1994: Rookie Marshall Faulk Spurs Colts to Win Over Oilers

The Indianapolis Colts had used their second overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft to choose RB Marshall Faulk of San Diego State, a fast 5’10”, 207-pounder with toughness and solid receiving skills. Faulk wasted no time in having an impact as he led the Colts to a big win in the season opening game on September 4, 1994 against the Houston Oilers at the RCA Dome.

Indianapolis, coming off a 4-12 record in ’93, had not only added Faulk, as well as LB Trev Alberts, in the first round of the draft, but had also revamped much of the team. In taking on the Oilers, Head Coach Ted Marchibroda’s club was up against the defending AFC Central champions, but Houston was a team in transition, especially having lost QB Warren Moon by a trade to the Vikings, G Mike Munchak to retirement, and defensive ends William Fuller and Sean Jones to free agency (gone also was defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, who had openly feuded with offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride).

Faulk opened the scoring late in the first quarter on a one-yard run, following a series in which the Colts drove 47 yards in seven plays and the rookie running back carried the ball on six of them.

Indianapolis ripped the game open in the second quarter. First, LB Tony Bennett recovered a fumble by Houston QB Cody Carlson and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown. On their next possession, the offense moved 56 yards in eight plays capped by a touchdown pass of four yards from QB Jim Harbaugh to WR Floyd Turner. Houston’s WR Travis Hannah fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which was recovered by the Colts at the Oilers’ 22 yard line, and five plays later Harbaugh connected with Turner again for a nine-yard TD.

No sooner did the Houston offense get on the field when, on the first play, Carlson threw a pass that was intercepted by FS Ray Buchanon, who returned it 22 yards. It took just four plays for Faulk to score his second touchdown of the game, running up the middle from two yards out, and the Colts went into halftime with a 35-0 lead. The 28-point second quarter tied a club record (since broken).

Faulk led off the second half scoring ten minutes into the third quarter with an 11-yard touchdown run before Houston finally scored three late TDs. The final tally was 45-21.

Faulk ended up running for 143 yards on 23 carries with three touchdowns in his regular season debut. He also caught one pass for 31 yards, which was the longest pass play of the day for the Colts (who didn’t have much need to go to the air) and made him the team’s receiving yardage leader for the game. Jim Harbaugh, a veteran free agent signee from the Bears, completed 9 of 12 passes for 105 yards with two TDs and an interception.

Indianapolis outrushed the Oilers, 182 yards to 79. Houston gained the most total yards (374 to 288), a deceiving figure since the Oilers were far behind and went to the air often at a point when the outcome had long been decided. There was plenty of sloppy play throughout – the teams combined for 23 penalties, which were almost evenly divided (12 by the Oilers, 11 by the Colts).

The ineffective Cody Carlson (11 of 22 for 129 yards with an interception) gave way to backup Bucky Richardson who threw 35 passes with 19 completions for 203 yards and three touchdowns. WR Webster Slaughter had 9 receptions for 77 yards, while WR Haywood Jeffires gained 99 yards on 8 catches with two touchdowns. RB Gary Brown rushed for 39 yards on 10 carries.

The big opening day win did not signal a huge turnaround for the Colts, who lost their next three contests, but overall they improved to an 8-8 record that placed them third in the AFC East. The loss did portend bad tidings for Houston, however, as the Oilers went on to a 2-14 finish that was the worst in the NFL.

Marshall Faulk ended his rookie campaign with 1282 yards on 314 carries for a 4.1-yard average and 11 touchdowns while also catching 52 passes for 522 yards and a TD. The rushing total ranked third in the AFC, as did Faulk’s 1804 all-purpose yards, and he was chosen as Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press. Over the course of his 12-year career with two teams, he would come to be recognized as one of the most productive all-around running backs (receiver out of the backfield as well as runner) in pro football history with an eventual total of 19,172 yards (12,279 rushing, 6875 receiving).

2000: Duce Staley – and Pickle Juice – Help Eagles Defeat Cowboys

It was a hot day at Texas Stadium for the season-opening game between the host Dallas Cowboys and visiting Philadelphia Eagles on September 3, 2000. The temperature at game time was 109 degrees, with readings on the artificial surface of 150.

Second-year Head Coach Andy Reid pulled the Eagles off the field early from pre-game warmups. Trainer Rick Burkholder also had the players drink pickle juice, a practice the club had begun during training camp as a means to combat both dehydration and cramping.

Reid took an aggressive approach once play began. Dallas having won the toss, the Eagles took them by surprise by executing an onsides kick that they successfully recovered (WR Dameane Douglas made the play for Philadelphia). The offense proceeded to drive 58 yards in eight plays, ending with QB Donovan McNabb tossing a one-yard TD pass to TE Jeff Thomason.

Philadelphia’s defense sacked star QB Troy Aikman three times during the first Dallas possession; rookie DT Corey Simon recorded one in his first regular season play. Before the first quarter ended, the Eagles took a 14-0 lead when a pass interference penalty put the ball on the Dallas one yard line and RB Duce Staley plowed into the end zone. Two minutes later, and now into the second quarter, LB Jeremiah Trotter intercepted an Aikman pass and returned it 27 yards for another Eagles TD and a 21-0 tally.

Aikman was sacked a fourth time and took a total of six hits by the Eagles defense before leaving the game during the second quarter with a concussion, to be replaced by former Philadelphia QB Randall Cunningham. The Eagles scored once more, on a 33-yard field goal by David Akers, before the Cowboys got on the board with field goals of 34 and 38 yards by Tim Seder, both following interceptions. The score at halftime stood at 24-6.

Philadelphia’s offense took control once again in the third quarter, with a time-consuming 14-play drive that covered 61 yards and culminated in another Akers field goal, this one from 37 yards. After the Cowboys went three-and-out, the Eagles put together another long possession of 72 yards in nine plays, with McNabb running the last three yards for a touchdown.

The Eagles scored once more in the fourth quarter as Staley ran 60 yards to set up a six-yard TD run by RB Brian Mitchell. Dallas scored a touchdown on a four-yard pass from Cunningham to WR Joey Galloway, which was followed by a successful two-point conversion, but the outcome had long since been decided. The final score was 41-14, making it the worst opening-day defeat for the Cowboys since 1963.

Staley (pictured at top) was the star for the Eagles, gaining 201 yards rushing on 26 carries (just missing the franchise single-game rushing record by four yards) with one TD and also leading the club with four pass receptions for another 61 yards and a total of 262 yards from scrimmage. Overall, the team accumulated 306 yards on the ground, its highest single-game total since 1951.

Donovan McNabb passed for 130 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions while completing 16 of 28 throws; he also ran for 29 yards on five carries with a TD.

It was a hard day for Dallas across the board. Troy Aikman failed to complete any passes and threw the one interception that was returned for a score before leaving the contest. Randall Cunningham was successful on 13 of 26 passes for 135 yards with one touchdown and one picked off. The Cowboys, playing catch-up from the beginning, only ran the ball 13 times for 67 yards – RB Emmitt Smith had just 29 yards on 7 carries while WR Raghib “Rocket” Ismael led the team with 33 yards on two rushes. Joey Galloway was the top receiver with four catches for 62 yards and the late touchdown, but suffered a knee injury late in the game that knocked him out of action for the remainder of the season.

The opening win over the Cowboys didn’t generate immediate momentum for the Eagles, who lost their next two games, but, coming off of three straight losing seasons, they improved to 11-5, placed second in the NFC East, and secured a wild card spot in the postseason. Philadelphia defeated Tampa Bay in the first round but lost to the Giants in the Divisional playoff.

Dallas, going in the opposite direction, went 5-11 to place fourth in the division. After making it to the playoffs in eight of the previous nine years and winning three championships, the Cowboys would not make it back to the postseason (or have a winning record) again until 2003.

Duce Staley, who was coming off back-to-back thousand-yard rushing seasons in 1998 and ’99, was lost for the year due to a foot injury in Week 5 and gained just 344 yards on the ground in 2000. The running game suffered without him (he still ended up with the highest yardage total of any running back on the team), but the second-year quarterback McNabb emerged to account for 76 percent of the team’s offense, rushing for 629 yards and passing for 3365.

1979: Kramer to Rashad Leads Vikings Over 49ers

The Minnesota Vikings, under Head Coach Bud Grant, had been the dominant team in the NFC Central division throughout the decade of the ‘70s (indeed, since 1968), but there were question marks surrounding the club leading into the 1979 season. The Vikings had won the division title for the tenth time in eleven years in ’78, but with only an 8-7-1 record; they had been easily dispatched by the Rams in the opening round of the playoffs. Furthermore, star QB Fran Tarkenton had retired in the offseason and third-year QB Tommy Kramer (pictured above) was taking his place in the starting lineup.

The 6’2”, 200-pound Kramer had been drafted out of Rice in the first round by the Vikings in 1977 with the expectation that he would be Tarkenton’s heir. There was little question regarding his arm or confidence, but Kramer had seen little action in his first two years, throwing a total of 73 passes for 475 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions apiece. However, he had experienced wide receivers in Ahmad Rashad and Sammy White, as well as RB Rickey Young, an outstanding receiver out of the backfield who had led the NFL with 88 catches in ’78.

The Vikings hosted their season-opening game on September 2, 1979 against the San Francisco 49ers at Metropolitan Stadium. While Minnesota was in transition, the 49ers were in full rebuilding mode after coming off of a miserable 2-14 season. They were under the guidance of a new head coach/GM, Bill Walsh.

Neither team generated much excitement in the first half. Ray Wersching kicked field goals of 37 and 22 yards in the second quarter and the 49ers clung to a 6-0 halftime lead. Wersching booted another field goal, of 44 yards, in the third quarter before Kramer connected with Rashad for a 52-yard touchdown. The young quarterback threw another TD pass to Rashad, covering 32 yards, before the period was over to give Minnesota a 14-9 lead.

A third Kramer to Rashad touchdown pass play, for eight yards, gave the Vikings a 21-9 fourth quarter lead, but it did not prove to be a comfortable one. 49ers QB Steve DeBerg threw a 44-yard TD pass to WR Freddie Solomon, and when RB Lenvil Elliott ran for a four-yard touchdown, San Francisco was back in front by a 22-21 score (the extra point attempt failed following the second TD).

With 17 seconds remaining on the clock, it was Kramer to Rashad once more for the winning 25-yard touchdown, although the 49ers claimed the wide receiver didn’t have possession when he crossed the goal line. An apparent forward fumble had been recovered in the end zone by fellow Vikings WR Sammy White, and under a new rule should not have been a touchdown but rather Minnesota’s ball on the one yard line. It was a moot point – and there was no instant replay provision at that time – as the officials ruled that Rashad had crossed the goal line before fumbling. The Vikings won, 28-22.

“I’m sick about the loss,” said Bill Walsh, whose head coaching debut had been marred by the late score.

The game had indeed been closely fought. Both clubs had 22 first downs and turned the ball over twice, while Minnesota led in passing yards (287 to 254) and total yards (397 to 352). Both squads ran the ball 27 times, with the Vikings outgaining the Niners, 110 to 98 yards.


Kramer had a solid outing, completing 21 of 34 passes for 297 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Ahmad Rashad was of course the pass receiving star, with 7 catches for 152 yards and the four touchdowns. Fading veteran RB Chuck Foreman ran the ball the most times, with 11 carries for 33 yards, while Rickey Young was the team’s leading ground gainer with 43 yards on six attempts.

Steve DeBerg, at the beginning of what would be a record-setting passing season, threw the ball 42 times and had 29 completions for 262 yards with a TD and two interceptions. Freddie Solomon, thanks to the long touchdown reception, led the 49ers in receiving yards with 107 on four catches, while FB Mike Hogan caught the most passes (7, for 39 yards). Lenvil Elliott topped the runners with 41 yards on 10 carries and the one touchdown.

It was not the beginning of a rejuvenating year for the Vikings – they fell below .500 for the first time since 1967 with a 7-9 record that placed them third in the NFC Central. It was a harder year for the 49ers, who again went 2-14 and placed last in the NFC West; however, the groundwork was being laid for better years ahead under Walsh.

Tommy Kramer placed second in the NFL in passes attempted (566) and third in completions (315), categories in which Steve DeBerg set new league records (578 attempts, 347 completions). Kramer’s 3397 yards and 23 touchdown passes were solid numbers, but he also tossed 24 interceptions (tied for first in the NFC with Tampa Bay’s Doug Williams). Ahmad Rashad led the conference in both pass receptions (80) and yards (1156) while scoring a total of 9 touchdowns.

1991: Kelly & Thomas Lead Bills to Win Over Miami

The Buffalo Bills, defending AFC Champions, opened the 1991 season by hosting the division rival Miami Dolphins at Rich Stadium on September 1. Under Head Coach Marv Levy, the Bills had utilized a quick-striking offense and solid defense to win the AFC East for the third consecutive year in ’90 with a 13-3 record and came within a missed field goal of winning the Super Bowl. Two of the key players on offense had been QB Jim Kelly (pictured at right), in his prime at age 31, and RB Thurman Thomas.

Head Coach Don Shula’s Dolphins finished right behind Buffalo with a 12-4 tally in 1990, qualifying for a wild card playoff spot and losing to the Bills in the divisional round. Entering the new season, the passing of ninth year QB Dan Marino was still central to the offense, while fumble-prone RB Sammie Smith had suffered a knee injury during the preseason; unheralded Mark Higgs was the opening day starter.

The Dolphins took the early advantage. After Scott Norwood missed a 25-yard field goal on Buffalo’s opening drive, Miami struck quickly with a 43-yard touchdown pass from Marino to WR Mark Clayton on a flea-flicker play. On their next possession, the Dolphins drove 65 yards in 10 plays, capped by Higgs scoring on a three-yard TD run, and were staked to a 14-0 lead.


The Bills came back as Kelly connected with WR Andre Reed on a 54-yard touchdown pass play, and that was it for the first half scoring. The Dolphins had passed the ball just nine times while Higgs (pictured at left) had gained 80 yards on 15 carries.

Miami led off the scoring in the third quarter as Charlie Baumann kicked a 21-yard field goal. Kelly had to briefly leave the game due to injury on Buffalo’s ensuing possession, but backup QB Frank Reich completed both of his passes, including a three-yard touchdown throw to TE Butch Rolle that narrowed the Miami margin to 17-14.

The Dolphins were forced to punt on their next series, and Kelly returned to the contest and passed to Thomas for a touchdown play that covered 50 yards and put the Bills ahead for the first time at 21-17.

Miami went three-and-out but got a break when DE T.J. Turner recovered a fumble by Buffalo WR Don Beebe at the Bills 44 yard line. Seven plays later Marino hit Clayton with a pass into the end zone from five yards out, and the Dolphins were back in front at 24-21 early in the fourth quarter. The quick-striking Bills came back with a six-play series that ended in a one-yard TD run by FB Carwell Gardner.

The key turnover of the game came on Miami’s next possession as Buffalo FS Mark Kelso recovered a fumble by Higgs near midfield. The Bills scored seven plays later when Thomas ran in from seven yards. While Marino threw another touchdown pass, this time to WR Mark Duper for three yards, it was too little, too late as Buffalo held on to win by a score of 35-31.

It was an impressive display by the Bills offense, which rolled up a club record 593 yards. Jim Kelly completed 29 of 39 passes for 381 yards with two TDs and one intercepted. Thurman Thomas ran the ball 25 times for 165 yards and a TD and also gained another 103 yards on 8 pass receptions that included another score. However, it was Andre Reed, another significant member of the offense, leading the team in pass receiving with 11 catches for 154 yards and a TD.

In defeat, Dan Marino had been successful on 17 of 28 passes for 267 yards with three touchdowns and none intercepted. Mark Higgs gained an impressive 146 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown, but also suffered the key fumble. Mark Clayton caught 6 passes for 138 yards and two TDs.

Buffalo again went on to win the AFC East with a 10-6 record and appeared in the Super Bowl for the second straight year, losing convincingly to the Washington Redskins. Miami finished at 8-8 and in third place in the division, just missing out on a wild card spot due to having been swept by the Jets in the season series, who also finished with the same record.

Jim Kelly led the AFC in passing with a 97.6 rating, and topped the NFL in touchdown passes (33) and percentage of TD passes (7.0) while finishing third with 3844 yards through the air. Thurman Thomas (pictured below) was the AFC’s top rusher with 1407 yards on 288 attempts and the NFL’s all-purpose yardage leader with 2038.

List of the Day: Best Pass Receiving Seasons, 2000s AFC

Marvin Harrison

TOP 10 RECEPTIONS
1- Marvin Harrison, 2002 Indianapolis Colts
143 rec., 1722 yards, 12.0 avg., 11 TD

2- Wes Welker, 2009 New England Patriots
123 rec., 1348 yards, 11.0 avg., 4 TD

3- Andre Johnson, 2008 Houston Texans
115 rec., 1575 yards, 13.7 avg., 8 TD

4- Rod Smith, 2001 Denver Broncos
113 rec., 1343 yards, 11.9 avg., 11 TD

5(tied)- Jimmy Smith, 2001 Jacksonville Jaguars
112 rec., 1373 yards, 12.3 avg., 8 TD

5(tied)- Hines Ward, 2002 Pittsburgh Steelers
112 rec., 1329 yards, 11.9 avg., 12 TD

5(tied)- T.J. Houshmandzadeh, 2007 Cincinnati Bengals
112 rec., 1143 yards, 10.2 avg., 12 TD

5(tied)- Wes Welker, 2007 New England Patriots
112 rec., 1175 yards, 10.5 avg., 8 TD

9- Wes Welker, 2008 New England Patriots
111 rec., 1165 yards, 10.5 avg., 3 TD

10-Marvin Harrison, 2001 Indianapolis Colts
109 rec., 1524 yards, 14.0 avg., 15 TD


Andre Johnson



Wes Welker

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Baltimore Ravens: Derrick Mason, 2007
103 rec., 1087 yards, 10.6 avg., 5 TD

Kansas City Chiefs: Tony Gonzalez, 2004
102 rec., 1258 yards, 12.3 avg., 7 TD

Buffalo Bills: Eric Moulds, 2002
100 rec., 1292 yards, 12.9 avg., 10 TD

San Diego Chargers: LaDainian Tomlinson, 2003*
100 rec., 725 yards, 7.3 avg., 4 TD

Tennessee Titans: Derrick Mason, 2004
96 rec., 1168 yards, 12.2 avg., 7 TD

Oakland Raiders: Jerry Rice, 2002
92 rec., 1211 yards, 13.2 avg., 7 TD

New York Jets: Laveranues Coles, 2006
91 rec., 1098 yards, 12.1 avg., 6 TD

Cleveland Browns: Kellen Winslow Jr., 2006
89 rec., 875 yards, 9.8 avg., 3 TD

Miami Dolphins: Chris Chambers, 2005
82 rec., 1118 yards, 13.6 avg., 11 TD

* Running Back


Hines Ward



Reggie Wayne

TOP 10 YARDS
1- Marvin Harrison, 2002 Indianapolis Colts
1722 yards, 143 rec., 12.0 avg., 11 TD

2- Rod Smith, 2000 Denver Broncos
1602 yards, 100 rec., 16.0 avg., 8 TD

3- Andre Johnson, 2008 Houston Texans
1575 yards, 115 rec., 13.7 avg., 8 TD

4- Andre Johnson, 2009 Houston Texans
1569 yards, 101 rec., 15.5 avg., 9 TD

5- Marvin Harrison, 2001 Indianapolis Colts
1524 yards, 109 rec., 14.0 avg., 15 TD

6- Reggie Wayne, 2007 Indianapolis Colts
1510 yards, 104 rec., 14.5 avg., 10 TD

7- Randy Moss, 2007 New England Patriots
1493 yards, 98 rec., 15.2 avg., 23 TD

8- Chad Johnson, 2007 Cincinnati Bengals*
1440 yards, 93 rec., 15.5 avg., 8 TD

9- Chad Johnson, 2005 Cincinnati Bengals*
1432 yards, 97 rec., 14.8 avg., 9 TD

10-Marvin Harrison, 2000 Indianapolis Colts
1413 yards, 102 rec., 13.9 avg., 14 TD

*Legally changed name to Chad Ochocinco in 2008


Randy Moss



Chad Ochocinco

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Kansas City Chiefs: Derrick Alexander, 2000
1391 yards, 78 rec., 17.8 avg., 10 TD

Jacksonville Jaguars: Jimmy Smith, 2001
1373 yards, 112 rec., 12.3 avg., 8 TD

Pittsburgh Steelers: Hines Ward, 2002
1329 yards, 112 rec., 11.9 avg., 12 TD

Buffalo Bills: Eric Moulds, 2000
1326 yards, 94 rec., 14.1 avg., 5 Td

Tennessee Titans: Derrick Mason, 2003
1303 yards, 95 rec., 13.7 avg., 8 TD

Cleveland Browns: Braylon Edwards, 2007
1289 yards, 80 rec., 16.1 avg., 16 TD

New York Jets: Laveranues Coles, 2002
1264 yards, 89 rec., 14.2 avg., 5 TD

Oakland Raiders: Jerry Rice, 2002
1211 yards, 92 rec., 13.2 avg., 7 TD

San Diego Chargers: Vincent Jackson, 2009
1167 yards, 68 rec., 17.2 avg., 9 TD

Miami Dolphins: Chris Chambers, 2005
1118 yards, 82 rec., 13.6 avg., 11 TD

Baltimore Ravens: Derrick Mason, 2007
1087 yards, 103 rec., 10.6 avg., 5 TD


Rod Smith



T.J. Houshmandzadeh

1974: Bell Defeat Wheels After Near-Forfeit

During the World Football League’s first season, the Philadelphia Bell might not have been one of the more successful teams, but it was certainly one of the most entertaining. Under Head Coach Ron Waller, the Bell ran a complex offense full of unorthodox formations. Directing that offense on the field was QB Jim “King” Corcoran (#9 in above photo), a flamboyant minor league football veteran who had spent ten years playing for such clubs as the Norfolk Neptunes and Pottstown Firebirds. He had arrived at training camp in a white Lincoln Continental with the license plate of “KING” while shouting out the window through a bullhorn, “The King has arrived! The King has arrived!”

For all the flamboyance, Corcoran proved to be an effective quarterback for the Bell, passing to wide receivers Donnie Shanklin and Ron Holliday, as well as a local product from non-football-playing St. Joseph’s named Vince Papale who would later make the NFL Eagles as a 30-year-old special teams standout. RB John Land led the Bell in both rushing and pass receiving, and formed a solid tandem with Claude Watts.

Defensively, the team included former Eagles and Chargers LB Tim Rossovich, perhaps better remembered for his off-field behavior that included eating glass and occasionally setting his hair on fire than for his on-field exploits. Other standouts included LB Wally Dempsey, an eight-year veteran of the CFL, and CB Ron Mabra.

However, the team had also been responsible for the league’s biggest scandal when large crowds for the first two home games were found to have been significantly padded by tickets that had been given away (if not substantially discounted). With the end of the complimentary tickets, the crowds dropped off significantly, despite the exciting nature of the team’s play.

Philadelphia had compiled a 3-4 record as they prepared to host the winless (0-7) Detroit Wheels at JFK Stadium on August 28, 1974 before a crowd of 15,100. As was the case with many of the WFL teams, the Wheels were experiencing severe financial hardship to such an extent that the game came close to not being played.

The Wheels had started out short on cash and were never able to dig out of the hole. Not only was money short to pay players, but the team couldn’t cover administrative costs either. Programs were not delivered for one home game because the printer had not been paid, and players brought towels from home so they could take showers.

When the Detroit players arrived for the game at JFK Stadium, they found that there were no supplies, including tape, available. The team considered forfeiting since it wasn’t safe for the players to take the field without taping up. However, WR Jon Henderson was able to talk a Johnson & Johnson salesman into donating a carton of tape so that the game could be played.

For all the adversity, the Wheels were typically competitive on the field, and this game would be no different. The Bell scored first on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Corcoran to Land. But by the third quarter, Detroit was leading 16-14. Philadelphia’s Jerry Warren put the Bell ahead to stay with a 23-yard field goal, and the Bell followed that up with a 24-yard TD pass from Corcoran to Shanklin. The Wheels scored again, but couldn’t catch up as Philadelphia held on for a 27-23 win.

The Bell accumulated 174 yards on the ground, led by John Land’s 90 yards on 16 carries; Claude Watts contributed 34 yards on 15 attempts and a touchdown. “King” Corcoran completed 11 of 29 passes for 184 yards and two TDs. Both Land and Donnie Shanklin caught three passes apiece, with Shanklin’s 64 yards topping the club.

Detroit outrushed the Bell, gaining 194 yards, as RB Jesse Mims led the way with 85 yards on 15 carries and a TD. QB Bubba Wyche, a CFL veteran (as were many of the players on the team) who capably directed the offense throughout the difficult season, completed 13 of 28 passes for 156 yards, with no touchdowns and two of them picked off. Mims and FB Sam Scarber each caught four passes, for 20 and 33 yards respectively, although RB Billy Sadler gained the most yards receiving with 67 on his one catch.

The Wheels would not survive the season, although they did win once before folding with a 1-13 record. They also had the distinction of having the lowest average home attendance during the WFL’s first season (10,228). Philadelphia finished up at 9-11, putting them third in the Eastern Division but good enough to qualify for the postseason – they lost convincingly to the Florida Blazers in the first round.


“King” Corcoran led the WFL in pass attempts (546), completions (280), and touchdown passes (31) while ranking second in passing yards (3632); he also tossed 30 interceptions. John Land (pictured at left) rushed for over a thousand yards (1136) and also led the club with 54 pass receptions; Claude Watts was just under a thousand rushing yards with 927.

As Coach Waller summed up his exciting and colorful team, “We’re not a very conventional team. People come to our games to be entertained. We don’t put you to sleep like the Miami Dolphins do.” Of course, it could be said that the Bell also failed to win with the regularity of the Dolphins at that time, but they certainly contributed plenty to the brief history of the off-beat World Football League.

List of the Day: Best Pass Receiving Seasons, 2000s NFC

Torry Holt

TOP 10 RECEPTIONS
1- Torry Holt, 2003 St. Louis Rams
117 rec., 1696 yards, 14.5 avg., 12 TD

2- Randy Moss, 2003 Minnesota Vikings
111 rec., 1632 yards, 14.7 avg., 17 TD

3- Steve Smith, 2009 New York Giants
107 rec., 1220 yards, 11.4 avg., 7 TD

4(tied)- Keyshawn Johnson, 2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
106 rec., 1266 yards, 11.9 avg., 1 TD

4(tied)- Randy Moss, 2002 Minnesota Vikings
106 rec., 1347 yards, 12.7 avg., 7 TD

6(tied)- Steve Smith, 2005 Carolina Panthers
103 rec., 1563 yards, 15.2 avg., 12 TD

6(tied)- Larry Fitzgerald, 2005 Arizona Cardinals
103 rec., 1409 yards, 13.7 avg., 10 TD

8(tied)- Muhsin Muhammad, 2000 Carolina Panthers
102 rec., 1183 yards, 11.6 avg., 6 TD

8(tied)- Anquan Boldin, 2005 Arizona Cardinals
102 rec., 1402 yards, 13.7 avg., 7 TD

8(tied)- Torry Holt, 2005 St. Louis Rams
102 rec., 1331 yards, 13.0 avg., 9 TD


Randy Moss



Larry Fitzgerald

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Chicago Bears: Marty Booker, 2001
100 rec., 1071 yards, 10.7 avg., 8 TD

San Francisco 49ers: Terrell Owens, 2002
100 rec., 1300 yards, 13.0 avg., 13 TD

Detroit Lions: Mike Furrey, 2006
98 rec., 1086 yards, 11.1 avg., 6 TD

New Orleans Saints: Marques Colston, 2007
98 rec., 1202 yards, 12.3 avg., 11 TD

Dallas Cowboys: Jason Witten, 2007
96 rec., 1145 yards, 11.9 avg., 7 TD

Seattle Seahawks: Bobby Engram, 2007*
94 rec., 1147 yards, 12.2 avg., 6 TD

Green Bay Packers: Donald Driver, 2006
92 rec., 1295 yards, 14.1 avg., 8 TD

Philadelphia Eagles: Brian Westbrook, 2007**
90 rec., 771 yards, 8.6 avg., 5 TD

Washington Redskins: Laveranues Cole, 2004
90 rec., 950 yards, 10.6 avg., 1 TD

Atlanta Falcons: Roddy White, 2008
88 rec., 1382 yards, 15.7 avg., 7 TD

*Seahawks moved to NFC in 2002
**Running Back


Steve Smith (Panthers)



David Boston

TOP 10 YARDS
1- Torry Holt, 2003 St. Louis Rams
1696 yards, 117 rec., 14.5 avg., 12 TD

2- Torry Holt, 2000 St. Louis Rams
1635 yards, 82 rec., 19.9 avg., 6 TD

3- Randy Moss, 2003 Minnesota Vikings
1632 yards, 111 rec., 14.7 avg., 17 TD

4- David Boston, 2001 Arizona Cardinals
1598 yards, 98 rec., 16.3 avg., 8 TD

5- Steve Smith, 2005 Carolina Panthers
1563 yards, 103 rec., 15.2 avg., 12 TD

6- Santana Moss, 2005 Washington Redskins
1483 yards, 84 rec., 17.7 avg., 9 TD

7- Isaac Bruce, 2000 St. Louis Rams
1471 yards, 87 rec., 16.9 avg., 9 TD

8- Terrell Owens, 2000 San Francisco 49ers
1451 yards, 97 rec., 15.0 avg., 13 TD

9- Randy Moss, 2000 Minnesota Vikings
1437 yards, 77 rec., 18.7 avg., 15 TD

10-Larry Fitzgerald, 2008 Arizona Cardinals
1431 yards, 96 rec., 14.9 avg., 12 TD


Santana Moss



Isaac Bruce

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
New Orleans Saints: Joe Horn, 2004
1399 yards, 94 rec., 14.9 avg., 11 TD

Green Bay Packers: Javon Walker, 2004
1382 yards, 89 rec., 15.5 avg., 12 TD

Atlanta Falcons: Roddy White, 2008
1382 yards, 88 rec., 15.7 avg., 7 TD

Dallas Cowboys: Terrell Owens, 2007
1355 yards, 81 rec., 16.7 avg., 15 TD

New York Giants: Amani Toomer, 2002
1343 yards, 82 rec., 16.4 avg., 8 TD

Detroit Lions: Calvin Johnson, 2008
1331 yards, 78 rec., 17.1 avg., 12 TD

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Joey Galloway, 2005
1287 yards, 83 rec., 15.5 avg., 10 TD

Seattle Seahawks: Koren Robinson, 2002*
1240 yards, 78 rec., 15.9 avg., 5 TD

Philadelphia Eagles: Terrell Owens, 2004
1200 yards, 77 rec., 15.6 avg., 14 TD

Chicago Bears: Marty Booker, 2002
1189 yards, 97 rec., 12.3 avg., 6 TD

* Seahawks moved to NFC in 2002


Terrell Owens



Steve Smith (Giants)