Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Todd Pence wrote:1969
9/28 - Browns 27, Redskins 23
Frank Ryan's last minute drive spoils 'Skins rally

Ryan was actually on the Redskins' sideline. Bill Nelsen was the Browns QB.

One other candidate:

11/23/1969: The 9-1 Chiefs host the 8-1-1 Raiders. Chiefs jump out to a 14-3 lead, Raiders tie it at 17, then add 10 more points in a 27-24 win. KC had gotten within three with 13 minutes left, then was picked off twice in the final two minutes--the first time at the Oakland 8. The Chiefs outgained the Raiders in yardage, 436-262, and first downs, 26-15. However, three other Oakland picks and two key KC fumbles on kicks were the difference.

BD Sullivan wrote:

Todd Pence wrote:1969
9/28 - Browns 27, Redskins 23
Frank Ryan's last minute drive spoils 'Skins rally

Ryan was actually on the Redskins' sideline. Bill Nelsen was the Browns QB.

One other candidate:

11/23/1969: The 9-1 Chiefs host the 8-1-1 Raiders. Chiefs jump out to a 14-3 lead, Raiders tie it at 17, then add 10 more points in a 27-24 win. KC had gotten within three with 13 minutes left, then was picked off twice in the final two minutes--the first time at the Oakland 8. The Chiefs outgained the Raiders in yardage, 436-262, and first downs, 26-15. However, three other Oakland picks and two key KC fumbles on kicks were the difference.

For the AFL games I had this Oakland KC game number one and the Miami Buffalo game on 11/2 number two. For the NFL games I had the Rams Vikings playoff game number one and the Vikings Giants Week 1 game number two.

BD Sullivan wrote:

Todd Pence wrote:1969
9/28 - Browns 27, Redskins 23
Frank Ryan's last minute drive spoils 'Skins rally

Ryan was actually on the Redskins' sideline. Bill Nelsen was the Browns QB.

I always get those two mixed up.

1970

9/27 - 49ers 34, Browns 31
883 yards total offense, four second-half lead changes

9/27 - Packers 27, Falcons 24
After Falcons rally back from 17-point deficit, Don Horn's only completion of the day goes for 89-yard game-winner

10/4 - Bills 34, Jets 31
Bills and Jets apparently didn't get memo that AFL is over

11/8 - Raiders 23, Browns 20
Blanda's 52-yard game winner is highlight of incredible run of last-second wins . . .

11/8 - Saints 19, Lions 17
. . . but today he's upstaged by Tom Dempsey

11/15 - Giants 35, Redskins 33
Tarkenton leads G-men back from 19 down in fourth, nearly 900 yards total offense produced by teams

11/15 - Packers 20, Bears 19
Starr bootlegs for winning TD from three yards out with three seconds left

11/15 - Vikings 24, Lions 20
Vikes rally for two fourth quarter TDs in game pivotal to NFC Central championship

11/26 - Colts 21, Bears 20
One of Johnny U's last great 4th quarter comebacks as he brings Baltimore back from 17-0 deficit

1.17 - Colts 16, Cowboys 13 - Super Bowl V
Aesthetically flawed to say the least Super Bowl has thrilling finish nonetheless

Any of the first MNF games of 1970 worthy of being among the best games of that '70 season?

CSKreager wrote:Any of the first MNF games of 1970 worthy of being among the best games of that '70 season?

I did consider both Packers-Chargers and Eagles-Giants. I decided to go with the Packers-Bears game over the Packers-Chargers.

Three other 1970 candidates:

11/1: Chiefs 17, Raiders 17--A wild finish, with the Chiefs seemingly clinching the game on a Dawson run. However, a Ben Davidson cheap shot sparks a brawl, the run is negated, the Chiefs punt, and Blanda hits a 48-yard FG at the gun.

11/15: Vikings 24, Lions 20--Entering the fourth quarter, the Vikes trail at home, 20-10. They get the winning score with just 1:23 left on a Clint Jones run, with that drive coming after Errol Mann missed a 38-yard FG.

11/29: Giants 27, Redskins 24--Two weeks after their dramatics at Yankee Stadium, the two teams had another wild finish. Down 24-10 to start the fourth quarter, Sonny Jurgensen led the Skins to two touchdowns to tie things up, but he was then picked off near midfield with just under four minutes left. Soon after, Pat Fischer nearly picked off a Tarkenton pass in the end zone, but Clifton McNeil knocked it away, which allowed Gogolak to hit a 20-yard FG with 1:52 left. Skins got the ball at their 27 and Jurgensen got them to the Giants 38, but used all the timeouts. Washington ended up with 4th-and-2 at the Giants 38 when they decided to try a fake field goal, only to see Jurgensen get tackled before he could get a pass off. Jurgensen supposedly suggested it, saying that a tie at that point of the year was meaningless.

[quote="BD Sullivan"]Three other 1970 candidates:

11/1: Chiefs 17, Raiders 17--A wild finish, with the Chiefs seemingly clinching the game on a Dawson run. However, a Ben Davidson cheap shot sparks a brawl, the run is negated, the Chiefs punt, and Blanda hits a 48-yard FG at the gun.

I originally had this, but decided to go with just one game from the "Blanda Streak".

For 1970 I went with (1) Jets Browns Week 1 MNF debut because of the historical nature of the game and the way MNF changed the way people watch football (2) Super Bowl V Colts vs. Cowboys (3) Oakland vs Cleveland 11/8 and (4) the Vikings vs. 49ers Divisional playoff game. I debated back and forth between the Vikings 49ers game and the Vikings Lions game from 11/15, and wrote articles on both games and liked the Vikings 49ers article better (I had more material to work with, a radio broadcast and could be much more descriptive about the game) so I went with that one.

Rupert Patrick wrote:For 1970 I went with (1) Jets Browns Week 1 MNF debut because of the historical nature of the game and the way MNF changed the way people watch football (2) Super Bowl V Colts vs. Cowboys (3) Oakland vs Cleveland 11/8 and (4) the Vikings vs. 49ers Divisional playoff game. I debated back and forth between the Vikings 49ers game and the Vikings Lions game from 11/15, and wrote articles on both games and liked the Vikings 49ers article better (I had more material to work with, a radio broadcast and could be much more descriptive about the game) so I went with that one.

The playoff also had the allure of being another brutally cold Minnesota home playoff game.