1967: Raiders Outlast Chiefs in AFL Western Division Showdown

The Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, two rivals in the Western Division of the American Football League, met in Oakland on October 1, 1967 in a key early-season matchup of teams that had both started off at 2-0.

The Raiders were coming off of an 8-5-1 record in 1966 and had taken steps in the offseason to try and move up. Acquired was QB Daryle Lamonica (pictured at right), a strong-armed backup in Buffalo who had shown great promise in limited action, plus star CB Willie Brown from Denver. 39-year-old QB/PK George Blanda had also been added, having been discarded by the Oilers, providing a veteran backup quarterback and dependable placekicker, and there was an outstanding rookie in guard Gene Upshaw. Added to the talent already on hand, Oakland, under the guidance of managing partner Al Davis and Head Coach John Rauch, had come out of the gate in impressive fashion by defeating the Broncos and Patriots by a combined score of 86-7.

Kansas City, coached by Hank Stram, was the team that Oakland was seeking to displace. The Chiefs were the defending AFL Champions, losing to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers in the first Super Bowl. They had an excellent and experienced quarterback in Len Dawson, a dangerous receiver in flanker Otis Taylor, a productive running game led by HB Mike Garrett, and a good defense.   

There were 50,268 fans in attendance at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. It was raining as the game started, although it eventually cleared. The first quarter was scoreless, but a clip on a punt return had the Chiefs starting inside their ten yard line late in the period and a pass by Len Dawson that was deflected was intercepted by SS Rodger Bird to give Oakland possession at the Kansas City 16. On the first play of the second quarter, Daryle Lamonica tossed a one-yard touchdown pass to HB Clem Daniels. George Blanda added the extra point and the Raiders were ahead by 7-0.

The Chiefs had to punt following their next series and the Raiders, starting from their 37, drove to another score. Lamonica completed passes to split end Bill Miller for 12 yards, FB Hewritt Dixon for five, and TE Billy Cannon for 12 yards to the KC 23, but the next three tosses were incomplete and Blanda kicked a 31-yard field goal.

Oakland got the ball right back when flanker Noland Smith fumbled at the end of a 35-yard kickoff return and the Raiders recovered at the Kansas City 34. A swing pass to Dixon picked up 17 yards but the home team came up empty when the drive stalled at the nine and Blanda’s 16-yard field goal attempt hit the goal post.

Given a reprieve from falling deeper into a hole, the Chiefs advanced 80 yards in six plays. Mike Garrett (pictured at left) ran three straight times for 12 yards and Dawson then threw long to Otis Taylor for a pickup of 46 yards to the Oakland 22. Following another short run by Garrett, Dawson passed to HB Gene Thomas for a 20-yard TD. Rookie Jan Stenerud converted to narrow Oakland’s lead to 10-7, and that remained the score at halftime.

The Chiefs had the first possession in the third quarter, again starting deep in their own territory, and Dawson was hit by DE Ike Lassiter as he was throwing and LB Gus Otto intercepted to give the Raiders the ball at the Kansas City 23. That led to a Blanda field goal from 33 yards and a 13-7 advantage for the home team.

Kansas City had to punt following a short series, once again from deep in Chiefs territory, and the resulting return by Bird for 11 yards plus a 15-yard face mask penalty put Oakland on the KC 35. The Raiders again couldn’t move on offense and this time Blanda was wide on a 42-yard field goal try.

The teams exchanged punts once again, with the Raiders gaining the advantage in the battle for field position. Early in the fourth quarter Blanda was successful on a 42-yard field goal and Oakland opened up a 16-7 lead.

Noland Smith returned the ensuing kickoff 48 yards to the KC 46 and the Chiefs came alive on offense. Garrett again ran effectively and finished the series off with an option pass to Taylor that resulted in a 17-yard touchdown. Stenerud’s extra point narrowed the margin to two points at 16-14.

The Raiders responded with an 80-yard drive in ten plays. Lamonica threw to split end Warren Wells for 11 yards and HB Clem Daniels had a 12-yard run, but a penalty and sack backed them up and they were facing a third-and-44 situation. The Chiefs were flagged for a personal foul that gave the home team a first down and two plays later Lamonica connected with Cannon for a 29-yard TD. Blanda added the point after and it was a 23-14 score with a little over eight minutes to play.

The Chiefs were far from finished and the diminutive Smith came through with another long kickoff return, this time going 54 yards to the Oakland 48. A short pass was followed by Garrett losing ground on a pitchout, but facing third-and-14, Dawson (pictured at right) completed a pass to split end Chris Burford for a 45-yard gain and Garrett ran for a six-yard touchdown on the next play. Stenerud converted to once again make it a two-point contest.

The Raiders punted on their next series and Kansas City regained possession with the clock down to 2:08. Dawson threw to a wide-open Taylor on first down who dropped the ball, and after another incompletion and a sack, the Chiefs had to punt. They had one last shot in the final 33 seconds of the game, but time ran out for them on their own end of the field and Oakland held on for a 23-21 win.

The Raiders had the edge in total yards (306 to 243) and first downs (16 to 12). The Chiefs recorded five sacks, to three for Oakland, but also turned the ball over three times while the Raiders suffered two turnovers.

Daryle Lamonica completed 23 of 38 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Clem Daniels rushed for 72 yards on 16 carries and also caught three passes for another 23 yards and a TD. Hewritt Dixon gained 28 yards on 13 rushing attempts but led the Raiders with 8 catches for 60 yards.

For the Chiefs, Len Dawson was successful on 12 of 25 throws for 160 yards and a TD with one picked off. Mike Garrett gained 50 yards on 19 rushes that included a touchdown and also tossed a scoring pass. Otis Taylor had 5 catches for 79 yards and a TD.

“It was a tremendous win for us,” said Coach Rauch of the Raiders. “It gives us the opportunity to get up on top. I’m glad we did it before the Eastern trip which has always been tough.”

The win put the Raiders in a tie for first in the Western Division with San Diego, and while they lost the first game of the Eastern trip to the Jets, they didn’t lose again on the way to a 13-1 record. Oakland easily defeated Houston for the AFL Championship but came up short in the Super Bowl against the Packers. Kansas City lost the rematch between the teams and finished second in the division at 9-5.

Daryle Lamonica had a MVP year for the Raiders as he topped the AFL in touchdown passes with 30 while throwing for 3228 yards. George Blanda led the league in scoring with 116 points and 57 extra points while placing second (behind Kansas City’s Jan Stenerud) with 20 field goals. Just as he did against the Chiefs, Hewritt Dixon (pictured above) led the Raiders in pass receiving with 59. The converted tight end gained 563 yards as a receiver and 559 on the ground for a total of 1122 yards from scrimmage, which ranked seventh in the circuit.

Highlighted Year: Matt Schaub, 2009

Quarterback, Houston Texans

Age: 28

6^th season in pro football, 3^rd with Texans

College: Virginia

Height: 6’5”   Weight: 234

Prelude:

Schaub set multiple school passing records in college and was the ACC Player of the Year in 2002. He was chosen by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the ’04 NFL draft and backed up Michael Vick for three seasons. Schaub started two games and showed enough promise to attract the attention of other teams. He was traded to the Texans in 2007 and moved into the starting lineup. With a strong and accurate arm, he played well when healthy, but injuries kept him out of ten games in his first two years with the team, and he was prone to fumbles and interceptions. Still, he completed 66.1 percent of his passes in 2008 for 3043 yards and 15 touchdowns with 10 interceptions.

2009 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 583 [1]

Most attempts, game – 50 at Arizona 10/11

Completions – 396 [1]

Most completions, game – 35 at Arizona 10/11

Yards – 4770 [1]

Most yards, game – 392 at Cincinnati 10/18

Completion percentage – 67.9 [4]

Yards per attempt – 8.2 [4]

TD passes – 29 [5]

Most TD passes, game – 4 at Tennessee 9/20, at Cincinnati 10/18

Interceptions – 15 [9, tied with Jason Campbell]

Most interceptions, game – 2 at Buffalo 11/1, at Indianapolis 11/8, vs. Indianapolis 11/29

Passer rating – 98.6 [7]

300-yard passing games – 9

200-yard passing games – 15

Rushing

Attempts – 48

Most attempts, game – 8 (for 3 yds.) at Buffalo 11/1

Yards – 57

Most yards, game – 21 yards (on 3 carries) at Indianapolis 11/8

Average gain – 1.2

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

Pro Bowl

Texans went 9-7 to finish second in the AFC South, the first winning record in franchise history, while leading the NFL in passing yards (4654).

Aftermath:

Schaub again started every game in 2010 and passed for 4370 yards and 24 TDs with a passer rating of 92.0 while his interceptions dropped to 12. Both he and the team were off to a good start in ’11 before a foot injury knocked him out for the last six games of the regular season as well as the club’s first postseason appearance. Schaub returned in 2012 and had a Pro Bowl year as he passed for 4008 yards and 22 TDs and won in his first playoff appearance. However, he had a disastrous year in 2013, throwing for more interceptions (14) than touchdowns (10) and he was benched, leading to his being traded to Oakland in the offseason. He saw scant action as a backup to Derek Carr, was released, and signed with the Baltimore Ravens for 2015. Through 2014, Schaub has passed for 24,311 yards and 130 touchdowns, giving up 86 interceptions, with a 63.9 completion percentage and 89.5 passer rating. Of those totals, 23,221 yards with 124 TD passes and 78 INTs with a completion percentage of 64.6 and passer rating of 90.9 came during his seven years with Houston. He has been named to the Pro Bowl twice.   

--

Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

2002: Dawkins Stars as Eagles Defeat Texans

On September 29, 2002 the Houston Texans made their first visit to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in a Week 4 contest. While the result yielded no surprises, Philadelphia’s star free safety Brian Dawkins distinguished himself in multiple ways, one of which was unique in his outstanding career.

The Eagles, coached by Andy Reid, had a pass-oriented offense directed by QB Donovan McNabb with a running game that had been only fair thus far in the young season. The defense was good at pressuring opposing passers as well as in coverage. In addition to Dawkins, key players included DE Hugh Douglas, LB Shawn Barber, and cornerbacks Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor. Philadelphia reached the NFC Championship game in 2001 and was 2-1 thus far in ’02, having won decisively in the previous two games after losing to Tennessee in the season opener.

Houston was a first-year team under Head Coach Dom Capers and carried the usual expansion club problems into the season. QB David Carr, a rookie who was the first overall selection in the NFL draft, was placed directly into the starting lineup behind a makeshift line. The Texans upset the Dallas Cowboys in their first regular season contest but had scored a total of six points in losing their next two games to come into Philadelphia at 1-2.

There were 64,867 fans in attendance at Veterans Stadium. The teams traded punts to start the game before the Texans drove 69 yards in six plays that was helped along by a pass interference call on Troy Vincent in a third-and-six situation. David Carr completed passes to WR Corey Bradford for 26 yards to ignite the series and 23 yards to conclude it with a touchdown. Kris Brown added the extra point.

Houston got the ball back on the next play from scrimmage when SS Eric Brown intercepted a Donovan McNabb pass, thus giving the visitors excellent field position at the Philadelphia 34. However, DE Brandon Whiting sacked Carr for an eight-yard loss and two incompletions forced the Texans to punt. The Eagles moved methodically down the field in response as McNabb completed six passes and WR James Thrash ran for 19 yards on a reverse. The drive finally stalled at the Houston seven and David Akers kicked a 25-yard field goal to make it a 7-3 contest.

On the next series, Carr fumbled after running for nine yards on a third down play. Brian Dawkins recovered and, in a series that extended into the second quarter, the Eagles advanced 58 yards in nine plays. McNabb threw to FB Cecil Martin for 16 yards to the Houston 26 and a sack was nullified by a face mask penalty. RB Duce Staley ran for a one-yard TD and, with Akers kicking the point after, the home team was in front by 10-7.

The Texans were forced to punt following their next series that included two sacks of Carr and the Eagles, taking over from their own 36, advanced to another score. McNabb connected with Staley and Martin for completions of 13 and eight yards, respectively, and a sack was followed by a defensive holding penalty on Houston. A short run was followed by a McNabb pass to WR Todd Pinkston that picked up five yards and another throw to Pinkston gained 34 yards to the Houston six. Two plays later, Staley scored his second touchdown from a yard out. Akers converted and Philadelphia extended its lead to 17-7.

The Eagles got the ball back on the next series when Dawkins intercepted a Carr throw and returned it 27 yards to the Houston 30. It resulted in a short possession that ended with Akers kicking a 41-yard field goal and the score remained 20-7 at halftime.

The Eagles had the first possession in the third quarter and reached their 43 before lining up to punt. However, RB Brian Mitchell tossed a shovel pass to Dawkins instead, and the safety-now-receiver raced 57 yards for a touchdown (pictured at top). McNabb threw to TE Chad Lewis for a two-point conversion and big 28-7 lead.

Houston put together a series that ended with Carr throwing to Bradford for a 29-yard TD and Brown added the PAT to cut Philadelphia’s lead in half, but other than a 48-yard field goal by Brown later in the period, the Texans were finished with scoring for the day. McNabb threw to Thrash for a 38-yard TD in the fourth quarter to cap the 35-17 win for the Eagles.

Philadelphia easily held the lead in total yards (391 to 242) and first downs (21 to 12) while running sixteen more plays than the Texans (76 to 60). The Eagles also accumulated seven sacks to three by the Texans. Each team turned the ball over three times while Houston was penalized 11 times, to four flags thrown on Philadelphia.

Brian Dawkins had a noteworthy day as he recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass, recorded a sack, and caught a pass for a 57-yard touchdown. Donovan McNabb completed 24 of 42 throws for 259 yards and a TD while giving up one interception, and also ran the ball seven times for 23 yards. Duce Staley rushed for 33 yards on 12 carries that included two short touchdowns and had three pass receptions for another 39 yards. Todd Pinkston led Philadelphia’s receivers with 6 catches for 70 yards.

For the Texans, David Carr (pictured at right) completed 16 of 29 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions. Corey Bradford had 7 receptions for 97 yards and both TDs. RB James Allen was the leading rusher with 41 yards on 14 attempts.

The Eagles lost their next game but only twice more the rest of the way in compiling a 12-4 record to once again top the NFC East, and despite the loss of Donovan McNabb to a broken ankle in the tenth game, although he returned for the postseason. Philadelphia again advanced to the conference title game and again came up short, losing to Tampa Bay.

Houston lost its next two contests and ended up at 4-12 to place fourth in the AFC South. David Carr was sacked a record 76 times through the course of the year but the rookie took every snap.

Brian Dawkins went on to achieve consensus first-team All-NFL honors for the second straight year as well as a third Pro Bowl selection. He intercepted two passes, recovered four fumbles, and was credited with three sacks. The touchdown catch against the Texans remained the only pass reception of his 16-season career.

Highlighted Year: Willie Buchanon, 1978

Cornerback, Green Bay Packers

Age: 28 (Nov. 4)

7^th season in pro football & with Packers

College: San Diego State

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 190

Prelude:

Following a college career that was capped by receiving All-America honors and being named MVP of the East-West Shrine Game, Buchanon was taken by the Packers in the first round of the 1972 NFL draft (seventh overall) and moved directly into the starting lineup. He combined with Ken Ellis to create a fast and effective cornerback tandem and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press and NFC Rookie of the Year by the NEA. Buchanon suffered a broken leg six games into the 1973 season that cost him the remainder of the year but he still received Pro Bowl recognition. He was chosen again in ’74 but once again broke his leg two games into the 1975 season. Buchanon returned to spend two injury-free years with the Packers in 1976 and ’77 and intercepted four passes, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

1978 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions – 9 [2, tied with Ken Stone, 1^st in NFC]

Most interceptions, game – 4 at San Diego 9/24

Int. return yards – 93 [20]

Most int. return yards, game – 77 (on 4 int.) at San Diego 9/24

Int. TDs – 1 [4, tied with many others]

Fumble recoveries – 1

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Awards & Honors:

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

2^nd team All-NFL: NEA

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

Pro Bowl

Packers went 8-7-1 to finish second in the NFC Central, their first season with a winning record in six years. 

Aftermath:

Having played out his option, Buchanon moved on to San Diego in 1979 where he was reunited with his college coach, Don Coryell. He played four seasons for the Chargers, until 1982, and retired with a total of 28 interceptions (21 of them with the Packers). Buchanon was named to a total of three Pro Bowls and received All-NFL honors once.

--

Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1925: Packers Defeat Bears in Hard-Fought Battle

The long-standing rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears was still in its infancy as the two teams met in an early season game on September 27, 1925. The Packers were coming off of a 7-4 tally in 1924, and while they had yet to experience a losing record in four NFL seasons (it was still the American Professional Football Association when they joined in 1921), they had never beaten Chicago. The team was led by its founder and player/coach Curly Lambeau and now had a new home venue in City Stadium, which was just completed prior to the start of the season. Green Bay was 1-0 after shutting out the Hammond Pros the previous week.

The Bears were a powerful team and a good early test for the Packers. They were a perennial contender since entering the APFA as the Decatur Staleys in 1920, with the 1921 league championship under their belts, and placed second in the circuit with a 6-1-4 tally in ’24. George Halas co-owned and coached the club and also played end. Chicago battled Rock Island to a scoreless tie in its opening game.

There were 5389 fans in attendance at City Stadium. The Bears put together a drive that reached the Green Bay one yard line before coming up empty when four runs into the line were stopped. Stuck near their own end zone as a result, Verne Lewellen (pictured above) punted to get the Packers out of trouble. Another Lewellen punt pinned the Bears back deep in their own territory and, early in the second quarter, Duke Hanny had to punt in turn and guard Moose Gardner blocked it for Green Bay and recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Cub Buck added the extra point.

In the third quarter, a good punt return by back Joey Sternaman of the Bears (pictured at left) set up a score. After advancing into Green Bay territory, Sternaman kicked a 30-yard field goal to make it a 7-3 contest. Shortly thereafter center George Trafton broke through the line and blocked Lewellen’s punt which tackle Don Murry recovered for a Chicago touchdown. Sternaman kicked the point after and the visitors were in front by 10-7.

Curly Lambeau, suffering from a back injury, entered the game to rally his team. The Packers got a break when Lewellen’s next punt hit one of the Bears and Green Bay recovered at the Chicago 30. They methodically moved to the two, keeping the ball on the ground with off-tackle plays, but the Bears stiffened on defense, pushing the Packers back on three more runs. On the first play of the fourth quarter, back Charlie Mathys threw to Lewellen for a four-yard TD. Buck again converted, and it proved to be enough. The Packers won by a final score of 14-10.

Green Bay lost its next game but then reeled off four straight wins. However, a late-season slump that included a loss to the Bears at Chicago dropped the Packers out of contention and they ended up ninth in the division-less NFL with an 8-5 record. The Bears finished seventh at 9-5-3, but the bigger story for them came near the end of the regular season when they signed star HB Red Grange right at the conclusion of his brilliant college career at Illinois. He wasn’t much of a factor in what remained of the regular season, but became a key to two successful barnstorming tours. 

1977: Browns Rally in Second Half, Defeat Patriots in Overtime

The Monday night game on September 26, 1977 featured the Cleveland Browns hosting the New England Patriots. The Browns were coming off of a 9-5 record in ’76 under Head Coach Forrest Gregg. QB Brian Sipe had emerged from an obscure backup role to replace the disappointing Mike Phipps and there was a fine all-purpose runner in HB Greg Pruitt (pictured at right). Cleveland pulled off an upset the previous week in defeating the Bengals and were 1-0 as they faced another significant test.

The Patriots were coached by Chuck Fairbanks and reached the playoffs the previous year with an 11-3 tally. QB Steve Grogan, like Sipe, had been unheralded coming into the league and was effective both passing and running with the ball. While the holdouts of G John Hannah and OT Leon Gray caused disruption, there was a good corps of running backs, starting with FB Sam “Bam” Cunningham and TE Russ Francis was one of the best at his position. The defense was tough, with CB Mike Haynes and FS Tim Fox coming off of outstanding rookie seasons. New England had also won its opener against Kansas City.

There were 76,413 fans in attendance at Municipal Stadium. The Browns had the first possession and advanced 85 yards in 12 plays. Brian Sipe completed a third-and-five throw to Greg Pruitt that picked up 35 yards to the New England 11 and Pruitt tossed an option pass to FB Brian Duncan for a five-yard touchdown. Don Cockroft added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The Patriots punted following a short series but got the ball back when SS Prentice McCray intercepted a Sipe pass at the New England 29. They again had to punt and, helped by a 23-yard return by DB Roland Woolsey, the Browns again advanced into New England territory in the final minutes of the opening period. The drive stalled at the 26 early in the second quarter and Cockroft missed to the right on a 44-yard field goal attempt.

The Patriots made the most of the reprieve, moving methodically down the field. Steve Grogan completed a pass to HB Don Calhoun that gained 21 yards and had additional yards tacked on due to a facemask penalty on the Browns. Following two carries by HB Ike Forte, Grogan finished the 10-play, 74-yard series with a throw to Sam Cunningham (pictured below) in the end zone for an eight-yard TD. John Smith tied the score with his successful conversion.

On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Tim Fox intercepted a Sipe pass and returned it to the Cleveland 22. The Patriots couldn’t reach the end zone but they did put more points on the board with Smith’s 35-yard field goal to go ahead by a 10-7 tally.

That was it for the scoring until a 46-yard punt return by Mike Haynes gave the Patriots the ball at the Cleveland 29 with 1:33 remaining in the first half. Cunningham and Grogan ran the ball down to the two, from where Calhoun scored a touchdown. Smith’s extra point made the halftime score 17-7 in favor of the visitors.

The Patriots had the ball first in the third quarter and punted. Cleveland advanced 54 yards in six plays as Pruitt ran for 11 yards on two carries and caught a pass for another six, and Sipe threw to TE Gary Parris for a 26-yard TD. Cockroft’s PAT made it a three-point game at 17-14.

The Browns immediately regained possession when CB Raymond Clayborn fumbled on the kickoff return and WR Ricky Feacher recovered for Cleveland at the New England 25. While the offense went three-and-out, Cockroft tied the score at 17-17 with a 37-yard field goal.

The Patriots got just past midfield on the next series but again had to punt. Starting from their 12, the Browns got a boost when Pruitt took off for a 37-yard run with a facemask penalty added on and they were into New England territory heading into the fourth quarter. However, they came up empty when Cockroft tried for a 39-yard field goal that was blocked by LB Rod Shoate.

New England responded with a 61-yard drive that took 13 plays. Grogan completed a pass to WR Steve Burks for 22 yards in a third-and-12 situation and Calhoun and Cunningham ran effectively. Grogan converted another third down play with a throw to Forte for 10 yards to the Cleveland two, and while the Patriots lost yards on the next two plays, Grogan connected with Russ Francis in the middle of the end zone for a six-yard touchdown. Smith converted and the visitors were back on top by 24-17 with 7:28 to play in regulation.

The Browns came back with a seven-play, 73-yard possession. Pruitt had a 17-yard run and Sipe completed passes to Parris for ten yards, WR Reggie Rucker for nine, and WR Dave Logan for 19 yards to the New England 13. It was Sipe to Pruitt for an eight-yard TD and, with Cockroft’s kick, the score was again knotted at 24-24.

Cleveland scored again after a Grogan pass was picked off by LB Charlie Hall. That gave the Browns the ball at the New England 27 and led to a 37-yard Cockroft field goal and a lead of 27-24 with the clock now down to 55 seconds.

That was still enough time for the Patriots to mount a drive. Grogan completed four passes to move New England down the field, the biggest to Francis for 28 yards to the Cleveland 17 with one second remaining. Smith kicked a 24-yard field goal to send the contest into overtime.

The Browns won the toss for the extra period, received the kickoff, and never gave up the ball. Sipe scrambled for four yards in a third-and-one situation and completed a pass to Parris for 12 yards while facing third-and-eight. A throw to Logan that picked up 22 yards got the ball into scoring territory at the New England 19, and two plays later Cockroft kicked a 35-yard field goal at 4:45 into overtime. Cleveland won by a final score of 30-27.    

The Browns led in total yards (393 to 263) and first downs (25 to 21). They also turned the ball over three times, to two by New England, but the Patriots drew 12 penalties at a cost of 80 yards to five flags thrown on Cleveland.

Greg Pruitt had an outstanding night for the Browns as he rushed for 151 yards on 26 carries, caught four passes for another 51 yards and a touchdown, and threw a scoring pass. Brian Sipe (pictured at right) completed 18 of 25 throws for 199 yards and two TDs while giving up two interceptions. FB Cleo Miller, who gained 31 yards on 11 rushing attempts, also had four pass receptions, for 19 yards.

For the Patriots, Steve Grogan completed 15 of 23 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns while being picked off once. Sam Cunningham gained 70 yards on 18 carries and also topped the club with 7 pass receptions for 52 yards and another TD. Don Calhoun contributed 49 yards on 13 rushes that included a TD.

“Greg’s a great player,” said Coach Fairbanks of the Patriots about Cleveland’s Pruitt, who had played for him in college at Oklahoma. “He helped me to win a lot and now he helped take one away from me.”

The Browns had pulled off two upsets to start the season, and while they lost the next two games, they reeled off three straight victories to be in first place with a 5-2 record at the midway point. They faltered from there and the loss of Brian Sipe for the last five games proved fatal as Cleveland won only one of its last seven contests to end up at 6-8 and at the bottom of the AFC Central Division, costing Coach Gregg his job. New England lost the next week, and while the Patriots then won four straight games, a midseason slump caused them to finish at 9-5 and third in the AFC East, just missing out on a Wild Card playoff slot.

In his fifth year with the Browns, Greg Pruitt was chosen to his fourth Pro Bowl as he rushed for 1086 yards on 236 carries, both career highs, for a 4.6-yard average and caught 37 passes for 471 yards (12.7 avg.). His 1557 yards from scrimmage ranked third in the NFL. In addition to the Pro Bowl selection, he received second-team All-NFL honors from the Newspaper Enterprise Association and second-team All-AFC recognition from UPI.

Highlighted Year: Cloyce Box, 1952

Offensive End, Detroit Lions

Age: 29

3^rd season in pro football & with Lions

College: West Texas State (now West Texas A & M)

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 220

Prelude:

Box played football and basketball in a college career that was interrupted by military service during World War II. Chosen by the Washington Redskins in the 20^th round of the 1948 NFL draft, he was traded to the Lions, who initially used him at halfback. Box caught 15 passes for 276 yards (18.4 avg.) and four touchdowns as a rookie in ’49. He was shifted to end in 1950 and in a game against the Colts caught 12 passes for 302 yards, one short of the then-NFL record and setting a club mark. Box ended up with 50 catches for 1009 yards and 11 touchdowns for the year and was selected to the Pro Bowl as well as receiving second-team All-NFL recognition from the Associated Press. What he lacked in finesse, he made up for with his speed. Box missed all of the 1951 season as he returned to the military during the Korean War.

1952 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 42 [9] 
Most receptions, game - 9 (for 155 yds.) vs. Green Bay 11/27

Yards – 924 [4]

Most yards, game – 202 (on 7 catches) vs. Dall. Texans 12/13

Average gain – 22.0 [4]

TDs – 15 [1]

Scoring

TDs – 15 [1]

Points – 90 [2]

Postseason: 2 G

Pass receptions – 3

Most pass receptions, game – 2 vs. LA Rams, National Conf. playoff

Pass receiving yards – 30

Most pass receiving yards, game – 20 vs. LA Rams, National Conf. playoff

Average yards per reception – 10.0

Pass Receiving TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: AP

Pro Bowl

Lions went 9-3 to tie for first in the NFL National Conference while ranking second in both touchdowns (43) and scoring (344 points). Won National Conference playoff over Los Angeles Rams (31-21) and NFL Championship over Cleveland Browns (17-7).

Aftermath:

Box was bothered by injuries in 1953 and caught 16 passes for 403 yards and a 25.2-yard average gain that included a 97-yard TD reception. He retired following an injury-plagued 1954 season, having caught 129 passes for 2665 yards (20.7 avg.) and 32 touchdowns. In a short but productive career, he received first- or second-team All-NFL honors twice and was selected to two Pro Bowls. Box went on to become wealthy in the oil business, and while he often generated controversy with his methods, he also donated more than $1 million to a fund to assist former NFL players in need.

--

Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

[Updated 2/21/17]