Highlighted Year: Isaac Bruce, 1996

Wide Receiver, St. Louis Rams

Age: 24 (Nov. 10)

3^rd season in pro football & with Rams

College: Memphis

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 178

Prelude:

In two seasons at Memphis after transferring from Santa Monica College, Bruce caught 113 passes for 1586 yards (14.0 avg.) and 15 touchdowns, including 74 for 1054 yards and 10 TDs in 1993. He was chosen by the Rams in the second round of the ’94 NFL draft and had a quiet rookie season, with 21 catches for 272 yards and three touchdowns, before missing the last four games with a knee injury. Bruce broke out in 1995 by catching 119 passes for 1781 yards and 13 TDs, showing off his deceptive speed.

1996 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 84 [12, tied with Wayne Chrebet]

Most receptions, game – 11 (for 136 yds.) vs. Washington 9/22, (for 229 yds.) at Baltimore 10/27

Yards – 1338 [1]

Most yards, game – 229 (on 11 catches) at Baltimore 10/27

Average gain – 15.9 [13]

TDs – 7 [19, tied with seven others]

200-yard receiving games – 1

100-yard receiving games – 5

Rushing

Attempts – 1

Yards – 4

TDs – 0

Passing

Attempts – 2

Completions – 1

Yards – 15

TD passes – 0

Interceptions – 1

Scoring

TDs – 7

Points – 42

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFC: UPI

Pro Bowl

Rams went 6-10 to finish third in the NFC West.

Aftermath:

Bruce was slowed by injuries in 1997 and ’98, appearing in a combined 17 games with diminished production. Healthy again in 1999, and with an improved supporting cast that included QB Kurt Warner and WR Torry Holt, he had the first of three straight Pro Bowl seasons, scoring 12 touchdowns among his 77 receptions for 1165 yards in ’99, pulling in 87 passes for 1471 yards and 9 TDs in 2000, and averaging a career-high 17.3 yards on 64 catches for 1106 yards in 2001. Bruce stayed with the Rams until 2007, compiling a total of eight thousand-yard seasons and leaving the club as the career leader in pass receptions (942), receiving yards (14,109), and TD receptions (84). He finished up with San Francisco in 2008 and ’09, giving him overall totals of 1024 catches for 15,208 yards, which ranked second all-time in NFL history, as well as 91 TDs. Bruce added another 44 receptions for 759 yards and four touchdowns in the postseason, all with the Rams. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and the Rams retired his #80.

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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

1953: Third Quarter Explosion Propels Rams to Win Against Lions

The Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions both had 4-1 records and were battling for control of the NFL’s Western Conference as they faced each other on November 1, 1953. The Lions were the reigning league champions, having topped LA in a playoff to win the conference in ’52, but more recently the Rams had beaten them in Detroit two weeks earlier.

Under Head Coach Hamp Pool, Los Angeles had a high-powered offense that featured the passing of QB Norm Van Brocklin, primarily to star end Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch, and the running of FB “Deacon Dan” Towler and HB Skeets Quinlan (pictured above). The Lions were coached by Buddy Parker and featured a rugged defense, with the line anchored by MG Les Bingaman and the opportunistic backfield led by safety Jack Christiansen. QB Bobby Layne provided leadership as well as passing ability to the offense and the stable of backs was a good one.

There was a then-record regular season crowd of 93,761 fans on hand at the Memorial Coliseum. The Lions had the opening possession and drove 78 yards in 11 plays, culminating in HB Doak Walker’s 38-yard field goal. The Rams responded by advancing into Detroit territory as Dan Towler had runs of 21 and 17 yards. But after reaching the 15, Jack Christiansen intercepted a throw by Norm Van Brocklin and ran it back 92 yards for a touchdown. Walker added the extra point and, in stunning fashion, the Lions were ahead by 10-0 midway through the opening period.

In the second quarter, the Rams put together a 10-play, 58-yard series. Van Brocklin completed three passes, two to Crazylegs Hirsch, and Skeets Quinlan ran effectively, finishing the drive with a five-yard run around end for a TD. Ben Agajanian’s try for the extra point was blocked, and the score remained 10-6 in favor of the visitors.

On LA’s next possession, Quinlan broke a 31-yard run to the Detroit 35, Towler carried for nine, and Van Brocklin threw to end Bob Boyd for 16 yards to set up an 18-yard field goal by Agajanian that made it a one-point game. However, HB Jug Girard took the ensuing kickoff and returned it 85 yards to the LA 15 before finally being caught from behind. Four plays later, Bobby Layne tossed a pass to end Leon Hart for a three-yard touchdown, Walker converted, and the Lions held a 17-9 lead that they took into halftime.

Los Angeles struck quickly in the early minutes of third quarter when Quinlan ran around end for a spectacular 74-yard touchdown. Agajanian’s kick again made it a one-point contest at 17-16. The Lions came right back with a 65-yard advance to the LA 6. However, Walker was stopped for a seven-yard loss and Layne, heavily pressured when attempting to pass, was intercepted by safety Herb Rich, who returned it 36 yards. While Detroit immediately got the ball back when DHB Jim David picked off Quinlan’s option pass and returned it 21 yards to the Los Angeles 43, two plays later LB Don Paul intercepted a Layne throw, returned it 15 yards, and lateraled to DHB Woodley Lewis who went the remaining 45 yards for a 60-yard TD. In dramatic fashion, the Rams were ahead by 23-17.

It got worse for the Lions on the next series when Layne was again picked off, and this time it was DHB Jack Dwyer returning it 31 yards for another touchdown. LA was in control by a score of 30-17.

Frustrations boiled over in the fourth quarter when the Lions became enraged due to an altercation between Jim David and LA’s Bob Boyd that led to David being ejected and, when players and coaches took to the field in protest, an additional 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Shortly thereafter, the Rams added to their lead when Van Brocklin connected with HB Vitamin T. Smith for a 54-yard TD and Agajanian converted. The Lions scored one more time late in the game with QB Tom Dublinski spelling Layne, driving 63 yards to a one-yard touchdown carry by HB Bob “Hunchy” Hoernschemeyer, but it was of no consequence as the Rams won by a final score of 37-24.

LA led in total yards (392 to 255) although the Lions had more first downs (19 to 14). The Rams ran the ball especially well, gaining 222 yards on 33 carries. Both teams turned the ball over four times apiece, with Detroit’s ultimately proving more costly.

Skeets Quinlan was the rushing star with 130 yards on 12 carries that included two touchdowns. Dan Towler (pictured at left) contributed 79 yards on 14 attempts and also had two pass receptions for 21 yards. Norm Van Brocklin completed 10 of 18 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown while being intercepted twice. Crazylegs Hirsch had four catches for 51 yards while Vitamin Smith gained 63 yards on his two receptions that included a TD.

For the Lions, Bobby Layne, who was harried by the LA defense, was successful on just five of 17 throws for 50 yards and a TD while giving up three interceptions. He also ran the ball for a team-leading 65 yards. In relief, Tom Dublinski was five of nine for 68 yards and was picked off once. Leon Hart topped the receivers with three catches for 29 yards and a touchdown.

“The turning point came in the third quarter when our defense really put the pressure on Layne and helped us make interceptions,” explained LA's Coach Pool.

The win put the Rams a game ahead of Detroit at 5-1, and seemingly in command in the Western Conference race, but they faltered, winning only one of their next four games (which included a tie). Detroit didn’t lose again and topped the conference with a 10-2 record while the Rams ended up third at 8-3-1 (the 49ers, who swept their season series with Los Angeles, placed second with a 9-3 tally). The Lions repeated as NFL Champions, defeating the Browns by a score of 17-16.

Skeets Quinlan ended up rushing for 705 yards on 97 carries, for a gaudy 7.3-yard average gain, and scored four rushing touchdowns. The yardage total ranked third in the league rushing standards, while Dan Towler was second with 879 yards on 152 attempts (5.8 avg.) and seven TDs.

Highlighted Year: Lynn Chandnois, 1951

Tailback/Halfback, Pittsburgh Steelers

Age: 26

2^nd season in pro football & with Steelers

College: Michigan State

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 195

Prelude:

Following two years of military service during World War II, Chandnois was an all-purpose star at Michigan State, rushing for 885 yards on 129 carries, intercepting 7 passes, and accumulating 1382 total yards as a senior in 1949, when he received some All-American recognition. Overall, he gained 3535 all-purpose yards, including 2103 rushing with a 6.6-yard average, and set school career records for interceptions (20) and interception return yards (410). Chandnois was chosen by the Steelers in the first round of the 1950 NFL draft (eighth overall). With speed and excellent running ability in the open field, he made his biggest mark as a rookie returning kickoffs as he averaged 29.3 yards on 12 returns. His numbers were more modest on offense, where he gained 216 yards on 71 rushing attempts (3.0 avg.) and caught 7 passes for 158 yards (22.6 avg.).

1951 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 108 [12]

Most attempts, game – 17 (for 60 yds.) vs. San Francisco 10/14

Yards – 332

Most yards, game – 76 yards (on 16 carries) at Green Bay 10/7

Yards per attempt – 3.1

TDs – 2

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 28 [20, tied with Fred Cone, John Hoffman & Elbie Nickel]

Most receptions, game – 6 (for 89 yds.) at Washington 12/16

Yards – 440

Most yards, game – 104 (on 3 catches) vs. NY Giants 10/1

Yards per catch – 15.7 [13]

TDs – 4 [12, tied with four others]

100-yard receiving games – 1

Passing

Attempts – 43

Completions – 16

Yards – 256

Completion percentage – 37.2

Yards per attempt – 6.0

TD passes – 2 [19, tied with five others]

Most TD passes, game – 1 at Chi. Cards 10/28, vs. Green Bay 11/11

Interceptions – 4

Passer rating – 34.6

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 12 [15]

Yards – 390 [10]

Average per return – 32.5 [1]

TDs – 0

Longest return – 55 yards

Punt Returns

Returns – 12 [18, tied with Buddy Young & Vitamin Smith]

Yards – 55

Average per return – 4.6 [19]

TDs – 0

Longest return – 20 yards

All-Purpose yards – 1217 [6]

Scoring

TDs – 6         

Points – 36

Steelers went 4-7-1 to finish fourth in the NFL American Conference.

Aftermath:

Chandnois again led the NFL by averaging 35.2 yards on 17 kickoff returns in 1952, two of which were touchdowns. He also rushed for 298 yards and caught 28 passes for 370 on his way to accumulating 1378 total yards and was selected to the Pro Bowl. His most productive season came in 1953, when he achieved career highs in rushing attempts (123), yards (470), and pass receptions (43), and averaged 29.0 yards on 21 kickoff returns, leading the league with 1593 all-purpose yards. Chandnois was again named to the Pro Bowl. He spent three more seasons with the Steelers, with declining numbers due to injuries, until 1956. Overall, he averaged 29.6 yards on 92 kickoff returns, still among the highest marks in NFL history. Chandnois also rushed for 1934 yards on 593 carries (3.3 avg.), caught 162 passes for 2012 yards (12.4 avg.), and averaged 4.7 yards on 66 punt returns. In all, Chandnois accumulated 6978 all-purpose yards and scored a total of 26 touchdowns. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection.

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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

2000: Struggling Falcons Rally to Edge Panthers

The Atlanta Falcons were in the midst of a five-game losing streak as they hosted the Carolina Panthers on October 29, 2000. Two years removed from a NFC Championship, the Falcons, coached by Dan Reeves, were coming off of a losing season in 1999 and at 2-6 thus far in 2000. QB Chris Chandler was struggling behind a poor line and RB Jamal Anderson (pictured above), highly productive in 1998, was back after missing virtually all of ’99 with a knee injury but was slow in returning to form. The Falcons had beaten Carolina in a sloppy game in the season’s third week, putting them at 2-1, but had lost every game since. The Panthers, in their second year under Head Coach George Seifert, had a 3-4 record but were coming off of two wins in their last three games and were hoping to get into the playoff hunt.

There were 46,178 fans in attendance at the Georgia Dome. The Panthers had the first possession and put together a long series that covered 75 yards in 16 plays, helped along by a 26-yard pass interference penalty that converted a third-and-13 play. QB Steve Beuerlein completed four passes, two of them to WR Donald Hayes, and the longest to FB William Floyd for 15 yards. The drive finally stalled at the Atlanta 17 and Joe Nedney kicked a 35-yard field goal. The Falcons responded with a long series of their own as Jamal Anderson ran effectively and Chris Chandler also hit on four throws. Morten Andersen tied the score with a 35-yard field goal.

Following a Carolina punt early in the second quarter, Chandler had a pass picked off by DT Sean Gilbert to give the Panthers the ball again at the Atlanta 39. Helped along by a Beuerlein (pictured at right) throw to WR Muhsin Muhammad for seven yards to convert a fourth down, the visitors drove to another Nedney field goal, this time from 48 yards to go up by 6-3. The Falcons had another scoring opportunity later in the period, but Andersen missed a 46-yard field goal and the score remained unchanged at halftime.

Following an exchange of punts to start the third quarter, Chandler again gave up an interception, this time to SS Mike Minter who returned it eight yards to the Carolina 42. Beuerlein completed five passes, most significantly to Hayes for 19 yards and, on a third-and-19 play, to RB Tim Biakabutuka for 25 yards to the Atlanta five. The Panthers failed to reach the end zone, but they came away with a third Nedney field goal from 25 yards to extend the lead to 9-3.

The next Carolina possession also resulted in three points as a roughing-the-passer penalty, a Beuerlein toss to TE Wesley Walls for 19 yards, and an unnecessary roughness infraction that wiped out a sack helped the Panthers along. Nedney’s 24-yard field goal put the visitors up by 12-3 with 12:40 to play and it appeared that the visitors had the game in hand.

The Falcons instead came back with a 13-play, 80-yard drive. Chandler hit on four straight passes and seven overall along the way. Three were to WR Terance Mathis, including a nine-yard gain that converted a third-and-three situation, and two were to WR Tim Dwight, with one for 13 yards on a third-and-six play to the Carolina 19. Jamal Anderson ran for the last two yards, Morten Andersen converted, and the score was narrowed to 12-10.

Atlanta got the ball right back when Beuerlein’s next pass was intercepted by CB Ray Buchanan, who returned it 13 yards to the Carolina seven. Two carries by Anderson netted a yard and Chandler was sacked by LB Hannibal Navies for a seven-yard loss, but Morten Andersen booted a 31-yard field goal and the Falcons were up by a point with the clock down to 2:57.

There was still time for the Panthers, but Beuerlein fumbled when sacked by DT Ed Jasper on a second down play and DT Travis Hall recovered for Atlanta at the Carolina 21. While a holding penalty wiped out a 17-yard run for a would-be touchdown by Jamal Anderson and Morten Andersen missed on a 42-yard field goal try that hit the upright, there were just 50 seconds to play when the Panthers got the ball back. Beuerlein threw two short passes to WR Isaac Byrd, but the game ended on a desperate long pass toward the end zone that Buchanan intercepted to clinch the 13-12 win for the Falcons.     

In a game dominated by the defenses, Atlanta rolled up the most yards (281 to 209) while each team had 16 first downs. The Falcons did especially well on defense, holding the Panthers to just 30 rushing yards in 20 attempts and registering five sacks, to one by Carolina. The Panthers also turned the ball over four times, three in the fourth quarter, while Atlanta had three turnovers. Both teams were heavily penalized, with Carolina drawing 9 flags at a cost of 58 yards to 8 penalties for 98 yards on the Falcons.

Chris Chandler (pictured at left) completed 19 of 29 passes for 191 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Jamal Anderson rushed for 90 yards on 25 carries that included the game’s only TD and also had 5 catches for 15 yards. Terance Mathis led Atlanta’s receivers with 7 pass receptions for 89 yards.

For the Panthers, Steve Beuerlein, who was heavily pressured throughout the contest, was successful on 21 of 41 throws for 202 yards and gave up three interceptions. Tim Biakabutuka led the receivers with 51 yards on four receptions as well as rushing with 23 yards on 14 attempts. Wesley Walls, who left the game with a season-ending knee injury in the third quarter, and Donald Hayes also had four catches apiece, for 47 and 41 yards, respectively. Joe Nedney was a perfect four-of-four on field goals.

“When you’re struggling like we are it seems like so many things happen and sometimes we are our own worst enemy,” said Atlanta’s Coach Reeves. “We are glad to get the win.”

“That is about as brutal a loss as they come,” said George Seifert from the Carolina perspective. “I can’t imagine that it can get much tougher than this.”

Unfortunately for the Falcons, the struggles continued and they didn’t win again until the season finale. Chris Chandler continued to have difficulty in an injury-plagued season and while Jamal Anderson ended up rushing for 1024 yards, Atlanta was unable to control the ball effectively while dealing with injury problems on defense. Their 4-12 record put them in the NFC West’s basement. Carolina won the next week but remained an inconsistent team that placed third in the division at 7-9.

Highlighted Year: Hugh Douglas, 2000

Defensive End, Philadelphia Eagles

Age: 29

6^th season in pro football, 3^rd with Eagles

College: Central State (OH)

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 280

Prelude:

Douglas was twice a Division 1 NAIA All-American during a college career in which he accumulated 42 sacks in 32 games. He was chosen by the Jets in the first round (16^th overall) of the 1995 NFL draft and, used initially as a situational player for his pass rushing skill, moved into the starting lineup in November. While initially on the light side for his position (he weighed 255 as a rookie), Douglas compensated with good speed and agility. He was credited with 10 sacks and received NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors from the Associated Press and Pro Football Writers. Ankle problems limited Douglas to 10 games in 1996, but he still accounted for 8 sacks and improved as a defender against the run. However, with the arrival of Bill Parcells as head coach in ’97 the Jets shifted to a 3-4 defense and Douglas proved to be a poor fit. He was traded to the Eagles in 1998 and, back in a 4-3 alignment, flourished as he registered 12.5 sacks, although knee and bicep injuries limited him to four games and two sacks in ’99.

2000 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 15 [4]

Most sacks, game – 2.5 at Green Bay 9/17

Multi-sack games – 3

Interceptions – 1

Int. return yards – 9

Int. return TDs – 0

Fumble recoveries – 0

Forced fumbles – 2

Tackles – 44

Assists – 12

Postseason: 2 G

Sacks – 2

Most sacks, game – 2 vs. Tampa Bay, NFC Wild Card playoff

Interceptions – 0

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

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

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Eagles went 11-5 to finish second in the NFC East and qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card while leading the conference in fewest points allowed (245). Won NFC Wild Card playoff over Tampa Bay Buccaneers (21-3). Lost NFC Divisional playoff to New York Giants (20-10).

Aftermath:

Douglas followed up with two more Pro Bowl seasons in 2001 and ’02 in which he had 9.5 and 12.5 sacks, respectively. He moved on to Jacksonville as a free agent in 2003, had a disappointing season as accumulated wear began to show, and finished up his career in ’04 back with the Eagles. Overall, Douglas had 80 sacks over the course of ten seasons and 138 games, was chosen to the Pro Bowl a total of three times, and received first- or second-team All-NFL recognition on two occasions.

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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: Bengals Rally to Defeat Jaguars in Bruce Coslet’s Coaching Debut

The Cincinnati Bengals had a new head coach as they hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 27, 1996. Off to a 1-6 start, David Shula had been let go and replaced by Bruce Coslet (pictured above), the offensive coordinator who had once coached the New York Jets. The son of the highly-successful Don Shula had been a major disappointment, failing to turn around a team that had not posted a winning record in six years, and the Bengals had recently been prone to blowing leads in the second half. It was hoped that Coslet, known as a motivator in New York, could provide a needed spark.

The opposing Jaguars, a second-year expansion team, came into the game with a 3-5 record. While Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s club had the league’s top passing offense, Jacksonville was still a work in progress. QB Mark Brunell was mobile and a talented passer, but thus far also lacked consistency and was prone to throwing interceptions, and the running game was not providing much help.

There were 45,890 fans in attendance at Cinergy Field on a pleasant day, well under the stadium’s capacity. The Bengals had the ball first and drove from their 18 to the Jacksonville 30 as QB Jeff Blake completed passes to RB Eric Bieniemy for 13 yards and WR David Dunn for 26, but came up empty when they failed to convert a fourth-and-one play. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the opening period.

As the game headed into the second quarter, the Jaguars put together a 75-yard drive in seven plays. Mark Brunell threw to WR Andre Rison for 32 yards, RB James Stewart (pictured at left) had carries of 13 and 12 yards, and Brunell finished the series off with a 14-yard run for a touchdown. Mike Hollis added the extra point.

A short series by the Bengals again ended with a punt, but Cincinnati got the ball back three plays later when Brunell was hit by DE Jevon Langford as he was passing and LB James Francis intercepted the errant throw at the Jacksonville 31. It took the home team five plays to capitalize as Blake connected with TE Tony McGee for 18 yards and WR Carl Pickens for an 11-yard TD. Doug Pelfrey added the game-tying point after. That was it for the scoring as the teams exchanged punts for the remainder of the half, much to the displeasure of the home fans.

Following another exchange of punts to start the third quarter, the Jaguars advanced 73 yards in eight plays. Stewart broke away for a 34-yard run on first down and, keeping the ball on the ground with Stewart and RB Natrone Means, the visitors reached the Cincinnati 11, from where Brunell threw to Means for a touchdown. Hollis converted and the Jaguars were back in front by 14-7 with 2:41 remaining in the period.

The Bengals had the ball as the third quarter concluded, with Blake throwing to Bieniemy for 13 yards in a third-and-seven situation and then connecting with WR Darnay Scott for 46 yards to the Jacksonville 10. On the first play of the final period, Blake tossed a scoring pass to Pickens from there and Pelfrey’s kick made it 14-14.

The Jaguars had to punt from deep in their own territory on the next possession as Brunell was sacked twice for losses totaling 19 yards. The Bengals started their series from their 40 and went 60 yards in 11 plays. Blake completed four straight passes at one point, two of them to Pickens, and ran for 10 yards to convert a third down. The payoff came when Blake ran an option play and flipped the ball to RB Ki-Jana Carter, who scored a one-yard touchdown. Pelfrey again converted to put Cincinnati up by seven, although Blake was shaken up and had to sit out the remainder of the game.

On Jacksonville’s next play, Brunell’s tipped pass was picked off by FS Bo Orlando, giving the Bengals possession at the Jaguars’ 22. Backup QB Erik Wilhelm threw to Pickens for five yards and Carter ran four straight times, the last for a four-yard TD. Pelfrey added the extra point to make it a 28-14 game with 3:32 left to play. The Jaguars managed to drive to one more touchdown, with Brunell throwing to WR Jimmy Smith from 11 yards out, but they couldn’t recover the resulting onside kick and the Bengals were able to run out the clock and win by a final score of 28-21.  

Jacksonville led in total yards (338 to 267) and also had the edge in first downs (19 to 18) although the Bengals had the ball longer (31:36 to 28:24). The Jaguars also recorded five sacks, to four for Cincinnati, but they also turned the ball over twice, to none suffered by the Bengals.

Jeff Blake completed 19 of 30 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns while giving up no interceptions. Carl Pickens had 6 catches for 51 yards and two TDs and David Dunn gained 66 yards on his three receptions. Eric Bieniemy pulled in 6 passes for 47 yards in addition to running the ball five times for eight yards. Ki-Jana Carter (pictured below) filled in for Garrison Hearst, who sprained his ankle in the second quarter, and topped the Cincinnati runners with a modest 27 yards on 8 carries, although two were for touchdowns.

For the Jaguars, Mark Brunell was successful on 18 of 31 throws for 215 yards and two TDs, but also with two costly interceptions. He also ran the ball 7 times for 45 yards and a touchdown. James Stewart gained 80 yards on 14 rushing attempts and Natrone Means contributed 24 yards on seven rushes as well as a TD on his lone catch. WR Keenan McCardell had five pass receptions for 52 yards and Andre Rison gained a team-leading 74 yards on his three catches. On defense, DE Clyde Simmons accounted for 2.5 of the team’s sacks.

The win signaled a turnaround for the Bengals as they won their next two games on the way to a 7-2 finish. They ended up breaking even at 8-8 and placing third in the AFC Central. The Jaguars also caught fire, winning six of their last seven games to go 9-7 and secure a Wild Card playoff slot. They advanced all the way to the AFC Championship game before falling to the Patriots.

Unfortunately for Bruce Coslet, the initial success did not last. The Bengals followed up with a 7-9 record in 1997 and dropped to 3-13 in 1998 and 4-12 ’99. He was dismissed three winless games into the 2000 season, having compiled a 21-39 record in Cincinnati.

Highlighted Year: Dave Casper, 1976

Tight End, Oakland Raiders

Age: 25 (Sept. 26)

3^rd season in pro football & with Raiders

College: Notre Dame

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 228

Prelude:

Casper played two seasons as a tackle in college before moving to tight end and caught 21 passes for 335 yards and four touchdowns. He received consensus first-team All-American honors in 1973 and was chosen by the Raiders in the second round of the ‘74 NFL draft. Casper spent his first two seasons backing up TE Bob Moore and caught a total of nine passes for 97 yards, although four were for touchdowns and he also performed well when pressed into action in the AFC Championship game loss to the Steelers in ’75. With Moore gone in 1976, Casper moved into the starting lineup.

1976 Season Summary

Appeared in 13 of 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 53 [8, tied with Ahmad Rashad]  

Most receptions, game – 12 (for 136 yds.) at New England 10/3

Yards – 691 [17]

Most yards, game – 136 (on 12 catches) at New England 10/3

Average gain – 13.0

TDs – 10 [3, tied with Sammy White & Bob Chandler]

100-yard receiving games – 3

Rushing

Attempts – 1

Yards – 5

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 10 [9, tied with Sammy White, Bob Chandler & Andy Johnson]

Points – 60

Postseason: 3 G

Pass receptions – 9

Most pass receptions, game – 4 vs. New England, AFC Divisional playoff; vs. Minnesota, Super Bowl

Pass receiving yards – 122

Most pass receiving yards, game – 70 vs. Minnesota, Super Bowl

Average yards per reception – 13.6

Pass Receiving TDs – 1

Rushing attempts – 1

Rushing yards – -13

Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

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

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

Pro Bowl

Raiders went 13-1 to finish first in the AFC West. Won AFC Divisional playoff over New England Patriots (24-21), AFC Championship over Pittsburgh Steelers (24-7) & Super Bowl over Minnesota Vikings (32-14).

Aftermath:

Casper’s breakout season in 1976 was the first of four straight in which he was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection. Big and fast, he was a formidable blocker as well as outstanding receiver, and made memorable plays in the postseason. Casper was traded to the Houston Oilers during the 1980 season, where he was reunited with former Raiders QB Ken Stabler. His production gradually dropped off and, following a short stint with Minnesota in 1983, he finished up back with the Raiders, now in Los Angeles, in ’84. Overall, Casper caught 378 passes for 5216 yards (13.8 avg.) and 52 touchdowns. Of that, 255 receptions for 3294 yards and 44 TDs came with the Raiders. He added another 27 catches for 363 yards and seven TDs in the playoffs. In addition to receiving first-team All-NFL honors four times, Casper was chosen to five Pro Bowls. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2002.

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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