1973 Bills at Patriots GOTW week 1

it's another opening of another nfl a brand new season has across america with minor exceptions pro football fans enjoyed bright sunny 70 degree weather [Music] thousand one hundred nineteen of them flocked to foxborough massachusetts to fill shaffer stadium for the game between the patriots and bills the completely re-hauled new england team is led by new coach chuck fairbanks and three number one draft choices blue chips all they are fullback sam cunningham wide receiver daryl stingley and guard john hanna all of whom started for the patriots today lou saban's buffalo team has undergone some changes but not as extensively as new england buffalo won some big games last year and saban believes he has the nucleus for a good squad his main concern is shoring up his offensive line to give oj simpson more running room than he had last year or despite his great season oj had to fight hard for every yard and buffalo's injury-decimated front line suffered as much criticism as oj enjoyed praise saban turned to the draft for help using his own number one pick in miami's top pick obtained in return for marlon briscoe the result both number ones are in buffalo's front line joe delamelor from michigan state at guard and paul seymour michigan's fine tackle now converted to tight end so today we have two young new look teams to open the new season this is the nfl game of the week the new england patriots and the buffalo bills the nfl's 54th season got underway when bill bell put his foot into the ball and sent it on its way to number 89 buffalo rookie wallace francis who brought it to the 24. blue saban had decided on rookie joe ferguson number 12 as his quarterback and on his first series as a pro ferguson twice handed off to o.j simpson with the expected results o.j had gotten nine yards and two and a half inches on two carries so with third down and less than an inch to go ferguson called his own number but was stopped short [Music] after a punt the patriots took over on offense for the first time quarterback jim plunkett's first call went to number one pick sam cunningham who ran wide and in to safety john pitts number 48 for no gain [Music] on third down plunkett turned to another first pick daryl stingley but cornerback tony green came up fast to make the tackle short of the first down [Music] however on their second series the patriots got something started number 77 jerry patton pressured plunkett but he still found number 80 tight end bob adams for 14 yards and a first down [Music] several plays later plunkett hit number 31 running back josh ashton over the middle and ashton was on his way to the buffalo seven yard line [Music] it was a big play for new england and like many key plays its genesis took place on the practice field the week before chuck fairbanks knew that the bill's middle linebacker jim chayansky a former patriot was injured and would not play his replacement was a rookie number 52 merv croaker now as a repeat of the play shows plunkett's circle pass violated croaker's area of responsibility number 52 was slow to react dashton and the patriots had their big play on the very next play plunkett gave to sam the bam cunningham who went the seven yards into the end zone for the game's first score [Music] a repeat of the touchdown shows why the patriots and everyone else is so high on cunningham for with his great size and strength he simply pulled cornerback leon garror number 47 into the end zone with him it was the rookie's first score as a pro and new england tried for the almost automatic extra point a low snap thwarted the patriots but they had gone 90 yards in just eight plays and led the bill 6-0 but not for long after a touch back on the kickoff it took buffalo just one play to even the score [Music] showing burning speed o.j simpson had gone 80 yards and set a shaffer stadium record for yards gained on a single play more importantly the successful extra point put the bills in the lead seven to six [Music] another look from our end zone camera shows three patriots had clean shots at simpson but missed and once he turned the corner he was gone [Music] [Music] now trailing by one plunkett on a third down possession play tried to burn another rookie linebacker number 55 john scorepan the pass was complete but josh ashton was forced out of bounds one yard short of the first down [Music] on the ensuing punt rookie bruce barnes sailed a kick to yet another rookie number 26 donnie walker from central state in ohio walker seemingly brought the ball all the way to the patriot 11. [Music] but walker was ruled out of bounds and the second quarter began on the patriot 46 instead some hard running by simpson and his new partner former eagle larry watkins number 38 earned buffalo a field goal attempt from the 44 but john lipoult missed it and the first series of the second quarter ended with the score still 7-6 on the first series of the second quarter a scrambling jim plunkett hit daryl stingley with a nice pass for good yardage but the rookie coughed up the ball and buffalo recovered [Music] at the patriot 36 joe ferguson immediately went to the air to capitalize and under a heavy rush was called for intentional grounding [Music] to make matters worse ferguson was shaken up on the play and left the game never to return in his pro-debut the arkansas rifle had completed one of two passes for 10 yards but most important he had his team in the lead his successor dennis shaw promptly turned the ball right back to new england when he passed a patriot linebacker ron axe number 51. [Music] buffalo had missed a golden opportunity to increase their slim one-point margin now with the ball at their own 44 new england turned to its running game to move the ball for them but the buffalo defense led by big earl edwards number 73 had other ideas saban acquired the 260-pound veteran from the 49ers not only for his ability but for his four years experience of playing defense with a winning team next plunkett turned to sam cunningham who was hit hard at the line and gave up the football the buffalo defense had caused another turnover and with four minutes to go in the half the ball at their own 22 they were determined to grind it out no one is better suited for that than o.j simpson who time after time battered into the heart of the patriot defense and made it move [Music] this was lou saban's concept of bruising ball control at its best run right at the gut of your opponents come right back at them again with only a short safe quick out to the sideline to keep the defense honest [Music] buffalo's revamped offensive line was winning this battle but time was running out so with just six seconds showing in the second quarter john lipoult split the uprights from 48 yards out to give the bills some much deserved breathing room at halftime [Music] although it was the bills who had scored late in the first half it was the patriots who came out carrying the momentum for the second half as five foot five inch machera number 42 ran the kickoff out 41 yards this was only the second time that the pats started to drive from outside their own 20 and a 13-yard ban by cunningham moved new england into buffalo territory but the next time cunningham touched the ball he lost it linebacker dave washington stripped him of the ball and the chase was on tony green finally recovered and the simpson watkins firm was in business again first oj took a handoff on the left side of center to get the patriot defense leaning that way then swerved over right tackle for 22 yards from the patriot 45 watch watkins number 38 delay in the backfield then swing out for a screen pass watkins gained 28 yards on the play and a repeat shows why watch the right side of the screen as three buffalo linemen open a lane for watkins down the sidelines [Music] watkins came to the bills in what seemed to be a meaningless trade for middle linebacker dick cunningham but since his insertion is a starting running back watkins has become a fine running mate for simpson though certainly no oj who is he does have speed and power but the man the bills rely on is o.j simpson and during their first drive of the second half he tacked on 27 yards to his rushing performance and got the tough yards down close to the goal line this season may prove to be oj's best yet with acquisition of watkins who is a fine blocker from the 10 watch as watkins brushes number 27 charlie davis just enough to give simpson the corner [Music] simpson's last run of the drive carried to the 4-yard line and from there watkins crashed in on the 79-yard drive watkins or simpson had carried or caught on every play and the bills had built their lead to 17-6 [Music] trailing by 11 the patriots began a drive that would bring them close again josh ashton ripped around right in for 17 yards as new england's running game began to balance plunkett's 10-12 first half passing the pats running game was better because the bills were now concentrating on pursuit of plunkett the one man who could really beat them with a combination of good rush and good coverage plunkett was much more limited in what he could do instead of the long ball of which he is capable plunkett was forced to throw short or not throw at all plunkett made the adjustment and moved the patriots on screens to neutralize the bill's pass rush [Music] the patriots reach the buffalo 26 and then plunkett showed why he may be the next great pro quarterback his size is his long suit and he used it to turn what might have been a drive stalling sack into a harmless incompletion with no loss of yardage if the patriots are to become winners they must protect plunkett better for with protection he can throw with anyone a 16-yard strike to bob adams got the patriots to the 10. from there herron got a great block by number 60 then saint jean and swept in for the score new england had trimmed the buffalo lead to four points at 17-13 order the bill started another long drive it started with a dennis shaw hook up with bob chandler for 29 yards [Music] on the next two plays watch guard reggie mckenzie number 67. a great block sprung simpson for 11 yards then on the first play of the fourth quarter an even better one on two men sprung o.j for 22 yards and a touchdown buffalo led 24-13 again trading by 11 the patriots began yet another comeback drive with pinpoint plunkett passing doing the job [Music] a pass to reggie rucker gained nine and then plunkett went for it all and almost got it mac heron was behind everyone but could not stay in bounds it was the kind of play that would haunt the patriots for the rest of the game on a repeat we can see how clear heron was swinging out of the backfield he easily beat the man assigned to cover him but with no one within 10 yards of him heron stepped out of bounds a sure patriot touchdown was gone the play was to be a critical one for the patriots would now not score on the drive though plunkett continue to move them well a reverse swing pass to cunningham got new england inside the 30 but on the play the patriots were called for holding there is no better way to kill a sustained drive still plunkett almost saved the drive with a good call sending cunningham out on a long pass pattern he was behind his man but plunkett overthrew him the patriots came away empty on this drive and the next was even more futile as their young team began making young team mistakes first cunningham dropped the plunket pitch then mack heron couldn't get to a plunket pitch out for a loss the bills got into the act when john pitts dropped an interception oh well the bills are young too [Music] finally on fourth down walt patulski dropped plunkett for a loss of 16. the patriots were never in the game after that chuck fairbanks is going to have to be a very patient man this season he has one of the youngest teams in pro football prone to mistakes but if they all grow up together and rally around their potentially great quarterback there will be better days at foxborough meanwhile o.j simpson was cruising toward a record [Music] this 32-yard run gave him 220 yards for the day to break the bill's all-time record held by cookie gilchrist but the bills are not all oj simpson and they proved it when the patriots began keying on simpson they have two good young quarterbacks and dennis shaw and joe ferguson and good young receivers like bob chandler and jd hill number 40. on a repeat of the last play watch hill make a great catch in front of the defensive back [Music] but perhaps the most pleasant surprise in buffalo will be larry watkins he'll be a great blocker for simpson but he too can run with the ball [Music] on successive plays he banged up the middle for 11 and then 10 yards [Music] then from the 15 watkins finished the drive and went over 100 yards for the day watkins run gave buffalo a 31-13 lead and with the buffalo defense playing tough it was all over a good lick by leon garrer forced an incompletion and then plunkett with lots of time saw his pass deflected and then intercepted by tony green the only question left was just how much yardage simpson could gain running the exact same play over and over simpson carried on seven of the last eight plays run by the bills [Music] the patriots to a man knew he was coming but they simply could not stop him what greater tribute can be given to an offensive line than for 11 defensive men to know who's going to carry the ball yet still not be able to get to him on simpson's last carry he actually lost a yard but that simply rounded off a new rushing mark 250 yards when it was over over 56 000 fans at foxboro had witnessed a remarkable performance 29 carries for 250 yards to break willy ellison's two-year-old nfl record though 11 men on the patriot defense were primed to stop one man they could not do it o.j simpson a remarkable running back running behind an offensive line that may develop into one of the best in the league the bill's 3113 victory is a tribute to team play though not just a preeminent star after the game simpson said i don't think anyone will ever criticize our line again they were just blowing them out of there the guys have been telling me they're going to get me 1700 yards this season they certainly went out and played like they meant it [Music] new england head coach chuck fairbanks put it even better it looked like grant going through richmond we were helpless simpsons coach lou saban said i'm glad he got the record you don't find many like him he's a great man a great team man you

Channel: Comrade Dobler

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Id: 8LOV7zb68V4

Length: 21min 31sec (1291 seconds)

Published: Fri Nov 06 2020