Bradley Ruzicka

Headline: Quarterback carousel produces erratic, disappointing season for Head Coach Dan Devine and the Green Bay Packers.

Regular Season Record: 5 – 7 – 2 (Third Place NFC Central Division)

Offseason Highlights: Despite tensions between various players and Head Coach Dan Devine by season’s end, the Green Bay Packers finished 1972 with a 10-4 record, combining a strong rushing attack, a revitalized kicking game, and an aggressive young defense to win their division. However, an ineffective passing game threatened to derail Green Bay’s future title ambitions. The Washington Redskins, in their 16-3 playoff win, provided the blueprint for defeating the Packers, using a five-man front to stop the run, daring Devine and his offense to beat them through the air. For the Redskins, it was a successful strategy, limiting Green Bay to 78 yards on 29 carries (2.7 yards per carry).

One area of the passing game in need of a serious upgrade was the receiving corps. According to Stanton Greene in his book, The Green Bay Packers The Dan Devine Years 1971-1974, “Certainly the [receivers were] among the weakest in the league. … Devine understood this weakness intimately. How he would address it would determine his future in Green Bay.” Devine’s answer was to use his first-round pick in the 1973 NFL Draft, 21st overall, on Florida State Wide Receiver Barry Smith. In his senior year, Smith was named first team All-American when he led the nation in both receiving yards (1,243) and touchdowns (13) with 69 catches, second overall, in only ten games.

Unfortunately for the Packers, Smith lasted just three seasons, catching a total of 41 passes for 604 yards (14.7 yards per reception) and 4 touchdowns during that time, never exceeding 300 receiving yards in a season, before finishing his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1976. Surprisingly, given Devine’s declining confidence in his starting signal caller, Scott Hunter, over the course of the past season, the head coach chose not to draft a quarterback in 1973. In the process, he passed over future Hall of Famer Dan Fouts. Over his 15-year career, Fouts went on to complete 3,297 of 5,604 (58.8%) for 43,040 yards, 254 touchdowns, 242 interceptions, for an 80.2 QBR.

Prior to the draft, on January 9, another of Vince Lombardi’s star players retired, future Hall of Fame linebacker Dave Robinson. The three-time Pro Bowler and two time All-Pro played ten seasons for Green Bay, starting 105 out of 127 games. He intercepted 21 passes for 322 yards while recording 22 sacks. A few days before the draft, Devine traded Robinson’s rights to Washington for a 1975 second round pick. Head Coach George Allen subsequently talked him out of retirement. Robinson went on to play two years with the Redskins, starting every game, intercepting 6 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown while adding 6.5 sacks, before retiring for good after the 1974 season.

Years later, Robinson remarked, “Devine traded me to Washington. And that was fine because I wasn’t going to play for him anymore.” In his book, Stanton Greene stated, “In numerous interviews, Robinson has stated his antipathy toward Devine, saying that he thought him the worst coach he ever played for at any level.” Devine subsequently drafted two linebackers, Minnesota’s Tom MacLeod (third round) and Idaho State’s Tom Toner (sixth round), to take Robinson’s place. MacLeod went on to start ten games and Toner four in 1973, totaling 3 interceptions. The next offseason, MacLeod was traded to the Baltimore Colts as part of a deal for future Hall of Fame linebacker Ted Hendricks.

Toner played four seasons, all in Green Bay, starting 22 out of 53 games, intercepting a total of four passes. According to Greene, “After [Toner], the draft was a washout with one major exception. Almost as an afterthought, the Packers took a center in the twelfth round, [Illinois’s] Larry McCarren [(308th overall)].” Taking over for ten-year veteran Ken Bowman, put on injured reserve prior to the start of the 1974 season, McCarren went on to start 162 consecutive games over his 12-year Packers career, the team’s fourth longest consecutive games start streak at that time. Nicknamed “The Rock” in honor of his durability, McCarren was also selected to play in two Pro Bowls (1982 and 1983).

After he retired in 1984, McCarren was hired as sports anchor for a local Green Bay TV station in 1988. He went on to become a color commentator and game analyst on the “Packers Radio Network” with Jim Irwin and former Packers wide receiver Max McGee in 1995. He was subsequently teamed with play-by-play announcer Wayne Larrivee on radio broadcasts beginning in 1999, continuing to present day. “The Rock” was honored as the Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year four times (1994, 1996, 2002, 2007) by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. All in all, 1973’s draft, Devine’s first without long time personnel director Pat Peppler, was his least productive to date.

In addition to Robinson, backup linebacker Tommy Joe Crutcher retired prior to spring training camp. Crutcher played six of his eight seasons in Green Bay, including three of their NFL title teams (1965-67). A third linebacker, future Hall of Famer Ray Nitschke, next retired on August 28. Selected 36th overall out of Illinois in 1958, Nitschke was part of what is considered possibly the greatest draft in franchise history. The two-time All-Pro subsequently anchored Lombardi’s defense through their five championship seasons during the 1960s, starting 150 out of 190 games while totaling 25 interceptions for 385 yards and 2 touchdowns along with 16 sacks during his 15 years in the league.

In addition to the retirements, Devine decided to release another Lombardi veteran, wide receiver Carroll Dale, at the end of training camp. After 13 years, eight in Green Bay, the three-time Pro Bowler played one more season for the Minnesota Vikings before retiring, ending a career that began with the Los Angeles Rams in 1960. After the Packers acquired Dale in a 1965 trade, the speedy wideout went on to catch 275 passes for 5,422 yards (19.7 yards per catch) and 35 touchdowns. By the start of the 1973 season, the last remnants of the Lombardi era were all but gone, with only center Ken Bowman, guard Gale Gillingham, and defensive tackle Bob Brown remaining.

Finally, Bart Starr resigned as quarterbacks coach on January 10, leaving Green Bay after 16 years as a player and one as an assistant coach to return to Alabama. Starr’s disagreement with Devine over play calling, particularly during the Washington playoff game, undoubtedly played a role in his departure. Also, according to Stanton Greene, Starr had head coaching offers on the table from both Los Angeles and the Philadelphia Eagles. In the end, the future Hall of Famer decided to focus on his auto dealership as well as become a CBS color commentator. Instead of replacing Starr, the head coach chose to divide the play calling between himself and offensive line coach Rollie Dotsch.

In total, four 1973 picks were ultimately selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame: the 4th overall, Alabama Guard John Hannah (New England Patriots), the 23rd, Southern Mississippi Punter Ray Guy (Oakland Raiders), the 26th, Michigan State Guard Joe DeLamielleure (Buffalo Bills), and the 64th, Oregon Quarterback Dan Fouts (San Diego Chargers). Also, one undrafted free agent would make his way to Canton, OH, Tulsa Wide Receiver Drew Pearson. Picked up by the Dallas Cowboys, Pearson made the squad due to his special teams play. Injuries to Otto Stowe and Mike Montgomery then elevated the MVC yards per catch leader to starting status, and he never looked back.

Of note, major changes were made to tiebreaking and television blackout rules. First, tiebreaker rules used in determining division winners and playoff teams were changed to start with head-to-head competition, followed by division, common opponent, and conference records. Congress next forced the NFL to eliminate the television blackouts of games in the home market, so long as the game is sold out 72 hours before kickoff. In 1972, all NFL home games (including championship games and Super Bowls) were blacked-out on television in each team’s respective city. However, after the Redskins playoff game was blacked out, Washington politicians passed a law to change the rule.

Lastly, beginning with the 1973 season, the Buffalo Bills would play their home games in Rich Stadium, located in the suburb of Orchard Park, after 13 years of playing in War Memorial Stadium, otherwise known as the “Rockpile”. Brock Yates of Sports Illustrated jokingly wrote in 1969 that the stadium, “looks as if whatever war it was a memorial to had been fought within its confines.” Meanwhile, beginning in the season’s fourth week, the New York Giants had to play in New Haven, Connecticut’s Yale Bowl for the rest of 1973 and all of 1974 while Yankee Stadium was renovated. It would be three years before the team could move to the new Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Regular Season Highlights: The Green Bay Packers failed to follow-up on their 1972 first place finish, falling to third place behind the 12-2 Minnesota Vikings and the 6-7-1 Detroit Lions in the NFC Central Division. Minnesota started the season with nine wins and were never threatened. For Green Bay, it was an erratic season; a win here, a loss there, a couple of ties, with the team unable to put together back-to-back victories. The result was a 5-7-2 record. According to Lew Feedman’s book, The Packers Experience, nothing illustrated Devine’s frustration more than a 34-0 loss to Detroit on October 28. “It was a very, very, very horrible, nightmarish type of game. I’m personally humiliated.”

Devine had declared at the end of last season that the quarterback position would be an open competition, a disappointment for third year starter Scott Hunter, having led the Packers to a division title. Just three weeks into the preseason and despite what Hunter felt was a good outing against the Houston Oilers on August 18, Devine decided neither he nor second year backup Jerry Tagge had shown enough to be his starter and that another option was required. On August 22, the head coach traded two second round draft picks (1974, 1975) to the Miami Dolphins for Jim Del Gazio, an unproven third year reserve quarterback who, to date, had thrown only nine regular season passes.

Del Gaizo made the Dolphins’ roster as an undrafted free agent out of Tampa in 1971, spent the season on Miami’s taxi squad as the third-string quarterback, and was not activated the entire season. One year later, he ascended to the active roster as second-string quarterback behind newly acquired Earl Morrall after starter Bob Griese went down with a season ending ankle injury in the fifth week. Del Gazio subsequently made four appearances, completing a total of 5 of 9 passes for 165 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, and a 100.5 QBR. The vast majority of his experience was accumulated in relief of Morrall during November 12th’s 52-0 victory over the 2-7 New England Patriots.

According to Stanton Greene, “Devine became enamored of the young ballplayer, who had less experience than either of [his] current quarterbacks.” For some reason, Devine felt optimistic his newest acquisition could lead the Packers’ offense, stating “We traded for him because this is the first opportunity we’ve had to trade for a quality player for a reasonable price.” This despite the availability of proven signal callers such as Detroit’s Bill Munson or the Atlanta Falcons’ Bob Berry, for likely a similar price. But the coach seemed confident that Del Gazio was the best choice to stabilize a volatile quarterback situation. “[Both] Hunter and Tagge must have felt like they’d been kicked in the teeth.”

Ultimately, Devine chose Hunter to start the opener after Del Gazio suffered a rib injury in the fifth preseason game. Yet, despite the uncertainty at quarterback, Greene stated that “With a playoff season under their belts, it was assumed that the next generation of Packers were ready to step up and provide the veteran leadership necessary to go to the next level.” Guard Gale Gillingham and tight end Rich McGeorge were back in the starting lineup after missing all but the first two weeks of last season due to injury. Del Gazio was waiting in the wings, and great things were expected of rookie wide receiver Barry Smith. Fans would soon know if this team was capable of fulfilling its potential.

Initially, it looked like Green Bay was ready to pick up where they left off at the end of last season. On a Monday night in Milwaukee County Stadium, they decisively defeated the New York Jets, 23-7. Hunter completed 6 of 13 for 107 yards with no interceptions. McGeorge caught a 19-yard pass from Hunter for a touchdown. Greene observed that “Barry Smith was fast and often open”, catching one pass for 21 yards. The Pack ran for 155 yards on 48 carries, with two-time Pro Bowl halfback John Brockington scoring a touchdown. The defense forced three turnovers (2 fumbles, 1 interception). And All-Pro Chester Marcol scored 11 of the team’s 23 points (3 field goals, 2 extra points).

It appeared Devine would stay with the same formula that brought the team success in 1972, despite being humbled by the Washington Redskins in the playoffs. However, unlike last season, Hunter would be constantly looking over his shoulder. The coach hinted as much during a presser prior to the opening game, “It will take quite a bit to dislodge him [Hunter]. … Then again, you look at Del Gazio and what he can do and this changes the picture quite a bit.” When the offense stalled the next week against Detroit, Devine didn’t hesitate to pull his starter in favor of Del Gazio with just 1:53 left in the game, creating an early quarterback controversy that lasted the entire season.

With Green Bay down 13-10 in Lambeau Field, Del Gazio led the Packers downfield, completing 3 of 8 for 63 yards, before the drive stalled at the Lions 11-yard line. Marcol kicked a 24-yard field goal to salvage a 13-13 tie. Devine was subsequently undecided during the next week over who would be the starter on the road against Minnesota. It was game time before he named Del Gazio. In the end, it didn’t matter, as the Vikings held the Packers’ offense to 160 total yards (90 rushing and 70 passing) for an 11-3 victory. This time, Hunter replaced Del Gazio in the fourth quarter, but neither proved effective, totaling only 7 completions out of 20 attempts for 80 yards and 1 interception.

Brockington and halfback MacArthur Lane were held to 58 and 36 yards respectively. The defense gave up 284 net yards, 206 on the ground, but did not allow a touchdown while forcing four turnovers. Unfortunately, like Washington in last season’s divisional playoff, teams were using five-man fronts to slow the Packers’ rushing attack, putting pressure on an anemic passing game and on a defense that was now thin at linebacker due to the retirement of veterans such as Dave Robinson. In addition, Marcol wasn’t converting field goals he had made previously, missing four over the past two games. Devine’s usual formula for success was struggling to produce the anticipated results.

Despite going only 4 of 14 for 36 yards against Minnesota, Del Gazio made his second start the next week against the New York Giants. Again, he was ineffective, completing a miserable 1 of 4 for -4 yards and 2 interceptions. Once more, Devine went to Hunter, this time at the beginning of the second half. He proceeded to rally the Packers to a 16-14 win, completing 6 of 7 for 86 yards and a 117.9 QBR. Brockington bounced back with 71 yards on 20 carries. Marcol scored 10 of Green Bay’s 16 points but also missed two field goals. In total, the offense was held to 200 yards, including a net 75 passing yards. Meanwhile, the defense held New York to 231 yards and forced four turnovers.

Although it had been a shaky first month, the 2-1-1 Packers were still in the hunt, one and a half games behind the 4-0 Vikings. However, the revolving door at quarterback continued into the fifth week against the Kansas City Chiefs. Back in Milwaukee, Hunter (6 of 11, 64 yards, 71.8 QBR) started but was soon replaced by Del Gazio (6 of 12, 89 yards, 62.8 QBR) when Hunter suffered a rib injury. In the second quarter, Del Gazio tossed a 26-yard touchdown to fourth year wide receiver Jon Staggers, in his second season with Green Bay. Unfortunately, he also gave up two interceptions. The running game totaled 160 yards, with Brockington gaining 106 on 15 carries (7.1 per attempt).

Marcol hit a second period 46-yard field goal but also suffered two blocked attempts. Another opportunity was wasted when the Packers failed to score from Kansas City’s 1 yard line. All in all, this was the one that got away as the Packers outgained the Chiefs, 315 to 149 yards, a rare offensive outburst, but had to settle for a 10-10 tie. At 2-1-2, Green Bay was still in second place but falling further behind undefeated Minnesota. The offense was struggling to score, with only 13 points per game. On the other hand, the defense was hanging tough, allowing a meager 11 points per contest. Also, the Packers had given up just eight turnovers while forcing 15 for a +7-turnover differential.

However, any hope for a second title evaporated over the next three weeks. The team went into a tailspin, losing on the road to the Los Angeles Rams, 24-7, and Detroit, 34-0, before falling to Chicago, 31-17, in Lambeau Field. Against the Rams, Devine said it best the day after the loss when he told the Milwaukee Journal, “We got dominated in every aspect of the game.” Los Angeles embarrassed Green Bay, outgaining them 378 to 63 yards. Hunter, whose play during the first five weeks had actually improved over last year (27 of 49, 381 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception), started his fourth game. However, on this day, he was only 4 of 10 for 48 yards with 1 interception (15.8 QBR).

Meanwhile, Brockington and Lane together could muster just 26 rushing yards. Rams defensive end Fred Dryer set an ignominious NFL record with two safeties in a single game when he sacked Hunter and Del Gazio in the end zone on consecutive series. Worst of all, the Packer defense suffered a demoralizing loss in the first half when last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, cornerback Willie Buchanon, went down for the remainder of the season with a broken leg. Hunter vowed the team would come roaring back against the Lions. Instead, it was a rerun of last week. Green Bay was once more dominated, 329 to 63 total yards with 263 to 60 rushing and 66 to 3 net passing yards.

Del Gazio made his third start of the season, completing 5 of 9 for 33 yards and a 63.7 QBR, but was forced out in the third quarter with a shoulder injury and would miss the next month. Hunter took over but only managed to complete 1 of 10 for -4 yards, threw another interception, and finished with an unbelievable QBR of 0.0. Unfortunately, the nightmare was not yet over. With Del Gazio injured, Hunter got the start against the 2-5 Bears. It would turn out to be his last game action as a Packer. Surprisingly, Green Bay was favored to win despite their struggles over the past two weeks. They led 17-10 at the end of the second quarter but could not contain Bobby Douglas in the second half.

The fifth-year quarterback went 10 of 15 for 118 yards while rushing for 100 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries. Meanwhile, Hunter completed just 3 of 15 for 17 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Once more, the Packers were outclassed, giving up 337 yards while gaining just 98. Over three games, the Packers had been outgained 1,044 to 224 yards and outscored 89 to 24. In addition, injuries were piling up on both offense and defense, particularly along the offensive line. For all intents and purposes, Green Bay’s season was effectively over. It was also at this point that Devine decided neither Hunter nor Del Gazio would be the Packers long term answer at quarterback.

Reluctantly, with six games left, Devine turned to Tagge. At 2-4-2, Green Bay was in the division cellar, far behind the undefeated Vikings. “You wouldn’t have been surprised to see them take a dive and lose every game left on the schedule,” said Greene. But the team pulled together to beat the St. Louis Cardinals. Gillingham stepped up before the game and railed the troops. Afterwards, the three-time Pro Bowler observed, “This is a helluva bunch of guys. They could have folded their tents awfully easy, but they didn’t.” Brockington carried 28 times for 136 yards and a touchdown while Marcol converted all four of his field goals (13 points), powering the Packers to a 25-21 victory at Lambeau.

Tagge, who found out he was starting only a few hours before the game, was a modest 7 of 14 for 67 yards, a rushing touchdown, and no turnovers. On the road against the 2-7 Patriots, Tagge started again and had his best game as a professional, completing 17 of 23 for 267 yards and a 93.9 QBR. However, after Green Bay had taken what seemed to be a commanding 24-9 lead early in the third quarter, the defense collapsed. Led by 1971’s first overall pick, quarterback Jim Plunkett, New England scored 24 unanswered points to beat Green Bay, 33-24. The Heisman Trophy winner threw for 348 yards and was responsible for all three touchdowns, two through the air and one on the ground.

In total, the defense surrendered 456 yards to an underdog Patriots team. The Packers would do no better the next week against the San Francisco 49ers in a 20-6 road loss. Tagge was 10 of 17 for 107 yards but threw 2 interceptions, giving way to Del Gazio (4 of 7, 40 yards, 1 interception), back from injury for the first time since late October. At 3-6-2, with five losses in their last six games, and their playoff hopes long gone, Devine decided to stick with Tagge as his starter for the season’s last three games. Hunter was demoted to the taxi squad and would not return. Del Gazio saw his last action in Green Bay against Minnesota in the second to last week when he took over late in the game.

Down 31-0 in the fourth period after three Tagge interceptions, the former Dolphin threw just his second touchdown pass of the regular season, a 17 yarder to Barry Smith, in a 31-7 beatdown. Despite the heavy price Devine paid to acquire Del Gazio from Miami, he started only three times, finishing with a 1-2 record, completing 27 of 69 (43.5%) for 318 yards, 2 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and a paltry 30.8 QBR, the worst of all the Packer quarterbacks. In spite of the pronouncements by noted football analyst Dennis Ruzicka, who once described Del Gazio as the greatest Green Bay quarterback ever, Devine traded him to the Giants in 1974 after only one season in a Packers’ uniform.

The question at season’s end was the same as the one at the start, why Del Gazio? In his book, Greene speculates on a possible answer. “The Del Gazio deal is as baffling as the Hadl trade. [NOTE: In 1974, Devine traded five high round draft choices to the Rams for John Hadl after he had been benched.] Pat Peppler [former Green Bay player personnel director] was in Miami. Did he mislead Devine, overstating Del Gazio’s value, assuring him he was better than either Hunter or Tagge? From some reports, there was no love lost between Devine and Peppler and yet guys in these positions tend to trust each other as they were part of the old boy network, or so Devine might have believed.”

Meanwhile, prior to his deactivation, Hunter started a total of five games, going 1-2-2, completing 35 of 84 (41.7%) for 442 yards, 2 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and a 46.8 QBR. Tagge finished the year with a record of 3-3, winning two out of the Packers last three games, 30-10 over the New Orleans Saints and 21-7 over Chicago in the finale. In total, he completed 56 of 106 (52.8%) for 720 yards, 2 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and a 53.2 QBR. However, Tagge threw six of those interceptions in his last four starts. By the end of the season, while it was rapidly becoming clear he lacked the physical tools to be effective at a high level in the NFL, Tagge had kept the offense respectable.

Overall, Green Bay finished 12th in rushing (1,973), 24th in passing (1,283), and 22nd in scoring (202), down from 304 points in 1972. Passing yards were the lowest since 1946 (841), with only 7 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. A continued inability to throw the football as well as injuries to the offensive line contributed to the decline from last season’s 2,127 rushing yards. Yet, despite the offensive decline, Brockington gained his most rushing yards to date, with 1,144 on 265 attempts (4.3 yards per carry) and 3 touchdowns. Five times Brockington ran for over 100 yards in a game, one less than his six total over the previous two years, averaging 81.7 yards per game, third overall.

The three-time Pro Bowler became the first NFL player to rush for over 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons. Also, for the second time in three years, Brockington was second in the league in rushing yards, behind only the Buffalo Bills’ O.J. Simpson (2,003). However, Lane, in sixth season and his second with the Packers, saw his totals decline dramatically from 821 yards, 4.6 yards per carry, and 3 touchdowns in 1972 to just 528 yards, a disappointing 3.1 yards per carry, and 1 touchdown in 1973. Lane did lead Green Bay in receptions with 27 for 255 yards (9.4 yards per catch) and a single touchdown. No other Packer gained more than 100 rushing yards total for the season.

Staggers finished second in receptions with 25 after a total of 22 in his first three years as a professional. The former Pittsburgh Steeler led Green Bay in both receiving yards (412) and yards per reception (16.5). After 5 catches for 93 yards in the first two weeks, Barry Smith added just 10 more receptions the rest of the season, finishing with 15 for 233 yards (15.5 yards per catch) and 2 touchdowns. Out most of last year, McGeorge had, what was for him, a down season with 16 catches for 260 yards (16.3 yards per reception) and 1 touchdown. The fourth-year tight end would total less than 20 catches only once in his last five years. Brockington also caught 16 passes for 128 yards.

The kicking game proved to be another disappointment. Marcol, in his second season, lacked 1972’s consistency. His point totals decline from a league high 128 points and 33 out of 48 fields goals (68.8%) to only 82 points and 21 out of 35 field goals (60.0%) as well as one missed extra point. Punter Ron Widby, also in his second season with the Packers, injured his back in the twelfth week and would never play again. Prior to his injury, the sixth-year veteran was having another solid season, averaging 43.1 yard per kick, sixth overall. Free agent Paul Staroba was brought in to finish the season. Ike Thomas’s kickoff return average slipped from 27.2, seventh overall in 1972, to 22.9.

Yet, in a season of disappointments, the decline of Green Bay’s defense was the most impactful. Last season, they powered the Packers to the top of the division, finishing second against the run (1,517), eighth against the pass (1,957), and fourth in points allowed (226). But the loss of Buchanon in the sixth week as well as the departure of veterans such as Robinson during the offseason contributed to a huge drop-off in 1973. Green Bay finished 13th against the run (1,999), 11th against the pass (1,822), and 14th in points allowed (259). Neither Buchanon’s replacement, free agent pick-up Perry Smith, nor Robinson’s, rookies Tom MacLeod and Tom Toner, could fill the large void.

Overall, experience has shown that quarterback controversies with two men in the mix are rarely considered healthy. With three players vying for one spot in 1973, things got really messy. The team’s trainer, Dominic Gentile, indicated in a 1995 interview that he felt switching quarterbacks in the season’s third week was the beginning of the end for Devine and the Packers. Said Gentile, “I think one of Devine’s biggest mistakes was changing quarterbacks early in the season. That destroyed Hunter and fragmented the team.” But Greene felt that “Despite the mess, Devine had not lost the team.” Players like linebacker Jim Carter, defensive end Aaron Brown, and others still believed in him.

Super Bowl Champion Miami, Minnesota, and Los Angeles finished tied for the NFL’s best record at 12-2, wining the AFC East, NFC Central, and NFC West respectively. The Dallas Cowboys (NFC East) and the Cincinnati Bengals (AFC Central) finished tied for second-best at 10-4. The Oakland Raiders won the AFC West with a record of 9-4-1. The Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers were in the playoffs as the NFC and AFC Wild Card entrants respectively, both finishing at 10-4. Cincinnati edged out Pittsburgh based on a better conference record (8-3 to Steelers’ 7-4) while Dallas beat out Washington based on a better point differential in head-to-head games (13 points).

Of note during 1973 was an unusual series of big-name quarterback changes, starting with the San Diego Chargers obtaining the Baltimore Colts three-time MVP quarterback Johnny Unitas, bringing to an end an historic era in Baltimore history that started in 1956 when Unitas became the starter. After a franchise swap between long time Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom and Rams owner Robert Irsay in July 1972, Irsay hired Joe Thomas to be his general manager. He immediately began cleaning house, letting go 38-year-old quarterback Earl Morrall. After Baltimore lost four of their first five, Thomas benched Unitas in favor of newly acquired Marty Domres for the rest of a 5-9 season.

On January 22, Unitas was traded to San Diego, reportedly for $150,000 in cash. This despite a 117-60-4 record and three NFL titles during his 17 years with the Colts. San Diego Owner Gene Klein wanted a big name who would sell tickets, and he got it with Unitas. However, the five time All-Pro started the 1973 season with a 38-0 loss to the Redskins, going 6 of 17 for just 55 yards and 3 interceptions. His final win as a starter was against Buffalo the next week. Looking like the old Unitas, he finished 10 of 18 for 175 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a 125.9 QBR in a 34-7 rout. But the moment wouldn’t last. Despite the victory, the 40-year-old was nearing the end of his legendary career.

By the end of the season’s third week, many were raising doubts about Unitas’s role as a starter. Although he went 15 of 31 for 215 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception, the Chargers lost to Cincinnati, 20-13, dropping San Diego to a record of 1-2. That 12-yard touchdown pass to third year running back Bob Thomas in the fourth quarter would turn out to be Unitas’s last. The end came a week later against Pittsburgh when the ten-time Pro Bowler threw two interceptions, finishing 2 of 9 for 19 yards and a 0.0 QBR before being replaced in the second period by rookie third round pick Dan Fouts. Unitas would not start another game. He wanted to give it one more try in 1974, but his aging body simply wouldn’t allow it. After a single year with the Chargers, Unitas retired on July 24.

John Constantine Unitas finished his career having completed 2,830 of 5,186 (54.6%) for 40,239 yards, 290 touchdowns, 253 interceptions, and a 78.2 QBR. He also rushed for 1,777 yards and 13 touchdowns. After being drafted in the ninth round by Pittsburgh in 1955, Unitas was released prior to the season and was out of professional football until he was picked up by the Colts in 1956. Over the next 12 seasons, he won three MVP awards (1959, 1964, 1967) and led Baltimore to back-to-back NFL titles in 1958 and 1959. Unfortunately, Unitas tore the muscles in his throwing arm when he was hit in the last preseason game of 1968 and suffered from arm trouble the rest of his career.

Over his final six seasons, Unitas threw more interceptions (64) than touchdowns (38), averaged 124.4 yards per game, down from 215.8, and his passer rating plummeted from 82.9 to 60.4. Despite the decline, Unitas was the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 40,000 yards. His 32 touchdown passes in 1959 were a record at the time, making him the first quarterback to hit the 30-touchdown mark in a season. His 47-game consecutive touchdown streak between 1956 and 1960 was a record that lasted more than 50 years until it was broken by the New Orleans Saints Drew Brees in 2012. Unitas was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility.

Meanwhile, the Unitas trade had a domino effect as San Diego quarterback John Hadl was subsequently dealt to Los Angeles for defensive end Coy Bacon and Bob Thomas on January 25. In his 12th year, Hadl proceeded to lead the Rams to a division title and his first playoff appearance since 1965, completing 135 of 258 (52.3%) for 2,008 yards, 22 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and an 88.8 QBR. A desperate Dan Devine traded for the 34-year-old midway through the 1974 season for a slew of high draft picks. Within two years, the six-time Pro Bowler was dealt by new Packers coach Bart Starr to the Houston Oilers in 1976, where Hadl ended his 16-year career after the 1977 season.

With Hadl now in Los Angeles, the team traded former NFL MVP quarterback Roman Gabriel to the Philadelphia Eagles on June 8. In return, the Rams received two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Harold Jackson and reserve running back Tony Baker as well as two first round draft picks (1974, 1975) plus a 1975 third round selection. In his 12th year, Gabriel went 270 of 460 for 3,219 yards, 23 touchdowns, and a 2.6 interception ratio, all league highs. His 86.0 QBR was good for fifth overall, giving the Eagles the most prolific passing offense during 1973. The 33-year-old played another four years for Philadelphia, before also retiring after the 1977 season, ending his 16-year career.

For his efforts, Gabriel was voted the PFWA Comeback Player of the Year. However, one player stood out above all others in 1973. Buffalo’s future Hall of Fame Running Back O.J. Simpson set an NFL rushing record with 2,003 yards in 332 attempts (6.0 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns, winning both Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year. Miami’s two-time All-Pro Safety Dick Anderson was voted Defensive Player of the Year. Minnesota Running Back Chuck Foreman won Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Chicago’s Defensive Tackle Wally Chambers was the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Los Angeles’s rookie Head Coach Chuck Knox won Coach of the Year.

Finally, after eleven years as the New York Jets head coach, Weeb Ewbank decided to retire. He will be forever remembered as the only man ever to win a championship in both the NFL and AFL. The two-time Coach of the Year led Baltimore to consecutive NFL titles (1958-59), including a 23-17 overtime victory over the Giants in the 1958 title game, otherwise known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played”. He then led the Jets to a 16-7 upset win over those same Colts in Super Bowl III, the game that established the legitimacy of the rival league. He was a head coach for 20 years, beginning in 1954, finishing with a 130-129-7 record. Ewbank was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978.

Post Season Highlights: The NFC Central Champion Minnesota Vikings began the Divisional Playoffs by hosting the NFC’s Wild Card team, the Washington Redskins, in Metropolitan Stadium. Next, the AFC Wild Card team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, traveled west to the Oakland Coliseum to take on the AFC West Champion Oakland Raiders. Meanwhile, the AFC Central Champion Cincinnati Bengals traveled to the Orange Bowl to challenge the AFC East Champion Miami Dolphins. Finally, the NFC East Champion Dallas Cowboys hosted the NFC West Champion Los Angeles Rams in Texas Stadium. The winners would advance to their respective Conference Championship games.

On December 22, future Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton, in his second year back in Minnesota, overcame a 13-10 fourth quarter deficit by throwing two touchdown passes to lead the Vikings to a victory over last season’s NFC Champion Washington. The Redskins led their division for nine consecutive weeks but a loss to Dallas in the second to last week dropped them into a tie with the Cowboys. Each team finished 10-4, splitting their two regular season meetings. But Dallas outscored Washington by 13 points total in those games to win the division by the slimmest of margins, forcing the Redskins to go on the road as a wild card team rather than play a game at home.

Both offenses struggled in the first quarter. Minnesota was completely unable to move the ball, finishing the quarter without any first downs. Meanwhile, Washington’s Curt Knight missed 49- and 17-yard field goals, the last after a drive that ended inside the Viking 10-yard line. Minnesota finally scored on Fred Cox’s 19-yard second period field goal, after Tarkenton’s 50-yard completion to running back Oscar Reed, for a 3-0 lead. But a fumbled Viking punt with 3:30 left in the half set up fifth year running back Larry Brown’s 3-yard touchdown, giving the Redskins a 7-3 lead. Minnesota then drove into field goal range before halftime, but a Tarkenton interception ended the scoring threat.

Minnesota took the second half kickoff and marched 79 yards to score on fullback Bill Brown’s 2-yard touchdown to go ahead 10-7. But Washington struck back, retaking the lead, 13-10, early in the fourth quarter with 52- and 42-yard Knight field goals. However, Tarkenton subsequently threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to wideout John Gilliam to put the Vikings up, 17-13. Minnesota’s interception of quarterback Billy Kilmer’s pass set up a second Tarkenton to Gilliam 8-yard touchdown, extending the Vikings lead to 24-13. Kilmer’s 28-yard touchdown pass to wideout Roy Jefferson closed the gap to 24-20. But Cox’s 30-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter sealed a 27-20 Minnesota victory.

Later that day, the Raiders turned a three-point halftime lead into a rout of the Steelers by scoring 16 unanswered points as part of 23-point second half. Pittsburgh got off to a terrific start, winning eight of their first nine games while leading their division for eleven straight weeks. However, a three-game losing streak put their playoff hopes in jeopardy. The Steelers recovered to win their last two games, finishing 10-4, but had to settle for a tie with the Cincinnati Bengals. Again, by the smallest of margins, Cincinnati won the division due to a better conference record. This despite a Pittsburgh pass defense that was arguably the best in NFL history, limiting opposing quarterbacks to a 33.1 rating.

After forcing Pittsburgh to punt on the game’s opening drive, Oakland scored on their first possession. The Raiders drove 82 yards on16 plays, scoring on fifth year fullback Marv Hubbard 1 yard run for a 7-0 lead. In the second period, the Steelers drove into Oakland territory, only to lose the ball when quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw his first interception. The Raiders took advantage with a 25-yard George Blanda field goal, upping their lead to 10-0. But Pittsburgh came back after a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty gave them a first down on the Oakland 7-yard line. Bradshaw then threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to wideout Barry Pearson to cut their deficit to 10-7 at halftime.

In the third period, after Blanda added 31- and 22-yard field goals to make the score 16-7, the Raiders’ cornerback Willie Brown blew the game open by intercepting another Bradshaw pass. The five time All-Pro returned it 54 yards for a touchdown and a 23-7 lead. Bradshaw’s third interception gave Oakland a first down on the Steeler 37. Blanda subsequently kicked his fourth field goal of the game, a 10 yarder, to make the score 26-7 early in the fourth quarter. Bradshaw tried to bring Pittsburgh back, throwing a 26-yard touchdown pass to wideout Frank Lewis to narrow the lead to 26-14. But Oakland put the game away when Hubbard scored a second 1-yard touchdown for a 33-14 win.

On December 23, Miami outgained Cincinnati, 400-194, scoring on three of their first four possessions, to beat the Bengals. It was Cincinnati’s second division title in four years in only their sixth year of existence. The Bengals split their first eight games, then swept their last six to win their division title. Third year quarterback Ken Anderson was now entrenched as the starter, finishing fourth overall in pass attempts and completions as well as passing yards. Sadly, this would be the last season for 1969 AFL Rookie of the Year Greg Cook. His 9.4 yards per pass attempt and 17.5 yard per completion are rookie records that still stand, despite a shoulder injury that ultimately ended his career.

Miami dominated the game early, scoring on their opening drive, with quarterback Bob Griese’s 13-yard touchdown pass to wideout Paul Warfield and a 7-0 lead. Cincinnati narrowed the lead to 7-3 on their first drive with a 24-yard field goal by Horst Muhlman. But halfback Mercury Morris gained 33 rushing yards on the way to the Dolphins next touchdown, a 1-yard run by fullback Larry Csonka, extending their advantage to 14-3. In the second quarter, Griese completed a 48-yard bomb to Warfield that set up Morris’ 4-yard touchdown run. Facing the prospect of going into their locker room down 21-3 at halftime, the Bengals stormed back with 13 points in the final 3:26 of the second period.

First, safety Neal Craig picked off Griese’s pass, returning it 45 yards for a touchdown, narrowing Miami’s lead to 21-10. Then, Cincinnati’s other safety, Tommy Casanova, ended the Dolphins next drive by picking off another Griese pass on the Bengal 33-yard line with just under two minutes left. Anderson got the team into scoring range with a 22-yard scramble to the Miami 38, where Muhlman made a 46-yard field goal, cutting the score to 21-13. With just eight seconds left in the half, Morris fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which Cincinnati recovered on the Dolphin 3. On the next play, Muhlman kicked his third field goal, a 12-yarder, giving Miami just a five-point lead, 21-16, at halftime.

However, the Bengals hopes of defeating the World Champions was quickly crushed in the second half. On the third play of the third period, Anderson tried a deep pass to tight end Bob Trumpy, however, the ball was intercepted by Dolphins’ safety Dick Anderson. The two time All-Pro returned the ball 19 yards to the Cincinnati 28. Seven plays later, Miami went up 28-16, with Griese’s 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jim Mandich. The Dolphins’ Garo Yepremian put the finishing touches on his team’s victory with 50 and 46-yard field goals in the third and fourth periods respectively, for a final score of 34-16. This despite a total of three Miami turnovers versus just one for the Bengals.

In the last game of the weekend, Dallas avenged a 37-31 regular season loss to Los Angeles as two turnovers in the first quarter gave the Cowboys a 14–0 lead from which the Rams couldn’t recover. This despite Los Angeles forcing four turnovers. This Rams team was very different from the one former head man George Allen left after the 1970 season. After a change of ownership in 1972 and a 14-12-2 record, Allen’s successor, Tommy Prothro, was replaced by first time Head Coach Chuck Knox in 1973. The long time assistant coach wasted little time installing his philosophy of a dominant running game and a top-notch defense, resulting in the first of seven straight division titles.

The first play of the game’s opening drive resulted in a Los Angeles turnover. Eleventh year linebacker Lee Roy Jordan’s interception of quarterback John Hadl’s pass led to running back Calvin Hill’s 3-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 lead. Dallas then recovered first time Pro Bowler Lawrence McCutcheon’s fumble on the Rams 35-yard line to again set up the Cowboys. The result was a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Roger Staubach to rookie wide receiver Drew Pearson, extending the Dallas lead to 14-0. Toni Fritsch subsequently added a 39-yard field goal early in the second quarter for a 17-0 advantage. It looked like the Cowboys would run the Rams right out of Texas Stadium.

But Los Angeles slowly fought their way back. David Ray’s 33- and 37-yard field goals cut the Dallas lead to 17-6 at the half. After Fritsch’s field goal, the Ram defense limited the Cowboys to only four first downs as Staubach faced a relentless pass rush, sacking him seven times. Dallas didn’t cross midfield again until the fourth quarter. Los Angeles further cut the lead to 17-9 with a 40-yard Ray field goal early in the fourth period. A Hill fumble then led to Los Angeles’s first and only touchdown of the game, a 5-yard run by eighth year running back Tony Baker, in his first season with the Rams. Los Angeles had narrowed the deficit to a just single point, 17-16, with ten minutes left in the game.

But the Cowboys regained control on their next possession when Staubach threw a short pass over the middle to Pearson. As the Rams were about to stop him for a short gain, defensive backs Dave Elmendorf and Steve Preece collided, allowing Pearson to scamper untouched for an 83-yard touchdown. Up 24-16, the Dallas defense closed out the Los Angeles offense for the rest of the game. Fritsch added a 12-yard field goal to make the final 27-16. The Cowboys almost totally shutdown the strength of the Rams’ offense, limiting the running game to just 93 yards on 30 carries. Their leading rusher during the season, Lawrence McCutcheon, was held to 48 yards on 13 attempts.

On December 30, the NFC Championship Game pitted the Dallas Cowboys against the Minnesota Vikings in Dallas’ Texas Stadium, while the Miami Dolphins played the Oakland Raiders in Miami’s Orange Bowl for the AFC Championship.

In the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings forced four interceptions and two fumbles, en route to a victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

With the loss of RB Calvin Hill and DT Bob Lilly to injuries, Dallas was undermanned. Minnesota jumped to a 10-0 halftime lead, with a first quarter 44 yard Fred Cox field goal, followed by a second quarter 86 yard drive that ended with a 5 yard touchdown by RB Chuck Foreman. The Cowboys finally scored on WR Golden Richards’ 63 yard punt return for a touchdown early in the third period, cutting the deficit to 10-7. But Vikings’ QB Fran Tarkenton then threw a 54 yard touchdown pass to WR John Gilliam to increase their lead to 17-7. After K Toni Fritsch’s 17 yard field goal again cut the lead to 17-10, Minnesota converted two fourth quarter turnovers into 10 points; CB Bobby Bryant returned a Roger Staubach pass 63 yards for a touchdown, while S Jeff Wright’s interception of another Staubach pass set up Cox’s final 34 yard field goal, for a 27-10 Vikings victory.

Later that day, RB Larry Csonka led the Miami Dolphins to a victory over the Oakland Raiders, with 117 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.

Miami scored on their first drive of the game, when QB Bob Griese’s 27 yard scramble set up Csonka’s 11 yard touchdown run, and a 7-0 lead. Csonka scored again late in the second quarter on a 2 yard touchdown to make the score 14-0 at halftime. However, after the teams exchanged field goals in the third quarter, Oakland QB Ken Stabler threw a 25 yard touchdown pass to WR Mike Siani, to cut the lead to 17-10. In the fourth quarter, after Dolphins’ K Garo Yepremian made a 26 yard field goal for a 20-10 lead, the Raiders were faced with 4th and inches. Down by 10 points, Oakland went for the first down, but was stopped by the Miami defense. The Dolphins used their running game to take the remaining time off the clock, setting up Csonka’s third touchdown, a 2 yard run, to clinch the game, 27-10.

The Miami Dolphins were poised to win back-to-back Super Bowls, something no other team had accomplished since the Green Bay Packers won Super Bowls I and II in 1966 and 1967. The Minnesota Vikings had achieved a second chance at Super Bowl glory after their embarrassing defeat four years earlier to the then AFL Champion Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV.

Super Bowl Highlights: On January 13 1974, at Rice Stadium in Houston TX, the NFC Champion Minnesota Vikings, led by seven year Head Coach Bud Grant, played the AFC Champion Miami Dolphins, led by fourth year Head Coach Don Shula, in Super Bowl VIII. Miami was making its third straight Super Bowl appearance, while Minnesota was making its second appearance in four years, having lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 23-7, in Super Bowl IV. For the first time, a former AFL franchise was favored to win.

Although Miami was unable to match 1972’s perfect season, many sports writers, fans, and Dolphins’ players themselves felt that the 1973 team was better. While the 1972 team faced no competition that possessed a better record than 8-6 in the regular season, the 1973 team played a much tougher schedule. Like the two previous seasons, Miami’s offense relied primarily on their rushing attack. RB Larry Csonka recorded his third consecutive 1,000 yard season (1,003 yards on 219 attempts and 5 touchdowns), while RB Mercury Morris rushed for 954 yards on 149 attempts (6.4 yards per carry), scoring 10 touchdowns. Csonka finished 6th overall in rushing yards while Morris finished 1st overall in yards per carry and tied for 3rd in rushing touchdowns.

QB Bob Griese completed 53.2% of his passes (116 out of 218 attempts) for 1,422 yards, 17 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and a QB Rating of 84.3, 6th overall in QBR. WR Paul Warfield remained the main deep threat on the team, catching 29 passes for 514 yards (17.7 yards per reception) and 11 touchdowns, 2nd overall in receiving touchdowns. Fellow WR Marline Briscoe lead all Dolphins receivers in receptions with 30 catches for 447 yards and 2 touchdowns. Overall, Miami finished 3rd in rushing yards (2,521), 5th in points scored (343), but only 21st in passing yards (1,582). Miami’s “No Name Defense” continued to dominate their opponents. Future Hall of Fame LB Nick Buoniconti recovered three fumbles and returned one for a touchdown. S Dick Anderson led the team with 8 interceptions, which he returned for 163 yards and 2 touchdowns, while S Jake Scott, last season’s Super Bowl MVP, had 4 interceptions and 71 return yards.

Miami was still using their “53” defense, devised at the beginning of the 1971 season, where Bob Matheson (#53) would be brought in as the fourth linebacker in their 3-4 defensive formation. Matheson could either rush the passer or drop back into coverage. Miami finished the season ranked first in the NFL in total defense, allowing only 150 points, better than the 171 points the Dolphins surrendered in 1972. Miami also finished 1st in pass defense, allowing only 1,290 yards, while finishing 12th in rushing yards allowed (1,991). K Garo Yepremian had another good year, leading the Dolphins in points scored (113), converting 25 out of 37 field goals (67.6%) and 38 out of 38 extra points.

In 1973, Minnesota snapped back from 1972’s disappointing 7-7 finish. The offense was again led by 13 year veteran QB Fran Tarkenton, back with the Vikings for a second season after spending his first six years with Minnesota before being traded to the New York Giants in 1967. Tarkenton completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 2,113 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions, earning a QB Rating of 93.2, 2nd overall in QBR, while also finishing in the Top 10 in passes attempted, passes completed, passing yards, passing touchdowns, and pass completion percentage. He also rushed for 202 yards and another touchdown.

The team’s primary deep threat was Pro Bowl WR John Gilliam, who caught 42 passes for 907 yards, an average of 21.6 yards per catch, and scored 8 touchdowns. Gilliam finished 2nd overall in receiving yards and 3rd in yards per reception. The primary difference between Minnesota’s 1972 and 1973 offense was the addition of NFL Rookie of the Year Chuck Foreman, who rushed for 801 yards on 182 attempts (4.4 yards per carry), caught 37 passes for 362 yards, and scored a total of 6 touchdowns. Minnesota’s four other contributors at running back, Dave Osborn, Bill Brown, Oscar Reed, and Ed Marinaro, combined for 1,469 rushing and receiving yards as well as 11 touchdowns. Overall, the Vikings finished 6th in rushing yards (2,275), 9th in points scored (296), and 14th in passing yards (1,956).

Minnesota’s defense was once again anchored by a defensive line nicknamed the “Purple People Eaters”, consisting of DTs Gary Larsen and Alan Page and DEs Jim Marshall and Carl Eller. Behind them, CB Bobby Bryant (7 interceptions, 105 return yards, 1 touchdown) and S Paul Krause (4 interceptions), led the defensive secondary. The Vikings finished the season ranked 2nd in the NFL in total defense, behind only Miami, allowing 168 points, while finishing 11th in rushing yards allowed (1,974) and 12th in passing yards allowed (1,894). K Fred Cox led Minnesota in scoring with 96 points, but only converted 21 out 35 field goals (60.0%).

Miami’s game plan on offense was to use misdirection, negative influence traps, and cross blocking to exploit the excellent pursuit of Minnesota’s defense. Kansas City had used similar tactics against the same Vikings’ defensive line in Super Bowl IV. Wrote C Jim Langer, “All this was successful right away. We kept ripping huge holes into their defense and Csonka kept picking up good yardage, especially to the right.” On defense, the Dolphins’ goal was to neutralize Foreman by using cat quick Manny Fernandez at nose tackle, and to make passing difficult for Tarkenton by knocking down his receivers and double teaming Gilliam. They were also depending on DEs Bill Stanfill and Vern Den Herder to contain Tarkenton’s scrambling.

The Dolphins dominated the Vikings right from the beginning, scoring touchdowns on two 10 play drives in the first quarter. First, Miami’s Jake Scott gave his team good field position by returning the opening kickoff 31 yards to the Miami 38 yard line. Then, Mercury Morris ran right for 4 yards, Larry Csonka crashed through the middle for 2 yards, and Bob Griese completed a 13 yard pass to TE Jim Mandich, to advance the ball to the Vikings 43 yard line. Csonka ran on second down for 16 yards, then Griese completed a 6 yard pass to Marlin Briscoe to the 21 yard line. Three more running plays, two by Csonka and one by Morris, moved the ball to the Vikings 5 yard line. Csonka then finished the drive with a 5 yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead.

After forcing Minnesota to punt after three plays, the Dolphins went 56 yards in 10 plays, scoring on RB Jim Kiick’s 1 yard run, to give Miami a 14-0 lead. By the time the first quarter ended, the Dolphins had run 20 plays for 118 yards, had 8 first downs, and scored touchdowns on their first two possessions, with Csonka carrying 8 times for 64 yards, and Griese completing all four of his passes for 40 yards. Meanwhile, the Miami defense held the Viking offense to only 25 yards, 6 plays, and 1 first down. Minnesota advanced only as far as their own 27 yard line. The situation didn’t get much better for the Vikings in the second period. After trading punts, the Dolphins mounted a seven play drive, starting from their own 35 yard line, culminating in a 28 yard field goal from Garo Yepremian, to make the score 17-0.

Minnesota had their best opportunity to score in the first half on their ensuing drive. Starting at their own 20 yard line, Minnesota marched to the Miami 15 yard line in nine plays, aided by Fran Tarkenton’s completions of 17 and 14 yards to TE Stu Voigt and John Gilliam’s 30 yard reception. Tarkenton’s 8 yard run on first down advanced the ball to the 7 yard line. But, on the next two plays, the Vikings’ Oscar Reed gained only 1 yard on 2 rushes, bringing up a 4th and 1 with less than a minute left in the half. Instead of attempting a field goal, Minnesota decided to go for it on fourth down with another running play by Reed. However, Reed lost the ball while being tackled by Nick Buoniconti, and Scott recovered the fumble for the Dolphins.

Miami’s Jim Langer wrote that, at halftime, “We definitely knew that this game was over.”

Early in the third period, Miami marched 43 yards in 8 plays, to score on Csonka’s 2 yard touchdown, increasing their lead to 24-0, with almost nine minutes left in the quarter. The key play was Griese’s 3rd and 5, 27 yard pass to Warfield, to the Minnesota 11 yard line. It was Griese’s last pass of the game, his only pass of the second half, and just his seventh pass overall. For Warfield, it was only his second, and last, catch of the game. After an exchange of punts, Minnesota got the ball back at their 43 yard line, after Larry Seiple’s kick went just 24 yards. The Vikings mounted a 10 play, 57 yard drive, with Tarkenton completing 5 passes for 43 yards, including a 15 yarder to Voigt, taking the ball into the end zone himself on a 4 yard touchdown run, to cut Miami’s lead to 24-7 early in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota had one final chance to get back into the game. Miami went three and out on their next possession, and the Vikings got the ball back at their own 3 yard line. Eight plays later, the Vikings reached the Miami 32 yard line. After two incomplete passes, Tarkenton’s pass was intercepted by Dolphins CB Curtis Johnson at the goal line, ending Minnesota’s final threat. Miami got the ball back at their 10 yard line with 6:24 left in the game, and Csonka and Kiick were the ball carriers on all 12 remaining plays. The Dolphins had their second straight Super Bowl victory, 24-7.

Larry Csonka became the first running back to be named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player. Both his 145 rushing yards and his 33 carries were Super Bowl records at that time. QB Bob Griese finished the game with 6 completions in just 7 attempts for 73 yards. Miami’s seven pass attempts were the fewest ever thrown by a team in a Super Bowl. The Dolphins rushed for 196 yards, did not have any turnovers, and were not penalized in the first 52 minutes. Miami’s performance in Super Bowl VIII is still considered one of the most dominating in Super Bowl history.

Conclusion: While the Miami Dolphins got their second Super Bowl win in as many years, Green Bay got a reality check. Packer fans were hopeful after 1972’s 10-4 record, NFC Central Division title, and the first playoff berth since 1967. 1973’s 5-7-2 season brought them back to earth with the realization that another trip to the Super Bowl might not be just around the corner after all. The only remaining players from the Lombardi years were C Ken Bowman, OG Gale Gillingham, and DE Bob Brown. This was now Dan Devine’s team, and his future success would live or die based on the performance of his young squad.

On the plus side, with a few breaks along the way, particularly the two ties, Green Bay could have had a .500 or better season. It likely wouldn’t have been enough for another playoff berth, but it would have lessened the criticism. On the other hand, Devine knew at the end of 1972 that his passing game was a problem, yet it only got worse in 1973. In his book, Stanton Greene wrote, “Late in the 72 season, the Packers had thrown out the passing game. When they needed to bring it back [in 1973], it wasn’t there. … It had atrophied. They couldn’t throw the ball and Devine didn’t want to throw the ball.” The reality was, with two losing seasons in three years, it was clear 1974 would make or break Devine’s future as Head Coach and General Manager of the Green Bay Packers.

To end this post, I’ve attached the NFL Films Super Bowl VIII Highlight video, narrated once again by the great John Facenda.

As always, your feedback is appreciated!