1946: Bears Beat Giants for NFL Championship in Shadow of Scandal

The two teams meeting for the NFL Championship on December 15, 1946 were no strangers to postseason action but were bouncing back from down years in ’45, the last World War II-affected season. The Bears, owned and coached by George Halas who had gone off to the Navy himself, were a solid club led by 30-year-old QB Sid Luckman (pictured at right) and featuring a deep backfield. From a 3-7 showing in 1945 – the team’s first losing record since 1929 – Chicago bounced back to 8-2-1 in topping the Western Division.

Head Coach Steve Owen’s Giants had been 3-6-1 the previous year but rose to the top of the Eastern Division in ’46 at 7-3-1. The addition of tailback Frank Filchock, who had split time with the great Sammy Baugh in Washington for six years, helped rejuvenate the offense while the defense was tough, especially on the line. They had beaten the Bears the previous month, but injuries were a factor as FB Bill Paschal was out with a broken jaw.

There was an extra element of drama before the teams took the field. On the morning of the game, it was revealed that Giants FB/DB Merle Hapes, who was slated to start in place of Paschal, was being suspended by Commissioner Bert Bell for failure to report an attempted bribe for the purpose of throwing the title game. While Hapes had rejected the offer, his failure to inform officials of the offer resulted in his suspension. Filchock, who had also been named, denied being approached and was allowed to play against the Bears.

The news had already broken publicly before the game was played and some in the record crowd of 58,346 at the Polo Grounds booed Filchock when the Giants took the field. Things did not start out well for the home team as the Bears scored twice in the first nine minutes. First, following a fumble recovery by LB Stu Clarkson, Luckman threw to end Ken Kavanaugh for a 21-yard touchdown and then HB Dante Magnani intercepted a Filchock pass and returned it 19 yards for a TD. The Bears were ahead by 14-0.

The Giants got on the board before the opening period was over. Filchock, playing with a broken nose, capped a 52-yard drive by tossing a pass to end Frank Liebel that covered 38 yards for a touchdown and Chicago’s margin was cut to 14-7. It remained that way through a scoreless second quarter.

New York got a break in the third quarter when Bears FB Joe Osmanski fumbled and end Jim Lee Howell recovered for the Giants at the Chicago 20. Three plays later, Filchock threw a five-yard TD pass to FB Steve Filipowicz and, with the successful extra point, it was a tie game at 14-14 heading into the final period.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Bears drove into New York territory as Luckman passed to HB George McAfee for 17 yards and end Jim Keane for 16. With the ball at the 19, Halas gave the word to his star quarterback, who rarely ran the ball, to utilize a specially-designed play that he was holding for the right occasion. Luckman faked a handoff to McAfee on an apparent sweep and, with the defense shifting accordingly, he trotted to his right with the ball at his hip and then took off on a bootleg. It worked to perfection as Luckman, who hadn’t scored a rushing touchdown during the regular season, broke a tackle at the 10 and made it to the end zone. The TD put the Bears back in front and seemed to deflate the Giants. Frank Maznicki added a 26-yard field goal before it was all over and Chicago came away with the NFL Championship in the hard-fought game by a score of 24-14.

Total yards were virtually even, with the Giants holding the edge at 248 to 245. New York also had 13 first downs to Chicago’s 10. However, New York also turned the ball over a staggering eight times, to three turnovers by the Bears.

Sid Luckman completed 9 of 22 passes for 144 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, had the one key rushing TD, and also had a good day kicking the ball, with his seven punts averaging 42.4 yards and helping the Bears in the battle for field position. Chicago’s top four rushers were all bunched together, with HB Hugh Gallarneau leading the way with 24 yards on 6 carries, FB Bill Osmanski gaining 23 yards on 9 attempts, brother Joe Osmanski carrying 8 times for 20 yards, and FB Don Perkins adding 18 yards on four rushes. George McAfee only ran for two yards on 6 carries but led the club in pass receiving with four catches for 57 yards. Ken Kavanaugh had 53 yards and a TD on his two receptions.

Frank Filchock (pictured below with Coach Steve Owen) was under a heavy rush from the Bears defense throughout the contest and had to utilize his mobility to find time to throw. As it was, he was successful on 9 of 26 of those throws for 128 yards with two touchdowns but also six interceptions. With injuries, plus a suspension, affecting the available backs, wingback George Franck led the Giants in rushing with 55 yards on 6 attempts. End Jim Poole caught four passes for 40 yards and Steve Filipowicz, in addition to his 9 carries for 20 yards, gained 41 yards and scored a TD on two pass receptions.

In the trial of Alvin Paris, the gambler who attempted to fix the game, Filchock admitted to having lied about not being approached to throw the contest, having rejected the offer and wanting an opportunity to prove himself in the game (he was generally given credit for playing well, despite the interceptions). Commissioner Bell indefinitely suspended both Hapes and Filchock, although both were eventually reinstated (in 1954 and 1950, respectively). They played in Canada in the interim but, except for one appearance by Filchock at the end of the 1950 season with the Colts, neither was active in the NFL again. Filchock went on to both play and coach in the CFL and eventually became the first head coach of the new American Football League’s Denver Broncos in 1960.

The Bears went 8-4 in 1947 and finished second to their crosstown rivals, the Chicago Cardinals, in the Western Division. New York dropped much further, going all the way to the bottom of the Eastern Division at 2-8-2. Neither club appeared again in the postseason until 1950, when each tied for first in their respective divisions. Having met in four title games, they would next face off against each other in a NFL Championship game in 1956.  

2009: Records Fall as Colts Defeat Broncos

The Indianapolis Colts were cruising at 12-0 and had tied New England’s recently-established record of 21 consecutive regular season wins as they hosted the Denver Broncos on December 13, 2009. There had been no drop in performance under Jim Caldwell, in his first year as head coach in place of Tony Dungy. The Colts had now won at least 12 games in seven straight seasons and were on their way to reaching the postseason for the eighth time in a row. The key to the offense was still 33-year-old QB Peyton Manning (pictured above), in the 12^th year of his outstanding career, and he had a fine stable of receivers in TE Dallas Clark and wide receivers Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, and Austin Collie. The ground game was not as formidable as the passing attack, although RB Joseph Addai was capable as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield.

Denver, also under a first-year head coach in fiery Josh McDaniels, had gotten off to a surprising 6-0 start before losing four straight. The Broncos had recovered to win their last two games and were 8-4 heading into the game in Indianapolis. Star WR Brandon Marshall had clashed with Coach McDaniels but was the primary target for capable QB Kyle Orton.

There was a crowd of 67,248 at Lucas Oil Field. The Colts had first possession and drove 70 yards in 13 plays, starting with Manning throwing to Pierre Garcon for a 29-yard gain. It was the first of six straight completions and eight in all that ended up with a five-yard scoring pass to Austin Collie. Following a three-and-out series by the Broncos, Indianapolis drove to another score. This time it took seven plays to go 56 yards, highlighted by a Manning throw to Joseph Addai that picked up 25 yards. Dallas Clark (pictured below) caught a 10-yard pass for a TD and, with another successful extra point, it was 14-0 in favor of the Colts.

In the second quarter, Indianapolis put together another long scoring drive. Along the way, the Colts converted a fourth-and-four situation with a Manning pass to Clark for 22 yards and the 11-play, 71-yard series ended with Manning’s third touchdown pass, again to Clark from a yard out.

Down by 21-0 and being dominated by the Colts, the Broncos finally put together a scoring drive of their own. Five of Kyle Orton’s pass completions were to Brandon Marshall, including two that converted third downs and the last one for a five-yard TD. The tally remained at 21-7 at the half.

The teams traded punts to start the third quarter until Manning was intercepted for the second time by FS Brian Dawkins, who had picked off a pass late in the second quarter. The turnover gave Denver good field position at the Indianapolis 37, but after advancing to the 20 Orton was intercepted by DB Tim Jennings to end the threat. After a short series by the Colts that ended with a punt, the Broncos again drove into Indianapolis territory but Matt Prater’s 42-yard field goal attempt was wide to the left.

On the next play, Manning, who had tossed the three early scoring passes, was picked off for the third time. On this occasion it was safety Darcel McBath giving the Broncos the ball at the Indianapolis 24, and as the period ended Denver was at the ten. The drive stalled there and on the second play of the fourth quarter Prater kicked a 28-yard field goal to cut the Indianapolis margin to 21-10.

Once more the Colts were unable to move on offense, with Manning tossing three incomplete passes. The ensuing punt gave the Broncos the ball at their 32 and they moved methodically down the field. Except for a throw to WR Jabar Gaffney for a 20-yard gain, all of Orton’s pass completions were to Marshall, again including a TD pass from five yards out. Denver attempted a two-point conversion to try and make it a three-point game, but RB Knowshon Moreno couldn’t reach the end zone and the tally stayed at 21-16.

With the momentum against them, the Colts finally came back alive on offense. Manning completed a pass to Collie for 23 yards in a third-and-20 situation and, two plays later, connected with Reggie Wayne for 20 yards on a second-and-11 play. The 80-yard drive took 14 plays, used up over seven minutes, and ended with Manning throwing to Clark for a one-yard touchdown that put the game away. The Broncos ran out of downs on their last, desperate possession, with a seven-yard completion to Marshall giving him a record 21 for the day. The Colts won by a final score of 28-16.

The Broncos had the edge in total yards (357 to 312) and time of possession (31:27 to 28:33) although Indianapolis had more first downs (21 to 20). The Colts hurt themselves with three turnovers, to one suffered by the Broncos.

Peyton Manning’s statistics reflected his up-and-down performance as he completed 20 of 42 passes for 220 yards with four touchdowns but also three interceptions – the most he had thrown in a game in over two years. Joseph Addai rushed for 67 yards on 16 carries and led the team in pass receiving with 5 catches for 49 yards, although Dallas Clark was the more effective receiver with his 5 catches for 43 yards that included three TDs.

For the Broncos, Brandon Marshall (pictured below) was the big story with his 21 pass receptions for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Kyle Orton was successful on 29 of 41 throws – only eight of which went to a receiver other than Marshall – for 277 yards and two TDs with one interception. Knowshon Moreno gained 63 yards on 23 rushing attempts. 

“I thought Denver made some big plays, and we had some bad luck with bouncing balls there,” said Peyton Manning. “We kind of weathered the storm, and the defense did a great job. So it was kind of two different games in terms of momentum, but fortunately we finished on a high note.”

The 22^nd straight regular season win set a new NFL record and was extended to 23 before the Colts finally lost a game. They ended up topping the AFC South at 14-2 and advancing to the Super Bowl where they lost to the Saints. Denver lost its remaining games to finish second in the AFC West with a disappointing 8-8 record and out of the playoffs.

Peyton Manning received MVP honors from the Associated Press and Pro Football Writers while also gaining selection to the Pro Bowl for the tenth time in his illustrious career. He ranked second in the NFL in pass attempts (571), completions (393), completion percentage (68.8), yards (4500), and TD passes (33, tied with Minnesota’s Brett Favre).

Brandon Marshall, who broke the record of 20 catches in a game by Terrell Owens of the 49ers in 2000, tied for third in the league with 101 catches (along with Houston’s Andre Johnson), which was one more reception than Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne, who each caught 100. He gained 1120 yards and caught 10 touchdown passes and was named to his second straight Pro Bowl – but was dealt to Miami in the offseason.

1938: Giants Defeat Packers for NFL Title

There was a record crowd of 48,120 on hand at the Polo Grounds on December 11, 1938 as the New York Giants hosted the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship game. The Giants, coached by Steve Owen for the eighth year, started slowly with two losses in their first three games before catching fire and going 7-0-1 the rest of the way to top the Eastern Division with an 8-2-1 record. The roster was deep with talent. Rugged C/LB Mel Hein was voted the league’s MVP and was joined as a consensus first-team All-Pro by tailback Ed Danowski. New York had beaten the Packers during the regular season and had not given up more than 14 points in any game.

Coach Curly Lambeau’s Packers had benefited from the arrival of rookie tailback Cecil Isbell, who alternated - and sometimes played halfback in the same backfield with - aging veteran tailback Arnie Herber. FB/LB Clarke Hinkle also handled much of the placekicking and was the league’s leading scorer. However, star end Don Hutson, the NFL’s most dangerous deep receiver who led the circuit in receiving yards (548) and touchdowns (9) while catching 32 passes, was out due to a knee injury – indeed, both clubs were heavily battered coming into the title game.

It was a 31-degree day in New York City and the big home crowd saw the Giants take the early lead. On Green Bay’s second possession, the Packers chose to punt in a third-and-11 situation at their own 11 yard line and Hinkle’s kick was blocked by end Jim Lee Howell and recovered by back Leland Shaffer at the 7. The Packers allowed only one yard in three plays and New York settled for a 14-yard field goal by Ward Cuff.

The next Green Bay series also ended with a punt, this time by Isbell, and again it was blocked. End Jim Poole accounted for the block and Howell recovered for the Giants at the Packers’ 28. Four plays later New York scored a touchdown on a 6-yard run by FB Tuffy Leemans. The extra point attempt by Johnny Gildea failed, but the Giants held a 9-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Packers got on the board in the second quarter following an interception by lineman Tiny Engebretsen. They capitalized with a 40-yard pass play from Herber to end Carl “Moose” Mulleneaux, filling in for Don Hutson, for a TD. Engebretsen successfully added the extra point and New York’s lead was cut to 9-7.

The Packers put together another promising drive on their next series but FB Ed Jankowski fumbled the ball away at midfield. In a possession highlighted by a Leemans pass to wingback Len Barnum for 19 yards the Giants came back with a touchdown pass play of their own, with Danowski connecting with end Hap Bernard from 21 yards out. Ward Cuff added the PAT.

Green Bay scored again before the half, going 80 yards in eight plays that included a 65-yard gain on a pass into the flat by Isbell to end Waylon Becker. Running down the sideline, Becker made it to the New York 17 before being hauled down by HB Hank Soar. Hinkle finished the drive by running for a one-yard TD. Again Engebretsen converted the extra point and the Giants held a slender 16-14 lead at halftime.

The Packers went in front early in the third quarter thanks to a long gain into Giants territory by tailback Bob Monnett. Engebretsen booted a 15-yard field goal to make the score 17-16 and the early missed extra point attempt was looming large.

The Giants, starting the next series at their 39, moved methodically down the field as Hank Soar (pictured at top) carried on five of the first six plays. Soar threw an incomplete pass but then hauled in a throw from Danowski for nine yards to the Green Bay 26. After Soar ran for another three yards, Danowski went long and Soar pulled the pass down for a 23-yard touchdown, dragging Hinkle across the goal line. Cuff added the extra point and the home team was back in front by six points.

There was still plenty of time and the Packers threatened repeatedly. Responding to the touchdown, they advanced to the New York 37 but turned the ball over on an interception. In the fourth quarter, Green Bay once again entered Giants territory thanks to Hinkle’s effective running, but was forced to punt. Later, in a key play, Herber completed a pass to end Milt Gantenbein for an apparent 16-yard gain to the New York 40, but the officials ruled that Gantenbein was an ineligible receiver and the Giants got possession at the Green Bay 45.

New York had an opportunity to add to its lead but Cuff was wide on a 36-yard field goal attempt. In desperation, the Packers inserted Don Hutson, who had made a brief appearance in the second quarter, in the last minute of the game. Taking over at their 20 after Danowski punted into the end zone, time ran out for Green Bay as Herber’s last-ditch pass fell incomplete. The Giants were NFL Champions by a score of 23-17.

The Packers rolled up more total yards (378 to 212) and first downs (14 to 10), but the blocked punts and Green Bay’s inability to put more points on the board when in New York territory made the difference.

Hank Soar was the star on offense for the Giants with 65 yards on 21 rushing attempts and three catches for 41 more yards and a touchdown. Ed Danowski completed 7 of 11 passes for 77 yards and two TDs with none intercepted. 

For the Packers, Arnie Herber was successful on 5 of 14 throws for 123 yards and a touchdown with none intercepted while Cecil Isbell completed 3 of 5 passes for 91 yards and had one picked off. Clarke Hinkle (pictured at left) was the leading rusher with 63 yards on 8 carries that included a TD. Waylon Becker gained 79 yards on two pass receptions and Carl Mulleneaux also caught two for 54 yards and a touchdown.

It had been an extremely hard-fought and physical game, and both Ward Cuff and the durable Mel Hein had to be taken to the hospital afterward.

The two teams repeated as division champions in 1939 and there was a championship rematch in Milwaukee. The Packers came out on top this time with a 27-0 win.

2001: Dawkins Stars on Defense as Eagles Overcome Chargers

The Philadelphia Eagles had a 7-4 record and were leading the NFC East as they hosted the San Diego Chargers on December 9, 2001. Under third-year Head Coach Andy Reid the team ran a pass-heavy West Coast offense directed by QB Donovan McNabb. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson’s aggressive, blitz-heavy unit tended to give up rushing yards but had an outstanding defensive backfield anchored by FS Brian Dawkins (pictured at right).

The Chargers, under Head Coach Mike Riley, had gotten off to a surprising 5-2 start but then lost five straight and were 5-7 coming into the game at Philadelphia. 39-year-old QB Doug Flutie was beginning to fade down the stretch, but rookie RB LaDainian Tomlinson was proving worthy of his first-round draft selection. The defense was tough against the run but had difficulty holding onto leads.

On their first possession of the game, which was set up by a 32-yard punt return by RB Brian Mitchell, the Eagles drove 63 yards in six plays. Highlights were Donovan McNabb passes to RB Duce Staley for 28 yards and 31 yards to WR James Thrash that set up a one-yard toss to TE Chad Lewis for a touchdown.

The Chargers made a big play on their next series when Doug Flutie threw a pass that WR Jeff Graham caught by reaching around CB Troy Vincent, who had his back to the throw, and tipping the ball to himself - he then took it all the way to the end zone for a 61-yard TD. With the addition of the extra point, the score was tied at 7-7.

Following a punt by the Eagles on their next possession, it seemed as though San Diego might be on the way to another score. Flutie connected with WR Tim Dwight for a 29-yard gain into Philadelphia territory and a nine-yard completion to LaDainian Tomlinson had the Chargers at the 38 yard line. But on the next play, Tomlinson was unable to maintain control of a pitchout behind the line of scrimmage and Brian Dawkins proceeded to scoop up the ball at the San Diego 49 and return it for a touchdown. Rather than potentially giving up more points, the Eagles were ahead by 14-7.

Once again the tenacious Chargers advanced into Philadelphia territory, but this time CB Bobby Taylor picked off Flutie’s pass at the 24. The Eagles didn’t capitalize this time, but San Diego still had come up empty.

In the second quarter, the Chargers put together another promising drive. In eleven plays, they moved from their 24 to the Philadelphia 16 with Tomlinson running for 16 yards in four carries and Flutie completing a 17-yard pass to WR Curtis Conway in a third-and-14 situation.  But again they failed to put points on the board when Steve Christie’s 34-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful when it hit the upright.

 

After the teams traded punts, it was time for the Eagles to put together a scoring series. With the ball at their 19 yard line to start, McNabb tossed a screen pass to Staley on first down for a 37-yard gain. Facing fourth-and-one at the San Diego 35, McNabb completed a throw to Thrash for 24 yards to the 11 and three plays later Staley caught an eight-yard touchdown toss. 

The first half scoring wasn’t over, however. The Chargers, now down by 14 points, responded by going 71 yards in seven plays, six of them Flutie passes and one of them an 11-yard carry by the diminutive quarterback. The big completion along the way was for 29 yards to Conway and the series ended with Flutie tossing a 10-yard TD pass to Graham. The score was 21-14 in favor of the home team at the half despite Flutie’s 229 passing yards.

The Eagles defense dominated the anticlimactic second half as the Chargers, who had moved the ball effectively but had difficulty scoring in the first half, were unable to penetrate Philadelphia territory again until late in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia started off the third quarter with a long drive that stalled at the San Diego 36 and resulted in Sean Landeta’s punt pinning the Chargers down at their five, and from there the battle for field position worked against the visitors (Landeta punted 10 times during the contest).

In the fourth quarter, Dawkins made another big defensive play for the Eagles when his tackle of Flutie forced a fumble that was recovered by DT Hollis Thomas at the San Diego 26. It set up a David Akers field goal from 37 yards that proved to be the last score of the game.

San Diego’s last-gasp effort began with 5:29 left on the clock. Starting at his four yard line, Flutie hit TE Freddie Jones on passes that covered 34 and 20 yards and then followed up with a throw to Dwight for 13 yards to the Philadelphia 29. However, after reaching the 19 the Chargers were forced to try for a field goal and once again Christie missed, this time from 37 yards. That ended any comeback hopes and the Eagles won by a final score of 24-14.

The Chargers actually outgained the Eagles (393 yards to 273) and had more first downs (18 to 14). However, San Diego also turned the ball over four times, to two by Philadelphia, and was penalized seven times, at a cost of 67 yards, to four flags thrown on the home team.

Donovan McNabb completed 22 of 44 passes for 221 yards with two touchdowns and an interception and, tellingly, was also the club’s leading rusher with 39 yards on 7 carries. Duce Staley had difficulty against San Diego’s tough run defense and gained just 21 yards on 15 attempts, but was more effective as a pass receiver with 5 catches for 88 yards and a TD. James Thrash and WR Todd Pinkston also had 5 receptions, for 74 and 17 yards, respectively. Brian Dawkins had a noteworthy defensive performance as he recorded eight tackles, forced a key fumble, and returned another fumble for a touchdown.

For the Chargers, Doug Flutie (pictured below) went to the air 44 times and completed 20 of those passes for 307 yards and two TDs with two picked off. He also ran 8 times for 45 yards. LaDainian Tomlinson gained just 51 yards on 19 carries and had the fumble that led directly to an Eagles score. Jeff Graham led the receivers with 5 catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

“A lot of times when you play good teams they cause you to make mistakes,” said Mike Riley. “Their defense is darn good, the best we’ve seen.”

“We fought our tails off, but they have a good defense,” echoed Doug Flutie.

The Eagles went on to win the NFC East with an 11-5 record, advancing to the conference title game before succumbing to the Rams. San Diego failed to win another contest and ended up at the bottom of the AFC West at 5-11.

Brian Dawkins, in his sixth year out of Clemson, gained first-team All-NFL recognition for the first of an eventual four times and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second of eight career occurrences. He intercepted two passes, recovered two fumbles, and was credited with 58 tackles.

Duce Staley’s rushing and receiving totals against the Chargers proved to be typical of his performances throughout the season. He ended up rushing for 604 yards on 166 carries (3.6 avg.) and two touchdowns and gained another 626 yards with 63 pass receptions (co-leading the club along with James Thrash) for a 9.9 average gain and two more TDs.

In his last full season as a starting quarterback, Doug Flutie passed for 3464 yards and 15 touchdowns along with a NFL-career high 18 interceptions. Still nimble late in his career, he also rushed for 192 yards. The ex-Boston College star continued as a reserve for four more years, three of them backing up Drew Brees, a rookie in ’01, before finishing out his career behind Tom Brady in New England.

1979: Cowboys Beat Eagles in NFC East Showdown with TD on Deflected Pass

The Philadelphia Eagles had secured a postseason berth and were looking to win a division title for the first time since 1960 as they hosted the Dallas Cowboys on December 8, 1979. Head Coach Dick Vermeil’s team had a 10-4 record, putting them a game ahead of the 9-5 Cowboys and Washington Redskins.

The Cowboys, under Head Coach Tom Landry, had lost to the Eagles at home and were looking to return the favor. The offense was fundamentally sound with QB Roger Staubach, running backs Tony Dorsett and Robert Newhouse, and wide receivers Drew Pearson and Tony Hill. But while the defensive line was formidable, as a whole the unit had been inconsistent and in upheaval – such as when starting LB Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson was abruptly cut from the team due to a poor attitude. In addition, Pearson was out with an injury for the rematch with the Eagles.

There was a big and enthusiastic crowd of 71,434 in attendance at Veterans Stadium. It was a windy day in Philadelphia, with gusts of up to 40 mph, making passing difficult. The Cowboys scored less than two minutes into the first quarter. On Philadelphia’s third play from scrimmage, QB Ron Jaworski threw a pass intended for RB Billy Campfield that the receiver tipped and it was intercepted by SS Randy Hughes, who returned it 24 yards to the Philadelphia eight yard line. RB Scott Laidlaw ran for a one-yard touchdown.

Midway through the opening quarter, the Eagles put together a promising series as Jaworski passed to TE Keith Krepfle for 15 yards and to RB Wilbert Montgomery for 35 on a third-and-10 play. The drive finally stalled at the Dallas 10 yard line and Philadelphia settled for a 27-yard field goal by Tony Franklin.

Just before the first quarter ended, the Cowboys scored again when Rafael Septien kicked a 40-yard field goal, finishing off an 11-play, 44-yard drive. The score was 10-3 in favor of the visitors.

In the second quarter, Tony Dorsett fumbled to set up an Eagles score. Jaworski threw to Montgomery for a 14-yard touchdown to cap an 11-play, 77-yard series that was highlighted by a 24-yard gain on a pass from Jaworski to WR Harold Carmichael. There was 2:40 left in the half, and the tally remained knotted at 10-10 at the midway point.

Rookie RB Ron Springs (pictured at top) came in for Dorsett, who suffered a shoulder separation on the play in which he fumbled and was done for the day. With the game tied in the third quarter, the Cowboys put together a 52-yard drive in which Springs ran three times for 17 yards and Robert Newhouse twice for 12 yards before going around right end on a sweep for a 17-yard touchdown.

The Dallas defense shut the Eagles down on their next series. Upon regaining the ball, the Cowboys went 56 yards in 14 plays that covered over six minutes. Springs had five carries for 22 yards and, on a third-and-eight play, Staubach scrambled for 13 yards. The Cowboys scored when Staubach’s pass intended for Tony Hill was deflected by LB Frank Lemaster and WR Butch Johnson, the replacement for the injured Drew Pearson, dove and caught it for a TD.

The Eagles weren’t finished and made it a seven-point game with 5:51 to play as Montgomery scored again on a one-yard run to cap an 11-play, 65-yard series. Along the way, Jaworski threw to WR Scott Fitzkee for 17 yards and to Montgomery for 33.

With time running out in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, the Eagles advanced to the Dallas 17 yard line. But on a third-and-ten play, DE Harvey Martin sacked Jaworski for a 12-yard loss and the fourth down pass against a heavy blitz fell incomplete. The Cowboys won by a score of 24-17.

The statistics indicated the closeness of the contest. Philadelphia had the edge in total yards (284 to 279) while the Cowboys had more first downs (19 to 18). The Eagles had far more net passing yards (204 to 94) but Dallas was more effective on the ground (185 to 80), which was crucial in putting together long drives that ran time off the clock. Each team turned the ball over once.

Reflecting the difficulty of passing in the windy conditions, Roger Staubach completed just 11 of 21 passes for 105 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Robert Newhouse led the runners with 68 yards and a TD on 12 carries, but Ron Springs was effective in place of the injured Tony Dorsett, also running the ball 12 times, for 62 yards. Before exiting, Dorsett gained 36 yards on 9 attempts. Tony Hill and RB Preston Pearson each caught a team-leading three passes, for 33 and 27 yards, respectively.

For the Eagles, Ron Jaworski was successful on 13 of 36 throws for 216 yards and a TD with the one early pickoff. Wilbert Montgomery (pictured at left) was the offensive star as he ran the ball 23 times for 65 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 93 yards and another score.

“Tony’s a great back,” said Ron Springs of Dorsett. “I’m just glad they called on me to run the ball. This is a great thrill. I hoped to have a great game so they wouldn’t miss Tony so badly.”

The win pulled the Cowboys into a tie for first in the NFC East with the Eagles and clinched a playoff spot. While both teams won their final games of the regular season the next week to end up at 11-5, the stunning come-from-behind victory for Dallas over the Redskins gave the Cowboys the division title over the Eagles thanks to the conference record tiebreaker (Washington was ultimately denied a playoff spot altogether). They were upset by the Rams in the Divisional round of the postseason. Philadelphia won its Wild Card game over the Bears but also was upset at the Divisional level, by the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As for the two players who came off the bench for the Cowboys to play key roles in the win over Philadelphia, Ron Springs rushed for 248 yards on 67 carries (3.7 avg.) with two touchdowns and also caught 25 passes for another 251 yards (10.0 avg.) and a TD. Butch Johnson, in his fourth year with the team, had 6 pass receptions for 105 yards and the one touchdown.

Wilbert Montgomery, the 1977 sixth-round draft choice who had emerged as a star in ‘78, remained a key all-purpose cog in Philadelphia’s offense. He garnered a league-leading 2006 yards from scrimmage, which included a team-record 1512 rushing yards and 494 yards on 41 pass receptions, and scored 14 touchdowns. For the second straight year he was selected to the Pro Bowl.