MVP Profile: Marshall Faulk, 2000

Running Back, St. Louis Rams



Age: 27
7th season in pro football, 2nd with Rams
College: San Diego State
Height: 5’10” Weight: 211

Prelude:
Taken in the first round of the 1994 NFL draft (second overall) by the Indianapolis Colts, Faulk had a Rookie of the Year season with 1282 rushing yards and 52 catches for 522 more, establishing himself as an outstanding combination runner/receiver. He was selected to the Pro Bowl as well and was chosen again following a 1995 performance in which he rushed for 1078 yards and had 56 catches. Injuries, and a subpar offensive line, reduced his production significantly in 1996 and he ran for 1054 yards and caught 47 passes for a 3-13 team in ’97. Faulk returned to Pro Bowl form in 1998 as he rushed for 1319 yards and gained 908 yards on 86 pass receptions to lead the NFL with 2227 yards from scrimmage. He was traded to the Rams in the offseason for two draft picks and in 1999 became the key to a championship offense as he again led the league in yards from scrimmage (2429) with 1381 on the ground and 1048 through the air on 87 catches. Faulk thus became the second running back to gain a thousand yards both rushing and receiving in a season and, in addition to being chosen to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time, was a consensus first-team All-Pro.

2000 Season Summary
Appeared and started in 14 of 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 253 [19]
Most attempts, game - 32 (for 220 yds.) at New Orleans 12/24
Yards – 1359 [8]
Most yards, game – 220 yards (on 32 carries) at New Orleans 12/24
Average gain – 5.4 [3]
TDs – 18 [1]
200-yard rushing games – 2
100-yard rushing games – 4

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 81 [16, tied with Larry Centers]
Most receptions, game – 9 (for 85 yds.) at Seattle 9/10, (for 88 yds.) vs. Washington 11/20
Yards – 830
Most yards, game - 116 (on 6 catches) vs. San Diego 10/1
Average gain – 10.2
TDs – 8 [11, tied with six others]
100-yard receiving games – 2

Kickoff Returns
Returns – 1
Yards – 18
Average per return – 18.0
TDs – 0

All-Purpose Yards – 2207 [4]

Scoring
TDs – 26 [1]
Points – 160 [1]

The 26 touchdowns set a then-NFL single-season record.

Postseason: 1 G (NFC Wild Card playoff at New Orleans)
Rushing attempts – 14
Rushing yards – 24
Average gain rushing – 1.7
Rushing TDs – 0

Pass receptions – 7
Pass receiving yards - 99
Average yards per reception – 14.1
Pass Receiving TDs - 1

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

Rams went 10-6 to finish second in the NFC West and qualify for the postseason as a wild card while leading the NFL in total yards (7075), passing yards (5232), points scored (540), and touchdowns (67). Lost NFC Wild Card playoff to New Orleans Saints (31-28).

Aftermath:
Faulk maintained his outstanding consistency for the Rams in 2001 as he rushed for a career-high 1382 yards (leading the league in yards-per-carry for the third straight year) and caught 83 passes for 765 yards while again leading the NFL with 21 TDs. He again received MVP recognition while also garnering first-team All-Pro honors for the third consecutive year and gaining another Pro Bowl selection. The Rams, still an offensive powerhouse, won the NFC Championship but were upset in the Super Bowl by the Patriots. Faulk had one last Pro Bowl season in ’02 (his 7th overall), but injuries and accumulated wear-and-tear were reducing his production. While he played until 2005, he never again gained over a thousand yards rushing or two thousand yards from scrimmage. For his career, he rushed for 12,279 yards and 100 touchdowns and caught 767 passes for 6875 yards and another 36 TDs. At the time, his 19,190 total yards ranked sixth all-time and 136 TDs placed fourth. Faulk was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2011.

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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 2/12/14]

1991: Redskins Rally from 13 Points Down to Beat Giants, Stay Undefeated

The NFC East showdown on October 27, 1991 at Giants Stadium featured the host New York Giants against the undefeated (7-0) Washington Redskins, who were coming off their bye week. Under Head Coach Joe Gibbs, the Redskins’ offense was led by previously-unheralded QB Mark Rypien behind an outstanding line. The running game, which featured veterans Earnest Byner and Gerald Riggs and rookie Ricky Ervins, was solid and Rypien had good wide receivers to throw to in Art Monk, Gary Clark (pictured above), and Ricky Sanders.

Washington had lost six straight games to the Giants coming into the showdown in the Meadowlands, and New York had won the Super Bowl the previous year. However, Head Coach Bill Parcells departed in the offseason, and the team was struggling under his successor Ray Handley. Star QB Phil Simms had been lost to injury late in the ’90 season and backup Jeff Hostetler was behind center the rest of the way. There was competition between the two in the preseason, and Handley benched Simms in favor of Hostetler, who showed promise but had difficulty getting the ball in the end zone. The once-formidable defense led by LB Lawrence Taylor was beginning to show its age, and the Giants were at 4-3 as they hosted the Redskins.

It looked as though New York’s domination of the Redskins would continue as the Giants scored on three of their first four possessions, although they twice ended up going for three points in situations that could easily have produced touchdowns. First, they had to settle for a 23-yard Raul Allegre field goal when Hostetler overthrew RB Rodney Hampton, who was open at the Washington one yard line. The next drive ended in a TD on a Hampton run from a yard out. But in the second quarter, the Giants lost out on a first down inside the Washington five when FB Maurice Carthon was penalized for unnecessary roughness. Once again, the result was an Allegre field goal, this time from 36 yards, and New York led by 13-0 at halftime.

The Giants outgained the Redskins in the first half by 207 yards to 35. Washington ran only 15 plays, held the ball for just over eight minutes, and never penetrated into New York territory.

Washington finally got into Giants territory for the first time with 5:36 left in the third quarter, and from that point the Redskins dominated the remainder of the game. They scored their first touchdown after controlling the ball on an 84-yard drive consisting of 20 plays that consumed almost nine minutes. The Redskins finished off the possession with a seven-yard TD pass from Rypien to Gary Clark.

After a short possession by the Giants, which ended with Hampton being tackled for a six-yard loss on a third-and-one play at the New York 29, the Redskins got the ball back. In a third-and-12 situation, Clark got behind CB Everson Walls to catch a Rypien pass for a 54-yard touchdown at just over two minutes into the fourth quarter.

Another punt by the Giants led to another time-consuming drive by Washington, with Ricky Ervins running the ball effectively. The 14-play, 62-yard possession culminated in Chip Lohmiller’s 35-yard field goal with 51 seconds left that clinched the 17-13 win for the Redskins.

Just as the Giants had dominated the first half, so Washington controlled the second. The Redskins converted nine straight third downs, six in the 20-play drive that led to the initial score, and accumulated 239 total yards. It was the Giants with just 18 plays and three first downs in the second half.

When the two halves were put together, the Giants had more total yards (271 to 254) while Washington had the edge in first downs (16 to 15). Neither team’s defense sacked the other’s quarterback and each suffered just one turnover. Even the penalties were even at five apiece.

Ricky Ervins carried the ball 20 times for 82 yards, all in the second half (the veteran Earnest Byner was held to 11 yards on 10 carries). Mark Rypien completed 12 of 25 passes for 159 yards with two touchdowns and one intercepted. Gary Clark was the most prominent receiver with three catches for 70 yards and both Washington TDs.


For the Giants, Jeff Hostetler was successful on 14 of 21 throws for 137 yards with no touchdowns and one picked off. Rodney Hampton (pictured at right) gained 83 yards on 21 carries that included a TD and also caught 6 passes for 39 yards. WR Stephen Baker (“The Touchdown Maker”) gained 77 yards on three pass receptions.

It was the first time the Redskins were ever 8-0 in franchise history. They eventually ran the string to 11-0 before losing to Dallas and ended up atop the NFC East with a 14-2 record. The winning continued on to the Super Bowl, a 37-24 dismantling of the Buffalo Bills. Meanwhile, the defending-champion Giants failed to qualify for the postseason. They ended up with a disappointing 8-8 record to place fourth in the division.

Mark Rypien had a career year, passing for 3564 yards with 28 touchdowns as opposed to 11 interceptions and earning selection to the Pro Bowl. Ricky Ervins (pictured below) saw increasingly more action as the year progressed and ran for 680 yards on 145 carries (4.7 avg.). Gary Clark caught 70 passes for 1340 yards (19.1 avg.) and 10 touchdowns, also earning a trip to the Pro Bowl.

Until knocked out of action with a back injury twelve games into the season, Jeff Hostetler completed 62.8 % of his passes for 2032 yards and only four interceptions, but with just five TDs. Rodney Hampton was a bright spot on the offense with 1059 yards rushing and 43 catches out of the backfield.

1980: Third Quarter Surge Keys Dallas Win Over Chargers

The Dallas Cowboys were 5-2 and a game behind the Eagles in the NFC East (a team they had lost a closely-fought contest to the week before) as they took on the San Diego Chargers (also 5-2) at Texas Stadium on October 26, 1980.

The Cowboys, in their 21st season under Head Coach Tom Landry, were a club that had regularly contended since the mid-60s. Star QB Roger Staubach retired following the 1979 season, however, and 28-year-old Danny White (pictured at right), who had been the backup for the previous four years after coming to Dallas from the World Football League, was now the starting quarterback. He was also still the team’s punter, which would be a factor in the game against San Diego.

The Chargers, coached by Don Coryell, featured an explosive offense directed by QB Dan Fouts and included wide receivers John Jefferson and Charlie Joiner and tight end Kellen Winslow. RB Chuck Muncie had been obtained from the Saints in September to bolster the suspect running game. The underrated defense featured an outstanding pass rush.

There were 60,639 fans in attendance as Muncie returned the opening kickoff to the San Diego 41. Fouts threw two completions to Jefferson, of 9 and 17 yards, and Rolf Benirschke kicked a 45-yard field goal to give the Chargers the early 3-0 lead. The Cowboys responded by advancing to the San Diego 23, with White connecting with WR Butch Johnson for a 19-yard gain along the way. However, Rafael Septien was wide to the left on a 45-yard field goal attempt.

Late in the first quarter, Fouts was intercepted by CB Steve Wilson, who returned it 35 yards. The Cowboys went the remaining 35 yards in four plays, with White throwing to TE Billy Joe DuPree for a 15-yard gain and RB Ron Springs, in place of the injured Tony Dorsett, running in for a four-yard touchdown.

In the second quarter, Jefferson scored on an odd play when a pass from Fouts intended for Joiner bounced off the receiver’s hands, hit the defender Wilson in the helmet, and was caught on the carom by Jefferson at the Dallas 47. Jefferson continued on untouched to complete the 58-yard scoring play and San Diego regained the lead at 10-7.

Shortly thereafter, White lobbed a pass toward RB James Jones that was intercepted by San Diego LB Woodrow Lowe, who returned it 15 yards for a touchdown. The Chargers were up by ten points at 17-7. The Cowboys responded with a 12-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by a White scoring pass covering 17 yards to Johnson with just under three minutes left in the half.

San Diego came right back with a five-play possession that included a Fouts pass to Joiner for 33 yards to the Dallas nine and a TD pass to Winslow. The Chargers got one last scoring opportunity before halftime when SS Pete Shaw recovered a fumble by DuPree at the Dallas 40. But on the last play of the half, Benirschke missed a 46-yard field goal attempt. San Diego held a 24-14 lead at the intermission.

The Cowboys came back decisively, scoring three touchdowns in an 8:15 span of the third quarter. Jones returned the second half kickoff 38 yards and Springs had two ten-yard runs and a 12-yard pass reception. White’s 13-yard pass to TE Jay Saldi got the ball to the ten, and rookie FB Tim Newsome finished off the drive with a one-yard scoring plunge.

Dallas regained the ball and White, who had run for a first down on a fake punt during the first half, did so again following a high snap to gain 12 yards and keep another drive going – with a further 15 yards tacked on for good measure thanks to a penalty on the Chargers for a late hit. White proceeded to throw to WR Tony Hill for a 24-yard gain and the revived possession ended once again with a one-yard run by Newsome. Dallas now had the lead at 28-24.

The third touchdown of the period for Dallas came on a 12-yard pass play from White to Saldi, and the Cowboys were up by a 35-24 margin going into the final quarter.

Any comeback hopes for San Diego were ruined by sloppy play as Fouts was intercepted three times in the fourth quarter and also fumbled the ball away. The Chargers scored just one touchdown in the second half, and it was inconsequential with 1:41 to play as Fouts threw to Winslow from three yards out. Dallas had already scored once again, on a nine-yard touchdown pass from White to DuPree, and the Cowboys won handily, 42-31.

The Chargers outgained Dallas by 449 yards to 425, most of that coming on passes while the Cowboys, even without Dorsett, ran for 198 yards. Dallas also led in first downs, 29 to 21. But San Diego was undone by seven turnovers, to just two given up by the Cowboys. Dallas also had a huge advantage in time of possession (41:52 to 18:08), effectively keeping the ball away from San Diego’s high-powered offense.

Danny White, in addition to completing 22 of 34 passes for 260 yards with three touchdowns against one interception, also twice ran for first downs from punt formation, with a 19-yard gain in the first half and the 12-yard carry in the third quarter that led to the go-ahead TD. He ended up running for 39 yards on six attempts. Billy Joe DuPree (pictured below) caught 5 passes for 45 yards and a TD, although White’s passes were well distributed to nine different receivers. Ron Springs gained 61 yards on 13 carries that included a score.


For the Chargers, Dan Fouts went to the air 44 times and completed 21 of those passes for 371 yards with three TDs but also four interceptions. John Jefferson caught 8 of those throws for 160 yards and a touchdown and Kellen Winslow added 110 yards on 5 receptions with two TDs. Chuck Muncie ran for 71 yards on 11 carries but also fumbled the ball away twice.

“Danny White is just super,” said San Diego’s Coach Coryell. “His scrambling and his making the big plays were the difference. Then on those two runs he made off the punts, well, they were great plays.”

“Neither of White's running plays on punting downs was called,” explained Tom Landry. “Whenever he runs with it, it is his own doing.”

“The runs from punt formation are never planned,” said White. “I did it the first time because their contain men turned their backs. The second time the snap was a little high. I thought it might be blocked and took a few steps to punt, then saw an opening. I know that had to be discouraging to their defense.”

The win allowed the Cowboys to keep pace with Philadelphia in the division race and they finished with the same record as the Eagles at 12-4, but placed second due to the net points tiebreaker. Dallas defeated the Rams handily in the Wild Card playoff and then came from behind to beat Atlanta in the Divisional round, but lost to the Eagles in the NFC Championship game. San Diego went 6-2 the rest of the way to win the AFC West with an 11-5 record, beating Buffalo in the Divisional playoff but losing to Oakland in the AFC title game.

Danny White threw for 3287 yards and ranked fifth in the league with 28 touchdown passes, although he also tied for third (with Green Bay’s Lynn Dickey) with 25 interceptions.

Dan Fouts led the NFL in pass attempts (589), completions (348), and yards (4715). He was one behind the leader in touchdown passes with 30, as opposed to 24 interceptions, and was also second with 8.0 yards per attempt. John Jefferson and Kellen Winslow placed first and second in pass receiving yards, with 1340 and 1290, respectively (Charlie Joiner was fourth with 1132 yards on 71 catches). Winslow led the league with 89 receptions while Jefferson caught 82. All three receivers were consensus first-team All-NFL selections and were named to the Pro Bowl, along with Fouts.

1992: “One-Yard War” Allows Eagles to Hold Off Cards in 7-3 Win

The Philadelphia Eagles were 4-2 as they hosted the lowly Phoenix Cardinals at Veterans Stadium on October 25, 1992. Much was expected of the Eagles under second-year Head Coach Rich Kotite. The star-studded defense that was anchored by future Hall of Fame DE Reggie White had been superb in 1991, and was equally adept against both the run and pass. However, star QB Randall Cunningham had been lost to a season-ending knee injury in the first week of the ’91 season, and the offense struggled. The team barely missed the playoffs, and with Cunningham back and joined by free agent RB Herschel Walker, the Eagles were considered to be Super Bowl contenders. The death of star DT Jerome Brown in an offseason car accident had been the one key loss on the defensive unit that had originally been built by Kotite’s predecessor, Buddy Ryan, and was now ably directed by defensive coordinator Bud Carson.

Philadelphia started strong in ’92 with four straight wins, including one by a 31-14 margin at Phoenix, but had lost the previous two games coming into the contest against the Cards. The Cardinals, meanwhile, had endured seven straight losing seasons, appeared well on the way to an eighth, and were frustrating the fans in Arizona, where the franchise had relocated in 1988. Coached by Joe Bugel for the third year, they had a decent passing game operated by QB Chris Chandler, but a mediocre running attack. The defense ranked near the bottom of the league.

There were 64,676 fans in attendance at The Vet on a typical partly-cloudy autumn afternoon in Philadelphia. The Cardinals had first possession and punted, and the Eagles drove to the Phoenix 29 with the key play being a Cunningham pass to WR Vai Sikahema for 19 yards in a third-and-four situation. However, Roger Ruzek’s 46-yard field goal attempt was wide and the game was still scoreless after a quarter.

Philadelphia had the ball heading into the second quarter and again drove into Phoenix territory as Cunningham completed a pass to WR Fred Barnett for 16 yards and two to WR Calvin Williams that gained 25. The Eagles failed to convert a fourth-and-one at the Cards’ 24, but they got the ball back on the next play when Chandler threw to FB Larry Centers, who gained 11 yards but fumbled. LB Seth Joyner recovered at the 50, and Philadelphia scored four plays later when Cunningham completed a pass to Williams for a 40-yard touchdown.

The Cardinals responded by driving into Eagles territory, with Chandler throwing to RB Johnny Bailey for a 34-yard gain to the Philadelphia 41 yard line. Getting down to the 27, Chandler passed to WR Randal Hill in a third-and-eight situation, and while Hill gained 13 yards, he fumbled when hit by CB Otis Smith and SS Rich Miano recovered at the one yard line.

It looked like trouble for the Eagles two plays later, however, when a long Cunningham pass was intercepted by CB Aeneas Williams, who returned it 23 yards. The Cardinals had a first down at the Philadelphia three with 3:33 left in the first half, and the visitors were well-positioned to possibly tie the score.

Coach Bugel had been a longtime offensive line coach and his inclination up close to the goal line was to run at the defense – even one as strong as Philadelphia’s, which had not allowed a rushing touchdown thus far in the season. On first down, Bailey gained two yards down to the one. With second-and-goal, Chandler tried a quarterback sneak but was pushed backward and, when he attempted to reach the ball over the goal line, it was slapped out of his hand and recovered by DT Mike Pitts. However, the celebration was cut short when LB Britt Hager was penalized for jumping offside, nullifying the play.

The Cards had dodged a bullet and not only still had a second down but were a half-yard closer to the end zone. They went back to Bailey, who gained nothing as DT Mike Golic and MLB Byron Evans knocked him backward for the loss of a half yard. On third-and-one, Bailey was again stopped – and again, Hager was flagged for being offside. The ball was advanced a half-yard and with another third down play, Chandler again tried to sneak it in. He gained nothing, but the Eagles were penalized once more for being offside – this time, the offender was the other outside linebacker, William Thomas.

While officially there was no gain for Phoenix, the ball was moved half the distance, which meant that the Cardinals still had a third down play, this time from a quarter-of-a-yard. With the home fans in a frenzy and the Eagles defense fired up, Phoenix again sent Bailey toward the line, who dove and was hit hard and repelled by Evans.

There were no flags this time, and it was now fourth-and-goal, with the ball moved back to the one. Coach Bugel called a timeout, but there was no question that the Cardinals would go for it – and that it would be a running play into the line. With the stadium rocking, Bailey took the handoff and headed toward right tackle, directly at Reggie White, who pushed the lead blocker backward and, along with Hager, stopped the play for no gain. Seven plays, six of them from the one yard line or closer, had come up empty. The Eagles, having won what came to be referred to as “The One-Yard War”, ran out the clock and went into halftime with a 7-0 lead.

The rest of the game was anticlimactic. On their first possession of the third quarter, the Cardinals got to the Philadelphia six, but Greg Davis missed a 24-yard field goal attempt. Midway through the period, Ruzek missed for a second time for the Eagles, this time from 42 yards.

Timm Rosenbach replaced Chandler at quarterback for Phoenix, and in the first minute of the fourth quarter, Davis got the Cards on the board with a 34-yard field goal, but that was it. The Eagles recovered a fumble at the Cards’ 26, but any chance to add to the lead ended when Cunningham was sacked for a 15-yard loss on a third-and-20 play that put them out of field goal range. Phoenix responded with a 14-play drive that got to the Philadelphia 22 but came up empty when Rosenbach threw two straight incomplete passes to turn the ball over on downs. The Eagles came away with a hard-fought 7-3 win.


The Cardinals actually outgained Philadelphia (253 yards to 247) and had the edge in first downs (13 to 11). They hurt themselves by turning the ball over four times – and not being able to take advantage of scoring opportunities. As for the Eagles, Cunningham was sacked five times and they had just 84 net passing yards as the offense slumped badly. Philadelphia was also penalized 13 times, as opposed to four flags thrown on the Cards.

Randall Cunningham was successful on just 9 of 20 passes for 121 yards with the lone touchdown and one interception; he also ran for 20 yards on five carries. Herschel Walker had a good day on the ground as he gained 112 yards on 20 attempts. Calvin Williams and Vai Sikahema both caught three passes, with Williams gaining 65 yards and scoring a TD (Sikahema, better known for his abilities as a kick returner, gained 31 yards).

For the Cardinals, Chris Chandler completed 8 of 16 throws for 118 yards with an interception while Timm Rosenbach went 6 of 13 for 45 yards. Johnny Bailey, who had such difficulty in the goal-line stand, was the top ground gainer with 55 yards on 14 carries and also caught three passes for 53 yards. Randal Hill had 5 receptions for 76 yards.

The Eagles remained an inconsistent club through the middle of the season, but won their last four games to finish in second place in the NFC East with an 11-5 record; they qualified for a wild card berth in the postseason and beat the Saints in the first round before losing to division-rival Dallas at the Divisional level. Phoenix won its next two games but only one more thereafter to end up at the bottom of the division with a 4-12 tally.

The Philadelphia defense, missing Jerome Brown and suffering some injuries during the year, didn’t rank as high as in 1991, but was still formidable (fifth vs. the run, 12th against the pass, sixth overall). It would begin to fall apart in the offseason, most notably with the departure of Reggie White through free agency, and over the next few years other key players would follow.

1964: Bills Surge from Behind in Fourth Quarter to Beat Jets

The Buffalo Bills were undefeated at 6-0 as they hosted the New York Jets in an American Football League game on October 24, 1964. In their third season under Head Coach Lou Saban, Buffalo had a ball-control offense featuring the running of FB Cookie Gilchrist and the passing of QB Jack Kemp, who was frequently relieved by second-year backup Daryle Lamonica (pictured above) if the offense was bogging down or needed a change of pace. Another weapon, rookie Pete Gogolak, added to the team’s scoring potential with his then-unique soccer-style placekicking. The defense was the league’s best across the board.

The Jets were in their second season under the guidance of Head Coach Weeb Ewbank. The refurbished club was benefiting at the gate, having moved into the new Shea Stadium at Flushing Meadows. Rookie FB Matt Snell was Gilchrist’s rival for the AFL rushing title and there were outstanding receivers for strong-armed but immobile QB Dick Wood to throw to in flanker Don Maynard and split end Bake Turner. New York had played one less game than the Bills thus far and brought a 3-1-1 record into the game.

There were 39,621 fans present at War Memorial Stadium for the Saturday night contest. They saw the visitors score first as Wood threw to Turner for a seven-yard touchdown. Gogolak cut that to 7-3 in the second quarter with a 12-yard field goal, but New York responded with another TD, again on a pass by Wood - this time to Maynard from 12 yards out. The Bills cut New York’s lead with less than two minutes remaining in the half as Kemp connected with fleet flanker Elbert “Golden Wheels” Dubenion on a 44-yard touchdown play. The score was 14-10 in favor of the Jets at halftime.

Less than two minutes into the third quarter, the Jets extended their margin when Wood threw to Maynard for a 15-yard TD. Six minutes later, Jim Turner added another three points with a nine-yard field goal, and it seemed as though an upset was in the making with New York ahead by a 24-10 score.

Lamonica came on in relief of Kemp and led the Bills on an 80-yard drive in six plays. On the final play of the third quarter, rookie HB Bobby Smith finished off the possession when he ran off tackle for a 13-yard touchdown. With the successful extra point, the tally stood at 24-17 entering the fourth quarter.

It was all Buffalo in the final period. The Bills defense completely shut down New York’s attack. Lamonica threw to Dubenion for a 44-yard TD that, with Gogolak’s successful conversion, evened the score at 24-24 with 7:44 to go. The Bills went ahead to stay less than four minutes later as Lamonica dove into the end zone to finish off a three-yard run. Gogolak concluded the scoring with a 31-yard field goal and the Bills came away with a 34-24 win to keep their record perfect for another week.

Buffalo outgained the Jets (527 yards to 245) and had more first downs (20 to 15). However, the Bills also turned the ball over three times, to none by New York. The Jets averaged just 2.3 yards per carry on the ground (66 yards on 29 attempts) while Buffalo gained 180 on 37 rushes (4.9 avg.). In the anticipated showdown between the AFL’s top two rushers, neither Cookie Gilchrist (15 carries for 27 yards) nor Matt Snell (28 yards on 12 attempts) was a factor.

Bobby Smith was the rushing star for Buffalo, gaining 98 yards on 12 carries with a TD, and was especially effective during the second-half comeback. Elbert Dubenion (pictured below) had a huge performance with 5 catches for 218 yards and two touchdowns. Jack Kemp completed 8 of 16 passes for 220 yards with a touchdown and an interception while Daryle Lamonica was successful on 4 of 11 throws for 127 yards, also with a TD and one picked off, in his fourth successful relief effort of the year.


For the Jets, Dick Wood went to the air 40 times and completed 16 for 183 yards with three touchdowns and none intercepted. While Matt Snell didn’t accomplish much running the ball, he caught a team-leading 6 passes, for 48 yards. Bake Turner gained 74 yards on his 5 pass receptions and Don Maynard added four for 53 yards and two scores. HB Bill Mathis topped the running game, such as it was, with 34 yards on 12 attempts.

The Bills ran their record to 9-0 before being beaten by the Patriots; as it was, they finished first in the Eastern Division with a 12-2 tally and defeated San Diego for the AFL Championship. The Jets, after the promising start, won the next week against the Patriots but then lost six of their last seven games (including the rematch with Buffalo at Shea Stadium) as injuries accrued (especially in the defensive backfield) to end up at 5-8-1 and third in the division.

The quarterback combination continued to be productive for the Bills. Jack Kemp led the AFL in yards per attempt (8.5) and yards per completion (19.2 – a full three yards better than runner-up Cotton Davidson of the Raiders). The savvy 29-year-old veteran threw for 2285 yards and 13 touchdowns, as well as 26 interceptions, and was named to the league’s All-Star Game. Daryle Lamonica completed 55 of 128 throws (43.0 %) for 1137 yards with six TDs against eight interceptions. He also ran for 289 yards and six touchdowns (Kemp, also mobile, gained 124 yards and scored five times).

Elbert Dubenion caught 42 passes for 1139 yards (a gaudy 27.1 average) and 10 touchdowns. Like Kemp, he was named an AFL All-Star. While Cookie Gilchrist was the league’s leading rusher (981 yards), Bobby Smith, as he showed against the Jets, was an able change-of-pace runner and averaged 4.9 yards-per-carry (306 yards on 62 attempts). Pete Gogolak paved the way for more soccer-style kickers as he booted 19 field goals in 29 attempts and placed second in scoring with 102 points.

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(NOTE TO READERS: Today's post marks the second anniversary of the launch of Today in Pro Football History. For regular readers, thank you, as always I hope you have enjoyed it and will continue to do so. For newcomers, I encourage you to take a look at the archived material. Feedback and suggestions are always welcome - there is an email link on my profile page.)

MVP Profile: John Elway, 1987

Quarterback, Denver Broncos


Age: 27
5th season in pro football & with Broncos
College: Stanford
Height: 6’3” Weight: 210

Prelude:
The top-rated quarterback prospect among a strong crop, Elway was the first overall choice in the 1983 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts. Balking at playing under the head coach of the Colts, Frank Kush, his rights were traded to the Broncos. An immensely talented athlete, Elway had an outstanding passing arm and mobility, but struggled during a rookie season in which he was put in the starting lineup too quickly. Improvement came steadily and he threw for 3891 yards with a league-leading 605 pass attempts in 1985 (although he also tossed a career-high 23 interceptions). He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time following the 1986 season, as he led the Broncos to an AFC Championship, although they lost the Super Bowl convincingly to the Giants.

1987 Season Summary
Appeared and started in 12 of 15 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 410 [6]
Most attempts, game – 48 at Green Bay 9/20
Completions – 224 [9]
Most completions, game – 30 at Green Bay 9/20
Yards – 3198 [4]
Most yards, game – 347 at San Diego 11/29
Completion percentage – 54.6
Yards per attempt – 7.8 [3]
TD passes – 19 [8, tied with Jim Kelly]
Most TD passes, game – 4 vs. Seattle 9/13
Interceptions – 12 [13, tied with Neil Lomax & Randall Cunningham]
Most interceptions, game – 3 at Green Bay 9/20
Passer rating – 83.4 [13]
300-yard passing games – 4
200-yard passing games – 10

Rushing
Attempts – 66
Most attempts, game - 11 (for 20 yds.) vs. Kansas City 12/19
Yards – 304
Most yards, game – 42 yards (on 4 carries) vs. Detroit 11/1
Yards per attempt – 4.6
TDs – 4

Punting
Punts – 1
Yards – 31
Average – 31.0
Punts blocked – 0

Scoring
TDs – 4
Points - 24

Postseason: 3 G
Pass attempts – 89
Most attempts, game - 38 vs. Washington, Super Bowl
Pass completions – 42
Most completions, game - 14 vs. Houston, AFC Divisional playoff, vs. Cleveland, AFC Championship, vs. Washington, Super Bowl
Passing yardage – 797
Most yards, game - 281 vs. Cleveland, AFC Championship
TD passes – 6
Most TD passes, game - 3 vs. Cleveland, AFC Championship
Interceptions – 5
Most interceptions, game - 3 vs. Washington, Super Bowl

Rushing attempts – 18
Most rushing attempts, game - 11 vs. Cleveland, AFC Championship
Rushing yards – 76
Most rushing yards, game - 36 vs. Cleveland, AFC Championship
Average gain rushing – 4.2
Rushing TDs – 1

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: AP
1st team All-NFL: NEA, Sporting News
2nd team All-NFL: AP
1st team All-AFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl

Broncos went 10-4-1 to finish first in the AFC West and as the top playoff seed in the conference while also leading the AFC in total yardage (5624) and passing yards (3654) in the strike-shortened season. Won AFC Divisional playoff over Houston Oilers (34-10) and AFC Championship over Cleveland Browns (38-33). Lost Super Bowl to Washington Redskins (42-10).

Aftermath:
The Broncos made a third trip to the Super Bowl in 1989, and Elway again was selected for the Pro Bowl, but it ended in another defeat. He and the Broncos finally achieved back-to-back NFL Championships in 1997 and ’98, his last two seasons. Along the way, he was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times (including each of his last three years). His most impressive statistical season was in 1993, as he led the NFL in pass attempts (551), completions (348), and yards (4030) – the last two were career highs – and had a passer rating of 92.8 (his best until a 93.0 achieved in his final year). Upon his retirement, Elway ranked second in career completions (4123) and yards (51,475) and third in TD passes (300). He also rushed for 3407 yards. His #7 was retired by the Broncos and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2004.

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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]

1939: Dodgers Defeat Eagles in First Televised NFL Game

Today, pro football on television is big business and a very big draw. Bringing the game to the viewing public had a huge effect on its growth, especially from the 1960s on. It got its start at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York on October 22, 1939 in a game between the host Brooklyn Dodgers and visiting Philadelphia Eagles. While there were 13,051 fans in attendance at the stadium, there were also two cameras and a crew of eight for the first televised pro football game (as opposed to a minimum of six cameras and a crew of some 200 for a telecast today).

Station W2XBS, forerunner of the NBC network, televised the contest with Allen “Skip” Walz handling the broadcasting. The production was largely an experiment and followed up the first college football telecast, between Fordham and Waynesburg, three weeks earlier. There were only about 1000 television sets in New York City (the telecast could also be seen on monitors at the RCA Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair) and the resolution of the small black-and-white picture was grainy. When clouds rolled in and decreased the available light, the quality suffered accordingly – to the point that the crew had to revert to a radio broadcast when it became too dark.

The matchup of teams was nothing special. The Dodgers, under Head Coach George “Potsy” Clark, were 2-2-1, including 0-2-1 in their last three games (there was a scoreless tie at Philadelphia). The Eagles, with owner Bert Bell also acting as head coach, had yet to win a contest and were 0-3-1.

In the first quarter, HB Ralph Kercheval intercepted a pass and returned it to the Philadelphia 30 yard line. The Dodgers gained two first downs thanks to the running of FB Pug Manders and tailback Ace Parker. Parker threw to end Perry Schwartz, who reached the eight. Two plays later, Manders bulled in for a touchdown.

The Eagles came back to tie the score thanks to a 44-yard drive in the second quarter. Diminutive rookie tailback Davey O’Brien (5’7”, 150), newly inserted into the lineup following the opening period, threw three completions and was helped by two penalties on the Dodgers. Rookie HB Fran Murray ran around end for a one-yard touchdown and Hank Reese converted.

In the third quarter, Kercheval put the Dodgers back in front with a 44-yard field goal. Shortly thereafter, Parker connected with Schwartz again for a 47-yard touchdown. Kercheval kicked two more field goals in short order in the fourth quarter, from 38 and 44 yards.


O’Brien provided some excitement in the final period as he threw to end Bill Hewitt (pictured at left) for a 22-yard TD to close out the scoring, but the result was a 23-14 win for Brooklyn.

Three players (Parker, end Waddy Young, and tackle Bruiser Kinard) played a full 60 minutes for the Dodgers. Brooklyn outgained the Eagles, 268 yards to 170, while each team had 10 first downs. Ralph Kercheval kicked three field goals in five attempts and added two extra points for Brooklyn. Pug Manders, moving from blocking back to fullback for the Dodgers, ran for 113 yards on 29 carries. Ace Parker was successful on 8 of his 19 throws for 116 yards and a touchdown. For the Eagles, Davey O’Brien completed 11 of 25 passes for 140 yards with a TD and one intercepted.

All of this occurred with broadcaster Walz adding his commentary (and often correctly forecasting Coach Clark’s calls) while sitting in a mezzanine seat along the railing with an iconoscope camera over his shoulder (the other camera, placed at field-level at the 50 didn’t work well and was little-used in the telecast).

“I did my own spotting, and when the play moved up and down the field on punts and kickoffs, I’d point to tell the cameraman what I’d be talking about,” said Walz later. “We also used hand signals for communication. Producer Burke Crotty was in the mobile unit truck, and he’d tell me over the headphones which camera he was using.”

For the most part, the players were unaware that they were being televised (Brooklyn FB Sam Francis said he noticed “a big trailer thing” parked outside the stadium), and the newspaper accounts didn’t mention it at all. The significance would come in retrospect, once television became a far more important medium and its role in the development of the sport more apparent.

Brooklyn went on to finish third in the Eastern Division with a 4-6-1 record. The Eagles ended up tied with Pittsburgh at the bottom at 1-9-1. And from the modest beginning broadcasting in obscurity to some 1000 people, pro football on television was watched by nearly 208 million viewers in 2010, with an average of almost 18 million per game and some 162.9 million for Super Bowl XLV.