List of the Day: Best Rushing Seasons, 1970s NFC

Walter Payton

NOTE: Due to the adoption of the 16-game schedule, the 1978 and ’79 seasons significantly skew the Top 10 results. Therefore, following the Top 10 is a list of the next 5 best performances that occurred exclusively from 1970-77.

TOP 10
1- Walter Payton, 1977 Chicago Bears
1852 yards, 339 att., 5.5 avg., 14 TD

2- Walter Payton, 1979 Chicago Bears
1610 yards, 369 att., 4.4 avg., 14 TD

3- Ottis Anderson, 1979 St. Louis Cardinals
1605 yards, 331 att., 4.8 avg., 8 TD

4- Wilbert Montgomery, 1979 Philadelphia Eagles
1512 yards, 338 att., 4.5 avg., 9 TD

5- Walter Payton, 1978 Chicago Bears
1395 yards, 333 att., 4.2 avg., 11 TD

6- Walter Payton, 1976 Chicago Bears
1390 yards, 311 att., 4.5 avg., 13 TD

7- Tony Dorsett, 1978 Dallas Cowboys
1325 yards, 290 att., 4.6 avg., 7 TD

8- Ricky Bell, 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1263 yards, 283 att., 4.5 avg., 7 TD

9- Lawrence McCutcheon, 1977 Los Angeles Rams
1238 yards, 294 att., 4.2 avg., 7 TD

10-Wilbert Montgomery, 1978 Philadelphia Eagles
1220 yards, 259 att., 4.7 avg., 9 TD


Wilbert Montgomery

NEXT 5 (1970-77)
1- Larry Brown, 1972 Washington Redskins
1216 yards, 285 att., 4.3 avg., 8 TD

2- Delvin Williams, 1976 San Francisco 49ers
1203 yards, 248 att., 4.9 avg., 7 TD

3- Ron Johnson, 1972 New York Giants
1182 yards, 298 att., 4.0 avg., 9 TD

4- Lawrence McCutcheon, 1976 Los Angeles Rams
1168 yards, 291 att., 4.0 avg., 9 TD

5- Chuck Foreman, 1976 Minnesota Vikings
1155 yards, 278 att., 4.2 avg., 13 TD


Tony Dorsett



Ricky Bell



Lawrence McCutcheon

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT LISTED
New Orleans Saints: Chuck Muncie, 1979
1198 yards, 238 att., 5.0 avg., 11 TD

Green Bay Packers: John Brockington, 1973
1144 yards, 265 att., 4.3 avg., 3 TD

Detroit Lions: Steve Owens, 1971
1035 yards, 246 att., 4.2 avg., 8 TD

Atlanta Falcons: William Andrews, 1979
1023 yards, 239 att., 4.3 avg., 3 TD


Larry Brown



Ron Johnson



Chuck Foreman

1984: Walker & Generals Defeat Williams & Outlaws

The Oklahoma Outlaws were one of six new franchises in the United States Football League’s second season, and they had gotten off to a good start. Coached by Woody Widenhofer, the offense featured QB Doug Williams, formerly of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with TE Ron Wheeler and WR Alphonso Williams the top receivers. However, after attaining a 6-2 record and keeping pace with the defending champion Michigan Panthers atop the Central Division, the Outlaws lost two consecutive games by big margins.

On May 6, 1984 the Outlaws took on the New Jersey Generals at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands. The Generals were 8-2 and just coming off of a win over the Panthers the previous week. They offered no relief to a team with a slumping defense, and no relief was to be had for Oklahoma.

New Jersey scored on its first four possessions, taking a 28-3 lead by halftime and winning 49-17. The Generals dominated on the ground, outgaining the Outlaws by 219 yards to 56. Star RB Herschel Walker led the way, accounting for 127 yards on 16 carries with three touchdowns on runs of 62, two, and four yards. Walker’s backfield mate, FB Maurice Carthon, gained 77 yards on 14 attempts. Carthon also scored on a 9-yard touchdown pass from QB Brian Sipe.

Sipe only threw seven passes, but made them count as he completed six for 103 yards and two TDs. TE Sam Bowers scored the first touchdown of the game on a 13-yard reception. TE Jeff Spek was the top receiver for New Jersey, catching two passes for 67 yards. Only one pass was completed to a wide receiver – a five-yard reception by Clarence Collins – but all things considered, it hardly mattered.

Behind from the start, Williams passed often, completing 31 of 51 throws for 381 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions; one of the pickoffs was returned for a 19-yard touchdown by Generals LB Bob Leopold. Alphonso Williams and RB Andrew Lazarus led the Outlaws with 7 pass receptions apiece, for 95 and 84 yards respectively. WR Jack Steptoe also had 95 yards, on five catches that included a 47-yard touchdown reception. Lazarus was also Oklahoma’s top ground gainer, with 30 yards on 9 carries.

Things never got back on track for the Outlaws. They lost the remainder of their games and finished at 6-12 and in fourth place in the Central Division. Over the course of the 10-game losing streak, they gave up 308 points. New Jersey cruised to a 14-4 tally, good enough for second place in the Atlantic Division and a wild card spot in the playoffs; they lost to the eventual champions, the Philadelphia Stars, in the first round.

Doug Williams had a disappointing year, suffering a knee injury and throwing for 3084 yards with 15 touchdowns and 21 interceptions with a passer rating of 60.5. The lack of a strong running game (they were at the bottom of the league in team rushing), and the defense’s collapse that had the Outlaws constantly playing catch-up, certainly didn’t help his cause.

Alphonso Williams had a solid season, catching 50 passes for 1087 yards (a 21.7-yard average) and seven touchdowns (Williams led the club in receiving yards, but Ron Wheeler led in receptions with 51).

The hundred-yard game for Herschel Walker was just his third of an eventual five during the ’84 season. Playing with a sore shoulder, he ranked third in the USFL with 1339 yards on 293 carries with 16 touchdowns. Maurice Carthon also crossed the thousand-yard threshold for the season, with 1042 yards on 238 attempts and 11 TDs. Not surprisingly, the team ranked second overall in rushing for the year.

List of the Day: Best Pass Receiving Seasons, 1960s AFL

Charley Hennigan

TOP 10 RECEPTIONS
1- Charley Hennigan, 1964 Houston Oilers
101 rec., 1546 yards, 15.3 avg., 8 TD

2- Lionel Taylor, 1961 Denver Broncos
100 rec., 1176 yards, 11.8 avg., 4 TD

3- Lionel Taylor, 1960 Denver Broncos
92 rec., 1235 yards, 13.4 avg., 12 TD

4- Lionel Taylor, 1965 Denver Broncos
85 rec., 1131 yards, 13.3 avg., 6 TD

5- Charley Hennigan, 1961 Houston Oilers
82 rec., 1746 yards, 21.3 avg., 12 TD

6- Lionel Taylor, 1963 Denver Broncos
78 rec., 1101 yards, 14.1 avg., 10 TD

7- Lionel Taylor, 1962 Denver Broncos
77 rec., 908 yards, 11.8 avg., 4 TD

8(tied)- Lionel Taylor, 1964 Denver Broncos
76 rec., 873 yards, 11.5 avg., 7 TD

8(tied)- Art Powell, 1964 Oakland Raiders
76 rec., 1361 yards, 17.9 avg., 11 TD

10-George Sauer, 1967 New York Jets
75 rec., 1189 yards, 15.9 avg., 6 TD


Lionel Taylor



Art Powell

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
LA/SD Chargers: Lance Alworth, 1966
73 rec., 1383 yards, 18.9 avg., 13 TD

Buffalo Bills: Bill Miller, 1963
69 rec., 860 yards, 12.5 avg., 3 TD

Dallas Texans/KC Chiefs: Chris Burford, 1963
68 rec., 824 yards, 12.1 avg., 9 TD

Miami Dolphins: Jack Clancy, 1967*
67 rec., 868 yards, 13.0 avg., 2 TD

Boston Patriots: Art Graham, 1966
51 rec., 673 yards, 13.2 avg., 4 TD

Cincinnati Bengals: Eric Crabtree, 1969**
40 rec., 855 yards, 21.4 avg., 7 TD

* Dolphins joined AFL in 1966
**Bengals joined AFL in 1968


Lance Alworth

TOP 10 YARDS
1- Charley Hennigan, 1961 Houston Oilers
1746 yards, 82 rec., 21.3 avg., 12 TD

2- Lance Alworth, 1965 San Diego Chargers
1602 yards, 69 rec., 23.2 avg., 14 TD

3- Charley Hennigan, 1964 Houston Oilers
1546 yards, 101 rec., 15.3 avg., 8 TD

4- Bill Groman, 1960 Houston Oilers
1473 yards, 72 rec., 20.5 avg., 12 TD

5- Don Maynard, 1967 New York Jets
1434 yards, 71 rec., 20.2 avg., 10 TD

6- Lance Alworth, 1966 San Diego Chargers
1383 yards, 73 rec., 18.9 avg., 13 TD

7- Art Powell, 1964 Oakland Raiders
1361 yards, 76 rec., 17.9 avg., 11 TD

8- Lance Alworth, 1968 San Diego Chargers
1312 yards, 68 rec., 19.3 avg., 10 TD

9- Art Powell, 1963 Oakland Raiders
1304 yards, 73 rec., 17.9 avg., 16 TD

10(tied)- Otis Taylor, 1966 Kansas City Chiefs
1297 yards, 58 rec., 22.4 avg., 8 TD

10(tied)- Don Maynard, 1968 New York Jets
1297 yards, 57 rec., 22.8 avg., 10 TD


Don Maynard



Bill Groman

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Denver Broncos: Lionel Taylor, 1960
1235 yards, 92 rec., 13.4 avg., 12 TD

Buffalo Bills: Elbert Dubenion, 1964
1139 yards, 42 rec., 27.1 avg., 10 TD

Boston Patriots: Jim Colclough, 1962
868 yards, 40 rec., 21.7 avg., 10 TD

Miami Dolphins: Jack Clancy, 1967*
868 yards, 67 rec., 13.0 avg., 2 TD

Cincinnati Bengals: Eric Crabtree, 1969**
855 yards, 40 rec., 21.4 avg., 7 TD

* Dolphins joined AFL in 1966
** Bengals joined AFL in 1968


Otis Taylor

List of the Day: Best Passing Yardage Seasons, 1960s AFL

Joe Namath

TOP 10
1- Joe Namath, 1967 New York Jets
4007 yards, 258-491, 52.5 %, 26 TD, 28 INT

2- John Hadl, 1968 San Diego Chargers
3473 yards, 208-440, 47.3 %, 27 TD, 32 INT

3- Babe Parilli, 1964 Boston Patriots
3465 yards, 228-473, 48.2 %, 31 TD, 27 INT

4- Joe Namath, 1966 New York Jets
3379 yards, 232-471, 49.3 %, 19 TD, 27 INT

5- John Hadl, 1967 San Diego Chargers
3365 yards, 217-427, 50.8 %, 24 TD, 22 INT

6- George Blanda, 1961 Houston Oilers
3330 yards, 187-362, 51.7 %, 36 TD, 22 INT

7- Daryle Lamonica, 1969 Oakland Raiders
3302 yards, 221-426, 51.9 %, 34 TD, 25 INT

8- George Blanda, 1964 Houston Oilers
3287 yards, 262-505, 51.9 %, 17 TD, 27 INT

9- Daryle Lamonica, 1968 Oakland Raiders
3245 yards, 206-416, 49.5 %, 25 TD, 15 INT

10-Daryle Lamonica, 1967 Oakland Raiders
3228 yards, 220-425, 51.8 %, 30 TD, 20 INT


John Hadl



Babe Parilli



George Blanda

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Denver Broncos: Frank Tripucka, 1960
3038 yards, 248-478, 51.9 %, 24 TD, 34 INT

Buffalo Bills: Jack Kemp, 1963
2910 yards, 193-384, 50.3 %, 13 TD, 20 INT

Dallas Texans/KC Chiefs: Len Dawson, 1964
2879 yards, 199-354, 56.2 %, 30 TD, 18 INT

Miami Dolphins: Bob Griese, 1968*
2473 yards, 186-355, 52.4 %, 21 TD, 16 INT

Cincinnati Bengals: Greg Cook, 1969**
1854 yards, 106-197, 53.8 %, 15 TD, 11 INT

* Dolphins joined AFL in 1966
** Bengals joined AFL in 1968


Daryle Lamonica



Frank Tripucka



Jack Kemp



Len Dawson

1983: John Walton Throws for 423 Yards as Breakers Fall to Panthers

35-year-old QB John Walton had made the rounds of minor and major pro football leagues prior to becoming a member of the Boston Breakers of the United States Football League in 1983. He had won a Continental Football League championship as a rookie with the Indianapolis Capitols in 1969 and spent a year with the Columbus Barons of the Midwest Football League in ’73. In between, he was on the taxi squad of the NFL’s Rams.

Walton moved on to the World Football League - after backing up in Chicago in 1974, he got a chance to start and performed well with the San Antonio Wings in 1975. From there, it was back to the NFL and a backup role with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976-79. At that point he retired as a player and returned to his alma mater, Elizabeth City State, where he was the head coach for three seasons before taking a shot at the USFL (his coaching record was 20-10-1).

Everywhere Walton went he had impressed with his strong throwing arm, and age had not diminished his passing ability. He also provided leadership; as Head Coach Dick Coury put it, “Talk about character, John’s the catalyst of that on the field.”

The Breakers had a 5-3 record as they hosted the Michigan Panthers (4-4) on May 1, 1983 at Nickerson Field. The Panthers had won three straight after a slow start, and scored the first touchdown when TE Don Echols recovered a fumble in the end zone. Boston scored 10 points in the second quarter as Walton passed to WR Nolan Franz for a 44-yard touchdown and Tim Mazzetti booted a 38-yard field goal. However, Michigan led 14-10 at the half thanks to a five-yard TD pass from QB Bobby Hebert to TE Mike Cobb.

The Panthers extended their lead to 21-10 in the fourth quarter as Hebert threw another TD pass, this one covering 47 yards to WR Anthony Carter. However, Walton drove the Breakers back into the lead with two touchdown throws to RB Anthony Steels that covered one and 13 yards, respectively. Boston had a 24-21 lead, but the storybook performance by Walton failed to have a happy ending; a shanked punt by Dario Casarino gave the Panthers good field position at the Breakers 43 yard line, and with under two minutes left to play, RB John Williams plowed over for a touchdown and the lead for the Panthers.

Walton and Boston still nearly pulled the game out. Taking possession at their own 22 yard line, the Breakers drove to the Michigan three. However, Boston was unable to stop the clock at that point and time ran out. The Panthers won, 28-24.

The veteran quarterback put on an impressive passing display in defeat, completing 37 of 48 passes for 423 yards with three TDs and no interceptions; the yardage figure was the highest of the ’83 USFL season. He also spread the ball around well, and several receivers had noteworthy performances: WR Frank Lockett and RB Richard Crump caught the most passes, with 8 apiece for 85 and 66 yards respectively, while Nolan Franz gained the most yards, 103, on six catches with the one TD. FB Tony Davis caught 6 passes for 65 yards, while veteran WR Charlie Smith (who had been a teammate of Walton’s with the NFL’s Eagles) had 4 catches for 75 yards. Anthony Steels, who caught the last two touchdown throws, had 5 receptions for 29 yards.

Michigan outgained the Breakers on the ground, 121 yards to 65, as RB Ken Lacy led the way with 55 yards on 16 carries and John Williams added 41 yards on 13 attempts, including the winning TD. Tony Davis, by contrast, led the Breakers with 26 yards on seven attempts.

Bobby Hebert completed 17 of 26 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns; like Walton, he had none picked off. Elite rookie Anthony Carter gained 77 yards on three catches with a TD while Mike Cobb led the club with 5 catches (for 53 yards).

There was plenty of sloppy play along the way, as the teams combined for 27 penalties (14 by Michigan, 13 by the Breakers for more yards).

Boston ended up with an 11-7 record, finishing in second place in the Atlantic Division. The Panthers surged to a 12-6 finish, and thanks to tiebreakers won the Central Division title over the Chicago Blitz. They also won the first USFL championship, defeating the Philadelphia Stars.

John Walton ranked first in the league in pass attempts (589), second in completions (330) and yards (3772), and tied for third in touchdown passes (20). However, it was the unheralded rookie, Bobby Hebert, ranking first among USFL passers in leading the Panthers to the title; he also topped the league in yards per attempt (7.9) and touchdown passes (27).

2006: Texans Draft Mario Williams 1st Overall Ahead of Bush & Young

After steadily progressing in their first three seasons in the NFL, the Houston Texans dropped to a league-worst 2-14 record in 2005. Head Coach Dom Capers and his staff were dismissed, and offensive-minded Gary Kubiak was hired in his place.

However, with the first pick in the NFL draft on April 29, 2006 the Texans opted for help on defense and made official the selection of North Carolina State DE Mario Williams as their choice (he had actually been signed to a contract the night before).

The decision drew criticism from both commentators and fans. At a draft party held at Reliant Stadium, many of the attendees booed the selection of Williams and began chanting “Reg-gie! Reg-gie!” in reference to Reggie Bush, the star running back and Heisman Trophy winner from USC. There had also been sentiment for picking a local favorite, QB Vince Young from Texas. They ended up being the next two players drafted, by the Saints and Titans, respectively.

Not all of the reviews were critical, to be sure. As one scout said, “I like the Texans’ pick of Mario Williams over Reggie Bush. If you tell me I can have a great running back or I can have a great defensive end, I’ll take the defensive end every time. He’ll have a longer career, he’s on the field for more plays, and defensive ends are harder to find than running backs.”

The 6’7”, 295-pound Williams had chosen to leave school early to enter the draft, but was considered by scouts to be ready for the NFL. In 2005, he had recorded 62 tackles (24 of them for a loss) and 14.5 sacks over the course of 12 games. Moreover, he filled a clear need for a Houston defense that had ranked next to last in the league, including 32nd against the run and 24th vs. the pass (to be sure, they ranked 30th in total offense as well). New defensive coordinator Richard Smith was replacing the 3-4 scheme favored by Capers with a 4-3 alignment, and Williams seemed a good fit for the revamped defensive line.

Initially, the critics appeared to be vindicated by the results of the 2006 season. While the team’s record improved to 6-10, Williams suffered through an injury-marred and inconsistent campaign and recorded just 4.5 sacks. Meanwhile, Bush proved to be a potent complement to power runner Deuce McAllister, accumulating 1523 all-purpose yards (742 on 88 pass receptions alone) as the Saints ranked first in team offense and made it to the postseason. Vince Young showed great promise with the Titans, passing for 2199 yards and running for another 552 while being selected Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press.

The Houston offense ranked 28th in the NFL. QB David Carr, the first player ever drafted by the club in 2002, continued to be mired in mediocrity. RB Ron Dayne led the team in rushing with 612 yards. A revamping followed in the offseason.

However, the situation for Williams, especially in comparison to Bush and Young, shifted significantly from 2007 onward. Healthy and playing with greater confidence, he tied for third in the league in sacks with 14. In ’08, he had another 12 sacks, was a first team All-NFL selection of The Sporting News and second team pick by the AP, and went to the Pro Bowl for the first time. That was followed up in 2009 with another Sporting News first team All-NFL pick and second Pro Bowl invitation.

Reggie Bush failed to build upon his fine rookie season and his performance was decidedly uneven. While a dynamic player with outstanding outside running ability and good receiving skills out of the backfield who contributed to a championship team, he had durability issues and did not fulfill the hopes that he could be an every-down running back – let alone an elite performer. He averaged just 3.7 yards-per-carry in his first three seasons (although he also caught 213 passes). Strictly a role player, his numbers in all categories declined in 2009 - but his postseason performance was solid, in particular an impressive showing against Arizona in the NFC Divisional playoff.

Vince Young struggled in his second season and was benched for virtually all of his third; brought back into the starting lineup midway through the ’09 campaign with favorable results, his career is at an uncertain stage.

While all three careers are very much in progress, after four seasons, the selection of Williams in the top spot of the first round in ’06 has looked more justified with each passing year.

1981: Giants Draft Lawrence Taylor in 1st Round

Since appearing in the 1963 NFL Championship game, the New York Giants had settled into a long period of mediocrity. From the advent of divisional play in 1933 through ’63, the club had gone 226-123-19 with 16 postseason appearances and three championships. From 1964 through 1980, the record was 84-156-4; not only were there no playoff appearances, but the Giants posted just two records over .500 in that 17-year span.

The performance in 1980 hardly indicated that improvement might be coming anytime soon. New York struggled through an injury-riddled 4-12 season. The linebacker corps had been especially hard hit, with Harry Carson, Brian Kelley, Dan Lloyd, John Skorupan, and Frank Marion all missing time. At one point in November, a free agent named Joe McLaughlin, who had failed to catch on with two clubs in 1979 and was painting houses in Wisconsin for a living, was called in on a Monday, passed his physical, worked out twice, played on special teams the following Sunday and then was in the starting lineup the next week (he actually led the team with 10 tackles). As a result, the Giants ranked 24th in the NFL in total defense (26th against the run, 17th vs. the pass).

On April 28, 1981 the Giants, using the second pick in the first round of the NFL draft, chose Lawrence Taylor, a linebacker from North Carolina (New Orleans used the first pick to take RB George Rogers, the Heisman Trophy winner from South Carolina).

There had been some question in the run-up to the draft as to whether New York would take Taylor or UCLA running back Freeman McNeil (eventually chosen by the other New York club, the Jets). Linebacker was considered one of the team’s strengths (at least, with the expectation that all hands would be healthy) and there was a need to improve the running game. The situation was further muddied by talk from some of the veteran players that they would boycott if the team drafted Taylor and gave him the three-year, $1 million deal that his agent was reportedly intending to seek. A ruffled Taylor had sent a telegram to Giants GM George Young the night before the draft asking that they not choose him.

In the end, of course, Young did choose Taylor (he signed a three-year deal, but for $900,000), and it marked a significant step in the reinvigorating of the franchise. Head Coach Ray Perkins, looking ahead to the ’81 season, said “Taylor should start on the weakside for us. He’ll have to earn that, of course, but from everything we’ve seen and everything we know about him, I have no doubt he’ll become a dominating player.”

Perkins was very much on the mark. Playing in a 3-4 defense, Taylor lined up with veteran Brad Van Pelt at the other outside linebacker position and Kelley and Carson on the inside and almost immediately displayed the dominance anticipated for him. He received the most votes in Pro Bowl balloting and was selected as NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press, as well as Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Defense was the key to the Giants finishing 9-7 and grabbing the second wild card spot to make it into the postseason for the first time since that long-ago 1963 title game (they upset Philadelphia, 27-21, in the first round but succumbed to the 49ers in the divisional playoff). While the offense was the lowest-ranked in the league – young QB Phil Simms was still a work in progress, and missed five games due to injury – the defense keyed the improvement. Taylor was a big part of that surge, although there were also key contributions by rookie NT Bill Neill and second-year CB Mark Haynes. Defensive ends George Martin and Gary Jeter had outstanding seasons as well.

Taylor, however, would prove to be not only the unit’s leader over the course of 13 years, but one of the most dominating defensive players in pro football history. At 6’3” and 237 pounds, he re-defined the position of linebacker, proving to be an almost unstoppable pass rusher as well as run-stuffer. More than outstanding outside linebackers of the past, he brought an attacking element into his play that transformed the game and made him a weapon that opposing offenses continually needed to account for. While drug issues eventually dogged him off the field, the intensity level never dropped while on it.

By the time the player known as “LT” retired, he had been named league MVP on one occasion (1986), always notable for a defensive player, and Defensive Player of the Year three times. Taylor was a consensus first team All-Pro eight times and was selected to 10 Pro Bowls. His number 56 was retired by the Giants, and he was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Thanks to George Young’s personnel moves (hired as GM in 1979 in a compromise between the feuding team owners, Wellington Mara and his nephew Tim), which so notably included the drafting of Taylor and, in 1983, the promotion of Bill Parcells to head coach, the Giants again became a perennial contender. From 1981 through ’90, the last season with Parcells at the helm, the team had a 90-61 record, went to the postseason six times, and won the Super Bowl twice. Arguably more than any other player on the team, Taylor personified the change in attitude and direction.