2000: Warner Passes for 441 Yards as Rams Overcome Broncos

The St. Louis Rams began the defense of their surprising 1999 NFL title in a Monday night game on September 4, 2000 at home against the Denver Broncos. QB Kurt Warner (pictured at right), who had gone from unknown backup to league MVP in ’99, was back and had an outstanding stable of receivers that featured savvy veteran WR Isaac Bruce as well as second-year players Torry Holt and Az-Zahir Hakim. The Rams also had the highly productive Marshall Faulk at running back, who became just the second NFL player to reach over a thousand yards each in rushing and pass receiving in 1999. St. Louis did have a new head coach in Mike Martz, elevated from offensive coordinator to replace the retired Dick Vermeil, as well as new uniforms of navy blue and old gold.

The visiting Broncos, coached by Mike Shanahan, had been the NFL Champions in 1997 and ’98. However, they dropped precipitously to 6-10 in 1999, having lost star QB John Elway to retirement and 2000-yard RB Terrell Davis for most of the year due to injury. QB Brian Griese, son of Miami’s former Hall of Famer Bob Griese, had suffered through a difficult year in place of Elway and the defense was in a state of flux.

There were 65,596 in attendance at the Trans World Dome. The Rams started quietly, going three-and-out in their first possession - although they would not punt again for the remainder of the contest. Denver put together a 59-yard drive in six plays, the last of which was an eight-yard bootleg by Griese for a touchdown.

St. Louis came back to advance into Denver territory, but LB Al Wilson intercepted a Warner pass at his own seven to end the threat. However, late in the first quarter Az-Zahir Hakim returned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown, which (with the successful extra point) tied the score and seemed to bring the Rams alive.

The Broncos moved back in front by 10-7 following a 32-yard field goal by Jason Elam. St. Louis responded with a five-yard touchdown run by Faulk with just under nine minutes remaining in the half. The teams traded touchdowns during the remainder of the second quarter, with Griese throwing to WR Rod Smith for a 25-yard TD and Warner connecting with WR Ricky Proehl from seven yards out in the final minute before halftime. The Rams led by 21-17 at the intermission.

Denver started off the third quarter with a nine-play, 63-yard drive that concluded with a 38-yard field goal by Elam to make it a one-point game. But the Rams struck quickly when a short pass from Warner to Faulk turned into a 72-yard touchdown.

The next time St. Louis got the ball, it was another quick score on a short throw by Warner that Hakim, breaking a tackle by former Rams safety Billy Jenkins at the line of scrimmage, went 80 yards with for a TD. Just two short tosses had gained a total of 152 yards and two touchdowns, put the home crowd in a frenzy, and given the Rams a 35-20 lead. But the Broncos were far from done.

For the second time, Al Wilson intercepted a Warner pass and the Broncos took advantage as Griese completed a seven-yard TD pass to TE Desmond Clark to close the margin to 35-27. Heading into the fourth quarter, an Elam field goal from 36 yards made it a five-point game.

St. Louis fell behind after a Warner pass intended for Torry Holt was picked off by CB Terrell Buckley, who returned it for a 32-yard touchdown and, although an attempt to add a two-point conversion failed, Denver had a 36-35 lead with 6:35 remaining on the clock.

The Rams rallied, however, putting together a 75-yard drive that featured Faulk running for a 30-yard gain to the Denver one. RB Robert Holcombe gained the last yard with just under three minutes to play, although the try for two points was unsuccessful. Still, the defending champs were back in front by five points.

Denver had a chance in the last two minutes, but the Rams defense, which had seemed so vulnerable throughout the contest, came alive and managed to sack Griese twice. Finally, on a fourth-and-33 play, Griese was hit by DE Grant Wistrom and he tossed an errant throw that fell incomplete to clinch the 41-36 win for St. Louis.

With several big plays, the Rams outgained Denver by 433 yards to 274, but the Broncos led in first downs by 25 to 23. St. Louis was nearly done in by three turnovers, as opposed to none surrendered by Denver.

Kurt Warner, who spread the ball around to seven different receivers, completed 25 of 35 passes for 441 yards and three touchdowns, although he also gave up the three interceptions. Marshall Faulk rushed for 78 yards and a TD in 14 carries and added 100 yards and another score on four pass receptions. Indeed, the Rams had three hundred-yard receivers in the same game for the first time since 1951 as Az-Zahir Hakim gained 116 yards on his 5 catches and Torry Holt pulled in 6 passes for 103 yards. It was a highly productive game for the often-overlooked Hakim, who, with the long punt return for a TD, accumulated 202 total yards.

For the Broncos, Brian Griese (pictured below) had great success picking apart the St. Louis defense, going to the air 29 times and completing 19 for 307 yards and two TDs with no interceptions. WR Ed McCaffrey led the receivers with 7 catches for 115 yards and Rod Smith gained 88 yards on his three receptions that included a touchdown. RB Olandis Gary paced the club with 80 yards on 13 attempts. Terrell Davis gained 34 yards on 9 carries before leaving the contest with a twisted ankle suffered in the first quarter.

“That’s the name of our game,” said Kurt Warner afterward. “That’s what we do around here, we spread it around and get it to everybody and take advantage of what defenses are doing to us.”

“This was a game that if you like offense, it was fun to watch,” said Mike Shanahan. “If you like defense, you picked the wrong one to go to.”

The exciting win over Denver set the stage for the Rams to get off to a 6-0 start, but they faltered during the second half of the season to finish at 10-6 and, due to tiebreakers, second in the NFC West. While they still made the playoffs as a Wild Card team, the Rams fell to New Orleans in the first round. Still an extremely potent offensive team, as the contest against the Broncos showed, St. Louis was leaky on defense. Denver bounced back to return to the postseason, also as a Wild Card with an 11-5 record. The Broncos lost in the first round as well, to the eventual-champion Baltimore Ravens.

Kurt Warner missed five games due to injury, but still passed for 3429 yards (averaging 311.7 per game) and 21 touchdowns, and was again selected to the Pro Bowl. Marshall Faulk, while out for two contests, was again prolific as he ran for 1359 yards and 18 TDs and caught 81 passes for another 830 yards and eight scores, giving him 2189 yards from scrimmage and a then-record 26 touchdowns scored.

Az-Zahir Hakim remained productive as the number three wide receiver and primary punt returner, although nagging injuries wore him down as well. He had 53 catches for 734 yards (13.8 avg.) and four touchdowns and averaged 15.3 yards on his 32 punt returns.

Brian Griese, who received much praise for his improved performance against the Rams, had a Pro Bowl year, completing 64.3 percent of his passes for 2688 yards and 19 TDs against just four interceptions. 

Rookie of the Year: Simeon Rice, 1996

Defensive End, Arizona Cardinals

Age:  22

College: Illinois

Height: 6’5”    Weight: 265

Prelude:

Rice recorded 45 sacks in four collegiate seasons and, considered the best pass rusher available in the draft, he was taken with the third overall pick in the first round by the Cardinals and their defense-minded new head coach, Vince Tobin. While he held out into training camp, Rice still moved into the starting lineup.

1996 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 12.5 [10, tied with Roy Barker]

Most sacks, game – 2 vs. St. Louis 9/29, vs. NY Giants 11/17, vs. Washington 12/15

Multi-sack games – 3

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 1

Forced fumble – 1

Tackles – 42

Assists – 10

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

NFC Rookie of the Year: UPI

2^nd team All-NFC: UPI

Cardinals went 7-9 to finish fourth in the NFC East.

Aftermath:

Having tied the NFL record for sacks by a rookie, Rice had a lesser performance in 1997 with five sacks, but bounced back in ’98 as the Cardinals made it to the postseason and in 1999 he was selected to the Pro Bowl after accumulating a career-high 16.5 sacks. Unhappy with his contract, he left Arizona following the 2000 season and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As part of a strong overall defense, Rice had his best years. Considered a one-dimensional player with the Cardinals, he improved against the run with the Bucs while reaching double digits in sacks in each of his first five years with the club. He also was a consensus first-team All-Pro in 2002 and was selected to the Pro Bowl in ’02 and ’03. A shoulder injury caused him to miss half of the 2006 season and he finished up with the Broncos and Colts in ’07. For his career, he had 122 sacks and was selected to the Pro Bowl on three occasions.

--

Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

[Updated 2/6/14]

1979: Falcons Defeat Saints in OT Thanks to Failed Punt

The September 2, 1979 season-opening game at the Louisiana Superdome featured fierce rivals who had a recent history of down-to-the-wire contests. The New Orleans Saints, coached by Dick Nolan, were coming off a 7-9 season in ’78 but seemed to be on the upswing. They had a good nucleus on offense of ninth-year veteran QB Archie Manning, RB Chuck Muncie, TE Henry Childs, and promising second-season WR Wes Chandler. In the first round of the ’79 draft, they had made the surprising decision to add Russell Erxleben from Texas, a celebrated all-purpose kicker.

The visiting Atlanta Falcons had reached the playoffs for the first time in 1978 and Head Coach Leeman Bennett’s team was looking to build upon that performance. QB Steve Bartkowski went from first-round bust to rising star in the course of the season. The scrappy defense ranked fifth in the NFL. The running game had been a cause of concern, however, and three backs were taken in the draft, including William Andrews from Auburn (pictured above), who would have an immediate effect. The Falcons defeated New Orleans in both of the previous year’s meetings, and in the final seconds in each instance.

The Saints opened the scoring in the first quarter with an 85-yard drive that culminated in Manning tossing a five-yard touchdown pass to WR Ike Harris. It was 7-0 after one period of play, but the second quarter saw both teams combine for a total of 41 points.

New Orleans extended its lead when Chuck Muncie connected with Wes Chandler on an option pass that covered 40 yards for a TD. Down 14-0, the Falcons responded with a 27-yard Tim Mazzetti field goal and then a 20-yard touchdown pass from Bartkowski to WR Alfred Jenkins. With the margin down to four points, the Saints came back with a 69-yard scoring run by Muncie. Bartkowski tossed another touchdown pass, this time covering 20 yards to WR Wallace Francis. Muncie ran for a four-yard TD and Mazzetti booted a 43-yard field goal to end the scoring barrage. New Orleans went into halftime with a 28-20 lead.

Russell Erxleben started off the second half scoring early in the third quarter with a 37-yard field goal. Again Atlanta closed to four points as Bartkowski threw to Francis for a 21-yard touchdown, and with the successful extra point the score was 31-27 going into the final period.

William Andrews put Atlanta in the lead with his first pro touchdown on a four-yard run. The Falcons then appeared set to clinch the game with less than five minutes remaining, but a promising drive ended when Bartkowski fumbled after being hit from the blind side by DE Joe Campbell, giving the Saints the ball on their own 18 yard line. New Orleans proceeded to drive 66 yards and, with 44 seconds left in regulation, Erxleben kicked a 38-yard field goal to tie the score. Atlanta still had a shot in regulation, but Mazzetti missed a field goal try from 52 yards out and the game went into overtime.

The contest went eight minutes into the extra period with neither team able to score. In the climactic play of the game, the Saints were lined up on fourth-and-six at their 32 for a punt. A bad snap by C John Watson sailed some four feet over Erxleben’s head, and the rookie kicker had to give chase. The ball rolled inside the five toward the goal line, where Erxleben grabbed it and tried to toss a two-handed pass to avoid a possible safety. Rookie RB James Mayberry, who was bearing down fast on Erxleben, pulled the throw out of the air and ran six yards untouched into the end zone for the improbable winning touchdown. Atlanta came away with yet another thrilling win over the Saints by a score of 40-34.

In a game that featured plenty of offense on both sides, the Falcons had the most total yards (552 to 512) and first downs (35 to 23). New Orleans was the more proficient through the air (324 to 295) but Atlanta generated 257 rushing yards to 188 for the Saints. Each club turned the ball over two times.

William Andrews had an impressive debut, rushing for 167 yards on 30 carries that included the one TD. Steve Bartkowski completed 22 of 38 passes for 312 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Alfred Jenkins had 7 catches for 131 yards and one of the TDs and Wallace Francis added 5 receptions for 65 yards and the other two scores.

For the Saints, Chuck Muncie (pictured at right) set a club record with 161 yards on 22 carries and scored two touchdowns while also passing for another. Also lost in the defeat was a big day for Wes Chandler, who gained 205 yards on 6 catches that included a TD. Archie Manning was successful on 14 of his 29 throws for 284 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

“I just heard the crowd and I knew something was wrong,” said James Mayberry of his special teams play that won the contest. “I saw the ball back there and I just took off after it…I just ran back there expecting to tackle him (Erxleben). He just threw the ball and I had nothing to do but score.”

The 40 points were easily the most scored in any game by the Falcons in 1979, and it ended up being a disappointing year in which they dropped to 6-10 and placed third in the NFC West. Ahead of them was New Orleans, which won the rematch between the rivals in Atlanta and, after a slow start, posted an 8-8 record – the first non-losing tally in the franchise’s history.

William Andrews continued to be a bright spot for the Falcons as he rushed for 1023 yards on 239 carries (4.3 avg.) and caught 39 passes for 309 more yards. The pass receiving tandem of Wallace Francis (74 catches, 1013 yards, 8 TDs) and Alfred Jenkins (50 catches, 858 yards, 3 TDs) remained productive. James Mayberry saw limited action as a backup running back and gained 193 yards while scoring one other TD during the season.

Chuck Muncie went on to a Pro Bowl year, gaining 1198 rushing yards while averaging five yards per carry and scoring 11 touchdowns and catching 40 passes. Wes Chandler also earned Pro Bowl recognition with his 65 pass receptions for 1069 yards (16.4 avg.) and six TDs.

It was not so good for Russell Erxleben, however. He was injured during workouts the week following the Atlanta game and did not play again in ’79 – FB Tony Galbreath handled the placekicking for one week and Chandler the punting for two before 35-year-old PK Garo Yepremian, released by the Dolphins late in the preseason, and P Rick Partridge were signed. Erxleben did return in 1980 and lasted four years with the Saints, almost exclusively as a punter (he came back to punt once for the Lions in ’87). He was never able to live up to his 11^th overall draft selection in 1979.

1991: Steelers Clinch Win Over Chargers With Stone’s 89-Yard TD

The NFL season-opening game on September 1, 1991 at Three Rivers Stadium featured, in the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Diego Chargers, two teams hoping to improve on disappointing 1990 seasons. The Steelers had just barely missed the postseason with a 9-7 record in ’90 and were starting their 23^rd year under Head Coach Chuck Noll. While the defense had allowed the fewest yards in the NFL, the offense was far less adept at scoring points. The promising but inconsistent Bubby Brister was the starting quarterback and the team was in need of more skill at wide receiver and running back.

San Diego was coming off three straight 6-10 seasons, but was restructuring with second-year GM Bobby Beathard. Under Head Coach Dan Henning, the Chargers could run the ball effectively but lacked an experienced quarterback. Second-year QB John Friesz was making his second career start for the Chargers in the opening game. There were high hopes for the defense that included an established star in CB Gill Byrd and a rising talent in LB Junior Seau.

There were 55,848 fans on hand for the late afternoon game. On the first series, Friesz fumbled and LB Greg Lloyd recovered for the Steelers at the Chargers’ 27 yard line. RB Barry Foster took off for a 12-yard gain on Pittsburgh’s initial offensive play, but the San Diego defense held. Still, the early break was translated into points when Gary Anderson booted a 38-yard field goal.

Two three-and-out possessions by the Chargers surrounded a Pittsburgh series that ended when Gill Byrd intercepted a Bubby Brister pass near midfield. However, a second Byrd interception gave San Diego good field position at the Pittsburgh 29. The Chargers came up empty when John Carney was wide to the right on a 36-yard field goal try.

Heading into the second quarter, San Diego finally put together a sustained drive. Starting from their 30, the Chargers moved 49 yards in a 14-play possession that used up nearly eight minutes. Friesz completed four passes and this time Carney was successful on a 48-yard field goal attempt to tie the score.

The Steelers responded with an 80-yard drive of their own as Brister was good on all five of his pass attempts, including one of 33 yards to WR Chris Calloway for a touchdown just after the two minute warning. San Diego was unable to generate any threat in the remaining time and Pittsburgh took a 10-3 lead into halftime.

The Steelers added to their margin in the first possession of the third quarter. Barry Foster carried much of the load and, after moving 68 yards to the San Diego 12 yard line, Anderson kicked a 29-yard field goal to make it 13-3. Following a short series for the Chargers, Pittsburgh took eight plays to add another three points, this time on a 31-yard Anderson boot. There was no further scoring in the period, and when Anderson added his fourth field goal of the day from 39 yards early in the fourth quarter, it seemed as though the Steelers had the offensively-challenged Chargers firmly in check at 19-3.

Taking over at their 19 following the ensuing kickoff, an illegal use of hands penalty called on Pittsburgh gave the Chargers a first down in a second-and-10 situation, and they converted a third-and-ten play when Friesz threw to WR Anthony Miller for 16 yards. Shortly thereafter, RB Ronnie Harmon ran for 23 yards to the Pittsburgh 32 and, following a short gain by RB Marion Butts, Friesz again connected with Miller, this time for 18 yards to the 12. Two plays later, RB Rod Bernstine tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to WR Nate Lewis on an option play and, with the successful extra point, it was a nine-point game with over ten minutes still on the clock.

During Pittsburgh’s next series, Brister was forced to leave the contest due to a mild concussion and second-year backup QB Neil O’Donnell took his place. The Steelers were forced to punt but immediately got the ball back when Friesz was intercepted by CB David Johnson on a long pass play at the Pittsburgh 21. The Steelers held the ball for only three plays, two of them incomplete passes by O’Donnell, before punting it back to San Diego.

Taking possession at the 50, the Chargers moved the ball 32 yards in 11 plays highlighted by a 14-yard Friesz completion to WR Shawn Jefferson in a third-and-11 situation. Carney kicked a 35-yard field goal, and with over two minutes remaining, San Diego was in striking distance at 19-13.

Following a touchback on the kickoff, the Steelers lost ground on a holding penalty and, after O’Donnell ran for five yards, a delay of game call put them back at their 11 yard line and facing a third-and-19 situation. It seemed likely that the Chargers would get another shot on offense from good field position. But lined up in the shotgun formation, O’Donnell threw a screen pass to WR Dwight Stone, who proceeded to go 89 yards for a touchdown - it was the game’s biggest play and sank San Diego’s hopes.

The Chargers scored once more at the end, with Friesz passing to Jefferson for a five-yard TD, but it had no effect on the outcome as Pittsburgh came away with a 26-20 victory.

The Steelers outgained San Diego (390 yards to 281) although the Chargers had more first downs (20 to 16). Each club turned the ball over twice.

Bubby Brister completed 13 of 21 passes for 189 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions before having to leave the game. Neil O’Donnell was successful on only one of his four pass attempts, but it was a huge completion for the 89-yard game-clinching TD. Thanks to the long scoring play, Dwight Stone gained 124 yards on his four catches. Barry Foster rushed for 78 yards on 17 carries.

For the Chargers, John Friesz went to the air 41 times and had 19 completions for 192 yards with a TD and an interception. Nate Lewis had 6 pass receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown and Anthony Miller was right behind with 5 catches for 54 yards. Rod Bernstine gained 50 yards on 12 rushes and also had the one touchdown pass.

Despite the opening win, it proved to be another disappointing season for the Steelers, who started off at 3-2 but then lost four straight games on the way to a 7-9 record in Chuck Noll’s last year at the helm. San Diego went a dismal 4-12 to fall to the bottom of the AFC West. Dan Henning was also replaced for ’92.

Bubby Brister returned to the starting lineup for the Steelers, but a knee injury cost him half the season. Neil O’Donnell was the statistically better quarterback and, in 1992, displaced Brister permanently from the starting lineup. Dwight Stone ended up catching 32 passes for 649 yards (20.3 avg.) and five touchdowns. 

1947: Improved Bills Upset Yankees in Season-Opening AAFC Contest

The New York Yankees, defending champions of the All-America Football Conference’s Eastern Division, opened their second season on August 31, 1947 at Buffalo. New York, running a single-wing offense under Head Coach Ray Flaherty, had gone 10-3-1 before losing a close-fought title game to the Cleveland Browns to cap the AAFC’s first year. The Yankees lost veteran tailback Ace Parker to retirement but still had the league’s best running tailback in Spec Sanders. They also had plenty of talent across the board and had also added a talented rookie in the diminutive (5’5”, 170) but fast HB Buddy Young out of Illinois.

Buffalo was 3-10-1 in 1946 but had made some changes. While still coached by Red Dawson, the team’s nickname had been changed from Bisons to Bills. A promising rookie quarterback had been signed in George Ratterman (pictured above), mostly a backup to Heisman Trophy-winning Johnny Lujack at Notre Dame but a star in the College All-Star Game upset of the Chicago Bears, the defending NFL Champions (Young also was a key player for the All-Stars). He had good ends to throw to in holdover Fay King and newcomer Al Baldwin, and there was talent at running back, most notably up-and-coming HB Chet Mutryn.

There were 32,385 fans at War Memorial Stadium in what was at the time the largest pro football crowd in Buffalo history. A Sanders pass to FB Eddie Prokop reached the Buffalo four yard line to set up New York’s first touchdown of the game as Prokop then carried for the remaining four yards. However, later in the first quarter Buffalo LB Vic Kulbitski intercepted a Sanders pass to set up the home team’s first TD. Ratterman passed to Mutryn for 19 yards and finished the series with a one-yard quarterback sneak.

The teams traded touchdowns again in the second quarter, this time with Buffalo scoring first when Ratterman connected with King on a 39-yard pass play. Sanders ran for a 17-yard TD and, with all extra points successfully added, the halftime tally was even at 14-14.

In the third quarter, Buddy Young showed off his speed in the open field as he took a pass from Sanders for a 50-yard touchdown. Following the long scoring play, the Bills responded with a scoring drive. End Alton Coppage made two outstanding catches of Ratterman passes, the second moving the ball to the New York one from where HB George Koch powered in for the TD.

With the score tied at 21-21 heading into the fourth quarter, tailback Frank Sinkwich passed the Yankees into scoring territory and Harvey Johnson kicked a 15-yard field goal to put New York ahead.

Ratterman led the Bills back on a drive that concluded with a fourth down scoring pass of eight yards to Mutryn in the corner of the end zone with six minutes remaining. The touchdown proved to be decisive, but the finish was dramatic as the Yankees again drove into Buffalo territory with time running down. A pass from Sanders moved them to the 10 yard line but a throw intended for FB Lloyd Cheatham at the three fell incomplete as time ran out. The Bills pulled off the upset by a score of 28-24.

George Ratterman had a successful debut, completing 9 of 13 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns. For the Yankees, Buddy Young (pictured at left) rushed for 81 yards on 13 carries and added the 50-yard pass receiving TD.

The Bills continued to both play and draw well and were in contention until losing badly to the Yankees in New York by a score of 35-13 in the next-to-last week of the season. They finished second with a record of 8-4-2. New York was 11-2-1 to again top the East – and again fell to the powerful Browns.

Ratterman went on to have a solid rookie season, throwing for 1840 yards with 22 touchdowns. Chet Mutryn rushed for 868 yards while averaging 6.2 yards per carry and leading the AAFC in kickoff returns (32.9 avg).

Spec Sanders had a spectacular season, rushing for 1432 yards and scoring 19 touchdowns while generating 2265 all-purpose yards. Buddy Young put together a fine first year, running for 712 yards on 116 carries (6.1 avg.) and catching 27 passes for 303 more yards. His rushing total placed fifth in the league, behind the fourth-ranked Mutryn who also finished second to Sanders in total yards with 1933.

1975: Sun Defeat Bell in Highest-Scoring WFL Game

The Southern California Sun were off to a 3-1 start in the second World Football League season as they hosted the Philadelphia Bell on August 29, 1975. Under the guidance of Head Coach Tom Fears, the Sun were benefiting from the presence of rookie RB Anthony Davis, a local star out of USC who had spurned the New York Jets to become the troubled WFL’s lone high-profile rookie signing for ’75. It had been anticipated that ex-Raider Daryle Lamonica would take over at quarterback for departed 1974 co-MVP Tony Adams, but injuries kept him off the field and another rookie from Southern Cal, Pat Haden (pictured at right), stepped into the starting role after overcoming a preseason injury. But while the offense could put points on the board, there were concerns about the defense, especially when star DT Dave Roller was knocked out of action with an injury the previous week.

Philadelphia had undergone coaching turmoil during the preseason, but was now guided by ex-Green Bay Hall of Famer Willie Wood, a pioneering African-American head coach. The Bell had also picked up QB Bob Davis from the Florida Blazers, who beat out the flamboyant Jim “King” Corcoran for the starting job, as well as RB J.J. Jennings from Memphis and TE Ted Kwalick from the NFL 49ers. The Bell came into the contest at 2-2.

There was a paltry crowd of 17,811 on hand at Anaheim Stadium for the Friday night game. Philadelphia had the first scoring opportunity, but a 38-yard field goal by Bob Cooper was nullified by a penalty and the follow-up attempt was blocked.

On Southern California’s first play, Anthony Davis threw an option pass to wide-open WR Dave Williams that resulted in a 51-yard touchdown. Davis successfully ran for the action point (in the WFL, touchdowns were good for seven points and were then followed up by an “action point” that could not be kicked). It was the beginning of a big first half for the 10^th-year veteran Williams.

The Bell evened the score when RB John Land ran for a two-yard TD to cap a seven-play, 54-yard drive, followed by Bob Davis throwing to Land for the action point, but the Sun came right back when Anthony Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 84 yards for another touchdown. While they failed to convert the action point attempt, the Sun had a 15-8 lead – and had run just one play from scrimmage.

Before the first quarter was over, Williams scored again to cap a 72-yard drive, this time on a pass from Haden that covered 37 yards. The Sun again failed to add the action point but still held a 22-8 lead.

The Sun poured it on in the second quarter, with FB Greg Herd scoring on a one-yard carry set up by a pass interference call in the end zone (followed by a successful action point conversion on a run by backup QB Mike Ernst), and Williams adding two more TD catches from Haden on plays that covered 15 and 38 yards. Ted Kwalick caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Bob Davis (and caught another pass to convert the action point), but Southern California maintained a solid 44-16 lead at the half.

The Bell didn’t give up as Davis tossed three more touchdown passes in the second half, of eight yards to WR Ron Holliday in the third quarter and, in the final period, of 13 yards to ex-Eagles veteran WR Ben Hawkins and 49 yards to a future Eagles special teams star, WR Vince Papale. Two of the action point attempts were successful.

The Sun added a one-yard TD carry by RB Bill Kramer in the third quarter and an eight-yard run by RB Gary Dixon in the fourth. Both action point attempts failed, but they weren’t needed as Southern California prevailed by a score of 58-39. To add insult to injury for the Bell, the local television station that was showing the game in Philadelphia pulled the plug on the telecast because it was running too late.

The 97 points scored made it the highest-scoring game in the WFL’s brief history. The Sun rolled up 508 total yards – with 233 coming on the ground – to 436 for Philadelphia, trying vainly to play catch-up throughout most of the game. Southern California also had the edge in first downs (25 to 22) while the Bell led in turnovers (3 to 2) and penalties (14, at a cost of 152 yards, to 10 flags for 96 yards thrown on the home team).

Anthony Davis (pictured below) had another noteworthy performance, rushing for 115 yards on 21 carries, throwing a touchdown pass, and returning a kickoff for another TD. Pat Haden completed 13 of 21 passes for 207 yards with three touchdowns and had one intercepted. Dave Williams was the receiving star with 6 catches for 179 yards and four scores.

For the Bell, Bob Davis was successful on 21 of 46 throws for 285 yards and four TDs along with two interceptions. John Land ran for 55 yards on 12 carries that included a touchdown and J.J. Jennings was right behind with 10 attempts for 52 yards. Land and Ben Hawkins each caught 5 passes (for 44 and 42 yards, respectively) and Ted Kwalick gained 93 yards on his four receptions.

“All week we talked about containing (Anthony) Davis,” said a disappointed Coach Willie Wood. “Then the first time the Sun has the ball he goes around end and throws for the 51-yard touchdown. We got flat, we lost concentration because of that play.”

Southern California compiled a 7-5 record and was in first place in the Western Division when the WFL abruptly folded in October. The Bell were at the bottom of the Eastern Division at 4-7.

Anthony Davis was outstanding, comfortably leading the league in rushing (1200 yards), rushing touchdowns (16), and scoring (133 points) after 12 games. He went on to play in the CFL, NFL, and USFL, but never came close to the same level of performance.

Pat Haden was off to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar before the league folded, but would return to pro football with the NFL’s Rams for six years. Dave Williams finished off his pro career by catching 21 passes, 9 of which were good for touchdowns. He gained 327 yards (15.6 avg.) and the scoring reception from Anthony Davis was his longest of the year. 

MVP Profile: Doug Betters, 1983

Defensive End, Miami Dolphins

Age: 27

6^th season in pro football & with Dolphins

College: Nevada-Reno

Height: 6’7”    Weight: 260

Prelude:

A lightly-regarded sixth-round pick in the 1978 NFL draft, Betters started six games in place of injured star DE A.J. Duhe as a rookie and performed well. He became a regular starter in ’79 (Duhe was eventually moved to linebacker) and a stalwart part of a defense known as the “Killer Bees” due to the significant number of its members with last names that started with the letter B.

1983 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 16 [3, tied with Curtis Greer & Jacob Green]

Most sacks, game – 4 at Buffalo 9/4

Multi-sack games – 4

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 4 

Forced fumbles – 0

Postseason (1 G – AFC Divisional playoff vs. Seattle)

Sacks – 0

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Player of the Year: AP

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

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

Pro Bowl

Dolphins went 12-4 to finish first in the AFC East while leading the NFL in fewest points surrendered (250). Lost AFC Divisional playoff to Seattle Seahawks (27-20).

Aftermath:

Betters was less consistently outstanding in 1984, but still accounted for 14 sacks. He declined significantly in ’85, lost his starting job in 1986, and was finished after the ’87 season. Officially, he accumulated 43.5 sacks (added as an official statistical category in 1982) while playing for 10 seasons in all. While a starting member of the defensive line for most of that time, the 1983 season was clearly his peak.

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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). Also includes Associated Press NFL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

[Updated 2/6/14]