1968: Bengals Defeat Broncos in First Home Game

On September 15, 1968, Commissioner Pete Rozelle and Ohio Governor James Rhodes were among 25,049 fans in attendance at Nippert Stadium to see the first regular season home game of the second (and last) American Football League expansion franchise, the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals had opened the season a week earlier on a Friday night in San Diego and lost to the Chargers, 29-13.

60-year-old Paul Brown was returning to pro football as a part-owner of the new franchise, as well as head coach and general manager, following a five-year hiatus after being summarily fired from the Cleveland Browns, the team he had coached with much success from 1946 through ’62. He chose to build the new team with younger players. QB John Stofa, a raw talent obtained from the Miami Dolphins and center Bob Johnson, the first draft choice out of Tennessee, were joined by other rookies on offense that included Arizona HB Paul Robinson and TE Bob Trumpy out of Utah (pictured above). More experienced help had been acquired for the defense, including LB Frank Buncom from the Chargers and two ex-Chiefs, LB Sherrill Headrick and safety Bobby Hunt.

The team they were hosting, the Denver Broncos, was opening the regular season after coming off a 3-11 year in 1967, the first under Head Coach/GM Lou Saban. The Broncos were in transition, with the most recognizable name on the roster being HB Floyd Little, in his second year out of Syracuse.

The first half was scoreless, with neither team able to get inside the opponent’s 19 yard line. Denver’s deepest penetration came to nothing when safety Jess Phillips intercepted QB John McCormick’s pass at the Bengals’ eight yard line. Bob Humphreys missed two field goal attempts for the Broncos and Dale Livingston failed on one for Cincinnati.


Livingston (pictured at left), who handled the punting as well as placekicking for the Bengals, was more effective punting the ball and kept the Broncos from gaining good field position while the offense sputtered. He had three straight 52 yard kicks in the second quarter that the Broncos returned for a total of 12 yards.

The Broncos outgained the Bengals in the first half, 118 yards to 64. John Stofa completed just 6 of 13 passes, but was victimized by well-thrown balls that were dropped.

Following the second half kickoff, the Bengals drove 38 yards in seven plays and Livingston kicked a 49-yard field goal for the first points of the contest. Three minutes later, and on the second play of Cincinnati’s next possession, Stofa threw to a leaping Bob Trumpy, who gathered in the slightly-underthrown ball at the 20, outmaneuvered DB Harold Lewis, and proceeded to the end zone to complete the 58-yard scoring play. But with the Bengals ahead by 10-0, the momentum swung back to the visitors.

The Broncos replaced starting quarterback John McCormick with Jim LeClair in the second half, and LeClair was effective, moving the team into position for a 33-yard field goal by Humphreys.

LeClair led the Broncos on another drive that commenced late in the third quarter and led to a score three minutes into the final period. Denver went 57 yards, helped by LeClair’s passing and the running of Little, capped by the second-year quarterback tossing a five-yard pass to WR Eric Crabtree for a touchdown.

The key series came with the score tied at 10-10 in the fourth quarter. On a second-and-ten play, Stofa threw a screen pass to Paul Robinson that was inches short of a first down. On the next play, FB Tom Smiley ran off tackle and was brought down still short of a first down. With the ball on the Cincinnati 46, it was fourth-and-inches and the crowd was chanting for the home team to go for it. Paul Brown gave the go-ahead, and Smiley hit the line and appeared to be stopped short once more but, following a measurement, the officials signaled first down. On the next play, Stofa threw long to rookie split end Warren McVea for a 54-yard touchdown.

Backup HB Essex Johnson clinched the game at just under three minutes to go with a 34-yard run down the middle and the Bengals came away winners of their inaugural home game by a 24-10 tally.

Cincinnati outgained the Broncos (289 yards to 199) although Denver led in first downs (15 to 11). The Bengals didn’t turn the ball over at all, while the Broncos suffered an interception.


John Stofa (pictured at right) completed 12 of 22 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns with, of course, none intercepted. Bob Trumpy caught 4 passes for 114 yards and the one long TD while Warren McVea hauled in three receptions for 84 yards and a score. With the long touchdown run, Essex Johnson was the team’s leading rusher, gaining 49 yards on five carries. Tom Smiley ran the ball 12 times for 28 yards and Paul Robinson gained 27 yards on his 10 attempts.

For the Broncos, John McCormick was successful on just 8 of 19 passes for 89 yards with one intercepted; Jim LeClair threw 6 completions in 12 attempts for 82 yards and one TD. Split end Al Denson caught 8 passes for 115 yards but suffered a broken collar bone in the fourth quarter and was lost for nearly half of the season. Floyd Little ran for 30 yards on 13 carries and gained 32 more yards on two catches out of the backfield.

Toasting the win afterward, Paul Brown said, “Here’s to one in a row.” As he was handed the game ball, he added, “this is going right up there on the top shelf.”

Cincinnati made it two in a row with a win over Buffalo the next week, but had only one more victory the rest of the way to finish at the bottom of the Western Division with a 3-11 record. Denver was just ahead of the Bengals at 5-9.

While John Stofa proved to be something of a disappointment at quarterback, the running game ranked second in the league in yards per carry (4.3). Paul Robinson topped the AFL with 1023 rushing yards. Bob Trumpy was the team’s leading receiver, with 37 catches for 639 yards and three TDs.

MVP Profile: Andy Robustelli, 1962

Defensive End, New York Giants



Age: 37 (Dec. 6)
12th season in pro football, 7th with Giants
College: Arnold
Height: 6’1” Weight: 235

Prelude:
An obscure player from a small college, Robustelli was chosen by the Los Angeles Rams in the 19th round of the 1951 NFL draft. He made an immediate impression in training camp and moved into the starting lineup as a rookie as the Rams went on to win the league title. An outstanding pass rusher, he was a consensus first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 1953 and ’55. The Rams traded him to the Giants following the 1955 season and Robustelli became a cornerstone of the defense, gaining selection to five Pro Bowls over the next six seasons and again gaining consensus first-team All-Pro honors in 1956, ’58, ’59, and ’60. The Giants, known for their strong defense, won the Eastern Conference title four times between 1956 and ’61 and came away with one NFL Championship. Robustelli became a player/coach in 1962.

1962 Season Summary
Appeared in all 14 games
(Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20)

Sacks – N/A
Interceptions – 0
Fumble recoveries – 2

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 1
Yards – 26
TDs – 0

Robustelli caught one pass as the result of a fake field goal attempt vs. Cardinals.

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship vs. Green Bay)
Sacks – N/A
Interceptions – 0
Int. return yards – 0
TD – 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL Player of the Year: Bert Bell Trophy
2nd team All-NFL: AP, UPI

Giants went 12-2 to place first in the NFL Eastern Conference, ranking fourth in fewest points surrendered (283) and rushing TDs (13). Lost NFL Championship to Green Bay Packers (16-7).

Aftermath:
Robustelli remained with the Giants for two more seasons before retiring. He missed one game during his rookie season and never missed another, appearing in a total of 175 regular season games over the course of his career. Robustelli was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1971.

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

1964: Revamped Eagles Stun Giants in Season-Opening Game

The season-opening game between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles on September 13, 1964 brought together two long-time rivals that were going through periods of transition. The Eagles had a new owner in Jerry Wolman, new head coach/GM in Joe Kuharich, and 20 new players on the roster from the club that finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference for the second straight year in ’63. They had lost six consecutive games to the Giants since last beating them during their 1960 championship season, and had looked especially bad in 1963 in being swept by scores of 37-14 and 42-14.

The Giants, under the direction of Head Coach Allie Sherman, topped the Eastern Conference the previous three seasons, although they came up short in the NFL Championship games after each (twice to the Packers and, in ’63, to the Bears). The team’s core that included QB Y.A. Tittle, split end Del Shofner, flanker Frank Gifford, FB Alex Webster, OT Roosevelt Brown, DE Andy Robustelli, and SS Jim Patton was aging and there was a sense that the window of opportunity for winning a title was about to close. Halfbacks Phil King, the team’s leading rusher in 1963, and Hugh McElhenny, a serviceable veteran even if past his prime, were cut during the preseason, and two controversial offseason trades had removed key players from the defense. DT Dick Modzelewski was traded to Cleveland and, in the most second-guessed deal of all, MLB Sam Huff was sent to the Washington Redskins for two lesser talents, HB Dick James and DT Andy Stynchula.

There was a crowd of 60,871 at Philadelphia’s Franklin Field, the largest of the NFL’s opening weekend games. It didn’t take the Eagles long to excite the home fans when on the first play from scrimmage, FB Earl Gros (pictured above), one of the newcomers, ran 59 yards for a touchdown, helped by flanker Ron Goodwin’s block that took out two defenders. Veteran kicker Sam Baker, acquired from the Cowboys as part of the deal that sent popular star flanker Tommy McDonald to Dallas, added the extra point and the score remained 7-0 at the end of the opening period.

In the second quarter, the Eagles put together an 80-yard, 10-play drive that included a 44-yard pass play from QB Norm Snead to TE Pete Retzlaff and ended with a six-yard Snead scoring toss to HB Timmy Brown. While “Pistol Pete” and Brown were capable holdovers, Snead had come to the Eagles from Washington for QB Sonny Jurgensen in the most notorious of Joe Kuharich’s trades.

The Eagles later attempted a free kick following a fair catch on a Giants punt, but Baker missed from 47 yards and Philadelphia took a 14-0 lead into halftime.


Philadelphia’s attacking defense kept Tittle and the aerial game off balance. FS Don Burroughs (pictured at left) was especially effective on safety blitzes, and MLB Dave Lloyd and rookie OLB Mike Morgan were notable performers as well.

The Giants came alive after receiving the second half kickoff, moving 76 yards in five plays capped by Tittle throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to TE Aaron Thomas. The Eagles came right back following New York’s TD, however, and scored again on a 30-yard field goal by Baker. CB Irv Cross then intercepted a Tittle pass in New York territory and returned it 15 yards to the 10 yard line. Timmy Brown followed up with a three-yard touchdown run and Philadelphia held a 24-7 lead after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, Snead threw to Retzlaff for a 29-yard TD. Following an interception by Lloyd that was returned 26 yards, backup FB Tom Woodeshick closed out the scoring with a nine-yard run. Rookie QB Gary Wood replaced the battered Tittle in the fourth quarter as the Eagles came away with a convincing 38-7 win.

The statistics were closer than the score as the Eagles outgained the Giants by 253 yards to 204 and both teams generated 14 first downs. However, the domination by Philadelphia’s defense was the key to the big win. They sacked the 38-year-old Tittle six times, with Don Burroughs unofficially getting credit for five of those on his blitzes from the free safety position. In addition, Tittle fumbled three times and threw two interceptions that were turned into points for the Eagles. The Eagles turned the ball over just once.

Norm Snead completed 12 of 21 passes for 170 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Pete Retzlaff was the top receiver with 6 catches for 139 yards and a TD. Earl Gros, thanks to the long opening run, gained 67 yards on only six carries. Timmy Brown did most of the ball carrying and ground out just 34 yards on 17 attempts, although he accounted for two scores (one on a pass reception).

For the Giants, Y.A. Tittle was successful on 13 of 25 passes for 122 yards with a TD and two picked off; Gary Wood added five completions in nine attempts for 57 yards. HB Joe Morrison led the rushing attack with 33 yards on 10 carries and also caught the most passes (5) for another 41 yards. Aaron Thomas gained 51 yards on four receptions that included the team’s lone TD.

“Man, every time I looked up all I could see was green, and it wasn't all grass,” said Tittle afterward. “To be perfectly honest, I didn't expect such a tough defense, with 20 new players on the team and a new coach. They hammered with a safety blitz and they red-dogged.”

While the Eagles were an improved team, the big opening day defeat of the Giants did not mark a return to being contenders. They went 6-8 to finish in a tie with Washington for third place in the Eastern Conference. It was enough to convince owner Wolman to tear up Kuharich’s original four-year contract and replace it with one for 15 years. He only lasted another four, accumulating a record of 28-41-1, making many questionable transactions while alienating several of his best players, and becoming a target of fan frustration. (Kuharich and Wolman pictured below, left to right)

For New York, the loss indicated that the bottom had fallen out from under the once-proud franchise. The Giants dropped all the way to last place with a 2-10-2 record. It marked an inglorious end to the careers of Tittle, Gifford, Webster, and Robustelli. It also marked the commencement of a long period of mediocrity as the Giants didn’t return to the postseason until 1981 and had just two winning records in the interim.

2010: Foster’s 231 Rushing Yards Propel Texans to Win Over Colts

The season-opening game at Houston’s Reliant Stadium on September 12, 2010 matched the host Texans against the defending AFC Champions, the Indianapolis Colts. Houston was coming off of a 9-7 record in ’09, the franchise’s first winning season. Under offensive-minded Head Coach Gary Kubiak, QB Matt Schaub had a Pro Bowl year and had an outstanding receiver to throw to in WR Andre Johnson. However, the running game had been disappointing due to injuries on the line and the dropoff in performance of second-year RB Steve Slaton. Undrafted rookie RB Arian Foster (pictured above) had started the season on the practice squad and played well when given an opportunity late in the year, giving him the chance to take over the starting role in 2010.

The Colts, under Head Coach Jim Caldwell, were a steady and successful team that was coming off of a Super Bowl loss to the New Orleans Saints after going 14-2 during the regular season. QB Peyton Manning had yet another MVP year and the club appeared to be solid on both sides of the ball. Moreover, Indianapolis had an overall record of 15-1 against the Texans and had won the last six games between the division rivals.

The Texans started off fast as they scored on their first two possessions on field goals of 30 and 49 yards by Neil Rackers to take a 6-0 lead after a quarter of play. The third drive, which extended into the second quarter, culminated in the first touchdown of the game as Schaub threw to WR Kevin Walter for 22 yards. The TD was set up by back-to-back completions of 23 yards to WR Jacoby Jones and 21 yards to Johnson.

However, on Houston’s next possession and following two runs by Foster that gained 17 yards, Schaub was intercepted by DB Melvin Bullitt, who ran 19 yards to give the Colts good field position at the Texans’ 35. Indianapolis took full advantage as Manning, passing on every down, completed five of seven passes that ended with a 14-yard touchdown throw to WR Reggie Wayne. Houston’s lead was cut to 13-7.

Following a three-and-out possession by the Texans, the Colts took over at their own 35 with 3:50 remaining in the half. Converting a fourth-and-two play along the way, Indianapolis moved methodically down the field. A 26-yard Manning completion to WR Pierre Garcon got the ball down to the Houston six yard line, and Adam Vinatieri kicked a 20-yard field goal to cut the Texans’ lead further to 13-10 at halftime.

Houston started off the second half with a 15-play, 66-yard drive that featured Foster carrying the ball 10 times for 49 yards, including a one-yard touchdown. The Colts, now down 20-10, drove to the Texans’ 27, but Manning was sacked for a seven-yard loss by defensive ends Mario Williams and Jesse Nading, pushing Indianapolis out of field goal range. The resulting punt went into the end zone for a touchback and Foster started off the Houston possession with an 11-yard run that put him over 100 yards for the game.

The Texans’ drive stalled at the Indianapolis 42 and, following a punt, Manning completed four straight passes that moved the Colts 40 yards to the Houston 46. However, on a pivotal play, a deep pass to Garcon that gained 32 yards ended with the wide receiver fumbling and Houston CB Glover Quin recovering, giving the ball back to the Texans at their nine yard line.

Foster immediately took off on a 42-yard jaunt and, after Steve Slaton ran for 13, followed up with an 11-yard carry up the middle and then a 25-yard run for a touchdown. In short order, instead of the Colts closing the margin, the Texans had now extended it to 27-10.

Manning again filled the air with passes on the ensuing 12-play drive, hitting WR Austin Collie three times and Wayne and TE Dallas Clark twice apiece. The second completion to Clark was for 10 yards and a TD that, with the successful PAT, made it a ten-point game. However, an attempted onside kick failed as Walter recovered for the Texans.

Once again Houston kept the ball on the ground, which meant Foster carrying six times for 41 yards that included an eight-yard touchdown. With the clock now down to just under two minutes to play, the result was virtually sealed, although Manning completed a deep pass to Collie that resulted in a 73-yard touchdown.

While it was once again a ten-point game, Nading recovered another onside kick attempt by the Colts to snuff out any possible threat. Houston was able to run out the clock and come away with a 34-24 win.

The Colts outgained Houston (463 yards to 355) but the breakdown of rushing to receiving yards showed a significant contrast. The Texans rushed for 257 yards while Indianapolis ran the ball just 10 times for 44 yards and passed for the rest. Each team suffered two sacks and one turnover apiece.

Arian Foster’s breakout performance was the biggest story as he set a new club record with 231 yards on 33 carries and scored three touchdowns. Matt Schaub went to the air only 17 times, with 9 completions for 107 yards, and had one TD as well as one interception. Andre Johnson led the receivers with three catches for 33 yards.

For the Colts, Peyton Manning completed 40 of 57 passes for 433 yards and three TDs, suffering no interceptions. Austin Collie (pictured below) caught 11 passes for 163 yards and a TD and Dallas Clark also had 11 receptions, for 80 yards. Reggie Wayne gained 99 yards on 7 catches that included a score. RB Joseph Addai accounted for all of the team’s rushing statistics and contributed a further 6 catches for 29 yards.


“At halftime, we talked about the key to the game being the most physical team and our offensive line,” said Houston’s Coach Kubiak. “That's what you want as a coach. You want those guys walking the sideline saying, 'Run the ball, coach’.”

Things did not go as well for the Texans the rest of the year. While the offense was proficient in both running and passing the ball, the defense collapsed and ended up ranking 30th in the league. Houston finished at 6-10 for third place in the AFC South. Arian Foster continued to perform very well, however, as he led the NFL in rushing with 1616 yards on 327 carries (4.9 avg.) with 16 touchdowns.

The Colts won the division with a 10-6 record but struggled at times due to injuries and lost in the Wild Card playoff round to the Jets. Peyton Manning led the league in pass attempts (679) and completions (450) and ranked second in yards (4700), TD passes (33, tied with Drew Brees of the Saints), and completion percentage (66.3).

MVP Profile: Eric Dickerson, 1983

Running Back, Los Angeles Rams



Age: 23
1st season in pro football
College: Southern Methodist
Height: 6’3” Weight: 220

Prelude:
A two-time All-American in college, who set a Southwest Conference career rushing record despite splitting time with Craig James, Dickerson was taken by the Rams in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft (second overall). An upright runner with speed as well as power, he moved into the starting lineup in new Head Coach John Robinson’s ground-oriented offense.

1983 Season Summary
Appeared and started in all 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 390 [1]
Most attempts, game - 34 (for 127 yds.) vs. Chicago 11/6
Yards – 1808 [1]
Most yards, game – 199 yards (on 30 carries) vs. Detroit 10/2
Average gain – 4.6 [11]
TDs – 18 [2]
100-yard rushing games - 9

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 51
Most receptions, game – 8 (for 60 yds.) at Miami 10/30
Yards – 404
Most yards, game - 60 (on 8 catches) at Miami 10/30
Average gain – 7.9
TDs – 2

Scoring
TDs – 20 [2]
Points – 120 [6]

All-purpose yards: 2212 [1]

Postseason: 2 G
Rushing attempts – 33
Most rushing attempts, game - 23 at Dallas, NFC Wild Card playoff
Rushing yards – 115
Most rushing yards, game - 99 at Dallas, NFC Wild Card playoff
Average gain rushing – 3.5
Rushing TDs – 0

Pass receptions – 8
Most pass receptions, game - 6 at Washington, NFC Divisional playoff
Pass receiving yards - 20
Most pass receiving yards, game - 11 at Dallas, NFC Wild Card playoff
Average yards per reception – 2.5
Pass Receiving TDs – 0

Pass attempts – 1
Pass completions – 1
Passing yardage – 1
TD passes – 0
Interceptions – 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: Sporting News
NFL Rookie of the Year: NEA
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA
NFC Rookie of the Year: UPI
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News
1st team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl

Rams went 9-7 to finish second in the NFC West and secured a wild card playoff spot. Defeated Dallas Cowboys in Wild Card playoff (24-17). Lost to Washington Redskins in Divisional playoff (51-7).

Aftermath:
After setting a rookie rushing record in 1983, Dickerson went a step further in ’84 as he set a new single-season record with 2105 yards on the ground. He gained over a thousand yards in all four of his seasons in LA, leading the NFL in rushing again in 1986 (1821 yards) and achieving consensus first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 1984 and ’86. However, contract disputes and holdouts also occurred on a regular basis and in a blockbuster midseason trade in 1987, Dickerson was dealt to the Indianapolis Colts. He gained a total of 1011 yards in just nine games in that strike-shortened season, and once more led the league with 1659 yards in 1988. With the Colts, he was a consensus first-team All-Pro in ’88 and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1988 and ’89. Injuries began to take a toll from 1990 on, and he moved on to the Raiders in 1992 and, briefly, Atlanta in ’93 before retiring. In all, he ran for over a thousand yards in each of his first seven seasons and gained a career total of 13,259. He also scored 90 rushing touchdowns (96 in all). Dickerson’s #29 was retired by the Rams and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1999.

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

2000: Banks & Ravens Overcome Smith & Jaguars in Thriller

Since becoming the Baltimore Ravens in 1996, the club playing host at PSINet Stadium on September 10, 2000 had not beaten the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, a 1995 expansion team, in eight tries. The Ravens, 8-8 in 1999 and under second-year Head Coach Brian Billick, boasted a strong defense that was led by LB Ray Lewis, and had shut out the Steelers in the opening game the previous week by a 16-0 score.

There were still many questions regarding the offense, however, beginning with the team’s quarterback, veteran Tony Banks (pictured above). Following three disappointing years with the Rams, Banks had joined the Ravens as a backup in ’99 and was 6-4 as the starter after taking over for Scott Mitchell and Stoney Case. Coming off a good year and with the starting job his going into the 2000 season, there were questions about whether he had overcome past attitude issues and would elevate his game. Other uncertainties pertained to running back, since rookie starter Jamal Lewis had encountered injury problems in college, and the receivers. While veteran newcomer TE Shannon Sharpe was an established star in Denver, the rest of the receiving corps was undistinguished.

The Jaguars, under Head Coach Tom Coughlin, had developed rapidly into a contender and were coming off of a 14-2 record in ’99. QB Mark Brunell was solid when healthy, and had outstanding wide receivers to throw to in Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell. RB Fred Taylor missed six games, but was a rising talent (he also was out with an injury for the game against the Ravens). The defense allowed the fewest yards in the league. Clearly a team to be reckoned with, they had easily beaten the Browns in their opening game.

It appeared that Baltimore’s bad luck against the Jaguars would continue as Jacksonville dominated the first quarter. On their first possession, the Jaguars went 48 yards in seven plays, highlighted by two Brunell passes to Smith of 26 and 9 yards. Mike Hollis scored the first points of the game with a 36-yard field goal.

Following a poor 20-yard punt by Kyle Richardson that gave Jacksonville excellent field position at the Baltimore 43, the Jaguars were able to score a touchdown on a drive that initially appeared to be stifled by the Ravens defense. However, an illegal use of hands penalty on CB Chris McAlister on a third-and-14 play gave Jacksonville an automatic first down and Brunell tossed a 45-yard pass to Smith for the score and a 10-0 lead.

Later in the opening period, the Jaguars went 77 yards in five plays, again helped along by a penalty on McAlister - this time for pass interference - that advanced the ball 19 yards on a third-and-nine play to the Baltimore 43. Brunell again hit Smith on a long pass play for a TD that covered 43 yards. It was 17-0 in favor of the visitors after one quarter of play.

Early in the second quarter, the Ravens finally got on the board after recovering a fumble at the Jacksonville 14. Banks immediately fired a touchdown pass to rookie WR Travis Taylor and, with the successful PAT, the score was narrowed to 17-7. However, the Jaguars put together long drives of 14 and 8 plays that led to Mike Hollis field goals of 45 and 48 yards and Jacksonville held a seemingly-comfortable 23-7 margin at the half. They had outgained the Ravens by 257 to 97 yards thus far.

Baltimore struck quickly in the third quarter, however. Banks immediately threw to Taylor for a 40-yard gain to the Jacksonville 28, and three plays later it was Banks-to-Taylor once again for a 23-yard touchdown. The Ravens went for a two-point conversion and were successful as TE Ben Coates caught a pass from Banks. The score was now 23-15 at just 1:29 into the second half.

The Jaguars went three-and-out on their next possession, but got a break when Banks threw long for Taylor and, the ball bouncing off the receiver’s hands, safety Rayna Stewart intercepted and returned it 24 yards to the Baltimore 41. Jacksonville advanced to the 16 yard line before the drive stalled and the Jaguars settled for a fourth Hollis field goal, this time from 34 yards.

In response, the Ravens put together a 76-yard drive of 10 plays that ran almost six minutes off the clock. RB Priest Holmes accounted for the two biggest gains, on runs of 17 and 20 yards, the latter carry giving Baltimore first-and-goal at the eight yard line. Banks tossed a five-yard TD pass to RB Obafemi Ayanbadejo and, following Matt Stover’s extra point, Jacksonville’s lead was narrowed to four points at 26-22.

Heading into the fourth quarter, and with just over 10 minutes remaining on the clock, Baltimore LB Jamie Sharper made a huge defensive play when he forced Jaguars RB Stacey Mack to fumble and recovered at the Jacksonville 12. Banks threw to WR Jermaine Lewis for the 12-yard touchdown two plays later, and the Ravens took the lead at 29-26.

Jacksonville’s next possession ended when Brunell was intercepted by DB Kim Herring, who ran 30 yards to the Jaguars’ 35 yard line. Banks threw to Holmes for nine yards, but the Jaguars defense stiffened and the Ravens ended up with a 44-yard Stover field goal to extend their margin to 32-26.

While the second half momentum had been almost totally in Baltimore’s favor, the visitors weren’t done yet and drove 51 yards in nine plays that culminated in a 48-yard field goal by Hollis, his fifth with just under five minutes remaining to play. It was now a three-point game at 32-29 and the Ravens went three-and-out on their ensuing possession. Brunell completed a pass to WR Keenan McCardell for a 17-yard gain and then threw to Smith for four yards to the Baltimore 40 at the two minute warning.

Two plays later, the Jaguars regained the lead when Brunell’s pass to McCardell was tipped by the wide receiver and grabbed by Smith, who broke a tackle by McAlister and ran into the end zone to complete a 17-yard scoring play. The extra point made it 36-32, and it seemed as though Jacksonville would yet come out on top.

The Ravens took over at their 25 and Banks tossed passes to WR Billy Davis for 19 and 15 yards and Ayanbadejo for 12 before firing a throw down the middle of the field to Shannon Sharpe that the tight end gathered in for a 29-yard touchdown with 41 seconds to go. It proved decisive as Baltimore came away with the 39-36 win.

The Jaguars outgained the Ravens (421 yards to 331) and had more first downs (22 to 17). However, they also turned the ball over four times, while Baltimore did so twice.

Tony Banks completed 23 of 40 passes for 262 yards with a career-high five touchdowns against two interceptions. Obafemi Ayanbadejo caught 7 passes for 53 yards and a TD, while Travis Taylor, subbing for the injured Qadry Ismail, gained 80 yards on his four receptions that included two for scores. Priest Holmes rushed for 54 yards on 10 carries to lead the club, and also caught four passes for 18 more.

For Jacksonville, Mark Brunell was successful on 28 of 50 throws for 386 yards and three TDs with two picked off. Jimmy Smith burned the Ravens defense with 15 catches for 291 yards and three touchdowns. Stacey Mack, playing in place of the injured Fred Taylor, was the leading rusher with 36 yards on 11 attempts.

“You have to give credit to Tony Banks and their offense,” said Brunell afterward. “They went right down the field and made the plays they had to make. They were very impressive today. We scored some points, but it wasn't enough.”

“I'm very disappointed in our second half,” added Coach Coughlin. “They beat us in man coverage and they beat us in zone coverage. The fact that the Ravens were able to move the ball when everyone knew they had to have a touchdown on the last drive was pretty frustrating.”

Baltimore went on to a 12-4 record and qualified for a wild card spot by winning its last seven games. However, when the offensive performance dipped after the good start, Banks lost his starting job to veteran backup Trent Dilfer, who held the job the rest of the way. With the defense utterly dominating opponents (the 36 points given up to the Jaguars was by far the most surrendered during the season), the Ravens won all four playoff games, including the Super Bowl over the Giants. They gave up a total of 23 points in the four postseason games.

Jacksonville won the week after the tough loss to the Ravens, but proceeded to lose five straight games on the way to a disappointing 7-9 finish that put them in fourth place in the AFC Central. Jimmy Smith (pictured below) caught 91 passes for 1213 yards and eight touchdowns and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth straight year.

Tony Banks moved on to the Washington Redskins in 2001, where he was the starting quarterback for an 8-8 team with a ball-control offense. He ended up as a backup for the expansion Houston Texans from 2003 to ’05, never quite living up to his potential. His opening game performance for the Ravens against Jacksonville was a major highlight of an inconsistent career.

1967: Dawson Sets Passing Record as Chiefs Beat Oilers

The Kansas City Chiefs began the defense of their 1966 American Football League title on September 9, 1967 against the Houston Oilers. The Chiefs had won the Western Division with an 11-2-1 record in ’66, easily defeated Buffalo for the AFL Championship, and then lost the first Super Bowl to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. Head Coach Hank Stram’s team boasted the league’s most efficient passer in QB Len Dawson (pictured at right), a fine running game with halfbacks Mike Garrett and Bert Coan and FB Curtis McClinton, an excellent deep receiver in flanker Otis Taylor, and a solid defense.

The Oilers, on the other hand, had lost their last eight games in 1966 and were in a rebuilding mode under GM Don Klosterman. Wally Lemm, who guided the club to the 1961 AFL title, had returned as head coach in 1966 and by the opening game of the ’67 season, many of Houston’s veteran stalwarts were gone, including QB George Blanda, FB Charlie Tolar, flanker Charley Hennigan, and safety Fred Glick. Jacky Lee, long-time backup to Blanda at quarterback (except when loaned out to the Denver Broncos in 1964 and ‘65), was promoted to the starting job. Second-year FB Hoyle Granger had moved into the starting lineup during the ’66 season. Garland Boyette was moved from defensive end to middle linebacker and was joined by promising rookie OLB George Webster. Another rookie, safety Ken Houston, joined a revamped and talented defensive backfield.

There were 28,203 fans in attendance for the Saturday night game at Rice Stadium. Following a scoreless opening period, Kansas City capped a seven-play, 85-yard drive early in the second quarter with Garrett’s two-yard touchdown run. The possession was helped along by Dawson passes to split end Chris Burford and Garrett.

With Lee starting at quarterback, the Oilers responded with an 80-yard drive in 10 plays that was highlighted by the running of the fullback Granger and HB Sid Blanks. Granger started it off with an 18-yard carry and ended it with a four-yard TD. Blanks had a 35-yard run along the way.

The Chiefs came back with another scoring possession, this one capped by a 54-yard field goal by rookie placekicker Jan Stenerud with just under four minutes left in the half. Houston again put together a scoring drive of its own, this time aided by a 39-yard pass interference call against the Chiefs. Granger and Blanks combined for 41 rushing yards, with Blanks going the final seven yards for the touchdown. Following the successful extra point, the fans gave the home team a standing ovation.

Dawson’s passing keyed the next Kansas City drive, which covered 82 yards, as he threw for 12 and 19 yards to Garrett and 16 yards to TE Fred Arbanas for a touchdown with just seconds left on the clock before halftime. The possession was helped along by a pass interference call on Houston CB W.K. Hicks and the score stood at 17-14 in favor of the Chiefs at the intermission.

In the second half, Kansas City LB Bobby Bell intercepted a Lee pass and returned it 32 yards for a TD. The Chiefs went for two points and were successful as Dawson threw to TE Reg Carolan.

Dawson completed 15 straight passes before finally throwing an incomplete sideline pass during the fourth quarter. He was also victimized when Houston’s rookie Ken Houston intercepted a pass in the end zone intended for Burford and returned it 77 yards, with Webster and CB Miller Farr throwing key blocks along the way. On the next play, Lee tossed a short pass to Granger who went the remaining 28 yards for a touchdown, but the two-point conversion attempt failed. The Chiefs held on to win by a final score of 25-20.

Houston actually had the most total yards (336 to 312) although Kansas City accumulated the most first downs (20 to 17). The Chiefs only turned the ball over once, while the Oilers suffered four turnovers. Kansas City was penalized 10 times, at the expense of 117 yards, while Houston was flagged on seven occasions and lost more yards (128).


With his high efficiency, Len Dawson completed 17 of 19 passes for 193 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Mike Garrett (pictured at left) led the Chiefs in rushing with 80 yards on 19 carries, including one for a TD, and also had the most pass receptions with 6, for another 42 yards. Otis Taylor gained 60 yards on his four catches.

For Houston, Jacky Lee was successful on 16 of 25 throws for 158 yards with a TD and two interceptions. The running game was proficient as Hoyle Granger gained 101 yards on 13 carries, including a score, and Sid Blanks added 79 yards on 18 attempts with a TD. WR Charley Frazier caught 6 passes for 82 yards.

Dawson’s 15 consecutive completions were a then-pro football record (NFL as well as AFL). It broke the existing mark of 13 by the NFL’s Fran Tarkenton and the AFL record of 11 by Dick Wood of the Jets in 1964. Joe Namath of the Jets tied the mark several weeks later and it stood until 1974.

The Chiefs had another good season, but couldn’t beat the Raiders or Chargers and ended up second in the Western Division with a 9-5 record. Len Dawson again topped the AFL in completion percentage (57.7) and was among the leaders in passing (83.7 rating by the current system).

Houston’s rebuilding process was more successful than anticipated, although Jacky Lee was traded, ironically enough, to the Chiefs for Dawson’s backup, Pete Beathard. Beathard proved to be a good fit, the defense was outstanding, and the Oilers won the Eastern Division with a 9-4-1 tally, although they were routed by Oakland in the AFL Championship game. Hoyle Granger (pictured below) ranked second in the league with 1194 yards rushing (Mike Garrett ended up third with 1087) and first in yards from scrimmage (1494).