Headline: The Green Bay Packers meager offense tallies a total of 36 yards in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, producing the lowest single game total in team history.
Regular Season Record: 5 – 9 (Fourth Place NFC Central Division)
Offseason Highlights: Again in 1976, the Green Bay Packers’ draft was not a highly productive one, although an improvement over 1975. In the first round, with the 23rd overall pick, acquired as compensation from the Oakland Raiders for signing LB Ted Hendricks the previous year, the Packers drafted OT Mark Koncar out of Colorado University in a continuing effort to revitalize an undermanned offensive line. An instant starter at left tackle, Koncar started 51 out of 53 games over the next five years, until injuries and finally a personality conflict with Starr ended his time in Green Bay. Koncar played his final season with the Houston Oilers in 1982.
Green Bay also drafted DB Mike McCoy in the 3rd round (72nd overall), with the choice acquired in 1975 from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for RB McArthur Lane, as well as WR Aundra Thompson in the 5th round (132 overall). McCoy started 97 out of 110 games for the Packers over his eight NFL seasons, intercepting a total of 13 passes during his career, before retiring after the 1983 season. Beginning in 1978, Thompson proved a reliable partner to WR James Lofton over the remainder of his five year Packer career, starting 48 out of 63 games, while catching 95 passes for 1,573 yards (16.6 yards per catch) and 7 touchdowns, before he was dealt to the San Diego Chargers in 1981 as part of the trade for WR John Jefferson. Thompson subsequently ended his six year NFL career with the New Orleans Saints in 1982.
The big news in 1976 was the NFL expanding to 28 teams, with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This fulfilled one of the conditions agreed to in 1966 as part of the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger, which called for the league to expand to 28 teams by 1970 or soon thereafter. For 1976 only, the Seahawks played in the NFC West, while the Buccaneers played in the AFC West. Seattle would move to the AFC West and Tampa Bay to the NFC Central beginning in 1977, where they would remain until 2002.
In June 1972, Seattle Professional Football Inc., a group of Seattle business and community leaders, announced its intention to acquire an NFL franchise. In June 1974, the NFL gave the city an expansion franchise. That December, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle announced the official signing of the franchise agreement by Lloyd W. Nordstrom, representing the Nordstrom family as majority partners for the consortium. In March 1975, John Thompson, former Executive Director of the NFL Management Council, was hired as the general manager of the new team. Thompson recruited and hired Jack Patera, a Minnesota Vikings assistant coach, to be the Seahawks first head coach on January 3 1976.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay expansion franchise was originally awarded to Tom McCloskey, a construction company owner from Philadelphia. McCloskey soon entered into a financial dispute with the NFL, so the league found a replacement in Hugh Culverhouse, a wealthy tax attorney from Jacksonville. After turning down several offers from other NFL teams, including the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, and Los Angeles Rams, former USC Head Coach John McKay was lured to Tampa Bay in 1976 to become the Buccaneers first head coach and general manager. Motivating his decision was the combined fivefold salary increase (totaling $2 million) and the prospect of building a franchise from the ground up.
Prior to the 1976 NFL draft, an expansion draft was held March 30-31 1976, with Seattle and Tampa Bay each selecting 39 players from the other 26 NFL teams. When one player was chosen from an existing team, that team was then permitted to protect two additional players. The draft continued until three players had been picked from each of the existing teams, with the Seahawks and Buccaneers alternating picks. Green Bay S Al Matthews, after six seasons with the Packers, was left unprotected and taken by Seattle, while Green Bay’s 1973 first round draft pick, WR Barry Smith, went to Tampa Bay. Each franchise also received one of the first two picks in the annual player draft, with Tampa Bay awarded the 1st overall pick and Seattle the 2nd overall pick.
The Buccaneers chose future Hall of Fame DE Lee Roy Selmon from Oklahoma, while the Seahawks used their pick on DT Steve Niehaus from Notre Dame. In addition to Selmon, the 1976 draft yielded a total of five Hall of Fame players, including the 5th overall pick, Arizona State CB Mike Haynes (New England Patriots), the 86th overall selection, Jackson State OT Jackie Slater (Los Angeles Rams), the 105th overall pick, South Carolina State LB Harry Carson (New York Giants), and the 117th overall pick, Tulsa WR Steve Largent (Houston Oilers). Largent, although originally drafted by the Oilers, never played a down for them in the regular season, before being traded to Seattle at the end of the 1976 preseason for a 1977 8th round draft pick. He subsequently played for the Seahawks over the next 13 years, during which time he became a seven time Pro Bowl wide receiver.
Also of note, the New York Giants moved into Giants Stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey for the 1976 season, where they would remain until 2010. 1976 was also the final year for the College All Star game, a preseason contest pitting the previous year’s NFL Champion against a group of last season’s All-American college players who had recently been drafted or signed as free agents by NFL teams. The game had been played in late July every year since 1934, with the exception of 1974 due to the NFL players strike. However, most were glad that the game was discontinued, as teams preferred their rookies to spend time with their new teammates instead of practicing with each other for a meaningless exhibition game.
Finally, RB Jim Taylor and DE Len Ford were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 1976. Taylor was selected by the Packers out of LSU in the 2nd round of the 1958 NFL draft (15th overall), and played for 10 seasons, nine with Green Bay from 1958 to 1966, and one with the expansion New Orleans Saints in 1967. Taylor rushed for 8,597 yards on 2,173 attempts (4.4 yards per carry), scoring 83 touchdowns, while fumbling only 34 times during his career. His 83 touchdowns are second only to the great Jim Brown and, to this day, he holds the Packers’ record for both career (81) and single season (19) rushing touchdowns. Taylor was selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls from 1960-64. Ford, meanwhile, played one season for Green Bay (1958) during his 11 year career.
Regular Season Highlights: For the second consecutive season, Green Bay finished last in the NFC Central Division, behind the 11-2-1 Minnesota Vikings, the 7-7 Chicago Bears, and the 6-8 Detroit Lions. Green Bay started the season 0-3, with the low point coming in the third game at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals, where the Packers’ offense averaged an anemic 0.7 yards per play. Green Bay then won three straight games, setting off a brief flurry of excitement. However, the Packers would win only two of their remaining eight games, to finish 5-9.
After two chances to lead Green Bay to victory in 1974 and 1975, the John Hadl experiment ended on April 2 1976 when, along with DB Ken Ellis, a fourth round draft pick in 1976, and a third round pick in 1977, Hadl was traded to the Houston Oilers for 26 year old QB Lynn Dickey. Ellis was a reliable player for the Packers during his six year tenure, starting 82 out of 83 games, intercepting 20 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns. Unfortunately for Ellis, he would last only one game with Houston before being shipped off to the Miami Dolphins. Ellis would subsequently play for the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions, before ending his career with the 1980 Los Angeles Rams, intercepting a total of only two passes, while starting just 6 of 28 games during his final three years.
According to Lew Freedman in his book, The Packer Experience, Dickey was a late bloomer in the NFL, starting only 10 games in five years, missing the entire 1972 season with a hip injury incurred when he was tackled in a pre-season game, tearing ligaments and breaking a piece of the socket bone, that subsequently had to be reattached with two screws. After being drafted in 1971 with the 56th overall selection out of Kansas State University, he lost out to the more highly regarded Dan Pastornini for Houston’s starting quarterback position. Pastornini was also chosen by Houston in the 1971 draft, the third overall selection in a draft that included QB Jim Plunkett (1st overall pick) and QB Archie Manning (2nd overall pick).
Although the local press initially questioned the decision, Head Coach Bart Starr felt Dickey had some gifts that he could build upon. However, the inexperienced quarterback needed work. Unfortunately for both Green Bay and Dickey, their new acquisition was immediately thrown into a full time starting role, as the Packers were desperate to find someone who could lead the offense. An arm injury in the first preseason game caused Dickey to miss the next three contests, further hampering Starr’s efforts to get his quarterback ready for the regular season. As a result, Dickey’s performance leading into the regular season was erratic, looking good in two preseason games while struggling in the final contest.
Starr was also struggling with other areas of his offense. One issue was the status of veteran RB John Brockington. According to Stanton Greene in his book, Falling Starr – Bart Starr as Head Coach of the Green Bay Packers 1977-1983, Green Bay desperately wanted to unload Brockington prior to the 1976 regular season, but his guaranteed $150,000 a year salary through 1978 was too much for anyone to take on. Brockington went public with his request to be traded just before the beginning of training camp. Starr wanted to oblige him but, after two subpar seasons and saddled with a guaranteed contract that had three years yet to run, there were no takers.
Also, there continued to be changes in the offensive line. On the plus side, there was the addition of 1976 top draft choice OT Mark Koncar as well as the return of retired All-Pro OG Gale Gillingham in February. They would be teamed with starting C Larry McCarren, OG Bruce Van Dye, and OT Dick Himes to strengthen an area of weakness. On the flip side, Starr was forced to trade his 1975 top draft choice, OG Bill Bain, to the Denver Broncos for a 1977 3rd round pick on August 31. Bain walked out of training camp on August 28, making it clear he could no longer play for Starr. While Bain would play effectively for another 11 seasons, seven with the Los Angeles Rams, injuries limited his success throughout his career.
Finally, on September 6, six year veteran and Pro Bowl MLB Jim Carter was placed on injured reserve with a broken arm, lost for the season, a significant blow to the Packers defensive prospects in 1976. All in all, similar to 1975, Green Bay stumbled into the regular season, again losing their last four preseason games to finish 1-5. According to Greene, “The games would start counting in a week and Green Bay looked anything but ready. The team was flat and everyone, from the coaching staff to the players, were scrambling … vowing they would be ready, but no one believed them.”
Green Bay’s regular season start also looked much like 1975, with the Packers losing their first three games by double digit margins, including a 29-0 shutout loss on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals in Week 2. Dickey’s performance during this time left much to be desired, completing a total of 29 out of 82 passes (35.4%) for 298 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. Opponents outscored Green Bay by a margin of 83 to 21. Starr was now 4-13 as a head coach and it was beginning to look like he might not last the season. But, as if on cue, the Packers pulled out three consecutive victories, all at home, to even their record at 3-3.
In Week 4 against division rival Detroit, second year RB Willard Harrell was the hero, throwing a touchdown on an option pass as well as rushing for 111 yards on 17 carries in a 24-14 win. Dickey continued to struggle, completing just 3 of 10 passes for a meager 11 yards, but did get his first passing touchdown as a Packer. Against the Seattle Seahawks and the Philadelphia Eagles, Dickey finally put it all together. He was 16 out of 24 for 215 yards and 1 touchdown in Week 5, leading Green Bay to a 27-20 victory over the expansion Seahawks. Week 6 was Dickey’s best game to date, completing 12 out of 19 for 226 yards and 2 touchdowns, in a convincing 28-13 win over Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, as October came to a close, success proved fleeting. The Packers fought hard on the road the next week against the Oakland Raiders but couldn’t overcome 13 penalties and 2 turnovers in a 18-14 loss, despite Dickey throwing for 303 yards. Week 8 saw Green Bay begin to unravel as the team was dominated by the Lions, outgained 409 to 163 yards, while turning the ball over five times (3 fumbles, 2 interceptions). The Packers subsequently won only two of their last six games, Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints, 32-27, and the finale over the Atlanta Falcons, 24-20. In between, Green Bay lost four straight while also losing their starting quarterback with an injury for the season’s last four games.
In all, Dickey started a total of 10 games before being sidelined with a separated shoulder during Week 10’s 24-13 loss to Chicago, winning four and losing six, finishing with 115 completions in 243 attempts (47.3%), throwing for 1,465 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions, earning a QB Rating of only 52.2. As had been true for the last several years, the biggest problem was the terrible touchdown to interception ratio. However, during a mid-season hot streak, Dickey passed for 744 yards, the best the Packers had seen in years. As Greene stated in his book, “Dickey’s overall numbers on the season were mediocre at best, but he had shown flashes of brilliance with a sustained level of excellent play for nearly a month in October, something no Packer quarterback since Starr had accomplished.”
After Dickey was sidelined, neither of the backup quarterbacks, Carlos Brown or Randy Johnson, were able to rally the team, going a combined 1-3. Brown, in his second year with Green Bay, started three of the last four games, finishing with an 0-3 record. For the season, Brown completed 26 of 74 passes (35.1%) for 333 yards, 2 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and a QB Rating of just 25.3. Johnson, picked up from the Washington Redskins after Dickey’s injury, started the season finale against Atlanta, completing 21 of 35 passes for 249 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception, and a QB Rating of 69.8 on the year. 1975 reserve QB Don Milan had been placed on injured reserve September 6, missing the entire season.
For the second straight season, WRs Ken Payne and Steve Odom lead the Packers in receiving yards, with 33 catches for 467 yards and 23 catches for 456 yards respectively. TE Rich McGeorge was second in receptions behind Payne with 24 catches for 278 yards. Brockington continued to struggle, rushing for 406 yards and a 3.5 yard per carry average, although 304 of those yards were picked up in the last six games, giving fans hope that he might be returning to form. For the first time since 1970, Brockington was not Green Bay’s leading rusher, eclipsed by Harrell (435 yards and 3.3 yards per attempt). Third year RB Barty Smith looked solid in the first half of the season, gaining 355 yards on 97 carries, before his season ended in Week 9 with a knee injury.
Fifth year K Chester Marcol was back after an injury plagued 1975 season to lead Green Bay in scoring with 54 points, but he was clearly not the same kicker he’d been earlier in his career. Prior to the start of the regular season, Starr struggled with whether to keep Marcol or 1974’s replacement kicker, Joe Danelo. Ultimately, he chose Marcol and traded Danelo to the New York Giants for two draft picks, a 1978 10th round and a 1977 7th round selection, on September 6. Starr later admitted that, in retrospect, he should have kept Danelo, who kicked for the Giants the next seven years, finishing his career in 1984 after two seasons with the Buffalo Bills.
Overall, out of 28 teams, Green Bay’s offense finished the season ranked 24th in rushing, 21st in passing, and 23rd in total offense, scoring 218 points, their lowest output since 1970. Injuries and an ineffective offense contributed to another down year for the Packers’ defense in 1976, finishing 20th against the run, 5th against the pass, and 21th overall, yielding 299 points, their worst since 1958.
Oakland finished with the NFL’s best record at 13-1, wining the AFC West and the AFC’s top seed in the playoffs. Minnesota finished with the second best record, 11-2-1, winning the NFC Central and the NFC’s top playoff seed. The 11-3 Dallas Cowboys won the NFC East and were the NFC’s second seed, while Los Angeles won the NFC West and were the NFC’s third seed at 10-3-1. Washington was the NFC’s Wild Card entry at 10-4. The Baltimore Colts won the AFC East and were the AFC’s second seed at 11-3, while the 1975 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC Central and were the AFC’s third seed at 10-4. The AFC’s Wild Card entry was the 11-3 New England Patriots.
Baltimore finished ahead of New England in the AFC East based on a better division record (7-1 to 6-2), while Pittsburgh finished ahead of Cincinnati for the AFC Central title, and Washington finished ahead of St. Louis for the NFC Wild Card, based on head-to-head sweeps. After a nine year stretch in which New England posted just one non-losing season, the Patriots turned around their fortunes, going from 1975’s 3-11 to 11-3, and becoming 1976’s “Cinderella team”.
Baltimore QB Bert Jones won the 1976 NFL Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year Awards. Pittsburgh LB Jack Lambert won Defensive Player of the Year. Minnesota WR Sammy White won Offensive Rookie of the Year, while New England DB Mike Haynes won Defensive Rookie of the Year. Cleveland Browns Head Coach and former Packers’ legend Forrest Gregg won Coach of the Year.
Post Season Highlights: In the Divisional Playoffs, the NFC Central Champion Minnesota Vikings hosted the NFC Wild Card entry, the Washington Redskins, in Minnesota’s Metropolitan Stadium, while the AFC’s Wild Card entry, the New England Patriots, traveled west to the Oakland Coliseum to play the AFC West Champion Oakland Raiders. Meanwhile, the AFC East Champion Baltimore Colts hosted the AFC Central Champion Pittsburgh Steelers in Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium, while the NFC West Champion Los Angeles Rams traveled to Texas Stadium to play the NFC East Champion Dallas Cowboys. The winners would advance to their respective Conference Championship games.
On December 18, the Minnesota Vikings jumped to a 35-6 lead by the end of the third quarter, on their way to victory over the Washington Redskins, led by RBs Chuck Foreman and Brent McClanahan, who each rushed for more than 100 yards.
McClanahan’s 41 yard run on Minnesota’s first play of the game set up QB Fran Tarkenton’s 18 yard touchdown pass to TE Stu Voigt, for a 7-0 lead. After Washington’s Mark Moseley kicked a 47 yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3, Tarkenton threw a 27 yard touchdown pass to WR Sammy White, for a 14-3 first quarter lead. Foreman added a 2 yard touchdown in the second quarter, for a 21-3 halftime lead. A 35 yard Moseley field goal narrowed the Viking lead to 21-6 early in the second half. However, a 30 yard Foreman touchdown run, and a 9 yard White touchdown pass from Tarkenton, put the game out of reach, 35-6, by the end of the third quarter. Redskins’ QB Billy Kilmer completed a 12 yard touchdown pass to WR Frank Grant and a 3 yard touchdown pass to WR Roy Jefferson in the fourth quarter, for a final score of 35-20.
Later that day, the Oakland Raiders overcame an 11 point fourth quarter deficit to beat the New England Patriots, on QB Ken Stabler’s 1 yard touchdown run with 14 seconds left in the game.
New England opened the scoring, driving 86 yards in 10 plays, to take a 7-0 lead on Andy Johnson’s 1 yard touchdown. The key plays of the drive were a spectacular one handed 48 yard catch by TE Russ Francis on 3rd and 7 from the Patriots 33 yard line, and a 24 yard reception by WR Darryl Stingley. On Oakland’s next possession, Stabler’s completions to WRs Fred Blientnikoff and Cliff Branch, for gains of 22 and 17 yards respectively, set up K Errol Mann’s 40 yard field goal, making the score 7-3 with 1:14 left in the first quarter. The score would not change until near the end of the second quarter, after Oakland DB Skip Thomas made a clutch interception of QB Steve Grogan’s pass inside their own 10 yard line and returned it 18 yards to the Raiders’ 24 yard line.
Oakland subsequently drove 76 yards in 8 plays to score on Stabler’s 31 yard touchdown pass to Biletnikoff with 45 seconds left in the half, giving the Raiders a 10-7 halftime lead. After forcing Oakland to punt on their opening drive of the second half, Grogan led the Patriots 80 yards in 9 plays to score on a 26 yard touchdown pass to Francis, taking a 14-10 lead. The Raiders had to punt again on their next possession, and New England got the ball with good field position, this time driving 55 yards in 10 plays, to go up 21-10 on RB Jess Phillip’s 3 yard touchdown with 1:13 left in the third period. Oakland responded by driving 70 yards in 8 plays, with Stabler going 5 for 5 passing, including a 17 yard completion to Biletnikoff on the last play of the third quarter, as the Raiders cut their deficit to 21-17, on RB Mark Van Eeghen’s 1 yard touchdown.
After an exchange of punts, New England drove to the Raiders 28 yard line, where Grogan appeared to pick up a first down on a QB sneak, however, it was nullified by an offsides penalty. On fourth down, the Patriots decided to gamble on a 50 yard field goal attempt by K John Smith. But his kick was no good, giving the ball back to Oakland with good field position and 4:12 left on the clock. Stabler then led the Raiders 68 yards for the game winning score. Several key completions, including a 12 yard catch by Branch and a 21 yard reception by TE Dave Casper, gave them a first down on the Patriots 28 yard line. However, on the next play, Stabler was sacked for an 8 yard loss by DT Mel Lunsford.
After an incompletion, Oakland faced 3rd and 18 on the New England 36 yard line. Stabler threw an incomplete pass on the next play, but it was negated by a controversial roughing the passer penalty on NT Ray “Sugar Bear” Hamilton, giving Oakland a first down on the Pats 13 yard line with 0:57 remaining. Following a 5 yard catch by Casper and a 4 yard run by Clarence Davis, a personal foul penalty on New England S Prentice McCray brought up 1st and goal at the 1 yard line. With time running out, Stabler faked a handoff to RB Pete Banaszak and rolled to his left. Led by OG Gene Upshaw, Stabler dove into the end zone with 14 seconds left, to give the Raiders a 24-21 lead. LB Monte Johnson then sealed Oakland’s victory with a Grogan interception on the last play of the game.
On December 19, for the second consecutive season, the Pittsburgh Steelers dominated the Baltimore Colts, with 526 yards of total offense, while limiting the Colts to a total of only 170 yards, on their way to the AFC Championship Game. Steelers’ QB Terry Bradshaw completed 14 of 18 passes for 267 yards and 3 touchdowns, giving him the first perfect 158.3 passer rating in NFL playoff history. RB Franco Harris also racked up 132 rushing yards on just 18 carries.
On the third play of the game, Bradshaw completed a 76 yard pass to WR Frank Lewis, giving Pittsburgh a 6-0 lead, after K Roy Gerela missed the extra point. After a 45 yard Gerela field goal increased the Steelers’ lead to 9-0, the Colts scored on QB Bert Jones’ 17 yard touchdown pass to WR Roger Carr to cut that lead to 9-7 at the end of the first period. However, the Steelers then scored 24 unanswered points, to give Pittsburgh a 33-7 lead early in the fourth quarter. Bradshaw threw 29 and 11 yard touchdowns to WR Lynn Swan, RB Reggie Harrison scored on a 1 yard run, and Gerela kicked a 25 yard field goal. Baltimore would score a consolation touchdown on RB Roosevelt Leaks’ 1 yard run, to briefly narrow the lead to 33-14. Pittsburgh finished the scoring with a Harrison 9 yard touchdown, for a final score of 40-14.
In the last game of the day, the Los Angeles Rams overcame two blocked punts by the Dallas Cowboys to come away with a hard fought victory, in a game dominated by physical defensive play on the part of both teams.
Dallas opened the scoring with a 44 yard Efferan Herrera field goal, but Los Angeles responded with QB Pat Haden’s 4 yard touchdown run, for a 7-3 lead. Late in the second period, S Charlie Waters blocked a punt, to set up RB Scott Laidlaw’s 1 yard touchdown, giving the Cowboys a 10-7 lead at the half. The score would remain 10-7 until early in the final period, when Rams’ K Tom Dempsey made what would have been a game tying field goal. However, Dallas’ Cliff Harris was called for a running into the kicker penalty on the play, and the usually conservative Chuck Knox uncharacteristically took the points off the board, giving Los Angeles a first down. A few plays later, RB Lawrence McCutcheon vindicated Knox’s decision, as he ran for a 1 yard touchdown, to give the Rams the lead, 14-10.
With 1:59 remaining in the game, Waters blocked another punt, and the Cowboys recovered the ball at the Los Angeles 17 yard line. On first down, WR Butch Johnson’s reception was ruled incomplete because he could only get one foot down in bounds in the end zone. On 4th and 2, the Rams stopped Dallas QB Roger Staubach for a 1 yard gain, and took possession on their own 8 yard line. After three Ram “kneel downs” and subsequent Cowboy time outs, the Rams faced a 4th and 14 with seconds left in the game. Wary of another blocked punt, Knox ordered P Rusty Jackson to step out of the back of the end zone for an intentional safety. Los Angeles had their victory, 14-12.
On December 26, the NFC Championship Game pitted the Los Angeles Rams against the Minnesota Vikings in Minnesota’s Metropolitan Stadium, while the Pittsburgh Steelers, for the third consecutive season, played the Oakland Raiders for the AFC Championship, this time in the Oakland Coliseum.
In the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings forced a blocked field goal, a blocked punt, and two interceptions en route to the victory over the Los Angeles Rams. On offense, RB Chuck Foreman rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown on just 15 carries.
In the first quarter, Los Angeles got off to a good start, as they marched down the field to the Viking 2 yard line. The drive stalled there, and Head Coach Chuck Knox, recalling the NFC championship game in Minnesota two years ago when the Rams were intercepted in the end zone after driving to the Viking 2 yard line, ordered a field goal attempt. Minnesota CB Nate Allen blocked K Tom Demsey’s attempt, and the ball bounced off the ground into the waiting arms of CB Bobby Bryant, who returned it 90 yards for a Vikings touchdown, and a 7-0 lead. In the second quarter, LB Matt Blair recovered a blocked punt to set up Fred Cox’s 25 yard field goal, giving Minnesota a 10-0 lead at the half.
In the third period, Foreman ran 62 yards to the Los Angeles 2 yard line, scoring on a 1 yard run, to increase the lead to 17-0. The Rams rallied back with two quick touchdowns in the third quarter. After CB Monte Jackson’s end zone interception, QB Pat Haden led Los Angeles on a 80 yard drive, highlighted by a 40 yard pass to WR Harold Jackson, and culminating in a 10 yard touchdown by RB Lawrence McCutcheon. However, Dempsey missed the extra point, and the Vikings maintained an 11 point lead, 17-6. On Minnesota’s next drive, DE Fred Dryer hit QB Fran Tarkenton on a sack, forcing a fumble that was recovered by DE Jack Youngblood at the Viking 8 yard line. Two plays later, Haden hit Jackson for a 5 yard touchdown pass, further cutting Minnesota’s lead to 17-13.
With 2:40 left in the game, Los Angeles advanced to the Minnesota 39 yard line. On fourth down and needing more than a field goal, Haden thought he had Jackson open deep near the goal line, but Bryant intercepted his second pass of the day. A few plays later, Tarkenton dumped a short pass off to Foreman, which he turned into a 57 yard gain. Foreman was injured on the play, but backup RB Sammy Johnson scored the clinching touchdown from 12 yards out, for a 24-13 final score.
This turned out to be the last playoff game played at Metropolitan Stadium. Although Minnesota participated in four playoff games between 1977 and 1981, all of them took place on the road. The Vikings last game at Metropolitan Stadium was played on December 20 1981. Minnesota’s next home playoff game would come after the strike shortened 1982 season, the Vikings’ first in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, located in downtown Minneapolis. Metropolitan Stadium was finally torn down in 1985 to be replaced in 1992 by the Mall of America. To date, 1976 is the most recent NFC Championship won by the Minnesota Vikings.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers had defeated the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship Game in each of the last two seasons. But, with Steelers’ RBs Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier out of the game with injuries, the Raiders easily shut down Pittsburgh’s offense, winning the game and an opportunity to compete in their first Super Bowl since 1967.
Late in the first quarter, Bobby Walden’s rushed punt went just 19 yards, and gave Oakland the ball at the Steelers’ 38 yard line, setting up K Errol Mann’s 39 yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. Then, in the second quarter, Raiders’ LB Willie Hall intercepted a pass from QB Terry Bradshaw, and returned it 25 yards to the Steelers 1 yard line. Three plays later, RB Clarence Davis’ 1 yard touchdown gave the Raiders a 10-0 lead. Although the game would end up as a defensive struggle, with both teams combining for 14 punts and only 457 yards (237 for Pittsburgh, 220 for Oakland), Hall’s interception would be the only turnover of the day for either team.
The Steelers responded with Bradshaw’s completions to WR Lynn Swan for gains of 18 and 30 yards, leading to RB Reggie Harrison’s 3 yard touchdown, cutting the Raider lead to 10-7. Oakland responded with a methodical 14 play, 69 yard scoring drive. With 19 seconds left in the first half, the Raiders faced first down at the Pittsburgh 4 yard line, following a 16 yard burst by Davis. Oakland lined up three tight ends as if they were to run the ball, but QB Ken Stabler threw a play action pass to TE Warren Bankston for a touchdown, to give the Raiders a 17-7 halftime lead. Oakland controlled the entire second half, including a 12 play, 63 yard drive that featured a 28 yard completion from Stabler to WR Cliff Branch. Stabler finished the drive with a 5 yard touchdown pass to RB Pete Banaszak, making the final score 24-7.
For Oakland, Super Bowl XI would be their second opportunity for an NFL title, after losing to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II. Minnesota was also looking for their first Super Bowl title, with their fourth appearance in the last eight years.
Super Bowl Highlights: On January 9 1977, at Rose Bowl in Pasadena CA, the NFC Champion Minnesota Vikings, led by 10 year veteran Head Coach Bud Grant, played the AFC Champion Oakland Raiders, led by Head Coach John Madden, in Super Bowl XI. Minnesota was the only team to have lost three Super Bowls (Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX), and did not want to be the first to lose four. They were also the first team to appear in a fourth Super Bowl.
Two years after their 1967 Super Bowl loss, Oakland hired John Madden as their new head coach. Under Madden, the Raiders posted an 83-22-7 record over eight seasons, second only to their Super Bowl opponent, for the best record during that time. But Super Bowl XI was the first time Madden had led his team to a league championship game. They had been eliminated in all six of their previous playoff appearances, including five losses in the AFC Championship Game; two to the Miami Dolphins, two to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and one to the Baltimore Colts.
The Raiders’ offense was led by QB Ken Stabler, who finished as the AFC’s top rated passer, with 2,737 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions, earning him a QB Rating of 103.4. His 66.7 completion percentage (194 completions out of 291 attempts) was the second highest in the league. Stabler’s main weapon was WR Cliff Branch, who caught 46 passes for 1,111 yards (24.2 yards per catch average) and 12 touchdowns. WR Fred Biletnikoff was also a reliable deep threat, with 43 receptions for 551 yards and 7 touchdowns. TE Dave Casper led all receivers with 53 receptions, gaining 691 yards and scoring 10 touchdowns.
In addition to their great passing attack, the Raiders had a powerful running game, led by RBs Mark van Eeghen (1,012 yards on 233 attempts) and Clarence Davis (516 yards on 114 attempts). Overall, Oakland ranked 10th in rushing yards (2,285), 3rd in passing yards (2,905), and 4th in scoring, with 350 points. Injuries early in the season forced the Raiders to switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense. Oakland subsequently finished 12th overall, allowing 237 points, while finishing 10th in rushing yards allowed (1903) and a lowly 23rd in passing yards allowed (2,476). However, despite their relatively low rankings, the switch seemed to benefit the team as they won their last ten games.
The Raiders’ defense was anchored by great linebackers, such as Phil Villapiano and Ted Hendricks, while DE Otis Sistrunk anchored the defensive line. Their defensive secondary was extremely hard hitting and talented, led by S Jack Tatum and S George Atkinson, as well as CBs Skip Thomas and Willie Brown. Brown, Upshaw, Biletnikoff, and RB Pete Banaszak were the only holdovers from the Oakland team that was defeated nine years earlier in Super Bowl II.
Once again, Minnesota had a powerful offense, finishing 9th overall with 305 points, led by 37 year old QB Fran Tarkenton and fourth year RB Chuck Foreman. Playing in his 16th NFL season, Tarkenton was already the league’s all time leader in pass completions (3,186), passing yards (41,802), and touchdown passes (308). He had another fine season in 1976, completing 61.9 percent of his passes (255 completions out of 412 attempts) for 2,961 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, earning a QB Rating of 89.3. On the season, Tarkenton finished 1st in pass completions and 2nd in pass attempts, passing yards, and completion percentage.
Foreman had the best season of his career, rushing for 1,155 yards on 278 attempts (4.2 yards per carry). Foreman also scored 13 touchdowns, 2nd best in the NFL, and led the team in receptions, catching 55 passes for 567 yards and another touchdown. The Vikings also added two new weapons to their offense, veteran WR Ahmad Rashad, acquired from the Buffalo Bills, and rookie WR Sammy White. The two combined for 104 receptions, 1,577 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns. Minnesota ranked 4th overall in passing yards with 2,855 and 9th in total offense, scoring 305 points. However, outside of Foreman, the running game lagged, ranking only 18th overall with 2,003 total yards.
Minnesota’s “Purple People Eaters” defense, anchored by DEs Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, and DT Alan Page, continued to dominate teams. During the regular season, Minnesota was 2nd in the NFL in points allowed (176) and 1st overall in passing yards allowed (1,575), but ranked only 17th in rushing yards allowed (2,096). DB Nate Wright led the team with 7 interceptions, while S Paul Krause had 2 interceptions. By starting this Super Bowl, Tarkenton became only the second quarterback to start three Super Bowls, following Miami Dolphins’ QB Bob Griese.
Oakland took the opening kickoff and advanced all the way to Minnesota’s 12 yard line, but came up empty after K Errol Mann hit the left upright on his 29 yard field goal attempt. Later in the period, after the teams exchanged punts, the Vikings had a great opportunity to score when LB Fred McNeill blocked Ray Guy’s punt, recovering it on the Raiders’ 3 yard line. Minnesota’s special teams unit was known for blocking kicks, but this was the first time it had happened to Guy in his four year career. Unfortunately for the Vikings, Brent McClanahan fumbled two plays later while being tackled by Oakland’s Phil Villapiano, and LB Willie Hall recovered the ball for the Raiders on their own one yard line. Oakland then marched 92 yards to the Vikings’ 7 yard line, with the big play being a 35 yard Clarence Davis run.
However, Oakland again had to settle for a field goal attempt. Mann made the 24 yarder to give the Raiders a 3-0 lead, 48 seconds into the second quarter. After forcing Minnesota to punt, Ken Stabler completed a 19 yard pass to Dave Casper to reach the Vikings’ 26 yard line. RB Carl Garrett carried on three consecutive plays, gaining 20 yards. Stabler then hit Fred Biletnikoff along the right sideline for 5 yards to the 1 yard line. The 64 yard, 10 play drive concluded with a 1 yard touchdown pass from Stabler to Casper, increasing Oakland’s lead to 10-0. On Minnesota’s next possession, Chuck Foreman gained 7 yards on 1st down and 6 yards on 2nd down, but a holding penalty made it 2nd and 13.
Tarkenton subsequently threw incomplete to Sammie White, then a long pass to Ahmad Rashad was broken up by Willie Brown, resulting in another three and out. The Raiders got the ball back in excellent field position, after Neal Colzie returned Minnesota’s punt 25 yards to the Vikings’ 35 yard line. After three running plays, Stabler completed a 17 yard pass to Biletnikoff to the 1 yard line, where Pete Banaszak scored a touchdown on the next play, increasing Oakland’s lead to 16-0, with 3:33 left in the second quarter, after Mann missed the extra point attempt. To this point, Minnesota had picked up only one first down. They added one more with a meaningless first down on a 26 yard completion from Tarkenton to Foreman on the last play of the half, in what became their longest gain of the entire game.
The second half began with three consecutive punts, but then Colzie returned the Vikings’ second punt of the period 12 yards to the Oakland 46 yard line. From there, the Raiders advanced to the Minnesota 23 yard line, aided by an 18 yard run by Davis and a 10 yard reception by Cliff Branch from Stabler, to set up Mann’s 40 yard field goal, increasing their lead to 19-0. Tarkenton threw three consecutive incomplete passes on their ensuing drive, forcing the Vikings to punt again. However, Oakland’s Ted Hendricks was penalized for running into the punter on the play, giving Minnesota a first down. Taking advantage of their second chance, the Vikings ended up with a 12 play, 68 yard drive, as Tarkenton completed passes to TE Stu Voigt, Rashad, and Foreman for gains of 15, 21, and 10 yards respectively.
On the last play of the drive, Tarkenton threw an 8 yard touchdown pass to White, making the score 19-7. Minnesota forced the Raiders to punt on their next drive. Aided by Tarkenton’s completions to White for gains of 14 and 18 yards, the Vikings advanced to Oakland’s 37 yard line. But, on 3rd and 3, Hall intercepted another Tarkenton pass, returning it 16 yards to the 46 yard line. Three plays later, Biletnikoff’s 48 yard reception moved the ball to Minnesota’s 2 yard line, setting up Banaszak’s second touchdown, upping the Raiders’ lead to 26-7. Four plays into their next series, Tarkenton completed a 25 yard pass to Rashad to reach the Oakland 28 yard line. But, on the next play, Brown intercepted a pass intended for White, returning it 75 yards for a touchdown.
Although Mann again missed the extra point attempt, the Raiders had put the game out of reach, 32-7. After both teams turned the ball over on downs, Minnesota drove 86 yards in 9 plays to score on a 14 yard touchdown pass from backup QB Bob Lee to Voigt with only 25 seconds remaining in the game. Oakland subsequently ran out the clock, sealing their first Super Bowl victory, 32-14. Fred Biletnikoff, who had 4 catches for 79 yards and set up three Raider touchdowns, was named Super Bowl XI’s Most Valuable Player. Ken Stabler finished the game with 12 out of 19 pass completions for 180 yards and a touchdown. Clarence Davis gained 137 yards on just 16 rushing attempts, averaging 8.5 yards per carry.
Minnesota finished with a dismal 0-4 Super Bowl record under Bud Grant even though, in the same eight year span, they had the most wins of any NFL team. Grant coached the Vikings eight more seasons, but never managed to guide the team back to a Super Bowl. The team never led in any of their Super Bowl losses, and never scored any points in the first half. The Vikings committed a total of 15 turnovers and forced only three. On offense, Minnesota averaged only 56.75 yards rushing, while their defense yielded a huge 215.5 yard rushing average. The Vikings also had just a 49.3 team passer rating compared to opponents’ 105.2. In three appearances, Tarkenton completed 46 of 89 passes for only 489 yards, 1 touchdown, 6 interceptions, and a dismal 43.7 QB rating.
Conclusion: For Green Bay, the franchise had nowhere to go but up after the 1975 and 1976 seasons. Fortunately, there were reasons to believe that 1977 might be better. QB Lynn Dickey showed promise before injury ended his first year as a Packer. Steve Odom was improving as a wide receiver, averaging 19.8 yards per catch in 1976, and was a force as a kick returner, gaining 610 yards. RB Barty Smith looked good early, at one point gaining 287 yards in five games, before his season ending injury. John Brockington, completing his sixth season with Green Bay, subsequently came off the bench late in the year and looked like he might be capable of a comeback. The draft added Mike McCoy in the defensive backfield and Mark Koncar at offensive tackle.
Unfortunately, despite a glimmer of hope that the future would be better than the recent past, the reality was that Green Bay’s offense finished 26 out of 28 teams in 1976, dead last in the Central Division, outscored by 81 points, 299 to 218. Other teams in the division, particularly Chicago and Detroit, were improving. Minnesota, despite their four Super Bowl losses, remained one of the NFL’s top franchises. All in all, the Packers were going to have a tough time winning their division, much less contending for a championship. At his 1975 introductory press conference, Starr asked fans for their patience. Two years later, he was 9-19 as a head coach. After four straight losing seasons, and with a murky future ahead, more patience would be needed.
To end this post, I’ve attached the NFL Films Super Bowl XI Highlight video, narrated once again by the great John Facenda, and featuring classic slow motion footage of Oakland Raider CB Willie Brown’s 75 yard interception return for a touchdown.
Enjoy!
As always, your feedback is appreciated!
Recent Comments