MVP Profile: Earl Morrall, 1972

Quarterback, Miami Dolphins

Age:  38

17^th season in pro football, 1^st with Dolphins

College: Michigan State

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 206

Prelude:

After leading Michigan State to a win in the Rose Bowl, Morrall was taken in the first round of the 1956 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Following a mediocre rookie season in which he backed up Y.A. Tittle, he was dealt to Pittsburgh where he became the starter and had a fair year in ’57. Two games into 1958, he was traded to Detroit in the deal that brought Bobby Layne to the Steelers and for the next seven years he shared the job with, first, Jim Ninowski and then Milt Plum. His best season with the Lions was in 1963, when he passed for 2621 yards and 24 TDs. But when new Head Coach Harry Gilmer committed to Plum for ’65, Morrall was dealt to the New York Giants. He started in 1965 and had a good year for a 7-7 team, but missed half of ’66 due to injury and was on the bench behind Fran Tarkenton in 1967. Frustrated at once again being a backup, he was traded to the Colts during the 1968 preseason to provide insurance as number two to Johnny Unitas. When Unitas suffered a major arm injury, Morrall took over as the starting quarterback and had a MVP season, most notably leading the NFL in passing, TD passes (26), and yards per attempt (9.2). The Colts went 13-1 and won the league title, although the dream year came to a sour end in an upset loss to the AFL Champion Jets in the Super Bowl. Morrall returned to a backup role with Unitas reclaiming the starting job in 1969 and helped rally the Colts in relief in the Super Bowl win over the Cowboys following the ’70 season. He saw considerable action in place of the increasingly-brittle Unitas in 1971, but with the team undergoing a youth movement in ’72 he was traded once more, this time to the Miami Dolphins where he was reunited with his first coach in Baltimore, Don Shula. A broken ankle suffered by starting QB Bob Griese in Week 5 put Morrall in the starting lineup.

1972 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 150

Most attempts, game – 19 vs. St. Louis 11/27

Completions – 83

Most completions, game – 12 vs. St. Louis 11/27

Yards – 1360

Most yards, game – 210 vs. St. Louis 11/27

Completion percentage – 55.3 [8]

Yards per attempt – 9.1 [1]

TD passes – 11 [18, tied with Marty Domres]

Most TD passes, game – 2 vs. San Diego 10/15, vs. St. Louis 11/27, at New England 12/3

Interceptions – 7

Most interceptions, game – 1 on seven occasions

Passer rating – 91.0 [1]

200-yard passing games – 2

Rushing

Attempts – 17

Most attempts, game – 4 (for 7 yds.) vs. Buffalo 10/22

Yards – 67

Most yards, game – 29 yards (on 3 carries) vs. NY Jets 11/19

Yards per attempt – 3.9

TDs – 1

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points - 6

Postseason: 2 G

Pass attempts – 24

Most attempts, game - 13 vs. Cleveland, AFC Divisional playoff

Pass completions – 13

Most completions, game - 7 at Pittsburgh, AFC Championship

Passing yardage – 139

Most yards, game - 88 vs. Cleveland, AFC Divisional playoff

TD passes – 1

Interceptions – 1

Rushing attempts – 4

Most rushing attempts, game - 4 vs. Cleveland, AFC Divisional playoff

Rushing yards – 3

Most rushing yards, game - 3 vs. Cleveland, AFC Divisional playoff

Average gain rushing – 0.8

Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

AFC Player of the Year: Sporting News

NFL Comeback Player of the Year: AP

1^st team All-NFL: AP

2^nd team All-NFL: NEA

1^st team All-AFC: AP

Dolphins went 14-0 to finish first in the AFC East as they led the NFL in total yards (5036), rushing yards (2960), scoring (385 points), and touchdowns (45, tied with the Oakland Raiders). Won AFC Divisional playoff over Cleveland Browns (20-14), AFC Championship over Pittsburgh Steelers (21-17), and Super Bowl over Washington Redskins (14-7).

Aftermath:

Morrall gave way to Griese in the playoffs in 1972 and stayed on another four years as a backup, finally retiring following the 1976 season at age 42 and after 21 seasons in the NFL. Often regarded as the greatest backup quarterback in league history, he twice was selected to the Pro Bowl and ended up passing for 20,809 yards and 161 TDs.

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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). 

Rookie of the Year: Earl McCullouch, 1968

Split End, Detroit Lions

Age: 22

College: Southern California

Height: 5’11” Weight: 172

Prelude:

Transferring to USC from Long Beach City College, McCullouch was a member of the 1967 national championship team, catching 30 passes for 540 yards and five TDs and receiving all-conference recognition. He was also a track star and held the world record for the 100-meter high hurdles from 1967 to ‘69. McCullouch was one of five USC players taken in the first round of the 1968 NFL draft when chosen by the Lions with the 24^th overall pick.

1968 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 40 [19, tied with Charlie Sanders]           

Most receptions, game – 5 (for 132 yds.) at Dallas 9/15, (for 75 yds.) at Green Bay 9/29

Yards – 680 [16]

Most yards, game – 132 (on 5 catches) at Dallas 9/15

Average gain – 17.0 [16]

TDs – 5 [18, tied with six others]

100-yard receiving games - 1

Rushing

Attempts – 3

Yards – 13

Average gain – 4.3

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 5

Points – 30

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: UPI, NEA, Sporting News

Lions went 4-8-2 to finish fourth in the NFL Central Division.

Aftermath:

McCullouch’s rookie season ended up being his best. He caught 33 passes for 539 yards and five touchdowns in 1969, but injuries limited him to ten games and 15 catches in ’70, although five were good for TDs and he averaged 18.5 yards per reception. Inconsistency became more of a concern as McCullouch averaged 26.3 yards per catch in 1971, but on just 21 receptions for 552 yards. He lost his starting job to Ron Jessie and caught a total of 14 passes in ’72 and ’73. The Lions waived McCullouch just prior to the 1974 season and he appeared in three games for New Orleans, catching just one pass for five yards. He played with the Portland Thunder of the WFL in 1975, catching 12 passes for 219 yards (18.3 avg.) and three TDs in what was his final pro season. Overall, in seven NFL seasons, with virtually all of the action coming with Detroit, McCullouch caught 124 passes for 2319 yards (18.7 avg.) and 19 touchdowns.

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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). 

MVP Profile: Harvey Martin, 1977

Defensive End, Dallas Cowboys

Age:  27 (Nov. 16)

5^th season in pro football & with Cowboys

College: East Texas State

Height: 6’5”   Weight: 252

Prelude:

Martin, a Dallas native, was chosen by the Cowboys in the third round of the 1973 NFL draft and, while there were early concerns regarding a lack of aggressiveness, he quickly established himself as an outstanding pass rusher with outstanding speed and technique. By 1976, he was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time and also received second-team All-NFL honors from the Associated Press and second-team All-NFC recognition from UPI.

1977 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 23 (unofficial)

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 2

Fumble recovery TDs – 0

Tackles – 85

Postseason: 3 G

Sacks – 2 (unofficial)

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 2

TD – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Player of the Year: AP

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly

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

Pro Bowl

Cowboys went 12-2 to finish first in the NFC East with the conference’s best record while leading the NFL in fewest yards allowed (3213) and the NFC in sacks (53) and fewest rushing yards allowed (1651). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Chicago Bears (37-7), NFC Championship over Minnesota Vikings (23-6), and Super Bowl over Denver Broncos (27-10; Martin and DT Randy White were co-MVPs).

Aftermath:

Martin followed up with two more Pro Bowl seasons in 1978 and ’79, despite playing through injuries. He was especially effective in combination with DT Randy White, as both required double-teaming, and was unofficially credited with 16 sacks in ’78, tying for the team lead with White. Martin ended up playing 11 years for the Cowboys, abruptly retiring after the 1983 season. A popular figure in Dallas, where he had a radio show and business ventures, he was dogged at the end by off-field problems. Overall, he left as the team’s career leader in sacks (which didn’t become an official statistic until his last two seasons) with an unofficial total of 113 over the course of 158 games (officially, he had ten in 1982 and ’83) and also appeared in 22 postseason games. Martin received consensus All-NFL honors once, second-team recognition after three other seasons, and was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times.

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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). Also includes Associated Press NFL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

1975: Rams Obtain Tom Dempsey from Eagles

April 22, 1975 was a busy day for transactions by the Philadelphia Eagles. Guard Mark Nordquist was traded to the Bears and CB Charley Ford to Houston, both for draft choices. The most noteworthy deal sent PK Tom Dempsey to the Los Angeles Rams for an undisclosed 1976 draft choice (it turned out to be a fourth-round pick, which was later traded to Green Bay).

Dempsey, who was 28, had gained notoriety with the New Orleans Saints in 1970 when he kicked a 63-yard field goal that not only gave the Saints an upset victory over the Detroit Lions but broke the existing NFL record for longest field goal by seven yards. Born with only two fingers on his right hand and half of a right foot, Dempsey overcame disabilities to play offensive tackle in high school and defensive end at Palomar Junior College. He also took up placekicking, and when the Chargers of the AFL signed him to their taxi squad in 1968, a special shoe was designed for him with a flat surface like a mallet. A placekicker with the size of a lineman (6’1”, 260 pounds), he had considerable leg strength.

The Chargers released Dempsey after a year and he joined the Saints in ’69, gaining Pro Bowl recognition as he booted 22 field goals. He kicked another 18 in 1970, but while he could kick for distance, he had problems with accuracy. Three of his attempts of over 50 yards were good, as well as four of seven from 40 to 49 yards, but he was successful on only one of five tries from 30 to 39 yards. He was beaten out in the 1971 preseason by Skip Butler (who failed to last past the second game) and was activated by the Eagles midway through the schedule.

Dempsey’s half season with Philadelphia in ’71 was outstanding as he succeeded on 12 of 17 field goal attempts for a league-leading 70.6 percent. Among those kicks was a 54-yarder at home against the Cardinals that set a new team record (eclipsed by Tony Franklin in 1979).

Dempsey kicked for another three years with the Eagles, but was never again as consistent. While his field goal total rose to 20 in 1972, he had 35 attempts for a percentage of 57.1. His most notable performance was six field goals in an 18-17 win over the Oilers, another team record, and in a game in which the opposing kicker was, ironically enough, Skip Butler (who missed a potential game-winning kick). He set a then-club standard with 24 field goals in ’73, out of 40 tries, but had a noteworthy 26-yard field goal miss in a one-point loss at Buffalo and was still less-than-dependable on midrange kicks.

In 1974, the NFL made two rules changes that had a notable effect on placekickers, including Dempsey. The goal posts were moved from the goal line to the rear of the end zone and failed field goal attempts beyond the 20 yard line were returned to the line of scrimmage rather than the 20. Dempsey had just 16 field goal attempts for the year and was good on 10 of them.

There had been acrimony between Dempsey, who was the team’s player representative, and Eagles owner Leonard Tose during the players’ strike prior to the ’74 season, and there were rumors throughout the year that the placekicker’s job might be in jeopardy. Eagles Head Coach Mike McCormack indicated that the deciding factor in dealing Dempsey was the rule change regarding long missed field goal tries.

“The new kicking rule has reduced the need for long field goals,” explained McCormack. “Dempsey tried only 16 field goals for us last year. We tried only three or four from 40 yards or more (the actual number was seven). We feel we can get by with a short-range kicker, the 20- to 30-yard percentage type, someone whose leg maybe isn’t as strong as Dempsey’s.”

The Eagles filled their placekicking vacancy by obtaining Horst Muhlmann from Cincinnati, and he was successful on 20 of 29 field goal attempts (69 %). Only one attempt, which was good, came from over 50 yards although many were in the 40 to 49-yard range, with a success rate of 7 in 13 tries.

Dempsey, meanwhile, made good on 21 of 26 field goal tries for a career-best 80.8 percentage in his first year with the Rams. His longest covered 51 yards, he was four of five from 40 to 49 yards, and was perfect (7 of 7) between 20 and 29 yards for the first time in his career. However, he paradoxically missed five of his 36 points after touchdown.

Dempsey’s performance slipped in 1976, as he went 17-of-26 on field goal attempts and was unsuccessful on eight of 44 extra points. In the NFC Championship game, his blocked chip-shot field goal attempt in the first quarter was returned 90 yards by the Vikings, who went on to win the game – the last for Dempsey with LA. He was waived the following preseason.

Dempsey saw action with the Oilers and Bills over the next three years. Overall, he kicked 159 field goals out of 258 attempts (61.6 percent) and 89.4 percent of his extra point tries (252 of 282). Most of his field goals came with the Eagles (66) and he had a total of 38 with the Rams, but it would be the 63-yard kick for New Orleans for which he would be best remembered. 

Rookie of the Year: Curtis Martin, 1995

Running Back, New England Patriots

Age:  22

College: Pittsburgh

Height: 5’11” Weight: 197

Prelude:

Martin suffered through an injury-plagued college career, rushing for 1045 yards in ten games as a junior and then, after a 251-yard performance against Texas in the first game of his senior year, he went down with a severe ankle sprain. He chose to enter the 1995 NFL draft and was taken by the Patriots in the third round. While there were concerns regarding his injury history, Martin quickly allayed them by rushing for 102 yards in his NFL debut.

1995 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 368 [2]

Most attempts, game - 36 (for 127 yds.) vs. Buffalo 10/23

Yards – 1487 [3, 1^st in AFC]

Most yards, game – 166 yards (on 35 carries) at NY Jets 11/5

Average gain – 4.0 [15]

TDs – 14 [3]

100-yard rushing games – 9

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 30      

Most receptions, game – 8 (for 62 yds.) at Pittsburgh 12/16

Yards – 261

Most yards, game – 62 (on 8 catches) at Pittsburgh 12/16

Average gain – 8.7

TDs – 1

Scoring

TDs – 15 [6]

2-pt PAT – 1

Points – 92

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: Sporting News

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

AFC Rookie of the Year: UPI

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

Pro Bowl

Patriots went 6-10 to finish fourth in the AFC East.

Aftermath:

Martin followed up with another Pro Bowl year in 1996, rushing for 1152 yards and catching 46 passes as the Patriots won the AFC title. It was the second of ten straight seasons in which he rushed for over a thousand yards. An elusive runner who caught the ball well out of the backfield, he exhibited impressive stamina and durability, although he missed three games in ’97 due to an abdominal injury that required surgery. After rushing for 3799 yards and 32 TDs with New England, Martin was signed as a restricted free agent by the New York Jets in 1998, reuniting with Bill Parcells, his first coach with the Patriots, and played a key role in that team’s quick turnaround. Despite maintaining a heavy workload, he carried on through a string of 119 consecutive starts before a major knee injury finally ended his career 12 games into the 2005 season. Along the way, his quiet consistency was often overlooked, but he twice gained over 1500 yards in a season, including a league-leading 1697 at age 31 in 2004. Overall, he received consensus first-team All-NFL honors once, gained at least some first- or second-team recognition after three other years, and was selected to the Pro Bowl five times while rushing for 14,101 yards, which ranked fourth all-time at his retirement, on 3518 carries (4.0 avg.) and catching 484 passes for another 3329 yards, giving him 17,430 yards from scrimmage. He scored an even 100 touchdowns (90 rushing, 10 receiving). The Jets retired Martin’s #28 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2012.

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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). 

1983: Bandits Lose Game to Express & Reaves to Injury

The Los Angeles Express had a 3-3 record, as did all three other teams in the Pacific Division of the United States Football League, as they met the Tampa Bay Bandits on April 18, 1983. Coached by Hugh Campbell, winner of five straight Grey Cups with the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos, the Express had difficulty scoring points with the quarterback tandem of veteran NFL backup Mike Rae, who started games, and rookie Tom Ramsey, who typically finished them. The defense was tough, however, especially the line that was anchored by rookie NT Eddie “Meat Cleaver” Weaver.

Tampa Bay, coached by the offensive-minded Steve Spurrier, featured an exciting aerial attack directed by veteran QB John Reaves, a former college star at Florida who had floundered in the NFL. The Bandits had won their first four games before being thrashed by the Chicago Blitz, but were 5-1 and playing at home as they faced the Express.

It was a rainy Monday night with 32,223 fans in attendance at Tampa Stadium. The quality of play was sloppy, and the first half was filled with penalties. Tampa Bay took the early lead midway through the first quarter when Zenon Andrusyshyn booted a 40-yard field goal. The Express responded on the ensuing series by going 56 yards in 12 plays that culminated in Vince Abbott kicking a 35-yard field goal with 2:25 left in the opening period. Four plays later and now into the second quarter, it was Andrusyshyn’s turn again to put the Bandits back in front with a 29-yard field goal. The series was helped along by a roughing-the-passer call on DE Dennis Edwards.

LA was helped on its next drive by two penalties on the Bandits to move into field goal position, with Abbott connecting from 36 yards. Late in the second quarter, and with the score tied at 6-6, Eddie Weaver of the Express put pressure on Reaves that caused a poorly thrown pass which was intercepted by SS Mike Fox. But with the ball at the Tampa Bay 10, the visitors couldn’t reach the end zone. NT Fred Nordgren made a shoestring tackle on RB John Barnett to save a possible score, and then Tom Ramsey dropped the snap on third down. LA came away with a 24-yard Abbott field goal as the clock ticked down to 42 seconds and took a 9-6 lead into halftime.

Down by three points in the third quarter, the Bandits stopped the Express at their own 15 and forced a punt that gave them good starting field position at their own 48. However, after advancing to the LA 42, a false start backed them up five yards and then Reaves was again picked off by Fox.

Heading into the fourth quarter, and with 12:31 to go, the Express went ahead to stay on a one-yard touchdown carry by RB John Barnett – the first LA touchdown in over ten quarters. It followed a Reaves fumble that was recovered at the Tampa Bay 17 by Dennis Edwards. The turnover was compounded by the loss of Reaves, who left the game with a broken wrist suffered while being tackled, thus forcing the fumble.

Backup QB Jimmy Jordan helped narrow the margin with a 23-yard touchdown pass to WR Danny Buggs midway through the final period, but the Bandits never threatened again for the remainder of the game. They reached the LA 40 on their final possession before giving the ball up on downs, and a roughing-the-kicker penalty kept the Express from having to give up the ball again until there were just 27 seconds left. LA added two points by dropping Jordan for a safety shortly thereafter and won by a final score of 18-13.

The offensive statistics reflected the closeness of the score. The Bandits held the edge in total yards (260 to 258) and first downs (17 to 16). The big difference was in turnovers, with Tampa Bay giving up five (four interceptions, one fumble) to none suffered by LA, even though the visitors fumbled four times. The Express defensive line put heavy pressure on the Tampa Bay quarterbacks throughout the contest and recorded five sacks, while the Bandits had two.

Mike Rae completed 13 of 25 passes for 140 yards with no touchdowns, but also no interceptions. RB Tony Boddie rushed for 59 yards on 11 carries and John Barnett was right behind with 55 yards and a TD on 19 attempts. TE Ricky Ellis led the receivers with 6 catches for 65 yards. On defense, Eddie Weaver had two sacks and Mike Fox accumulated three interceptions.

For the Bandits, John Reaves had a miserable day before leaving due to injury, completing just 7 of his 27 throws for 81 yards while giving up four interceptions. In relief, Jimmy Jordan went 8 of 10 for 97 yards and a TD with none picked off. RB Sam Platt ran for 107 yards on 21 carries and caught four passes for another 16 yards. Danny Buggs led the team with 62 yards on three pass receptions that included a TD.

“I’m very disappointed in the offense,” said Tampa Bay’s Coach Spurrier in summing up the defeat. “We didn’t play well until Jimmy (Jordan) came in. It hurts when you beat yourself. Even with doing things so poorly, we still had a chance to win.”

The Express went on to an 8-10 tally that placed them second in the mediocre Pacific Division. Eddie Weaver received All-USFL recognition from The Sporting News for his play with the league’s fifth-ranked defense, but even with upgrades to the receiving corps, the offense continued to have difficulty scoring points.

As for the Bandits, the loss that dropped them to 5-2 was all too reminiscent of the one two weeks earlier against the Blitz and a harbinger of harder times to come. Still, with Jordan at quarterback, they managed to remain competitive, even after he, in turn, went down with an injury. Tampa Bay stayed in the playoff hunt until the last week, ending up with an 11-7 record that meant a third place finish in the tough Central Division and just outside the postseason. 

MVP Profile: Craig Morton, 1977

Quarterback, Denver Broncos

Age:  34

13^th season in pro football, 1^st with Broncos

College: California

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 214

Prelude:

Chosen by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 1965 NFL draft (he was chosen by the Raiders in the AFL), Morton saw limited action as backup to Don Meredith for four seasons before taking over as the starting quarterback in 1969. A classic dropback passer with a good arm and limited mobility, he threw for 2619 yards and 21 TDs while averaging a healthy 8.7 yards per attempt in ’69 and in 1970 the Cowboys won the NFC Championship as Morton led the league with 8.8 yards per attempt. However, he had a rough outing in the Super Bowl loss to the Colts and then lost the starting job to Roger Staubach during the ’71 season. He stepped in when Staubach went down with an injury in 1972 but went back to the bench until he was traded to the New York Giants during the ’74 season. While expectations were high, the Giants were mediocre and Morton took a beating, tossing far more interceptions (49) than touchdowns (29) over the course of 34 games, only 8 of which were wins. Following the 1976 season, he was traded to the up-and-coming Broncos.

1977 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 254 [16]

Most attempts, game – 32 vs. Oakland 10/30, at San Diego 11/13

Completions – 131 [17]

Most completions, game – 19 vs. Oakland 10/30

Yards – 1929 [13]

Most yards, game – 242 vs. Oakland 10/30

Completion percentage – 51.6 [16]

Yards per attempt – 7.6 [2]

TD passes – 14 [9]

Most TD passes, game – 2 at San Diego 11/13, vs. Baltimore 11/27, at Houston 12/4

Interceptions – 8

Most interceptions, game – 2 at Kansas City 11/20

Passer rating – 82.0 [4]

200-yard passing games – 1

Rushing

Attempts – 31

Most attempts, game – 6 (for 15 yds.) vs. St. Louis 9/18

Yards – 125

Most yards, game – 35 yards (on 5 carries) at Seattle 10/2

Yards per attempt – 4.0

TDs – 4

Scoring

TDs – 4

Points - 24

Postseason: 3 G

Pass attempts – 58

Most attempts, game - 23 vs. Pittsburgh, AFC Divisional playoff

Pass completions – 25

Most completions, game - 11 vs. Pittsburgh, AFC Divisional playoff

Passing yardage – 427

Most yards, game - 224 vs. Oakland, AFC Championship

TD passes – 4

Most TD passes, game - 2 vs. Pittsburgh, AFC Divisional playoff; vs. Oakland, AFC Championship

Interceptions – 5

Most interceptions, game – 4 vs. Dallas, Super Bowl

Rushing attempts – 7

Most rushing attempts, game – 5 (for 0 yds.) vs. Pittsburgh, AFC Divisional playoff

Rushing yards – -4

Most rushing yards, game – 0 vs. Pittsburgh, AFC Divisional playoff

Average gain rushing – -0.6

Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

AFC Player of the Year: Sporting News

NFL Comeback Player of the Year: AP

1^st team All-AFC: Sporting News

Broncos went 12-2 to finish first in the AFC West with the conference’s best record, achieving the first postseason appearance in franchise history. Won AFC Divisional playoff over Pittsburgh Steelers (34-21) and AFC Championship over Oakland Raiders (20-17). Lost Super Bowl to Dallas Cowboys (27-10).

Aftermath:

The Broncos topped the AFC West again in 1978, but Morton had a lesser season and split time with backups Norris Weese and Craig Penrose. The team had trouble putting points on the board in ’79, with Morton again seeing most of the action behind center, and while his passing yards (2626) and touchdowns (16) went up, so did his interceptions (19). Matt Robinson was obtained from the Jets to challenge him in 1980, but Morton regained the starting job and, with the arrival of ex-Dallas teammate Dan Reeves as head coach in ’81, he enjoyed a revival as he achieved a career-high 3195 passing yards and tied his previous best with 21 TD passes while averaging 8.5 yards per attempt. But it was a last hurrah as he finished out his career in the strike-shortened 1982 season. Overall, Morton passed for 27,908 yards and 183 TDs, with 187 interceptions, over the course of 18 years in the NFL. 11,895 of the yards and 74 TDs came with the Broncos, where he enjoyed his greatest success and became part of that team’s Ring of Fame in 1988.

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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).