1948: Sanders Leads Yankees to Win Over Brooklyn

The All-America Football Conference kicked off its 1948 season with games in Brooklyn and Chicago on August 27. The contest in Brooklyn featured the league’s two New York City-based teams, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees. Both operated out of single-wing offenses, but the similarities ended there.

The Dodgers had struggled during the AAFC’s first two seasons, losing money while posting identical 3-10-1 records. The franchise had been purchased by the baseball Dodgers at the suggestion of Branch Rickey, the pioneering major league executive who hoped to prove equally adept at operating a pro football team. The Dodgers had a new head coach, Carl Voyles, and a star rookie tailback in Bob Chappuis from Michigan to join holdover Bob Hoernschemeyer.

The Yankees had been much more successful under Head Coach Ray Flaherty, who had led the NFL Redskins to championships, dominating the Eastern Division in 1946 and ’47 while posting a combined 21-5-2 regular season tally. They had lost the league championship game in both instances to the Cleveland Browns, but were a talented team that included small (5’5”, 170-pound) but quick HB Buddy Young, ends Jack Russell and Bruce Alford, and most significantly, tailback Orban (Spec) Sanders (pictured above), an all-around talent who led the AAFC in rushing in each of the first two seasons, including 1432 yards and 19 touchdowns in ’47.

There were 16,411 fans in attendance at Ebbets Field for the game played on a Friday night in 92-degree heat. That it felt far more like baseball than football weather was enhanced by those in attendance who were listening to the game between the baseball Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds on portable radios.

Brooklyn outplayed the Yankees in the first half, although both teams appeared sluggish in the heat. Chappuis and Hoernschemeyer led the passing attack, but the Dodgers managed to score only once, on a 17-yard Lee Tevis field goal in the second quarter to hold a 3-0 lead at halftime.

New York’s offense came alive in the third quarter, and it was Sanders who keyed the rally. Four minutes into the second half, he gained 27 yards on consecutive carries, including an eight-yard run for a touchdown as he powered into the end zone with DB Carl Allen on his back.

Following Brooklyn’s next possession, the Yankees moved the ball to their 40 yard line and Sanders ran off tackle and went untouched for a 60-yard TD. In sudden fashion, New York had taken a 14-3 lead and control of the game.

While Sanders keyed the offense and with the game still in the third quarter, rookie tailback Tom Casey came up with the most sensational play of all when he returned a punt an AAFC-record 94 yards for a touchdown. Harvey Johnson followed with his third extra point of the game, giving him a total of 43 straight to break his own prior record of 42.

There was no further scoring, but the three-touchdown outburst in the third quarter was more than enough to propel the Yankees to a 21-3 win.

New York outgained the Dodgers, 333 yards to 233, with 250 of that total coming on the ground. The Yankees also accumulated 15 first downs, to Brooklyn’s 11. Spec Sanders carried the ball just 11 times, but gained 147 yards and scored two touchdowns.

The opening win was not a prelude of another division-winning season for the Yankees, however. They lost their next four games, by which point the highly-regarded Flaherty was gone and replaced by Red Strader. While the team rallied somewhat in the second half of the year, it could not overcome the 2-6 start and finished in third place at 6-8 – still only a game behind the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Colts, who tied for the division title at 7-7 (the Bills won the playoff, thus earning the dubious honor of being the team thrashed by the undefeated Browns in the title game).

Despite Branch Rickey’s efforts, the Dodgers finished last with their worst record of all, 2-12. The baseball Dodgers sold the franchise back to the league, and it was merged with the Yankees for the AAFC’s last season in 1949.

Running into injury problems over the course of the season, Spec Sanders didn’t lead the league in rushing in ’48, but finished fourth with 759 yards on 169 carries that included nine TDs. Adding in 918 passing yards, Sanders generated 1677 yards of total offense to rank seventh in the league (just behind Brooklyn’s Chappuis with 310 yards on the ground and 1402 through the air for a total of 1712). A knee injury knocked him out of the 1949 season, but he returned to play for the New York Yanks of the NFL in 1950 and, as a defensive back, led the league with 13 interceptions.

MVP Profile: Len Dawson, 1962

Quarterback, Dallas Texans



Age: 27
6th season in pro football, 1st in AFL & with Texans
College: Purdue
Height: 6’0” Weight: 190

Prelude:
Highly regarded coming out of college, Dawson was taken in the first round of the 1957 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. After sitting on the bench and throwing just 17 passes in three years, he was dealt to Cleveland, where he backed up Milt Plum for two seasons. He requested his release from the Browns and joined his former backfield coach at Purdue, Hank Stram, who had gone on to become the head coach of the AFL’s Dallas Texans. Stram worked intensively with Dawson, rusty from his years as a reserve, and he took over as the team’s starting quarterback.

1962 Season Summary
Appeared and started in all 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 310 [4]
Most attempts, game – 33 at Buffalo 12/2
Completions – 189 [3]
Most completions, game – 19 vs. NY Titans 10/21, vs. Houston 11/4
Yards – 2759 [3]
Most yards, game – 306 at Boston 10/12
Completion percentage – 61.0 [1]
Yards per attempt – 8.9 [1]
TD passes – 29 [1]
Most TD passes, game – 3 on six occasions
Interceptions – 17 [6]
Most interceptions, game – 3 vs. Denver 12/9
Passer rating – 98.3 [1]
300-yard passing games – 1
200-yard passing games – 7

Rushing
Attempts – 38
Most attempts, game - 5 (for 59 yds.) vs. Buffalo 9/30, (for 18 yds.) vs. San Diego 12/16
Yards – 252 [18]
Most yards, game – 59 yards (on 5 carries) vs. Buffalo 9/30
Yards per attempt – 6.6
TDs – 3

Points
TDs – 3
Points – 18

Postseason: 1 G (AFL Championship at Houston)
Pass attempts – 14
Pass completions – 9
Passing yards – 88
TD passes – 1
Interceptions – 0

Rushing attempts – 5
Rushing yards – 26
Average gain rushing – 5.2
Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:
AFL Player of the Year: Sporting News
1st team All-AFL: League, AP, UPI
AFL All-Star Game

Texans went 11-3 to finish first in the AFL Western Division while leading the league in points scored (389) and touchdowns (50, tied with Houston). Won AFL Championship over Houston Oilers (20-17).

Aftermath:
The resurrection of Dawson’s career in 1962 paid off significantly for his team. The Texans became the Kansas City Chiefs in ’63 and, while they failed to retain their AFL title, Dawson again led the league in TD passes (26). By the rating system then in use, he led the league in passing three times over the next five years (by the modern system, he led it in all five). He also led in completion percentage five straight times, TD passes twice (although not when he had his career high of 30 in 1964), yards per attempt twice, and, further testimony to Dawson’s efficiency as a passer, four times in percentage of TD passes. The team won AFL championships in 1966 and ’69, losing in the inaugural Super Bowl following the first and winning Super Bowl IV (the last prior to the merger of the two leagues). Dawson missed time to injury in that 1969 season but was behind center in the postseason. He remained with the Chiefs through 1975, at age 40, and retired with 28,711 passing yards, 239 TD passes, and an 82.6 passer rating. The Chiefs retired his #16 and Dawson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1987.

--

MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 2/14/14]

1982: Ken Stabler Joins the Saints

Following the 1981 NFL season, there were plenty of doubts that QB Ken “The Snake” Stabler had much, if any, of a pro football career left. At age 36, he was the most accurate passer in NFL history for anyone who had thrown at least 1500 career passes, with a completion percentage of 60.3. But with bad knees that were getting even worse with age and following a largely ineffective season with a declining Houston Oilers team, he was released. To make matters worse, published reports had linked Stabler to a known gambler and he was briefly under investigation by the league.

NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle gave clearance for teams to approach the wily lefthanded quarterback, and the very next day, August 24, 1982, he signed with the New Orleans Saints, reuniting him with former Oilers Head Coach Bum Phillips.

Phillips had been coaching at Houston when Stabler arrived in a celebrated trade with Oakland for veteran QB Dan Pastorini in 1980. It seemed like a huge acquisition at the time - after taking over as the starting quarterback for the Raiders in 1973, Stabler had been exciting and successful, gaining selection to the Pro Bowl four times, twice garnering MVP recognition (the second while leading the 1976 Raiders to an NFL Championship), and leading the league twice each in completion percentage and TD passes and once in passer rating.

The Oilers were a strong team that had lost the AFC Championship games following the 1978 and ’79 seasons to the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers, and were looking for an upgrade at quarterback to push them over the top. Alas, it was not to be as Stabler threw more than twice as many interceptions (28) as touchdown passes (13). Still, with star RB Earl Campbell pacing the running attack, and while utilizing a double tight end offense after another Raider stalwart, TE Dave Casper, was obtained during the season to pair with TE Mike Barber, the Oilers made it into the playoffs with an 11-5 record. However, they fell in the Wild Card round to, ironically, the Raiders (where an injured Pastorini had been supplanted at quarterback by a resurgent Jim Plunkett), costing Phillips his job.

With Ed Biles as head coach in ’81, the aging club dropped off to 7-9. Stabler had briefly retired during the preseason but came back when his replacement, Gifford Nielsen, suffered a shoulder injury. Often in conflict with his new head coach, Stabler suffered through the difficult year that culminated in his release. From there, he sought a rebirth in New Orleans.

The Saints had an aging quarterback of their own, 33-year-old Archie Manning, as well as his longtime backup, Bobby Scott. But Dave Wilson, the player they had taken with the first choice in the supplemental draft out of Illinois to be their quarterback of the future, underwent knee surgery, creating an opening.

The arrival of Stabler meant the departure of QB Craig Bradshaw, brother of Pittsburgh’s star QB Terry Bradshaw, who was cut along with WR Ike Harris while Wilson and FS Tom Myers were put on injured reserve. Scott would later also be placed on injured reserve and was released after the season – he would resurface in the USFL.

“I've never walked on the field when I thought I was going to be a backup quarterback,” said Stabler following his signing. “I may wind up being one, but I'm not taking that approach.”

He was not a backup in 1982, beating out Manning, who was dealt to Houston during the strike-shortened season. The team was 1-1 when the strike occurred and won its first two games when play resumed before losing three straight that included a 29-of-43, 333-yard performance by the veteran quarterback against Tampa Bay. Still, they won the finale and, even with a 4-5 record, barely missed the postseason.

Stabler provided not only passing proficiency but leadership to the offense, which was damaged by an injury to RB George Rogers, who had led the NFL in rushing as a rookie in 1981. “The Snake” completed a healthy 61.9 % of his passes for 1343 yards with six touchdowns and 10 interceptions. While his 7.1 yards per attempt and 71.8 passer rating were both less than his career averages, they were improvements over his numbers with the Oilers, as was his interception percentage of 5.3.

While there was speculation that the battle-worn veteran would retire, he was back for another season with the Saints in 1983. A knee injury in the season-opening game hobbled him further, and the numbers dropped off – he threw twice as many interceptions (18) as TD passes (9) and his passer rating dropped a full ten points to 61.4. However, the team went 8-8 for only its second .500 finish, helped along by an improving defense.

The Saints dealt for QB Richard Todd from the New York Jets in the offseason, and while “The Snake” saw some action, he was largely a backup in 1984, his last year. Altogether in New Orleans, Stabler completed 57.2 % of his passes for 3670 yards with 17 touchdowns, but also 33 interceptions. The team broke even at 11-11 in his starts, which was an improvement for the perennially losing Saints, and his veteran leadership proved stabilizing. It was not an altogether bad postscript to Stabler’s outstanding career, but he no longer had enough left physically to lift the Saints further.

At the time of his retirement, Stabler ranked second all-time in pass completion percentage at just under sixty percent (59.85). While his TD passes (194) were outnumbered by his interceptions (222), he passed for a total of 27,938 yards and, most importantly, had an overall regular season record of 96-49-1 as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Past Venue: Crosley Field

Cincinnati, OH



Year opened: 1912
Capacity: 29,603, up from 25,000 at opening

Names:
Redland Field, 1912-33
Crosley Field, 1934-72

Pro football tenants:
Cincinnati Celts (APFA), 1921
Cincinnati National Guards (OVL)*, 1928-29
Cincinnati Reds (NFL), 1933-34
Cincinnati Bengals (AFL), 1937; (Independent), 1938; (APFA), 1939; (AFL), 1940-41

*Ohio Valley League

Postseason games hosted:
None

Other tenants of note:
Cincinnati Reds (MLB – NL), 1912-70
Cincinnati Tigers (baseball Negro leagues), 1934-37
Cincinnati Buckeyes (baseball Negro leagues), 1942
Cincinnati Clowns (baseball Negro leagues), 1943, 45

Notes: Bengals (not related to current NFL franchise) joined second AFL, and upon that league’s demise continued as an independent minor league team in ’38 and joined the minor league American Professional Football Association in 1939 before becoming a member of the third AFL in 1940. Hosted one home game of NFL Portsmouth Spartans, 1931. National Guards of the minor league Ohio Valley League also played home games at Carthage Fair Grounds in 1929. Stadium renamed for Powel Crosley Jr., who bought baseball’s Reds in 1934.

Fate: Demolished in 1972, site became an industrial park.

[Updated 2/16/15]

MVP Profile: Barry Sanders, 1991

Running Back, Detroit Lions



Age: 23
3rd season in pro football & with Lions
College: Oklahoma State
Height: 5’8” Weight: 203

Prelude:
Following a Heisman-winning season as a junior, Sanders chose to forego his last year of eligibility and turn pro. Taken by the Lions in the first round of the 1989 NFL draft (third overall), he had an immediate impact, rushing for 1470 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was not just Rookie of the Year but went to the Pro Bowl and was a consensus first team All-Pro. Sanders followed up with a league-leading 1304 yards in 1990 and again was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl participant. He made up for lack of size with outstanding elusiveness and running instincts.

1991 Season Summary
Appeared and started in 15 of 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 342 [2]
Most attempts, game - 32 (for 143 yds.) vs. Miami 9/15
Yards – 1548 [2]
Most yards, game – 220 yards (on 23 carries) at Minnesota 11/24
Average gain – 4.5 [12]
TDs – 16 [1]
200-yard rushing games – 1
100-yard rushing games – 8

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 41
Most receptions, game – 9 (for 76 yds.) vs. Minnesota 10/6
Yards – 307
Most yards, game - 76 (on 9 catches) vs. Minnesota 10/6
Average gain – 7.5
TDs – 1

All-purpose yards – 1855 [2, 1st in NFC]

Scoring
TDs – 17 [1]
Points – 102 [11, tied with John Kasay]

Postseason: 2 G
Rushing attempts – 23
Most rushing attempts, game - 12 vs. Dallas, NFC Divisional playoff
Rushing yards – 113
Most rushing yards, game - 69 vs. Dallas, NFC Divisional playoff
Average gain rushing – 4.9
Rushing TDs – 1

Pass receptions – 9
Most pass receptions, game - 5 vs. Dallas, NFC Divisional playoff
Pass receiving yards - 45
Most pass receiving yards, game - 30 vs. Dallas, NFC Divisional playoff
Average yards per reception – 5.0
Pass Receiving TDs - 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL Player of the Year: Bert Bell Award
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News
1st team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl

Lions went 12-4 to finish first in the NFC Central, reaching the postseason for the first time since 1983 and with the club’s best record since 1962. Won NFC Divisional playoff over Dallas Cowboys (38-6). Lost NFC Championship to Washington Redskins (41-10).

Aftermath:
Sanders rushed for 1352 yards in 1992 and maintained his excellence over a career of ten years before abruptly retiring after the 1998 season. He led the league in ground-gaining four times, including a 2053-yard total in ’97, and never failed to gain a thousand yards – his lowest total was 1115 in 1993, when he missed five games due to injury, his only extended loss of playing time. Sanders was selected for the Pro Bowl following all ten seasons, was a consensus first-team All-Pro six times, and with his exciting, often-improvisational running style was a highlight film regular. He retired with 15,269 rushing yards and scored a total of 109 touchdowns. Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2004.

--

MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 2/15/14]
[Updated 11/28/14]

1989: Bears Trade Jim McMahon to Chargers

The Chicago Bears and San Diego Chargers swung a trade on Friday morning, August 18, 1989, the eve of a preseason game between the clubs, in which QB Jim McMahon was dealt for a conditional 1990 draft pick (it ended up being a second round choice, used to take LB Ron Cox from Fresno State). McMahon himself received a brief wakeup call that morning from Head Coach Mike Ditka informing him of the deal.

McMahon, just days short of his 30th birthday, had been a colorful and controversial character in Chicago. He had also been a winner with the Bears, who went 49-17 with him behind center, including 35 of his last 38 regular season starts, and 3-2 in the playoffs, including a huge win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX.

However, the 6’1”, 195-pound quarterback also was injury-prone, missing time with a lacerated kidney in 1984 as well as shoulder, knee, and hamstring ailments. He had rotator cuff surgery in 1987. As impressive as his overall starting record had been, it represented a total of 66 out of 101 games the Bears played from 1982 through ’88 (excluding the postseason).

In 1988, he started the first nine games but sprained his knee against the Patriots and didn’t play again until the postseason. He did not start, but appeared in, the “Fog Bowl” win against the Eagles and then started the next week in the NFC Championship game, a 28-3 loss to the 49ers.

A college star at Brigham Young, McMahon was drafted in the first round by the Bears in 1982 and, while he didn’t have the strongest arm, he threw well on the run, had considerable savvy as a play caller, and exhibited a toughness that won the respect of his offensive teammates. However, he was also outspoken, often outrageous, and frequently critical of Coach Ditka.

“Outrageousness is nothing more than a way to wake people up,” was how the maverick quarterback justified his behavior, from wearing headbands that were unapproved by the NFL to mooning a helicopter full of reporters during Super Bowl week. However, the unpredictability was put to good use on the field, where his ability to surprise defenses served him well.

The trade was not completely unexpected, as overachieving veteran Mike Tomczak had played well when McMahon was out and Jim Harbaugh, a rookie in ’88, was waiting in the wings.

“I think he (Ditka) believes he can win with anybody,” McMahon, reacting to the transaction, said at a news conference. “It's his coaching that gets it done, so now, I don't have to deal with that anymore,”

Ditka said that while he liked McMahon and respected him, “My feeling is Jim needs a change of scenery. I think he'll be happier starting for the Chargers and being in a class organization.”

“The Bears are going in a different direction,” player personnel director Bill Tobin added. “Our quarterback situation is healthy.”

The Chargers, for their part, were in need of a starting quarterback. Hall of Famer Dan Fouts retired after the 1987 season and the team had stumbled along at 6-10 in ‘88 with Mark Malone, a disappointment in Pittsburgh who fared no better in San Diego, and journeyman Babe Laufenberg starting. Second-year QB Mark Vlasic led the Chargers to two wins, but was still recovering from a knee injury and had been placed on the physically-unable-to-perform (or “PUP”) list. The week prior to the trade for McMahon, Malone, free agent David Archer, and rookie Billy Joe Tolliver had all been ineffective in a dismal preseason loss to the Cowboys. Malone was immediately released to make room for the newcomer.

McMahon was inserted into the preseason game at Soldier Field the day after the trade. He was behind center for San Diego’s first possession of the second half and received a rousing ovation from the 60,167 fans, but after completing a pass to RB Barry Redden for a first down, he misfired on his next two throws and gave way to the rookie, Tolliver.

The wily veteran started the season for the Chargers, and the results were disappointing. In the season-opening game, San Diego lost by a 40-14 score to the Raiders as McMahon had a 7-for-19, 91-yard performance. However, in Week 2, he completed 27 of 45 passes for 389 yards and two TDs (as well as three interceptions) in a loss to the Oilers. Suffering from an assortment of nagging injuries and with a mediocre supporting cast, in particular a substandard line, McMahon appeared in 12 games and started 11 of them. While there were some successes, the Chargers were just 4-7 in those starts, and Tolliver guided the team the rest of the way to another 6-10 finish. The gritty veteran completed 55.3 percent of his passes for 2132 yards with 10 touchdowns and an equal number of interceptions. He averaged just 5.9 yards per attempt and was sacked 28 times.

Off the field there was more controversy, the low point coming when, in response to an unwanted question, McMahon blew his nose on a reporter. Following the season, a new general manager, Bobby Beathard, took over and, once it became apparent that the fragile and quirky quarterback wouldn’t be starting, would cost too much money, and couldn’t be traded, McMahon was released in April and signed on with the Philadelphia Eagles to back up Randall Cunningham.

Things did not go so smoothly for the Bears in 1989, either. After winning their first four games, they lost DT Dan Hampton to a knee injury, which had a profound effect on the defense. Chicago promptly lost three straight, winning just twice more the rest of the way, and dropped the last six games to finish at 6-10, the club’s first losing record since Ditka’s initial year as head coach in 1982.

Tomczak started the season at quarterback, but proved to be inconsistent and gave way to Harbaugh, who showed toughness and mobility, although also a penchant for taking sacks. Together, they threw for 3262 yards and 21 touchdowns, but with 25 interceptions.

The Bears rebounded to 11-5 in ’90, with an improved Harbaugh at quarterback, and had one last winning season under Ditka in 1991 before dropping to 5-11 in ’92.

McMahon became embroiled in further controversy in Philadelphia, not of his own making this time, when Head Coach Buddy Ryan benched Cunningham for a series in a postseason loss to Washington. The rusty backup, who had thrown just nine passes all year, tossed three incompletions and Cunningham returned to the game, but not without repercussions (the playoff defeat was the last straw in the ongoing battle between Ryan and owner Norman Braman, who fired the brash coach shortly thereafter).

McMahon got his chance to start in ’91 when Cunningham was lost for the year to an injury in the season-opening game. He played well…when he played. Again, McMahon proved too brittle to go the distance. After one more year as a backup, he started for the Vikings in 1993 before finishing out his career with Arizona and Green Bay. Backing up the durable Brett Favre with the Packers, McMahon earned a second Super Bowl ring in 1996 before retiring.

Past Venue: Busch Memorial Stadium

St. Louis, MO
aka Busch Stadium



Year opened: 1966
Capacity: 60,292

Names:
Civic Center Stadium, 1966
Busch Memorial Stadium, 1966-81
Busch Stadium, 1981-2005

Pro football tenants:
St. Louis Cardinals (NFL), 1966-87
St. Louis Rams (NFL), 1995

Postseason games hosted:
None

Other tenants of note:
St. Louis Cardinals (MLB – NL), 1966-2005
St. Louis Stars (NPSL/NASL), 1967-74

Notes: Served as home to Rams after they relocated from Los Angeles while domed stadium was still under construction. Grass surface was replaced with AstroTurf in 1970, but was restored to grass field in 1996. In order to reconfigure field from baseball to football, two 8000-seat sections could be moved so that they were parallel to each other. Stadium owned by MLB Cardinals.

Fate: Demolished in 2005, the site is partially occupied by the new baseball stadium.