2008: Cardinals Beat Cowboys with Blocked Punt in Overtime

The matchup at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on October 12, 2008 featured the host Arizona Cardinals (3-2) against the Dallas Cowboys (4-1), the more highly-regarded team.

Arizona was coming off an encouraging 8-8 season in ‘07 under Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt. Veteran QB Kurt Warner had resurrected his career with the Cardinals and had an outstanding receiving corps to throw to in wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston. The defense, however, was a source of concern, especially after having surrendered 56 points to the New York Jets two weeks before.

Much more was expected of the Cowboys, under Head Coach Wade Phillips. They had won the NFC East with a 13-3 record in 2007, only to be upset at home in the Divisional round by the Giants. The team had stars in QB Tony Romo, RB Marion Barber, WR Terrell Owens, and TE Jason Witten on offense and LB DeMarcus Ware on defense. They won their first three games, lost a close contest to Washington, and bounced back to beat the Bengals the previous week.

The home crowd got an immediate treat when RB J.J. Arrington ran the opening kickoff back 93 yards for a touchdown and quick 7-0 lead for the Cardinals. That was it for the first quarter scoring, but the Cowboys put together a 91-yard drive in the second quarter, highlighted by two Romo passes to WR Patrick Crayton, one for a 24-yard gain and the other for a 55-yard touchdown. The score remained tied at 7-7 at halftime.

Dallas started off the second half with a long drive that covered 77 yards in 12 plays. Romo completed five passes along the way, including three to Owens that covered 27 yards and one to WR Miles Austin for a 14-yard TD. Arizona came right back with an 11-play possession that was kept alive when, on a third-and-seventeen play, a tipped pass by Warner was still caught by RB Tim Hightower, who gained the necessary 17 yards before being pushed out of bounds at the 50. Another third down was converted thanks to a pass to Breaston that gained 22 yards to the Dallas 24. The drive culminated in a two-yard scoring pass from Warner to Fitzgerald, and the game was once again tied at 14-14.

Following a Dallas punt, the Cardinals put together another scoring drive that extended into the fourth quarter. Warner completed a pass to a leaping Fitzgerald for a 39-yard gain to the Cowboys’ 38 along the way, and an 11-yard touchdown throw to Breaston finished off the 89-yard possession and put Arizona back in front at 21-14.

Dallas went three-and-out and punted, and the Cardinals scored again as they drove 43 yards in nine plays, with Neil Rackers giving them a ten-point lead thanks to a 41-yard field goal. The Cowboys got the ball back with 3:12 remaining in regulation but struck quickly when Romo completed two short passes before connecting with Marion Barber for a 70-yard TD.

Arizona had to punt following a short possession and, down by three, the Cowboys took over at their 32 yard line. A holding penalty set them back further, and following two incomplete passes and a short throw for a four-yard gain, Dallas faced a third-and-16 situation. An offside penalty on the defense gained five yards, and Romo then threw to Crayton for a 30-yard gain and a first down. Another offside call, on an injured Arizona linebacker who couldn’t get down the field quickly enough, proved critical as Folk booted a 52-yard field goal that was just long enough to clear the crossbar with no time left to tie the game at 24-24 and send it into overtime.

Dallas got the ball first in the extra period, but after a sack and two incomplete passes, the Cowboys had a fourth-and-17 situation and were forced to punt from their own 15. WR Sean Morey blocked Mat McBriar’s kick (pictured at top) and LB Monty Beisel grabbed the ball for the Cardinals at the three and ran it in for a stunning 30-24 win. It was the first time since the NFL had instituted sudden death play for the regular season in 1974 that a game was decided by a touchdown on a blocked punt.

The Cowboys outgained Arizona (374 yards to 276) and had the edge in first downs (15 to 14). Neither team ran the ball with much effectiveness, with Dallas gaining 73 yards on 22 running plays and the Cardinals just 50 on 19 attempts. Dallas had fewer turnovers, with one to three suffered by the Cardinals. There were plenty of flags flown, as both teams were penalized 12 times, for a total of 163 yards.


Kurt Warner completed 22 of 30 passes for 236 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Steve Breaston (pictured above) led the receivers with 8 catches for 102 yards and a TD while Larry Fitzgerald contributed 5 receptions for 79 yards and a score. 30-year-old veteran RB Edgerrin James was the top rusher with 29 yards on 9 attempts; Tim Hightower gained 20 yards on 7 carries.

For the Cowboys, Tony Romo went to the air 38 times and had 24 completions for 321 yards with three touchdowns and none picked off. Marion Barber (pictured below) caught 11 passes out of the backfield for 128 yards and the one long TD, and also was the team’s leading rusher with 45 yards on 17 carries. Patrick Crayton gained 84 yards on his three catches that included a touchdown.


“It didn't seem like the bounces or the calls were going our way and sometimes you have to overcome those things,” said Arizona’s Coach Whisenhunt afterward. “I think our team did that. That's part of growing up and getting mentally tougher.”

“Today I got hit blindside for the first time in awhile,” said Tony Romo, who dealt with a great deal of pressure from the Arizona defense. “But they're good. Their D-line played an outstanding football game. You've got to give them credit. That was, I thought, the difference of the game.”

The Cardinals won three of their next four games before losing four of five (and looking especially bad in losses on the East Coast) to finish at 9-7, which was good enough to win the mediocre NFC West. Lightly regarded going into the postseason, they defeated the Falcons, Panthers, and Eagles on the way to winning the NFC Championship and narrowly lost the Super Bowl to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dallas also ended up with a 9-7 record, but was eliminated from the playoffs in the final week and placed third in the NFC East.

1981: LeRoy Irvin’s Punt Returns Help Rams to Win Over Falcons

The Week 6 matchup at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on October 11, 1981 featured two NFC West rivals, the host Falcons and the visiting Los Angeles Rams. The Rams, under Head Coach Ray Malavasi, had won their previous three games after losing the first two. Coming off an 11-5 season in ’80, they lost starting QB Vince Ferragamo to Montreal of the CFL and LB Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds was released following a contract dispute and went to San Francisco. Still, they had veteran QB Pat Haden, who had plenty of experience and savvy, even if not as powerful an arm as the departed Ferragamo, and there was still plenty of experience remaining in the defense.

The Falcons, coached by Leeman Bennett, were coming off a 12-4 division-winning year and had won their first three games in ’81. However, they lost their last two, including a hard-fought 16-13 Monday night decision to the Eagles the previous week. With QB Steve Bartkowski throwing to WR Alfred Jenkins and TE Junior Miller, the passing game was still healthy, and running backs William Andrews and Lynn Cain were talented both at running the ball and catching it out of the backfield. However, the defense was proving to be vulnerable, in particular the inexperienced secondary.

The Rams got on the board first, and in exciting fashion, as second-year CB LeRoy Irvin returned a punt for a 75-yard touchdown at 3:32 into the first quarter. Turnovers by the Falcons allowed LA to extend the lead. First, CB Rod Perry intercepted a Bartkowski pass and the Rams capitalized when Haden threw to WR Preston Dennard for a 29-yard gain and Frank Corral kicked a 25-yard field goal. Shortly thereafter, DT Mike Fanning recovered a fumble that resulted in a 37-yard Corral field goal four plays later. The Rams led by 13-0 after one quarter.

However, following the poor beginning, the Falcons came back with three touchdowns in an eight-minute segment of the second quarter. The first was dramatic as William Andrews took the handoff on a sweep around end on a fourth-and-one play and ran 25 yards for a touchdown to finish off an 80-yard drive.

The second score came following a fumbled snap on a Rams punt that led to an incomplete pass, giving the Falcons good field position at the LA 21. It took just four plays for Atlanta to score again as Bartkowski passed to Miller from 11 yards out. Mick Luckhurst’s extra point put the Falcons in front at 14-13. Atlanta then went 46 yards in seven plays while Bartkowski completed passes covering 16 yards to Andrews, 12 to WR Alfred Jackson, and 23 to Jenkins for a TD.

With the score now at 21-13 in favor of Atlanta, the next possession for LA started off with a 50-yard kickoff return by WR Drew Hill. Haden suffered a leg injury when hit by DE Wilson Faumuina after scrambling and completing a pass to Dennard for a 35-yard gain to the Atlanta 15, and backup QB Jeff Rutledge came into the game and completed the drive with a one-yard scoring pass to TE Henry Childs. Atlanta’s lead was narrowed to 21-20 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Rutledge connected with Hill for a 36-yard TD that put the Rams back in front at 27-21. The 63-yard drive was kept alive when RB Cullen Bryant ran for three yards in a fourth-and-one situation.

Atlanta came back on a possession that started with a 38-yard punt return by DB Scott Woerner. Andrews ran for a 26-yard gain and Bartkowski threw to Jackson for an eight-yard touchdown with 5:37 remaining in the third quarter. With the successful PAT, it was again a one-point game.

The Falcons extended their lead as they drove 65 yards, highlighted by a 19-yard Andrews run to set up his two-yard scoring carry early in the fourth quarter, making the tally 35-27. Irvin struck again with 8:23 to play by taking a punt and racing 84 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown that pulled the Rams to a point behind Atlanta at 35-34.

Getting the ball back, the Rams started their climactic drive at their 20 with 4:35 on the clock. Rutledge completed five passes, including 12 and 6 yards to Childs and 20 and 9 yards to Dennard to move the team down the field. After Bryant ran to the Falcons’ eight yard line and positioned the ball directly in front of the goal post, Corral’s 25-yard field goal with 24 seconds left put the Rams over the top. There was still time for the Falcons to come back, but FS Nolan Cromwell intercepted a Bartkowski pass to nail down the 37-35 win for the Rams.

Atlanta outgained the Rams (349 yards to 252), with 152 of those yards coming on the ground, and also had the edge in first downs (19 to 14). However, the Falcons turned the ball over three times, twice leading to LA field goals in the first quarter and once at the end of the game to finish off their hopes, while the Rams suffered two turnovers.

In relief of Pat Haden, Jeff Rutledge completed 11 of 20 passes for 130 yards with two touchdowns and one intercepted. Preston Dennard caught 4 passes for 84 yards and Henry Childs added 4 receptions for 26 yards and a TD. RB Wendell Tyler led the ground game with 48 yards on 14 carries and Cullen Bryant contributed 31 yards on his 10 attempts.

The return game was significant for the Rams, and while Drew Hill averaged 30 yards per return on his five kickoffs, it was LeRoy Irvin who starred, scoring two touchdowns while also setting a league record with 207 yards on his six punt returns.

For the Falcons, Steve Bartkowski was successful on 17 of his 38 throws for 214 yards that included three touchdowns as well as two interceptions. William Andrews (pictured below) rushed for 119 yards on 21 carries and scored twice and also caught 4 passes for another 35 yards. Alfred Jackson had 4 receptions as well, for 47 yards, while Wallace Francis gained 59 yards on his three catches.


Initially, Pat Haden’s leg was thought to be broken, but it proved to be strained ankle ligaments. Still, many on the LA side were angry about the play that knocked Haden out of the game.

“That play incited our team. It looked like the hit was late and low,” GM Don Klosterman said.

“It was a late hit. The whistle was late all day,” Coach Ray Malavasi added. “It is the officials’ responsibility to keep the game under control and they did a poor job of it.”

Haden suffered from injury problems the rest of the year (his last), as did many of the Rams, and the team’s performance suffered accordingly. While the win moved LA ahead of the Falcons in the NFC West, the Rams lost their next two games and won just twice more to finish a disappointing 6-10 and third in the division – their first losing record since 1972, which was also the last time they missed the playoffs. Just ahead of them was Atlanta at 7-9; the Falcons were in contention with three games left in the season, but lost them all, including one at Los Angeles.

The two touchdown returns against the Falcons gave LeRoy Irvin three on the season. He ended up running back 46 punts for a NFL-leading 615 yards and 13.4 average and was a consensus first-team All-Pro selection. Irvin developed into a star cornerback during his 11-year career, intercepting a total of 35 passes and gaining consensus first-team All-Pro consideration once more at that position as well as earning two Pro Bowl selections.

2004: Rams Score 17 Points in Last 6 Minutes, Beat Seahawks in OT

The St. Louis Rams were at 2-2 as they faced the Seattle Seahawks on October 10, 2004 at Qwest Field. Seattle, coming off a bye week, was undefeated at 3-0 and looking to build upon a 10-6 Wild Card season in ’03. In their sixth season under Head Coach Mike Holmgren, the Seahawks featured star RB Shaun Alexander and a good quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck, although the receivers were prone to dropping passes.

The Rams won the Super Bowl following the 1999 season, and with the exception of a down year in 2002, had continued to regularly contend in the seasons since. Mike Martz, the offensive coordinator in ’99, became head coach in 2000 and the Rams continued to feature a high-octane passing attack along with the running of RB Marshall Faulk. Originally, the quarterback directing that attack had been Kurt Warner, but injuries dramatically reduced his effectiveness and playing time in 2002 and ’03, and it was Marc Bulger (pictured above) who had emerged as the starter. While not as talented as Warner at his best, he was an accurate passer capable of staying calm in clutch situations, and still had great receivers in Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce to throw to, as well as Faulk in the backfield.

There was a record crowd of 66,940 at Qwest Field, and they had reason to cheer early as the Seahawks drove to a touchdown on their first possession. Hasselbeck completed four passes and Alexander carried the ball five times, once for a 33-yard gain to the St. Louis four yard line and the last time for one yard into the end zone. Seattle added to its lead early in the second quarter following another long possession of 13 plays that went 50 yards and ended with a 48-yard field goal by Josh Brown.

On the next possession by the Rams, they went 78 yards on six plays to get on the board. The big play was a 48-yard carry by rookie RB Steven Jackson to the Seattle nine yard line, and from there Bulger ran the rest of the way for a TD that made the score 10-7.

The Seahawks came right back as Hasselbeck immediately connected with WR Koren Robinson for a 20-yard gain. Later in the six-play drive he found Robinson again for 15 yards to the St. Louis 29 and two plays later he passed to TE Jerramy Stevens for a 24-yard touchdown. Seattle was again up by ten points at 17-7.

Bulger was intercepted by CB Ken Lucas shortly thereafter, but the turnover came to naught when Brown missed a 43-yard field goal attempt. Following a punt by the Rams, the Seahawks did score again as they went 90 yards in just five plays, the last a Hasselbeck pass to WR Darrell Jackson for a 56-yard TD. Seattle led by a tally of 24-7 at halftime.

The teams traded punts to start the third quarter before the Rams put together a 13-play drive that featured four straight completed passes by Bulger to gain 58 yards and ended with Jeff Wilkins kicking a 39-yard field goal.

Following a three-and-out possession by Seattle that led to a punt to start the final period, Bulger was intercepted by CB Marcus Trufant. The Seahawks capitalized when Brown kicked a 34-yard field goal that gave them a seemingly secure lead of 27-10 with less than nine minutes remaining.

The Rams weren’t done, however, and drove 66 yards in eight plays that included Bulger passes to WR Isaac Bruce for 20 yards and to WR Shaun McDonald for 24. An eight-yard scoring throw to TE Brandon Manumaleuna made it a ten-point game with the clock at 5:34. Seattle went three-and-out and, following a 39-yard return of Tom Rouen’s punt by McDonald, Bulger immediately connected with WR Kevin Curtis, who had gotten clear of two defenders, for a 41-yard touchdown.

Suddenly, with the successful extra point, it was a three-point game with 3:30 to go in the fourth quarter. Hasselbeck threw for a 10-yard gain to Robinson when the Seahawks got the ball back, but they failed to move thereafter and were forced to punt once more after the quarterback was sacked for a 12-yard loss by DE Leonard Little on the first play following the two-minute warning. The Rams took over at their 36 with no timeouts remaining and, after throwing an incompletion, Bulger went to Bruce for a 27-yard gain. Three plays later, he connected with WR Dane Looker for 16 yards to the Seattle 18 and from there Wilkins booted a 36-yard field goal with eight seconds on the clock to tie the contest at 27-27 and send it into overtime.

The Rams gained possession to start the extra period and went 71 yards on six plays. They converted a third-and-six situation with Bulger throwing to Holt for 13 yards while being blitzed, and with third-and-eight on their own 48, Bulger threw to McDonald for a 52-yard touchdown (pictured below) to win the game in stunning fashion, 33-27.


St. Louis outgained the Seahawks (441 yards to 391) and had a slight edge in first downs (21 to 20). However, while Seattle suffered no turnovers, the Rams turned the ball over three times.

Marc Bulger completed 24 of 42 passes for 325 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions, and was at his best during the fourth quarter comeback. Isaac Bruce caught 6 passes for 78 yards while Shaun McDonald gained 76 yards on his two receptions, including the game-winning score. Steven Jackson led the Rams in rushing with 64 yards on five carries and Marshall Faulk ran the ball 15 times for 51 yards (Jackson would spell the aging Faulk increasingly during the season).

For Seattle, Shaun Alexander ran for 150 yards on 23 carries with a TD in a losing cause. Matt Hasselbeck went to the air 35 times and had 20 completions for 216 yards and two TDs. Darrell Jackson caught 5 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown and Koren Robinson also caught 5, for 59 yards.

“That's a tough way to lose,” said Seattle’s Coach Holmgren. “As good as we were in the first half, we were average to below average in the second half. Give the Rams credit. They hung in there.”

While the Rams won the next week, they remained inconsistent and finished at 8-8 and second in the NFC West, just a game behind the division-winning Seahawks, who were 9-7. It was good enough to qualify for the second wild card playoff spot, and while they beat Seattle for a third time in the first round (they also defeated them at home in Week 10), they lost badly to Atlanta at the Divisional level. The paths of the two teams would diverge over the next few seasons, as the Rams sank into mediocrity while the Seahawks continued to dominate the division and won the NFC Championship in 2005.

For Marc Bulger, the comeback win over the Seahawks was one of four he engineered during the season. He passed for 3964 yards, completing 66.2 percent of his throws. However, he also was sacked 41 times for a league-leading loss of 302 yards.

1983: Ferguson Passes for 419 Yards & 5 TDs as Bills Beat Dolphins in OT

The Buffalo Bills were 3-2 under new Head Coach Kay Stephenson as they took on the Miami Dolphins on October 9, 1983. To be sure, the Bills had lost badly to the Jets the previous Monday night, but had run the ball effectively with RB Joe Cribbs in the three preceding wins. 33-year-old QB Joe Ferguson (pictured above), coming off of a poor year in a tumultuous ’82 season for the whole organization, was playing well.

On the other hand, the Dolphins seemed to be in trouble. The defending AFC Champions were also 3-2 (including a 12-0 win at Buffalo in the opening game), but Head Coach/GM Don Shula was concerned about the offense. QB David Woodley had performed badly in the second half of the previous year’s Super Bowl loss against Washington and was having difficulty in ’83, especially after a knee injury removed WR Jimmy Cefalo. Rookie first draft pick Dan Marino out of Pittsburgh had relieved Woodley in the previous two games and was now drawing his first starting assignment against the Bills.

There were 59,948 fans present at the Orange Bowl, and they saw the home team get a break on the opening kickoff when Buffalo RB Robb Riddick fumbled and LB Rodell Thomas recovered for the Dolphins. Miami had the ball at the Buffalo 17, but two plays later a pass by Marino was tipped and intercepted by FS Steve Freeman to snuff out the threat.

The teams traded punts back and forth as neither offense was able to move the ball until the Bills took over at their 16 with 5:14 remaining in the opening period. Ferguson connected on back-to-back passes covering 18 and 11 yards to WR Frank Lewis and then 18 yards to Cribbs to advance to the Miami 37. Buffalo continued to methodically move down the field, finishing off the 11-play drive with a 10-yard Ferguson pass to WR Byron Franklin in the end zone for a touchdown. The score was 7-0 after a quarter of play.


Following another Miami punt, the Bills took possession with good field position at their 48 yard line. They scored again in five plays, highlighted by a 21-yard Ferguson pass to Lewis and a second TD throw to Franklin, this time covering 30 yards.

Marino was again intercepted, but following a Buffalo punt the Dolphins put together a long scoring drive. The rookie quarterback completed three passes as the team moved from its 14 yard line to the Bills’ six. On a third-and-five play, Marino’s pass to WR Mark Duper was broken up, but an interference call gave the Dolphins a first down at the one (it also removed Buffalo CB Charles Romes from the game, who was ejected when he argued the call). FB Woody Bennett powered in for a TD and the Buffalo lead was cut to 14-7.

With just under five minutes remaining in the first half, Ferguson came out passing and completed a 25-yard throw to WR Jerry Butler, who made a diving catch, and then followed up with a 14-yard gain to the Miami 27. However, the drive came up empty when Joe Danelo’s 27-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright. Buffalo’s seven-point margin stood at halftime.

The teams traded punts to start the third quarter. On Miami’s second possession, Marino threw to Duper (pictured below), who took off down the sideline, eluded two Buffalo defenders at the 15, and continued on to the end zone for a 63-yard touchdown.


With the score tied at 14-14, RB Van Williams returned the kickoff 40 yards to give the Bills good field position at their 47 yard line. Helped along by a 37-yard pass interference penalty, Ferguson capped the 53-yard drive with an 11-yard scoring pass to FB Booker Moore that again put Buffalo in the lead at 21-14.

Miami responded with an 80-yard, six-play drive that culminated in a trick play when Clayton, taking the ball on a reverse, fired a pass to Duper who caught it at the Buffalo 23 and ran the rest of the way for a 48-yard touchdown. Uwe van Schamann’s extra point again tied the score at 21-21.

The Bills came right back on a 63-yard drive that extended into the early fourth quarter and was highlighted by a Ferguson pass to Cribbs that gained 26 yards to the Miami 25. The veteran quarterback found Cribbs again in the middle of the end zone for a four-yard TD on a third-and-goal play, and Buffalo was once again in front by a touchdown. But both offenses were seemingly unstoppable. The Dolphins drove down the field, with Marino throwing to Clayton for a 39-yard gain to the Bills’ 13, and while the rookie quarterback fumbled the snap on two successive plays, he finished off the possession with a one-yard scoring pass to WR Nat Moore on a rollout. With the successful PAT, the score was once more tied at 28-28 with 7:35 left in regulation.

The back-and-forth scoring barrage was interrupted on Buffalo’s next possession when Ferguson was intercepted by CB Fulton Walker near midfield. Seven plays later, Marino passed to Clayton for a 14-yard touchdown (his first in the NFL), and it was the Dolphins taking the lead at 35-28 with just over three minutes to go.

Taking over at their 20, the Bills advanced as Ferguson completed his first two passes, to Cribbs for ten yards and TE Mark Brammer for six. However, following a sack by safety Mike Kozlowski, Buffalo faced a third-and-16 situation. Ferguson kept the drive alive with a completion to Franklin for 20 yards and then followed up with a 19-yard throw to WR Perry Tuttle that put the ball at the Miami 37 at the two minute warning.

Forced to scramble, Ferguson completed a pass to Butler for a 12-yard gain. Two pass completions later, the Bills had a first-and-goal at the Miami 8. A first pass was thrown away to stop the clock, and a second intended for Cribbs was underthrown and incomplete. On third down, Ferguson completed a throw to Butler who was stopped short at the one, forcing the Bills to use their last time out with 28 seconds on the clock. On the fourth-and-goal play, Ferguson threw his fifth touchdown pass to Cribbs, and with Danelo’s successful extra point, the game was tied once more at 35-35 and went into overtime.

The Dolphins got the first possession of the extra period and Marino immediately completed a pass to Duper for a 31-yard gain. However, the drive stalled at the Buffalo 35 and von Schamann’s 52-yard field goal attempt was wide to the left.

The Bills went three-and-out and punted. Greg Cater’s kick bounced over Clayton’s head at the 13 and, forced to chase it down, he lost 11 yards on the return which caused the Dolphins to have to take over at their two yard line. Still, Miami’s offense moved the ball effectively, and in 14 plays got to the Buffalo 25. But once again, von Schamann was wide on his field goal attempt, this time from 43 yards.

The Bills took over with 5:15 to go in the overtime period, and on a critical third-and-ten play Ferguson connected with WR Mike Mosley for a 35-yard gain to the Miami 29. Following three running plays, it was time for Danelo to attempt a game-winning field goal, and he was successful from 36 yards. Buffalo came away with a dramatic 38-35 win.

Both teams rolled up plenty of yards, with the Dolphins holding a slight edge (488 to 483) as they also did in first downs (31 to 28). Miami was more effective on the ground (153 yards on 43 running plays to 76 yards on 23 carries for the Bills) while Buffalo had the advantage in net passing yards (407 to 335). Each club turned the ball over twice. The Bills were flagged a whopping 15 times, compared to four penalties called on Miami.

Joe Ferguson had an outstanding performance, completing 38 of 55 passes for a career-high 419 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. Joe Cribbs (pictured below) led the Bills in both rushing, with 49 yards on 11 carries, and pass receiving, with 9 catches for 93 yards and two TDs. Jerry Butler also caught 9 passes, for 89 yards.


Dan Marino, giving a hint of things to come, was successful on 19 of his 29 passes for 322 yards and three touchdowns, against two that were picked off. Mark Duper gained 202 yards on his 7 catches that included two scores. RB Andra Franklin led the running attack with 65 yards on 17 attempts.

Buffalo topped out at 5-2 with a win the next week, but went 3-6 the rest of the way to finish third in the AFC East with an 8-8 record. Miami, on the other hand, lost only once more and won the division with a 12-4 tally. The Dolphins were beaten by Seattle in the Divisional round of the playoffs.

Dan Marino was a big part of Miami’s surge as he completed 173 passes (58.4 %) for 2210 yards with 20 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. Mark Duper had a Pro Bowl year, catching 51 passes for 1003 yards and 10 TDs. Mark Clayton’s scoring reception against the Bills was his only one of the season as he caught just six passes and was used primarily as a punt returner (his touchdown pass was the only one of his 11-year NFL career). All three would rise to greater heights in 1984.

Joe Ferguson’s season reflected his team’s overall inconsistency. He was in the league’s top ten in pass attempts (508) and completions (281) and ranked fourth in TD passes (26, along with Joe Montana of the 49ers and Cleveland’s Brian Sipe) but third in interceptions (25). He averaged only 5.9 yards per attempt in throwing for 2995 yards, and his career descended thereafter. But in a dramatic game at the Orange Bowl, he turned in a memorable performance.

MVP Profile: Boomer Esiason, 1988

Quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals


Age: 27
5th season in pro football & with Bengals
College: Maryland
Height: 6’4” Weight: 220

Prelude:
Taken by the Bengals in the second round of the 1984 NFL draft, the left-handed Esiason replaced Ken Anderson as the starting quarterback in ’85. An accurate passer with a strong arm and good mobility, he led the league in TD percentage (6.3) in 1985 with 27 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in ’86 after passing for 3959 yards and leading the NFL in yards per attempt (8.4).

1988 Season Summary
Appeared and started in all 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 388 [14]
Most attempts, game – 32 at Philadelphia 9/11
Completions – 223 [13]
Most completions, game – 21 at LA Raiders 10/2
Yards – 3572 [4]
Most yards, game – 363 at Philadelphia 9/11
Completion percentage – 57.5 [12]
Yards per attempt – 9.2 [1]
TD passes – 28 [2, tied with Dan Marino, 1st in AFC]
Most TD passes, game – 4 at Philadelphia 9/11
Interceptions – 14 [10, tied with Bubby Brister]
Most interceptions, game – 5 at New England 10/16
Passer rating – 97.4 [1]
300-yard passing games – 3
200-yard passing games – 9

Rushing
Attempts – 43
Most attempts, game - 5 (for 18 yds.) at Cleveland 10/30
Yards – 248
Most yards, game – 61 yards (on 3 carries) vs. NY Jets 10/9
Yards per attempt – 5.8
TDs – 1

Punting
Punts – 1
Yards – 21
Average – 21.0
Punts blocked – 0

Scoring
TDs – 1
Points - 6

Postseason: 3 G
Pass attempts – 64
Most attempts, game - 25 vs. San Francisco, Super Bowl
Pass completions – 29
Most completions, game - 11 vs. Buffalo, AFC Championship, vs. San Francisco, Super Bowl
Passing yardage – 346
Most yards, game - 144 vs. San Francisco, Super Bowl
TD passes – 1
Most TD passes, game - 1 vs. Buffalo, AFC Championship
Interceptions – 3
Most interceptions, game - 2 vs. Buffalo, AFC Championship

Rushing attempts – 12
Most rushing attempts, game - 7 vs. Buffalo, AFC Championship
Rushing yards – 37
Most rushing yards, game - 26 vs. Buffalo, AFC Championship
Average gain rushing – 3.1
Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: AP, PFWA, Sporting News
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News
1st team All-AFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl

Bengals went 12-4 to finish first in the AFC Central while leading the NFL in total yards (6057), rushing yards (2710), points (448), and TDs (59). Won AFC Divisional playoff over Seattle Seahawks (21-13) and AFC Championship over Buffalo Bills (21-10). Lost Super Bowl to San Francisco 49ers (20-16).

Aftermath:
Esiason had another Pro Bowl season in 1989, with nearly identical numbers to ’88, although the team’s record dropped to 8-8. After three disappointing seasons in 1990, ’91, and ’92, he was traded to the New York Jets and was selected to a fourth Pro Bowl in 1993, although his performance dropped off in the second half of the year. The next two years with the Jets, a team in flux, were mediocre and Esiason moved on to the Arizona Cardinals, where he threw for 522 yards in one game but otherwise had an inconsequential season. He returned to Cincinnati for one last, good year in a part-time role in 1997 (five starts, but a 106.9 passer rating with 13 TDs and just 2 INTs) before retiring to the broadcast booth. Overall, Esiason passed for 37,920 yards with 247 TDs against 184 interceptions.

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 2/13/14]
[Updated 11/28/14]

1956: Carmichael Returns Kickoff 106 Yards but Bears Prevail Over Packers

The Green Bay Packers were in the midst of a long dry period on October 7, 1956 as they hosted the arch-rival Chicago Bears at City Stadium. They were coming off a 6-6 record in ’55 under Head Coach Lisle Blackbourn, only their second finish as high as .500 (they had not been above that) since 1947. The team had a talented, if inconsistent, quarterback in Tobin Rote, one of the best receivers in the league in end Billy Howton, and Bobby Dillon, a fine safety. Some names that would become prominent a few years later were on the roster, such as C Jim Ringo, DT Dave Hanner, and MG/LB Bill Forester. Rookies included offensive tackles Forrest Gregg and Bob Skoronski, DB Hank Gremminger, and backup QB Bart Starr.

One of the veterans on the team was HB Al Carmichael (pictured above), the first round draft pick out of USC in 1953. In three seasons with Green Bay, he had been more prominent as a kick returner than a running back, and led the NFL with a 29.9 kickoff return average in 1955, including one for a 100-yard touchdown.

The Packers lost their opening game to Detroit the week before, while Chicago had also fallen short against the Colts. Owner George Halas had stepped down as head coach following an 8-4 finish in 1955, and longtime assistant Paddy Driscoll now held the position – although the “Papa Bear” still maintained a tight grip on the team.

There was a capacity crowd of 24,668 fans in attendance at the small venue. The Bears scored first on a nine-yard pass from QB Ed Brown to FB Rick Casares in the opening quarter. Carmichael was back deep to return the kickoff, supposedly with strict orders from Blackbourn not to return it if it went into the end zone. However, the oft-injured halfback was angry as a result of a shouting match prior to the game with an assistant coach who questioned his toughness. He fielded the kick and ran it out, hurdling over Bears lineman Stan Jones and breaking into the clear. In thrilling fashion, Carmichael went the distance, setting a new NFL record with his 106-yard kickoff return.

George Blanda broke the tie later in the period with a 29-yard field goal for the Bears, and in the second quarter booted a 41-yarder. Rote threw to Howton for a six-yard touchdown, and Fred Cone’s extra point put the Packers in front at 14-13.

Chicago put together a 10-play, 80-yard drive in which Brown completed a 34-yard pass to Casares and 27-yard throw to end Gene Schroeder. On the climactic play from three yards out, the quarterback faked to Casares, handed off to HB Bobby Watkins, and when Watkins fumbled, Brown grabbed it a foot off the ground and broke through left tackle for the score. The odd touchdown put the Bears ahead by 20-14 at the half, and they never trailed again.

Casares ran for a 14-yard TD three minutes into the third quarter, and while Rote again threw a scoring pass to Howton that covered 16 yards and made it a six-point game at 27-21 in the final period, Blanda kicked an 11-yard field goal five minutes later and Brown iced the cake with a nine-yard touchdown pass to end Bill McColl. The Bears came away with a 37-21 win.

It was a convincing performance for the Bears, who outgained Green Bay (462 yards to 267) and had more first downs (25 to 20). The ground game piled up 278 of those yards, with Rick Casares leading the way with 139 yards on 24 carries. Ed Brown was efficient through the air as he completed 11 of 16 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. 29-year-old George Blanda kicked three field goals and his four extra points extended his league record to 150 in a row (he topped out at 156). Billy Howton caught 6 passes for 97 yards and two TDs for the Packers.

The win was the first of seven straight for the Bears, who won the Western Conference with a 9-2-1 record, although they lost badly to the Giants in the NFL title game. Green Bay won its next two games but then suffered four consecutive losses on the way to a 4-8 record and last place finish in the conference, along with the Rams.

Al Carmichael ranked third in kickoff return average (28.1) while leading the league in kickoffs returned (33) and yards (927) as well as total yards on kickoff and punt returns (1092). His 1471 all-purpose yards placed second in the NFL.

The 106-yard kickoff return bested the previous record of 105, set by Frank Seno of the Chicago Cardinals in a 1946 game against the Giants. It was tied by Noland Smith with Kansas City of the AFL in 1967 and Roy Green of the Cardinals in 1979 before finally being broken, after over fifty years, by Ellis Hobbs of the Patriots, who had a 108-yard return against the Jets in 2007. Green Bay’s Randall Cobb not only tied the league record with a 108-yard return in the opening game of the 2011 season, but also knocked Carmichael’s return to second place in franchise history.

Carmichael played two more seasons with the Packers and finished up with 100 career punt returns for a 7.5-yard average and returned 153 kickoffs with an average of 25.5 yards and two touchdowns. While his career was not particularly significant otherwise, he went on to achieve another distinction as a member of the Denver Broncos in 1960 when he scored the first touchdown in AFL history.

2002: Chiefs Sink Jets with Late Touchdown by Priest Holmes

Coming into the Week 5 matchup on October 6, 2002 with the New York Jets, the Kansas City Chiefs appeared to be in good position to improve on their 2-2 record. The Chiefs, in their second year under Head Coach Dick Vermeil, were coming off a 6-10 tally in ’01, but had won three of their last four games after a 3-9 start. The offense was geared around RB Priest Holmes (pictured above), who had come to Kansas City as a free agent after being underutilized with the Baltimore Ravens. Holmes proved to be a pleasant surprise as he led the league in rushing (1555 yards) and total yards (2169). However, another acquisition, QB Trent Green, struggled and led the NFL in interceptions thrown (24).

Thus far in 2002, Holmes had continued where he left off, twice running for over a hundred yards and scoring eight touchdowns. Green showed improvement and passed for 328 yards and five TDs the week before in a 48-30 win over the Dolphins. Another major cog in the offense, TE Tony Gonzalez, caught three of those scoring passes and gained 140 yards.

Meanwhile, the host Jets were struggling at 1-3 and had scored a total of 13 points in their last three contests. Veteran Vinny Testaverde was replaced as the starting quarterback by Chad Pennington, in his third year after being drafted in the first round out of Marshall in 2000. Star RB Curtis Martin was hobbled by a high ankle sprain and the performance of the offensive line had not helped the situation. The defense was very poor against the run.

There were 78,149 in attendance at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands as the Chiefs scored first on a 36-yard field goal by Morten Andersen midway through the first quarter. New York responded with a five-play drive that ended with Martin running up the middle for a 17-yard touchdown and, with the teams trading punts, the score remained 7-3 following a quarter of action.

Taking possession just prior to the end of the first quarter, Kansas City put together a 12-play drive that included six runs by Holmes that covered 37 yards, as well as a four-yard pass completion. Andersen kicked a 40-yard field goal to narrow the margin to 7-6. On the ensuing series, Pennington was intercepted by SS Greg Wesley and the Chiefs proceeded to move 80 yards in nine plays that ended with Holmes running for a 12-yard touchdown, although the two-point conversion attempt failed. Still, Kansas City was back in front at 12-7.

With less than two minutes to go in the first half, Pennington passed the Jets down the field, hitting on all six of his passes, including a two-yard touchdown toss to TE Anthony Becht. Martin ran successfully for two points and New York took a 15-12 lead into halftime.

The Chiefs started off the second half with a 58-yard possession down to the New York nine yard line. However, the drive stalled there after Green threw two incomplete passes and Andersen tied the game with a 27-yard field goal. The Jets responded with a seven-yard drive that included back-to-back completions by Pennington to WR Laveranues Coles. They came up empty when John Hall missed a 51-yard field goal attempt.

Following a punt by the Chiefs, New York again mounted a drive that stretched into the fourth quarter. Once again, Pennington made good on all six passes, including a 24-yard completion to WR Kevin Swayne in a third-and-nine situation and a 27-yard scoring pass to WR Santana Moss. The Jets were up by 22-15 early in the final period.

The Chiefs came back with a big play as Green threw to WR Dante Hall for a 60-yard touchdown and, with the successful PAT, tied the score. However, New York responded with a long, 14-play possession that ran nearly seven minutes off the clock. Pennington again was precise in his passing, going five-for-six, and Martin carried the ball six times. Hall kicked a 25-yard field goal and the Jets were back in front at 25-22 with under three minutes remaining.

Following the kickoff, Kansas City took over at its 22 yard line. Holmes gained 13 yards on a pass from Green, ran for eight, and on a third-and-two play caught another pass for nine more yards. Three plays later, in another third-down situation at the New York 42, Green went to Holmes again for a 12-yard gain. Holmes ran for 11 yards and, with 27 seconds to play, caught a pass from Green for a 19-yard touchdown. The extra point gave the Chiefs a four-point lead, and time ran out on the Jets at their own 39. Kansas City came away with a hard-fought 29-25 win.

The Chiefs outgained New York (504 yards to 359), with 215 of those yards coming on the ground. They also had the slight edge in first downs (24 to 23). Each team suffered one turnover apiece.

Priest Holmes gained 152 yards on 23 rushing attempts, including one for a TD, and also caught 9 passes for 81 yards and the game-winning score. Trent Green completed 23 of 33 throws for 296 yards and two touchdowns with one intercepted.

Chad Pennington (pictured below) played well for the Jets in defeat, succeeding on 22 of his 29 passes for 237 yards, also with two TDs against one pass that was picked off. Curtis Martin returned to form by gaining 119 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. Laveranues Coles caught 8 passes for 116 yards.


“The fourth quarter as been good to us all year,” Dick Vermeil said. “On that last drive, they went on the field with confidence that they could score and it showed.”

“We just gave them big plays at the end,” said a disappointed Herman Edwards from the Jets’ side. “We're not playing good defense at all and in the fourth quarter it really showed up.”

The Chiefs lost their next two games and went on to finish with an 8-8 record, putting them at the bottom of the AFC West. Priest Holmes had an outstanding season, however, placing third in the NFL in rushing with 1615 yards, second in all-purpose yards with 2287, and first with 24 touchdowns and 144 points. He was a consensus first-team All-Pro and was named to the Pro Bowl. The success continued – the 5’9”, 213-pound running back set a then-league record with 27 touchdowns in 2003.

New York, on the other hand, won five of their next six games and topped the AFC East with a 9-7 tally (thanks to tiebreakers). The Jets whipped Indianapolis in the Wild Card round but lost to Oakland at the Divisional level. Chad Pennington was the key to the team’s surge as he led the NFL in passing (104.2 rating) and completion percentage (68.9) and ranked second in yards per attempt (7.8) and lowest percentage of interceptions (1.5).