Bill Bergy Blocks Three Kicks

[LeonardRachiele]

arguably the best special teams performance in Eagle history occurred against the  New York Giants at Veterans Stadium on opening day 1975.  Bill Bergey showed he was not only a great linebacker but also very versatile.  Many felt Eagles were going to make the playoffs in 75. Under Coach Mike McCormick, the Birds steadily improved in 1973 and 1974.  However, 1975 was a vertical drop and  McCormick lost his job at the end of the season.

Now for the game itself. The Eagles scored a touchdown on their first possession with Mike Boryla throwing a touchdown  pass to Charlie Smith.  After that, the Eagles did almost nothing on either offense and defense.  Bill Bergey put on a one man show keeping the Eagles in the game.  The Giants scored a touchdown in the second quarter. Bill Bergey blocked the extra point by George Hunt and the Eagles hung to a tenuous 7 to 6 lead.  On the next series, Harold Carmichael fumbled deep in Philadelphia territory after a pass reception.  This set up an easy Giants score and the Eagles trailed 13 to 7 at halftime.

In third quarter the New York Giants, with Craig Morton at quarterback, had two masterful time consuming drives but both stalled inside the Eagles 15. Bill Bergey rammed through and blocked two field attempts.  The electronic message board said "You have just been Bergeyized."  A great special team's play often ignites the crowd and inspires the offense.  Not so here. Three and out followed both blocks and Philadelphia still trailed 13 to 7 after three periods.

In the fourth period, the Giants attempted a third field goal, this time from 41 yards.  I felt this was out of Hunt's range and the Eagles still had a chance.  This kick was perfect, the Giants led 16 to 7, and this doused the game.  Bill Bergey's three three blocks were a tremendous feat.  New York beat the Eagles 23 to 14.  The Giants finished 5-9 in 1975 to 4-10 for Philadelphia.  

[RichardBak]

I've always been somewhat fascinated with blocked kicks, and have always thought there should be an official stat for it. There were some guys, like Ted Hendricks and Doug Atkins, who specialized in it. Any others come to mind?

I wonder if Bergey's 3 blocks is some kind of record for a game?

[74_75_78_79_]

Can Bergey, whether he 'technically' should or not, just get INDUCTED into Canton either way??

#66!!

Simply as a 4th-grader watching the National Anthem before Super Bowl XV and seeing him, hand on heart, gave me chills!

Such a SHAME they were so spent after their win vs DALLAS two weeks prior! Nothing left in the tank! Yes, Vermeil with the strict, uptight atmosphere bed-check rule as rowdy, loose Raiders had 'fun' in the French Quarter also a big factor as well (a mistake he would correct 19 years later).

Had Eagles played Chargers or Falcons earlier on in 1980, likely-enough they win both. And if they had lesser competition those last four games, they likely-enough lose at least two of those. As HOF-worthy Vermeil is, he worked that team too hard! They were George Allen Redskins-esque! Tired by end of season. More blue-collar for his own good, Dick was. The reason why the Eagles were as competitive as they became, but it may have cost the them that Lombardi (or two) as well.

Just the fact that the '80 Eagles, obviously 'burned-out' by the finale, woke up in the 4th quarter and found the resurgence needed to NOT lose by 25 points is most-likely to me the key reason why the Birds made it on down to New Orleans after all weeks later! Bye-week needed! But here's the thing...they were still 'burned-out' going into that divisional hosting Minnesota. Thank God, for them, that 9-7 Vikings couldn't have been a weaker playoff team that year. Yet, they were up 16-14 on the Eagles in the 3rd. But Philly was just-enough able to push them out the way and advance. I'm not so sure any of the other playoff teams (all 11-5 and above) would have been as easy for them to "push" aside when needed.

DALLAS punching in their ticket for the NFCCG at the Vet a day later over Atlanta gave the Eagles ALL the invigoration needed to refill the entire tank! But, sadly, it would be filled for just ONE more game! By kickoff two weeks later in NO, they were stagnant. Nothing left, obviously; and against a team they had a better record than as well as beat nine weeks earlier as well as sacking Plunkett EIGHT times! Yes, Raiders may have won anyway had Eagles been at their absolute best that game. More team-speed as well as big-game-experience swagger (many Madden-guys still there). But a boring/sleepy as hell SBXII-like 27-10 affair? No, not at all.

Simply nothing left at all. Sadly it was Bergey's last ever game.

[7DnBrnc53]

Can Bergey, whether he 'technically' should or not, just get INDUCTED into Canton either way??

#66!!

Simply as a 4th-grader watching the National Anthem before Super Bowl XV and seeing him, hand on heart, gave me chills!

Such a SHAME they were so spent after their win vs DALLAS two weeks prior! Nothing left in the tank! Yes, Vermeil with the strict, uptight atmosphere bed-check rule as rowdy, loose Raiders had 'fun' in the French Quarter also a big factor as well (a mistake he would correct 19 years later).

Had Eagles played Chargers or Falcons earlier on in 1980, likely-enough they win both. And if they had lesser competition those last four games, they likely-enough lose at least two of those. As HOF-worthy Vermeil is, he worked that team too hard! They were George Allen Redskins-esque! Tired by end of season. More blue-collar for his own good, Dick was. The reason why the Eagles were as competitive as they became, but it may have cost the them that Lombardi (or two) as well.

Just the fact that the '80 Eagles, obviously 'burned-out' by the finale, woke up in the 4th quarter and found the resurgence needed to NOT lose by 25 points is most-likely to me the key reason why the Birds made it on down to New Orleans after all weeks later! Bye-week needed! But here's the thing...they were still 'burned-out' going into that divisional hosting Minnesota. Thank God, for them, that 9-7 Vikings couldn't have been a weaker playoff team that year. Yet, they were up 16-14 on the Eagles in the 3rd. But Philly was just-enough able to push them out the way and advance. I'm not so sure any of the other playoff teams (all 11-5 and above) would have been as easy for them to "push" aside when needed.

DALLAS punching in their ticket for the NFCCG at the Vet a day later over Atlanta gave the Eagles ALL the invigoration needed to refill the entire tank! But, sadly, it would be filled for just ONE more game! By kickoff two weeks later in NO, they were stagnant. Nothing left, obviously; and against a team they had a better record than as well as beat nine weeks earlier as well as sacking Plunkett EIGHT times! Yes, Raiders may have won anyway had Eagles been at their absolute best that game. More team-speed as well as big-game-experience swagger (many Madden-guys still there). But a boring/sleepy as hell SBXII-like 27-10 affair? No, not at all.

Simply nothing left at all. Sadly it was Bergey's last ever game.

Those Eagles were obsessed with the Dallas Cowboys. Vermeil once said that they will kick their A## if the Cowboys take them for granted.

However, the Cowboys may have been screwed at Philly in Week 7 late in the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxSCIvDcioU

If that penalty would have been called, and if the Cowboys pull that out, they are the 1-seed, and the Eagles would have been going to LA for the WC Game (both teams would have been 11-5, but the Rams would have had the better conference record).

[NWebster]

I've always been somewhat fascinated with blocked kicks, and have always thought there should be an official stat for it. There were some guys, like Ted Hendricks and Doug Atkins, who specialized in it. Any others come to mind?

I wonder if Bergey's 3 blocks is some kind of record for a game?

https://nflfootballjournal.blogspot.com ... -punt.html

There have been a few instances of 3 blocks in a game, I know of no 4 block game after extensive research. A non-exhaustive list includes one as early as Lenny Sachs against the Detroit Heralds in 1920, by the great Swede Youngstrom and then more recently Gary Lewis of the Packers blocked 3 Gary Anderson kicks in a 1983 game. In very recent years it's a rarity as three blocks in a single game is usually the function of some systemic break-down and special teams are much better emphasized, coached, and trained for than ever before. It's likely Gary Lewis will be the last to get 3.

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

I've always been somewhat fascinated with blocked kicks, and have always thought there should be an official stat for it. There were some guys, like Ted Hendricks and Doug Atkins, who specialized in it. Any others come to mind?

I wonder if Bergey's 3 blocks is some kind of record for a game?

https://nflfootballjournal.blogspot.com ... -punt.html

There have been a few instances of 3 blocks in a game, I know of no 4 block game after extensive research. A non-exhaustive list includes one as early as Lenny Sachs against the Detroit Heralds in 1920, by the great Swede Youngstrom and then more recently Gary Lewis of the Packers blocked 3 Gary Anderson kicks in a 1983 game. In very recent years it's a rarity as three blocks in a single game is usually the function of some systemic break-down and special teams are much better emphasized, coached, and trained for than ever before. It's likely Gary Lewis will be the last to get 3.

Almost every guy that came to my mind was on that great list by NFL Journal - Alan Page, Ron McDole, Eddie Meador, and Carl Eller. The one guy I would add is Vernon Perry - I know he blocked one kick vs SD in the 1979 playoffs (in a game in which he set that playoff interception record). I don't know what Perry's career total is, but that one was big.

Three blocked kicks in a single game - that's pretty amazing that you found those stats from the 20s.

[NWebster]

I've always been somewhat fascinated with blocked kicks, and have always thought there should be an official stat for it. There were some guys, like Ted Hendricks and Doug Atkins, who specialized in it. Any others come to mind?

I wonder if Bergey's 3 blocks is some kind of record for a game?

https://nflfootballjournal.blogspot.com ... -punt.html

There have been a few instances of 3 blocks in a game, I know of no 4 block game after extensive research. A non-exhaustive list includes one as early as Lenny Sachs against the Detroit Heralds in 1920, by the great Swede Youngstrom and then more recently Gary Lewis of the Packers blocked 3 Gary Anderson kicks in a 1983 game. In very recent years it's a rarity as three blocks in a single game is usually the function of some systemic break-down and special teams are much better emphasized, coached, and trained for than ever before. It's likely Gary Lewis will be the last to get 3.

Almost every guy that came to my mind was on that great list by NFL Journal - Alan Page, Ron McDole, Eddie Meador, and Carl Eller. The one guy I would add is Vernon Perry - I know he blocked one kick vs SD in the 1979 playoffs (in a game in which he set that playoff interception record). I don't know what Perry's career total is, but that one was big.

Three blocked kicks in a single game - that's pretty amazing that you found those stats from the 20s.

Perry blocked one regular season kick, in 1979. Timely the playoff block, but he doesn't belong on the all-time list.