1964: Late Scores Propel Cards to Win Over Redskins

The St. Louis Cardinals were 3-1-1 and battling to stay even with the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Eastern Conference race as they hosted the Washington Redskins on October 18, 1964. Coached by Wally Lemm, the Cardinals had a well-balanced offense with occasionally-erratic but typically effective QB Charley Johnson (pictured at right) throwing to outstanding receivers in split end Sonny Randle and flanker Bobby Joe Conrad or handing off to a good group of running backs led by HB John David Crow. The defense featured linebackers Dale Meinert and Bill Koman plus CB Pat Fischer and FS Larry Wilson. PK Jim Bakken was one of the league’s best.

The Redskins, coached by Bill McPeak for the fourth year, were 1-4, having lost to the Cards two weeks earlier at home and won for the first time the previous week. Washington had not put together a winning record since 1955 but had made key acquisitions in the previous offseason, most notably QB Sonny Jurgensen, obtained from the Eagles, and MLB Sam Huff, formerly of the Giants. In addition, rookie HB Charley Taylor had been drafted in the first round out of Arizona State and was proving to be an excellent outside runner as well as pass receiver.

There were 23,748 in attendance on a 60-degree day at Busch Stadium. They saw Washington start fast, scoring two touchdowns in the first six minutes of the first quarter. Jurgensen threw to Taylor for a 77-yard gain that set up a one-yard sneak by the quarterback for a TD.

On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Charley Johnson fumbled while rolling out and DT Joe Rutgens recovered for the Redskins. Jurgensen threw to split end Angelo Coia, who beat CB Jimmy Hill for a 32-yard touchdown. Including two successful extra points, it was 14-0 in favor of the visitors.

Before the opening period was over, however, Jim Bakken kicked a 17-yard field goal for the Cards and then Dale Meinert recovered a fumble by Washington HB Tom Tracy at the Redskins’ 27. St. Louis quickly capitalized when Johnson passed to Sonny Randle for an 11-yard TD. The score was 14-10 after a quarter of play.

Midway through the second quarter St. Louis took the lead when a 35-yard drive ended with John David Crow running for a nine-yard touchdown. With time running out in the first half the Cardinals went 52 yards on a possession that ended when Johnson fooled the Redskins defense by passing to a wide-open TE Jackie Smith for a one-yard TD pass. The Cards were up by 24-14 at the half.

Neither team was able to move the ball during the third quarter, but two interceptions set up Washington scores as the Redskins defense proved effective against the St. Louis offense for most of the second half. Johnson had difficulty completing passes until midway through the final period.

Early in the fourth quarter, CB Johnny Sample intercepted a Johnson pass at the Washington 28 and returned it to the 44. The Redskins took advantage as Taylor ran for a 37-yard gain and Jurgensen completed an 18-yard pass to star flanker Bobby Mitchell for a touchdown to make it a three-point game.

LB Jim Carr intercepted another pass by Johnson that gave the Redskins good field position at the St. Louis 49. The ensuing drive stalled at the 15 and a well-thrown Jurgensen pass was dropped by Coia in the end zone. Washington had to settle for a field goal by 40-year-old Jim Martin from 24 yards out to tie the game at 24-24 with just under two minutes left to play.

The Cardinals took possession at their 27 to start the ensuing drive. Johnson, who had been ineffective for much of the second half, threw to FB Joe Childress (pictured at left) for a 30-yard gain. Following two runs by Childress that added another 13 yards, Johnson then connected with split end Bill Gambrell for 11 yards to the Washington 19 with the clock down to 48 seconds. A five-yard completion to Conrad was followed by a short run by Crow and then Johnson’s pass to Conrad, who broke two tackles, for a 12-yard touchdown.

Now down by seven points, a desperate Jurgensen threw a desperation pass that was intercepted by Pat Fischer and returned 39 yards for a TD to seal the 38-24 win for St. Louis.

The Cardinals had more total yards (366 to 264) and far more first downs (26 to 9). But four turnovers, including the two damaging interceptions that led directly to Washington scores, hurt St. Louis while the Redskins turned the ball over three times. In addition, Johnson was sacked five times while the St. Louis defense failed to register any sacks at all.

Charley Johnson completed 17 of 30 passes for 226 yards with three touchdowns but also three interceptions. He also gained 32 yards on four rushes. Joe Childress ran for 86 yards on 15 carries and caught two passes for 48 more yards while John David Crow contributed 53 yards on 16 attempts that included a TD. Bobby Joe Conrad (pictured below) was the top receiver for St. Louis with 5 catches for 52 yards and the game-winning touchdown.

For the Redskins, Charley Taylor had a big day with 62 yards rushing on 9 carries and three pass receptions for 81 yards. Sonny Jurgensen was successful on 11 of 25 throws for 159 yards and two TDs with one intercepted. Bobby Mitchell and Angelo Coia each had three catches for 35 yards and scored a touchdown.

The win kept the Cardinals even with the Browns atop the Eastern Conference, but a midseason slump hurt their chances and while they finished up with four straight wins, it gave them a 9-3-2 record that placed second to Cleveland’s 10-3-1. The Redskins won five of their next six contests and ended up tied for third in the conference with Philadelphia at 6-8.

Charley Johnson led the NFL in pass attempts (420), completions (223), yards (3045), and, more unfortunately, interceptions (24) while ranking fourth in touchdown passes with 21. Bobby Joe Conrad was the fourth-ranked pass receiver in the league with 61 catches, good for 780 yards (12.8 avg.) and six TDs. He was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Sonny Jurgensen had a good first year in Washington, ranking second to Johnson in pass completions (207) and yards (2934) while ranking ahead in touchdown passes (24) and with far fewer interceptions (13). Like Conrad, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl.

Charley Taylor (pictured below) had an outstanding first year, garnering Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl honors as he rushed for 755 yards on 199 carries (3.8 avg.) and caught 53 passes for 814 yards (15.4 avg.) and totaled 10 touchdowns. Two years later, he was shifted to split end as he went on to a 13-season Hall of Fame career.

1926: Driscoll Dominates as Bears Shut Out Cards

In the early days of the NFL, one of the league’s biggest stars was John “Paddy” Driscoll. At a time when versatility was highly valued, the 5’11”, 160-pound Driscoll could run and pass effectively out of the quarterback, halfback, or tailback positions, was a good defensive player, and an excellent punter and drop-kicker. After playing collegiately at Northwestern and having a brief major league baseball career, Driscoll was with the Great Lakes Naval Training Station football team that won the 1919 Rose Bowl (and included George Halas, later the long-time head coach and owner of the Bears). After playing professionally in the pre-NFL year of 1919 with Hammond, he joined the Chicago Cardinals of the new league (then called the American Professional Football Association) for 1920.

From then through 1925, Driscoll scored 17 touchdowns, kicked 37 field goals and 31 extra points, and scored 244 points while receiving All-Pro recognition in five of the six years. He led the league in scoring in 1923 and in field goals on three occasions, including 1925 as the Cardinals won the NFL Championship. Driscoll also tended to be particularly effective against the cross-town rivals of the Cards, the Chicago Bears.

In 1926, a rival league, the first to be called the American Football League, was formed and Driscoll received a salary offer from that circuit’s Chicago franchise that the Cardinals could not match. Not wanting to see Driscoll go to the other circuit, the Cards sold him to Halas and the Bears for $3500.

Driscoll proved to be a good pickup for the Bears, and on October 17, 1926 they faced the Cardinals. It was a big game – both teams had yet to lose (the Cards were 4-0 and the Bears 3-0-1). There were 12,000 fans in attendance at Normal Park, home of the Cards.

Three minutes into the first quarter, Driscoll dropkicked a 38-yard field goal following his fair catch of a punt. Early in the second quarter, Driscoll passed to Halas, an end as well as the owner and coach, for a 40-yard gain to the Cardinals’ 20. He followed up with a run around end for 11 yards and shortly thereafter went off tackle for a five-yard touchdown. The multitalented back added the extra point to make it 10-0.

Later in the same period, center George Trafton of the Bears intercepted a pass in Cardinals territory, and while they weren’t able to move the ball on offense, Driscoll booted a 25-yard field goal. Before the end of the half, Driscoll completed the scoring with a 50-yard field goal and that was it. While the Cardinals drove into Bears territory on several occasions during the second half, fumbles kept them from scoring and the halftime score of 16-0 ended up being the final tally.

The Bears accumulated 10 first downs to 8 for the Cards. Paddy Driscoll accounted for all of the points against his former team as he kicked three field goals, scored a touchdown, and added the extra point. Backs Roy Lamb and Red Dunn were the top ground gainers for the Cardinals.

The first defeat of the season for the Cardinals moved the Bears into undisputed possession of first place. They didn’t hold onto it in the end, however, finishing second in the division-less, 22-club NFL with a 12-1-3 record. The only team to defeat them, the Frankford Yellow Jackets, claimed the league title at 14-1-2. The Cardinals slumped to 5-6-1, winning just one more game after the initial loss to the Bears (they played them twice more and suffered another defeat along with a tie). They placed tenth in the final standings.

Paddy Driscoll led the NFL in scoring for the second time with 86 points and also was the leader in touchdown passes (6, tied with Eddie Scharer of the Detroit Panthers) and field goals (12) – both were league records, the scoring mark lasting until 1941 and the field goal total remaining the standard until 1950. He also scored a total of six touchdowns and kicked 14 extra points and was named first-team All-NFL by Collyers Eye Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, and the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Driscoll stayed with the Bears until 1929, when his playing career ended. At the time, he was the NFL’s career scoring leader with 402 points and, not surprisingly, the career leader in field goals with 51. His 63 extra points were also a record and he was named to at least one all-league team in eight of his nine years in the NFL. Driscoll went on to become a long-time assistant coach for the Bears and was head coach in 1956 and ’57, when Halas took a hiatus. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.

1989: Backup QB Reich Leads Bills to Last-Minute Win Against Rams

The Buffalo Bills were 3-2 and without their starting quarterback as they took on the undefeated Los Angeles Rams on October 16, 1989. QB Jim Kelly suffered a shoulder separation in a 37-14 loss to the Colts the previous week and the little-known backup quarterback, Frank Reich, was forced to step in. Under Head Coach Marv Levy, the Bills had won the AFC East in 1988 and featured a productive offense that included RB Thurman Thomas and WR Andre Reed while the defense was anchored by DE Bruce Smith and included a good linebacking corps.

The Rams, in their eighth season under Head Coach John Robinson, were 5-0 and a more pass-oriented team than they had been throughout most of Robinson’s tenure with the club. QB Jim Everett was the reason, and he had a reliable target for his passes in WR Henry Ellard while second-year WR Willie “Flipper” Anderson was emerging as a potent deep threat.

It was a rainy Monday night at Rich Stadium for the nationally-telecast contest. Things started well for the Rams when CB Jerry Gray intercepted Frank Reich’s second pass of the night, giving LA good field position at the Buffalo 46. The Bills defense held, but Dale Hatcher’s punt was muffed by CB Mickey Sutton and recovered by LA’s WR Ron Brown at the Buffalo 16. Five plays later Everett threw to RB Buford McGee in the end zone for a three-yard touchdown.

There was no further scoring in the first quarter as neither offense was able to get much going. Buffalo got a break with 5:23 to go in the half when Los Angeles RB Greg Bell (an ex-Bill) fumbled at his own 20 and NT Jeff Wright recovered. Scott Norwood kicked a 28-yard field goal four plays after that to cut LA’s lead to 7-3.

The Bills got the ball back at the Rams’ 49 following a punt with 2:16 left on the clock and advanced to the 29 in seven plays, from where Norwood was again successful on a 47-yard field goal try to make it 7-6 at the half.

The defenses continued to dominate in the third quarter. On their third series of the second half, the Rams drove into Bills territory as Everett completed passes to Henry Ellard for 24 and 19 yards. The drive stalled at the Buffalo 17 and Mike Lansford booted a 34-yard field goal to stretch the LA lead to 10-6.

The Bills responded with a late-period scoring drive that stretched into the fourth quarter. Reich completed a pass to Thurman Thomas for 13 yards in a third-and-10 situation and Buffalo advanced to the Los Angeles 23. The 12-play, 52-yard possession ended with another Norwood field goal, this time from 40 yards.

It was once again a one-point game, but the Rams came back with a long series that covered 60 yards in 12 plays. Everett completed four passes and Lansford capped the drive with a 36-yard field goal.

On Buffalo’s next play from scrimmage, Reich threw to Andre Reed for a 47-yard gain to the LA 39. A costly defensive holding penalty nullified a sack of Reich on third down and a 15-yard completion to Reed put the ball at the six. Reich’s one-yard TD pass to Thomas and Norwood’s extra point put the Bills in front for the first time at 16-13 with a little over two minutes remaining.

The Rams failed to convert a fourth-and-four play just after the two minute warning, but three plays later Thomas fumbled and safety Michael Stewart recovered. LA made the Bills pay in short order as Everett passed to the fleet Willie Anderson for a 78-yard touchdown. It was 20-16 and, with the Bills getting the ball back with 1:17 left on the clock, it seemed as though the Rams would remain undefeated.

Reich passed to Reed on first down, who fumbled but C Kent Hull saved the day for Buffalo by recovering. A short completion to Thomas was followed by a false start penalty that made it third-and-six. Reich threw to Thomas for 17 yards and a first down at the LA 43. Two more passes to Thomas gained another 21 yards and a toss to RB Ronnie Harmon picked up 14 yards. With 20 seconds left in the game, Reich threw to Reed for an eight-yard touchdown to finish off the seven-play, 64-yard drive. It finished off the Rams, too, as there was time left for only one Everett pass and Buffalo won by a score of 23-20.

Buffalo outgained the Rams (348 yards to 266) and had more first downs (17 to 15). Of LA’s yardage total, only 59 came on the ground. The Bills turned the ball over four times, to two suffered by Los Angeles.

Frank Reich, overcoming a slow start, completed 21 of 37 passes for 214 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Thurman Thomas (pictured below) rushed for 105 yards on 24 carries and caught 9 passes for 67 yards and a TD. Andre Reed gained 106 yards on 8 pass receptions that included the winning touchdown.

For the Rams, Jim Everett was successful on just 15 of 36 throws for 219 yards and two TDs with one picked off. With the long scoring reception Flipper Anderson had 87 yards on only two catches while Henry Ellard hauled in 4 passes for 70 yards. Greg Bell, the NFL’s second-ranking rusher coming into the game, ran for 44 yards on 21 attempts.

Reich continued to perform well for the Bills, leading them to two more wins before Kelly returned to the lineup. It was a controversy-filled year in Buffalo as Kelly feuded with teammates, two assistant coaches engaged in a fist fight in the film room, and fingers were pointed at players who had fueled the ’88 surge but seemed less consistent in 1989. For all that, Buffalo topped the AFC East for the second straight year, but with a lesser 9-7 record. The Bills lost at Cleveland in the Divisional playoff round.

As for the Rams, the loss at Buffalo was the first of four in a row, but they recovered to finish with six wins in their last seven games to finish at 11-5 and second to San Francisco in the NFC West. They qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card and advanced to the conference title game where they lost to the arch-rival 49ers.

In his relief role, Frank Reich completed 53 of 87 passes (60.9 %) for 701 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He went on to play five more years in Buffalo before moving on to the expansion Carolina Panthers, capably backing up Jim Kelly and engineering a memorable comeback in the 1992 postseason. 

1945: Rams Explode in 4th Quarter to Beat Packers

The NFL contest in Green Bay on October 14, 1945 was a faceoff between two Western Division teams that had started off the season at 2-0. The Green Bay Packers were the defending NFL Champions and still a potent squad, especially after their all-time great end Don Hutson had been persuaded to put off retirement and come back for another year. Coached by Curly Lambeau, the franchise’s founder, the Packers were a team that was used to contending.

As for the visiting Cleveland Rams, they had never been above .500 in any season since joining the NFL in 1937. But they had a new head coach in Adam Walsh, who installed a T-formation offense, and a talented rookie quarterback out of UCLA to run it in Bob Waterfield (pictured above). The Rams had an outstanding receiver of their own in end Jim Benton, who was ably complemented by Steve Pritko, plus a good group of running backs.

There were 24,607 fans in attendance at Green Bay’s City Stadium on a bright and clear day. The Rams scored on their first possession, driving 49 yards and finishing with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Waterfield to Benton. While Waterfield’s first extra point attempt was successful, it was nullified by a holding penalty and the second try was no good when it sailed wide. Still, Cleveland was ahead by 6-0.

That remained the situation until the third quarter when Rams HB Tom Colella fumbled and Green Bay tackle Paul Lipscomb recovered at the Cleveland 25. FB Ted Fritsch ran three times to get to the one and tailback Irv Comp went the last yard for a TD. Hutson kicked the extra point to put the Packers ahead by 7-6.

In the fourth quarter, the Packers went 54 yards, with the highlight a pass from tailback Roy McKay to Hutson for 24 yards. Fritsch plowed through the middle for a three-yard touchdown and Hutson added the point after.

Down by 14-6 in the final period, the Rams had possession at their own 27 and put together a seven-play scoring drive. Waterfield capped it by passing to Colella for a nine-yard TD. Cleveland then received a big break when Green Bay’s McKay fumbled and tackle Roger Eason recovered for the Rams at the Packers’ 17. FB Don Greenwood, Colella, and Waterfield each took a turn running the ball to get to the one yard line and Greenwood scored from there.

McKay and Comp took turns trying to connect on passes to Don Hutson until DB Albie Reisz intercepted one and returned it to the Green Bay 5. Colella ran the ball in from there for a touchdown that sealed the win for the Rams. Thanks to the three fourth quarter TDs, and Waterfield’s successful conversions after each, Cleveland came away the winner by a final score of 27-14.

The Rams led in total yards (289 to 232) but Green Bay had the edge in first downs (16 to 12). However, Cleveland ran the ball more effectively (154 yards on 45 carries to 81 yards on 39 attempts) and the Packers turned the ball over six times, as opposed to four turnovers by the Rams.

As usual, Don Hutson was Green Bay’s chief offensive weapon, catching 7 passes for 110 yards, but he was unable to penetrate the end zone (he had done so four times in one quarter the previous week against Detroit). Jim Benton caught 5 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown for the Rams.

The win moved the Rams into first place in the Western Division and that’s where they stayed, going 9-1 and beating Washington for the NFL title. Green Bay dropped to third with a 6-4 record.

Bob Waterfield overcame a severe rib injury to achieve league MVP honors while passing for 1609 yards and leading the league in yards per attempt (9.4) and touchdown passes (14, tied with Sid Luckman of the Bears).

Jim Benton (pictured below) and Don Hutson were the NFL’s most productive receivers. In his final season, Hutson led the league for the eighth time (fifth consecutive) with 47 pass receptions while his 834 yards ranked second to Benton’s 1067. Benton placed second to Hutson with 45 catches.

The 1945 season marked a change in direction for the two franchises. Green Bay went into a decline that wasn’t reversed until the arrival of Vince Lombardi as head coach and general manager in 1959. The Rams, who moved to Los Angeles in 1946, won four division or conference titles over the course of the next decade and a league championship while regularly being among the NFL’s contending teams.

1991: Moon Passes for 423 Yards to Rally Oilers Past Jets

The Houston Oilers were well established by 1991 as the NFL’s most prolific passing team. Under second-year Head Coach Jack Pardee, they operated a run-and-shoot offense that had 34-year-old QB Warren Moon (pictured at right) throwing early and often to a talented stable of wide receivers that included Drew Hill, Haywood Jeffires, Ernest Givins, and Curtis Duncan. They were off to a 4-1 start as they took on the New York Jets on October 13.

The Jets, coached by Bruce Coslet, were 3-3 after having won their previous two games following three straight losses. QB Ken O’Brien, in his eighth season, was a steady if not spectacular performer and he had two good targets in wide receivers Al Toon and Rob Moore. RB Brad Baxter had outperformed the team’s 1990 first round draft choice, Blair Thomas.

There were 70,758 fans in attendance on a cloudy day at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. They saw the Jets take the opening kickoff and roll 80 yards in 10 plays. O’Brien completed four passes, including one for a 34-yard gain to Baxter to the Houston three yard line. From there, Baxter ran up the middle for the final three yards and a touchdown.

The Oilers went three-and-out on their initial possession and the Jets came back to score again. O’Brien started the drive off with an 18-yard completion to Toon and later threw to WR Chris Burkett for 23 yards to the Houston seven. New York wasn’t able to punch in for another TD, but the 59-yard possession ended with Pat Leahy kicking a 21-yard field goal to make it 10-0.

In the second quarter, Houston finally got something going on offense. The Oilers converted a fourth-and-one play at the New York 31 with a Moon pass to Haywood Jeffires (pictured below) for nine yards. Throwing on every play, Moon finished off the 10-play, 54-yard series with a three-yard TD pass to a diving Curtis Duncan in the end zone. Ian Howfield missed the extra point attempt, however, and the score remained 10-6 in favor of the Jets.

Following a New York punt, the Oilers took over at their 17 and Moon immediately threw to Jeffires for 35 yards. The drive went 83 yards in 10 plays with Moon converting two third downs with a 21-yard completion to Jeffires on third-and-five at the New York 43 and a 14-yard pass to Drew Hill in a third-and-six situation that made it first-and-goal at the four. RB Lorenzo White finished off the possession by taking a pitchout for a one-yard touchdown. This time the point after was successful and Houston was in front at 13-10.

New York had to punt again following its next series but Moon was intercepted by DB Lonnie Young to give the Jets a last shot with 21 seconds before the half and the ball at the Houston 47. Two O’Brien completions got the ball to the 34, but Leahy’s 52-yard field goal attempt sailed wide to the right and the Oilers maintained the three-point lead at the intermission.

Starting at their own six yard line after a short kickoff return to start the second half, the Oilers moved the ball effectively with Moon hitting on passes of 16 yards to Hill, 13 yards to Jeffires, and 9 more to Jeffires again to start the drive. But after reaching the New York 44, Moon was intercepted by CB Mike Brim, who returned it 13 yards to not only stop Houston’s drive but also give the Jets good field position. New York made the most of it, moving methodically down the field in 14 plays that ended with Leahy booting a 31-yard field goal to tie the score.

Moon had the Oilers driving again as the third quarter came to an end, but the drive stalled at the New York 32 and the attempt to convert a fourth-and-seven situation ended with an incomplete pass intended for WR Ernest Givins that was broken up by Lonnie Young.

The Jets went three-and-out on their next possession and Houston again came out throwing with Moon going to Jeffires for gains of 14 and 35 yards to the New York 27. An apparent touchdown run by White was nullified by a holding penalty, but the Oilers scored on Howfield field goal of 23 yards to move back in front at 16-13.

New York was unable to move the ball on its next series, even after retaining possession when a punt hit Houston DB Marcus Robertson on the arm and was recovered by Burkett for the Jets. Still, a second Louie Aguiar punt went out of bounds at the Houston six, and with just under six minutes remaining there was still time for the Jets – if they could get the ball back.

White ran for a two-yard loss on Houston’s first play, but then Moon threw to Duncan for nine yards and, in a big third-and-three situation, hit Duncan again for 23 more yards. White ran for 11 yards and then Moon passed for eight before handing off to White three more times for short gains while the Jets used their first two timeouts. But on third-and-four, Moon threw to Hill on a crossing pattern and the wide receiver went all the way for a 37-yard touchdown.

It was the clincher for Houston – the Jets drove to a last-play touchdown as O’Brien passed to Burkett from 18 yards out, but time ran out on New York. The Oilers came away with a 23-20 win.

Houston significantly outgained the Jets (436 yards to 279) and had the edge in first downs (25 to 21). Neither team ran the ball effectively, with New York gaining 43 yards on 21 attempts and the Oilers compiling just 27 on 15 carries. The Oilers sacked O’Brien four times while Moon was sacked once by the Jets. Houston also turned the ball over three times while New York suffered just one turnover.

Warren Moon went to the air 50 times and had 35 completions for 423 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Haywood Jeffires led the receivers with 13 catches for 186 yards while Curtis Duncan added 8 receptions for 67 yards and a TD and Drew Hill (pictured below) pulled in 6 passes for 80 yards and a score. Lorenzo White led what there was of a running attack with 24 yards on 11 attempts that included a TD.

For the Jets, Ken O’Brien completed 24 of 42 passes for 269 yards with a TD and one intercepted. Chris Burkett caught 6 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown and Al Toon also had 6 receptions, for 51 yards. Brad Baxter had 31 yards and a touchdown on 10 rushing attempts.

“This should show people we are for real,” say Haywood Jeffires. “Now we can go to Miami and come up with back-to-back wins on the road. I think we will and people will consider us a Super Bowl contender.”

Houston did indeed win the next week against the Dolphins and made it to 7-1 before losing again. The Oilers did lose three of their last five games, but after having been a Wild Card team the previous four years, they won the AFC Central with an 11-5 record. In the postseason, they once again beat the Jets to get through the Wild Card round but lost a close contest at Denver in the Divisional round to once again come up short of a trip to the Super Bowl. New York was 8-8 on the year but still managed to finish second in the AFC East and qualify for a Wild Card spot.

Filling the air with passes on a regular basis, Warren Moon led the NFL in attempts (655), completions (404), yards (4690), but also interceptions (21). Still, his passer rating of 81.7 ranked only tenth and he was fifth in touchdown passes with 23. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth straight year.

Haywood Jeffires led the league with 100 pass receptions and ranked fourth with 1181 yards. He was a consensus first-team All-Pro and also was chosen for the Pro Bowl for the first of an eventual three consecutive times. Drew Hill ranked third by catching 90 passes and seventh in yards with 1109. 

1981: Carpenter & Simms Spur Giants to Win Over Cards

The New York Giants had been mired in mediocrity and out of the postseason for 17 consecutive years as they entered the 1981 NFL season. After winning two of their first three games in ’81, they lost two straight and were 2-3 as they prepared to take on the St. Louis Cardinals on October 11. But there was cause for optimism. The defense was strong, especially at linebacker where veterans Brad Van Pelt, Harry Carson, and Brian Kelley had been joined by first-round draft pick Lawrence Taylor, who was having an immediate impact. Third-year QB Phil Simms was still a promising work in progress. But a new factor was being introduced for the game against the Cardinals in the person of FB Rob Carpenter, who had just been received in a trade with the Houston Oilers with the hopes of improving the running game.

The fifth-year veteran Carpenter had labored in the shadow of Houston’s great RB Earl Campbell and, other than his rookie season in the pre-Campbell year of 1977 when he ran the ball 144 times for 652 yards, he had not carried more than 97 times in any one campaign. His rushing total in 57 games for the Oilers was 1788 yards while averaging 4.1 yards per carry, although he had caught 43 passes in 1980. In the first four contests of the ’81 season before being traded, Carpenter carried the ball just 18 times for 74 yards.

The visiting Cardinals, coached by Jim Hanifan, also came into the game at 2-3 after having beaten the Cowboys the previous week. RB Ottis Anderson was a well-established ground gainer in his third year and while 37-year-old veteran Jim Hart was still the starting quarterback, the promising Neil Lomax from Portland State had been drafted in the second round and was waiting in the wings. But while the offense had talent, the defense was a chronic source of problems.

There were 67,128 fans at Giants Stadium and they witnessed a scoreless first quarter before a New York fumble set up a 14-yard touchdown pass from Hart to TE Doug Marsh seven seconds into the second quarter.

The Giants responded with a 56-yard drive that ended with Joe Danelo kicking a 41-yard field goal to cut the St. Louis lead to 7-3. New York put together another scoring drive despite Simms being sacked twice along the way. He threw to WR Johnny Perkins for a five-yard TD to put the Giants in front.

An interception of a Hart pass by Brian Kelley set up another score before the half. Kelley returned the pickoff 16 yards to the St. Louis 33 and Simms again threw to Perkins for a touchdown, this time from seven yards out, with 31 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Giants went into halftime with a 17-7 lead. Simms had thrown for 121 yards in the first half but was also sacked four times, at a cost of 22 yards.

The Giants scored again to start the third quarter as Danelo booted a 45-yard field goal to make it 20-7. New York then took control when Marsh fumbled after catching a pass from Hart and FS Beasley Reece recovered for the Giants at the New York 45. The Giants capitalized when Simms tossed a 22-yard touchdown pass to WR Earnest Gray and it was 27-7 heading into the final period.

The Cardinals narrowed the lead in the fourth quarter on a series highlighted by a Hart completion to WR Pat Tilley that picked up 34 yards. RB Theotis Brown capped the drive by running for a three-yard TD. But Carpenter crowned his debut with a 21-yard touchdown run that was set up in turn by a 24-yard carry by Simms. The Giants won handily by a score of 34-14.

New York outgained the Cardinals by 377 yards to 285 – most impressively, 198 of that total for the Giants came on the ground. The Giants also had the edge in first downs by 27 to 19. The St. Louis defense sacked Simms five times in all, to four sacks recorded by the Giants, but the Cardinals also turned the ball over four times to one suffered by the home team.

Rob Carpenter made an immediate impact with his new team by rushing for 103 yards on 14 carries that included a touchdown. Phil Simms (pictured below) completed 19 of 33 passes for 208 yards with three TDs and had none intercepted. Johnny Perkins led the receivers with 5 catches for 55 yards and two touchdowns.

For the Cardinals, Jim Hart, who was replaced late in the fourth quarter by the rookie Lomax, was successful on 17 of 26 throws for 195 yards with a TD and an interception. Ottis Anderson ran for 71 yards on 17 attempts and also caught a team-leading 5 passes for 47 yards. Doug Marsh gained 52 yards on his four pass receptions that also included a touchdown.

“It was the biggest game of the year for us,” summed up Phil Simms.

“It was a great victory, the greatest since I’ve been here,” echoed Head Coach Ray Perkins of the Giants.

“I was running behind a pretty good offensive line,” said Rob Carpenter. “It was the first time in two years that a line has given me the time to make a cut behind the line of scrimmage.”

With Carpenter adding a new dimension to the offense, the Giants went on to a 9-7 record to finish third in the NFC East and qualify for a Wild Card spot in the playoffs, thus making their first postseason appearance since 1963. They defeated the division-rival Eagles in the Wild Card round before succumbing to the 49ers in the Divisional playoff game. The Cardinals, with Lomax finishing out the year in place of Hart, ended up fifth in the division at 7-9.

Rob Carpenter had his best year, rushing the ball 190 times for 748 yards in his ten games with the Giants and catching 24 passes for 201 more yards (overall, adding in his statistics with Houston, he gained 822 yards on 202 carries). He went over a hundred yards rushing in four games and added 161 yards on 33 carries in the Wild Card win over Philadelphia.

Phil Simms also played well until a shoulder injury ended his season prematurely in the tenth game. He passed for 2031 yards with 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, but it was Scott Brunner behind center for the 4-1 run at the end of the regular season and the playoff contests. 

2010: McNabb Leads Redskins to Overtime Win Over Packers

The Washington Redskins were off to a 2-2 start as they hosted the Green Bay Packers at FedEx Field on October 10, 2010. The team had undergone a transformation following a miserable 4-12 record in ’09, bringing in GM Bruce Allen, Head Coach Mike Shanahan, and a new veteran quarterback in 33-year-old ex-Eagle Donovan McNabb (pictured above).

Green Bay, under Head Coach Mike McCarthy, was 3-1 and following up on an 11-5 record in 2009 that had put them in the playoffs. A young team, the Packers were retooling well, particularly at quarterback where Aaron Rodgers was proving to be a worthy successor to long-time star Brett Favre.

The Packers had possession first, but following a short kickoff return they turned the ball over on the second play from scrimmage. Rodgers passed to TE Donald Lee for 17 yards, but the tight end fumbled and safety Kareem Moore recovered and advanced 13 yards to the Green Bay 21. However, the Redskins moved backward rather than forward and ultimately were forced to punt from their 44.

Starting at their own 10, the Packers made a big play immediately as RB Brandon Jackson ran for a 71-yard gain to the Washington 19. Five plays later Rodgers threw to Lee for a five-yard touchdown and the early lead.

The teams traded punts for the remainder of the opening period, although a 35-yard pass from Rodgers to WR James Jones had the ball in Washington territory to start the second quarter. But after reaching the one yard line, the defense stopped two running plays and a Rodgers pass into the end zone was broken up on fourth down.

The Redskins advanced to their own 33 before being forced to punt and Hunter Smith’s kick was returned 52 yards by CB Tramon Williams right back to the line of scrimmage. Mason Crosby kicked a 52-yard field goal four plays later to make it 10-0.

After another exchange of punts, the Redskins appeared to be trapped back in their own territory before McNabb completed a pass to WR Santana Moss for 52 yards on third-and-18. Two carries by RB Ryan Torain gave the Redskins another first down at the Green Bay 25 and a McNabb shuttle pass to Moss gained nine more yards to the 16. A throw to TE Chris Cooley moved the ball inside the 10 and, with the clock down to 13 seconds, Graham Gano kicked a 26-yard field goal to conclude the 12-play, 78-yard drive and make the score 10-3 at halftime.

The Packers put together a 70-yard series in 9 plays in their first possession of the third quarter that featured a Rodgers pass to WR Donald Driver for 34 yards. Crosby was successful with a 36-yard field goal that put Green Bay back in front by ten points.

Following a short Washington possession, the Packers moved to the Redskins’ 29 in eight plays but Crosby missed a 48-yard field goal. The score remained 13-3 heading into the fourth quarter.

The teams again exchanged punts until the Redskins, who had largely been dominated by Green Bay’s defense, struck quickly as McNabb went deep down the middle to WR Anthony Armstrong for a 48-yard touchdown. With the successful extra point, Washington was just three points down with plenty of time on the clock.

After the Packers punted on their next series, McNabb went to Armstrong (pictured at right) on the first play for a 23-yard gain. When the drive stalled at the Green Bay 47, it was McNabb to Armstrong again for 13 yards and a first down on a third-and-10 play. But the Redskins could gain nothing further and Gano’s field goal attempt from 51 yards was wide to the right.

Green Bay failed to move the ball and punted back to the Redskins with just under four minutes remaining in regulation. With McNabb completing three passes, including 30 yards to Cooley, Washington went 53 yards in seven plays and this time Gano connected on a 45-yard field goal to make it a tie game at 13-13.

The Packers took over at their 21 with 1:07 on the clock and in three plays made it to the Washington 35, but Crosby’s 53-yard attempt at a game-winning field goal hit the upright and bounced away. There was time for one more play from the Washington 43 and a long pass by McNabb was intercepted by Tramon Williams at the goal line and returned 64 yards. The game went into overtime.

Characteristic of much of the game, the teams traded punts to start the extra period and then Rodgers was intercepted by diving safety LaRon Landry to give Washington the ball at the Green Bay 39. The Redskins advanced to the 15 with the help of two defensive penalties and Gano finished the contest with a 33-yard field goal to give them a 16-13 win at 6:54 into overtime.

Green Bay had more total yards than the Redskins (427 to 373), who punted on seven of their first eight possessions. Washington had the edge in first downs (21 to 17) as the Packers had difficulty moving the ball in the second half. Green Bay’s defense sacked McNabb five times, to four sacks of Rodgers by the Redskins, while the Packers turned the ball over twice – the last time fatally - to one suffered by Washington. In addition, Green Bay was penalized 9 times at a cost of 63 yards (to four for 28 yards on the Redskins).

Donovan McNabb completed 26 of 49 passes for 357 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Santana Moss caught 7 of those passes for 118 yards while Anthony Armstrong added 84 yards on three receptions that included the long TD. Chris Cooley also had 7 pass receptions, for 69 yards. The running game was mediocre for the Redskins, accumulating just 51 yards, and Ryan Torain led the way with 40 yards on 16 attempts.

For the Packers, Aaron Rodgers was successful on 27 of 46 throws for 293 yards with a TD and one intercepted; he also rushed for 30 yards on four attempts. With the long gain in the first quarter, Brandon Jackson rushed for 115 yards on just 10 carries and also led the team with 5 pass receptions that gained an additional 25 yards. James Jones had 65 yards on four catches and Donald Driver was right behind with 58 yards on his four receptions.

It was the second overtime win of the year for Washington, and the Redskins were now 3-2. However, after reaching 4-3 to match their win total of 2009, they lost seven of their last nine games to finish at the bottom of the NFC East with a disappointing 6-10 record.

It proved to be an especially disappointing season for Donovan McNabb, who ultimately clashed with Coach Shanahan, lost the starting job, and left after one year. He passed for 3377 yards with 14 touchdowns but also 15 interceptions.

The Packers moved in the opposite direction. Several players had to leave the game against the Redskins due to injuries, a chronic problem early on, and afterward it was revealed that Aaron Rodgers had suffered a concussion. But he and the team recovered and, following a sluggish start, Green Bay went 7-3 to close out the regular season, good for second place in the NFC North and a Wild Card slot in the postseason. They won four straight playoff games on the road, including the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Aaron Rodgers performed ably, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 3922 yards with 28 TDs against just 11 interceptions. His 101.2 passer rating led the NFC, as did his 8.3 yards per attempt.