MVP Profile: Dan Fouts, 1982

Quarterback, San Diego Chargers



Age: 31
10th season in pro football & with Chargers
College: Oregon
Height: 6’3” Weight: 205

Prelude:
A third-round draft choice by the Chargers in 1973, Fouts gradually took over the starting job as a rookie while an over-the-hill Johnny Unitas faded from the scene in his last season. He struggled for the next two years but benefited from the presence of Bill Walsh as offensive coordinator in 1976. Fouts missed the first 10 games in ’77 due to a lawsuit against the NFL. Head Coach Tommy Prothro was replaced by the pass-oriented Don Coryell during the 1978 season, and the sturdy drop-back passer’s career benefited greatly. After leading the NFL in yards per attempt in ’78 (7.9), he set a new passing yardage record in 1979 with 4082, led the league in completion percentage (62.6), and was a consensus first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection. With an outstanding group of receivers to throw to in the Air Coryell passing game, Fouts broke his passing yardage record in each of the next two seasons (4715 in 1980, 4802 in ’81) while leading the NFL in attempts and completions each year and in TD passes in 1981 (33). He was a Pro Bowl selection again following each season, although the team consistently came up short in the playoffs.

1982 Season Summary
Appeared and started in all 9 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank]

Passing
Attempts – 330 [2]
Most attempts, game – 48 at San Francisco 12/11
Completions – 204 [3]
Most completions, game – 33 at San Francisco 12/11
Yards – 2883 [1]
Most yards, game – 444 at San Francisco 12/11
Completion percentage – 61.8 [6]
Yards per attempt – 8.7 [1]
TD passes – 17 [1, tied with Joe Montana & Terry Bradshaw]
Most TD passes, game – 5 at San Francisco 12/11, vs. Baltimore 12/26
Interceptions – 11 [8, tied with six others]
Most interceptions, game – 2 at LA Raiders 11/22, at Cleveland 12/5, vs. Cincinnati 12/20, vs. LA Raiders 1/2
Passer rating – 93.3 [2]
400-yard passing games – 2
300-yard passing games – 5
200-yard passing games – 9

Rushing
Attempts – 9
Most attempts, game - 3 (for 5 yd.) at Cleveland 12/5
Yards – 8
Most yards, game – 5 yards (on 3 carries) at Cleveland 12/5
Yards per attempt – 0.9
TDs – 1

Scoring
TDs – 1
Points – 6

Postseason: 2 G
Pass attempts – 76
Most attempts, game - 42 at Pittsburgh, AFC First Round playoff
Pass completions – 42
Most completions, game - 27 at Pittsburgh, AFC First Round playoff
Passing yardage – 524
Most yards, game - 333 at Pittsburgh, AFC First Round playoff
TD passes – 4
Most TD passes, game - 3 at Pittsburgh, AFC First Round playoff
Interceptions – 5
Most interceptions, game - 5 at Miami, AFC Second Round playoff

Rushing attempts – 2
Most rushing attempts, game - 2 at Miami, AFC Second Round playoff
Rushing yards – 3
Most rushing yards, game - 3 at Miami, AFC Second Round playoff
Average gain rushing – 1.5
Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: PFWA, NEA
NFL Offensive Player of the Year: AP
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly
1st team All-AFC: UPI
Pro Bowl

Chargers went 6-3 in strike-shortened season and were 5th seed in the AFC playoff tournament that replaced the usual postseason format while leading the NFL in total offense (4048 yards), passing (2927), scoring (288 points), and touchdowns (34). Won First Round playoff over Pittsburgh Steelers (31-28). Lost Second Round playoff to Miami Dolphins (34-13).

Aftermath:
Playing in just 10 games in 1983, Fouts again achieved Pro Bowl recognition. While he never again passed for 4000 yards in the remaining five years of his career, he did throw for over 3000 three more times, led the league in yards per attempt (8.5) and TD percentage (6.3) in 1985, and was twice more selected to the Pro Bowl (for a total of six). At the time of his retirement, he ranked second all-time in NFL career pass attempts (5604), completions (3297), and yards (43,040) and had a passer rating of 80.2. The Chargers retired his #14 and Fouts was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1993.

--

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 2/12/14]

1965: Cuozzo Throws 5 TD Passes as Colts Bury Vikings

The Baltimore Colts, coached by Don Shula, appeared to be cruising toward a second straight NFL Western Conference title as they took on the Minnesota Vikings on November 14, 1965 at Metropolitan Stadium. However, there was a major concern as it would be the first time in seven years that star QB Johnny Unitas would have to miss an entire game due to injury. The 32-year-old all-time great had suffered a back injury against the Bears the previous week and his backup, Gary Cuozzo (pictured above), had taken over. Baltimore won to advance to 7-1 and stay a game ahead of the Green Bay Packers.

Cuozzo had appeared in 18 games over a three-year span as the backup to Unitas but had never started before. Undrafted out of Virginia in 1963, he signed with the Colts after an impressive performance in the Senior Bowl.

The Vikings, meanwhile, had won their last three games and were 5-3 under Head Coach Norm Van Brocklin. The offense, guided by scrambling QB Fran Tarkenton, could put up points, but the defense was a source of concern.

There were 47,426 fans in attendance, and for one half it appeared that they might witness an upset, although Minnesota wasted several scoring opportunities. The Vikings started off with a 49-yard drive following the opening kickoff, but HB Phil King fumbled the ball away at the Baltimore 31. On their second possession, they went 65 yards to the Colts’ 19 but came up empty.

The third Minnesota drive covered 54 yards and ended with Tarkenton throwing to TE Hal Bedsole in the corner of the end zone for a six-yard touchdown. It was the high point for the Vikings, who by that point had run 30 plays for 145 yards to just six for -4 yards for Baltimore.

Cuozzo and the Colts offense were slow to get going until late in the first half, not getting their initial first down of the game until seven minutes into the second quarter. With the Vikings ahead by 7-3 and 23 seconds remaining in the half (Lou Michaels had kicked a 17-yard field goal), Cuozzo threw to flanker Jimmy Orr for a 43-yard touchdown. Minnesota had dominated the first half, controlling the ball for 41 plays to 16 for the Colts, but Baltimore went into halftime ahead by a score of 10-7.

In the third quarter, the tide turned decisively. Cuozzo got on track and completed eight of nine passes for 101 yards and three more TDs. He started off with a 22-yard scoring pass to Orr that made the score 17-7.

Midway through the period, the Vikings capped a 79-yard drive with a 17-yard scoring pass from Tarkenton to end Paul Flatley that made it 17-14. The game was never again as close. The Colts came right back with a four-play drive that included a 21-yard run by FB Tony Lorick and ended with a scoring pass to HB Lenny Moore that covered 29 yards. Before the period was over, Cuozzo connected with end Raymond Berry for his fourth TD pass, covering six yards, and Baltimore was comfortably ahead by 31-14.

Michaels booted a 38-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to stretch the Colts’ margin to twenty points. On the ensuing kickoff, flanker Lance Rentzel fumbled and Baltimore recovered. It led to Cuozzo firing his then-club-record fifth touchdown pass of the game, covering 14 yards to flanker Willie Richardson.

Rentzel made up for the fumble by returning the ensuing kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown, but it was of no consequence to the outcome. The Colts won by the decisive score of 41-21.

The Colts outgained Minnesota, 393 yards to 249, although both teams had 20 first downs apiece. Baltimore sacked Tarkenton four times, while Cuozzo was dumped once, and the Vikings had just 85 net passing yards. Minnesota also turned the ball over twice, to none by the Colts.


After starting slowly, Gary Cuozzo completed 16 of 26 passes for 208 yards with the five touchdowns and none intercepted. Raymond Berry caught 4 of those throws for 85 yards and a TD. Tony Lorick (pictured at right) led the running game with 84 yards on 7 carries. Lenny Moore also ran the ball 7 times, for 34 yards, and added another 45 yards on his two pass receptions that included a touchdown.

For the Vikings, Fran Tarkenton was successful on 12 of 20 pass attempts for 120 yards and two touchdowns with none picked off; he also ran the ball four times for 52 yards. Phil King was the leading rusher with 75 yards on 15 carries, although he also had the early fumble. FB Bill Brown was the leading receiver with 5 catches for 44 yards – he added another 37 yards on 13 rushing attempts. Paul Flatley contributed 43 yards on three receptions that included a TD.

It was a big day for the kick returners. While Lance Rentzel stole the show with the long kickoff return for a touchdown, DB Alvin Haymond of the Colts gained 68 yards on two kickoff returns and 64 more on a pair of punt returns.

The win kept the Colts a game ahead of the Packers, but while Unitas was back the next week for a win over the Eagles, they had to come from behind in the fourth quarter to salvage a tie against Detroit and then lost Unitas for good the following week with a knee injury in a loss to the Bears. Cuozzo went down with a shoulder injury in the next game as the Colts were defeated by Green Bay. With HB Tom Matte serving as emergency quarterback, and the addition of veteran QB Ed Brown to finish out the regular season, the Colts won the season finale and ended up tied with the Packers at 10-3-1. They lost a dramatic overtime playoff game at Green Bay.

As for the Vikings, the loss to Baltimore was the first of four straight. They won their last two games to end up at 7-7 and fifth in the Western Conference.

Gary Cuozzo completed 54 of 105 passes for 700 yards with 7 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, and the five-TD performance against Minnesota made him a hot property as a backup quarterback with great starting potential. Following another year behind Unitas in 1966, he was traded to the expansion New Orleans Saints for a first-round draft pick plus a player (center Bill Curry) in 1967, but lost the starting job to Bill Kilmer. The Saints dealt him to Minnesota for two first-round choices in ’68, and while he got a chance to start following the departure of Joe Kapp after the 1969 season, he never lived up to expectations and ended his career with the Cardinals in 1972.

As a footnote, the five touchdowns remained the franchise record for the Colts until 2003 (it was tied by Gary Hogeboom in 1987; Unitas never threw more than four in a game, which he did on 13 occasions) when Peyton Manning threw for six in a game for the first time.

1949: Conerly & Roberts Star as Giants Down Packers

The NFL game on November 13, 1949 at Green Bay’s City Stadium featured the Packers (2-5), in what would be their last season under head coach and founder Curly Lambeau, and New York Giants (4-3), a rebuilding club under long-time Head Coach Steve Owen.

The Giants featured second-year QB Charlie Conerly and HB Gene “Choo-Choo” Roberts (pictured above) on offense. Roberts, a good receiver out of the backfield as well as rusher, had a 200-yard receiving performance three weeks earlier (201 on four catches, three of them for TDs, against the Bears).

Green Bay came into the contest as the lowest-scoring team in pro football, averaging just 9.9 points per game. Beyond star HB Tony Canadeo, there wasn’t much talent. The passing game, with Jug Girard and rookie Stan Heath seeing most of the action at quarterback, was dreadful. It was a far cry from the days of Arnie Herber and Cecil Isbell shredding defenses with throws to Don Hutson.

There were 20,151 in attendance at the small venue. Late in the first quarter, the Giants started off the scoring when Conerly threw a pass to Roberts that traveled 20 yards in the air and the third-year halfback ran the remaining 25 for a 45-yard touchdown. Shortly thereafter, LB Don Ettinger intercepted a pass by Heath at the Green Bay 20. The result was a 41-yard Ben Agajanian field goal.

Down 10-0 in the second quarter, the Packers got into the game with a 27-yard field goal by Ted Fritsch and the score remained 10-3 at halftime. However, the Giants took control of the contest with two touchdowns in the third quarter.

In their first possession of the second half, Conerly threw to Roberts for a 44-yard touchdown. The next was set up when tackle Bill Austin recovered a fumble at the Green Bay 32. Again it was Roberts scoring a TD on a Conerly pass, this time from ten yards out.

Visibility was poor late in the game and the lights were turned on. The Packers finally scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter when HB Ralph Earhart returned a punt 57 yards. But end Bill Swiacki added another TD for the Giants, pulling in Conerly’s pass over the heads of two defenders for a 24-yard score. The extra point attempt failed, but it didn’t matter. New York won handily by a final tally of 30-10.

While New York’s edge in first downs was only 19 to 17, the Giants significantly outgained the Packers by 451 yards to 288. Most of New York’s yardage came through the air (352 net passing yards to 99 rushing yards) while Green Bay’s was more evenly distributed (137 rushing, 151 passing). And while the Giants turned the ball over five times, the Packers suffered six turnovers.


Charlie Conerly completed 15 of 29 throws for 345 yards with four touchdown passes, although three were intercepted. Gene Roberts had another two hundred-yard receiving performance as he gained 212 on 7 catches with three TDs. For the Packers, Tony Canadeo ran for 71 yards on 14 carries.

The Giants lost three of their last four games to finish at 6-6 and in third place in the Eastern Division. Green Bay lost all of its remaining contests and ended up at the bottom of the Western Division with a 2-10 record. The team was suffering financially as well as organizationally, and it was a sad end to the Lambeau era for the Packers.

Gene Roberts had an extraordinary season. In addition to becoming the first running back to twice gain 200 receiving yards in a single season, he ranked fourth in rushing in the NFL with 634 yards on 152 carries and nine touchdowns and also placed fourth with his 711 yards on 35 pass receptions that included another eight TDs. His 17 touchdowns and 102 points led the league (the scoring total was tied by Pat Harder of the Cardinals). Roberts also led the NFL with 1345 yards from scrimmage. It was all part of a productive four-season career with the Giants that peaked in 1949 and ’50, and ended abruptly when Roberts jumped to Canada in 1951 and played with Montreal and Ottawa for another four years.

Charlie Conerly played for the Giants far longer (until 1961). In 1949, he ranked third in passing yards (2138) and touchdown passes (17, tied with Bob Waterfield of the Rams), although he also ranked third by tossing 20 interceptions.

Green Bay’s Tony Canadeo (pictured below) had an outstanding season with a bad team as he rushed for 1052 yards on 208 carries for a 5.1-yard average and four TDs. The 30-year-old, in his eighth year out of Gonzaga, ranked second in rushing to Philadelphia’s Steve Van Buren and thus became the first NFL player to rush for a thousand yards in a season without leading the league.

2006: Parker Runs for 213 Yards as Steelers Beat Brees & Saints

The Week 10 matchup on November 12, 2006 at Heinz Field featured two teams whose fortunes were moving in opposite directions from the prior season. The Pittsburgh Steelers, coached by Bill Cowher, were the defending league champions, but had thus far compiled a less-than-august 2-6 record. QB Ben Roethlisberger, who played so well in his first two years, suffered both an offseason motorcycle accident and appendectomy and was now more tentative and mistake-prone. The offensive line was having difficulty with both run blocking and pass protection, but the defense was still sound. Fundamentally, the Steelers still had the key players in place from the Super Bowl-winning club of 2005, but had yet to play up to their potential in ‘06.

The New Orleans Saints had suffered through a dismal 2005. Following the devastation of the Crescent City by Hurricane Katrina just prior to the start of the season, rendering the Louisiana Superdome in need of significant repair, the Saints were forced to play the entire schedule on the road. The result was a 3-13 disaster. In the offseason, they gained a new head coach in Sean Payton and a new quarterback in free agent Drew Brees, previously of the Chargers. A rejuvenated franchise back in its refurbished home stadium, New Orleans won the first three games of the ’06 season to equal its total of the year before and was 6-2 and the talk of the NFL coming into Pittsburgh.

The Steelers struck first, having been galvanized by an emotional team meeting prior to the game in which several veterans spoke up. Following a 40-yard opening kickoff return by RB Najeh Davenport, they took six plays to reach the end zone as Roethlisberger connected with WR Hines Ward for a 37-yard touchdown. Two plays into the following possession, Brees completed a pass to TE Billy Miller, who fumbled when hit by LB James Farrior. DE Brett Keisel recovered for the Steelers, giving them possession at the New Orleans 29.

Pittsburgh made the most of the opportunity. With RB Willie Parker (pictured above) running and Roethlisberger completing a pair of short passes, the Steelers advanced to the two yard line, and from there the quarterback known as “Big Ben” threw to TE Heath Miller for a TD and 14-0 lead.

The Saints came back with a long drive that covered 52 yards in 12 plays, following a 43-yard kickoff return by WR Michael Lewis. New Orleans converted four third downs along the way, including one on a 22-yard pass play from Brees to WR Terrance Copper in a third-and-11 situation, and another pass to Copper for a three-yard touchdown on a third-and-goal play. The score was 14-7 after one quarter.

Following a Pittsburgh punt, the Saints put together another 12-play scoring drive, this one covering 78 yards. Brees completed a 27-yard pass to WR Marques Colston along the way, and the same combination came together to convert a fourth-and-two situation at the Steelers’ 26 with a 10-yard gain. John Carney booted a 20-yard field goal to finish off the possession and Pittsburgh’s lead was cut to 14-10.

After another short possession by the Steelers, the Saints drove 71 yards in eight plays. Brees passed to Colston for a 28-yard gain on a third-and-ten play that moved the ball to the Pittsburgh 32. A 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty set up a 15-yard touchdown run by RB Reggie Bush, after taking a handoff from Colston on a double reverse.

It was now 17-14 in favor of New Orleans with 2:22 on the clock in the first half. Passing out of the shotgun formation, Roethlisberger completed three passes, including one to WR Santonio Holmes that gained 46 yards to the Saints’ 13. Jeff Reed kicked a 32-yard field goal and the score was tied at 17-17.

There was still time remaining, and now it was Brees firing out of the shotgun formation with two completions for 33 yards to get into Pittsburgh territory at the 39. A long pass to Colston gained 29 yards, and RB Deuce McAllister ran for a four-yard TD on a broken play that put the Saints back ahead at 24-17 at halftime.

New Orleans had the first possession of the second half and punted, giving the Steelers the ball at their own nine yard line. They put together a good drive, with Parker running three times for 26 yards and catching two passes. Roethlisberger completed a pass down the middle to WR Nate Washington that gained 22 yards on a third-and-ten play and had another 22-yard throw to Miller. However, after the drive stalled at the New Orleans 18, Reed was wide on a 35-yard field goal attempt.

The Steelers got the ball back quickly. On the Saints’ second play, Bush fumbled and FS Ryan Clark recovered for Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger wasted no time as he immediately went to the air and tossed a 38-yard touchdown pass to WR Cedrick Wilson. With the extra point, the game was once again tied at 24-24.

Brees came out throwing when the Saints regained possession. After McAllister ran for three yards, the quarterback threw to Bush for 13 yards and then to Copper for 32. But after advancing to the Pittsburgh 14, Carney missed from 32 yards out on a field goal attempt and the score remained knotted.

Roethlisberger was sacked on Pittsburgh’s next play, but the Steelers got all that back and much more when Parker burst through the line for a 72-yard gain to the New Orleans 14. Parker started the fourth quarter off with a three-yard touchdown run, and Pittsburgh was back in front by 31-24.

The Saints again made it into Steelers territory on their next possession, but punted into the end zone after reaching the 39. On Pittsburgh’s second play, it was Parker making another big run as he carried the ball around right end, this time for a 76-yard gain to the New Orleans four. The third-year running back ran it in for a TD from there on the next play, and it was a 38-24 game.

With almost ten minutes to play, the Saints were far from done. Brees threw to RB Aaron Stecker for 48 yards and followed up by connecting with Colston for 13 more to the Pittsburgh eight yard line. McAllister ran for another four-yard touchdown and it was again a one-touchdown game.

The Steelers crossed midfield and had to punt on their next possession. Starting at their 19, the Saints moved methodically down the field as Brees completed short passes. They converted two third downs, but Copper fumbled the ball away after gaining 20 yards to the Pittsburgh 25 in a third-and-ten situation with under a minute remaining on the clock, and the Steelers held on for a 38-31 win.

Pittsburgh was weakened in the defensive backfield during the course of the game due to concussions suffered by star SS Troy Polamalu and CB Deshea Townsend and the Saints had more total yards (513 to 467) and first downs (29 to 19). However, New Orleans suffered three costly turnovers, to none by the Steelers.

Willie Parker was the star of the game as he rushed for 213 yards on 22 carries that included the two touchdowns set up by his long runs. Ben Roethlisberger completed 17 of 28 passes for 264 yards with three TDs and none intercepted. Hines Ward was the leading receiver with 5 catches for 86 yards and a score.


Drew Brees had another productive passing game as he went to the air 47 times and completed 31 for 398 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Marques Colston (pictured at right) caught 10 passes for 169 yards and Terrance Copper added 92 yards on his 6 receptions that included a TD. Deuce McAllister led the running game with 49 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown and Reggie Bush contributed 10 attempts for 49 yards and a TD on the ground and 7 catches for 40 yards as a receiver out of the backfield.

“We had three turnovers, and that can't happen,” Drew Brees said in summing up afterward. “The defense gave up a couple of big plays. That can't happen. Special teams gave them good field position. That can't happen. If eliminate one of those, we should have been able to fight back.”

It was a big win for the Steelers and turned around their season – they won five of their last seven games, and while it was too much ground to make up to have a shot at making the playoffs and defending their title, they finished at a respectable 8-8 for third place in the AFC North. New Orleans lost again the next week to the Bengals but went on to win the NFC South with a 10-6 record and advanced to the NFC Championship game before succumbing to the Bears.

Willie Parker gained a career-high 1494 yards rushing on 337 carries with 13 touchdowns. He also scored three times as part of his 31 pass receptions and his 16 TDs overall tied for third in the NFL. Parker was named to the Pro Bowl.

Ben Roethlisberger led the league by throwing 23 interceptions and was also sacked 46 times. Still, he ranked seventh in the NFL by throwing for 3513 yards and averaging 7.5 yards per attempt and fourth with 12.5 yards per completion. Drew Brees (pictured below) had a big year, leading the league in passing yards (4418) and ranking third with 26 touchdown passes, a passer rating of 96.2, and 8.0 yards per attempt.

1985: Elway & Broncos Beat 49ers in Game of Kicking Miscues

The San Francisco 49ers had been the champions of the 1984 NFL season, but were off to a slow start in ’85. They were 3-4 following back-to-back losses to the Bears and Lions, but then defeated the Rams and Eagles to enter the November 11 contest against the Denver Broncos with a 5-4 record. Head Coach Bill Walsh’s team had problems on defense, but still had QB Joe Montana and a fine group of receivers that was augmented by rookie WR Jerry Rice, plus versatile third-year FB Roger Craig.

Denver, under Head Coach Dan Reeves, was 6-3 and coming off a division-winning season in ’84. QB John Elway (pictured above), in his third year out of Stanford, was a rising talent and the key to an offense that lacked a dominating running game. The defense contained another emerging star in LB Karl Mecklenburg, as well as DE Rulon Jones and SS Dennis Smith.

It was a cold, foggy Monday night at Mile High Stadium. Early in the game, the Broncos achieved good field position when San Francisco’s Max Runager shanked a punt that traveled only a yard. They didn’t take advantage right away, going three-and-out on their first possession, but they were also winning the battle for field position as the teams punted back and forth.

Getting the ball at the 49ers’ 37 following another Runager punt, Denver took eight plays to score as Elway threw to RB Gene Lang for a three-yard touchdown. The clubs again traded punts, but LB Ron Ferrari partially blocked a kick by Denver’s Chris Norman, giving the 49ers the ball at the Denver 40.

Montana immediately passed to TE John Frank for 14 yards and carries by running backs Derrick Harmon and Roger Craig gained 18 more. On the first play of the second quarter, Ray Wersching kicked a 26-yard field goal that made the score 7-3.

After trading punts once again, Elway threw to TE James Wright for nine yards and then followed up on a flea-flicker with a pass to rookie WR Vance Johnson that gained 50 yards to the San Francisco eight yard line. Three plays later, Elway found WR Steve Watson in the end zone for a touchdown and 11-point lead.

On their next possession, the Broncos went three-and-out and suffered another miscue on a punt as Norman was unable to get the kick away after fielding a high snap and was tackled for an 11-yard loss that gave the Niners first-and-goal on the Denver four yard line. Harmon gained two yards up the middle, but Montana threw two incomplete passes and, electing to go for it on fourth-and-two, Craig was stopped short on a one-yard run.

Taking over at their one, the Broncos drove to their 27 before having to punt just after the two minute warning. The 49ers regained possession at their 39 and Montana threw to Rice for a 33-yard gain to the Denver 28. Craig ran the ball four times for 26 yards, including eight yards in a fourth-and-one situation at the 19 and nine yards to the one on third-and-ten.

With 17 seconds left in the half, the 49ers lined up to attempt the short field goal. But just before the snap, a snowball sailed out of the stands and landed in front of holder Matt Cavanaugh, the backup quarterback. The distracted Cavanaugh bobbled the snap and had to abort the three-point try. His pass into the end zone falling incomplete, Denver remained in front by a score of 14-3 at the intermission.

The 49ers rallied in the second half. In their first play of the third quarter, following a Denver punt, Montana threw to WR Mike Wilson for a 44-yard gain. Craig ran the ball twice, and then Wilson caught another pass, this one for 13 yards and a touchdown. With the extra point, it was now a four-point game.

Following the kickoff, Elway went to the air and was intercepted by CB Ronnie Lott, and with an 18-yard return the 49ers had possession at the Denver 40. Craig gained 24 yards on four carries and Harmon ran twice for 11 yards as San Francisco stuck to the ground to advance to the six yard line. From there, Wersching kicked a 22-yard field goal and Denver’s margin was down to one point at 14-13.

The Niners attempted an onside kick that failed to go the required distance and, the element of surprise gone, kicked away. Starting at their 34, the Broncos got a first down thanks to two Elway passes and, faced with a third-and-ten situation, the quarterback took off on a 12-yard run to keep the drive going. A 16-yard completion to TE Clarence Kay and an 18-yard run by Lang gave Denver a first-and-goal at the San Francisco 9. RB Gerald Willhite ran for six yards, but then was held to no gain on his next attempt. A third consecutive carry was good for two yards to the Niners’ one. The Broncos elected to go for it on fourth-and-one, but RB Sammy Winder was stopped for no gain and they came up empty as the 49ers produced a goal line stand of their own and took over on downs.

With the third quarter running down, the Niners gained nothing in three plays and punted, giving Denver good field position at the San Francisco 45. On the last play of the period, Elway connected with Johnson for 14 yards. However, the Broncos were unable to advance beyond the 49ers’ 31 and a 48-yard field goal attempt by Karlis was wide to the left.

The teams traded punts twice each. From his own 37, Montana threw to Craig for 13 yards and Rice for 16 to the Denver 34. Four plays later, Wersching’s 45-yard field goal put the 49ers ahead for the first time at 16-14 with 3:46 to go.

Denver countered with a 63-yard drive that included a 42-yard pass interference call on FS Dwight Hicks. On third-and-ten at the San Francisco 31, Elway scrambled away from a blitzing Lott and, sprinting to his right, fired a 22-yard pass completion to Watson. It set up a 24-yard Karlis field goal by for the winning points with 1:27 to play. The Broncos won by a score of 17-16.

The statistics reflected the closeness of the score. The 49ers barely outgained Denver by 341 yards to 336, while the Broncos had the edge in first downs, 18 to 16. There was just one turnover (by Denver) and five penalties were called (three for 57 yards on the 49ers, two for 14 yards on Denver).


Neither quarterback completed half of his passes. John Elway was successful on 20 of 42 throws for 215 yards with two touchdowns and one intercepted. Vance Johnson (pictured at right) had 6 catches for 92 yards while Steve Watson contributed 5 receptions for 61 yards and a TD. Sammy Winder led the ground game with 51 yards on 18 carries.

For San Francisco, Joe Montana went to the air 40 times and completed 17 for 222 yards and a touchdown. Roger Craig ran for 117 yards on 22 attempts and added 21 more yards on three catches. Jerry Rice caught 4 passes for 67 yards.

Failures and oddities pertaining to the kicking game for both teams played a role in the outcome. Regarding the critical botched field goal attempt at the end of the first half, Matt Cavanaugh said, “I saw the snowball. It broke my concentration. I'm not sure if I got the ball back up in time to kick it, but there must not have been time because Ray decided not to kick it.”

Referee Jim Tunney saw the offending snowball but could do nothing about it other than confer with security. “Cooperation was excellent by security,” said Tunney. “There were virtually no snowballs thrown during the second half…We had no recourse in terms of a foul or to call it on the home team or the fans. There's nothing in the rule book that allows us to do that…There is no way you can construe unsportsmanlike conduct on a snowball incident like that.”

Denver won four of its last six games to finish at 11-5 and second in the AFC West. Tiebreakers kept the Broncos from qualifying for a wild card spot, however (the Jets and Patriots had the same record). The 49ers did make the playoffs as they rallied to win five of their last six to place second in the NFC West at 10-6. They lost to the Giants in the Wild Card round.

John Elway threw the most passes in the NFL during the season (605) and placed second in completions (327), yards (3891) and, on the downside, interceptions (23). He tossed 22 touchdown passes and the win over the 49ers was one of six game-winning drives that he engineered.

Joe Montana led the league in completion percentage (61.3) and ranked third in passing (91.3 rating). He threw for 3653 yards with 27 TDs and 13 interceptions and was chosen for the Pro Bowl for the fourth time. Roger Craig also earned Pro Bowl recognition as he became the first player in NFL history to gain a thousand yards both rushing and pass receiving in the same season. He ran for 1050 yards on 214 carries and added 1016 yards on a league-leading 92 catches. Craig totaled 2066 yards and scored 15 touchdowns.

MVP Profile: Joe Perry, 1954

Fullback, San Francisco 49ers



Age: 27
7th season in pro football & with 49ers, 5th in NFL
College: Compton Junior College
Height: 6’0” Weight: 210

Prelude:
Perry was a raw talent when he joined the 49ers, then of the AAFC, in 1948, having played just one season of high school football and two in junior college (one in which he scored 22 touchdowns) before military service prevented him from advancing to a major college program. He was discovered by the 49ers while playing for the Alameda Naval Air Station team and shared the fullback position with Norm Standlee as a rookie. An in-between runner who lacked inside power and outside finesse, his speed allowed him to lead the league in TDs (10) while averaging 7.3 yards per attempt on 77 carries (and earned him the nickname “The Jet”). In 1949, he became the starting fullback and led the AAFC with 783 yards, 6.8 yards per carry, and 8 TDs on the ground. He continued to perform well as the 49ers moved to the NFL, averaging 5.2 and 5.0 yards per carry in 1950 and ’51 and being used effectively on screen passes. In 1952, he was selected to the Pro Bowl and in ’53, led the league with 192 rushing attempts for 1018 yards and 10 TDs, as well as 1209 yards from scrimmage.

1954 Season Summary
Appeared in all 12 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 173 [1]
Most attempts, game - 23 (for 100 yds.) at Green Bay
Yards – 1049 [1]
Most yards, game – 137 yards (on 20 carries) vs. Green Bay
Average gain – 6.1 [3]
TDs – 8 [3, tied with Tank Younger, Tobin Rote & Otto Graham]
100-yard rushing games – 5

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 26
Yards – 203
Average gain – 7.8
TDs – 0

Passing
Pass attempts – 1
Pass completions – 1
Passing yards – 34
TD passes – 0
Interceptions – 0

Kicking
Field goals – 1 [17, tied with Ralph Felton, Jim Martin & Bob Carey]
Field goal attempts – 3 [18]
Percentage – 33.3
PATs – 6 [16]
PAT attempts – 7 [16]
Longest field goal – 14 yards at LA Rams 10/3

Scoring
TDs – 8 [8, tied with seven others]
Field Goals – 1
PATs – 6
Points – 57 [10]

All-purpose yards – 1252 [2]

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: UPI
1st team All-NFL: AP, UPI, NY Daily News, Sporting News
Pro Bowl

49ers went 7-4-1 to finish third in the Western Conference while leading the NFL in rushing (2498 yards).

Aftermath:
After back-to-back thousand-yard seasons, Perry didn’t reach that level again but still gained over 700 yards twice and 600 on three occasions in San Francisco before being benched in 1960 as the team sought to retool with younger players. Traded to the Baltimore Colts in 1961, he ran for 675 yards and caught a career-high 34 passes at age 34. He lasted one more year with the Colts before returning to the 49ers as a backup in 1963, his last season. Perry became the NFL’s career rushing leader in 1958, but was surpassed by Jim Brown in ’63. He ended up rushing for 8378 yards in the NFL and 9723 overall while averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Perry's #34 was retired by the 49ers and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1969.

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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 2/12/14]

1975: Bert Jones Rallies Colts Past O.J. Simpson & Bills

After getting off to a 1-4 start in the 1975 NFL season, the Baltimore Colts had won two straight games. For the once-proud franchise that had most recently suffered through three straight losing seasons, including a miserable 2-12 in ’74, it was a sign of improvement under new Head Coach Ted Marchibroda. On November 9 they were at Buffalo to take on the division-rival Bills at Rich Stadium.

The Bills, coached by Lou Saban in his second stint with the team, had been 9-5 in each of the previous two years and started off fast by winning their first four games in ’75 (including one at Baltimore) before losing twice. Still, they were 5-2 and very much in contention. The key to the offense was star RB O.J. Simpson behind an outstanding line, but third-year QB Joe Ferguson was on the rise and had good wide receivers in Bob Chandler and J.D. Hill. However, Buffalo’s once-formidable defensive backfield had been decimated by injuries.

Buffalo’s defense took a further hit when CB Ike Harrison reinjured a groin pull in the first quarter and sat out the rest of the game. However, it didn’t seem to be a matter of immediate concern when Simpson ran 44 yards for a touchdown that gave the Bills a 7-0 lead after a quarter of play.

Buffalo poured it on in the second quarter, and Simpson was having a big day as he scored on pass plays that covered 22 and 32 yards. The home team was up by 21-0 and appeared to be in control.

The Colts, led by third-year QB Bert Jones (pictured above), struck quickly to get back into the game. First, Jones threw to WR Glenn Doughty for a 63-yard gain. Following a running play, Jones passed to all-purpose HB Lydell Mitchell for a nine-yard TD. The Bills came back, however, and Ferguson threw a scoring pass to Chandler that covered 19 yards and stretched their lead to 28-7.

With 2:28 left in the first half and facing a fourth-and-two situation, the Colts lined up for a field goal attempt, but holder Marty Domres, the backup quarterback, faked and threw a 15-yard TD pass to FB Bill Olds.

Baltimore’s defense kept Buffalo to a short possession and the Colts got the ball back once more before the half. Jones threw a bomb to fleet WR Roger Carr for an 89-yard touchdown and it was a 28-21 tally going into halftime.

There was no scoring during the third quarter, but on the fourth play of the fourth quarter, Mitchell scored from 11 yards out to cap a five-play, 72-yard drive for the Colts. With Toni Linhart’s extra point, the game was now tied at 28-28. It didn’t stay that way long as LB Stan White intercepted a Ferguson pass to give Baltimore the ball at the Buffalo 23 and two plays later the mobile Jones ran 19 yards for the go-ahead TD.

Late in the game, QB Gary Marangi came in for the injured Ferguson, who suffered a concussion, and was intercepted by CB Lloyd Mumphord at the Buffalo 41 - he returned the pickoff to the 13. Two plays later, Mitchell ran for a 12-yard touchdown with just over three minutes on the clock, effectively putting the game away for the Colts.

Buffalo scored once more as Marangi threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Chandler with 1:38 to go, but that was it. Baltimore came away with a 42-35 win.

The Colts outgained the Bills (498 yards to 418) and had more first downs (25 to 20). Both offenses were effective rushing as well as passing – Baltimore gained 299 net yards through the air and 199 on the ground while Buffalo rolled up 179 yards on the ground and 239 through the air. Each team turned the ball over three times and was penalized on seven occasions. The Colts recorded four sacks while Jones was dumped twice by the Bills.


Bert Jones completed 14 of 22 passes for 306 yards with two touchdowns and one interception; he also ran the ball 9 times for 59 yards and a TD. Lydell Mitchell (pictured at right) had 27 carries for 112 yards and two scores and also had 4 pass receptions for 25 yards and another touchdown. Glenn Doughty caught 3 passes for 102 yards and Roger Carr, thanks to the long scoring reception, gained 136 yards on just two catches.

O.J. Simpson ran for 123 yards on 19 carries with one TD, but 105 of those yards came in the first half as the Colts held him to 18 yards on 5 attempts in the second half; he also caught three passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Joe Ferguson went to the air 21 times and had 12 completions for 234 yards and three touchdowns, with one intercepted. In relief, Gary Marangi was successful on just two of 10 pass attempts for 33 yards with a TD and one picked off. Bob Chandler had 7 catches for 118 yards and two scores.

“I think we were too concerned with stopping O.J. Simpson in the first half,” said Ted Marchibroda afterward. “The best thing you can do is just go out and play football. We kept our poise and our line started coming off the ball.”

“I’ve never been that far behind,” added Bert Jones. “Twenty-one points is a long way to come.”

“At this stage we're just too crippled to play pass defense,” Coach Lou Saban said from Buffalo’s perspective. “When Ike (Harrison) went out today we knew we were in trouble. We're scoring 35 to 40 points a game and we're having a heck of a time.”

The Colts won all the rest of their games to close out the regular season with a 10-4 record, placing them at the top of the AFC East. The run came to an end in the Divisional round of the playoffs with a loss to Pittsburgh. Buffalo ended up third in the division at 8-6.

Bert Jones was the third-ranked passer in the NFL (89.1 rating) as he threw for 2483 yards and 18 touchdowns with just 8 interceptions. His 2.3 interception percentage was best in the league.

Joe Ferguson led the AFC in TD passes (25), which also tied him for the NFL lead with Minnesota’s Fran Tarkenton. He had the highest percentage of scoring passes (7.8) and threw for 2426 yards with 17 interceptions.


Following the game against the Colts, O.J. Simpson (pictured at left) had 1128 yards rushing, and he went on to lead the NFL for the third time in four years with 1817 yards on 329 carries with 16 touchdowns. He also scored 7 TDs on pass receptions and led the league with 23 touchdowns (the NFL record at the time) and 138 points.

Lydell Mitchell ran the ball 289 times for 1193 yards, to rank third in the NFL, and was second (tied with Reggie Rucker of the Browns) with 60 pass receptions, for 544 yards. He was fourth with 15 touchdowns (11 rushing, 4 receiving) and was selected to the Pro Bowl.