Rookie of the Year: George Rogers, 1981

Running Back, New Orleans Saints

Age: 23 (Dec. 8)

College: South Carolina

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 220

Prelude:

Rogers rushed for 5204 yards and 33 touchdowns in a college career capped by winning the 1980 Heisman Trophy. He was taken first overall by the Saints in the ’81 NFL draft and moved directly into the starting lineup.

1981 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 378 [1]

Most attempts, game - 31 (for 113 yds.) vs. Cincinnati 10/25, (for 97 yds.) at Minnesota 11/15

Yards – 1674 [1]

Most yards, game – 162 yards (on 29 carries) vs. LA Rams 9/13

Average gain – 4.4 [16]

TDs – 13 [2, tied with Billy Sims & John Riggins, 1st in NFC]

100-yard rushing games – 9

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 16       

Most receptions, game – 3 (for 7 yds.) at Minnesota 11/15

Yards – 126

Most yards, game - 36 (on 2 catches) at Cleveland 10/18

Average gain – 7.9

TDs – 0

All-Purpose yards – 1800 [8]

Scoring

TDs – 13 [5, tied with Alfred Jenkins, John Riggins & Steve Watson]

Points – 78

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: Sporting News

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

NFC Rookie of the Year: UPI

1^st team All-NFL: AP, Sporting News

2^nd team All-NFL: NEA

1^st team All-NFC: UPI

Pro Bowl

Saints went 4-12 to finish fourth in the NFC West while ending up 25th in the league in total yards (4705) but seventh in rushing (2286).

Aftermath:

After showing an impressive durability as the primary offensive weapon for the Saints as a rookie, Rogers dealt with nagging injuries during the strike-shortened 1982 season, but was still chosen for a second-straight Pro Bowl. Knee problems kept him out of three games in ’83 as he rushed for 1144 yards, often in tandem with RB Wayne Wilson. Splitting time with aging star RB Earl Campbell in 1984, Rogers rushed for 914 yards and was traded to Washington in the offseason. Once again he was sharing time with a fading great player, RB John Riggins, and while he started just five games, he rushed for 1093 yards with a career-high 4.7 average gain per carry. Rogers took over the starting role in ’86 and gained 1203 yards while scoring a NFL-leading 18 touchdowns. But following another injury-marred year in 1987, Rogers retired. In all, he played seven seasons and ran the ball 1692 times for 7176 yards (4.2 avg.). Never much of a receiver out of the backfield, Rogers added 368 more yards on 55 catches. All 54 of his touchdowns came on the ground.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

[Updated 2/6/14]
[Updated 11/28/14]

1938: Lions Beat Pittsburgh to Spoil Whizzer White’s Pro Debut

The Pittsburgh Pirates (the team that would be renamed Steelers in 1940) hadn’t accomplished much in their first five seasons. While they broke even at 6-6 in 1936, they went 13-31-2 in the other four years, including a 4-7 tally in 1937. Coming into the ’38 season, their second under Head Coach Johnny “Blood” McNally, they had added a marquee player in HB Byron “Whizzer” White (pictured above).

White had been a consensus All-American as a senior at Colorado in 1937. He had gotten a college scholarship due to his strong academic record (which would have an effect on his pro football future as well as long-term career) and, having come out of a weak high school football program, White did not have a strong background in the sport. However, he proved to be an outstanding all-around athlete who exhibited great toughness and determination. A shifty runner who, at 6’1” and 187 pounds, also could run with power, he was versatile at a time when that was a prized asset for a football player and could kick, pass, and block effectively. In ’37, he scored 16 touchdowns in addition to booting 23 extra points and a field goal, starred in a Cotton Bowl loss to Rice, and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting.

Having received a Rhodes Scholarship to study abroad at Oxford, White accepted the then-huge sum of $15,000 to put off his further education and play for the Pirates (once assured that he would not lose the scholarship), who had taken him in the first round of the 1938 NFL draft. In becoming the highest-paid player in the NFL, he had to convince those skeptics who questioned the level of competition he had faced at Colorado.

On September 9, 1938 White made his pro football debut as Pittsburgh opened the season against the Detroit Lions. The Lions were a stronger team, having strung together seven consecutive winning seasons going back to 1931 (when they were the Portsmouth Spartans) that included a NFL Championship in ’35. Under player/coach Dutch Clark, Detroit had a solid ground-based attack that was powered by fullbacks Ace Gutowsky and Bill Shepherd and wingback Lloyd Cardwell.

There was a capacity crowd of 18,000 in attendance for the Friday night game at the University of Detroit’s Titan Stadium. Due to an ankle injury, Clark stayed on the sidelines and didn’t take the field for the Lions, but the home team took the lead five minutes into the first quarter when Bill Shepherd kicked a 27-yard field goal.

Detroit got a break later in the period when a bad snap on a Pittsburgh punt went over Stuart Smith’s head and the Lions recovered on the five yard line. Wingback Ernie Caddel ran around right end for a touchdown, although the extra point attempt was blocked.

Midway through the second quarter, the Lions moved into scoring position again thanks to a productive passing attack. Lloyd Cardwell ran the last five yards for a TD and this time the conversion attempt by Monk Moscrip was successful.

White was kept well-contained by the Lions for most of the game and also struggled with the brightness of the lights when fielding kicks. He played 15 minutes in the first half, gained 12 yards, and was held out during the third quarter.

The Pirates never crossed midfield until the final period, but in the fourth quarter, White sparked an 80-yard scoring drive that featured short runs into the line and a long pass interference penalty. He caught a pass from tailback Max Fiske for a 35-yard gain that went to the Detroit 37 – Pittsburgh’s first penetration into Lions territory. The prize rookie finished off the series by scoring from three yards out on a slant off-tackle.

A few minutes later White fumbled a punt at his 15 yard line that he recovered at the four. It didn’t affect the outcome – the Lions came away with a convincing 16-7 win.

Overall, it was a modest beginning for Whizzer White, who gained 41 yards rushing, had the 35 receiving yards, and completed a pass for another seven yards. However, the consensus was that he had shown that he could play effectively at the professional level. “I think he is worth every cent of the $15,000 I am paying him,” said Pittsburgh’s owner Art Rooney of White. “I am sold on him.”

Things did not go well for Pittsburgh the rest of the way. The club was defeated twice more before winning back-to-back games in New York, against Brooklyn and the Giants. But when Rooney sold the team’s best passer and other first round draft choice, tailback Frank Filchock, to the Redskins, the Pirates lost their remaining contests to finish at the bottom of the Eastern Division with a 2-9 record. Detroit finished at 7-4, putting the Lions in second place in the Western Division, a game behind Green Bay.

Whizzer White continued to be a bright spot for Pittsburgh as he went on to lead the NFL in rushing with 567 yards on 152 carries (3.7 avg.) as well as yards from scrimmage with 655. He received consensus first-team All-NFL honors (UPI, INS, Pro Football Writers, Collyers Eye) and headed off to Oxford for the next year. White returned to the NFL, ironically enough with the Lions, who traded for his rights. He played two more seasons while attending law school and again led the league in rushing in 1940 with 514 yards.

White served in the Navy during World War II, finished his law degree at Yale, and went on to a distinguished legal career that culminated in his being named as an Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court by President Kennedy in 1962, serving for 31 years. Long after his pro sports career was over, he was still able to more than hold his own in pickup basketball games against law clerks less than half his age in the Supreme Court’s gym.

2002: Panthers Beat Ravens to End 15-Game Losing Streak

The Carolina Panthers won their first game of the 2001 NFL season – and proceeded to lose the remaining 15 straight contests, something no club in league history had done before. On September 8, 2002 they hosted the Baltimore Ravens, nearly a year to the day since their last win, with hopes of ending the skid as part of a new beginning for the franchise.

George Seifert had been replaced as head coach by John Fox, formerly defensive coordinator of the Giants. The team also added DE Julius Peppers, the second overall pick in the ’02 draft out of North Carolina (the expansion Houston Texans had the first choice), and rookie RB DeShaun Foster from UCLA. RB Lamar Smith, a free agent signed away from Miami, was brought in to bolster the running game. And Coach Fox decided to bench QB Chris Weinke, who had suffered through a difficult first season starting for the 1-15 team, in favor of 36-year-old journeyman Rodney Peete (pictured above), who had been sitting on Oakland’s bench for two years and had not thrown a pass in a regular season game since he was with the Redskins in 1999.

As for the visiting Ravens, coached by Brian Billick, they were two years removed from being a Super Bowl champion and had gone 10-6 in 2001. Defense had carried them to a title, but while they still had a strong nucleus of talent, salary cap problems had forced them to jettison several players. The offense would have a new starting quarterback as well in Chris Redman, a third-year player. RB Jamal Lewis, who was outstanding as a rookie for the 2000 Championship team, was back after missing all of ’01 due to a knee injury.

Most of the scoring came in the first quarter. On their second possession of the game, the Ravens went 80 yards in 9 plays that featured a 22-yard pass completion from Redman to WR Brandon Stokley in a third-and-eight situation and a 36-yard pass play to WR Travis Taylor that got the ball to the Carolina 11 yard line. Redmon threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to WR Ron Johnson and, with Matt Stover’s successful extra point, Baltimore was ahead by 7-0.

The Panthers, however, came right back with a scoring drive of their own that also covered 80 yards. Rodney Peete completed three passes, the second to WR Muhsin Muhammad for 33 yards and the third to TE Wesley Walls for a 20-yard TD. John Kasay, the last remaining original member of the Panthers, added the extra point to tie the contest.

In the second quarter, and following a punt by the Ravens, Carolina went 40 yards in 10 plays to score again. Peete threw to Walls for 18 yards on a third-and-13 play and RB Nick Goings converted another third down with a 20-yard run to the Baltimore 12. John Kasay kicked a 27-yard field goal and the Panthers were up by three points.

That was it for the scoring. Twice the Ravens moved into Carolina territory but were forced to punt, and the Panthers were consistently kept on their end of the field. A 47-yard field goal attempt by Stover late in the third quarter was unsuccessful. Midway through the final period, the Panthers put together a promising drive that reached the Baltimore 33 in ten plays, but Kasay’s 50-yard field goal attempt failed.

With under two minutes remaining and the ball approaching midfield, Redman threw a pass that was deflected by Julius Peppers and intercepted by LB Dan Morgan, who returned it 22 yards, and that was it. Amid great celebration worthy of a postseason victory, Carolina came away a winner by the score of 10-7.

“It just feels so incredible to finally win again and to finish a game and just put an end to all this misery,” said the 13-year veteran Wesley Walls, who had scored Carolina’s lone touchdown.

The statistics reflected the low point total. The Ravens had the most total yards (289 to 265) while both teams had 15 first downs apiece. There was only one turnover – the game-clinching interception at the end – and the clubs combined for 13 punts.

In a workmanlike performance, Rodney Peete completed 12 of 19 passes for 136 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Lamar Smith ran the ball 24 times for 84 yards. WR Steve Smith caught 4 passes for 38 yards and Wesley Walls also gained 38 yards on his two receptions that included a TD.

For the Ravens, Chris Redman was successful on 20 of 34 throws for 218 yards with a TD and one picked off. Jamal Lewis gained 64 yards on 17 rushing attempts and gained 33 more on 4 catches. Brandon Stokley was the top receiver with 6 receptions for 83 yards.

The Panthers doubled their win total of the previous year the next week against the Lions and reached 3-0 before dropping eight straight games. Still, they ended up with a much-improved 7-9 record that put them fourth in the NFC South. A year later they were NFC Champions – a remarkable two-year turnaround from 1-15 in 2001. Baltimore was also 7-9 to finish third in the AFC North.

Rodney Peete enjoyed something of a resurgence in his last year as a starting quarterback (he lasted two more seasons as a backup). He completed 58.5 percent of his passes for a career-high 2630 yards and 15 touchdowns along with 14 interceptions. While his physical skills had declined, he provided solid leadership to the rebuilding club.

MVP Profile: Jim Brown, 1958

Fullback, Cleveland Browns

Age: 22

2^nd season in pro football & with Browns

College: Syracuse

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 228

Prelude:

Following an outstanding career at Syracuse, in which he distinguished himself as an all-around athlete (lacrosse, basketball, track & field) as well as in football, Brown was chosen in the first round of the 1957 NFL draft by the Browns. With his blend of speed, power, and agility, he moved quickly into the starting lineup as a rookie, leading the league in rushing with 942 yards that included a single-game record at the time of 237. He received MVP as well as Rookie of the Year honors, was a consensus first-team All-Pro and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

1958 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 257 [1]

Most attempts, game - 34 (for 182 yds.) vs. Chi. Cards 10/12

Yards – 1527 [1]

Most yards, game – 182 yards (on 34 carries) vs. Chi. Cards 10/12

Average gain – 5.9 [5]

TDs – 17 [1]

100-yard rushing games – 9

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 16       

Yards – 138

Average gain – 8.6

TDs – 1

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 3

Yards – 74

Average per return – 24.7

TDs – 0

Longest return – 35 yards

All-purpose yards – 1739 [1]

Scoring

TDs – 18 [1]

Points – 108 [1]

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Eastern Conf. playoff at NY Giants)

Rushing attempts – 7

Rushing yards – 8

Average gain rushing – 1.1

Rushing TDs – 0

Pass receptions – 2

Yards – 18

Average gain – 9.0

TDs – 0

Kickoff Returns – 2

Yards – 61

Average per return – 30.5

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: AP, UPI, NEA, Sporting News

1^st team All-NFL: AP, NEA, UPI, NY Daily News, Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Browns went 9-3 to finish in a tie for first in the Eastern Conference while leading the NFL in rushing (2526 yards, 5.3 avg. gain). Lost Eastern Conference playoff to New York Giants (10-0).

Aftermath:

Brown’s record-setting rushing title in 1958 was the second of eight in nine seasons. Along the way he set numerous records as well as a new standard for running backs to be measured against. He broke his own single-season rushing record in 1963 and retired as the all-time leader in rushing (12,312 yards) and touchdowns (126). Brown averaged 5.2 yards per carry and 104.3 yards per game over the course of his career. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in all nine seasons, was a first-team All-Pro eight times, and received MVP recognition on two more occasions. Brown’s #32 was retired by the Browns and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1971.

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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 2/6/14]

1981: Chiefs Upset Mistake-Prone Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers had missed the postseason in 1980 after eight straight appearances that included four Super Bowl championships and were looking to rebound as they opened the 1981 season on September 6 at home against the Kansas City Chiefs.

For Head Coach Chuck Noll’s team, the roster might have been aging, but the nucleus was still strong and included such mainstays as QB Terry Bradshaw, RB Franco Harris, wide receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, DT “Mean Joe” Greene, linebackers Jack Lambert and Jack Ham, CB Mel Blount, and SS Donnie Shell. There were also promising younger players in RB Greg Hawthorne, WR Jim Smith, and CB Dwayne Woodruff.

The Chiefs, under Head Coach Marv Levy, were coming off an 8-8 record in ’80, the club’s best since 1973. The offense tended to be dull and highly conservative, while the defense featured All-Pro NT Art Still, LB Gary Spani, and Pro Bowl FS Gary Barbaro. It was not a promising situation starting off the new season in Pittsburgh, however, for there was a lot of inexperience on defense and the offense was without starting QB Steve Fuller, who had suffered a knee injury, putting backup Bill Kenney (pictured above) behind center.

With 53,305 fans in attendance at Three Rivers Stadium, the Steelers scored first when Bradshaw connected with Swann for an 18-yard touchdown, but rookie PK David Trout missed the extra point attempt. Kansas City came back with a 48-yard pass play from Kenney to WR Henry Marshall, and Nick Lowery’s PAT was successful to put the visitors ahead by 7-6. Lowery extended the lead with a 35-yard field goal later in the opening period.

In the second quarter, Pittsburgh moved back in front thanks to a seven-yard touchdown run by Franco Harris, but once again Trout failed to add the extra point. Harris added another TD from a yard out and this time the PAT was added. Lowery kicked a 40-yard field goal and the teams went into halftime with the Steelers leading by 19-13.

Kansas City retook the lead in the third quarter on another long pass play, this time with Kenney throwing to WR Carlos Carson for 53 yards. Lowery’s extra point made the score 20-19. The Steelers again came back as Greg Hawthorne scored from a yard out and Trout successfully converted the PAT. But sloppy play was catching up to the Steelers, and a Bradshaw fumble led to more points for Kansas City, this time a 42-yard field goal by Lowery that cut the home team’s margin to 26-23.

In the fourth quarter, a fumble by Harris again helped the visitors as the Chiefs drove 38 yards and RB Ted McKnight ran for a three-yard touchdown that put KC ahead by 30-26. But once again Pittsburgh came back when Bradshaw passed to Jim Smith for a 41-yard touchdown to put the Steelers in front at 33-30 with 7:12 to go.

The Chiefs were forced to punt following their next possession and it looked bad for the visitors when the Steelers advanced to the KC 28. Kansas City was out of timeouts and Pittsburgh had a first down heading toward the two-minute warning. But as Bradshaw took the snap and was preparing to hand off, he was hit hard by blitzing LB Frank Manumaleuga and lost the ball. LB Thomas Howard picked up Bradshaw’s fumble on the run and charged 65 yards for a touchdown to put the Chiefs in the lead with 1:59 remaining to play, utterly silencing a crowd that had been thrilled by the go-ahead scoring pass a few minutes before and was sensing victory.

Pittsburgh still had a chance, but Gary Barbaro (pictured at left) intercepted a Bradshaw pass to end the threat. Kansas City came away with a 37-33 upset win.

The big story was the seven turnovers by the Steelers, who fumbled eight times, losing five of them (including the game-decider), and gave up two interceptions. Together with the two missed extra points, it was an uncharacteristically mistake-filled performance. Pittsburgh outgained the Chiefs (408 yards to 353) and had more first downs (29 to 17). But Kansas City turned the ball over just twice, and the defense did well in holding the vaunted Pittsburgh running attack to just 89 yards on 34 carries.

Bill Kenney, in his fourth career start, completed 14 of 26 passes for 242 yards with two touchdowns while tossing one interception. Henry Marshall caught 4 passes for 89 yards and a TD. Ted McKnight led the rushers with 59 yards on 17 carries that included a score, and promising rookie RB Joe Delaney gained 43 yards on 9 attempts while FB James Hadnot contributed 8 runs for 42 yards.

For the Steelers, Terry Bradshaw was successful on 21 of 36 throws for 319 yards with two TDs but also two interceptions. John Stallworth caught 6 passes for 107 yards and Jim Smith gained 84 yards and scored a touchdown on his 4 receptions. Franco Harris ran for 70 yards and two TDs on 19 carries.

“What could have been a great win, even with all the mistakes, ended up being a lousy loss with a lot of mistakes,” said a disappointed Terry Bradshaw.

It was a sign of better things to come for the Chiefs, who won eight of their first 12 games before sustaining three losses in the last four to end up at 9-7 and third in the AFC West. Pittsburgh continued to struggle, going 8-8 to place second in the AFC Central and out of the playoffs for a second year.

Bill Kenney saw most of the action at quarterback for Kansas City (although Steve Fuller regained the job late in the season) and had a fair year, throwing for 1983 yards with 9 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Joe Delaney broke out as a Pro Bowl player, running for 1121 yards while averaging 4.8 yards per carry. It was still defense carrying the club as Art Still, Gary Barbaro, and CB Gary Green also were selected to the Pro Bowl, along with Nick Lowery, whose three field goals against the Steelers were the first of an eventual 26 out of 36 attempts.

David Trout, who missed his first two extra point attempts, ended up missing a total of eight of his 46 tries during the season. He was 12 for 17 on field goal attempts and lasted the year, but was not back in ’82. He would resurface in the USFL with better results.

1983: Cowboys Overcome 20-Point Deficit, Beat Redskins in Opener

The Washington Redskins, champions of the NFL in 1982, began their title defense with a Monday night game on September 5, 1983 against their arch-rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. It was a humid 87 degree night in Washington, but it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the sellout crowd of 55,045 at RFK Stadium.

Washington, coached by Joe Gibbs, featured the passing of QB Joe Theismann and the ground-gaining of rugged RB John Riggins on offense, along with an outstanding line known as “The Hogs” and a capable group of receivers led by WR Art Monk. The defense lacked big names but played well as a unit.

As for Head Coach Tom Landry’s Cowboys, they had most recently lost to the Redskins in the NFC Championship game – their third straight trip to the conference title contest that ended in defeat. QB Danny White was capable but also living in the shadow of his illustrious predecessor, Roger Staubach, and RB Tony Dorsett, TE Doug Cosbie, and wide receivers Tony Hill (pictured above) and Drew Pearson were all solid offensive performers. The defense had slipped in ’82, however, showing signs of age.

The Redskins were emotionally high coming into the opening game and did well at exploiting weaknesses in the Dallas defense during the first half. The Cowboys started their first drive from their own 16 yard line and that was typical during the first two quarters of play as they were consistently kept on their own half of the field.

In the first quarter, Mark Moseley started the scoring off with a 23-yard field goal and Riggins scored a touchdown on a one-yard carry. The biggest first half highlight for Dallas came in the second quarter on a 77-yard run by Tony Dorsett, who was caught from behind by fleet CB Darrell Green. Stifled again by Washington’s defense, the Cowboys had to settle for a 26-yard Rafael Septien field goal.

Moseley followed up with field goals of 30 and 39 yards and, with 40 seconds left in the first half, WR Charlie Brown made an outstanding catch of a Theismann pass for a 41-yard touchdown that seemingly put the Redskins in command at 23-3.

Theismann amassed 181 passing yards in the first half, making good use of short sideline passes to his wide receivers. Meanwhile, Danny White was a miserable one-for-nine. Dallas managed just three first downs, one of them on a penalty. However, for all the dominance Washington had scored just two touchdowns, along with three field goals.

The Cowboys made adjustments to the defense at halftime that successfully countered Washington’s attack during the second half. Things began to turn around early in the third quarter when White completed a pass to Tony Hill, who raced past CB Vernon Dean for a 75-yard touchdown.

Shortly thereafter, White hit Hill again for another long scoring play, this time victimizing the inexperienced CB Anthony Washington in the secondary. Suddenly, the Washington lead was down to 23-17.

Still ahead by six points, the Redskins drove to the Dallas 14 yard line but were moved back by a holding penalty and then Moseley had a critical missed field goal attempt from 31 yards. Dallas responded by driving 80 yards – 27 coming on runs by Dorsett and aided by a late hit of White called on LB Mel Kaufman - and taking the lead with White running around end for a short TD, followed by Septien’s extra point.

With just over two minutes to play, the game-clinching points were set up thanks to reserve CB Ron Fellows intercepting a Theismann pass at the Washington 40 and returning it to the four yard line. TE Doug Cosbie caught a touchdown throw by White from a yard out with less than two minutes to play.

The Redskins finally scored again in the waning seconds to close to one point, but it was inconsequential to the outcome once a desperation onsides kick was recovered by the Cowboys. Dallas came away with a 31-30 win.

Washington outgained the Cowboys (447 yards to 356) and had more first downs (26 to 16), but was also penalized seven times, to just two flags thrown on Dallas. Moreover, the inability to put more points on the board in the second half until it was too late, combined with the big plays by the Cowboys that exploited weaknesses in Washington’s defense, made the difference.

Danny White, recovering from the horrible first half showing, ended up completing 9 of 20 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Tony Dorsett (pictured below) rushed for 151 yards on 14 carries. With the two long scoring plays, Tony Hill gained 133 yards on 3 receptions while Doug Cosbie also caught 3 passes, for 36 yards and the clinching TD.

For the Redskins, Joe Theismann was successful on 28 of 38 throws for 325 yards with two TDs and the one late interception. Alvin Garrett caught 10 of those passes for 101 yards and Charlie Brown added 6 for 97 yards. John Riggins ran the ball 27 times for 89 yards and a touchdown.

“That pass to Hill was the play that turned the game around,” said Joe Theismann. “It didn’t kill us, but it woke up the Cowboys.”

“Anytime I can look up here and see the stands half-empty and the fans grumbling on their way out, it’s the most gratifying experience in football,” said Dennis Thurman, who recovered the climactic onsides kick for the Cowboys that effectively ended the game. “Those fans were screaming ‘we want Dallas’. I’m not too sure they want us now.”

The opening defeat was easily overcome by the Redskins, who won the rematch in Dallas later in the season and lost only one other game in compiling a 14-2 record. Featuring their high-scoring offense, they again advanced to the Super Bowl, only to be upset by the Los Angeles Raiders. The Cowboys finished second in the NFC East but qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card with a 12-4 tally. They didn’t make it to the NFC Championship game this time, falling to the Rams in the first round.

Danny White (pictured at right) placed third in the league with 3980 passing yards and tied with Joe Theismann for second with 29 TD passes. Tony Hill caught 49 passes for a team-leading 801 yards (16.3 avg.) and 7 touchdowns. Doug Cosbie was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first of three straight yeas as he pulled in 46 receptions for 588 yards and 6 TDs. Also chosen for the Pro Bowl was Tony Dorsett, for the fourth time, who rushed for 1321 yards on 289 yards (4.6 avg.) and caught 40 passes for 287 more yards and a total of 9 touchdowns. 

2000: Warner Passes for 441 Yards as Rams Overcome Broncos

The St. Louis Rams began the defense of their surprising 1999 NFL title in a Monday night game on September 4, 2000 at home against the Denver Broncos. QB Kurt Warner (pictured at right), who had gone from unknown backup to league MVP in ’99, was back and had an outstanding stable of receivers that featured savvy veteran WR Isaac Bruce as well as second-year players Torry Holt and Az-Zahir Hakim. The Rams also had the highly productive Marshall Faulk at running back, who became just the second NFL player to reach over a thousand yards each in rushing and pass receiving in 1999. St. Louis did have a new head coach in Mike Martz, elevated from offensive coordinator to replace the retired Dick Vermeil, as well as new uniforms of navy blue and old gold.

The visiting Broncos, coached by Mike Shanahan, had been the NFL Champions in 1997 and ’98. However, they dropped precipitously to 6-10 in 1999, having lost star QB John Elway to retirement and 2000-yard RB Terrell Davis for most of the year due to injury. QB Brian Griese, son of Miami’s former Hall of Famer Bob Griese, had suffered through a difficult year in place of Elway and the defense was in a state of flux.

There were 65,596 in attendance at the Trans World Dome. The Rams started quietly, going three-and-out in their first possession - although they would not punt again for the remainder of the contest. Denver put together a 59-yard drive in six plays, the last of which was an eight-yard bootleg by Griese for a touchdown.

St. Louis came back to advance into Denver territory, but LB Al Wilson intercepted a Warner pass at his own seven to end the threat. However, late in the first quarter Az-Zahir Hakim returned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown, which (with the successful extra point) tied the score and seemed to bring the Rams alive.

The Broncos moved back in front by 10-7 following a 32-yard field goal by Jason Elam. St. Louis responded with a five-yard touchdown run by Faulk with just under nine minutes remaining in the half. The teams traded touchdowns during the remainder of the second quarter, with Griese throwing to WR Rod Smith for a 25-yard TD and Warner connecting with WR Ricky Proehl from seven yards out in the final minute before halftime. The Rams led by 21-17 at the intermission.

Denver started off the third quarter with a nine-play, 63-yard drive that concluded with a 38-yard field goal by Elam to make it a one-point game. But the Rams struck quickly when a short pass from Warner to Faulk turned into a 72-yard touchdown.

The next time St. Louis got the ball, it was another quick score on a short throw by Warner that Hakim, breaking a tackle by former Rams safety Billy Jenkins at the line of scrimmage, went 80 yards with for a TD. Just two short tosses had gained a total of 152 yards and two touchdowns, put the home crowd in a frenzy, and given the Rams a 35-20 lead. But the Broncos were far from done.

For the second time, Al Wilson intercepted a Warner pass and the Broncos took advantage as Griese completed a seven-yard TD pass to TE Desmond Clark to close the margin to 35-27. Heading into the fourth quarter, an Elam field goal from 36 yards made it a five-point game.

St. Louis fell behind after a Warner pass intended for Torry Holt was picked off by CB Terrell Buckley, who returned it for a 32-yard touchdown and, although an attempt to add a two-point conversion failed, Denver had a 36-35 lead with 6:35 remaining on the clock.

The Rams rallied, however, putting together a 75-yard drive that featured Faulk running for a 30-yard gain to the Denver one. RB Robert Holcombe gained the last yard with just under three minutes to play, although the try for two points was unsuccessful. Still, the defending champs were back in front by five points.

Denver had a chance in the last two minutes, but the Rams defense, which had seemed so vulnerable throughout the contest, came alive and managed to sack Griese twice. Finally, on a fourth-and-33 play, Griese was hit by DE Grant Wistrom and he tossed an errant throw that fell incomplete to clinch the 41-36 win for St. Louis.

With several big plays, the Rams outgained Denver by 433 yards to 274, but the Broncos led in first downs by 25 to 23. St. Louis was nearly done in by three turnovers, as opposed to none surrendered by Denver.

Kurt Warner, who spread the ball around to seven different receivers, completed 25 of 35 passes for 441 yards and three touchdowns, although he also gave up the three interceptions. Marshall Faulk rushed for 78 yards and a TD in 14 carries and added 100 yards and another score on four pass receptions. Indeed, the Rams had three hundred-yard receivers in the same game for the first time since 1951 as Az-Zahir Hakim gained 116 yards on his 5 catches and Torry Holt pulled in 6 passes for 103 yards. It was a highly productive game for the often-overlooked Hakim, who, with the long punt return for a TD, accumulated 202 total yards.

For the Broncos, Brian Griese (pictured below) had great success picking apart the St. Louis defense, going to the air 29 times and completing 19 for 307 yards and two TDs with no interceptions. WR Ed McCaffrey led the receivers with 7 catches for 115 yards and Rod Smith gained 88 yards on his three receptions that included a touchdown. RB Olandis Gary paced the club with 80 yards on 13 attempts. Terrell Davis gained 34 yards on 9 carries before leaving the contest with a twisted ankle suffered in the first quarter.

“That’s the name of our game,” said Kurt Warner afterward. “That’s what we do around here, we spread it around and get it to everybody and take advantage of what defenses are doing to us.”

“This was a game that if you like offense, it was fun to watch,” said Mike Shanahan. “If you like defense, you picked the wrong one to go to.”

The exciting win over Denver set the stage for the Rams to get off to a 6-0 start, but they faltered during the second half of the season to finish at 10-6 and, due to tiebreakers, second in the NFC West. While they still made the playoffs as a Wild Card team, the Rams fell to New Orleans in the first round. Still an extremely potent offensive team, as the contest against the Broncos showed, St. Louis was leaky on defense. Denver bounced back to return to the postseason, also as a Wild Card with an 11-5 record. The Broncos lost in the first round as well, to the eventual-champion Baltimore Ravens.

Kurt Warner missed five games due to injury, but still passed for 3429 yards (averaging 311.7 per game) and 21 touchdowns, and was again selected to the Pro Bowl. Marshall Faulk, while out for two contests, was again prolific as he ran for 1359 yards and 18 TDs and caught 81 passes for another 830 yards and eight scores, giving him 2189 yards from scrimmage and a then-record 26 touchdowns scored.

Az-Zahir Hakim remained productive as the number three wide receiver and primary punt returner, although nagging injuries wore him down as well. He had 53 catches for 734 yards (13.8 avg.) and four touchdowns and averaged 15.3 yards on his 32 punt returns.

Brian Griese, who received much praise for his improved performance against the Rams, had a Pro Bowl year, completing 64.3 percent of his passes for 2688 yards and 19 TDs against just four interceptions.