GOTW Bills vs Patriots Nov 3 1974

on a crisp blue autumn afternoon in Foxborough Massachusetts the Buffalo Bills once known only as OJ Simpson's team prepared to battle their intersectional foes and New England Patriots in a game which might have had a hum appeal for a national audience if the Patriots had not evolved this year into something considerably more formidable than just Jim Plunkett steam but Plunkett's team like OJ's team has suddenly ripened and for this unexpected piece of bottom Oh splendor in New England credit goes to super coach Charles L Fairbanks nobody is quite sure how he has accomplished this but many many people are beginning to believe that he actually has meanwhile lose Saban's development of the Buffalo Bills has been observed more steadily in his third year on the job the Bills have gone from Billy Goats to a team whose partisans can brag out loud we're number one and this achievement can be largely credited to Saban's patients and removing the raps from his young quarterback Joe Ferguson keeping the ball mostly on the ground during his rookie year Saban kept the pressure off Ferguson but now as the AFC's leading passer Ferguson appears to have arrived and with a strong supporting cast gathered around OJ Simpson Saul have the Buffalo Bills [Music] in their first meeting in Buffalo the bills handed the Patriots their only loss in the first half of the season by the narrow margin of 32:28 but now on their own turf in Foxborough the Patriots plan to even that score and by defeating Buffalo take over sole possession of first place in the AFC's eastern division for both teams came into the game today with identical six and one records but as coach Fairbanks exhorted and encouraged his no-name players to once again exceed their reputations this once and future coach of Champions must have remembered in his gut the first thing frost of defeat felt the last time he faced these Buffalo Bills and he knew that this game was much more important than just a seventh win or a second loss where this was rivalry and so in the pressurized electric atmosphere of Shafer stadium this rematch between two emerging pro power houses is the NFL game of the week the Buffalo Bills versus the New England Patriots [Music] first oj simpson a name which indicative lee will not be mentioned again until almost the end of the first half felt the first bruise of this budding rivalry as the patriots clamped down on the bills running game early but joe ferguson found open spaces upstairs and two strikes to Ahmad Rashad move Buffalo into New England territory but when Ferguson tried to continue the drive on the ground New England stonewalled it and the bills were stopped at the Patriots 28 John Lee pole came on to try for first blood lay bolts 45 yarder just barely arched over the crossbar and with four minutes and 50 seconds of the game spent buffalo led3 nothing on the first play of the Patriots first series Jim Plunkett immediately began probing the bills sore spot the linebackers deep drop zones where to a Buffalo's regular linebackers were missing with injuries and he found Randy but AHA wide open for 24 yard gain [Music] two gives to McCarran earn you England a first down on the ground then Plunkett return to the source spot isolating minimax on rookie linebacker Doug Allen and the tiny truck took buckets pass and sprinted the final 33 yards to Aaron heaven giving new england a 7 3 advantage [Music] another angle shows the Plunkett looked the rookie number 59 Doug Allen outside and Herron came inside and up the middle for six big marbles [Music] with lightning swiftness the Patriots had struck with the game's first big play but the bills waited only until the following kickoff to reciprocate as Wallace Francis took the football from his own endzone 74 yards upfield to the Patriots 24 [Music] a subsequent penalty set up a goal to go situation at the New England 17 and though this third down pass from Ferguson to JD Hill moved the bills to the four Buffalo had to settle for a short three-pointer and a 7-6 deficit on the scoreboard [Music] Jim Plunkett immediately came back to the same old sore spot but this time Neil Craig was waiting and a game shaping interception dripped harmlessly off his fingers still the Buffalo defense forced the game's first punt giving the Bills strong field position [Music] Ferguson quickly returned to the road of least resistance finding JD Hill flying high for nine yard game but the bills fortune shifted from good to bad as the first quarter ended in the second began retreating to throw once again Ferguson dropped the ball in his own backfield and New England fell on it claiming the first big break of the game [Music] watch now as two plays later Jim Plunkett capitalizes the opportunity this time victimizing the bills other linebacker replacement Dave Washington hitting him against mini McCarran with a perfectly thrown bomb in the end zone a repeat shows that Plunkett immediately realized he had a favorable matchup and with what devastating quickness and accuracy he delivered the football to build New England's advantage to 14 to 6 [Music] coming to ESP a four six one nine five overjoyed with their little hero Mac heron and with their big hero Jim Plunkett and with the Charles Otto Douglas Fairbanks derring-do of their improbable patriot heroes the pressure-cooked pandemonium of Schafer stadium now threatened to unsettle the bills young quarterback Joe Ferguson but coolly exploiting a blitz Ferguson directed a pass into the vacated area hitting his tight end Paul Seymour to begin a drive to regain the touchdown he had let slip away working to his right Ferguson found rookie safety Prentice McCrae late to rotate in the Patriot zone and he picked out Ahmad Rashad for a gain to New England 37 4 runs method little and then with second and nine Ferguson again found McCrae late to cover in his own and he hit Ahmad Rashad 25 yards away to cap a cool comeback drivin eight plays [Music] but John Lai bolts point after was blocked giving you England a two-point advantage at 14 to 12 in turn Plunkett wasted no time finding Bob Adams his tight end replacing Bob Windsor who was injured for the season making the game breaking play in the Patriots win over the Minnesota Vikings the previous week [Music] but Adams fine play led to nothing as you England was forced to try a 47-yard field goal which misfired [Music] this time Joe Ferguson clutched under the pressure he had so calmly ignored in his last series and badly under throwing his receiver he was victimized by an acrobatic interception by Ron Bolton who returned the football to the Bills 37 [Music] and two plays later Sam's slam bam Cunningham took a pitch out and following aggressive blocks from half the Patriots offensive unit Big Sam wheeled 31 yards into the bills endzone a ground level view shows that any would-be tackler must be too slow to get out of the way or very highly paid enough to want to get in the way of the rambling raw bone Cunningham Cunningham's play boosted New England's lead to 2112 and once again Joe Ferguson was back on the firing line and once again with disastrous results this time Sam hunt picked off the ill-advised aerial and his run back left the ball at the 15 yard line as the Patriots now threatened to blow the bills all the way back to Buffalo [Music] but on third down still at the 15 Jim Plunkett returned the favor putting a pass up for grabs and number 52 Merv Krakow short-circuited it adding a 37 yard return to full Buffalo out of dire and mortal danger but the reversal is often happens accomplished more than just a birding a Patriots score for the whole New England team visibly sag and with hardly a minute left in the half the Buffalo Bills sparked to the attack as Joe Ferguson once again the cool engineer began carving out another comeback Drive - connections with Ahmad Rashad advanced the ball to the patriot 28 [Music] [Music] and then a super individual effort by JD he'll move Buffalo inside the one [Music] to no one's surprise Ferguson said OJ Simpson over his right side for the final yard with only 42 seconds left in this most exciting first half of football in Foxborough narrowing the Patriots margin to 21 19 [Music] with the score 21 19 as the second half began it was apparent that unlike the first game between the two teams the passing game would dominate in this one Oh Jay Simpson had been held to only 25 yards in the first half and Joe Ferguson kept to the air by hitting Paul Seymour at the right sideline for 17 yards Seymour was the hero of the first bills Pats game with two touchdowns and the tight end has become more of a factor in the bills passing game both bill wide receivers had combined for 10 pass receptions already but here with Buffalo driving JD Hill muff to pass right into his hands so John vape volt was forced to try a field goal from 46 yards out it was unsuccessful [Music] New England came back right through the air also off a nice play fake to Heron Jim Plunkett lofted the ball to a solitary figure number 53 John Tanner a linebacker who had reported to the formation as a tight end and therefore was an eligible receiver on the play the unguarded Tanner took the ball 21 yards before Buffalo covered him on the play [Music] in buffalo territory now Punk it stayed with the pass and tried to hit Cunningham over the middle but Dave Washington picked it off and the 6'5 linebacker was off and running 72 yards later Washington had a touchdown and the Buffalo Bills had the lead for the first time today it was the biggest moment in the five year career of the huge Washington and as is peculiar to athletic tradition there are earrin EES behind the making of any sports hero both regular outside linebackers for Buffalo John's choripan and rich Lewis have been lost for the season Washington and rookie Doug Allen replacing them thus Plunkett plan to attack this presumed weak spot with short passes to his backs indeed mccarran's two first-half touchdowns were directly attributable to this strategy but here at the start of the second half the tactic backfired and a former defensive end named Dave Washington had put his team ahead they word ahead for long on the next kickoff Teddy Hinton hesitated then brought the kickoff out way out to the patriot 49 Hinton was picked up on waivers when the Pats suffered their rash of injuries to their receiver core and a member of that decimated group reggie rucker soon move New England further with a 20-yard reception to the Buffalo 18 Rucker was playing a fourth straight week with a broken arm New England's other starting receivers Darryl Stingley and Bob Windsor are out indefinitely however and this badly hurts the team's chances in their quest for the division title indeed as if to support the statement Plunkett tried again for linebacker turn tight end John Tanner and this time is an experience betrayed him however two plays later little Matt Caron swept to his right and into the end zone for his third touchdown of the game [Music] New England had regained the lead 2826 the lead had now changed hands three times in this game as Buffalo took over on offense Joe Ferguson facing a defense of three down linemen with the outside backers jammed up tight took what he was given and stayed with the medium pass Ahmad Rashad took his seventh of the day and then was faced masked by George Webster for additional yardage on the penalty on the next play Ferguson again tried to pass then tucked the ball under his arm for 15 yards paramount in the rise to power the bills is the cool confidence of young and Joe Ferguson this season with his team moving well Ferguson turned to OJ Simpson as a receiver Simpson hasn't been used this way to advantage in the past but lately Ferguson has been going to him with good results next Simpson turned to his more traditional role with an 11-yard pickup but here the build drive faltered and on third down the Patriots defense roared to life once again Buffalo's fine offensive line is not as a depth at pass protection as it is in firing out for the running game Ferguson went down for the third time today so as the fourth quarter began John late Holt who claims he kicks better under pressure was called upon from 47 yards out and his kick was true [Music] the lead had changed for the fourth time today Buffalo 29 New England 28 yes the patriot offense waited to take the field Jim Plunkett received last-minute instructions from coach Bill Nelson Nelson has been an overlooked factor in Plunkett's performance this year and last the former Brown is a winner and a natural leader and his influence on young punk 'it is obvious it's a mystery why cleveland let him go to new england with mike Phipps in such obvious need of tutoring but Cleveland's lost was Chuck Fairbanks with the pressure on and one point behind Jim Plunkett started his team on the move [Music] [Music] but after Reggie Rutgers cats had brought them to near midfield events went against the Patriots Randy Fatah recovered his own fumble on the reverse but lost eight yards then on the next play Plunkett under a heavy rush heave way downfield and was intercepted by cornerback Robert James [Music] with nine minutes remaining Buffalo began a drive of its own which ate up valuable time Oh Jay Simpson who said later that he had his best blocking day ever gained ten yards over the right side Oh Jay was held 274 yards rushing today then Ferguson passing beautifully found JD Hill 417 yards and a first down in Patriot territory now Ferguson found Simpson on a circle pattern and OJ shook off a tackle and went 414 yards to the patriot 19 the Buffalo offense was moving with little resistance and we're only 14 yards away from putting the game away for good in a game where over 700 yards were gained by both teams on offense and Buffalo never punted once New England's chances seemed over the bills were poised for the kill [Music] but on the next play from the 1400 Jay Simpson was mugged then stripped of the ball Jack Milton was the man of the moment a New England had one more chance for victory [Music] on the first play Plunkett went to his clutch receiver Berta ha who made the big play as he has so many times in his four years as a pro the play went for 22 yards and put the Patriots near midfield [Music] several plays later Plunkett's screen to John Harbor who spun off one tackle then was brought down short with time and tempers running out fast [Music] this set up a 46 yard field goal attempt the outcome of this fiercely fought game rested on the foot of an Englishman named John Smith an obscure rookie linebacker named Jeff e8 stuck up his hand blocked the kick and New England's chances ended the eight said after the game it was one of those things you practice 100 times and it works once once was enough to give the Bills their second big win over the Patriots in three weeks both games were decided by a total of three points New England now drops one game behind Buffalo with six to play so it should be a race down to the wire between these two very good football teams both of which have emerged as real powers in the National Football League the victory was the Bills 11th in their last 12 game since last November they're headed for their first playoff experience since 1966 but the Patriots are not far behind and if they don't win the division have at least a chance to capture the wild-card spot in the American Conference so a strong possibility remains that this new rivalry which should be one of the NFL's strongest for years to come may carry over into the postseason playoffs [Music]

Channel: Newton Minnowowski

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Id: u26LYCskxEs

Length: 21min 58sec (1318 seconds)

Published: Fri May 25 2018