2002: Maddox & Burress Set Records as Steelers and Falcons Tie

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons both had 5-3 records and were riding four-game winning streaks as they faced each other on November 10, 2002. For the Steelers, Head Coach Bill Cowher had made a significant move in replacing starting QB Kordell Stewart with Tommy Maddox (pictured above) and it was paying off in a big way. Maddox, a first round draft choice for the Broncos in 1992, had been a major disappointment, lasting just two years in Denver before bouncing to the Rams, Giants, Falcons, Arena Football League, and XFL. He led the Los Angeles Xtreme to the XFL title in 2001 and parlayed that success into a return to the NFL.

Atlanta, coached by Dan Reeves, had second-year QB Michael Vick in his first full season in the starting job. His running ability and strong left arm were assets, but he had plenty of rough edges and was very much a work in progress. RB Warrick Dunn provided versatility out of the backfield.

There was a crowd of 62,779 in attendance at Heinz Field. The Steelers had the first possession of the game and punted. Starting at their 20, the Falcons drove into Pittsburgh territory with Dunn running effectively and Vick completing four straight passes. But Vick fumbled and LB Joey Porter recovered and returned the ball to midfield.

Three plays later, Maddox threw to WR Antwaan Randle-El for a 36-yard gain in a third-and-sixteen situation and a 20-yard completion to WR Hines Ward (pictured below) got the ball to the Atlanta four yard line. But now it was Maddox fumbling and LB Keith Brooking recovered to end the threat. Following a punt by the Falcons, Todd Peterson kicked a 34-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining in the opening period to give the Steelers the lead.

Atlanta started off the second quarter by driving 77 yards in four plays to get on the board. Vick threw to WR Shawn Jefferson for a 43-yard TD and, with the successful PAT, it was 7-3. Pittsburgh responded with a scoring drive of its own, with Maddox successful on four passes and RB Amos Zereoue gaining 23 yards on the ground. WR Plaxico Burress caught a pass from Maddox for a 33-yard touchdown.

The Steelers drove to another TD following a short series for the Falcons. Maddox went to Burress for 32 yards on first down, Ward went 29 yards on an end-around play, and after an incomplete pass Maddox passed to Ward for a five-yard touchdown and 17-7 lead.

The teams traded punts until Pittsburgh mounted an eight-yard series but Peterson’s 40-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful to end the first half.

Down by ten points, Atlanta started off the third quarter with an 80-yard scoring drive that culminated in Dunn running up the middle for a 59-yard touchdown. The Steelers came right back, however, with Maddox throwing to Burress for a 62-yard TD. The extra point attempt was no good and the score remained at 23-14 in Pittsburgh’s favor.

Atlanta’s next series was highlighted by two long third down conversions. In a third-and-22 situation, Vick completed a pass to WR Brian Finneran for 23 yards and shortly thereafter, backed up by a penalty that made for a third-and-23 play, he completed a pass to WR Trevor Gaylor for 27 yards to the Pittsburgh 21. The 11-play, 48-yard possession ended with Jay Feely kicking a 36-yard field goal to narrow the Steelers’ lead to six points.

Once again Pittsburgh responded by putting points on the board. Maddox completed a seven-play, 67-yard drive by throwing to Ward for 10 yards, Burress for 20, and then 18 yards for a touchdown to TE Jerame Tuman. It was 31-17 heading into the fourth quarter.

A fumble late in the third quarter had given the Steelers good field position at the Atlanta 37 and they drove to a Peterson field goal, this time from 34 yards early in the final period.

The Falcons had to punt following their next possession but a fumble on the return by Randle El was recovered by LB Mark Simoneau and gave Atlanta the ball back at the Pittsburgh 37. Atlanta made the most of it, with FB Bob Christian scoring a touchdown from a yard out five plays later. It was now a ten-point game, with Pittsburgh’s lead cut to 34-24.

The Steelers went three-and-out on their next series and a punt by Josh Miller was returned 18 yards by CB Allen Rossum to the Atlanta 35. Backing themselves up with penalties, the Falcons got a first down on a Vick pass to Dunn that picked up 16 yards. Later, in a third-and-nine situation, Vick threw to TE Alge Crumpler for 21 yards. The biggest play of all came when, on third-and-24 at their own 43, Vick went to Jefferson for a 35-yard gain. The Falcons could get no further and Feely booted a 40-yard field goal.

Once again the Steelers had to punt and, thanks to another fine return by Rossum of 34 yards, Atlanta took over at midfield with just under two minutes remaining in regulation. Vick threw back-to-back passes to Jefferson that picked up a total of 27 yards. Two plays later and facing third-and-three, the quick-footed quarterback ran for seven yards. Finally, on the sixth play of the series and with less than a minute remaining, Vick took off on a broken play for an 11-yard touchdown. Feely’s all-important extra point attempt was successful and the game was tied.

There was still time for the Steelers to respond but the clock ran out for them at the Atlanta 37 and the contest went into overtime. Pittsburgh had the first possession and drove to the Atlanta 30, with the key play being a 30-yard pass completion from Maddox to Ward. But Peterson’s 48-yard field goal attempt was blocked when Finneran, who had never played on special teams before, got a hand on it.

After a short possession by the Falcons, the Steelers again advanced into Atlanta territory. They kept the ball on the ground with Zeroue carrying, except for a 24-yard pickup on a pass from Maddox to Burress. But after the drive stalled at the 33 yard line, the Steelers punted.

The Falcons again punted in turn and, three plays later, Maddox was intercepted by CB Kevin Mathis to give Atlanta good field position at the Pittsburgh 44. The Falcons were only able to pick up six yards and, with time running out in the extra period, Feely attempted a 56-yard field goal that was blocked. From the Pittsburgh 49 the Steelers had just one second to work with. Maddox threw a long “Hail Mary” pass to Burress who gathered it in at the one for a 50-yard gain but couldn’t manage to fall into the end zone. For the first time in five years, a NFL game ended in a tie by the score of 34-34.

The Steelers gained a whopping 645 total yards, to 447 for Atlanta. Pittsburgh also had more first downs (30 to 21). The Steelers also turned the ball over three times, to two turnovers by the Falcons, although Atlanta was penalized 11 times, against four flags thrown on the home team.

Tommy Maddox completed 28 of 41 passes for a then-team-record 473 yards and four touchdowns with one intercepted. Plaxico Burress (pictured at right) also set a franchise high with his 253 yards on 9 catches that included two TDs. Hines Ward added 11 pass receptions for 139 yards and a score. Amos Zereoue rushed for 123 yards on 37 carries.

For the Falcons, Michael Vick was successful on 24 of 46 throws for 294 yards and a TD with none intercepted, although he was sacked four times and twice was called for intentional grounding. He gained 38 yards on 10 carries with one touchdown. Warrick Dunn gained 129 yards on 20 rushing attempts and scored a TD. Shawn Jefferson topped the receivers with 9 catches for 131 yards and a score.

“I can’t believe it,” said Hines Ward. “For us to do the things we did – I mean, Tommy almost threw for 500 yards – and to fall short, it’s unbelievable.”

“We didn’t win, but we didn’t lose,” added Plaxico Burress. “It’s so disappointing. You have this uneasy feeling that you lost, but you know you really didn’t.”

The Steelers lost the next week but recovered to win five of six games to close out the regular season atop the AFC North at 10-5-1. They defeated the division-rival Browns in the Wild Card round before losing to Tennessee in overtime at the Divisional level. Atlanta won three straight following the tie before slumping, but finished second in the NFC South and qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card. They stunned the Packers in the Wild Card round before losing their Divisional playoff game at Philadelphia.

Tommy Maddox suffered a spinal chord injury the next week at Tennessee that, amazingly considering the apparent severity at the time, cost him only two games. Overall he completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 2836 yards and 20 touchdowns with 16 interceptions. Maddox received Comeback Player of the Year honors from the Associated Press and Pro Football Writers.

Plaxico Burress caught 78 passes for 1325 yards (17.0 avg.) and seven TDs. Hines Ward earned selection to the Pro Bowl by pulling in 112 passes for 1329 yards (11.9 avg.) and 12 touchdowns.

Michael Vick (pictured below) also was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time, passing for 2936 yards with 16 TDs and 8 interceptions and rushing for 777 yards and eight scores. Warrick Dunn topped the Falcons in rushing with 927 yards and caught 50 passes for 377 more. Brian Finneran ended up as the team’s top receiver with 56 catches for 838 yards (15.0 avg.). 

1953: Thomason Passes for 437 Yards as Eagles Defeat Giants

Following a slow 0-2-1 start, the Philadelphia Eagles had put together a three-game winning streak as they faced the New York Giants on November 8, 1953. Head Coach Jim Trimble’s team had an outstanding pass receiving tandem of ends Pete Pihos and Bobby Walston (who also handled the placekicking) and QB Bobby Thomason (pictured at right) had emerged over Adrian Burk as the starting quarterback. Thomason, originally drafted by the Rams and then discarded by Green Bay, started his second season with the Eagles on the bench.

The Giants, under long-time Head Coach Steve Owen, were clearly a team in trouble and had a 2-4 record. Injuries were a problem, most notably to FB Eddie Price and members of the defense, and the addition of promising younger players such as HB Frank Gifford was not yet paying off.

There was a crowd of 24,331 in attendance at Philadelphia’s Connie Mack Stadium. Two minutes into the first quarter the Eagles scored when Bobby Walston kicked a 15-yard field goal after Philadelphia’s first drive came to a halt at the New York eight yard line.

The game moved slowly from that point until the last few minutes of the half. Eleven minutes into the second quarter, Thomason threw a pass that Walston caught behind three New York defenders at the Giants’ 45 and covered a total of 62 yards for a touchdown. Two minutes later the Eagles struck again as Thomason passed to Pihos for a 26-yard TD. Philadelphia took a 17-0 lead into halftime.

The Eagles added to their margin in the third quarter, moving 80 yards with Thomason completing five passes along the way including a seven-yard toss to Pihos for a touchdown. The extra point attempt failed, but Philadelphia was now ahead by a commanding 23-0.

It became 30-0 in the fourth quarter when Thomason threw a fourth touchdown pass, this time of 13 yards to Walston. Several fights broke out in the final period and three players were ejected in all. The Giants finally scored with six minutes remaining in the game as QB Charlie Conerly tossed a 32-yard TD pass to Frank Gifford to finish off a 74-yard drive. It salvaged pride but nothing else as the Eagles coasted to a 30-7 win.

Philadelphia thoroughly dominated the Giants in total yards (514 to 92), although it was the aerial game that made the difference as neither club did particularly well on the ground (64 yards to 54 in favor of New York). The Eagles also had far more first downs (21 to 10), but were also penalized 13 times, at a cost of 123 yards, to three flags thrown on the Giants. New York turned the ball over three times, Philadelphia twice.

Bobby Thomason completed 22 of 44 passes for 437 yards and four touchdowns. Pete Pihos caught 7 passes for 145 yards and two TDs and Bobby Walston had 8 receptions for 176 yards in addition to scoring 18 points (two touchdowns, a field goal, and three extra points).

Thomason’s passing yardage total was the fourth-best in NFL history at the time as well as an Eagles club record that stood until 1989.

The Eagles won twice more before losing to the Giants at New York. They ended up second in the Eastern Conference with a 7-4-1 record. The loss was the fifth in seven games for the Giants who ended up fifth in the conference at 3-9. It marked the end of Steve Owen’s 23-year coaching tenure with the club.

Bobby Thomason had a 329-yard passing game the following week against the Colts (although he also tossed five interceptions) in what was his finest season. He led the NFL with 21 touchdown passes while ranking second in attempts (304) and yards (2462). Thomason was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first of an eventual three times, but his career was marked by inconsistency and he continued to split time with Burk during most of his six years in Philadelphia.

1964: Patriots Down Oilers on Game-Ending Cappelletti Field Goal

The Boston Patriots were in a battle for first place in the AFL Eastern Division as they hosted the Houston Oilers on November 6, 1964. Head Coach Mike Holovak’s team won its first four games and was 5-2-1 and competing with the Bills – the club they had defeated in a playoff for the division title in ’63. Key players on offense were 34-year-old QB Babe Parilli and Gino Cappelletti, a slow but dependable end who also was a dependable placekicker. The defense was outstanding, particularly the line and MLB Nick Buoniconti.

The Oilers, coached by Sammy Baugh, were a disappointing 2-6, having won two of their first three contests before dropping five straight. The team that had dominated the division for the first three years of the AFL’s existence slumped badly in 1963 and was clearly in trouble. There were promising younger players on the squad, but the nucleus on offense was still 37-year-old QB George Blanda, 29-year-old flanker Charley Hennigan, and fading fifth-year FB Charley Tolar.

The Friday night game at Fenway Park was billed as “do-or-die” for both teams. Houston got a break on the opening kickoff when HB J.D. Garrett fumbled at his 29. The ensuing series ended with Tolar powering two yards for a touchdown.

The Patriots came back with a 75-yard drive. FB Larry Garron ran effectively and Babe Parilli finished the series off with a one-yard run around end for a TD. Early in the second quarter, Gino Cappelletti put the Patriots ahead by 10-7 with a 25-yard field goal. Cappelletti added another field goal from 33 yards with six seconds remaining in the half and it was 13-7 at the intermission.

Boston’s lead disappeared quickly when, on the first play from scrimmage of the second half, the Oilers pulled off a spectacular play as Blanda threw to TE Willie Frazier for an 80-yard touchdown. With Blanda’s extra point, Houston was back in front at 14-13.

Late in the period Boston regained the lead when a five-play, 75-yard drive that was highlighted by a Parilli pass to split end Art Graham for 64 yards and ended with Cappelletti kicking his third field goal from 22 yards out for a 16-14 score.

At 6:46 into the fourth quarter the Oilers went ahead once again when Blanda threw to split end Charley Frazier for a 38-yard TD. A few minutes later it was Parilli once more rolling out and running for a touchdown, this time from five yards out. However, the try for a two-point conversion failed as Parilli’s pass intended for Graham fell incomplete.

With a minute to go in the game, the Patriots were up by a point and the Oilers had the ball at midfield. Blanda threw to Willie Frazier twice to get the ball down to the Boston four. Tolar wasn’t able to penetrate the end zone from there and Blanda kicked a 10-yard field goal. With 32 seconds remaining, it appeared that Boston’s fate was sealed.

There was still time, however, and Parilli completed two passes to TE Tony Romeo and Cappelletti to advance the Patriots into Houston territory. With the clock running down, Parilli rolled out, couldn’t find a receiver, and, keeping the ball, took off down the sideline. Knowing he couldn’t reach the end zone, he stepped out of bounds at the Houston 34 with one second remaining to play. Cappelletti was successful on his field goal attempt from 42 yards and the Patriots came away with a stunning 25-24 win.

Boston had more total yards than the Oilers (440 to 413) but Houston had the edge in first downs (22 to 21). The Patriots turned the ball over twice while the Oilers suffered one turnover. Houston was also very effective at returning kickoffs, with DB Benny Nelson gaining 66 yards on his two returns and HB Ode Burrell averaging 27.7 yards on three returns.

Babe Parilli completed 14 of 29 passes for 256 yards with no touchdowns and one intercepted, but also ran the ball 8 times for 96 yards and two TDs. Art Graham (pictured at left) had a big day with 8 catches for 167 yards. Larry Garron rushed for 91 yards on 23 carries.

For the Oilers, George Blanda went to the air 44 times and had 20 completions for 328 yards and two TDs with one intercepted. Charley Frazier had 9 pass receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown and Willie Frazier, thanks to the long scoring play, gained 102 yards on his two catches. Charley Tolar was the team’s top rusher as he gained 57 yards on 14 attempts and scored a TD.

“We’ve had many a tight ball game, but this was the best,” said Mike Holovak in reviewing his team’s performance. “(Art) Graham was a big factor in grabbing those passes and setting up scores, but a thing that hurt us was the way they were returning those kickoffs. That’s one thing we’ll be working on next week.”

The win over Houston was the first of five straight for the Patriots, who stayed in contention for the Eastern Division title until the final week of the season. As it was, they put together a 10-3-1 record in placing second to the Bills. Houston continued to fade and, with wins in the last two contests, ended up at 4-10 and at the bottom of the division.

Babe Parilli (pictured above) led the AFL in passing yards (3465) and TD passes (31) – and, more unfortunately, in interceptions (27, tied with George Blanda) – while ranking second in pass attempts (473) and completions (228). He was a consensus first-team All-AFL selection and was named to the league All-Star Game.

Gino Cappelletti led the league in scoring (155 points) and field goals (25, in an AFL-leading 39 attempts), each for the third time. He caught a career-high 49 passes for 865 yards and seven touchdowns and was named AFL Player of the Year by the Associated Press and United Press International. Cappelletti, too, was selected for the AFL All-Star Game.

1990: Rutledge Rallies Redskins to Overtime Win Over Lions

The Washington Redskins had a 4-3 record as they took on the Detroit Lions on November 4, 1990. In their tenth season under Head Coach Joe Gibbs, the Redskins were looking to return to the playoffs after missing out in 1988 and ’89 following their last trip to the Super Bowl. The running game was sound, led by veterans Earnest Byner and Gerald Riggs, and the defense was much improved. But QB Stan Humphries was proving to be too inconsistent.

The Lions, under Head Coach Wayne Fontes, were 3-4 and featured an explosive run-and-shoot passing attack directed by assistants Darrel “Mouse” Davis and June Jones. Detroit could run the ball effectively, to be sure, with All-Pro RB Barry Sanders in the backfield. But the defense could give up points as readily as the offense could score them, and the quick-striking offense only tended to keep the defense on the field far too long.

There were 69,326 fans in attendance at the Pontiac Silverdome. Following an interception of a Stan Humphries pass on Washington’s opening possession, the Lions quickly capitalized as QB Rodney Peete threw to WR Robert Clark for a 33-yard touchdown.

The teams traded punts before the Redskins put together a 10-play, 65-yard scoring drive. Humphries threw to WR Gary Clark for 21 yards on a third-down play and, in all, was successful on five of six throws. Gerald Riggs completed the series by breaking three tackles and running for an eight-yard TD. Chip Lohmiller’s extra point tied the score at 7-7.

Peete started off the second quarter by scrambling away from trouble and running for 37 yards to the Washington 33. Barry Sanders gained 20 yards on two carries and Peete finished off the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run after faking a pitch to Sanders.

No sooner did the Redskins get the ball back then Humphries was picked off by CB William White, who returned it 34 yards for a TD. Down by 21-7, Washington fought back on the next possession highlighted by Humphries scrambling for 17 yards and completing a pass to Gary Clark for 31 yards. The tenth play of the 83-yard drive was a four-yard touchdown pass from Humphries to TE Jimmie Johnson, who was all alone in the corner of the end zone.

The teams again traded punts. With just over three minutes to go in the first half, the Lions regained possession at their five yard line. Peete threw to WR Richard Johnson for 25 yards to get out of the hole, then hit WR Jason Phillips for 27 yards to the Washington 43. Another pass to Johnson and a run by Sanders gained another 19 yards and Peete completed a 24-yard scoring pass to WR Aubrey Matthews that made it 28-14 in favor of the Lions going into halftime.

Things got even better for Detroit early in the third quarter. On Washington’s first possession of the second half, safety Bennie Blades intercepted a Humphries pass and returned it 21 yards to the Redskins’ 45. Two plays later, Barry Sanders broke away on a draw play for a 45-yard TD. With the successful PAT, the Lions were now up comfortably by 35-14.

On Washington’s next series, QB Jeff Rutledge (pictured at top) came into the game. An 11^th-year career backup out of Alabama, Rutledge had been with the Rams and, during the previous seven seasons, the Giants before joining the Redskins. He had started a total of nine games during that span as he did not have the arm or size to be a first-string quarterback, but he brought intelligence and good leadership qualities to the position.

Rutledge started off by completing all three of his passes, including a third-and-two throw to WR Ricky Sanders for 33 yards, and the Redskins scored a touchdown on a three-yard carry by Riggs. Following a punt by the Lions, two runs by Riggs and a pass by Rutledge gained 24 yards but Riggs fumbled after catching a pass and the Lions recovered at their own 46.

Peete having pulled a hamstring during the last possession, Detroit now had a new quarterback in the game as well in backup Bob Gagliano. Gagliano completed passes of 19 and 24 yards to Richard Johnson and, after reaching the Washington eight yard line, Rich Karlis kicked a 26-yard field goal. Heading into the final quarter, the Lions were leading by a seemingly-commanding 38-21.

The Redskins started off the final period by driving 58 yards in nine plays, but after reaching the Detroit 21 Rutledge tossed three incomplete passes and Washington settled for a 38-yard field goal by Chip Lohmiller.

On Detroit’s next play from scrimmage, Gagliano threw to Matthews who fumbled and DE Fred Stokes recovered for Washington. However, after driving this time to the Detroit 22, the Redskins attempted to convert a fourth-and-seven play but Rutledge’s pass fell incomplete.

The Lions went three-and-out on the ensuing possession and Rutledge completed five of six passes, including one to Ricky Sanders that gained 28 yards and another to Gary Clark for a 34-yard touchdown. The Detroit lead was down to 38-31 with 5:48 still on the clock in regulation.

Once again the Lions had to punt after three plays and once more it was Rutledge passing the Redskins down the field. Washington went 85 yards in 15 plays with Rutledge completing eight passes and finishing the series off with a 12-yard touchdown run on a quarterback draw. Lohmiller’s extra point was good and, with less than 20 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the contest was tied at 38-38.

In the overtime period, each team had a possession and punted before the Redskins, starting at their 10 yard line, advanced 73 yards in 12 plays. Along the way, Rutledge converted a third-and-15 situation with a completion to WR Art Monk for 40 yards. With Rutledge tossing short passes and Riggs and RB Earnest Byner gaining yards on the ground, Washington reached the Detroit 17 and, at 9:10 into overtime, Lohmiller ended the game with a 34-yard field goal. The Redskins came away with a thrilling 41-38 win.

Washington had big advantages in total yards (676 to 351), first downs (39 to 12), and time of possession (49:52 to 19:18). However, the Lions recorded six sacks, to two by the Redskins, and Washington also turned the ball over four times while Detroit suffered one.

Jeff Rutledge put up big numbers once he came into the contest, completing 30 of 42 passes for 363 yards with a touchdown and none intercepted. By contrast, Stan Humphries was successful on 13 of 21 throws for 159 yards with a TD and three interceptions. Art Monk had 13 catches for 168 yards and was one of three Washington receivers to reach a hundred yards, with Ricky Sanders gaining 132 yards on his 11 receptions and Gary Clark adding 132 on 8 catches with a TD. Gerald Riggs led the club in rushing with 91 yards on 22 carries that included two scores and Earnest Byner gained 53 yards on 11 attempts.

For Detroit, Rodney Peete went 8 of 17 passing for 135 yards and two TDs with none intercepted and Bob Gagliano completed 5 of 11 throws for 68 yards with no scores or pickoffs. Barry Sanders (pictured below) ran for 104 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Richard Johnson caught 7 passes for 98 yards.

“In Jeff’s case, I just think he is a producer,” said Joe Gibbs of Rutledge. “He has always been that way and he’s a great guy. He is a class individual.”

Rutledge got a chance to start the next game at Philadelphia, but performed poorly and was knocked out of the game by injury (as was Humphries also) - he returned to the bench. The Redskins recovered to win five of their last seven games and placed third in the NFC East at 10-6. They defeated the Eagles in the Wild Card playoff game but lost at San Francisco in the Divisional round.

Detroit finished up at 6-10 for third place in the NFC Central. The result convinced Coach Fontes to back away from the pure run-and-shoot offense, thus causing Mouse Davis and June Jones to depart.

Jeff Rutledge threw a total of 68 passes for the Redskins in 1990 and completed 40 of them for 455 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The big relief performance against the Lions remained his most significant single-game effort by far. He played two more years in Washington with limited action as a backup.

1946: Dons Upset Browns with Late FG

The Cleveland Browns had quickly asserted themselves in the first year of the All-America Football Conference, winning their first seven games of the 1946 season and most by lopsided scores. Head Coach Paul Brown’s team was strong on both sides of the ball. But they had finally been tripped up by the San Francisco 49ers and, on November 3 they faced another tough Western Division opponent – although one they had beaten two weeks earlier.

The Los Angeles Dons had solid financing and a well-known name in entertainer Don Ameche as the club president. Head Coach Dudley DeGroot had led the NFL Redskins to the league title game the previous year. There was much veteran talent and the Dons were adept at scoring points, but the defense had shown a tendency to give up too many points in turn. After starting off at 3-0-1, they had lost three straight to come into the game against the Browns at 3-3-1.

There was a crowd of 24,800 at the Memorial Coliseum, which was the largest of the season thus far for Los Angeles. On the first play from scrimmage, HB Chuck Fenenbock (pictured above) ran for a 75-yard touchdown to give the Dons the early lead. Lou Groza got the Browns on the board later in the first quarter with a 25-yard field goal.

In the second quarter, Cleveland went ahead after DB Tom Colella recovered a fumble at the LA 16. The Browns scored four plays later with HB Bill Lund sweeping around right end from five yards out and Groza added the extra point to make the score 10-7.

The Dons drove to another field goal attempt, but the try by Bob Nelson from 26 yards was wide. The Browns scored again when QB Otto Graham passed to end Mac Speedie for a 79-yard touchdown. However, Groza missed the extra point, snapping a string of 22 consecutive successful conversions, and while Cleveland carried a 16-7 lead into halftime, it would have repercussions in the end.

Los Angeles came out strong in the third quarter and drove to the Cleveland 22 before turning the ball over on downs. Shortly thereafter, tackle Bob Reinhard recovered a Cleveland fumble and returned it 43 yards to the Browns’ 14, but again the Dons ran out of downs at the seven.

LA’s defense played inspired football in the second half and the ground game on offense wore Cleveland down. Early in the fourth quarter, the Browns gambled by faking a punt on fourth-and-nine at their own 21. Colella gained just two yards, giving the ball back to LA in excellent field position. Five plays later, end Dale Gentry ran for an eight-yard touchdown. Joe Aguirre kicked the extra point and Cleveland’s lead was narrowed to 16-14.

Another Cleveland fumble set up the winning score for LA. Taking over at the Cleveland 43, the Dons battled for 15 plays to reach the three yard line, from where Aguirre kicked the game-winning 11-yard field goal on fourth down with 20 seconds left to play.

The Browns made a last-gasp effort to pull out the win with Graham completing two passes, but he was sacked on the last play and time ran out. The Dons came away with a stunning 17-16 upset win.

The Dons outgained the Browns by 291 yards to 284 and significantly outperformed them on the ground with 220 yards to just 43. Cleveland had the edge in first downs (13 to 12) and both teams turned the ball over three times. Mac Speedie (pictured at left) had the biggest individual performance, catching 4 passes for 134 yards and the one long TD.

It was the second straight loss for the Browns but they righted the ship in a rematch with the 49ers the next week that they won 14-7, and they didn’t lose again. Cleveland topped the Western Division with a 12-2 record and defeated the New York Yankees for the first AAFC title.

The Dons, meanwhile, ended a three-game losing streak with the upset of the Browns. They won three of their next four contests and finished third in the division at 7-5-2.

1970: Giants Defeat Jets in First Regular Season Meeting

The culmination of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 made possible the birth of new pro football rivalries, perhaps most notably that between the teams located in New York City. On November 1, 1970 the long-established Giants met the younger league’s Jets for the first time in a regular season game.

While the Jets, coached by Weeb Ewbank, had experienced more recent success with back-to-back AFL Eastern Division titles in 1968 and ’69 and a victory in Super Bowl III, they came into the contest against the Giants as ten-point underdogs. The squad had been decimated by injuries, most notably the broken wrist suffered by star QB Joe Namath but also including the loss of both starting running backs HB Emerson Boozer and FB Matt Snell. As a result, their record was 1-5 as they prepared to meet their intra-city rivals.

Meanwhile the Giants, coached by former star running back Alex Webster, appeared to be on the upswing after six years of not breaking the .500 barrier. QB Fran Tarkenton (pictured above) was joined by HB Ron Johnson and WR Clifton McNeil to fuel the offense and, while the defense had its share of holes, it also had DE Fred Dryer, LB Jim Files, and FS Carl “Spider” Lockhart to bring talent to the unit. After losing their first three games, they had won three straight to improve to 3-3.

A record crowd of 63,903 was in attendance at Shea Stadium. They saw the Jets score first on a pass from QB Al Woodall, the fill-in for Namath, to HB George Nock that covered eight yards. Still in the first quarter, Pete Gogolak booted a 25-yard field goal for the Giants. The score remained 7-3 at halftime. The Giants had difficulty on offense and Tarkenton completed just two of eight pass attempts in the first half.

The Jets added to their lead with a 31-yard field goal by Jim Turner in the third quarter. The game then took a significant turn, however, and oddly enough, the Jets were victimized by their own success on defense. The Giants, down 10-3, drove into Jets territory and had a third-and-goal situation at the one yard line but failed on two plays from there – the last with FB Tucker Frederickson coming up a foot short of the goal line - and had to turn the ball over on downs, although not before a bench-clearing brawl ensued between the teams.

Frederickson had attempted to lateral back to Tarkenton at the end of the fourth-down play, which was already blown dead, and the veteran quarterback was tackled by Jets LB Larry Grantham. Words ensued between Tarkenton and Grantham, and they were followed by CB Earlie Thomas of the Jets throwing a punch at Tarkenton. Both benches quickly emptied.

Once order was restored and the Jets took possession, two quarterback sneaks by Woodall failed to gain ground and then FB Chuck Mercein (an ex-Giant) was tackled in the end zone by Jim Files and Fred Dryer for a safety.

Losing by 10-5 and getting the ball following the free kick, the Giants struck quickly when Tarkenton passed to Johnson for a 50-yard gain to the Jets’ nine. The remaining distance was covered on the next play as Tarkenton passed to TE Bob Tucker and, with Gogolak’s extra point, the older club was in front by 12-10.

On the next Jets series, Woodall was picked off by CB Willie Williams who proceeded to return the interception 36 yards to the Jets’ 29. Three plays later, and helped by a face mask penalty on the Jets, Tarkenton threw another touchdown pass of 11 yards to Clifton McNeil. The Giants had scored 16 points in a period of six plays that covered less than two minutes of the third quarter to take control of the game.

After the flurry of excitement, the remainder of the contest was anticlimactic. Gogolak added a 37-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and the Giants ended up winning handily by a score of 22-10.

The Giants barely outgained the Jets (240 yards to 237) while the Jets had the slight edge in first downs (16 to 15). However, the Giants sacked Woodall six times, to one sack of Tarkenton, and the Jets turned the ball over four times while the Giants suffered no turnovers.

Overcoming the rough first half, Fran Tarkenton ended up completing 11 of 22 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns with none intercepted. Ron Johnson (pictured below) rushed for 69 yards on 25 carries and also caught two passes for 52 more yards. Bob Tucker and Clifton McNeil each had three catches, for 41 and 35 yards respectively, and a TD apiece.

For the Jets, Al Woodall was successful on 12 of 16 throws for 164 yards and a TD, but two were intercepted. George Nock rushed for 45 yards on 14 carries and FB Lee White was right behind at 42 yards on 6 attempts. TE Pete Lammons led the receivers with 6 catches for 73 yards.

“The fight keyed our guys up,” said Alex Webster of the effect of the third quarter brawl on his Giants.

“It wasn’t just any ballgame – and it was gratifying,” said Giants co-owner Wellington Mara. “You know, you’ve got to be champions of your neighborhood before you think of conquering the world.”

It was the fourth win in a row of an eventual six straight for the Giants who finished second in the NFC East with a 9-5 record – they just missed the postseason. Meanwhile, the Jets dropped their fifth straight game and ended up placing third in the AFC East at 4-10.

Fran Tarkenton ranked second in the NFL in pass attempts (389), completions (219), and yards (2777) while tossing 19 TD passes. He was named to the Pro Bowl. So was Ron Johnson, who was also a consensus first-team All-NFL selection. Johnson ranked second in the league in rushing with 1025 yards on 263 carries (3.9 avg.), becoming the first player in Giants history to top the thousand-yard mark in ball-carrying, and also caught 48 passes for 487 more yards (10.1 avg.). His 1514 yards from scrimmage were the most in the NFL and he scored 12 touchdowns in all.

2005: Bengals Intercept Favre Five Times on Way to Win Over Packers

The Cincinnati Bengals entered the 2005 NFL season having not finished with a winning record since 1990. However, following two 8-8 tallies under Head Coach Marvin Lewis, the Bengals were clearly on the rise and entered the October 30 contest against the Green Bay Packers at 5-2. Second-year QB Carson Palmer was coming into his own and had fine wide receivers to throw to in Chad Johnson (later known as Chad Ochocinco) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The running back tandem of power-running Rudi Johnson and speedy Chris Perry was productive. A major concern was that the defense tended to give up too many yards against the run.

The Packers, coached by Mike Sherman, were still overly dependent on 13^th-year QB Brett Favre and, at 1-5, were in a state of decline after making the playoffs in each of the previous four seasons. WR Donald Driver was a dependable target for Favre’s passes, but injuries had depleted the running game and the defense was mediocre.

There was a crowd of 65,940 in attendance at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals had first possession and drove 60 yards in 11 plays. Carson Palmer finished it off with a four-yard touchdown pass to Chris Perry for the early lead. The teams traded punts to conclude the opening period, but the Packers put together a 66-yard scoring drive in 11 plays to start the second quarter. Favre completed all five of his passes, including one to TE Bubba Franks for 21 yards to the Cincinnati seven in a third-and-six situation. RB Tony Fisher scored a TD from a yard out and, with Ryan Longwell’s successful conversion the contest was tied at 7-7.

Cincinnati responded with another long drive. Helped along by two defensive penalties, Palmer passed to T.J. Houshmandzadeh for an eight-yard touchdown. The Bengals had a chance to score again in the first half as Favre’s tipped pass was intercepted by LB Odell Thurman (pictured above). Starting at their 43, the Bengals advanced to the Green Bay 29 but time ran out and the score remained 14-7 in favor of the home team at halftime.

The clubs again traded punts to start the third quarter but a promising Green Bay drive into Cincinnati territory that included a 28-yard gain on a pass to Donald Driver ended with Favre being intercepted for a second time. CB Deltha O’Neal grabbed the throw at his own two yard line, which stopped a potential Green Bay score but also pinned the Bengals back deep in their own territory. After getting out to their 40, they had to punt.

Once again O’Neal picked off a Favre pass, this time returning it to the Green Bay 42 for more favorable field position. The Bengals gained nothing in three plays, however, and again kicked it away. This time it was CB Tory James intercepting Favre on the first play of Green Bay’s ensuing possession. Cincinnati still couldn’t move the ball as the game headed into the fourth quarter, but again the Bengals kicked and got the ball back on an interception. It was the second pickoff for Thurman, and finally Cincinnati capitalized on the very next play when Palmer passed to FB Jeremi Johnson for a 27-yard touchdown.

The Packers followed up with a series that didn’t end with an interception, but they had to punt after losing ground. Cincinnati’s next series ended with Palmer being intercepted by CB Ahmad Carroll to give Green Bay another shot with 8:28 remaining. The Packers made the most of the opportunity, going 88 yards in 13 plays and converting three third downs along the way. A one-yard Favre completion to Franks for a touchdown followed by Longwell’s successful extra point made it a seven-point game with just over three minutes on the clock.

The Bengals played conservatively on their next series as the Packers used up their timeouts. Kyle Larson’s 47-yard punt was downed at the Green Bay 10 and there were now only 56 seconds remaining on the clock. A 48-yard pass interference penalty moved the ball into Cincinnati territory and Favre threw to WR Antonio Chatman for 19 yards to the 28 yard line. With the defense reeling a bizarre circumstance ensued as a fan ran onto the field, causing the next play to be blown dead by the officials. Grabbing the ball out of Favre’s hand, the inebriated man eluded security and caused play to be halted for several minutes until he was removed.

Once the action resumed, Favre was sacked for a two-yard loss by the re-grouped defense and then threw a pass from beyond the line of scrimmage that resulted in a game-ending penalty. The Bengals had held on for the 21-14 win.

The Packers outgained Cincinnati (353 yards to 317) and had the edge in first downs (23 to 21). However, they suffered the five turnovers on interceptions as opposed to one by the Bengals.

Carson Palmer completed 22 of 34 passes for 237 yards with three touchdowns against one interception. Rudi Johnson ran for 72 yards on 22 carries and Chris Perry (pictured at left) added three attempts for 18 yards in addition to a team-high 6 pass receptions that gained 25 yards and included a TD. T.J. Houshmandzadeh gained 77 yards on 5 catches and Chad Johnson, who also caught 5 passes, added 62 yards.

For the Packers, Brett Favre was successful on 26 of 39 throws for 279 yards and a TD, although he was picked off five times. Antonio Chatman caught 8 passes for 97 yards while Bubba Franks contributed 62 yards and a touchdown on 7 receptions and Donald Driver had 5 catches for 76 yards. Tony Fisher led the running attack with 51 yards and a TD on 17 carries.

Regarding the circumstance with the fan that entered the field and halted play, Cincinnati LB Brian Simmons said “That did slow it down and give us a chance to huddle, and we kind of came together as a defense. But you don’t want to see that because somebody could get hurt.”

It was the single event that rendered the game notorious, and while it disrupted a Green Bay possession that could potentially have tied the score, the five interceptions had the greater cumulative impact on the outcome.

Cincinnati ended up with an 11-5 record and topped the AFC North. However, they lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs when Carson Palmer went down with a major knee injury early in the contest. The Packers continued to flounder and, at 4-12, ended up at the bottom of the NFC North with their first losing season since 1991 – the year before Brett Favre’s arrival.