Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

One player from the game I am sure it's forgotten is Vikings RG Andy Maurer. He had come from the New Orleans Saints at midseason to fill from the injured Milt Sunde, and he also started for the Denver Broncos (his last game) in Super Bowl XII at LT. He was manhandled by Joe Greene and Harvey Martin in his Super Bowl appearences, it was no surprise that Maurer didn't play again after 1977.

Another thing I was going to state originally was the fact that Pittsburgh didn't record a sack the whole game! Just pressuring Tark all day and batting down passes of his. Love the play when #75 simply jumps up in the air, and from a safe enough distance mind you, that alone preventing Fran from pulling the trigger at that moment (scrambled to his left from there). Greene had an INT as well. He was simply at the Peak of his Powers. JJ Watt's that guy today. Loved end of the game he slapping five with Terry on the sideline after his TD pass to Larry Brown. Greene backed Terry up during his entire early struggles. Great to see!

Ronnie Shanklin...looking him up, I see he didn't play in '75 (no mention of WFL). Where was he that year before finishing things off in '76 in Chi-town?

74_75_78_79_ wrote:Another thing I was going to state originally was the fact that Pittsburgh didn't record a sack the whole game! Just pressuring Tark all day and batting down passes of his. Love the play when #75 simply jumps up in the air, and from a safe enough distance mind you, that alone preventing Fran from pulling the trigger at that moment (scrambled to his left from there). Greene had an INT as well. He was simply at the Peak of his Powers. JJ Watt's that guy today. Loved end of the game he slapping five with Terry on the sideline after his TD pass to Larry Brown. Greene backed Terry up during his entire early struggles. Great to see!

Ronnie Shanklin...looking him up, I see he didn't play in '75 (no mention of WFL). Where was he that year before finishing things off in '76 in Chi-town?

Shanklin was traded to the Bears in August of 1975. He was active for 5 games, but didn't play, and went on IR after knee surgery in October. He then came back to play 5 games in 1976.

....john madden related a story at a coaching clinic that ron shanklin caught a short pass with his back to the secondary, turned inside and ran....a few steps until mr. jack tatum hit him so hard he split the tape on his shoes. not sure this is believable, yet after a productive/oustanding career year in '73 shanklin is an injured player on the bears bench in '75.

[quote="BD Sullivan")

As far as Tarkenton's best receivers, he had John Gilliam and Sammy White with the Vikes and Homer Jones with the Giants. Gilliam left for the Falcons in 1976, and quickly faded away[/quote]

Chronologically, his best were Paul Flatley, Jones, Gilliam, White and Rashad. He had his best pair during the last three seasons of his career.

74_75_78_79_ wrote:Any 'myth' of Paul Krause not being a tackler can be debunked in this game amongst numerous others throughout his career for I seen him make quite a few.

Don't know about that. On one of Harris' long runs off right tackle, he gets caught from behind by RDE Jim Marshall before Krause even enters the picture. On a long run off left tackle, Harris shoves aside Krause, has to negotiate sideways around a knot of players, and is forced out of bounds by LDE Carl Eller before Krause can get back in the play. Even on Bleier's runs up the middle, Krause doesn't really come up and make the tackle. He waits 15 yards off the LOS and Bleier runs into him. I think Evan mentioned this in a different thread (since lost), but the 73-76 Vikings didn't have a physical safety like Karl Kassulke. Krause and Jeff Wright would lay back instead of forcing the play, and Csonka/Harris/Davis would have gained 10 yards before they were even touched.

A few thoughts from the game:

*the most amazing play was Bradshaw's run at the end of the 1st half. He ran into a mass of players, broke a few arm tackles, then continued running. Refs incorrectly whistled the play dead. Bradshaw was credited with a 17 yard gain, but it could have been much more.

*Chuck Noll said the big play of the game was Foreman's goal-line fumble, but that made no sense to me because Matt Blair blocked Walden's punt a few plays later and Minnesota scored their TD.

*Media people (especially Paul Zimmerman) criticized Bud Grant for constantly running right, into the Greene-Greenwood-Ham triangle. But the Vikings had a mediocre LG playing LT (Goodrum), and a "body" playing LG (Mauer), so it made sense to run behind White & Yary. It just didn't work.

coachtj wrote:....john madden related a story at a coaching clinic that ron shanklin caught a short pass with his back to the secondary, turned inside and ran....a few steps until mr. jack tatum hit him so hard he split the tape on his shoes. not sure this is believable, yet after a productive/oustanding career year in '73 shanklin is an injured player on the bears bench in '75.

Always thought it weird that people who get hit by cars sometimes get knocked out of their shoes.

How does that happen? A car hits you and you go flying, you'd think your shoes would fly with you. Seems to defy the laws of physics.