Logo of the Jersey Jays football team, which played one season in the Continental Football League, in 1969, the league’s final year. The Jays, unlike other teams in the league, served as a “farm team” for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. Legend has it that the late Clarence Clemons, saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, played briefly for the Jays. In his autobiography, “The Big Man” claimed to have been scouted by the Browns.
1962 Topps football card of former NFL quarterback Roman Gabriel. The 1962 set included, on every card, a black-and-white “action” shot of each player. This card was Gabriel’s rookie card, and also is an “error” card. Since Gabriel hadn’t yet played in the NFL, there were no action shots of him, so the inset appears to be Giants’ QB Y.A. Tittle (with his number altered). Gabriel was one of the top signal-callers of the 1960s and early ’70s, playing 16 NFL seasons, mostly for the Los Angeles Rams. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, and was named NFL MVP in 1969. Gabriel’s post-career activities included stints in broadcasting and acting.
The Buffalo Bills started the second half of the 2013 season at home against unbeaten Kansas City on Sunday the same way they’ve played for most of the first half. They played a competitive game, yet made enough mistakes to basically hand the Chiefs their ninth win, 23-13. Buffalo’s offense was handcuffed by having to use undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel at quarterback due to a rib injury suffered by Thad Lewis, who held the job the past few weeks because the regular starter, EJ Manuel, is also hurt. Tuel played well enough to give his team a chance to win, but his third quarter interception that Sean Smith returned 100 yards for a KC touchdown turned the game around. It was a 14 point swing that a young, unstable team like Buffalo has shown it is unable to overcome. That pick-six, along with T.J. Graham’s fourth quarter fumble that Tamba Hali scooped up and ran in for another TD, were the only touchdowns the Chiefs were able to score, and they were gifts courtesy of a Bills’ team that is starting to make plays like that a habit. Add in a block in the back penalty that wiped out a punt return touchdown by Leodis McKelvin early in the game, and you have the recipe Buffalo used on Sunday to put their season record at 3-6. The Bills’ defense held KC in check most of the day, with the only negative for that unit being Stephon Gilmore’s inability to cover anybody. Gilmore, since returning to the lineup from a broken wrist, has looked tentative and has actually become a target for opposing passers instead of the “lockdown” cornerback he’s supposed to be.
The Bills lost, and it’s disheartening, but there were a lot of positives in their effort against an unbeaten foe. Tuel, like Lewis, played well enough for his team to win, and his 59 yard TD pass to Marquise Goodwin was a thing of beauty. He kept drives alive all day with key third down conversions, but just couldn’t finish those drives, although some drops by his tight end Scott Chandler didn’t help his cause. The Bills’ running game, as usual, was impressive. Fred Jackson was his usual hard-running self, and the week off to rest his bad ankle did C.J. Spiller a world of good, as he rushed for 116 yards on only 12 carries and ripped off a couple of great long runs. The defense played another impressive game – Kiko Alonso and Jerry Hughes registered sacks, and Aaron Williams was a tackling machine in the secondary. Overall, they held the Chiefs to 210 total yards, while Buffalo’s offense amassed 470. The two six-point turnovers were the difference, and this game slipping away was not unlike the game against the Jets earlier in the year, when Rex Ryan’s team was penalized 20 times and still managed to beat the Bills. The Bills’ coaching staff needs to use the remaining 7 games in this season to reverse the team’s trend of finding ways to give away games, to stop beating themselves. To cut out costly penalties and turnovers. Until they do that, well, eventually the “young” team label will become the “losing” team label, the same one they’ve worn under the past four coaching staffs.
Logo of a pro football team from the old Continental Football League, the Chicago Owls. The Owls played in the league in its’ final two season of existence in 1968 and ’69. They played their home games at Soldier Field, occupying the lakefront stadium a couple of years prior to when the NFL’s Bears moved there.
1960 Fleer football card of former Buffalo Bills’ halfback Willie Evans, who spent only the one season with the team, in 1960, the Bills’ inaugural one in the fledgling American Football League. Evans was a local product, attending high school in Buffalo and playing in college for the University of Buffalo, which was a strong Eastern college gridiron program at the time. He was part of the 1958 UB team that made history. The Bulls won the Lambert Trophy as the top college team in the East, winning a bid to play Florida State in the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The team, however, declined the invitation to play in the game after the Bowl committee informed them that Evans and Mike Wilson, both African Americans, were not welcome to play in the game. When his football career ended, Evans taught in Buffalo area schools for over 30 years, and also coached football, tennis and swimming.
The Buffalo Bills’ mid-season report card this year should be a mirror image of the grades they got the last two seasons, as they have compiled a 3-5 record so far, putting them on a pace to match the dismal 6-10 finishes of 2011 and 2012 under Chan Gailey. So why does it feel so different in 2013? Mainly because outside of the record, not much about the entire organization is the same. Owner Ralph Wilson has turned the operation of the club over to Russ Brandon, who took the reins and made major changes, promoting Doug Whaley to general manager and hiring Doug Marrone as head coach. The mid-season report card follows:
It’s unclear who is responsible for the 2013 draft, Whaley or Buddy Nix, who stepped aside shortly afterward. Whoever it was, they appear to have added some terrific building blocks for the future on both sides of the ball. To me, the jury is still out on Marrone, who came here after guiding Syracuse University’s program from the depths to respectability. He’s a young, energetic coach and assembled what looks like the best staff of assistants the Bills have had in years. His coordinators, Nathaniel Hackett on offense and Mike Pettine on defense, are bringing some creativity to their units so far. Pettine, especially, is highly respected around the league, having worked with a couple of the NFL’s top-rated defenses in Baltimore and with the Jets. One place where Marrone hasn’t distanced himself much from Gailey is his failure to correct the team’s penchant for foolish penalties in clutch situations.
Here’s a position-by-position look at the team’s roster at the half-way point:
The Bills wiped the slate completely clean here – unloading all three QBs from 2012 and starting from scratch. The drafting of EJ Manuel as the quarterback of the future looks like a good move so far, although injuries have made it hard to evaluate him completely. Still, he has looked good, and certainly not intimidated at all, when he’s played. He hasn’t been spectacular, which is not uncommon for a rookie forced into a starting role, but also has made very few mistakes, which IS uncommon for a rookie. The backup QB spot is still a work in progress. The signing of veteran Kevin Kolb looks like a wash, with concussion issues probably signaling the end for him. Thad Lewis looks like the best prospect so far to keep the job, with undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel maybe holding the third spot as a developmental project. It’ll be interesting to see if recently signed Matt Flynn gets a look, or if he only stays around until Manuel gets healthy.
This is one spot on the roster that’s remained pretty stable the last couple of seasons, with C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson and Tashard Choice all making major contributions to what is a top-notch rushing attack. The Bills did make a change at fullback, replacing Corey McIntyre with another undrafted rookie, Frank Summers. He is a competent blocker and receiver, and like McIntyre, contributes on special teams. One note – I’ve suggested at various times that the Bills would be wise to trade Jackson, whose play was declining and who was bothered by nagging injuries. It’s a good thing I’m not the Bills’ GM, because they would be hurting big time this year without Jackson, who has re-emerged as an important veteran leader for the team.
The Bills’ receiving corps has undergone a makeover also. Two holdovers from previous seasons, Stevie Johnson and tight end Scott Chandler, continue to be go-to targets for the quarterbacks. Johnson in particular has grown into a major leader on the team. Marquis Goodwin has shown flashes of becoming a top downfield threat, combining his track meet speed with great football skills. He’s battled nagging injuries, however, which has limited his production. Robert Woods and second year man T.J. Graham have both made plays at points this season, but have seemingly developed chemistry with different QBs. Woods has been a top target of EJ Manuel when he’s been the starter, while Graham has been a favorite target of Thad Lewis when he’s played. Marcus Easley struggled to stick on the final roster, and has pretty much only contributed as a gunner on special teams. Veteran Lee Smith has been Chandler’s primary backup at tight end, used mostly as a blocker. Chris Gragg, a seventh round draft pick, is on the roster but has yet to make an impact. The only other receiver on the roster is Chris Hogan, who has made a few appearances but not done much.
The Bills’ offensive line has been relatively stable the last couple of years. Eric Wood is solid at center, along with guard Kraig Urbik and right tackle Eric Pears. Second year man Cordy Glenn has settled in nicely at left tackle. The other guard spot has been a problem. The Bills definitely miss the departed Andy Levitre there. Colin Brown began the season as the starter, but has since been cut, with Doug Legursky, a former Steeler, taking over. Buffalo finds themselves in the same position they’ve been in for the last couple of years – the line play is good, but the depth is questionable. They’ve been lucky to escape any major injuries to the starters, which would prove to be disastrous. The ever-changing list of backups, at the halfway point, includes Thomas Welch, Antone McLain and Mark Asper, a player they cut last season who was brought back for a second chance. The pickings are pretty slim.
Even with the season-ending injury early in the year to Alex Carrington, this unit is a strength of the team and one of the top lines in the NFL. Kyle Williams has been his usual consistent self at one tackle spot, while Mario Williams is having a career year at end, leading the team in sacks, with a lot of those sacks coming at crunch time in games when they were really needed. Marcell Dareus, at the other tackle spot, is finally playing to the level expected of him as a high draft pick. Alan Branch, a veteran free agent signee, has stepped into Carrington’s spot and been solid. The Carrington injury did cut into the depth along the D-line, as the only other players listed on the roster behind the starters are Corbin Bryant, who has played regularly and gotten the job done, Stefan Charles, who was just signed this week from Tennessee’s practice squad, and Jerry Hughes, who’s listed as a defensive lineman but is more of a pass rushing “edge” linebacker.
The Bills seriously upgraded their linebacking corps in the off-season, with the additions of free agent signee Manny Lawson, who has done a terrific job starting on the outside, and draftee Kiko Alonso, who is the NFL’s defensive Rookie of The Year so far in 2013. Depending on whether they’re in a three or four man front, Arthur Moats and Nigel Bradham get significant playing time, along with Hughes, who usually plays in passing situations. Hughes was acquired from the Colts in the off-season for Kelvin Sheppard, and appears to be an upgrade from Sheppard. Among the backups, Jamaal Westerman has mostly seen special teams action, while Ty Powell has yet to see the field. He is one of the recent signees, as the team has been continually trying to improve its’ roster.
It’s hard to evaluate this part of the team, since two key members, Stephon Gilmore and Jairus Byrd, missed significant time early in the year due to a holdout and a hand injury. They are both just now rounding into shape, and neither has made a great impact so far. The expectation is that the secondary play should improve in the second half of the year as they get comfortable again. The Bills have a stable of what should be pretty good cornerbacks in Leodis McKelvin, Nickell Robey and Justin Rogers, but they have all been toasted by opposing receivers at different times this year. Aaron Williams, who was switched to safety in the off-season, has had to transition back to corner due to injuries, and has been one of the defense’s key players so far. As for the corners, they are usually pretty good in coverage, but could use some work on their ball awareness skills. They always seem to be pretty close in coverage with opposing receivers, but never are aware or able to make plays when the ball arrives. While Byrd was out, Da’Norris Searcy saw a lot of action at safety, and made some key plays also, as has veteran Jim Leonhard. Rookie draft picks Duke Williams and Jonathan Meeks are both works in progress, while Brandon Smith is another in-season signee who is getting a look in the Bills’ effort to get better.
The Bills have a pair of great return men in McKelvin, who returns punts, and the rookie Goodwin, who handles kickoffs. Also. Leonhard filled in admirably on punt returns when McKelvin was hurt early on. Rookie draft pick Dustin Hopkins was supposed to claim the placekicking job, but a groin injury relegated him to the injured reserve list. Dan Carpenter has done a terrific job in his place, and may now have a claim on the position for the future also. The punt coverage team has had a lot of terrible moments in the first half of the year. It could be argued that they cost the team a couple of wins, but now that fan favorite Brian Moorman is back as the punter, that unit should improve in the second half of the year. Shawn Powell, who was cut after a couple of dreadful outings, never seemed to master the art of punting in different situations the way Moorman has.
Courtesy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s web page, this is a logo used by the Buffalo Bills’ football team when they originally joined the American Football League as a charter member in 1960. “Buffalo Bill” was seen mostly on the covers of home game programs, usually tormenting the mascot of whatever team they happened to be playing that week.
1964 Topps football card of former Buffalo Bills’ offensive lineman Al Bemiller. Bemiller joined the team in 1961 and started on their O-line, either at center or guard ( and briefly at tackle), until 1969, never missing a game in his nine year career. He was a member of the Bills’ back-to-back American Football League championship teams of 1964 and ’65. After retiring, he was a substitute teacher in the Buffalo public school system.
Every fan of the game of football today knows what a “Hail Mary” pass is – a desperation heave at the end of a half or a game, with time expiring, in an attempt to steal an out-of-reach game from an opponent. It’s the ultimate “steal victory from the jaws of defeat” play. Perhaps the most famous one took place in a college game, when Doug Flutie hit Gerard Phelan on the final play of the game for Boston College, in 1984, to upset Jimmy Johnson’s University of Miami squad. The Hail Mary pass is now a regular strategy employed by teams when the situation warrants it. With the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings scheduled to play this weekend on the NFL’s week 9 slate, it’s only fitting for this week’s Throwback Thursday post to feature a game played between those two franchises, on December 28, 1975, that marked the unofficial “birth” of the Hail Mary pass, at least as far as the NFL is concerned. In actuality, the term had been used as far back as the 1930s in college football, to describe a deep, low probability pass, mostly by Notre Dame’s famed Four Horsemen, or other Catholic universities.
The term was revived in that December playoff game in Minnesota, when the Cowboys, led by quarterback Roger Staubach, took the field on their own 15 yard line with a little under two minutes left to play, trailing the Vikings 14-10. “Roger the Dodger”, whose trademark throughout his entire career was leading late-game comebacks (earning him the nickname “Captain Comeback”), drove his team to midfield. He completed a pass to wide receiver Drew Pearson for a first down on 4th and 17 to reach that point. With 32 seconds left, Staubach unleashed his desperation heave, again for Pearson, who was covered by All Pro Viking cornerback Nate Wright. Wright slipped and fell, and Pearson pinned the ball against his hip, turned and scampered into the end zone for the winning score as Dallas triumphed 17-14. When asked about the play afterwards, Staubach, who is Catholic, said, ” I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary, it was a very lucky play”. And the Hail Mary in the NFL was officially born. There were some strange circumstances surrounding the game that day, also. Incensed Viking fans pummeled referee Armen Terzian with objects after the play, feeling that Pearson had pushed Wright and that offensive interference should have been called. Terzian was hit by a whiskey bottle, opening a gash that required 11 stitches. Also, Viking QB Fran Tarkenton, shortly after the game concluded, was informed that his father had passed away of a heart attack while watching the game at his home in Georgia.
Drew Pearson celebrates his winning “Hail Mary” touchdown against the Vikings.
Logo of a top college football program that plays in the Southeast Conference, the Tennessee Volunteers. This logo was used from 1983 until 1998, which included the era of the school’s most famous football alumnus, Peyton Manning. The Vols have won six national championships in their long, storied history, with the latest coming in 1998, the year after Manning graduated. Other former top NFL players who attended Tennessee include Doug Atkins, Reggie White, Willie Gault, Jamal Lewis, Jason Witten and Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds.