1980 NFL - Saviors Saints and Sinners

[Music] the story of a football season has many faces [Music] in 1980 old familiar faces turned up in unfamiliar places a snake was loose in Houston a forgotten quarterback became a savior in Oakland and a former Saint named Conrad Dobler played a vital role in the Cinderella story in Buffalo and a lot of people talk about Buffalo this year being a Cinderella team and you know I'm not saying that I'm a big part of it but I am a part of it you know when I went to st. Louis st. Louis was termed as a Cinderella team under Don Coryell the same way last year in New Orleans we had the opportunity to knock the Rams or the playoffs and go ourselves we didn't get that accomplished they call this a Cinderella team there they're calling Buffalo right now a Cinderella team I think that's all fine and dandy but I hope they don't start referring him he is a good fairy [Music] for many like the Buffalo Bills 1980 was indeed a fairy tale but for others like the Pittsburgh Steelers and their perfectionist coach Chuck Noll it was a year to forget [Music] in 1980 the city of Champions became footballs Paradise Lost the stumblin Steelers won only two games in their division and missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years 1980 was a season that took its shape from the losers just as much as from the winners when the New Orleans Saints came stumbling in defeat was sure to follow as well as their loyal but embarrassed fans who hid their heads in shame [Music] the Saints became the eighth's and were scored on more times than any team in the NFL and lost more games in one season than any team in history but 1980 also proved that for every sinner there's always hope of redemption after two straight losing seasons in Detroit the prayers of coach Monte Clark were finally answered a savior named Billy Sims arrived and took the lines in all of Motor City for an exhilarating ride [Music] since salary classified him as an extravagant gas guzzler but he got good mileage per carry and led the NFL in touchdown the Lions dusted off five of their first six opponents and ended the first half of the season on a winning note this same sweet music was not heard in the second half of the season in a crucial game on Thanksgiving Day the Lions allowed Vince Evans of the Bears to tie the score on the last play of the game then in sudden-death overtime the lines died the suddenness of deaths [Applause] [Music] [Applause] in the NFC Central there was a full measure of good days and bad but the last days and the best days belong to the Minnesota Vikings in the seasons waning weeks they raced past the fading lines and won the division title on Tommy Kramer's wing and a prayer of a pass against the Cleveland Brown 25 seconds 46 three wide receivers right Cramer back to facts he's going deep down the right side [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] for seven consecutive years the Saints and other sinners in the NFC West what Ray malov AZ's Los Angeles Rams win their division thunderous defense mark the Rams reign but in 1980 the usually conservative Los Angeles offense was touched by likely an attack once dominated by the four yard rush exploded in the hand quarterback Vince Ferragamo 30 touchdown passes plus the league's most productive running attack had the Rams on the road to their a custom championship but then came a last-second collision but the Atlanta Falcons at the 46 Casti back to throw here come the Rams [Music] [Applause] Jaxson [Music] Atlanta had never won a championship but now the Falcons the NFL's second youngest team realized they could unseat the round [Music] refactor spurred the overthrow beginning with William and Rose and Lynn K number 21 1980s best back beef the offensive line play was superb and enables Steve Bartkowski to pass for a league-leading 31 touchdowns there was an eager young defense built around a core of rookies who hit like all pros Atlanta won 12 games including 10 in a row and when they beat the 49ers on the season's 15th Sunday the Falcons were champions a blast while Atlanta was bringing down the final curtain in the NFC West the longest running mystery play continued its run in New England once again the Patriots were cast in the leading role in these only to lose the part to an understudy that had neither their talent nor looks Buffalo's rise in New England's fall produced a division race that showed football is still a game where character counts as much as towers [Music] with the divisions best athletes Ron Earhart Patriots were puzzled [Applause] nobody covered Stanley on the brick New England was frequently victimized by their own faults as much as by the skills of others [Applause] [Applause] Patriot inconsistency was costly because there was a storm brewing in the north a generation of kids had seen Lake Harry freeze over but they had never seen their Buffalo Bills defeat the Miami Dolphins on opening day buffalo beat Miami for the first time in a decade suddenly the team with the AFC's worst record in the 70s was displaying character when it counted in the Angels in their shotgun formation at the Jets 31 yard line 12 seconds to play Ferguson looking to throw the endzone [Applause] but for those ability to produce wins in the clutch enable them that challenge the Patriots for division supremacy [Music] their weapons included the NFL's top-ranked defense and rookie run a joke rip quarterback Joe Ferguson help Buffalo defeat the NFL's top teams and with two games to go the bills were only one victory away from the playoff ball but by week 15 the Cinderella bills were dancing towards midnight Buffalo lost to New England 24 to 2 suddenly the Patriots would win the division if the bills were to lose their season finale that's just before the clock struck twelve the spirit of a champion swirled out of the fog in drizzle of a San Francisco Sun [Music] the bills need to hold them to win their first division title seconds to play [Applause] dramatic finish in the fog of the reign of San Francisco 1980 opened with the AFC Central dressed in style and colored a distinctive hue love your blues patron saint was bum Phillips a country gentleman who had twice led Houston into the AFC Championship game only to lose it to the Pittsburgh Steelers bum that his job that 1980 would be different last year we knocked on the door this year would beat on the Dover next year we won't kick it in [Music] kick it in was the battlecry is used to tour into Pittsburgh with its vaunted Earl Campbell up the gut offense [Music] all season long the world champion and number one contender stood it sent a ring and slugged it out while attention focused on the favorites and their slogans a sleeper was stirring on the shores of Lake Erie the Cleveland Browns play an ancient Municipal Stadium a dreary place known as the mistake by the lake [Music] the Browns biggest mistake was landing in the same division as the team of a decade during the seven days Pittsburgh won four Super Bowls while Cleveland flopped was so humble that a nine and seven record in 1979 was enough to make Sam Rutigliano AFC coach of the year the tip Leon was formula for success was simple what we do best and it begins and ends with pass protection is throwing a football and besides anything else that you would do would be increasingly boring boring the brown offense was not stimulate scintillating and hair-raising it was Cleveland's cutting heads was Porter back Brian Sipe since 1973 sight had risen from the obscurity of Cleveland's taxi squad - NFL player of the year with a help of a former college basketball player named Dave Logan a prototype tight M Ozzie Newsome and a crafty old pro Reggie ruck these three musketeers and d'Artagnan had a flair for the dramatic 14 times in two seasons that had come from behind to win with less than two minutes to play 34 seconds and the cardiac kids are at work today it's time to get nervous sight third and 20 throwing to Logan [Applause] while Pittsburgh and Houston battled at the front door Cleveland flew through the attic window and into first place on the final Sunday of the regular season Cleveland needed a win in frigid Cincinnati to clinch the Central Division title Rutigliano had set the tone the night before our goal tomorrow is to win a division tomorrow we have to protect number 17 and that's it offensively no do's and dont's if they do this we do that and how about this and how about that hey we've done all that we have thrown the football and won and it'll hold up and you will be able to play with that kind of an intellectual initiative but the bangles refused to follow rooty glee ah no script they sacked number 17 then matched Cleveland score for score and blow-for-blow [Music] in one of the seasons most spectacular games the lead changed hands six times but true to their thoroughbred form Cleveland had what it took at the water [Applause] just a second I got my best line of the year man come on best line to year Fung Phillips knocked on the wrong door Sam Rutigliano coach of the year for the second season in a row this time as a champion to look at the San Diego Chargers was to gaze at pro football's future they're sophisticated passing offense was the equivalent of space-age technology manned by graceful sky pilots who set their sights on a Super Bowl dream to attain it all they had to do was blast off San Diego Road the crest of this new wave to its second straight AFC West title [Music] San Diego charges gained more yards in one season than any other team in NFL history [Music] the charges not only soared past opponents they soared above [Music] the San Diego charges ascended the heights of experts their trademarks were daring and death [Music] but a battered collection of world weary veterans from Oakland would meet the charges at the end of the life the Raiders gain new life from an unexpected source Jim Plunkett after a decade of obscurity Plunkett enjoyed the best season of his career number 85 Bob Chandler was another veteran cast-off who was rejuvenated in Oakland Chandler and Plunkett revived a rate of tradition built on the big play [Music] another reason why this once mighty empire was able to strike back in 1980 was defense quarterback lester hayes constituted a force that generated big defensive plays his 13 interceptions paced the raiders to the NFL lead in that department all phases of Oakland's defense were programmed to deliver the killing blow [Music] only one AFC team registered more quarterback sacks than Oakland the San Diego Chargers while their offense flew on the wings of Mercury their defensive line struck for the hammer of Thor those entrusted with the job of protecting quarterbacks from the charges knew only frustration protectors like Kansas City Center Jack Rodney number 58 character let's go my fault ball damn it my fault Eileen to Louie and Johnson comes inside and I can't get back on him he splits our scene tight in here watch your knees [Applause] never cover the inside in my life stana Rodney's bewilderment was echoed by others throughout the season and especially by the Buffalo Bills who fell victim to the charges perfect blend of strength and speed during the playoffs meanwhile in windchill Cleveland the rate is very nearly breathed their last breath a playoff life the Browns appear to be on the driver's seat [Music] [Applause] these old warriors were survived they next venture to a contemporary Camelot intent on restoring their empire once and for all they faced young Knights who desired to become the once and future kings of pro football from San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium it's the American Football Conference championship game between the Oakland Raiders in the San Diego Chargers the winner to advance to New Orleans in Super Bowl 15 in two weeks the young Knights and the old warriors carved a battlefield in the sky the charges showed why they had reigned as the nfl's masters of the air but the Raiders defense of mastery ended that rape a savior named Plunkett regained control of the airwaves just as he had taken control of a career that was presumed dead he and the Oakland Raiders were very much alive finally the San Diego Chargers vision of a Super Bowl came plummeting to earth their future was all used they could only watch those glowing hoaxes Windell away as now the darkness closes over San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium got this it symbolizes the end of the charger dream for the Oakland Raiders the dream goes off the jubilation begins the leaders are bound for the Super Bowl for the third time climaxing out of the great stories in football in recent years the resurgence that further research into the southern black New Orleans here come the Raiders [Music] on September 11th 1980 the Philadelphia Eagles under Dick Vermeil paved a road to their first championship in 20 years blocking their path with the Dallas Cowboys champions of the NFC East ten out of the past 14 seasons the Eagles were stoked by the fires that burned in Dick Vermeil the Cowboys reflected cool calm and collected Tom Landry Dallas fans were smut bred to a winning tradition more in tuned of fashion shows than football games style was alien to Philadelphia's fanatic fans they sported the bowling alleys and the scent of mustard and soft pretzels [Applause] sensing the collapse of the cowboy Empire they stood like barbarians at the gates of road the battering ram of the Eagles was its defense a unit that consisted of more spit than polish more grip than glitter Philadelphia played the least complicated defense in pro football but in this simplicity was beauty they allowed the fewest yards in the NFC and gave up the fewest points in the NFL [Music] when the Eagle defense sang their siren song opponents washed up on the rocks of defeat prior to the season the conservative Eagle offense was considered a sharp right turn from Ronald Reagan in 1980 they liberalized an attack which featured the running of will Burt Montgomery and the passes of quarterback Ron Jaworski to herald Karma the Eagles were talented but they weren't as often from determination and a capacity for hard work let's run past 49 toss halfback option passing to go down Charlie heads up go down said practice made perfect plays formulated on the training field translated into touchdowns on Sunday [Music] this dream of a team raced to an 11 and 1 record and a championship appeared inevitable until injuries and fatigue brought on a late season slump suddenly the Dallas Cowboys appeared over their shoulders quarterback Danny white was thought to need a year to settle into Roger Staubach shoes but in his own shoes he threw the most touchdown passes in cowboy history while Danny white led Dallas to the most points in the NFL a raging bull named Randy white was the explosive core of its defense the Cowboys scrambled after the Eagles for 15 weeks until the hustle of white number 54 chased them down in the season's final game a cowboy victory gave both teams identical records but because Dallas won the game by less than 25 points the championship of the NFC East belong to the Eagles those guys that have been here for five years and I'm not sliding the people that have been here for four and three and two and one but those guys that have been here for five years and had been booed have been told that they've been treated brutal has been worked too hard looking at Harold Carmichael and Bergy and funny guys that have been here Stanley Walters guy Morris Charlie Smith who couldn't play today I didn't want to forget any of you guys because I never will hey thank you for what you've done for me Oh in Atlanta it was the Cowboys who were close to tears as they faced playoff extinction with 49 seconds left to the Cowboys still with 49 seconds to go all in the 23 27 24 Danny white with what running back here comes the Blitz again Danny back to throw into the end zone [Music] it was deja vu a flashback to the Hail Mary pass in the 1975 way then and now the savior of a season was Drew Pearson one step away from the Super Bowl the Cowboys should have challenged which the egos naturally exit the story of the National Conference ended the way it had started the Eagles and the Cowboys on a collision course for the championship for the third time in 1980 the Cowboys met the Eagles but this time the championship for the National Conference was at stake [Music] the favorite Cowboys presented the kind of challenge Dick Vermeil knew his Eagles could meet years back we were struggling to win five and six and seven games a lot of people used to take to meet us for granted a lot of guys have heard me say never allow anybody to take you for granted I have a feeling that the Cowboys are sort of taking this for granted right now we're here because we've earned the right to be here and we've played well enough to be here and we can beat this football team if the Dallas Cowboys are gonna take us for granted we'll whip their ass now that I slant wasn't bad the first time we ran it huh the I slants been good dick high formation quick 141 eye formation quick 141 should be there dick should be there suck it down and tell the Cowboys with six defensive backs Jaworski [Applause] dick yeah alert dog now having dog [Applause] people then they've gotta stay and they cannot go back out they've got to be in for one boy I know that they did it Jim one should be a family hey dick just settle down you ever have to call some good place here I gotta stay calm now run behind woody Jerri says cuz he's really taking care of cold all right I want stock split 18 flip 18 quit I said 18 flip yeah should be good I called the wrong one alright he called the other one you wanted the other one all right I called 18 flip not 48 flip all right I bet it worked good a long dick dick about one yard all right do swing 15 base leave whoo bird in there dick got two downs here trying to make it yeah Mar Michael split wide to the near side it's a pitch to Montgomery off right tackle 25 Billy if [Applause] over Jumby having dick yeah great doll thank you beautiful III tell you I think I do a better job without so many suggestions I not I think so too all right so I split I want 47 slant this should be a touchdown right here dick should be a scorer [Applause] darling I'll tell you where you're going [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] January the 25th 1981 Super Bowl 50 a dream come true for both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Oakland Raiders ever the dream soon faded for Dick Vermeil Z 67 check with me bang Jaworski behind the throne the first of a Super Bowl record three interceptions by line backer rod Martin set the stage for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Jim Plunkett number 16 orchestrated a brilliant Oakland offensive performance Tom Flores Raiders did not hammer the Eagles into submission they did it with finesse and Flay [Music] this was the same style that brought the Raiders to this Super Sunday and Philadelphia could do nothing to prevent [Music] the Raider seemed innovate while the Eagles appeared predictable the inevitable result was a classic mismatch all phases of the Oakland attack were programmed to deliver the killing blow [Music] [Music] Oakland demonstrated that it's not solely a teens skill but also it's boys that decides the outcome in championship game Oakland's twenty seven to ten victory over Philadelphia was a storybook ending for remarkable football team and because of these men the super memories of Super Bowl 15 will endure for years to come in 1980 the men of the defense dug in to face their stiffest s King offense had become softened the challenge of a new decade was met by a special few these men are the all pros toughness marked Philadelphia's defensive em called Hairston number 78 and Buffalo's nose tackle Fred's merliss number 76 sturdy and dependable each tank at the top rated defense in their respective conferences san diego's defensive tackle Gary Johnson number 79 sacked opposing quarterbacks more than any player in the league [Music] the Oilers Robert Brazil number 52 and New England Steve Nelson number 57 are part of an all-pro linebacker corps that is smart stylish and me perhaps the seasons finest inside linebacker was Denver's Randy Gradishar number 53 a superb technician and rugged Street Fighter grata Shaw was the perfect defendant [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Gradishar had made the uncomplicated art of chase and taco into a science a science he is mastered the play of linebacker Ted Hendricks number 83 and cornerback Lester Hayes characterized in Oakland Raider defense that lived by the big play Henriksen Hayes number 37 made certain that opponents died by Hayes's 13 interceptions was the league's best and the highest total in 28 years cornerback Joe lavender number 20 distinguished a secondary that led the NFL in past defects all-pro safeties nolan cromwell number 21 of the Rams and Kansas City's Gary Barbaro number 26 delighted in stopping the run punishing opposing ball carry [Music] the all-pro punter is Dave Jennings of the Giants the league's best punt returner is Kansas City's JT Smith Smith averaged nearly 15 yards of return including two touchdowns [Music] Dallas's Randy white Panthers Leroy South the two most dominant defensive players in 1980 [Music] Selman number 63 controlled a game from his defensive end position his presence dictated offensive strategy Salman was double and triple-teamed by offenses fearful of his destructive capability a double-team proved no match for the Bucks all-pro Swift and strong Selman tossed aside offensive lineman with the greatest of ease even Pro Bowl performers like Leandre number 74 [Music] [Applause] like Salman Dallas's Randy white number 54 was a player of unmanageable proportions he was not merely a player he was a force [Music] white was a destroy he dismantled offenses [Music] he had the brute strength to strike down enemy ball carriers with a single blow as well as the sprinters speed to overtake fleet wide reciever White was the locomotive and the speeding bullet he was the Superman of the 1980 all-pro defensive team the 1980 all pros forged a new standard of excellence by inspiring teamwork and displaying consummate individual skill the place-kicking skills of New England's John Smith made him the NFL's higher score patriot kick returner Horace ivory afforded Smith excellent field position ivory was the very embodiment of the return specialist the man who once in the clear relies on creativity and dairy [Music] [Applause] Sandiego wide receiver John Jefferson drew upon his creativity and daring from the instant the ball was snapped Jefferson made catching the football and art for Jefferson was the artist while Minnesota's Ahmad Rashad was the superb craft the essence of Rashad's craft crystallized in week 15 with no time left on the clock he snared a division title for the bikers such heroic exploits make wide receivers the solo aces of Sunday combat but the foot soldiers who wage war the trenches also serve soldiers like Cleveland center Tom Daley oh who anchored a line that allowed 23 sacks second lowest in the NFL New England guard John Hannah was another excellent gate keeper of the passing game [Music] blocking for the run was the specialty but Glenda tackle Mike Ken who cleared immense holes that enable William Andrews and Lynn Kane number 21 to become the NFC's best rushing tender the Los Angeles Rams who ever compiled the most rushing yardage in the NFL behind guard Jackie Slater a variety of runners contributed substantial games those hoping to stop rambaldi areas found their hopes up end it by slate tackle Kemp Hill also removed obstacles to the Rams running attack while these interior lineman labored anonymously to create heroes San Diego tight end Kevin Winslow was one lineman who emerged as a hero in his own right Winslow single-season reception in yardage totals were the most for a tight end in NFL history [Music] for the past three seasons NFL history has been rewritten by Euston z-- Earl Campbell in 1980 Campbell and had directed books again by rushing for over 200 yards in four different games his 13 touchdowns powered the Oilers to a playoff berth whew NFL runners measure up to world hambo Chicago's Walter Payton is the best of those who can the NFC's leading rusher Payton was over shouted by no one especially among opposing defenders [Music] while Campbell and Payton stand at the forefront of football excellence a man who many predicted would fade into the background emerged as the game's best quarterback Cleveland's Brian site became the third man in NFL history to pass for over 4,000 yards in a single season lacking sheer arm strength sight employed precision touch and a peerless ability to read defenses opponents hoping to blitz him into submission learn that intelligence is as deadly a weapon as a cannon on [Music] sites 30 touchdown passes were an AFC high many of these crime axe last-second come-from-behind efforts that propel the Browns to an unexpected division time many success stories were written in 1980 and the members of this all-pro team wrote most evidence quite simply they are the best performers on the pro football horizon [Music] you

Channel: Comrade Dobler

Views: 6,610

Rating: 4.9583335 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: fH2D7UcevVk

Length: 52min 6sec (3126 seconds)

Published: Thu May 21 2020