1966: Cowboys Defeat Browns in Pivotal Thanksgiving Matchup

It was a Thanksgiving showdown for control of the NFL Eastern Conference as the Dallas Cowboys hosted the Cleveland Browns on November 24, 1966.

The Cowboys, meticulously guided by Head Coach Tom Landry since the franchise’s creation in 1960, had a 7-2-1 record and were on the way to their first winning season, with the possibility of also topping the conference. QB Don Meredith (pictured at right) was often maligned but coming into his own and HB Dan Reeves had proven to be effective in tandem with FB Don Perkins. Split end Bob Hayes provided speed on the outside, adding to the explosiveness of the offense. The defense was tough and aggressive, especially on the line anchored by DT Bob Lilly and at linebacker, with Chuck Howley and Dave Edwards on the outside and Lee Roy Jordan in the middle.

Cleveland, at 7-3 under Head Coach Blanton Collier, had topped the Eastern Conference in each of the previous two seasons and won a NFL title in ’64. While the Browns lost star FB Jim Brown to retirement, HB Leroy Kelly had proven to be a more-than-capable replacement and combined effectively with FB Ernie Green. QB Frank Ryan remained a good field general and had fine receivers in flanker Gary Collins and split end Paul Warfield. The Browns had won the previous meeting between the teams in Cleveland but the defense was injury-depleted.

There was a record crowd of 75,504 fans in attendance at the Cotton Bowl. Dallas got the first scoring opportunity following a 38-yard punt return by FS Mel Renfro to the Cleveland 20. But while the Cowboys advanced inside the ten yard line, they had to settle for an 11-yard Danny Villanueva field goal.

Dallas again had the ball in excellent field position shortly thereafter when Leroy Kelly fumbled and Bob Lilly recovered at the Cleveland 24. Once again the home team had to settle for three points, however, and Villanueva again connected, this time from 31 yards.

As the game headed into the second quarter, Cleveland had a shot at getting on the board, but Lou Groza missed wide on a 28-yard field goal attempt. On their next series, the Browns drove 81 yards, and this time didn’t come up empty. Frank Ryan threw to Gary Collins for 21 yards to the Dallas one and from there Kelly plunged into the end zone for a touchdown. Groza’s extra point put Cleveland ahead by 7-6.

The Cowboys put together an 87-yard advance that featured Don Meredith completing passes of 12 yards to Don Perkins, 17 to Dan Reeves, and 14 yards to TE Frank Clarke. Meredith completed the series by throwing a swing pass to Reeves for a six-yard TD on a third down play and, with Villanueva’s point after, the home team was back in front by 13-7.

Cleveland responded with an eight-play, 76-yard series that was helped along by a pass interference penalty on CB Warren Livingston. Ryan lobbed a pass to Ernie Green (pictured at left), who easily outran LB Chuck Howley for a 16-yard touchdown. Groza converted and, with 1:07 remaining in the first half, the visitors were ahead by 14-13.

In the third quarter, the Cowboys moved into scoring position thanks to a long pass interference penalty on CB Mike Howell at the Cleveland 21. Meredith picked up a first down on a 10-yard carry to the nine, but the Browns held and Dallas again turned to Villanueva, who was successful on a 12-yard field goal that put the Cowboys back in front by 16-14.

The Browns failed to put points on the board when Groza’s woes continued as he was again wide on a field goal attempt, this time from 31 yards. The Cowboys again drove into Cleveland territory and once more had to call on Villanueva, who was good on a 13-yard field goal that made the score 19-14 with seven seconds remaining in the period.

The Dallas lead was a tenuous 19-14 as the game headed into the fourth quarter, and the Browns were once again in scoring position. But in a pivotal turn of events, a 20-yard field goal attempt by Groza was blocked by SS Mike Gaechter and the Cowboys proceeded to drive 72 yards in 13 plays. The home team converted three third downs along the way as Meredith connected with Bob Hayes for 19 yards in a third-and-15 situation, ran for five yards on third-and-three, and passed to Reeves for seven yards when facing third-and-four at the Cleveland 16. The series ended with Don Perkins running 10 yards for a touchdown. Villanueva converted and, for all intents, sealed the 26-14 Dallas win.

The Browns had the edge in total yards (321 to 304) although Dallas had more first downs (25 to 18). Cleveland suffered the game’s only turnover and the Cowboys, who were aggressive in their pass rushing, recorded five sacks, to none by the visitors. A key factor was the kicking game as Danny Villanueva was perfect on four field goal attempts while Lou Groza failed three times (at age 42, there was speculation that Groza was at the end of his Hall of Fame career, but he did come back for one final season in 1967).

Don Meredith completed 16 of 24 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown while giving up no interceptions. Don Perkins (pictured at right) ran for 111 yards on 23 carries that included the game-clinching TD and Dan Reeves contributed 49 yards on 14 attempts as well as four catches for 32 yards and a score. Bob Hayes led the Dallas receivers with 6 catches for 54 yards.

For the Browns, Frank Ryan, who was constantly pressured by the Dallas pass rush, was successful on 12 of 26 throws for 190 yards and a TD and with none intercepted. Leroy Kelly gained 115 yards on 15 rushing attempts that included a touchdown and Ernie Green gained 24 yards on 8 attempts and also scored on his lone pass reception. Gary Collins had 5 pass receptions for 92 yards to top the club.

“Dallas just executed better than we did,” summed up Cleveland’s Coach Collier. “We had field position, we had our chances, but we couldn’t capitalize on them.”

The win gave the Cowboys the upper hand in the Eastern Conference race and they ended up first with a 10-3-1 record, losing a closely-fought NFL Championship game to the Green Bay Packers. Cleveland finished in a tie for second with Philadelphia at 9-5.

As a footnote, the arrival of Dallas as a playoff contender would prove to be lasting as the Cowboys went to the postseason in each of the next seven seasons and 18 of 20 between 1966 and ’85.

Highlighted Year: Billie Hayes, 1975

Cornerback, San Antonio Wings

Age: 28

3^rd season in pro football, 2^nd in WFL & 1^st with Wings

College: San Diego State

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 181

Prelude:

Hayes transferred from Riverside Junior College and received first-team All-Pacific Coast Athletic Association honors as part of the San Diego State team that went 11-0 in 1969. He was chosen by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 1970 NFL draft but failed to make the club. He also failed to catch on with the Rams in ’71 and his only NFL experience came with the New Orleans Saints in 1972, where he was a backup and had no interceptions. Hayes signed with the Florida Blazers of the WFL in 1974 and moved into the starting lineup, intercepting six passes. His contract was purchased by the new San Antonio club, which was the successor franchise to the Blazers.

1975 Season Summary

Appeared in all 13 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions – 6 [1, tied with Leon Jenkins]

Int. return yards – 115 [4]

Int. TDs – 0

Sacks – 0

Fumble recoveries – 1

Tackles – 33

Assists – 19

Wings went 7-6 and were second in the WFL Western Division when the league folded. They led the league in interceptions (27).

Aftermath:

The demise of the WFL effectively marked the end of Hayes’ career. In his two WFL seasons, which were his most significant as a pro, he intercepted 12 passes that he returned for 220 yards.

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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

Highlighted Year: George Ratterman, 1949

Quarterback, Buffalo Bills

Age:  23 (Nov. 12)

3^rd season in pro football & with Bills

College: Notre Dame

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 190

Prelude:

An outstanding all-around athlete in college who lettered in four sports, Ratterman primarily backup up quarterbacks Frank Dancewicz and Johnny Lujack. He signed with the Bills in 1947 and passed for 1840 yards and 22 touchdowns, although with an AAFC-high 20 interceptions, as a rookie. He followed up in ’48 by throwing for 2577 yards and 16 TDs, again topping the league with 22 interceptions. Not averse to taking risks, Ratterman was an accurate passer with good ball-handling skills and sound leadership qualities.

1949 Season Summary

Appeared in 11 of 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 252 [4]

Completions – 146 [3]

Yards – 1777 [4]

Completion percentage – 57.9 [1]

Yards per attempt – 7.1 [4]

TD passes – 14 [3, tied with Y.A. Tittle]

Most TD passes, game – 3 at Baltimore 11/27

Interceptions – 13 [5, tied with Johnny Clement]

Passer rating – 76.8 [3]

Rushing

Attempts – 36

Yards – 85

Yards per attempt – 2.4

TDs – 4 [9, tied with four others]

Scoring

TDs – 4 [19, tied with eight others]           

Points – 24

Postseason: 1 G (AAFC First Round playoff at Cleveland)

Pass attempts – 39

Pass completions – 21

Passing yardage – 293

TD passes – 3

Interceptions – 2

Bills went 5-5-2 to finish fourth in the AAFC. Lost AAFC First Round playoff to Cleveland Browns (31-21).

Aftermath:

With the demise of the AAFC, Ratterman joined the New York Yanks of the NFL in 1950 and led the league in both TD passes (22) and interceptions (24) while throwing for 2251 yards, which ranked second. He jumped to Montreal of the CFL in ’51 but re-joined the Yanks at midseason, although with far less impressive results. Ratterman spent the remaining five years of his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns, where he backed up star QB Otto Graham. Given the opportunity to start in 1956, he lasted four games before suffering a career-ending knee injury. Overall, Ratterman passed for 10,473 yards and 91 touchdowns while giving up 96 interceptions, with 6194 yards and 52 TDs with 55 INTs coming in the AAFC.

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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

Highlighted Year: Benny Friedman, 1927

Tailback/Defensive Back, Cleveland Bulldogs

Age: 22

1^st season in pro football

College: Michigan

Height: 5’10” Weight: 183

Prelude:

Friedman established himself as an outstanding passer in college and was a consensus first-team All-American in 1925 and ’26. Turning pro, he proved to be extremely accurate, if not possessed of an exceptionally strong arm, and was innovative in his willingness to pass on any down despite the less-streamlined ball in use at the time and rules that discouraged reliance on throwing the ball. Friedman was also a capable runner and fair kicker.

1927 Season Summary

Appeared in all 13 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

TD Passes – 11 [1]

Scoring

Rushing TDs – 2 [14, tied with twelve others]

Receiving TDs – 0

Other TDs – 0

Total TDs – 2

Field Goals – 0

Extra Points – 11 [2]

Points – 23 [19]

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: Chicago Tribune, Green Bay Press-Gazette

Bulldogs went 8-4-1 to finish fourth in the NFL while leading the league in touchdowns (30) and scoring (209 points).

Aftermath:

Friedman moved on to the Detroit Panthers in 1928 and again led the NFL with 9 TD passes as well as rushing touchdowns (6, tied with two others). The franchise was bought out by Tim Mara of the Giants and Friedman went to New York and continued to lead the league in touchdown passes for the next two years, including a remarkable 20 in 1929 (the runner-up threw 6). Friedman received consensus first team All-NFL honors in each of his first four NFL seasons, but a leg injury reduced his effectiveness in 1931 and he moved on to the Brooklyn Dodgers in ’32. He finished up with one game for the Dodgers in 1934, having already moved into assistant coaching at the college level that reduced his playing time. While passing statistics are incomplete for that era, Friedman was certainly far ahead of the rest of the field in passing yards (7650) and TD passes (68), and his single-season record of 20 lasted until 1942. Friedman went on to become a college head coach at City College of New York and Brandeis University, where he also served as athletic director. His brashness might have been off-putting, but he was a keen student of the game and one of its early innovators and notable performers. Friedman was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2005.

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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

1973: Broncos Rally to Upset Battered Steelers

The Denver Broncos were fighting to stay in the AFC West playoff hunt as they faced the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 18, 1973. Coached by John Ralston, the Broncos had overcome a slow start to compile a 4-3-2 record thus far. Veteran QB Charley Johnson effectively directed the offense that included HB Floyd Little (pictured at right) and TE Riley Odoms, who was breaking out in his third season.

The Steelers, under Head Coach Chuck Noll, were at 8-1 and had won four straight games and 13 in a row at home. However, they were also having injury problems and were without QB Terry Bradshaw and HB John “French” Fuqua, while DT “Mean Joe” Greene was suffering from a back injury and would not be in the starting lineup for the first time in his career (he did enter the game in the fourth quarter to spell his replacement, DT Tom Keating).

There were 48,580 fans in attendance at Three Rivers Stadium and they saw the home team run into trouble at the very start. HB Rocky Bleier fumbled while returning the opening kickoff and DB Maurice Tyler recovered to give the Broncos possession at the Pittsburgh 15. They weren’t able to move the ball, but Jim Turner kicked a 32-yard field goal to give Denver the early 3-0 advantage.

The Steelers responded with a series in which QB Terry Hanratty completed passes of nine yards to HB Preston Pearson and 22 yards to WR Ron Shanklin, but after reaching the Denver 16 they came up empty when Roy Gerela was wide on a 23-yard field goal try. Later in the period, Pittsburgh again advanced deep into Denver territory, the key plays being a Hanratty completion to TE John McMakin for 44 yards and a 17-yard run by FB Franco Harris on a sweep. This time Gerala tied the score with a 15-yard field goal.

Turner attempted a long field goal for the Broncos from 52 yards early in the second quarter, but it was short. The Steelers were on the move again when Hanratty threw to WR Frank Lewis for a 40-yard gain. Again having to try for a field goal, Gerela was successful from 18 yards but DE Lyle Alzado was penalized for roughing-the-kicker and Pittsburgh chose to take the points off the board and keep the ball. Shortly thereafter they ended up having to call on Gerela again, and he was again good from 13 yards. Late in the period, the Broncos threatened, reaching the Pittsburgh four with a 69-yard advance before having to settle for a Turner field goal from 11 yards and the teams were tied at 6-6 going into halftime.

Denver HB Otis Armstrong returned the second half kickoff 32 yards and that spurred the Broncos to a 10-play, 67-yard drive, helped along by a 25-yard pass interference penalty on CB Mel Blount. Floyd Little ran the last ten yards for a touchdown and Turner converted to put the visitors up by 13-6.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Steelers finished off an 80-yard advance in just four plays. Hanratty (pictured at left) threw to Lewis for 19 yards, Harris ran for four yards around end, and it was then Hanratty to McMakin for 15 yards and to Shanklin for a 42-yard TD. Gerela added the game-tying point after.

A 41-yard drive in ten plays by the Broncos that featured Little’s running and short completions by Charley Johnson ended when Turner kicked a field goal from 46 yards that hit the cross bar but bounced over, putting them ahead by 16-13.

On the ensuing kickoff, HB Steve Davis fumbled and the Broncos recovered at the Pittsburgh 27. Little was stopped for a three-yard loss on first down, but FB Joe Dawkins ran for 25 and, three plays later, Denver capitalized when Johnson tossed a two-yard touchdown pass to TE Riley Odoms. Turner converted to put the visitors ahead by ten. It was too much for the Steelers to recover from and the Broncos held on to win by a final score of 23-13.

Pittsburgh led in total yards (300 to 257) while the Broncos had more first downs (20 to 12). Denver outrushed the Steelers (184 to 83) while the home team compiled far more net passing yards (217 to 73). Pittsburgh turned the ball over three times, to none by the Broncos.

Charley Johnson (pictured at right) completed 13 of 20 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Floyd Little rushed for 88 yards on 27 carries that included a TD and also had four catches for 23 yards. Riley Odoms topped the Denver receivers with 6 pass receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown.

For the Steelers, Terry Hanratty was successful on 10 of 19 throws for 217 yards and a TD while also not being picked off. Franco Harris gained 53 yards on 11 rushing attempts. John McMakin caught three passes for 64 yards and Ron Shanklin also accumulated 64 yards on his two receptions that included a touchdown.

“In all fairness to Pittsburgh, I think we were fortunate to be in the right spot on their schedule,” said Denver’s Coach Ralston. “They’d just had three hard wins over Cincinnati, Washington, and Oakland, and games like that take something out of you.”

The Broncos split their last four games and, while they failed to make it to the playoffs, the resulting 7-5-2 record placed second in the AFC West and was the first winning season in franchise history. The hobbled Steelers lost their next two contests but won the last two to end up at 10-4 and second in the AFC Central, although still good enough for a Wild Card playoff berth. Pittsburgh lost to Oakland in the Divisional round.

Highlighted Year: Larry Brown, 1970

Halfback, Washington Redskins

Age: 23 (Sept. 19)

2^nd season in pro football & with Redskins

College: Kansas State

Height: 5’11” Weight: 195

Prelude:

Brown played two seasons at Kansas State after transferring from Dodge City Junior College and had an undistinguished career, rushing for 684 yards and catching 13 passes. An eighth round pick by the Redskins in the 1969 NFL draft, Brown led the team in rushing as a rookie with 888 yards on 202 carries (4.4 avg.) and caught 34 passes for another 302 yards. He was selected to the Pro Bowl.

1970 Season Summary

Appeared in 13 of 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 237 [2]

Most attempts, game – 27 (for 110 yds.) at Philadelphia 10/4

Yards – 1125 [1]

Most yards, game – 139 yards (on 17 carries) vs. NY Giants 11/29

Average gain – 4.7 [3]

TDs – 5 [13, tied with eleven others]

100-yard rushing games – 6

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 37      

Most receptions, game – 9 (for 76 yds.) at Oakland 10/19

Yards – 341

Most yards, game – 76 (on 9 catches) at Oakland 10/19

Average gain – 9.2

TDs – 2

Scoring

TDs – 7 [18, tied with nine others]

Points – 42

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly

1^st team All-NFC: AP, UPI, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Redskins went 6-8 to finish fourth in the NFC East.

Aftermath:

Brown’s production dropped off to 948 yards in 1971 as defenses keyed on him, but he was selected to a third Pro Bowl and received consensus first-team All-NFC recognition. He was the consensus league MVP in ’72 as he led the NFC in rushing with 1216 yards and the Redskins reached the Super Bowl. Brown ran for 860 yards and caught 40 passes in 1973, but the workhorse runner began to show signs of wear in ’74 and totaled just 838 yards over the last three seasons of a career spent entirely with Washington that ended in 1976. Overall, he rushed for 5875 yards on 1530 attempts (3.8 avg.) and caught 238 passes for 2485 yards (10.4 avg.) while scoring a total of 55 touchdowns. Brown was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection twice, received first-team All-NFC honors after one other season, and was selected to four Pro Bowls.

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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

1930: Nagurski’s 2 TDs Lead Bears to Win Against Giants

The Chicago Bears were a team in transition as they faced the New York Giants on November 16, 1930. Coming off of a disappointing 4-9-2 record in 1929, the Bears were in their first season under Head Coach Ralph Jones, with George Halas concentrating on front office duties. Jones revamped the offense and benefited from the arrival of two rookies in the backfield, QB Carl Brumbaugh and power-running FB Bronko Nagurski (pictured at right). Thus far the Bears were at 4-4-1 as they faced the Giants, a powerful club under Head Coach Roy Andrews that had a 10-1 record including five straight wins at home and an offense that featured tailback Benny Friedman, the best passer in pro football.

There were 5000 fans in attendance on a rainy day at the Polo Grounds and the field was muddy. The teams slogged through three scoreless quarters, with Chicago’s ground game dominating. Early in the first quarter, the Bears drove from their 27 to the New York 15, but the visitors came up empty when three runs and a pass came up short and they had to turn the ball over on downs.

In the third quarter, Chicago put together another promising drive fueled by the running of Bronko Nagurski  and halfbacks Red Grange and Joe Lintzenich. But after reaching the New York six, the Bears again failed to reach the end zone and had to turn the ball over on downs.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Bears took possession at their 41 and again moved the ball effectively. Nagurski ran for nine yards, Grange gained enough for a first down and followed up with a pass to end Luke Johnsos for 28 yards to the New York 22. Carries by Grange and Carl Brumbaugh got the ball down to the seven and Nagurski barreled over for a touchdown from there, but Garland Grange failed on the extra point attempt.

The Giants started out deep in their own territory following the kickoff.  Benny Friedman came out passing, but his third toss was intercepted by Lintzenich at the New York 20. He returned the ball to the 10 and, four plays later, Nagurski dove into the end zone from a yard out for a second touchdown. The try for point after was again unsuccessful, but it was of no consequence. Chicago won by a final score of 12-0.

The Bears led in first downs (13 to 5) and otherwise dominated the game. It was a precursor of good things to come as they won their remaining four contests to finish with a 9-4-1 record that placed third in the league standings. New York defeated Green Bay in a key battle the next week but lost two of four to finish second at 13-4.

For Bronko Nagurski, the two touchdowns against the Giants were part of five that he scored on the year. He received second-team All-NFL honors from Collyers Eye and the Green Bay Press-Gazette.