1980: Giants Upset Cowboys with Help of Flea-Flicker to Friede

The New York Giants won their opening game of the 1980 NFL season, but by the time they hosted the Dallas Cowboy s on November 9 they had lost eight straight contests. In their second year under Head Coach Ray Perkins, injuries had decimated the team on both sides of the ball. Third-year QB Phil Simms was a work in progress and had a productive receiver to throw to in WR Earnest Gray, but with injuries badly affecting the rest of the offense, in particular the running game, the Giants had difficulty scoring – they were averaging just 10 points per contest. Likewise, the defense was a patchwork outfit, especially at linebacker. Outstanding players like Brad Van Pelt and Harry Carson were standouts in a patchwork unit.

The Cowboys, perennial contenders under Head Coach Tom Landry, came into the game at 7-2 and had won their previous two contests. Despite concerns following the retirement of star QB Roger Staubach after the ’79 season, former backup QB Danny White was playing well in his place. Wide receivers Drew Pearson and Tony Hill were outstanding, and RB Tony Dorsett was one of the NFL’s best. The defense was solid up front, helped by the return of DE Ed “Too Tall” Jones, who briefly retired in 1979 to try his hand at boxing, making up for inexperience in the backfield.

There were 68,343 fans present at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. In the first quarter, the home team got the initial break of the game when LB Brad Van Pelt intercepted a Danny White pass.  The resulting drive was helped along by a personal foul penalty called on CB Benny Barnes that added 15 yards to a 22-yard pass from Simms to Earnest Gray. Simms connected with Gray for a 25-yard touchdown and, with Joe Danelo’s extra point, a 7-0 lead.

Less than three minutes later, the Cowboys came back with a one-yard touchdown carry by Tony Dorsett that was set up by a pass interference call on CB Mark Haynes. Rafael Septien added the PAT and the score remained tied after a quarter of action.

Early in the second quarter, New York CB Mike Dennis picked off a White pass and the Giants drove 22 yards to a one-yard touchdown carry by RB Larry Heater. The next Dallas series was highlighted by a 56-yard Dorsett run that set up a one-yard scoring carry by FB Robert Newhouse. The score was knotted at 14-14.

Van Pelt intercepted another pass and the Giants used four plays to score again. Simms threw to Heater for a 29-yard gain and ended the series with a four-yard throw to George Martin, normally a defensive end but lined up as a tight end in short-yardage situations on offense (it was the only catch of his 14-year career with the Giants). Again the Cowboys gave up an interception, this time by FS Gary Woolford. The ensuing possession led to another one-yard touchdown carry by FB Leon Perry, a rookie starting his first game, and, with all of the PATs successful, the Giants were ahead by 28-14.

Dallas narrowed the margin before the first half ended with another big play as White threw a screen pass to FB Ron Springs that resulted in a 58-yard touchdown. Still, the halftime score was a surprising 28-21 in favor of the home team.

In the third quarter, the Cowboys seemed to take control as they scored another touchdown on a 29-yard run by Newhouse.  With the score tied at 28-28, the Giants missed an opportunity when an apparent Simms scoring pass to Gray was nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty on Perry. Dallas proceeded to take the lead as Dorsett ran for a TD from 13 yards out and the Cowboys were up by 35-28 heading into the final period.

In the fourth quarter, the Giants rebounded with Simms throwing to TE Tom Mullady for a 20-yard TD. The Cowboys fought back as time ran down, but in a key defensive play, Van Pelt (pictured at left) stopped Newhouse short on a fourth-and-one carry at the Dallas 47 and the Giants took over with 2:22 left on the clock.

With the rain falling heavily, Simms handed off to Perry, who then flipped the ball back to the quarterback, and he in turn fired deep down the right sideline for WR Mike Friede and a 40-yard gain. CB Steve Wilson slipped and Friede, lunging for the catch, made it to the Dallas seven on the flea-flicker. Three running plays lost two yards and, following a time out, Danelo kicked a 27-yard field goal to put the Giants ahead by three.

There was still time for the Cowboys, and White threw to TE Billy Joe Dupree for 24 yards to the New York 46. He followed up by connecting with WR Butch Johnson for 11 yards and then to Drew Pearson, who gained six yards and got out of bounds to stop the clock, which was now down to 19 seconds.  The Cowboys decided to try another pass to get closer, but White’s throw intended for Tony Hill was intercepted by Woolford when the receiver slipped and fell down. Woolford barely kept his feet in bounds as he made the catch that nailed down the stunning 38-35 win for the Giants.

New York had the edge in total yards (462 to 294) and first downs (26 to 21) despite the Cowboys rolling up 239 yards on the ground. Dallas was hurt by five turnovers, all on interceptions, to two suffered by the Giants, and, in a game with many penalties, the Cowboys were flagged 12 times as opposed to New York’s nine.

Phil Simms completed 18 of 33 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns with one intercepted. Mike Friede caught 7 of those throws for 137 yards and Earnest Gray contributed four receptions for 68 yards and a TD. Larry Heater ran for 69 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries and gained another 85 yards on three catches. Brad Van Pelt, who had an outstanding all-around defensive performance, and Gary Woolford each had two interceptions.

For the Cowboys, Tony Dorsett (pictured below) rushed for 183 yards on 24 attempts with two TDs and Robert Newhouse added 52 yards on 10 carries, also scoring twice. However, Danny White completed just 10 of his 23 throws for 155 yards and a TD, giving up five interceptions. Tony Hill and Drew Pearson each had three catches, for 36 and 22 yards, respectively, while Ron Springs, on his one long scoring catch, led the club with 58 receiving yards.

“It’s one of those plays that you put in and hope it works,” said Phil Simms of the crucial flea-flicker that set up the game-winning field goal. “I told Leon if he was in doubt, not to pitch it back.”

“We practiced it all week, but never in a torrential downpour,” added Leon Perry.

“We got ambushed,” said a shrugging Tony Dorsett, summing up the upset. “We were playing a team with a 1-8 record. Emotionally, we were not as high as we would have been against a team with a better record.”

The win by the Giants over Dallas was the first since 1974, a string of 12 straight games that included the first encounter of the year between the clubs five weeks earlier. New York put together another solid performance in a win over the Packers the next week, but lost four of their last five contests to end up at the bottom of the NFC East with a 4-12 record. The Cowboys recovered to win four straight and five of their last six, just barely missing out on winning the division title at 12-4. Settling for a Wild Card playoff spot, they advanced to the NFC Championship game before falling to the division-rival Eagles.

Phil Simms (pictured below) continued his development process until a shoulder injury cost him the last three games of the season. He passed for 2321 yards with 15 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. Mike Friede, a rookie cut earlier by Detroit, proved to be a pleasant surprise for the Giants. He caught 21 passes for 350 yards (16.7 avg.) but lasted just one more season.

Tony Dorsett ended up tying for sixth in rushing (with Buffalo’s Joe Cribbs) with 1185 yards – the fourth straight thousand-yard rushing season to start his career. He carried 278 times and had 11 touchdowns.

Rookie of the Year: Jimmy Orr, 1958

Offensive End/Punter, Pittsburgh Steelers

Age: 23 (Oct. 4)

College: Georgia

Height: 5’11” Weight: 195

Prelude:

Orr’s college career started at Clemson and he moved to Wake Forest before settling in at Georgia, where he made the football team as a walk-on halfback. He twice led the SEC in pass receiving and was chosen to play in the Blue-Gray All-Star Game. The Los Angeles Rams chose him in the 25^th round of the NFL draft with the aim of using him as a defensive back but, after getting a shot at offensive end in a preseason game against the Steelers, drew Pittsburgh’s attention. The Steelers swung a trade for Orr prior to the regular season.

1958 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 33 [17, tied with Ollie Matson]     
Most receptions, game - 6 (for 205 yds.) vs. Chi. Cardinals  12/13

Yards – 910 [3]

Average gain – 27.6 [1]

TDs – 7 [5, tied with four others]
200-yard receiving games - 1
100-yard receiving games - 5

Rushing

Attempts – 1

Yards – 8

TDs – 0

Punting

Punts – 51 [6]

Yards – 2023 [8]

Average – 39.7 [10]

Punts blocked – 0

Longest punt – 62 yards

Scoring

TDs – 7 [14, tied with six others]

Points – 42

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: UPI

2^nd team All-NFL: AP, UPI

Steelers went 7-4-1 to finish third in the Eastern Conference while leading the NFL in passing yards (2752). It was the team’s best record since 1947.

Aftermath:

Orr followed up with 35 catches for 604 yards (17.3 avg.) and was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 1959 while also gaining first-team All-NFL recognition from The Sporting News. The numbers dropped to 29 receptions and 541 yards in ’60, but his average gain rose to 18.7 and he was still considered to be one of the NFL’s better receivers (he didn’t punt again after his second year). Orr was traded to the Baltimore Colts for 1961 and, hobbled by a series of nagging leg injuries, caught only 18 passes, but bounced back in ’62 with career highs of 55 catches, 974 yards, and 11 TDs. He continued to be a steady flanker for the Colts, again leading the NFL by averaging 21.7 yards per catch on 40 receptions in 1964 and 25.6 yards on 29 catches in ’68. In 1965 he was a consensus first-team All-NFL honoree as well as a Pro Bowl selection after catching 45 passes for 847 yards and 10 TDs. Injuries and the presence of talented younger receivers limited Orr’s effectiveness in 1967 and his last two years, 1969 and ’70. Over the course of 13 seasons, he caught 400 passes for 7914 yards (19.8 avg.) and 66 touchdowns and was twice selected to the Pro Bowl.

--

Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 
[Updated 2/21/17]

1925: Yellow Jackets Knock Akron Out of First in Upset

The Frankford Yellow Jackets, sponsored by the Frankford Athletic Association in Philadelphia, were sporting an 8-1 record (with one more win in a non-league contest) as they hosted the Akron Pros on November 7, 1925. While previously a successful independent team, the Yellow Jackets were in their second year as a NFL franchise. For 1925, they were guided by Guy Chamberlin (pictured at right), who played end in addition to his coaching duties. Successful as a player-coach in Canton and Cleveland, where his teams won NFL titles, it was hoped that he would bring the same results to Philadelphia.

Akron was undefeated at 4-0-2 coming into the game against the Yellow Jackets (schedules were not yet standardized in the NFL), and thus at the top of the standings. Coached by end Scotty Bierce, the team had regained the services of tailback Fritz Pollard, former Brown All-American and star of the team’s 1920 championship season as well as player-coach in 1921 (thus becoming the first African-American to be a head coach in the NFL). The Pros had fallen upon hard times after Pollard’s departure, posting losing records in each of the next three seasons.

There were 12,000 enthusiastic fans in attendance at Philadelphia’s Frankford Stadium for the Saturday afternoon contest (Pennsylvania blue laws prevented Sunday games). Early in the first quarter, the Yellow Jackets had the ball at their 45 yard line. FB Hust Stockton surprised the Pros with a pass to end Rae Crowther (pictured below), who caught it at the Akron 40 and went the distance for a 55-yard touchdown. Bull Behman, a star tackle as well as kicker, added the extra point for a 7-0 lead. Before the first quarter was over, Behman kicked a 20-yard field goal to extend Frankford’s margin to 10-0.

In the second quarter, the Yellow Jackets again put together a drive into Akron territory. After reaching the 20, it appeared that they were maneuvering for another field goal. However, back Tex Hamer threw across the field to Crowther at the five, and the end proceeded to the end zone for another TD. Behman again added the extra point and the home team took a surprising 17-0 lead into halftime.

The Pros attempted to come back in the second half, gaining yards with Fritz Pollard leading the way, but failing to score. Finally, an Akron drive ended in a fourth quarter score. Pollard set up a short plunge by FB Dunc Annan and Obie Newman added the extra point. That was all the Pros could do, however, and Frankford came away with a convincing 17-7 upset.

It was reported that Pollard went to the air 20 times and completed most of his passes, displaying great accuracy. He also ran the ball effectively. For Akron, in addition to Pollard, guard Al Nesser was a standout on defense – and all the more noticeable by his not wearing a helmet.

The Yellow Jackets headed off to Chicago for a game the next day against the Bears that they lost. They went on to lose five of their last nine contests, playing more league games than most teams because of their tendency to schedule Sunday road contests following their Saturday home games, to end up with a 13-7 record. That placed them sixth in the 20-team NFL. The Pros lost again to the Pottsville Maroons and finished fifth at 4-2-2.

There was some controversy surrounding Frankford later in the season. Following a lopsided 49-0 loss to the Pottsville Maroons, Coach Chamberlin, who missed time on the field due to a shoulder separation, suspended Bull Behman for indifferent play. He made explicit to the rest of the team that others would follow if the performance didn’t improve and the future Pro Football Hall of Famer led by example as he returned to action for the next contest – a return encounter against the Bears and their new acquisition, star HB Red Grange. Chicago again prevailed, but had to overcome a strong effort by the fired-up Yellow Jackets to do so.

2000: Packers Beat Vikings on Stunning Freeman TD Catch in Overtime

The Green Bay Packers were struggling at 3-5 as they faced the division-rival Minnesota Vikings on November 6, 2000. While Head Coach Mike Sherman’s team still had star QB Brett Favre, very much in his prime at age 31, there were questions at running back, where veteran Dorsey Levens was out with an injury and backup Ahman Green, new to the team after two nondescript years with Seattle, was not yet established in the offense. WR Antonio Freeman appeared to be on the downside of his career and the rest of the receivers were ordinary. While the defense was not bad, it would be severely tested against Minnesota’s outstanding receivers.

The Vikings, under Head Coach Dennis Green for the ninth year, had a 7-1 record, having lost for the first time at Tampa Bay the previous week. Second-year QB Daunte Culpepper was easing successfully into the starting role and was helped by the presence of two outstanding wide receivers in Cris Carter and Randy Moss. RB Robert Smith was also highly productive. However, the defense was a cause of concern.

There were 59,854 fans in attendance for the rainy Monday night encounter at Lambeau Field. The Packers had first possession and punted. On Minnesota’s second play, Daunte Culpepper threw to Randy Moss on a slant and, after evading two tackles before being caught by DT Santana Dotson 20 yards down field, he lateraled to Cris Carter for an additional eight yards. A pass to Carter and two carries by Robert Smith advanced the ball to the Green Bay nine. On third-and-goal, Culpepper scrambled for an apparent touchdown, but it was nullified due to a personal foul penalty and the Vikings had to settle for a 30-yard Gary Anderson field goal.

Green Bay put together a 15-play, 81-yard drive that extended into the second quarter. Favre connected with Antonio Freeman for 20 yards on a third-and-five play and WR Bill Schroeder ran for 12 yards on a reverse that was helped by Favre’s block on LB Dwayne Rudd. Following a 15-yard completion to Freeman to get to the Minnesota five, the Packers couldn’t reach the end zone and Ryan Longwell kicked a 24-yard field goal to tie the score.

Key calls by the officials played a role in Minnesota’s next series. First, Culpepper was sacked by DT Russell Maryland, but an apparent fumble that was recovered by the Packers in the end zone was overruled with the officials explaining that the quarterback’s knee was already down. Then, on a third-and-19 play, a taunting penalty on CB Mike McKenzie gave the Vikings a first down. Smith ran for 22 yards and Culpepper threw to Moss for a 42-yard gain to the Green Bay 20. Another short pass was followed by a throw that Carter wrestled away from McKenzie for a five-yard TD. The series had gone 84 yards in eight plays and Anderson added the extra point to make it 10-3 in favor of the visitors.

The Packers came back with an 87-yard scoring drive. On the second play, Favre (pictured below) threw to Freeman for a 33-yard gain. An interference call on CB Cris Dishman added another 28 yards and, two plays later, Favre rolled out and, as he was being pulled down around the waist by LB Ed McDaniel, he flipped a pass underhand to Ahman Green, who caught the throw just inside the end zone for a touchdown. Longwell’s PAT once again made it a tie score at 10-10.

With time running out in the first half, the Vikings went 57 yards in nine plays. They converted in a third-and-eight situation when Moss out-jumped FS Darren Sharper to catch a Culpepper pass for a 33-yard gain. Two plays later, a screen pass to Smith gained 22 yards to the Green Bay 30. The drive came up dry at that point, with three passes falling incomplete, and Anderson booted a 48-yard field goal as the half ended to give the Vikings a 13-10 lead at the intermission.

In the third quarter, the Packers got a break on defense when McKenzie intercepted a Culpepper pass and returned it 26 yards to the Minnesota 34. They were able to advance 21 yards in six plays and Longwell kicked a 31-yard field goal to again knot the score at 13-13.

Minnesota came right back with a 73-yard drive. Smith gained 13 yards on a sweep and Culpepper, flushed out of the pocket, ran for nine yards to the Green Bay 38. However, the series stalled but, facing third-and-17, Culpepper tossed a swing pass to Smith that the running back took all the way for a 45-yard touchdown. Anderson’s extra point had the Vikings back up by seven.

The Packers responded with a big play when CB Allen Rossum returned the kickoff 90 yards to the Minnesota two yard line. Two plays later, Green powered over for a TD from that distance and, adding Longwell’s kick, the score was tied once more at 20-20.

In the fourth quarter, Green Bay got the ball back following a punt when RB David Palmer fumbled on the return and long snapper Rob Davis recovered at the Minnesota 35. However, the Packers were unable to capitalize on a series in which Favre was sacked for a 12-yard loss.

Green Bay had another shot when a pass interference call on CB Robert Tate was good for 28 yards, but Schoeder dropped a third-and-seven throw in the end zone. The Packers passed up a long field goal attempt into the wind and the resulting punt went into the end zone for a touchback.

The Packers got the ball back in their own territory, couldn’t move, and had to punt, with Josh Bidwell’s kick going only 25 yards. Starting from the Green Bay 48, Culpepper threw to Moss for 19 yards and, with time running out, the Vikings lined up for a 33-yard field goal attempt by Anderson to win the game. But holder Mitch Berger couldn’t handle the snap cleanly and had to abort the kick. Rolling out to his right – and apparently forgetting that it was only first down and he could have thrown the ball away, with the team then able to attempt another kick – he tossed a desperation pass down the field that was intercepted by CB Tyrone Williams as time ran out. With the score still tied at 20-20, the game headed into overtime. 

The Packers had the first possession in OT. They converted a third-and-nine as Favre threw to Schroeder for a 22-yard gain. Two runs netted six yards and, on a third-and-four play, Favre went deep for Antonio Freeman, who was well-covered by Cris Dishman. Freeman slipped on the slick turf and fell as Dishman muffed a potential interception, and the ball fell onto Freeman’s left arm (pictured at top). The receiver pulled it to his chest and, jumping up, got past SS Robert Griffith and sped to the end zone where a wild celebration ensued. Green Bay won in astonishing fashion by a score of 26-20.

The Vikings significantly outgained Green Bay (407 yards to 298) and had the edge in first downs (22 to 19). However, Minnesota turned the ball over five times, while the Packers suffered none. The Vikings were also penalized 11 times at a cost of 129 yards, to 8 flags for 63 yards on Green Bay.

Brett Favre completed 17 of 36 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns with none intercepted. Antonio Freeman had 5 catches for 118 yards and the game-winning TD and Ahman Green also had 5 pass receptions, for 34 yards, to go along with his 68 rushing yards on 23 carries. He scored two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Bill Schroeder contributed four catches for 63 yards.

For the Vikings, Randy Moss had four catches for 103 yards in the first half despite Green Bay’s concentrated attempt to stop him, but was marginalized in the second half and ended up with 6 receptions for 130 yards. Cris Carter added 5 catches for 59 yards and a TD. Daunte Culpepper was successful on 17 of 34 throws for 276 yards and two TDs, but also tossed three interceptions. Robert Smith ran for 122 yards on 24 carries and had another 67 yards and a score on his two catches.

The Packers lost the next week but finished strong by winning five of their last six games (including another victory over the Vikings). They ended up third in the NFC Central with a 9-7 record. Minnesota recovered to win four straight games before losing three to finish out the regular season at 11-5. That made them division champs and they beat the Saints in the Divisional playoff round before being soundly beaten by the Giants for the NFC title.

Brett Favre had a relatively off year by his standards. He led the NFC with 580 pass attempts, completing 58.3 percent for 3812 yards and 20 touchdowns as opposed to 16 interceptions. Antonio Freeman caught 62 passes for 912 yards and nine TDs. Ahman Green performed well in the second half of the year and, in addition to leading the team in rushing (1175 yards), he also had the most pass receptions (73). It set the stage for bigger years to come as he topped the thousand-yard rushing mark in six of his first seven years with the club.

Daunte Culpepper went on to tie for the NFL lead in touchdown passes (33, along with Peyton Manning of the Colts) while throwing for 3937 yards and a fourth-ranked passer rating of 98.0. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time. So was Randy Moss, who was also a consensus first-team All-NFL honoree as he caught 77 passes for 1437 yards and a league-leading 15 receiving touchdowns. 

1978: Smith & Largent Star as Seahawks Overcome Bears

The Seattle Seahawks appeared to be a team on the rise as they faced the Chicago Bears on November 5, 1978. Head Coach Jack Patera’s squad, in its third NFL season, had a 4-5 record after a tough overtime loss to the Broncos the previous week, but considering that they won a total of five games in all of 1977, it marked definite improvement. Scrambling lefthanded QB Jim Zorn led an exciting offense that also featured WR Steve Largent and FB Sherman Smith (pictured at right). The revamped defense was playing well and two rookies, FS John Harris and OLB Keith Butler, were making significant contributions.

The Bears, for their part, had lost six straight games after a promising 3-0 start. Under first-year Head Coach Neill Armstrong, they were dependent on the running of HB Walter Payton and FB Roland Harper. The defensive backfield was strong, but there were questions regarding the defensive line and linebackers.

There were 57,359 fans at Soldier Field on a pleasant but windy afternoon. The Bears reached midfield on the game’s first possession but had to punt. Taking over at their 30 following a 14-yard punt return by HB Rufus Crawford, the Seahawks drove 70 yards in 15 plays. Seattle converted three first downs, including a third-and-13 at the Chicago 22 when Jim Zorn scrambled for an 18-yard gain. Sherman Smith ran effectively, carrying the ball seven times for 33 yards and including a one-yard touchdown carry to finish the series off. Efren Herrera added the extra point to give the visitors a 7-0 lead.

The teams traded punts as the game moved into the second quarter. Seattle put together another long and promising drive, starting at their 27. Zorn threw to Steve Largent for 20 yards and to WR Sam McCullum for 18 as the Seahawks moved methodically down the field. Smith and HB Al Hunter carried most of the load, but after reaching the Chicago eight, Smith fumbled and CB Virgil Livers recovered for the Bears.

The teams once again exchanged punts, and Zorn was sacked on back-to-back plays in Seattle’s next series. A shanked punt by Herman Weaver gave the Bears possession at the 50 and Avellini immediately threw to TE Greg Latta for 17 yards and followed up with a 14-yard completion to WR James Scott. The drive stalled at the Seattle 16 and the Bears got a break when Bob Thomas missed a field goal attempt but was roughed while doing so. While there were offsetting penalties, it still provided Thomas with a second chance from 33 yards and this time he was successful.

With 1:17 remaining to play in the half, the Seahawks struck quickly in response, taking just four plays to go 73 yards. Zorn threw to Smith for 17 yards and McCullum for 10, and then hit on back-to-back passes to Largent (pictured below). The second was good for a 26-yard touchdown and, with Herrera’s extra point, an extended lead of 14-3. In the last 30 seconds, the Bears had one last shot before halftime and, thanks to an Avellini completion to WR Golden Richards that picked up 17 yards, were able to get a 36-yard field goal by Thomas before time ran out. Seattle took a 14-6 lead into the intermission.

The Seahawks went three-and-out to start the third quarter and the Bears had good field position following the punt. Mike Phipps was now at quarterback and completed two passes, most significantly to Roland Harper for 16 yards. Thomas kicked a 39-yard field goal to narrow Seattle’s margin to five points.

The Seahawks came back with a seven-play, 72-yard drive. In a second-and-13 situation, Smith took off for a 21-yard gain into Chicago territory and three plays later Zorn connected with Largent for a 31-yard TD. Herrera added the PAT and it was a 20-9 game in favor of the visitors.

Phipps threw to Scott for a 26-yard gain to start the next series, but three plays later CB Dave Brown intercepted a pass at his own six yard line to end the threat. The Seahawks were unable to move on offense, however, and another short Weaver punt gave the Bears the ball back at the Seattle 38. They didn’t come up empty this time as Phipps connected with Harper for a 20-yard touchdown. Thomas added the extra point and it was once again a five-point game.

On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Smith broke away for a 67-yard gain to the Chicago six. It was from there two plays later that Smith finished off the short series with a touchdown carry. Herrera’s kick made the score 28-16.

As the game moved into the fourth quarter, the teams again traded punts before the Bears put together a 10-play, 64-yard scoring drive. They kept the ball on the ground, with Walter Payton and Roland Harper running effectively. Payton ran the last seven yards for a TD, but a bad snap on the try for extra point forced holder Brian Baschnagel to try to run for the point. He failed and the tally stood at 28-22 with 7:33 remaining to play.

Seattle came back to put more points on the board. Zorn threw to Largent twice, for 19 and 10 yards, and Herrera kicked a 34-yard field goal to increase the margin to nine points. Phipps went to the air on the next series and was picked off by CB Cornell Webster. A short series by the Seahawks ended with Zorn failing to complete a pass on a fourth-and-four play at the Chicago 37. With Payton running for 19 yards on the next play, the Bears drove 63 yards in eight plays and Harper carried for a two-yard TD. Thomas made the extra point this time to narrow the margin to two points, but there were just 35 seconds left on the clock.

Chicago had only one option, an onside kick, but they were set back 15 yards due to a taunting penalty on OT Lionel Antoine, who tapped Seattle LB Terry Beeson on the shoulder after the touchdown and then made a show of spiking the ball in front of him. As a result, the kickoff was from their 20, but the Bears successfully recovered the short kick. Following a penalty, Phipps threw to Scott for 22 yards but, after reaching the Seattle 46, a pass intended for Richards was intercepted by Webster to finally nail down the 31-29 win for the Seahawks.

The Bears led in total yards (401 to 389) and first downs (26 to 23). They also sacked Zorn five times, to two sacks of Chicago quarterbacks by the Seahawks. However, Chicago also turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by Seattle.

Sherman Smith had a big day, rushing for 152 yards on 23 carries that included two touchdowns. The yardage total set a new record for the young franchise. Jim Zorn completed 13 of 24 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns with none intercepted; he also ran for 25 yards on three carries. Steve Largent also had a big performance, catching 6 passes for 126 yards and two TDs.

For the Bears, Walter Payton ran for 109 yards and a TD on 18 carries and caught 5 passes for another 36 yards. Roland Harper had 13 carries for 57 yards and a score and contributed a team-high 6 pass receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. James Scott gained 88 yards on his 5 catches. Bob Avellini was successful on just 6 of 15 throws for 68 yards while Mike Phipps was 15 of 25 for 177 yards and a TD, but also tossed three interceptions.

The win over the Bears evened Seattle’s record at 5-5, and the Seahawks went on to win four of their last six to finish at a highly respectable 9-7, good for third place in the AFC West and barely missing the postseason. Chicago’s losing streak reached eight the week following the Seattle game, but the Bears then finished strong with four wins in their last five games to end up fourth in the NFC Central at 7-9.

Jim Zorn led the AFC in passing yards with 3283 while completing 56 percent of his passes and tossing 15 touchdowns – however, he also threw 20 interceptions and led the NFL by being sacked 44 times. Still, his mobility was a tremendous asset as he gained 290 yards and scored six TDs running the ball and certainly was a key to the team’s success.

Sherman Smith missed four games due to injury but rushed for 805 yards on 165 carries (4.9 avg.) and caught 28 passes for 366 more yards (13.1 avg.) and a total of seven touchdowns. Steve Largent had 71 catches for 1168 yards and eight TDs and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

MVP Profile: Randall Cunningham, 1998

Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings

Age:  35

13^th season in pro football, 2^nd with Vikings

College: Nevada – Las Vegas

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 205

Prelude:

Taken by the Eagles in the 2^nd round of the 1985 NFL draft, Cunningham saw some action in place of veteran QB Ron Jaworski, and while he completed only 42 % of his passes, he showed off his exciting running ability. In ’86, under new Head Coach Buddy Ryan, he saw more action in place of Jaworski and took over as the starting quarterback during the strike-interrupted 1987 season. Cunningham threw for 2786 yards and 23 TDs in 12 games and also rushed for 505 yards. He followed up with a 1988 season in which he set a new club record with 3808 passing yards and rushed for 624 yards as the Eagles won the NFC East. Cunningham had another Pro Bowl year in 1989, but the Eagles again lost in the first round of the playoffs. An outstanding talent who could often improvise brilliantly, Cunningham was less adept at reading defenses and often irritated teammates with his demeanor. He was outstanding during a 1990 season in which he threw for 3466 yards and 30 TDs while rushing for 942 yards, garnering a second Bert Bell Award and going to the Pro Bowl for the third straight year, but was lost to a season-ending injury in the first game of 1991 and, while he successfully returned in ’92, injuries became more of an issue as he missed most of 1993 with a broken leg. Benched in favor of Rodney Peete in ’95, Cunningham sat out a year in retirement before returning as a backup with the Vikings in 1997. When QB Brad Johnson was injured early in ’98, he moved into the starting lineup.   

1998 season summary

Appeared in 15 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Pass attempts – 425 [11]

Most attempts, game – 55 at Baltimore 12/13

Pass completions – 259 [9, tied with Vinny Testaverde]

Most completions, game – 32 at Baltimore 12/13

Passing yards – 3704 [5]

Most yards, game – 442 at Green Bay 10/5

Completion percentage – 60.9 [6]

Yards per attempt – 8.7 [2]

TD passes – 34 [2]

Most TD passes, game – 4 at Chicago 9/27, at Green Bay 10/5, at Dallas 11/26, vs. Chicago 12/6

Interceptions – 10 [20, tied with John Elway, Steve McNair & Danny Kanell]

Most interceptions, game – 2 at Detroit 10/25, vs. Cincinnati 11/15

Passer rating – 106.0 [1]

400-yard passing games – 1

300-yard passing games – 4

200-yard passing games – 12

Rushing

Attempts – 32

Most attempts, game - 5 (for 6 yds.) at Chicago 9/27

Yards – 132

Most yards, game – 22 yards (on 1 carry) vs. Jacksonville 12/20

Yards per attempt – 4.1

TDs – 1

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 1

Yards – -3

Yards per catch – -3.0

TDs - 0

Scoring

TDs – 1

2-pt PAT – 1

Points – 8

Postseason: 2 G

Pass attempts – 75

Most attempts, game - 48 vs. Atlanta, NFC Championship

Pass completions – 46

Most completions, game - 29 vs. Atlanta, NFC Championship

Passing yardage – 502

Most yards, game - 266 vs. Atlanta, NFC Championship

TD passes – 5

Most TD passes, game - 3 vs. Arizona, NFC Divisional playoff

Interceptions – 1

Most interceptions, game - 1 vs. Arizona, NFC Divisional playoff

Rushing attempts – 9

Most rushing attempts, game - 6 vs. Atlanta, NFC Championship

Rushing yards – 19

Most rushing yards, game - 13 vs. Atlanta, NFC Championship

Average gain rushing – 2.1

Rushing TDs – 1

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: NEA, Bert Bell Award

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Vikings went 15-1 to finish first in the NFC Central with the conference’s best record while leading the NFL in passing yards (4328), scoring (556 points), and touchdowns (64). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Arizona Cardinals (41-21). Defeated for NFC Championship by Atlanta Falcons (30-27).

Aftermath:

Cunningham played in just six games in 1999 and finished up his career for good following a year each in Dallas and Baltimore. In the end, he passed for 29,979 yards and 207 TDs, was the career rushing leader for quarterbacks (4928 yards) at the time of his retirement, and had the best rushing average (6.4) of any player in NFL history with over 750 carries (775).

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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). 

1957: Morrall Leads Steelers to Upset of Slumping Colts

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a 3-2 record and were struggling to score points as they faced the Baltimore Colts on November 3, 1957. Buddy Parker had taken over as head coach following his abrupt departure from the Lions during the preseason, and while Pittsburgh had a tough defense, the offense had deficiencies at running back and on the line. Second-year quarterback, Earl Morrall (pictured at right), who had been obtained from the 49ers, showed promise but was inexperienced and having difficulty against teams that sent a heavy pass rush. To help Morrall and the passing game, Parker countered against Baltimore by realigning the running backs so that FB Fran Rogel was behind G Mike Sandusky and could thus provide extra protection.

The Colts, under Head Coach Weeb Ewbank, had gotten off to a 3-0 start before losing their last two games prior to hosting the Steelers. Second-year QB Johnny Unitas, originally drafted by Pittsburgh, was rapidly developing into a star, and there were plenty of other formidable weapons on offense, such as ends Raymond Berry and Jim Mutscheller, FB Alan Ameche, and HB Lenny Moore. The defense was good, in particular the line – a further reason for Buddy Parker to sacrifice the already-suspect running game in order to better protect the young quarterback.

There were 42,575 fans in attendance at Memorial Stadium. The Colts scored the first time they had the ball, going 81 yards in 15 plays. On a third-and-five play, Unitas connected with Raymond Berry in the end zone for a five-yard touchdown. However, DHB Jack Butler blocked Bert Rechichar’s extra point attempt and the score remained 6-0.

In response, the Steelers put together a long drive of their own that extended past the opening period. While they had problems running the ball, Morrall made up for it with his passing. As the second quarter began, Pittsburgh had second-and-goal at the Baltimore nine but came up empty when Morrall was sacked for a seven-yard loss, overthrew a pass into the end zone intended for end Ray Mathews, and Gary Glick missed a 24-yard field goal attempt that was wide to the right.

The Colts had to punt following their next possession and Cotton Davidson’s kick went only 25 yards to give Pittsburgh good starting field position near midfield. A fumble and incomplete pass brought up third down, but then Morrall went deep for Mathews, who pulled it in for a 48-yard TD. Glick added the extra point and the Steelers led by 7-6.

The Colts had a chance to score before the first half ended, but a pass intended for end Jim Mutscheller in the end zone was picked off by Butler.

In the third quarter, the Colts had a promising series that reached Pittsburgh territory, but Butler (pictured at left) intercepted a Unitas pass at his 22 to end the threat. Later in the period, LB Aubrey Rozelle picked off a pass to give the Steelers the ball at the Baltimore 21. After HB Billy Wells lost a yard, Morrall again fired a long pass to Mathews for a 22-yard TD. Glick added the PAT and the visitors were up by 14-6.

After DB Dick Nyers returned the ensuing kickoff 38 yards for the Colts, George Shaw relieved Unitas at quarterback and directed the home team on a seven-play, 61-yard drive. Keeping the ball on rollouts, Shaw gained 20 rushing yards himself and went the final eight yards around right end for a TD. This time Rechichar successfully converted to make it a one-point game at 14-13.

Early in the fourth quarter, Rechichar missed a 41-yard field goal attempt that would have put the Colts in front. The Steelers then added to their lead on a possession highlighted by Mathews made a tumbling catch to gain 31 yards. Glick added a 16-yard field goal to make it a four-point game.

The Colts hurt themselves further when the kickoff bounced away and was finally corralled by Nyers at the two, who was only able to pick up two yards. Following a one-yard carry by Alan Ameche, the Colts were penalized half the distance and Unitas, fading back into his end zone, was pulled down by DE Bill McPeak for a safety. That was it for the scoring as Pittsburgh’s defense continued to frustrate the Colts. The Steelers won by a final score of 19-13.

Pittsburgh outgained the Colts (271 yards to 255) although Baltimore had the edge in first downs (17 to 12). The Steelers managed only 15 yards on the ground in 30 attempts, to 168 rushing yards for the Colts, but Baltimore was held to just 87 net yards through the air. The Colts also turned the ball over four times, all on interceptions, to one suffered by Pittsburgh.

Earl Morrall completed 18 of 30 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns with one intercepted. He also led the anemic running game with 23 yards on three carries. Billy Wells gained 20 yards on 13 attempts. End Jack McClairen had 7 pass receptions for 64 yards and Ray Mathews (pictured at right) contributed 6 catches for 165 yards and two TDs. Of Pittsburgh’s four interceptions on defense, Jack Butler accounted for three of them and also had the blocked extra point to his credit.

For the Colts, Johnny Unitas had an abysmal day as he was successful on only three of 9 throws for 56 yards and a TD. George Shaw went three-of-six for 44 yards. Alan Ameche rushed for 56 yards on 10 carries. Raymond Berry had three catches for 56 yards and a score.

The game did not mark a turnaround for the Steelers – they lost their next three contests and finished third in the Eastern Conference at 6-6. Baltimore recovered to win four straight and stay in contention in the Western Conference, but losses in the final two games put them in third place at 7-5.

Earl Morrall had a respectable season, ranking second in the league in pass attempts (289) and third in completions (139) for 1900 yards and 11 touchdowns with 12 intercepted. His completion percentage (48.1) and yards per attempt (6.6) were ordinary, but he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first of two times over the course of his long, 22-year career.

The game against the Colts was the biggest of the season for Ray Mathews, who ended up with 15 catches for 369 yards (24.6 avg.) and four touchdowns. Jack Butler, on the other hand, co-led the NFL with 10 interceptions and was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection as well as Pro Bowl honoree.

Johnny Unitas went on to have an outstanding breakout season, leading the NFL in pass attempts (301), yards (2550), TD passes (24), and yards per attempt (8.5). He was named league MVP by the NEA as well as receiving first-team All-NFL recognition from the organization and second-team honors from the AP, UPI, and New York Daily News. He was also chosen to the Pro Bowl for the first of an eventual ten times over the course of his career.