Bradley Ruzicka

Headline: More quarterback woes as the Green Bay Packers complete a mere five touchdown passes, another losing record prompts Dan Devine’s departure.

Regular Season Record: 6 – 8 (Third Place NFC Central Division)

Offseason Highlights: After winning the NFC Central in 1972, Green Bay Packers fans everywhere again had hope that the franchise could reestablish itself among the NFL’s elites. Those hopes hit a major speed bump in 1973 when the Packers slid to third place with a 5-7-2 record. Injuries were a factor, but Head Coach Dan Devine’s inability to identify a starting quarterback may have doomed their title chances from the start. What was a concern in 1972 became a crisis last season as holdovers Scott Hunter and Jerry Tagge, along with offseason acquisition Jim Del Gazio, were found wanting. The result was a season long quarterback carousel that crippled the offense.

“How do you pick up the pieces after a wreck like 1973?” asked Stanton Greene in his book, The Green Bay Packers The Dan Devine Years 1971-1974. “You start with the draft.” Devine used his first-round pick, 12th overall, and his only selection in the first four rounds on University of Richmond Running Back Barty Smith. Given the continued absence of a legitimate quarterback and difference making wide receivers, the choice of Smith was puzzling. “With Brockington at his peak, everyone wondered where Smith was going to play. In fact, Devine was toying with the idea of moving him to tight end or linebacker … which truly begs the question of why he drafted him in the first place.”

Devine could have selected players such as future Hall of Fame wideouts Lynn Swan or John Stallworth, who combined for over 14,000 receiving yards and 100 touchdowns with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Also available was quarterback Danny White, who played 15 years for the Dallas Cowboys, passing for 21,959 yards and 155 touchdowns during his career. Unfortunately, Smith wouldn’t have an opportunity to achieve his potential. He suffered a serious left knee injury during the now defunct Coaches’ All-American Football Game before he ever played a down for the Packers, an injury that caused him to miss the first six games of the season, and one from which he never fully recovered.

During Smith’s seven-year career, all with Green Bay, the big fullback started 42 of 67 games, rushing for just 1,942 yards on 544 carries (3.6 yards per carry) while scoring 21 total touchdowns. All in all, Green Bay’s draft yielded some solid players but no blue chippers, including wide receivers Steve Odom (116th overall) and Ken Payne (142nd overall) out of Utah and Langston respectively as well as Connecticut running back Eric Torkelson (272nd overall). But their sixth-round pick, New Mexico running back Don Woods, did rush for over 1,000 yards and was ultimately named the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Unfortunately, Woods did it for the San Diego Chargers, not the Packers.

The 134th overall selection performed well in three preseason games, with 20 carries for 139 yards. Ultimately, Devine had to choose between Woods or Torkelson, deciding to release Woods at the end of training camp. He was subsequently picked up by the Chargers for the $100 waiver fee. Despite not suiting up until the season’s third week, Woods went on to set a then NFL rookie rushing record of 1,162 yards in 12 games, including another rookie record of seven 100-yard rushing performances. After a knee injury in 1975, Woods was never able to recapture his rookie form. He finished with 4,405 total yards and as well as 21 total touchdowns during seven years in San Diego.

Meanwhile, Torkelson went on to gain 1,776 rushing and receiving yards and scored 8 touchdowns over eight seasons in Green Bay. Odom totaled 84 catches for 1,613 yards (19.2 yards per catch) and 12 touchdowns with the Packers, finishing his career in 1979 with the New York Giants. His forte was as a kick returner, setting franchise records with the longest punt return (95 yards) as well as career kickoff return attempts (179) and yardage (4,124), while scoring 3 total touchdowns. Payne spent just over three of his five seasons with the Packers, totaling 103 receptions for 1,395 yards (13.5 yards per catch) and 5 touchdowns, before ending his career as a Philadelphia Eagle in 1979.

Another Green Bay running back, drafted 77th overall in 1941, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 1974. Tony Canadeo played for 11 seasons and was the first Packer to rush for 1,000 yards in a season (1,052 yards in 1949). The fifth leading rusher in team history is a member of the Hall of Fame’s All-1940s team, a decade in which he helped lead Green Bay win an NFL title (1944). Canadeo is also one of only six Packers to have his number retired. His was retired upon his retirement in 1952, preceded by Don Hutson in 1951 and followed by Bart Starr in 1973, Ray Nitschke in 1983, Reggie White in 2005, and Brett Favre in 2015.

Many experts believe Pittsburgh had the best draft in league history in 1974, selecting four players later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: University of Southern California’s Lynn Swann (21st overall), Kent State Linebacker Jack Lambert (46th), Alabama A&M’s John Stallworth (82nd), and Wisconsin Center Mike Webster (125th). Also, a fifth Steeler Hall of Famer, Safety Donnie Shell, was signed as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina State. In total, 1974 produced seven future Hall of Famers including the Denver Broncos’ Linebacker Randy Gradishar out of Ohio State (14th overall) and the Oakland Raiders’ Dave Casper out of Notre Dame (45th overall).

The Houston Oilers had the first overall pick in the draft based on last season’s 1-13 record. But they traded that pick, as well as their first pick in the third round, to Dallas in exchange for defensive end Tody Smith and wide receiver Billy Parks. The Cowboys then used these picks to select two future Pro Bowlers, end Ed “Too Tall” Jones and Danny White. This was the first draft since 1938 where no quarterbacks were taken in the first round. Also, it’s one of only two drafts where no quarterback was taken in the first two rounds. Overall, 1974 is generally regarded as one of the worst quarterback classes of all time, with only White and Stanford’s Mike Boryla making the Pro Bowl.

However, the draft was only the beginning of what would be an offseason of chaos and change. Two major and ultimately interrelated events, the advent of the World Football League and the NFL Players Association strike, along with a package of major rule changes designed to improve offensive output, would have the biggest impact on the league since the 1970 merger. Founded by Gary Davidson, the man who helped start the American Basketball Association and the World Hockey Association, the WFL had planned to commence play in 1975. However, the league came under pressure to push up its timetable, largely due to strained labor relations affecting the NFL and the CFL.

As a result, the 12 team WFL’s inaugural season started on Wednesday, July 10 and ended on Wednesday, November 13. It was a 20-game season over 19 weeks – a schedule accomplished by having double games on Labor Day weekend. By the start of the season, at least in part as a result of ongoing labor unrest between NFL owners and the NFLPA, the WFL claimed to have some 60 NFL players under contract. Many were in the form of futures contracts where players would complete their existing NFL deals then jump to the WFL. Included were stars such as quarterbacks Ken Stabler and Craig Morton, receivers John Gilliam and Ted Kwalick, and running back Calvin Hill.

Fortunately for the NFL, most of their players never actually made it to the WFL. In spite of various disasters during the 1974 season including franchise relocations and collapses, owner and commissioner changes, a lack of resources, and an inability on the part of many teams to consistently meet payroll, the league returned for the 1975 season. But as financial issues continued to plague the WFL, particularly the absence of a television deal and the resulting lack of revenue, the league folded on October 22. The Birmingham and Memphis franchises both attempted to join the NFL but were refused. Yet, despite its short tenure, the WFL would have a lasting impact on the NFL.

The WFL produced a variety of coaches who eventually migrated to the NFL, including Jack Pardee, Marty Schottenheimer, and future Green Bay Head Coach Lindy Infante. The fledgling league also succeeded in raising stagnant NFL salaries at a time when average player compensation was among the lowest of the four major North American sports leagues. For example, the Memphis franchise paid $3.5M for Miami Dolphins’ star running backs Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick as well as wide receiver Paul Warfield in what was, at the time, the richest three player deal in sports history. This threat of the WFL signing away the league’s star players forced the NFL to increase those salaries.

Among those targeted by the WFL was Packers’ star running back John Brockington. Prior to the 1975 season, acquiring Brockington was rumored to be a priority for the Chicago Fire. Green Bay proceeded to sign the three-time Pro Bowler to a controversial three year, no cut contract, worth $150,000 per year guaranteed, one of the richest deals in the league. According to Stanton Greene in his book Falling Starr – Bart Starr as Head Coach of the Green Bay Packers 1975-83, it was an Executive Committee member, recently inducted Hall of Famer Tony Canadeo, who pushed hardest for the unprecedented contract. It was ultimately a deal the franchise would come to regret.

However, by far the WFL’s most significant impact was on the Dolphins. Miami had just won consecutive Super Bowls, dominating the NFL with a 32-2 record, before the WFL snagged three of their best offensive players, effectively breaking up the great Dolphins’ roster at a time when they were playing the best football of anyone in the league. These losses potentially changed the course of NFL history by opening the door for Pittsburgh to overtake Miami on their way to becoming the best team of the 1970s. It’s difficult to assess just how much the absence of Csonka, Kiick, and Warfield played in Miami’s subsequent decline, however, the team never again reached the same level of success.

With competition from the WFL as well as criticism that the NFL game had become too conservative, changes were adopted in 1974 to add both tempo and action, including a sudden death overtime period and moving the goal posts to the back of the end zone. Also, changes relating to missed field goals, punt returns, pass defense, and offensive penalties were added in an effort to increase scoring. Specifically, to decrease ties, one sudden death overtime period was added to all games; if no team scored in this period, only then would the game end in a tie. To reduce the number of games decided by field goals and increase their difficulty, goal posts were moved from the goal to the end line.

Also, for missed field goals, the defensive team would take possession of the ball at the scrimmage line or the 20-yard line, whichever is farther from the goal. To promote more returns, kickoffs were moved from the 40-yard line to the 35-yard line. On punt returns, the kicking team could not go past the scrimmage line until the ball was kicked, except for the player at the farthest end of each side of the snapper. To incentivize the passing game, an eligible receiver could only be contacted once by defenders after the receiver had gone three yards past the line of scrimmage. Finally, offensive holding, illegal use of hands, and tripping penalties were all reduced from 15 to 10 yards to improve output.

The other major event with long term repercussions was the NFLPA’s decision to strike, the second since 1970. With the previous four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire, the players walked out on July 1. One of their major issues concerned the disposition of the so called “Rozelle Rule” and its impact on player movement. A lawsuit filed by NFLPA President John Mackey in 1971 challenged the rule as violating federal antitrust laws. The rule, named after Pete Rozelle, who instituted it in 1963, allowed the commissioner to award players or draft choices to a team losing a free agent if both the signing team and the departing player’s team could not agree on fair compensation.

The NFLPA believed the rule denied them true free agency, as few teams were willing to sign high-profile players whose contract had expired only to risk having their own rosters raided. At the time of the strike, resolution of the Mackey case was still pending in the courts. In addition to elimination of the “Rozelle Rule”, players wanted elimination of the option clause, the draft, and the waiver system, as well as impartial arbitration of disputes and individual, rather than uniform, contracts. However, less than three weeks into the strike, players began crossing picket lines, including Packer starters Jim Carter and Chester Marcol. There were rumors that additional players were ready to join them.

On August 10, the players caved, returning to training camp without a new agreement. Instead, they would pursue free agency through the courts. Only one pre-season game, the College All-Star Game, was canceled, as the remaining preseason contests were played with all rookie rosters. Although the court eventually ruled in favor of the players in 1976, overturning the “Rozelle Rule”, the NFLPA did not achieve unrestricted free agency as compensation remained tied to draft picks that were awarded based on the salary of the departing free agent, while teams maintained the right of first refusal. The NFL and NFLPA would finally reach agreement on a new five-year CBA in March 1977.

Regular Season Highlights: For the second straight season, the Green Bay Packers finished third in the NFC Central Division in what became Dan Devine’s final season. The 10-4 Minnesota Vikings and 7-7 Detroit Lions outplayed 6-8 Green Bay, with the 4-10 Chicago Bears bringing up the rear. It was a particularly difficult offseason for the Lions. Tragedy struck when former Baltimore Colts Head Coach Don McCafferty died of a heart attack after a single season in Detroit. He was just 53 years old. Assistant Rick Forzano coached the team through their last season in Tiger Stadium. A third coach, the Bears’ Abe Gibron, was fired after three last place finishes and a 11-30-1 record.

According to Lew Freedman in his book, The Packer Experience, if the previous year taught Devine anything, it was that he was undermanned at quarterback, and that none of the three available looked like a winner. The first to go was Scott Hunter. Curiously, despite the fact the coach had demoted Hunter to the taxi squad last season and didn’t invite him to spring camp, the now fourth year signal caller was signed to a multi-year deal in May. Devine then turned around and traded him on July 29 to the Buffalo Bills for running back Pete Van Valkenburg and defensive tackle Steve Okoniewski. Van Valkenburg was released after five weeks while Okoniewski went on to start 11 games.

Hunter finished his Packers career completing 196 of 446 (43.9%) for 2,904 yards, 15 touchdowns, 30 interceptions, and a 49.0 QBR. He played four more year with Buffalo, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Lions before retiring after the 1979 season. So why did Devine resign Hunter when it seemed clear he was no longer part of the coach’s plans? Perhaps Devine felt he needed insurance in case Jerry Tagge, his 1972 first round pick, ultimately couldn’t cut it and Hunter was his safest choice. Holdover Jim Del Gazio, an inexperienced backup quarterback when he was acquired from the Miami Dolphins the year before, hadn’t exactly distinguished himself over the course of the 1973 season.

To his credit, Hunter started 29 of 35 games he was active, had a winning record of 15-11-3, and helped the team win a division title in his second season. His job on the line, Devine couldn’t afford another losing season and putting all his chips on Tagge, given his own struggles, was a big risk. Then why trade Hunter several weeks later? Part of the reason may have been the union man’s strong support for the NFLPA strike and his close relationship with Packers player representative, Ken Bowman. Jerry Poling stated in his book, Downfield, “It seemed Devine … [let] personal vendettas affect … on-field decisions.” Hunter told Poling, “Devine treated us like we were striking against him.”

Just days before Hunter was traded, Devine acquired quarterback Jack Concannon, in his tenth year, from the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 1975 fifth-round draft pick. This despite the fact the 31-year-old had been on the Cowboys taxi squad the past two seasons. Once the veterans were back in camp, Concannon and Del Gazio vied for the backup quarterback position the remainder of the preseason. In the end, Devine chose Concannon and Del Gazio was dealt to the New York Giants for a 1976 third round pick on September 10. Later in the day, the coach traded that pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for yet another quarterback, Dean Carlson. He was released not having thrown a pass.

Quarterback was not the only area experiencing change prior to the start of the season. On August 14, Devine made a trade that turned out to be the steal of the season, giving up second year linebacker Tom MacLeod and an eighth-round draft pick in 1975 to the Colts for future Hall of Fame linebacker Ted Hendricks and Baltimore’s second round selection in next year’s draft. The three-time Pro Bowler, entering his sixth season, had announced earlier in the summer he had signed a contract beginning next season with Jacksonville of the WFL. A week later, Baltimore General Manager Joe Thomas traded him to Green Bay stating, according to Hendricks, “I’m putting you in cold storage.”

Devine also attempted to shore up an already deteriorating offensive line prior to the season by acquiring ninth year tackle Harry Schuh from the Los Angeles Rams for a 1975 sixth round draft pick on August 28 as well as eighth year guard Bruce Van Dyke, a Pro Bowler the year before, on September 9 from the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 1976 third-round selection. Unfortunately, an injury sidelined Van Dyke two weeks into the season and was subsequently put on injured reserve as of September 28. With fifth year tackle Bill Hayhoe on injured reserve the entire season, Schuh, a three-time Pro Bowler, ended up splitting the left tackle job with third year veteran Keith Wortman.

Another starter, tenth year center Ken Bowman, was placed on injured reserve shortly before the opener, elevating second year center Larry McCarren. On the defensive line, tackle Bob Brown, starting his ninth season, was traded to the San Diego Chargers on September 5 for a 1975 third round draft pick. The 1972 Pro Bowler was replaced by the recently acquired Okoniewski and third year tackle Dave Pureifory. Brown would go on to start another three years, first for San Diego and then for the Cincinnati Bengals, before retiring at the end of the 1976 season. With Bowman and Brown now gone, only guard Gale Gillingham remained from Vince Lombardi’s Super Bowl Champion teams.

With the regular season about to begin, all was not well. The passing game remained a huge question mark. Tagge, the only surviving quarterback from last season and with just six starts in his first two years, would now be the starter. Concannon, who hadn’t thrown a regular season pass in two years, would be his backup. Outside of tight end Rich McGeorge, the receivers were still unproven. Also, tensions between Devine and his players, present from the start of the head coach’s tenure, had been exasperated by the NFLPA strike. Bowman, for example, believed Devine placed him on injured reserve with a phantom injury as a way of getting even for being a leader of the players’ strike.

Success would once more depend on Devine’s tried and true formula: a strong running game, an improved defense, and revitalized special teams. In the opener at Lambeau Field, after a 10-10 halftime tie, Tagge (9 of 20, 102 yards, 21.2 QBR) was picked off three times in a 32-17 defeat at the hands of the Vikings. With three of the five starting offensive linemen being newcomers, the running game struggled as well, with just 96 yards on 33 attempts. The offense was again held in check the next week against the Baltimore Colts, with only 193 total yards. But the defense saved the day, intercepting quarterbacks Marty Domres and Bert Jones four times, to salvage a 20-13 road win.

Tagge showed slight improvement, completing 10 of 16 for 109 yards, 1 interception, and a 56.5 QBR. More concerning, the running game was held under 100 yards for a second straight week (43 carries for 84 yards). Green Bay finally exceeded 100 yards rushing in the third week against Detroit (32-154), but 61 of those yards were gained by little used second year running back Les Goodman (3-61). Over three games, three-time Pro Bowler John Brockington had been held to just 125 yards on 50 attempts while his running mate, MacArthur Lane, had gained a paltry 97 yards on 42 carries. Both were averaging well under 3.0 yards per rush and had scored three total touchdowns.

Yet, despite three turnovers, the Packers managed to beat the Lions in a come from behind thriller. Tagge, along with third year kicker Chester Marcol, were the heroes of the game. Completing 18 of 38 for 237 yards, Tagge threw his first touchdown of the season, a 27 yarder to second year wide receiver Barry Smith. Meanwhile, Marcol hit four of six field goals, his last late in the game to give Green Bay the lead. Detroit drove into field goal range with just 24 seconds remaining, but Errol Mann missed a 47-yard field goal attempt, giving the Packers a 21-19 victory. The 1972 All-Pro was one of the few bright spots early in the season, converting 7 of 10 field goals for 26 total points.

Unfortunately, Tagge (17-31, 141, 39.9) regressed the next week in a discouraging 27-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills. His two interceptions gave him a total of seven against just one touchdown pass on the season. Brockington and Lane combined for 100 yards on 25 carries and 1 touchdown. After being the workhorse for the past three seasons, the big fullback expressed frustration with his role to date, saying to the Milwaukee Sentinel on October 7, “It’s not like the old days. Before I’d get the ball 25 times a game. Now, I’m lucky to get it 15.” After the season’s first month, Green Bay sat at second place in the division with a 2-2 record, tied with Chicago and two games behind 4-0 Minnesota.

The season’s high point came the next week in Milwaukee County Stadium. Devine’s formula of defense, the running game, and special teams defeated the 3-1 Los Angeles Rams. Said Stanton Greene, “[It] was payback for the previous year’s embarrassment in Los Angeles.” While the Packers were outgained 251 to 142 yards, their defense countered by intercepting quarterbacks John Hadl and James Harris four times, three by newly acquired Ted Hendricks. A 68-yard punt return by Jon Staggers in the second quarter and a 32-yard Marcol field goal in the third gave Green Bay the points needed for victory. Brockington’s 5-yard fourth quarter touchdown run iced the game, 17-6.

The return of the running game (44-143) against a solid Rams defense gave fans hope that the offense could return to form. Brockington had gotten his wish, carrying the ball 26 times for 89 yards. “But … the game was more illusion than reality.” stated Greene. Tagge was just 2 of 9 for 17 yards and an interception. His 0.0 QBR was both a season and career low. Still, the worst was yet to come. In the sixth week against Chicago, on a Monday night in Soldier Field, the offense hit rock bottom in a troubling 10-9 loss. The defense was solid, with Hendricks tallying another interception. Marcol hit all three of his field goals. But it wasn’t enough to overcome turnovers and missed opportunities.

According to Greene, “Tagge’s passes [seemed] to lack zip, hanging in the air as the Bears plundered him for [two] interceptions while limiting the Packer running game to 91 yards.” Unbeknownst at the time, Tagge would not play another down, finishing the season completing 70 of 146 (47.9%) for 709 yards, 1 touchdown, 10 interceptions, and a meager 36.0 QBR. Although the 3-3 Packers remained in second place, still tied with the Bears and two games behind the 5-1 Vikings, Greene observed, “You could feel the doom creeping in as it had the previous year at midseason, maybe not as dramatically, no key players had been lost, … but you knew the season was teetering on extinction.”

Devine had a choice to make. He could stay with Tagge, hoping for a quick turnaround, despite all evidence to the contrary. Or he could once more enter the trade market. His last fore had been a failure when he traded two second round picks last offseason for Del Gazio, a young and untested backup quarterback, now playing for the Giants. This time, he wanted a signal caller with experience, a leader who could elevate an offense seemingly stuck in the mud. Apparently, Devine had been considering a change since the team’s victory over the Rams. One report had Green Bay finalizing a trade with the 1-4 New Orleans Saints for 25-year-old Archie Manning prior to the Chicago game.

Manning, the second overall selection in the 1971 draft, had been demoted in favor of second year quarterback Bobby Scott prior to New Orleans’ October 21st game against the Atlanta Falcons. However, when Scott blew out his knee in the Atlanta loss, leaving rookie Larry Cipa as the only available quarterback, the Saints quickly decided not to follow through on a deal. Devine also reportedly had discussions with Dallas regarding a trade for 31-year-old Craig Morton. But the coach wanted an established starter and ultimately passed on acquiring the ten-year veteran. Morton was subsequently traded to the Giants for a first-round pick on the same day Devine made his fateful decision.

Whether or not acquiring Manning or Morton were real possibilities, the October 22 NFL trade deadline forced Devine’s hand. With both the season and his Packers career on the line, Devine went all in, trading five draft choices, including a first and second round pick in both 1975 and 1976 as well as a third rounder in 1976, to Los Angeles for 34-year-old John Hadl. Devine decided to pull the trigger without any advance consultation with the Executive Committee. According to Greene, Bob Harlan was quoted as saying, “I don’t think there was a soul in the organization who knew about the deal other than Dan. It was a huge mistake. … I knew how the Executive Committee was going to feel.”

Even though Hadl had lost his starting job to Harris after the Rams loss to Green Bay, Greene stated that “Devine had been enamored of Hadl since he had coached against him as a collegian more than a decade earlier.” He considered the 13-year veteran a big-league quarterback who’d led San Diego to success in the 1960s and Los Angeles to a division title just last season. However, with the Rams, Hadl was surrounded by top notch lineman, backs, and receivers. That wouldn’t be the case with the Packers. Two days after the trade, Devine told the Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, “Someone asked me if we’re trading away our future, that’s a ridiculous question.” Time would tell.

Regardless of the reasoning, the six-time Pro Bowler was now a Packer. Concannon started the next two games while Hadl attempted to assimilate the offense. Surprisingly, despite not having any starts in almost three years, the former Bear acquitted himself well against the Lions, going 17 of 30 for 237 yards, 1 interception, and a 68.3 QBR. Similar to the game a month ago, it was a back-and-forth affair, with the lead changing hands four times. But this time, Errol Mann made a last second 41-yard field goal for a 19-17 Lions victory. Concannon didn’t fare as well in his second start (8-20, 67, 9.8), tossing two interceptions, the last a pick six, for a 17-6 Washington Redskins victory.

A good performance by the defense, holding the Redskins to 237 total yards and 10 points, was offset by three interceptions and a running game that failed to gain more than 100 yards for the sixth time in eight games. Ready or not, Hadl saw his first action after Concannon was injured late in the final period, completing 9 of 15 for 99 yards, 1 interception, and a 51.8 QBR. He was now the starter with Concannon as his backup. However, three consecutive losses had put Green Bay into quite a hole. At 3-5, they were tied with Chicago for last place in the division, three games behind 6-2 Minnesota with only six left in the season. Getting back into the playoffs would be an uphill climb.

Against the Bears in Milwaukee County Stadium, the change in quarterback seemed to motivate the team, despite the offense’s continued struggles. Hadl’s first Packers start was unimpressive (9-20, 119, 43.5) and the running game again totaled less than 100 yards. However, the defense and special teams more than made up for the offense’s deficiencies. Green Bay forced five turnovers, including four fumbles, limiting Chicago to 235 total yards and three points. Steve Odom’s 95-yard punt return for a touchdown and two Marcol field goals (45, 24) gave the Packers a 13-3 fourth period lead. Tackle Mike McCoy’s interception led to Brockington’s 1 yard score to ice the game, 20-3.

The next two weeks would see the offense play its best football of the season. To date, Brockington had failed to gain over 100 yards in a game after doing so 11 times over the past three years, totaling an anemic 491 yards on 169 carries and a career low 2.9 yards per rush. But, in the tenth week against the Vikings, the three-time 1,000-yard runner would have a career day with 203 total yards (137 rushing, 66 receiving). The offense totaled 393 yards (202 rushing and 191 passing), with Hadl going 10 of 19 for 199 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown pass to Lane in the fourth period for a 19-7 road victory. Lane, in his seventh year, spoke for the team, saying, “It was a lot of fun.”

That fun continued into the next week against San Diego. Green Bay played their most complete game of the season, dominating the 3-7 Chargers, 34-0, in Lambeau Field. Although the running game couldn’t duplicate results from the previous week, gaining only 73 yards, the passing game made up the difference with 224 yards. Hadl went 14 of 22 for 157 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, and an 81.1 QBR before giving way to Concannon, his last action as a Packer. Concannon finished his season completing 28 of 54 (51.9%) for 381 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions, and a 57.7 QBR. It was the first time in over a year that Green Bay had thrown for more than 200 yards in a game.

Despite the turmoil to date, the Packers were 6-5, one game behind both Minnesota for the division title and Washington for the wild card, with three games left against teams with losing records. However, those hopes all but ended the next week in Philadelphia with a decisive 36-14 loss to the Eagles. Green Bay was their own worst enemy, losing five fumbles, three by Hadl (16-41, 237, 58.0), who also threw an interception. A Lane fumble at the Philadelphia 12-yard line in the second quarter proved to be the turning point. Eagles end Will Wynn picked up the loose ball, running 87 yards for a touchdown and a 15-0 lead. Down 29-0, the Packers scored two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough.

A Vikings victory combined with losses by Green Bay and Detroit gave Minnesota their sixth division title. With nothing left to play for, the Packers folded, losing their last two games, bringing the season to an ugly end. The offense reverted to early season form, with three Marcol field goals accounting for all the Packers scoring in their 7-6 and 10-3 defeats to the San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons respectively. Overall, Green Bay finished the season 17th in passing (2,036), 19th in rushing (1,571), and 21st in scoring (210). Hadl played in seven games for the Packers, starting the last six, going 89 of 184 (48.4%) for 1,072 yards, 3 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and a 54.0 QBR.

Due to the high cost and limited return, the Hadl trade is regarded by many experts and fans as the worst in franchise history. One of those experts is noted pro football analyst Dennis Ruzicka who said, “Forget Jim Del Gazio; let’s talk John Hadl!”. In addition to the quarterback chaos, the running game continued its descent, from fourth overall in Devine’s first season, to seventh in 1972, to 12th in 1973, to 19th in 1974. Working behind an aging, patchwork line, Brockington’s production dropped below 1,000 yards for the first time in his career (883 on 266 attempts, 3.3 yards per carry, 5 touchdowns). Still, his totals were enough to rank second in the NFL in attempts and sixth in yards.

For the second straight season, Lane, in his third year with Green Bay, saw his totals decline (137-362, 2.6, 3). Goodman was the only other back to gain more than 100 yards on the season (20-101, 5.1). Brockington led all receivers with 43 catches for 314 yards (7.3 yards per reception), followed by Lane (34-315, 9.3), fifth year wide receiver Jon Staggers (32-450, 14.1), and Rich McGeorge (30-440, 14.7). Amazingly, Packers quarterbacks collectively threw just five touchdown passes against 21 interceptions, with Lane on the receiving end of three. Still, the fact that the passing game consisted mostly of short passes to the backs highlighted the continued lack of talent at receiver.

However, Green Bay’s offensive ineptitude was offset by significant improvements in the defense and special teams. As a result of the Hendricks acquisition, the Packers had arguably the best linebacking core in the league, with Hendricks, Fred Carr, and Jim Carter. The return to form of Pro Bowl cornerback Willie Buchanon, after a broken leg kept him out the last eight games of 1973, along with fellow Pro Bowl corner Ken Ellis again elevated the secondary. Hendricks, both an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection, led the defense with five interceptions followed by Buchanon (4). Fifth year ends Alden Roche and Clarence Williams anchored an average line with seven sacks a piece.

Overall, Green Bay’s defense five times held rivals to a touchdown or less, finishing eighth against the run (1,641), seventh against the pass (2,000), and fifth in points allowed (206), a huge upgrade over the 259 allowed last season. Marcol reclaimed the league lead in points scored (94) as well as most field goals attempted (39) and made (25), finishing eighth in field goal percentage (64.1%). He was also made all 19 of his extra points. The importance of Marcol to the Packers offense can be summed up in one statistic; the two time All-Pro was responsible for 45% of Green Bay’s total points. Of their 19 touchdowns, five were scored by the special teams and the defense (21%).

As another losing season came to an end, tensions among both players and coaches regarding support for Devine, heightened at the beginning of the season as a result of the players strike, boiled over. According to former team trainer Dominic Gentile in his 1995 book, The Packer Tapes, the flash point came the week prior to the finale versus the Falcons, when reports surfaced of some players and coaches being so dissatisfied with the situation that there was talk of intentionally skipping the flight to Atlanta and potentially forcing the team to actually forfeit the game. “That stretch [the last three games of the season] easily was the darkest period of my 32 years with the Packers.”

When he heard about the potential mutiny, Gentile said he did everything he could to curb it. “I told them it would be suicidal to their football careers and would jeopardize the team’s future. At the very least, it would be the blackest mark in the history of the franchise.” Outside of Gentile’s book, there’s been limited confirmation of this incident over the past 50 years. Of the players who were there, only Brockington and Ellis have ever publicly discussed it. In a February 5, 1981 interview with the Milwaukee Journal, Brockington said, “Half the guys wanted [Devine] gone and half didn’t know.” Ellis told Cliff Cristl in January 2016, “I don’t know how close [the mutiny] came to happening.”

Fortunately for all involved, the mutiny never happened. But Devine’s fate remained an open question. Publicly, the coach reiterated his commitment to Green Bay before the Atlanta game. “I would just like to clear the air so that we can be thinking football. I’m making plans for being here in ’75.” Privately, Devine longed to return to the collegiate ranks. Then, he hit the jackpot. Notre Dame asked him to be their head coach starting in 1975. All indications were that the deal was done prior to the Packers’ final game. According to Greene, Father Joyce called Devine the Friday before and offered him the job. “He accepted without hesitation, calling it the shortest job interview in history.”

In 2004, Hadl told Pete Jackel of RacineSportsZone.com that, as the closing minutes of the Falcon game ticked away, he offered Devine his consolation. To his astonishment, Devine looked up and said, “John, don’t worry about me. They’re going to announce me as the head Notre Dame coach tomorrow.” However, Devine didn’t tell this to Green Bay’s Executive Committee until after they’d decided to pay him for the final year of his contract. Less than a week after stating his intention to remain in Green Bay, on December 17, Devine’s resignation as the Packers’ Head Coach and General Manager was announced to the press.

The Oakland Raiders finished with the NFL’s best record at 12-2, wining the AFC West Division. The Super Bowl Champion Miami Dolphins finished with the second best record at 11-3, winning the AFC East Division. The Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC Central Division with a record of 10-3-1. The St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota, and Los Angeles all finished the season at 10-4, winning the NFC East, NFC Central, and NFC West Divisions respectively. Washington was in the playoffs as the NFC’s Wild Card team with a record of 10-4, while Buffalo was the AFC’s Wild Card representative with a record of 9-5.

St. Louis finished ahead of Washington in the NFC East based on a head-to-head sweep. It was the first time the Cardinals had won a division title since 1948, when the franchise was based in Chicago. It was also St. Louis’ first winning season since 1970, when the team went 8-5-1. Similarly, it was the first time in eight seasons that Buffalo had qualified for the post-season. For Dallas, however, 1974 would be the first time in nine seasons the team failed to make the playoffs, and would mark the only time between 1966 and 1983 that they would not qualify for the post-season.

Finally, Oakland QB Ken Stabler won the 1974 NFL Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year Awards. Pittsburgh DT Joe Greene won Defensive Player of the Year, and LB Jack Lambert won Defensive Rookie of the Year. San Diego RB Don Woods won Offensive Rookie of the Year while St. Louis Head Coach Don Coryell won Coach of the Year.

Post Season Highlights: In the Divisional Playoffs, the AFC Central Champion Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the AFC’s Wild Card team, the Buffalo Bills, in Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium, while the NFC’s Wild Card team, the Washington Redskins, traveled west to the Los Angeles Coliseum to play the NFC West Champion Los Angeles Rams. Meanwhile, the AFC West Champion Oakland Raiders hosted the AFC East Champion Miami Dolphins in the Oakland Coliseum, while the NFC East Champion St. Louis Cardinals traveled to Minnesota’s Metropolitan Stadium to play the NFC Central Champion Minnesota Vikings. The winners would advance to their respective Conference Championship games.

On December 21, aided by two St. Louis Cardinals’ turnovers, the Minnesota Vikings scored 16 points in less than seven minutes during the third quarter, to advance to the NFC Championship.

St. Louis got onto the scoreboard first with QB Jim Hart’s 13 yard touchdown pass to WR Earl Thomas, but Minnesota countered when QB Fran Tarkenton completed a 16 yard touchdown pass to WR John Gilliam to tie the game at 7-7. The Cardinals had a chance to take the lead with a 56 yard drive to the Vikings 6 yard line, but K Jim Bakken missed a 23 yard field goal attempt as the half expired. On the third play of the second half, the Vikings intercepted a Hart pass and returned it 18 yards, to set up K Fred Cox’s 37 yard field goal, for a 10-7 lead.

On the Cardinals’ ensuing drive, RB Terry Metcalf lost a fumble, which CB Nate Wright picked up and returned 20 yards for a touchdown, increasing the Vikings’ lead to 17-7. A few minutes later, Tarkenton finished off a 16 point third quarter with a 38 yard touchdown pass to Gilliam, for a 23-7 lead, after Cox missed the extra point. In the fourth quarter, Vikings’ RB Chuck Foreman added a 4 yard touchdown to give Minnesota a 30-7 lead. By the time Metcalf rushed for an 11 yard fourth quarter touchdown, the game was already out of reach, and the Vikings had a 30-14 victory.

Later that day, in a famous play that became known as the “Sea of Hands”, Oakland Raiders’ RB Clarence Davis somehow caught the winning touchdown pass between three Miami Dolphins’ defenders with only 24 seconds remaining, to advance to the AFC Championship.

The game began with rookie WR Nat Moore returning the opening kickoff 89 yards for a Miami touchdown and a 7-0 lead. The Raiders then tied the game, 7-7, on Stabler’s 31 yard touchdown pass to RB Charlie Smith in the second period. With 1:01 left in the half, Miami K Garo Yepremian kicked a 33 yard field goal to put the Dolphins back in the lead, 10-7, at halftime. Oakland scored on their opening drive of the third quarter with Stabler’s 13 yard touchdown pass to WR Fred Biletnikoff, giving the Raiders a 14-10 lead. Aided by a 29 yard pass interference penalty against Oakland, Miami struck back with QB Bob Griese’s 16 yard touchdown pass to WR Paul Warfield. But the Raiders blocked the extra point attempt, keeping the Miami lead at just two points, 16-14.

Early in the fourth quarter, Yepremian increased Miami’s lead to 19-14, with a 46 yard field goal. Later in the period, Oakland got the ball on their own 17 yard line. On the second play of the drive, Stabler threw a pass to WR Cliff Branch at the Dolphins 27 yard line. Branch made a spectacular diving catch, then got back up and ran the rest of the way to the end zone, for a 72 yard touchdown reception, giving the Raiders a 21-19 lead with 4:37 left in the game. With 2:08 left to play, the Dolphins took a 26-21 lead with a 68 yard, 4 play drive that ended with RB Benny Malone’s 23 yard touchdown run.

The Raiders got the ball on their own 32 yard line with 2 minutes left to play and all three timeouts remaining. After a 6 yard completion to TE Bob Moore, Stabler went deep to Biletnikoff, completing two consecutive passes for gains of 18 and 20 yards. Then, after a 4 yard catch by Branch, WR Frank Pitts made a bobbling first down catch at the Dolphins’ 14 yard line. On the next play, Davis ran the ball 6 yards to the 8 yard line, where the Raiders called their final timeout. On the next play, Stabler dropped back to pass and looked for Biletnikoff in the end zone, but he was tightly covered.

With Dolphins’ DE Vern Den Herder dragging him down, Stabler threw a desperate pass to the left side of the end zone, into a “sea of hands”, where Davis fought his way through the Dolphin defenders to make the touchdown catch. Trailing 28-26, the Dolphins got the ball back with 24 seconds left. But, on their second play of the drive, Oakland LB Phil Villapiano intercepted Griese’s pass at the Raiders 45 yard line, allowing the Raiders to run out the clock. Oakland had defeated the two time Super Bowl champions, 28-26, ending Miami’s quest for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl victory.

On December 22, RB Franco Harris led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a victory over the Buffalo Bills by scoring three touchdowns in the second quarter. Pittsburgh outgained Buffalo in total yards, 438-264, and first downs, 29-14.

Pittsburgh scored on their first possession, with K Roy Gerela’s 21 yard field goal, for a 3-0 lead. A poor punt from the Steelers’ Bobby Walden gave the Bills a first down on their own 44 yard line, where they proceeded to drive 56 yards, and a 7-3 lead, on QB Joe Ferguson’s 27 yard touchdown pass to TE Paul Seymour. In the second quarter, the Steelers took over the game, scoring 26 unanswered points, with an NFL playoff single quarter record four touchdowns. Early in the period, Pittsburgh QB Terry Bradshaw finished one drive with a 27 yard scoring pass to RB Rocky Bleier, giving the Steelers a 9-7 lead after Gerela’s extra point was blocked. Following a Bills punt, Pittsburgh increased their lead to 16-7 with a 66 yard drive that concluded with a 1 yard touchdown by Harris.

Buffalo RB Jim Braxton then lost a fumble, which LB Jack Ham recovered on Buffalo’s 42 yard line. Bradshaw drove the Steelers to a 22-7 lead, on Harris’ 4 yard score, after another blocked extra point. With 16 seconds left in the half, Harris scored his third touchdown to cap a 56 yard drive, upping his team’s lead to 29-7. Buffalo managed to cut the score to 29-14 in the third quarter, with Ferguson’s 3 yard touchdown pass to RB O.J. Simpson. However, that would be the end of the scoring for the Bills. Gerela’s 22 yard field goal in the fourth period made the final score 32-14.

In the last game of the day, LB Isiah Robertson returned an interception 59 yards in the fourth quarter to clinch a Los Angeles Rams’ victory over the Washington Redskins, after a brutal defensive battle in which both teams combined for just 444 total yards.

Los Angeles scored on the opening drive of the game, a 10 yard touchdown pass from QB James Harris to TE Bob Klein, for a 7-0 lead. However, the Redskins then scored 10 unanswered points before halftime. First, QB Billy Kilmer’s 41 yard completion to WR Charley Taylor got the team moving, on the way to a 35 yard Mike Bragg field goal, making the score 7-3. Later on, CB Pat Fischer’s interception of Harris set up RB Moses Denson’s 1 yard touchdown, to give Washington their first lead, 10-7, at the end of the half.

Two Washington turnovers in the second half set up 37 yard and 26 yard field goals by Los Angeles’ K David Ray, to give the Rams the lead, 13-10. In the fourth quarter, Head Coach George Allen replaced Kilmer with veteran QB Sonny Jurgensen. It would be Jurgensen’s first and last playoff appearance. With the Redskins driving for the possible tying field goal, DT Merlin Olsen pressured Jurgensen into throwing the game clinching interception to Robertson, who returned it for a touchdown, and a 19-10 lead after a missed extra point. Olsen then recorded two more sacks, preventing any hopes of a Redskins comeback, securing a 19-10 Los Angeles victory.

On May 1 1975, Christian Adolph Jurgensen III, better known as Sonny Jurgensen, reluctantly retired from professional football after 18 seasons. “I still think I can do it,” Jurgensen said at an emotional news conference. Unfortunately for the 41 year old veteran quarterback, Washington Head Coach George Allen had earlier made it clear he was not of the same opinion, and Jurgensen decided to end his professional career rather than play for another NFL team.

Jurgensen is recognized as the finest pure passer of his time. A five time Pro Bowl selection, he earned three NFL individual passing titles. He exceeded 400 yards passing in a single game five times, and threw five touchdown passes in a game twice. Jurgensen finished with 2,433 completions out of 4,262 attempts (57.1%) for 32,224 yards, 255 touchdowns, 189 interceptions, and an 82.6 career passer rating, the highest for any player in the so called “Dead Ball Era” (pre-1978). He also rushed for 493 yards and 15 touchdowns.  Legendary Coach Vince Lombardi once told Packers’ Director of Player Personnel, Pat Peppler, that, “If we would have had Sonny Jurgensen in Green Bay, we’d never have lost a game.” He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

On December 29, the NFC Championship Game pitted the Los Angeles Rams against the Minnesota Vikings in Minnesota’s Metropolitan Stadium, while the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Oakland Raiders in the Oakland Coliseum for the AFC Championship.

In the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings were able to hold onto the ball for the final 5:37 of the game, to preserve a victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

After a scoreless first quarter, Minnesota QB Fran Tarkenton threw a 29 yard touchdown to WR Jim Lash for a 7-0 lead. Rams’ K David Ray later added a 27 yard field goal, to cut the lead to 7-3 before halftime. In the third quarter, Los Angeles advanced the ball from their own 1 yard line to the Minnesota 1 yard line. A controversial illegal procedure penalty on the Rams pushed the ball back to the 6 yard line. Two plays later, Vikings LB Wally Hilgenberg intercepted a pass from QB James Harris in the end zone for a touchback, ending the Los Angeles threat.

Minnesota then went on a 15 play drive, taking almost 8 minutes off the clock, and scoring on RB Dave Osborn’s 4 yard touchdown, increasing their lead to 14-3. With 7:15 left in the game, the Rams cut the deficit to 14-10, with WR Harold Jackson’s 44 yard touchdown strike from Harris. After forcing the Vikings to punt, Los Angeles drove to the Minnesota 45 yard line. But a third down sack forced the Rams to punt again, and the Vikings ran out the clock for a 14-10 victory.

Later that day, the Pittsburgh Steelers scored three touchdowns in the final period to defeat the Oakland Raiders and earn their first trip to the Super Bowl.

The first half was controlled by both defenses. Oakland got a big opportunity in the first quarter when they recovered a muffed punt by WR Lynn Swann on the Steelers 41 yard line, but CB Mel Blount’s deflection of QB Ken Stabler’s pass forced the Raiders to settle for a 40 yard field goal from K George Blanda, and a 3-0 lead. Meanwhile, the Steelers managed to get close to the Oakland end zone twice, but had to settle for a single Roy Gerela 23 yard field goal, to tie the game at 3-3 going into halftime. The Raiders took a 10-3 lead in the third quarter, with Stabler’s 38 yard touchdown pass to WR Cliff Branch. But Pittsburgh tied the game at 10-10 six seconds into the fourth quarter, with RB Franco Harris’ 8 yard touchdown run at the end of a 61 yard drive.

LB Jack Ham then intercepted his second Stabler pass of the day, returning it to the Raiders’ 9 yard line, setting up QB Terry Bradshaw’s 6 yard touchdown pass to WR Lynn Swann, for a 17-10 lead. Oakland responded with a drive to the Steelers 12 yard line. However, a blitz by Pittsburgh forced Stabler to throw the ball away, limiting Oakland to a 24 yard Blanda field goal, cutting the Steelers’ lead to 17-13. The Raiders managed to get the ball back for a chance at a go ahead touchdown, but CB J.T. Thomas made a clutch interception, returning the ball 37 yards to the Oakland 24 yard line. Harris then scored on a 21 yard touchdown run to put the game away for the Steelers, 24-13.

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl IX would be the first NFL Championship Game in their 42 year history. For the Minnesota Vikings, it would be their third Super Bowl appearance in five years, as well as their second consecutive appearance. The Vikings were looking to redeem themselves after two one sided losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowls IV and VIII respectively.

Super Bowl Highlights: On January 12 1975, at New Orleans’ Tulane Stadium, the NFC Champion Minnesota Vikings, again led by Head Coach Bud Grant, played the AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, led by six year Head Coach Chuck Noll, in Super Bowl IX. The game was originally scheduled to be played at the new Louisiana Superdome, however, as of July 1974, construction on the dome was not yet finished, so the league moved the Super Bowl to old Tulane Stadium.

Owner Art Rooney had founded the Steelers as an expansion team in 1933. Originally known as the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team changed its’ name to the Steelers in 1940. Pittsburgh would tally only seven winning seasons and one playoff game through 1968. But in 1969, Rooney hired Chuck Noll to be the team’s head coach, and their fortunes began to turn. Noll rebuilt the Steelers through the draft, selecting DT Joe Greene in his first season as head coach. In 1970, Noll drafted QB Terry Bradshaw and CB Mel Blount. In 1971, LB Jack Ham, DT Ernie Holmes, DT Dwight White, and DB Mike Wagner joined the roster. RB Franco Harris was drafted in 1972. And in 1974, the Steelers added LB Jack Lambert, C Mike Webster, WR Lynn Swan, and WR John Stallworth. Bradshaw, Webster, Swann, Stallworth, and Harris formed the core of the Steeler offense, while the others formed the core of the “Steel Curtain” defense.

In 1972, Pittsburgh made their first playoff appearance since 1947, losing to the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship Game. The Steelers made it back to the playoffs in 1973, losing to the Oakland Raiders in the Divisional round. Pittsburgh started slowly in 1974, as Bradshaw and Joe Gilliam fought to be the team’s starting quarterback. Gilliam started six games, completing 96 out of 212 attempts for 1,274 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions (QB Rating: 55.4), but Noll eventually made Bradshaw the starter after a 2-1-1 start. Although Bradshaw ended up completing only 67 out of 148 passes (45.3%) for 785 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions (QB Rating: 55.2), he helped lead the team to a 10-3-1 record. WR Frank Lewis lead the Steelers in receptions and receiving yards, with 30 catches for 365 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Pittsburgh’s main offensive weapon, however, was their running game. Harris rushed 208 times for 1,006 yards (4.8 yards per attempt) and 5 touchdowns, while also finishing second on the team in receptions with 23 catches for 200 yards and another touchdown. RBs Rocky Bleier, Preston Pearson, and Steve Davis also contributed a combined total of 936 yards and 8 touchdowns. Overall, the Steelers finished 2nd in rushing yards (2,417), 6th in points scored (305), but only 21st in passing yards (1,958).

But the Steelers’ primary strength during the season was their staunch “Steel Curtain” defense, which led the league with the fewest total yards allowed (3,074), and the fewest passing yards allowed (1,466), while finishing 2nd in total defense, allowing 189 points, behind only the Los Angeles Rams. Greene won the Defensive Player of the Year Award for the second time in three seasons, while both he and DE L.C. Greenwood were named to the Pro Bowl. Both the team’s outside linebackers, Jack Ham and Andy Russell, were also selected to play in the Pro Bowl, while Lambert was named Defensive Rookie of the Year. In the defensive backfield, Blount, Wagner, and S Glen Edwards made a strong impact on opposing quarterbacks.

Minnesota’s powerful offense finished 5th in total offense, scoring 310 points, 2nd in passing yards (2,755), and 15th in rushing yards (1,856). The Vikings were still led by 14 year veteran QB Fran Tarkenton, who completed 199 out of 351 attempts (56.7%) for 2,598 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions (QB Rating: 82.1), while also running for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns. Minnesota’s primary offensive weapon was RB Chuck Foreman, who led the team with 777 yards on 199 attempts (3.9 yards per carry) and 9 touchdowns. RBs Dave Osborn, Oscar Reed, and Ed Marinaro combined for another 853 yards and 5 touchdowns. WRs Jim Lash and John Gilliam were major deep threats, with 32 receptions for 631 yards and 26 receptions for 578 yards respectively.

The “Purple People Eaters” defense, led by future Hall of Fame defensive linemen Carl Eller and Alan Page as well as future Hall of Fame S Paul Krause, allowed only 24 points total in their two playoff wins. Minnesota ranked 3rd overall in total defense during the regular season, allowing 195 points, behind only Los Angeles and Pittsburgh, while finishing 5th in rushing yards allowed (1,605) and 18th in passing yards allowed (2,302).

The game would be played in some of the worst conditions ever for a Super Bowl. An early morning rainstorm, cold, overcast skies, and a strong wind left participants and fans alike with a damp, penetrating chill that lasted throughout the afternoon.

The first quarter was completely dominated by both teams’ defenses. Minnesota was limited to 20 passing yards, zero rushing yards, and one first down. Pittsburgh did only slightly better, with 18 passing yards, 61 rushing yards, and 4 first downs. Pittsburgh managed to get close enough for two Roy Gerela field goal attempts, however, Gerela missed his first attempt, and a bad snap prevented the second one from getting off the ground. In the second quarter, the Vikings got an opportunity to score when they recovered RB Rocky Bleier’s fumble at the Steelers 24 yard line, but they could only move the ball two yards in their next three plays. Minnesota K Fred Cox then missed a 39 yard field goal attempt.

The first score of the game occurred later in the period when Dave Osborn fumbled a pitch from Fran Tarkenton deep in Minnesota territory. Tarkenton quickly dove on the ball in the end zone to prevent a Steeler touchdown, but he was downed by Dwight White for a safety, giving Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead. It was the first safety ever scored in a Super Bowl. The Vikings later threatened to score when Tarkenton led them on a 55 yard drive to the Steelers 20 yard line. With 1:17 left in the half, Tarkenton threw a pass to John Gilliam at the 5 yard line, but the Steelers’ Glen Edwards hit him just as he caught the ball. It popped out of his hands and into the arms of Mel Blount for an interception, ending Minnesota’s scoring threat. The half finished with Pittsburgh leading 2-0, the lowest halftime score in Super Bowl history.

On the opening kickoff of the second half, with the Vikings trailing by only two points, Minnesota RB Bill Brown fumbled the return, and Pittsburgh recovered the ball at the Vikings’ 30 yard line. Franco Harris moved the ball to the 6 yard line with a 24 yard run. One play later, Harris carried the ball for 9 yards and a touchdown, giving the Steelers a 9-0 lead. On the second play of their next drive, Tarkenton’s pass was deflected behind the line of scrimmage by Pittsburgh’s LC Greenwood, and bounced back into Tarkenton’s hands, who then threw a 41 yard completion to Gilliam. Officials ruled that Tarkenton’s first pass attempt was a completion to himself, and thus his second attempt was an illegal forward pass. Five plays later, White deflected a Tarkenton pass attempt, and Joe Greene intercepted the ball, ending another Minnesota scoring threat.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Vikings got one more opportunity, when Minnesota’s Paul Krause recovered a Harris fumble on the Steelers 47 yard line. On the next play, a 42 yard pass interference penalty on Pittsburgh S Mike Wagner moved the ball to the 5 yard line. Once again, the Steelers stopped the Vikings from scoring, when Greene forced and recovered a Chuck Foreman fumble. Pittsburgh failed to get a first down on their next possession, and was forced to punt from deep in their own territory. Minnesota LB Matt Blair burst through the line to block the punt, and the Vikings recovered the ball in the end zone for touchdown. Cox missed the extra point, but the Vikings had cut the deficit to 9-6 and were, incredibly, just a field goal away from a tie, after more than three quarters of offense ineptitude.

On the ensuing drive, the Steelers put the game out of reach with a 66 yard, 11 play scoring drive that took 6:47 off the clock and featured three successful third down conversions. The first was a 30 yard pass completion from Bradshaw to TE Larry Brown. Brown fumbled the ball as he was being tackled, and two officials initially ruled the ball recovered by the Vikings. But, in what would prove to be the game’s final turning point, Head Linesman Ed Marion overruled their call, and Pittsburgh retained possession. Another third down pass to Rocky Bleier advanced the ball to the Minnesota 5 yard line. The Steelers gained just 1 yard with their next two plays. On 3rd down from the 4 yard line, Bradshaw’s 4 yard touchdown pass to Brown gave the Steelers a commanding 16-6 lead with only 3:31 remaining.

On the first play of their next drive, Tarkenton’s pass was intercepted by Mike Wagner. The Steelers then executed seven consecutive running plays, taking the clock all the way down to 38 seconds remaining, before turning the ball over on downs. Minnesota attempted two pass plays to close out the game, giving Pittsburgh their first NFL Championship, 16-6. In total, the Steelers limited the Vikings to Super Bowl record lows of 9 first downs, 119 total offensive yards, 17 rushing yards, and no offensive scores. Pittsburgh accomplished this despite losing starting LBs Russell and Lambert to injuries for most of the second half.

Franco Harris, who ran for a Super Bowl record 158 yards and one touchdown, was named Super Bowl IX’s Most Valuable Player. Pittsburgh finished with a total of 57 rushing attempts, which remains the Super Bowl record. QB Terry Bradshaw completed just 9 out of 14 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. After the game, 74 year old owner Art Rooney was presented with the Vince Lombardi Trophy by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle in an iconic scene, ending his franchise’s 42 year championship drought.

Conclusion: The 1974 season demonstrated that bad endings can be relative. Minnesota had become the first franchise in the Super Bowl era to lose three times. Embarrassing, yes, but they were still considered to be a championship caliber team despite those losses. Green Bay, on the other hand, was a team facing an uncertain future.

Devine finished his tenure with a 25-27-4 record. His decision concluded a four-year run that had seen the College Football Hall of Fame coach scale the heights of professional football, being named by the PFWA as 1972’s NFC Coach of the Year, only to send the team spiraling back into an abyss two years later, deeper than the one he had momentarily rescued them from. The bottom line was that Devine had not been a good fit for the NFL, and was better suited to deal with college players. In any case, the Devine Era was over and, for the third time since Lombardi’s departure at the end of 1967, the Green Bay Packers would have to start again with a new head coach and general manager in 1975.

Talent wise, the Packers were, at best, an average team, with a solid defense and good special teams when healthy, but with an offense in need of a complete rebuilding. And, thanks to Dan Devine, Green Bay had mortgaged their immediate future to acquire the services of an aging quarterback. And now their head coach and general manager was gone. For Devine, the pieces came together early, and he thought he’d found the magic formula when Green Bay won the division and a playoff berth in 1972. However, it slipped away as fast as he had found it, leaving a severely divided franchise at the time of Devine’s departure. As of 1974 came to a close, Packer fans could only wish for the Vikings’ troubles.

To end this post, I’ve attached the NFL Films Super Bowl IX Highlight video narrated once again by the great John Facenda. In addition, I’ve included a clip highlighting the Miami Dolphins vs. Oakland Raiders Divisional Playoff game, including the famous “Sea of Hands” catch. Enjoy!

As always, your feedback is appreciated!