2003: Punchless Eagles Beat Giants on Stunning Punt Return by Westbrook

The Philadelphia Eagles had been to the NFC Championship game in 2001 and ‘02, but Head Coach Andy Reid’s team was off to a slow start in 2003. They were embarrassed 17-0 by the reigning champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in the opening game that was also their regular season debut at the new Lincoln Financial Field, and then lost badly to the Patriots the following week. QB Donovan McNabb had been struggling through the first five games due to a bruised right thumb and lingered at the bottom of the passing rankings. The team’s record stood at 2-3 as they traveled to Giants Stadium to take on the division rival New York Giants on October 19.

The Giants were also underachieving at 2-3 under Head Coach Jim Fassel. The club had scored a total of 16 points in the prior two games as QB Kerry Collins tossed seven interceptions and no touchdown passes.

Philadelphia got the early advantage in its second possession of the game, driving 89 yards in 11 plays and highlighted by McNabb throwing to TE L.J. Smith for a 25-yard gain. RB Brian Westbrook ran around end for the last six yards and a touchdown that gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

Neither team was able to move the ball effectively for the remainder of the half. A promising second quarter drive by the Giants ended with TE Jeremy Shockey fumbling the ball away at the Philadelphia 19 yard line after a nine-yard gain on a pass from Collins. However, three plays later McNabb was intercepted by CB Will Allen and the Giants had the ball at the Eagles’ 29 with 1:23 remaining in the half. Brett Conway kicked a 39-yard field goal to make the score 7-3 at the intermission.

New York went ahead 10-7 in the third quarter after a 12-play drive that went 62 yards and produced a one-yard TD pass from Collins to Shockey. It looked like that would be enough as the game moved through the fourth quarter and the Eagles offense remained stymied, ending five consecutive possessions with punts – all but one of them had been three-and-out.

Midway through the fourth quarter it appeared that the Giants would score again, but on a third-and-five play at the Philadelphia 10 yard line Collins fumbled after being hit by LB Mark Simoneau and DT Corey Simon recovered for the Eagles to end the threat.

With Philadelphia out of time outs and 1:34 remaining on the clock, the Giants entrusted their defense to finish the job and Jeff Feagles punted. Westbrook fielded the short, wobbly kick on the bounce and quickly blew through the wall of defenders. Running past the Giants’ bench, he flew past Feagles and then just stayed inbounds as he eluded one last tackler, TE Marcellus Rivers, before completing the 84-yard touchdown return (pictured at top).

78,883 fans sat in stunned silence as the play was reviewed by the officials, who ascertained that Westbrook had indeed not stepped out of bounds.

New York still had one last chance and, following the ensuing kickoff, Collins tossed a pass to WR Amani Toomer for a 20-yard gain to the Philadelphia 44 yard line with 1:12 now left to play. But four more passes netted just one more completion for six yards, and the last one on fourth-and-four was broken up by CB Bobby Taylor. The Eagles came away with a shocking 14-10 win.

The stunning nature of the victory was all the more evidenced by the statistics. The Eagles had gained just 134 total yards, to 339 for the Giants. A net of just 47 of those yards had come through the air (McNabb was sacked three times for a loss of 17 yards) while they had gained 87 yards on the ground. Philadelphia accumulated 9 first downs, while the Giants had 25.

Donovan McNabb completed only 9 of 23 passes for 64 yards with an interception. L.J. Smith’s one catch had made him the team’s receiving yardage leader with 25. Brian Westbrook led the team in rushing with 67 yards on 15 carries, caught three passes for another 11, and returned three kickoffs for 61 yards and the punt for 84 – the combined total came to 223 yards and included both of the team’s touchdowns.

In defeat, Kerry Collins was successful on 22 of 36 passes for 174 yards with one TD and none intercepted. RB Tiki Barber gained 79 yards on 19 carries and RB Dorsey Levens, playing in his first game for the Giants, contributed another 64 yards on 16 attempts. Barber and Jeremy Shockey each caught five passes (for 34 and 23 yards, respectively) while Amani Toomer was the receiving yardage leader with 54 yards on four catches.

For the Eagles, the dramatic result proved to be the turning point of the season as they proceeded to win nine straight and finished once again at the top of the NFC East with a 12-4 record. They made it to a third straight conference title game, but lost to Carolina. New York won its next two contests, but then lost the remaining eight to close out at 4-12 and at the bottom of the division. In the housecleaning that followed, both Coach Fassel and Collins were sent packing.

Donovan McNabb’s return to full health was a significant factor in Philadelphia’s second-half surge. He ended up passing for 3216 yards with 16 TDs and 11 interceptions and was named to his fourth of an eventual five straight Pro Bowls (six overall with the Eagles).


In his second season out of Villanova, Brian Westbrook (pictured at left) emerged as a major all-purpose talent. He returned a second punt for a touchdown during the season and ranked first in the NFC with a 15.3 average on 20 returns. Overall, he gained 1738 all-purpose yards with 613 rushing on 117 carries, 332 on 37 pass receptions, 487 on 23 kickoff returns, and 306 returning punts. While he would be used far less on punt returns in future seasons (and not at all on kickoff returns), his yards from rushing and pass receiving rose greatly.

1981: Hendricks Blocked FG Preserves Oakland Two-Point Win Over Bucs

The Oakland Raiders had won the Super Bowl following the 1980 season, but were slumping badly as they hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 18, 1981. The Raiders had a 2-4 record and, moreover, had not scored in three straight games – the first NFL team to suffer such a slump since the 1943 Brooklyn Dodgers.

QB Jim Plunkett, who had been the comeback hero of Oakland’s championship season, was benched by Head Coach Tom Flores in favor of second-year QB Marc Wilson, making his first start for the Raiders.

Tampa Bay, under Head Coach John McKay, was off to a 4-2 start and had won their last three games thanks to the fine play of QB Doug Williams and a tough defense.

The Raiders finally ended the scoring drought in the first quarter as Chris Bahr kicked a 51-yard field goal. Less than two minutes later, Oakland scored on a safety for a 5-0 lead when TE Todd Christensen blocked a punt in the end zone. Before the period was over, the Raiders drove 51 yards, capped by a 12-yard touchdown run by FB Derrick Jensen.

There was no more scoring until late in the second quarter, when Bahr connected on a 20-yard field goal to extend the Oakland lead to 15-0 going into halftime.

However, Tampa Bay rallied in the second half. QB Doug Williams started things off with a 77-yard touchdown pass to WR Kevin House in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Williams struck again, this time on a 13-yard TD pass to TE Jimmie Giles that narrowed Oakland’s margin to 15-13, although the extra point attempt failed. But Tampa Bay took the lead at 16-15 with 5:01 remaining when Bill Capece kicked a 26-yard field goal.

Now behind, Oakland’s offense came alive. Wilson, whose performance had been uneven at best, made clutch passes to set up a 44-yard field goal by Bahr with 2:21 left to play.

The Bucs still had time, and following Bahr’s field goal they drove to the Oakland 13 yard line, with a 40-yard pass play from Williams to Giles the biggest play. With eight seconds left, Capece came in to attempt the potential game-winning field goal from 30 yards out. But for the second time in the contest, LB Ted Hendricks got a hand on the kick and it fell short, preserving the 18-16 win for the Raiders.

Total yardage reflected the closeness of the score, with Oakland edging Tampa Bay, 370 yards to 356. How they accumulated their yards was very different, as the Raiders far outrushed the Buccaneers, 194 yards to 29, but Tampa Bay had much higher net passing yardage, 327 to 176. Both clubs suffered three turnovers, Oakland’s all through interceptions and Tampa Bay’s all by fumbles.

Marc Wilson completed 17 of 34 passes for 176 yards with no TDs and the three interceptions. RB Kenny King led the running game with 87 yards on 17 carries while Derrick Jensen added 56 yards on 16 attempts with a TD. TE Derrick Ramsey was Oakland’s top receiver with 6 catches for 49 yards.


Doug Williams did well in leading the Bucs from behind, completing 16 of 30 passes for 335 yards with two TDs and none intercepted. Kevin House had 178 of the yards on four catches, including the one long touchdown. Jimmie Giles also caught four passes, for 76 yards and a TD. Reflecting the poor overall running performance, RB Jerry Eckwood led the team with just 14 yards on 9 carries.

While gratifying, the win did not mark a turning point for the Raiders, who went 4-5 the rest of the way and finished fourth in the AFC West with a 7-9 record. Tampa Bay went on to win the NFC Central, albeit with a mediocre 9-7 tally, and lost badly to Dallas in the NFC Divisional playoff.

Marc Wilson, a 6’6” product of Brigham Young University, had a so-so season in what would ultimately be a mediocre career. He completed just 47.3 % of his passes for 2311 yards with 14 touchdowns against 19 interceptions, and was sacked 30 times. While he lasted in Oakland through the 1987 season, he battled Plunkett for the starting job most of the time, and when the Raiders recovered to win another championship following the ’83 season, it was Plunkett guiding the team in the Super Bowl.

Doug Williams ranked fifth in the NFC with 3563 yards passing and tossed 19 touchdown passes to 14 interceptions (mirroring Wilson’s ratio in a more positive way). Kevin House caught 56 passes for a career-high 1176 yards; his 21.0 yards per catch ranked third in the NFL and nine of his receptions resulted in touchdowns. Jimmie Giles went to the Pro Bowl for the second of three consecutive years (four overall) as he hauled in 45 passes for 786 yards (17.5 average) with six TDs.

For Ted Hendricks (pictured at top), aka The Mad Stork, it was just another highlight in a 15-year career with three teams that earned him numerous honors. He was a four-time consensus first-team All-Pro, was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times (including the 1981 season), and eventually gained induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1954: Adrian Burk Throws 7 TD Passes as Eagles Beat Redskins

The Philadelphia Eagles were off to a 3-0 start in 1954 as they traveled to Washington to take on the Redskins on October 17 at Griffith Stadium. Since taking over as head coach in 1953, Jim Trimble had split the duties at quarterback between Adrian Burk and Bobby Thomason. That was the case again in ’54 and each threw at least one touchdown in each of the three wins. Washington, under first-year Head Coach Joe Kuharich (who would later coach the Eagles as well), was 0-3 and had been beaten badly in each instance.

Washington’s defensive backfield was inexperienced and the Eagles capitalized. On their second possession midway through the first quarter, Burk tossed his first (and longest) touchdown pass of the game, connecting with end Bobby Walston for 26 yards.

QB Al Dorow led the Redskins on a 35-yard drive that ended with a 14-yard touchdown pass to end Ed Barker. But Burk hit star end Pete Pihos twice for touchdowns in the second quarter, covering 18 and 19 yards, and the Eagles held a 21-7 lead at the half.

Burk’s fourth touchdown pass of the game came in the third quarter, finding Walston in the end zone from five yards out. The Redskins made it interesting when rookie FB Dale Atkeson returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, which at the time set a team record. But Burk tossed two more TD passes to pull the Eagles away - to Walston for a third time for four yards and to HB Toy Ledbetter from nine yards out.

The Redskins made another big play, although it was too-little, too-late, as QB Jack Scarbath threw a pass to end Hugh Taylor that covered 60 yards. Scarbath then connected with Taylor again for a five-yard touchdown.

Up 42-21, Burk was relieved by Thomason. But when Philadelphia’s publicity director realized that Burk was just one short of Sid Luckman’s NFL single-game record of seven touchdown passes, Trimble reinserted him into the contest. In the final seconds, he threw the record-tying seventh touchdown pass to Pihos. Characteristically, it was short, covering three yards, and the Eagles won, 49-21.

Adrian Burk completed 19 of 27 passes for 232 yards with the 7 touchdowns against just one interception. Pete Pihos was the top receiver with 9 catches for 132 yards and three of the TDs. Bobby Walston scored three as well, in addition to the one by Ledbetter.

Burk, the team’s regular punter, also had an outstanding game punting the ball. On three occasions he managed to angle kicks out of bounds inside the Washington 10 yard line (at the two, three, and nine yard lines, to be exact).

Overall, the Eagles outgained Washington with 432 yards to 115 and compiled 30 first downs to 9 for the Redskins. In addition to 289 passing yards, Philadelphia rolled up 172 yards on the ground, while the defense held the Redskins to just 28 yards on 20 carries. The Redskins further hurt their cause by turning the ball over seven times, against two committed by the Eagles.

Philadelphia failed to maintain its winning momentum, losing the next two games and four of five on the way to a 7-4-1 record and second place finish in the Eastern Conference. Washington ended up in fifth with a 3-9 tally.

Burk had another big performance later in the season when the Redskins came to Philadelphia, throwing for more yards (345) as well as five more TD passes. Not surprisingly, it was the best year of his seven-season career as he led the NFL in touchdown passes (23) and percentage of TD passes (10.0) and was selected to the Pro Bowl. He also had career highs in passing yards (1740) and completion percentage (53.2). Of course, the two games against Washington certainly fueled his success, as he threw for a combined 577 yards and 12 touchdowns.


With 60 catches, Pete Pihos (pictured at left) tied for the league lead with San Francisco’s Billy Wilson. His 872 yards and 10 touchdowns ranked third. In the last three seasons of his Hall of Fame career (1953-54-55), Pihos led the NFL in pass receiving in each and in receiving yards twice.

Bobby Walston was leading the league with 45 points heading into the game and helped his cause by adding another 25 to give him 70 after just four contests. The team’s placekicker as well as a starting end, he went on to lead the NFL in scoring with 114 points. In addition to 11 touchdowns scored (all on pass receptions), he booted 36 extra points and four field goals.

The record of seven TD passes in a game has been tied three more times (George Blanda of the Oilers in the AFL in 1961, Y.A. Tittle of the Giants in ’62, and Joe Kapp of the Vikings in 1969) – Burk’s yardage total remains the lowest of any of the seven-TD performances (the others, including Luckman, were all over 400, and Tittle passed for 505).

Coincidentally, Burk, who went on to become an NFL official (as well as a successful lawyer in his hometown of Houston) following his retirement as a player, was a member of the officiating crew when Kapp had his seven-TD game. He also was the back judge who signaled touchdown when RB Franco Harris of the Steelers scored the “Immaculate Reception” TD in the 1972 postseason against Oakland.

1977: Broncos Intercept Stabler 7 Times and End Raiders Winning Streak

In the seven seasons following the merger of the NFL and AFL in 1970, the Oakland Raiders had pretty much dominated the AFC West. Under Head Coach John Madden, they won the division title in six of those seven years through 1976, and finished a strong second in 1971. Most recently, in ’76, they had gone 13-1 on the way to winning the Super Bowl for the first time. Four weeks into the 1977 season, the Raiders were 4-0 and in the midst of a 17-game winning streak, counting the postseason.

The club they faced on October 16, 1977 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum was the Denver Broncos, also off to a 4-0 start. As successful as the Raiders had been for over a decade (going back to the late-60s American Football League), the Broncos were a team new to being a contender. After never posting a winning record in any AFL season, Denver finally went over .500 in 1973 and ’74 under Head Coach John Ralston, and was a franchise-best 9-5 in 1976.

Ralston, who had relinquished the post of general manager, was forced to resign as head coach by his successor, Fred Gehrke. It was a controversial move, following the improvement in record, but Ralston had bred a great deal of dissension among the players along the way. Hired to replace him was Red Miller, most recently the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots (Ralston had also taken criticism for running an uninspiring offense). The other major offseason move occurred when mediocre QB Steve Ramsey was dealt to the New York Giants for 34-year-old QB Craig Morton (pictured above). Morton, who had lost out in the competition for the starting job with Roger Staubach in Dallas at the beginning of the decade, had been a disappointment with the Giants but was nevertheless a big improvement over Ramsey.

The game against Oakland was a major test for the rising Broncos, and one they had been anticipating since long before the season began. However, the Raiders started off with a 70-yard scoring drive that culminated in a nine-yard touchdown pass from QB Ken Stabler to TE Dave Casper.

But on the second Oakland possession, a Stabler pass intended for WR Cliff Branch was tipped by the receiver to LB Joe Rizzo for an interception. From the Raiders’ 29 yard line, the Broncos drove to the tying score on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Morton to TE Riley Odoms.

Midway through the second quarter, Denver punter Bucky Dilts pinned the Raiders down with a kick to the one yard line. Oakland couldn’t advance and had to punt, giving the Broncos good field position at the Raiders’ 42. Seven plays later, HB Lonnie Perrin ran for a 16-yard touchdown to put the Broncos ahead, 14-7. Along the way, Morton connected with Odoms for a 14-yard gain on a third-and-nine play to keep the drive going.


Rizzo intercepted two more of Stabler’s passes and LB Randy Gradishar one. Following the Gradishar pickoff, and with about a minute to go in the half, the Broncos had the ball at the Oakland 32. Unable to gain ground, they lined up for a 42-yard field goal attempt, but faked the kick. Backup QB Norris Weese, the holder, first looked for Odoms but then fired to wide-open PK Jim Turner at the 16 who lumbered the rest of the way for a 25-yard touchdown. It was the only touchdown ever scored by the 36-year-old placekicker, in the 14th of an eventual 16 seasons with the Jets and Broncos (Turner pictured kicking at left). Denver took a 21-7 lead into halftime.

The Raiders put together a good drive in the third quarter, but on third-and-one at the Denver 45 LB Tom Jackson stuffed FB Mark van Eeghen for no gain and Oakland punted. On the next Oakland series, Stabler hit Branch for a 44-yard gain, but on the following play at the Denver 20, RB Pete Banaszak fumbled and Denver DE Lyle Alzado recovered to end the threat.

Again a Dilts punt pinned the Raiders deep in their own territory, at the four yard line, and CB Louis Wright intercepted a Stabler pass shortly thereafter and returned it for an 18-yard touchdown. Turner missed the extra point, but the Denver lead was now an insurmountable 27-7.

One last time the Raiders drove into Denver territory, but Banaszak was stopped decisively for no gain on a fourth-and-one play by Jackson and safety Bill Thompson.

Before it was over, Stabler threw his seventh interception of the game, to DE Paul Smith. The Broncos had the ball at the Oakland 16 but settled for a 32-yard field goal by Turner with just over seven minutes left to play. That provided the stunning final score of 30-7.

The Raiders outgained the Broncos, 326 yards to 200, and accumulated 21 first downs to Denver’s eight. However, Oakland also turned the ball over eight times, to none by the Broncos.

Craig Morton completed just 7 of 16 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown, with none intercepted; Norris Weese, of course, added the 25-yard TD pass on the fake field goal attempt. Only two Denver receivers caught as many as two passes, with the star tight end Riley Odoms (pictured below) gaining 24 yards with a TD on his pair (RB Rob Lytle caught two passes for 18 yards; WR Jack Dolbin had one 34-yard reception and was the leader in receiving yardage for the club). Staying conservative offensively, the Broncos ran 37 times for 102 yards and Lonnie Perrin was the leading rusher with 37 yards on 10 attempts, including a TD.


Ken Stabler was forced to go to the air often and completed 20 of 40 passes for 274 yards with one touchdown and the seven interceptions. Ten of Stabler’s passes hit receivers in the hands and bounced away, accounting for three of the pickoffs. The lefthander had thrown just five interceptions in all of the preceding games.

Dave Casper caught six passes for 58 yards and the lone TD, while Cliff Branch gained 92 yards on his four receptions. Mark van Eeghen was the leading rusher with 61 yards on 20 carries.

Denver’s “Orange Crush” defense had largely controlled the game (as would be the case throughout most of the season). Joe Rizzo accounted for three of the interceptions of Stabler. They also sacked Stabler four times (Morton was sacked five times).

Said Denver’s Randy Gradishar afterward “We’ve been playing together a long time now and we’re getting good coverage and good pressure. Stabler’s not used to getting pressure. Sometimes he’ll just throw the ball out there and hope somebody comes up with it. Today wasn’t his day.”

“There’ll be another day,” said Oakland’s All-Pro guard Gene Upshaw after the game, “and we don’t have to wait a month. It’s just in two weeks.”

Oakland did indeed beat the Broncos in Denver two weeks later, but the Broncos didn’t lose again until the season finale. They finished atop the AFC West with a 12-2 record while the Raiders came in second at 11-3 and qualified for a wild card spot. The teams met one more time, in the AFC Championship game, and Denver won at home, 20-17. However, the Broncos’ dream season turned into a nightmare in the Super Bowl loss to Dallas.

As the game against the Broncos exemplified, Ken Stabler had a down season (by his previous standards), but was still among the league leaders in touchdown passes (20 – matching his interception total), completion percentage (57.5), and percentage of TD passes (6.8) and was selected for the Pro Bowl for the fourth (and last) time. Craig Morton, operating in a conservative offense, didn’t have overwhelming numbers but provided steady leadership, minimized mistakes (his 3.1 interception percentage was second lowest in the conference), and came away with an AFC title.

2006: Delhomme & Smith Lead Panthers Past Boller & Ravens

Coming off of an 11-5 record in 2005 that ended with a loss in the NFC Championship game, the Carolina Panthers lost their first two contests in ’06. However, they won their next three games as they headed to Baltimore to take on the 4-1 Ravens on October 15 at M&T Bank Stadium.

Head Coach John Fox’s Panthers had been without WR Steve Smith (pictured at right) in the first two losing games due to injury, and his return had a positive impact on the offense’s performance. Smith gave the conservative, run-oriented unit a significant receiving threat. Meanwhile, Carolina had a strong defense, as did Baltimore. Under Head Coach Brian Billick, they had dipped to 6-10 in ’05 but made a significant upgrade at quarterback in acquiring 11-year veteran Steve McNair from the Titans. The Ravens entered the game with a six-game home winning streak.

McNair came out throwing, but not to great effect. The Ravens went three-and-out in the opening series, in which the veteran passed on each down, and the second possession was marked by his tossing an interception to safety Colin Branch on the third play.


QB Jake Delhomme (pictured at left) had thrown an interception to end Carolina’s first series, but after the pickoff of the McNair pass the Panthers drove 59 yards on nine plays, highlighted by pass completions of 32 and 16 yards to Smith, that culminated in a 21-yard field goal by John Kasay. On the first play of the next Baltimore possession, McNair was hit hard by LB Chris Draft and DE Mike Rucker - not only was he sacked, but the quarterback was forced to leave the game. He was replaced by backup Kyle Boller.

Boller, a fourth-year pro who had started nine games the previous season, had been relegated to the bench once McNair was obtained. However, after the teams traded fumbles and the Panthers punted early in the second quarter, Boller directed the Ravens on a 13-play, 73-yard drive that included a three-yard run in a fourth-and-one situation and ended with a touchdown pass of 14 yards to WR Mark Clayton. Baltimore was up by 7-3.

Carolina came back with an eight-play drive that also ended in a score as Delhomme connected with WR Drew Carter for a 42-yard touchdown. A 31-yard field goal by Kasay at the end of the half gave the Panthers a 13-7 lead at the intermission.

Both quarterbacks gave up interceptions in their teams’ initial second half possessions. Baltimore controlled the ball for most of the third quarter, but neither club scored. In the fourth quarter, after a long 15-play, 91-yard drive that ate up nearly eight minutes, Kasay kicked a 21-yard field goal to extend Carolina’s lead to 16-7. Along the way, Steve Smith gained 58 yards on three catches.

After the teams traded punts, the Ravens struck for a big play as Boller connected with Clayton for a 62-yard touchdown that narrowed the margin to 16-14. But the Panthers responded on the very next play from scrimmage with a 72-yard Delhomme-to-Smith TD pass, quieting the record crowd of 70,762.

Baltimore came back to score on the next possession, going 68 yards in seven plays highlighted by a 35-yard pass play from Boller to WR Demetrius Williams and capped with a seven-yard touchdown pass to TE Todd Heap. Once again, it was a two-point game with just over two minutes remaining in the game.

But while the Ravens had all three timeouts, they never got another chance on offense. On a key third-and-one situation at the Carolina 46, Delhomme completed a four-yard pass to Carter for a first down and the Panthers ran out the clock to win, 23-21.

Jake Delhomme completed 24 of 39 passes for 365 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Steve Smith was the recipient of 8 of those completions for 189 yards and the long TD. The aerial game had been crucial as the tough Baltimore defense held the Panthers to just 58 yards rushing on 30 attempts; RB DeShaun Foster accounted for all of the yards on 26 of the carries.


In relief, Kyle Boller (pictured at right) had a solid passing performance with 17 completions in 31 attempts for 226 yards with three touchdowns and one picked off. Mark Clayton caught 5 passes for 101 yards and two TDs; Todd Heap gained 55 yards on his 5 receptions and scored a touchdown. The Ravens were only a bit better running the ball, with a total of 80 yards, and RB Jamal Lewis accounted for 41 of that total on his nine carries; Boller took off and ran six times for 27 yards.

Overall, the Panthers gained 414 total yards, to 292 for Baltimore. Having come into the game ranked last in the league in third down conversions, Carolina converted a crucial 7 of 15, including the game-clincher at the end.

“It’s always frustrating when the other team converts third downs,” said Baltimore LB Terrell Suggs. “We wanted to get off the field, but they kept making big plays. I give them a lot of credit.”

DE Julius Peppers had two sacks and eight tackles for the Panthers and complimented the backup quarterback, Boller. “He did a good job when he came in. He got them some points and moved the ball.”

The win proved to be the high point of the season for Carolina – the Panthers lost six of their next eight games, including four straight at one point, and finished in second place in the NFC South with an 8-8 record. Baltimore went in the other direction, winning nine of their remaining ten contests to win the AFC North with a 13-3 tally. They lost to the Colts in the Divisional round of the playoffs.

Steve Smith caught 83 passes for 1166 yards (14.0 average) and eight touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the third time.

With Steve McNair returning to action, Kyle Boller went back to the bench and saw only limited time the rest of the way. He completed 33 of 55 passes for 485 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions.

1973: Harold Jackson Keys LA Win Over Dallas With 238 Yards & 4 TDs

Following a 6-7-1 season in 1972 (their first sub-.500 record since 1965), the Los Angeles Rams had a new look for 1973. Gone was Head Coach Tommy Prothro, successor to George Allen, and in his place was Chuck Knox, a long-time assistant with the Jets and Lions. Gone also was QB Roman Gabriel after 11 years with the Rams, traded to Philadelphia and replaced by another 11-year veteran, John Hadl, who was obtained from the San Diego Chargers.

The Eagles, desperate for a franchise quarterback, had given up much to obtain Gabriel. The Rams received two number one draft picks, a number two selection, RB Tony Baker, and most significantly, WR Harold Jackson (pictured above). The swift 5’10” (at most), 175-pound Jackson had led the NFL in both pass receptions (62) and receiving yards (1048) with the offensively-challenged Eagles. He had originally been drafted by the Rams in the 12th round out of Jackson State in 1968, was only active for two games, caught no passes, and was dealt to Philadelphia, where he quickly blossomed. His homecoming would prove to be a productive one.

The revamped Rams got off to a 4-0 start and on October 14 faced their biggest test to date as they hosted the Dallas Cowboys at the Memorial Coliseum. The Cowboys, perennial contenders under Head Coach Tom Landry, were 3-1 and coming off of a tough loss at Washington the previous Monday night.

There was a big and enthusiastic crowd of 81,428 present in the cavernous stadium. The Rams came out throwing as Hadl passed to FB Jim Bertelsen for a 12-yard gain on their first offensive play. Two plays later, Jackson caught his first touchdown pass of the game, speeding past FS Charlie Waters to go 63 yards.

Jackson caught a second scoring pass, of 16 yards, before Dallas got on the board thanks to a 30-yard interception return by CB Mel Renfro to make the score 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Turnovers put the Cowboys in a deep hole as they lost two fumbles by kick returner Les Strayhorn and had two passes intercepted in the first half, by CB Eddie McMillan and LB Isiah Robertson, that set up a touchdown and field goal, respectively.

Hadl connected with Jackson for two more long touchdowns, of 67 and 36 yards, in the second quarter. In addition, David Ray kicked field goals of 27 and 37 yards. Meanwhile, the Cowboys scored once, on an eight-yard run by RB Calvin Hill. The Rams had a 34-14 lead at halftime and Hadl had already completed 9 of 14 passes for 217 yards with the four TDs to Jackson.

However, Dallas made a strong comeback in the second half. QB Roger Staubach threw two touchdown passes, of six and 10 yards, to WR Otto Stowe. The Rams scored just once more, on a 35-yard field goal by Ray in the third quarter.

After the second Stowe touchdown, the Cowboys were at the LA one yard line and down by 9 points at 37-28 with five minutes left in the game; they elected to go for the short eight-yard Toni Fritsch field goal. Now behind by six points, Dallas got the ball back but DB Al Clark intercepted a Staubach pass at the LA 32 with 2:31 left on the clock. With the time running down to under two minutes remaining and the crowd cheering wildly, the Rams needed to maintain possession to run the clock out and seal the win; RB Larry Smith did the job as he gained five yards and a first down. Los Angeles held on for a 37-31 win.

The ground-oriented Rams had difficulty running against the number one-ranked “Doomsday Defense” of the Cowboys. Adding to LA’s running woes, RB Lawrence McCutcheon, second-leading rusher in the NFC coming into the game, suffered a pulled hamstring and didn’t play in the second half (he gained just 15 yards on three carries). McCutcheon was another new face who had contributed mightily to LA’s early success, having appeared in just three games – all on special teams – in his 1972 rookie season. Short-yardage specialist Tony Baker (12 rushes for 24 yards) also went down with a shoulder separation. Jim Bertelsen led the team with 52 yards on 17 carries.

However, the line protected Hadl well and allowed the passing game to compensate to devastating effect. While the Rams gained 104 rushing yards on 40 attempts (2.6 average gain), Hadl (pictured below) completed 12 of 22 passes for 279 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Of that, Harold Jackson caught 7 passes for 238 yards and the four TDs.


For Dallas, Roger Staubach was successful on 15 of 25 throws for 173 yards with two TDs and three interceptions. Otto Stowe led the receivers with 6 catches for 86 yards and both touchdowns. Calvin Hill paced the team in rushing with 51 yards on 15 attempts and a TD.

“This is my finest hour in the NFL”, Harold Jackson said. “I feel I can run the deep post and just about get open every time. The key is I have to outrun the free safety. Charlie Waters told me after the game he made me look like I was All-World. He's a good player and I appreciate his saying that.”

Added John Hadl, “The two long touchdown passes were both off play action. Harold runs a post pattern and I just look for the last move he makes and try to throw it where I think he'll be."

“The Rams are a fine, great team with momentum,” said Dallas Coach Landry. “But the Rams beat a good football team. It's tough to come back from a Monday night game like we had to play. We wanted to win more than anything but we left everything on the field in Washington, particularly emotionally.”

Los Angeles went on to win the NFC West with a 12-2 record and the Cowboys recovered to win the NFC East at 10-4. The two teams met again in the postseason, in a Divisional playoff game, and Dallas came away the winner by a 27-16 score. The Cowboys went on to lose the NFC Championship game to the Minnesota Vikings.

Harold Jackson’s performance against the Cowboys came in the midst of a string of four games in which he caught a total of 13 passes for 422 yards for an impressive 32.5-yard average with 8 TDs. For the year, he had 40 receptions for 874 yards (21.9 average) and 13 touchdowns. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection (AP, NEA, Pro Football Writers of America, Pro Football Weekly) and went to the Pro Bowl for the third (of an eventual five) times. Upon his retirement, following the 1983 season, Jackson ranked second in career pass receiving yards (10,372) on his 579 catches, even though during his prime he played for a running team and in an era when zone defenses had largely curtailed the long passing game.

John Hadl ranked first in the NFL in percentage of TD passes (8.5) and yards per completion (14.9, tied with Atlanta’s Bob Lee), second in yards-per-attempt (7.8, again tied with Lee), and third in passing (88.8 rating) and touchdown passes (22). He, too, received All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition, although in his case it was something of a last hurrah. Showing signs of decline the following year (and with the younger James Harris ready to take over), he was traded to Green Bay at midseason, and by his last two seasons (1976-77) was strictly a backup.

1963: Jim Brown Gains 209 Total Yards to Propel Browns Over Giants

The October 13, 1963 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants at Yankee Stadium was a key showdown in the race for the Eastern Conference crown. The Browns, under new Head Coach Blanton Collier, were off to a 4-0 start while the Giants, winners of the conference the previous two seasons, had a 3-1 record.

The big story in Cleveland during the previous offseason had been the firing of Head Coach/GM Paul Brown, who had been an innovative and winning coach since the club’s founding in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946. However, the team had not won a title since 1955 and some players on the talented club – most notably star FB Jim Brown – bridled under Brown’s strict coaching methods. Young owner Art Modell also clashed with the legendary coach, and finally dispatched Brown and elevated Collier, a long-time Browns assistant who had returned after a hiatus as head coach at the University of Kentucky. Collier brought a more relaxed style to coaching the team, and the players responded with the strong start.

Head Coach Allie Sherman’s Giants were a talented veteran team seeking to win an NFL championship – something the club hadn’t done since 1956 despite making it to the title game four times in the previous five seasons – before time ran out. QB Y.A. Tittle had directed the offense brilliantly in the previous two seasons since coming to New York in a trade with the 49ers, and the defense was regularly among the best.

As was to be expected in a game between these teams, the contest was intensely physical. The Giants scored first when CB Dick Lynch intercepted a pass by Browns QB Frank Ryan and ran 47 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. However, Cleveland came right back with an 11-play drive that culminated in a one-yard scoring leap by Brown.

The Giants responded with an 11-play drive of their own that covered 75 yards and was helped along by two personal foul penalties on the Browns. FB Alex Webster plowed into the end zone from a yard out to regain the lead for New York at 14-7.

In the second quarter, a poor 11-yard punt by Cleveland’s Gary Collins gave the Giants good field position, but they settled for a 25-yard Don Chandler field goal. DB Jim Shorter returned the ensuing kickoff 49 yards to midfield and the Browns followed up six plays later with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to split end Rich Kreitling. The score was 17-14 in favor of the Giants at halftime.

Jim Brown had a relatively quiet first half, by his standards, carrying the ball 13 times for 47 yards as the Giants defense – in particular MLB Sam Huff – keyed on him. But he broke loose in a big way early in the third quarter when Ryan tossed a screen pass to him and the great fullback sped 72 yards for a TD. The Browns were ahead for the first time at 21-17.

Before the third quarter was over, Brown struck again with a 32-yard touchdown run that all but nailed down the win for Cleveland. While the Giants scored once more on a 14-yard pass from Tittle to HB Phil King in the fourth quarter, the Browns countered with Ryan connecting once again with Kreitling for an 11-yard TD. The final score was 35-24.

Cleveland piled up 340 total yards to New York’s 211. Of that total, Jim Brown accounted for 209 yards as he gained 123 on 23 carries with two TDs and 86 on four pass receptions and another touchdown (he was the team’s leading receiver as well as rusher). Frank Ryan completed 12 of 16 passes for 169 yards with three touchdowns and the lone interception. HB Ernie Green contributed to the Browns’ total of 210 rushing yards with 69 on 12 attempts.

“It was a very rough game,” said Brown afterward. “No, I wouldn’t say dirty. I think they were just a little overanxious.” Sam Huff summed up Brown’s performance when he said “if he had run any harder, he’d have killed one of us.”

Y.A. Tittle was harassed throughout the game by the Cleveland defensive line but completed 17 of his 31 passes for 178 yards with a TD and none intercepted. Split end Del Shofner led the Giants with 5 catches for 54 yards. New York gained just 72 yards on the ground, with FB Joe Morrison leading the way with 38 yards on 9 carries.

The Browns remained undefeated for one more week before being dominated by the Giants in the re-match in Cleveland, 33-6. New York lost just once more the rest of the way and again came in first in the Eastern Conference with an 11-3 record; they lost the NFL title game to the Chicago Bears. Cleveland tailed off in the second half of the year and finished in second place at 10-4.

After just five games, Jim Brown had 787 yards rushing and went on to break his own single-season rushing record with 1863 yards on 291 carries (6.4 average per attempt) with 12 touchdowns. As the game against the Giants showed, he could also be effective as a receiver out of the backfield and added 268 yards on 24 catches with three TDs. He was named NFL MVP by UPI and the Newspaper Enterprise Association and received the Bert Bell Award.


Frank Ryan (pictured at left), in his seventh NFL season and second with the Browns, made great strides at quarterback. The fourth-ranked passer in the league (second by the current rating system, at 90.4), he ranked third in touchdown passes (25) and was tied for first with Tittle in percentage of TD passes thrown (9.8). He was also one of the most intelligent quarterbacks in the game – the product of Rice University earned a Ph.D. in mathematics.