1949: Conerly & Roberts Star as Giants Down Packers

The NFL game on November 13, 1949 at Green Bay’s City Stadium featured the Packers (2-5), in what would be their last season under head coach and founder Curly Lambeau, and New York Giants (4-3), a rebuilding club under long-time Head Coach Steve Owen.

The Giants featured second-year QB Charlie Conerly and HB Gene “Choo-Choo” Roberts (pictured above) on offense. Roberts, a good receiver out of the backfield as well as rusher, had a 200-yard receiving performance three weeks earlier (201 on four catches, three of them for TDs, against the Bears).

Green Bay came into the contest as the lowest-scoring team in pro football, averaging just 9.9 points per game. Beyond star HB Tony Canadeo, there wasn’t much talent. The passing game, with Jug Girard and rookie Stan Heath seeing most of the action at quarterback, was dreadful. It was a far cry from the days of Arnie Herber and Cecil Isbell shredding defenses with throws to Don Hutson.

There were 20,151 in attendance at the small venue. Late in the first quarter, the Giants started off the scoring when Conerly threw a pass to Roberts that traveled 20 yards in the air and the third-year halfback ran the remaining 25 for a 45-yard touchdown. Shortly thereafter, LB Don Ettinger intercepted a pass by Heath at the Green Bay 20. The result was a 41-yard Ben Agajanian field goal.

Down 10-0 in the second quarter, the Packers got into the game with a 27-yard field goal by Ted Fritsch and the score remained 10-3 at halftime. However, the Giants took control of the contest with two touchdowns in the third quarter.

In their first possession of the second half, Conerly threw to Roberts for a 44-yard touchdown. The next was set up when tackle Bill Austin recovered a fumble at the Green Bay 32. Again it was Roberts scoring a TD on a Conerly pass, this time from ten yards out.

Visibility was poor late in the game and the lights were turned on. The Packers finally scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter when HB Ralph Earhart returned a punt 57 yards. But end Bill Swiacki added another TD for the Giants, pulling in Conerly’s pass over the heads of two defenders for a 24-yard score. The extra point attempt failed, but it didn’t matter. New York won handily by a final tally of 30-10.

While New York’s edge in first downs was only 19 to 17, the Giants significantly outgained the Packers by 451 yards to 288. Most of New York’s yardage came through the air (352 net passing yards to 99 rushing yards) while Green Bay’s was more evenly distributed (137 rushing, 151 passing). And while the Giants turned the ball over five times, the Packers suffered six turnovers.


Charlie Conerly completed 15 of 29 throws for 345 yards with four touchdown passes, although three were intercepted. Gene Roberts had another two hundred-yard receiving performance as he gained 212 on 7 catches with three TDs. For the Packers, Tony Canadeo ran for 71 yards on 14 carries.

The Giants lost three of their last four games to finish at 6-6 and in third place in the Eastern Division. Green Bay lost all of its remaining contests and ended up at the bottom of the Western Division with a 2-10 record. The team was suffering financially as well as organizationally, and it was a sad end to the Lambeau era for the Packers.

Gene Roberts had an extraordinary season. In addition to becoming the first running back to twice gain 200 receiving yards in a single season, he ranked fourth in rushing in the NFL with 634 yards on 152 carries and nine touchdowns and also placed fourth with his 711 yards on 35 pass receptions that included another eight TDs. His 17 touchdowns and 102 points led the league (the scoring total was tied by Pat Harder of the Cardinals). Roberts also led the NFL with 1345 yards from scrimmage. It was all part of a productive four-season career with the Giants that peaked in 1949 and ’50, and ended abruptly when Roberts jumped to Canada in 1951 and played with Montreal and Ottawa for another four years.

Charlie Conerly played for the Giants far longer (until 1961). In 1949, he ranked third in passing yards (2138) and touchdown passes (17, tied with Bob Waterfield of the Rams), although he also ranked third by tossing 20 interceptions.

Green Bay’s Tony Canadeo (pictured below) had an outstanding season with a bad team as he rushed for 1052 yards on 208 carries for a 5.1-yard average and four TDs. The 30-year-old, in his eighth year out of Gonzaga, ranked second in rushing to Philadelphia’s Steve Van Buren and thus became the first NFL player to rush for a thousand yards in a season without leading the league.

2006: Parker Runs for 213 Yards as Steelers Beat Brees & Saints

The Week 10 matchup on November 12, 2006 at Heinz Field featured two teams whose fortunes were moving in opposite directions from the prior season. The Pittsburgh Steelers, coached by Bill Cowher, were the defending league champions, but had thus far compiled a less-than-august 2-6 record. QB Ben Roethlisberger, who played so well in his first two years, suffered both an offseason motorcycle accident and appendectomy and was now more tentative and mistake-prone. The offensive line was having difficulty with both run blocking and pass protection, but the defense was still sound. Fundamentally, the Steelers still had the key players in place from the Super Bowl-winning club of 2005, but had yet to play up to their potential in ‘06.

The New Orleans Saints had suffered through a dismal 2005. Following the devastation of the Crescent City by Hurricane Katrina just prior to the start of the season, rendering the Louisiana Superdome in need of significant repair, the Saints were forced to play the entire schedule on the road. The result was a 3-13 disaster. In the offseason, they gained a new head coach in Sean Payton and a new quarterback in free agent Drew Brees, previously of the Chargers. A rejuvenated franchise back in its refurbished home stadium, New Orleans won the first three games of the ’06 season to equal its total of the year before and was 6-2 and the talk of the NFL coming into Pittsburgh.

The Steelers struck first, having been galvanized by an emotional team meeting prior to the game in which several veterans spoke up. Following a 40-yard opening kickoff return by RB Najeh Davenport, they took six plays to reach the end zone as Roethlisberger connected with WR Hines Ward for a 37-yard touchdown. Two plays into the following possession, Brees completed a pass to TE Billy Miller, who fumbled when hit by LB James Farrior. DE Brett Keisel recovered for the Steelers, giving them possession at the New Orleans 29.

Pittsburgh made the most of the opportunity. With RB Willie Parker (pictured above) running and Roethlisberger completing a pair of short passes, the Steelers advanced to the two yard line, and from there the quarterback known as “Big Ben” threw to TE Heath Miller for a TD and 14-0 lead.

The Saints came back with a long drive that covered 52 yards in 12 plays, following a 43-yard kickoff return by WR Michael Lewis. New Orleans converted four third downs along the way, including one on a 22-yard pass play from Brees to WR Terrance Copper in a third-and-11 situation, and another pass to Copper for a three-yard touchdown on a third-and-goal play. The score was 14-7 after one quarter.

Following a Pittsburgh punt, the Saints put together another 12-play scoring drive, this one covering 78 yards. Brees completed a 27-yard pass to WR Marques Colston along the way, and the same combination came together to convert a fourth-and-two situation at the Steelers’ 26 with a 10-yard gain. John Carney booted a 20-yard field goal to finish off the possession and Pittsburgh’s lead was cut to 14-10.

After another short possession by the Steelers, the Saints drove 71 yards in eight plays. Brees passed to Colston for a 28-yard gain on a third-and-ten play that moved the ball to the Pittsburgh 32. A 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty set up a 15-yard touchdown run by RB Reggie Bush, after taking a handoff from Colston on a double reverse.

It was now 17-14 in favor of New Orleans with 2:22 on the clock in the first half. Passing out of the shotgun formation, Roethlisberger completed three passes, including one to WR Santonio Holmes that gained 46 yards to the Saints’ 13. Jeff Reed kicked a 32-yard field goal and the score was tied at 17-17.

There was still time remaining, and now it was Brees firing out of the shotgun formation with two completions for 33 yards to get into Pittsburgh territory at the 39. A long pass to Colston gained 29 yards, and RB Deuce McAllister ran for a four-yard TD on a broken play that put the Saints back ahead at 24-17 at halftime.

New Orleans had the first possession of the second half and punted, giving the Steelers the ball at their own nine yard line. They put together a good drive, with Parker running three times for 26 yards and catching two passes. Roethlisberger completed a pass down the middle to WR Nate Washington that gained 22 yards on a third-and-ten play and had another 22-yard throw to Miller. However, after the drive stalled at the New Orleans 18, Reed was wide on a 35-yard field goal attempt.

The Steelers got the ball back quickly. On the Saints’ second play, Bush fumbled and FS Ryan Clark recovered for Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger wasted no time as he immediately went to the air and tossed a 38-yard touchdown pass to WR Cedrick Wilson. With the extra point, the game was once again tied at 24-24.

Brees came out throwing when the Saints regained possession. After McAllister ran for three yards, the quarterback threw to Bush for 13 yards and then to Copper for 32. But after advancing to the Pittsburgh 14, Carney missed from 32 yards out on a field goal attempt and the score remained knotted.

Roethlisberger was sacked on Pittsburgh’s next play, but the Steelers got all that back and much more when Parker burst through the line for a 72-yard gain to the New Orleans 14. Parker started the fourth quarter off with a three-yard touchdown run, and Pittsburgh was back in front by 31-24.

The Saints again made it into Steelers territory on their next possession, but punted into the end zone after reaching the 39. On Pittsburgh’s second play, it was Parker making another big run as he carried the ball around right end, this time for a 76-yard gain to the New Orleans four. The third-year running back ran it in for a TD from there on the next play, and it was a 38-24 game.

With almost ten minutes to play, the Saints were far from done. Brees threw to RB Aaron Stecker for 48 yards and followed up by connecting with Colston for 13 more to the Pittsburgh eight yard line. McAllister ran for another four-yard touchdown and it was again a one-touchdown game.

The Steelers crossed midfield and had to punt on their next possession. Starting at their 19, the Saints moved methodically down the field as Brees completed short passes. They converted two third downs, but Copper fumbled the ball away after gaining 20 yards to the Pittsburgh 25 in a third-and-ten situation with under a minute remaining on the clock, and the Steelers held on for a 38-31 win.

Pittsburgh was weakened in the defensive backfield during the course of the game due to concussions suffered by star SS Troy Polamalu and CB Deshea Townsend and the Saints had more total yards (513 to 467) and first downs (29 to 19). However, New Orleans suffered three costly turnovers, to none by the Steelers.

Willie Parker was the star of the game as he rushed for 213 yards on 22 carries that included the two touchdowns set up by his long runs. Ben Roethlisberger completed 17 of 28 passes for 264 yards with three TDs and none intercepted. Hines Ward was the leading receiver with 5 catches for 86 yards and a score.


Drew Brees had another productive passing game as he went to the air 47 times and completed 31 for 398 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Marques Colston (pictured at right) caught 10 passes for 169 yards and Terrance Copper added 92 yards on his 6 receptions that included a TD. Deuce McAllister led the running game with 49 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown and Reggie Bush contributed 10 attempts for 49 yards and a TD on the ground and 7 catches for 40 yards as a receiver out of the backfield.

“We had three turnovers, and that can't happen,” Drew Brees said in summing up afterward. “The defense gave up a couple of big plays. That can't happen. Special teams gave them good field position. That can't happen. If eliminate one of those, we should have been able to fight back.”

It was a big win for the Steelers and turned around their season – they won five of their last seven games, and while it was too much ground to make up to have a shot at making the playoffs and defending their title, they finished at a respectable 8-8 for third place in the AFC North. New Orleans lost again the next week to the Bengals but went on to win the NFC South with a 10-6 record and advanced to the NFC Championship game before succumbing to the Bears.

Willie Parker gained a career-high 1494 yards rushing on 337 carries with 13 touchdowns. He also scored three times as part of his 31 pass receptions and his 16 TDs overall tied for third in the NFL. Parker was named to the Pro Bowl.

Ben Roethlisberger led the league by throwing 23 interceptions and was also sacked 46 times. Still, he ranked seventh in the NFL by throwing for 3513 yards and averaging 7.5 yards per attempt and fourth with 12.5 yards per completion. Drew Brees (pictured below) had a big year, leading the league in passing yards (4418) and ranking third with 26 touchdown passes, a passer rating of 96.2, and 8.0 yards per attempt.

1985: Elway & Broncos Beat 49ers in Game of Kicking Miscues

The San Francisco 49ers had been the champions of the 1984 NFL season, but were off to a slow start in ’85. They were 3-4 following back-to-back losses to the Bears and Lions, but then defeated the Rams and Eagles to enter the November 11 contest against the Denver Broncos with a 5-4 record. Head Coach Bill Walsh’s team had problems on defense, but still had QB Joe Montana and a fine group of receivers that was augmented by rookie WR Jerry Rice, plus versatile third-year FB Roger Craig.

Denver, under Head Coach Dan Reeves, was 6-3 and coming off a division-winning season in ’84. QB John Elway (pictured above), in his third year out of Stanford, was a rising talent and the key to an offense that lacked a dominating running game. The defense contained another emerging star in LB Karl Mecklenburg, as well as DE Rulon Jones and SS Dennis Smith.

It was a cold, foggy Monday night at Mile High Stadium. Early in the game, the Broncos achieved good field position when San Francisco’s Max Runager shanked a punt that traveled only a yard. They didn’t take advantage right away, going three-and-out on their first possession, but they were also winning the battle for field position as the teams punted back and forth.

Getting the ball at the 49ers’ 37 following another Runager punt, Denver took eight plays to score as Elway threw to RB Gene Lang for a three-yard touchdown. The clubs again traded punts, but LB Ron Ferrari partially blocked a kick by Denver’s Chris Norman, giving the 49ers the ball at the Denver 40.

Montana immediately passed to TE John Frank for 14 yards and carries by running backs Derrick Harmon and Roger Craig gained 18 more. On the first play of the second quarter, Ray Wersching kicked a 26-yard field goal that made the score 7-3.

After trading punts once again, Elway threw to TE James Wright for nine yards and then followed up on a flea-flicker with a pass to rookie WR Vance Johnson that gained 50 yards to the San Francisco eight yard line. Three plays later, Elway found WR Steve Watson in the end zone for a touchdown and 11-point lead.

On their next possession, the Broncos went three-and-out and suffered another miscue on a punt as Norman was unable to get the kick away after fielding a high snap and was tackled for an 11-yard loss that gave the Niners first-and-goal on the Denver four yard line. Harmon gained two yards up the middle, but Montana threw two incomplete passes and, electing to go for it on fourth-and-two, Craig was stopped short on a one-yard run.

Taking over at their one, the Broncos drove to their 27 before having to punt just after the two minute warning. The 49ers regained possession at their 39 and Montana threw to Rice for a 33-yard gain to the Denver 28. Craig ran the ball four times for 26 yards, including eight yards in a fourth-and-one situation at the 19 and nine yards to the one on third-and-ten.

With 17 seconds left in the half, the 49ers lined up to attempt the short field goal. But just before the snap, a snowball sailed out of the stands and landed in front of holder Matt Cavanaugh, the backup quarterback. The distracted Cavanaugh bobbled the snap and had to abort the three-point try. His pass into the end zone falling incomplete, Denver remained in front by a score of 14-3 at the intermission.

The 49ers rallied in the second half. In their first play of the third quarter, following a Denver punt, Montana threw to WR Mike Wilson for a 44-yard gain. Craig ran the ball twice, and then Wilson caught another pass, this one for 13 yards and a touchdown. With the extra point, it was now a four-point game.

Following the kickoff, Elway went to the air and was intercepted by CB Ronnie Lott, and with an 18-yard return the 49ers had possession at the Denver 40. Craig gained 24 yards on four carries and Harmon ran twice for 11 yards as San Francisco stuck to the ground to advance to the six yard line. From there, Wersching kicked a 22-yard field goal and Denver’s margin was down to one point at 14-13.

The Niners attempted an onside kick that failed to go the required distance and, the element of surprise gone, kicked away. Starting at their 34, the Broncos got a first down thanks to two Elway passes and, faced with a third-and-ten situation, the quarterback took off on a 12-yard run to keep the drive going. A 16-yard completion to TE Clarence Kay and an 18-yard run by Lang gave Denver a first-and-goal at the San Francisco 9. RB Gerald Willhite ran for six yards, but then was held to no gain on his next attempt. A third consecutive carry was good for two yards to the Niners’ one. The Broncos elected to go for it on fourth-and-one, but RB Sammy Winder was stopped for no gain and they came up empty as the 49ers produced a goal line stand of their own and took over on downs.

With the third quarter running down, the Niners gained nothing in three plays and punted, giving Denver good field position at the San Francisco 45. On the last play of the period, Elway connected with Johnson for 14 yards. However, the Broncos were unable to advance beyond the 49ers’ 31 and a 48-yard field goal attempt by Karlis was wide to the left.

The teams traded punts twice each. From his own 37, Montana threw to Craig for 13 yards and Rice for 16 to the Denver 34. Four plays later, Wersching’s 45-yard field goal put the 49ers ahead for the first time at 16-14 with 3:46 to go.

Denver countered with a 63-yard drive that included a 42-yard pass interference call on FS Dwight Hicks. On third-and-ten at the San Francisco 31, Elway scrambled away from a blitzing Lott and, sprinting to his right, fired a 22-yard pass completion to Watson. It set up a 24-yard Karlis field goal by for the winning points with 1:27 to play. The Broncos won by a score of 17-16.

The statistics reflected the closeness of the score. The 49ers barely outgained Denver by 341 yards to 336, while the Broncos had the edge in first downs, 18 to 16. There was just one turnover (by Denver) and five penalties were called (three for 57 yards on the 49ers, two for 14 yards on Denver).


Neither quarterback completed half of his passes. John Elway was successful on 20 of 42 throws for 215 yards with two touchdowns and one intercepted. Vance Johnson (pictured at right) had 6 catches for 92 yards while Steve Watson contributed 5 receptions for 61 yards and a TD. Sammy Winder led the ground game with 51 yards on 18 carries.

For San Francisco, Joe Montana went to the air 40 times and completed 17 for 222 yards and a touchdown. Roger Craig ran for 117 yards on 22 attempts and added 21 more yards on three catches. Jerry Rice caught 4 passes for 67 yards.

Failures and oddities pertaining to the kicking game for both teams played a role in the outcome. Regarding the critical botched field goal attempt at the end of the first half, Matt Cavanaugh said, “I saw the snowball. It broke my concentration. I'm not sure if I got the ball back up in time to kick it, but there must not have been time because Ray decided not to kick it.”

Referee Jim Tunney saw the offending snowball but could do nothing about it other than confer with security. “Cooperation was excellent by security,” said Tunney. “There were virtually no snowballs thrown during the second half…We had no recourse in terms of a foul or to call it on the home team or the fans. There's nothing in the rule book that allows us to do that…There is no way you can construe unsportsmanlike conduct on a snowball incident like that.”

Denver won four of its last six games to finish at 11-5 and second in the AFC West. Tiebreakers kept the Broncos from qualifying for a wild card spot, however (the Jets and Patriots had the same record). The 49ers did make the playoffs as they rallied to win five of their last six to place second in the NFC West at 10-6. They lost to the Giants in the Wild Card round.

John Elway threw the most passes in the NFL during the season (605) and placed second in completions (327), yards (3891) and, on the downside, interceptions (23). He tossed 22 touchdown passes and the win over the 49ers was one of six game-winning drives that he engineered.

Joe Montana led the league in completion percentage (61.3) and ranked third in passing (91.3 rating). He threw for 3653 yards with 27 TDs and 13 interceptions and was chosen for the Pro Bowl for the fourth time. Roger Craig also earned Pro Bowl recognition as he became the first player in NFL history to gain a thousand yards both rushing and pass receiving in the same season. He ran for 1050 yards on 214 carries and added 1016 yards on a league-leading 92 catches. Craig totaled 2066 yards and scored 15 touchdowns.

MVP Profile: Joe Perry, 1954

Fullback, San Francisco 49ers



Age: 27
7th season in pro football & with 49ers, 5th in NFL
College: Compton Junior College
Height: 6’0” Weight: 210

Prelude:
Perry was a raw talent when he joined the 49ers, then of the AAFC, in 1948, having played just one season of high school football and two in junior college (one in which he scored 22 touchdowns) before military service prevented him from advancing to a major college program. He was discovered by the 49ers while playing for the Alameda Naval Air Station team and shared the fullback position with Norm Standlee as a rookie. An in-between runner who lacked inside power and outside finesse, his speed allowed him to lead the league in TDs (10) while averaging 7.3 yards per attempt on 77 carries (and earned him the nickname “The Jet”). In 1949, he became the starting fullback and led the AAFC with 783 yards, 6.8 yards per carry, and 8 TDs on the ground. He continued to perform well as the 49ers moved to the NFL, averaging 5.2 and 5.0 yards per carry in 1950 and ’51 and being used effectively on screen passes. In 1952, he was selected to the Pro Bowl and in ’53, led the league with 192 rushing attempts for 1018 yards and 10 TDs, as well as 1209 yards from scrimmage.

1954 Season Summary
Appeared in all 12 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 173 [1]
Most attempts, game - 23 (for 100 yds.) at Green Bay
Yards – 1049 [1]
Most yards, game – 137 yards (on 20 carries) vs. Green Bay
Average gain – 6.1 [3]
TDs – 8 [3, tied with Tank Younger, Tobin Rote & Otto Graham]
100-yard rushing games – 5

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 26
Yards – 203
Average gain – 7.8
TDs – 0

Passing
Pass attempts – 1
Pass completions – 1
Passing yards – 34
TD passes – 0
Interceptions – 0

Kicking
Field goals – 1 [17, tied with Ralph Felton, Jim Martin & Bob Carey]
Field goal attempts – 3 [18]
Percentage – 33.3
PATs – 6 [16]
PAT attempts – 7 [16]
Longest field goal – 14 yards at LA Rams 10/3

Scoring
TDs – 8 [8, tied with seven others]
Field Goals – 1
PATs – 6
Points – 57 [10]

All-purpose yards – 1252 [2]

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: UPI
1st team All-NFL: AP, UPI, NY Daily News, Sporting News
Pro Bowl

49ers went 7-4-1 to finish third in the Western Conference while leading the NFL in rushing (2498 yards).

Aftermath:
After back-to-back thousand-yard seasons, Perry didn’t reach that level again but still gained over 700 yards twice and 600 on three occasions in San Francisco before being benched in 1960 as the team sought to retool with younger players. Traded to the Baltimore Colts in 1961, he ran for 675 yards and caught a career-high 34 passes at age 34. He lasted one more year with the Colts before returning to the 49ers as a backup in 1963, his last season. Perry became the NFL’s career rushing leader in 1958, but was surpassed by Jim Brown in ’63. He ended up rushing for 8378 yards in the NFL and 9723 overall while averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Perry's #34 was retired by the 49ers and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1969.

--

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]

1975: Bert Jones Rallies Colts Past O.J. Simpson & Bills

After getting off to a 1-4 start in the 1975 NFL season, the Baltimore Colts had won two straight games. For the once-proud franchise that had most recently suffered through three straight losing seasons, including a miserable 2-12 in ’74, it was a sign of improvement under new Head Coach Ted Marchibroda. On November 9 they were at Buffalo to take on the division-rival Bills at Rich Stadium.

The Bills, coached by Lou Saban in his second stint with the team, had been 9-5 in each of the previous two years and started off fast by winning their first four games in ’75 (including one at Baltimore) before losing twice. Still, they were 5-2 and very much in contention. The key to the offense was star RB O.J. Simpson behind an outstanding line, but third-year QB Joe Ferguson was on the rise and had good wide receivers in Bob Chandler and J.D. Hill. However, Buffalo’s once-formidable defensive backfield had been decimated by injuries.

Buffalo’s defense took a further hit when CB Ike Harrison reinjured a groin pull in the first quarter and sat out the rest of the game. However, it didn’t seem to be a matter of immediate concern when Simpson ran 44 yards for a touchdown that gave the Bills a 7-0 lead after a quarter of play.

Buffalo poured it on in the second quarter, and Simpson was having a big day as he scored on pass plays that covered 22 and 32 yards. The home team was up by 21-0 and appeared to be in control.

The Colts, led by third-year QB Bert Jones (pictured above), struck quickly to get back into the game. First, Jones threw to WR Glenn Doughty for a 63-yard gain. Following a running play, Jones passed to all-purpose HB Lydell Mitchell for a nine-yard TD. The Bills came back, however, and Ferguson threw a scoring pass to Chandler that covered 19 yards and stretched their lead to 28-7.

With 2:28 left in the first half and facing a fourth-and-two situation, the Colts lined up for a field goal attempt, but holder Marty Domres, the backup quarterback, faked and threw a 15-yard TD pass to FB Bill Olds.

Baltimore’s defense kept Buffalo to a short possession and the Colts got the ball back once more before the half. Jones threw a bomb to fleet WR Roger Carr for an 89-yard touchdown and it was a 28-21 tally going into halftime.

There was no scoring during the third quarter, but on the fourth play of the fourth quarter, Mitchell scored from 11 yards out to cap a five-play, 72-yard drive for the Colts. With Toni Linhart’s extra point, the game was now tied at 28-28. It didn’t stay that way long as LB Stan White intercepted a Ferguson pass to give Baltimore the ball at the Buffalo 23 and two plays later the mobile Jones ran 19 yards for the go-ahead TD.

Late in the game, QB Gary Marangi came in for the injured Ferguson, who suffered a concussion, and was intercepted by CB Lloyd Mumphord at the Buffalo 41 - he returned the pickoff to the 13. Two plays later, Mitchell ran for a 12-yard touchdown with just over three minutes on the clock, effectively putting the game away for the Colts.

Buffalo scored once more as Marangi threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Chandler with 1:38 to go, but that was it. Baltimore came away with a 42-35 win.

The Colts outgained the Bills (498 yards to 418) and had more first downs (25 to 20). Both offenses were effective rushing as well as passing – Baltimore gained 299 net yards through the air and 199 on the ground while Buffalo rolled up 179 yards on the ground and 239 through the air. Each team turned the ball over three times and was penalized on seven occasions. The Colts recorded four sacks while Jones was dumped twice by the Bills.


Bert Jones completed 14 of 22 passes for 306 yards with two touchdowns and one interception; he also ran the ball 9 times for 59 yards and a TD. Lydell Mitchell (pictured at right) had 27 carries for 112 yards and two scores and also had 4 pass receptions for 25 yards and another touchdown. Glenn Doughty caught 3 passes for 102 yards and Roger Carr, thanks to the long scoring reception, gained 136 yards on just two catches.

O.J. Simpson ran for 123 yards on 19 carries with one TD, but 105 of those yards came in the first half as the Colts held him to 18 yards on 5 attempts in the second half; he also caught three passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Joe Ferguson went to the air 21 times and had 12 completions for 234 yards and three touchdowns, with one intercepted. In relief, Gary Marangi was successful on just two of 10 pass attempts for 33 yards with a TD and one picked off. Bob Chandler had 7 catches for 118 yards and two scores.

“I think we were too concerned with stopping O.J. Simpson in the first half,” said Ted Marchibroda afterward. “The best thing you can do is just go out and play football. We kept our poise and our line started coming off the ball.”

“I’ve never been that far behind,” added Bert Jones. “Twenty-one points is a long way to come.”

“At this stage we're just too crippled to play pass defense,” Coach Lou Saban said from Buffalo’s perspective. “When Ike (Harrison) went out today we knew we were in trouble. We're scoring 35 to 40 points a game and we're having a heck of a time.”

The Colts won all the rest of their games to close out the regular season with a 10-4 record, placing them at the top of the AFC East. The run came to an end in the Divisional round of the playoffs with a loss to Pittsburgh. Buffalo ended up third in the division at 8-6.

Bert Jones was the third-ranked passer in the NFL (89.1 rating) as he threw for 2483 yards and 18 touchdowns with just 8 interceptions. His 2.3 interception percentage was best in the league.

Joe Ferguson led the AFC in TD passes (25), which also tied him for the NFL lead with Minnesota’s Fran Tarkenton. He had the highest percentage of scoring passes (7.8) and threw for 2426 yards with 17 interceptions.


Following the game against the Colts, O.J. Simpson (pictured at left) had 1128 yards rushing, and he went on to lead the NFL for the third time in four years with 1817 yards on 329 carries with 16 touchdowns. He also scored 7 TDs on pass receptions and led the league with 23 touchdowns (the NFL record at the time) and 138 points.

Lydell Mitchell ran the ball 289 times for 1193 yards, to rank third in the NFL, and was second (tied with Reggie Rucker of the Browns) with 60 pass receptions, for 544 yards. He was fourth with 15 touchdowns (11 rushing, 4 receiving) and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

1987: Cardinals Pull Off 28-Point Fourth Quarter Rally to Beat Bucs

The Cardinals team that hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 8, 1987 was already a lame duck franchise in St. Louis, and there were just 22,449 fans in attendance at Busch Stadium. Owner Bill Bidwill, frustrated in efforts to gain a new, larger stadium for the team to play in, made it clear that he was looking to relocate in 1988.

It had been dismal, particularly in a year that featured a players’ strike and the use of replacement players for three games. The Cardinals, coached by Gene Stallings, were 2-5 and had lost their previous three contests (the replacement players went 1-2). The passing game was proficient with QB Neil Lomax (pictured above), WR J.T. Smith, and rookie TE Robert Awalt. But the defense did not rush opposing passers particularly well and was prone to giving up big plays.

Tampa Bay was 4-3 (2-1 with replacement players) and seemed to be moving in the right direction under Head Coach Ray Perkins. While Vinny Testaverde, in his second year after being the first overall draft pick, was the quarterback-in-waiting, veteran Steve DeBerg was still the quarterback of the present. FB James Wilder was productive as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield. While the defense was improved, especially at linebacker, there were problems at safety.

The Cardinals had the ball first and drove to the Tampa Bay 21 yard line, but Jim Gallery’s 38-yard field goal attempt was no good. The Buccaneers punted following their initial possession, but got the ball back when Lomax was intercepted by CB Rod Jones. With good starting field position at the St. Louis 49, they scored in six plays that were highlighted by a 32-yard gain on a DeBerg pass to Wilder. DeBerg threw to WR Mark Carrier for a five-yard touchdown and the Bucs were ahead by 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Cardinals started off the second quarter with another drive into Tampa Bay territory that featured Lomax completions of 15 yards to Smith and 24 yards to Awalt. However, after driving down to the seven yard line, an errant pitchout by Lomax to RB Stump Mitchell was recovered by LB Ervin Randle for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers made the most of the break, driving 92 yards in 15 plays that ate up over six minutes. DeBerg completed passes for 25 yards to WR Gerald Carter on a third-and-ten play, 16 yards to WR Bruce Hill, and to Wilder for 17 yards that was further helped along by a facemask penalty on the Cardinals. A three-yard scoring pass to Carter finished it off and gave Tampa Bay a 14-0 lead.

With five minutes left in the first half, the Cardinals engineered a 14-play drive of their own. Lomax twice threw to J.T. Smith, for a total of 24 yards, and twice to Awalt for 21. Gallery was successful on a 31-yard field goal attempt and the score was 14-3 at halftime.

Tampa Bay started off the second half with another long scoring possession of 80 yards in 12 plays. DeBerg completed a 34-yard touchdown pass to RB Jeff Smith and the Bucs were ahead by 21-3. Following a St. Louis punt, Tampa Bay methodically drove to another TD. This time it was 12 plays and 75 yards that included four pass completions by DeBerg and a 16-yard run by Wilder down to the St. Louis three. From there, Smith ran in for the score and the Buccaneers had a seemingly-comfortable 28-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The third quarter ended with the Cardinals converting a fourth-and-one with a three-yard carry up the middle by Mitchell. Four plays later, Lomax threw to Mitchell for a 39-yard gain to the Tampa Bay four and immediately followed up with a touchdown pass to Awalt. Still, the Bucs held a formidable 28-10 lead.

On the second play of the ensuing series, Wilder fumbled and LB Niko Noga recovered and returned it 24 yards for a TD. The margin was narrowed to 28-17. The Bucs had a short possession that, with a holding penalty and three-yard loss on a carry by RB Bobby Howard, moved backward to their own 13. Frank Garcia’s 37-yard punt was returned eight yards by RB Vai Sikahema to give the Cardinals excellent field position at the Tampa Bay 39. While a holding penalty moved the ball back, the ensuing five-play series included four pass completions by Lomax, three of them to Awalt for 36 yards and one to J.T. Smith for 11 yards and a touchdown. Gallery’s extra point made it a four-point game as Tampa Bay’s once-large lead was now just 28-24, and there were still just over eight minutes left to play.

The Buccaneers, helped by a personal foul penalty on CB Mark Jackson of the Cardinals, got near midfield on their next possession but the offense again quickly stalled. Garcia’s punt carried into the end zone for a touchback, giving St. Louis the ball on its 20.

Mitchell ran the ball twice for 11 yards. After an incompletion, Lomax threw to WR Don Holmes for 23 yards and then to Awalt for 27 more to the Tampa Bay 19. Three plays later, Lomax connected with Smith for a 17-yard TD and, with another Gallery PAT, the Cardinals had an improbable three-point lead thanks to four fourth-quarter touchdowns.

There were just under two minutes remaining on the clock and the reeling Buccaneers came out throwing. Starting at his eight yard line, DeBerg completed three passes for 23 yards, missed on two, but converted a fourth-and-three with a three yard throw to Jeff Smith. Three plays later, DeBerg connected with Carter for 25 yards and then six yards to Smith to get the ball to the St. Louis 35. However, on the game’s final play, Donald Igwebuike missed a 53-yard field goal attempt and the Cardinals came away with a stunning 31-28 win. It was the greatest fourth quarter comeback in NFL history.

St. Louis outgained the Buccaneers, 415 yards to 377, while both teams generated 26 first downs apiece. Tampa Bay actually had more net passing yards (294 to 278) but was less effective at running the ball (83 yards on 33 attempts to 137 yards on 31 carries for the Cardinals). The Bucs also had more sacks (four to one, with two of them by LB Chris Washington) and fewer turnovers (one to two) and penalties (8 to 11). However, the one turnover led directly to a score during the big St. Louis comeback, and combined with the inability to maintain possession and stop the Cardinals when they had the ball, it proved fatal during the fourth quarter.

Neil Lomax completed 25 of 36 passes for 314 yards with three touchdowns (all, of course, in the fourth quarter) and one intercepted. Robert Awalt (pictured below) caught 9 passes for 124 yards and a TD and J.T. Smith was right behind with 8 receptions for 96 yards and the last two all-important touchdowns. Stump Mitchell rushed for 79 yards on 17 carries and also caught 4 passes for 58 more yards.


For Tampa Bay, Steve DeBerg was successful on 23 of 37 throws for 303 yards with three TDs and had none intercepted. James Wilder rushed for 49 yards on 11 attempts and caught 6 passes for 87 yards. Jeff Smith was right behind in the rushing department with 48 yards on 19 carries; he also caught three passes for 43 yards and a TD. Gerald Carter had 6 receptions for 82 yards and a score.

The dramatic game had a significant effect on the performance of both teams thereafter. The previously-lackluster Cardinals lost a close contest to the Rams the next week, but they won four of their last six contests (including another win over Tampa Bay) to nearly qualify for the postseason. While a final-game loss to the Cowboys ended their playoff hopes, their record was 7-8, respectable considering the poor start, for a third-place finish in the NFC East. It was something of a fitting climax to the franchise’s 28-year existence in St. Louis – the club moved to the Phoenix area for 1988.

As for the Buccaneers, a season of promise degraded into disaster. The loss to the Cardinals was the first of eight straight to close out the year. The final tally was 4-11, putting them at the bottom of the NFC Central along with Detroit.

Neil Lomax led the NFL in pass attempts (463), completions (275), and yards (3387) and ranked third in touchdown passes (24) and fifth in passing (88.5 rating). However, he also placed third by being sacked 48 times. Lomax was selected to the Pro Bowl.

J.T. Smith (pictured below) led the league in both pass receptions (91) and yards (1117) while scoring 8 touchdowns, although he was bypassed for postseason honors. Robert Awalt received Rookie of the Year honors from UPI and The Sporting News thanks to his 42 catches for 526 yards and six TDs.

1943: Giants and Lions Play to NFL’s Last Scoreless Tie

In this day and age, the possibility of a National Football League game ending in a scoreless tie is highly unlikely. While there have been weather-affected 3-0 contests, rules changes over the years that have encouraged scoring make it far more difficult for one team to completely whitewash an opponent, let alone both teams in a contest. In addition, the instituting in 1974 of an overtime period if teams finish in a dead heat after four quarters makes ties of any sort rare.

The last scoreless tie in the NFL occurred on November 7, 1943 in a game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. The Lions were hosting the New York Giants before a crowd of 16,992 fans on a rainy day in muddy conditions.

Detroit, coached by Gus Dorais, had a 3-4 record coming into the contest and had lost its last two games. Considering the Lions were 0-11 the previous year, it was still a big improvement. Rookie tailback Frank Sinkwich, the Heisman Trophy winner out of Georgia, spruced up the passing game and was a good runner, too. The line that already contained center Alex Wojciechowicz and tackle Augie Lio was further strengthened by the addition of guard Riley Matheson, on loan from the Rams who were taking a one-year hiatus due to World War II.

The Giants, under long-time Head Coach Steve Owen, had a 2-2 record. Rookie FB Bill Paschal and wingback Ward Cuff provided solid running and the line was anchored by 34-year-old center Mel Hein (pictured at top) and second-year tackle Al Blozis. However, they were hindered by the loss of Paschal for most of the game due to an ankle injury - he got into the contest for the last few plays.

Neither team got inside the other’s 15 yard line. New York made it into Detroit territory once, in the third quarter. Hein intercepted a pass by blocking back Bill Callihan and returned it 31 yards to the Detroit 20. The Giants got a further boost when an offside penalty moved the ball to the 15. But on fourth down, Cuff’s field goal attempt was wide.

Augie Lio had three field goal attempts for the Lions. The first two failures were from 32 and 42 yards. In the fourth quarter, Detroit got the ball on the New York 31 after a 14-yard punt return by Sinkwich. The Lions ran three times to get a first down, but the drive stalled and Lio missed in his third try for a field goal.

Detroit generated a total of 130 yards of offense, to 84 for the Giants. Most of the yardage came on the ground – the Lions completed 5 of 12 passes for 28 yards while New York went to the air just four times with one completion for a net three yards. Detroit was more successful running the ball, too, with 102 yards on 37 attempts (2.8 avg.) to 81 yards on 40 combined carries (2.0 avg.) for New York. The Lions also had the edge in first downs, 6 to 3.


The game was remarkably turnover-free. Hein’s interception was the only pickoff of the game for either team and there were no turnovers by fumble. Frank Sinkwich (pictured at left) had three quick-kick punts that were all longer than 50 yards in the first half. He also ran the ball 16 times for 46 yards. Ward Cuff led both teams by rushing for 53 yards on 12 carries.

The next week, the Giants were devastated by the Bears, 56-7, giving up a league-record 682 yards as QB Sid Luckman also set an individual mark with seven TD passes. They recovered to win their last four games and finished tied with Washington atop the Eastern Division with a 6-3-1 record. However, they lost to the Redskins in the resulting playoff by a 28-0 score – certainly a fitting end to an up-and-down season for the Giants, who had beaten Washington in two straight games to force the tie. Detroit ended up at 3-6-1, a distant third in the Western Division.