TUESDAY TIDBITS: "We'll win that one for the title"

By TJ Troup  

This past Sunday was chock-full of close, hard-fought, exciting games. We can all hope this continues so 2026 can be one helluva season for all of us. Every statistic in football is meaningful, yet some are more important/significant than others. 

Forty years ago it was first communicated by Steve Sabol, sharing the win percentage when a team returns an interception for a touchdown. All these years later and when a player returns a "pick" his team wins about 80% of the time. That stat was probably not going through Kain Medrano's mind as he dashed 50 yards to seal the victory for the 'Skins.... oops! 

Kain Medrano

Commanders in their win over the defending SB champions. Allan Malamud was an insightful, superb writer whose column "Notes on a Scorecard" was must-reading in the early '90s, and though cannot compare (nor am I trying to), today's column might seem similar? Most folks believe the Chargers have a strong team and their defense Sunday recorded 4 sacks and 5 takeaways, and LOST! You won't see that happen very often this year. 

Ok, folks what team has surprised you the most this year and why? October 4th, 1964 the Patriots are in Denver before 15,485 for a dominating 39-10 win over the Broncos. AFL All-Star Gino Cappellletti sets a pro football record as he kicks 6 field goals in 6 attempts in one game. Cappy's six field goals are in the first three quarters of the game as Boston builds a 25-0 lead. 

The punishing Patriots defense will allow Denver only 53 yards rushing, and averages just 82 yards a game all season. Boston bruiser Larry Eisenhauer leads a pass rush that records 8 sacks. In their last 24 games, the Patriots have had just one 100-yard rusher, but today halfback J.D. Garrett pounds out 121 yards on 12 carries to key the offense. The Patriots' highlight film of '64 Bob Gallagher states that Cappelletti is "ever dependable," and after four weeks Cappy was on pace to attempt 70 field goals! 

Gino Cappelletti

Later in the season at Buffalo, the Pats beat Buffalo 36-28. Rookie Oliver Dobbins was beaten easily by Cappy for the final touchdown in the victory(his 3rd of the game). Babe Parilli is quoted after the game "It's going to go down to the final day of the race when the Bills come to play us at Boston, and we'll win that one for the title". 

We all know that the Bills claimed their first outright division title on that artic afternoon 24-14, yet boy oh boy what a season for Cappelletti by scoring 155 points in fourteen games. 

Today begins the baseball playoffs, and sure wish had Malamud to share his thoughts on the White Sox series against the Astros, especially since the last White Sox World Series Title came at the expense of Houston. Enjoy the games!