1972: Plays by Special Teams Key Redskins Win Over Vikings

Among the notable achievements of George Allen’s football coaching career, he was an innovator in the development of special teams play and had been the first to hire an assistant coach specifically to handle special teams (Dick Vermeil, who would go on to have a prominent coaching career of his own, in 1969 while with the Rams). On September 18, 1972 special teams play led the way to an opening game win for the Allen-coached Washington Redskins against the Minnesota Vikings.

Allen had come to Washington in 1971 after being fired a second time by Rams owner Daniel Reeves (the first time a revolt by the players led to his rehiring). Despite a 49-17-4 record and two playoff appearances over five years, Allen’s intensity and penchant for total control of the organization led to friction with the Rams owner. Allen was hired by the Redskins, who had posted winning records only four times since last appearing in the postseason following the 1945 season. With his attention to detail, motivational skills, and win-now approach exemplified by committing to veteran players who came to be known as the “Over-the-Hill Gang”, Allen guided Washington to a 9-4-1 record and wild card playoff spot in ’71.

The Redskins faced a significant challenge in taking on the Vikings at Metropolitan Stadium in a Monday Night Football contest. Under Head Coach Bud Grant, Minnesota had won the NFC Central for the second consecutive year in ’71 (fourth straight counting the pre-merger 1968 and ’69 seasons) and now had QB Fran Tarkenton back on the team after a five-year hiatus with the Giants. The defense was already well established as one of the league’s best, and it was anticipated that upgrading the offense could only make the Vikings an even more formidable contender.

Washington won, 24-21, and to be sure their ground-oriented offense played a big part by gaining 146 yards. RB Larry Brown (105 yards on 21 carries) and FB Charley Harraway (42 yards on 9 attempts) each scored a fourth quarter touchdown to seal the victory. However, Minnesota outgained the Redskins, 382 yards to 203, had more first downs (26 to 11), and sacked QB Billy Kilmer four times while Washington’s defense failed to get to Tarkenton at all. Indeed, Kilmer completed just 7 of 17 passes for 57 yards with an interception while WR Roy Jefferson led the club’s receivers with 4 catches for 38 yards.

By comparison, Tarkenton completed 18 of 31 passes for 233 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions; he connected with WR John Gilliam on an 11-yard TD pass that put the Vikings ahead in the third quarter, and threw a four-yard touchdown pass to FB Bill Brown late in the game that pulled Minnesota to within three points. WR Gene Washington gained 70 yards on three receptions, Gilliam pulled in four passes for 53 yards and the TD, and Brown caught 5 passes for 47 yards and a score.

The Vikings also did well rushing, with 182 total yards on 43 attempts. FB Oscar Reed led the team with 68 yards on 12 carries, Clint Jones added 66 yards on 21 rushes that included a TD, and the mobile Tarkenton ran three times for 35 yards.

What made the crucial difference for the Redskins were key plays by the special teams. Less than three minutes into the game, Bill Malinchak (pictured at top), a marginal seven-year backup wide receiver who had only been activated from the taxi squad a few days earlier, blocked a Minnesota punt and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown and early 7-0 lead for Washington.

With eight seconds left in the second quarter, DB Ted Vactor blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt by the Vikings’ Fred Cox. Then in the fourth quarter, it was Malinchak making another big play when he recovered a fumble on a kickoff return by Clint Jones at the Minnesota 18 yard line to set up a nine-yard touchdown run by Harraway that proved to be the game-clinching score (Brown had just capped a 58-yard drive with a three-yard TD run to give the Redskins the lead).

It was no accident that Malinchak had been playing on special teams against the Vikings; when asked afterward why he had been reactivated for the game, Coach Allen said “because he’s a good special teams man.”

Minnesota’s Grant was well aware afterward of how the special teams plays had affected the game when he summed up that “giving up two fumbles, a blocked punt, a missed field goal, a blocked field goal – the accumulation of that was too much to overcome.”

It was the beginning of a big year for Washington’s “Over the Hill Gang”. They posted an 11-3 record to win the NFC East and advanced to the Super Bowl, although they lost to the undefeated Miami Dolphins. Minnesota had a disappointing 7-7 tally, finishing third in the NFC Central.


Larry Brown (pictured at left) led the NFC in rushing with 1216 yards in an MVP season (Associated Press, NEA, Bert Bell Trophy) in which he also was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth consecutive year. He was second in the league in all-purpose yards (1689). Bill Kilmer may not have thrown the prettiest passes, but he operated well enough in Allen’s conservative offense to lead the league in passing (84.8 rating), touchdown tosses (19, tied with Joe Namath of the Jets), and TD percentage (8.4).

Fran Tarkenton performed well even though the Vikings offense as a whole didn’t, ranking second in the NFL in pass attempts (378) and completions (215) and third in passing yards (2651) and passer rating (80.2). He tossed 18 touchdown passes (just behind Kilmer) against 13 interceptions. However, the running game was beset by injuries and the vaunted defense suffered something of a letdown as Minnesota lost five games by a field goal or less.

Bill Malinchak managed to play ten seasons in the NFL, six with Washington, and it was his ability to make plays on special teams that kept him around for so long.

1989: Packers Come From Behind to Defeat Saints

The Green Bay Packers had not been over .500 in the six consecutive seasons prior to 1989, and that had been in the strike-shortened 1982 campaign. In their first year under Head Coach Lindy Infante in ’88, they had gone 4-12. The club had signed 20 free agents in the offseason, more than any other team in the NFL. Of the holdovers, WR Sterling Sharpe had led the Packers in pass receiving as a rookie and LB Tim Harris had 13.5 sacks and led the team in tackles.

The Packers lost their opening game in ’89 to Tampa Bay and on September 17 hosted the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field. After years of underachieving, New Orleans had gone to the postseason for the first time in 1987 under Head Coach Jim Mora and followed up with a 10-6 record in ’88. They missed the playoffs, but it was still a respectable showing for a club that had not posted a winning record in its first 20 seasons.

The Saints took control from the start, scoring on their first three possessions. After receiving the opening kickoff, they drove 77 yards in eight plays with QB Bobby Hebert throwing a 32-yard touchdown pass to WR Lonzell Hill. The Packers went three-and-out and the Saints took eight plays to score again, in a 56-yard possession that was highlighted by a 15-yard pass from Hebert to WR Floyd Turner and 21-yard carry by RB Dalton Hilliard. Hilliard capped the drive with a three-yard TD run. Packers QB Don Majkowski (pictured above) tossed an interception to end the next possession shortly before the conclusion of the first quarter, which finished with New Orleans ahead by 14-0.

Two plays into the second quarter, the Saints extended their lead to 21-0 when Hebert tossed a one-yard touchdown pass to TE Hoby Brenner. After an exchange of punts, Green Bay finally got on the board. Majkowski threw passes of 11 yards to WR Perry Kemp and 20 yards to TE Ed West and RB Brent Fullwood ran in for a TD from a yard out. But New Orleans managed one more drive prior to the end of the half that culminated in a 38-yard Morten Andersen field goal and the Saints took a 24-7 lead into halftime.

The Packers began to climb out of the hole with their first possession in the third quarter. Majkowski completed all seven of his passes in a 14-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Fullwood scoring his second touchdown of the game on a four-yard run. After New Orleans went three-and-out in its possession and punted, Majkowski completed five more passes in a six-play drive with West hauling in a three-yard touchdown catch. Green Bay was now only down by three points, 24-21.

The Saints weren’t done yet, however, as Hebert led them on a six-play possession of their own that included passes of 13 and 28 yards to WR Eric Martin and concluded early in the fourth quarter with a 24-yard scoring throw to Hill. The Packers responded with yet another scoring possession, going 78 yards in five plays as West caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Majkowski. It was again a three-point game at 31-28.


New Orleans came back with a long, 12-play possession that ran more than eight minutes off the clock and resulted in a 32-yard Andersen field goal. Green Bay struck quickly when they got the ball back with Majkowski passing to WR Jeff Query
(pictured at right) for a 35-yard gain to the Saints’ 45 yard line. But three plays later they faced a fourth-and-17 situation with under two minutes remaining to play. Majkowski again went to Query along the sideline, and the resulting 23-yard gain kept the drive alive. It ended with Majkowski throwing a three-yard touchdown pass to Sharpe, and with the successful extra point, Green Bay took the lead at 35-34 with 1:31 left on the clock.

The one-point margin held up when Hebert immediately went to the air and his long pass was intercepted by CB Van Jakes; Green Bay was able to run out the clock.


The Packers accumulated 490 total yards in their comeback victory to 367 for New Orleans. Don Majkowski completed 25 of 32 passes for 354 yards with three TDs and an interception. There were plenty of pass receiving stars as Sterling Sharpe (pictured at left) caught 8 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown, Ed West contributed 6 receptions for 87 yards and two scores, and Jeff Query made four catches for 84 yards, including the big plays in the final drive. Brent Fullwood also had a notable game rushing, gaining 125 yards on 18 carries with two TDs.

In defeat, Bobby Hebert tossed 32 passes, completed 23 of them for 282 yards and, like his Green Bay counterpart, with three touchdowns and one picked off. Lonzell Hill had 6 pass receptions for 90 yards and two TDs. However, the Saints didn’t gain as much on the ground, as Dalton Hilliard led the club with 43 yards on 13 attempts with a score.

It was the first sign of rejuvenation for the Packers, who ended up going 10-6 and finishing second (due to tiebreakers) in the NFC Central. They just missed the postseason. Meanwhile, New Orleans fell to a disappointing 9-7 and third place in the NFC West.

Don Majkowski had easily the best season of his career. He led the league in pass attempts (599), completions (353), and yards (4318) while firing 27 touchdown passes (third in the NFL) against 20 interceptions. The third-year quarterback out of Virginia was named to the Pro Bowl and received second-team All-NFL recognition from the Associated Press.

Sterling Sharpe led the NFL with 90 pass receptions and ranked second with 1423 yards and 12 touchdowns. He received All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition, but unlike Majkowski there were better years ahead.

The Packers would regress to being a losing club again in 1990 and ’91, Infante’s last year as head coach. It would take the arrival of Infante’s successor, Mike Holmgren, and a young quarterback named Brett Favre in 1992 before Green Bay would begin to win again with consistency.

2007: Browns Outduel Bengals 51-45 in Wild Offensive Battle

It didn’t look good for the Cleveland Browns as they prepared to face their cross-state rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, on September 16, 2007 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. They had been beaten badly in the opening game, 34-7 by the Steelers, and starting QB Charlie Frye not only was pulled from the game but traded to the Seattle Seahawks two days later. Second-year backup Derek Anderson (pictured at right), considered a placeholder until rookie QB Brady Quinn was ready, would be starting for just the fourth time in his career and had not yet led the Browns to a victory. The Bengals, meanwhile, were coming off of a Monday night win over the Baltimore Ravens. Compared to the Browns, the Cincinnati club seemed stable and solid.

The 6’6”, 220-pound Anderson started slowly, misfiring on his first five passes during the initial two Cleveland possessions. Meanwhile, the Bengals methodically moved the ball 63 yards in eight plays to take the early lead on a 13-yard TD pass from QB Carson Palmer to RB Rudi Johnson.

On Cincinnati’s next possession, Palmer threw an interception and the Browns capitalized as Phil Dawson kicked a 39-yard field goal. Dawson kicked another field goal just before the end of the first period to put the Browns a point behind the Bengals at 7-6.

Both offenses came alive in the second quarter, totaling five touchdowns. Anderson started things off with his first touchdown pass of the game, connecting with WR Joe Jurevicius from 17 yards out. Seven plays later it was Palmer hitting WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh for a 23-yard TD.

WR Josh Cribbs returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards to the Cincinnati 11 yard line, and Anderson again threw a scoring pass to Jurevicius of nine yards on the third play of the possession. Cleveland was now in front, 20-14, but the Bengals drove down the field, this time for 88 yards in seven plays and aided by three penalties on the Browns. Palmer tossed his third touchdown of the game, 22 yards to WR Chad Johnson (who legally changed his name to Chad Ochocinco in 2008).

The Browns weren’t finished yet as they took over following the kickoff at their 12 yard line. Just before the two-minute warning, RB Jamal Lewis took off on a 31-yard run. Anderson followed with three straight pass completions, including a 25-yard touchdown throw to TE Kellen Winslow Jr. Cleveland had a 27-21 lead at halftime.

The third quarter started badly for the Browns when, on their first play after receiving the second half kickoff, Anderson was intercepted by safety Dexter Jackson. The Bengals capitalized as Shayne Graham kicked a 20-yard field goal. Cleveland was undeterred, however, driving 78 yards in eight plays that included two passes from Anderson to WR Braylon Edwards, the first for 19 yards in a third-and-six situation and the second for a 34-yard touchdown that lengthened the Browns’ lead to 34-24.

The Bengals came back quickly as WR Glenn Holt returned the kickoff 65 yards to the Cleveland 34 yard line. Four plays later Palmer connected with Johnson for the second time with a 14-yard TD pass. The Browns responded with even greater speed when, on the first play after the kickoff, Lewis ran 66 yards for a touchdown. Once again, Cleveland had a ten-point lead at 41-31.

Cincinnati utilized the no-huddle offense almost exclusively in its next possession, and Palmer completed five passes in the resulting nine-play, 63-yard drive that ended with Houshmandzadeh scoring from five yards out on Palmer’s fifth TD pass. The 31-point third quarter ended shortly thereafter with the Browns ahead by 41-38.

The offensive onslaught slowed as the fourth quarter got underway. The Bengals were stopped for no gain on a fourth-and-one play at midfield but Cleveland went three-and-out in response. However, the Browns regained the momentum as, first, Anderson connected with TE Steve Heiden on a 27-yard pass play and Lewis followed up with a 14-yard run to the Cincinnati 48. Two passes later Anderson hit Edwards for a 37-yard touchdown and, with the successful PAT, the Browns were ahead by ten again at 48-38.

After the Bengals were forced to punt on their next possession, Lewis took off on another long run, this time of 47 yards down to the Cincinnati 23. Anderson threw an 18-yard pass to Winslow and, while the Browns weren’t able to get the ball into the end zone, Dawson extended the lead with an 18-yard field goal.

Once more the Cincinnati offense drove down the field, with a Palmer to Johnson pass play that covered 32 yards highlighting an 11-play possession that went 64 yards and resulted in Palmer’s sixth touchdown pass of the contest - Holt hauled in the seven-yard scoring throw.

Cleveland was able to run the clock down to just over a minute as Dave Zastudil punted the ball 45 yards and it went out of bounds at the Bengals’ 9. Needing a touchdown and with no timeouts remaining, Palmer completed two short passes before hitting Johnson for a 30-yard completion to midfield. However, his attempt to pass to Johnson once again along the sideline was intercepted by CB Leigh Bodden with 21 seconds left. The Browns had successfully held on to win by the improbable score of 51-45.

The offensive numbers were as staggering as the score implied. The teams combined for 1085 total yards (Cleveland had the edge by 554 to 531). Cincinnati led in first downs (33 to 23) and time of possession (31:20 to 28:40); the Bengals also suffered the most turnovers (three to one).


In defeat, Carson Palmer (pictured at left) had put up the greater passing numbers, completing 33 of 50 passes for 401 yards with 6 TDs and two interceptions. Likewise, Chad Johnson caught 11 passes for 209 yards and two scores; T.J. Houshmandzadeh contributed another 8 receptions for 69 yards and two TDs. Rudi Johnson ran for 118 yards on 23 carries.

Derek Anderson’s statistics were certainly impressive, all the more so because so much less was anticipated: 20 completions of 33 passes for 328 yards with 5 touchdowns and one picked off. Jamal Lewis, an offseason acquisition who had been a top ground gainer for six years with the Baltimore Ravens, ran for 216 yards on 27 carries and a touchdown. Top receiver for the Browns was Braylon Edwards with 8 catches for 146 yards and two TDs; Kellen Winslow Jr. accumulated an even 100 yards on 6 receptions with a score. Thus, the Browns had a 300-yard passer, two 100-yard receivers, and a 200-yard rusher in the same game – a franchise first.

In tying a Cleveland team record with five touchdown passes, Anderson doubled his career total to date. The game also marked the third time in NFL history that both quarterbacks in a game threw at least five touchdown passes. However, it was not the highest scoring game ever between the two division rivals – the Bengals had beaten the Browns 58-48 in a 2004 contest.

The Browns went on to finish the season with a 10-6 record, the best since the re-formed team had joined the NFL in 1999, to place second in the AFC North and just miss the playoffs (division-winning Pittsburgh was also 10-6, but swept both games of the season series). Cincinnati was in third place, with a disappointing 7-9 tally.

Derek Anderson went on to have a career year, leading the league in yards per completion (12.7) while throwing for 3787 yards and 29 touchdowns. However, he also tied for second in interceptions thrown with 19. He was selected to the Pro Bowl. But thus far, he has not come close to duplicating those numbers.

Jamal Lewis (pictured below) gained 1304 yards on 298 carries (a 4.4-yard average gain) with nine TDs. It was his best showing since his 2066-yard season in 2003 with the Ravens.

Carson Palmer had a career high with 4131 yards through the air and ended up with 26 touchdown passes. However, he was also co-leader in passes intercepted (20, along with Detroit’s Jon Kitna and Eli Manning of the Giants).

1963: Tittle Leads Giants to Come-From-Behind Win Over Colts

The Baltimore Colts opened the 1963 season on September 15 against the New York Giants at Memorial Stadium in a state of transition under a new head coach. Weeb Ewbank, who had built the Colts into a championship team in 1958 and ’59, was fired after posting a 7-7 record in ’62 and replaced by 33-year-old Don Shula. Shula had been a defensive back for the Colts for four years, in between stints with the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins. He had moved into coaching upon his retirement as a player and, for the past three seasons, he had been the defensive coordinator in Detroit.

The Giants, under Head Coach Allie Sherman, had placed first in the Eastern Conference for the second consecutive year but had again failed to win the league championship as they fell both times to the Green Bay Packers. QB Y.A. Tittle had been outstanding since arriving through a trade with the 49ers prior to the 1961 season while the veteran defense was one of the NFL’s best. But just as age and injuries had caught up with the Colts, so the window of opportunity was beginning to close in New York.

It was a gray and rainy day in Baltimore, but the home fans had something to cheer about early on when the Giants fumbled on the third play of the game and star DE Gino Marchetti picked up the loose football and rumbled 40 yards for a touchdown. Two possessions later and still in the first quarter, New York fumbled the ball away again. This time QB Johnny Unitas, despite still suffering the effects of an injury to his throwing shoulder, threw a 34-yard TD pass to flanker Jimmy Orr (pictured below) for a 14-0 lead.


Don Chandler kicked a 42-yard field goal before the first quarter was over to narrow the margin to 14-3, but the Colts came back in the second period after yet another New York fumble, this by veteran HB Hugh McElhenny after a good run on a screen pass. Unitas connected with rookie TE John Mackey for a 32-yard touchdown and the Colts were up by 21-3.

The Giants began to climb out of the hole as Tittle threw to HB Phil King on a play-action pass that produced a 46-yard touchdown. When they scored again on a four-yard TD pass from Tittle to TE Joe Walton, the Baltimore margin was narrowed to 21-17. However, the Colts came back with a scoring drive that ended with FB Jerry Hill running for a three-yard touchdown. Just before the end of the half, McElhenny made up for the earlier fumble by catching a seven-yard TD pass from Tittle and the tally stood at 28-24 at the intermission.

The Giants took the lead in the third quarter with two key plays. Tittle passed to split end Del Shofner for a 43-yard gain to the Baltimore nine yard line and, when the Colts blitzed on first-and-goal, the 37-year-old quarterback ran for the touchdown (pictured at top). The extra point attempt failed, but New York was ahead by 30-28. The Giants scored one more TD in the third quarter, on a one-yard run by FB Alex Webster, and that provided the final margin of 37-28.


The three lost fumbles in the first half had nearly done the Giants in, but they outgained the Colts by 362 total yards to 295. Tittle completed 16 of 23 passes for 243 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and ran for 24 yards on five carries, including the game-winning TD. Phil King (pictured at right) and Del Shofner each caught five passes, with King gaining 101 yards and scoring the team’s first TD and Shofner gaining 85 and setting up the game-winning score. New York also ran effectively, gaining a total of 119 yards on 37 rushes, with Webster leading the way at 60 yards on 15 carries.

For Baltimore, Johnny Unitas completed 19 of 33 passes for 219 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Jimmy Orr was the leading receiver with five catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. The Colts were missing the outstanding HB Lenny Moore due to an appendectomy; he was replaced by Tom Matte, who gained 26 yards on 10 attempts and caught four passes for 37 more yards, while FB J.W. Lockett was Baltimore’s leading ground gainer with 37 yards on 9 carries.

The Giants went on to win the Eastern Conference for a third straight year with an 11-3 record, and once again lost the title game, this time to the Chicago Bears. It would indeed be a last hurrah for the aging club, as they dropped into the cellar in ’64 and would not return to the postseason until 1981. Baltimore suffered through an injury-plagued season in Don Shula’s first year but ended up at 8-6 and third place in the Western Conference. They would win the conference title in 1964. Shula would go on to win 347 games as an NFL head coach (328 regular season, 19 postseason).

Y.A. Tittle, in his next-to-last season, led the NFL in passing as he tossed a then-record 36 touchdown passes (already accomplished by Houston’s George Blanda in the AFL in 1961). He also topped the league in yards per attempt (8.6) and completion percentage (60.2); his 3145 yards ranked third and he was intercepted just 14 times (3.8 INT percentage, also third in the NFL). Tittle was a consensus first team All-Pro and was named league MVP by the Associated Press and NEA.

Johnny Unitas led the league in passes completed (237), yards (3481), and lowest percentage of interceptions (2.9). He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the seventh consecutive season (of an eventual 11). Both of his favorite two veteran receivers, Orr and split end Raymond Berry, missed time due to injury, but the rookie John Mackey put together a Pro Bowl season as he caught 35 passes for 726 yards and led the club in yards per reception (20.7) and receiving touchdowns (7).

1969: Greg Cook Leads Bengals Past Dolphins for Paul Brown’s 300th Win

The September 14, 1969 season-opening game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium achieved a couple of milestones – one highlighting the long-term achievement of a head coach and the other marking the arrival of a talented player whose career would flame out all too quickly.

Paul Brown (pictured above) had returned to pro football coaching in 1968 after an absence of five years. The architect of the Cleveland Browns team that dominated the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) from 1946-49 and then appeared in six consecutive title games in the NFL had been summarily dismissed by young owner Art Modell following the 1962 season. Brown returned with the AFL expansion Cincinnati Bengals, where he was not only the general manager (as he had been in Cleveland) but had a part ownership in the franchise (all the better for job security).

Brown was a winning coach at every level, starting at Severn School, a prep school in Maryland where he began his coaching career (16-1-1) before returning to his native Ohio and Massillon Washington High School, where he first gained notoriety by leading the team to six consecutive state high school championships during his nine years there (80-8-2). It was on to the college level at Ohio State (18-8-1, including a national championship in 1942) and then service football at Great Lakes Naval Station (15-5-2). Entering the ranks of pro coaches with the Cleveland Browns, first in the AAFC (52-4-3, including postseason) and NFL (115-49-5, also including postseason), he had gone through a typically difficult 3-11 expansion season in ’68 with the Bengals. When added together, Brown entered the 1969 AFL season with 299 career wins as a head coach at all levels.

During 1968, Brown had personally scouted Greg Cook, a quarterback at the University of Cincinnati. The legendary coach liked what he saw and the Bengals made Cook their first choice in the ’69 draft. From the beginning, it seemed as though Cook had all the ingredients for greatness. He was tall, at 6’4”, weighed in at 220, had a strong and accurate throwing arm, a quick release, and good mobility. Moreover, he was intelligent, confident, and had the right emotional makeup – all in all, an excellent blend of physical ability and intangibles.

Cook threw three touchdown passes to nearly lead the College All-Stars to an upset of the defending AFL champion Jets. Even though his All-Star game participation caused him to get a late start in training camp, he became the sensation of the preseason and was the starting quarterback for Cincinnati in the opening game. He did not disappoint.


After the Dolphins took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 10-yard touchdown pass from QB Bob Griese to WR Karl Noonan, HB Paul Robinson (the AFL’s leading rusher as a rookie in ’68) scored at the end of the period on a four-yard run. The game didn’t remain tied for long as HB Mercury Morris of the Dolphins returned the ensuing kickoff 105 yards. But Cook (pictured at left) showed off his passing skill as he threw two touchdown passes to split end Eric Crabtree, of 69 and 25 yards, to put Cincinnati ahead by 21-14 at halftime.

Horst Muhlmann booted two third quarter field goals, and while HB Jim Kiick ran for a fourth quarter TD, the Bengals held on to win, 27-21. Paul Brown had the 300th win of his illustrious coaching career.

Miami’s third-year quarterback, Bob Griese, threw for 327 yards and a TD, but also gave up two interceptions. Greg Cook completed 11 of 21 passes for 155 yards with the two touchdowns and had one picked off. Eric Crabtree, thanks to the two long scoring receptions, gained 113 yards on three catches. The Bengals also outran the Dolphins, 101 yards to 79, with FB Jess Phillips leading the way at 62 yards on 11 attempts.

It was a good beginning for Cincinnati, and Cook and the Bengals became the talk of the league as they improved to 3-0 with wins over the Chargers and Chiefs. However, the Kansas City game marked the beginning of the end for the rookie phenom. While rolling out on a pass play, Cook was hit hard and came down on his throwing shoulder. In the days before MRIs, it wasn’t recognized that Cook had severely damaged his rotator cuff (it was misdiagnosed as a shoulder separation).

Cook was rested for four weeks – all games that Cincinnati lost with backup Sam Wyche at quarterback – and returned to lead the Bengals to an upset of the Oakland Raiders by a score of 31-17. Cook threw two touchdown passes despite his damaged shoulder (and greatly impressed Oakland’s first-year head coach, John Madden). He threw four touchdown passes and accumulated 298 yards through the air the following week in a 31-31 tie with Houston. But the next week Cook was intercepted three times as the Bengals lost to the Patriots.

There were further injuries in addition to the rotator cuff, causing Cook’s performance to suffer in the remaining games. Cincinnati lost five straight to close out the season and ended up with a 4-9-1 record. The rookie threw for 291 yards and a TD in the finale at Denver, which was effectively the last game of his career. Cook appeared in a contest for the Bengals in 1973, in which he completed one of three passes, and that was it. Playing through the rotator cuff injury – and not having modern diagnostic and surgical techniques available to him – proved disastrous.

Nevertheless, Cook made an impression in 1969. He led the AFL in passing (88.3 rating), completion percentage (53.8), yards per attempt (9.4, still the record for a rookie quarterback), and yards per completion (an excellent 17.5); his 15 touchdown passes resulted in a TD percentage of 7.6, which ranked second. Perhaps tellingly, despite missing significant time to injury, he was ranked second in the league in times sacked (29, tied with Denver’s Steve Tensi).

Perhaps John Madden best summed up the impact of Cook’s performance in ’69: “That was the year that Daryle Lamonica had his best year and the year that Len Dawson led the Chiefs to the Super Bowl. But Cook looked like the best quarterback in the league – better than Lamonica, better than Dawson, better than Namath, Hadl, or Griese. I thought that this kid was going to be better than anyone I had ever seen.”

As for Paul Brown, he remained coach until his retirement following the 1975 season and led the Bengals to the postseason three times (including 1970, in just the third year of the franchise’s existence). He accumulated another 51 wins beyond the 300th in the victory over Miami and ended up with 222 (counting the postseason) as a pro coach alone (AAFC, AFL, NFL).

1936: Eagles Upset Giants for Only Win of Season

The long rivalry between the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants was in its early stages when the two teams met before a crowd of 20,000 at Philadelphia’s Municipal Stadium in the season-opening game on September 13, 1936. The Eagles were starting their fourth year and had done no better than the 3-5-1 tally of the inaugural ’33 season; they were coming off a 2-9 record in 1935, the worst in the NFL. The Giants, meanwhile, had won all three Eastern Division titles since the advent of divisional play, also in 1933, and were coming off of a 9-3 record in ’35 (they lost to the Detroit Lions in the league championship game).

Eagles owner Bert Bell had also made himself the head coach for the ’36 season (he was pretty much the team’s entire front office as well), replacing the club’s original coach, Lud Wray. The first NFL draft of college talent had been held the preceding offseason, and the Eagles, with the first pick, chose HB Jay Berwanger, Heisman Trophy-winner from the University of Chicago; however, Berwanger’s immediate future plans included going into business, not pro football, and he rejected Philadelphia’s offer (he also rejected the Chicago Bears, who dealt for his rights). But the Eagles did add 230-pound rookie FB/LB Dave Smukler from Temple (pictured above), who quickly became a centerpiece of the offense. Third-year tackle Art Buss had been acquired from the Bears in return for the rights to Berwanger.


The Giants, coached by Steve Owen, had a major rookie acquisition of their own in FB Tuffy Leemans (pictured at left) to go along with tailback Ed Danowski, center Mel Hein, G John Dell Isola, FB Kink Richards, wingback Dale Burnett, and end Tod Goodwin. However, they had lost all-purpose back/kicker Ken Strong, tailback Harry Newman, and end Red Badgro to the newly formed American Football League (second incarnation).

The Eagles were playing their first game at Municipal Stadium, having split their games between the Baker Bowl and Temple Stadium in the first three seasons. New York had won five of the six previous meetings between the teams and was heavily favored.

The most exciting play of the game came in the first quarter when Smukler passed to end Ed “Eggs” Manske who made an outstanding run after the catch and then lateraled 20 yards across the field to end Joe Carter, who covered the final 16 yards of the overall 55-yard play. Smukler converted the extra point and the inspired Eagles defense made the 7-0 lead hold up through the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Giants put together a 63-yard drive that culminated in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Danowski to Burnett and, after Tilly Manton’s kick, the score was tied. But Philadelphia came back with a drive of its own that was capped by Hank Reese’s 13-yard field goal with four minutes left in the game. The Eagles held on to win, 10-7.

It was a stunning upset as well as a signal of problems ahead for the Giants. New York went 5-6-1 to place third in the Eastern Division and under .500 for the first time since 1932. Tuffy Leemans provided a bright spot by leading the NFL in rushing with 830 yards. The Giants also got revenge in the rematch with the Eagles at the Polo Grounds, in a contest that was publicized as a showdown between the star rookies Smukler and Leemans, by a 21-17 score.


For the Eagles, the opening win was also the high point of an otherwise dreadful season. They lost their remaining games to once again finish with the NFL’s worst record, 1-11. The two games against the Giants were the only occasions in which they scored in double figures as they were shut out six times and accumulated a measly total of 51 points (they also surrendered a league-high 206 points). No player scored more than one touchdown during the season and Hank Reese (pictured at right) ended up leading the club with a grand total of 9 points (three extra points, two field goals).

“Dynamite Dave” Smukler ranked third on the team with 321 yards rushing on 99 carries. As was typical in the single-wing offense of the time, he was also the club’s leading passer – he tossed the Eagles’ only three touchdown passes. While they only completed 39 passes all year (21 by Smukler), Ed Manske caught 17 of them for 325 yards to rank fifth and fourth in the NFL in each category, respectively, and was traded to the Bears after the season for their veteran All-NFL end, Bill Hewitt.

1964: Jets Debut at Shea Stadium Before Record Crowd

The New York Jets franchise took a significant step forward on September 12, 1964 when they played their first game at the new Shea Stadium. For four seasons (three as the Titans, one as the Jets) the club had played at the badly decaying Polo Grounds and had difficulty drawing fans. The move to the new stadium solved that problem immediately, as there was a crowd of 45,497 on hand, the largest to attend an American Football League game to date.

Since the new ownership group, led by David A. “Sonny” Werblin, had taken over the former Titans franchise from the bankrupt original owner, Harry Wismer, following the 1962 season, the club had gone through a revitalization process. There was a new name, new uniforms, and highly-respected new head coach in Weeb Ewbank. Now they were moving into a new stadium and the only remaining question to address was the quality of the players.


To that end, another significant change for 1964 was that the team was able to sign some high draft picks – something that had not happened during the Wismer era. The biggest prize had been FB Matt Snell (pictured at left), the first draft choice out of Ohio State who had also been selected in the NFL draft by the rival Giants (third round). Other signees from the draft who would have an impact were Gerry Philbin out of Buffalo in the third round, selected as a linebacker but who would play defensive end as a pro, and LB Ralph Baker from Penn State, chosen in the sixth round.

The Jets, coming off of a 5-8-1 season in ’63, faced the Denver Broncos in the season-opening game, a club that had been the worst in the AFL with a 2-11-1 tally. Head Coach Jack Faulkner came to the team amid great expectations in 1962, but after breaking even at 7-7 that year, the Broncos had regressed. In an odd arrangement, QB Jacky Lee was obtained from Houston, where he had backed up veteran George Blanda for four years, as part of a two-year lease agreement (the Broncos gave up DT Bud McFadin and a first round draft choice as part of the deal). He was to be returned to the Oilers after the lease was up, where no doubt it was anticipated that the 37-year-old Blanda would be ready to retire and Lee, having gained experience as a starting quarterback, could step in.

Lee’s first regular season performance was a poor one. He completed 18 of 32 passes for 127 yards and three interceptions. Star end Lionel Taylor contributed a fourth interception on an option pass, and in all the Broncos couldn’t move the ball and turned it over five times.

The Jets, with the lanky and immobile Dick Wood at quarterback, took advantage of the turnovers and gave up none of their own. Wood threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to TE Gene Heeter in the first quarter and in the fourth quarter connected with star flanker Don Maynard, who made an outstanding catch that resulted in a 39-yard TD. In between, rookie placekicker Jim Turner connected on field goals of 11 and 27 yards in the second quarter and 21 yards in the final period.

Two Gene Mingo field goals provided the only scoring for the Broncos, who were as close as 13-6 in the fourth quarter, but following that the Jets scored two touchdowns and a field goal to win easily, 30-6.

While Wood completed just 9 of 18 passes for 144 yards, two of them were touchdowns and none were picked off. Maynard was the top receiver with four catches for 101 yards and the TD. But the star on offense was the rookie fullback Snell, who gained 82 yards on 22 carries and scored the final touchdown. It was a good start to a season in which he would rank second among the AFL’s rushers with 948 yards.

The Jets outgained the Broncos with 247 yards to 192. They also sacked Lee five times, while Denver’s defense never got to Wood, and were flagged three times while the Broncos drew 9 penalties. FB Billy Joe led Denver in rushing with 41 yards on 9 attempts, and Lionel Taylor and HB Charley Mitchell both caught five passes, with Taylor gaining 61 yards.


Aside from Snell’s performance, the other player for the Jets who drew attention was Ed “Wahoo” McDaniel (pictured at right), a middle linebacker who had been obtained from Denver. A 6’1”, 235-pound Native American (Choctaw and Chickasaw) who was a professional wrestler on the side, McDaniel had played college football at Oklahoma under legendary Head Coach Bud Wilkinson. He was drafted by the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and AFL’s Los Angeles Chargers in 1960 but failed to make either club. After catching on with the Houston Oilers as a guard, he was dealt to Denver and returned to his regular position of linebacker. As Coach Faulkner put it, “he was a tough guy, but he wasn’t very big…he didn’t have great speed, but he gave you effort.”

McDaniel’s acquisition hadn’t been considered a major one by the Jets, but he made it into the starting lineup and became an instant fan favorite. From the first time he made a tackle and his name was announced over the public address system to each occasion that his face appeared on the big Jetorama screen, the crowd cheered wildly. After awhile the PA announcer simply asked “Who made the tackle?” and the fans shouted back “Wahoo!”

There were times when that likely wasn’t the correct answer to the question, for the announcer began asking it on most every gang tackle and, it was said, on occasions when McDaniel was nowhere near the play. But it became a popular part of Jets home games for the remainder of the season. Owner Werblin, an entertainment executive who knew how to market talent, had McDaniel’s last name removed from the back of his jersey and replaced with “WAHOO” thereafter.

New York ended up with another 5-8-1 record in ’64, placing third in the Eastern Division. However, Coach Ewbank was assembling the pieces that would bring greater excitement and success, and overall home attendance jumped from 91,000 in 1963 to 298,000. Denver also repeated its 2-11-1 tally of the previous year; Faulkner was let go after a 0-4 start and replaced by former Cleveland Browns star Mac Speedie.

As a footnote, Jacky Lee lost his starting job to the equally-ineffective Mickey Slaughter. Rather than preparing him to be a starting quarterback, the leasing deal only made Lee less appealing to his original club, the Oilers, who sat him back on the bench when he returned in 1966.