1972: Redskins Dominate Cowboys for NFC Title

In 1971 the Washington Redskins made it to the postseason for the first time since 1945, and in ’72 they were looking to go farther. Head Coach George Allen had shown a preference for utilizing veteran players in his previous coaching stop with the Rams and if anything that inclination had become even more pronounced in Washington. “The Over the Hill Gang” was long on experience. Player for player, they might not have been the most talented team in the conference, but they had plenty of spirit and savvy. The key player on the conservative, ball-control offense was HB Larry Brown, the league’s consensus MVP and leading rusher with 1216 yards. When they passed, they had outstanding wide receivers in Charley Taylor and Roy Jefferson.

33-year-old Bill Kilmer (pictured above), in his second year in Washington after previous stints with the 49ers and Saints, started the season at quarterback over 38-year-old veteran Sonny Jurgensen. While Jurgensen was an all-time great passer, Allen favored Kilmer as being better suited to his ball-control offense, although he was repeatedly booed by the fans. Jurgensen had finally retaken the starting job four weeks into the year, but when the increasingly-brittle veteran suffered an injury three weeks later, Kilmer returned to the lineup and stayed there. He might not have passed often – or with great style – but he ended up leading the league in touchdown passes (19, tied with Joe Namath of the Jets).

Allen built his reputation as a defensive coach, and the defense was the club’s strength. Six of the starters were over 30, including DE Ron McDole; linebackers Myron Pottios, Jack Pardee, and Chris Hanburger; CB Pat Fischer; and FS Roosevelt Taylor, but they were talented and played aggressively. They also were the stingiest unit in the NFC, giving up 218 points.

The Redskins had topped the NFC East with an 11-3 record and won their Divisional playoff game over the Packers without allowing a touchdown. In the NFC Championship game on December 31, 1972 they would be facing their division rivals and defending NFL Champions, the Dallas Cowboys. The Redskins had used a five-man front to beat the Packers (a ground-oriented team with a miniscule passing attack) in the Divisional playoff but were back in their standard 4-3 to face Dallas.

Under Head Coach Tom Landry, the Cowboys had finished second in the division at 10-4 and made it into the postseason as a wild card entry. Player-for-player, they were more talented than the Redskins and were coming off of a thrilling come-from-behind win over the 49ers in the Divisional playoff at San Francisco. Roger Staubach, who became the starting quarterback in 1971 when Dallas won the Super Bowl, had been lost to injury for most of ’72 and replaced by Craig Morton. However, it was the fourth-year veteran out of Navy who relieved Morton and rallied the Cowboys in the dramatic win the previous week, and Landry went with him as the starter in the NFC title game.

There were 53,129 in attendance at RFK Stadium on a dark and misty New Year’s eve. The Redskins took the opening kickoff and Kilmer completed passes of 15 yards to Roy Jefferson and 13 to Charley Taylor to get to the Dallas 41. Three plays later, Kilmer connected with Larry Brown at the 31, but he fumbled and FS Cliff Harris recovered for the Cowboys to end the threat.

Dallas was unable to capitalize – in fact, the defending champs were able to run just six plays in the opening period. The Redskins regained possession and put together a 16-play drive that lasted over nine minutes and led to Curt Knight’s first field goal, from 18 yards in the second quarter for a 3-0 lead. Larry Brown ran for 31 yards in the series and caught a pass for nine. Later in the period, Kilmer connected with Taylor for a 51-yard gain on a fly pattern and then again on a post pattern for a 15-yard touchdown.

Before the half was over, and down 10-0, the Cowboys got off their only meaningful drive of the game, highlighted by Staubach’s 29-yard run on a quarterback draw to the Washington 39. Toni Fritsch kicked a 35-yard field goal. Fritsch had another chance at a field goal on the final play of the first half, but missed from 23 yards – his first failure all year from inside the 30. Washington held a 10-3 lead at halftime, but had been more dominant than the score indicated.

There was no scoring in the third quarter, with the Cowboys unable to move the ball beyond their own 30. An opportunity was missed when Kilmer fumbled at his own 32 and the ball rolled deeper into Washington territory. Two Dallas players had a chance to recover and missed, but the Redskins finally regained possession at their 18. The ensuing punt only traveled to the Dallas 44, and Charlie Waters, a starting cornerback as well as punt returner, fielded the kick and lost yardage to his 39; a clipping penalty took the ball even farther back, to the 24 yard line. In addition, Waters suffered a broken arm on the play.

Charley Taylor had repeatedly burned Waters and now a replacement, Mark Washington, would be entering the contest. On the first series after the new cornerback entered the game, Kilmer went right at him and completed four passes, including one for a 45-yard TD to Taylor two plays into the fourth quarter. That made the score 17-3 and essentially wrapped up the game for the Redskins.

Washington pulled away, scoring 16 points in the final period. Knight (pictured below) kicked three more field goals, from 39, 46, and 45 yards. After an erratic regular season in which he was successful on just 14 of 30 field goal attempts, the fourth-year placekicker had been good on all three of his three-point tries against the Packers and was a perfect four-for-four against Dallas. The final score was a convincing 26-3.


The Redskins held Dallas to just 194 total yards and 8 first downs while accumulating 316 yards and 16 first downs themselves. Each team turned the ball over once, but the Cowboys spent most of the game on their end of the field. The Redskins converted 10 of 18 third downs while Dallas was successful on just three of 12.

Bill Kilmer was highly efficient with his passing, completing 14 of 18 throws for 194 yards with two touchdowns and none intercepted. Charley Taylor (pictured below) was sensational as he caught 7 of those passes for 146 yards and the two big TDs. Larry Brown ran the ball 30 times for 88 yards and caught two passes for 16 more.


For the Cowboys, Roger Staubach was forced to scramble often against the tough Washington defense that kept his receivers well covered. He ended up being successful on just 9 of 20 throws for 98 yards and, while he was the team’s leading rusher with 59 yards on five carries, he was sacked three times. No Cowboy caught more than two passes, with WR Ron Sellers gaining the most yards (29) on his pair. Of the running backs, HB Calvin Hill accumulated the most yards with 22 on 9 attempts.

Said a jubilant George Allen afterward, “I’ve said all along, give me a bunch of older men who have taken care of themselves and I can go all the way.”

Asked why he didn't throw more often earlier, Kilmer said, “you can't go to the well too often. Dallas has a smart team and they'd pick one off if you did it too often.”

Added Kilmer, “I think they thought I was going to go to Roy Jefferson more and that could hurt them, so they covered him more. So I went to Taylor.”

“Washington deserved to win,” said a disappointed Tom Landry. “They were playing excellent football in every phase.”

While the Redskins were NFC Champions, they did not end up with the NFL title. They lost to the undefeated Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl. In 1973, they reversed places with the Cowboys, who recovered to win the division title, and made it into the playoffs as a wild card. Washington lost in the Divisional round to Minnesota. Dallas again reached the NFC Championship game – and again lost, this time to the Vikings.

2001: Late Comeback Pulls Eagles Over Giants to Clinch NFC East Title

Prior to the 2001 NFL season, the New York Giants had won nine straight games against their long-time rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, including three in 2000 as the teams met in a NFC Divisional playoff contest. The Eagles had finally broken the string with a dramatic 10-9 win in the last two minutes of a Monday Night Football matchup at Giants Stadium, and on December 30 they faced off at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium with the NFC East title on the line. The Eagles were 9-5 coming into the game and needed a win to clinch the division title while New York, at 7-7, had won its last two contests and needed to keep winning to stay alive.

The Eagles had not finished first in the division since 1988 and were only recently resurgent under third-year Head Coach Andy Reid. The pass-oriented club ran a West Coast offense directed by QB Donovan McNabb (pictured above), who could be a streaky passer but brought mobility and an ability to improvise to the position. TE Chad Lewis was his go-to receiver. The running backs were veteran Duce Staley, also a good receiver out of the backfield, and rookie Correll Buckhalter. The defense was stronger against the pass than the run but had been very effective overall.

New York, coached by Jim Fassel, was the defending NFC Champion but had difficulties in ’01. The offense, directed by offensive coordinator Sean Payton, was not as proficient as it had been in 2000. RB Tiki Barber was the top playmaker, splitting time with RB Ron Dayne. QB Kerry Collins, having a lesser season after his outstanding performance in 2000, had a savvy veteran tandem of wide receivers available in Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard. The defense had the league’s top pass rusher with DE Michael Strahan, who was equally able against the run.

There were 65,885 fans jamming the Vet and it was apparent before the game even began that emotions were running high between the clubs when a scuffle broke out among some of the Eagles and Giants players during pregame warmups. The Giants had the first possession and went three-and-out. Philadelphia responded with a nine-play, 72-yard drive in which McNabb completed six of seven passes for 68 of those yards, including a 31-yard completion to Lewis to the New York 41. It was Lewis pulling in a five-yard TD pass that gave the Eagles an early 7-0 lead.

That was it for the first half scoring. While Philadelphia dominated during the first thirty minutes of play, the Eagles were unable to put any more points on the board. It seemed as though that failure might cost them dearly when, on New York’s first play of the third quarter, Collins connected with Toomer for a 60-yard touchdown on a flea-flicker play. Morten Andersen’s extra point tied the contest at 7-7 and, ten minutes later, he put the Giants in the lead with a 25-yard field goal that completed a 43-yard drive highlighted by RB Ron Dayne’s 30-yard run to the Philadelphia 20.


Early in the fourth quarter, the Eagles moved back in front at 14-10 when McNabb threw to WR James Thrash (pictured at right), who had won the earlier encounter between the two clubs with a scoring reception, for a 57-yard touchdown down the right sideline. The Giants responded with a 58-yard drive over 12 plays that included Collins completions to WR Joe Jurevicius for 18 yards and Barber, who also contributed a 10-yard run, for 15. The 41-year-old Andersen booted a 32-yard field goal to make it a one-point game.

The Giants again took the lead with an 81-yard drive over nine plays that consumed nearly five minutes. Collins had big completions, twice hitting TE Dan Campbell for gains totaling 31 yards and one to Barber for 10 yards. It seemed as though New York had ground the Eagles defense down when Barber ran for 23 yards to the Philadelphia 28 on a third-and-one play and Dayne finished the series with a 16-yard scoring carry. Barber successfully rushed for the two-point conversion and, with 2:43 left to play in the final period, the Giants were ahead by 21-14 and appeared to have regained mastery over the Eagles.

Following the kickoff, Philadelphia took 54 seconds to move the ball 67 yards in six plays. McNabb threw to WR Freddie Mitchell for 15 yards to get into New York territory and then connected with Thrash for a key 32-yard gain to the Giants’ seven yard line. From there, Lewis pulled in his second scoring catch of the day and David Akers successfully kicked the extra point to tie the contest at 21-21.

Philadelphia’s defense rose to the occasion, holding the Giants to a three-and-out possession. With the ball on their own 29, the Eagles took over with a scant 58 seconds on the clock. McNabb threw to WR Todd Pinkston for nine yards and then ran for four. When Strahan appeared to be trying to hold the quarterback down after the play, the Giants were penalized five yards for delay of game. The ball was now at the New York 28 and McNabb ran again, taking off up the middle for 11 yards. Akers, who had had a string of 17 consecutive successful field goal attempts snapped in the first half when his 43-yard kick into the wind fell short, had the wind at his back this time and was successful from 35 yards to put the Eagles in front.

There were still seven seconds left and Akers booted the kickoff through the end zone for a touchback rather than squibbing the kick. With time for one desperation play, Collins threw down the middle for Barber, who advanced to the New York 37 and lateraled to speedy backup WR Ron Dixon on a hook-and-ladder play. There was a long history between the Eagles and Giants of astounding finishes, and it seemed as though it might occur once again as Dixon headed to his left and blazed down the field. However, SS Damon Moore raced over to push Dixon out of bounds at the six yard line and, with time expired, the Eagles were division champs by a score of 24-21.

The Giants had the edge in total yards (420 to 361) although Philadelphia had more first downs (21 to 18). The Eagles also had more turnovers, with two to New York’s one.

Donovan McNabb completed 21 of 39 passes for 270 yards with three touchdowns and one interception – he also led the club in rushing with 48 yards on 7 carries. James Thrash caught 7 passes for 143 yards and a TD while Chad Lewis also had 7 catches that gained 74 yards and two touchdowns. Among the running backs, Correll Buckhalter rushed for 39 yards on 7 attempts while Duce Staley contributed 8 carries for 23 yards.

For the Giants, Tiki Barber (pictured below) ran for 71 yards on 16 carries and caught 10 passes for another 87 yards. Ron Dayne added 59 yards and a TD on 8 attempts. Kerry Collins threw 39 passes and completed 22 for 303 yards with a touchdown and none intercepted. Amani Toomer gained 69 yards and scored once on his three catches. Michael Strahan, having regularly done well against Eagles OT Jon Runyan and pursuing the single-season record for sacks, added 3.5 to his total.


“Donovan stepped up and did a great job in as much pressure as you can have,” said Andy Reid of McNabb’s performance afterward.

With their postseason status set, the Eagles won the season finale at Tampa Bay to end up with an 11-5 record and then beat the Buccaneers again at home in the Wild Card playoff round. They also defeated the Chicago Bears at the Divisional level but lost to the Rams in the NFC Championship game – their first of three consecutive losses in the conference title game before winning in their fourth attempt. The loss in Philadelphia eliminated the Giants from playoff contention and they fell again in their last game to end up third in the NFC East with a disappointing 7-9 tally.

Donovan McNabb ranked fourth in the NFC in passing (84.3 rating) and fifth in TD passes (25) while throwing for 3233 yards. He also rushed for 482 yards on 82 carries (5.9 avg.). McNabb was named to the Pro Bowl for the second of an eventual five straight seasons (six overall).

James Thrash, who performed so notably against the Giants in 2001, tied for the team lead with 63 catches and led the club with 833 yards and 8 touchdowns. It was his first, and most productive, year with the Eagles.

Michael Strahan did succeed in setting a league record with 22.5 sacks. Of that total, 5.5 came in the two contests against Philadelphia. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press.

MVP Profile: Joe Namath, 1968

Quarterback, New York Jets


Age: 25
4th season in pro football & with Jets
College: Alabama
Height: 6’2” Weight: 195

Prelude:
Chosen by both the NFL Cardinals and AFL Jets in the first round of the respective 1965 drafts, Namath signed a then-huge $427,000 contract with New York. A college star under Head Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant at Alabama, he had torn ligaments in his right knee during his senior year that required surgery. Knee and mobility issues would thus be significant throughout Namath’s career, but he took over as the starting quarterback for the Jets early in his rookie season and didn’t miss a game to injury (he wouldn’t in his first five seasons) while gaining selection to the AFL All-Star game. Charismatic (he quickly became a celebrity off the field) and a good leader, he also had a quick release and strong arm. Namath led the league in pass attempts and completions, yards, and TD passes in 1966 and ’67 – in the latter season, he became the first 4000-yard passer in NFL/AFL history (4007). Prone to trying to force passes into coverage, however, he also led the AFL in passes intercepted in both years.

1968 Season Summary
Appeared and started in all 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 380 [3]
Most attempts, game – 43 at Buffalo 9/29
Completions – 187 [3]
Most completions, game – 20 vs. Denver 10/13
Yards – 3147 [3]
Most yards, game – 381 at Oakland 11/17
Completion percentage – 49.2 [4]
Yards per attempt – 8.3 [2]
TD passes – 15 [5]
Most TD passes, game – 4 at Buffalo 9/29
Interceptions – 17 [2]
Most interceptions, game – 5 at Buffalo 9/29, vs. Denver 10/13
Passer rating – 72.1 [4]
300-yard passing games – 4
200-yard passing games – 6

Rushing
Attempts – 5
Most attempts, game – 5 on 5 occasions
Yards – 11
Most yards, game – 4 yards (on 1 carry) vs. Miami 12/1
Yards per attempt – 2.2
TDs – 2

Scoring
TDs – 2
Points - 12

Postseason: 2 G
Pass attempts – 77
Most attempts, game - 49 vs. Oakland, AFL Championship
Pass completions – 36
Most completions, game - 19 vs. Oakland, AFL Championship
Passing yardage – 472
Most yards, game - 266 vs. Oakland, AFL Championship
TD passes – 3
Most TD passes, game - 3 vs. Oakland, AFL Championship
Interceptions – 1
Most interceptions, game - 1 vs. Oakland, AFL Championship

Rushing attempts – 1
Most rushing attempts, game - 1 vs. Oakland, AFL Championship
Rushing yards – 14
Most rushing yards, game - 14 vs. Oakland, AFL Championship
Average gain rushing – 14.0
Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:
AFL Player of the Year: AP, UPI, Sporting News
1st team All-NFL/AFL: Pro Football Weekly
1st team All-AFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, UPI, NY Daily News, Pro Football Weekly
1st team All-AFL East: Sporting News
AFL All-Star Game

Jets went 11-3 to win the AFL Eastern Division while finishing second in scoring (417 points). Won AFL Championship over Oakland Raiders (27-23) and Super Bowl over Baltimore Colts (16-7).

Aftermath:
Namath passed for 2734 yards and 19 TDs as the Jets again topped the Eastern Division in 1969, but a broken wrist that sidelined him five games into the ’70 season became the first of a series of injuries that dogged the remainder of his career. After appearing in just nine games in 1970 and ’71, he came back in 1972 to lead the NFL in passing yards (2816), TD passes (19), and yards per attempt (8.7) and was named to the Pro Bowl. However, a separated shoulder limited him to six games in 1973 and, with the team deteriorating around him, he had only sporadic success while leading the league in interceptions in 1974 and ’75. Namath finished his career with the Rams in 1977 and ended up throwing for 27,663 yards with 173 TDs and 220 interceptions. His #12 was retired by the Jets and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, class of 1985.

--

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 2/11/14]

1947: Cards Beat Eagles for NFL Title in Game of Big Plays

The NFL Championship game on December 28, 1947 featured two teams that were new to the contest. The Chicago Cardinals may have been the NFL’s oldest franchise, dating all the way back to 1899 as a club team, but they had not known much success (one title in 1925, prior to division play and a championship game) and had labored for most of the league’s history in the shadow of the other Chicago team, the Bears. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles were the first team to represent the Eastern Division in the title game other than the Giants or Redskins. Both clubs had built effectively through the draft and were well coached. Sadly, Cards owner Charles Bidwell, who had invested heavily in players (especially heralded rookie HB Charlie Trippi out of Georgia, signed to a then-record $100,000 contract for four years), died in April and didn’t live to see his club vie for the championship.

The Cardinals had gone 9-3 and beaten the second-place Bears in the finale to win the Western Division. Coached by Jimmy Conzelman, the Cards boasted an outstanding backfield that included, in addition to the all-purpose star Trippi, QB Paul Christman, HB Elmer Angsman (pictured above), and FB Pat Harder. Ends Mal Kutner and Bill Dewell were highly effective.

Philadelphia was coached by Earle “Greasy” Neale and had gone 8-4 to end up in a tie atop the division with another upstart team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Eagles won the resulting playoff convincingly by a 21-0 score. HB Steve Van Buren set a new league rushing record (1008 yards) and was the key to the offense that was efficiently run by QB Tommy Thompson. HB Bosh Pritchard provided an outstanding outside rushing counterpoint to Van Buren and the receivers, led by rookie end Pete Pihos, were very good. The line contained outstanding performers in tackles Al Wistert and Vic Sears, guards Bucko Kilroy and Cliff Patton, and center Vic Lindskog.

There were 30,759 fans in attendance on a bitterly cold day and the field at Comiskey Park was frozen. The Cardinals wore sneakers with cork cleats while the Eagles had attempted to sharpen their spikes for better traction. However, the officials declared the footwear illegal when the Cardinals complained and they instead wore flat-soled sneakers.


It proved to be a game liberally highlighted by big plays. The first came when Chicago scored six minutes into the first quarter. Trippi (pictured at right) broke free on a quick-opener for a 44-yard touchdown run, outmaneuvering the last defender, DHB Russ Craft, along the way.

The Eagles, concerned with Christman’s passing ability, crowded the line in an effort to disrupt the aerial attack. While they did so effectively, they also left themselves vulnerable to long gains by the halfbacks if they broke through. Early in the second quarter, Angsman got the ball on a delayed buck into the line and took off for a 70-yard TD. Philadelphia, better known for its running game, went to the air and responded with Thompson throwing to HB Pat McHugh for a 43-yard touchdown that made the score 14-7 at the half.

Of all the big plays in the game, Trippi made perhaps the most spectacular in the third quarter when he fielded a punt and returned it 75 yards for a TD, virtually running through the entire Eagles team and recovering after being tripped up at one point.

Philadelphia put together a 73-yard scoring drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown carry by Van Buren late in the third quarter, closing the margin to 21-14. Along the way, Thompson completed passes to end Jack Ferrante and FB Joe Muha that totaled 39 yards.

In the fourth quarter, Muha, normally a proficient punter who had difficulty with his kicks on this day, unleashed a 69-yard punt that went out of bounds at the Chicago 10. Christman threw to Trippi for 20 yards and then Angsman, breaking through the center of the line, took off on another 70-yard scoring run.

With time running out, Thompson passed the Eagles down the field. They drove 53 yards with “One-Eyed” Tommy completing four throws and Craft running over from inside the one yard line. But that was it for Philadelphia. The Cardinals hung on to win the exciting contest by a score of 28-21.

The Eagles outgained Chicago (357 yards to 336) and led in first downs (22 to 11). The teams went against type as the Cardinals rolled up 282 yards on the ground, to just 60 for Philadelphia, while the Eagles had far more net passing yards (297 to 54). Each team turned the ball over three times. The Cards also were penalized 10 times, at a cost of 97 yards, to 7 flags thrown on the Eagles, for 55 yards. Ultimately, Chicago’s big plays outnumbered those by Philadelphia.

Elmer Angsman ran for 159 yards and two long touchdowns on just 10 carries while Charlie Trippi added 84 on 11 attempts with one TD. Paul Christman was successful on just 3 of 14 passes for 54 yards and was intercepted twice. Angsman, Trippi, and Bill Dewell each caught one, with Dewell’s the longest at 38 yards.


Tommy Thompson (pictured at left) put on an exciting passing display for the Eagles. He set championship game records for attempts (44) and completions (27) while throwing for 297 yards with a touchdown, although he was picked off three times. Jack Ferrante caught 8 of those passes for 73 yards and the remainder was distributed among a total of eight other receivers. Between poor footing and the Cards’ defense, Steve Van Buren was held to 26 yards on 18 carries that included one short TD. Joe Muha led the club with 31 yards on 8 attempts.

“They’re a great team, and more power to them,” said Greasy Neale afterward of the Cardinals. “I hope they win the Western title next year, too, so that we can have the pleasure of knocking them off in Philadelphia.”

Neale’s wish came true as both teams repeated as division champions in 1948. In a Championship game played in blizzard conditions in Philadelphia, the Eagles won. They would go on to achieve one more title in 1949 while the Cardinals would begin to recede back into mediocrity.

1959: Colts Defeat Giants to Repeat as NFL Champions

The Baltimore Colts had defeated the New York Giants in an overtime classic, one of the most celebrated games in NFL history, in 1958. The two teams were matched up again on December 27, 1959.

The Colts, coached by Weeb Ewbank, came out on top of the Western Conference at 9-3. Star QB Johnny Unitas (pictured behind center above) was, if anything, just getting better at age 26 as he set a league record with 32 touchdown passes while also pacing the NFL with 2899 yards. End Raymond Berry led in pass receptions (66), yards (959), and touchdowns (14) and HB Lenny Moore and end Jim Mutscheller were highly productive as well. FB Alan “the Horse” Ameche continued to provide power between the tackles. The defense might be showing some signs of age but was solid, especially on the line.

Head Coach Jim Lee Howell’s Giants was known for outstanding defense and a conservative offense ably directed by 38-year-old QB Charlie Conerly (pictured below), the NFL’s leading passer who averaged 8.8 yards per attempt. Multi-talented HB Frank Gifford led a good stable of running backs that included FB Mel Triplett, HB Alex Webster, and HB Phil King. 5 ½ -point underdogs, they anticipated a tough defensive battle and would seek to shut down the two Baltimore ends, Berry and Mutscheller.


It was good football weather - cool and crisp – with 57,545 fans at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. The Giants came out passing on their first play as Conerly threw to end Kyle Rote for 20 yards. Gifford followed up with a 22-yard carry, but All-Pro DE Gene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb sacked Conerly for a 17-yard loss as the Colts defense held and New York was forced to punt.

Baltimore responded with Unitas, faking a handoff and then twice looking to throw short to Berry to his left, passing to Moore for a 60-yard touchdown and the Colts took the early advantage at 7-0.

Late in the first quarter, the Giants were on the move as Triplett gained 28 yards on a run up the middle. Triplett carried again for six more yards and Conerly threw to end Bob Schnelker. The drive made it to the three yard line but stalled when Lipscomb stopped Webster cold on a run into the line and a pass to Gifford behind the line of scrimmage turned into a six-yard loss. Conerly was sacked for the loss of another seven yards and the Giants were forced to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Pat Summerall.

Early in the second quarter, Steve Myhra was wide on a 43-yard field goal attempt for the Colts. New York’s defense was getting to Unitas, but the offense wasn’t able to move on Baltimore’s aroused defense. With time running out in the first half, Dave Sherer punted to the New York 17. It appeared that DHB Carl Taseff had intercepted a Conerly pass, but he bobbled the ball and Schnelker pulled it away for a 48-yard gain to the Baltimore 34. The Giants gained a few more yards before Summerall booted a 37-yard field goal with 11 seconds left to make it 7-6 at halftime, although the Colts thought the kick was wide and the home crowd booed loudly at the result.

The Giants took the lead in the third quarter on Summerall’s third field goal, from 22 yards. It was now 9-7 and New York’s defense had been successful at stopping Unitas, particularly in third down situations, but as the period wound down the tide began to turn.

The turning point came when the Giants advanced to the Baltimore 28 thanks to a 19-yard pass play to Gifford and a 10-yard throw to Schnelker. With fourth-and-inches, Coach Howell decided to forego another field goal attempt and try for the first down. A run by Webster came up short, and the Colts took over.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Colts drove 75 yards in 10 plays. Unitas ran it in himself on a sweep around end behind Moore’s block of LB Cliff Livingston to put Baltimore back in front. Key plays in the drive were a 17-yard pass to Berry in a third-and-eight situation and completion to Moore (pictured below) that gained 36 to the New York 13.


Safety Andy Nelson intercepted a Conerly pass and returned it 15 yards to the New York 15. Two plays later, Unitas threw to rookie flanker Jerry Richardson for a 12-yard TD, and the Colts were in control.

Conerly, who was intercepted just four times during the regular season, was picked off again, by safety Johnny Sample, who returned it 42 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. Sample intercepted another pass, this time by Gifford on an option play, that gave the Colts the ball at the New York 27. Myhra kicked a 25-yard field goal to cap Baltimore’s 24-point final period.

The Giants got their only touchdown late in the fourth quarter as Conerly connected with Schnelker from 32 yards out, but by then it didn’t matter. The Colts were the champions for the second straight year by a score of 31-16.

New York outgained the Colts (323 yards to 280) and had more first downs (16 to 13). While Conerly was sacked five times, the Giants got to Unitas on six occasions and the Colts were held to just 73 rushing yards on 25 carries (to 118 for New York on the same number of running plays). However, the inability of the Giants to score touchdowns in the red zone, combined with three turnovers (to none by the Colts), had a significant effect on the outcome.

Johnny Unitas completed 18 of 29 passes for 264 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions; he also scored on the short running play. Lenny Moore gained just eight yards on four carries but caught three passes for 126 yards and a TD. Raymond Berry added 5 receptions for 68 yards and Jim Mutscheller also had five catches, for 40 yards. Alan Ameche was the team’s leading rusher with 31 yards on 9 carries.

For the Giants, Charlie Conerly went to the air 37 times and completed 17 for 226 yards with a TD and the two interceptions. Bob Schnelker (pictured below) had a big day catching the ball with 9 receptions for 175 yards and a score. Frank Gifford ran 8 times for 56 yards and added another 13 on his two catches; he also passed twice, completing one for 18 yards but was picked off on the other.


Baltimore GM Don Kellett summed it up by saying, “We didn’t win it easily, but we won it convincingly.”

Both teams missed the postseason in 1960. The Colts started off well at 6-2 in a bid for a third consecutive title, but lost their last four games to finish at 6-6 and in a disappointing fourth place. They would not return to the postseason until 1964. The Giants contended but ended up in third at 6-4-2 in their last year under Jim Lee Howell. Under his successor, Allie Sherman, they won the Eastern Conference for the next three seasons but failed to win a championship.

1964: Bills Shut Down Chargers to Win AFL Championship

On December 26, 1964 the Buffalo Bills, champions of the American Football League’s Eastern Division, hosted the defending AFL champions, the San Diego Chargers. It was truly a study in contrasts between the Bills, a ball-control team with an outstanding defense, and San Diego, with its potent offense.

Coached by Lou Saban, the Bills had gone 12-2 and defeated the Chargers twice during the season, but didn’t clinch the division until a win over the Patriots in the final contest. The offense was conservative but effective, leading the league in ground-gaining and scoring. Hard-hitting 250-pound FB Cookie Gilchrist (pictured above) was the AFL’s leading rusher (981 yards). QB Jack Kemp, formerly of the Chargers, was a good field general and if a change of pace was necessary, backup QB Daryle Lamonica was capable of effective relief. An additional weapon was rookie PK Pete Gogolak out of Cornell who brought his then-unique soccer-style placekicking to pro football and was successful on 65.5 % of his field goal attempts (19 of 29), making the ball-control offense all the more effective. The rugged defense that allowed the fewest points in the AFL had an outstanding line that included ends Ron McDole and Tom Day and tackles Tom Sestak and Jim Dunaway, and had other stars in LB Mike Stratton and FS George Saimes.

Head Coach Sid Gillman’s Chargers were not as dominant as they had been in ’63. They got off to a 1-2-1 start but then ran off six straight wins to take control of the Western Division. While the streaky club lost three of its last four contests, it was good enough for an 8-5-1 record. The Chargers still had an outstanding offense that was transitioning from 36-year-old Tobin Rote to 24-year-old John Hadl at quarterback. They also had the exciting flanker Lance Alworth to pass to and the running game featured all-purpose FB Keith Lincoln, the hero of the 1963 title game with 329 yards from scrimmage, and HB Paul Lowe. And while defense may have been an afterthought, there were outstanding players in DT Ernie Ladd, DE Earl Faison, linebackers Chuck Allen and Frank Buncom, and CB Dick Westmoreland. Injuries were an issue, however, and San Diego would be going into the title game without Alworth, who had injured his left knee.

There were 40,242 in attendance at War Memorial Stadium and it didn’t look promising for the home team as the Chargers quickly drove to a score. Lincoln took off for a 38-yard gain on San Diego’s first play from scrimmage and he accumulated four more running and 11 on a pass reception before Rote threw to TE Dave Kocurek for a 26-yard touchdown that put the Chargers ahead 7-0 at just 2:11 into the first quarter (for good measure Lincoln, also the club’s placekicker, added the extra point).

However, on San Diego’s next series, a play occurred that changed the complexion of the contest. In a second down situation, Rote threw a flare pass toward Lincoln and as the ball arrived Mike Stratton delivered a jarring hit to the star running back that knocked him out of the game with a broken rib (he did kick off to start the second half, but that was the extent of his action for the rest of the day). Once Lincoln was gone, the Chargers offense was unable to sustain a long drive the remainder of the game. (Stratton pictured below just a moment before hitting Lincoln)


The Bills scored on a 12-yard field goal by Pete Gogolak and the score was 7-3 after one quarter of play. DB Speedy Duncan returned the ensuing kickoff all the way to the Buffalo 35, where he was brought down by LB Paul Maguire, but Rote was intercepted by DB Charley Warner to end the threat.

The Bills began to move the ball again as Gilchrist carried for a 31-yard gain and Kemp threw to TE Ernie Warlick for 27 yards to the San Diego eight yard line. The Chargers held, however, and on fourth-and-four the Bills lined up for a Gogolak field goal attempt. However, holder Daryle Lamonica bootlegged instead and was stopped just short of a first down.

The Chargers were again unable to generate offense and punted. Kemp threw to flanker Elbert Dubenion for 18 yards, runs by HB Wray Carlton and Gilchrist gained another 11, Dubenion ran for 8 on an end-around, and Kemp threw to Gilchrist for 15 yards. Carlton finished off the drive with a four-yard touchdown run (pictured below) that put the Bills ahead, 10-7.


Later in the period, Buffalo added a 17-yard field goal by Gogolak following a 39-yard carry by Gilchrist. With time running out in the half, the Chargers threatened with the aid of a pass interference penalty. However, once more the Bills ended the threat with an interception as Stratton picked off a Rote pass at his 20.

Gillman had started Rote due to his greater experience, but late in the third quarter, John Hadl replaced the ineffective veteran at quarterback for the Chargers. There was no further scoring until 5:28 into the fourth quarter. Kemp connected with end Glenn Bass for a 51-yard gain to the San Diego one yard line. Two plays later, Kemp carried the ball in for the TD that effectively sealed the win for Buffalo.

Gilchrist was finally forced out of the game with bruised ribs in the fourth quarter, once the result was assured. With 26 seconds left, the celebrating Buffalo fans broke through the police line and began tearing down the goal posts while the Chargers were attempting their last play. Buffalo had won the AFL title for the first time by a score of 20-7.

The Bills outgained San Diego (387 yards to 259) and had more first downs (21 to 15). They played outstanding ball-control football, rushing for 219 of those yards and not turning the ball over. Meanwhile, the vaunted Chargers passing game was held to 135 net yards and they suffered three turnovers, all on interceptions.

Cookie Gilchrist ran for 122 yards on 16 carries and caught two passes for 22 more. Wray Carlton added 70 yards and a touchdown on his 18 rushing attempts. Jack Kemp completed 10 of 20 passes for 188 yards and, while he didn’t complete any for TDs, he didn’t give up any interceptions. Elbert Dubenion had three pass receptions for 56 yards and Glenn Bass gained 70 yards on his two catches.

It was telling that, even though he was gone before the game was midway through the first quarter, Keith Lincoln still ended up leading the Chargers in rushing with 47 yards on just three carries. Paul Lowe ran 7 times for 34 yards and Lincoln’s replacement, FB Keith Kinderman, gained 14 yards on four carries. Kinderman also caught 4 passes for 52 yards while Dave Kocurek gained 52 yards as well on his two receptions that included the one TD. Tobin Rote was successful on just 10 of 26 passes for 118 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. John Hadl went to the air 10 times and completed three for 31 yards with one picked off. Lost in the defeat were Speedy Duncan’s three kickoff returns for 147 yards – a 49.0 average.

Afterward, a jubilant Lou Saban said he was glad the Chargers had scored first. “It jarred us quick. It jarred us to our senses – woke us up.”

The teams went on to win their respective divisions in 1965 and met for the AFL title in San Diego. In perhaps a more stunning result, the Bills dominated the Chargers even more thoroughly by a 23-0 score. By that point, Gilchrist was gone, having been dealt to Denver in the offseason. But despite a lesser running game, the defense was still strong enough to carry the club. And while Keith Lincoln was back in the San Diego backfield in ’65, and still capable when healthy, injuries would diminish his effectiveness for the remainder of his career.

MVP Profile: Jim Nance, 1966

Fullback, Boston Patriots


Age: 24 (Dec. 30)
2nd season in pro football & with Patriots
College: Syracuse
Height: 6’1” Weight: 245

Prelude:
More successful as a heavyweight wrestler than a football player in college, Nance was chosen in the 19th round of the 1965 AFL draft by the Patriots (he was a fourth-round choice of the Bears in the NFL as well). His weight was up to 258 pounds (from 235 in college) when he joined Boston as a rookie (prompting Head Coach Mike Holovak to threaten to convert him into a guard) and he had a disappointing first year, rushing for 321 yards while averaging just 2.9 yards per carry in ‘65. However, he lost weight and gained the starting fullback job for 1966, and behind an improved offensive line.

1966 Season Summary
Appeared in all 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 299 [1]
Most attempts, game - 38 (for 208 yds.) vs. Oakland 10/30
Yards – 1458 [1]
Most yards, game – 208 yards (on 38 carries) vs. Oakland 10/30
Average gain – 4.9 [3]
TDs – 11 [1]
200-yard rushing games – 1
100-yard rushing games – 8

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 8
Most receptions, game – 4 (for 67 yds.) at San Diego 9/10
Yards – 103
Most yards, game – 67 (on 4 catches) at San Diego 9/10
Average gain – 12.9
TDs – 0

All-Purpose Yards – 1561 [1]

Scoring
TDs – 11 [3, tied with Art Powell]
Points – 66 [10, tied with Art Powell]

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

Patriots went 8-4-2 and finished a close second in the AFL Eastern Division while placing second in the league in rushing (1963 yards).

Aftermath:
Nance again led the AFL with 1216 yards rushing in 1967 and was a consensus first-team All-AFL selection as well as selectee to the AFL All-Star game, but the team’s record dropped to 3-10-1. Slowed by an injury, his production was less in ’68, but he rebounded somewhat with a league-leading 193 carries in 1969, for 750 yards. He lasted two more steadily-declining years with the Patriots in 1970 and ’71, sat out 1972, and was a reserve with the Jets in ’73. Nance moved on to the WFL, playing for the Houston Gamblers/Shreveport Steamer franchise in 1974 and ’75, and ranked third in the league in rushing with 1240 yards in ’74. Overall, he gained 5401 yards rushing in the AFL/NFL and 2007 in the WFL.

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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 2/11/14]