1971: Willie Ellison Runs for 247 Yards as Rams Beat Saints

Prior to the December 5, 1971 game between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints, halfback Willie Ellison had largely labored in obscurity. In his fifth year out of Texas Southern, as part of a stable of good backs in LA he had only occasionally started; in his best season, 1968, he gained 616 yards, but had a combined total of 521 in the other three years. At 6’2” and 210 pounds, he had good speed but was stuck behind bigger backs more to the liking of Head Coach George Allen such as Les Josephson and Larry Smith.

1971 was a year of transition for the Rams, as Allen had been let go following the ’70 season and replaced by Tommy Prothro, a career college coach who had been at UCLA. One of the changes the new head coach made was to utilize Ellison more, and it would lead to his not only achieving a career high in rushing but a place in the record book as well.

Los Angeles was 6-4-1 coming into the game against the Saints at the Memorial Coliseum, a half-game behind the 49ers (7-4) in the NFC West. New Orleans, under Head Coach J.D. Roberts, was struggling at 4-5-2, although the Saints were coming off of a win the week before at Green Bay and had beaten the Rams in the first game of the season. However, rookie QB Archie Manning, who had starred in that opening-day contest, was injured against the Packers and out for the rematch with LA – third-year backup Edd Hargett started in his place.

There were 73,610 fans present at the huge stadium, and they didn’t have to wait long for the Rams to get on the board. On the third play from scrimmage, Ellison ran around end for an 80-yard touchdown. Sprung thanks to a block by perennial Pro Bowl guard Tom Mack on New Orleans FS D’Artagnan Martin, Ellison had clear sailing until he reached the Saints’ 20 and dodged the strong safety, Hugo Hollas, to continue on to the end zone.

The next score was set up when New Orleans punter Julian Fagan, after fielding a bad snap that had gone over his head, launched a punt that went just four yards. LA took over on the New Orleans 33 and capitalized when QB Roman Gabriel completed a 37-yard TD pass to WR Jack Snow.

The Saints then capped an eight-play drive at 9:38 into the opening period as Hargett completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to WR Dan Abramowicz. But no sooner had they cut LA’s lead to seven points when RB Travis Williams returned the ensuing kickoff 105 yards for a TD. The Rams led by 21-7 after one quarter of play.

On LA’s first series of the second quarter, Ellison broke loose for a 48-yard run to the New Orleans 12, but David Ray ended up missing a 15-yard field goal attempt to make it all for naught. However, when the Saints were forced to punt again, WR Lance Rentzel returned it 24 yards to the New Orleans 37. In a drive assisted by a roughing-the-passer penalty on DT Dave Long, Larry Smith ran the final five yards for a TD.

In the final seconds of the second quarter, Gabriel threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Rentzel that capped a drive of 69 yards in 13 plays which included three runs for 33 yards by Ellison. After one half, Los Angeles was comfortably leading 35-7 and Ellison had gained 186 yards rushing on 13 carries.

After building the big first half lead, the Rams played poorly in the third quarter. A series of penalties kept them in bad field position - one was an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Prothro, who stormed onto the field after Gabriel was called for intentional grounding.

New Orleans took advantage of LA’s miscues to score twice. After a 17-yard punt by Pat Studstill from his two yard line, the Saints had excellent field position at the LA 19 and HB Bob Gresham scored from a yard out. Then Ellison fumbled after taking a hard hit and the ball was recovered by Saints LB Jim Flanigan. New Orleans drove 60 yards in seven plays that resulted in a short TD carry by Hargett.

The score was 35-21 after three quarters, putting the Saints in striking distance, but early in the fourth quarter, Gabriel connected with Rentzel for a 39-yard touchdown to cap a 10-play, 65-yard drive that got the Rams back on track. Hargett followed by throwing a desperation pass while pressured by DT Merlin Olsen that was intercepted by CB Jim Nettles at the New Orleans 45. While the Saints scored once more on a second short, one-yard run by Gresham, the outcome was essentially decided.

The only drama remaining pertained to Ellison as he closed in on the single-game rushing record. The existing NFL record had been 237, twice achieved by Cleveland’s Jim Brown, but with the adopting of the American Football League’s records following the merger in 1970, the target was now the 243 yards gained by Cookie Gilchrist of the Bills against the Jets in 1963.

A ten-yard gain put Ellison even with Gilchrist at 243 yards, but then Prothro pulled the halfback for a breather with two minutes left to play, much to the displeasure of the crowd. He returned, to cheers, and broke the record with a two-yard run off left tackle. Ellison added another two-yard run for good measure, bringing his new record total to 247 yards, and left the field to a standing ovation.

The result of the game was almost an afterthought, as Ray kicked a 12-yard field goal to make the final score 45-28.

The Rams easily outgained the Saints, by 421 yards to 263, although they gave up 119 yards as a result of 14 penalties (New Orleans was flagged six times). Willie Ellison’s 247 rushing yards came on 26 carries for a 9.5-yard average gain and included the one long touchdown.

Roman Gabriel completed 10 of 18 passes for 137 yards with three TDs and no interceptions. Lance Rentzel caught 5 passes for 65 yards and two scores to lead the receivers.

For the Saints, Edd Hargett threw 36 passes and was successful on 19 of them for 213 yards with a touchdown and one picked off. Dan Abramowicz and TE Dave Parks both caught five passes, with Abramowicz gaining 91 yards (and scoring a TD) to 46 for the veteran tight end. New Orleans gained just 56 yards on the ground, on 23 carries, and FB Jim Strong led with 33 yards on 7 attempts. While Bob Gresham scored the two short TDs, he averaged less than a yard a carry with 9 yards on 11 attempts.

“Yes, they made me aware of the records (at halftime),” said Ellison afterward. “I knew I needed something like 60 yards to break the NFL mark. But really, I didn't let it concern me. I felt whatever comes will come.”

“Willie Ellison ran like hell all day,” said Saints Coach North. “He has a little bit of everything – including blocking.”

“You need 11 guys to block,” added veteran Rams G Joe Scibelli. “But you also need a guy who knows how to hit the hole. Personally I feel honored to be a part of Willie Ellison's record.”

The record-setting performance (it was broken by Buffalo’s O.J. Simpson in the first week of the 1973 season) gave Willie Ellison 929 yards in 12 games, on his way to an even 1000 yards on 211 carries (4.7 avg.). He also caught 32 passes for 238 yards, but all four of his touchdowns came on the ground. Ellison led the team with 764 yards in ’72, but by the following year he was playing fullback in Kansas City, where his career ended in 1974 (returning to the obscurity from whence he had come).

The Rams ended up with an 8-5-1 record to again finish second to San Francisco in the NFC West; following a losing season in 1972, Prothro would be out as coach. New Orleans lost its last two games to conclude with a 4-8-2 tally, once again at the bottom of the division (the Saints would not escape the NFC West cellar until 1974).

2005: Chambers Has Record-Setting Day as Dolphins Rally to Beat Bills

The December 4, 2005 game at Dolphin Stadium between host Miami and the Buffalo Bills featured two 4-7 teams. The Dolphins, under the direction of first-year Head Coach Nick Saban, had just won for the first time in four weeks the game before. The offense was led by QB Gus Frerotte, a 34-year-old journeyman, and had been without RB Ricky Williams for the first four weeks due to a suspension for substance abuse.

The Bills were reeling under Head Coach Mike Mularkey. The club had parted company with veteran QB Drew Bledsoe in the offseason and handed the offense over to their 2004 first draft pick and quarterback-in-waiting, J.P. Losman. The inexperienced quarterback was struggling, and it was showing in the won-lost column.

The first quarter was dominated by the Bills. On the fourth play from scrimmage, Losman connected with WR Lee Evans for a 46-yard touchdown and quick 7-0 lead. On Miami’s third play, WR Chris Chambers (pictured above) caught a pass from Frerotte that gained 20 yards, but he fumbled when hit by CB Nate Clements and the Bills recovered at their own 44 yard line. Losman immediately went to Evans again, this time for a 56-yard TD.

Later in the period, following a 36-yard punt return by WR Roscoe Parrish to the Miami 26, Buffalo took six plays to score again, on a much shorter Losman-to-Evans pass that covered four yards. The score stood at 21-0 after one quarter of action.

The Dolphins snuffed out another threat in the second quarter when the Bills drove to the Miami 15 but Losman fumbled when sacked by LB Donnie Spragan and LB Channing Crowder recovered for the Dolphins. Still, Miami’s offense couldn’t move until the last drive of the half. Frerotte completed five passes as the Dolphins advanced to the Buffalo five yard line, but had to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Olindo Mare. The Bills led by 21-3 at halftime.

Buffalo added to its lead in the third quarter when Frerotte was sacked in his end zone by LB London Fletcher for a safety. Suffering a concussion on the play, the veteran quarterback did not return. Meanwhile, the Bills drove to the Dolphins’ three and faced a first-and-goal situation when Losman was intercepted by CB Sam Madison. The Dolphins weren’t able to immediately capitalize, as backup QB Sage Rosenfels, running a no-huddle offense through much of the ensuing possession, drove the team down to the Buffalo nine but turned the ball over on downs with just seconds remaining in the period.

Following a Buffalo punt, the Dolphins were more successful on their next possession as Williams capped a nine-play, 70-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run. Still, the score was 23-10 in favor of the visitors. But the Bills had to punt again, and once more Miami, going without a huddle for much of the way, scored on 23-yard pass play from Rosenfels to RB Ronnie Brown. Buffalo’s lead was narrowed to 23-17.

It seemed as though the margin would hold up when Rosenfels was intercepted by DE Aaron Schobel near midfield on the next Miami possession. The Bills took over with 2:29 remaining to play. The Dolphins called two timeouts and took advantage of the two-minute warning to get the ball back at their 27 yard line following a punt.

Only about 25,000 of the original crowd of 72,051 were still on hand as the Dolphins drove down the field. Rosenfels hit Chambers for a 57-yard gain to the Buffalo 16. Eight plays later, on fourth-and-four and with six second left, Rosenfels lobbed a pass from four yards out that Chambers came down with for a touchdown. Mare kicked the extra point and the Dolphins came away with a 24-23 comeback win. All of their touchdowns had occurred in the final period.

The Dolphins had not overcome a margin as large as 20 points since 1974. They outgained Buffalo, 434 yards to 294, and had 26 first downs to 16 for the Bills. Miami accumulated 387 net passing yards, going to the air a team-record 65 times, with Chris Chambers setting new franchise single game records with 15 catches for 238 yards.

Sage Rosenfels (pictured below) accounted for 272 of the passing yards while completing 22 of 37 passes with two touchdowns and an interception. Before getting knocked out of the game, Gus Frerotte was successful on 12 of 28 throws for 115 yards and had no scores or interceptions. Ricky Williams was the leading rusher, gaining 46 yards on 11 carries with a TD.


J.P. Losman completed 13 of 26 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns – all in the first quarter – and had one picked off. Wasted (and overshadowed by Chambers) was a fine performance by Lee Evans with 5 pass receptions for 117 yards and all three TDs. RB Willis McGahee gained 81 yards rushing on 27 attempts. The failure to take advantage of opportunities to pad the lead ultimately proved disastrous for Buffalo.

“We really like for everyone to get their money's worth,” Nick Saban joked afterward. “You talk about playing 60 minutes, and it's a cliche, but this was an example of that today.”

“I took a quick, deep breath and said, ‘Relax,’” Rosenfels said regarding the pass to Chambers for the game-winning score. “The clock was running. We figured whatever coverage they were in, the best play was to throw it up for Chris.”

From the Buffalo perspective, a disappointed Losman said, “Nobody will know how this feels unless they've been in the locker room. I can't really describe it, because I'm no Shakespeare.”

The win proved to be a high point in a season-ending surge for Miami. The Dolphins won six straight to close out the schedule for a 9-7 tally. It was good enough for second place in the AFC East, although not a playoff spot. Buffalo kept going in the wrong direction, winning just once more and finishing at 5-11 and third in the division. Both Coach Mularkey and GM Tom Donahoe were dismissed.

In his fifth season, the huge performance against Buffalo by Chris Chambers was considered a turning point. He ended up setting career highs in receptions (82), yards (1118), matched his previous best with 11 touchdowns, and was selected to the Pro Bowl. But his performance dropped off in ’06 and during a disastrous 2007 season for the team, he was dealt away to the Chargers. As the record-setting game against Buffalo showed, Chambers had outstanding ability, but he lacked consistency and was dogged by injuries (he wasn’t helped by instability at quarterback).

In his second year, Lee Evans (pictured below) caught 48 passes for 743 yards (15.5 avg.) and seven touchdowns; his best seasons were yet to come. J.P. Losman passed for 1340 yards with eight touchdowns and as many interceptions – more critically, the team’s won-lost record with him as the starting quarterback was a woeful 1-7 and, between ineffectiveness and injury, twice lost the job to Kelly Holcomb. While 2006 proved to be a better year for him, ultimately his tenure in Buffalo was a disappointment.

2000: Four NFL Runners Reach 200 Yards on Same Day

As much as modern pro football has become more pass-oriented, running the ball is still an integral part of the game and running backs still achieve big performances. December 3, 2000 was a day for ground-gaining achievements as an unprecedented four NFL runners gained 200 yards rushing on the same date.

The highest total was registered by rookie RB Mike Anderson of the Denver Broncos (pictured at right), who had 251 yards on 37 carries in a game against the Saints at the Louisiana Superdome. Both the 6’0”, 230-pound Anderson and the Broncos had been on a hot streak. Denver had won six of its last seven games, including four straight, coming into the contest against the 8-4 Saints. Anderson had already gone over 100 yards on four occasions and twice flirted with 200, including 195 the week before at Seattle, making the most of his opportunity to play after injuries had cut down veterans Terrell Davis and Olandis Gary.

Anderson scored the first of his four touchdowns (all by rushing) in the opening period and his second TD, of five yards, in the second quarter put the Broncos ahead to stay. They won handily, 38-23.

Cincinnati RB Corey Dillon, who at the time held the NFL single-game record with 278 yards in a game that he set just six weeks before on October 22 (coincidentally, against Denver), reached the 200-yard threshold for the second time in 2000 with 216 on 35 attempts against the 3-9 Arizona Cardinals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals had not been as successful as the 6’1”, 225-pound fourth-year running back out of Washington – they were 2-10 entering the game and had lost four straight.


Dillon (pictured at left) set the pace from the start, running for 57 yards on the team’s second play from scrimmage to set up a short TD pass from QB Scott Mitchell to TE Tony McGee. By the half, he had gained 134 yards and scored on a one-yard TD run to extend Cincinnati’s lead to 14-0. It was 21-0 in the third quarter before the Cardinals began to come back and narrowed the margin to 21-13. But Dillon, along with RB Brandon Bennett, keyed a long, 17-play fourth quarter drive that ran the clock down and ended with a 32-yard Neil Rackers field goal to cap the 24-13 win.

At Tampa Bay’s Raymond James Stadium, fourth-year RB Warrick Dunn gained 210 yards on 22 rushes with two touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys. The Buccaneers were 7-5, and had won four of their last five, while Dallas was a dismal 4-8. The 5’8”, 180-pound Dunn typically split duty with FB Mike Alstott, who was struggling with injuries, and with more of an opportunity to run the ball had his first 100-yard game of the year the previous week (106 vs. Buffalo).

Tampa Bay dominated the Cowboys throughout the game. It was already 3-0 in the first quarter when Dunn took off on a 70-yard run for the first touchdown of the game. He scored again in the fourth quarter on a seven-yard carry that made the final tally 27-7. It was the third 200-yard rushing performance of the year against the Cowboys, who had given up just two such performances over the previous 40 seasons, and also marked Tampa Bay’s first-ever win over Dallas.


Finally, RB Curtis Martin of the New York Jets (pictured at right) rolled up a then-club-record 203 yards on 30 carries at Giants Stadium against the Indianapolis Colts. The Jets were 8-4 and battling the 7-5 Colts in the AFC East. The 5’11”, 210-pound Martin was in his third year in New York after three seasons with the Patriots and had been to the Pro Bowl three times. He had been over a hundred yards twice thus far in 2000.

The Jets were ahead by 7-0 in the first quarter when Martin’s 36-yard run keyed a drive that was capped by a 13-yard touchdown pass from QB Vinny Testaverde to WR Dedric Ward. It was 20-0 at halftime, but the Colts came back in the second half to close to within 20-17. A fumble recovery by the Jets set up a two-yard scoring run by Martin that clinched the 27-17 win for New York.

Mike Anderson not only led the day but, of the four, had the highest yardage total of the season with 1487, fourth-ranked in the league, on 297 carries. His 5.0 average gain ranked third and 15 rushing touchdowns second (and first in the AFC). It was the high point of his seven-season career in which he reached the thousand-yard mark just once more (1014 in 2005). He did not have any more 200-yard games.

Corey Dillon was right behind Anderson at fifth in the NFL with 1435 yards on 315 carries. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry and scored seven touchdowns. It was the fourth of an eventual six straight thousand-yard seasons and was his highest yardage total with the Bengals, although his career high of 1635 came with New England in 2004. Dillon was named to the Pro Bowl for the second of three straight years (and four overall).Including a 246-yard game as a rookie in 1997, and with the two in 2000, he ended up with a total of three 200-yard games for his career.

Curtis Martin ended up with a 12th-ranked 1204 yards on 316 attempts for a 3.8-yard average and nine touchdowns. Factoring in pass receiving yards, however, he ranked ninth in yards from scrimmage with 1712, the highest total of the four. Also the most prolific rusher of the group, his thousand-yard season was the sixth of an eventual 10 straight to start his career, a distinction he shares with Detroit’s Barry Sanders (Emmitt Smith had 11 consecutive, but that streak started with his second season). Martin led the NFL with a career-high 1697 yards in 2004, at age 31, when he was a consensus 1st-team All-NFL selection. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl five times. The performance against the Colts was his only career 200-yard game.


Warrick Dunn (pictured at left) ranked 18th with 1133 yards on 248 attempts. His 4.6-yard average gain ranked considerably higher, tying him for seventh in the league with Dillon. He scored eight touchdowns on the ground. It was the second thousand-yard season of an eventual five for Dunn, with his career high being 1416 with the Falcons in 2005. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2000 for the second of three times. Like Anderson and Martin, the game against the Cowboys marked his only rushing total over 200 yards.

2001: Cardinals Tie Raiders in Wild 4th Quarter, Win in OT

On the surface, the game between the Arizona Cardinals and host Oakland Raiders on December 2, 2001 at Network Associates Coliseum didn’t seem to be a promising matchup. Under Head Coach Dave McGinnis, in his first full season at the helm, the perennially underachieving Cardinals were 4-6, although they were riding a two-game winning streak. QB Jake Plummer (pictured at right), known for his inconsistency but also his late-game heroics, had come out of a midseason slump and was at his best throwing to WR David Boston.

The Raiders, coached by Jon Gruden, were 8-2 entering the contest. With QB Rich Gannon, whose career reached its pinnacle in Oakland, they ran a conservative, ball-control offense that proved highly effective. But the defense was beginning to show its age, although there was still plenty of talent.

Oakland got the first break of the game when LB Greg Biekert recovered a fumble by Plummer at the Arizona 23 yard line. Five plays later, Gannon passed to WR Tim Brown for a five-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead.

The Cardinals came back, driving 73 yards in seven plays. A four-yard run to the 50 by Plummer in a third-and-two situation kept the drive alive, and then RB Michael Pittman ran 42 yards to the Oakland eight. RB Thomas Jones scored on a five-yard run that tied the score.

The Raiders missed an opportunity to regain the lead early in the second quarter when a 41-yard field goal attempt by Sebastian Janikowski was blocked by DE Fred Wakefield. The Cardinals moved in front instead on an impressive drive in which Plummer completed a 21-yard pass to Boston on a third-and-ten play and Pittman contributed a 22-yard run down to the Oakland 15. Pittman capped the possession with a one-yard carry for a 14-7 lead.

Following a 55-yard punt return by WR Arnold Jackson to the Raiders’ 39, the Cardinals went 34 yards in nine plays capped by a 23-yard Bill Gramatica field goal to extend their margin to 17-7. It was 20-7 in favor of Arizona at halftime as Gramatica added another field goal, of 26 yards, in the last minute of the half.

Oakland scored the only points in the third quarter on a 12-play drive. RB Zack Crockett ran for seven yards in a fourth-and-one situation to the Arizona 24, and Crockett helped sustain the drive again with a four-yard run to the 12 on third-and-two. Fittingly, Crockett scored a TD from one yard out to narrow the Cards’ margin to 20-14.

Gannon, who had thrown only two interceptions in the first ten games, had tossed two in the first three quarters, and one was particularly costly deep in Arizona territory that CB Tom Knight returned for 43 yards. The Cardinals converted that turnover into a 33-yard field goal by Gramatica early in the fourth quarter. However, Gannon and the Raiders responded by driving 67 yards in five plays, capped by a 22-yard touchdown pass from Gannon to Brown.

The score remained 23-21 in favor of Arizona until the Raiders completed a 10-play drive with a 24-yard Janikowski field goal with 1:52 remaining on the clock. The Cardinals needed just 29 seconds to respond as Plummer completed a 20-yard pass to WR MarTay Jenkins to midfield and then Boston burned star Oakland CB Charles Woodson as he caught a 50-yard touchdown pass. Plummer successfully ran for a two-point conversion and Arizona was back in front at 31-24 with 1:10 now left.

It was plenty of time for Gannon and the Raiders to come back. The 14th-year veteran quarterback completed passes of 22 yards to venerable WR Jerry Rice on a third-and-ten play, 10 yards to RB Charlie Garner, and 36 yards to Rice down to the Cards’ 10 yard line. On a broken play, Gannon pump-faked and then ran for eight yards, getting out of bounds at the two with 15 seconds remaining. On fourth-and-goal, he then tossed a two-yard TD pass to Rice and, with the successful conversion, the game went into overtime tied at 31-31.

The game was decided in overtime when the Cardinals were forced to punt and Oakland WR David Dunn muffed the kick. Arizona LB LeVar Woods recovered at the Raiders’ 25 and three plays later, at 7:29 into the extra period, Gramatica won the game with a 36-yard field goal. The Cardinals came away with a 34-31 win.

Oakland outgained Arizona with 436 yards to 390, and also led in first downs, 26 to 24. However, they turned the ball over three times, to once by the Cardinals, and that ultimately proved costly.

Jake Plummer completed 22 of 38 passes for 249 yards with a touchdown and none intercepted. David Boston caught 6 passes for 106 yards and a TD, and MarTay Jenkins contributed 6 receptions for 90 yards. Michael Pittman was the team rushing leader with 78 yards on 18 carries and a score.


Rich Gannon (pictured at left) had 29 completions in 45 attempts for 302 yards with three TDs and two interceptions; he also ran the ball seven times for 30 yards. Jerry Rice had 7 pass receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown and Tim Brown added another 5 catches for 63 yards and two TDs. Charlie Garner was Oakland’s leading rusher with 59 yards on 15 attempts and added another 28 yards on 5 receptions out of the backfield.

Arizona lost three of its last five games to conclude with a 7-9 record, tied with the Giants for third in the NFC East. The Raiders won their next two contests but faltered with three losses to conclude the regular season. Still, their 10-6 tally was good enough to win the AFC West and they won in the Wild Card playoff round before losing a close decision to New England in the Divisional round.

Rich Gannon led the AFC in passing with a 95.5 rating and also in touchdown passes (27) and completion percentage (65.8). His 1.6 INT percentage was the lowest among NFL qualifiers and he was named to the Pro Bowl.

Jake Plummer threw for 3653 yards and had 18 touchdown passes to 14 interceptions – the only time in his six seasons with the Cardinals that he had fewer interceptions than TD passes.


David Boston (pictured at right) led the NFL with 1598 pass receiving yards; his 98 catches ranked seventh (third in the NFC). He was a consensus 1st-team All-Pro selection and was picked for the Pro Bowl.

The pass receiving combination of Tim Brown and Jerry Rice, with a combined total of 31 pro seasons, was highly productive. Each caught nine touchdown passes, while Brown pulled in 91 receptions for 1165 yards and Rice had 83 catches for 1139 yards. Brown was selected to the Pro Bowl.

1994: Vikings Prevail Over Bears with Moon-to-Carter TD in Overtime

The Minnesota Vikings had obtained 37-year-old QB Warren Moon (pictured at right) from the Houston Oilers after the 1993 season, with the hope that, having fallen short in the postseason in 1992 and ’93, the addition of the prolific passer would take them deeper into the playoffs. For sure, the addition of Moon, who had been operating in a pass-heavy run-and-shoot offense in Houston, changed the complexion of the offense and Head Coach Dennis Green’s team got off to a 7-2 start in ’94. But coming into the December 1 game against the Chicago Bears, the Vikings had lost three straight and were 7-5.

The Bears, under second-year Head Coach Dave Wannstedt, had won four consecutive games and were 8-4, putting them ahead of Minnesota in the NFC Central division. QB Erik Kramer had been brought in as a free agent to direct the offense, but struggled when he wasn’t injured. Fifth-year veteran Steve Walsh had been effective in his place – a career backup with a notoriously weak arm, he was also a smart game manager who could be effective in a conservative offense. Chicago was a team of no-names, but it was in the thick of the playoff race and had not lost with Walsh starting at quarterback.

There were 61,483 fans for the Thursday night game at the Metrodome. Things started off well for the Vikings when, on the game’s third play from scrimmage, CB Dewayne Washington intercepted a Walsh pass and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown. The Bears came right back, however, driving 67 yards in nine plays with Walsh throwing to RB Robert Green for a 39-yard TD to tie the score at 7-7.

The teams traded punts until midway through the second quarter when Fuad Reveiz kicked a 45-yard field goal that put the Vikings ahead again at 10-7. After LB Ashley Sheppard recovered a Walsh fumble with just under two minutes left in the half, Minnesota put more points on the board as Reveiz booted a 41-yard field goal on the last play of the half. It was 13-7 in favor of the Vikings at the intermission.

Minnesota went three-and-out in the first possession of the third quarter, and the ensuing punt was returned 60 yards for a touchdown by WR Jeff Graham. With the successful extra point, the Bears were in front for the first time at 14-13. The Vikings responded by driving 55 yards in 10 plays, and Reveiz kicked his third field goal, of 29 yards, to put Minnesota back in the lead at 16-14.

Chicago came back to score again. An 11-play, 64-yard drive that was highlighted by a 30-yard pass completion from Walsh to WR Greg McMurtry resulted in a 29-yard field goal by Kevin Butler and renewed lead of 17-16. That one-point margin expanded quickly when Minnesota WR Qadry Ismail fumbled the kickoff return and LB Barry Minter recovered for the Bears at the Vikings’ 33 yard line. Three plays later Walsh passed to McMurtry for a 15-yard touchdown and Chicago had a 24-16 lead after three quarters.

Early in the fourth quarter, Reveiz kicked a fourth field goal for the Vikings, from 38 yards, to narrow the score to 24-19. The teams traded punts, but a fumble by Bears RB Lewis Tillman gave Minnesota the ball at the Chicago 15 yard line. The Vikings capitalized when Moon tossed a one-yard touchdown pass to WR Cris Carter. Following a successful two-point conversion on a Moon pass to TE Andrew Jordan, Minnesota was back in front at 27-24.

Still, the Bears came back as WR Nate Lewis returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards and Butler tied the game just after the two-minute warning on a 33-yard field goal. Both teams had opportunities to win in regulation, but after trading punts, a long bomb by Moon was intercepted by CB Donnell Woolford at the Chicago three yard line.

The Bears won the toss in the overtime period and appeared set to win as they drove to the Minnesota 22 in nine plays. But Butler’s 40-yard field goal attempt was wide to the left, and two plays later Moon connected with Carter for a 65-yard touchdown that produced a 33-27 win for the Vikings.


Minnesota outgained the Bears, 385 yards to 312, and had 21 first downs to Chicago’s 15. Warren Moon completed 27 of 48 passes for 306 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Cris Carter (pictured at left) caught 9 passes for 124 yards and two TDs. RB Terry Allen gained 74 yards rushing on 18 carries.

For the Bears, Steve Walsh was successful on 24 of 33 passes for 233 yards with two TDs and one picked off. Robert Green led the receivers with 6 catches for 69 yards and a touchdown out of the backfield, and ran the ball three times for 15 more yards. Lewis Tillman led the running attack with just 49 yards on 21 attempts.

Minnesota went on to place first in the NFC Central with a 10-6 record while the 9-7 Bears, along with Green Bay and Detroit, made it into the playoffs as a wild card team (officially, due to tiebreakers, they finished fourth in the division). Chicago had lost both of its games against the Vikings during the season, but avenged the losses in the Wild Card playoff by a score of 35-18. The Bears lost to the 49ers in the Divisional playoff game.

Warren Moon became the first 4000-yard passer in Vikings history, with an NFC-leading 4264. However, while he threw 18 touchdown passes, he also ranked second in the league with 19 interceptions.

Cris Carter set a new NFL record with 122 pass receptions and ranked seventh in the NFL in receiving yards with 1256. While he would duplicate the pass receiving total in ’95, Detroit’s Herman Moore broke the record with 123 catches.

Steve Walsh (pictured below) went 8-3 as the starting quarterback for the Bears, and while Moon outranked him in the passing rankings (79.9 to 77.9), Walsh had the lower interception percentage (2.3 to 3.2). However, he threw just 10 TD passes to his 8 interceptions and averaged a lowly 6.1 yards per attempt. He went back on the bench in ’95 and started a total of three games (all in 1996 with the Rams) in the remaining five years of his career.

1987: Bo Jackson Runs for 221 Yards as Raiders Beat Seahawks

After a Heisman Trophy-winning career at Auburn, RB Bo Jackson followed a different path than usual in proceeding into the pro ranks. He was drafted first overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1986, but opted to sign with major league baseball’s Kansas City Royals instead. After playing minor league baseball and getting a brief call-up by the Royals in ’86, he played for KC in 1987. He also was eligible for the NFL draft again, having never signed with the Bucs, and the Los Angeles Raiders took him in the seventh round.

Unlike the Buccaneers, who insisted on his making a choice between football and baseball, the Raiders offered a unique arrangement in which Jackson could play football once his baseball season was concluded. The 6’1”, 225-pound outfielder/running back agreed, and seven games into the 1987 NFL season, Jackson debuted with the Raiders.

Los Angeles had won its first three games and then lost three by the time Jackson joined the team (due to a players’ strike, three of the contests were played with replacement players – those wearing Raiders uniforms went 1-2). The club had plenty of problems, but it already had an outstanding running back in Marcus Allen. The rookie split time in his first few games, and after four games he had gained 254 yards on 41 carries for a healthy 6.2-yard average gain and two touchdowns. On November 30, 1987, Jackson’s 25th birthday, he broke out in a big way.

The Raiders had continued to lose, although the last two had been by close scores, and were now at seven straight defeats by the time they took on the Seattle Seahawks at the Kingdome in the Week 11 Monday night contest. The Seahawks were 7-3 under Head Coach Chuck Knox and still had a solid core on offense with QB Dave Krieg, WR Steve Largent, and RB Curt Warner behind an aging but effective line. However, the defense was vulnerable against the run, and that would prove to be a significant factor against the Raiders.

Things didn’t start auspiciously for Jackson when he lost a yard on his first carry and then fumbled the ball away on his second. Following the fumble, the Seahawks drove 64 yards on nine plays that concluded with Kreig throwing to WR Daryl Turner for a 19-yard touchdown.

The Raiders came back in short order as QB Marc Wilson completed passes of 21 yards to TE Todd Christensen, 17 yards to WR Dokie Williams, and 46 yards and a TD to WR James Lofton. Jackson didn’t play much of a role in this drive, carrying once for four yards, but after LA took over again near the end of the opening period following a Seattle punt, he took off for a 15-yard gain to start the possession. The Raiders drove to another touchdown early in the second quarter, with Jackson catching a 14-yard pass from Wilson in the corner of the end zone for a 14-7 lead.

On the third play following another punt by the Seahawks, Jackson took a handoff at his own nine yard line and sprinted 91 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown – the longest run in Raiders history. That was it for the rookie in the first half, as Marcus Allen handled the running in the last two series of the half. Los Angeles added two field goals by Chris Bahr, of 23 and 47 yards, to take a stunning 27-7 lead at halftime (Seattle’s Norm Johnson missed a 54-yard attempt on the final play of the half). Bo Jackson had gained 122 yards on seven carries and a score and had the one catch for the 14-yard TD.

The Raiders took the second half kickoff and drove 75 yards in seven plays, highlighted by two Jackson carries – the first, a 42-yard run to the Seattle 22 and then, taking a pitchout at the two yard line, a touchdown in which he ran over the Seahawks’ highly-touted rookie linebacker, Brian Bosworth.

LA scored once more, on a possession that started with safety Vann McElroy intercepting a Krieg pass, as Bahr booted a 23-yard field goal to extend the lead to 37-7. Seattle finally scored again, on a three-yard touchdown pass from Krieg to TE Mike Tice near the end of the third quarter, but the outcome had long been decided. The final score was 37-14 in favor of the Raiders.

The statistics reflected LA’s domination of the Seahawks as the Raiders accumulated 507 total yards to 167 for Seattle. Of the Los Angeles total, 356 came on the ground, and Bo Jackson accounted for 221 yards on 18 carries with two TDs – while his 12.3-yard average gain was impressive enough, he had actually rolled up 202 on his first 11 attempts, before the Raiders turned conservative in the fourth quarter while running out the clock, an 18.4-yard average. The yardage total was a single-game franchise record that was eventually exceeded by Napoleon Kaufman in 1997.

Marcus Allen also carried the ball 18 times, for 76 yards - in addition, he threw a key block from the fullback position that launched Jackson on his 91-yard run. Marc Wilson completed 11 of 18 passes for 159 yards with two TDs and no interceptions. Dokie Williams was the leading receiver with 4 catches for 47 yards (James Lofton’s 46-yard TD reception was his only catch of the night).

The Seahawks were far less successful running the ball, gaining just 37 yards on 16 carries. Curt Warner led the way with 26 yards on 11 attempts. Dave Krieg went to the air 31 times and completed 17 for 170 yards with two touchdowns and two intercepted. WR Paul Skansi caught 4 passes for 54 yards.

“He’s awesome…he’s just awesome,” said veteran Raiders LB Rod Martin of Jackson afterward. “I mean, with the talent he has, I don’t know why he’d be looking for a curveball to hit.”

Bo Jackson would keep making it look easy, and would impress both football and baseball observers with his talent before a devastating hip injury curtailed both careers. In 1987, over the course of seven games he ended up running for 554 yards on just 81 carries for a 6.8-yard average and four touchdowns; Jackson added a career-high 16 catches for 136 yards and two scores.

As for the Raiders, it was a highlight in an otherwise gloomy year. In the 15-game season (the players’ strike resulted in the loss of one week of play), they finished with a 5-10 record, their worst since 1962, for fourth place in the AFC West. Seattle went 9-6 to place second in the division and secure a wild card spot in the postseason. The Seahawks lost to Houston in the first round.

1934: Bears Edge Lions in Thanksgiving Showdown

A Thanksgiving tradition began on November 29, 1934 when the Detroit Lions hosted the Chicago Bears at the University of Detroit’s Titan Stadium. The Lions, transplanted from Portsmouth, Ohio, where they played as the Spartans from 1930-33, were 10-1 entering the contest, having run off a record seven straight shutouts to start the season. They had lost to Green Bay for the first time the previous Sunday, by a score of 3-0, and had given up a total of 30 points in all.

Star tailback Dutch Clark had come out of a year’s retirement to lead a talented backfield for Head Coach George “Potsy” Clark’s club that included FB Ace Gutowsky, wingback Ernie Caddel, and tailback Glenn Presnell. End Buster Mitchell and guard Ox Emerson were All-Pro-calibre players.

The Bears were the defending NFL champions and came into the contest undefeated at 11-0. Under the direction of George Halas, the owner and head coach, Chicago typically dominated opponents and had only allowed two teams to score in double figures all season.

There was a sellout crowd of 25,000 fans in attendance for the Western Division showdown, and the game was broadcast nationally on radio (new Lions owner George Richards was a radio executive). Detroit got the first break of the day, with a defensive play that set up the first touchdown. With the Bears at their own 36, Mitchell intercepted a deflected pass by QB Carl Brumbaugh and returned it to the Chicago four yard line. Gutowsky ran for a touchdown from there and Clark drop-kicked the extra point.

The Bears tied the game thanks to HB Gene Ronzani scoring on a 14-yard pass into the end zone from QB Keith Molesworth early in the second quarter, with Jack Manders (pictured at top) adding the extra point on a placekick. The play was set up on a long completion by the same combination of Molesworth to Ronzani that put Chicago in scoring position.


The Lions regained the lead when Presnell kicked a 42-yard field goal. Gutowsky (pictured at left) powered over again for another touchdown shortly thereafter, capping a drive that began at the Detroit 35, but Clark’s extra point attempt was blocked. The Lions were up by 16-7 at the half. In the third quarter, Manders kicked field goals of 21 and 42 yards, cutting Detroit’s lead to 16-13.

The key play of the game occurred in the fourth quarter when G Joe Zeller intercepted a Gutowsky pass at his own 46 and returned it to the Detroit four yard line, where Gutowsky himself finally pulled him down. Two plunges into the line gained two yards, but then FB Bronko Nagurski, faking another run, instead reared up and floated a pass to end Bill Hewitt in the end zone for what proved to be the winning touchdown. Nagurski’s PAT attempt was blocked.

The Lions drove from their own 20 to the Chicago 14 yard line but gave up the ball on downs with less than a minute to play, clinching the 19-16 win for the Bears.

Detroit outrushed the Bears with 201 yards to 116 and led in first downs, 14 to 6, but Chicago’s passing attack and the kicking of Manders made the difference.

The win clinched the Western Division title for the Bears, and they emphasized the point by beating the Lions again in the season finale the following week in Chicago. Thus, they ended the season with a perfect 13-0 record, but were upset by the Giants in the NFL Championship game. Detroit finished second at 10-3.

Bill Hewitt’s game-winning touchdown reception was one of a league-leading five TD catches, out of a total of 11 receptions (Hewitt pictured below, #56 without helmet).

Jack Manders led the NFL with 10 field goals (by comparison, the five runners-up, which included Glenn Presnell and Dutch Clark, had four apiece), 28 extra points, and 76 points (Clark was the runner-up in both categories with 13 PATs and 73 points), showing why he earned the nickname “Automatic Jack”.

The Thanksgiving Day game was considered a success and, except for a brief hiatus during World War II, the Lions have continued to host a game every Thanksgiving.