1971 Raiders at Pats - Rams at Saints GOTW week 1

opening day 1971 this is the first week in the National Football League's 52nd year and over 700,000 fans in twelve different stadiums saw a rash of surprises which refer berated for out the entire league today we bring you two of the biggest shockers in their professional debuts the NFL's number one and number two college draft choices Jim Plunkett and Archie Manning led their new clubs to upsets over two of the powerhouses in football today we'll see the Oakland Raiders inaugurate the New England Patriots new stadium then we'll watch the Los Angeles Rams play the New Orleans Saints in Tulane Stadium I'm Bob Delaney and this is the NFL game of the week [Music] this is spanking-new Schafer's Stadium in Foxborough Massachusetts for over 55,000 I saw a new stadium a new coach and a new quarterback the opponents are John Madden's highly rated Oakland Raiders and well they should be at quarterback alone they have Daryle Lamonica George Blanda and Ken Stabler with this plethora of talent Oakland has good reason to smile New England's John Mazur smiles not as often he's in the midst of a rebuilding program with the Patriots and it all begins with this man number 16 Jim Plunkett Plunkett of course was Stanford's Heisman winning quarterback and the first man picked from all the college players in the land originally he was to play a backup role to joke cap but caps abrupt departure altered the patriot plans and on this first Sunday of the season New England fans and the entire football world were eagerly awaiting the debut of Jim Plunkett Plunkett and the Pats got off to a slow start mostly on the ground in fact it wasn't until the end of the first quarter but the rookie quarterback attempted his first pass as a pro it was incomplete and ironically batted down by number 31 another number one draft choice Oakland's Jack Tatum whom Plunkett faced in the Rose Bowl two plays later however behind excellent protection from his offensive line Jim Plunkett completed his first pass in professional football it was a strike over the middle to another rookie number 86 Roland Moss a tight end from Toledo the past play was good for 14 yards but the Patriots were going nowhere because the Oakland defense was simply superb the only other yardage the Patriots could gain in the entire first half was a paltry 10 yards running their totals for two quarters were 24 yards gained [Music] Oakland on the other hand had been moving well although not scoring but late in the second quarter Lamonica got them going in high gear after a pass to Fred blitt in the car for one first down he hit ray Chester for another the big tight end almost got around two defenders to go all the way [Music] two plays later the former Notre Dame quarterback looked right then threw left to his outlet Pete Bama sack [Music] Vanna sak broke a tackle by number 57 Steve Connor Joop number 50 Jim Chang ski off his feet and bolted to the new england four yard line on the next play with a minute three left in the half Vanna sak swept left and just made it over the flag for the touchdown Oakland had gone sixty yards in ten well-executed plays Oakland now led six nothing soon to be seven right wrong for those who think extra points are automatic watch [Music] the half ended with Auckland out in front six to nothing the second half was a completely different ballgame New England led by number 30 Carley Gareth ran through gaping holes in the Raider defense Garrett who had only two yards rushing in the first half would run for 76 in the second it was this ability to run and control the ball that was the key to the game for the Patriots it opened up the passing lanes for Plunkett he throw to his old Stanford teammate number 18 Randy Burt AHA who came into the game at wide receiver though Plunkett overthrew him on this pass it served as an omen for the Oakland defense the Patriots got the break they needed on the very next series when Oakland's second bad center snap resulted in punter Mike I shied being nailed at the 50 from there it took New England only three plays to get in the endzone the first was a quit out to run sellers in the right flat for eight yards then tiny Bob Gladio who teamed with Garrett gives the Pats to mini backs sliced his way over tackle for nine yards Gladio replaced the injured Jim Nantz [Music] first and ten on the Raider 33 where Jim Plunkett came of age [Music] ron's sellers walleston and New England was on boards four plays later New England had the fall again and punk at Victor Gladio then lofted a perfect spiral to his old teammate Randy Fatah ha for 39 yards [Music] but aha who is competing with another rookie Alfred Sykes for the open position at wide receiver came to the Pats just recently after being put on waivers by the Rams who felt he was too small perhaps they scouted him at his offseason occupation in LA but Taha is one of these Seven Dwarfs at Disneyland Plunkett had the Raiders reeling and he kept the pressure coming by rolling left this time and nailing cellars with a pass good for another first down third and three at the Oakland 20 a raw rookie quarterback against one of the toughest defensive teams in football [Music] Roland lost another in the bevy of rookies that starred this day looked in with a trophy that put the Patriots ahead 14 to 7 and sent 55,000 New England fans wild [Music] [Applause] the rest of the game was fall control through the running of Carl Garrett and two field goals by Charlie Google ACK one for 46 yards that sent his team even further ahead 22 six as if to prove he still has something to learn Plunkett suffered an interception late in the game [Music] Niemeyer Wilson lateral to Jack Tatum but New England's defense port at Oakland's offense again and the turnover didn't alter the score [Music] john madden inserted Kenny Stabler at quarterback that the patriot defense shut him off with good pursuit on the line and close coverage by the secondary [Music] Oakland's miracle man George Blanda tried his hand for the final series with NOLA however the Raiders revealed a rookie sensation of their own number 28 Clarence Davis watch the former Trojan use his guard number 63 Gene Upshaw to perfection Davis turned down the Jets for a long run but that was all Oakland that to cheer about in the second half [Music] it was a resounding victory for a team that many experts pick to go winless it was a storybook win new stadium new fans and a team that is 50% changed from last year these are the new faces of victory Jim Plunkett Brandi Fattah ha Bob Gladio Roland moss Steve Kiner and Alfred Sykes and some familiar ones to Carl Garrett Charlie Gogolak bronze sellers Tom Janek Ed Philpott John Morrison Houston and twine but as the Oakland Raiders painfully learned sunday was an afternoon when youth knew no bounds tomorrow will bring another day [Music] his name is Archie and he came to save the south they've written about him sung about him and worshiped him from afar he was saintly long before he came to the Saints he came to save New Orleans for young owner John Meachem and the NFL's youngest coach 38 year old JD Roberts Manning Meachem and Roberts three young men trying to forge a winner from the rubble of a last place finish last year the Saints would begin their quest against the league's oldest coach Tommy pro-pro fullest in years youngest in tenure or pro throw is an NFL rookie when George Allen left the Rams he took much of his great defense with him Pro Pharaoh was left with the Deacon and Merlin but two linebackers are new as is much of his secondary Roman Gabriel still leads the offense with some new starters in key positions but even with the shake-up Protheroe and his Rams were heavily favored to deal the Saints another opening day loss as they have lost all previous openers but 1971 is unlike any other year in New Orleans it is the year of Saint Archie [Music] Gabriel the Rams and 70,000 Saint fans quickly found out that the Saints were for real in 1971 and that preseason is just that and no more though they were Owen six in preseason and their lineup includes five rookies among 13 new regulars the New Orleans Saints opened their opener by completely stifling the Rams veteran offense Gabriel could do virtually nothing on the ground or through the air in the first half being constantly pressured by a young front for in fact neither team did well in the first half Archie Manning had some success on the ground with number 35 rookie Bob Gresham and exile er Hoyle Brown che number 40 but most of the gains were short ones the Rams defense seemed as strong as it ever was bolstered by cornerback Jim Nettles number 19 to stop the sweeps the first half saw the Rams defense hold the Saints 229 net yards offense while the Saints held the Rams to just 70 Archie Manning meanwhile was having his problems and figuring out how to deal with the Rams front line he began to negate some of the foursomes sting early in the second period by calling for draws and screens one of which went to tight end Dave parks and helped set up the Saints only score of a half a field goal [Music] but manning spent most of the half on his back [Music] he was sacked six times in the half partly because of the fact that archie manning has no pockets he sprints out and back so fast there are no time for pockets if you catch him which the quick ran linemen did you catch him for a sizable loss before a play even develops this happened six times in the half or minus 63 yards [Music] but number eight was far from through with the boys from Hollywood meanwhile Roman Gabriel Zack continued to bomb out the Rams problem was more one of carelessness than anything else key penalties would hurt them badly today as would drop balls and fumbles although the whistle blew this one dead before the loose ball [Music] Gabriel was off target too he was hitting them in the hands his own receivers and the opponents [Music] but he did set up a David Rea field goal that made it 3-3 at the half coach Roberts must have made several key adjustments at the half because the Saints opened the third quarter with far better protection for Archie Manning and on their first possession Manning led his team on a 13 play 80-yard Drive that ended in his first official scoring pass as a pro Manning showed his versatility on this series he dropped back he rolled out yet the quick out yet the quick in using rookie Bob Newland and veteran number 46 Dan Abramowitz his targets [Music] on one occasion set back Russian became an unwitting but gracious receiver to keep the drive going [Music] and immediately following this a textbook roll out option passin catch was ruled no good by inches [Music] undaunted the man from old mist came back with almost a carbon copy this time to Dave Parks the Saints had their first touchdown and led 10 to 3 [Music] it quickly became 17 to 3 as Gabriel lost control fumbled and the Saints Richard Neal recovered three plays later Manning gave digression and number 35 who was just activated before the game went in to make it st. 17 Rams 3 on the Rams next series one of the two key mistakes of the game was made and both belong to the Rams Gabriel screamed Willie Ellison opened up but watched the left side as the last Saint is clipped by receiver Jack snow on an attempted comeback block thus nullifying a 66 yard score [Music] a storm at halftime at clouded the skies and the Sun had begun to set on the Rams 2 receiver Lance rensil wiped out the cornerback here but temple's Wayne Coleman backed up the play beautifully and cut the Rams down aside from Gabriel's own receivers the Saints in the secondary rendering his passing attack impotent where the four musketeers Dallas Hall Hugo Hollis ray no more and d'Artagnan Martin the Rams settled for three again it was now 17 to 6 on the Saints next series the rams Jim nettles came up with two standout efforts to try and revive the listless Rams after stopping the run he opened the final period by grabbing Manning's first interception [Music] although shook up after making the tackle Manning whose left wrist is still in the cast was okay he would return meanwhile the Rams have new light and Gabe looked like the one and only Gabe and it was the old less Josephson too [Music] it was now 1713 with 12 minutes left Hollywood was not going to let the football world down on opening day the Rams had awakened after playing dead for three quarters they stopped the Saints cold and began to roll in for the go-ahead score Lance Wren solana reversed for 22 the Saints 30 watch number 18 safety Hugo Hollis gets stung on the Blitz Jax knows catch took it to the 15 this time number 18 played it right but not before Josephson cracked down to the 1 Josephson then took it over and the time-consuming drive put the Rams on top for what many thought was for good [Music] Archie Manning took a deep breath and watched the extra point make it 22 17 Rams and with a minute and a half to play a stuntman came into play the final scene his name Saint Archie first and ten Archie over the middle digression who cleared his way through the loose own 37 yards to the Rams 33 with the audience in his pocket and his teammates ready to write a new song Manning kept on but he was set back momentarily third and two on the 25 Archie to Abramowitz for a first down then the big mistake of the game for the Rams Jim nettles was detected pushing at the goal first and goal on the one d'Alene stadium had gone berserk and the kid quarterback from old miss was the most exciting thing to hit New Orleans since Huey Long but right now he needed a play one last play and the curtain could come down the call a pass a handoff this is a Hollywood script one man and only one would carry the ball now and he carried it one yard and one yard only one yard to immortality of course Archie was not the real story in the Saints incredible victory a team that experts said might not win a game all year had hung together all of them for 60 minutes inspired by their youthful coach and inspired by their own ability which others had doubted for rookie coach Tommy Patrol it was a heartbreaking debut from which he must have learned much all in all a wild ending to a season's beginning which seems limitless in its possibilities after all when an Indian kid from New England and a country boy from Louisiana lead their teams to victories on opening day all eyes will be on the NFL in 1971 [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Comrade Dobler

Views: 7,163

Rating: 4.9183674 out of 5

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Id: mR3rGb8TTR8

Length: 23min 7sec (1387 seconds)

Published: Sat May 09 2020