Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Rupert Patrick wrote:
I'd be curious to find out when the intentional safety late in the game strategy first began. The first time I saw it was in the final minute of the 1973 Dolphins Steelers game when Miami took an intentional safety (which surprised the MNF announcers) when Pittsburgh had them pinned deep in their territory and Miami was nursing a 30-24 lead and didn't want to risk a blocked punt in the end zone. Today it is a common strategy.

I've put together a list of all safeties in AAFC, AFL and NFL and one of these days will turn it into an article for
the Coffin Corner updating the one that Gary Selby did in 2004.

In the "type of safety" column the earliest intentional one I show is 1923. (I'm missing type for about a dozen in the 1920s).
There are 76 listed as "intentional" - 5 in the 1920s, 1 in the 1930s, 5 in the 1940s including 4 in the AAFC, 3 in the 1950s,
5 in the 1960s with 3 of them in the AFL, and the balance from 1970 on. Actually the one you cite (PIT-MIA in 1973 I show
as a sack so I'll have to double check that one.)

I just checked that game in PFR and they show White tackling Griese in the end zone.
But that's not correct since the article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says that "Griese then
ran back over the end line for safety as Joe Greene and Dwight White chased him."
So your memory is correct. (And my proposed safety article still needs a lot of work).

John Grasso wrote:

Rupert Patrick wrote:
I'd be curious to find out when the intentional safety late in the game strategy first began. The first time I saw it was in the final minute of the 1973 Dolphins Steelers game when Miami took an intentional safety (which surprised the MNF announcers) when Pittsburgh had them pinned deep in their territory and Miami was nursing a 30-24 lead and didn't want to risk a blocked punt in the end zone. Today it is a common strategy.

I've put together a list of all safeties in AAFC, AFL and NFL and one of these days will turn it into an article for
the Coffin Corner updating the one that Gary Selby did in 2004.

In the "type of safety" column the earliest intentional one I show is 1923. (I'm missing type for about a dozen in the 1920s).
There are 76 listed as "intentional" - 5 in the 1920s, 1 in the 1930s, 5 in the 1940s including 4 in the AAFC, 3 in the 1950s,
5 in the 1960s with 3 of them in the AFL, and the balance from 1970 on. Actually the one you cite (PIT-MIA in 1973 I show
as a sack so I'll have to double check that one.)

I just checked that game in PFR and they show White tackling Griese in the end zone.
But that's not correct since the article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says that "Griese then
ran back over the end line for safety as Joe Greene and Dwight White chased him."
So your memory is correct. (And my proposed safety article still needs a lot of work).

I didn't pull out the DVD of the game, but the game book sets up the scenario as I remember it: Miami was facing a fourth down and took a delay penalty, which set them back inside their ten-yard line with 1:10 to play. Instead of sending in the punting team, Griese went in with the offense, took the snap, and ran around in the end zone as long as he could until he stepped out of bounds for a safety.

One intentional safety came in this wild 1971 Raiders-Chargers game, where San Diego blew a 24-10 halftime lead. In the closing seconds and Oakland leading by three, Jerry DePoyster took the safety:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/b ... 210rai.htm

John Grasso wrote:

Rupert Patrick wrote:
I'd be curious to find out when the intentional safety late in the game strategy first began. The first time I saw it was in the final minute of the 1973 Dolphins Steelers game when Miami took an intentional safety (which surprised the MNF announcers) when Pittsburgh had them pinned deep in their territory and Miami was nursing a 30-24 lead and didn't want to risk a blocked punt in the end zone. Today it is a common strategy.

I've put together a list of all safeties in AAFC, AFL and NFL and one of these days will turn it into an article for
the Coffin Corner updating the one that Gary Selby did in 2004.

In the "type of safety" column the earliest intentional one I show is 1923. (I'm missing type for about a dozen in the 1920s).
There are 76 listed as "intentional" - 5 in the 1920s, 1 in the 1930s, 5 in the 1940s including 4 in the AAFC, 3 in the 1950s,
5 in the 1960s with 3 of them in the AFL, and the balance from 1970 on. Actually the one you cite (PIT-MIA in 1973 I show
as a sack so I'll have to double check that one.)

I just checked that game in PFR and they show White tackling Griese in the end zone.
But that's not correct since the article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says that "Griese then
ran back over the end line for safety as Joe Greene and Dwight White chased him."
So your memory is correct. (And my proposed safety article still needs a lot of work).

I would think the intentional safeties would be easy to spot, if you look for games with a team ahead by a TD or less who gives up a safety in the fourth quarter, that should cover most of them. Check the game books or local newspaper stories about the games or game film if you have them, it should clear up any of those questions.

Doing an admittedly haphazard search for them between 1950-90, I uncovered 20 intentionals. Interestingly, in four of the games, the strategy ended up being a failure because the team taking the safety lost:

11/11/56 Detroit @ Washington
12/10/78 Buffalo @ NE
11/16/80 Cleveland @ Pittsburgh
9/11/83 NO @ LA Rams

In the 1956 game, the Lions were actually losing when they decided to take the safety.

Chuck Knox had punter Rusty Jackson take an intentional safety near the end of a playoff game in 1976 vs. Dallas. Two years later, in Buffalo, he did the same thing against New England, leading 24-21 wit 1:48 left. Unfortunately, New England took possession at their 47 after the free kick. The Patriots drove to the Buffalo 7 and kicked a FG to win 26-24.