them with snow… It wasn’t intentional.”

The Patriots went on to win two of their remaining three games to finish with a 5-4 record that, in the revamped division-less format that the NFL implemented due to the strike, placed seventh in the AFC and qualified them for a spot in the resulting postseason tournament. They faced Miami, who finished second with a 7-2 tally, and the Dolphins gained a measure of revenge by winning 28-13. The Dolphins continued on to the Super Bowl, where they fell to the Washington Redskins.

The NFL banned the use of snowplows on the field the next year, but the John Deere tractor which was used to clear the spot for Smith’s field goal remains on display at the Patriots Hall of Fame.

1978: Oilers Overcome 23-Point Deficit to Defeat Patriots

Two AFC contenders, the Houston Oilers and New England Patriots, faced each other in Foxboro, MA on November 12, 1978. The Oilers, coached by O.A. “Bum” Phillips for the fourth year, had a 6-4 record, with most of those wins coming in closely-fought contests. The offense benefited from the addition of star rookie RB Earl Campbell (pictured above), who was in contention for the league rushing title and drawing comparisons to Hall of Fame FB Jim Brown with his combination of power and speed. QB Dan Pastorini was playing with greater maturity at age 29 and behind a capable line. The defense was especially tough up front where NT Curley Culp was flanked by DEs Elvin Bethea and Jim Young, and the linebacker corps headed by Robert Brazile was outstanding.

New England was guided by sixth-year Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks and was on a roll at 8-2, having won seven consecutive contests. The team was highly talented on both sides of the ball, with QB Steve Grogan directing an offense that featured a fine group of running backs led by FB Sam “Bam” Cunningham and receivers that included game-breaking WR Stanley Morgan and TE Russ Francis, one of the NFL’s best at the position. The defense was strong from front the back, although injuries were becoming a factor. 

There were 60,356 fans in attendance at Schaeffer Stadium on a windy and cloudy day. CB Raymond Clayborn returned the opening kickoff 36 yards and the Patriots advanced 33 yards in seven plays. Steve Grogan threw to Russ Francis for 13 yards and Sam Cunningham (pictured at right) ran for 14 along the way. David Posey kicked a 32-yard field goal for the early 3-0 advantage.

The Oilers drove into New England territory on their first series, keeping the ball on the ground with Earl Campbell and FB Tim Wilson handling the ball carrying. The drive stalled at the 44 and Houston was forced to punt. New England came back with a 62-yard advance in seven plays, the big ones Grogan passes to Cunningham for 13 and 27 yards. Posey made it 6-0 with a 34-yard field goal.

The Patriots quickly regained possession when Campbell fumbled following a six-yard run and LB Rod Shoate recovered at the Houston 35. Grogan went to the air on first down and his pass was complete to Stanley Morgan for a gain of 32 yards as the first quarter came to an end. HB Horace Ivory started the second quarter with a three-yard touchdown run and, following Posey’s extra point, the home team was now in front by 13-0.

It got worse for the Oilers on the ensuing kickoff when WR Johnnie Dirden fumbled after returning it 20 yards and LB Ray Costict recovered at the Houston 28. The Patriots were only able to advance nine yards in six plays, but added another three points when Posey booted his third field goal, this time from 37 yards.

The Oilers moved well on their next series as Dan Pastorini completed passes to FB Rob Carpenter for nine yards and TE Mike Barber for 16. But they continued to be afflicted by turnovers as Wilson fumbled and the Patriots recovered at their 41. Cunningham ran effectively, with two 12-yard carries along the way, and Grogan scored a touchdown on a three-yard bootleg to complete the 59-yard drive in nine plays. Posey added the point after and, with 11:36 to go in the first half, the home team had an imposing 23-0 lead.

Now in a deep hole, Houston had a three-and-out series but got a break when Morgan fumbled Cliff Parsley’s punt and LB Ted Thompson recovered for the Oilers at the New England 32. Pastorini immediately threw to WR Ken Burrough for a 20-yard gain and, two plays later, Carpenter (pictured below) ran eight yards for a TD. Toni Fritsch added the PAT and the visitors were finally on the board, although down by 23-7. That remained the score at halftime as Posey’s 38-yard field goal attempt on the last play of the half was unsuccessful.

The start to the third quarter was unpromising for the Oilers when a Pastorini pass was intercepted by LB Steve Nelson and he returned it 17 yards to the Houston 37. Runs by Ivory and Cunningham got the ball inside the 10, but the drive stalled at the seven and Posey’s 25-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright and was no good.

Given a reprieve, Houston advanced 80 yards in 17 plays, helped along when a punt was wiped out by an illegal chuck on the Patriots to keep the series going. Pastorini completed five passes, the longest to Barber for 18 yards, and Campbell, who caught a swing pass for 14 yards, pounded away on seven carries for 24 yards. Carpenter dove into the end zone from a yard out and, with Fritsch adding the point after, the New England lead was narrowed to 23-14.

With time running out in the period, Grogan passed on the first play following the kickoff and it was picked off by CB Willie Alexander. As the game headed into the fourth quarter, the Oilers moved methodically down the field, covering 72 yards in 15 plays. Following two runs by Carpenter, Pastorini was sacked by Shoate for a six-yard loss but, facing second-and-16, he completed passes to Barber for six yards and WR Mike Renfro for 14 to keep the series going. Lining up for a 48-yard field goal attempt, Houston instead faked with Pastorini tossing a shovel pass to Carpenter for an 18-yard gain and first down at the New England 13. Five plays later, Campbell blasted into the end zone from a yard out. A bad snap forced the extra point attempt to be aborted, but Houston was now down by just three points at 23-20.

Clayborn’s 30-yard kickoff return had 15 yards tacked on for unnecessary roughness on Dirden of the Oilers, giving the Patriots good starting field position at the Houston 49. Three running plays netted eight yards and a Grogan pass on fourth down was broken up by FS Mike Reinfeldt. The Oilers proceeded to drive 59 yards in ten plays. Pastorini converted a third-and-10 situation with a pass to Barber for 14 yards and followed up with a throw to Burrough that gained 26. Pastorini finished the series off by floating a pass to WR Rich Caster, who had gotten free in the corner of the end zone, and that resulted in a 10-yard touchdown. While they again had to abort the try for extra point, the visitors, who were once behind by 23-0, were ahead by three points.

There was 2:29 left on the clock as the Patriots came back on offense but, facing fourth-and-five, they again failed to convert when Grogan, facing a heavy rush, threw an incomplete pass. The Oilers ran the clock down, punted, and Grogan’s last-ditch pass with seven seconds remaining was intercepted by CB J.C. Wilson. Houston came away with a 26-23 win.

The Oilers led in total yards (322 to 274) and first downs (24 to 16) and, most critically, controlled the ball for almost 23 minutes in the second half. Each club turned the ball over four times apiece.

Dan Pastorini, who was three-of-nine at the half, completed 15 of 28 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown while giving up one interception. Earl Campbell rushed for 74 yards on 24 carries that included a TD and Rob Carpenter, in addition to gaining 33 yards on 11 rushing attempts, two of them for scores, also caught four passes for 39 yards. Unfortunately, he also suffered a season-ending knee injury. Mike Barber (pictured below) had four pass receptions as well, for 54 yards, and Ken Burrough led the team with 62 yards on his three receptions.

For the Patriots, Steve Grogan was successful on 9 of 18 throws for 130 yards with no TDs and two interceptions. He also ran the ball five times for 22 yards and a touchdown. Sam Cunningham rushed for 87 yards on 16 carries and caught three passes for 45 more. Stanley Morgan gained 49 yards on two pass receptions. David Posey had a mixed day, hitting on his first three field goal attempts but then missing two kicks.

“A comeback like that, I won’t ever forget it,” said Ken Burrough. “I think I’ll purchase a copy of the game film and carry it with me the rest of my life.”

It was the sixth time that Houston rallied to a win in 1978 and the Oilers went on to finish second in the AFC Central with a 10-6 record, thus qualifying for a Wild Card playoff spot. They reached the AFC Championship game before bowing to the powerful division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots placed first in the AFC East at 11-5, but the departure of Coach Fairbanks just prior to the season finale took the air out of the team and New England lost meekly to the Oilers in the Divisional playoff round.

Earl Campbell won the league rushing title with 1450 yards and received MVP honors from the Pro Football Writers and NEA as well as being named Rookie of the Year and a consensus first-team All-NFL selection.

1977: Browns Rally in Second Half, Defeat Patriots in Overtime

The Monday night game on September 26, 1977 featured the Cleveland Browns hosting the New England Patriots. The Browns were coming off of a 9-5 record in ’76 under Head Coach Forrest Gregg. QB Brian Sipe had emerged from an obscure backup role to replace the disappointing Mike Phipps and there was a fine all-purpose runner in HB Greg Pruitt (pictured at right). Cleveland pulled off an upset the previous week in defeating the Bengals and were 1-0 as they faced another significant test.

The Patriots were coached by Chuck Fairbanks and reached the playoffs the previous year with an 11-3 tally. QB Steve Grogan, like Sipe, had been unheralded coming into the league and was effective both passing and running with the ball. While the holdouts of G John Hannah and OT Leon Gray caused disruption, there was a good corps of running backs, starting with FB Sam “Bam” Cunningham and TE Russ Francis was one of the best at his position. The defense was tough, with CB Mike Haynes and FS Tim Fox coming off of outstanding rookie seasons. New England had also won its opener against Kansas City.

There were 76,413 fans in attendance at Municipal Stadium. The Browns had the first possession and advanced 85 yards in 12 plays. Brian Sipe completed a third-and-five throw to Greg Pruitt that picked up 35 yards to the New England 11 and Pruitt tossed an option pass to FB Brian Duncan for a five-yard touchdown. Don Cockroft added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The Patriots punted following a short series but got the ball back when SS Prentice McCray intercepted a Sipe pass at the New England 29. They again had to punt and, helped by a 23-yard return by DB Roland Woolsey, the Browns again advanced into New England territory in the final minutes of the opening period. The drive stalled at the 26 early in the second quarter and Cockroft missed to the right on a 44-yard field goal attempt.

The Patriots made the most of the reprieve, moving methodically down the field. Steve Grogan completed a pass to HB Don Calhoun that gained 21 yards and had additional yards tacked on due to a facemask penalty on the Browns. Following two carries by HB Ike Forte, Grogan finished the 10-play, 74-yard series with a throw to Sam Cunningham (pictured below) in the end zone for an eight-yard TD. John Smith tied the score with his successful conversion.

On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Tim Fox intercepted a Sipe pass and returned it to the Cleveland 22. The Patriots couldn’t reach the end zone but they did put more points on the board with Smith’s 35-yard field goal to go ahead by a 10-7 tally.

That was it for the scoring until a 46-yard punt return by Mike Haynes gave the Patriots the ball at the Cleveland 29 with 1:33 remaining in the first half. Cunningham and Grogan ran the ball down to the two, from where Calhoun scored a touchdown. Smith’s extra point made the halftime score 17-7 in favor of the visitors.

The Patriots had the ball first in the third quarter and punted. Cleveland advanced 54 yards in six plays as Pruitt ran for 11 yards on two carries and caught a pass for another six, and Sipe threw to TE Gary Parris for a 26-yard TD. Cockroft’s PAT made it a three-point game at 17-14.

The Browns immediately regained possession when CB Raymond Clayborn fumbled on the kickoff return and WR Ricky Feacher recovered for Cleveland at the New England 25. While the offense went three-and-out, Cockroft tied the score at 17-17 with a 37-yard field goal.

The Patriots got just past midfield on the next series but again had to punt. Starting from their 12, the Browns got a boost when Pruitt took off for a 37-yard run with a facemask penalty added on and they were into New England territory heading into the fourth quarter. However, they came up empty when Cockroft tried for a 39-yard field goal that was blocked by LB Rod Shoate.

New England responded with a 61-yard drive that took 13 plays. Grogan completed a pass to WR Steve Burks for 22 yards in a third-and-12 situation and Calhoun and Cunningham ran effectively. Grogan converted another third down play with a throw to Forte for 10 yards to the Cleveland two, and while the Patriots lost yards on the next two plays, Grogan connected with Russ Francis in the middle of the end zone for a six-yard touchdown. Smith converted and the visitors were back on top by 24-17 with 7:28 to play in regulation.

The Browns came back with a seven-play, 73-yard possession. Pruitt had a 17-yard run and Sipe completed passes to Parris for ten yards, WR Reggie Rucker for nine, and WR Dave Logan for 19 yards to the New England 13. It was Sipe to Pruitt for an eight-yard TD and, with Cockroft’s kick, the score was again knotted at 24-24.

Cleveland scored again after a Grogan pass was picked off by LB Charlie Hall. That gave the Browns the ball at the New England 27 and led to a 37-yard Cockroft field goal and a lead of 27-24 with the clock now down to 55 seconds.

That was still enough time for the Patriots to mount a drive. Grogan completed four passes to move New England down the field, the biggest to Francis for 28 yards to the Cleveland 17 with one second remaining. Smith kicked a 24-yard field goal to send the contest into overtime.

The Browns won the toss for the extra period, received the kickoff, and never gave up the ball. Sipe scrambled for four yards in a third-and-one situation and completed a pass to Parris for 12 yards while facing third-and-eight. A throw to Logan that picked up 22 yards got the ball into scoring territory at the New England 19, and two plays later Cockroft kicked a 35-yard field goal at 4:45 into overtime. Cleveland won by a final score of 30-27.    

The Browns led in total yards (393 to 263) and first downs (25 to 21). They also turned the ball over three times, to two by New England, but the Patriots drew 12 penalties at a cost of 80 yards to five flags thrown on Cleveland.

Greg Pruitt had an outstanding night for the Browns as he rushed for 151 yards on 26 carries, caught four passes for another 51 yards and a touchdown, and threw a scoring pass. Brian Sipe (pictured at right) completed 18 of 25 throws for 199 yards and two TDs while giving up two interceptions. FB Cleo Miller, who gained 31 yards on 11 rushing attempts, also had four pass receptions, for 19 yards.

For the Patriots, Steve Grogan completed 15 of 23 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns while being picked off once. Sam Cunningham gained 70 yards on 18 carries and also topped the club with 7 pass receptions for 52 yards and another TD. Don Calhoun contributed 49 yards on 13 rushes that included a TD.

“Greg’s a great player,” said Coach Fairbanks of the Patriots about Cleveland’s Pruitt, who had played for him in college at Oklahoma. “He helped me to win a lot and now he helped take one away from me.”

The Browns had pulled off two upsets to start the season, and while they lost the next two games, they reeled off three straight victories to be in first place with a 5-2 record at the midway point. They faltered from there and the loss of Brian Sipe for the last five games proved fatal as Cleveland won only one of its last seven contests to end up at 6-8 and at the bottom of the AFC Central Division, costing Coach Gregg his job. New England lost the next week, and while the Patriots then won four straight games, a midseason slump caused them to finish at 9-5 and third in the AFC East, just missing out on a Wild Card playoff slot.

In his fifth year with the Browns, Greg Pruitt was chosen to his fourth Pro Bowl as he rushed for 1086 yards on 236 carries, both career highs, for a 4.6-yard average and caught 37 passes for 471 yards (12.7 avg.). His 1557 yards from scrimmage ranked third in the NFL. In addition to the Pro Bowl selection, he received second-team All-NFL honors from the Newspaper Enterprise Association and second-team All-AFC recognition from UPI.

1976: Quick Jones-to-Doughty TD Passes Spur Colts to Win Against Patriots

The teams that finished on the top and bottom of the AFC East the previous year met in a NFL opening-week game at Foxboro, Massachusetts on September 12, 1976.

The Baltimore Colts were coming off of a 10-4 record in their first year under Head Coach Ted Marchibroda, who had received Coach of the Year recognition for turning around a club that had gone 11-31 in the preceding three seasons. QB Bert Jones (pictured at right) emerged as an outstanding performer and productive all-purpose HB Lydell Mitchell was selected to the Pro Bowl. The defensive line, anchored by DE John Dutton and DT Joe Ehrmann, was solid, as was the corps of linebackers.

The Patriots, on the other hand, had not compiled a winning record since they were a pre-merger AFL club and went 3-11 in ’75. Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks was back for his fourth season and was committed to a new starting quarterback in Steve Grogan, the second-year successor to QB Jim Plunkett, who was traded to the 49ers after five up-and-down seasons. The draft yielded promising players in CB Mike Haynes, C Pete Brock, safety Tim Fox, and HB Ike Forte. There were good returning players in FB Sam Cunningham, HB Andy Johnson, TE Russ Francis, tackle Leon Gray, and guards John Hannah and Sam Adams on offense, and DE Julius Adams, NT Ray Hamilton, and LB Steve Nelson on defense.   

There were 43,512 fans in attendance on a sunny and mild day at Schaefer Stadium. The Colts got the first break of the game on the third play from scrimmage when Ike Forte of the Patriots fumbled deep in his own territory and CB Nelson Munsey recovered at the New England 14. The visitors couldn’t reach the end zone but came away with a 28-yard field goal by Toni Linhart.

A clipping penalty on the ensuing kickoff had the Patriots starting from their own seven, but this time they put together a sustained drive of 77 yards. Forte, Sam Cunningham, and Andy Johnson all ran effectively and Steve Grogan completed three passes. The result was a 31-yard John Smith field goal to tie the score at 3-3.

Two short possessions that resulted in punts closed out the opening period, but Baltimore HB Howard Stevens had a 27-yard return to give the Colts good starting field position at the New England 40 to start the second quarter. They reached the seven before coming up empty when FB Roosevelt Leaks fumbled and SS Prentice McCray recovered for the Patriots.

New England proceeded to put together another long drive, advancing 86 yards. A roughing-the-passer penalty on third down helped the series along and Grogan completed four passes, the longest to WR Marlin Briscoe for 21 yards. Johnson also had an 18-yard run to get the ball to the Baltimore 16, and while the possession finally stalled at the 10, the Patriots moved in front on a 27-yard field goal by Smith.

The Colts regained possession with a little over three minutes remaining in the first half and they put together a 78-yard drive in nine plays. Bert Jones immediately connected with WR Glenn Doughty (pictured at left) for 25 yards and a swing pass to FB Don McCauley picked up 12. McCauley had a seven-yard run and, after the fullback dropped a pass, Jones was successful on his next three, the last of which was to Doughty in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. Linhart added the extra point and Baltimore was up by 10-6.

There were 46 seconds remaining on the clock as the Patriots took over on offense and Grogan went to the air. A short completion of three yards to Russ Francis was followed by a 21-yard gain to WR Ricky Feacher, but when Grogan tried to pass to Feacher again, it was intercepted by FS Jackie Wallace. Wallace returned the pickoff 32 yards to the New England 20, and three plays later Jones again completed a scoring pass to Doughty in the end zone, this time from six yards out. Linhart converted and, thanks to the two touchdowns in a span of 41 seconds, the Colts took a 17-6 lead into halftime even though they significantly trailed the Patriots in time of possession.

Baltimore had the ball first in the third quarter and was forced to punt. A long return by Mike Haynes gave the Patriots excellent starting field position at the Colts’ 25. They were unable to capitalize, however, when Grogan’s third down pass into the end zone fell incomplete and a field goal attempt by Smith from 39 yards was blocked by DT Mike Barnes.

The Colts put together a long series in which they converted two third downs and nearly scored another TD when a Jones throw to McCauley in the end zone was nullified by a penalty. However, they did come away with a 32-yard Linhart field goal and, rather than the home team narrowing the margin, the Colts extended their lead to 20-6.

The next possession for the Patriots ended with an interception but Baltimore, after advancing to the New England 32 early in the fourth quarter, failed to convert a fourth-and-two situation. The Patriots responded with a 68-yard drive in eight plays. Grogan completed passes to TE Al Chandler for 29 yards and Briscoe for 16 and had an 11-yard scramble that set up Johnson’s four-yard carry for a TD. Smith added the point after and the home team was now down by seven points at 20-13.

The teams exchanged punts before the Colts got the ball back at the New England 39 following a 34-yard punt by the Patriots from deep in their own territory. Lydell Mitchell ran for 14 yards on first down and, following a penalty, picked up another ten yards on two more carries. Mitchell caught a pass from Jones for 11 more yards and then ran straight through the middle of the line for a clinching 10-yard touchdown with less than two minutes remaining to play. Linhart provided the final point as Baltimore came away with a 27-13 win.   

The Patriots had the edge in total yards (317 to 272) while Baltimore compiled more first downs (20 to 17). However, New England turned the ball over five times, to one suffered by the Colts.

Bert Jones completed 17 of 23 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns while giving up no interceptions. Lydell Mitchell rushed for 73 yards on 18 carries that included a TD and also had 6 catches for 72 yards. Glenn Doughty contributed 50 yards on his four receptions that included the two key touchdowns.

For the Patriots, Steve Grogan (pictured at right) was successful on 12 of 22 throws for 179 yards but tossed four interceptions. FB Sam Cunningham picked up 56 yards on 14 rushing attempts and also topped the club with four catches, for 19 yards. Andy Johnson had 53 yards on his lone catch and also gained 51 yards on 14 carries that included a TD.

“New England gained a lot of yardage in the first half,” said Baltimore’s Coach Marchibroda. “But we pretty well stopped them after that. We came up with the big play when we had to.”

The Colts won eight of their first nine games on the way to repeating as AFC East champs with an 11-3 record, losing to Pittsburgh in the first playoff round. New England recovered to win its next three contests on the way to also going 11-3, good for a second-place finish in the division (while they split their season series with Baltimore, the Colts had a better record against division opponents to claim the higher spot in the standings). The upstart team qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card and lost narrowly to the Raiders in their Divisional game.  

Bert Jones received consensus league MVP recognition as he topped the circuit in passing yards (3104) and ranked second in touchdown passes (24), yards per attempt (9.0), and overall rating (102.5). He was selected to the Pro Bowl, as was Lydell Mitchell, who rushed for 1200 yards and caught 60 passes for 555 more yards, which made him second in all-purpose yards with 1755. Glenn Doughty had a fine year as a possession receiver with 40 catches for 628 yards (15.7 avg.) and five TDs.