1994: Hughes Returns Kicks for 347 Yards as Saints Edge Rams

The New Orleans Saints were coming off back-to-back losses and had a 2-5 record as they hosted the Los Angeles Rams on October 23, 1994. QB Jim Everett had come over from the Rams in the offseason and was doing well, but the running game was ordinary and the defense, once the team’s strong point under Head Coach Jim Mora, was now a liability. Tyrone Hughes (pictured above), a Pro Bowl kick returner who led the NFL in punt returns in ’93, would be making his first start at cornerback.

The Rams were struggling at 3-4 under Head Coach Chuck Knox. RB Jerome Bettis led the running game and QB Chris Miller was capable – when healthy. Rookie WR Isaac Bruce had been a pleasant revelation, but LA’s defense was also highly suspect.

There were 47,908 fans in attendance at the Louisiana Superdome. Tyrone Hughes returned the opening kickoff an innocuous 17 yards and the Saints drove 77 yards in nine plays. Jim Everett, appearing against his former team for the first time, started hot and completed passes to WR Torrance Small for 16 yards and WR Quinn Early for 11 while WR Michael Haynes gained 12 yards on an end-around. The series concluded with RB Derek Brown running the final three yards for a touchdown and Morten Andersen added the extra point.

The Rams punted following a short possession and New Orleans again drove to a score. Along the way the Saints converted three third downs, all on Everett passes, as they again went 77 yards, this time in 10 plays. The big one resulted in a TD as Everett connected with TE Wesley Walls from 30 yards out. Andersen again added the PAT for a 14-0 lead.

WR Todd Kinchen returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards and that seemed to invigorate the Rams offense as Chris Miller threw to WR Willie “Flipper” Anderson for 23 yards to the New Orleans 30. Another pass completion was followed by two short Jerome Bettis carries before, on the first play of the second quarter, Miller threw to Isaac Bruce in the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown. Tony Zendejas added the extra point and the home team’s lead was cut to 14-7.

Hughes returned the kickoff 23 yards and the Saints made it to their 46 before having to punt. However, they got the ball back quickly when, on the next play, Miller’s pass was deflected and intercepted by Hughes at the LA 12. New Orleans wasn’t able to reach the end zone, but Andersen booted a 21-yard field goal to make it a ten-point game.

Once again the Rams turned the ball over when CB Jimmy Spencer intercepted a Miller pass at the Los Angeles 42 and returned it to the 31. Everett went for the score with a bomb intended for Haynes on the first play, and while it fell incomplete the Rams were flagged for pass interference. With first-and-goal at the one, it seemed as though the Saints were on the verge of taking control of the game. But on the second play, RB Lorenzo Neal fumbled and SS Toby Wright picked up the ball at the two and returned it 98 yards for a TD. Zendejas added the extra point and suddenly, what had appeared to be a rout in the making was now a three-point contest at 17-14.

The Saints struck back with equal suddenness. On the ensuing kickoff, Hughes pulled in the kick at his eight and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown. Andersen’s successful conversion again made it a ten-point margin for the home team.

LA responded with a 33-yard drive in six plays following Kinchen’s 33-yard kickoff return. Miller connected on back-to-back passes to Bruce for 25 yards and also had a 10-yard run on a third-and-12 play. It set up a 47-yard Zendejas field goal and the New Orleans lead was cut to 24-17.

Hughes returned the next kickoff 31 yards but the Saints failed to move and punted. The Rams backed themselves up with penalties on their next series and Sean Landeta’s 55-yard punt was returned 25 yards to midfield by Hughes. With just 48 seconds remaining in the first half, Everett passed the Saints into field goal range and Andersen obliged with a successful kick from 40 yards to give New Orleans a 27-17 lead at the intermission.

The Rams started the third quarter with a new quarterback in place of the injured Miller, Chris Chandler. Their first series was a short one that resulted in a punt, which Hughes returned 13 yards before fumbling. Small recovered for New Orleans at his 35, and from there the Saints advanced 46 yards in 10 plays. For the most part, they kept the ball on the ground with Bates and Brown carrying, although Everett added a pass to Walls for 28 yards to the LA 30. Andersen capped the drive with a 37-yard field goal and the New Orleans lead was extended to 30-17.

Los Angeles responded with a long 15-play, 55-yard possession. Nine of the plays were runs by Bettis, who gained 41 yards, including one yard that converted a fourth down. Chandler completed one of his four passes and Zendejas kicked a 32-yard field goal.

The 30-20 score didn’t last long when, on the kickoff that was also the final play of the period, Hughes again returned it all the way for a touchdown, this time covering 98 yards. Andersen made it a 37-20 contest entering the fourth quarter.

The teams traded punts before the Rams put together a scoring drive. A long completion on the first play was called back for offensive pass interference, but Chandler hit on four of his next six passes and RB Johnny Bailey ran for a seven-yard TD.

The Saints followed up with a series that consumed 4:32 and reached Los Angeles territory. The drive finally sputtered out at the LA 39 and Tommy Barnhardt punted, but now it was time for the Rams to make a big play on a kick return as CB Robert Bailey (pictured at right) ran it back a record-setting 103 yards for a touchdown. No one had downed the ball when it sailed into the end zone, looking as though it would pass on through, but it bounced back and sat live and untouched. While Saints players complained that the ball had hit the end line and they heard a whistle, Bailey’s quick thinking as he picked up the live ball and took off was rewarded and Zendejas added yet another successful conversion. With just under four minutes remaining in regulation, the once seemingly comfortable New Orleans lead was cut to three points.

The Saints were able to get a first down on their next series as they ran the time down to 34 seconds before punting. Johnny Bailey returned it 14 yards to the LA 40, but Chandler was sacked on the next play and then threw a pass that was intercepted by CB Selwyn Jones to effectively end the contest. New Orleans won by a final score of 37-34.

It was certainly a game made memorable by big plays – there were four touchdown returns of over 90 yards. The Saints outgained Los Angeles (314 yards to 242) and had more first downs (18 to 13). The Rams also turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by New Orleans, and were penalized 9 times, at a cost of 84 yards, to five flags thrown on the Saints.

Tyrone Hughes set a NFL record with 347 yards on combined kick returns, with 304 on 7 kickoff returns and 43 on three punt returns. The previous single-game record for return yards was 294, held jointly by Detroit’s Wally Triplett in 1950 and Woodley Lewis of the Rams in 1953. Hughes also broke Triplett’s record of 294 yards for kickoff returns alone with his 304 yards and he became the fourth player to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in a game.

Jim Everett completed 17 of 26 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown with none intercepted. Derek Brown rushed for 86 yards on 26 carries that included a TD. Quinn Early and Michael Haynes each caught four passes, for 40 and 36 yards, respectively, while Wesley Walls had the most receiving yards with 65 on three receptions that included a score.

For the Rams, Chris Miller, before leaving the game with a concussion, was successful on 7 of 11 throws for 88 yards and a TD, but with two interceptions. In relief, Chris Chandler went 7 of 17 for 74 yards and was intercepted once. Jerome Bettis was held to 63 yards on 18 carries. Johnny Bailey had four catches for 36 yards while also running the ball once for a seven-yard touchdown. Isaac Bruce and Willie Anderson each gained 44 yards on three receptions, with Bruce having a TD among his. Lost in Tyrone Hughes’ heroics was a fine kickoff returning day by Todd Kinchen, who averaged 32.8 yards on his four returns. Also overshadowed was Robert Bailey’s record 103-yard punt return – the only one of his 11-season NFL career.

“I have the easiest part as far as being a punt returner and kick returner,” said Hughes. “All you have to do is get back there, catch the ball, and run. The hard job is up there on the blockers. They have to do the work and I get all the fun.”

“It was a pretty weird game,” summed up LA veteran guard Tom Newberry. “There were a lot of points scored in a lot of bizarre ways.”

The Saints continued to struggle, losing three of their next four games, and finished second in the NFC West with a 7-9 record. The Rams, in their final season in Los Angeles, were last at 4-12.

Tyrone Hughes led the NFL in kickoffs returned (63) and yards (1556) although his 24.7 average ranked ninth. His 6.8 average on 21 punt returns was only half of his NFL-leading 13.6 of the year before, but he did lead the league in non-offensive touchdowns with four (two on kick returns, two returning fumbles). 

1961: Bears Shut Down the 49er Shotgun

The San Francisco 49ers had raised eyebrows throughout the NFL with their utilization of a new offensive alignment, called the shotgun, for the last five games of the 1960 season, winning four of them. The shotgun was a spread formation with the quarterback taking the snap from about seven yards behind center rather than directly as in the standard T-formation and then typically rolling out with the option to run or pass. Head Coach Red Hickey developed it out of desperation because the offense was not performing well, and the good results assured that it would be San Francisco’s regular offense for 1961.

The 49ers took a step in the direction of fully implementing the shotgun in the 1961 NFL draft when they chose Bill Kilmer, a tailback out of UCLA, as one of their first round picks. He was both mobile and a fair passer, which made him a good fit for the shotgun. Kilmer was one of three quarterbacks on the roster that were alternated throughout the game to operate the shotgun. John Brodie, a fifth-year veteran, was more adept at passing and Bob Waters, in his second season, was a runner (13-year veteran Y.A. Tittle was the odd man out and was traded to the Giants in the preseason). San Francisco was off to a 4-1 start and leading the league in points and total yards as the club traveled to Chicago to take on the Bears on October 22, 1961.

The Bears, coached by George Halas, were 3-2. They had a new starting quarterback in Bill Wade, obtained from the Rams, as well as a promising rookie in TE Mike Ditka. Most of all, Chicago had a solid defense which had at its core the outstanding linebacker trio of Joe Fortunato, Bill George, and Larry Morris.

Chicago’s defensive coach Clark Shaughnessy pulled a page out of his knowledge of the old single-wing formation (among others that were similar to the shotgun) by having the middle linebacker, Bill George (pictured at top), right on top of San Francisco’s center who, having to pass the ball back several yards between his legs, was not well positioned to block. A great player with outstanding instincts, George’s assignment was to shoot through the gap and pressure the quarterback. The defensive linemen also shifted and sought to account for the movements of the running backs – or wing backs – who usually set up at the line. In addition, the Bears adjusted their defensive formations to the relative abilities of the three San Francisco quarterbacks.

There were 49,070 fans on hand for the game at Wrigley Field. The Bears punted following their first possession but got the ball back when FB J.D. Smith of the 49ers fumbled on the first play and Joe Fortunato recovered at the San Francisco 27. Chicago came up empty, however, when Roger LeClerc’s 35-yard field goal attempt was short.

All three quarterbacks contributed as the 49ers moved 20 yards on their next series, but again they turned the ball over when Bill Kilmer fumbled it away at his own 40. Two plays later, Chicago’s Bill Wade threw a pass that was intercepted by CB Jimmy Johnson. The Niners punted and that remained the pattern into the second quarter as neither offense was able to move effectively.

The Bears were winning the battle for field position, however, and after a 27-yard Tommy Davis punt gave them the ball at the San Francisco 48, they finally took advantage. They needed only three plays as, following a four-yard run, Wade threw to Mike Ditka (pictured at left) for 22 yards and then to split end Bo Farrington for a 26-yard touchdown. LeClerc added the extra point for the 7-0 lead.

On the next series, the Bears got the ball back when Harlon Hill, normally an offensive end but now also playing defensive back, intercepted a Brodie pass and returned it 24 yards to the San Francisco 40. Again they scored quickly as Wade, after first being sacked for a seven-yard loss, threw to Ditka for a 47-yard TD. LeClerc again converted and the score remained 14-0 at the half.

It remained the same story as the game entered the second half. The 49ers couldn’t move on offense, and the Bears continued to win the battle for field position. In their second series of the third quarter, Wade completed a pass to Ditka for 23 yards, HB Willie Galimore had a 16-yard run, and on the seventh play Wade again connected with Ditka for a 15-yard touchdown.

Down 21-0, CB Abe Woodson returned the ensuing kickoff 34 yards and a roughing-the-passer penalty advanced the 49ers to their 49 yard line – their deepest penetration since the first quarter. But Kilmer, Waters, and Brodie each threw an incomplete pass and the Niners again had to punt.

Late in the third quarter, Waters was picked off by CB Dave Whitsell to give the Bears the ball at the San Francisco 29. As the game moved into the final period, Chicago moved methodically down to the one yard line but a field goal attempt was unsuccessful. It hardly mattered, especially when Fortunato intercepted a Brodie pass on the next play and the Bears had possession at the San Francisco 27. This time they came away with points when Ed Brown kicked a 29-yard field goal.

With fewer than six minutes left to play, the outcome was not in doubt. The 49ers remained utterly stymied on offense and, following another fumble, the Bears padded the score with a Wade pass to flanker Johnny Morris for a seven-yard touchdown. Adding the extra point, the final tally was a decisive 31-0 for Chicago.

Chicago’s domination was complete. The Bears led in total yards (305 to 132) and first downs (17 to 6), and in the second half San Francisco had a net gain of one yard and one first down. The 49ers had only 40 net passing yards and turned the ball over six times, to one suffered by Chicago.

Bill Wade completed 13 of 22 passes for 171 yards with four touchdowns against one interception. Mike Ditka was the receiving star with four catches for 107 yards and two TDs. Johnny Morris also had four receptions, for 33 yards and a score. FB Rick Casares led the productive ground game with 67 yards on 13 carries.

For the 49ers, John Brodie was successful on just three of 10 throws for 23 yards and tossed two interceptions. Bill Kilmer (pictured below, attempting to escape from Chicago DE Doug Atkins) was two-of-four for 17 yards and led the club in rushing with 36 yards on 7 attempts. Bob Waters was 0-for-4 with an interception throwing the ball and ran for 20 yards on 8 carries. Split end R.C. Owens was the leading receiver with three catches for 32 yards.

The Bears won the next week to improve their record to 5-2, but then lost three straight on the way to finishing 8-6 and tied with the Colts for third place in the Western Conference. San Francisco was right behind at 7-6-1.

Teams followed Chicago’s lead in defensing the shotgun and Coach Hickey eventually abandoned it, although it would be revived by Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970s for passing situations. Its use is widespread today, with some variations, but typically not for every down – and not with a three-quarterback rotation.

MVP Profile: Peyton Manning, 2008

Quarterback, Indianapolis Colts

Age:  32

11^th season in pro football & with Colts

College: Tennessee

Height: 6’5”   Weight: 230

Prelude:

Son of NFL quarterback Archie Manning and a star in college, Manning was chosen by the Colts with the first overall draft pick in 1998. It didn’t take long for him to justify the selection as he set NFL rookie records with 3739 passing yards and 26 TD passes. He led the league with 575 pass attempts, also a record for a rookie at the time, but also with 28 interceptions on a 3-13 club. The record turned around to 13-3 in ’99, the Colts qualified for the postseason, and Manning was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time as he passed for 4135 yards and, while he again threw 26 TD passes, his interceptions dropped to 15. A classic drop-back passer, he lacked his father’s mobility but made up for it with a quick release – not to mention an excellent work ethic. Manning led the NFL with 357 completions, 4413 yards, and 33 TD passes in 2000 and again was chosen for the Pro Bowl. Following a lesser year in ’01 as the Colts dropped to 6-10, he bounced back with a third Pro Bowl season in 2002, passing for 4200 yards (his fourth straight year over 4000) and 27 touchdowns. Manning received MVP recognition in 2003 after leading the NFL in completions (379), yards (4267), and completion percentage (67.0). He again received MVP honors and was a consensus first-team All-Pro in 2004 as he set a record with 49 TD passes while leading the league in passing (121.1 rating) for the first of three straight years and also topped the NFL in TD percentage (9.9) and yards per attempt (9.2). He was consensus first-team All-Pro for the third consecutive year in 2005 and, in ’06, finally overcame years of frustration in the playoffs as the Colts won the Super Bowl. Manning led the NFL in TD passes with 31 that year, against just 9 interceptions. In 2007, he was selected to his sixth straight Pro Bowl (eighth overall) and was over 4000 passing yards for the eighth time, but the Colts were upset by the Chargers in the AFC Divisional playoff round.

2008 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 555 [5]

Most attempts, game – 49 vs. Chicago 9/7

Completions – 371 [4]

Most completions, game – 32 at San Diego 11/23

Yards – 4002 [6]

Most yards, game – 364 at Jacksonville 12/18

Completion percentage – 66.8 [3]

Yards per attempt – 7.2 [13, tied with four others]

TD passes – 27 [5]

Most TD passes, game – 3 vs. Baltimore 10/12, at Pittsburgh 11/9, vs. Cincinnati 12/7, at Jacksonville 12/18

Interceptions – 12 [11, tied with four others]

Most interceptions, game – 2 on five occasions

Passer rating – 95.0 [5]

300-yard passing games – 4

200-yard passing games – 14

Rushing

Attempts – 20

Most attempts, game - 4 (for 8 yds.) at Houston 10/5

Yards – 21

Most yards, game – 12 yards (on 1 carry) vs. Jacksonville 9/21

Yards per attempt – 1.1

TDs – 1

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Postseason: 1 G (AFC Wild Card playoff at San Diego)

Pass attempts – 42

Pass completions – 25

Passing yardage – 310

TD passes – 1

Interceptions – 0

Rushing attempts – 1

Rushing yards – -1

Average gain rushing – -1.0

Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: AP, PFWA, Sporting News

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA

Pro Bowl

Colts went 12-4 to finish second in the AFC South and qualify for a Wild Card berth in the postseason. Lost AFC Wild Card playoff to San Diego Chargers (23-17).

Aftermath:

Manning was again a consensus first-team All-NFL selection and MVP honoree in 2009 as the Colts won the AFC Championship. He started 208 regular season games at quarterback until sidelined for all of 2011 with a neck injury. Released by the Colts and signed by the Denver Broncos for 2012, Manning made a successful comeback and led the NFL in completion percentage (68.6) while passing for 4659 yards and 37 TDs, garnering consensus first-team All-Pro honors for the sixth time as well as selection to a 12^th Pro Bowl. Through 2012, he had passed for 59,487 yards, with 12 seasons over 4000, and 436 TD passes.

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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). 

1968: Kelly Runs for 130 Yards as Browns Hand Colts Only Loss of Season

The Baltimore Colts were cruising at 5-0, and had lost only once in their previous 19 games (that included two ties), as they hosted the Cleveland Browns on October 20, 1968. Head Coach Don Shula’s team was winning despite the loss of star QB Johnny Unitas to a severe elbow injury in the preseason. 34-year-old QB Earl Morrall, acquired from the Giants as insurance, was filling in admirably for the all-time great. The rest of the club was solid. If anything, with the Browns coming into town they could be excused for looking ahead to a showdown with the Rams the next week – the team that had inflicted the defeat at the end of the 1967 that cost the Colts a spot in the postseason.

Cleveland, coached by Blanton Collier, had a 2-3 record and was most recently coming off a loss to the Cardinals. They, too, had gained a new quarterback in the prior offseason in Bill Nelsen, who came from the Browns and supplanted veteran Frank Ryan three weeks into the schedule. They had an outstanding runner in HB Leroy Kelly (pictured above) and equally great receiver in split end Paul Warfield and, after starting slowly, the offense was beginning to come to life following the change at quarterback.

There were 60,238 fans in attendance at Memorial Stadium on a sunny afternoon. The Browns took the opening kickoff and put together a long series that featured Bill Nelsen throwing to WR Eppie Barney for 15 yards and Leroy Kelly gaining 14 yards on a draw play in a third-and-six situation. But after reaching the Baltimore 29, Nelsen was dropped for a 10-yard loss on a third-down play and Don Cockroft’s 47-yard field goal attempt fell short and was returned by FS Rick Volk to the Baltimore 25.

The Colts got a quick first down when Earl Morrall threw to WR Jimmy Orr for seven yards and FB Jerry Hill followed up with a four-yard run. However, three plays later Morrall faced a heavy blitz and, hit by DT Jim Kanicki, fumbled. LB Jim Houston recovered for the Browns and they took advantage by driving 37 yards in seven plays. Nelsen threw two passes to Paul Warfield, for 15 and 9 yards apiece, and Kelly took a swing pass to gain the last two yards for a touchdown. With Cockroft’s extra point, the Browns were up by 7-0.

HB Preston Pearson returned the ensuing kickoff 35 yards to his own 40 and the Colts were at the Cleveland 49 as the first quarter ended, but had to punt. The Browns, pinned down at their 10, went three-and-out and Baltimore regained possession at midfield. Morrall immediately went to the air and hit Orr for 27 yards and HB Tom Matte then ran the remaining 23 yards for a TD. With the conversion by Lou Michaels, the score was tied.

The teams traded punts as neither offense was able to move until, with just under three minutes remaining in the half, the Browns took possession at their 19 and mounted an 81-yard drive in 10 plays. Kelly ran the ball well and gained 16 yards on a pass completion. A throw by Nelsen to TE Milt Morin picked up 20 yards and had another 15 yards tacked on for a roughing-the-passer penalty to get the ball to the Baltimore 19. The drive culminated in Nelsen passing to Warfield for a five-yard touchdown with the clock down to 24 seconds and Cockroft added the PAT. Cleveland went into halftime with a 14-7 lead.

When the Colts came out for their first series of the third quarter, Johnny Unitas was at quarterback, much to the excitement of the crowd. It was not a promising return for the veteran star, however, when his first pass was deflected and intercepted by FS Mike Howell. Starting at the Baltimore 34, the Browns methodically drove to another score in eight plays. Nelsen threw to Barney for a two-yard TD, Cockroft booted the extra point, and the visitors were now leading by 21-7.

Unitas threw two incomplete passes on the next series, but the Colts got a break when CB Ben Davis fumbled the resulting punt and LB Bob Grant recovered at the Cleveland 37. The rusty Unitas still had difficulty completing passes, but Baltimore managed to get a 17-yard Michaels field goal to make it a 21-10 game.

The Colts managed to retain possession on the following kickoff when Michaels recovered his own short, bouncing kick at the Cleveland 29. Baltimore picked up only four yards in three plays and Michaels kicked another field goal, this time from 33 yards.

The teams traded punts for the remainder of the period. The fourth quarter started with Unitas throwing for Orr, but the pass bounced out of the receiver’s hands and was intercepted by LB Bob Matheson, who returned it 30 yards to the Baltimore four. From there on the next play, Kelly ran around end for a touchdown. While Cockroft’s extra point attempt was blocked by DE Bubba Smith, Cleveland was now ahead by 27-13.

Another short series for the Colts ended in Unitas throwing an interception, this time with DE Bill Glass grabbing the deflected pass and giving the visitors the ball at the Baltimore 17. By this point, many in the crowd that was earlier buoyed by his return were booing the all-time great as he left the field. The Browns reached the four before Cockroft kicked an 11-yard field goal.

Morrall was back at quarterback for the Colts, to the cheers of the fans, and he went to the air eight times, completed five, with the last pass to WR Willie Richardson for an eight-yard touchdown. The extra point by Michaels made it a ten-point game, but that was the last gasp for Baltimore. An onside kick was recovered by the Browns and they were able to maintain possession and nail down the 30-20 win.

Cleveland had more total yards (305 to 212) and first downs (19 to 13) than the Colts. The Browns especially ran the ball effectively, gaining 179 yards on the ground. The key was Baltimore’s five turnovers, to one suffered by Cleveland.

Leroy Kelly was the star on offense with 130 rushing yards on 30 carries that included a touchdown plus 18 more yards on two catches that included another TD. Bill Nelsen (pictured at right) completed 15 of 23 passes for three touchdowns with none intercepted and also ran the ball four times for another 32 yards. Paul Warfield had 5 pass receptions for 46 yards and a score.

For the Colts, Earl Morrall was successful on 10 of 18 throws for 130 yards and a TD and one interception. Johnny Unitas completed only one of 11 passes for 12 yards and suffered three interceptions. Tom Matte rushed for 64 yards and a TD on 13 carries and gained another 37 yards on two catches. John Mackey led the receivers with three receptions for 41 yards while Jimmy Orr also caught three passes, for 38 yards.

“I couldn’t get the ball down,” explained Johnny Unitas of his difficulties throwing the ball. “I was releasing it high. But I did have some bad luck.”

When asked further about his reaction to being booed by the home crowd, Unitas responded with a terse “I could care less.”

With Morrall continuing to start for the remainder of the season, the Colts regained their footing to decisively defeat the Rams the next week and continue on to a 13-1 record and first place in the Coastal Division. The win over the Colts initiated an eight-game winning streak for the Browns, who topped the Century Division at 10-4. Both teams won their conference title games, with Cleveland upsetting Dallas in the Eastern Conference and Baltimore easily dispatching the Vikings in the Western Conference. In the rematch for the NFL Championship, the Colts gained their revenge by a convincing 34-0 score. However, the dream season ended with a stunning loss to the AFL-Champion New York Jets in the Super Bowl.

Leroy Kelly led the NFL in rushing for the second straight year with 1239 yards on 248 carries (5.0 avg.) and 16 touchdowns. Adding in 22 catches for 297 yards and another four TDs, he led the league in yards from scrimmage (1536), touchdowns (20), and scoring (120 points). In addition to receiving consensus first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl honors, he was named as recipient of the Maxwell Club’s Bert Bell Award as NFL Player of the Year.

Earl Morrall was the consensus league MVP, however, as he led the league in passing (93.2 rating), touchdown passes (26), yards per attempt (9.2), and yards per completion (16.0) while placing second in passing yards (2909) and completion percentage (57.4). In sixth place (third by the current rating system, at 86.4) was Bill Nelsen, who ranked in the top five in yards (2366), touchdowns (19), yards per attempt (8.1), and yards per completion (15.6).

Johnny Unitas saw scant action during the remainder of the regular season, but did lead the Colts to their only touchdown in the Super Bowl defeat in relief of Morrall. While there were concerns as to his ability to come back (he was 36 by the start of the 1969 season), he did return to the starting job, although with increasingly diminishing returns until his last year in 1973.  

1962: Patriots Overcome 17-Point Deficit to Defeat Chargers

The Boston Patriots were 3-2 and trying to keep pace with the Oilers in the American Football League’s Eastern Division as they hosted the San Diego Chargers on October 19, 1962. Coached by Mike Holovak, the Patriots were a well-balanced offensive club with 32-year-old QB Babe Parilli directing an attack that featured HB Ron Burton, flanker Jim Colclough, and split end Gino Cappelletti, a slow-but-dependable receiver who was an equally dependable placekicker. The defense had some stars in DE Bob Dee, DT Houston Antwine, OLB Tom Addison, and up-and-coming rookie MLB Nick Buoniconti. However, the one problem area was that they were weak against the pass.

The Chargers, under the direction of Head Coach Sid Gillman, had won the Western Division in each of the AFL’s first two seasons, but they were 3-3 and experiencing problems. Those problems had started with the loss of star HB Paul Lowe for the year with a broken arm during the preseason and got worse when QB Jack Kemp suffered a hand injury that caused the team to place him on waivers, with the intent of bringing him back, but ended up with his being awarded to Buffalo. Rookie QB John Hadl was not yet ready to start and Dick Wood, older at age 26 but hardly more experienced, was behind center for the game at Boston.

The Patriots were favored coming into the Friday night contest at Nickerson Field and attendance was 20,888 at the small facility. Following a three-and-out possession by the Chargers, Boston went 57 yards in eight plays highlighted by Babe Parilli connecting with FB Jim Crawford on a 42-yard pass play to the San Diego seven yard line. The drive bogged down, but Gino Cappelletti kicked a 13-yard field goal to give the home team an early 3-0 lead.

The Chargers came right back as Dick Wood completed passes to end Don Norton for 18 and 16 yards. The series ended with Wood throwing to TE Dave Kocurek for a 36-yard touchdown and George Blair added the extra point to make it 7-3 in favor of San Diego.

A short Boston series ended with a punt and the Chargers moved well as Wood threw to HB Keith Lincoln for 23 yards. However, on a third-and-six play Wood was sacked for a 15-yard loss by DT Jess Richardson, although they put three more points on the board thanks to a 43-yard field goal by Blair.

The opening period ended with Parilli being intercepted by CB Claude Gibson, but the Chargers, after reaching the Boston 13, came up empty when Wood was picked off by Tom Addison. The Patriots again had to punt and the visitors struck quickly when Wood threw to Norton for a 49-yard gain to the Boston three. Two plays later, the Chargers scored a touchdown on a two-yard carry by FB Bobby Jackson and, with Blair’s successful conversion, San Diego was up by 17-3.

The Patriots still were struggling on offense and had to punt following the next possession. Lincoln reeled off 14 yards on two carries, but after reaching Boston territory Addison intercepted a pass. The teams traded punts until San Diego CB Dick Harris intercepted a Parilli throw to give the Chargers possession at the Boston 23. It led to Blair kicking a 27-yard field goal.

With time running out in the first half, Parilli completed three passes as the Patriots advanced to the San Diego 24, but a 31-yard field goal try by Cappelletti sailed wide. The Chargers took a comfortable 20-3 lead into halftime and the disgruntled home fans jeered their team’s disappointing performance as the players headed for the locker room.

The momentum shifted decisively in the second half. On their second series of the third quarter, the Patriots put together a nine-play, 56-yard series. Parilli threw to Ron Burton (pictured at left) for 20 yards and gained 16 yards on two carries himself before finishing the drive on a third-and-four play with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Jim Colclough. Cappelletti’s extra point try sailed under the crossbar, but the San Diego margin was narrowed to 20-9.

After a short series by the Chargers, Boston took over at its 30 and again moved the ball effectively. Parilli threw to Colclough for another TD, this time from 25 yards out, and then tossed a pass to Crawford for a two-point conversion that made it a three-point game.

End Jerry Robinson returned the ensuing kickoff 57 yards for the Chargers to give them outstanding field position at the Boston 33, but it was all for naught two plays later when Nick Buoniconti intercepted a pass by Wood. As the period wound down, the Patriots once again moved well on offense with Burton and Crawford running effectively and Parilli throwing for 10 yards. Three plays into the fourth quarter, Crawford, on his third straight carry, ran three yards for a touchdown to cap the 10-play, 68-yard series. Cappelletti added the extra point and the Patriots were now on top by four points.

With Wood shaken up, John Hadl entered the game at quarterback for the Chargers and they moved 26 yards before having to punt from their own 46. Boston went three-and-out and punted the ball back, but after Hadl threw to Kocurek for 18 yards, he was sacked on consecutive plays for losses totaling 21 yards. The visitors again had to kick the ball away.

While the Patriots had short possessions, the Chargers had the ball twice more, the first a three-and-out series and the second ending with Wood, now back behind center, being intercepted by safety Ross O’Hanley to effectively end the contest. Boston came away with a 24-20 win.

The Patriots outgained the Chargers (312 yards to 260) and had more first downs (20 to 11). They were especially productive on the ground, with 175 rushing yards to San Diego’s 90. San Diego turned the ball over four times, to two turnovers suffered by Boston, and was penalized 7 times at a cost of 55 yards, to three flags thrown on the Patriots.

Babe Parilli completed 14 of 26 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns with two intercepted. Jim Crawford ran for 61 yards and a TD on 11 carries and also had 5 catches for 53 yards. Ron Burton ran for 32 yards on 11 attempts and was also productive as a receiver out of the backfield with 5 receptions for a team-leading 54 yards. Jim Colclough had two pass receptions for 34 yards, both of which were touchdowns.

For the Chargers, Dick Wood was successful on just 8 of 23 throws for 162 yards and a TD while also tossing three interceptions. John Hadl went four-of-eight for 44 yards and was picked off once. Don Norton (pictured at right) had four catches for 107 yards and Dave Kocurek also pulled in four passes, for 65 yards and a score. Keith Lincoln topped the running game with 48 yards on 12 carries.

The Patriots continued to play well, even after losing Parilli to a broken collarbone for the last month of the season. They still remained in contention until the final week and finished second in the Eastern Division with a 9-4-1 record. Meanwhile, the injury-riddled Chargers lost their next four games and won only once more the rest of the way, primarily with Hadl at quarterback, to end up third in the Western Division at 4-10.

Playing in ten games, Babe Parilli was the league’s second-ranked passer as he threw for 1988 yards with 18 touchdowns as opposed to 8 interceptions. Ron Burton ran the ball 134 times for 548 yards and caught 40 passes for 461 more yards while scoring seven touchdowns. Jim Colclough led the team with 10 TDs on his 40 pass receptions for 868 yards (21.7 avg.). He was named to the AFL All-Star Game. Gino Cappelletti scored 128 points, putting him in a tie for second with Buffalo’s Cookie Gilchrist behind Gene Mingo of the Broncos.

Rookie of the Year: Dan Marino, 1983

Quarterback, Miami Dolphins

Age:  22 (Sept. 15)

College: Pittsburgh

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 214

Prelude:

While he had been the Univ. of Pittsburgh’s all-time passing leader, there were questions about Marino and, as part of a highly-touted class of available quarterbacks, he fell to the Dolphins as the 27^th pick in the first round (and the fifth QB). Marino quickly put the doubts to rest, taking over from David Woodley as the starter after several relief appearances, with the club at 3-3, and passing Miami to 9 wins in the final 10 games. Marino displayed a strong arm and quick release, making up for a lack of mobility, as well as being a quick study in reading NFL defenses.

1983 Season Summary

Appeared in 11 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 296

Most attempts, game – 38 vs. LA Rams 10/30

Completions – 173

Most completions, game – 25 vs. LA Rams 10/30

Yards – 2210

Most yards, game – 322 vs. Buffalo

Completion percentage – 58.4 [16]

Yards per attempt – 7.5 [10]

TD passes – 20 [11, tied with Dan Fouts, Jim Plunkett & Ron Jaworski]

Most TD passes, game – 3 vs. Buffalo 10/9, at NY Jets 10/16, vs. Cincinnati 11/28

Interceptions – 6

Most interceptions, game – 2 vs. Buffalo 10/9

Passer rating – 96.0 [3, 1st in AFC]

300-yard passing games – 1

200-yard passing games – 5

Rushing

Attempts – 28

Most attempts, game - 5 (for 10 yds.) at San Francisco 11/6

Yards – 45

Most yards, game – 18 yards (on 2 carries) at New England 11/13

Yards per attempt – 1.6

TDs – 2

Scoring

TDs – 2

Points – 12

Postseason: 1 G (AFC Divisional playoff vs. Seattle Seahawks)

Pass attempts – 25

Pass completions – 15

Passing yardage – 193

TD passes – 2

Interceptions – 2

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: Sporting News

2^nd team All-NFL: AP

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

Pro Bowl

Dolphins went 12-4 to finish first in the AFC East. Lost AFC Divisional playoff to Seattle Seahawks (27-20).

Aftermath:

Marino followed up his fine rookie year with a brilliant 1984 season in which he set NFL records for passing yards (5084) and TD passes (48). The Dolphins were AFC Champions, although they lost to the 49ers in the Super Bowl. He had three more 4000-yard passing performances in the next four years and threw 44 TD passes in 1986. The Dolphins made it to the AFC title game again in 1985, but failed to reach the Super Bowl during the remainder of Marino’s 17-year career. With his ability to get the ball away in a hurry plus excellent protection, he rarely was sacked and proved to be durable, putting together a streak of 145 consecutive starts in non-strike games before an Achilles tendon injury sidelined him five games into the ’93 season. Overall, he led the NFL in passing yards four more times, TD passes twice, completions five times and attempts on four more occasions. The Dolphins were 147-93 with him behind center, 8-10 in the postseason. Upon his retirement, Marino was the league’s career leader in passes (8358), completions (4967), TD passes (420), and passing yards (61,361). The Dolphins retired his #13 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2005.

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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 11/30/14]

1983: Packers Defeat Redskins in 48-47 Monday Night Thriller

The Green Bay Packers were facing a major challenge as they hosted the Washington Redskins on October 17, 1983. At 3-3, Head Coach Bart Starr’s Packers were a team that could put points on the board, especially with QB Lynn Dickey (pictured above) passing to wide receivers James Lofton and John Jefferson and TE Paul Coffman. But they also gave up points and came into the game with the 28^th-ranked defense in the NFL. They also had to make adjustments on the offensive line, with G Tim Huffman out with an ankle injury that necessitated moving Greg Koch over from his OT position and starting Charlie Getty at tackle.

Having a poor defense was not a good situation to be in when facing the Redskins. Coached by Joe Gibbs, they were coming off a Super Bowl-winning season and, if anything, were even stronger in ‘83. Behind the best offensive line in the league, QB Joe Theismann was a proficient passer and RB John Riggins a powerful force running the ball. If there was a weak point, it was the defensive backfield, but Washington was cruising at 5-1, with a close opening-game loss to the Cowboys the only blemish.

There were 55,255 fans in attendance for the Monday night game at Lambeau Field. Just over a minute into the first quarter, they had reason to get excited when Green Bay LB Mike Douglass forced RB Joe Washington to fumble and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown and, with Jan Stenerud’s extra point added, the early 7-0 lead.

DB Mike Nelms returned the kickoff 41 yards and the Redskins drove 55 yards in six plays, highlighted by Theismann’s pass to WR Art Monk for a 34-yard gain. The series ended with John Riggins fumbling into the end zone and TE Clint Didier recovering for a TD. Mark Moseley tied the score with his PAT.

Green Bay responded with a 10-play, 40-yard drive. Lynn Dickey threw to Paul Coffman for 17 yards and John Jefferson for 13 along the way and Stenerud kicked a 47-yard field goal that put the Packers back in front by three.

Washington moved the ball quickly downfield with Theismann connecting with Monk for a 22-yard gain and with RB Nick Giaquinto for 31 more yards. But the Green Bay defense came through with back-to-back sacks of Theismann and the Redskins had to settle for a 42-yard Moseley field goal. The eventful first quarter ended with the score tied at 10-10.

Things did not slow down as the game approached the second quarter. Dickey threw to James Lofton for 21 yards and the Packers picked up 15 more on a penalty when CB Darrell Green hit the receiver out of bounds. Dickey then tossed a 36-yard touchdown pass to Coffman. Stenerud added the extra point and the home team was back in front by 17-10.

Back came the Redskins, moving 67 yards in seven plays and highlighted by a 36-yard carry by Riggins. Riggins scored from a yard out and Moseley again knotted the score with the successful PAT.

The Packers reached the Washington 33 on the next series before a Dickey pass was intercepted by CB Anthony Washington. After getting a first down, the Redskins were finally forced to punt and Green Bay came back with a 73-yard, seven-play possession. RB Eddie Lee Ivery tossed an option pass to Coffman for 15 yards and a first down at the Washington 9 from where Coffman caught a scoring pass, this time from Dickey. Stenerud added the extra point and once again the Packers were in front by a touchdown.

With less than two minutes remaining in the half, the Redskins came out throwing. Theismann completed five passes to reach the Green Bay 11 and Moseley booted a 28-yard field goal as the clock reached five seconds. The Packers carried a 24-20 lead into the intermission.

Starting off the third quarter, the Packers struck quickly as they advanced 80 yards in just 42 seconds. Dickey threw to Coffman for 40 yards and then RB Gerry Ellis, taking advantage of a big hole, ran 24 yards for a touchdown. The home team had its biggest lead of the day at 31-20.

Washington seemed on the verge of responding with a touchdown, reaching the Green Bay four, but an offensive pass interference penalty nullified an apparent scoring catch and once again the Redskins settled for a Moseley field goal, this time from 31 yards.

Up by eight points, the Packers were forced to punt on their next series and Bucky Scribner’s kick was blocked to give the Redskins the ball at the Green Bay 19. Five plays later, Theismann threw to Joe Washington for a six-yard TD and, with Moseley’s PAT, the Green Bay lead was down to 31-30.

Washington’s defense again asserted itself as Dickey was sacked twice by DT Dave Butz. Nelms made a good return of the ensuing punt by Scribner to give the visitors possession at their 46. From there, the Redskins again moved deep into Green Bay territory, but after reaching the nine yard line, Douglass tackled Joe Washington for a loss and once again Washington was held to a field goal. Still, Moseley connected from 28 yards and put the visitors ahead by 33-31 with ten seconds left in the period.

RB Harlan Huckleby returned the ensuing kickoff for 54 yards to the Washington 39 and the fourth quarter started with Dickey throwing to Ellis for 32 yards. Shortly thereafter, TE Gary Lewis scored a touchdown from two yards out on an end-around that put the Packers back in front.

The Redskins came right back again as Theismann threw to Monk for 25 yards and WR Charlie Brown for another 15. Riggins blasted into the end zone from a yard out and the Washington was again in the lead of the wildly back-and-forth contest.

The Packers responded with another score of their own, with Dickey completing passes covering 19 yards to Jefferson and 17 yards to Lofton. An 11-yard touchdown pass to FB Mike Meade, followed by Stenerud’s extra point, again put Green Bay in front at 45-40.

Now it was Washington’s turn again. Theismann (pictured at right) threw to Monk for 21 yards and Joe Washington ran for two first downs. A sack of Theismann by DE Byron Braggs momentarily derailed the Redskins, but a pass to Giaquinto picked up 35 yards and set up a five-yard scoring toss to Washington. Moseley added the point and, with 2:50 left on the clock, the visitors were back on top at 47-45.

It looked bleak for the Packers when, following the kickoff, Dickey tossed two incomplete passes. But then he found Ellis on a short pass over the middle that turned into a 56-yard gain to the Washington eight and, after conservatively running the ball into the line three times, the dependable Stenerud came on to kick a 20-yard field goal. It was the fifth lead change of the final period and put the Packers ahead by a point.

There were still 54 seconds remaining in the contest, however, and while the Redskins had no timeouts remaining, they quickly moved the ball down the field. Theismann completed three passes to Joe Washington, gaining a total of 33 yards, and the running back made it out of bounds after each. Theismann then threw to Brown for 22 yards, but the clock was still running and the quarterback had to hurriedly toss a pass out of bounds with three seconds to go. On the last play of the game, Moseley missed a 39-yard field goal attempt, the fans erupted, and the Packers came away with the 48-47 win.

The combined 95 points was a new high for Monday Night Football. The teams also combined for 1025 yards of offense, with the Redskins topping Green Bay by 552 to 473. They had more first downs (33 to 23). Each team turned the ball over once, and there were just three punts in all (one by Washington, two for Green Bay, one of which was blocked by the Redskins).

Lynn Dickey completed 22 of 31 passes for 387 yards and three touchdowns with one intercepted. Paul Coffman had 6 catches for 124 yards and two TDs while Gerry Ellis (pictured at left) contributed 105 yards on four receptions to go along with his three carries for 41 yards that included a score. James Lofton caught 5 passes for 96 yards and John Jefferson added 50 yards on his four catches.

For the Redskins, Joe Theismann was successful on 27 of 39 throws for 398 yards and two TDs and no interceptions. Joe Washington caught 9 passes for 57 yards and two touchdowns to go along with his 80 rushing yards on 16 carries. John Riggins, who had to sit out much of the second half with a hip injury, nevertheless led the club on the ground with 98 yards on 25 attempts that included two TDs. Art Monk gained 105 yards on five catches and Charlie Brown had 6 receptions for 91 yards.

“It was about the wildest thing I’ve ever been in,” said Lynn Dickey. “I wish I had been in the stands or at home watching on tv, it was that good.”

“It was a tremendously inspirational win because you could see the sort of enthusiasm and intensity that was on display tonight,” said Bart Starr. “You have to salute both teams because Washington, for the reasons demonstrated on the field, is a world-championship team. They are magnificent.”

The Packers lost their next two games on the way to an 8-8 finish that put them second in the NFC Central (and cost Coach Starr his job). Tellingly, while they ranked fifth in the league with 429 points, they also gave up a NFL-high 439 points. Washington didn’t lose again during the regular season, compiling a 14-2 record that was best in the league as well as the NFC East. Along the way, the Redskins set 18 NFL records that included points scored with 541. However, after repeating as NFC Champions, they came up short in the Super Bowl, losing decisively to the Raiders.

Lynn Dickey led the NFL in passing yards (4458) and touchdown passes (32), although also in interceptions (29). James Lofton (58 catches, 1300 yards, 8 TDs) and Paul Coffman (54 catches, 814 yards, 11 TDs) were both selected to the Pro Bowl.

Joe Theismann had a MVP year as he ranked second in passing (97.0 rating) while compiling 3714 yards and 29 touchdowns. John Riggins was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection as he rushed for 1347 yards and set a new league standard with 24 touchdowns. Joe Washington added 772 rushing yards and 454 yards on 47 pass receptions.