1971: Dolphins Defeat Colts in Key AFC East Battle

The two top contenders in the AFC East met in Miami on November 21, 1971 as the Dolphins hosted the Baltimore Colts. Coached for the second year by Don Shula, the Dolphins came into the game with a 7-1-1 record and six-game winning streak on the line. The backfield combination of FB Larry Csonka (pictured above) and HB Jim Kiick was highly productive and, when they needed to go to the air, QB Bob Griese was an excellent passer. The overachieving defense was scrappy and benefited most from the presence of MLB Nick Buoniconti and safeties Jake Scott and Dick Anderson.

Baltimore, the NFL’s defending champion, was coached by Don McCafferty, who had succeeded Shula when he departed for Miami. 38-year-old QB Johnny Unitas was brittle and no longer great but could still be effective and the running game, led by second-year FB Norm Bulaich, was improved and operating behind an excellent line. The defense was tough, particularly at linebacker where MLB Mike Curtis was flanked by Ted Hendricks and Ray May. The Colts had a 7-2 record and could vault into first place with a win in Miami.  

There was a crowd of 75,312 fans in attendance at the Orange Bowl. The Dolphins went three-and-out on their first possession and punted. Baltimore put together a long drive of 77 yards in 14 plays. The Colts converted three third downs with Johnny Unitas passes along the way. The first was to TE Tom Mitchell in a third-and-three situation, the second was to HB Tom Matte on a third-and-10 play to the Miami 47, and the third gained 20 yards to Norm Bulaich (pictured below) while facing third-and-five. That put the ball at the 11, and after Matte ran for seven yards, FB Don Nottingham followed up with a four-yard touchdown carry. Jim O’Brien added the extra point and the visitors had the early 7-0 lead.

A clipping penalty on the ensuing kickoff had the Dolphins starting deep in their own territory and they again had to punt. Baltimore had good starting field position at the Miami 40, but couldn’t move effectively and O’Brien missed a 45-yard field goal attempt.

The teams exchanged punts as the game headed into the second quarter before the Dolphins finally came alive on offense. Bob Griese threw to Larry Csonka for 13 yards on a third-and-eight play and followed up with a completion to TE Marv Fleming for 16 yards. A long carry for an apparent touchdown by HB Mercury Morris was nullified by a clipping penalty but Miami continued to chip away with a run by Csonka and consecutive Griese passes to Jim Kiick. However, after reaching the Baltimore seven, Griese fumbled when hit by DT Jim Bailey while looking to pass and DE Billy Newsome recovered for the Colts.

The teams once again traded punts before a Unitas pass was intercepted by CB Tim Foley at midfield. But a Griese toss to Kiick lost nine yards, Griese fumbled the snap on the next play and had to fall on the loose ball, and a 16-yard completion to Kiick was well short of a first down. Garo Yepremian’s 54-yard field goal try with 1:17 remaining in the first half fell short and the score stayed unchanged at halftime.

The Colts had the ball first in the third quarter and punted from their end zone. Miami made the most of the resulting good field position, advancing 46 yards in eight plays. Griese ran for nine yards on first down and Kiick had a 19-yard gain among his four carries. A pass interference penalty in the end zone gave the Dolphins a first down at the one, and Kiick plunged for a touchdown from there. Yepremian’s conversion tied the score at 7-7.

Miami got the ball back in short order when LB Doug Swift intercepted a Unitas pass at the Baltimore 22 and returned it 12 yards. On the next play, Griese connected with Fleming for a 10-yard TD and, with Yepremian again adding the point after, the home team was ahead by 14-7.

The Colts responded with a long drive of 76 yards in 13 plays. Unitas started the series off with a nine-yard completion to WR Willie Richardson but was injured shortly thereafter while throwing a block on a double reverse and it was Earl Morrall behind center the rest of the way. Morrall completed a third-down pass to TE John Mackey for 18 yards but, two plays later, was sacked by DT Manny Fernandez. Facing third-and-17, he threw to WR Eddie Hinton for a 16-yard gain and Matte gained the needed yard on fourth down to keep the series going. Two more Matte runs set up a four-yard touchdown carry by Bulaich and, with O’Brien booting the extra point, the score was tied once again at 14-14.

That remained the situation as the contest entered the fourth quarter and the teams exchanged punts. A personal foul on the Colts helped Miami out of a second-and-14 situation as they got the ball back again and Griese followed up with a 14-yard completion to WR Karl Noonan. The series finally stalled at the Baltimore 13, but Yepremian put the Dolphins ahead by three with a 20-yard field goal.

The Colts advanced into Miami territory when Morrall passed to Hinton for a 33-yard gain, but after reaching the 35, a throw into the end zone was intercepted by SS Dick Anderson. There were still over three minutes remaining, but the Dolphins never let the visitors get the ball back. Griese threw to WR Paul Warfield for 13 yards to convert a third-and-three situation and Csonka ran for two more first downs to seal the 17-14 win for Miami.

Baltimore led in total yards (268 to 249) while the Dolphins had the edge in first downs (16 to 14). Miami generated more yards on the ground (168 to 100) and the Colts had the net passing advantage (168 to 81). Baltimore turned the ball over three times, to one by the Dolphins.

Bob Griese completed 10 of 16 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown while giving up no interceptions. Larry Csonka rushed for 93 yards on 15 carries while Jim Kiick (pictured above) contributed 52 yards on 14 attempts that included a TD and also caught four passes for 22 yards. Marv Fleming topped the Dolphins with 26 yards on two receptions that included a touchdown.

For the Colts, Johnny Unitas was successful on 9 of 17 throws for 78 yards, giving up two interceptions, and in relief Earl Morrall was 6 of 9 for 99 yards with one picked off. Tom Matte ran the ball 17 times for 44 yards and Norm Bulaich had 5 catches for 41 yards in addition to his 23 yards on 8 rushing attempts that included a TD. Eddie Hinton gained 49 yards on his two pass receptions and John Mackey was right behind with his 46 yards, also on two catches.

The win put Miami a game-and-a-half ahead of the Colts, and while they lost the rematch in Baltimore, the Dolphins finished on top of the AFC East at 10-3-1. The Colts lost the season finale to end up in second with a 10-4 record, qualifying for the postseason as a Wild Card. Both teams won their Divisional round games, Miami in classic fashion over Kansas City in overtime while the Colts more easily dispatched the Browns, and the clubs met for the AFC Championship. The Dolphins dominated in a 21-0 win and went on to lose to Dallas in the Super Bowl.

Highlighted Year: Tim Delaney, 1974

Wide Receiver, The Hawaiians

Age: 26

1^st season in pro football

College: San Diego State

Height: 5’11” Weight: 185

Prelude:

Delaney was a two-time all-conference choice as a tight end in college, thriving in Head Coach Don Coryell’s pass-oriented offense, and once caught 16 passes for 275 yards and 6 touchdowns in a single contest against New Mexico. He failed to catch on in the NFL as a free agent wide receiver with the New York Giants.

1974 Season Summary

Appeared in 19 of 20 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 89 [1] 

Yards – 1232 [2]

Average gain – 13.8 [13]

TDs – 8 [6, tied with Dennis Homan & James Scott]

Scoring

TDs – 8 [14, tied with five others]

Action Points – 3

Points – 59 [15]

(Note: Touchdowns counted for seven points in the WFL)

Postseason: 2 G

Pass receptions – 10

Most pass receptions, game – 5 at Southern California, WFL First Round playoff; at Birmingham, WFL Second Round playoff

Pass receiving yards – 95

Most pass receiving yards, game – 55 at Birmingham, WFL Second Round playoff

Average yards per reception – 9.5

Pass Receiving TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-WFL: League, Sporting News

Hawaiians went 9-11 to finish second in the WFL Western Division. Won First Round playoff over Southern California Sun (32-14). Lost Second Round playoff to Birmingham Americans (22-19).

Aftermath:

Delaney returned to the Hawaiians for 1975 but quit the team before the league pulled the plug in October. As it was, he still ended up among the league leaders with 44 catches for 594 yards (13.5 avg.) in 10 games and scored five touchdowns. Overall, Delaney was the WFL’s career pass receiving leader in its brief existence, catching 133 passes for 1826 yards (13.7 avg.) and 13 TDs.

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Highlighted Years features players who were first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

2000: Taylor Rushes for 234 Yards & Scores 4 TDs as Jaguars Defeat Steelers

Following four consecutive playoff seasons, including a 14-2 record in 1999, the Jacksonville Jaguars were struggling at 3-7 as they faced the Steelers in Pittsburgh on November 19, 2000. Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s team had run into injury problems, particularly along the offensive line. Third-year RB Fred Taylor (pictured at right) missed the first three games with a torn ligament in his knee, but was coming off of four straight 100-yard rushing performances and the offense also still contained strong performers in QB Mark Brunell and wide receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell.

The Steelers were a streaky 5-5, having lost their first three games, won five straight, and then been beaten in their last two contests. QB Kordell Stewart regained the starting job after starting out behind journeyman QB Kent Graham. RB Jerome Bettis was a potent power runner and overachieving WR Hines Ward the most reliable receiver. As was typically the case under Head Coach Bill Cowher, the defense was stingy.  Pittsburgh had already beaten Jacksonville on the road.

There were 50,925 fans in attendance for the Sunday night contest at Three Rivers Stadium. The teams traded punts for most of the opening period until the Jaguars turned the ball over when Mark Brunell fumbled while being sacked by SS Lee Flowers. LB Jason Gildon recovered at the Jacksonville 37. Two plays later, Kordell Stewart threw to Hines Ward for a 32-yard touchdown. Kris Brown added the extra point and the Steelers took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter.

The Jaguars, who had been losing the battle for field position as the teams continued to exchange punts, finally got a break when LB Kevin Hardy intercepted a Stewart pass at his own 44. Facing second-and-19 after a penalty backed the visitors up, Brunell completed a pass to Jimmy Smith for 20 yards and, two plays later, he connected with Keenan McCardell for 17 yards to the Pittsburgh 28. Fred Taylor finished the six-play possession off with a 25-yard run for a TD. Mike Hollis converted to tie the score.

The Steelers moved well on their next series. Stewart passed to Ward for 22 yards and Jerome Bettis had runs of 16 and 17 yards. The drive stalled at the Jacksonville 22 and Brown kicked a 40-yard field goal to move Pittsburgh back in front by 10-7. Jacksonville responded with an eight-play, 65-yard series. Taylor had a 31-yard carry along the way and, in a third-and-12 situation, caught a pass from Brunell for a 16-yard touchdown. Hollis added the point after and the visitors were in the lead by 14-10.

Pittsburgh appeared to be on the move when a Stewart pass to RB Richard Huntley gained 18 yards to the Jacksonville 42, but on the next play the quarterback was sacked by DT Gary Walker and fumbled, giving the ball to the Jaguars at the Pittsburgh 39 with 39 seconds remaining in the first half. Jacksonville extended its lead to 17-10 on a 36-yard Hollis field goal.

The Steelers had the first possession of the third quarter and punted. Brunell completed four passes, three of them to Smith, with the longest covering 21 yards to the Pittsburgh 15. However, another pass to Smith for an apparent touchdown was overturned upon replay review and the Jaguars had to settle for a 33-yard Hollis field goal that put them 10 points ahead.

Jacksonville got another opportunity in short order when WR Troy Edwards fumbled while returning the ensuing kickoff and FB Daimon Shelton recovered for the Jaguars at the Pittsburgh 36. Taylor immediately took off for a gain of 34 yards and, on the next play, carried again for a two-yard touchdown. Hollis kicked the extra point to give the visitors a commanding 27-10 lead.

The Steelers were on the move on the next series before WR Bobby Shaw fumbled after gaining 15 yards on a pass from Stewart. FS Rayna Stewart recovered at the Jacksonville 42. It took just four plays for the Jaguars to advance 58 yards as Brunell converted a third-and-eight situation with a completion to TE Kyle Brady for 30 yards and Taylor ran 26 yards up the middle for another TD. Hollis again converted and the Jaguars, taking good advantage of opportunities presented by turnovers, were ahead by 34-10.

Pittsburgh drove to a score on the next series, with Stewart running for a two-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. The try for a two-point conversion failed. The Jaguars came back with a solid drive into Pittsburgh territory that included a 19-yard run by Taylor, but CB Chad Scott picked off a Brunell pass and the Steelers drove 56 yards in seven plays. The biggest was a 45-yard touchdown run by Stewart and this time the try for two points succeeded. Pittsburgh had narrowed the margin to ten points with 7:56 remaining in regulation.

The Jaguars were forced to punt following a short possession and the Steelers, helped by a 15-yard penalty tacked on to the punt return, started from the Jacksonville 49. Stewart completed a pass to Shaw for 18 yards, but the drive stalled at the 24 as Ward, wide open at the goal line, dropped a pass after slipping and Brown’s 42-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful.

With 4:39 left to play, the Jaguars kept the ball on the ground and Taylor had runs of 15 and 25 yards to advance into Pittsburgh territory and run the clock down. They finally turned the ball over on downs at the 24 with the time remaining now down to 1:02. SS Donovin Darius intercepted a Stewart pass to clinch the 34-24 win for Jacksonville.

The Jaguars had the edge in total yards (417 to 302), first downs (20 to 15), and time of possession (34:20 to 25:40). They also recorded five sacks, to three for the Steelers, and Pittsburgh turned the ball over five times, four of which led to Jacksonville scores, against two suffered by the visitors. The Jaguars were penalized eight times, at a cost of 55 yards, to four flags thrown on the Steelers. The 34 points surrendered marked the highest point total that Pittsburgh gave up during the season, by far (and it would not be exceeded in the remaining contests).

Fred Taylor had a huge performance as he rushed for 234 yards on 30 carries that included three touchdowns, and he added a fourth TD on one of his three pass receptions for 14 yards. Mark Brunell completed 17 of 31 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown while giving up one interception. Jimmy Smith had 6 catches for 85 yards and Kyle Brady contributed 62 yards on his five receptions.

For the Steelers, Kordell Stewart (pictured above) was successful on 13 of 27 throws for 188 yards and a TD while being intercepted twice. He also rushed for a team-leading 59 yards on 6 attempts that included two scores. Jerome Bettis was right behind with 57 yards on 12 carries. Bobby Shaw topped the receivers with 5 catches for 81 yards, although he also had a costly fumble.

The big win over Pittsburgh was the first of four straight for the rejuvenated Jaguars, but they finished the season with two narrow losses to end up at 7-9 and fourth in the AFC Central. It was their first losing record since their inaugural season in 1995. The Steelers won four of their last five games for a 9-7 tally that put them in third place in the division.

Fred Taylor’s yardage total set a still-standing franchise record (to date) and also was a new high for an individual performer against the Steelers. He went on to rush for 1399 yards in 13 games, averaging 4.8 yards-per-carry and scoring 12 touchdowns.       

Highlighted Year: Harvey Johnson, 1949

Guard/Linebacker/Placekicker, New York Yankees

Age:  30

4^th season in pro football & with Yankees

College: William & Mary

Height: 5’11” Weight: 210

Prelude:

Johnson was chosen by the Brooklyn Dodgers in the sixth round of the 1943 NFL draft but served in the US Navy during World War II and signed with the Yankees of the AAFC afterward. He played tackle, guard, fullback, and linebacker for the Yankees, although he was primarily known for his placekicking. Johnson connected on 6 of 8 field goal attempts in 1946 and 7 of 8 in ’47, when he led the league with 49 extra points out of 51 attempts and scored a career-high 70 points. He also rushed for 63 yards in 1946 and caught a total of three passes for 25 yards.

1949 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 7 [1]

Most field goals, game – 1 on seven occasions

Field goal attempts – 15 [1]

Field goal percentage – 46.7 [2]

PATs – 25 [5]

PAT attempts – 25 [5]

Longest field goal – 40 yards vs. San Francisco 10/23

Interceptions
Interceptions – 1

Int. return yards – 1

Int. TDs – 0

Scoring

Field Goals – 7

PATs – 25

Points – 46 [7]

Postseason: 1 G (AAFC First Round Playoff at San Francisco)

Field goals – 0

Field goal attempts – 0

PATs – 1

PAT attempts – 1

Yankees went 8-4 to finish third in the AAFC and qualify for the playoffs. Lost First Round playoff to San Francisco 49ers (17-7).

Aftermath:

Following the merger of the AAFC with the NFL in 1950, Johnson, along with many other members of the Yankees, was assigned to the New York Yanks. He chose to coach high school football instead but came back as a linebacker and placekicker in 1951 for one final season, making good on 6 of 14 field goal attempts and all 31 of his tries for extra point. Overall, in four AAFC seasons Johnson kicked 22 field goals out of 38 attempts (57.9 %) and was successful on 147 of 149 extra points, including a streak of 133 straight. Johnson’s total of 213 points ranked sixth in AAFC history. He went into pro coaching, first in Canada, where he led the minor league Kitchener team to four championships. Johnson later joined the Buffalo Bills of the new AFL in ’60 at the behest of his former college teammate Buster Ramsey, who was the new club’s first head coach. Johnson remained with Buffalo for many years, serving as interim head coach twice, in 1968 and ’71, and also in the front office.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1996: Last-Play FG Lifts Dolphins Past Oilers

The Miami Dolphins were struggling with a 5-5 record as they traveled to Houston to face the Oilers on November 17, 1996. Having replaced long-time Head Coach Don Shula with Jimmy Johnson, whose Dallas teams won two Super Bowls, the Dolphins had won their first three games before dropping five of their next six. 35-year-old QB Dan Marino (pictured at right) was still at the helm of the offense, although he was proving to be increasingly brittle and had missed three games. The passing game was assisted by the arrival of WR Fred Barnett, signed away from the Eagles as a free agent and who had made an astonishing recovery from a preseason knee injury that required surgery.  Rookie RB Karim Abdul-Jabbar provided a boost to the ground game.

The Oilers, coached by Jeff Fisher, were also facing a transition as they were scheduled to leave Houston for Nashville.  The club was also retooling on the field, with rookie RB Eddie George having an immediate impact and QB Steve McNair in development while veteran Chris Chandler directed the offense. The defense was rugged, particularly against the run. Houston got off to a 5-2 start before suffering two tough losses and the Oilers were at 6-4 as they hosted the Dolphins.

There were 47,358 fans in attendance at the Astrodome. Miami’s Coach Johnson was from nearby Port Arthur, Texas, and there was a cheering section in attendance for him. The Oilers had the first possession and drove 65 yards in eight plays. Chris Chandler started off with a pass to Eddie George (pictured below) for 17 yards and WR Willie Davis ran around left end for another 15. Chandler had completions to RB Ronnie Harmon for eight yards and George for seven and, while losses on two plays had Houston facing third-and-18, Chandler connected with WR Derek Russell for an 18-yard touchdown. Al Del Greco added the extra point for the early 7-0 advantage.

The Dolphins went three-and-out and, following their punt, the Oilers again drove to another score, advancing 61 yards in eight plays. Chandler completed three passes along the way and a fourth was to TE Frank Wycheck for a 15-yard TD. Del Greco again converted and the home team was ahead by 14-0.

Miami responded with a series that was helped along by an 18-yard pass interference call on the Oilers, but after reaching the Houston 21, Joe Nedney missed on a 39-yard field goal as the first quarter came to an end. As the game headed into the second quarter, the teams exchanged punts. The Oilers reached the Miami 49 on their next possession but a punt by ex-Dolphin Reggie Roby was blocked and recovered by RB Robert Wilson at the Houston 31. Five plays later, Dan Marino threw to RB Irving Spikes for a 10-yard touchdown and, with Nedney adding the point after, Houston’s lead was cut to 14-7.

The Oilers punted following a short series and the Dolphins regained possession with 3:35 remaining in the first half. Two defensive penalties helped move Miami’s series along. Karim Abdul-Jabbar had a 12-yard carry and Marino connected on two short passes to set up Nedney’s 34-yard field goal on the last play of the half, making the score 14-10 at the intermission.

Both teams went three-and-out and punted to start the third quarter. The Dolphins, on their second series of the half, drove 37 yards in eight plays. Marino completed three passes, the longest to Fred Barnett for 25 yards to the Houston 26, and Nedney kicked a 44-yard field goal to make it a one-point game at 14-13.

The Oilers came back alive on offense to advance 67 yards in 12 plays. Chandler completed four passes but, following a 10-yard run by George to get the ball to the Miami 12, three passes were incomplete and the home team settled for a 30-yard Del Greco field goal and an extended lead of 17-13.

The Dolphins had the ball as the game headed into the fourth quarter, helped along by a fake punt in which LB Larry Izzo took a direct snap and ran for 26 yards to the Houston 42. But after reaching the five, Abdul-Jabbar fumbled just short of the goal line and CB Cris Dishman recovered for the Oilers in the end zone. However, Chandler immediately went to the air and his pass intended for Wycheck was intercepted by LB Zach Thomas, who returned it 26 yards for a touchdown. Nedney added the extra point and the visitors were in front for the first time at 20-17.

The Oilers went three-and-out and punted, but they got the ball back at their 35 after Miami WR O.J. McDuffie fumbled when stripped by LB Barron Wortham after catching a pass and CB Steve Jackson recovered. George took off for a 24-yard gain on first down and Chandler threw to Wycheck for eight yards. The drive stalled at the Miami 16 and Del Greco came on to tie the score at 20-20 with a 33-yard field goal.

Miami took over on offense with 3:20 left in regulation. Two runs by Abdul-Jabbar netted a loss of two yards, but facing third-and-12, Marino passed to McDuffie for 20 yards to keep the series alive. Two plays later, he threw to TE Troy Drayton for a pickup of 51 yards to the Houston five. From there the Dolphins were able to run the clock down and Nedney kicked a 29-yard field goal on the game’s last play to give Miami a 23-20 win.  

The Dolphins had the edge in total yards (303 to 261) while the teams were even in first downs with 17 apiece. Miami turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by the Oilers. Houston accounted for three sacks, to two by the Dolphins, and Miami drew six penalties to four flags thrown on the Oilers.

Dan Marino completed 21 of 28 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. O.J. McDuffie (pictured at right) had 8 catches for 86 yards. Thanks to his long fourth quarter reception, Troy Drayton gained 63 yards on two catches and Fred Barnett contributed 5 receptions for 53 yards. Karim Abdul-Jabbar topped Miami’s rushers with 59 yards on 18 carries.

For the Oilers, Chris Chandler was successful on 15 of 27 throws for 167 yards and two TDs while giving up one interception. Eddie George rushed for 60 yards on 15 attempts and caught three passes for 34 yards. Frank Wycheck topped the receivers with 5 catches for 54 yards and a touchdown.

The win put the Dolphins above .500 but they lost their next three games before finishing out the season with two wins for an 8-8 record that placed fourth in the AFC East. Houston lost three of its last five contests to also end up at 8-8 and fourth in the AFC Central.

Due to wear and tear, Dan Marino had one of his least productive seasons, passing for 2795 yards and 17 touchdowns, although his 87.8 passer rating and 7.5 yards per attempt ranked among the league leaders. Fred Barnett managed to catch 36 passes for 562 yards (15.6 avg.) and three TDs in nine games while O.J. McDuffie led the club with 74 receptions for 918 yards (12.4 avg.) and eight touchdowns.

Highlighted Year: Guy Chamberlin, 1922

End, Canton Bulldogs

Age: 28

4^th season in pro football, 3^rd in APFA/NFL & 2^nd with Bulldogs

College: Nebraska

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 192

Prelude:

Chamberlin transferred from Nebraska Wesleyan to the Univ. of Nebraska and was a consensus first-team All-American end in 1915. Following military service from 1917 to ’19, he joined Canton in 1919, when it was still part of the informal Ohio League, and moved on to the Decatur Staleys of the new NFL (then called American Professional Football Association) in ’20. Tall and fast, and outstanding on both offense and defense, Chamberlin received first-team All-League honors from The Rock Island Argus. The club shifted to Chicago in 1921 (and was rechristened the Bears the next year) and won the NFL Championship. Chamberlin returned to Canton as player/coach in 1922.

1922 Season Summary

Appeared in 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Scoring

Rushing TDs – 3 [10, tied with ten others]

Receiving TDs – 1 [5, tied with twenty-two others]

Interception TDs – 2 [1]

Misc. TDs – 1 [1, tied with Norb Sacksteder, Curly Lambeau & Al Nesser]

Total TDs – 7 [1, tied with Jimmy Conzelman]

Points – 42 [3]

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: George Halas

Bulldogs went 10-0-2 to finish first in the NFL while leading the league in touchdowns (26) and scoring (184 points).

Aftermath:

The Bulldogs went undefeated in 1923 to again top the NFL with an 11-0-1 record under Chamberlin’s guidance, and as a player he received first-team All-NFL honors from Collyers Eye and second-team recognition from the Green Bay Press-Gazette. The franchise was effectively shifted to Cleveland in 1924 and won another title. Chamberlin received first-team All-NFL honors from Collyers Eye. He moved on to become player/coach of the Frankford Yellow Jackets in 1925 and, after a sixth-place finish that year, they topped the NFL with a 14-1-2 record in ’26. Chamberlin ended up as both a player and coach with the Chicago Cardinals in 1927, who placed ninth with the only losing record of any team that he played for or coached. Overall, as a player Chamberlin played in 92 games and scored 17 touchdowns, and received at least some first-team All-League recognition four times. As a coach, his teams went 58-16-7, including 21-0-3 in two seasons with Canton, and won a total of four NFL Championships. Chamberlin was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1965.

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Highlighted Years features players who were first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1931: Nevers Spurs Cards to Upset of Packers

The Green Bay Packers were undefeated and trying for a third consecutive NFL title as they faced the Chicago Cardinals on November 15, 1931. The Cards did not appear to be a formidable opponent. Coached by Ernie Nevers (pictured at right), who was also their most outstanding player, they had won their last two games following three straight losses to start the season, and were thus 2-3 as they hosted the powerful Packers.

Green Bay, under the direction of team founder and coach Curly Lambeau, was 9-0 and had easily beaten the Cardinals at home. The two-time defending champs were loaded with outstanding players that included back Johnny (Blood) McNally, end Lavvie Dilweg, guard Mike Michalske, and tackle Cal Hubbard.  

There were 8000 fans in attendance at Wrigley Field. The Packers had the game’s first possession, defending the muddy half of the field, and the teams traded punts until a pass from Ernie Nevers to end Milan Creighton put the Cardinals at the Green Bay 20. Chicago came up empty, however, when a field goal attempt by Nevers was short and wide.

Following another punt by the Packers, Nevers went to the air, with a big completion to back Bill Glassgow for 29 yards. A short run, incomplete pass, and three-yard throw to Creighton had the Cards facing fourth-and-five. Nevers connected again with Creighton, who grabbed the ball at the Green Bay 16 and evaded four tacklers on the way to a 27-yard touchdown. Nevers added the extra point.

Early in the second quarter, the Packers got a break when tackle Dick Stahlman broke through the line and blocked a Nevers punt. End Tom Nash recovered in the end zone for a TD. However, a bad snap caused the extra point to be aborted and the score remained 7-6 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the teams again exchanged punts before the Cardinals, taking possession at the Green Bay 49, drove to another score. Two carries by back Bunny Belden picked up nine yards and Nevers gained two for a first down. Chicago continued to move methodically, mixing reverses with off-tackle runs by Nevers. A reverse by back Gene Rose gained 12 yards and Nevers carried three straight times to get a first down at the three.  Cal Hubbard broke through to tackle Nevers for a two-yard loss, but on the next play Rose ran a reverse for a five-yard touchdown for the Cards. Nevers converted and Chicago was ahead by 14-6.

As the game entered the fourth quarter, the Packers opened up their passing game. A throw by back Paul Fitzgibbon was intercepted by end George Rogge, who nearly went the distance on the return but was caught at the Green Bay 11 by Johnny McNally. A nine-yard run by Nevers was nullified by offsetting penalties and after a lateral picked up two yards and two passes fell incomplete, it appeared that the Cards would come up short. However, on fourth down Nevers threw to end Chuck Kassel in the end zone for a 16-yard TD. Nevers booted the extra point so firmly that it sailed into the stands and time was called for the ball to be retrieved. The Cardinals held a commanding 21-6 lead.

McNally returned the ensuing kickoff to the Green Bay 27 and back Hank Bruder and McNally made good gains on successive carries. But Bruder then slipped while cutting with a nearly clear field ahead of him and the drive ultimately petered out.

After a Nevers punt to midfield, the Packers put together a 50-yard drive. Passes from FB Russ Saunders to McNally and tailback Red Dunn to Bruder got the ball to the Chicago 26 and, three plays later, Dunn connected with McNally down to the seven. Bruder ran for a one-yard touchdown shortly thereafter and Dunn kicked the point after. The Cards got the ball back with three minutes remaining, ran the clock down, and then dominated on defense to prevent any chance of a Green Bay comeback. Chicago won by a final score of 21-13.

The Cards gained 271 total yards, with 135 on the ground, and completed 10 of 19 passes, most of them by Nevers, and gave up no interceptions. Green Bay was successful on only 8 of 23 throws and three were picked off. The Packers managed only two yards from scrimmage prior to scoring on the blocked punt. Ernie Nevers received acclaim for engineering the upset as he played all 60 minutes and contributed to every facet of play, on offense, defense, and kicking.

The loss was a setback in Green Bay’s drive to a third successive championship as they faced a difficult contest against the Giants the following week, but they won that game and the next two after before losing the season finale to Chicago’s other team, the Bears. The Packers managed to achieve their third successive NFL title with a 12-2 record. The Cardinals ended up in fourth place at 5-4.

In what proved to be the final season of his brilliant career, Ernie Nevers led the league in points after touchdown (15), ranked second in scoring (66 points), and third in touchdowns (8). He received consensus first-team All-NFL honors.