MIAMI - If you base everything on the results, strip away all context and just look at the man based only on what happened on the football field, Joe Namath was, at best, a below-average quarterback.
He only led the league in touchdown passes once, but led it in interceptions four times, and finished his career with 47 more interceptions than scoring throws. He twice led the league in passing yards, but he also led the league in attempts those seasons, artifically inflating those numbers. The highest passer rating he ever had in a season
was 74.3, which would have placed him better than only four full-time starters in 2010.
Yah, you say, but the game was different back then. It was much more difficult to pass in the 60s and 70s, and nearly every offense was geared around the run. Besides, a true measure of a quarterback's worth is wins and losses.
Fine, we'll go there. Namath played 13 seasons in pro football. He won 10 games exactly twice. He made the playoffs exactly twice. In fact, his career record as a starter is one game below .500. And then there's his lack of durability. He played every game in only six of his 13 seasons, and only played in 140 of a possible 197 games in his career.
No matter how you look at it, the only reason Joe Namath is in the Hall of Fame, the only reason we remember him at all, is one sentence he uttered. At a dinner before Super Bowl III, at which the AFL's Jets were huge underdogs to the NFL's Colts, Namath was being heckled by Baltimore fans. In response, he said "We're gonna win. I guarantee it." And really, what else was he going to say? What starting quarterback is going to face hecklers from the opposing team and say "You're right, we're gonna get our asses kicked. I don't even know why we're going to take the field." Of course he's going to have confidence, or at least display false confidence. He's the quarterback, the team leader.
Of course, the Jets went out and shocked the Colts. They started slowly, but they completely controlled the game. They were up 16-0 by the time the Colts called an aging Johnny Unitas off the bench to try to lead a comeback attempt. Unitas got the Colts one touchdown, but no more. The Jets had won 16-7, the AFL had beaten the NFL in the Super Bowl for the first time, and Namath ran off the field with his index finger in the air and became a football immortal.
Quickly and permanently, Joe Namath became the story of Super Bowl III, became the reason for the Jets upset. But look closer. Namath remains the only quarterback to win the Super Bowl MVP award without throwing a touchdown pass. Sure, he threw for 206 yards, but Matt Snell ran for 121 yards and a touchdown, and the Jets defense was so dominant that Baltimore starter Earl Morrall went 6-for-17 passing with three interceptions. Namath didn't even throw a pass in the fourth quarter as the Jets turned to the ground to run out the clock.
Sure, Namath played a good game in Super Bowl III. I'm not trying to deny him that. But the Jets played so well they probably would have won with Namath's backup in the game, or with any number of other quarterbacks under center. But that's not what's remembered. The memories of this game revolve around Namath's guarantee, one sentence that somehow has turned him into a legend.
Showing posts with label Baltimore Colts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baltimore Colts. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
December 28, 1958: The Greatest Game Ever Played
BRONX, N.Y. - It all started here. The popularity of the NFL as a televised sport, the beginnings of the NFL's climb to the top of the American sports ladder, can be traced to one Sunday afternoon game in the cathedral of baseball, Yankee Stadium. This one game proved that the NFL was no longer just a fringe sports league, that the game lent itself perfectly to television.
What would eventually become known as the Greatest Game Ever Played started out looking like a blowout. For the most part, the Giants couldn't move the ball, and when they did, they kept putting it on the ground. The Colts turned two Frank Gifford fumbles into touchdowns in the second quarter and took a 14-3 lead into halftime. In front of a coast-to-coast television audience - although the New York and Baltimore markets were blacked out - the NFL's signature game was looking like a romp.
That changed early in the third quarter. Baltimore advanced to the Giants 1-yard line, looking to extend their lead even further, but Alan Ameche was stopped for a loss on consecutive runs on third and fourth down. Trapped deep in their own territory, the Giants turned it into a game with one play. Quarterback Charlie Conerly found Kyle Rote streaking over the middle for a big pass play, but after Rote broke a tackle at midfield, he fumbled on a hit from behind. Running back Alex Webster was on the spot, though, picking up the fumble and advancing all the way to the Colts' 1-yard line. The 86-yard play completely changed the momentum of the game; the subsequent touchdown made it a 14-10 game.
The Giants took the lead early in the fourth on a Gifford touchdown, and still held that lead with 2:00 remaining in the game. Getting the ball at their own 14-yard line, the Colts and quarterback Johnny Unitas began what is often called the first true "two-minute drill" in NFL history. Unitas' crisp passing and quick decisions got the Colts down to the Giants 13-yard line in time to kick the game-tying field goal with 7 seconds left.
Then, the game that was already groundbreaking from a television standpoint became even more so. As Unitas recalled later, the players were standing around on the sideline wondering what would happen next when the official came over and told them to send their captain out for the coin flip. That, Unitas said, was the first the players had ever heard of overtime.
New York won the toss and received the kickoff of the first overtime game in NFL history, but the Giants were forced to punt, giving the Colts the ball at the 20. From there, Unitas continued the precision he had shown on the last drive of regulation, moving downfield in 13 plays to get into scoring position. As Ameche plunged into the end zone from a yard away, the Colts had the championship, 23-17, and the NFL had its benchmark game.
There are almost countless reasons why this game is called the Greatest Game Ever Played, not least of which was the quality of the play. Twelve future hall-of-famers played in the game, most notably Unitas and Colts receiver Raymond Berry, who set a still-standing Championship Game record with 12 receptions. The coaching staffs were legendary, too, with Baltimore head coach Weeb Ewbank and New York assistants Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi all eventually getting enshrined in the hall of fame. An estimated 45 million people watched the game coast to coast, a number that would have been much higher if the New York and Baltimore markets had not been blacked out under NFL rules at the time. And most notably, it remains the only NFL Championship Game decided in overtime.
Highlights of the game, if you don't mind the "Rocky" song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uodpgtgyBrY
What would eventually become known as the Greatest Game Ever Played started out looking like a blowout. For the most part, the Giants couldn't move the ball, and when they did, they kept putting it on the ground. The Colts turned two Frank Gifford fumbles into touchdowns in the second quarter and took a 14-3 lead into halftime. In front of a coast-to-coast television audience - although the New York and Baltimore markets were blacked out - the NFL's signature game was looking like a romp.
That changed early in the third quarter. Baltimore advanced to the Giants 1-yard line, looking to extend their lead even further, but Alan Ameche was stopped for a loss on consecutive runs on third and fourth down. Trapped deep in their own territory, the Giants turned it into a game with one play. Quarterback Charlie Conerly found Kyle Rote streaking over the middle for a big pass play, but after Rote broke a tackle at midfield, he fumbled on a hit from behind. Running back Alex Webster was on the spot, though, picking up the fumble and advancing all the way to the Colts' 1-yard line. The 86-yard play completely changed the momentum of the game; the subsequent touchdown made it a 14-10 game.
The Giants took the lead early in the fourth on a Gifford touchdown, and still held that lead with 2:00 remaining in the game. Getting the ball at their own 14-yard line, the Colts and quarterback Johnny Unitas began what is often called the first true "two-minute drill" in NFL history. Unitas' crisp passing and quick decisions got the Colts down to the Giants 13-yard line in time to kick the game-tying field goal with 7 seconds left.
Then, the game that was already groundbreaking from a television standpoint became even more so. As Unitas recalled later, the players were standing around on the sideline wondering what would happen next when the official came over and told them to send their captain out for the coin flip. That, Unitas said, was the first the players had ever heard of overtime.
New York won the toss and received the kickoff of the first overtime game in NFL history, but the Giants were forced to punt, giving the Colts the ball at the 20. From there, Unitas continued the precision he had shown on the last drive of regulation, moving downfield in 13 plays to get into scoring position. As Ameche plunged into the end zone from a yard away, the Colts had the championship, 23-17, and the NFL had its benchmark game.
There are almost countless reasons why this game is called the Greatest Game Ever Played, not least of which was the quality of the play. Twelve future hall-of-famers played in the game, most notably Unitas and Colts receiver Raymond Berry, who set a still-standing Championship Game record with 12 receptions. The coaching staffs were legendary, too, with Baltimore head coach Weeb Ewbank and New York assistants Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi all eventually getting enshrined in the hall of fame. An estimated 45 million people watched the game coast to coast, a number that would have been much higher if the New York and Baltimore markets had not been blacked out under NFL rules at the time. And most notably, it remains the only NFL Championship Game decided in overtime.
Highlights of the game, if you don't mind the "Rocky" song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uodpgtgyBrY
Friday, December 24, 2010
December 24, 1977: Ghost to the Post
BALTIMORE - The Raiders had just called time out. It was third and long, just over a minute to play, and they were trailing the Baltimore Colts by three. As John Madden excitedly went over the play one the sideline, Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler calmly looked around at the excited fans and said simply, "the fans are sure getting their money's worth today." Offensive coordinator Tom Flores caught Stabler's attention, diagramming a play that called for two receivers to run deep patterns. Then he gave one last piece of advice: "Take a peek at the Ghost to the post."
The teams returned to the field, and the play began. Stabler dropped back to pass, then lofted a deep, high-arching pass toward the middle of the field. Tight end Dave Casper, nicknamed "The Ghost," was running a post pattern and had gotten a step on the Colts defenders, but Stabler's throw was a little bit too far to the outside. Casper adjusted, changing directions and catching the pass in stride over his right shoulder, advancing to the 14-yard line before being brought down. From there, the game-tying field goal was a sure thing.
The game to that point had already been a classic. The Colts had a 10-7 lead at halftime, the big play being a 61-yard interception return touchdown by Bruce Laird. The scoring picked up in the second half, with the Raiders and Colts alternating touchdowns for the entire 30 minutes, the lead changing hands six times in that half alone. Casper scored twice for the Raiders in the third quarter, while Baltimore's Ron Lee had two rushing touchdowns in the fourth. The game had been memorable and exhausting.
And that was before Stabler found Casper deep.
Once the Raiders tied the game, anybody who thought the overtime period would be over quick was dead wrong. After combining for 45 points in the second half, neither team could score in the first overtime period, and the game went to a rare second overtime. The Raiders finally ended things 45 seconds into the second overtime period, as Stabler again found Casper for a touchdown.
The game is memorable for various reasons, including its length; it's the fourth-longest game in NFL history. As it turned out, it was also the last playoff game in Baltimore Colts history, as they wouldn't return to the postseason until after moving to Indianapolis. But the game stands out most of all for the pass that came at the end of regulation, when Ken Stabler found the Ghost to the Post.
It was hard to find a clip of the pass. It's buried at around the :50 mark of this clip that inexplicably has "Thriller" playing throughout. I believe a later shot in the clip shows the winning touchdown, but I can't say that for sure.
HONORABLE MENTION
December 24, 1950: CLEVELAND - They had been dismissed as the champions of an inferior league. They had been underestimated, judged to be not nearly at the level of the powerful NFL teams. But the Cleveland Browns spent the 1950 season proving everybody wrong. In their first year in the NFL, the Browns beat the defending champion Eagles twice, made the playoffs, and advanced to the Championship Game. There, Lou "The Toe" Groza's 16-yard field goal with 20 seconds left gave the Browns a 30-28 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. The four-time defending champions of the AAFL had just won their fifth straight championship, this time against the supposedly superior NFL. There was no more dismissing the Browns.
The teams returned to the field, and the play began. Stabler dropped back to pass, then lofted a deep, high-arching pass toward the middle of the field. Tight end Dave Casper, nicknamed "The Ghost," was running a post pattern and had gotten a step on the Colts defenders, but Stabler's throw was a little bit too far to the outside. Casper adjusted, changing directions and catching the pass in stride over his right shoulder, advancing to the 14-yard line before being brought down. From there, the game-tying field goal was a sure thing.
The game to that point had already been a classic. The Colts had a 10-7 lead at halftime, the big play being a 61-yard interception return touchdown by Bruce Laird. The scoring picked up in the second half, with the Raiders and Colts alternating touchdowns for the entire 30 minutes, the lead changing hands six times in that half alone. Casper scored twice for the Raiders in the third quarter, while Baltimore's Ron Lee had two rushing touchdowns in the fourth. The game had been memorable and exhausting.
And that was before Stabler found Casper deep.
Once the Raiders tied the game, anybody who thought the overtime period would be over quick was dead wrong. After combining for 45 points in the second half, neither team could score in the first overtime period, and the game went to a rare second overtime. The Raiders finally ended things 45 seconds into the second overtime period, as Stabler again found Casper for a touchdown.
The game is memorable for various reasons, including its length; it's the fourth-longest game in NFL history. As it turned out, it was also the last playoff game in Baltimore Colts history, as they wouldn't return to the postseason until after moving to Indianapolis. But the game stands out most of all for the pass that came at the end of regulation, when Ken Stabler found the Ghost to the Post.
It was hard to find a clip of the pass. It's buried at around the :50 mark of this clip that inexplicably has "Thriller" playing throughout. I believe a later shot in the clip shows the winning touchdown, but I can't say that for sure.
HONORABLE MENTION
December 24, 1950: CLEVELAND - They had been dismissed as the champions of an inferior league. They had been underestimated, judged to be not nearly at the level of the powerful NFL teams. But the Cleveland Browns spent the 1950 season proving everybody wrong. In their first year in the NFL, the Browns beat the defending champion Eagles twice, made the playoffs, and advanced to the Championship Game. There, Lou "The Toe" Groza's 16-yard field goal with 20 seconds left gave the Browns a 30-28 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. The four-time defending champions of the AAFL had just won their fifth straight championship, this time against the supposedly superior NFL. There was no more dismissing the Browns.
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