1966: Concannon Runs, Passes Eagles to Win Over Steelers

The Philadelphia Eagles were 6-5 and trying to put together their first winning season in five years as they hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 4, 1966. Head Coach Joe Kuharich’s team had a fine offensive line anchored by OT Bob Brown and good group of running backs that included HB Timmy Brown and up-and-coming FB Tom Woodeshick. The passing game was a problem, however, as QB Norm Snead, typically the starter, was enduring a dreadful season. One of the other two quarterbacks, King Hill, led the team to a win at San Francisco the previous week, but now it was Jack Concannon (pictured at right) getting the call at home against Pittsburgh.

Concannon, a star at Boston College, was Philadelphia’s second-round draft choice in 1964 and had received a big contract to keep him away from the Patriots of the AFL.  Buried behind Snead and Hill on the depth chart, he saw little action but started one game against the Cowboys late in his rookie season and provided plenty of excitement with his flashy running ability, while throwing for 134 yards and two TDs in a win. That performance made him the backup most chanted for when the offense was performing badly, but being a fan favorite didn’t guarantee him playing time. He saw scant playing time in 1965 and Coach Kuharich tried him as a halfback, flanker, and punt returner during the ’66 season before finally giving him another starting shot at quarterback.

The Steelers, under the guidance of first-year Head Coach Bill Austin, were 3-7-1 and also had a change at quarterback. Bill Nelsen, having missed nine games due to a knee injury, was back behind center. But while there were good receivers, most notably flanker Gary Ballman, the line was inadequate and, other than FB Willie Asbury, the backs unimpressive. The defensive line was a strong point, and was a reason for Jack Concannon to get the starting assignment at quarterback for the Eagles because Coach Kuharich believed that his mobile, rollout style would match up well against it.

There were 54,275 fans in attendance at Franklin Field. The Steelers had first possession and punted and the Eagles, starting from their 30 yard line, drove 42 yards. Jack Concannon set the tone when, on a third-and-seven play, he took off and ran for 18 yards. He also had a five-yard carry and completed a pass to Tom Woodeshick that picked up 11 yards and set up a 35-yard field goal by Sam Baker.

Pittsburgh responded by advancing into Philadelphia territory, the big gain being a 45-yard carry to the ten yard line by Willie Asbury on a draw play. But Bill Nelsen was sacked for a loss of 14 yards by DE Gary Pettigrew (pictured at left) in between tossing two incomplete passes, and Mike Clark was unsuccessful on a 31-yard field goal attempt.

The Eagles turned the ball over on the next possession when Timmy Brown fumbled a handoff and DE Ben McGee recovered to give the Steelers the ball at the Philadelphia 19. In a series that stretched into the second quarter, Pittsburgh scored when Asbury ran seven yards for a touchdown and, adding Clark’s extra point, the visitors held a 7-3 lead.

Philadelphia again turned the ball over in its own territory when Concannon fumbled as he was hit by LB Andy Russell and safety Paul Martha recovered at the 34. The result was a 37-yard Clark field goal that extended Pittsburgh’s lead to 10-3.

The Eagles came back with an 80-yard drive in 11 plays. Concannon completed three passes and twice scrambled for sizable gains. An 11-yard completion to split end Fred Hill converted a third-and-ten situation, an 11-yard scramble led to another first down, and a 29-yard run on a third-and-six play advanced the ball to the Pittsburgh 25. Concannon threw to Brown for a 17-yard gain that converted yet another third down and set up a three-yard touchdown carry by Woodeshick. Baker converted to tie the score.

With just over two minutes to play in the first half, the Eagles took advantage of a turnover when Nelsen fumbled and LB Dave Lloyd recovered at the Pittsburgh 25. Concannon had runs of six and eight yards, but when he was finally thrown for a loss on third down, Philadelphia settled for a 22-yard Baker field goal.

There was still enough time for the Steelers, and Nelsen drove them down the field with completions of 11 yards to HB Dick Hoak, 18 yards to Gary Ballman, and 22 yards to Hoak. Clark kicked a 32-yard field goal on the last play before halftime and the score was tied at 13-13 at the intermission. Concannon had accounted for 47 passing yards and 77 by rushing.

The teams traded punts to start the third quarter until Pittsburgh put together a scoring possession. The big gain came on a Nelsen throw to Ballman for 26 yards to the Philadelphia 28 and, while the Steelers could get no further, they came away with another field goal by Clark, this time from 35 yards.

The Eagles responded by advancing 70 yards in 11 plays. Concannon completed passes to flanker Ron Goodwin for 29 yards and Hill for 11, and ran three times for 21 yards. Woodeshick ran the last yard for a TD and Baker’s PAT put the home team on top by 20-16.

Asbury fumbled on Pittsburgh’s next play from scrimmage and Pettigrew recovered at the Steelers’ 30. As the period wound down, Concannon scrambled for a 16-yard gain and completed a pass to Timmy Brown for eight more. On the fourth play of the fourth quarter, Concannon scored from a yard out on a quarterback sneak and Baker added the point after to put the Eagles up by 27-16.

The Steelers came right back as Ballman returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards and Nelsen immediately went to the air and connected with flanker Roy Jefferson for 43 yards to the Philadelphia four. Asbury ran for a two-yard touchdown three plays later, Clark converted, and Philadelphia’s lead was narrowed to four points.

The teams exchanged punts and, with time running short for the Steelers as they took over possession on their own 47, Nelsen threw an incompletion, Asbury was stopped for no gain on a draw play, Ballman dropped a pass, and a fourth-down throw was also incomplete to turn the ball over on downs. Pittsburgh got one more shot following another Philadelphia punt, but a penalty and a sack by LB Harold Wells forced them into a deep hole from which they couldn’t escape. The Eagles won by a final score of 27-23.

Philadelphia led in total yards (304 to 250) and first downs (19 to 15). The Eagles also recorded four sacks, to one by Pittsburgh. Each team turned the ball over twice.

Jack Concannon completed 13 of 25 passes for 131 yards with no touchdowns, but also with none intercepted, but made an even bigger impression with his running as he gained 129 yards on 15 carries that included a TD. Tom Woodeshick gained 46 yards on 19 attempts with two short touchdowns and he also picked up 28 yards on three pass receptions. Timmy Brown, who ran for only five yards on nine carries, led the club with 5 catches for 43 yards.

For the Steelers, Bill Nelsen was successful on 11 of 25 throws for 195 yards, also throwing no TD passes or interceptions. Gary Ballman caught 6 passes for 93 yards and averaged 27.3 yards on four kickoff returns. Willie Asbury (pictured above) ran for 70 yards on 14 attempts that included two TDs.

“I ran a bit more today than I want to, and I hope I don’t have to do that again,” said Jack Concannon. “My timing was off from rustiness and our running attack wasn’t working the way I hoped that it would, so I ran more than a quarterback should.”

“We let Concannon go wide on us a couple of times and he hurt us each time,” said Coach Austin of the Steelers. “We didn’t get our people up quick enough to contain the rollouts.”

The Eagles won again the next week against the Browns, with Concannon again leading the way at quarterback, but it was King Hill behind center when they beat Washington in the finale to make it four straight victories to finish out the season. Philadelphia’s final record was 9-5, which was good for a second place tie with the Browns in the Eastern Conference and a spot in the Playoff Bowl, the postseason exhibition game that pitted the runners-up in each conference. They lost to the Colts with Hill and Concannon at quarterback. Pittsburgh also finished on a high note, scoring a combined 104 points behind the good play of Bill Nelsen in beating the Giants and expansion Falcons. The Steelers ended up sixth in the conference at 5-8-1.

Jack Concannon was traded to the Bears in the offseason. In three years with the Eagles, he completed just 43.7 percent of his 103 passes for 637 yards and four touchdowns against eight interceptions. However, he ran for 433 yards on 50 carries, averaging 8.7 yards per attempt and scoring two TDs. The team was 3-0 in his starts and the 129 rushing yards against the Steelers remained the single-game record for a Philadelphia quarterback until 2010, withstanding the presence of far more accomplished mobile Eagles quarterbacks over the years like Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb before it finally was exceeded by Michael Vick.

1967: Eagles Win Back-and-Forth Opener Over Redskins

The Philadelphia Eagles were coming off of a 9-5 record in 1966 and had some new faces on the roster as they hosted the Washington Redskins on September 17, 1967. Head Coach Joe Kuharich had developed a reputation for being willing to deal since taking over the reins in ’64. In the most recent offseason, flanker Gary Ballman (pictured above) was obtained from the Steelers and star TE Mike Ditka of the Bears, who had worn out his welcome in Chicago following a contract dispute, was brought in to replace retired TE Pete Retzlaff. QB Norm Snead, who came to the Eagles from Washington in 1964 in a controversial trade for QB Sonny Jurgensen, had suffered through a miserable ’66 season and was benched for the last several games in favor of Jack Concannon and King Hill, but Concannon was traded to the Bears for Ditka, Hill was injured during the preseason, and Snead was now back firmly in the starting job and looking to rebound.

With the Redskins in town for the opening game, coached by Otto Graham for the second year, Snead once more faced Sonny Jurgensen, and the ex-Eagle had a Pro Bowl year in ’66 in which he threw for 3209 yards and 28 touchdowns for the 7-7 club. Charley Taylor, shifted from halfback to split end, led the NFL in pass receptions and, together with flanker Bobby Mitchell and TE Jerry Smith, was part of a formidable receiving corps. The running game was far less impressive, however, and FB Ray McDonald had been chosen in the first round of the draft to address that issue. There were questions regarding the defense, but star MLB Sam Huff was back for his 12^th season as well as a rising talent in OLB Chris Hanburger.

60,755 fans were in attendance at Franklin Field. Things started off with a bang for the Redskins when rookie flanker John Love returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. Charlie Gogolak added the extra point and the visitors were ahead by 7-0 after less than 20 seconds of play.

The Eagles responded by going 80 yards in five plays on their initial series. Norm Snead (pictured below) threw to Mike Ditka for eight yards, FB Tom Woodeshick rushed for a total of five yards on two carries, and, after an illegal procedure call backed the Eagles up, HB Israel “Izzy” Lang ran 13 yards around end for a first down. Snead then went long for Gary Ballman, and it resulted in a 59-yard touchdown. Sam Baker successfully converted to tie the score.

Washington had to punt on its next possession, but got the ball back two plays later when Snead fumbled while being sacked and DE Bill Briggs recovered at the Philadelphia 13. Helped by a holding penalty, the Eagles were able to keep the visitors out of the end zone and Washington settled for a 30-yard Gogolak field goal to move back into the lead.

The Eagles moved the ball effectively on the ground, with Lang and Woodeshick carrying, but Lang fumbled and Sam Huff recovered at his own 38. A few plays later, FB A.D. Whitfield fumbled the ball back and Philadelphia put together a seven-play, 58-yard series. Lang had runs of 12 and 19 yards and Snead completed two passes, the second of which was for a 10-yard TD to Ballman. Baker’s extra point made the score 14-10 in favor of the Eagles.

Heading into the second quarter, Washington put together a promising drive as Sonny Jurgensen completed four passes for 45 yards, but Gogolak was short on a 37-yard field goal attempt. Philadelphia again moved the ball well, starting off with a Snead throw to Ditka for 25 yards, but after reaching Washington territory, a holding penalty and sack moved the Eagles back and they had to punt. The Redskins advanced 73 yards in six plays, four of them pass completions by Jurgensen. The longest was to split end Charley Taylor for 35 yards to the Philadelphia 13 and, two plays later, HB Joe Don Looney ran five yards for a touchdown. Gogolak added the PAT and Washington was now in front in the see-saw battle by a score of 17-14.

Following a 33-yard kickoff return by split end Ben Hawkins, there were just over three minutes left in the half as the Eagles started their next series. On a third-and-eight play, Snead connected with Woodeshick for 30 yards and, two plays later, Ballman caught a pass for a 22-yard gain to the Washington two. Snead scored on a quarterback sneak two plays after that, and with Baker’s kick, Philadelphia took a 21-17 lead into halftime.

The Eagles found themselves trapped deep in their own territory on the first series of the third quarter, and Baker’s punt from his end zone was short and gave the Redskins possession at the Philadelphia 33. Jurgensen immediately threw to Taylor for 10 yards and a first down, but after the possession bogged down at the 18, Gogolak’s 25-yard field goal attempt was blocked by LB Harold Wells.

Philadelphia again had to punt after a short series and this time the visitors didn’t come up empty. The Redskins drove 55 yards in seven plays, the biggest a Jurgensen throw to Taylor that picked up 36 yards. Jurgensen’s third completion of the series was to Jerry Smith for a four-yard TD and, adding Gogolak’s PAT, Washington was again in the lead by 24-21.

The Eagles came out throwing when they got the ball back, with Snead completing three passes before Woodeshick took a handoff on a draw play and broke away for a 40-yard touchdown. Baker converted and the five-play, 63-yard series had Philadelphia back again in front by a score of 28-24.

It was Jurgensen’s turn to fill the air with passes when Washington regained possession, and he connected with Bobby Mitchell for a 43-yard gain to the Philadelphia 32. Throws to Taylor and Smith picked up 12 yards apiece, but three straight passes into the end zone from the 12 yard line fell incomplete and the Eagles blocked another Gogolak try for a field goal on the final play of the period.

The Eagles went three-and-out on their next series and punted and, starting from their own 26, the Redskins again moved down the field. Looney and Ray McDonald ran well and Jurgensen completed three passes. But after reaching the Philadelphia eight, Love, in place of the injured Gogolak, missed on a 15-yard field goal attempt.

The teams traded punts before the Eagles added an insurance score. Snead fired long for Ben Hawkins and it was complete for a 68-yard gain to the Washington six. Three plays later, Woodeshick ran for a one-yard TD, Baker converted, and the home team was in front by 11 points with less than three minutes remaining on the clock. Jurgensen again went to the air and, at one point, completed five straight throws, but after reaching the Philadelphia 33, he was sacked on a fourth down play to effectively end the game. The Eagles came away winners by the score of 35-24.

Philadelphia compiled more total yards (426 to 388) although the Redskins had the edge in first downs (21 to 18). Each team recorded three sacks and the Eagles turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by Washington. The Redskins were hurt by a combined four missed field goals out of five attempts.

Norm Snead completed 18 of 27 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Gary Ballman had four catches for 105 yards and both receiving TDs while Ben Hawkins, thanks to his long catch in the second half, gained an even 100 yards on 5 receptions. Mike Ditka also caught 5 passes, for 42 yards. Izzy Lang rushed for 75 yards on 13 carries and Tom Woodeshick was right behind with 74 yards, also on 13 attempts, with two touchdowns.

For the Redskins, Sonny Jurgensen (pictured below) was successful on 25 of 46 throws for 324 yards and a TD while having none picked off. Charley Taylor caught 8 of those passes for 144 yards and Jerry Smith also hauled in 8 receptions, for 81 yards and a score. Bobby Mitchell contributed 6 catches for 82 yards. Ray McDonald led the rushers by gaining 47 yards on 8 carries.

The Eagles got off to a 3-1 start before dropping four of their next five games on the way to a 6-7-1 record, which placed second in the Capitol Division of the Eastern Conference. Washington ended up third at 5-6-3.

Norm Snead had his most productive season as a passer for the Eagles, throwing for 3399 yards and 29 touchdowns while giving up 24 interceptions. Gary Ballman continued to perform well and caught 36 passes for 524 yards (14.6 avg.) and six TDs, but Mike Ditka missed five games with injuries and ended up with just 26 receptions for 274 yards and two scores. It was Ben Hawkins, in his second year, who broke out in a big way and led the NFL with 1265 yards on his 59 catches (21.4 avg.) that included 10 touchdowns.

Sonny Jurgensen went on to another big season, leading the league in pass attempts (508), completions (288), yards (3747), and TDs (31). Charley Taylor again led the circuit in pass receptions (70) and Jerry Smith (67) and Bobby Mitchell (60) ranked second and fourth. Ray McDonald proved to not be the answer at fullback, however, gaining just 223 rushing yards.