1957: Lions Overcome 24-Point Halftime Deficit to Beat Colts

The undefeated Baltimore Colts (3-0) were a team on the rise as they took on the Detroit Lions (2-1) on October 20, 1957 at Briggs Stadium. The Colts had beaten the Lions at home by a comfortable 34-14 score in the season-opening game. Coached by Weeb Ewbank, they had been meticulously built into a winning club. The crowning touch had been the addition of unheralded QB Johnny Unitas, who took over for an injured George Shaw in 1956 and was excelling in his first full season starting behind center – already, he had thrown eight scoring passes.

The Lions had regularly contended throughout the decade and won back-to-back league titles in 1952 and ’53. However, the head coach who had built the club into a winner, Buddy Parker, abruptly quit on the eve of the ’57 preseason and was replaced by George Wilson. The team still had the quarterback who had led them to championships, Bobby Layne (pictured above), but they also had acquired QB Tobin Rote from the Packers as insurance (Layne had experienced injury problems in the previous two years) and Wilson had them sharing the starting job. They also were still a strong defensive club with an all-star backfield of safeties Jack Christiansen and Yale Lary and halfbacks Jim David and Terry Barr and a great middle linebacker in Joe Schmidt.

There were 55,764 fans at Briggs Stadium and they suffered through a difficult first half for the home team. The Colts dominated, with Detroit’s offense not advancing beyond the Baltimore 20 until the third quarter. Unitas put the Colts ahead with a 15-yard touchdown pass to end Jim Mutscheller in the opening period. In the second quarter, Jim Martin kicked a 47-yard field goal to get the Lions on the board. But two long Unitas pass plays, of 72 yards to HB Lenny Moore and 66 yards to Mutscheller, had Baltimore comfortably in front at halftime by a score of 21-3.

In the third quarter, the margin increased when Unitas threw a fourth scoring pass to Moore that covered four yards. While the extra point was missed, it hardly seemed to matter as the Colts were ahead by a 24-point margin at 27-3. The Lions finally got on the board again when Rote threw to end Steve Junker for a 14-yard touchdown. Still, with the tally at 27-10 entering the final period, some fans began making their way to the exits.


Layne directed the Lions on a 49-yard drive that started with a pass to HB Howard “Hopalong” Cassady (pictured at left) for nine yards and another, to end Steve Junker, for 14 more. Layne finished the possession off by connecting again with Cassady for a 26-yard touchdown that narrowed Baltimore’s margin to ten points.

The ball changed hands three more times before Baltimore FB Alan Ameche fumbled at midfield and Jim David recovered to give the Lions possession at the Colts’ 46. The Lions scored in six plays as, down to two minutes to play, Layne threw to Cassady for eight yards and FB John Henry Johnson ran for seven. Cassady made a leaping catch at the one yard line and Johnson followed up with a touchdown that cut the margin to 27-24.

Detroit decided not to try an onside kick and the gamble paid off when Moore fumbled the ball back to the Lions on an end run at his own 29. Layne again threw to Cassady, who leaped between two defenders and pulled the ball down in the end zone for 29 yards and the go-ahead touchdown with 45 seconds left, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Detroit held on to win by a final score of 31-27.

The Lions outgained Baltimore (369 yards to 322) and had more first downs (20 to 15). They also sacked Unitas four times, while neither Detroit quarterback was thrown for a loss. Most damaging for the Colts, they suffered six turnovers, to four by the Lions.

Howard Cassady led both teams in rushing (71 yards) and pass receiving yards (113, on 6 catches). Bobby Layne completed 8 of 21 passes for 139 yards with two TDs and two interceptions, and as usual was at his best in the clutch.

Johnny Unitas was successful on 16 of 21 throws for 239 yards with four touchdown passes for the Colts, giving him 12 in four games. He was intercepted once. Lenny Moore caught 6 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns and Jim Mutscheller (pictured below) gained 107 yards on his 5 catches that also included two for scores.


“It was the greatest finish I've seen in pro ball,” said Coach George Wilson. “We just didn't let down.”

“It was Hoppy’s game,” added Wilson, referring to Cassady. “I think he’s finally finding himself. Right now he’s the most improved receiver we have.”

Cassady, a Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State, hadn’t scored at all as a rookie, running for 413 yards and catching nine passes and returning kicks. He had been considered a bit of a disappointment and was a backup to less-heralded HB Gene Gedman.

The Lions and Colts dueled for the Western Conference title throughout the season. The Lions lost their next two games but won five of the last six to end up in a tie with the 49ers at 8-4. It was very nearly not enough, for Baltimore, after losing its next two games, won four straight and headed for the West Coast and last two contests with a 7-3 record. They suffered two tough losses to the 49ers and Rams (a win at Los Angeles could have created a three-way deadlock) and finished in third place at 7-5.

By the end, Bobby Layne was out with a broken leg, but Tobin Rote led the Lions to the come-from-behind playoff win over San Francisco and a 59-14 thrashing of the Cleveland Browns to win the NFL Championship. Between them (and in an arrangement that neither liked), Layne and Rote passed for 2239 yards with 17 touchdowns. Layne, no longer the running quarterback he had once been, contributed 99 yards on the ground while Rote, the league’s premier rushing QB, gained 366 yards on 70 carries.

Johnny Unitas served notice of coming greatness as he led the NFL in passing yards (2550), TD passes (24), and yards per attempt (8.5). His 301 pass attempts also ranked first, while his 172 completions placed second, as did his 57.1 completion percentage – and 17 interceptions.

“Hopalong” Cassady rushed for fewer yards than as a rookie, with 250 on 73 carries, but was much more productive as a receiver, catching 25 passes for 325 yards (13.0 avg.) and three touchdowns. It set the tone for the remainder of his eight-year career in which he was used less as a running halfback and more as a receiver.

MVP Profile: Tommy Reamon, 1974

Running Back, Florida Blazers



Age: 22
1st season in pro football
College: Missouri
Height: 5’9” Weight: 191

Prelude:
Chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 9th round of the 1974 NFL draft, Reamon instead signed with the WFL’s Virginia Ambassadors, who became the Florida Blazers by the time the season started. The youngest player on the team, he nevertheless became the feature back.

1974 Season Summary
Appeared in all 20 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 386 [1]
Most attempts, game - 35 (for 189 yds.) at Charlotte 10/23
Yards – 1576 [1]
Most yards, game – 189 yards (on 35 carries) at Charlotte 10/23
Average gain – 4.1 [13]
TDs – 11 [3, tied with J.J. Jennings & Bubba Wyche]

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 38
Yards – 336
Average gain – 8.8
TDs – 3

Passing
Pass attempts – 4
Pass completions – 3
Passing yards – 152
TD passes – 2
Interceptions – 0

Kickoff Returns
Returns – 6
Yards – 168
Average per return – 28.0
TDs – 0
Longest return – 42 yards

Punt Returns
Returns – 1
Yards – 0
Average per return – 0.0
TDs – 0

Scoring
TDs – 14 [5]
Action Points – 3 [9, tied with twelve others]
Points – 101 [5]
(Note: Touchdowns counted for 7 points in the WFL)

Postseason: 3 G
Rushing attempts – 55
Most rushing attempts, game - 25 at Memphis, Second Round playoff
Rushing yards – 238
Most rushing yards, game - 125 at Memphis, Second Round playoff
Average gain rushing – 4.3
Rushing TDs – 1

Pass receptions – 2
Most pass receptions, game - 1 vs. Philadelphia, First Round playoff, at Birmingham, World Bowl
Pass receiving yards - 52
Most pass receiving yards, game - 39 at Birmingham, World Bowl
Average yards per reception – 26.0
Pass Receiving TDs - 1

Awards & Honors:
WFL MVP: League (co-winner)
1st team All-WFL: League, Sporting News

Blazers went 14-6 to finish first in the WFL Eastern Division, despite deep financial problems that led to the players often not receiving paychecks. Won First Round playoff over Philadelphia Bell (18-3) and Second Round playoff over Memphis Southmen (18-15). Lost World Bowl to Birmingham Americans (22-21).

Aftermath:
The Blazers disbanded following the ’74 season and Reamon played for the WFL’s Jacksonville Express in 1975 but was injured by the time the league folded in October – he ended up with just 278 yards rushing and 16 pass receptions. Reamon signed with the Steelers in ’76 and played in the preseason, but was dealt to the Kansas City Chiefs and gained 314 yards rushing and caught 10 passes while also returning kickoffs. After failing to make the Chicago Bears in ’77, where he had been reunited with ex-Blazers Head Coach Jack Pardee, Reamon moved on to the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. He failed to catch on with the NFL Redskins in 1978 and his pro football career ended. Afterward, he appeared in the movie “North Dallas Forty” and did some television acting before moving into high school and college football coaching.

--

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).

[Updated 2/13/14]

1993: Raiders Overcome Elway Heroics to Beat Broncos on Long FG

The Monday Night Football matchup on October 18, 1993 featured two NFC West rivals, the host Denver Broncos and visiting Los Angeles Raiders. Both teams were at 3-2 coming into the key contest.

Not much had been expected of the Raiders, under Head Coach Art Shell, coming into the ’93 season - they had been a mediocre 7-9 in 1992. The signing of free agent QB Jeff Hostetler (pictured at right) made a difference (one of the losses came in a game he missed due to injury), and he had dependable WR Tim Brown to throw to, as well as the speedy trio of James Jett, Alexander Wright, and Raghib “Rocket” Ismail. However, the running game and defense were suspect.

Denver had a new head coach in Wade Phillips, who had replaced Dan Reeves, the team’s mentor for 12 years. While Reeves had led the club to six playoff appearances in that time, including three AFC Championships, the Broncos had dropped to 8-8 in 1992. Reeves moved on to the Giants while Phillips was elevated from defensive coordinator. To be sure, John Elway (pictured below) remained at quarterback, and his importance to the team had been evidenced by the 0-4 record when he was out with an injury in ‘92. Jim Fassel, his college quarterback coach, was hired as offensive coordinator. TE Shannon Sharpe had emerged as Elway’s go-to receiver but, like the Raiders, the running game had been questionable thus far.


There were 75,712 fans in attendance at Mile High Stadium as the Broncos took the opening kickoff and drove from their 20 to the LA 11 yard line, but an Elway pass was intercepted by SS Derrick Hoskins in the end zone and returned 14 yards. The Raiders made the most of it, although initially the resulting possession appeared to have run out of gas at the LA 36. However, Denver was offside on a punt, allowing Los Angeles to maintain the drive, and then Hostetler threw to Brown for a 45-yard gain to the Broncos’ 19. Three plays later, Hostetler threw to Wright for an 11-yard touchdown.

Following a three-and-out possession by Denver, Brown returned the resulting punt 32 yards and, five plays afterward, Jeff Jaeger kicked a 32-yard field goal. The Raiders led by 10-0 after one quarter of play.

Los Angeles scored again early in the second quarter on a 49-yard Jaeger field goal. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the half, although an aborted kick by Denver’s Tom Rouen led to the Raiders getting the ball with good field position at the Broncos’ 38 with 1:15 remaining on the clock. However, another 49-yard three-point attempt by Jaeger was nullified by a holding penalty and LA was forced to punt. The Raiders went into halftime with a 13-0 lead.

Denver got a break in the third quarter when, after a sack that knocked Hostetler briefly out of the game, LA’s backup QB Vince Evans was intercepted by SS Dennis Smith, giving the Broncos the ball at the Raiders’ 39. With RB Rod Bernstine carrying the ball five times and Elway throwing to Sharpe for a 12-yard gain, Denver got to the LA six, but a delay of game penalty and 14-yard loss on a sack created a fourth-and-25 situation. Jason Elam’s 46-yard field goal attempt was blocked by DE Howie Long, but once again a penalty on a special teams play hurt the Raiders as CB James Trapp was called for running into the kicker. With a second chance, Elam was successful from 40 yards to put Denver on the board.

Following a short possession by the Raiders, the Broncos drove into scoring position again on a series highlighted by a pass from Elway to WR Derek Russell that gained 33 yards. But Denver came up empty when Elam was wide on a 42-yard field goal attempt, and the score remained 13-3 entering the fourth quarter.

The Broncos started off the final period with a 55-yard drive in seven plays that ended with Elway throwing to WR Arthur Marshall for a 27-yard touchdown that, with the successful extra point, brought them within a field goal of the Raiders. They scored again in short order when, on the first play of LA’s ensuing possession, Hostetler fumbled and NT Greg Kragen recovered for Denver at the Raiders’ five. Two plays later, Elway hit TE Reggie Johnson with a two-yard scoring pass and the Broncos had a 17-13 lead. It appeared that the star quarterback was once again working his come-from-behind magic.

The Raiders wasted no time regaining the lead, however. Hostetler threw to Jett for a 74-yard touchdown on the first play after the kickoff and once again Los Angeles held a three-point lead at 20-17. Denver got the ball with 10:25 to play and put together an 11-play, 62-yard drive highlighted by a 43-yard gain on a pass from Elway to Russell to the Raiders’ 46. Another pass to Russell, for 11 yards, allowed the Broncos to convert a third-and-eight situation and the possession ended with Elam kicking a 37-yard field goal to tie the game at 20-20.

The teams traded punts, and with 2:37 on the clock, the Raiders took over at their 39. Hostetler threw to Brown for 20 yards on a third-and-six play and LA was able to run the clock down to 21 seconds, at which point Jaeger booted a 53-yard field goal that just made it successfully. Time ran out on the Broncos at their 18 yard line, and the Raiders came away with a 23-20 win.

Los Angeles outgained the Broncos with 308 total yards to 253, although Denver had 18 first downs to LA’s 12. The Raiders ran the ball poorly, gaining just 53 yards on 23 attempts, but had 308 net passing yards – Denver, by comparison, rushed for 132 yards and had 253 through the air. Elway was sacked seven times by the Raiders (three by DE Greg Townsend) who, characteristically, were also penalized 13 times.


Jeff Hostetler, who was sacked just twice, connected on 15 of his 24 passes for 264 yards with two touchdowns and none intercepted. Tim Brown (pictured at right) led the receivers with 6 catches for 116 yards; John Jett’s 74-yard scoring catch was his lone reception of the game, and the combination of Jett, Alexander Wright, and Raghib Ismail contributed 7 receptions for 136 yards and two scores. RB Greg Robinson led what there was of a running game with 27 yards on nine carries.

For the Broncos, John Elway, who performed so well in the fourth quarter, was successful on 16 of 30 throws for 188 yards with two TDs against one interception. Derek Russell (pictured below) caught 5 of those passes for 111 yards. Rod Bernstine rushed for 101 yards on 23 carries.

“It was an ugly kick,” said Jeff Jaeger of his game-winning field goal. “It was so low. But it went through, and that's all that counts. Let it be as ugly as can be if it goes through the uprights.”


The Raiders defeated Denver again at home in the season finale and ended up second in the AFC West with a 10-6 record, good enough for a wild card spot and fourth seed in the playoffs. The Broncos were right behind at 9-7 and also made the postseason as a wild card. The two teams met for a third time in the first round and the Raiders won their most convincing victory of the three encounters by a 42-24 score. LA lost to Buffalo at the Divisional level.

Elway had a Pro Bowl year as he led the league in pass attempts (551), completions (348), and yards (4030), ranked second in touchdown passes (25), and third in completion percentage (63.2) and passing (92.8 rating).

Jeff Hostetler threw for 3242 yards and placed fourth in yards per attempt (7.7) and second in yards per completion (13.7). Tim Brown continued to be his leading target as he caught 80 passes for 1180 yards and seven TDs and placed fifth in the league in all-purpose yards with 1652.

1976: Seahawks Defeat Bucs in Battle of Expansion Teams

The NFL game on October 17, 1976 at Tampa Stadium was derisively referred to as “Expansion Bowl I”. Both the host Buccaneers and visiting Seattle Seahawks were first-year expansion teams and their records were each equally imperfect at 0-5.

Tampa Bay was coached by John McKay, who had been highly successful in the college ranks at Southern California. A veteran quarterback, ex-49er Steve Spurrier, had been obtained but was operating behind a substandard line and supported by a nondescript group of running backs. Brothers Lee Roy and Dewey Selmon, the top two draft choices, would both pay future dividends at defensive end and linebacker, respectively, but were battling injuries as rookies. As a result, the defense was poor, especially against the pass. The Bucs had been shut out three times already, and only reached double figures in points scored in one of the five games (they lost to the Colts by a score of 42-17).

The Seahawks, under Head Coach Jack Patera, were dealing with expansion-team woes but seemed the more promising of the clubs. Three unheralded rookies - QB Jim Zorn, WR Steve Largent, and RB Sherman Smith - had emerged as capable starting players on offense. However, the defense gave up far too many points – in fact, more than Tampa Bay at that point (153 points vs. 120), but two of their losses, to the Cardinals and Packers, had been by seven points or less.

There were 43,812 fans present for the showdown between the NFL’s newcomers. Eleven penalties were called in the first quarter, setting the tone for the game. Dave Green kicked a 38-yard field goal, and the Buccaneers were in front by 3-0 after a period of play.

In the second quarter, the Seahawks drove 86 yards in eight plays in a drive kept alive by a fake punt by Rick Engles, who ran 13 yards for a first down in a fourth-and-four situation at his own 48. The possession culminated in a Zorn pass to WR Sam McCullum for a 15-yard touchdown after an apparent scoring pass to Largent was nullified by a penalty.

Later, it appeared that Seattle had a second touchdown when Smith ran into the end zone from two yards out, but it was called back due to yet another penalty and the Seahawks had to settle for a 25-yard field goal by John Leypoldt. Leypoldt kicked another field goal from 39 yards before the first half was over. Meanwhile, Green’s 35-yard field goal attempt for Tampa Bay was blocked by Seattle safety Lyle Blackwood and the Seahawks took a 13-3 lead into halftime.

Late in the third quarter, the Buccaneers put together a scoring drive after LB Richard Wood recovered a fumble at the Tampa Bay 46. Penalties, plus runs of 12 and 9 yards by HB Essex Johnson, led to a first-and-goal at the Seattle one. After two plunges into the line failed to penetrate into the end zone, HB Lewis Carter took the handoff on third down, was pushed back, and flipped the ball to an unsuspecting WR Morris Owens, who caught it and scored. With the successful extra point, it was a three-point game after three quarters – and would remain so.

In the final minutes, Tampa Bay drove to the Seattle 18 but 33-year-old LB Mike Curtis broke through the line to block a 36-yard field goal attempt by Green with 40 seconds left to preserve the 13-10 win for the Seahawks.

A total of 35 penalties were called (20 on the Bucs, 15 on Seattle), adding up to 310 yards, in the sloppily-played game that took some 3 ½ hours (there were actually four more flags thrown, but two of the penalties were declined and two offset). Even Coach McKay drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for comments made to the officials from the sideline (when asked afterward what he said, his only reply was “you can’t print it in a family newspaper.”). It was the most penalties in a NFL game since 1951.

The Buccaneers outgained the Seahawks (285 yards to 253) and had more first downs (18 to 14). But while John Leypoldt missed on one of his three field goal attempts, the two blocked three-point attempts by Dave Green proved to be crucial.

Jim Zorn completed just 11 of 27 passes for 167 yards with a TD and an interception. Sam McCullum was the receiving star as he caught 5 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown while Steve Largent contributed three receptions for 49 yards. Sherman Smith gained 45 yards on 10 carries to pace what there was of a ground game.


For Tampa Bay, Steve Spurrier was successful on 18 of his 30 passes for 170 yards with no scores but also none intercepted. Louis Carter (pictured at left), in addition to his improvised scoring pass, rushed for 66 yards on 15 carries and caught three passes for 28 more. Ex-Bengal Essex Johnson had 12 rushes for 54 yards, caught a pass for nine, and ran a kickoff back for 32 yards. Morris Owens had 5 receptions for 24 yards and a TD while FB Ed Williams was the pass receiving yardage leader with 42 yards on his four catches.

“Nobody touched me,” said Mike Curtis, the ex-Baltimore Colts star, about the fourth quarter blocked field goal attempt. “They broke down on their blocking assignment on the final field-goal attempt. The up-back blocked out, trying to get defensive back Lyle Blackwood, and I got through and hit the ball shoulder high.”

“It was perfect,” said the grim-faced Dave Green of the ill-fated attempt. “It was a fast play. Nobody touched the guy. I can't block them myself.”

Said Jack Patera afterward, “I don't know if he'll win any this year, but I think John McKay is a fine coach. In fact I'd say he's done a heck of a job because I compare his team to ours.”

The normally quote-worthy McKay was unusually low-key after the game, perhaps realizing that his team’s best chance of winning a game in ’76 had passed. The Buccaneers came within three points of upsetting Miami the next week, but that was as close as they came to being victorious in a contest as they finished up at 0-14 and on the bottom of the AFC West (they moved to the NFC Central the following year). They would lose a record 26 straight before winning their last two games of the 1977 season, but would be the first of the two expansion teams to make it to the postseason (in 1979, when Tampa Bay advanced to the NFC Championship game).

Seattle won once more to end its inaugural season with a 2-12 record for last place in the NFC West (like the Buccaneers, the Seahawks were transferred to a different division in ’77, the AFC West, where they remained until returning to the NFC as a result of the 2002 league realignment).

1974: Steamer Defeats Bell Before 750 Fans at JFK Stadium

It was a rainy Wednesday night in Philadelphia on October 16, 1974 as the host Bell took on the Shreveport Steamer in a World Football League contest at JFK Stadium. Adding to the gloom was a miniscule estimated turnout of 750 at the 100,000-seat venue, a bitter pill for a team that had drawn big crowds in its first two home games – and created a scandal when it was later revealed that the vast majority of those fans were using free or heavily-discounted tickets.

The Bell, under Head Coach Ron Waller, was a colorful club with an exciting offense led by eccentric QB Jim “King” Corcoran. The passing game was productive, and there were good running backs in John Land and Claude Watts. Still, Philadelphia had a losing 6-9 record coming into the contest with Shreveport.

The Steamer had started the season as the Houston Texans and moved to Shreveport in late September. At the time of the relocation, they sported a 3-7-1 tally and things had not gotten better for the veteran team, which was 1-3 in its new city for a combined record of 4-10-1. There had been plenty of turmoil with the move, as many players were opposed to it and Head Coach Jim Garrett was suspended when he actively urged them to not report to Shreveport. Garrett was replaced by Marshall Taylor, and despite the misgivings, the club received a warm welcome from the fans in the new locale. FB Jim Nance (pictured above), an ex-AFL star with the Patriots, was a standout running the ball. Another former AFL player, LB Garland Boyette, was the leader of the well-seasoned defense. Veteran QB Mike Taliaferro quit the team, and two rookie quarterbacks, D.C. Nobles and Dave Mays, ran the option offense.

Philadelphia fumbled less then four minutes into the game and Nobles started off the scoring with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Eber that was followed by a successful pass for the action point. After Bell DB Ron Mabra intercepted a Nobles pass, Land and Watts proceeded to grind out a drive. Watts scored for Philadelphia, but the action point attempt failed and the Steamer held an 8-7 lead after a period of play (touchdowns counted for seven points in the WFL, followed by an action point that could not be kicked).

In the second quarter, Mays came in at quarterback for Shreveport after Nobles strained his shoulder and connected with TE Willie Frazier for a 29-yard TD. The pass attempt for the action point was unsuccessful and Shreveport took a 15-7 lead into halftime.

The Bell started off the second half scoring when Jerry Warren kicked a 32-yard field goal to cut the margin to 15-10. Nobles came back into the game for Shreveport and the Steamer responded with a drive that concluded with Nance scoring on a two-yard run. Nobles ran for the action point, making the score 23-10.

“King” Corcoran passed to WR Ron Holliday for a nine-yard touchdown, capping an eight-play, 64-yard drive by the Bell, but the action point was again missed and the score stood at 23-17. It didn’t stay that way for long. Safety Richmond Flowers returned the ensuing kickoff 36 yards. On the next play, Nobles threw his second scoring pass to Eber, this time covering 39 yards, extending the Steamer lead to 30-17 as the action point attempt failed.

The Bell scored once more in the fourth quarter when Corcoran threw an eight-yard TD pass to WR Vince Papale, and Land ran for the action point. The Steamer missed a chance to extend the lead when a 20-yard field goal attempt by Charlie Durkee hit the upright and was no good. But Boyette intercepted a Corcoran pass and Shreveport was able to run out the last four minutes to win 30-25.

The statistics were very even, with Shreveport barely outgaining the Bell (323 yards to 321) and having the edge in first downs (17 to 15). Philadelphia had more rushing yards (180 to 164) while the Steamer gained more net passing yards (159 to 141). However, the Bell lost three fumbles, to none given up by Shreveport. Jim Nance ran for 104 yards for the Steamer, and John Land gained 105 yards on 13 attempts for Philadelphia.

The biggest story from the game was the paltry attendance, which was the smallest for any WFL game.

“I don’t know if it was the World Series, the weather or what, but that’s the smallest crowd that I can ever remember playing in front of,” said Land.

“Hell, I wrestled before bigger crowds than that at Indiana (Pa.) High School,” added Jim Nance.

With the win, the Steamer was now 2-2 under Coach Taylor. They went 1-2 the rest of the way and finished at 7-12-1 and tied for third in the Western Division. Philadelphia won by a surprisingly big margin of 45-7 over the Southern California Sun the next week and, with a win by forfeit to conclude the season, ended up with a 9-11 record and a playoff spot. The Bell lost to the Florida Blazers in the first round.

Jim Nance ranked third in the WFL with 1240 yards on 300 carries (4.1 avg.) and eight touchdowns. John Land wasn’t far behind as he carried the ball 243 times for 1136 yards (4.7 avg.) and eight TDs. Land was a far more productive pass receiver out of the backfield than Nance (who caught just 14 passes) with 54 catches for 621 yards and another four touchdowns.

After averaging 60,127 fans in the first two home games (inflated by the free and discounted tickets), the Bell averaged just 9328 in the remaining eight, including the 750 against the Steamer. The team survived to return for the aborted 1975 season, but moved to the less-spacious Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania.

1948: Colts Score 15 Points in 4th Quarter to Pull Away from Dons

The Los Angeles Dons were two-touchdown favorites coming into their All-America Football Conference game against the Baltimore Colts on October 15, 1948. Jimmy Phelan, who was in his first year as head coach of the Dons, had developed an offensive formation, the Phelan Spread, in an effort to better utilize star passing tailback Glenn Dobbs. Dobbs, the AAFC’s MVP in 1946 with Brooklyn, had come to Los Angeles in a celebrated trade early in the ’47 season and was a disappointment. Further efforts had been made to revamp the team, which was caught in a struggle with the NFL’s Rams for fan support and revenue, and new players included rookies Herm Wedemeyer, a halfback out of St. Mary’s of California, and end Len Ford from Michigan. LA had a 4-2 record coming into the game, having won their previous two contests.

The visiting Colts, coached by Cecil Isbell, had been 2-11-1 in ’47 but were improved, most notably thanks to the performance of rookie QB Y.A. Tittle out of LSU. They routed the New York Yankees, who had dominated the Eastern Division in each of the AAFC’s first two seasons, in the opening game in which Tittle threw four scoring passes and beat them again two games later, but were 3-3 following a 56-14 loss to the 49ers the previous week.

There was a crowd of 40,019 in attendance on a Friday night at the LA Memorial Coliseum. HB Bill Reinhard scored first by intercepting a deflected Tittle pass and running it back for a 10-yard touchdown.

In the second quarter, and with the ball on the one foot line on a drive helped along by a pass interference penalty, Dobbs surprised the Colts by throwing for a touchdown to end Joe Aguirre, who was all alone in the end zone. Down 14-0, Tittle threw a touchdown pass of 40 yards to end Lamar Davis to make the score 14-7 at halftime. LA’s defensive line, featuring Ford and tackle Butch Levy, dominated for much of the first half – but the tables would turn in the second half.

Wedemeyer and FB John Kimbrough both were injured early, hurting LA’s offense, but then the Colts suffered a blow when Tittle was lost to an injury in the third quarter. Charley O’Rourke, formerly a quarterback for the Dons, entered the game for Baltimore.

O’Rourke engineered a drive that led to a 26-yard TD pass to end Windell Williams that tied the game at 14-14 going into the final period. From there, the Colts proceeded to dominate the fourth quarter.

HB Billy Hillenbrand put Baltimore ahead with a one-yard run and Rex Grossman (grandfather of the modern NFL quarterback of the same name) extended the lead to 24-14 with a 23-yard field goal. The defense added a safety when Dobbs was tackled in his end zone. Grossman kicked his second field goal, from 20 yards, and the Colts came away with a convincing 29-14 win.

Baltimore rolled up 438 total yards and 19 first downs, to 235 yards and 9 first downs for the Dons. FB Buzz Mertes, another ex-Don, led a running game for the Colts that accounted for 169 of that yardage total. Tittle and O’Rourke combined for 269 net passing yards.


The Colts defensive line put heavy pressure on Dobbs, already hurting from an injured hip, who was sacked for a total of 91 yards in losses, including the safety. Dobbs completed just 10 of 28 passes for 173 yards.

Baltimore lost its next three games, all on the road, but won three of the last four and, while that meant finishing with a 7-7 record, it was enough to put the Colts in a tie atop the mediocre Eastern Division with the Buffalo Bills; they lost the resulting playoff. The Dons remained an inconsistent team and also ended up at 7-7 which, in the tough Western Division, meant third place.

Y.A. Tittle ended up as the third-ranked passer in the AAFC and was also third with 2522 passing yards. His 16 TD passes tied for fourth with Buffalo’s George Ratterman, and he also ranked fourth in attempts (289) and completions (161). He threw just nine interceptions. It was a promising start to a Hall of Fame career.

Glenn Dobbs led the league in pass attempts (369) and completions (185), was third in touchdown passes (21), and fourth in passing yards (2403). However, his 20 interceptions placed second. The versatile Dobbs also led the team in rushing with 539 yards on 91 carries (5.9 avg.) and was the AAFC’s top punter with a 49.1 average.

Rex Grossman led the league in field goals with 10, out of 18 attempts. Billy Hillenbrand, who put the Colts ahead to stay against the Dons, accumulated 2067 all-purpose yards, including 510 by rushing and an AAFC-leading 970 yards on his 50 pass receptions. LA’s Len Ford was outstanding on both sides of the ball and caught 31 passes for 598 yards (19.3 avg.) and seven touchdowns. While he performed well again on offense in 1949, with the demise of the league he joined the Cleveland Browns in the NFL and was used exclusively on defense in an outstanding career that was honored, like Tittle’s, with enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

MVP Profile: Pete Retzlaff, 1965

Tight End, Philadelphia Eagles



Age: 34
10th season in pro football & with Eagles
College: South Dakota State
Height: 6’1” Weight: 214

Prelude:
A star small-college running back, Retzlaff was taken by the Detroit Lions in the 22nd round of the 1953 draft. He never saw regular season action with the Lions, as he served in the military for the next two years and then was cut during the 1956 preseason and signed by the Eagles. Buried on the depth chart at halfback for the next two seasons, he was converted into a receiver at the suggestion of QB Norm Van Brocklin and quickly blossomed, co-leading the NFL (along with Baltimore’s Raymond Berry) with 56 catches in 1958 and being selected to the Pro Bowl. “Pistol Pete” was named to the Pro Bowl following the Eagles’ championship season in 1960 as well. After missing much of 1962 with a broken arm, he was converted to tight end and made the Pro Bowl at that position in 1963 and ’64, catching 57 passes for 895 yards and 51 for 855 yards, respectively, with a total of 12 touchdowns.

1965 Season Summary
Appeared in all 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 66 [3]
Most receptions, game – 9 (for 148 yds.) at St. Louis 11/28
Yards – 1190 [2]
Most yards, game - 204 (on 7 catches) vs. Washington 11/14
Average gain – 18.0 [8]
TDs – 10 [3, tied with Jimmy Orr & Gary Collins]
200-yard receiving games - 1
100-yard receiving games - 5

Scoring
TDs – 10 [6, tied with Jimmy Orr & Gary Collins]
Points – 60 [16, tied with Jimmy Orr & Gary Collins]

Awards & Honors:
NFL Player of the Year: Bert Bell Award
1st team All-NFL: AP, NEA, UPI, NY Daily News
1st team All-Eastern Conference: Sporting News
Pro Bowl

Eagles went 5-9 to tie for fifth place with Washington in the NFL Eastern Conference, although they scored more points (363) than they surrendered (359) and ranked second in the league in total yards (5012) and passing offense (3188 yards).

Aftermath:
Retzlaff played one more season, catching 40 passes for 653 yards and six TDs in 1966, before retiring. Overall, he had 452 catches for 7412 yards (16.4 avg.) and 47 touchdowns. His #44 was retired by the Eagles, and he later became the team’s General Manager.

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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).

[Updated 2/13/14]