1975: Oilers Defeat Dolphins Thanks to Two Bubba Smith Blocks of PATs

The Houston Oilers were a surprising 6-2 as they hosted the Miami Dolphins on November 16, 1975. Under first-year Head Coach Bum Phillips, the team that had been 1-13 in both 1972 and ’73 was playing like a contender. The Oilers ran the ball effectively with HB Ronnie Coleman and FB Don Hardeman carrying most of the load, and while the passing game was unexceptional, there was an emerging star in WR Ken Burrough. The solid 3-4 defense was the key to Houston’s success, with NT Curley Culp anchoring the line and rookie LB Robert Brazile proving to be a valuable addition. Topping it off was WR Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, who was an exciting kick returner and had already scored twice on punt returns.

One lineup change for the Miami game involved a fading star who had been brought in to provide defensive depth. 30-year-old DE Bubba Smith (pictured above) had been let go by the Raiders and was now backing up his younger brother, Tody, on the defensive line, who was out with a knee injury.

The Dolphins came into Houston at 7-1, having not lost since the opening week. Since Head Coach Don Shula’s arrival in 1970, Miami had been as successful as the Oilers were mediocre. But while there were still some stalwarts, such as QB Bob Griese and HB Eugene “Mercury” Morris, remaining, the Dolphins were in the process of retooling.

There were 48,892 fans in attendance at the Astrodome. The Oilers had first possession and drove 48 yards in 13 plays. Ronnie Coleman and Don Hardeman ran effectively, picking up three first downs, but after reaching the Miami 17 QB Dan Pastorini was sacked by LB Bob Matheson on third down and Skip Butler kicked a 43-yard field goal.

The teams exchanged punts following short possessions, and Miami was driving as the first quarter ended. Bob Griese completed a screen pass to FB Norm Bulaich for 13 yards on a third-and-nine play and then hit on three straight throws to WR Freddie Solomon for eight yards, TE Jim Mandich for 10, and WR Howard Twilley for 31 yards to the Houston 18. But on the second play of the second quarter, another Griese pass was intercepted by LB Ted Washington, who returned it 23 yards.

On a series that advanced 63 yards in seven plays, Pastorini threw to FB Fred Willis for 16 yards and Hardeman broke away for a 37-yard carry to the Miami 12. Butler kicked a 26-yard field goal to make it a 6-0 game.

Miami responded with an eight-play, 64-yard possession. Griese completed three of his passes, the last to Mandich for a 26-yard touchdown. However, the score remained tied when Bubba Smith blocked Garo Yepremian’s try for the extra point.

The Oilers moved into Miami territory on the next series thanks to a Pastorini throw to Ken Burrough that covered 24 yards, but after reaching the 35, two sacks backed them up and they were forced to punt. With time running out in the first half, the Dolphins drove to the Houston 32 before Griese was sacked by Robert Brazile and DE Elvin Bethea. The teams went into halftime still tied at 6-6.

A short Miami series to start the third quarter lost yardage and ended with a punt that Billy “White Shoes” Johnson returned 83 yards for a touchdown. Butler converted and the home team was ahead by 13-6.

Griese started off the next series for the Dolphins by throwing to Twilley for 24 yards and they drove methodically to the Houston nine. However, a completion to HB Larry Seiple at the goal line that was originally called a touchdown by one official was instead ruled down inches short of the goal line by the referee.  FB Don Nottingham was stopped by Smith on a fourth down play and Miami came up empty.

The Oilers went three-and-out and punted and this time Miami didn’t fail to put points on the board. Again facing fourth down, HB Benny Malone ran for the last two yards and a TD and, with Yepremian successfully adding the point after, the score was tied at 13-13 as the game headed into the fourth quarter.

Houston had to punt from deep in its own territory following the next series and the Dolphins took possession at the Oilers’ 48. Three plays later, Solomon took the handoff on a double reverse and sped 35 yards to the Houston three, and from there Nottingham ran for a TD. But once again Bubba Smith blocked Yepremian’s extra point try and the visitors held onto a six-point lead at 19-13.

Following another exchange of punts, the Oilers took possession at their 11. They proceeded to drive 89 yards in 15 plays. Johnson ran for 19 yards on an end-around, Pastorini completed a pass to TE Mack Alston for 24 yards, and on a third-and-seven play from the Miami 26 at the two-minute warning, Pastorini connected with Coleman for 10 yards. Still, the Oilers were facing fourth-and-six when it appeared that another pass intended for Alston was picked off by SS Charlie Babb. But Miami was penalized for defensive holding, allowing Houston to keep the ball with a first down at the seven. Coleman swept around end for a touchdown from there, breaking three tackles in the process, and Butler’s all-important extra point was good to put the Oilers on top by one. A few plays later, an interception by LB Gregg Bingham sealed the 20-19 win for Houston.

The Dolphins led in total yards (350 to 239) and first downs (23 to 15). They also recorded four sacks, to three by Houston, and the Oilers were penalized 10 times at a cost of 90 yards while Miami was flagged five times. However, the Dolphins turned the ball over twice, to none by Houston, and gave up the punt return touchdown as well as the two blocked extra points that ultimately determined the outcome.

Dan Pastorini completed 11 of 22 passes for 111 yards and no touchdowns, although also with none intercepted. Don Hardeman gained 60 yards on seven attempts and Ronnie Coleman rushed for 58 yards on 13 carries that included a TD and caught three passes for another 20 yards. Fred Willis, in addition to running the ball 9 times for 32 yards, led the Oilers with four pass receptions for 33 yards. In addition to his third punt return touchdown of the season, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson (pictured at left) had two catches for 10 yards plus the one 19-yard run.

For the Dolphins, Bob Griese was successful on 21 of 29 throws for 257 yards and a TD, but was intercepted twice. Jim Mandich caught 6 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown and WR Nat Moore contributed five receptions for 59 yards. The ground game was not strong and Benny Malone was the club’s top rusher with 38 yards on 12 carries that included a score.

“Take a step, watch for the kick, and jump up. Just as easy as that,” said Bubba Smith of how he blocked the two extra point attempts, also noting that in film study they had noticed that Yepremian tended to kick low and center Jim Langer took a step back to block.

“I hit the ball low on the second (blocked) one,” explained a dejected Garo Yepremian in talking about his two blocked extra point tries, his fourth and fifth of the season. “I had a bad day…I got to go back to work. I cost us the game. There’s nobody to blame but myself.”

Houston lost its next two games to the only teams it lost to all year, the Steelers and Bengals, and ended up in third place behind those AFC Central rivals with a 10-4 record, missing out on the postseason. The Dolphins lost again the next week, and it was especially costly because Bob Griese went down with a knee injury. They also finished at 10-4, placing second in the AFC East and missing the postseason for the first time since Shula’s arrival.

Bubba Smith appeared in 12 games for the Oilers and started two of them in what was his next-to-last season in the NFL. Billy “White Shoes” Johnson led the league with a 15.3-yard average on 40 punt returns, including the three touchdowns. He also averaged 24.2 yards on 33 kickoff returns and returned one for a TD. Adding in his 393 pass receiving yards and 17 by rushing, he totaled a career-high 1820 all-purpose yards and was named to the Pro Bowl.

Garo Yepremian, in his sixth year with the Dolphins, ended up failing on six of his 46 extra point attempts, but led the NFL with a field goal percentage of 81.3 (13 for 16). He spent another three seasons with Miami.

1976: Staubach-to-Pearson Propels Cowboys Past Bills

The Dallas Cowboys were off to a solid 8-1 start as they met the Buffalo Bills on November 15, 1976, but they had also been having trouble scoring in recent contests. Head Coach Tom Landry’s team, perennially a contender and coming off of a NFC Championship season, was nevertheless as formidable on both sides of the ball as the record would suggest. QB Roger Staubach was of the highest caliber and had highly-productive WR Drew Pearson (pictured at right) as his favorite target. There were injury problems among the running backs, but enough depth to keep the ground attack going, while the defense continued to be solid.

Buffalo was stumbling along at 2-7 and had yet to win under Head Coach Jim Ringo, the all-time great center who was elevated from offensive line coach after Lou Saban resigned five games into the season. HB O.J. Simpson remained the key to the offense and was still a formidable runner, but QB Joe Ferguson and FB Jim Braxton were both sidelined by injuries and QB Gary Marangi and FB Jeff Kinney were not as able.

While the game was a sellout, only 51,779 fans showed up for the nationally-televised contest (that was not blacked out locally) on a cold Monday night at Texas Stadium. The Cowboys were focused on containing O.J. Simpson, but the Bills took the opening kickoff and drove effectively as Gary Marangi completed passes of 14 and 9 yards to WR Bob Chandler and 10 yards to Simpson, who also contributed short runs along the way. But the advance stopped at the Dallas 26 and George Jakowenko missed to the right on a 42-yard field goal attempt.

Neither team was able to come close to scoring for the remainder of the period, with the Cowboys unable to get out of their end of the field. The Bills blitzed heavily and went with an eight-man front, thus hampering the Dallas running game and forcing Roger Staubach to go to the air.

Midway through the second quarter, and following a 13-yard punt return by rookie WR Butch Johnson, Dallas put together the game’s first scoring drive. HB Preston Pearson (pictured at left) had a catch for 25 yards and ran for a 14-yard gain around end. He finished off the 54-yard series with a two-yard touchdown carry and Efren Herrera added the extra point.

The Bills were pinned deep in their own territory on their next series and punted but got a break when Johnson couldn’t handle the erratically-bouncing kick and LB Dan Jilek recovered at the Dallas 42. Three plays later, Marangi threw to TE Reuben Gant, who broke two tackles on the way to the end zone for a 27-yard TD. Jakowenko’s point after tied the score at 7-7.

The Cowboys regained possession at their own 39 following the ensuing kickoff with just 26 seconds remaining in the first half. Staubach, who had completed only four of 12 passes thus far, fired to Drew Pearson for a 40-yard gain to the Buffalo 31. On the next play, Staubach threw to Pearson again, who had gotten behind SS Doug Jones and pulled the ball in for a 21-yard touchdown. Herrera added the PAT and Dallas took a 14-7 lead into halftime.

Johnson returned the second half kickoff 74 yards to the Buffalo 14, but Staubach lost two yards when the ball slipped away as he was trying to pass and, while he recovered, a penalty backed Dallas back farther. Facing fourth-and-33, the Cowboys faked a field goal and Herrera punted.

Later in the period, Dallas again advanced into Buffalo territory, but after the drive stalled at the 14, Herrera’s field goal attempt from 31 yards hooked to the left and missed. Still, Buffalo wasn’t able to gain any ground against the tough Dallas defense and the tally remained unchanged.

Early in the fourth quarter, Herrera kicked a 43-yard field goal to make it a ten-point contest. With time running down, the Bills put together a drive that included Marangi passes of 12 and 13 yards to Chandler and to Gant for 24 yards to the Dallas five. They had to settle for a 22-yard Jakowenko field goal, however, with 1:57 remaining to play and the Cowboys held on to win by a final score of 17-10.

Buffalo, which never had the lead, held the edge in total yards (250 to 228) and first downs (19 to 14), holding the Cowboys to just 63 rushing yards. Each team turned the ball over one time. Dallas recorded five sacks, to three by the Bills.

Roger Staubach went to the air 34 times and completed only 15 for 202 yards and a touchdown while giving up no interceptions. Drew Pearson was the chief beneficiary, with 9 catches for 135 yards and the TD. Preston Pearson led the ground attack with 29 yards on seven attempts that included a TD and also had the 25-yard gain on his lone reception. Defensively, DE Harvey Martin accounted for three sacks (unofficially, since sacks were not officially compiled in the NFL until 1982).

For the Bills, O.J.Simpson was held to 78 yards on 24 carries, with no run longer than nine yards. Gary Marangi completed 10 of 28 passes for 132 yards and a TD along with one interception. Bob Chandler caught five passes for 63 yards and Reuben Gant (pictured at right) added two receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown.

“Our offensive performance wasn’t good at all,” summed up Roger Staubach.

“We are not playing real good,” said Coach Landry. “But I remember last year we got beat three or four times when we didn’t play well. It shows you something when you don’t play well and still can win.”

The win gave Dallas a 9-1 record, the franchise’s best start thus far. The Cowboys lost at Atlanta the following week, but won an important showdown with the Cardinals on Thanksgiving and cruised to an 11-3 tally to top the NFC East. They fell to the Rams in the Divisional playoff round. Buffalo kept losing the rest of the way and ended up at the bottom of the AFC East with a 2-12 mark that was the club’s worst in five years.

Roger Staubach had his highest totals to date in pass attempts (369), completions (208), and yards (2715), all of which were eclipsed in the remaining three years of his career, and he was named to the Pro Bowl for the third time. Drew Pearson had 58 catches for 806 yards (13.9 avg.) and six TDs and was a consensus first-team All-NFL as well as Pro Bowl selection.

Rookie of the Year: Charley Taylor, 1964

Halfback, Washington Redskins

Age: 23 (Sept. 28)

College: Arizona State

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 215

Prelude:

Taylor’s college career (and, potentially, life) nearly came to an end when he broke four vertebrae in his neck while making a tackle during Spring scrimmage in 1961, but following several months of recovery, he returned to star in the backfield for three years. Highly versatile, he played at running back, wide receiver, and defensive back and also returned kicks. Taylor led the team with four interceptions in 1962 and in ’63 rushed for 595 yards (averaging 6.8 yards-per-carry) and also gained 217 pass receiving and 308 kick return yards. He received All-Western Athletic Conference honors after both seasons. The Redskins, winning a coin flip to choose ahead of the Cowboys (who were also interested in the native Texan) chose Taylor in the first round of the 1964 NFL draft (third overall; he was also chosen by the Houston Oilers in the second round in the AFL) and he quickly moved into the lineup at halfback with his speed and ability as a pass receiver as well as runner from scrimmage.

1964 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 199 [5]

Most attempts, game – 22 (for 61 yds.) vs. Philadelphia 10/11

Yards – 755 [6]

Most yards, game – 85 yards (on 17 carries) vs. NY Giants 11/29

Average gain – 3.8 [18]

TDs – 5 [10, tied with four others]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 53 [8] 

Most receptions, game – 8 (for 88 yds.) vs. Cleveland 9/13

Yards – 814 [10]

Most yards, game – 94 (on 4 catches) at Baltimore 12/13

Average gain – 15.4 [16]

TDs – 5 [17, tied with seven others]

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 1

Yards – 20

TDs – 0

All-Purpose yards – 1589 [3]

Passing

Attempts – 10

Completions – 2

Yards – 54

TDs – 0

INT – 1

Scoring

TDs – 10 [4, tied with five others]

Points – 60 [15, tied with five others]

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: UPI, NEA, Sporting News

2^nd team All-NFL: AP, NY Daily News

1^st team All-Eastern Conference: Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Redskins went 6-8 to finish tied for third with Philadelphia in the NFL Eastern Conference.

Aftermath:

Taylor had a lesser year in 1965, nagged by a foot injury and the lack of an effective fullback to pair up with him – he averaged only 2.8 yards in compiling 402 rushing yards but still caught 40 passes for 577 yards (14.4 avg.) and was again named to the Pro Bowl. During the ’66 season, new Head Coach Otto Graham shifted him to split end and, while initially reluctant toward making the switch, he led the NFL with 72 catches, for 1119 yards and 12 touchdowns. His size and skill made for favorable matchups, and he again topped the league with 70 catches in 1967, gaining 990 yards and scoring 9 TDs while receiving consensus first-team All-NFL as well as Pro Bowl honors. Taylor went on to consistently star at wide receiver with only one significant injury, a broken leg in the sixth game of the ’71 season, until he missed all of 1976 and came back at reduced form to catch 14 passes in ’77, his last year. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection once, received at least second-team recognition on five more occasions, all-conference honors yet four more times, and was chosen to the Pro Bowl after eight seasons. At the time of his retirement, his 649 catches ranked first all-time in NFL history, as did his seven seasons with 50 or more catches, and he gained 9110 yards (14.0 avg.) with 79 TDs. His rushing totaled 1488 yards and, adding in another 11 touchdowns, he scored 90 overall, which tied with Leroy Kelly for sixth place at the time. Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1984.

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

2005: TDs on Returns Propel Vikings to Win Over Giants

The Minnesota Vikings were struggling with a 3-5 record and had yet to win a road game as they faced the New York Giants at the New Jersey Meadowlands on November 13, 2005. Head Coach Mike Tice’s team was without starting QB Daunte Culpepper, who went down with a season-ending knee injury two weeks earlier, and 37-year-old Brad Johnson was in his place. The receiving corps had no one of the stature of the talented but troublesome Randy Moss, who had departed the previous offseason, and the running game was only fair.

The Giants were coached by Tom Coughlin and 6-2 following three straight wins. Second-year QB Eli Manning was playing well and RB Tiki Barber was a consistent running threat. The receiving corps was a good one, with WR Plaxico Burress and TE Jeremy Shockey the favored targets. The defense was strongest on the line, where DE Osi Umenyiora was a rising talent.  

There were 78,637 fans in attendance at Giants Stadium. The Vikings got a break right at the start when WR Willie Ponder fumbled the opening kickoff and CB Antoine Winfield recovered at the New York 27. However, they were unable to capitalize when the offense couldn’t move and Paul Edinger missed a 40-yard field goal attempt.

The teams traded punts until FS Darren Sharper (pictured above) intercepted a pass by Eli Manning to give Minnesota the ball once again in New York territory at the 17. And once again the visitors failed to make the most of the opportunity when Edinger tried another field goal attempt that was blocked by DT Damane Duckett.

The teams again exchanged punts following short possessions, but as the first quarter wound down the Giants were on the move. Tiki Barber carried five times for 20 yards and Manning ran the ball himself twice for 24, the first an 11-yard gain that converted a third-and-11 situation. The second quarter began with the ball on the Minnesota 11, but on the first play Manning’s pass intended for Plaxico Burress was intercepted by Sharper, who returned it 92 yards for a touchdown. Edinger added the extra point and in stunning fashion the Vikings held a 7-0 lead.

Starting from their 25 following the ensuing kickoff, the Giants again drove into Minnesota territory. The big play was a throw from Manning to Barber that picked up 48 yards and another pass to FB Jim Finn gained 12 yards to the Minnesota 17. The advance stalled there and Jay Feely kicked a 35-yard field goal.

The Vikings again had to punt following their next series and New York went 49 yards in nine plays. Manning had completions to Burress for 15 yards, Barber for 9, and WR Amani Toomer for 8, and Barber contributed a 13-yard run. Feely booted another field goal, of 40 yards, and it was a one-point game at 7-6.

Minnesota was still unable to move on offense and the resulting punt was returned 55 yards by RB Chad Morton to the Vikings’ 27. But now it was New York’s turn to fail to capitalize when, after reaching the 10, Feely missed a try for a field goal from 28 yards. The score remained unchanged at the half with Minnesota in front despite having gained only six yards on offense.

The Vikings started the third quarter off in a big way as WR Koren Robinson returned the second half kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown. Edinger’s PAT put the visitors up by 14-6. New York responded by driving 85 yards in seven plays. A pass interference penalty on Winfield picked up 40 yards and Manning connected with Toomer for a 23-yard TD. Feely added the point after and it was once again a one-point contest at 14-13.

Minnesota put together a promising series in which Brad Johnson threw to Robinson for a 44-yard gain to the New York 27, but an offensive pass interference penalty moved the Vikings back and they ended up having to punt. A three-and-out series by the Giants also resulted in a punt, and RB Mewelde Moore (pictured at left) ran it back 71 yards for yet another touchdown on a return. Edinger added the extra point and the Vikings led by 21-13.

The Giants had to punt following a short series and the teams then exchanged turnovers, with Minnesota RB Michael Bennett fumbling the ball away at his own 40 and Manning giving up an interception to CB Brian Williams.

As the game continued into the fourth quarter, the punts continued. The Giants finally put together a promising drive, starting from their 44. Manning completed three passes, the third to Jeremy Shockey for a gain of 19 yards to the Minnesota 11. But a throw into the end zone was picked off by Sharper, his third of the game, and he returned it 31 yards.

The interception seemed as though it might be the game-clinching blow, but with 3:40 remaining in regulation, the Giants used all of their timeouts as the Vikings ran three plays and punted. New York then advanced 67 yards in eight plays, with Manning successful on three straight passes to start things off and Barber running for 11 yards. A defensive holding penalty moved the ball to the Minnesota 21 from where Manning completed a pass to Barber for 18 yards. Barber ran for a three-yard TD, and then again for the two-point conversion, and the score was tied at 21-21.

The clock was now down to 1:15 as the Vikings, who had not done at all well offensively, began to move down the field. Osi Umenyiora sacked Johnson on the first play, but the quarterback then connected on his next four throws. The drive halted at the New York 30 and Edinger, who had missed twice from shorter distances earlier in the game, kicked a 48-yard field goal with ten seconds left. The Vikings won by a final score of 24-21.

It was the first time in NFL history that a team returned a punt, kickoff, and interception for touchdowns in the same game, and Minnesota would not have won without them. The Giants dominated in total yards (405 to 137) and first downs (25 to 11) as the Vikings had their worst output of the season. They also recorded four sacks, to two by Minnesota. However, New York turned the ball over five times and drew seven flags, to one turnover and seven penalties by the Vikings. And the coverage units for the Giants were burned for the two scoring returns.

Brad Johnson completed 18 of 31 passes for 144 yards and no touchdowns, but also no interceptions. Michael Bennett led the Vikings in rushing with 16 yards on 19 carries and had another 11 yards on 6 catches. Jermaine Wiggins also caught 6 passes, for 42 yards, and Koren Robinson led the team with 44 yards on his lone reception. However, Robinson also averaged 39.5 yards on four kickoff returns that included a TD and, with the long scoring return, Mewelde Moore averaged 29.0 yards on three punt returns. On defense, Darren Sharper intercepted three passes and returned them for 123 yards and a touchdown.

For the Giants, Eli Manning, who had difficulty reading Minnesota’s shifting coverages on defense, was successful on 23 of 48 throws for 291 yards and a TD, but gave up four interceptions. Tiki Barber (pictured above) ran for 95 yards on 23 attempts that included a touchdown and also had 8 catches for 111 yards. Amani Toomer contributed 6 pass receptions for 61 yards and a score.

“I’m glad the guys figured out that we can win the game on defense and special teams,” said Minnesota’s Coach Tice.

The win over the Giants was part of a turnaround by the Vikings as it marked their second of an eventual six straight wins on the way to a 9-7 record and second place finish in the NFC North. New York bounced back to win the next week and topped the NFC East at 11-5, although the Giants were shut out by Carolina in the Wild Card playoff round.

Darren Sharper went on to intercept 9 passes, which led the NFC, while topping the entire league by returning them for 276 yards and two touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl. Koren Robinson was also selected to the Pro Bowl as he led the conference in kickoff returns with a 26.0 yard average and accounted for 1595 all-purpose yards.

1978: “Big Ben Right” Propels Falcons to Stunning Win Over Saints

The Atlanta Falcons had started the 1978 NFL season at 2-4 before embarking on a four-game winning streak that had them up to a 6-4 record as they faced the New Orleans Saints on November 12. Head Coach Leeman Bennett’s team was already known for aggressive defensive play, but now fourth-year QB Steve Bartkowski (pictured at right), who started the season on the bench, was beginning to display a knack for good clutch play while directing an offense full of overachieving performers behind a solid line.

New Orleans, a perennially losing team, was 5-5 and showing signs of improvement under first-year Head Coach Dick Nolan, who had enjoyed some success with the 49ers previously. QB Archie Manning was playing well and had good run support with FB Tony Galbreath and HB Chuck Muncie.

There were 70,323 fans present at the Louisiana Superdome. Neither team was able to put together much offense in the early going, with Steve Mike-Mayer kicking a 21-yard field goal for the Saints to provide the only scoring in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, after Tim Mazzetti booted a 22-yard field goal for Atlanta to tie the score, the Saints drove 64 yards in 11 plays. The series was helped along when New Orleans was able to convert a fourth-and-one situation after the Falcons were penalized for an offside penalty. Tony Galbreath scored on a one-yard touchdown carry and Mike Mayer added the extra point.

With 1:24 remaining in the first half, the Saints took possession and advanced 54 yards in six plays. Archie Manning passed to TE Henry Childs (pictured below) for a 14-yard TD and, with Mike-Mayer’s point after, New Orleans took a 17-3 lead into halftime.

The defenses again dominated in the third quarter, although Mazzetti kicked a 32-yard field goal for the Falcons that narrowed the score to 17-6. Early in the fourth quarter, a promising drive by the Saints came up empty inside the Atlanta 10 when Manning fumbled while rolling out and the Falcons recovered at their six.

The New Orleans defense continued to keep the visitors in check until, with time running short, the Falcons drove 80 yards in 12 plays. Bartkowski completed five passes for 64 yards and the Saints were twice called for pass interference. The series was capped by FB Haskel Stanback running the last yard for a touchdown and Mazzetti converted to narrow the New Orleans lead further to 17-13.

Still, there were only 57 seconds remaining and an onside kick was recovered by the Saints at their 49. Three running plays had the home team facing a fourth-and-two situation at the Atlanta 43. Rather than punt, Coach Nolan chose to try for a game-clinching first down, but Chuck Muncie was stopped for no gain.

With the clock down to 19 seconds and no timeouts remaining, Bartkowski faded back and lofted a long pass to the ten yard line, where three Falcons and an equal number of New Orleans defenders came together. WR Wallace Francis tapped the ball away to WR Alfred Jackson, who grabbed it and ran to the end zone for a 57-yard touchdown, stunning the crowd into silence. Mazzetti kicked the extra point and the Falcons came away the winners by a final score of 20-17.

The game-winning play, called “Big Ben Right”, was created to make use of a change in NFL rules that allowed two players from the same team to touch the ball without a defender having to have had contact with it in between. In this instance, it worked to perfection.

The Saints led in both total yards (347 to 284) and first downs (22 to 16), and they especially dominated in rushing yards (166 to 74). However, much of that offensive output by New Orleans occurred in the first half. The Saints also turned the ball over twice, to one by Atlanta, and the Falcons recorded three sacks, while the home team had one.

Steve Bartkowski completed 16 of 33 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown while giving up one interception, but was 10 of 17 in the fourth quarter. WR Billy Ryckman was Atlanta’s top receiver with four catches for 68 yards, while Alfred Jackson’s game-winning 57-yard reception his only one of the game. HB Bubba Bean rushed for 45 yards on 8 carries.

For the Saints, Archie Manning was successful on 14 of 25 throws for 169 yards and a TD with none intercepted, but was the opposite of Bartkowski in that he was most productive in the first half and made good on just one of five throws for seven yards in the second half. Rookie WR Wes Chandler had 7 receptions for 117 yards. Chuck Muncie gained 63 yards on 18 carries and Tony Galbreath contributed 54 yards on 17 attempts that included a TD.

“On the winning touchdown, there was no primary receiver,” explained Atlanta’s Coach Bennett. “We just batted the ball around and hoped someone could catch it.”

“My main objective was to trail the play,” added Alfred Jackson (pictured at left). “It’s a designed tip so another player could try to catch it. We worked on it several times this week. Wallace (Francis) tipped it to the side and no one else was there.”

The electrifying win made it five straight for the Falcons and, while the streak ended the next week at Chicago, they won another thriller over New Orleans that came down to the final seconds in the next game, and by an identical score. Atlanta finished with a 9-7 record to place second in the NFC West and, for the first time in franchise history, qualified for the playoffs. In the first year of two Wild Card entries per conference, the Falcons edged the Eagles in the first round, characteristically rallying in the fourth quarter to do so, and gave the Dallas Cowboys a tough battle before falling in the Divisional round. The Saints ended up third in the division at 7-9, which was their best record to date. Ultimately, the two closely-fought wins by Atlanta over the Saints played a key role in a noteworthy season for the Falcons – and prevented New Orleans from potentially achieving similar success. 

1926: Giants Edge Duluth & Nevers on Blocked Extra Point

The New York Giants, in their second year of existence in the NFL, had a 4-3-1 record as they hosted the Duluth Eskimos on November 11, 1926. Coached by Joe Alexander, a physician as well as player-coach, the Giants were struggling in competition with the New York Yankees of the new American Football League (the first to be known by that name) that included star HB Red Grange on the roster. While they had lost several players, as well as their first head coach, to the new circuit, New York had a good team that included FB Jack McBride, TB Hinkey Haines (pictured above), and promising tackle Steve Owen. While they had yet to give up more than seven points in a game, they had been shut out three straight times in the early going.

Duluth had been in the league two years longer than the Giants, having started out as an independent club before joining the NFL. The Eskimos were coached by owner Dewey Scanlon and played almost exclusively on the road, banking on the notoriety of rookie FB Ernie Nevers (pictured below), an All-American out of Stanford with tremendous all-around ability and ferocious intensity on the field. Despite utilizing a small roster of only 13 players, “the Iron Men of the North” arrived in New York with a solid 4-1-2 record and promised to provide a major test for the Giants.  

There were 5000 fans for a Thursday game at the Polo Grounds in 20 degree weather. The Giants received the opening kickoff and drove effectively, with Jack McBride handling most of the ball carrying. McBride finished off the series with a dive into the end zone and also added the extra point.

Duluth responded with an equally impressive drive. The big play was a pass from Ernie Nevers to back Cobb Rooney that gained 40 yards. Nevers capped the series with a two-yard touchdown run and kicked the point after to tie the score at 7-7.

After the two scoring drives, the teams settled into a defensive struggle for the remainder of the first half. In the third quarter, the Giants went back on top as Hinkey Haines ran for a 25-yard TD. McBride again successfully converted to make it a 14-7 game.

That was the case as the contest moved into the fourth quarter. With time running out and the ball at their 20, the Eskimos advanced down the field. Nevers carried most of the load and accounted for six first downs along the way. He scored his second touchdown, but his try for the extra point was blocked by tackle Tilly Voss. The Giants held on to win by a final score of 14-13.

The Giants lost their next game but won their remaining three league contests to finish with an 8-4-1 record that placed seventh in the 22-team NFL (divisions did not yet exist). Duluth, playing its brutal road schedule, lost games on the following Saturday and Sunday and ended up eighth at 6-5-3. The Eskimos continued on traveling into February as they also played numerous exhibition games.

Jack McBride topped the Giants in scoring with 48 points on his five rushing touchdowns, 15 extra points, and one field goal and HInkey Haines led the club with six TDs overall.

Ernie Nevers, showing an impressive durability, ranked second in the league with 8 rushing touchdowns and, adding in 11 extra points and four field goals, his 71 points. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection.

Highlighted Year: Mitch Berger, 1999

Punter, Minnesota Vikings

Age: 27

6^th season in pro football (5^th active), 4^th with Vikings

College: Colorado

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 220

Prelude:

The Canadian-born Berger averaged 42.7 yards punting and was successful on 19 of 32 field goal attempts in college at Colorado. He was chosen by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 1994 NFL draft but was waived five games into the season. Berger was picked up by Cincinnati but saw no action and was released from the practice squad. He also was inactive with the Bears and Packers in 1995 before Minnesota signed him in ‘96 and he averaged 41.1 yards on 88 punts. His average rose to 42.9 in 1997 and 44.7 in ’98 and he was also valued for his kickoffs.

1999 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Punting

Punts – 61

Most punts, game – 6 at Denver 10/31, vs. Dallas 11/8, vs. Green Bay 12/20

Yards – 2769

Average – 45.4 [2, 1^st in NFC]

Best average, game – 59.0 (on 3 punts) at Green Bay 9/26

Punts blocked – 0

Longest punt – 75 yards

Postseason: 2G

Punts –10

Most punts, game – 5 vs. Dallas, NFC Wild Card playoff; at St. Louis, NFC Divisional playoff

Yards – 442

Average – 44.2

Highest average, game – 47.6 at St. Louis, NFC Divisional playoff

Blocked – 0

Longest punt – 52 yards at St. Louis, NFC Divisional playoff

Awards & Honors:

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

2^nd team All-NFL: AP

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Vikings went 10-6 to finish second in the NFC Central and qualify for the postseason as a Wild Card entry. Won Wild Card playoff over Dallas Cowboys (27-10). Lost Divisional playoff to St. Louis Rams (49-37).

Aftermath:

Berger spent two more years with the Vikings, again leading the NFC with a 44.7-yard average in 2000, before he was released after a 2001 season in which he was bothered by neck and back injuries. He moved on to the Rams in 2002 and then New Orleans in ’03. Berger was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second time in 2004, when he was also an All-NFC selection of Pro Football Weekly. After one last year with the Saints, he played for the Cardinals, Steelers, and Broncos in 2007, ’08, and ’09, respectively. Overall, over the course of 14 active seasons Berger averaged 42.9 yards on 847 punts, with three blocked.

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Highlighted Years features players who were 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