Logo of a major college football team that plays in the Pacific 12 Conference, the Arizona State Sun Devils. This logo was used from 1980 until 2010. The program began way back in 1897 and has produced many pro football players over the years, including Charley Taylor, Mike Haynes, Randall McDaniel, Terrell Suggs, Danny White, Jake Plummer, Darren Woodson, John Henry Johnson, Curley Culp and Pat Tillman.
1981 Topps football card of former pro football quarterback Lynn Dickey, who played 15 seasons in the NFL for the Houston Oilers and Green Bay Packers. He had limited success in Houston, although he guided the Oilers to their only win in a 1-13 season in 1973. After being traded to Green Bay, he broke a leg in 1977 and missed almost 2 complete seasons. He did attain All Pro honors in 1983, and is a member of the Packers’ Hall of Fame.
On this week’s NFL schedule two old American Football League Western Division rivals clash – the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos. Their rivalry continued in the NFL after the merger, but it was pretty one-sided up until the 1977 season. It got pretty heated that year, as coach Red Miller’s Broncos and their vaunted “Orange Crush” defense came out of nowhere to challenge the Raiders in the AFC West. Oakland’s club was the defending Super Bowl champions, yet the two regular season meetings between these teams were a wash. They played each other twice in a three week span in October, with Denver’s defense dominating the first meeting, intercepting Ken Stabler 7 times and sacking him 3 times en route to a 30-7 rout. Oakland got some revenge two weeks later with a 24-14 win, and both teams advanced in the AFC playoffs to set up a “rubber match” in the AFC Championship game. Denver was actually the higher seed as AFC West champs so the game was played in the Mile High City but history-wise, the Raiders had a distinct advantage. They were coming off their first-ever Super Bowl title, and had been one of pro football’s winningest franchises since the mid-1960s. Denver, however, had been the losingest team in the old AFL, and had never even qualified for a playoff berth in their history prior to the ’77 season. They were post-season infants.
The title game was played on New Year’s day, January 1st, 1978. It was mostly a defensive struggle, and neither team could muster much of a ground game. The Broncos held Oakland’s main weapons, running back Clarence Davis and receivers Fred Biletnikoff and Cliff Branch, in check while their journeyman quarterback Craig Morton found his favorite target, Haven Moses, 5 times for 168 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Stabler found his tight end, Dave Casper for a pair of scores in the fourth quarter but the home team hung on for a 20-17 win to advance to the Super Bowl. Denver’s defense was led by Bronco legends like Tom Jackson, Randy Gradishar, Lyle Alzado, Steve Foley and Rubin Carter. The “Orange Crush” club was a bit of a one hit wonder, though. They lost to Dallas in the Super Bowl and didn’t have much post-season success after the ’77 season. Miller, who passed away just this week, coached 3 more years in Denver before being dismissed.
Tom Jackson pursues “The Ghost”, Dave Casper, in 1977 AFC title game (AP Images)
Logo of a college football team, the Delta Devils of Mississippi Valley State. They play in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and have fielded a team since 1953. Despite being a small school team that plays in Division 1-AA, the Delta Devils have sent numerous players on to NFL careers, including Ashley Ambrose, Rickey Feacher, Fred Thomas, Ted Washington Sr. and Hall of Famers Deacon Jones and Jerry Rice.
1970 Topps football card of former wide receiver Haven Moses, who enjoyed a long 14 year career in pro football with the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos. He is a member of Denver’s Ring of Honor and was a two-time Pro Bowler. Moses was a key player on the Broncos’ 1977 AFC championship team. He still holds a couple of franchise receiving records despite playing in an era that empathized the running game.
The Cleveland Browns meet the Indianapolis Colts on this week’s NFL schedule, which takes our Throwback Thursday feature back to the 1964 NFL Championship game, played between these 2 franchises. Growing up as a Browns’ fan in this era, this was one of my favorite football games of all time. In fact, the Browns and Buffalo Bills of the AFL were my favorite teams at the time, and both won their respective league titles that year. The Colts were a heavy favorite going into the game. They were coached by the man who would go on to become the winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula, and their roster was loaded with talented offensive weapons like John Unitas, Lenny Moore, Raymond Berry, John Mackey, Tom Matte, Jim Parker and Jimmy Orr. Defensively they were an immovable object, led by Gino Marchetti , Don Shinnick, Ordell Braase, Steve Stonebreaker and Lenny Lyles.
The Browns were a year removed from a player uprising that led to the firing of their legendary founder and head coach Paul Brown. He was replaced by the very capable Blanton Collier, who had one advantage going for him. The players, led by all time great fullback Jim Brown, were determined to prove they could win despite Paul Brown’s departure. Surprisingly, after a scoreless first half with the weather affecting both offenses, Cleveland dominated the game in the second half. The Browns’ underrated defense shut out the high-powered Colts as they did in the first half, while Browns’ quarterback Frank Ryan began to put drives together. He hit flanker Gary Collins for a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter, and the Browns added a Lou Groza field goal to take a 17-0 lead into the final stanza. Another Groza field goal and a third scoring throw from Ryan to Collins sealed the victory for the Browns, 27-0.
It was the last title the Browns would win to this day, but it was a sweet one as the players proved their point about winning without Paul Brown’s disciplinary style. Jim Brown made his usual contribution to the attack, rushing for 114 yards and adding 37 receiving yards. Collins was the game’s MVP with 5 catches for 130 yards and the 3 TDs. It was a sweet victory for Ryan, who had been a journeyman in the league before the Browns traded for him from the Rams in 1962 to back up starter Jim Ninowski. Unfortunately, Ninowski broke his collarbone and Ryan took over as the starter in ’63, and never relinquished the job.
Jim Brown takes on Colt defenders in the 1964 title game
Logo of a college football program that plays in the Mountain West Conference, the San Diego State Aztecs. The team began play in 1921 and at one time or another boasted NFL legends Don Coryell, Brian Billick, Sean Payton, Joe Gibbs and John Madden on their coaching staff. The school has been a fertile ground for sending players on to professional football, with the list including Marshall Faulk, Brian Sipe, Dennis Shaw, Herman Edwards, Isaac Curtis and Fred Dryer.
1968 Topps football card of former NFL quarterback Frank Ryan, who played 13 seasons in the league, most notably for the Cleveland Browns. His seven years with the Browns included 3 Pro Bowl appearances, with his best year coming in 1964 when he led the club to the NFL championship. After retiring he embarked on a successful academic career. His wife Joan is a retired sportscaster, one of the first female sportscasters in the business.
One of the matchups in week two of the 2017 NFL season features a game between 2 teams that are looking to rebound from tough losses on opening day – the Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts. For this week’s Throwback Thursday post, we’ll go a long way back into NFL history to a game played between these franchises when both played in different cities. It took place on October 2, 1950 at Comiskey Park. The Cardinals were located in Chicago then, and this game was actually the only one that ever took place between the Chicago Cardinals and the then-Baltimore Colts. They wouldn’t play each other again until 1961, when the Cards had already relocated to St. Louis. Chicago was a powerhouse club at the time, having won the NFL title a couple of years prior, led by future Hall of Fame back Charley Trippi. The game was extremely one-sided, with the Cardinals posting a 55-13 victory on the strength of a big passing day by quarterback Jim Hardy, who threw 6 touchdown passes on only 13 completions for the day. Five of those TD throws went to end Bob Shaw, who grabbed 8 passes for 165 yards on the day. It was a day of redemption for Hardy, who just the previous week had a nightmare game for the ages, throwing eight interceptions in a 45-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles to set an NFL record for futility that still stands today. Trippi contributed a pair of rushing touchdowns to the winning cause also, but it was Hardy’s day, as he shrugged off the previous week’s disaster and led his team to the big win. A couple of other future Hall of Famers were involved in this game also. The Cardinals at the time were coached by Curley Lambeau, legendary founder, player and coach of the Green Bay Packers who had moved on from Green Bay under controversial circumstances (a story for another day) and wound up with the Cardinals. Also, Baltimore was quarterbacked that day by a young Y.A. Tittle (although it’s hard to imagine a “young” Tittle). He had a forgettable day, completing only 9 passes for a paltry 91 yards and throwing 2 interceptions.
Chicago Cardinals’ QB Jim Hardy
Logo of a college football team that plays in the Mid-American Conference, the Kent State Golden Flashes. The school first fielded a team in 1920, and has produced 39 consensus All Americans. Plenty of KSU alumni have gone on to professional football careers, including Jack Lambert, Julian Edelman, Don Nottingham, James Harrison, Josh Cribbs and Antonio Gates, who played basketball at the school but is now a star tight end in the NFL.