2010: McNabb Leads Redskins to Overtime Win Over Packers

The Washington Redskins were off to a 2-2 start as they hosted the Green Bay Packers at FedEx Field on October 10, 2010. The team had undergone a transformation following a miserable 4-12 record in ’09, bringing in GM Bruce Allen, Head Coach Mike Shanahan, and a new veteran quarterback in 33-year-old ex-Eagle Donovan McNabb (pictured above).

Green Bay, under Head Coach Mike McCarthy, was 3-1 and following up on an 11-5 record in 2009 that had put them in the playoffs. A young team, the Packers were retooling well, particularly at quarterback where Aaron Rodgers was proving to be a worthy successor to long-time star Brett Favre.

The Packers had possession first, but following a short kickoff return they turned the ball over on the second play from scrimmage. Rodgers passed to TE Donald Lee for 17 yards, but the tight end fumbled and safety Kareem Moore recovered and advanced 13 yards to the Green Bay 21. However, the Redskins moved backward rather than forward and ultimately were forced to punt from their 44.

Starting at their own 10, the Packers made a big play immediately as RB Brandon Jackson ran for a 71-yard gain to the Washington 19. Five plays later Rodgers threw to Lee for a five-yard touchdown and the early lead.

The teams traded punts for the remainder of the opening period, although a 35-yard pass from Rodgers to WR James Jones had the ball in Washington territory to start the second quarter. But after reaching the one yard line, the defense stopped two running plays and a Rodgers pass into the end zone was broken up on fourth down.

The Redskins advanced to their own 33 before being forced to punt and Hunter Smith’s kick was returned 52 yards by CB Tramon Williams right back to the line of scrimmage. Mason Crosby kicked a 52-yard field goal four plays later to make it 10-0.

After another exchange of punts, the Redskins appeared to be trapped back in their own territory before McNabb completed a pass to WR Santana Moss for 52 yards on third-and-18. Two carries by RB Ryan Torain gave the Redskins another first down at the Green Bay 25 and a McNabb shuttle pass to Moss gained nine more yards to the 16. A throw to TE Chris Cooley moved the ball inside the 10 and, with the clock down to 13 seconds, Graham Gano kicked a 26-yard field goal to conclude the 12-play, 78-yard drive and make the score 10-3 at halftime.

The Packers put together a 70-yard series in 9 plays in their first possession of the third quarter that featured a Rodgers pass to WR Donald Driver for 34 yards. Crosby was successful with a 36-yard field goal that put Green Bay back in front by ten points.

Following a short Washington possession, the Packers moved to the Redskins’ 29 in eight plays but Crosby missed a 48-yard field goal. The score remained 13-3 heading into the fourth quarter.

The teams again exchanged punts until the Redskins, who had largely been dominated by Green Bay’s defense, struck quickly as McNabb went deep down the middle to WR Anthony Armstrong for a 48-yard touchdown. With the successful extra point, Washington was just three points down with plenty of time on the clock.

After the Packers punted on their next series, McNabb went to Armstrong (pictured at right) on the first play for a 23-yard gain. When the drive stalled at the Green Bay 47, it was McNabb to Armstrong again for 13 yards and a first down on a third-and-10 play. But the Redskins could gain nothing further and Gano’s field goal attempt from 51 yards was wide to the right.

Green Bay failed to move the ball and punted back to the Redskins with just under four minutes remaining in regulation. With McNabb completing three passes, including 30 yards to Cooley, Washington went 53 yards in seven plays and this time Gano connected on a 45-yard field goal to make it a tie game at 13-13.

The Packers took over at their 21 with 1:07 on the clock and in three plays made it to the Washington 35, but Crosby’s 53-yard attempt at a game-winning field goal hit the upright and bounced away. There was time for one more play from the Washington 43 and a long pass by McNabb was intercepted by Tramon Williams at the goal line and returned 64 yards. The game went into overtime.

Characteristic of much of the game, the teams traded punts to start the extra period and then Rodgers was intercepted by diving safety LaRon Landry to give Washington the ball at the Green Bay 39. The Redskins advanced to the 15 with the help of two defensive penalties and Gano finished the contest with a 33-yard field goal to give them a 16-13 win at 6:54 into overtime.

Green Bay had more total yards than the Redskins (427 to 373), who punted on seven of their first eight possessions. Washington had the edge in first downs (21 to 17) as the Packers had difficulty moving the ball in the second half. Green Bay’s defense sacked McNabb five times, to four sacks of Rodgers by the Redskins, while the Packers turned the ball over twice – the last time fatally - to one suffered by Washington. In addition, Green Bay was penalized 9 times at a cost of 63 yards (to four for 28 yards on the Redskins).

Donovan McNabb completed 26 of 49 passes for 357 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Santana Moss caught 7 of those passes for 118 yards while Anthony Armstrong added 84 yards on three receptions that included the long TD. Chris Cooley also had 7 pass receptions, for 69 yards. The running game was mediocre for the Redskins, accumulating just 51 yards, and Ryan Torain led the way with 40 yards on 16 attempts.

For the Packers, Aaron Rodgers was successful on 27 of 46 throws for 293 yards with a TD and one intercepted; he also rushed for 30 yards on four attempts. With the long gain in the first quarter, Brandon Jackson rushed for 115 yards on just 10 carries and also led the team with 5 pass receptions that gained an additional 25 yards. James Jones had 65 yards on four catches and Donald Driver was right behind with 58 yards on his four receptions.

It was the second overtime win of the year for Washington, and the Redskins were now 3-2. However, after reaching 4-3 to match their win total of 2009, they lost seven of their last nine games to finish at the bottom of the NFC East with a disappointing 6-10 record.

It proved to be an especially disappointing season for Donovan McNabb, who ultimately clashed with Coach Shanahan, lost the starting job, and left after one year. He passed for 3377 yards with 14 touchdowns but also 15 interceptions.

The Packers moved in the opposite direction. Several players had to leave the game against the Redskins due to injuries, a chronic problem early on, and afterward it was revealed that Aaron Rodgers had suffered a concussion. But he and the team recovered and, following a sluggish start, Green Bay went 7-3 to close out the regular season, good for second place in the NFC North and a Wild Card slot in the postseason. They won four straight playoff games on the road, including the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Aaron Rodgers performed ably, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 3922 yards with 28 TDs against just 11 interceptions. His 101.2 passer rating led the NFC, as did his 8.3 yards per attempt.

1974: Danny White TD Passes Lead Memphis to Win Over Hornets

The Memphis Southmen (aka “Grizzlies”) were not only successful on the field but also one of the few World Football League teams that was financially sound. Owned by Canadian businessman John Bassett Jr., the Southmen were coached by John McVay, formerly of the University of Dayton, and had won nine straight games as they prepared to meet the Charlotte Hornets on October 9, 1974.

Rookie backup QB Danny White (pictured above) was filling in for injured veteran John Huarte for the third time, but it had not slowed the Southmen. The running game, featuring J.J. Jennings, John Harvey, and Willie Spencer was the new league’s best and WR Ed Marshall led an able group of receivers.

The team they were facing was only recently relocated and renamed. As the New York Stars, coached by Babe Parilli, the club played reasonably well and had an 8-5 record. However, their home venue was the substandard Downing Stadium, and they drew poorly in competition with the NFL Giants and Jets. The franchise was sold to Upton Bell, son of former NFL Commissioner Bert Bell, and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. As the Charlotte Stars, they defeated the Chicago Fire on the road, but were now rechristened the Hornets as they faced Memphis in the first game at their new location.

There was a sellout crowd of 25,133 for the Wednesday night game at Charlotte’s Memorial Stadium, and with enthusiastic fans in attendance, the ex-Stars were clearly fired up. The teams traded fumbles in the first quarter before Memphis went 36 yards in five plays capped by J.J. Jennings scoring a one-yard touchdown. White passed to Ed Marshall to convert the action point to make it 8-0 (in the WFL, touchdowns counted as seven points and were followed by an “action point”, which could not be kicked).

Charlotte safety Ike Thomas returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards to the Memphis 33. Ten plays later, the Hornets scored on a one-yard sneak by QB Tom Sherman that was greeted by a huge ovation from the home crowd. RB Jim Ford tied the score at 8-8 by running for the action point. The exchange of first quarter touchdowns remained the only points of the first half as White struggled in the early going, completing just four of his first 11 passes.

In the third quarter, Bob Etter put the Southmen back in front with a 28-yard field goal. In response, RB Don Highsmith ran for a four-yard touchdown to put the Hornets in the lead, although the action point attempt failed.

Charlotte was ahead by 15-11 heading into the fourth quarter, but two minutes into the final period White threw to Marshall for a 13-yard touchdown and Memphis was back in front. White then threw to WR Roger Wallace for the action point.

The lead increased when White connected with Marshall for another TD of 19 yards with 6:15 to play that gave the Southmen a 27-15 margin after John Harvey ran for the action point.

The Hornets fought back, driving 61 yards and Highsmith finishing the possession off by powering across the goal line from a yard out for a touchdown. They successfully added the action point as Sherman threw to WR Al Barnes, narrowing the Memphis lead to four points.

With just over two minutes to play, Charlotte executed a successful onsides kick as ex-Jets WR George Sauer recovered at the Charlotte 44. With the home crowd cheering wildly, Sherman completed a third down pass to Sauer that moved the ball to the Memphis 40. The Southmen were putting heavy pressure on Sherman, and after a bomb intended for Barnes fell incomplete, a screen pass was intercepted by CB David Thomas at the Memphis 11 with 1:10 remaining to snuff out the home team’s hopes and preserve the 27-23 win for the Southmen.

Memphis outgained the Hornets (369 to 211) and in particular outrushed them (242 yards to 69). The Southmen also had the edge in first downs (20 to 15). Charlotte turned the ball over three times, to two suffered by Memphis.

Danny White, recovering from the slow start, ended up completing 9 of 18 passes for 127 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Willie Spencer gained 109 yards on 17 carries and J.J. Jennings had 104 yards, also on 17 attempts. Ed Marshall (pictured at right) caught three passes for 44 yards.

For Charlotte, Tom Sherman was successful on 12 of 27 throws for 142 yards and no TDs with two intercepted. Jim Ford was the leading rusher with 49 yards on 17 carries. George Sauer had 5 pass receptions for 57 yards.

“The crowd was just great, wonderful,” said Hornets Coach Babe Parilli. “It was a great thing for the players…There were never that many people cheering for us before.”

“We won a very tough game over an excellent team,” said John McVay. “Charlotte is lucky to get a team of this quality. I know they’ll get their share of wins before it’s over.”

The Southmen lost only one more game on their way to a league-best 17-3 record, putting them atop the Central Division. They were upset by the Florida Blazers in their playoff game. Despite the enthusiastic new fan base, Charlotte won only one of its last six contests to end up at 10-10 and second in the Eastern Division.

Danny White completed 79 of 155 passes for 1190 yards with 12 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He also handled the team’s punting, averaging 40.9 yards on 80 kicks. Following the demise of the WFL in 1975, he moved on to the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys for 13 seasons.

2007: Long Kris Brown Field Goals Propel Texans Over Dolphins

The Houston Texans were 2-2 as they faced the Miami Dolphins at Reliant Stadium on October 7, 2007, having won their first two games of the season but then lost the next two. In their second year under Head Coach Gary Kubiak, the club had made changes, most notably acquiring QB Matt Schaub from Atlanta and 30-year-old ex-Packer RB Ahman Green. Schaub started off well, especially in combination with WR Andre Johnson in the first two winning contests, but when Johnson went down with a knee injury and Green was also slowed by injury, the Texans ran into trouble.

The Dolphins, coached by Cam Cameron following the departure of Nick Saban for Alabama, had lost all four of their games to date. They had also brought in a new quarterback in the offseason, ex-Chief Trent Green, who beat out Cleo Lemon for the starting job in the preseason. While second-year RB Ronnie Brown was a bright spot, there were few others.

The Texans had the first possession of the game and proceeded to drive 78 yards in 11 plays. Schaub misfired on his first two passes but then converted a third-and-ten situation with a completion to WR Kevin Walter for 16 yards. A personal foul penalty on Miami DE Jason Taylor turned a second-and-17 play into a first down along the way. Schaub connected with WR Andre’ Davis for 49 yards to the Miami two and while it took four straight handoffs to RB Ron Dayne to finally score, Houston had the early lead.

The Dolphins responded with a scoring series of their own after rookie WR Ted Ginn Jr. returned the ensuing kickoff 52 yards. Green scrambled around end for a 23-yard gain to highlight a 46-yard drive that ended with a 23-yard Jay Feely field goal to narrow Houston’s margin to 7-3.

Miami got the ball back quickly when a deflected Schaub pass was intercepted by CB Andre Goodman. Goodman returned the pickoff 18 yards to give the Dolphins excellent field position at the Houston 25. On the next play, a scary situation that turned ugly occurred when an aborted handoff was fumbled and Ginn, recovering, attempted to reverse field and advance. Green was knocked unconscious while attempting to block. While lying motionless on the field, the player he blocked, Houston DE Travis Johnson, taunted him and drew a 15-yard penalty (as well as plenty of negative comments afterward). Green was taken off the field on a stretcher and was finished for the day (and, ultimately, the year).

Cleo Lemon came into the game at quarterback and the Dolphins drove to a three-yard touchdown run by Ronnie Brown. With the successful extra point, they were ahead at the end of the first quarter by a score of 10-7. 

Early in the second quarter, and following a punt by the Texans, Miami scored again. Brown started the series with a 22-yard run and it was followed by a Lemon pass to Ginn that covered 36 yards. The Dolphins made it to the Houston 22 from where Feely booted a 40-yard field goal to make it 13-7.

The Dolphins got the ball back again in good field position when Schaub fumbled while being sacked by Taylor and DE Rodrique White recovered at the Houston 41. Seven plays and 26 yards later, Miami added to its lead as Feely was successful on a 33-yard field goal.

With time running down in the first half, the Texans put together an eight-play scoring drive. Schaub completed passes of 16 yards to Davis and 20 yards to RB Samkon Gado and, after the series stalled at the Miami 36, Kris Brown (pictured at top) boomed a 56-yard field goal to make it 16-10 at the half.

On Miami’s second play of the third quarter, FS C.C. Brown intercepted a pass by Lemon to give Houston good field position at the Miami 46. Seven plays later Brown kicked a 43-yard field goal to pull the Texans to three points behind. Following a punt by the Dolphins, Houston again drove to a long field goal attempt by Brown from 54 yards. It was successful to tie the contest at 16-16.

Miami moved back in front early in the fourth quarter thanks to a 10-play, 40-yard series that ended with Feely connecting on his fourth field goal, from 48 yards. The Texans came back with a 64-yard drive in 14 plays. They converted two third downs along the way, including a third-and-13 situation when Schaub threw to TE Owen Daniels (pictured below) for 15 yards. Another Schaub-to-Daniels pass gained 24 yards to the Miami four, and while the Texans couldn’t punch it in from there, Brown came through with his fourth field goal of the contest from 20 yards to again tie the score at 19-19.

The Dolphins took over possession with 5:25 left on the clock and short passes by Lemon got the ball into Houston territory. But after reaching the 38 yard line by the two minute warning, Lemon threw two incomplete passes and Miami punted. The 35-yard kick had the Texans starting their next series at the three.

On second down, Schaub passed to Daniels for a 19-yard gain to get out of the hole. Two plays later he hit Daniels again for 14 yards and then WR David Anderson for 19 yards to the Miami 44. The Texans having taken their second timeout, Schaub passed to Walter for six yards and then spiked the ball at the 38. The clock ran down to one second before Houston took its final timeout and Brown came through with a 57-yard field goal to give the Texans a 22-19 win.

Houston outgained the Dolphins (352 yards to 285) and had the edge in first downs (20 to 17). However, they hurt themselves with two turnovers, to one suffered by Miami. They also failed to run the ball effectively, gaining just 74 yards on 28 carries, and had difficulty reaching the end zone.

Kris Brown kicked five field goals in as many attempts, with a record three of them coming from 54 yards or longer, including the game-winner. All of that came after he had injured his foot on the opening kickoff. Matt Schaub completed 20 of 34 passes for 294 yards but with no touchdowns and one intercepted. Owen Daniels caught 6 passes for 96 yards while Andre’ Davis contributed 79 yards on his 4 receptions and Kevin Walter added 5 catches for 67 yards. Ron Dayne rushed for 40 yards and a TD on 16 carries.

For the Dolphins, Ronnie Brown was the offensive star with 23 rushes for 114 yards and a TD and a further 39 yards on 5 pass receptions. After replacing Trent Green, Cleo Lemon was successful on 15 of 27 throws for 151 yards and had one intercepted. WR Marty Booker was the top receiver with 45 yards on 5 catches. Jay Feely, overshadowed by Kris Brown, nevertheless had a good day as he booted four field goals in four attempts. Ted Ginn Jr., (pictured below) who caught one pass for 36 yards, also averaged 35.2 yards on his five kickoff returns.

The Texans lost their next three games but ultimately ended up at 8-8 for the first non-losing season in franchise history. It still placed them last in the highly-competitive AFC South (all three teams ahead of them went to the playoffs). Miami suffered through a dreadful 1-15 campaign, not pulling out a win until its fourteenth game.

Kris Brown was successful on 25 of 29 field goal attempts (86.2 %), including all five from over 50 yards. Injuries hindered Matt Schaub, who appeared in 11 games and passed for 2241 yards with 9 touchdowns as well as 9 interceptions.

Trent Green, who had missed half of the ’06 season after suffering a concussion in the opening game, never played again for the Dolphins in 2007, although he did play as a backup for the Rams in 2008, his last season. Ronnie Brown, who played so well for a poor team, went down with a season-ending injury in the seventh game. He rushed for 602 yards on 119 carries (5.1 avg.) and caught 39 passes for 389 yards.

1963: Bukich Comes Off Bench to Lead Bears to Win Over Injury-Depleted Colts

The Chicago Bears were 3-0, with all of their wins coming on the road, as they prepared to host the Baltimore Colts on October 6, 1963. Under 68-year-old head coach and owner George Halas, “The Papa Bear”, it was apparent that the team was ready to contend with the Packers, winners of the previous three Western Conference titles. Assistant coach George Allen had installed a zone defense, and as a result the defense was the key to Chicago’s success, being strong against both the run and the pass. The conservative offense was directed by QB Bill Wade, who had All-Pro TE Mike Ditka and flanker Johnny Morris as receivers, as well as a solid stable of running backs.

The Colts, under first-year Head Coach Don Shula, were 1-2 and clear underdogs coming into the game. While they still had star QB Johnny Unitas, his two best receivers, split end Raymond Berry and flanker Jimmy Orr, were both out with injuries and HB Lenny Moore was available but had been slow in recovering from an appendectomy. Defensively, both star DE Gino Marchetti and LB Bill Pellington were playing hurt.

There was a standing-room crowd of 48,998 in attendance at Wrigley Field on an unseasonably hot afternoon, and they saw the defenses dominate a scoreless first half. Wade failed to complete any of his first eight passes, and his first successful throw was to FB Rick Casares for just one yard. Bob Jencks missed a 44-yard field goal attempt for the Bears. Meanwhile, Unitas was exposed to a heavy blitz and Baltimore couldn’t sustain a drive against the attacking defense.

The Colts nearly scored at the end of the half, but after Unitas threw to Moore to advance to the Chicago 35, they couldn’t get a 42-yard field goal attempt by Jim Martin away in time.

In the third quarter, the Colts drove to the Chicago nine and finally put points on the board when Martin booted a 16-yard field goal. With Wade still ineffective, Halas made the decision to lift him in favor of backup QB Rudy Bukich (pictured at top).

The 31-year-old Bukich, a ninth-year veteran out of USC, was making his first appearance of the season. A career backup who was in his second stint with Chicago, he also had a very strong arm. In the first series with Bukich behind center, he handed off to Casares on a draw play that gained 30 yards and then passed to Ditka, bringing the crowd to life. Two more completions to split end Bo Farrington picked up another 37 yards. Chicago drove to the Baltimore 21 but Jencks again missed a field goal attempt, this time from 28 yards.

On Chicago’s next series, the offense again moved into Baltimore territory. With less than ten minutes remaining in the game, Bukich threw to HB Ron Bull (pictured below) across the middle and the halfback leaped over safety Andy Nelson and had clear sailing to score a 44-yard touchdown. He was helped by an outstanding block by Ditka on Baltimore CB Bob Boyd.

Five minutes later, after recovering a fumble by the Colts, Roger LeClerc capped the scoring with a 16-yard field goal. It was another fortuitous personnel shift by Coach Halas with LeClerc coming in to placekick instead of Jencks, and it was all the Bears needed as they came away with a hard-fought 10-3 win.

The Bears had the edge in total yards (281 to 210) and first downs (15 to 11). Chicago had the better running total, gaining 147 yards to Baltimore’s 45 on 22 attempts. While the Bears applied constant pressure on Unitas, they sacked him twice, compared to three sacks by the Colts. Baltimore turned the ball over two times to one given up by the Bears.

Bill Wade completed just 5 of 21 passes for 50 yards with one intercepted before he was relieved. Rudy Bukich was successful on 6 of 7 throws for 112 yards and the game’s lone TD. Rick Casares ran for 54 yards on 7 carries and Ron Bull added 39 yards on 13 attempts and also caught two passes for 44 yards and the TD. Bo Farrington had three pass receptions for 42 yards.

For the Colts, Johnny Unitas went to the air 36 times and completed 21 for 182 yards and had one intercepted. HB Tom Matte led the club with 7 catches for 56 yards but gained just 8 rushing yards on 5 carries. FB J.W. Lockett gained a team-leading 13 yards on 10 rushing attempts. Flanker Willie Richardson, filling in for the injured Jimmy Orr, pulled in 6 passes for 53 yards.

The win kept the Bears undefeated at 4-0 and a game in front of the 3-1 Green Bay Packers. It would be a close battle between the two clubs all year with Chicago winning the Western Conference with an 11-1-2 record (as opposed to Green Bay’s 11-2-1, with both losses coming against the Bears). Chicago defeated the New York Giants to win the NFL title. The Colts came in third in the Western Conference at 8-6.

Rudy Bukich returned to the bench as Bill Wade quarterbacked the Bears the rest of the way through the NFL Championship game. He appeared in six contests and completed 29 of 43 passes for 369 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Bukich supplanted Wade in 1964 and had his finest season in ’65 when he led the NFL in passing. But by the end of his 14-year pro career, he had returned to the backup role that he held during most of that time.

1980: Plunkett Replaces Injured Pastorini at QB for Raiders

Following back-to-back 9-7 seasons in 1978 and ’79, the Oakland Raiders made changes for 1980, most notably dealing QB Ken Stabler to the Houston Oilers for QB Dan Pastorini. While younger than “The Snake”, Pastorini was not nearly as accomplished and in the first four weeks of the year he threw eight interceptions as opposed to five touchdown passes and his yardage totals steadily decreased. The once-mighty Raiders, coached by Tom Flores, were 2-2 and viewed as a team in decline.

On October 5 the Raiders hosted the Kansas City Chiefs, a club they had beaten in the opening game. Kansas City was 0-4 under Head Coach Marv Levy and had been struggling with injuries to the offensive line. However, the defense came alive at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum to spur a 31-point explosion in the first half.

In the first quarter, Pastorini had fumbled when sacked by DE Dave Lindstrom and LB Gary Spani recovered and ran 16 yards for a touchdown. Two minutes later, Pastorini was hit after throwing a pass and suffered a fractured tibia plus damaged cartilage in his knee. He was done for the year.

Into the game came backup QB Jim Plunkett, a once-highly regarded prospect whose pro career had gone badly off course. The 1970 Heisman Trophy winner at Stanford had been the first overall pick of the ’71 NFL draft by the New England Patriots and had initially displayed great promise. At 6’3” and 220 pounds, he had ideal size plus a strong arm. But by 1975 he had taken a beating with a mediocre team and lost his starting job to the more mobile Steve Grogan. Dealt to San Francisco, Plunkett seemed to revive his career during the first half of the ’76 season, but again the team was not strong, collapsed during the second half, and sank further in 1977. He was let go by the 49ers during the ’78 preseason and signed by the Raiders, seeing no action during that first year and tossing just 15 passes in 1979. Frustrated after the club turned to Pastorini (and after not gaining the starting job even though he was the better quarterback during the preseason), Plunkett was very much an afterthought in Oakland – until the newcomer went down.

It was a tough initiation for Plunkett against the Chiefs, as he was forced immediately to play catch-up. He went to the air 52 times and completed just 20 for 238 yards, tossing two fourth quarter touchdown passes but also five interceptions. The Chiefs also recovered three Oakland fumbles, ran up six sacks, and scored two defensive touchdowns in all as they held on for a thumping 31-17 win.

It got better for Plunkett and the Raiders in the ensuing weeks. Plunkett tossed five touchdown passes in the next two games and, after getting off to the 2-3 start, Oakland won six straight and 9 of 11 contests to close out the regular season. To be sure, the tough defense that featured All-Pros in LB Ted Hendricks and CB Lester Hayes had a great deal to do with the surge. Rookie LB Matt Millen moved into the starting lineup and played above expectations. Castoffs like DE John Matuszak, LB Rod Martin, CB Dwayne O’Steen, and FS Burgess Owens all contributed. On offense, WR Bob Chandler came back from a knee injury to catch 49 passes for 786 yards and 10 touchdowns and 32-year-old TE Raymond Chester performed well all-around and contributed 28 pass receptions.

But Plunkett played well and was the biggest comeback story, throwing for 2299 yards and 18 touchdowns. The Raiders finished second in the AFC West with an 11-5 record and qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card. After handily beating the Houston Oilers (and Stabler) in the first round, they just got by the Browns on a frigid day in Cleveland that came down to an interception in the end zone and then defeated the division-rival Chargers for the AFC Championship. The crowning achievement was a dominating 27-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. It was the first time a Wild Card team had reached the pinnacle.

Plunkett’s postseason numbers were 49 completions in 92 attempts (53.3 %) for 839 yards with seven touchdowns against three interceptions. He was at his best in the biggest game, completing 61.9 percent of his passes for 261 yards with three TDs and no interceptions in earning Super Bowl MVP honors. It was a stunning turnaround for the quarterback who had seemed all-but-forgotten when the season began.

Plunkett lasted another six years with the Raiders, who moved to Los Angeles in 1982. Things did not always go so well as in ’80 as his performances were sometimes uneven and he had difficulty holding the starting job. But he did lead the Raiders to another Super Bowl victory following the 1983 season, which certainly added luster to his career. 

MVP Profile: Earl Campbell, 1979

Running Back, Houston Oilers

Age: 24

2^nd season in pro football & with Oilers

College: Texas

Height: 5’11”  Weight: 224

Prelude:

Following an outstanding college career that was capped by rushing for 1744 yards and winning the Heisman Trophy in 1977, Campbell was the first overall pick by the Oilers in the 1978 NFL draft (Houston traded with Tampa Bay for the top choice). He moved directly into the starting lineup with outstanding results, leading the league in rushing (1450 yards), gaining consensus first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, as well as Rookie of the Year and MVP recognition (Pro Football Writers, NEA).

1979 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 368 [2]

Most attempts, game - 34 (for 158 yds.) at Cincinnati 9/23

Yards – 1697 [1]

Most yards, game – 195 yards (on 33 carries) at Dallas 11/22

Average gain – 4.6 [12]

TDs – 19 [1]

100-yard rushing games - 11

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 16

Most receptions, game – 6 (for 34 yds.) at Cleveland 12/2

Yards – 94

Most yards, game - 47 (on 2 catches) vs. St. Louis 10/7

Average gain – 5.9

TDs – 0

All-Purpose yards – 1791 [5]

Scoring

TDs – 19 [1]

Points – 114 [2, tied with Mark Moseley]

Postseason: 2 G

Rushing attempts – 33

Most rushing attempts, game - 17 at Pittsburgh, AFC Championship

Rushing yards – 65

Most rushing yards, game - 50 vs. Denver, AFC Wild Card playoff

Average gain rushing – 2.0

Rushing TDs – 1

Pass receptions – 2

Most pass receptions, game - 1 vs. Denver, AFC Wild Card playoff, at Pittsburgh, AFC Championship

Pass receiving yards - 18

Most pass receiving yards, game - 11 at Pittsburgh, AFC Championship

Average yards per reception – 9.0

Pass Receiving TDs – 0

One playoff game missed due to injury

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: AP, PFWA, NEA, Bert Bell Award

NFL Offensive Player of the Year: AP

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

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

Pro Bowl

Oilers went 11-5 to finish second in the AFC Central and qualify for the playoffs as a Wild Card. Won Wild Card playoff over Denver Broncos (13-7) and Divisional playoff over San Diego Chargers (17-14). Lost AFC Championship to Pittsburgh Steelers (27-13).

Aftermath:

Campbell led the NFL in rushing for a third consecutive year in 1980 (1934 yards), received MVP/Player of the Year recognition once more, and was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection. He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons, through 1981, when he led the AFC with 1376 yards. After one more 1000-yard rushing season in 1983 (1301 yards), his heavy workload and physically-punishing running style caused his performance to drop significantly in ’84 and Campbell was traded to New Orleans during the season. He finished his career in 1985, rushing for 643 yards and a 4.1-yard average for the Saints. Campbell retired with 9407 rushing yards on 2187 carries and 81 touchdowns. His #34 was retired by the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1991.

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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 2/6/14]

1976: Harris Throws for 436 Yards as Rams Defeat Dolphins

The Los Angeles Rams were 2-0-1 and featured the NFL’s best rushing offense as they faced the Miami Dolphins on October 3, 1976. Head Coach Chuck Knox preferred a conservative offense paired with a solid defense, and the running of HB Lawrence McCutcheon and FB John Cappelletti had accounted for 682 yards on the ground in the first three contests. There was uncertainty at quarterback, however, as James Harris (pictured at right) had been sidelined for the first two weeks of the season due to a broken thumb on his throwing hand – Ron Jaworski and Pat Haden had each taken a turn behind center in his place.

The Dolphins, under Head Coach Don Shula for the seventh year, were 2-1 and in the midst of retooling after having won three straight AFC titles and back-to-back NFL Championships. They still had the outstanding Bob Griese at quarterback, but the running game was not as proficient as it had once been and Griese had dislocated the middle finger of his throwing hand during practice the previous week. Furthermore, injuries amid the linebackers were making the defense vulnerable and the Dolphins were forced to shift to a formation with a five-man front and two linebackers.

Harris, wearing a brace on the injured thumb of his throwing hand, largely shifted away from the running game to take advantage of the weakness in the middle of Miami’s passing defense. The Rams were further helped by the added wrinkle of using three wide receivers in key situations and, in particular, having WR Ron Jessie line up in the backfield where he was used as a man-in-motion.

Still, the home crowd at the Orange Bowl saw the Dolphins take an early lead in the first quarter when HB Benny Malone ran for a touchdown from two yards out. They extended the lead in the second quarter thanks to a 28-yard carry for a TD by FB Norm Bulaich.

Meanwhile Harris threw for 197 yards in the first half, but LA couldn’t get on the board as DE Vern Den Herder blocked a 49-yard field goal attempt by Tom Dempsey and FS Barry Hill blocked another try from 22 yards. Dempsey failed a third time when he was wide on a 29-yard attempt.

Down 14-0 at the half, the Rams struck quickly in the third quarter as Harris threw to Ron Jessie for a 58-yard touchdown. Miami responded with a scoring drive that led to a one-yard TD carry by FB Stan Winfrey.

Harris again went to Jessie, who made an over-the-shoulder catch of a perfectly-thrown bomb in the end zone for a 43-yard touchdown that cut Miami’s lead to 21-14. As the third quarter was winding down, the Rams put together a drive that took them inside the Miami 20. On a third-and-seven play at the 15, McCutcheon took a handoff but then flipped a lateral back to Harris, which he picked up on the first bounce and advanced all the way to the three for first-and-goal. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Harris leaped into the end zone from a yard out to complete the 46-yard series and, with the successful extra point, the score was tied at 21-21.

LA put together a 75-yard drive in seven plays to take the lead, with Harris throwing to Jessie for 26 yards and WR Harold Jackson for 25 along the way. McCutcheon ran a sweep for a nine-yard touchdown to cap the series and, with the successful extra point, the Rams were in front by 28-21.

The Dolphins weren’t finished, however, and two minutes after Los Angeles took the lead, using just three plays, they came back with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Griese to WR Nat Moore to tie the game.

Now it was LA’s turn and Harris came through with another big play, throwing to Jackson for a 50-yard gain to get to the Miami 11. Three running plays advanced the ball to the two and Dempsey, making up for earlier failures, kicked a 19-yard field goal with just 1:56 remaining to provide the winning points. Interceptions of Griese desperation passes by SS Dave Elmendorf and FS Bill Simpson snuffed out any further hopes for the Dolphins and the Rams came away with a 31-28 win.

The Rams outgained Miami (593 yards to 319) and had the edge in first downs (23 to 21). The visitors accumulated the bulk of their yardage (426) through the air while the Dolphins gained most of theirs on the ground (219). LA also had more penalties (8, at a cost of 76 yards, to three flags on the home team) but, with the late interceptions, the Dolphins led in turnovers (two to one).

James Harris had a huge performance, completing 17 of 29 passes for 436 yards with two touchdowns and one interception – he also ran the ball six times for 29 yards and a TD. Ron Jessie caught 7 of those throws for 220 yards and the two long scores. Harold Jackson contributed another 99 yards on just 4 catches. Lawrence McCutcheon uncharacteristically had more receiving than rushing yards as he gained 99 yards on 5 pass receptions and led the team with 91 yards on 22 carries with a TD.

For the Dolphins, Bob Griese went to the air just 11 times and completed 6 of them for 100 yards and a touchdown with two intercepted. Benny Malone led the running game with 19 attempts for 111 yards and a TD and also caught two passes for five more yards. Nat Moore gained 66 yards on his two receptions that included a TD.

“I’m not much of a statistics man,” said James Harris. “I like to think I’m a team man. I’m just as happy when we win with the running game.”

The single-game yardage total was easily the most of Harris’ career (his second highest output was 294) and the most by any NFL quarterback in 1976 – in fact, it wouldn’t be exceeded until 1980. It did not assure the 29-year-old veteran security as the starting quarterback, however, and by the end of the season Pat Haden was behind center. While typical of LA’s unstable quarterback situation during the Knox years, it did not sit well with the African-American Harris, who suggested that race might be a factor in the decision-making – especially when he ended up as the NFC’s leading passer for the year (89.6 rating) while going to the air just 158 times in seven games. He was traded to San Diego in the offseason (an equally frustrated Ron Jaworski refused to sign a new contract and was dealt to the Eagles).

Despite the quarterback carousel, the Rams won the NFC West for the fourth straight year with a 10-3-1 record, leading the conference in ground-gaining. And for the third consecutive season they advanced to the NFC Championship game and lost, this time to Minnesota.

The injury problems that plagued Miami continued throughout the year and the Dolphins finished third in the AFC East with a 6-8 record. It was the first losing tally they had posted during the Don Shula coaching reign.

Ron Jessie continued to be a formidable deep-threat for the Rams, averaging 22.9 yards per catch on 34 receptions for 779 yards with six touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the only time in his career.