NFL New Year’s Day memories

[74_75_78_79_]

First off, Happy New Year to all in this forum!

Second, what NFL moments, or games, or week in a season in-particular on New Year’s Day come to mind for you all?

I’ll start with 1/1/78! It was on a Sunday. No bowl games were scheduled on that day, I guess, to allow room for the conference championship games (this, of course, would be the final year of the 14-game regular season). Minor bowls were scheduled before this day with the major ones being held on the following day (Joe Cool winning ND the NC amongst them).

Both NFL CCs at-hand on this New Year’s Day were Oakland at Denver followed by Vikings at Dallas. Yes, the Broncos home game actually was on first due to a snowstorm forecasted for later in the day. ‘Get the fans home on time’ was the logic. But I believe I read previously - in here, I believe - that there wasn’t a storm anyway. Perhaps someone can confirm.

The game, however, was a classic in its own right that could have easily gone the other way. It would also be the (now) late John Madden’s final post-season game.

The next game…quite drab! Especially considering that Tarkenton was out.


As an added ‘bonus’ for Steeler-fans, I’ll quickly conclude with the ’Burgh sealing up the 6th-seed with a win at home over Detroit (ending things on a 4-game win-streak) on the final week of the 2005 regular season!

[RichardBak]

Oh, without a doubt it was the back-to-back GB-Dallas NFL title games, classics that took place on the first and last days of the calendar. The first one (1966 season) was played in Dallas on New Year's Day, 1967. The second, the Ice Bowl, was played Dec. 31, 1967. Being a Colts fan, I was rooting for the Cowboys (actually, against the Packers) each time.

I just saw where Dan Reeves died. I remember that option pass he threw for a TD that gave the 'Boys the lead in the game at Lambeau. Wasn't it Rentzel who caught it? And who picked off Meredith in the EZ at the end of the '66 game? Adderly? Wood?

Anyway, great games.

[74_75_78_79_]

Oh, without a doubt it was the back-to-back GB-Dallas NFL title games, classics that took place on the first and last days of the calendar. The first one (1966 season) was played in Dallas on New Year's Day, 1967. The second, the Ice Bowl, was played Dec. 31, 1967. Being a Colts fan, I was rooting for the Cowboys (actually, against the Packers) each time.

I just saw where Dan Reeves died. I remember that option pass he threw for a TD that gave the 'Boys the lead in the game at Lambeau. Wasn't it Rentzel who caught it? And who picked off Meredith in the EZ at the end of the '66 game? Adderly? Wood?

Anyway, great games.

Excellent knowledge-drops for yours truly! Didn’t know the 1/1/67 & 12/31/67 significance! Two true-blue Classics! One an underrated one, the other an obvious one! Many, including the late Rupert Patrick, have opined on here that the one in Dallas was actually the better game! One day I shall see both in their entirety and see for myself. In the meantime, however, I’ll assume that he and the others are correct.

[SixtiesFan]

Oh, without a doubt it was the back-to-back GB-Dallas NFL title games, classics that took place on the first and last days of the calendar. The first one (1966 season) was played in Dallas on New Year's Day, 1967. The second, the Ice Bowl, was played Dec. 31, 1967. Being a Colts fan, I was rooting for the Cowboys (actually, against the Packers) each time.

I just saw where Dan Reeves died. I remember that option pass he threw for a TD that gave the 'Boys the lead in the game at Lambeau. Wasn't it Rentzel who caught it? And who picked off Meredith in the EZ at the end of the '66 game? Adderly? Wood?

Anyway, great games.

Yes, Rentzel caught the TD pass from Dan Reeves. It was SS Tom Brown who intercepted Meredith's pass at the end of the 1966 title game.

The 1966 game was better than the Ice Bowl. I saw both on TV.

[Brian wolf]

Watching the 66 game SixtiesFan, did you ever wonder why Landry never gave the ball to Don Perkins inside the two-yard line ?

[SixtiesFan]

Watching the 66 game SixtiesFan, did you ever wonder why Landry never gave the ball to Don Perkins inside the two-yard line ?

Don Perkins had, according to Dallas writer Sam Blair, the best game of his career, 17-108 and a 23-yard TD run in the first quarter. I remember Perkins having a great game. I just looked up the Wiki account of the game. A pass interference call on Tom Brown put the Cowboys on the Packer 2 yard line. Reeves got one yard on first down. On second down, a Cowboy lineman drew a 5 yard penalty. The Cowboys couldn't score, Robinson rushed in on Meredith on 4th down, desperation pass intercepted by Brown.

No, I never wondered whether Perkins should have carried. Meredith called the plays supposedly, don't know if Landry sent the play to run Reeves on first down. After the penalty, they had to pass.

The 1966 game has never been picked over and analyzed like the Ice Bowl. The NFL Network just reran the show Dom Meredith's son did on the 1967 game a few years ago. The latest, so far, of many.

[Brian wolf]

I guess had Reeves scored on the screen pass, it wouldnt have mattered about Perkins getting the ball but he dropped it and then the team seemed to lose its composure ...

[racepug]

First off, Happy New Year to all in this forum!

Second, what NFL moments, or games, or week in a season in-particular on New Year’s Day come to mind for you all?

I’ll start with 1/1/78! It was on a Sunday. No bowl games were scheduled on that day, I guess, to allow room for the conference championship games (this, of course, would be the final year of the 14-game regular season). Minor bowls were scheduled before this day with the major ones being held on the following day (Joe Cool winning ND the NC amongst them).

Both NFL CCs at-hand on this New Year’s Day were Oakland at Denver followed by Vikings at Dallas. Yes, the Broncos home game actually was on first due to a snowstorm forecasted for later in the day. ‘Get the fans home on time’ was the logic. But I believe I read previously - in here, I believe - that there wasn’t a storm anyway. Perhaps someone can confirm.

The game, however, was a classic in its own right that could have easily gone the other way. It would also be the (now) late John Madden’s final post-season game.

The next game…quite drab! Especially considering that Tarkenton was out.


As an added ‘bonus’ for Steeler-fans, I’ll quickly conclude with the ’Burgh sealing up the 6th-seed with a win at home over Detroit (ending things on a 4-game win-streak) on the final week of the 2005 regular season!

That Broncos win still sticks in my craw. Biletnikoff got hurt in that game and wasn't able to finish it but what still irks me is the fumble by Rob Lytle (on the BOOMING hit by "The Assassin") that wasn't ruled as such by the officials. Another example from the '70s of the Raiders being gypped in a high-profile game.

I had not retained any memory, whatsoever, of the N.F.C. title game (to be honest I'm not even sure that I watched it). It wasn't until relatively recently that I found out that Fran didn't play in that game (that was also the first time that Minnesota made it to a league/conference championship game and LOST. How things have changed for the Vikings over the years in that regard).

(my bowl memory from that year isn't the "Joe Cool" leads ND to an upset of #1-ranked Texas as much as it is of the underdog Washington Huskies upsetting Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Still one of my favorite bowl memories of all time)

I'll echo your sentiment: "Happy New Year!" to all (and let's hope that it truly is better than what we've had to go through either of the last 2 years)

[Retro Rider]

Both NFL CCs at-hand on this New Year’s Day were Oakland at Denver followed by Vikings at Dallas. Yes, the Broncos home game actually was on first due to a snowstorm forecasted for later in the day. ‘Get the fans home on time’ was the logic. But I believe I read previously - in here, I believe - that there wasn’t a storm anyway. Perhaps someone can confirm.

The game, however, was a classic in its own right that could have easily gone the other way. It would also be the (now) late John Madden’s final post-season game.

The early start worked in Denver's favor. If I remember correctly it was 18 degrees at kickoff. John Matuszak spent New Year's Eve partying until wee hours of the morning. A hotel worker tipped the Broncos off to this fact and when Denver needed 2 first downs to run out the clock they ran right at the Tooz, knowing he was gassed:

"Momentum had shifted.  You could feel it. Another Raider miracle finish was more than in the cards -- all we had to do was stop them.  But we couldn't do it.  Repeatedly, the Broncos gobbled up yardage by running off-tackle, straight at Tooz.  Barely able to breathe in Denver's rarefied air, Tooz was more than sluggish.  He seemed a count behind in every move.  He could barely get out of his stance, much less shed a block.  It was painful to watch him.  Later, it came out that a hotel employee had tipped the Broncos about Tooz's all night pregame "party." Evidently, the Broncos were exploiting that information now.  As the Denver drive continued, our players started getting on Tooz to try to wake him up, but to no avail. Finally, during one timeout, our captain begged our coordinator to get Tooz out.  The coordinator, while more than sympathetic, shook his head and nodded toward the press box where Al Davis was sitting.  "It ain't gonna happen," he said.  And it didn't.  Denver ran out the clock.  We straggled into the locker room."

https://www.espn.com/page2/s/toomay/021021.html

I have no doubt that Oakland would have put themselves in a position to score had they gotten the ball back. Dave Casper was getting open and Ken Stabler was in a groove.

Both Errol Mann and Jim Turner were shakey that day. I'm pretty sure this was the last conference championship game that featured two "straight on" placekickers.

[Brian wolf]

The Lytle play was huge but in a game against a defense like the Broncos, turnovers are killers and Stablers interception put them in a hole they couldnt dig out of. I have endorsed the Snake repeatedly on this site -- he was a winner-- but he wasnt able to repeat a championship for the Raiders who wanted this game badly.