Book Review: "The Midnight Skedaddle: The Baltimore Colts' Move to Indianapolis, 1984"

By Jim Holt 

Excepting recent expansion franchises, there are only 4 teams in the 4 major North American

professional sports (baseball, basketball, football, hockey) which have never either relocated or

threatened the same.

Timothy Thompson’s "The Midnight Skedaddle: The Baltimore Colts’ Move to Indianapolis,

1984"  is a richly detailed recounting of the background and circumstances pertaining to a franchise relocation. 

The meticulous, if at times repetitive 506(!) pages provide a virtual “play by play” of the multi-decade series of situations and decisions that

resulted in the move.

A number of themes permeate the book. There is a celebration of the unique bond that

developed between the fans of Baltimore and the team the city adopted as their own in the early

1950s and grew into a fanaticism bordering on a religious cult during the golden age of pro

football.

Gino Marchetti perhaps characterized the relationship between the Colts and the city best: “We

were like a high school team in a small town; it was like ‘Saturday Night Lights’ on Sunday

afternoon.”

Throughout the narrative, Thompson threads parallels with the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team and the trauma their followers experienced when they deserted Brooklyn for the glamor

of LA.

The business of football is starkly portrayed. Colts’ owner Carol Rosenbloom’s dissatisfaction

with the condition of Memorial Stadium and the hesitation of city officials to address his concerns over time ultimately resulted in helping Illinois businessman Bob Irsay’s purchase of the Los Angeles Rams and subsequent (and unique) franchise trade with Rosenbloom in 1972.

Enter the erratic and impulsive Irsay to Baltimore. Two seasons removed from NFL Champions,

and the previous year playoff team, Irsay immediately alienated and enraged the fanbase. 

After a 1-4 start with GM Thomas benching legend John Unitas and gutting the bulk of veteran players.

Over subsequent seasons, Irsay (usually under the influence of alcohol) fired coaches at

halftime, called plays from the owner’s box, berated and fined players publicly, botched the

John Elway draft, and openly shopped the team around the country to locations including

Jacksonville, Memphis, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Mike Chappel, veteran Indy Start beat

reporter summarized: “Bob Irsay is loud, irrational, meddlesome, bombastic, tanked, and

unhinged.”

Notwithstanding the drama, there was cold calculation. Irsay’s attitude was crystal clear on

more than one occasion (including his arrival in Indianapolis): “It’s not your team, it’s not the

city’s team. It’s my family’s team.” The disconnect between fans (customers) and owners

(product providers) has never been articulated so coldly or accurately.

It is probable that given the toxic atmosphere and his pariah status in Baltimore that Irsay would

inevitably have moved the Colts. The failure of local government to build the team a new

stadium (which, of course, they subsequently did for the Orioles and Ravens) was a strategic error

that doomed the team by the early 1980s. 

Courted by a united civic front in Indiana (Indianapolis city government and Indiana Sports Corporation), Irsay was presented with the option of a brand-newHoosier Dome in Indiana (and other lucrative enticements) or a refurbished Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Panicked Baltimore officials proposed taking the team by “eminent domain,” which Irsay simply sidestepped by loading up the Mayflowers and hightailing it out of Baltimore on the snowy night of March 28-29, 1984.

Timothy Thompson’s Midnight Skedaddle provides us with invaluable insight into a seminal moment

in pro football history.

This reviewer never lived in Maryland, but paraphrasing the song “Mr. Bojangles”,  “ ... after 40

years, he still grieves.”

Oh.....the four?

• Chicago Cubs 1876
• Montreal Canadiens 1909
• Green Bay Packers 1919
• Boston Celtics 1947

TUESDAY TIDBITS: "I Have Battles to Fight"

By TJ Troup

The title for today's saga comes from Kenny Easley! He was not only a warrior on the field, but he also dealt with health issues after his early retirement for years. Living in Southern California was able to see UCLA & USC play often on television and watching Easley play so well for his last three years with the Bruins, there was no doubt he would contribute in the NFL. 

How many saw him become one of the best safeties in the '80's at a time when there were so many outstanding ball hawks, hitters & tacklers? RIP Kenny, you were a true leader & warrior! Not only is it possible, but a team can have 302 passes thrown against them without intercepting a pass! A deflection, a missed timed errant throw, or "breaking" on the ball in cutting in front of the receiver, someone on the Jets should have been able to intercept a ball so far this season? Possibly, Aaron Glenn might entertain his defenders with a story about how he once upon a time intercepted a pass. 

The 1943 Green Bay Packers intercepted 42 of the 193 passes attempted against them (17.4%)! Yeah, yeah, the game is played differently since Sherwood Fries was a Packer. The last NFL team to intercept at least 10% of opponent passes was the '73 Steelers! Will there be a celebration when a Jet finally pilfers a pass? 

Bud Grant's NFL career lasted only two seasons, ending in 1952, and Chuck Noll was a rookie in '53 thus, they never played against each other.

November 23rd, 1969, the Steelers are on the road to take on the Vikings! Pittsburgh won opening day in '69 while Minnesota lost. Since then, the Steelers have not won a game, and the Vikings have won every week, many in dominating fashion. Weather report for all of you, at times in the land of 1,000 lakes, it gets cold and there is snow! 

Bet most of you knew that. The weather in the Twin Cities has been so brutal leading up to the game the Vikings have not practiced all week. Paul Krause does what he does best, and his interception at the Viking twenty-three is returned 77 yards for a score. Second quarter and after Cox delivers a field goal, McCall of the Steelers goes 101 yards with the ensuing kickoff to score (longest play in Steeler history at this point)! Bill Brown punches over from the one, and at the half Minnesota leads 17-7. 

Joe Kapp is replaced at quarterback by Cuozzo and he rolls right to deliver a strike to Henderson for 28 yards and a touchdown. Pittsburgh's Jon Henderson scores on a 10-yard reception to narrow the lead to 24-14. Charlie West returns the kick-off up the left sideline and when he is hit the ball pops into the air goes forward to a hustling teammate in John Beasley. The big man strides down the field following Clint Jones' block until Brian Stenger tackles him from behind, but Beasley's momentum gets him to the promised land! Minnesota 31, Pittsburgh 14 as we enter the 4th quarter. 

John Beasley

Oscar Reed scores twice in the 4th quarter on an easy 6-yard reception from Cuozzo, and a 1-yard run! Bob Lee enters the fray to put the finishing touches on Pittsburgh with a 7-yard toss to Henderson. Unless you are Gale Sayers, you are not going to gain yards rushing against the "Purple Gang" in '69 as Pittsburgh gains just 48 yards on 25 attempts. Six quarterbacks play in this game and there are nine turnovers! When a team returns interceptions over 100 yards, they win 91% of the time (the Vikings returned errant Steelers passes 130 yards in this game). 

When the 1970 season began with a 26-team NFL the Vikings were considered strong contenders to return to the Super Bowl, while Pittsburgh continued to upgrade the roster each year until 1972, when the next time they played was Game of the Week at NFL Films and Pittsburgh handled Minnesota 23-10. Did anyone believe that five years after the 52-14 loss in Minnesota in '69, they would meet at Tulane Stadium for the right to be crowned World Champions?

Packers Overcome Marathon Drives to Beat Giants

 By Eric Goska

Here is a summary of what the Giants did offensively. Note the 16-play and 15-play drives.

The New York Giants stretched the Packers last-place defense almost to the breaking point Sunday. That the unit finally came up with a takeaway with less than a minute remaining allowed Green Bay to prevail 27-20 at MetLife Stadium.

Yes, you read correctly: last place. The Packers’ defense, much ballyhooed by the media and fans alike, has a glaring weakness. One that could prove fatal down the stretch.

Its defenders struggle to get off the field.

Exhibit A: Backup quarterback Jameis Winston – preferred starter Jaxson Dart was out with a concussion – directs a 16-play, 56-yard drive that reaches the Green Bay 10 late in the third quarter. Exhibit B: Winston follows up that effort by capping a 15-play, 85-yard excursion with a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Giants up 20-19 with seven minutes, 38 seconds to go.

Let that sink in for a minute. That’s back-to-back drives of 15 or more plays. How much stress does that put on a defense?

The first advance took 9:46 off the clock. The second burned through 7:59.

Were these isolated incidents, one might write them off as aberrations. But the Packers have been here before, more so than any other team.

Does anyone recall Detroit staging drives of 15, 13 and 13 plays in the season opener? Or the Cowboys stringing together 12 and 14 plays for touchdowns? Or the Bengals reaching the end zone in 17 plays? Or the Cardinals using 14 plays to set up a field goal?

Defenses can be ranked in a number of ways: yards or points given up, average yards per play, third-down conversion rates or turnovers forced. Here’s a new one: marathon drives allowed.

A marathon drive is one that consists of 12 or more offensive plays. We’ll break with NFL convention here and NOT count field goal attempts as a play.

Even in this ball-control, go-for-it-on-fourth-down league, advances of 12 or more plays are relatively rare. Yet, here are the Packers having allowed 11 marathon drives through 10 games – most in the circuit – one ahead of the second-place Dolphins and Colts.

Christian Watson caught
two TD passes Sunday.
(photo by Eric Goska)

The Giants and their 15th-ranked offense (yards gained) appeared content to slow walk past Green Bay. New York methodically piled up 336 yards on 69 offensive snaps with no play gaining more than 20 yards.

In addition to its two marathon sessions, New York also staged drives of 11 and 10 plays. Devin Singletary finished off the 11-play affair with a 2-yard run that knotted the score at 13 late in the first half.

Fortunately for the Packers, they found a way to squelch the 10-play outing. With the Giants encamped at the Green Bay 14-yard line, Evan Williams intercepted a throw intended for Jalin Hyatt. The steal, coming with just 36 seconds left, was the first pick in the fourth quarter for the Green and Gold this year.

As a team that has played in only one game decided by more than 10 points, the Packers have to know the opposition will come at them guns blazing in the final 15 minutes. From first quarter to last, Green Bay has surrendered 487, 804, 562 and 992 yards.

Clearly, no one is backing down.

Prior to Sunday, five teams had gained more than 100 yards against the Packers in the fourth quarter: the Commanders (118), Browns (103), Cowboys (116), Bengals (131) and Eagles (113). The Giants bettered them all, amassing 137 yards (40.8 percent of their offense) on 25 plays while draining 11:14 from the clock.

So, whether it’s Micah Parsons and Isaiah McDuffie collaborating on a fourth-down sack as they did to end New York’s 16-play foray or Williams coming up with a rare interception, the Packers’ defense needs to get off the field. Even the best runners don’t compete in multiple marathons on the same day.

Extra Point

The NFC North-leading Chicago Bears have allowed a season-low three marathon drives in 2025. That stat ought to bring a smile to one dyed-in-the-wool Bears fan residing in Kentucky!

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Since 1950, the most marathon drives Green Bay has allowed in the first 10 games of a season.

No.   Season         Record
11       1975               2-8
11       1999               5-5
11       2025             6-3-1
10       1972               7-3
10       1977               2-8
10       1979               3-7
10       1997               8-2
10       2014               7-3

Jacobs Lugs the Leather Against the Eagles

 By Eric Goska

(photos by Eric Goska)

What adjective best describes Josh Jacobs?

Productive? Durable? Talented?

As he has done more often than not, Jacobs again led the Packers in yards gained from scrimmage, this time against the Eagles Monday night. He also scored Green Bay’s only touchdown in the team’s 10-7 loss to Philadelphia at Lambeau Field.

Jacobs has been producing yards from scrimmage at a near record pace. He amassed 107 versus the Eagles to push him over 2,500 in his Packers career.

Jacobs became the 49th Packer to surpass that total, doing so in his 26th regular-season game. Only Ahman Green (23 games) got there faster.

Since coming to Green Bay as a free agent ahead of the 2024 season, Jacobs has been a force to be reckoned with. His 2,516 yards from scrimmage lead the team over that span and are more than the total of second-place Tucker Kraft (1,205) and third-place Jayden Reed (1,196) combined.

In addition, Jacobs has a nose for the end zone. No. 8 has pushed across 27 scores while wearing the Green and Gold. Kraft is second with 13 since the start of the 2024 season.

Against the Eagles, Jacobs rushed 21 times for 74 yards. He caught five passes for 33 more.

The busy running back accounted for five of his team’s eight first downs rushing. He also moved the chains with a six-yard reception on the second offensive play of the game.

For Jacobs, this was the 13th time he has surpassed 100 yards from scrimmage as a Packer. Green Bay is 8-4-1 when the 27-year-old hits or surpasses that mark.

Jacobs did more than score on Green Bay’s TD drive. He chipped in 17 yards on the ground and 13 through the air.

Since making his Packers debut against the Eagles in Sept. 2024, Jacobs has been nothing if not durable. He hasn’t missed a start in 26 games and has played more than half the offensive snaps in 24 of those contests.

For all the yards Jacobs stockpiled Monday night, he was not at his best on at least two plays. The back-turned receiver appeared out of position on a failed screen pass in the final two minutes, and he coughed up the football on fourth down three plays later.

The fumble was Jacobs’ sixth as a Packer. Four of those were recovered by the opposition.

Extra Point

Williams Henderson (158 games) and Aaron Rodgers (141) are the Packers who required the most games to attain 2,500 yards from scrimmage.

Racing to 2,500
Packers who amassed 2,500 yards from scrimmage in the fewest number of games.

G         Player                              Total       Rush    Receive        TDs
23       Ahman Green                     2,708         1,856            852           17
26       Josh Jacobs                         2,516         1,937             579           27
27       Eddie Lacy                           2,557         1,948           609           20
29       John Brockington              2,557         2,205            352           15
32       Bill Howton                         2,509                0         2,509          19
33       Ryan Grant                          2,555         2,266            289          15
35       Eddie Lee Ivery                  2,536         1,720            816           18
36       Jim Taylor                           2,645         2,318           327           28
36       Gerry Ellis                           2,541         1,055         1,486           15

TUESDAY TIDBITS: "Driving a Milk Wagon is a Quiet Life Compared to Driving a Football Team to Slaughter"

By TJ Troup 

First, Congratulations to DeMarcus Lawrence for joining three other men by returning two fumbles for touchdowns in the same game! 

DeMarcus Lawrence

From Al Nesser's opening day in 1920 for the Akron Pros to Lawrence this past Sunday, this is an amazing achievement! Few can put it on their NFL resume.

Al Nesser, shown here with the 1925 New York Giants

Matt Stafford has now completed 69 of his last 101 passes for 743 yards with 13 for scores, and nary an interception! Can the future Hall of Famer maintain his accuracy as the Rams take on the Seahawks for first place in the NFC West? Read that Washington has lost four straight games by at least 20 points, tying the mark of the 1954 'Skins. For those of you who have never seen film of that Washington defense in '54, they were --  a.) pathetic, b.) soft & slow, c.) abysmal, d.) all of the above. 

Maybe going to Madrid, Spain, will help coach Quinn and his team? When a team returns an interception for a touchdown, historically, they win 80% of the time. This season, 9 of 11 times an interception has been returned for a touchdown, that team has won; some things just don't change. 

The Cardinals have had many discouraging and losing seasons in their history (this season will probably add to that), yet there have been years where the Cardinals actually did win, and will end today's historical saga by going back in time to the November 16th games of the Cardinals in '47, '75, and '08! 

Slowly, coach Jimmy Conzelman has built his team into contenders entering the '47 season, and the title of today's saga comes from him. Reading Joe Ziemba's superb book ("When Football was Football")will give you plenty of insight into this extraordinary man! 

Jimmy Conzelman
art credit: Gary Thomas

Rookie star Charlie Trippi has been added, and he is the final piece to the Conzelman/Cardinal puzzle, yet they must win at home at Comiskey Park over the Packers to keep pace with their hated crosstown rivals, the Bears! Trippi plays very little in this game, but the Cardinals will find a way to win! 

Chicago's first possession is a 61-yard drive with Paul Christman pitching to Mal Kutner for 20 yards and the first salvo of the game. Green Bay moves 55 yards, and Ted Fritsch kicks a field goal to put the Pack on the scoreboard. Late in the first quarter, Fritsch intercepts Christman and on the first play of the second quarter punches over from the one. Green Bay 10, Chicago 7. 

The teams either punt or give the ball away on turnovers the rest of the quarter, with the exception of Fristsch's 44-yard field goal at 9:08 of the quarter! Twice, Green Bay had a chance to add to their lead but Fritsch missed field goal attempts of 35 & 42 yards! Half-time Green Bay 13 Chicago 7! Linebacker Ken Keuper pilfers an errant throw by Christman on the first drive of the 3rd quarter, and Indian Jack Jacobs delivers a strike to Bob Forte for 22 yards to up the lead to 20-7! 

Can Conzelman rally his boys? Christman struggles finding the mark as he completes 2 of 5 and another interception; and additionally, twice he is taken to the turf by the Packers' pass rush. Red Cochran returns Jacobs' punt 11 yards early in the 4th quarter to his own 43. Chicago drives 57 yards in nine plays to score as Pat Harder pounds into the end zone. 

Green Bay goes three and out, and here come the Cardinals to score and take the lead. Christman finds his favorite receiver, fleet All-League receiver Mal Kutner, for 27 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. Ray Mallouf punts to Canadeo with just 1:30 left with the Packers on their own 27-yard line. Twice, Jacobs delivers strikes to Nolan Luhn to gain 45 yards, and veteran clutch kicker Ward Cuff will attempt from the twenty-three. His kick is wide left! Chicago escapes 21-20 and goes on to win their only Championship. 

Don Coryell

The St. Louis Cardinals, under the guidance of Don Coryell, earned a playoff berth in 1974. Having already lost to the a resurgent Dallas Cowboys team, and the Redskins on the road in '75 to have an even slate at 2-2, the Cardinals win four straight. They must beat Washington at home to stay in the race for the a playoff berth and again possibly win the NFC East. 

Watching the highlights from "This Week in the NFL" and listening to Pat Summerall's narration for the game of November 16th was a joy. Randy Johnson, filling in at quarterback for the 'Skins, has averaged 18 yards a completion as Washington is ahead late in the game. 

Though Jim Hart has been able to get the ball to speedy Mel Gray enough to keep the Cardinals in the game, they trail 17-10 and face 4th down and goal on the Washington seven-yard line with just 25 seconds remaining. Gray darts to the endzone covered by left corner Pat Fischer as Jim Hart fires on target. One official rules incomplete, another completes and the field is a wild melee as players rejoice, despair, until the play is ruled a touchdown. 

Overtime; and here come the Cardinals with Jim Otis pounding away on inside runs (he gains 109 on 23 carries for the game). Veteran Jim Bakken, who has already missed twice today, splits the uprights; thus, St. Louis with the victory, will go on to again win the NFC East. 

The Cardinals have been in Arizona for 21 years, with very little success, but the season of 2008 is "magical" for veteran gunslinger Kurt Warner. 

Kurt Warner

November 16th, the 6-3 Cardinals travel to Seattle as Warner is again decisive & accurate in pitching the pigskin. Outstanding receivers Anquan Boldin & Larry Fitzgerald latch onto 23 passes for 337 yards during the victory! This will be Warner's 4th of five consecutive games gaining over 300 yards passing. He engineers four scoring drives in the first half as Arizona leads 16-7. 

Warner completed 22 of 28 in the first half for 257 yards. The Cardinals add to their lead in the second half to lead 26-7, with the final being 26-20. 

During the season, Warner is quoted "If you're willing to put yourself and your dreams on the line, at the very least you'll discover an inner strength you may not have known existed". Having to win on the last day of the season to earn a wild-card berth, the Cardinals again beat Seattle. 

Arizona scores 95 points in winning all three NFC playoff games (at least 30 in all three)and leads the Steelers late in the Super Bowl before the clock strikes midnight for the "Cinderella Cardinals."

The Cardinals this Sunday play a 49er team that needs to rebound after the loss to the Rams; can the Cardinals add to their success in November 16th games in their history?

We Got It "Generally Right" but "Precisely Wrong"

 by Nick Webster

A week back we published a piece about Denico Autry blocking his 12th kick in the NFL, and lo and behold, he blocked another one this past weekend.  This caused us to go back and look across Autry's career to see about any interesting streaks.  What we found is that we missed a blocked kick in 2021 - actually on 1/2/2022 - in the 2021 season.

What's our process?  We go in every Sunday night (and Monday night following MNF) and scour the Gamebooks for Sacks, Tackles, PD's, Stuffs, Blocked Kicks, Ejections, all the fun stuff and then update our records weekly.  However, there are occasional adjustments made mid-week, a solo sack becomes shared, a PD is added, etc.  The NFL publishes these post-game changes usually on Wednesday after further film review.  In this circumstance, we missed one.

So, Denico Autry now stands at 14 career blocked kicks - and rather than this last one tying him with the great Julius Peppers it puts him one clear and all alone at 14 blocks in 10th-place all-time.  Nobody currently has 15, so his next block - if he has one - won't move him up the leaderboard, and he sits behind Wahoo McDaniel and Irv Cross who each have 16.  Given the spotty history in the 1960's (particularly in the AFL) it's possible Wahoo has one or two more than have been identified, but as best we know Denico is #10 in NFL history as a kick blocker.

Review—Warfare: Pro Football of the 1990s a book by Tom Danyluk

 By John Turney  

This fall, veteran football scribe Tom Danyluk delivers "Echo Warfare: Pro Football of the 1990s", a sweeping chronicle of the NFL's most chaotic and transformative decade, published a month-and-a-half ago on September 20.

Danyluk, whose prior works like The Super '70s (published in 2016) and 2022's "Majesty and Mayhem" (on the decade of the 1980s) have cemented his reputation for vivid, insider-driven histories, resurrects an era defined by labor battles, rapid expansion, and the rise of gladiatorial stars who redefined the game. So, a book on the 1990s was a must.

From the 1987 players' strike that reshaped free agency and the 1990s to the four-team bloodbath in Super Bowls XXVII–XXX—where the Buffalo Bills suffered their infamous quartet of defeats against the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers—Tom captures the decade's raw intensity. He bootstraps readers through the league's growth from 28 to 30 teams, spotlighting the debut of the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars, while chronicling the twilight of legends like John Elway and the dawn of Brett Favre's gunslinging reign.

What sets this apart from rote recaps is Danyluk's signature mosaic of voices: over 40 interviews with coaches, executives, and players, rendered in his Q&A style. These aren't sanitized soundbites; they're gritty confessions, like former commissioner Paul Tagliabue on navigating the TV rights wars that ballooned broadcast deals to $4.4 billion, or ex-Cowboys lineman Erik Williams dissecting the "Triplets" era's locker-room bravado amid off-field scandals. There are overlooked threads, such as the 1993 "Black Monday" firings that toppled coaches like Rich Kotite, and the cultural ripple of Nike's swoosh invasion on uniforms and endorsements.

The narrative pulses with the decade's dualities: the brutal physicality of the pre-concussion-awareness grind—evident in the 1994 NFC Championship's infamous "Body Bag Game"—juxtaposed against the sport's commercialization, from Michael Strahan's gap-toothed charisma to the Fox Network's upstart $1.5 billion grab of NFC rights. Danyluk excels at humanizing the machinery, detailing how Art Modell's Cleveland Browns relocation in 1995 ignited fan fury and league reforms, or how the 1999 merger talks with the XFL foreshadowed today's media behemoth.

Danyluk's archival sleuthing shines through in unearthed box scores from forgotten preseason skirmishes and the Oilers' Houston-to-Tennessee odyssey, culminating in the Titans' near-miss in Super Bowl XXXIV. Post-decade, he traces echoes into the 2000s, like how the 1990s' salary cap innovations stabilized the salary explosion that now pays quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes nine figures.

At 412 pages, including a robust index and endnotes, the paperback lists for $24.99. Lavishly illustrated with era-specific action shots—from Emmitt Smith's stiff-arms to Steve Young's scrambling scrambles—the volume timelines the NFL's evolution from blue-collar brawl to billion-dollar spectacle.

In an age of highlight-reel posts on X and fantasy leagues, "Echo Warfare" is a trenchant reminder of the 1990s' unfiltered ferocity, where parity was forged in fire and icons were minted in mud. Danyluk's new book isn't just history; it's also for appreciating the warriors who echo through every snap today. Essential reading for any gridiron aficionado hungry for the unvarnished roar of pro football's pivot point.

I loved Danyluk's previous works and this one is on par with those. Cough up the $25, it's worth it.