1970s Controversial Plays

[7DnBrnc53]

1975: The Mel Gray non-catch against the Redskins to help the Cardinals win in OT.

That's always the first one that pops into my mind.

Speaking of missing the playoffs, that call against the Redskins caused them to miss the playoffs, IMO. Washington lost the final game of the 1975 season against Philadelphia, which was meaningless as a result of the loss against the Cards. The Redskins win the Cardinals game, as they should have, and the Philadelphia game would have been for the division title, and I am sure that George Allen would have had the Skins up for it, and I believe that they would have won it and the division with a 10 and 4 record.

Washington, Dallas, and St. Louis would have been 10-4, and the Skins win the division tie-breaker due to record head to head with the other two teams (3-1 vs. 2-2 for Dallas and 1-3 for the Cardinals).

Then, the Cards and Dallas would have been tied for the wild card. Since they split, though, and they had the same conference record, would division record have been the next tie-breaker, or record against common opponents?

1977: After the Oilers tied Cincy in the final minute, they kicked off and the ball touched Cincy's Scott Perry, with Houston apparently scoring a game-winning TD. The officials ruled that Perry was out of bounds when the ball touched him, and Cincy went on to win in OT.

1977 seemed to be the most memorable year for that. On top of the ones mentioned, there was a missed call that nobody remembers because it didn't lead to defeat for the affected team. With about 7:00 left in the fourth quarter, and Denver up 24-21 over the Steelers in their Divisional playoff game, Morton hit Haven Moses with a short TD, but it was called back because they said that it hit another Denver player before getting to him (the touch rule was still in affect). Replays showed, though, that it didn't touch anyone before getting to Moses.

[rockhawk]

Archie Manning's first-ever regular-season game and victory was rather controversial. The game I'm referring to was a season-opening battle between the Rams and Saints at Tulane Stadium on 9/19/1971.

The Saints were down 20-17 with three seconds left at the Rams' 1-yard line. Instead of going for the tie with a FG the Saints went for the win. Archie Manning took the snap and "rolled around end" for the winning score. When Manning reached the goal line he was hit by Dave Elmendorf. The ball came loose and it was recovered by rookie Jack Youngblood of the Rams. However, the officials ruled Manning had crossed the plane and the Saints won the game.

Has anybody actually seen the play in question? My only source was the L.A. Times and there was a definite slant towards the Rams in the game story.

Had the Rams won this game they would have taken the NFC West in 1971.

[Byron]

I will include the pass interference called on Benny Barnes over Lynn Swann in Super Bowl XIII. Even Pete Rozelle siad afterwards that it was a bad call by field judge Fred Swearingen.

Definitely. I don't buy the "Rozell was close friends with Tex Schramm" stuff. Swearingon made a horrible call IMHO. I'll never forget that Sports Illustrated called him the MVP of the game when they recapped the most valuable players of the Super Bowls in one issue. That still cracks me up. That being said, Dallas had numerous chances to win that game and just made too many mistakes.

[Saban1]

I will include the pass interference called on Benny Barnes over Lynn Swann in Super Bowl XIII. Even Pete Rozelle siad afterwards that it was a bad call by field judge Fred Swearingen.

Definitely. I don't buy the "Rozell was close friends with Tex Schramm" stuff. Swearingon made a horrible call IMHO. I'll never forget that Sports Illustrated called him the MVP of the game when they recapped the most valuable players of the Super Bowls in one issue. That still cracks me up. That being said, Dallas had numerous chances to win that game and just made too many mistakes.

The point about the friendship between Rozelle and Shramm is that Rozelle would comment when a controversial call would go against Dallas, but seldom if it was against a different team.

[Citizen]

Same with the Billy Ray Smith call in Super Bowl V...you can't say definitively that he DIDN'T recover the fumble.

Or that he did. That's kinda how controversy works.

[JoeZagorski]

I did see the replay from NFL Films of the Archie Manning TD versus the Rams in 1971. A true judgment call if ever there was one. Judging by the three of four Ram players who were closest to the tackle and their vociferous protests, one tends to think that the refs blew it.

Joe Zagorski

[Gary Najman]

I will include the pass interference called on Benny Barnes over Lynn Swann in Super Bowl XIII. Even Pete Rozelle siad afterwards that it was a bad call by field judge Fred Swearingen.

Definitely. I don't buy the "Rozell was close friends with Tex Schramm" stuff. Swearingon made a horrible call IMHO. I'll never forget that Sports Illustrated called him the MVP of the game when they recapped the most valuable players of the Super Bowls in one issue. That still cracks me up. That being said, Dallas had numerous chances to win that game and just made too many mistakes.

I am a Cowboys fan, and although I was 8 years old at the time, I recall the day after at school how most kids were talking about that pass interference call, and less Jackie Smith's drop or Randy White's fumble after a kickoff, or the inability to cover Swann and Stallworth. I agree that the Cowboys made many mistakes that day, and the Steelers were a better team that day and deserved to win.

[Bryan]

Same with the Billy Ray Smith call in Super Bowl V...you can't say definitively that he DIDN'T recover the fumble.

Or that he did. That's kinda how controversy works.

Yes, that was my point. Super Bowl V fumble recovery...controversial. Mike Renfro non-catch...simply a bad call.

Someone else had mentioned this in a different thread, but I finally got around to seeing Aaron Thomas' TD non-catch for the Giants against the Saints in 1970. The call ended up costing the Giants the division, as it would have been a late TD that would have (most likely) given the Giants a 17-14 victory. The endzone design of Tulane Stadium confused the ref, as the middle of the endzone was painted gold for Saints colors surrounded by an outline of plain grass, and then you had the white paint for out-of-bounds. The funny part is that Thomas actually got both feet down in the gold paint part of the endzone before sliding out of bounds, so the ref really screwed the call.

[Retro Rider]

[1977 seemed to be the most memorable year for that. On top of the ones mentioned, there was a missed call that nobody remembers because it didn't lead to defeat for the affected team. With about 7:00 left in the fourth quarter, and Denver up 24-21 over the Steelers in their Divisional playoff game, Morton hit Haven Moses with a short TD, but it was called back because they said that it hit another Denver player before getting to him (the touch rule was still in affect). Replays showed, though, that it didn't touch anyone before getting to Moses.

An apparent Morton touchdown pass - this one to Jack Dolbin in the 3rd quarter of the 1977 AFC Championship Game - might have overshadowed the Lytle fumble had the Broncos lost to Oakland.

(From Wikipedia):
Later on, Denver recovered a muffed punt from Garrett on the Raiders 27-yard line. Right after the turnover, Morton appeared to throw a touchdown pass to Jack Dolbin, who made a rolling catch along the ground and then got up and headed for the end zone. However, officials ruled the ball had touched the ground before he secured the catch (replays appeared to contradict this) and it was called as an incompletion. Following two more incomplete passes, Turner missed his third field goal of the day, this time from 44 yards, and the Broncos came up empty.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/201 ... tle/21828/

[rockhawk]

I did see the replay from NFL Films of the Archie Manning TD versus the Rams in 1971. A true judgment call if ever there was one. Judging by the three of four Ram players who were closest to the tackle and their vociferous protests, one tends to think that the refs blew it.

Joe Zagorski

Thanks for the extra information.