MVP Profile: Otto Graham, 1951

Quarterback, Cleveland Browns

Age:  30 (Dec. 6)

6^th season in pro football & with Browns

College: Northwestern

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 195

Prelude:

A single-wing tailback in college, Graham chose to sign with the Browns of the new AAFC rather than the NFL Detroit Lions, who had drafted him in the first round in 1944, after coming out of the Navy. An outstanding athlete, he first played pro basketball before joining the Browns for the 1946 season. Mobile and an accurate passer, Graham threw for 1834 yards as a rookie and led the AAFC with 17 TD passes as the Browns won the league championship. He was the league’s MVP for the first time in ’47 as he led the AAFC in overall passing as well as completion percentage (60.6), yards (2753), TD passes (25), and yards per attempt (10.2). Graham was co-MVP with San Francisco’s Frankie Albert in ’48, a season in which he once more led the AAFC in passing yards (2713) while tossing another 25 TD passes and the Browns went undefeated. The Browns won the AAFC title for the fourth straight year in 1949, and Graham led the league in passing yards (2785) and yards per attempt (9.8). While no MVP was awarded by the league, he was a consensus first-team All-AAFC selection. Graham and the Browns moved to the NFL in 1950 and kept up their winning ways by achieving another championship. Graham was selected to the Pro Bowl.

1951 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 265 [2]

Most attempts, game – 30 at San Francisco 9/30, vs. Philadelphia 11/11

Completions – 147 [2]

Most completions, game – 18 at San Francisco 9/30

Yards – 2205 [2]

Most yards, game – 277 vs. Chi. Bears 11/25

Completion percentage – 55.5 [2]

Yards per attempt – 8.3 [3]

TD passes – 17 [2]

Most TD passes, game – 4 vs. Chi. Cards 12/2

Interceptions – 16 [6]

Most interceptions, game – 3 vs. NY Giants 10/28, at NY Giants 11/18, vs. Chi. Cards 12/2

Passer rating – 79.2 [3]

200-yard passing games – 6

Rushing

Attempts – 35

Yards – 29

Yards per attempt – 0.8

TDs – 3 [15, tied with fifteen others]

Scoring

TDs – 4         

Points – 24

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship at LA Rams)

Pass attempts – 40

Pass completions – 19

Passing yardage – 280

TD passes – 1

Interceptions – 3

Rushing attempts – 5

Rushing yards – 43

Average gain rushing – 8.6

Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: UPI

1^st team All-NFL: AP, UPI, NY Daily News

Browns went 11-1 to finish first in the American Conference. Lost NFL Championship to Los Angeles Rams (24-17).

Aftermath:

The Browns reached the NFL title game and lost again in 1952, and Graham led the league in pass attempts (364), completions (181), yards (2816), and TD passes (20), as well as interceptions (24), and was once again named to the Pro Bowl. Cleveland won the Championship games following the 1954 and ’55 seasons (the latter after Graham was coaxed out of retirement to play one more year) and he led the league in completion percentage in each of his last three years as well as yards (2722) and yards per attempt (10.6) in 1953, and TD percentage (8.1) and yards per attempt (9.3) in ’55. Altogether, over 10 seasons (four in the AAFC, 6 in the NFL) Graham averaged 9.0 yards per attempt (a record 8.6 in the NFL alone) while throwing for 23,584 yards (10,085 in AAFC, 13,499 in NFL) with 174 TDs (86 in AAFC, 88 in NFL). He also ran for 882 yards and scored 44 TDs, with a high of 8 in 1954. He was a first-team All-league selection three times in the AAFC as well as three more times in the NFL and was chosen for the first five Pro Bowls. Perhaps most significantly of all, he quarterbacked Cleveland to a championship game in all ten years, winning seven of them. The Browns retired his #14 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1965.

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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). 

1985: Broncos Beat Chargers on Blocked FG in Overtime

The Denver Broncos were at 7-3 and on top of the AFC West as they hosted the San Diego Chargers on November 17, 1985 – a team they had lost badly to two weeks before. Coached by Dan Reeves, the Broncos featured third-year QB John Elway with a talented group of receivers led by Steve Watson while the ground game consisted of a running-backs-by-committee approach. The bend-but-don’t-break defense included SS Dennis Smith and CB Louis Wright (pictured above) – although their most notable accomplishments in this game would come on special teams.

The Chargers, coached by Don Coryell, featured a pass-oriented offense with QB Dan Fouts throwing to wide receivers Wes Chandler and Charlie Joiner. Star TE Kellen Winslow was returning from a major knee injury suffered during the previous season and RB Gary Anderson was now fully integrated into the offense after coming over from the USFL.

It was a sunny afternoon at Mile High Stadium with 74,376 fans in attendance.  The Chargers started off with a bang as Gary Anderson returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Bob Thomas added the extra point for the early 7-0 lead.

The Broncos went three-and-out on their first series and, following the punt, San Diego accumulated three first downs on the way to the Denver 30. Dan Fouts completed three passes for 24 yards but the possession came to naught when Ralf Mojsiejenko’s 47-yard field goal attempt was blocked.

Following another short Denver series, Fouts again was moving the Chargers until a pass was intercepted by Louis Wright, who returned it 16 yards to give the Broncos good field position at the San Diego 44. The six-play drive, highlighted by John Elway throwing to RB Gene Lang for 24 yards, was capped by another Elway pass of four yards to WR Steve Watson for a TD. Rich Karlis tied the game with the extra point.

The next San Diego series featured Fouts throwing to TE Kellen Winslow for 26 yards and reached the Denver 31 before the veteran quarterback was again picked off, this time by DB Randy Robbins. However, two plays into the second quarter, it was Elway suffering an interception as FS Miles McPherson grabbed the long pass and returned it 30 yards to the Denver 12. Three plays later, Fouts threw to RB Lionel James for a 12-yard touchdown. The extra point was successfully added to again make it a seven-point contest.

The teams traded punts until, with just over two minutes remaining in the first half, the Chargers drove to the Denver 24, but a 41-yard field goal try by Thomas hit the right upright and was unsuccessful. The score remained 14-7 in favor of San Diego at the half.

After the teams exchanged punts to start the third quarter, the Broncos gained possession at their 13 and proceeded to methodically advance to the San Diego 10. Elway (pictured below) completed five passes, but they came up empty when Karlis was wide on a 28-yard field goal attempt. Two plays later, Denver got the ball back when Anderson fumbled. As the game moved into the fourth quarter, the home team concluded a four-play, 14-yard series with Lang running two yards up the middle for a TD. Karlis added the PAT and the game was tied once again.

Things went from bad to worse for the Chargers who no sooner got the ball back on offense when Fouts fumbled the snap and DE Andre Townsend recovered for Denver at the San Diego 19. Three plays later, it was Lang scoring again, this time from four yards out. Karlis converted and the Broncos had the lead for the first time.

Fouts went to the air five times on San Diego’s next series, hitting James three times for 32 yards. The drive finally stalled at the Denver 19 and Thomas kicked a 36-yard field goal to narrow the home team’s margin to four points.

Elway passed the Broncos down the field but was intercepted by LB Woodrow Lowe. The Chargers had to punt and, following the next Denver series, the Broncos lined up to do the same. However, Chris Norman’s kick was blocked by CB Wayne Davis. Starting at the Denver 24, the Chargers proceeded to score a touchdown in four plays, with RB Tim Spencer running the ball in from two yards out. Thomas made it a three-point lead game with the Chargers now back in front at 24-21.

There was just 1:09 remaining in regulation as the Broncos started their next series. Elway threw twice for 11 yards and then ran for five before tossing completions to RB Steve Sewell for six yards and WR Vance Johnson for 17 yards. A shovel pass by Elway to RB Sammy Winder was good for nine more yards and, with nine seconds left on the clock, Karlis booted a 34-yard field goal. The game went into overtime at 24-24.

The Chargers won the toss to receive the kickoff for the extra period and methodically moved down the field. James had a 16-yard run and Spencer converted on fourth-and-inches with a one-yard gain up the middle.  Fouts threw to Wes Chandler for 13 yards and Anderson gained six on the ground to reach the Denver 23. The drive stalled there but Thomas came on to attempt a 40-yard field goal to win the game. It appeared that the Chargers got a seemingly huge reprieve when the field goal try was blocked but they got the play back due to a timeout called by Denver right before the snap. However, on the re-try, Dennis Smith again blocked the kick and Wright picked up the loose ball, returning it 60 yards for a touchdown. There was no reprieve for the Chargers this time. In stunning fashion, the Broncos came away with a 30-24 win at 4:45 of overtime.

In a game in which plays by the special teams were so significant, San Diego held a slight edge in total yards (340 to 331) and first downs (22 to 21). The Chargers turned the ball over four times, to two suffered by Denver.

John Elway completed 28 of 50 passes for 261 yards and a touchdown while giving up two interceptions. Gene Lang rushed for 51 yards on 15 carries that included two TDs and also led the Broncos with 5 pass receptions, for 45 yards.  Vance Johnson compiled 48 yards on his four pass receptions.

For the Chargers, Dan Fouts was successful on 23 of 45 throws for 245 yards, with a TD and two interceptions. The versatile Lionel James (pictured at left) gained 64 yards on the ground in 15 carries and also caught 11 passes 93 more yards and a TD.

Don Coryell couldn’t believe how events transpired at the end: “The snap was a little high on the last field goal, but we got it down. It’s kind of ironic the way things turned out. We got the big break when they called the timeout, and it ends up working in their favor.”

The Broncos lost two of their next three games, both to the Raiders, and as a result finished second to that club in the AFC West with an 11-5 record and barely missed the postseason. San Diego came in fourth in the division at 8-8.

John Elway led the NFL with 605 pass attempts and ranked second in completions (327) and yards (3891), but also interceptions (23). Dan Fouts, heading in the opposite direction of Elway at age 34, led the league in yards per attempt (8.5) and was tied for second in touchdown passes (27). He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the sixth (and last) time.

Lionel James was a productive all-purpose performer throughout the season. Undersized at 5’6” and 170 pounds, he was nicknamed “Little Train” and set a new NFL record with 2535 total yards. That figure consisted of 515 on 105 rushing attempts, 1027 on 86 pass receptions, 213 on 25 punt returns, and 779 on 36 kickoff returns. It broke the previous record of 2462 set by Terry Metcalf of the Cardinals in 1974 and remained the standard until 2000, when Tennessee’s Derrick Mason accumulated 2690 yards.

1947: Cards Score 2 TDs in Fourth Quarter to Defeat Packers

The Chicago Cardinals were at 6-1 and leading the NFL Western Division as they hosted the Green Bay Packers on November 16, 1947. Coached by Jimmy Conzelman, the Cards boasted a fine backfield that included QB Paul Christman, halfbacks Elmer Angsman and Charley Trippi, and FB Pat Harder, plus two good receivers in ends Mal Kutner (pictured at right) and Bill Dewell.

The Packers came into the game at 4-3 and were desperate for a win that would keep them in contention. Head Coach Curly Lambeau had installed the T-formation with QB Jack Jacobs directing it, but they lacked the kind of big-play ability that had fueled past success.

There were 40,086 fans in attendance at Comiskey Park. On their first series, the Cardinals drove 61 yards in 10 plays as Pat Harder and HB Marshall Goldberg combined for 24 yards on the ground and Paul Christman completed a pass to Bill Dewell for 15 yards. Another throw, to Mal Kutner, was good for a 20-yard touchdown as the receiver split the two defensive backs and caught the ball in full stride. Harder added the extra point and Chicago had a 7-0 lead.

The Packers moved the ball well on their next series, starting off at their 30 and taking advantage of passes from Jack Jacobs to ends Clyde Goodnight and Nolan Luhn to reach the Chicago 31, garnering three first downs along the way. The drive stalled and Ted Fritsch kicked a 35-yard field goal to narrow the margin to 7-3.

Fritsch made a big play on defense as he intercepted a Christman pass at the Chicago 28 and, following a Jacobs to Luhn completion to the one, it was Fritsch carrying off tackle for the last yard and a touchdown. Ward Cuff kicked the extra point and the visitors were ahead by 10-7.

The Packers punted on their next series and, following a 68-yard boot by Jacobs, the Cards again turned the ball over, this time on a fumble by HB Bill deCorrevont that G Dick Wildung recovered at the Chicago 36. The Packers were unable to move the ball in three plays, but Fritsch booted a 44-yard field goal to extend the lead.

Green Bay continued to dominate, but Fritsch missed field goal attempts from 35 and 42 yards. The score remained 13-7 at the half.

Early in the third quarter, DB Ken Keuper intercepted a pass and returned it 28 yards to give Green Bay good starting field position at the Chicago 45. Goodnight pulled in a pass for 13 yards and running plays advanced the ball to the 19. After a three-yard loss, Jacobs threw to HB Bob Forte for a 22-yard TD. The Packers carried a 20-7 lead into the fourth quarter and appeared to be in command.

The Cardinals, quiet on offense for most of the game and having penetrated Green Bay territory just three times thus far, put together a 57-yard drive following a Green Bay punt. Harder and HB Elmer Angsman ran effectively and Christman, who had completed only 6 of 20 passes, had key completions. Harder capped the series by running for the last four yards and a touchdown – for good measure, he also added the extra point that made it a six-point game.

After a short possession by the Packers that resulted in a punt, Chicago again had another impressive series, going 66 yards. Harder and Angsman combined for 21 yards on the ground and Christman threw to Kutner for 22 yards to the Green Bay 23. Another Christman completion to Kutner was good for a 23-yard TD, with Harder adding the all-important extra point to put the home team up by one.

There were just over five minutes remaining, and Green Bay still had a chance to pull out a win. The Packers moved 57 yards in the last minute-and-a-half, primarily on three passes to Luhn (pictured below), including a spectacular reception that gained 29 yards to the Chicago 15. The Packers chose to go with the usually reliable Cuff for the field goal rather than risk another pass, but Cuff missed a 23-yard field goal that sailed wide to the left with 21 seconds left on the clock. The Cardinals came away with a 21-20 win.

Chicago had the edge in total yards (269 to 249) and first downs (16 to 15). The fourth quarter heroics obscured the fact that they turned the ball over four times, to one suffered by Green Bay. Jack Jacobs threw one interception while Paul Christman was picked off three times. Mal Kutner was the standout on offense as he caught 5 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

For the Cardinals, the win over Green Bay made it four straight, and while they lost their next two contests, they ended up winning the Western Division with a 9-3 record. Chicago defeated the Eagles for the NFL Championship. Meanwhile, the second one-point defeat for the Packers essentially dropped them out of contention and they ended up in third place at 6-5-1.

Mal Kutner led the NFL with 944 yards on his 70 pass receptions, averaging 22.0 yards per catch and scoring eight touchdowns. Pat Harder led the league in scoring with 102 points and field goals with seven – tied with Bob Waterfield and also Ward Cuff, whose miss at the end of the game was so costly to the Packers.

Rookie of the Year: Randy Moss, 1998

Wide Receiver, Minnesota Vikings

Age: 21

College: Marshall

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 210

Prelude:

Moss was a two-time All-American in college, catching 174 passes for 3529 yards (20.3 avg.) and 54 touchdowns in just two seasons. However, he had legal problems that had forced his dismissal from Florida State and, while an outstanding talent, fell to the Vikings with the 21^st pick in the first round. Big and fast, he became part of a highly productive wide receiving tandem in Minnesota along with Cris Carter.

1998 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 69 [16, tied with Larry Centers, Raghib Ismail & Johnnie Morton]    

Most receptions, game – 8 (for 153 yds.) vs. Green Bay 11/22, (for 106 yds.) vs. Chicago 12/6

Yards – 1313 [3]

Most yards, game - 190 (on 5 catches) at Green Bay 10/5

Average gain – 19.0 [5]

TDs – 17 [1]

100-yard receiving games – 4

Rushing

Attempts – 1

Yards – 4

TDs – 0

Punt Returns

Returns – 1

Yards – 0

Scoring

TDs – 17 [2, tied with Fred Taylor, 1st in NFC]

2-pt PATs – 2 [1, tied with four others]

Points – 106 [14]

Postseason: 2 G

Pass receptions – 10

Most pass receptions, game – 6 vs. Atlanta, NFC Championship

Pass receiving yards – 148

Most receiving yards, game – 75 vs. Atlanta, NFC Championship

Average yards per reception – 14.8

Pass Receiving TDs - 2

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: Sporting News

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

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

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Vikings went 15-1 to finish first in the NFC Central with the conference’s best record while leading the NFL in passing yards (4328), scoring (556 points), and touchdowns (64). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Arizona Cardinals (41-21). Defeated for NFC Championship by Atlanta Falcons (30-27).

Aftermath:

Moss went on to have seven highly productive seasons in Minnesota, going over a thousand yards in six of them (with a high of 1632 in 2003) and reaching a hundred catches twice. He led the NFL in TD receptions again in 2000 (15) and ’03 (17), was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection in both of those years, and was selected to five Pro Bowls. But with all of his tremendous talent, he drew criticism for being a prima donna and a lack of consistent effort. Following an injury-plagued 2004 season, Moss was dealt to the Raiders, where he had two relatively quiet years. Moving on to New England, he was sensational in a 2007 season in which he set a NFL record with 23 TD receptions. He played two more years with the Patriots, again topping the NFL in TD catches with 13 in 2009, but was dealt to the Vikings during the 2010 season and finished up the year in Tennessee. Initially retiring, he returned to play for the 49ers in 2012. Overall, he caught 982 passes for 15,292 yards, which rank third all-time in NFL history, and for a fourth-ranked 157 touchdowns (one TD came on a punt return). He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection four times and was selected to six Pro Bowls.

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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 11/30/14]

1993: Recently-Obtained Bernie Kosar Leads Cowboys Over Cards

The Dallas Cowboys, defending NFL Champions, were 6-2 and had won six straight games after an 0-2 start as they hosted the Phoenix Cardinals on November 14, 1993. However, Head Coach Jimmy Johnson’s team would be without star QB Troy Aikman due to a hamstring injury. They still had the other key components to their offense in RB Emmitt Smith and WR Michael Irvin. They had also just picked up ninth-year veteran QB Bernie Kosar (pictured at right), who had only been with the Cowboys for four days after his abrupt release by the Browns, where Head Coach Bill Belichick said he had “diminished skills”.

The Cardinals were coached by Joe Bugel and limping along at 3-6, although they were coming off a win against the Eagles. QB Steve Beuerlein had been benched in favor of Chris Chandler and RB Garrison Hearst, the highly-touted first round draft choice, held out and then went down with a knee injury six games into the season. Still, Phoenix had a good receiving threat out of the backfield in FB Larry Centers, a reliable possession receiver in WR Ricky Proehl, and the defense could be stingy at giving up points.

There was a crowd of 64,224 in attendance for the late afternoon game at Texas Stadium. The Cardinals went three-and-out on their opening possession. Following the punt, Dallas drove 35 yards in seven plays with rookie Jason Garrett at quarterback. Five of them were runs by RB Emmitt Smith and Garrett completed a pass to WR Michael Irvin for 16 yards. Eddie Murray kicked a 44-yard field goal to give the Cowboys the early 3-0 lead.

The teams traded punts and on the third Dallas series, Bernie Kosar entered the game at quarterback. He immediately completed a pass to Irvin for 14 yards and, after Smith was tossed for a five-yard loss, threw back-to-back completions to FB Daryl “Moose” Johnston for six yards and to Irvin for 18 to reach the Phoenix 32. Smith then ran the ball five straight times, the last on the first play of the second quarter for a four-yard TD. Murray’s extra point made it a 10-0 game.

The Cardinals, who had done nothing on offense during the first quarter, generated three first downs as they advanced to the Dallas 45 on their next series. QB Chris Chandler completed three passes, although one that was called back due to offsetting penalties negated a big gain.

The Cards ended up having to punt and once again Kosar led the Cowboys on a scoring drive. The big play was what started out as a five-yard completion to Smith out of the backfield that the great runner turned into a gain of 86 yards to the Phoenix two, breaking three tackles along the way. Smith couldn’t penetrate the end zone on two running plays, but Kosar threw to TE Jay Novacek for a one-yard TD and, with the extra point, the home team held a 17-0 lead.

After a three-and-out series by the Cardinals, Dallas again advanced into Phoenix territory, but a fumble at the 28 negated an opportunity to add more points. Jason Garrett returned at quarterback for the Cowboys on their next series and the half ended with no further points scored.

The Cowboys punted following the first possession of the third quarter, with Kosar again behind center. The Cards drove 47 yards in 11 plays, Chandler completed four passes, the longest to Ricky Proehl for 16 yards in a third-and-six situation, but after getting a first-and-goal at the Dallas five, they ended up having to settle for a 19-yard Greg Davis field goal.

On the first play following the kickoff, Kosar fumbled and DE Reuben Davis recovered for Phoenix at the Dallas 19. The Cardinals capitalized three plays later when Chandler threw to Larry Centers for a 17-yard touchdown. Davis added the extra point and suddenly the visitors were only a touchdown behind the Cowboys.

Dallas punted following its next series, but now it was Phoenix’s turn to give up a costly fumble. Chandler dropped the snap on the fourth play and DE Charles Haley recovered to give the Cowboys the ball at the Phoenix 39. Two passes by Kosar picked up 21 yards and, early in the fourth quarter, Murray kicked a 43-yard field goal to extend the Dallas margin to ten points.

After a punt by the Cards pinned the Cowboys down at their one yard line, Kosar was penalized for intentional grounding while passing out of the end zone, resulting in a safety. Phoenix then took the free kick and went 30 yards in eight plays. Davis kicked a 47-yard field goal to narrow the Dallas lead to five points.

The Cowboys responded with a long non-scoring drive that knocked time off the clock. It was all Smith, either running or catching short passes from Kosar, as Dallas converted two third downs. By the time the Cardinals got the ball back at their own 13 following a punt, there was just 2:37 left in the game. Chandler passed Phoenix into Dallas territory, but on a fourth-down play at the Dallas 41, FS Kenneth Gant came up with an interception and that was it. Dallas won by a final score of 20-15.

The Cowboys had the edge in total yards (311 to 265) while each team generated 15 first downs. There were no sacks by either club. The Cardinals turned the ball over three times, to two suffered by Dallas.

Bernie Kosar completed 13 of 21 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown with none intercepted. Emmitt Smith (pictured below), who was battling the flu, rushed for 80 yards and a TD on 24 carries and gained another 102 yards on four pass receptions. Michael Irvin also caught four passes, for 63 yards.

For the Cards, Chris Chandler was successful on 27 of 46 throws for 214 yards and a TD with one intercepted. Larry Centers, who rushed for three yards on two carries, caught 7 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown while Ricky Proehl gained a team-leading 66 yards on six receptions. Johnny Bailey led the modest ground attack with 8 carries for 31 yards and contributed 6 catches for 34 yards.

“For Bernie to pull this off with limited practice time was commendable,” said Coach Jimmy Johnson. “He was hitting Michael Irvin on crossover routes and executing the offense. He had everything spinning in his head but did a tremendous job.”

“I didn’t want to let the coaches and the players on this great team down,” said Kosar. “I’m just so happy we won. It was a tough week getting ready. I told some Cleveland friends it’s amazing what a difference a week can make.”

The Cowboys lost their next two games before winning the remainder and finishing atop the NFC East with a 12-4 record. They again advanced to the Super Bowl and won for the second straight year. The Cardinals finished strong with four wins in their last five games to end up fourth in the division at 7-9.

Bernie Kosar started one more game before Troy Aikman returned to take over the reins. He completed 36 of 63 passes for 410 yards and three touchdowns with none intercepted. He moved on to the Dolphins for 1994 where he backed up QB Dan Marino for three years to finish out his career.

Emmitt Smith went on to win his third consecutive NFL rushing title, gaining 1486 yards on 283 carries (5.3 avg.) and scoring nine touchdowns. He also caught 57 passes for 414 yards and another score. The 86-yard reception against the Cardinals was the longest of his Hall of Fame career.

1972: Browns Overcome Chargers on Late Pitts Touchdown

The Cleveland Browns had a 5-3 record and were trying to keep pace with the division-leading Steelers as they faced the San Diego Chargers on November 13, 1972. Head Coach Nick Skorich’s team had started off slowly, losing three of its first five contests, but had a three-game winning streak going coming into San Diego. Third-year QB Mike Phipps had been handed the starting duties in the second week of the season and displayed poise. HB Leroy Kelly and FB Bo Scott were aging but still dependable runners. The defense had problems against the run but, with young CB Clarence Scott and FS Thom Darden in the backfield, was sound against the pass.

The Chargers, under Head Coach Harland Svare, were heading in the opposite direction. They had lost four straight games and were a dismal 2-5-1. QB John Hadl had been effective in the team’s former pass-oriented offense, but bridled with the switch to a ground-based attack that featured HB Mike Garrett and FB Cid Edwards. San Diego had invested heavily in aging players, and it was not proving to be a sound strategy.

There were 54,205 fans on hand for the Monday night game at San Diego Stadium. The Chargers drove methodically down the field on their opening possession. They kept the ball on the ground with Garrett and Edwards carrying the load and John Hadl throwing to Garrett for a 13-yard gain on a third-and-three play. However, after going 73 yards to reach the Cleveland four yard line, Hadl fumbled and DE Bob Briggs recovered for the Browns. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Chargers put together another long drive of 49 yards that ended with Dennis Partee kicking a 26-yard field goal. After another exchange of punts, the Browns started off at their 33 and moved the ball effectively themselves. WR Frank Pitts gained 13 yards on a reverse and Leroy Kelly ran for 11 yards and caught a pass from Mike Phipps for a 27-yard gain. Phipps threw to Bo Scott for 24 yards and, after a pass interference penalty moved the ball to the San Diego one, Phipps gained the last yard for a touchdown on a quarterback sneak. Don Cockroft added the extra point and Cleveland was ahead by 7-3, which remained the score at halftime.

The Browns took the second half kickoff and drove to midfield before LB Rick Redman intercepted a Phipps pass. They got the ball back two plays later when Garrett fumbled for the Chargers, but ended up having to punt. San Diego proceeded to go 86 yards in 12 plays. Hadl completed three passes, a key one of which was to WR Gary Garrison for 15 yards in a third-and-12 situation, and the last for a four-yard touchdown to Edwards. Partee added the PAT and the Chargers took a 10-7 lead into the fourth quarter.

Cleveland was on the move as the third quarter ended, with Phipps tossing an 18-yard completion to TE Milt Morin on third down to close out the period and then starting off the final quarter with a 19-yard pass to Pitts that reached the San Diego 33. Seven plays later, FB Ken Brown went two yards up the middle for a touchdown and, with Cockroft’s extra point, the visitors were back in front at 14-10.

The teams traded punts before the Chargers came back with another score. Starting off at their 39, they primarily stayed on the ground as Garrett and Edwards ran well and Hadl threw to Garrison for a 15-yard gain. Garrett capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run. Partee added the PAT and, with 1:21 remaining to play, San Diego appeared to be in control and set for an upset with a three-point edge.

After HB Bill LeFear ran the kickoff back 24 yards, the Browns started off from their own 36. Phipps tossed a screen pass to Brown for seven yards and then connected with the fullback again for a 19-yard gain. On the next play, Phipps went long for Pitts in the end zone, and he pulled it down for a 38-yard touchdown. With Cockroft’s extra point, Cleveland was suddenly ahead by four.

There were still 33 seconds left on the clock as the Chargers took possession at their 13 following a clipping penalty on the kickoff return. Hadl completed a pass to TE Pettis Norman for 24 yards to the Cleveland 45, but two more passes fell incomplete to end the game. The Browns came away with a 21-17 win.

The Chargers had the edge in total yards (327 to 299) and first downs (24 to 18), and were especially effective on the ground, where they generated 191 yards of their total. However, San Diego also turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by Cleveland.

Frank Pitts was the star on offense for the Browns as he caught 5 passes for 96 yards, including the game-winning touchdown, and despite suffering from a back injury. Mike Phipps completed 13 of 21 throws for 186 yards and a TD with one intercepted and also ran for 17 yards and a score on four carries. Leroy Kelly rushed for 67 yards on 17 attempts.

For the Chargers, Cid Edwards (pictured at left) gained 91 yards on 17 rushes and had three pass receptions for 34 more yards and a TD. Mike Garrett contributed 89 yards on 24 attempts and also scored a touchdown in addition to catching a team-high four passes for 29 yards. John Hadl was successful on 12 of 21 tosses for 140 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Pettis Norman led the club with 47 yards on his three catches. 

“Everybody wasn’t playing the same defense, particularly on that last series,” said a frustrated Coach Harland Svare. “It’s downright silly to let them go that long, that fast for a score.”

The win kept the Browns a game behind the Steelers, who they defeated the next week. The winning streak reached six games and the loss in the return engagement at Pittsburgh was the only one the team suffered for the remainder of the regular season. Cleveland ended up with a 10-4 record, good enough for second in the AFC Central and a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. The Browns gave the undefeated Dolphins a good scare in the Divisional round of the postseason before falling. The Chargers, meanwhile, continued to struggle and finished at 4-9-1 and at the bottom of the AFC West.

Mike Phipps (pictured below) went through his ups and downs, completing just 47.2 percent of his passes for 1994 yards with 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Still, the team did well, although Phipps would never develop into the star that Cleveland had hoped he would be when they traded up for him (and gave up Hall of Fame WR Paul Warfield in doing so) in the first round of the 1970 NFL draft.

Frank Pitts continued to be Cleveland’s most reliable receiver, leading the club with 36 catches for 620 yards (17.2 avg.) and eight touchdowns.

The running back tandem of Mike Garrett and Cid Edwards remained a bright spot in an otherwise dreadful year for the Chargers. Garrett rushed for 1031 yards on 272 carries (3.8 avg.) and caught 31 passes for 245 more yards, ending up with a total of seven touchdowns. Cid Edwards ran for 679 yards on 157 attempts (4.3 avg.) and had 40 pass receptions for 557 yards, with an impressive 13.9 average per catch out of the backfield. He also scored a total of seven TDs and was named team MVP.

2001: Ravens Stop McNair on Last Play to Beat Titans

The Baltimore Ravens, defending NFL Champions, had gotten off to a slow start in the 2001 season but were coming off back-to-back wins and were 5-3 as they faced the Tennessee Titans on November 12. Head Coach Brian Billick’s team had reached the Super Bowl following the 2000 season thanks to a superb defense and ball-control offense. The defense was still strong, and while QB Elvis Grbac had been signed away from the Chiefs to upgrade the passing attack, RB Jamal Lewis, key to the ground game as a rookie, was out for the year with a knee injury suffered during training camp.

The Tennessee Titans, coached by Jeff Fisher, were struggling at 3-4 after having put together consecutive 13-3 records and winning an AFC title in 1999. QB Steve McNair was playing well but RB Eddie George appeared to be on the downside of his fine career and injuries were a problem, especially with the once-formidable defense. The Ravens had won convincingly when the teams met at Baltimore five weeks earlier and, coming into the rematch, McNair was suffering from a sinus infection and was not at full strength.

There were 68,798 fans in attendance at Nashville’s Adelphia Coliseum for the Monday night game. The teams traded punts during the first quarter, with neither offense able to move. A promising series for the Ravens was highlighted by back-to-back pass completions by Elvis Grbac to WR Brandon Stokley for 18 yards on a third-and-seven play and 16 yards to FB Sam Gash.  But after reaching the Tennessee 33, Grbac was sacked for a seven-yard loss by DE Jevon Kearse on a third down play and they had to punt.

Early in the second quarter, the Titans put together a long drive that started at their nine yard line and reached the Baltimore 30. Steve McNair completed four passes, two of which converted third downs, and also ran for 13 yards while Eddie George contributed 26 yards on seven carries. However, they came up empty when Joe Nedney’s 48-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful.

The Ravens responded by moving into Tennessee territory, but a Grbac pass was intercepted by LB Keith Bulluck. With 3:35 remaining in the half, the Titans put together another long series. At one point, McNair completed three straight passes for 25 yards to reach the Baltimore six, but the drive stalled there and a field goal by Nedney was wiped out by a holding penalty. The second try for a field goal had to be aborted due to a bad snap and holder Craig Hentrich’s desperation pass was intercepted. The game remained scoreless at halftime.

The Titans got a break early in the third quarter when WR Qadray Ismail fumbled after catching a pass and DB Daryl Porter recovered near midfield. They were unable to capitalize, however, but following a punt they got the ball back on another Baltimore turnover, this time the result of a botched punt. Getting the ball with first-and-goal at the Ravens’ eight, the Titans still couldn’t reach the end zone but finally broke the scoreless deadlock with a 27-yard Nedney field goal.

The Ravens came right back when WR Jermaine Lewis returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to the Tennessee 16. They also ended up having to settle for a field goal by Matt Stover from 31 yards to make it 3-3. The Titans responded with an eight-play, 71-yard drive. McNair threw six passes, including one to TE Brian Natkin for 27 yards and the last to WR Kevin Dyson for a 22-yard touchdown. Nedney added the extra point and Tennessee was ahead by 10-3.

Now it was time for the Ravens to move on offense. RB Jason Brookins ran three times for 18 yards and Grbac completed two passes to Ismail, the second for a 57-yard TD. Stover’s extra point again knotted the score.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Ravens got another break on a turnover when George fumbled and LB Peter Boulware recovered at the Tennessee 18. Four plays later Stover kicked a 33-yard field goal that put the visitors back in front at 13-10.

The teams traded punts until, starting at their 14 yard line with 8:17 remaining to play, the Ravens put together another scoring drive. Grbac thew to TE Shannon Sharpe for 15 yards in a third-and-six situation and Brookins had a 25-yard run to the Tennessee 27. The eleven-play series ended with Stover kicking another field goal, this time from 30 yards, to put Baltimore ahead by six points with the clock now showing 3:10 to go.

Following WR Derrick Mason’s 22-yard kickoff return, the Titans moved methodically down the field. McNair completed a 10-yard pass to Dyson on a third-and-six play and, after being sacked by Boulware for a loss of six yards, had four straight completions to get the ball to the Baltimore 35. A roughing-the-passer penalty added another 15 yards and McNair then threw to George for eight yards to the 12.

McNair’s next pass fell incomplete but, on third-and-two, he hit Mason for six yards. The Titans took their final timeout and McNair missed on his next two throws before connecting with Dyson for five yards down to the one. On fourth down, and lining up quickly with the final seconds ticking away, McNair appeared to score on a quarterback sneak, but a flag was thrown for an offsides penalty.

Following a great deal of confusion and consultation by the officials, the play was ruled a dead-ball foul and, with the ball a foot away from the goal line, the Titans were given one last shot. Once again McNair kept the ball (pictured at top) and, when he couldn’t penetrate the middle of the line, tried to go outside. He was stopped short of the goal line by SS Corey Harris and the Ravens were winners in dramatic fashion by a final score of 16-10.

The Titans won the statistical battle, accumulating more total yards (318 to 238) and first downs (20 to 12), and held onto the ball for 35 minutes. The Ravens accumulated just 55 yards of their total in the first half. Baltimore recorded six sacks, to three by Tennessee, and both teams turned the ball over twice.

Elvis Grbac completed 15 of 27 passes for 192 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Qadray Ismail (pictured at right) had 8 catches for 129 yards and a TD. With veteran RB Terry Allen lost to an injury after one carry, rookie Jason Brookins ran for 57 yards on 14 attempts.

For the Titans, Steve McNair went to the air 48 times and completed 27 of those throws for 256 yards and a TD with none intercepted. He also ran the ball 6 times for 19 yards. Derrick Mason had 12 pass receptions for 99 yards and Kevin Dyson contributed 6 catches for 68 yards and a score. Eddie George rushed for 71 yards on 22 attempts.

“We knew that’s the only thing they wanted to do,” said Baltimore LB Ray Lewis regarding the game-ending quarterback sneak attempt by McNair. “They weren’t going to put the ball in someone else’s hands. If you watch film on them, you know that they run quarterback sneaks an awful lot.”

When asked why the Titans didn’t attempt a pass on the last play, Coach Fisher replied “we thought we’d jam it in, and the game was going to be over.”

The Ravens lost to the Browns the next week but won the next two on the way to a 10-6 record and second place finish in the AFC Central. They won in the first round of the postseason but lost to the division-rival Steelers in the Divisional playoff game. Tennessee continued to struggle and ended up at 7-9 for fourth place in the division.