1955: Packers Blow Lead but Upset Rams with Late Field Goal

The Green Bay Packers were a surprising 2-1 as they faced the tough Los Angeles Rams on October 16, 1955. Coached by Lisle Blackbourn, they were coming off a 4-8 record in ’54 and had not posted a winning record since 1947. Talented, if erratic, QB Tobin Rote led a revived offense that also featured end Billy Howton and FB Howie Ferguson. The defense was tough and included LB Roger Zatkoff and safety Bobby Dillon, and backup FB Fred Cone (pictured above) was also a reliable placekicker.

Los Angeles, typically a contender in the Western Conference, was off to a 3-0 start and the favorite against the Packers. The head coach, Sid Gillman, was new, but there were many savvy veterans on the team, including QB Norm Van Brocklin, FB Tank Younger, and ends Tom Fears and Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch. HB Ron Waller was a promising rookie and second-year QB Bill Wade was available to spell Van Brocklin.

There were 26,960 fans in attendance at Milwaukee’s County Stadium. Less than two minutes into the game, Tobin Rote tossed an errant pitchout that FB Howie Ferguson couldn’t handle and DE Andy Robustelli picked it up for the Rams and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown. Les Richter added the extra point to give the visitors the early 7-0 lead.

Later in the first quarter, the Packers got a 34-yard field goal by Fred Cone. Green Bay then put together a nine-play, 63-yard drive with Rote passing effectively that resulted in a seven-yard touchdown throw to HB Veryl Switzer. Cone’s conversion had the home team in front by 10-7 heading into the second quarter.

LB Deral Teteak intercepted a Van Brocklin pass that produced another score for the Packers. Green Bay went 34 yards in four plays, the first three of them runs and the last a pass from Rote to end Gary Knafelc, who grabbed the ball away from two defenders and ran into the end zone for a 16-yard TD. The Packers went into halftime with a 17-7 lead.

The Packers added to their lead on the fourth play of the third quarter as Rote threw to Billy Howton for a 57-yard touchdown. Cone again made good on the extra point. Down by 24-7, the Rams responded with a series that traveled 66 yards in six plays. QB Bill Wade both ran and passed LA down the field, connecting with Ron Waller for a 15-yard TD. Richter added the PAT to make it a ten-point contest.

As rain began to fall, the Packers correspondingly cooled off on offense. DHB Jim Cason (pictured at left) intercepted a pass by Rote to give the Rams the ball at the Green Bay 35. In a four-play series that extended into the fourth quarter, Van Brocklin, who was not at his best throwing the ball on this day, guided the Rams to another score. Again it was Waller getting the touchdown, this time on a five-yard carry to start the fourth quarter.

The Packers finally added to their lead when Cone booted a 45-yard field goal to make the score 27-21. Green Bay’s defense then kept the Rams in their own territory, but Van Brocklin’s 52-yard punt pinned the Packers back at their 14 in turn. Ferguson, gimpy with an ankle injury, could gain only three yards on two carries and, when Rote went to the air, Cason picked him off again and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Richter added the extra point that put the visitors ahead by 28-27.

Cason struck for a third time by picking off a long throw by Rote, giving the Rams the ball on their 15 with the clock down to 2:13. However, Los Angeles did a poor job of running time off the clock, going with three running plays that used a total of 26 seconds of playing time. Van Brocklin got off another long punt that traveled 65 yards, but HB Al Carmichael returned it 40 yards, weaving his way to the LA 30 where DHB Ed Hughes brought him down. Rote rolled out and, finding no receivers open, ran for 11 yards down to the 19. He also got out of bounds to stop the clock, but was stopped for no gain and stayed in bounds the next time. With 24 seconds left to play, Cone kicked a 25-yard field goal that just barely made it inside the uprights to put the Packers back on top. The Rams still had time for two plays following the kickoff, but time ran out with the ball at their 33 and Green Bay came away with a 30-28 win.

The Packers had the edge in total yards (343 to 260) and first downs (20 to 16). However, they also turned the ball over six times, to three suffered by LA, and the Rams recorded three sacks, to one by Green Bay. The Packers also were successful on three field goal attempts, while the combination of Les Richter and Tom Fears missed three for Los Angeles.

Tobin Rote completed 19 of 40 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns, but tossed five interceptions as well, three of them by Jim Cason. Billy Howton (pictured below) caught 8 passes for 158 yards and a TD while, for the Rams, Ron Waller rushed for 77 yards on 14 carries.

The win put the Packers in a tie for first in the Western Conference, but the bubble burst and they lost their next four games on the way to a 6-6 third-place finish. The Rams came out on top of the conference at 8-3-1, although they lost badly to the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship game.

Tobin Rote went on to lead the NFL with 17 touchdown passes (tied with San Francisco’s Y.A. Tittle). Billy Howton caught 44 passes for 697 yards (15.8 avg.) and scored five touchdowns, and was named to the Pro Bowl. Fred Cone was successful on a league-leading 16 of 24 field goal attempts and all 30 of his PATs.

1989: Vikings Defeat Packers as Newly-Acquired Walker Stars

Three days after being in the middle of one of the biggest trades in NFL history, RB Herschel Walker (pictured above) took the field for the Minnesota Vikings as they hosted the Green Bay Packers on October 15, 1989. In a complex transaction that ultimately involved 18 players and draft picks, Walker was obtained from the Dallas Cowboys. From the perspective of the Cowboys, the deal provided the opportunity to rebuild a last-place team through the draft. For Minnesota, it was hoped that the talented Walker would be the key to reaching the Super Bowl.

Much had been expected of Walker since he first gained attention as a freshman on Georgia’s 1980 national championship team. After winning the Heisman Trophy as a junior, he made the stunning move of passing up his last collegiate season for the new United States Football League and, over the course of three years with the New Jersey Generals, rushed for 5562 yards. Moving on to the Cowboys after the demise of the USFL, he was selected to the Pro Bowl twice and, in 1988, gained 1514 yards on the ground and 2019 overall. To be sure, Walker had drawn his share of criticism for being a strictly straight-ahead, no-polish runner who had yet to fulfill gigantic expectations, but he was also a tremendous athlete with outstanding strength and speed. It was anticipated that, having practiced only twice with the team since the trade, he would see limited action in his first game with Minnesota.

Beyond Walker, the Vikings, coached by Jerry Burns, were a talented football team with an outstanding defense but an offense that seemed to be underachieving. QB Wade Wilson had a fractured hand and former starter Tommy Kramer was back behind center, and WR Anthony Carter and TE Steve Jordan were playing but hampered by injuries. Coming off an 11-5 record in ’88, Minnesota was 3-2 and willing to mortgage the future for near-term success.

The Packers, also at 3-2, were a rejuvenated team under Head Coach Lindy Infante. The offense had been highly productive with Don Majkowski taking over at quarterback, WR Sterling Sharpe breaking out as the feature receiver, and RB Brent Fullwood carrying the running load, and the defense featured pass-rushing LB Tim Harris.

There was a record crowd of 62,075 in attendance at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The Packers had first possession but Minnesota got the ball on a fumble by Brent Fullwood that was recovered by DE Chris Doleman at the Green Bay 34. The Vikings were unable to capitalize, however, as they were unable to move on offense and a field goal attempt by Rich Karlis from 51 yards was wide to the right.

Green Bay responded by driving 66 yards in nine plays, the big one a pass from Don Majkowski to Sterling Sharpe that covered 51 yards to the Minnesota 10. A face mask penalty on LB Mike Merriweather helped to convert a third down and RB Herman Fontenot finally ended the series with a one-yard touchdown carry. Chris Jacke added the extra point to give the visitors the early 7-0 lead.

With the crowd cheering as he came onto the field, Herschel Walker touched the ball for the first time on the ensuing kickoff and returned it 51 yards, although it was for naught when nullified by a penalty for an illegal block. The teams exchanged punts and Walker provided some excitement when, on his first carry from scrimmage, he took off for a 47-yard gain to the Green Bay 28, losing his right shoe along the way, and this one counted. But again the Vikings came up empty when FS Ken Stills intercepted a Tommy Kramer pass on the next play.

Minnesota took charge on defense with a stuff and a sack to push the Packers back to their eight yard line to finish the opening period, and on a third-and-22 play to start the second quarter, Majkowski’s pass was intercepted by CB Reggie Rutland. The Vikings advanced 45 yards in eight plays, with Kramer completing passes to WR Hassan Jones for 19 yards and to Anthony Carter for 15, and this time Karlis got them on the board with a 28-yard field goal.

Once again the Minnesota defense pushed the Packers back, with Doleman sacking Majkowski for a seven-yard loss, and a punt was returned 17 yards by WR Leo Lewis to give the Vikings favorable starting field position at the Green Bay 49. Walker had two carries for 11 yards and, in between, Kramer connected with RB D.J. Dozier for a gain of 30 yards. FB Rick Fenney ran eight yards for a TD and, with the PAT by Karlis, Minnesota was in the lead by 10-7.

Another short series by the Packers in which they remained bottled up inside their ten yard line was followed by a punt, but while the Vikings reached the Green Bay 30, a 47-yard field goal try by Karlis was blocked by CB Ron Pitts. RB Keith Woodside provided some offense for Green Bay by breaking away for a run of 31 yards, but Majkowski threw a pass that was picked off by Rutland. With the ball at the Green Bay 28 and 2:40 remaining in the half, the Vikings chipped away and Kramer threw to WR Jim Gustafson for a six-yard touchdown. Karlis converted and Minnesota took a 17-7 lead into halftime. Don Majkowski had completed only two of 11 passes thus far and was sacked three times.

The teams traded punts to start the third quarter. The Vikings put together an eight-play, 78-yard drive on their second possession as Kramer completed five passes, the longest to Jones for 39 yards to the Green Bay 11 and the last to Fenney for an eight-yard TD. Karlis converted and Minnesota was leading comfortably by 24-7.

The Packers once again found themselves playing deep in their own territory when a penalty on the ensuing kickoff had them starting off at their 12 and, after two passes were incomplete, Majkowski was sacked in the end zone by LB Ray Berry for a safety, thus adding two more points to Minnesota’s lead.

Following the free kick, Walker ran the ball three times for 41 yards to reach the Green Bay 27, but a fumble on an errant pitchout by Kramer was recovered by LB Brian Noble on the final play of the period.

The teams exchanged punts before the Packers, gaining possession with 4:47 left to play, put together a scoring series. Majkowski completed passes to Sharpe for 31 yards and WR Carl Bland for a 46-yard touchdown, but the try for an onside kick was recovered by the Vikings, who were able to run out the clock. Minnesota won by a final score of 26-14.

The Vikings outgained Green Bay by 398 yards to 219, with 238 of that total coming on the ground. They also had the advantage in first downs by 21 to 11. Minnesota’s defense recorded eight sacks, to one by the Packers, four of them by DT Keith Millard (pictured at right). The Packers turned the ball over three times, to two by the Vikings, and hurt themselves further with 11 penalties, at a cost of 77 yards, although Minnesota was flagged nine times.

Herschel Walker rushed for 148 yards on 18 carries, becoming the first player to debut with a hundred yards rushing in franchise history. Tommy Kramer completed 14 of 24 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns, giving up one interception. Hassan Jones caught four passes for 68 yards and D.J. Dozier was right behind with four receptions for 47 yards in addition to his 31 rushing yards on 8 attempts. In addition to Millard’s four sacks, Chris Doleman had two and Najee Mustafaa accounted for both Minnesota interceptions.

For the Packers, it was a long day for Don Majkowski, who was successful on just 9 of 24 throws for 198 yards and a TD with two interceptions, in addition to the sacks. Keith Woodside led the team with 36 rushing yards on three carries as well as three pass receptions, which added another 23 yards. Sterling Sharpe gained 82 yards on his two catches.

“We didn’t anticipate him to play to that extent,” said Coach Burns of Herschel Walker. “I’m not the smartest guy, but I’m not a complete idiot, either. When I saw what he was doing out there, I said ‘hey, keep feeding him the ball.’”

Alas, the initial excitement over Walker’s impact gave way to disappointment. He never came close to the rushing yardage total of his debut in the remaining games of the season, with 89 the next week at Detroit his next best amount. In 11 games with the Vikings, Walker ran for 669 yards in 169 carries for an even 4.0 average and five touchdowns, often looking tentative in the offense. He also was rarely used as a receiver, despite great success out of the backfield in New Jersey and Dallas, catching more passes in his five games with the Cowboys (22) than with Minnesota (18). He would play two more years for the Vikings and remained a poor fit.

Minnesota played well at home (8-0) but not on the road (2-6) and, while topping the NFC Central with a 10-6 record, the Vikings lost badly to the 49ers in the Divisional playoff round. They dropped to 6-10 the following year, and rebounded only mildly to 8-8 in 1991, with the Walker trade receiving much of the blame for the club’s decline. By contrast, the Dallas Cowboys, recipients of the load of draft choices from Minnesota, they were able to move up quickly from 1-15 in 1989 to the first of three NFL titles in four years by 1992.

As for the Packers, they lost again the next week but beat the Vikings later in the season in the rematch and also finished at 10-6, although in second place and out of the postseason due to tiebreakers.

2007: Patriots Defeat Cowboys in Battle of Unbeaten Teams

Both the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys sported unblemished 5-0 records as they faced off at Texas Stadium on October 14, 2007. The Patriots had yet to score fewer than 34 points in any of their games, or give up more than 17, while Dallas had been only a bit less dominant.

Under Head Coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots had been molded into perennial contenders, reaching the playoffs in five of the previous six seasons that included three NFL Championships. They were guided on offense by QB Tom Brady (pictured above), who was at the height of his abilities at age 30. There were no stars among the running backs, but WR Randy Moss had been added to the receiving mix with outstanding results thus far, WR Wes Welker was a reliable possession receiver, and there was good depth behind them. The defensive line was excellent and the linebackers an experienced and savvy group.

Dallas, coached by Wade Phillips, also had a talented quarterback in Tony Romo, who had come out of nowhere the previous year to take over the starting job, and excellent receivers in WR Terrell Owens and TE Jason Witten. The running duties were shared by Julius Jones and Marion Barber, with good results. On defense, the corps of linebackers, led by DeMarcus Ware, was effective, but the backs were vulnerable to being spread out – as the Patriots would show.

The Cowboys had first possession and punted. New England went 74 yards in 14 plays in response. After misfiring on his first two passes, Tom Brady connected with Wes Welker for 16 yards on third-and-ten and was successful on his next four throws, three of them to WR Donte’ Stallworth that totaled 25 yards. Facing third-and-seven at the Dallas 26, Brady again completed a pass to Welker for 20 yards and, three plays later, hit Randy Moss for a six-yard touchdown. Stephen Gostkowski added the extra point.

The teams traded punts until the Patriots again put together another scoring drive, this time advancing 69 yards in six plays. Once again Brady made big plays on third down, throwing deep to TE Ben Watson for 28 yards in a third-and-seven situation to reach the Dallas 38 and then, on third-and-seven, to Welker for a 35-yard TD. Gostkowski again successfully converted and New England took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.

The Cowboys moved into New England territory on their next series and Nick Folk got them on the board with a 38-yard field goal. They scored again a short time later when Brady fumbled while being sacked by LB Greg Ellis and DE Jason Hatcher recovered and it returned it 29 yards for a touchdown. Folk’s PAT narrowed the visitors’ lead to 14-10.

The Patriots responded with another long series. Falling quickly into a second-and-20 hole, Brady passed to Stallworth for 17 yards and an offside call on the Cowboys gave New England a first down. Another completion to Stallworth gained 15 yards and, in a third-and-ten situation at the Dallas 42, Brady’s short toss to RB Kevin Faulk picked up 18 yards. The series ended with Brady once again throwing to Welker for a touchdown, this time from 12 yards out. Gostkowski’s extra point extended New England’s lead to 21-10.

Dallas regained possession with 3:28 remaining in the first half. Tony Romo immediately connected with TE Anthony Fasano for 26 yards, the first of seven completions that included three to Jason Witten for 11, 25, and 11 yards. A pass to Terrell Owens that was ruled complete but overturned on review was followed by a 12-yard TD pass to Owens and, with Folk’s extra point, the score stood at 21-17 at halftime.

New England’s first possession of the third quarter ended with a punt and the Cowboys put together a seven-play, 74-yard drive. Julius Jones (pictured above) had back-to-back runs of 25 and 18 yards along the way and Romo was successful on all four of his passes, the last to WR Patrick Crayton for an eight-yard touchdown. Folk added the point after and Dallas was in the lead by 24-21.

The Patriots responded with a scoring drive of their own, covering 77 yards in ten plays. Brady completed six passes, a pair each to Moss and Welker, and when Moss was interfered with by safety Pat Watkins, New England was at the one yard line. Brady tossed to TE Kyle Brady from there for a TD, Gostkowski added the PAT, and the visitors were back in front by 28-24.

The Cowboys were unable to move beyond their 12 yard line on the next possession and Mat McBriar’s punt, which was returned 18 yards by Welker, gave the Patriots good field position at the Dallas 43. An apparent touchdown pass was overturned by review, but a roughing-the-passer penalty advanced New England 15 yards and, while the drive stalled at that point, Gostkowski added a 45 yard field goal to make it a seven-point game.

 As the period came to a close, Dallas had fourth-and-one at its own 47, but an attempt to convert was nullified by a holding penalty and the Cowboys had to punt. Four plays later, Brady went long for Stallworth and the result was a 69-yard touchdown. Gostkowski’s extra point put New England ahead by 38-24.

RB Tyson Thompson returned the ensuing kickoff 72 yards to the New England 23, but after Romo threw to Owens for 13 yards, the Cowboys were unable to reach the end zone and had to settle for a 23-yard Folk field goal.

Ahead by 11 points, the Patriots put together a long drive that burned six minutes off the clock. Brady completed four passes, Faulk ran the ball six times, and Gostkowski kicked a 22-yard field goal to extend New England’s lead to 41-27 with just over four minutes remaining on the clock.

On the first play of the next Dallas series, LB Junior Seau intercepted Romo’s pass to effectively extinguish any hopes for the Cowboys. The Patriots added one last touchdown on a one-yard carry by FB Kyle Eckel and came away with a decisive 48-27 win.

New England was statistically dominant, leading in total yards (448 to 285) and first downs (28 to 13). Each team turned the ball over once. The Cowboys recorded three sacks, to two by the Patriots. They also were penalized 12 times, at a cost of 100 yards, compared to five flags thrown on New England.

Tom Brady completed 31 of 46 passes for 388 yards and five touchdowns while giving up no interceptions. Wes Welker (pictured below) had 11 catches for 124 yards and two TDs and Donte’ Stallworth gained 136 yards on 7 receptions that included a score. They benefited from Dallas’ coverage of Randy Moss, who still caught 6 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown. Kevin Faulk was New England’s leading rusher with 47 yards on 12 attempts.

For the Cowboys, Tony Romo was successful on 18 of 29 throws for 199 yards and two TDs with one interception. Terrell Owens topped the receivers with 6 catches for 66 yards and a touchdown and Julius Jones ran for 51 yards on six carries, followed closely by RB Marion Barber who had 49 yards on 9 runs. Mat McBriar averaged 53.8 yards on his five punts.

“The reality is we got a win on the road and we’re 6-0. That’s what is important,” summed up Tom Brady. “Any time you win you’re doing just fine. It’s another step in the process. We have to continue to make improvements.

The Patriots improved all the way to a 16-0 record in the regular season, but came short of ultimate perfection with an upset loss to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. Dallas recovered to win its next seven straight games on the way to a NFC-best 13-3 tally. However, they lost in the Divisional playoff round to the Super Bowl-bound Giants.

Tom Brady led the NFL in passing yards (4806), completion percentage (68.9), yards per attempt (8.3), and overall rating (117.2) as well as a then-record 50 touchdown passes and received consensus MVP honors as well as All-NFL and Pro Bowl recognition. Randy Moss caught a record 23 TD passes among his 98 receptions for 1493 yards and Wes Welker tied for the league lead with 112 catches, good for 1175 yards and eight scores.

Tony Romo passed for 4211 yards and a NFC-high 36 touchdowns, although his 19 interceptions ranked among the league leaders as well. 

Highlighted Year: Raul Allegre, 1983

Placekicker, Baltimore Colts

Age:  24

1^st season in pro football

College: Texas

Height: 5’10” Weight: 165

Prelude:

A native of Mexico, the soccer-playing Allegre was an exchange student at a Washington state high school when he began kicking extra points in football games. In college, he kicked 27 field goals in 45 attempts as well as 66 extra points. Ignored in the 1983 NFL draft, Allegre was signed as a free agent by the Dallas Cowboys but was traded to the Colts prior to the season.

1983 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 30 [3, 1^st in AFC]

Most field goals, game – 5 at Philadelphia 10/30

Field goal attempts – 35 [3]

Most field goal attempts, game – 6 at Philadelphia 10/30

Field goal percentage – 85.7 [3]

PATs – 22

PAT attempts – 24

Longest field goal – 55 yards at Denver 12/11

Scoring

Field Goals – 30

PATs – 22

Points – 112 [12]

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFL: NEA

1^st team All-AFC: UPI

Colts went 7-9 to finish fourth in the AFC East while leading the AFC in rushing (2695 yards) and field goals (30).

Aftermath:

Allegre spent two more seasons with the Colts, who moved to Indianapolis in 1984. His performances were not as strong as in his outstanding rookie year, with a combined 27 successes in 44 field goal attempts (61.4 %), and he was unreliable beyond 40 yards. The Colts cut Allegre just prior to the 1986 season in favor of Dean Biasucci and he was picked up by the New York Giants four games into the schedule. He performed well, making several clutch kicks, and was successful on 24 of 32 field goal attempts, as well as all 33 extra point tries. In addition, he made good on both of his postseason field goals as the Giants won the Super Bowl. Allegre stayed with New York until 1991, but missed time with injuries (thus missing out on another Super Bowl appearance) and had problems with consistency. He was cut by the Giants three games into the ’91 season, having kicked 77 field goals and 109 extra points for the team, and was picked up by the Jets for the season finale, in which he connected on three of four field goal attempts. Allegre kicked in the playoff loss at Houston but was unable to make the team the next year and, nagged by back problems, retired. Overall, Allegre was successful on 137 of 186 field goal attempts (73.7) and added 183 PATs for a total of 594 points.

--

Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

** NFC/AFC since 1970

1998: Jaguars Rally in 4th Quarter to Defeat Dolphins

It was a Monday night matchup of Florida teams on October 12, 1998 as the Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Miami Dolphins. The Jaguars, coming off of their bye week, were undefeated at 4-0 while the Dolphins, having lost the previous week, were 3-1.

The Jaguars, in their fourth season and coached by Tom Coughlin, were a potent offensive club. QB Mark Brunell had good targets in wide receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell and the addition of rookie RB Fred Taylor (pictured at right) made the attack that much stronger. The defense was more of a concern, especially the pass rush, which it was hoped would benefit from the return of DE Tony Brackens, who was making his first appearance after being out with an ankle injury.

The Dolphins, under Head Coach Jimmy Johnson, still relied on 37-year-old veteran Dan Marino, as they had since he took over the starting job in 1983. While chafing in a more conservative offense, he was still a potent passer. The ground game, led by RB Karim Abdul-Jabbar, remained undistinguished, but the defense was tough up front and benefited from the presence of MLB Zach Thomas.

There was a crowd of 74,051 in attendance at Alltel Stadium, the largest to date in the franchise’s brief history. Things started off quickly for the Jaguars when Fred Taylor, taking advantage of a big hole off tackle, broke away to the outside for a 77-yard touchdown run. Mike Hollis added the extra point for the early 7-0 lead. However, while Jacksonville’s next play consisted of Mark Brunell throwing to Jimmy Smith for 41 yards, the game settled into a punting exchange for the remainder of the first quarter.

Taking over at their own 47 in the last two minutes of the opening period, the Jaguars began to move effectively. Brunell completed passes to WR Reggie Barlow for 20 yards and FB Daimon Shelton for 19 to advance to the Miami eight as the quarter wound down. On the first play of the second quarter, Brunell threw to RB Tavian Banks for six yards and Taylor followed up with a two-yard TD carry. Hollis again converted and Jacksonville held a 14-0 advantage.

Miami responded by driving 69 yards in 12 plays. On a second-and-13 play, Dan Marino (pictured below) connected with WR Oronde Gadsden for 23 yards to the Jacksonville 38 and, after he was sacked by LB Bryce Paup for a loss of six yards, Marino completed a pass to WR Lamar Thomas for another 26 yards.  A throw for seven yards to FB Stanley Pritchett set up three straight carries by Karim Abdul-Jabbar. Marino tossed a two-yard TD pass to TE Troy Drayton, Olindo Mare added the PAT, and Jacksonville’s edge was cut to 14-7.

The Dolphins got a break when CB Terrell Buckley intercepted a Brunell pass to give Miami the ball at the Jacksonville 36, but after advancing ten yards Marino was picked off by CB Aaron Beasley to end the threat. As time ran down in the first half, the teams again exchanged punts, but with 21 seconds remaining on the clock Banks ran up the middle for 51 yards to the Miami 31. However, Hollis was unsuccessful on a 45-yard field goal try as time expired and it remained a seven-point contest at halftime.

In a penalty-filled series to start the third quarter, the Dolphins took advantage of a pass interference penalty on a third-and-22 play to move to the Jacksonville one, from where Abdul-Jabbar scored and, with Mare adding the extra point, the score was tied at 14-14.

The Jaguars went three-and-out and punted, and Miami drove to another touchdown, moving 63 yards in nine plays. Marino completed all five of his passes, the longest to Thomas for 21 yards and the last to Drayton for the 15-yard TD. Adding on Mare’s point after, the visitors held the lead at 21-14.

The teams again traded punts as the game moved into the fourth quarter. However, the Dolphins were trapped deep in their own territory prior to kicking and the punt by Mare (who was subbing for Klaus Wilmsmeyer) traveled 36 yards, giving Jacksonville good field position at the Miami 40. After a first down incompletion, Brunell made good on his next three passes, two of them to Keenan McCardell that included a 23-yard touchdown. Hollis added the game-tying extra point.

Following another exchange of punts, the Dolphins put together a promising drive. Uncharacteristically keeping the ball on the ground for the most part, Abdul-Jabbar ran four straight times for 24 yards to the Jacksonville 41 and, after a short Marion pass completion, RB John Avery gained three yards. But Marino’s third down pass fell incomplete and, with Coach Johnson taking a gamble on a long field goal, Mare’s attempt from 54 yards was unsuccessful.

It didn’t take long for the Jaguars to respond. Brunell passed to McCardell on first down, and it went for 56 yards and a touchdown. Hollis converted and the home team was up by seven with 2:36 left in regulation.

Marino came out throwing, connecting with Gadsden for 28 yards, but two plays later he fumbled while being sacked and Tony Brackens recovered for Jacksonville. Three running plays and a punt left Marino and the Dolphins just 49 seconds to work with, and the game ended for them at their 34. The Jaguars came away winners by a final score of 28-21.

Jacksonville had a slight edge in total yards (385 to 374) while the Dolphins had far more first downs (25 to 12). The Jaguars were better balanced, rushing for 186 yards and passing for 199 while Miami gained just 67 yards on 28 running plays and had 307 net passing yards. The Dolphins turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by Jacksonville, and were also the more heavily penalized, getting flagged 11 times at a cost of 89 yards to eight penalties on the Jaguars for 86 yards.

Mark Brunell completed 12 of 18 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns while giving up one interception. Fred Taylor, who got the game off to a rousing start but left in the third quarter with a bruised shoulder, rushed for 89 yards on 12 carries that included two TDs and Tavian Banks, who had a long carry of his own, contributed 75 yards on nine attempts. Keenan McCardell (pictured at left) was Jacksonville’s receiving star with three catches for 86 yards and two scores. Reggie Barlow had four receptions, for 50 yards, and Jimmy Smith had one for 41 yards but missed the second half due to a hamstring strain.

For the Dolphins, Dan Marino was successful on 30 of 49 throws for 323 yards and two TDs with one interception. O.J. McDuffie had 7 catches for 68 yards while Troy Drayton made 6 receptions for 30 yards and two touchdowns. Oronde Gadsden gained 91 yards on his five catches to top the club. Karim Abdul-Jabbar rushed for 43 yards on 23 carries that included a TD.

Having reached 5-0, the Jaguars lost their next two games on the way to an 11-5 record that topped the AFC Central. They defeated the Patriots in the Wild Card round before losing to the Jets in the Divisional playoff. Miami rebounded to win two straight and finished second in the AFC East at 10-6. Qualifying for the postseason as a Wild Card entry, the Dolphins also won in the first round before falling to Denver at the Divisional level.

Mark Brunell missed three games due to injury but still passed for 2601 yards and 20 TDs with a solid 89.9 rating. Fred Taylor rushed for 1223 yards on 264 carries (4.6 avg.) and caught 44 passes for another 421 yards, compiling a total of 17 touchdowns. It marked the beginning of a very good 13-season career. Keenan McCardell had 64 catches for 892 yards (13.9 avg.) and scored six TDs.

Dan Marino threw for 3497 yards, his 13^th year with 3000 or more, and 23 touchdowns in what was his next-to-last season. O.J. McDuffie remained his top target and led the NFL in pass receptions with 90, gaining 1050 yards and scoring seven TDs.

1953: Steelers Overcome 21-Point Deficit to Defeat Cards

The Pittsburgh Steelers were 1-1, having come off a win the previous week against the Giants, as they hosted the Chicago Cardinals on October 11, 1953. Coached by Joe Bach for the second year, who had converted the offense to the T-formation in ’52 (the last NFL team to do so), the Steelers featured QB Jim Finks (pictured at right), who performed ably the previous year but was hindered by a knee injury suffered during the preseason. End Elbie Nickel was a favorite target and HB Lynn Chandnois was an outstanding kick returner in addition to his duties in the backfield.

The Cardinals had a new head coach in Joe Stydahar, former star lineman for the Bears who coached the Rams to the 1951 NFL Championship. However, fleet HB Ollie Matson was away in the military and QB Jim Root was not of the caliber of the quarterbacks that Stydahar had in Los Angeles (Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin). Charlie Trippi, once a star at halfback, was back in that position after a trial at quarterback. Chicago came into the contest at 0-2.

There were 25,935 fans in attendance at Forbes Field. The Steelers spent most of the first quarter bottled up on their end of the field. Chicago got the first break when LB Bill Svoboda intercepted a Jim Finks throw at the Pittsburgh 36. Two plays later, end Gern Nagler caught a pass to the two yard line and, on the third plunge into the line, FB John Olszewski scored a touchdown from a yard out. Pat Summerall added the extra point for a 7-0 lead. That was the last scoring threat until later in the opening period when Summerall attempted a field goal from 52 yards that fell far short.

Early in the second quarter, Pittsburgh finally began to move on offense, advancing 68 yards in 17 plays. FB Fran Rogel got the Steelers on the board with a one-yard carry for a TD and Nick Bolkovac converted to make it a tie game. However, turnovers began to plague the home team. HB Jim Brandt fumbled while returning a punt and LB Nick Chickillo recovered for Chicago at the Pittsburgh 34. Five plays later, Jim Root threw to Nagler in the corner of the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown and Summerall added the PAT to put the visitors back in front by 14-7.

The Steelers responded with a promising series, but Finks again was intercepted, this time by DHB Don Paul. The Cards were unable to add to their lead when Summerall tried again to kick a field goal from 52 yards and it was also short.

Pittsburgh drove quickly into Chicago territory as Finks completed a pass of 39 yards to Lynn Chandnois to the 24. But he was picked off once more and, with time running out in the first half, it was the Cardinals making a big play to move down field. Root connected with end Don Stonesifer for 46 yards and a pass interference penalty helped Chicago along further. With the clock down to 20 seconds, Root completed a six-yard touchdown pass to Nagler (pictured below) and, adding Summerall’s kick, the Cards took a 21-7 lead into halftime.

Early in the third quarter, the hole got deeper for the Steelers when Chandnois muffed a punt and Chickillo recovered at the Pittsburgh 13. Three plays later, Charlie Trippi rolled out and passed to Stonesifer for a three-yard TD. Summerall converted and Chicago had a seemingly-commanding lead of 28-7 over the error-prone Steelers.

Pittsburgh responded quickly. HB Ray Mathews returned the ensuing kickoff to the 39 and the Steelers took just four plays to cover 61 yards. Three were passes, the last from Finks to Mathews for a 19-yard touchdown. Bolkovac added the extra point to make it 28-14.

Four plays after the kickoff, the Steelers got the ball back when HB Billy Cross fumbled and LB Dick Flanagan recovered at the Chicago 36. Finks threw to end Elbie Nickel to the 16 but they failed to advance and turned the ball over on downs.

Late in the period, the Steelers commenced a drive that extended into the fourth quarter, and this time they didn’t come up empty. From the Chicago 14, Finks threw to end Ed Barker for seven yards and Rogel followed up with a three-yard run to make it first-and-goal. Rogel hit the line again, appeared to be stopped, but then broke loose for a four-yard TD. Bolkovac’s conversion further narrowed the Cards’ lead to 28-21.

Once again Pittsburgh got the ball back quickly, this time with DHB Art DeCarlo intercepting a pass that he returned to the Chicago 18. Finks completed a throw to Chandnois at the two and, after Rogel was stopped twice for losses, he fired a pass into the corner of the end zone that Barker caught for a four-yard touchdown. Bolkovac’s point after tied the score at 28-28.

Neither team was able to move effectively on its next series, but DeCarlo came through with another interception that gave the Steelers the ball at the Chicago 28. Chandnois gained eight yards on two carries, but Elter lost two on third down, and with 4:55 remaining in the contest, Bolkovac kicked a 28-yard field goal for the Steelers. It made the difference as Pittsburgh came away with a 31-28 comeback win, beating the Cardinals for the sixth straight time.

The Steelers led in total yards (354 to 233) and first downs (24 to 16). Both teams hurt themselves with turnovers, suffering five apiece (four interceptions and a fumble by the Cards, three interceptions and two fumbles given up by Pittsburgh).

Jim Finks completed 23 of 44 passes for 291 yards and Fran Rogel (pictured at right) ran for 52 yards on 17 carries to lead the Steelers. Punter Pat Brady averaged over 53 yards on eight kicks, his longest traveling 57 yards. For the Cardinals, Jim Root was successful on 9 of 27 throws for 162 yards.

The Steelers went on to a 6-6 record, rallying to win their last two games, and placed fourth in the Eastern Conference. Chicago never got on track, eking out a tie with the Rams and breaking into the victory column in the last week of the season against the crosstown-rival Bears for a 1-10-1 tally, the league’s worst.

Jim Finks had a lesser season, completing 44.9 percent of his passes for 1484 yards and eight touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Fran Rogel led the team with 527 rushing yards while Lynn Chandnois led the NFL in all-purpose yards with 1593 and was named to the Pro Bowl. Nick Bolkovac’s game-winning field goal was one of just four he kicked all year, in 12 attempts, although he was 27 for 28 in extra points. 

Rookie of the Year: Jerry Rice, 1985

Wide Receiver, San Francisco 49ers

Age: 23 (Oct. 13)

College: Mississippi Valley State

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 200

Prelude:

Playing in a small college program, Rice attracted attention while teaming with QB Willie Totten in a spread offense. He caught 102 passes for 1450 yards in 1983 and 112 for 1845 yards and 27 touchdowns in ’84. Along the way, he had a 24-catch performance against Southern University. Drafted by the 49ers in the first round in 1985, Rice moved into the starting lineup as a rookie and, despite a slow start, diverted coverage from veteran WR Dwight Clark and showed flashes of future greatness.

1985 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 49      

Most receptions, game – 10 (for 241 yds.) vs. LA Rams 12/9

Yards – 927 [19]

Most yards, game – 241 (on 10 catches) vs. LA Rams 12/9

Average gain – 18.9 [10]

TDs – 3

200-yard receiving games – 1

100-yard receiving games – 2

Rushing

Attempts – 6

Yards – 26

Average gain – 4.3

TDs – 1

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 1

Yards – 6

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 4

Points – 24

Postseason: 1 G (NFC Wild Card playoff at NY Giants)

Pass receptions – 4

Pass receiving yards – 45

Average yards per reception – 11.3

Pass Receiving TDs – 0

Pass attempts – 1

Pass completions – 0

Interceptions – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFC Rookie of the Year: UPI

49ers went 10-6 to finish second in the NFC West while qualifying for the playoffs as a Wild Card entry. Lost NFC Wild Card playoff to New York Giants (17-3).

Aftermath:

Following his promising rookie season, Rice broke out with 86 receptions and led the NFL in receiving yards (1570) and TD catches (15) in 1986. He was a consensus first-team All-Pro selection for the first of five straight years (and ten overall) and was chosen for the Pro Bowl, an honor he would receive on 13 occasions. Rice went on to play 20 seasons in the NFL and re-wrote the record book by the time he was done. The 1986 season was the first of 11 straight thousand-yard receiving seasons and 14 overall. He led the league in that category five more times, including a then-record 1848 in 1995. Rice also had four 100-catch seasons and was the NFL leader twice. A prolific scorer, he had a total of nine years in which he reached double figures in receiving TDs and paced the league six times. After 16 years with San Francisco, Rice moved on to the Raiders for three full seasons plus part of his last year, in 2004, in which he finished up with Seattle. Overall, he retired as career leader in pass receptions (1549), receiving yards (22,895), receiving touchdowns (197), and total TDs (208). He gained the most total yards (23,546) of any player in NFL history. Rice was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2010.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), 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).