Rookie of the Year: Joe Greene, 1969

Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers

Age: 23 (Sept. 24)

College: North Texas State

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 270

Prelude:

An All-American and considered the best college defensive line prospect available, even if comparatively unknown to most fans, “Mean Joe” was taken by the Steelers in the first round of the 1969 NFL draft (fourth overall). With his speed as well as strength, he quickly established himself as an outstanding pass rusher from the interior of the line.

1969 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – N/A

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

1^st team All-NFL: AP

2^nd team All-NFL: Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Steelers went 1-13 to finish fourth in the NFL Century Division.

Aftermath:

Greene’s outstanding rookie season was the first of eight straight, and ten overall, in which he was selected to the Pro Bowl and also the first of an eventual five in which he was a consensus first-team All-NFL choice while receiving at least some All-NFL or All-AFC recognition in four others. He was also chosen as NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press on two occasions, following the 1972 and ’74 seasons. Greene became the cornerstone of an outstanding defense that was one of the highest-ranked in the NFL over the course of most of the next decade and the Steelers won four NFL titles. Fast, strong, and agile, he had the ability to dominate games and provided outstanding emotional leadership. He played a total of 13 years, all with Pittsburgh, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1987.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

[Updated 2/4/14]

1970: Don McCafferty Becomes Head Coach of Colts

On April 6, 1970 owner Carroll Rosenbloom of the Baltimore Colts announced that Don McCafferty would succeed Don Shula, who had departed to become head coach and general manager of the Miami Dolphins, as the team’s head coach. The 49-year-old McCafferty was an offensive backfield coach who was elevated to succeed Shula after the team rejected 28 applications in all – a process that had taken six weeks. Reportedly, George Allen of the Rams had inquired and the Colts had reached out to successful college coaches Ara Parseghian of Notre Dame and Penn State’s Joe Paterno. McCafferty received a one-year contract, adding further to the sense that he was on shaky ground in succeeding Shula.

McCafferty played one season of pro football with the Giants in 1946 before going into coaching, starting at Kent State for ten years. He joined the Colts in 1959 under Weeb Ewbank as an offensive ends coach and scout. Tall and low-key, McCafferty was also considered to have a good mind for offense.

The team that McCafferty was inheriting was fundamentally sound, and was just two years removed from a NFL Championship – although it was marred by the upset loss to the AFL Champion New York Jets in the Super Bowl. Nevertheless, Shula revived a squad that had begun to slide after winning back-to-back titles under Ewbank in 1958 and ’59, and the record from 1963 to ’69 was 71-23-4 for a healthy .755 winning percentage and included two Western Conference titles and a tie for one other.

Still, there were causes of concern going into the 1970 season, the first with the AFL merged into the NFL and the Colts now part of a different conference and division. The team’s record had dropped from 13-1 in 1968 to 8-5-1 in ’69. QB Johnny Unitas was an all-time great but was also 37 years old and increasingly brittle. His backup, Earl Morrall, wasn’t much younger. WR Jimmy Orr was 35 and TE John Mackey was coming off knee surgery. While HB Tom Matte was capable, injuries had depleted the running backs in 1969, in particular FB Jerry Hill, and FB Norm Bulaich was taken in the first round of the draft.  The defense had also slipped, and there were concerns about the pass rush and the revamped linebacker corps that included Mike Curtis, moved from outside to middle linebacker, and Ted Hendricks, a converted defensive end.

Despite the doubts, the Colts topped the AFC East with an 11-2-1 record. Unitas stayed healthy and the wide receiving corps picked up veteran Roy Jefferson from the Steelers, whose presence helped young Eddie Hinton to find his stride – Hinton led the team with 47 catches for 733 yards (15.6 avg.) and five touchdowns and Jefferson contributed 44 receptions for 749 yards (17.0 avg.) and seven TDs. Mackey split the tight end duties with Tom Mitchell, also with good results – they combined for 48 catches. The running game was the offense’s weakness, not helped when Matte was lost for the year in the opening week, but Bulaich came along as the season progressed and led the club with 426 yards.

DE Bubba Smith finally achieved his potential and provided a strong pass rush. The linebacking corps came together impressively as Curtis excelled in the middle, Hendricks was outstanding, and Ray May played well at the other outside position. Safeties Rick Volk and Jerry Logan also were star performers in the defensive backfield. The special teams did their part as kickoff returner Jim Duncan led the league (35.4 avg.) and punt returner Ron Gardin was second in the conference (11.8). Punter David Lee had a typically solid year and rookie placekicker Jim O’Brien replaced the fading Lou Michaels and ended up making the winning field goal in the Super Bowl.

While there was muted praise for the Colts – they had not been a particularly dominating team throughout the season and won a Super Bowl notorious for sloppy play – still they had achieved a championship.

The defense of the NFL title appeared tenuous well before the 1971 season began when Unitas suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the offseason that was considered to be career-threatening. He did return, however, and eventually took over the starting job from Morrall as the Colts went 10-4 and finished second in the division, qualifying for the playoffs as a Wild Card entry and making it to the AFC Championship game, where they were dethroned by Shula’s up-and-coming Dolphins. The running game benefited from the return of Matte and continued improvement of Bulaich as well as the addition of rookies Don Nottingham and Don McCauley. But, paradoxically, the receiving corps declined badly. Thanks to a salary dispute, Jefferson was traded to Washington and Hinton’s performance dropped off significantly. Tom Mitchell ended up leading the team with 33 catches. The defense was still solid, however, and led the AFC in interceptions (28).

Big changes were about to come to the organization, starting with the owner Rosenbloom in effect trading franchises with Robert Irsay, who had just purchased the Rams. Irsay hired a new general manager, Joe Thomas, who began systematically dumping veterans from the roster. The team got off to a 1-4 start and McCafferty, who was unwilling to bench Unitas, was fired and replaced by assistant coach John Sandusky, who followed orders and installed the nondescript Marty Domres as the starting quarterback. Just two years removed from a championship season, McCafferty was gone and the Colts fell to 5-9.

The quiet McCafferty, who was referred to as “Easy Rider” by his players, ended up with a 22-10-1 regular season record with the Colts and was 4-1 in the playoffs. Easily overlooked with his unaffecting demeanor, he nevertheless had the respect of his players.

“He didn’t blow his own horn,” said Unitas years later. “He’d have all kinds of offensive stuff that he was very good with, but he never made any big deal out of it. He never went out and said he was an offensive genius or anything like that. He was just a quiet guy.”

McCafferty returned to NFL coaching with the Detroit Lions in 1973. They went 6-7-1 in that season but sadly, the following July, he died of a heart attack at the age of 53. 

1962: Bears Trade Ed Brown to Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers had gone through a disappointing 6-8 season in 1961. One of the problems had been the health of QB Bobby Layne, an all-time great and an outstanding leader but increasingly brittle. Head Coach Buddy Parker had expressed the desire to pick up another top quarterback and, on April 4, 1962, he did so.

Ed Brown was obtained from the Bears for a 1963 first-round pick and an unspecified player to be named. In a separate deal with Chicago, punter Bobby Joe Green was dealt to the Bears. The draft choice was used to take Dave Behrman, a center from Michigan State, who signed with Buffalo of the AFL.

Brown, at 33, had played seven seasons in the NFL and was 6’2” and 210 pounds. A proven quarterback, he was also a punter. Taken by the Bears in the sixth round of the 1952 NFL draft out of the University of San Francisco, where he had been part of the legendary undefeated team of 1951, he spent two years in the military before joining the club in 1954 and took over the starting job in ’55. He went to the Pro Bowl that year and again in 1956, when he also led the league in passing and the Bears topped the Western Conference. While his passing efficiency failed to remain at a high level (his completion percentage was under fifty percent in four of the next five seasons after his league-leading 57.1 in ’56), he had a strong arm and was considered among the best long passers in the NFL. Often splitting time with other quarterbacks (first George Blanda and then Zeke Bratkowski), Brown had lost his starting job to Bill Wade in 1961, a veteran obtained from the Rams.

“We got one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Brown,” said Buddy Parker. “Ed has a great arm and he has proven himself all during his career with the Bears. Parker added, perhaps as a spur to Layne, “Another thing about Brown is that he always stays in top condition and you know he’ll be ready when the season gets under way.”

It was Layne behind center for the most part during the ’62 season and the Steelers, after starting slowly, went 9-5 to finish second in the Eastern Conference. Brown started three games and threw a total of 84 passes, completing 43 for 726 yards and five touchdowns with six interceptions. He handled the punting, averaging an even 40 yards on his 60 kicks.

Layne retired following the season and Brown took over as the starting quarterback in 1963. For the most part, he had a fine season for a Steelers team that contended until the final week. He achieved career highs in pass attempts (362), completions (168), yards (2982), and touchdowns (21) while also tossing 20 interceptions. His 17.8 yards per completion led the league. Along the way, he had a 377-yard, four-TD performance against the Cowboys and made the most of having a capable deep threat in Pro Bowl split end Buddy Dial (60 catches, 1295 yards, 21.6 yards per catch, 9 TDs). However, while three ties allowed Pittsburgh to mathematically remain in contention (ties did not factor into the winning percentage as they do today), in the final-game showdown against the Giants in New York, Brown had a dreadful day. He was off target all day and was successful on just 13 of 33 throws for 217 yards with two touchdowns but also three interceptions. The 33-17 loss dropped the Steelers all the way to fourth place at 7-4-3.

In the offseason, Dial was traded to Dallas, a much-criticized move that was made all the worse when DT Scott Appleton, the highly-touted rookie from Texas whose rights they had obtained for Dial, instead signed with the Houston Oilers of the AFL. While third-year flanker Gary Ballman rose to the occasion, the rest of the receiving corps did not, and Brown’s numbers suffered accordingly. He completed just 44.5 percent of his passes for 1990 yards and threw far more interceptions (19) than TD passes (12). The Steelers finished next-to-last in the Eastern Conference with a 5-9 record.

Coach Parker abruptly quit during the 1965 preseason, to be succeeded by Mike Nixon, and the club dropped all the way to the bottom at 2-12. Brown was shunted aside in favor of young quarterbacks Bill Nelsen, who was up-and-coming, and Tommy Wade, who was not. He threw just 18 passes – five of them interceptions – and finished out the season (and his career) with the quarterback-depleted Baltimore Colts.

In his four years in Pittsburgh, Brown completed 339 of 736 passes (46.1 %) for 5821 yards and 38 touchdowns along with 50 interceptions. He also punted 148 times for a 40.6-yard average.  Having filled in capably for Layne in 1962 and nearly led the club to the Eastern Conference title in ’63, he came up short in his most significant game with the Steelers and his performance dropped off quickly thereafter. 

1976: Expansion Bucs Obtain Steve Spurrier from 49ers

April 2, 1976 was a busy day of trading among NFL teams. In one of the deals that occurred, the 49ers sent nine-year veteran QB Steve Spurrier to the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers for WR Willie McGee, LB Bruce Elia, and a second-round draft choice (used to take Eddie Lewis, a defensive back from Kansas).

McGee and Elia had been obtained through the expansion draft, from the Rams and Dolphins, respectively. McGee lasted two seasons in San Francisco and Elia for three, starting nine games at middle linebacker. Lewis was with the Niners until moving on to the Lions during the 1979 season, starting every game at cornerback in ’78 and intercepting three passes. More significantly, the way was thus cleared for Jim Plunkett, obtained from the Patriots shortly thereafter, to become San Francisco’s starting quarterback.

Spurrier, who turned 31 later in the month, had won the 1966 Heisman Trophy at Florida and was San Francisco’s first draft choice in 1967. He became the punter and backup to veteran quarterback John Brodie. In his first five seasons, Spurrier threw a total of just 204 passes, most of those when he started four games after Brodie was injured in 1969, and completed 108 for 1232 yards with six touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

Not very mobile and with a slow release, Spurrier had the arm strength to throw deep but was a mediocre short passer. Nevertheless, he had drawn generally good reviews for his performance in place of Brodie in ’69 (the 49ers led the NFL in passing yards with 3158 in an otherwise disappointing season) and was still considered to be a good prospect.

While it was back to the bench in 1970 and ’71, Spurrier again stepped in when Brodie went down with an ankle injury five games into the 1972 season. He filled in admirably in what proved to be his finest NFL season, completing 54.6 percent of his passes for 1983 yards with 18 TDs against 16 interceptions. The club went 6-2-1 during his starts, on the way to the playoffs for the third straight year. However, Brodie came off the bench in the season finale to rally the 49ers into the postseason and started against the Cowboys in the NFC Divisional playoff game.

In 1973, Spurrier finally displaced the 38-year-old Brodie as the team slumped to 5-9. Injured a week prior to the 1974 season, he saw action in only three games and in ’75 split the starting job with another aging veteran, Norm Snead. His nine seasons in San Francisco had ultimately been a disappointment. He passed for 5250 yards with 33 touchdowns and 48 interceptions and had a 13-12-1 record as the starting quarterback.

 “We have said all along that if we traded for an established quarterback, he would have to be one who is a good athlete,” said Ron Wolf, Tampa Bay’s VP for Operations. “In Steve Spurrier, we think we found the right blend for an expansion-team situation.”

In truth, Spurrier was expected to be nothing more than a caretaker for the new club, although there were hopes that offensive coordinator John Rauch would bring out his best. But the Buccaneers were a typically poor first-year squad, especially when it came to running backs and receivers, and went 0-14.

Spurrier started 12 games and completed 156 of 311 passes (50.2 %) for 1628 yards and 7 TDs with 12 picked off. Moreover, he was also sacked 32 times. His finest performance came against the Chiefs when he went 20-of-36 for 212 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions – it was his only 200-yard passing game of the year, and one of only two in which he tossed more than one scoring pass.

It proved to be the end for Spurrier’s career as a pro quarterback. He retired as a player but went on to a long and successful college coaching career, beginning with his becoming quarterbacks coach at his alma mater of Florida in 1978. Prior to head coaching stops at Duke (20-13-1 record), Florida (122-27-1), and South Carolina (66-37 through 2012), Spurrier coached the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL for three years (35-21) and, after winning six SEC titles and a national championship at Florida, had a far less successful two-year tenure in the NFL with the Washington Redskins (12-20).      

MVP Profile: Brett Favre, 1996

Quarterback, Green Bay Packers

Age:  27 (Oct. 10)

6^th season in pro football, 5^th with Packers

College: Southern Mississippi

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 220

Prelude:

Chosen by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 1991 NFL draft, Favre saw scant action in Atlanta before being traded to Green Bay after one year. There was no question as to the young quarterback having outstanding tools, in particular a strong passing arm, but with new Head Coach Mike Holmgren looking to operate the West Coast offense, he was viewed as a raw talent with questionable maturity who would back up veteran Don Majkowski. However, Majkowski was injured early in the season and Favre nearly led the Packers to the postseason as he passed for 3227 yards and 18 TDs with a 64.1 completion percentage and was selected to the Pro Bowl. He also displayed toughness, playing the last seven games with a separated left shoulder. There were growing pains in ’93 as Favre, a natural improviser, bridled at Holmgren’s efforts at making him more disciplined. He led the NFL by throwing 24 interceptions, but Green Bay made it to the postseason and Favre was again named to the Pro Bowl. While he wasn’t selected in ’94, his numbers improved to 3882 yards passing with 33 TDs against 14 interceptions. In 1995 Favre led the league in passing yards (4413), TD passes (38), and TD percentage (6.7) and was not only selected to the Pro Bowl but was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection and received MVP recognition.

1996 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 543 [5]

Most attempts, game – 61 vs. San Francisco 10/14

Completions – 325 [3, tied with Vinny Testaverde]

Most completions, game – 28 vs. San Francisco 10/14

Yards – 3899 [4, 1st in NFC]

Most yards, game – 395 vs. San Francisco 10/14

Completion percentage – 59.9 [9]

Yards per attempt – 7.2 [10]

TD passes – 39 [1]

Most TD passes, game – 4 on five occasions

Interceptions – 13 [17, tied with four others]

Most interceptions, game – 2 vs. San Francisco 10/14, at St. Louis 11/24, vs. Denver 12/8

Passer rating – 95.8 [2]

300-yard passing games – 2

200-yard passing games – 12

Rushing

Attempts – 49

Most attempts, game - 7 (for 2 yds.) vs. Tampa Bay 10/27

Yards – 136

Most yards, game – 25 yards (on 2 carries) at Minnesota 9/22

Yards per attempt – 2.8

TDs – 2

Scoring

TDs – 2

Points - 12

Postseason: 3 G

Pass attempts – 71

Most attempts, game - 29 vs. Carolina, NFC Championship

Pass completions – 44

Most completions, game - 19 vs. Carolina, NFC Championship

Passing yardage – 617

Most yards, game - 292 vs. Carolina, NFC Championship

TD passes – 5

Most TD passes, game - 2 vs. Carolina, NFC Championship, vs. New England, Super Bowl

Interceptions – 1

Most interceptions, game - 1 vs. Carolina, NFC Championship

Rushing attempts – 14

Most rushing attempts, game - 5 vs. San Francisco, NFC Divisional playoff, vs. Carolina, NFC Championship

Rushing yards – 35

Most rushing yards, game - 14 vs. Carolina, NFC Championship

Average gain rushing – 2.5

Rushing TDs – 1

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: AP, PFWA, NEA, Bert Bell Award, Sporting News

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News

1^st team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Packers went 13-3 to finish first in the NFC Central while leading the NFL in scoring (456 points) and touchdowns (56). Won NFC Divisional playoff over San Francisco 49ers (35-14), NFC Championship over Carolina Panthers (30-13), and Super Bowl over New England Patriots (35-21).

Aftermath:

Favre earned MVP honors for a third straight year in 1997 and the Packers were NFC Champions again. He led the NFL in touchdown passes (35) and was a consensus first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection as well. He played through many injuries over the ensuing years to put together a string of 297 consecutive starts that finally ended in 2010. Along the way he had six 4000-yard passing seasons and reached 3000 in 18 years. He also threw 30 or more TD passes nine times. After initially retiring from the Packers in 2007, Favre made a comeback that led to an acrimonious departure from Green Bay and he played with the New York Jets in 2008. A season that started promisingly with the Jets proved disappointing and Favre led the league by tossing 22 interceptions. Again calling it quits, he was lured back by the Minnesota Vikings, finishing up with two seasons there. Overall, Favre left as the all-time NFL leader in pass attempts (10,169), completions (6300), yards (71,838), TD passes (508), and, on the downside, interceptions (336).

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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 2/4/14]
[Updated 11/29/14]

Rookie of the Year: Chuck Foreman, 1973

Running Back, Minnesota Vikings

Age: 23 (Oct. 26)

College: Miami (Florida)

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 206

Prelude:

Seeking an upgrade at running back, the Vikings took Foreman in the first round of the 1973 NFL draft (12^th overall). In college, he had played in the defensive backfield and at wide receiver as well as running back and excelled, setting school records for total yards, scoring, touchdowns, and kickoff return yards.

1973 Season Summary

Appeared in 12 of 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 182 [19, tied with Emerson Boozer]

Most attempts, game - 23 (for 86 yds.) vs. LA Rams 10/28

Yards – 801 [18]

Most yards, game – 116 yards (on 16 carries) at Chicago 9/23

Average gain – 4.4 [15]

TDs – 4

100-yard rushing games – 3

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 37      

Most receptions, game – 6 (for 53 yds.) vs. Oakland 9/16

Yards – 362

Most yards, game - 62 (on 5 catches) vs. Green Bay 9/30

Average gain – 9.8

TDs – 2

Scoring

TDs – 6

Points – 36

Postseason: 3 G

Rushing attempts – 37

Most rushing attempts, game - 19 at Dallas, NFC Championship

Rushing yards – 134

Most rushing yards, game - 76 at Dallas, NFC Championship

Average gain rushing – 3.6

Rushing TDs – 1

Pass receptions – 12

Most pass receptions, game - 5 vs. Miami, Super Bowl

Pass receiving yards - 78

Most pass receiving yards, game - 28 at Dallas, NFC Championship

Average yards per reception – 6.5

Pass Receiving TDs - 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

NFC Rookie of the Year: NEA, Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Vikings went 12-2 to finish first in the NFC Central. Won NFC Divisional playoff over Washington Redskins (27-20) and NFC Championship over Dallas Cowboys (27-10). Lost Super Bowl to Miami Dolphins (24-7).

Aftermath:

Foreman was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first five seasons and received first- or second-team All-NFL honors every year from 1974 to ’77. Outstanding as a receiver out of the backfield as well as a ball carrier, Foreman totaled over a thousand yards from scrimmage in each of his first six years and had over a thousand yards in rushing alone for three straight seasons (1975-77). He led the NFL in pass receptions (73) and NFC in touchdowns (22) in 1975, and was league leader in TDs in 1974 and ‘76. His productivity dropped significantly after 1977 and he finished his career with the New England Patriots in 1980. Overall, Foreman rushed for 5950 yards on 1556 carries (3.8 avg.), caught 350 passes for 3156 more yards, and scored a total of 76 TDs. 

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

[Updated 2/4/14]

1983: Bandits Overcome Stars in USFL Battle of Unbeatens

The United States Football League game at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium on March 27, 1983 featured a matchup of two teams that had started out strongly in the new league’s inaugural season. Both the Philadelphia Stars and Tampa Bay Bandits were unbeaten after three weeks of play.

The Bandits, coached by Steve Spurrier, had an outstanding passing game with veteran QB John Reaves, who had started his pro career as the first draft choice of the NFL Eagles in 1972 (Reaves and Spurrier pictured at right). He had good targets in another veteran pro, WR Danny Buggs, and newcomer Eric Truvillion, the other starting wide receiver. The overlooked defense was a good one and featured NT Fred Nordgren and CB Jeff George.

Philadelphia, under Head Coach Jim Mora, was less flashy on offense, featuring star rookie RB Kelvin Bryant and ex-NFL backup QB Chuck Fusina. The defense was especially tough, with the linebacking corps led by unheralded Sam Mills at its heart.

There was a disappointing crowd of 18,718 on hand at the Vet with a steady rain falling. The Bandits scored on four of their first six possessions to take command. The first touchdown came less than three minutes into the opening quarter and followed the recovery of a Fusina fumble by Jeff George.  Reaves threw to Eric Truvillion from 33 yards out.

The Stars came back to tie the score as Kelvin Bryant ran for a 35-yard touchdown. However, later in the first quarter George struck again as he intercepted a pass by Fusina and returned it 22 yards for a TD.

In the second quarter, Tampa Bay’s lead was narrowed to 14-10 thanks to a 35-yard David Trout field goal. Zenon Andrusyshyn responded with a 43-yard field goal for the Bandits to make it 17-10. Just some two minutes later, Tampa Bay drove to a touchdown with the thanks of a gadget play. Reaves passed to Danny Buggs who picked up 11 yards and lateraled to RB Sam Piatt for another 13 yards to the Philadelphia 12. Four plays later, Piatt ran for a TD from a yard out.

Andrusyshyn booted a 38-yard field goal and, before halftime, the Stars finally scored again when Trout kicked a 37-yard field goal. Nevertheless, the Bandits held a commanding 27-13 lead at the halfway point.

The Stars, minus the injured Fusina, chipped away some more at Tampa Bay’s lead early in the third quarter when Trout connected for another field goal, this time from 27 yards. The Bandits played conservatively on offense and were helped by the defense’s ability to stop the normally-efficient Philadelphia offense, particularly the passing game.

Philadelphia still managed to make it interesting less than five minutes into the fourth quarter when backup QB Jim Krohn tossed a screen pass to Bryant, who proceeded to take it all the way for a 38-yard TD. However, the try for a two-point conversion failed and the Stars never again crossed midfield for the remainder of the contest. Tampa Bay came away the winner by a score of 27-22.

Tampa Bay led in total yards (389 to 295) and had the edge in first downs (18 to 17). Although they fumbled seven times, the Bandits lost just two of them and each team ended up with three turnovers. The Tampa Bay defense recorded five sacks while the Stars got to Reaves just once.

John Reaves completed 16 of 32 passes for 269 yards and a touchdown as well as an interception. Danny Buggs caught 4 passes for 90 yards and, while Eric Truvillion was held to just two receptions, they included the one TD. Sam Piatt ran for 75 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries and RB Greg Boone contributed another 11 attempts for 54 yards.

For the Stars, Kelvin Bryant was the star on offense with 112 rushing yards on 22 carries that included a TD and three catches for 57 yards and another score. Chuck Fusina and Jim Krohn combined to complete just 13 passes in 31 attempts for 177 yards. WR Scott Fitzkee had 6 receptions for 48 yards.

“It was great to win here,” exulted John Reaves. “I was 0-8 as a starter for the Eagles. The adrenaline was really pumping. It was something special. I was really looking forward all week to coming back here.”

“He (Reaves) played extremely well,” said Steve Spurrier of his 33-year-old quarterback. “We didn’t have many plays for him in the second half. We just tried to grind out the clock.”

“Mistakes got us in the hole early and we were never able to get out,” said Jim Mora from the home team’s perspective.

Fortunes changed for the teams as the season progressed. Tampa Bay was crushed by the Chicago Blitz the following week and, two games later, Reaves went down with a broken wrist. While getting good performances from the backup quarterbacks, the Bandits faltered on defense and lost four of their last six games to end up at 11-7, which put them third in the highly-competitive Central Division and out of the playoffs. The Stars, on the other hand, recovered to top the Atlantic Division with a league-best 15-3 record. They made it to the USFL Championship game, where they lost a close contest to the Michigan Panthers.