1950: Giants Erupt for 16 Points in Fourth Quarter to Defeat Steelers

The New York Giants were a refurbished club as they commenced a new NFL season against the Steelers at Pittsburgh on September 17, 1950. Head Coach Steve Owen was back for a 20^th year and the Giants had gone 6-6 in ’49 following two losing records. With the demise of the rival All-America Football Conference, New York had picked up some key players from the AAFC’s Yankees, including DT Arnie Weinmeister (pictured at right) and defensive backs Otto Schnellbacher, Tom Landry, and Harmon Rowe. Rookie FB Eddie Price joined HB Gene “Choo-Choo” Roberts in the backfield while QB Charlie Conerly was back for a third season.

The Steelers were coached by John Michelosen, entering his third year, and remained the NFL’s last holdout in running a single-wing offense. With Joe Geri typically lining up at tailback, Pittsburgh was a low-scoring, ground oriented team, and it was thanks to a strong defense that the Steelers had accumulated a 6-5-1 record in 1949.

There were 24,699 fans at Forbes Field for the season-opening contest, and they saw a scoreless first quarter. While the Steelers couldn’t move offensively, a 74-yard quick kick pinned the Giants back at their 10. Early in the second quarter, the Steelers got their initial first down of the game on a pass by tailback Bob Gage to end Charlie Mehelich. The possession amounted to nothing, and the Giants missed out on a score when Ray Poole’s field goal attempt from 40 yards fell short.

Inside the last two minutes of the first half, a long pass by Charlie Conerly was intercepted by DHB Howard Hartley, running at full stride. He was pushed into the end zone by Gene Roberts, and it was ruled that Hartley had caught the ball on the field of play before crossing the goal line. Thus, the Giants picked up a safety despite giving up an interception.

New York led by 2-0 at halftime as both offenses were stymied. The Steelers, in particular, managed only one first down in the first half.

Pittsburgh started the third quarter off with a promising drive that reached the New York 29 in six plays, but a fumble by FB Fran Rogel was recovered by safety Otto Schnellbacher to snuff out the threat. The Steelers made out better on their next series, advancing 65 yards in seven plays. A short third down pass by tailback Tom “Shorty” McWilliams was caught by Rogel, who gained 63 yards to the New York two. The Giants stiffened on defense and it took four tries before FB Jerry Shipkey (pictured at left) finally penetrated the end zone for a touchdown. Joe Geri added the extra point and the score stood at 7-2 heading into the fourth quarter.

It looked bad for the home team when Gage fumbled and the Giants recovered at the Pittsburgh six. But the Steelers came through with a goal line stand and the visitors came up short at the one foot line, turning the ball over on downs. However McWilliams, back in punt formation from his own end zone during the ensuing series, was supposed to fake the kick and run to his right, but the snap sailed past him and over the end line for another safety. Pittsburgh’s lead was narrowed to 7-4 with 12 minutes remaining to play.

Once again the Steelers turned the ball over as DT Arnie Weinmeister recovered a fumble by HB Jerry Nuzum at the Pittsburgh six. And once again the defense kept the Giants out of the end zone, with the Steelers regaining possession on downs at their one. Once more the home team was forced to punt from its own end zone, with a limping Joe Geri back deep, but he muffed the snap and DT Al DeRogatis recovered for the Giants for a touchdown. Poole kicked the extra point and New York was back on top by a score of 11-7.

The Steelers went to the air in response as tailback Jim Finks completed two first-down passes to end Elbie Nickel. But another pass by Finks was intercepted by DHB Harmon Rowe, who fumbled after returning it 32 yards, and while OT Frank Wydo recovered for the Steelers, he fumbled in turn. DE Ray Poole recovered for the Giants and lateraled to safety Tom Landry (pictured at right), who ran 37-yards for a touchdown to complete the odd sequence. Poole added the point after and, with less than a minute remaining in the contest, the game was clinched for New York, which won by a final score of 18-7.

Total yards were nearly even in the defensive struggle, with the Steelers holding a 198 to 197 edge, and each team accumulated 10 first downs apiece. The Giants were more effective running the ball, with 167 yards to Pittsburgh’s 34, but Charlie Conerly completed only three of 13 passes for 30 yards as he faced a steady rush from Pittsburgh’s defense. New York recorded seven sacks, to none by the Steelers, and Pittsburgh also turned the ball over a staggering nine times, to two suffered by the visitors, with six coming on a total of seven fumbles.

The Giants won their next two games before losing to the Steelers in the rematch in New York, but they lost only one more game on the way to a 10-2 record that tied them for first in the American Conference with Cleveland. However, after defeating the Browns twice during the regular season (making them the one team that appeared to have solved the juggernaut that came to the NFL from the AAFC), New York lost in the Divisional playoff.

Pittsburgh continued to have problems putting points on the board and was the league’s lowest-scoring team, although again the rugged defense allowed the club to remain competitive. The Steelers broke even at 6-6 to finish in a third place tie in the conference with Philadelphia.

Highlighted Year: Jim Breech, 1981

Placekicker, Cincinnati Bengals

Age: 25

3^rd season in pro football, 2^nd with Bengals

College: California

Height: 5’6”   Weight: 157

Prelude:

Breech was successful on 50 of 80 field goal attempts in college, including 30 of 34 inside of 40 yards, and received All-Pac 8 honors in 1976 and ’77. He was chosen by the Detroit Lions in the eighth round of the 1978 NFL draft, was waived during the preseason, and then caught on with the Oakland Raiders in ’79. Breech was successful on 18 of 27 field goal tries and 41 of 45 extra points, but was again cut loose the following year. He signed on with Cincinnati during the 1980 season, the club’s third placekicker of the year, and while he appeared in just the last four games and kicked four field goals in seven attempts, two of them came in clutch situations.

1981 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 22 [7, tied with Jan Stenerud]

Most field goals, game – 3 at Atlanta 12/20

Field goal attempts – 32 [7, tied with Neil O’Donoghue]

Most field goal attempts, game – 4 at Atlanta 12/20

Field goal percentage – 68.8 [12]

PATs – 49 [3]

PAT attempts – 51 [2, tied with Mick Luckhurst]

Longest field goal – 51 yards vs. Houston 11/1

Scoring

Field Goals – 22

PATs – 49

Points – 115 [3, tied with Nick Lowery, 1^st in AFC]

Postseason: 3 G

Field goals – 2

Most field goals, game – 2 vs. San Diego, AFC Championship

Field goal attempts – 3

Most field goal attempts, game – 2 vs. San Diego, AFC Championship

PATs – 10

Most PATs, game – 4 vs. Buffalo, AFC Divisional playoff

PAT attempts – 10

Longest field goal – 38 yards vs. San Diego, AFC Championship

Bengals went 12-4 to finish first in the AFC Central with the conference’s best record. Won AFC Divisional playoff over Buffalo Bills (28-21) and AFC Championship over San Diego Chargers (27-7). Lost Super Bowl to San Francisco 49ers (26-21).

Aftermath:

Breech went on to spend a total of 14 seasons with the Bengals. While not having great range, he was generally reliable inside of 40 yards. He co-led the AFC in field goals with 24 in 1987 and appeared in a second Super Bowl following the ’88 season. Over the course of a career that ended after the 1992 season, Breech kicked 243 field goals in 340 attempts (71.5%), with a franchise-record 225 in 313 tries coming with Cincinnati. Adding in 517 extra points, he accumulated a total of 1246 points. His 1151 with the Bengals also constitute a team career record, and he added another 9 field goals and 52 points in the postseason.  

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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

1963: Vikings Rally in Fourth Quarter to Defeat 49ers

A third-year expansion team met up with a club hoping to bounce back from a disappointing season as the Minnesota Vikings took on the 49ers in San Francisco on September 15, 1963.

Minnesota went 5-22-1 in its first two seasons in the NFL, including 2-11-1 in 1962, and was looking to advance. Head Coach Norm Van Brocklin’s team was still very much an erratic work in progress, with a promising offense and problematic defense. QB Fran Tarkenton used his scrambling ability to good effect and HB Tommy Mason (pictured above) emerged as a star in his second year. It was hoped that FB Bill Brown, obtained from the Bears the previous year, would add inside power and blocking and that rookie split end Paul Flatley would improve the receiving corps. There was talent on defense, most notably DE Jim Marshall, LB Rip Hawkins, and CB Ed Sharockman, but the loss of the club’s first two draft choices, DT Jim Dunaway and LB Bobby Bell, to the rival AFL was a huge disappointment.

The 49ers had dropped to 6-8 the previous year, down from three straight seven-win seasons, and all under innovative Head Coach Red Hickey. Injuries had been a big part of the problem, and thus improvement was anticipated. However QB John Brodie, who was erratic but talented, had been injured in an offseason auto accident and appeared to be slow in recovering, while FB J.D. Smith, a capable runner, was weakened by illness. Still, flanker Bernie Casey led a good corps of receivers and CB Abe Woodson provided an additional weapon with his excellence on kickoff returns, in addition to being a solid defensive back.

The level of discontent with the team was reflected in the attendance of 30,781 fans at Kezar Stadium, the lowest for a San Francisco home-opener since 1950. Nevertheless, things started off in electrifying fashion for the home team when Abe Woodson (pictured at left) took the opening kickoff and returned it 103 yards for a touchdown. Tommy Davis added the extra point and the 49ers were up by 7-0 at just 17 seconds into the game.

The Vikings responded by driving 76 yards in 12 plays. Fran Tarkenton converted a third-and-eight situation with a completion to Paul Flatley for 32 yards to the San Francisco 20, and while an offensive pass interference penalty and loss of seven yards on a running play by HB Bill Butler moved the visitors back, Tarkenton fired long on a third-and-31 play to Tommy Mason, who caught the ball at the 15 and, shaking off a defender, ran the rest of the way for a 41-yard TD. Cox converted to tie the score.

The 49ers came right back with a scoring drive. FB Lloyd Winston had a 26-yard run and John Brodie scrambled for 12 yards to set up a 35-yard Davis field goal. The Niners were back in front by 10-7. Butler returned the ensuing short kickoff 26 yards to the Minnesota 40. Bill Brown picked up 25 yards on five running plays and Tarkenton threw to TE Jerry Reichow for five yards, but another pass intended for Reichow at the goal line was broken up by CB Kermit Alexander at the goal line. On the first play of the second quarter, Cox kicked a 37-yard field goal to again even the score.

The teams exchanged punts before the 49ers, starting from their 23, immediately picked up 38 yards on a run by Winston. Brodie threw a screen pass to J.D. Smith that gained 40 yards to the Minnesota five, and the six-play, 77-yard possession ended with Brodie rolling out and passing to Bernie Casey in the end zone for a one-yard touchdown. Davis added the point after and the Niners were back in front by 17-10.

The Vikings again had to punt and Brodie passed the 49ers to the Minnesota 49 with time running out in the first half, but Davis was short on a 54-yard field goal try and the score remained unchanged at halftime.

Minnesota started off the third quarter with a promising drive highlighted by two plays by Bill Brown (pictured at right). First the fullback ran off tackle for a 21-yard gain and then he gained 14 yards on a screen pass. But after reaching the San Francisco 29, Tarkenton threw a pass that was intercepted by Woodson. The 49ers advanced into Minnesota territory on a series highlighted by a pass to TE Monty Stickles for 17 yards and Brodie rolling out to his right and carrying 24 yards to the Vikings’ 41. After reaching the 38, Brodie threw twice for the end zone with both passes falling incomplete and Davis kicked a 45-yard field goal to give the home team a ten-point lead of 20-10.

The Vikings responded with another promising drive featuring four completions by Tarkenton, but again they came up empty when Mason fumbled and Alexander recovered at the San Francisco 16. A short series by the Niners ended with a punt and, in a possession that extended into the fourth quarter, Minnesota advanced 67 yards in nine plays and did not fail to score. Tarkenton started off with consecutive completions to Mason, for 15 and 11 yards, and a throw to flanker Leon Clarke gained 13 yards. A second-down pass to Flatley was good for 10 yards and moved the Vikings inside the ten, and two carries by Brown picked up the remaining yardage, including the last four for a touchdown. Cox’s extra point made it a three-point game.

Once again the 49ers were held to a short series and punted and the Vikings responded by driving 71 yards in 13 plays. Brown continued to run effectively and Tarkenton completed a pass to Reichow for 19 yards and two to Flatley for seven and 16 yards. Mason ran for the last two yards and a TD and, with Cox adding the point after, the visitors were up by four points.

In the remaining four minutes, San Francisco had the ball twice more, but the home team couldn’t get out of its own territory. An interception by CB Ed Sharockman sealed Minnesota’s 24-20 win.

The Vikings easily led in total yards (418 to 246) and first downs (27 to 10). They topped San Francisco in both on the ground (156 to 126) and through the air (262 to 120). Minnesota also turned the ball over two times, to one by the 49ers.

Fran Tarkenton (pictured below) completed 20 of 29 passes for 262 yards and a touchdown, giving up one interception. Bill Brown rushed for 77 yards on 16 carries that included a TD and Tommy Mason contributed 68 rushing yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and also topped the Vikings with 6 catches for 94 yards and another score. Paul Flatley and Jerry Reichow each had five pass receptions apiece, for 72 and 61 yards, respectively.

For the 49ers, John Brodie was successful on 11 of 23 throws for 125 yards and a TD as well as an interception, and also ran for 42 yards on four carries. Lloyd Winston gained 81 yards on 10 rushing attempts. Bernie Casey caught four passes for 34 yards and a touchdown, although J.D. Smith had the most receiving yards on his one reception for 40 yards. As a runner from scrimmage, he was held to minus one yard on five carries. Thanks to his touchdown return on the opening kickoff, Abe Woodson averaged 60.0 yards on his two returns and also intercepted a pass.

The Vikings lost to the Bears the next week, thrashed the 49ers in their rematch in Minnesota, but then lost four straight games on the way to a 5-8-1 record and tie for fourth with Detroit in the Western Conference. They continued to improve on offense, with Tommy Mason again going to the Pro Bowl and garnering consensus first-team All-NFL recognition as he rushed for 763 yards on 166 carries (4.6 avg.) and caught 40 passes for another 365 yards (9.1 avg.) and scored a team-leading total of nine touchdowns. Bill Brown ran for 445 yards while Paul Flatley received caught 51 passes for 867 yards (17.0 avg.) and was named Rookie of the Year by UPI and The Sporting News. Fran Tarkenton also continued his steady development, completing 57.2 percent of his passes for 2311 yards and 15 touchdowns, but was being pressed by rookie Ron VanderKelen by season’s end.

San Francisco sank all the way to the bottom of the conference at 2-12 and Coach Hickey was gone after three games. John Brodie was lost at that point as well with a broken arm, J.D. Smith failed to play up to his usual level, and key injuries weakened the defense, particularly the midseason loss of DT Charlie Krueger. Abe Woodson remained a bright spot as he led the NFL in kickoff returning for the second straight season (and third overall) with a 32.2-yard average that included three touchdowns. He was named to a fifth consecutive Pro Bowl.

Highlighted Year: Rick Casares, 1956

Fullback, Chicago Bears

Age: 25

2^nd season in pro football & with Bears

College: Florida

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 225

Prelude:

Casares was an All-SEC selection in both football and basketball in college and scored the first touchdown in Florida’s 14-13 Gator Bowl win following the 1952 season. He was chosen by the Bears in the second round of the 1954 NFL draft but spent a year in the Army before joining the club for the ’55 season. While there were concerns as to his having enough speed for the NFL, Casares rushed for 672 yards, including an 81-yard TD carry, and averaged a league-high 5.4 yards per carry. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-NFL selection by the New York Daily News.

1956 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 234 [1]
Most attempts, game - 27 (for 104 yds.) vs. LARams 11/18

Yards – 1126 [1]

Most yards, game – 190 yards (on 17 carries) vs. Detroit 12/16

Average gain – 4.8 [7]

TDs – 12 [1]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 23

Yards – 203

Average gain – 8.8

TDs – 2

Passing

Pass attempts – 3

Pass completions – 0

Passing yardage – 0

Interceptions – 1

Punting

Punts – 1

Yards – 51

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 3

Yards – 95

Average per return – 31.7

TDs – 0

Longest return – 49 yards

All-Purpose yards – 1424 [4]

Scoring

TDs – 14 [1]

Points – 84 [2]

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship at NY Giants)

Rushing attempts – 14

Rushing yards – 43

Average gain rushing – 3.1

Rushing TDs – 1

Pass receptions – 4

Pass receiving yards – 41

Average yards per reception – 10.3

Pass Receiving TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

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

Pro Bowl

Bears went 9-2-1 to finish first in the NFL Western Conference while leading the league in total yards (4537), rushing yards (2468), touchdowns (47), and scoring (363 points). Lost NFL Championship to New York Giants (47-7).

Aftermath:

Casares rushed for 700 yards on a NFL-high 204 carries in 1957 and received consensus second-team All-NFL honors in addition to being a first-team selection by The Sporting News. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl for the third of an eventual five straight seasons. Casares, who was valued for his blocking as well as power-running, went on to play a total of ten seasons for Chicago, although he never had 100 carries or gained 500 yards in a season after 1961 as assorted injuries slowed him down and Joe Marconi became the starting fullback. He departed the Bears following the 1964 season and was the franchise’s all-time rushing leader at the time with 5657 yards. Casares saw limited action with Washington in 1965 and the AFL expansion Miami Dolphins in ’66, his last season. Overall, he ran for 5797 yards on 1431 carries (4.1 avg.) and caught 191 passes for 1588 yards (8.3 avg.), scoring a total of 60 touchdowns.

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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

[Updated 2/21/17]

1981: Falcons Erupt in 4th Quarter, Overcome 17-Point Deficit to Defeat Packers

The Green Bay Packers hosted the Atlanta Falcons in the second week of the 1981 NFL season on September 13. Both teams had won in the first week against division rivals, with Green Bay defeating the Bears by a 16-9 tally and the Falcons shutting out New Orleans 27-0.

Expectations were greater for the visiting Falcons, who topped the AFC West in ’80 with a 12-4 record before losing a close NFC Divisional-round playoff game to the Cowboys. Coming into their fifth season under Head Coach Leeman Bennett, Atlanta had a productive offense guided by QB Steve Bartkowski (pictured above) and also featuring all-purpose FB William Andrews, wide receivers Alfred Jenkins and Wallace Francis, and TE Junior Miller. The defense was particularly strong at linebacker, including Al Richardson and Buddy Curry, who both received Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1980.

Green Bay, coached by Bart Starr, was a disappointing 5-10-1 the previous year. QB Lynn Dickey was an able passer when healthy and had an excellent receiver available in WR James Lofton. TE Paul Coffman was also noteworthy and FB Gerry Ellis was an effective runner and receiver. The defense had been riddled by injuries in 1980 and improvement was anticipated, with the biggest concerns regarding the defensive backfield.

There were 55,382 fans in attendance at Lambeau Field and for the first three quarters, they saw their team control the game. In the first quarter, OT Karl Swanke, lined up as an eligible receiver, caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Lynn Dickey. Jan Stenerud added the extra point. Dickey tossed another scoring pass in the second quarter, this time to Gerry Ellis from 11 yards out, and Stenerud again converted.

With time running out in the first half, Ellis ran 10 yards to the Atlanta six and the field goal unit quickly took the field. However, Stenerud’s 32-yard kick was nullified because Swanke was not yet properly set on the line at the snap. Still, the home team took a 14-0 lead into halftime. Lynn Dickey had completed 16 of 20 passes for 208 yards and two TDs, and the Packers outgained the Falcons by 288 yards to 173 and appeared to be very much in command. In addition, Steve Bartkowski was playing with a painful rib injury after a hard hit by DE Mike Butler in the first quarter.

The Packers turned conservative in the third quarter. The only scoring came late in the period when Stenerud kicked a 44-yard field goal to add to Green Bay’s lead. The Falcons finally got on the board early in the fourth quarter when Mick Luckhurst kicked a 32-yard field goal, but it hardly seemed of concern to the home fans.

The Packers had to punt on their next series and Ray Stachowitz kicked a line drive that traveled 43 yards and was returned by WR Reggie Smith, who raced past three defenders, picked up blockers as he reached the right sideline, and gained 53 yards to the Green Bay two. William Andrews plunged through the line for a touchdown on the next play and, with Luckhurst adding the point after, it was a 17-10 game with 10:35 to play.

The ferocious blitzing of the Falcons again kept the Packers in check on a three-and-out series and, getting the ball back, it took Atlanta just two plays to advance 52 yards. Bartkowski threw to Alfred Jenkins twice, first for 22 yards and then for a 30-yard TD, and Luckhurst’s conversion tied the game at 17-17.

The time remaining was eight minutes as the reeling Packers regained possession, and Dickey, under heavy pressure, attempted a short and poorly-thrown pass that was intercepted by LB Fulton Kuykendall (pictured at left), who returned it 20 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Luckhurst added the point after and, in a span of 4:24, the Falcons had scored 24 points to take a seven-point lead.

Green Bay still had a shot at tying the game, but after a Dickey throw to WR James Lofton picked up 27 yards, RB Terdell Middleton fumbled after catching a short pass and LB Joel Williams picked up the loose ball and ran 57 yards for the clinching touchdown. Luckhurst’s PAT capped the stunning Atlanta rally which resulted in a total of 31 fourth quarter points to win by a final tally of 31-17.

The Packers had the edge in total yards (396 to 335) and first downs (22 to 19), but crucially, they netted only seven rushing yards in the second half. Green Bay also turned the ball over five times, with two leading directly to touchdowns in the final period, while the Falcons suffered four turnovers. Atlanta recorded five sacks, to three by the Packers.

Steve Bartkowski completed 16 of 30 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown, although he was intercepted four times. William Andrews rushed for 87 yards on 19 carries that included a TD. Alfred Jenkins had five catches for 97 yards and a touchdown and WR Wallace Francis also pulled in five passes, for 88 yards.

For the Packers, Lynn Dickey was successful on 30 of 44 throws for 342 yards and two TDs, but was picked off three times. Gerry Ellis (pictured below) gained 59 yards on 9 rushing attempts and also caught 8 passes for 47 yards and a score. James Lofton gained 179 yards on his 8 pass receptions. LB Rich Wingo had 13 tackles as part of a defensive effort that stymied the Falcons for three quarters.

“It all starts with Reggie’s return,” said Steve Bartkowski, referencing the long punt return by Reggie Smith that led to Atlanta’s first touchdown. “When you’re 17 points down, one big play is not going to win for you. But that got us started.”

“We simply came apart at the seams there for a few minutes,” said Green Bay’s Coach Starr. “It’s one thing to have points scored against you. It’s another thing to have them scored like they did after that long punt return, that interception and that long pass (to Jenkins).”

“The tide of a game is going to turn sometimes,” summed up Lynn Dickey. “What happened to us today was a tidal wave.”

The Falcons won again the next week to reach 3-0 before dropping four of their next five contests on the way to a disappointing 7-9 record that placed them a distant second to the 49ers in the AFC West. Green Bay continued to struggle and was 2-6 at the season’s halfway point before breaking out with six wins in the remaining eight games to break even at 8-8.

Steve Bartkowski had another Pro Bowl year, throwing for 3829 yards and 30 touchdowns, which made him the first NFL quarterback since Y.A. Tittle in 1962-63 to reach 30 TD passes in consecutive seasons. However, he also gave up 23 interceptions and was sacked 37 times. Alfred Jenkins was a consensus first-team All-NFL as well as Pro Bowl selection, leading the league with 1358 pass receiving yards and 13 touchdowns among his 70 catches.  William Andrews placed second in all-purpose yards with 2036 and earned his second Pro Bowl selection.

1976: Quick Jones-to-Doughty TD Passes Spur Colts to Win Against Patriots

The teams that finished on the top and bottom of the AFC East the previous year met in a NFL opening-week game at Foxboro, Massachusetts on September 12, 1976.

The Baltimore Colts were coming off of a 10-4 record in their first year under Head Coach Ted Marchibroda, who had received Coach of the Year recognition for turning around a club that had gone 11-31 in the preceding three seasons. QB Bert Jones (pictured at right) emerged as an outstanding performer and productive all-purpose HB Lydell Mitchell was selected to the Pro Bowl. The defensive line, anchored by DE John Dutton and DT Joe Ehrmann, was solid, as was the corps of linebackers.

The Patriots, on the other hand, had not compiled a winning record since they were a pre-merger AFL club and went 3-11 in ’75. Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks was back for his fourth season and was committed to a new starting quarterback in Steve Grogan, the second-year successor to QB Jim Plunkett, who was traded to the 49ers after five up-and-down seasons. The draft yielded promising players in CB Mike Haynes, C Pete Brock, safety Tim Fox, and HB Ike Forte. There were good returning players in FB Sam Cunningham, HB Andy Johnson, TE Russ Francis, tackle Leon Gray, and guards John Hannah and Sam Adams on offense, and DE Julius Adams, NT Ray Hamilton, and LB Steve Nelson on defense.   

There were 43,512 fans in attendance on a sunny and mild day at Schaefer Stadium. The Colts got the first break of the game on the third play from scrimmage when Ike Forte of the Patriots fumbled deep in his own territory and CB Nelson Munsey recovered at the New England 14. The visitors couldn’t reach the end zone but came away with a 28-yard field goal by Toni Linhart.

A clipping penalty on the ensuing kickoff had the Patriots starting from their own seven, but this time they put together a sustained drive of 77 yards. Forte, Sam Cunningham, and Andy Johnson all ran effectively and Steve Grogan completed three passes. The result was a 31-yard John Smith field goal to tie the score at 3-3.

Two short possessions that resulted in punts closed out the opening period, but Baltimore HB Howard Stevens had a 27-yard return to give the Colts good starting field position at the New England 40 to start the second quarter. They reached the seven before coming up empty when FB Roosevelt Leaks fumbled and SS Prentice McCray recovered for the Patriots.

New England proceeded to put together another long drive, advancing 86 yards. A roughing-the-passer penalty on third down helped the series along and Grogan completed four passes, the longest to WR Marlin Briscoe for 21 yards. Johnson also had an 18-yard run to get the ball to the Baltimore 16, and while the possession finally stalled at the 10, the Patriots moved in front on a 27-yard field goal by Smith.

The Colts regained possession with a little over three minutes remaining in the first half and they put together a 78-yard drive in nine plays. Bert Jones immediately connected with WR Glenn Doughty (pictured at left) for 25 yards and a swing pass to FB Don McCauley picked up 12. McCauley had a seven-yard run and, after the fullback dropped a pass, Jones was successful on his next three, the last of which was to Doughty in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. Linhart added the extra point and Baltimore was up by 10-6.

There were 46 seconds remaining on the clock as the Patriots took over on offense and Grogan went to the air. A short completion of three yards to Russ Francis was followed by a 21-yard gain to WR Ricky Feacher, but when Grogan tried to pass to Feacher again, it was intercepted by FS Jackie Wallace. Wallace returned the pickoff 32 yards to the New England 20, and three plays later Jones again completed a scoring pass to Doughty in the end zone, this time from six yards out. Linhart converted and, thanks to the two touchdowns in a span of 41 seconds, the Colts took a 17-6 lead into halftime even though they significantly trailed the Patriots in time of possession.

Baltimore had the ball first in the third quarter and was forced to punt. A long return by Mike Haynes gave the Patriots excellent starting field position at the Colts’ 25. They were unable to capitalize, however, when Grogan’s third down pass into the end zone fell incomplete and a field goal attempt by Smith from 39 yards was blocked by DT Mike Barnes.

The Colts put together a long series in which they converted two third downs and nearly scored another TD when a Jones throw to McCauley in the end zone was nullified by a penalty. However, they did come away with a 32-yard Linhart field goal and, rather than the home team narrowing the margin, the Colts extended their lead to 20-6.

The next possession for the Patriots ended with an interception but Baltimore, after advancing to the New England 32 early in the fourth quarter, failed to convert a fourth-and-two situation. The Patriots responded with a 68-yard drive in eight plays. Grogan completed passes to TE Al Chandler for 29 yards and Briscoe for 16 and had an 11-yard scramble that set up Johnson’s four-yard carry for a TD. Smith added the point after and the home team was now down by seven points at 20-13.

The teams exchanged punts before the Colts got the ball back at the New England 39 following a 34-yard punt by the Patriots from deep in their own territory. Lydell Mitchell ran for 14 yards on first down and, following a penalty, picked up another ten yards on two more carries. Mitchell caught a pass from Jones for 11 more yards and then ran straight through the middle of the line for a clinching 10-yard touchdown with less than two minutes remaining to play. Linhart provided the final point as Baltimore came away with a 27-13 win.   

The Patriots had the edge in total yards (317 to 272) while Baltimore compiled more first downs (20 to 17). However, New England turned the ball over five times, to one suffered by the Colts.

Bert Jones completed 17 of 23 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns while giving up no interceptions. Lydell Mitchell rushed for 73 yards on 18 carries that included a TD and also had 6 catches for 72 yards. Glenn Doughty contributed 50 yards on his four receptions that included the two key touchdowns.

For the Patriots, Steve Grogan (pictured at right) was successful on 12 of 22 throws for 179 yards but tossed four interceptions. FB Sam Cunningham picked up 56 yards on 14 rushing attempts and also topped the club with four catches, for 19 yards. Andy Johnson had 53 yards on his lone catch and also gained 51 yards on 14 carries that included a TD.

“New England gained a lot of yardage in the first half,” said Baltimore’s Coach Marchibroda. “But we pretty well stopped them after that. We came up with the big play when we had to.”

The Colts won eight of their first nine games on the way to repeating as AFC East champs with an 11-3 record, losing to Pittsburgh in the first playoff round. New England recovered to win its next three contests on the way to also going 11-3, good for a second-place finish in the division (while they split their season series with Baltimore, the Colts had a better record against division opponents to claim the higher spot in the standings). The upstart team qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card and lost narrowly to the Raiders in their Divisional game.  

Bert Jones received consensus league MVP recognition as he topped the circuit in passing yards (3104) and ranked second in touchdown passes (24), yards per attempt (9.0), and overall rating (102.5). He was selected to the Pro Bowl, as was Lydell Mitchell, who rushed for 1200 yards and caught 60 passes for 555 more yards, which made him second in all-purpose yards with 1755. Glenn Doughty had a fine year as a possession receiver with 40 catches for 628 yards (15.7 avg.) and five TDs.

Highlighted Year: Chris Gamble, 2004

Cornerback, Carolina Panthers

Age: 21

1^st season in pro football

College: Ohio State

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 181

Prelude:

Gamble played both cornerback and wide receiver in college, and was part of Ohio State’s 2002 national championship team. He was chosen by the Panthers in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft (28^th overall) and, despite being a raw talent, moved directly into the starting lineup.

2004 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions – 6 [3, tied with four others, 1^st in NFC]

Most interceptions, game – 2 at Atlanta 12/18

Int. return yards – 15

Most int. return yards, game – 13 (on 1 int.) at Kansas City 9/19

Int. TDs – 0

Fumble recoveries – 1

Forced fumbles – 1

Tackles – 68

Assists – 6

Punt Returns

Returns – 9

Yards – 69

Average per return – 7.7

TDs – 0

Longest return – 16 yards

Panthers went 7-9 to finish third in the NFC South while leading the NFL in interceptions (26).

Aftermath:

Gamble followed up in 2005 by intercepting 7 passes that he returned for 157 yards and a TD. Fast and agile, he could also be inconsistent and reckless in taking chances. Gamble’s play improved over time, as a tackler in the defensive backfield as well as a cover corner, and he was typically a solid starter, if not an elite performer. He also encountered problems with injuries but lasted for nine years with Carolina and appeared in a total of 123 games. While Gamble endured a difficult season in 2010 in which he was benched for a time and suffered a hamstring injury, costing him five games, he bounced back in 2011. He was released following an injury-plagued 2012 season and retired at age 29, having intercepted a franchise-record 27 passes, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

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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