Seventeen Straight: Buffalo's Outstanding Defense of the Mid-1960s

LOOKING BACK

By Jeffrey Miller

The Buffalo Bills of the 1960s possessed one of the greatest defenses in the entire history of the American Football League, if not all of pro football. The Bills’ defense, which drove the team to three consecutive appearances in the AFL championship game (1964-66) and two league championships (1964-65), was a mishmash of young players, veterans and reclamation projects that worked its magic under the direction of a young genius named Joel Collier.  Aside from its impressive record, the Buffalo defense’s greatest bragging point is the incredible streak of 17 straight games it went without giving up an enemy score on the ground.  This article will discuss Buffalo’s great AFL defense and that streak.

The coach in charge of the defensive side of the ball for the Bills during this era was Joel D. Collier, a soft-spoken, bespectacled sort who looked more the part of a lab assistant than a pro football coach.  Collier, who played offensive end at Northwestern University, was a student of the game, beginning his coaching career in 1957 when he joined Lou Saban’s staff at Western Illinois University.  “That was his first job coaching football,” Saban observed.  “He worked day and night.  He was on that film almost all of the time.  That’s where he learned football.”  Collier spent three seasons as an assistant with the Leathernecks before moving with Saban to the Boston Patriots of the newly-formed American Football League in 1960, assuming the role of defensive backs coach.  When Saban became head coach of the Bills in 1962, he brought much of his staff, including Collier, with him to Buffalo. 

Joe Collier

Collier was a mastermind who loved to tinker with formations, blitzes and stunts. The Bills’ defense blossomed under Collier’s watch, and in 1963 it led the team to its first-ever post-season appearance.  By 1964, they were the best in the league. Calling the plays in the defensive huddle was middle linebacker Harry Jacobs, who acted as a coach on the field, or, as he preferred to be called, “the quarterback of the defense.”  Jacobs was a full member of the defensive game-planning team, often studying film alongside Collier and devising schemes that were to be used against upcoming opponents. 

Joe Collier confers with Middle Linebacker

Harry Jacobs prior to the 1965 AFL Title Game.

 “Joe broke films down,” Jacobs recalled. “He was the first person to my knowledge that really worked at breaking down each of the plays so I could see how first, second, third, every down and position, what they use, and then make a choice in that situation on the field.  In order to do that, I had to know what everybody else did.” This allowed Harry full autonomy in the huddle to make all of the defensive calls without need of consultation with the defensive coordinator prior to every play.  If the Bills' defensive record between 1964 and 1966 is any indication, Jacobs was right a heck of a lot more often than he wasn’t. 

“No one ever agrees with the signal caller,” said linebacker Mike Stratton, “and the signal caller was Harry Jacobs.  He called all of the defenses. He very rarely had any input from the sidelines—he called them all from his own perspective. He did an outstanding job at calling the defenses even though the lineman and defensive backs maybe did not agree with the calls because it put some pressure on them.”

The Bills' basic defensive alignment was the 4-3, with Ron McDole and Tom Day on the ends, Jim Dunaway and Tom Sestak at tackle, Mike Stratton at right linebacker, John Tracey at left linebacker, Harry Jacobs in the middle, Butch Byrd and either Charley Warner or Booker Edgerson at the corners, Gene Sykes or Hagood Clark at left (strong) safety, and George Saimes at right (free) safety. On the field, the formation was called "41 Red," which meant 4 man front with man-to-man coverage.

The Bills aligned in their standard 4-3 defense. 

Versus New York Jets at War Memorial Stadium,

October 24, 1964.

 On occasion, the defense would shift into a 3-4 alignment, which they referred to as the “Oklahoma” formation. The Bills were not the only team to use the 3-4, but they tended to go to it more often than other teams of the era (San Diego, for example).  In the Bills’ 3-4, one of the defensive linemen, usually Tom Day but sometimes Ron McDole, would stand up as the fourth linebacker (inside) while Jim Dunaway would move over center.  

Buffalo defense aligned in the 3-4, or "Oklahoma"

defense.  Tom Day (88) has moved to Right Inside

Linebacker, and Jim Dunaway has moved over

Center.  Versus Boston Patriots at War Memorial

Stadium, November 15, 1964.

The Bills in a variation of the 3-4, called

"Oklahoma Inside Up," which featured all

members of the front 7 standing upright at the snap.

Ron McDole (cut off at top) is in at Left

Inside Linebacker.  Versus Miami Dolphins at

War Memorial Stadium, November 10, 1968.

On some occasions, one of the linemen would come out of the game and be replaced by a backup linebacker, usually Paul Maguire, and later Marty Schottenheimer.    

The Bills aligned in the 3-4 defense with Paul

Maguire (55) in at Left Inside Linebacker.  Versus

New York Jets at War Memorial Stadium,

 October 24, 1964.

The Bills in the 3-4 alignment with Marty

Schottenheimer (57) in at Right Inside

Linebacker.  Versus Miami Dolphins at War

Memorial Stadium, November 10, 1968

There were variations, such as splitting a linebacker out to provide double coverage on a wide receiver to knock him off his route. “We had two defenses that Collier had called for,” Jacobs remembered of preparing for the 1965 Title Game rematch with San Diego. “I put two of those defenses together, and Joe said, ‘Go ahead and do that, practice that.’  What we did is we took the two outside linebackers and put them out on the two wide receivers, and that freed the inside up.  And that’s how we shut down Bambi [Lance Alworth].  [The linebackers] didn’t cover him.  They were up there to stop him in his footsteps, so the defensive cornerbacks could cover him real well.  I called that on most third down situations.  And it wasn’t something we’d had before.”

Weak Side Linebacker Mike Stratton split out to

assist with covering enemy Wide Receiver

(Howard Twilley).  Versus Miami Dolphins,

September 18, 1966.

A variation on this variation was the “Sloop,” in which a safety moved outside to support a cornerback.

There were “mad dogs” in which the linebackers would shoot a gap in the defensive line, and “fake mad dogs” in which the linebackers lined up as if intending to shoot the gaps but backing off at the snap. 

“Exits” were line stunts in which a defensive end would loop around the nearby defensive tackle, who slanted out toward the offensive tackle to occupy his block and potentially confuse the offensive guard.  

Defensive End Ron McDole (72) about to perform

a stunt, or "exit" against the New York Jets, 1965.

(Pt 1)

McDole can be seen looping around Defensive

Tackle Jim Dunaway (78), who is slanting across

the line to occupy the Offensive Tackle. 

(Pt 2)

McDole is partially obscured by John  Tracey

(51) but he is now up against New York Right

Guard, while Dunaway is battling the

Offensive Tackle.  This stunt play resulted in a sack

of Jets Quarterback Joe Namath.  At Shea Stadium,

October 30, 1966.

(Pt 3)

One of Jacobs’ favorite calls was the safety blitz, most often performed by George Saimes. When run as planned, the safety blitz is a very disruptive tactic. 

Free Safety George Saimes blitzing New York's

Joe Namath.  At War Memorial Stadium,

November 13, 1966.

PERSONNEL

Starting at the right defensive end was Tom Day.  Originally drafted by the Bills in 1960 as a guard out of North Carolina A&T, he opted to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals, who had selected him in the NFL draft.  He signed with the Bills as a free agent in 1961 and performed well at the right guard position until Saban moved him to the defensive side in 1964. The move certainly paid off. Tom brought quickness and athleticism to the edge and was known for making tackles on the opposite side of the field because of his speed and hustle. These traits allowed the team’s braintrust to occasionally use Day as a fourth linebacker when the Bills switched to a 3-4 alignment.

Defensive End Tom Day

 At right tackle was Tom Sestak, perhaps the defense’s best player. A 17^th-round draft pick out of McNeese in 1962, Sestak was a tight end in college. By the time he showed up for his first Bills training camp, Sestak had beefed up so much he was almost unrecognizable to the scouts who recommended him. On a hunch, head coach Lou Saban offered him to Collier, and the rest is history.  Sestak was selected an AFL All-Star in his rookie season and would be named First-team All-AFL three times, and Second-team three others.  To this day, he is still considered by many historians to be the greatest defensive tackle the team has ever had.

Jim Dunaway (Mississippi) was the left defensive tackle. Listed at 290 pounds, Dunaway was huge for his day and combined his girth with tremendous strength. Those traits were put to good use by Collier, who slid Big Jim every once in a while over to nose tackle in the Bills’ 3-4 alignment.  Dunaway earned his first of four AFL All-Star selections in 1965.

At left defensive end was the foreman of the line, 6-foot, 4-inch, 265-pound Ron McDole from the University of Nebraska. McDole was originally drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL, where he played one season before going to the Houston Oilers of the AFL. After a single season in Houston, the Bills acquired McDole’s rights and he became a cornerstone player. A real hustler, McDole was at times used as an inside linebacker in the Bills’ 3-4 alignment and was very effective when dropping into coverage.  He is credited with 6 interceptions in his 8 seasons with the Bills, still a club record for defensive linemen.

Defensive End Ron McDole

Holding down the left (or strong) side linebacking position was another NFL castoff and former tight end, John Tracey, who set several receiving records while at Texas A&M. The defense’s elder statesman, Tracey began his pro career playing tight end with the Chicago Cardinals in 1959 but was converted to linebacker the following year. After a third NFL season with the Philadelphia in 1961, Tracey joined the Buffalo Bills. He was known for being fast, aggressive and a sure tackler.  He also led the Bills in interceptions in 1963 with 5.   

In the middle was the universally acknowledged “quarterback” of the defense, Harry Jacobs (6-foot, 1-inch, 226 pounds, Bradley University). Jacobs came to Buffalo in 1963 via a trade with the Boston Patriots, where he had played for Saban and Collier in 1960 when they were coaching the Pats.  Often referred to as the Baby-Faced Assassin for his youthful looks, Jacobs pulled a complete Jeckyl-and-Hyde routine once he put his helmet on and entered the playing field.

Middle Linebacker Harry Jacobs

The weak-side linebacker was perennial All-League selection Mike Stratton, a rangy 6-foot, 3-inch, 224-pound former tight end out of Tennessee.  Stratton was a consistent performer on the field who possessed great speed and versatility, being equally adept playing against the run or the pass.  He is perhaps best remembered for applying the “Hit Heard ‘Round the World” on Keith Lincoln in the 1964 AFL Title Game.  He played in his first of 6 AFL All-Star games in 1963.

 Linebacker Mike Stratton

At right corner was rookie George “Butch” Byrd, a bruising 6-foot, 211-pounder out of Boston University.  Byrd was known for his aggressiveness not only while going after enemy aerials (he led the team in interceptions 3 times and still holds the team record for career interceptions with 40), but also going after enemy receivers.  Byrd was one of the most physical corners in pro football back in the day, enjoying the freedom defensive players were given at the time to slam opposing pass catchers as they came off the line of scrimmage.

The left corner position was shared between Charley Warner and Booker Edgerson.  Warner came to the Bills late in 1964 and filled in well when Edgerson was knocked out of action, including picking off a pass in the 1964 championship game against San Diego.  Lightning fast, Warner’s greatest contribution might have been as the team’s first truly great kick returner.  Edgerson resumed his starting role in 1965.  Originally signed as a free agent when Lou Saban took over as coach in 1962, Booker was well known to Saban and Collier since he had played for them at Western Illinois.  Blessed with speed and smarts, Edgerson is acknowledged by most teammates as having been the best man cover cornerback on the team.

Cornerback Booker Edgerson

The strong-side safety position was essentially split between Gene Sykes (1964) and Hagood Clark (1965). Sykes was a 19^th-round pick out Louisiana State in 1963. He picked off 2 passes during the Bills’ first championship season.  In 1965, second-year man Clarke (6-foot, 205 pounds, University of Florida) emerged as the starter, and swiped a team-leading 7 passes during the Bills’ successful defense of the AFL crown.

Strong Safety Hagood Clarke

George Saimes, a 5-foot, 11-inch, 186-pound former halfback out of Michigan State, was the team’s free safety.  After starting the first couple of games of his rookie season (1963) at halfback, Saimes was permanently converted to safety, where he blossomed into one of the best defensive backs in the league by his second year.  He was a fine open-field tackler and always a threat for a safety blitz, inspiring favorable comparisons to St. Louis Cardinals All-World safety Larry Wilson.  After intercepting 6 enemy aerials in ’64, Saimes was named to his first of 5 AFL All-Star games.

Free Safety George Saimes

THE GAMES

When Mack Lee Hill of the Kansas City Chiefs ripped off a 53-yard scoring run against Buffalo on October 18, 1964, it was indeed a significant moment, since it was destined to be the last rushing TD the Bills surrendered for over a year.  The Bills would not be scored against on the ground for the next 17 consecutive games—16 regular season and 1 postseason.

Game 1 – October 24, 1964, versus New York Jets. Bills win 34-24, allowing the Jets’ leading rusher, Bill Mathis just 34 yards on 12 carries.

Game 2 – November 1, 1964, versus Houston Oilers. Bills win 24-10. The Oilers leading rusher was Charley Tolar, who gained a paltry 32 yards on 13 carries. 

Game 3 – November 8, 1964, at New York Jets.  Bills win, 20-7. The defense is nearly impenetrable in holding Bill Mathis to 16 yards on 7 carries and Matt Snell to 15 yards on 6 carries!  The Jets as a team managed to gain 31 total rushing yards in this contest, the lowest amount given up during the streak.

Game 4 – November 15, 1964, versus Boston Patriots. Bills lose, 36-28, but no one could blame the defense!  Boston rusher were stymied at every turn, with Larry Garron pacing the Pats with 21 yards on 10 rushes.  Despite giving up 240 yards and five touchdowns through the air, the Bills picked off quarterback Babe Parilli 3 times. 

Game 5 – November 26, 1964, at San Diego Chargers.  Bills win 27-24. The Chargers’ top runner was Keith Lincoln with 34 yards on 8 carries.

Game 6 – December 6, 1964, at Oakland Raiders. Raiders win 16-13.  The Bills gave up 56 yards on 13 carries to Clem Daniels, but still did not allow a rusher to reach the end zone.

Game 7 – December 13, 1964, at Denver Broncos. Bills win 30-19. A total domination as the Bills allow Denver fullback a lousy 18 yards on 7 carries. 

Game 8 – December 20, 1964, at Boston Patriots.  Bills win24-14. Boston’s leading rusher was Larry Garron, who managed just 26 yards on 8 attempts.

Game 9 – December 26, 1964, AFL Title Game versus San Diego Chargers. Buffalo wins, 20-7. Bills hold the Chargers to 134 total rushing yards, undeniably attributable to Mike Stratton knocking San Diego's star fullback Keith Lincoln out in the first quarter with the tackle known to history as the “Hit Heard ‘Round the World.”

Mike Stratton takes out San Diego's Keith

Lincoln with the "Hit Heard 'Round the World."

AFL Title Game, War Memorial Stadium,

December 26, 1964.

Game 10 – September 11, 1965, season opener versus Boston Patriots. Buffalo wins 24-7. Boston’s top rusher this day was quarterback Babe Parilli, who managed 71 yards on 7 carries while running for his life.  Jim Nance, the Patriots’ main running threat, picked up just 17 yards on 9 carries! The Bills defense also picked off Parilli 5 times.

Game 11 – September 19, 1965, at Denver Broncos.  Bills win, 30-15.  The tough Buffalo defenders were on a mission, holding former Bills running back Cookie Gilchrist to just 26 yards on 12 carries.  The Broncos were held to a total of 69 yards rushing on the day.

Game 12 – September 26, 1965, versus New York Jets.  Bills win 33-21. The Bills held the Jets to 44 yards on the ground, with Matt Snell leading the Jets charge with 31.

Game 13 – October 3, 1965, versus Oakland Raiders.  Bills win, 17-12. Clem Daniels ekes out 55 yards on 16 carries, but it didn’t matter. In fact, the Raiders managed a meager 159 yards of total offense in this laugher.

Game 14 – October 10, 1965, at San Diego Chargers.  Chargers win 34-3. The Bills were crushed in the rematch of the previous year’s championship game, giving up 369 yards and 3 TDs via the pass.  But the ground defense held firm, a holding the Chargers rushing leaders, Paul Lowe, to just 37 yards on19 carries.

Game 15 – October 17, 1965, at Kansas City Chiefs.  Bills win 23-0. Mack Lee Hill gained just 36 yards on 8 carries while Curtis McClinton gained 28 yards on 10 lugs.

Game 16 – October 24, 1965, versus Denver Broncos.  Bills win 31-13. Cookie Gilchrist made his return to War Memorial Stadium and picked up 87 yards on 21 rushes, but he didn’t find the end zone!

Buffalo's defense extends its unbelievable string

to 16 games at War Memorial Stadium, versus

Denver Broncos, October 24, 1965.  Former Bill

Cookie Gilchrist (2) carries as Buffalo's John

Tracey (51), Hagood Clarke (45) and Ron

McDole (72) close in.

Game 17 – October 31, 1965, versus Houston Oilers.  Oilers win, 19-17.  The Oilers churned out 124 yards on the ground—the highest regular-season total the Bills allowed during the streak—but the goal line remained undisturbed. 

The streak came to an end against the Boston Patriots on November 7, 1965, when J.D. Garrett scored from I yard out. The Bills went 13-4 during that span, scored 398 points (23.4 per game) and allowed 285 (16.8 per game). The funny thing is that the team did even better in those two championship seasons in the 13 games before and after the streak. Combined, Buffalo recorded an 11-1-1 mark in the 13 non streak games, averaging 30.2 points per game and giving up just 14.6.

The run of 17 straight games without giving up a rushing touchdown is a record (going back to 1940) that still stands. The streak was threatened by the Chicago Bears great defense of 1986-87, but they only managed to get to 16 games.  Long live the Streak!

Bears Give Up Most Draft Capital Ever for a Defensive Player?

LOOKING BACK
By John Turney

Here is what is being reported on the Khalil Mack trade: The Bears gave up two 1st round draft picks (in 2019 and 2020), a 3rd round pick in 2020 and a 6th round pick in 2019. In return, the Bears also received s a 2nd round pick in 2020 and a conditional 5th round pick in 2020.

The Bears also rewarded Mack by making him the highest-paid defensive in NFL history with a six-year, $141 million deal with $90 million guaranteed (an average of $23.5 million) which eclipsed what the Rams paid Aaron Donald the day before.

So, the net result is just about two 1st round picks. The other picks, in essence, amount to making the deal more palatable for the Bears. We won't know the final draft chart count until the draft orders are known, but we see it as simply two 1sts.

Rich Cimini Tweeted that these are the players traded for two 1st rounders:

 Adam Schefter Tweeted this:

We have to give Shefty the benefit of the doubt, (he may be speaking only of the salary cap era). We do that because there are some examples of when teams gave up more for a defensive player, although not all were direct trades.

In 1975 the Redskins gave two 1st rounders and a 2nd rounder as compensation for Dave Butz who signed with the Redskins (leaving the Cardinals) as a free agent in the mini-free agent era of the 1970s. 

In 1987 the Colts traded away the rights to holdout rookie Cornelius Bennett (a #1 draft choice) to Buffalo for Greg Bell and the Bills' first-round draft picks in 1988 and 1989 and their 2nd pick in 1989. 

The Colts then sent all those picks and Bell together with their own 1st round draft pick in 1988, their 2nd rounders in 1988 and 1989  Owen Gill, to the Los Angeles Rams, who sent  Eric Dickerson off to Indianapolis.

Likely because of its complexity this trade is never remembered as the Bills giving up two #1s and a #2 and Greg Bell for Cornelius Bennett. It's always remembered more as three #1s and three #2s plus a fullback and a running back for Dickerson.

In 1988 the Colts shipped a pair of 1st rounders to Seattle for Pro Bowl linebacker Fredd Young, as Cimini correctly mentioned.

Going way back in 1974 the Eagles shipped a pair of 1st rounders and a 2nd rounder for Bill Bergey and that worked out well for both teams.

And in the same category as Dave Butz, the Raiders, in 1975, signed Ted Hendricks and the compensation sent to the Packers was two 1st rounders. So, again, not technically a trade but for all intents and purposes it was a trade—Al Davis valued Hendricks as being worth two #1 picks.

Another trade often overlooked is the two #1s sent from the Panthers to the Redskins for compensation for Sean Gilbert.  Gilbert was given the "franchise" tag by the Redskins but didn't want to sign for that designated amount so essentially a deal was worked out, the Panthers signed him and the compensation was the two high draft picks. Again, not a trade, but a deal for a player deemed to have two 1st round pick value.

In 1988 the Redskins signed restricted free agent Wilber Marshall from Bears to a 5-year, $6 million contract and the Bears received two #1s as compensation. Again, not really a trade, but when there is compensation it's the same as a trade it's just the player gets to decide where to go and the compensation is set by the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA but there is no doubt that Marshall was valued as being worth two 1st round selections.

So, the Mack trade is definitely rare but under different iterations of the CBA and loose definition of free-agent signings that were de facto trades, it wasn't unprecedented.

But it is interesting in that the Raiders moved to a purer 4-3 defense this year and the Bears run something more similar to what the Raiders have been using in the last few years. Would it make sense to play Mack as a linebacker in a 4-3? Or as a defensive end in the Tampa/Vikings style 4-3? With the Bears, he fits perfectly as a linebacker in the 30 and as a nickel end in the 40 sub defenses.

Sure, Mack could fit in the 4-3 great players can get it done, but would he still be great? Sure Lawrence Taylor or Andre Tippett or Von Miller could play either a 40 linebacker or 40 end, but does it suit their skills? Wouldn't it be better to use them and their "joker" skills (ironically a Jon Gruden term) in a defensive like the Bears? (Also, yes Miller was a 40 linebacker in base and a 40 DE in nickel with the Broncos before they switched to a 3-4, Miller one of the few ever to do that). 

Anyway, we will see if perhaps scheme fit was part of the equations for the Raiders, along with money and the compensation.

JIM FINKS and the 1951 Steelers

LOOKING BACK
By T.J. Troup

Today in celebration of Jim Finks birthday, and to correct a topic that is important in not only Steeler history but the league itself—the following. Though this saga will focus on Pittsburgh during the '51 campaign, we will begin in 1942. Previous to 1947 the 1942 Steelers were the best team the Black & Gold had put on the field. They are 7-3 when they travel to Wisconsin to State Fair Park to take on the Packers. Pittsburgh gains 254 yards passing in this game to set a team record, and six of the players had their longest reception of the year.

Trailing 10-0 in the 3rd quarter Dick Riffle runs for 7 yards, and laterals to blocking back Vern Martin. Martin runs over the snow ringed field for 54 yards and a touchdown. Green Bay scores twice in the 4th quarter to lead 24-7. Very late in the game, the Steelers drive 68 yards to score and complete 4 passes for 58 yards. The black & gold recover an onside kick, and Bullet Bill Dudley tosses to Martin for 24 yards and a touchdown. The Packers recover the onside kick to end the game. Many teams have gained at least 254 yards passing in a game, yet the key here is Pittsburgh is entrenched in the single wing. Jock Sutherland took Pittsburgh to the brink of a division title in '47, but his death brought a pall over the organization and the team. He is replaced by young Johnny Michelosen. Pittsburgh begins '48 with a 2-1 record but falls apart to finish 4-8.

The Steelers in 1949 rebound and watching and evaluating film they are a strong team. They certainly are not at the level of Philadelphia, yet they are a precision team that hits hard. Opening the season at Forbes they handily beat the Giants 28-7. Bobby Gage and Joe Geri rotate from tailback and wingback until the 4th quarter. Off the bench comes rookie Jim Finks and his first pass is right on target to left end Bill Long on an out pattern for 13 yards.

This play should have been a foreshadowing; Michelosen is convinced that Gage and Geri can do the job. Finks gets a chance to play in midseason with the injury to rookie Don Samuel and throws his first touchdown pass against the Giants. He has the longest run of his career (38 yards) comes in the victory over the Bulldogs, but over the course of the last five games of the year he completes just 6 of 25 for 96 yards without a touchdown and with 5 intercepted. Finks plays in the secondary and intercepts in the loss to the Bears, and in the last game of the year catches a 17-yard touchdown pass from blocking back Charlie Seabright. He has shown he is athletic and versatile as a rookie, but how much of a chance will he get to play tailback in 1950? He throws passes in the first two games, but Joe Geri has a standout season running, and even sometimes passing as Pittsburgh finishes at 6-6.

Pittsburgh has a record of 16-19-1 entering 1951 during the Michelosen era. Pittsburgh with the 9th pick in the draft takes fullback Butch Avinger who never plays for the Steelers, and with the 20th pick comes Chuck Ortman. The Black & Gold passed on lineman Dick Stanfel, Mike McCormack, and Bill George—ouch! Nine rookies make the team in '51 highlighted by Dale Dodrill, and free agent Jack Butler.

Bert Bell has a strange schedule for the '51 season as each team in the conference will not play each divisional opponent twice. Pittsburgh will play the Chicago Cardinals just once, but National Conference Green Bay twice. Why Bell did this we will never know? There are websites and encyclopedias that have failed in listing who started for teams in this era. For the first time, you will read who did play and where. Let's begin with the over-shifted 5-3-3 defense. Left linebacker and he is stationed on the split end is stumpy Darrell Hogan. Though Hogan plays hard he does little to help his team during the year.

When Pittsburgh shifts to a 6-2 defense Hogan becomes a defensive guard, and he is driven back repeatedly on running plays. The opening day starter at left defensive end is rookie Tom Jelley. Jelley is listed as having played in 5 games during the year, and this is just flat wrong, as he plays in at least 8 games. Jelley will start the first four at left end, play some offense early in the year, and then the last two weeks of the season returns and plays right defensive end.

The left defensive tackle is George Hays for the first four games, and then shifts to left defensive end for the next seven games. Carl Samuelsen rotated in early in the year at left defensive tackle and then becomes the starter. He is woefully slow in pursuit but holds the fort on running plays right at him. Lean bowlegged Dale Dodrill is the starter at middle guard till a mid-season injury against Philadelphia. He struggles at times getting off a block, but sure demonstrates he has a future in the league due to his pursuit and aggressive play. The second half of the year John Schweder starts at middle guard.

Second-year man Ernie Stautner is the right defensive tackle, and he is much improved. Ernie is outstanding in pursuit and is effective in penetrating the pass pocket. The right defensive end is Bill McPeak who is in his third year, and also shows improvement. He is excellent defending the sweep and is a relentless pass rusher. The right linebacker is Frank Sinkovitz in his fifth season. Though he hustles, he just does not make much of a difference during the year, and the newspapers state that the fans booed him towards the end of the year.

Listed as a middle linebacker, though he aligns over the right offensive tight end at times is the best player on the team in Jerry Shipkey. Jerry does not play any fullback and concentrates on leading the defense. He is a very deserving First-team All-Pro. Instinctive, quick, with excellent pursuit angles, he also is exceptional on pass defense. Though he is sent on blitzes up the middle many times, this is not an effective aspect for this team. Shipkey, when allowed to roam sideline to sideline, is in his element. Strong as an ox, he is one of the few men in the league who just does not miss a tackle in the open field.

Jim Finks began the year as the starting right corner but was moved to safety with the struggles of Chuck Ortman and rookie Ray Mathews. Finks will start at safety from the fourth week through the close of the campaign. The third week of the year Jack Butler starts at right corner and improves each week. A fearless tackler and instinctive pass defender this youngster with experience will prove to be one of the best corners in the league till he is moved to right safety in '56.

Howard Hartley is in his fourth year and has already intercepted 14 passes in his career, but the best is yet to come. Howard is one of the few defensive backs in any era to intercept at least 10 passes in a season and not be chosen for the pro bowl. Pittsburgh finishes third in the league in the defensive passer rating category with a mark of 46.6 and intercepts an impressive 11.28% of all opponent passes.

The Black & Gold defense will have many strong games during the year. The problem for this team is the offense. So, who took the field for the Steelers when they had the ball? Veteran Val Jansante begins the year at left end, but he is the subject of venom by fans and leaves the team at midseason. He is replaced by rookie Henry Minarik. His only year in the league is a fascinating one and will be detailed later in this saga. Since Pittsburgh is in the single wing they align both tackles to the same side. Lou Allen in his second year and veteran team leader Frank Wydo do a commendable job in the run game, but both have difficulty in pass protection.

Pro Bowl center Bill Walsh leads the offensive line and is superb at the center snap and making his block. The left guard is second-year man Dick Tomlinson, while the right guard is pro bowl bound George Hughes. Evaluating Hughes is a challenge since the expectations for a pro bowl guard are high, and George does not shine near as often as I thought he would.

The right end is captain Elbie Nickel. Sure-handed and a willing blocker, he has his moments, yet the issue is always the same.....when Elbie is open who is accurate enough to throw him the ball? Joe Gasparella does not throw very much, and at the beginning of the year is the starting blocking back, but after four weeks he leaves the Steelers. He is replaced by Truett Smith, who is only adequate as a blocker. In the Steeler single wing the tailback and wingback switch positions many times during a game.

Left-handed Lynn Chandnois aligns so he can roll left to throw, and he usually is at his best running on outside plays due to his speed. Joe Geri is selected for the pro bowl, and over the years there have been other players chosen that did not earn their way to Los Angeles. Quoting Abby Mendelson from his book on Steeler history "one wonders how Geri earned such honors". He is not effective running and is inaccurate passing. He is often replaced by Chuck Ortman. The rookie from Michigan is a willing runner, but is not very productive. Ortman just does not display the accuracy you need to have in an NFL passer. He is in and out of the line-up all year.

Jerry Nuzum is now a fullback (wingback earlier in his career), and shares playing time with Fran Rogel. Since the Steeler running game is moribund at best, and so much depends on the fullback pounding out yards up the middle neither man can be considered a team strength. Pittsburgh enters the last game of the season having scored only 160 points in eleven games. During the wins over the Cardinals, Packers, and Eagles the defense played solid football, while the offense did just enough. They have been shut-out twice by Cleveland, and the rumor is Johnny Michelosen might be replaced though Art Rooney denies this.

Dick Todd has been coach of the 'Skins for eight games with a 5-3 record and Washington is at home on this fateful final day of the season with a chance to finish 6-6. This is the game that will be detailed, and explain the future of Pittsburgh Steeler football. The captains meet on a snow-covered field with sunshine creating December shadows. There will be 14 turnovers in this game(seven by each team), partially due to the weather conditions on this frosty cold afternoon in our Nations Capitol. The first play from scrimmage shows Rob Goode who is trying to win the rushing crown taken down in the open field by Jerry Shipkey one on one. Washington punts and the Steelers as they have so often during the year align in a double wing formation.

The differences between the single and double wing are not nuanced, they are striking. No writer or historian has ever commented that the Steelers of Jock Sutherland have virtually abandoned the single wing for the double wing! Washington fumbles on their next possession and Ortman now in at tailback bounces a pass off of Truett Smith's chest to linebacker Chuck Drazenovich. The Steeler defense grudgingly gives ground as Baugh mixing his plays beautifully moving deep into Pittsburgh territory.

Middle guard John "Bull" Schweder hustles to down former Steeler Bill Dudley after a reception and dash down the sideline. Dudley though puts three points on the board with a field goal. Ortman has the Steelers in the single wing, but throws incomplete, and they punt. Baugh throwing deep up the left sideline for Dudley has his pass intercepted as Butler leaps into the air. Ortman fumbles the ball to defensive end Walt Yowarsky and again the 'Skins have the ball. Baugh rifles a pass down the middle through the frosty air only to have Hartley intercept. Ortman out of the double wing misfires and Harry Gilmer intercepts.

Second quarter and with all day to pass Baugh locates Joe Tereshinski behind Shipkey. Joe catches the well-thrown pass on the Pittsburgh five and trots into the end zone. Washington 10 Pittsburgh ZERO. The Steelers go back and forth from the double to single wing, but Ortman is sacked after moving the ball to the Redskin fourteen on a pass to Minarik (Pro Football Reference does not list any sacks in this game which is in error) since he holds the ball too long. He did this all year and as such the Steelers finished 10th in this category allowing 318 yards in sacks for the year. Geri badly misses his field goal attempt.

Washington punts and Ortman completes passes to Nickel and Chandnois before again misfiring to Drazenovich. Sammy Baugh has the 'Skins aligned in the t-formation then the double wing, but the staunch Steeler defense forces a punt. Chandnois in the double wing tries to run to no avail, and Pittsburgh again has to punt. Pittsburgh forces a punt, and Ortman aligned in the double wing to pass for three straight plays cannot find a receiver and runs every time till he is again intercepted. We are at half-time in this hard-fought, yet flawed game of turnovers and punts. Ortman begins the second half in the double wing and throws incomplete and is hit by Lipscomb. He is injured and replaced by Joe Geri.

Ortman over the last seven games has a passer rating of 18.4 as he completed just 43 of 114 for 502 yards with just 1 touchdown, and 10 intercepted. Geri proceeds to throw three straight wobbly misguided passes and then punts. Washington goes nowhere and punts. Geri out of the double wing is hammered by Drazenovich when he runs, but on the next play complete his only pass of the game to Chandnois. Geri cannot get the first down on a running play and punts.

Rob Goode fumbles when hit running to his left and a hustling Bull Schweder playing the game of his life recovers. Joe Geri is hit by Paul Lipscomb as he releases his pass and is replaced by none other than starting safety Jim Finks. Finks first pass is pilfered by Gilmer, but Washington now in the t-formation cannot move and punts. Finks has the Steelers aligned in the old Sutherland single wing and after avoiding the rush completes to Minarik on a crossing route, and then out of a double wing completes to Minarik at the sideline.

Jim then completes to Chandnois on an out pattern, and to Nickel up the seam. Finks is sacked by defensive end Bob Hendren. Finks cannot gain the necessary yardage when he runs, and the Steelers again punt. Washington in the T-formation is again stopped and punts the ball back to Pittsburgh, but Finks fumbles the ball back to the 'Skins.

Very late in the 3rd quarter, and Baugh is intercepted by Shipkey on a textbook linebacker zone drop play. This is the turning point in the game. Finks out of the single wing completes to Minarik as the quarter ends. Fourth quarter and the Steelers have not scored a point since the first half of the Eagle game on November 25th (thirteen quarters). First play of the quarter out of the standard single wing Finks well-thrown pass hits the mark as Chandnois catches the ball on his sideline route, and scampers 40 yards down the sideline to score.

The Redskins are in the 'T' and go nowhere, and punt again. Finks completes an out to Chandnois, and then comes back to him again on an out route. His passes have a slight wobble in the frigid air, yet his timing is superb and he is accurate. Finks cannot find a receiver and runs. The momentum and promising drive ends as Drazenovich rips the ball loose from Rogel.

Washington cannot move again and punts again. Finks completes another out to Chandnois, and then finds Minarik open on the other side of the field on a skinny post for 37 yards. Chandnois catches another pass, and when Finks cannot locate either Chandnois or Minarik he flips to Rogel who makes a fine one-handed catch and trundles deep into Redskin territory. Rogel punches it in and Pittsburgh leads 14-10.

The Skins fumble the kick-off back to Pittsburgh, and Finks still in the standard single wing rolls right and takes off for 22 yards. Joe Geri re-enters the game and burrows his way into the end zone to score. His extra point attempt goes off the left upright, but no matter a ten point lead late in the game. Washington is aligned in a wing formation with Ed Salem at tailback instead of Baugh, and one of his balloon passes is intercepted by Howard Hartley.

Finks and Geri are in the game at the same time as the Steelers run out the clock. Pittsburgh has set a new team record with 288 passing yards, and Finks was a very sharp 14 of 24 for 201 yards. For the first time in team history two receivers for Pittsburgh gained over 100 yards receiving; Minarik in his last game as a pro, and Chandnois for the second time in the season. Questions arise? How come Finks was not given an opportunity sooner? Quoting Ray Didinger in his superb book on Steeler history states "the tough little defensive back everyone said should have been throwing the ball all year."

Why use Geri and Ortman when neither could hit the ground with their hat? Pittsburgh aligned in the double wing so many times in the year attempted more passes than ever before in team history and had so little to show for it. Art Rooney dismisses Michelosen, and Joe Bach returns to Pittsburgh. Finks leads the league in touchdown passes in 1952 as Chandnois and Ray Mathews display their skills receiving. Elbie Nickel gains over 200 yards as a receiver in the final game of the '52 season against the Rams.

Finks will have his struggles after Joe Bach leaves due to ill health and Walt Kiesling returns. Those two men just could not get on the same page philosophically. Five times Finks would attempt at least 40 passes in a game, yet the Steelers off to fast starts in both '54 and '55 could not sustain their winning. Finks leaves the Steelers after 1955, and sure had success in helping build the Vikings and Bears, yet he should also be remembered for that fateful frosty day in Washington when the starting safety moves again to tailback and passes his team to victory.

The 1973 NFC Player of the Year—Did John Hadl Deserve It?

LOOKING BACK
By John Turney

From time to time we like to look back and analyze past award winners and view them through the lens of current sensibilities versus those "back in the day". Things have changed and scrutiny is higher, especially for quarterbacks.

So, today the subject is the NFC Offensive Player of the Year. The AFC and NFL MVP/Player of the Year was clear—O.J. Simpson and his transcendent 2,003-yard rushing season for the Bills.

John Hadl was the consensus NFC Player of the year in 1973 winning the UPI, Sporting News, NFLPA, and Kansas City Committee of 101 versions of the award with Fran Tarkenton winning the New York Chapter of the PFWA award.

Hadl's awards make sense based on the Rams 12-2 record and his passing statistics for the season but when you break down his season into halves, it may not be that simple.

In the first six games, Hadl was on fire with a 129.5 passer rating  (the first season it was used as a passing statistic) and had 13 touchdowns compared to just two picks. Then, in week seven, he hit a purple wall and only had a few good games in the last eight weeks and some poor ones—

Hadl's slump continued in the playoff game versus Dallas and into 1974 when he was traded to the Packers for a pile of draft picks. Insiders thought there was something wrong with Hadl's arm, he was missing throws he normally made and Rams general manager Don Klosterman jumped when he had a chance to unload his ailing quarterback for such a high bounty. It turns out it was not his arm but his lower back that was causing the issues, you know, with the backbone connected to the neck bone and the neck bone connected to the arm bone, it all fits together. Regardless, there were issues causing poor performance.

So, was he having one great half of a season and one poor half of a season the stuff of being a Player of the Year? Maybe then, but if this happened now we think someone else would be chosen. 

But who?

Roman Gabriel had a fine year but his 5-8-1 record would be a hindrance, even though they were a few plays away from being 7-7. Fran Tarkenton, as mentioned, won the NY PFWA NFC Player of the Year Award for his 12-2 Vikings. Roger Staubach was 10-4 won the passing title and led the NFC in passing touchdowns (tied with Gabriel). All would be fine choices.

However, we think the best vote would be for Harold Jackson, Hadl's teammate.

Chart credit: Pro Football Reference

Jackson was a big part of Hadl's first half anyway and had another monster day (for the 'dead ball era') in the second half. His 21.9 yards per catch were second in the NFL and his 13 touchdown receptions led the NFL, all for a team that ran the ball almost two-thirds of the time.

Jackson is a player who often gets overlooked, he led the 1970s in receptions, yard receiving, and touchdowns and was fifth in yards per catch and didn't get close to being All-Decade. Possibly because he played for three different teams in the 1970s and didn't have huge support from any of the voters because the longest he played for any team was five years.

Regardless, we think he had the best, most productive, impactful season of any NFC skill player in 1973. He's our pick for this "what if" analysis.