NFL Old School Game of the Week: White Shoes Sparks Falcons Comeback Win over Jets

 

Billy "White Shoes" Johnson had 226 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns in the Falcons' win over the Jets in 1983.

By the time the 1983 NFL season it looked like the best days of Billy "White Shoes" Johnson were over.

The player famous for his "Funky Chicken" dance after scoring 19 touchdowns for the Houston Oilers from 1974 through 1980, five of them via punt return, was not the same player as a devasting knee injury that he suffered in 1979 had limited his explosiveness as Johnson was now returning punts for the Atlanta Falcons.

But in Week 8 of the '83 season, Johnson began a career renaissance with a remarkable performance against the New York Jets.

The Falcons came into the game with a 2-5 record as they hoped to snap a four-game losing streak during head coach Dan Henning's first season as the Atlanta head coach after taking over for Leeman Bennett who had led the Falcons to their first three playoff appearances during his six-year tenure.

The Falcons had a strong offense led by quarterback Steve Bartkowski and running back William Andrews who came into the game as the second leading rusher in the NFL with 735 yards plus wide receiver Alfred Jenkins but had a weak defense that had given up an average of 20.7 points per game through the first seven games of the season.

The Falcons traveled to the Big Apple to take on the Jets at Shea Stadium, who were loooking to get back on track as the team had stumbled to a 3-4 start after playing in the AFC Championship Game the season before.

New York had a new head coach in Joe Walton, who had served as the team's offensive coordinator for the prior two seasons, following head coach Walt Michaels' retirement following the '82 season.

The team was led by its ferocious pass rush known as the "New York Sack Exchange" which featured Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko that complied 66 quarterback sacks in 1981 as the Jets broke a 12-year playoff drought by making the playoffs in 1981 which was followed by their journey to the AFC Championship Game in 1982.

On offense, the Jets were led by veteran quarterback Richard Todd, who was trying to keep his job as the team's starting quarterback as New York had selected Ken O'Brien with their first round back in the 1983 NFL Draft.

With running back Freeman McNeil out with a dislocated shoulder, the Jets hoped for a big day from Todd, much like the one he had against the Los Angeles Rams when he threw for 446 yards in 27-24 overtime win(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2024/12/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-jets-beat.html).

The Jets would get a short field to start the game as kick returner Preston Brown returned the opening kickoff 44 yards to the 50-yard-line as New York opened with four straight running plays that gained 20 yards to move the Jets to the Falcons' 30-yard-line.

Todd would throw his first pass of the game, an one-yard completion to tight end Jerome Barkum that turned into a turnover when Falcons linebacker Fulton Kuykendoll knocked the ball loose as free safety Bob Glazebrook would recover the fumble to give Atlanta the ball at their 29-yard-line.

The two teams would exchange punts until later in the first quarter when the Jets drove from their 42-yard-line to the Falcons' 19-yard-line as Todd completed three passes for 37 yards on the drive until he was picked off on a pass intended for wide receiver Wesley Walker in the end zone by Atlanta cornerback Bobby Butler to end the New York scoring threat and give the Falcons the ball at their 20-yard-line.

The Jets defense would force a three-and-out from the Falcons to give their offense the ball back at their 23-yard-line as two plays went nowhere as the Jets would face a 3rd & 11 from their 22-yard-line as the second quarter began.

It looked like the Falcons were going to force a three-and-out as Bruce Harper fell in the backfield after a handoff from Todd, only for him to get up as he was not touched and ran for a 78-yard touchdown to give the Jets a 7-0 lead.

After another Atlanta three-and-out, the Jets got the ball at their 37-yard-line as Todd completed two passes to Walker for 31 yards and connected with running back Scott Dierking for 11 yards to help move New York to the Falcons' 27-yard-line where Pat Leahy would come on to attempt a 44-yard field goal.

However, Leahy's kick would sail wide left of the uprights to keep the score at 7-0 as the Falcons would go three-and-out again on their ensuing possession as the Jets would get the ball back at their 20-yard-line with 5:31 to go in the second quarter.

Falcons quarterback Steve Bartkowski completed 25 of 36 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns.

The Jets would again drive deep into Falcons territory as New York would drive 71 yards in 11 plays to set up another field goal attempt for Leahy, this one from 26 yards out, only for it to be blocked by Falcons linebacker Rich Dixon to give Atlanta the ball at their 20-yard-line with 1:14 left before halftime.

The Falcons would drive to the Jets' 21-yard-line as Bartkowski would complete five straight passes for 55 yards but Atlanta would fumble the football on the final play of the first half as wide receiver Alfred Jenkins coughed up the football at the end of a 19-yard catch as Jets defensive back Kirk Springs would make the recovery to end the first half with New York ahead 7-0.

The Falcons would get the ball to start the second half but they would go three-and-out as the Jets begin their first drive of the second half at their 47-yard-line as two runs by Dwayne Crutchfield gained four yards to set up 3rd & 6 when Todd completed a 10-yard pass to Dierking for a New York 1st down at the Atlanta 39-yard-line.

From there, Todd would complete three straight passes for 35 yards to put the Jets at the Falcons' four-yard-line when Dierking took a handoff and run up through the middle for the touchdown to extend the Jets' lead to 14-0 with 9:16 left in the third quarter.

It looked the wheels were coming off for the Falcons when on the second play of their ensuing possession, Bartkowski had a pass bounce off the hands of tight end Arthur Cox and into the arms of linebacker Lance Mehl to give the Jets the ball at the Atlanta 47-yard-line.

Todd would then complete an eight-yard pass to Derrick Gaffney, followed by a 30-yard pass to Lam Jones to move the sticks to the Falcons' nine-yard-line as Mike Augustyniak would carry the ball for six yards then get another carry which resulted in a three-yard touchdown as New York pushed its lead to 21-0 with 6:29 to go in the third quarter.

The Falcons would begin their next possession at their eight-yard-line as running back Gerald Riggs came into the game and seemed to provide a spark as he carried the ball four times for 30 yards to help drive Atlanta to the Jets' 44-yard-line until Bartkowski was intercepted again, this time by Jets cornerback Bobby Jackson to give New York the ball at their 38-yard-line.

The Jets would go three-and-out as they punted the ball back to the Falcons who took over at their 18-yard-line as Bartkowski would complete passes of 17 yards to Riggs, then 21 yards to Stacey Bailey to move Atlanta into New York territory at the Jets' 44-yard-line.

Following a three-yard run by Riggs, Bartkowski would go back to Bailey as the two connected for a 26-yard completion to move the Falcons to the Jets' 15-yard-line when "White Shoes" would begin his takeover of the game.

Bartkowski would complete a short pass to Johnson, who would then weave his way through the Jets' defense to get into the end zone for the 15-yard touchdown to cut the Falcons' deficit to 21-7 with four seconds to go in the third quarter.

The Jets would be forced to punt on their next possession as a holding on right tackle Marvin Powell nullified a 16-yard pass from Todd to tight end Mickey Shuler that would have given New York a 1st down in Falcons territory when "White Shoes" struck again as Johnson returned the punt 41 yards to the Jets' 25-yard-line 

It would take the Falcons just one play to get into the end zone as Bartkowski hit a wide open Andrews over the middle for the 25-yard touchdown to cut the New York lead to 21-14 with 12:23 to go in the fourth quarter.

With momentum on their side, the Falcons were set to get the ball back after their defense forced a three-and-out from the Jets' offense as they would punt the ball when Johnson would make his third and thus far biggest play of the game.

Johnson would catch the ball at his 29-yard-line and immediately break the tackle of the Jets' Johnny Hector as "White Shoes" would run down the left sideline before faking out punter Chuck Ramsey at the New York 20-yard-line and run into the end zone for the 71-yard touchdown, the Falcons' third touchdown in a span of four minutes and nine seconds to tie the game at 21 with 10:55 left in regulation.

The Jets looked to get back on track on their next possession which began at their 34-yard-line with a nine-yard pass from Todd to Harper followed by an apparent 26-yard pass to Shuler that was wiped out because of a holding penalty on left tackle Chris Ward as the Falcons would force the Jets another three-and-out.

New York would punt the ball back to Johnson, who would muff the punt but recover his own fumble as the Falcons would get the ball back at their 31-yard-line as Atlanta would drive 55 yards in 11 plays, the longest play being a 21-yard pass from Bartkowski to Johnson, to set up a 32-yard field goal by Mick Luckhurst to give the Falcons their first lead of the game at 24-21 with 3:37 left in regulation.

After another three-and-out by the Jets, the Falcons would begin their next possession at their 39-yard-line as a false start penalty and an incomplete pass would set up a 2nd & 15 when Johnson would strike one more time as he ran for 36 yards on an end-around to give Atlanta a 1st down at the New York 27-yard-line.

The Falcons would settle for a 40-yard field goal by Luckhurst to increase the Atlanta lead to 27-21 with 1:48 left in the game as the Jets would get one last chance to salvage from an embarrassing defeat.

But Todd would throw three straight incomplete passes to force a do-or-die 4th down situation where Todd was picked off by Falcons strong safety Tom Pridemore to seal the 27-21 win for the Falcons as they had pulled off the greatest comeback in team history by overcoming a 21-point deficit thanks to "White Shoes" who finished with four catches for 57 yards, three runs for 53 yards, and four punt returns for 116 yards.

The Jets would not return to the postseason as they would finish the season with a 7-9 record as Todd would be traded to the New Orleans Saints in the offseason, allowing for O'Brien to take over as the starting quarterback as would led New York to two playoff appearances in 1985 and 1986.

The Falcons would also finish with a 7-9 record as Johnson would be named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year as he would end the season with 64 catches for 709 yards and four touchdowns including a memorable game-winning Hail Mary touchdown catch on the final play of the Falcons' 28-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers(To read about that game, click on the link highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/11/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-white-shoes.html).

Johnson would play four more years for the Falcons, leading the team in receptions and yards in 1985 as he caught 62 passes for 830 yards, then would play one game for the Washington Redskins in 1988 which would be the final stop in "White Shoes" 14-year NFL career.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Jets Beat Rams in Wild Game Overshadowed by Brawl

Pat Leahy is hugged by his holder after his game-winning field goal in the Jets' 1983 win over the Rams.

The 1983 Week 4 meeting between the Los Angeles Rams and the New York Jets had a little bit of everything: there were long touchdowns runs, a combined 678 passing yards between the two teams, blocked filed goals, and a fight which would ended up being the most memorable moment of this game.

The Jets came into the game with a 1-2 record as they would coming off a season in which they made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game before being knocked off by the Miami Dolphins 14-0 in the infamous "Mud Bowl".

Seventeen days after their loss to the Dolphins, head coach Walt Michaels would resign though many believe, saying he needed a break from football, though many believe he was pressured by the front office to step down.

Michaels was replaced by his offensive coordinator Joe Walton in an off-season which saw the Jets use their first round pick to select quarterback Ken O'Brien, putting incumbent starting quarterback Richard Todd's days in New York in jeopardy.

Despite all this turmoil, the Jets would seen as Super Bowl contenders thanks to running back Freeman McNeil, who was the league's leading rusher in 1982 and their defensive line known as the "New York Sack Exchange" which featured defensive ends Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko plus defensive tackles Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam.

However, the "Sack Exchange" would have a new member for 1983 as Kenny Neil would be promoted as Salaam would be relegated to a backup just two years after the defensive line had combined for 66 quarterback sacks.

Gastineau would become the most well known member of the group primarily because of his infamous "sack dance" as he would go into wild celebrations every time he had sacked the quarterback making him a target to the rest of the league as many felt his antics were disrespectful.

Things would come to a head as far as Gastineau's celebration was concerned when the Jets hosted the Rams at Shea Stadium in week 4 of the '83 season.

The Rams came into the game with a 2-1 record as they were also led by a first year head coach as John Robinson had taken over as the LA head coach after a succesful seven-year run as the USC Trojans head coach as he went 67-14-1 during that time which included three Rose Bowl victories and a share of the 1978 national championship.

Robinson's USC teams had been led by great running backs such as Charles White and Marcus Allen as his first year with the Rams was no exception as the team used traded up to the #2 overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft to select running back Eric Dickerson, one half of the famous "Pony Express" at SMU.

Dickerson ran for a combined 254 yards and scored four touchdowns in his teams's first three games as the Rams looked to return to the postseason for the first time since 1980.

The Jets would get the ball to start the game as they would drive from their 27-yard-line to the Los Angeles 49-yard-line until Todd was intercepted on a deep pass by Rams cornerback Kirk Collins to give LA the ball at its own 13-yard-line.

After he ran for two yards on 1st down, Dickerson would run though a hole behind his left tackle and outran the Jets defense for an 85-yard touchdown to give the Rams a 7-0 lead.

Following an exchange of punts, the Jets got the ball at their 20-yard-line as it took New York two plays to get into Los Angeles territory as Todd completed a 13-yard pass to McNeil which was followed by a 35-yard pass to Walker to put the Jets at the Rams' 32-yard-line.

An incomplete pass and a six-yard loss for McNeil would bring up 3rd & 16 when Todd beat the LA blitz and hit Lam Jones for a 33-yard gain to give the Jets a 1st & goal at the Rams five-yard-line.

McNeil would then run it for an apparent five-yard touchdown only to have it called back because of a holding penalty which pushed the Jets back to the Rams' 15-yard-line where they would replay 1st & goal.

That is when Todd found Walker in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at seven midway through the first quarter.

The Rams would begin their next possession at their 20-yard-line as an incomplete pass and a nine-yard pass from quarterback Vince Ferragamo to Mike Barber would set up 3rd & 1 when Ferragamo was picked off by Jets free safety Derrol Ray to give New York the ball at their 37-yard-line.

The Jets would drive to the Rams' 34-yard-line until Todd had a pass intended for Jones that was deflected by Rams strong safety Nolan Cromwell and then intercepted by Collins whose 58-yard return gave LA the ball at the New York 12-yard-line.

Dickerson would run for seven yards on 1st down then run it in for a five-yard touchdown to give the Rams a 14-7 lead with 2:13 to go in the first quarter.

The Jets would get great field position to start their next possession as Preston Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 46 yards to the New York 46-yard-line as McNeil would carry the ball on the next two plays, gaining 13 yards to put the Jets at the Rams' 41-yard-line.

However at the end of his second carry, McNeil would be lost for the rest of the game as he separated his right shoulder following a tackle by Rams linebacker George Andrews.

New York would drive to the Los Angeles 31-yard-line until a quarterback sack by Rams defensive end Jack Youngblood would kill the drive and force the Jets to punt the ball back to the Rams, who took over at their 20-yard-line early in the second quarter.

The New York defense would force a punt to give their offense the ball back at their 26-yard-line as Todd led the Jets to the Rams' 40-yard-line until he was sacked by LA linebacker Mel Owens causing a fumble which Owens recovered to give Los Angeles the ball at the New York 43-yard-line.

Eric Dickerson would finish with 192 yards on 28 carries and scored two touchdowns.

The Rams would advance to the Jets' 25-yard-line before calling on Chuck Nelson to attempt a 43-yard field goal which sailed wide right of the uprights, only for Nelson to get a second chance as the Rams were called for a false start which pushed LA back five yards to the New York 30-yard-line.

But Nelson's second attempt would be even worse for the Rams than his first as Jets defensive tackle Kenny  Neil would block the kick as cornerback Jerry Holmes would scoop up the loose ball and run 57 yards for the touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 14 with 4:47 left in the second quarter.

The Rams would begin their next possession at their 20-yard-line as a 46-yard pass from Ferragamo to Gordon Jones help Los Angeles drive to the Jets' 16-yard-line until they were faced with a 4th & inches situation.

Instead of going for the field goal, Robinson decided to go for the 1st down as Ferragamo handed the ball off to Dickerson who was stopped at the line of scrimmage by Jets linebacker Lance Mehl to force a turnover on downs and give New York the ball at its 16-yard-line with 1:12 left before halftime.

The Jets would move to their 45-yard-line until a quarterback sack by Rams defensive end Gary Jeter would help stop the drive as New York would run out the clock on the first half and go into the locker room with the game tied at 14.

After both teams went three-and-out to start the second half, the Rams got the ball at their 31-yard-line as LA would methodically drive down to the Jets' six-yard-line when on 3rd & goal, Ferragamo was sacked by Gastineau for a nine-yard-loss.

Gastineau would then get up and start doing his sack dance until Rams right tackle Jackie Slater pushed him from behind as Lyons would hit Slater in retaliation as both benches would empty in a brawl that would stop the game for a few minutes.

Surprisingly, no one was ejected from the game as  offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties would be assessed as a combined 37 players, 21 for the Rams and 16 for the Jets, would be fined by the NFL one month after the brawl occurred.

When the game resumed, Nelson would come on to kick a 34-yard field goal to give Los Angeles a 17-14 lead with 6:04 remaining in the third quarter.

The LA defense would force the Jets to go three-and-out on their next possession to give their offense the ball back at their 25-yard-line as two runs by Dickerson picked up 15 yards until Ferragamo put the ball in the air and was intercepted by Mehl to give New York the ball at the Rams' 42-yard-line.

The Jets would over come a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as Todd completed passes of 12 yards to tight end Mickey Shuler and 13 yards to running back Bruce Harper to give New York a 1st down at the Rams' 32-yard-line when a holding penalty cost New York 10 yards and pushed them back to the LA 42-yard-line.

That is when Todd went deep and hit Walker in the end zone for a 42-yard touchdown to give the Jets their first lead of the game at 21-17 with 70 seconds to go in the third quarter.

Following a LA three-and-out, the Jets took over at their 29-yard-line as Todd would complete four passes for 53 yards on a 10-play, 53-yard drive to set up a 35-yard field goal attempt by Pat Leahy.

However, the kick would be blocked by Rams defensive back Ivory Sully as free safety Johnnie Johnson would pick up the football and run it back to the 50-yard-line where the LA offense would take over.

But the Rams could not take advantage of the blocked kick as Ferragamo would be intercepted again by Ray, whose 35-yard return gave the Jets the ball at their 48-yard-line.

From there, the Jets would drive to the Rams' five-yard-line until Leahy was called on to attempt a 22-yard field goal which he made to extend New York's lead to 24-17 with 4:41 to go in regulation.

Following a 30-yard return by Robert Alexander on the ensuing kickoff, the Rams would take over at their 31-yard-line needing a touchdown and an extra point to tie the game and send into overtime.

The drive would begin with an eight-yard pass from Ferragamo to Barber followed by an incomplete pass to set up 3rd & 2 when Dickerson ran for three yards to give Los Angeles a fresh set of downs at their 42-yard-line.

Ferragamo would then complete a seven-yard pass to Barber which was followed by a 19-yard pass to George Farmer to put the Rams at the Jets' 32-yard-line as the two-minute warning arrived.

Ferragamo would go back to Farmer go for seven yards as a holding penalty and an incomplete pass would bring up 3rd & 13 when Farmer made a 21-yard reception to give the Rams a fresh set of downs at the Jets' 14-yard-line.

An offside penalty on Klecko and a seven-yard run by Dickerson gave the Rams a 1st & goal at the New York two-yard-line when Ferragamo threw a two-yard touchdown pass to fullback Mike Guman that with the extra point tied the game at 24 with 32 seconds to go in regulation.

The Jets would take a knee to run out the clock in regulation and send the game into overtime with the game tied at 24 as New York won the coin toss and elected to take the ball to start the fifth quarter.

Jets quarterback Richard Todd would complete 37 of 50 passes for 446 yards and throw two touchdown passes.

Holding penalties would derail the Jets' drive as they would punt the ball back to the Rams who would take over at their 13-yard-line with 12:35 to go in the overtime session.

The Rams would move into Jets territory as Dickerson ran for 10 yards to start the LA possession then caught a 22-yard pass from Ferragamo to give LA a 1st down at the New York 48-yard-line.

After two straight running plays picked up five yards to set up 3rd & 15, Ferragamo would throw his third interception of the game as Holmes, who had returned the blocked field goal for a touchdown earlier in the game, made his second big play as he picked off the pass intended for Farmer and returned it 30 yards to give New York the ball at the 50-yard-line.

Another holding penalty would push the Jets back 10 yards where they faced a 1st & 20 as Todd completed a six-yard pass to Harper, then a 10-yard pass to Derrick Gaffney to set up 3rd & 4 when Todd found Scott Dierking for 19 yards and a 1st down at the Rams' 25-yard-line.

From there, the Jets ran the ball four straight times, picking up 18 yards before calling on Leahy to attempt a game-winning field goal from 25 yards out.

Leahy, who was questionable to play because of back spasms, would calmly make the 25-yard kick to give the Jets a wild 27-24 overtime win over the Rams.

The Rams would recover from the loss to finish the season with a 9-7 record, good enough to earn a spot in the NFC Wild Card game which they secured with a 26-24 win over the New Orleans Saints in the regular season finale(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2019/09/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-rams-last.html).

The Rams would go on to upset the Dallas Cowboys 24-17 in the NFC Wild Card Game to advance to the divisional round of the NFC Playoffs where they would be destroyed by the Washington Redskins 51-7.

As for the Jets, they could not live up to their Super Bowl expectations as they would finish with a 7-9 record despite Gastineau's league leading 19 quarterback sacks.

In the off-season, Gastineau's sack dance would be banned as the NFL decided that any "prolonged, excessive or premeditated celebration" would result in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for the individual or individuals performing the celebration leading the creating of the "Mark Gastineau Rule".

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Cowboys Overcome 21 Point 4th Quarter Deficit to Defeat Saints

Dallas quarterback Danny White would come off the bench to lead the Cowboys to a comeback win over the Saints in 1984.

As the New Orleans Saints traveled to the state of Texas to take on the Dallas Cowboys in week 8 of the 1984 NFL season, both teams came into the game with questions at quarterback.

The Cowboys came into the 1984 season with a new starting quarterback as Gary Hogeboom took over for incumbent Danny White, despite the fact that White had led "America's Team" to four straight playoff appearances, including three consecutive trips to the NFC Championship Game from 1980-82, after taking over for the legendary Roger Staubach.

Hogeboom and the Cowboys got off to a 4-1 start only to lose their next two games as Hogeboom had thrown for zero touchdowns and four interceptions during the losing streak and had been replaced in both games by White.

Head Coach Tom Landry would give Hogeboom another chance as he would start the Cowboys' game against the Saints while White would serve as the backup quarterback to go along with his punting duties, a position White had held since his NFL career began back in 1976.

On the other side were the 3-4 New Orleans Saints who had their own quarterback controversy as former New York Jets quarterback Richard Todd had taken over the starting job from Ken Stabler, who had been the Saints' starting quarterback the year before in helping New Orleans accomplish its best season in team history with a 8-8 record.

Stabler had relived Todd because of poor play in the third game of the season, a 30-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, then alternated with Todd in the Saints' Week 7 game series by series during the first half of their 28-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

For the game against the Cowboys, head coach Bum Phillips would name Todd as the starter as the 39-yard Stabler would be the team's backup as New Orleans played Dallas in a rare Sunday Night game(Sunday Night games would not become a regular thing until 1987).

 The Cowboys got the ball to start the game as they would drive from their 29-yard-line to the Saints' 20-yard-line, thanks in large part to two passes from Hogeboom to Tony Hill for 34 yards, to set up a 37-yard field goal by Rafael Septien to give Dallas a 3-0 lead with 9:48 left in the first quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Saints would drive from their 31-yard-line to the Dallas' 30-yard-line until an holding penalty stalled the drive and led to a New Orleans punt that would go out of bounds at the Cowboys' one-yard-line.

The Saints defense would force a three-and-out to get the ball back in Dallas territory early in the second quarter when Todd beat a Cowboys blitz to fire a 36-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyrone Young to give New Orleans a 7-3 lead just 61 seconds into the second quarter.

After another Cowboys punt, the Saints got the ball back at their 11-yard-line as four straight running plays picked up 14 yards to set up a 2nd & 7 situation when Todd was intercepted by Dallas free safety Michael Downs to give the Cowboys the ball at the New Orleans 29-yard-line.

A 13-yard pass from Hogeboom to Mike Renfro would help set up a 27-yard field goal by Septien that cut the Saints' lead to 7-6 with 4:35 remaining in the second quarter.

The Saints would begin their next possession at their 10-yard-line with Todd scrambling for 13 yards, followed by a 15-yard run by running back Earl Campbell to give New Orleans a 1st down at its 38-yard-line when fullback Hokie Gajan took a handoff from Todd around the left side and outran the Cowboys' defense for a 62-yard touchdown that increased the Saints lead to 14-6 with 2:54 left before halftime.

The Saints would force another Dallas punt before the end of the first half to get the ball back at their 17-yard-line when they went to the no-huddle offense to drive to the Cowboys' 31-yard-line as Campbell carried three times for 19 yards while Todd completed three of five passes for 32 yards on the drive which ended with a 49-yard field goal by Morten Andersen to push New Orleans' lead to 17-6 after the first 30 minutes of play.

Saints running back Earl Campbell would run for 67 yards on 12 carries.

The New Orleans offense would be given great field position to start the second half as Tyrone Anthony returned the opening kickoff 41 yards to the Saints 45-yard-line as they would drive 22 yards in six plays to set up a 50-yard field goal by Andersen to increase the lead to 20-6.

Things would go from bad to worse for the Cowboys on their ensuing possession when Hogeboom was picked off by Saints linebacker Dirt Winston, who returned it 43 yards for a pick-six, the third time a Hogeboom interception would be returned for a touchdown this season, which pushed New Orleans' lead to 27-6 with 9:21 left in the third quarter.

To add injury to insult, Hogeboom sprained his right wrist on the play, knocking him out of the game as White would take over at quarterback to add in to his punting duties.

White's insertion at quarterback did not provide a spark as the Cowboys would pick up one 1st down before punting the ball back to the Saints who would get the ball back at their 34-yard-line.

New Orleans would drive to the Dallas' 37-yard-line until reserve running back Wayne Wilson fumbled the football after a hit by Ed "Too Tall" Jones leading to a recovery by Downs at the Cowboys' 25-yard-line.

Dallas would hold the ball for the rest of the third quarter until they were forced to punt again to give the ball back to the Saints at their 38-yard-line.

The Cowboys would cut into the Saints' lead early in the fourth quarter when reserve running back Chuck McSwain blocked a New Orleans punt which Dallas would convert into a three-yard touchdown run by Dorsett that cut the Saints' lead to 27-13 with 13:21 to go in the fourth quarter.

Despite the setback, the Saints would get another great kickoff return by Anthony on the ensuing kickoff as his 64-yard return gave New Orleans the ball at the Dallas 29-yard-line.

But the Cowboys defense would allow only one yard on the next three plays to force the Saints to call on Andersen to attempt a 45-yard field goal, only for the kick to sail wide right and no good to keep the score at 27-13 in favor of New Orleans.

However, the Cowboys could not take advantage of the field goal miss as White would be picked off by Saints cornerback Dave Waymer to give New Orleans the ball at its 34-yard-line.

The Cowboys would force a New Orleans punt to give their offense the ball back at their 12-yard-line as Dallas would drive down the field on the right arm of White as he completed eight of 12 passes for 85 yards on the 13-play, 88-yard drive which ended with White throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Renfro to bring the Cowboys to within a touchdown at 27-20 with 3:59 to go in regulation.

When the Saints' offense came back onto the field, they came out with Stabler at quarterback as Todd could not continue because of a sprained knee.

A holding penalty would lead to a 3rd & 18 situation at the Saints' nine-yard-line when Stabler was sacked by Cowboys defensive tackle Randy White who knocked the ball loose which led to a recovery by defensive end Jim Jeffcoat in the end zone for a Dallas touchdown that with Septien's extra point tied the game at 27 with 2:53 left in regulation.

With their three touchdown lead having disappeared, the Saints would start their next possession at their 19-yard-line as Stabler would complete a 29-yard pass to wide receiver Jeff Groth to help put New Orleans at the Dallas 46-yard-line when Stable was picked off by Downs to give the Cowboys the ball at their 30-yard-line with 80 seconds left in regulation and a chance to drive for the game-winning score.

However, the Saints defense would sack White twice to force a three-and-out and give their offense the ball back at their 48-yard-line with 46 seconds to go as Stabler would throw two straight incomplete passes before throwing another interception as Cowboys cornerback Ron Fellows made the pick with 26 seconds left.

The Saints would force another three-and-out only to take a knee to run out the remaining time in regulation as the game would go into overtime tied at 27.

Rafael Septien is embraced by his teammates after his game-winning field goal.

The Cowboys would win the overtime coin toss and would take the ball as McSwain would return the overtime kickoff 24 yards to the Dallas 29-yard-line.

The Saints would the verge of another three-and-out as the first two plays gained zero yards to force a 3rd & 10 when White's pass intended for Hill fell incomplete but drew a 24-yard pass interference penalty on New Orleans cornerback Johnnie Poe to give the Cowboys a 1st down at the Saints' 47-yard-line.

From there, White would complete a 15-yard pass to Renfro as Dallas would drive to the New Orleans' 24-yard-line when Landry called on Septien to attempt the game-winning field goal from 41 yards out.

Septien's kick was true as it sailed through the uprights to complete the greatest comeback in Dallas Cowboys history as they had come back from 21 points to down to knock off the Saints 30-27 in overtime.

Five days after the collapse against the Cowboys, the Saints quarterback controversy would be resolved as Stabler announced his retirement from the league, leaving Todd as the New Orleans starting quarterback.

Todd would direct the Saints to a 7-9 record as the Saints would have to wait until 1987 to accomplish the first winning season in team history.

As for the Cowboys, their quarterback controversy would continue throughout the season as White and Hogeboom would alternate at quarterback until White regained the starting job for the final four games of the regular season, which included a 28-21 loss to the Miami Dolphins in the regular season finale which eliminated Dallas from competing in the NFL Playoffs for the first time since 1974.(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2019/09/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-marino.html).

White would be the starting quarterback for the 1985 season as he led the Cowboys back to the playoffs before playing three more seasons in Dallas until his retirement following the 1988 season.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Jets Nip Dolphins in Battle for 1st Place in AFC East

 

Jets tight end Jerome Barkum catches what would be the game-winning touchdown pass.

First place in the AFC East division was on the line when the Miami Dolphins traveled to Shea Stadium to take on the New York Jets during Week 12 of the 1981 NFL season.

The Dolphins came into the game with a 7-3-1 record under head coach Don Shula who was in his 12th season as the Miami head coach, but his first without quarterback Bob Griese, who had retired following the 1980 season and was replaced by second-year quarterback David Woodley.

Woodley's role was that of game manager as the strength of the Dolphins was their running game which featured tailback Tony Nathan and fullback Andra Franklin plus their defense nicknamed the "Killer Bees" as five of the 11 Miami starters had the first letter of their last name start with the letter "B" as Miami was looking for its ninth season of at least 10 wins and seventh trip to the postseason since Shula became head coach.

While a game with first place up for grabs in late November was nothing new for the Dolphins, it was a new feeling for the Jets who came into the came with a 6-4-1 record as New York was hoping to return to the playoffs for the first time since 1969.

The Jets were led by head coach Walt Michaels, who was in his fifth season as the New York head coach and had directed the Jets back from the dead after a 0-3 start to the 1981 season.

Like the Dolphins, the Jets' strength was on defense with a defensive line that was nicknamed the "New York Sack Exchange" which featured Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons, and Abdul Salaam as the Jets would lead the league in quarterback sacks.

On offense, the Jets had Richard Todd at quarterback, who was in his seventh season in New York having taking over for Joe Namath following the 1976 season and rookie Freeman McNeil at running back.

If the Jets could knock off the Dolphins, they would be tied with Miami for 1st place in the AFC East division with New York holding the tiebreaker as the Jets would be 1-0-1 in their two meetings over the Dolphins(The two teams played to a 28-28 tie in Week 5).

 After both teams punted on their opening possessions of the game, the Jets were able to drive 72 yards in 12 plays to set up a 29-yard field goal by Pat Leahy to give New York a 3-0 lead with 3:15 to go in the first quarter.

The Jets would force a three-and-out by the Dolphins to get the ball back at their 41-yard-line as the New York offense would drive to the Miami 25-yard-line when a quarterback sack by Miami linebacker Earnest Rhone leading the Jets to settle for a 49-yard field goal by Leahy which increased New York's lead to 6-0 early in the second quarter.

The "New York Sack Exchange" held the Dolphins to 187 yards of total offense.

The Dolphins would begin their ensuing possession at their 20-yard-line when Woodley would complete three straight passes that picked up 21 yards which were followed by three straight running plays that totaled 14 yards to put Miami at the New York 45-yard-line.

From there, Woodley would a 14-yard pass to running back Tony Nathan which was followed by a 14-yard pass to Duriel Harris that put the Dolphins at the Jets' 17-yard-line.

Two plays later on 3rd & 7, Woodley would scramble for 10 yards to set up 1st & goal at the Jets' four-yard-line when Woodley pitched the ball to Nathan who was able to punch it in for the touchdown that with the extra point to give the Dolphins a 7-6 lead with 4:56 to go in the second quarter.

The "Killer Bees" would make its presence felt on the Jets' ensuing drive as linebacker A.J. Duhe knocked the ball loose from McNeil, leading to a recovery by fellow linebacker Don Gordon to give Miami the ball at the New York 33-yard-line.

However, the Miami offense would go backwards as tight end Ronnie Lee lost five yards on a short pass on 2nd down followed by a quarterback sack by Salaam to force the Dolphins to punt the ball back to the Jets who took over at their 12-yard-line.

Following an incomplete pass on 1st down, Todd would be sacked in the end zone by Gordon for a safety which increased the Dolphins' lead to 9-6 and gave them the ball back following a free kick by the Jets as Miami would begin its next possession at its 49-yard-line with 1:55 left in the first half.

A six-yard run by Eddie Hill put the Dolphins in Jets territory which was followed by an incomplete pass to set up 3rd & 4 when a eight-yard pass to Nathan which coupled with a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Klecko gave Miami a 1st down at the New York 22-yard-line.

The "New York Sack Exchange" would strike again as Gastineau sacked Woodley for a seven-yard loss which lead the Dolphins to settle for a 46-yard field goal by Uwe von Schamann that increased the Miami lead to 12-6 as the first half came to an end.

The third quarter would be a defensive stalemate as both teams traded punts until McNeil fumbled the football after a hit by Dolphins defensive end Doug Betters leading to a recovery by nose tackle Bob Baumhower at the Miami 48-yard-line, only for Miami to give the ball right back to the Jets as Woodley was intercepted by New York linebacker Stan Blinka whose 15-yard return gave New York the ball at the Miami 47-yard-line.

The Jets would drive to the Dolphins' 18-yard-line until another quarterback sack by Rhone for a 10-yard-loss led to another field goal by Leahy, this one from 45 yards out to cut the Miami lead in half to 12-9 just 40 seconds into the fourth quarter.

After both teams went three-and-out on their ensuing possessions, the Dolphins got the ball at their 20-yard-line with 10:31 to go in the fourth quarter as Miami would hold the ball for over seven minutes as they ran the ball 11 straight times for 75 yards.

A 26-yard run by Woodley to begin the drive and a 20-yard run by Franklin were the biggest plays of the drive which culminated with a 23-yard field goal by von Schmann which increased the Dolphins lead to 15-9 with 3:10 left in the fourth quarter.

Following a 16-yard return by Bruce Harper on the ensuing kickoff, the Jets would take over at their 23-yard-line with exactly three minutes left in regulation for New York to drive down the field for a potential game-winning touchdown.

Quarterback Richard Todd would complete seven of 10 passes for 74 yards on the Jets' 11-play, 77-yard game-winning touchdown drive.

McNeil would touch the ball on the next two plays as he caught a swing pass for eight yards to start the drive followed by a three-yard run to give the Jets a 1st down at the New York 34-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.

A two-yard pass to Harper and an incomplete pass set up 3rd & 8 when Todd fired a pass over the middle for running back Scott Diekering for nine yards to give the Jets a 1st down at their 45-yard-line.

That is when Todd completed passes of 18 yards to Wesley Walker and 12 yards to Lam Jones to put the Jets at the Dolphins' 25-yard-line with less than a minute to go.

After an incomplete pass, Todd would hit Jones for 14 yards and another 1st down at the 11-yard-line as Todd took a shot at the end zone as his 1st down pass fell incomplete to set up 2nd & 10.

That is when Todd threw a pass over the middle that was caught by tight end Jerome Barkum in the end zone which tied the game at 15 with 16 seconds to go in regulation.

Leahy would come on to kick the go-ahead extra point as the Dolphins can not pull off a miracle in the final seconds as the Jets came away with the 16-15 win and tie them with Miami for 1st place in the AFC East with a 7-4-1 record with New York holding the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Dolphins.

The Jets would remain in 1st place for two more weeks until a loss a 27-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks coupled with a Miami 24-14 win over the New England Patriots put the Dolphins back in 1st place with an one-game lead.

The Dolphins would end the season with a 11-4-1 record finishing just one game ahead of the Jets who finished with a 10-5-1, to give Miami the AFC East title while New York earned a Wild Card spot to give the Jets their first playoff berth since 1969.

Both teams would be one-and-done in the playoffs as the Jets lost 31-27 to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card Game while the Dolphins would lose the "Epic in Miami", a 41-38 overtime defeat to the San Diego Chargers.

While the Jets did not finish the season in 1st place in the AFC East, their 1981 season was start of a eight-year period which featured five winning seasons and four playoff appearances, including a trip to the 1982 AFC Championship Game.