photo credit: Bjorn Hanson

The Minnesota Vikings came into the NFL in 1961 and since that time have played in some very big games. The players who have played for the team have scored some big touchdowns, including one of the most exciting kinds of touchdowns to score, the overtime touchdown.

Overtime was introduced into NFL regular season play in 1974. Due to a team being able to win an overtime game by being the first one to score any points, most overtime games in league history have been settled by a field goal. During their history, and through the 2009 season, the Viking have scored seven overtime touchdowns to win games. Here is a look at how and when they did it.

1977
The first Vikings overtime touchdown was unusual to say the least. It came on an 11 yard pass from future Hall of Famer and defensive back Paul Krause and was caught by tight end Stu Voigt. This helped the team beat the Chicago Bears 22-16.

1979
The second overtime touchdown in team history came in dramatic fashion. Tommy Kramer and Ahmad Rashad hooked up for a 50 yard touchdown pass to beat the rival Green Bay Packers 27-21.

1987
Speedy running back Darrin Nelson scored the team’s third overtime touchdown ten years after it’s first on a 24 yard run. This came in a 44-38 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

1994
Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon got into the overtime touchdown book in a 1994 win over the Bears with a 65 yard touchdown pass to Vikings receiver Cris Carter.

1995
In an October 1995 game against the Houston Oilers, Robert Smith broke loose for a 20 yard score in overtime that sealed the game at 23-17.

1995
In November of 1995, Warren Moon became the first Vikings quarterback to throw two overtime touchdown passes for the team when he hit Qadry Ismail for 50 yards in a 30-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

2004
After having score three overtime touchdowns in two years, the Vikings would have to wait nine years for their next one. Then in October of 2004, Daunte Culpepper would throw a 50 yard touchdown pass to Marcus Robinson in overtime to defeat the Houston Texans by the score of 34-28.

Of note…

-Of their seven career overtime touchdowns, Warren Moon is the only player involved in more than one of them.

-Wide receivers have scored more overtime touchdowns in Vikings history (4) than running backs (2) and tight ends (1) combined.

-Three of the seven overtime touchdowns in team history have been passing plays that went for exactly 50 yards.

-The longest overtime touchdown in team history: 65 yards (Moon to Carter in 1994). The shortest: 11 yards (Krause to Voigt in 1977).

-The only team the Vikings have scored an overtime touchdown against more than once is the Chicago Bears. They did it first in 1977 and then again in 1994.

-The team has scored overtime touchdowns against Houston twice too, the first time against the Oilers though and the second time against the Texans.

Tweet This Post

-Calvin Hill led the Cowboys in rushing in 1969 and then again from 1972 to 1974. A total of four seasons.

-Don Perkins was one of the early Dallas Cowboys to experience success in the league. He led the team in rushing seven times, from 1961 to 1965 and then again in 1967 and 1968.

-Tony Dorsett won the Heisman Trophy at Pitt and then came to Dallas and made an immediate impact. He led the team in rushing ten consecutive years, from 1977 to 1986.

-It should come as no surprise though that the player who has led the Dallas Cowboys in rushing the most years is also the NFL‘s all time rushing yards leader, Emmitt Smith. Smith led the Cowboys in rushing every year from 1990 to 2002, a total of 13 seasons.

Many different players have led the Cowboys in rushing over the years including Marion Barber, Julius Jones, Troy Hambrick, Paul Palmer, Herschel Walker, Doug Dennison, Robert Newhouse, Duane Thomas, Dan Reeves, and L.G. Dupre. None however can match the 13 seasons that the great Emmitt Smith led the team in rushing. He’s in a class by himself.

Tweet This Post

A sharp dressed man”. This officially licensed Mr. Potato Head is designed for collectors and fans of all ages. Standing 6 tall; this player is the perfect size for proudly displaying on a shelf or playing mix and match to create a variety of hilarious combinations. Each NFL Sports Spud comes with 10 components to mix and match; including a Ravens jersey; helmet; foam finger and multiple “game faces”.” Availability: Usually ships within 1-2 business days.

(more…)

Tweet This Post

We wanted to take a look today at the highest drafted kickers in NFL history. In reverse order, here is the top ten.

10. Jason Hanson – Washington State University
In 1992, the Detroit Lions used their 2nd round pick, the 56th overall, to select Jason Hanson. Hanson would kick for the team for 18 years, working his way into being one of the best ever.

9. Chip Lohmiller – University of Minnesota
The Washington Redskins selected Chip Lohmiller with the 55th overall pick, a second rounder, in 1988. He would have some great seasons and contribute to some of Washington’s best teams.

8. Chris Bahr – Penn State University
In 1976, the Cincinnati Bengals used their second round pick, the 51st overall selection of the draft, to take Penn State’s Chris Bahr. Bahr would kick in the NFL for more than 14 years for the Bengals, Raiders, and Chargers.

7. Mike Nugent – Ohio State University
In 2005, the New York Jets selected kicker Mike Nugent in the second round with the 47th pick overall. He continues to be a valuable addition to the team.

6. Jerry DePoyster – University of Wyoming
The 37th pick of the 1968 NFL Draft, a second round pick, was used by the Detroit Lions to choose Jerry DePoyster. He stayed in the league just five years and also kicked for the Oakland Raiders.

5. Chester Marcol – Hillsdale College
In 1972, the Green Bay Packers used their 2nd round pick, the 34th overall, on kicker Chester Marcol out of Hillsdale College in Michigan. Marcol would kick for the team until 1980. He is also one of just four players from Hillsdale to ever play in the NFL.

4. John Lee – UCLA
The St. Louis Cardinals used their second round pick, the 32nd overall, on two time All American kicker John Lee out of UCLA. Lee had set a great many records while kicking in college, many of which that still stand, but he was out of football after just one season.

3. Sebastian Janikowski – Florida State University
The Oakland Raiders used the 17th pick in the first round when they made Florida State’s Sebastian Janikowski the third kicker ever picked in the first round of the NFL Draft. Janikowski still kicks for the Raiders and has had a very successful career.

2. Steve Little – University of Arkansas
In 1978, the St. Louis Cardinals selected Steve Little with their first round pick, the 15th overall. Little would only start two seasons and after a third would be out of the NFL. Little would also punt during his short career.

1. Charlie Gogolak – Princeton University
In 1968, the Washington Redskins made Princeton’s Charlie Gogolak the first kicker ever selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. He was one of the first “soccer style” kickers to play in the NFL and was somewhat successful during his seven year career. His younger brother Pete would also play in the NFL.

Kickers are very important, but are often not selected in the first round of NFL Drafts. In fact, the first NFL Draft was held in 1936 and since then only three kickers have been selected in the first round. Choosing kickers is a tough job for NFL teams, as is obvious by the fact that many of the highest drafted overall are not among the best kickers to ever play in the game.

Tweet This Post

The Baltimore Ravens are known as one of the best defensive teams in recent years. They have only been around as a franchise since 1996, but in that time they have put up some very impressive team numbers. Who though leads the defense in touchdowns scored on an individual basis.

Safety Ed Reed tops the list for most defensive touchdowns in a career in Baltimore Ravens history. Through the 2009 season, Reed has scored touchdowns eight times. Six of those on interceptions returned for a touchdown and twice by recovering fumbles.

Here is a look at the top defensive touchdown scorers in Ravens history for both interception returns and fumble recoveries.

Interceptions returned for TDs:

#1 – Ed Reed – 6

#2 (tie) – Chris McAlister – 5

#2 (tie) – Rod Woodson – 5

#4 – Chad Williams – 3

Fumbles recovered for TDs:

#1 – Adalius Thomas – 3

#2 (tie) – Ed Reed – 2

#2 (tie) – Alan Ricard – 2

When a team’s defense can put points on the board, it can take a lot of pressure off the offense. It can also be responsible for a close loss turning into a close win. For the Ravens, the defensive scoring of Ed Reed and the other great players on that side of the ball has been a big factor in the team’s success.

Tweet This Post

One of the signs of how good a player was during their career is how many Pro Bowls they went to. What Raiders player went to more Pro Bowls than any other?

Longtime Raiders center, and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Jim Otto went to twelve consecutive Pro Bowls from 1961 to 1972. Because the Raiders played the 1960s in the AFL, technically the game that Otto went to for much of his career was the AFL All-Star Game. For the most actual NFL Pro Bowls appearances by a Raiders player, it would have to be wide receiver Tim Brown who went to the game nine times, mostly during the 1990s.

Tweet This Post

Jim Kelly is not only the greatest quarterback in the history of the Buffalo Bills organization, he is also the one who has amassed the most wins for the franchise as a starting quarterback. Coming to the team after having success in both college and the USFL, there were high expectations on Kelly and he met or exceeded those expectations. He would eventually lead the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances and some of the team’s greatest wins.

Here is a look at the list of the top ten winningest quarterbacks in Buffalo Bills history, through the 2009 season.

1. Jim Kelly – 101 Wins
2. Joe Ferguson – 77 Wins
3. Jack Kemp – 47 Wins
4. Daryle Lamonica – 30 Wins
5. Frank Reich – 29 Wins
6. Doug Flutie – 23 Wins (tie)
6. Drew Bledsoe – 23 Wins (tie)
8. J.P. Losman – 15 Wins
9. Trent Edwards – 14 Wins
10. Todd Collins – 12 Wins

Just missing the list, with 11 and 10 wins respectively, are Rob Johnson and Alex Van Pelt.

Tweet This Post

This officially licensed Oakland Raiders Mr. Potato Head is designed for collectors and fans of all ages. Standing 6” tall, this player is the perfect size for proudly displaying on a shelf or playing “mix and match” to create a variety of hilarious combinations.

(more…)

Tweet This Post

The Chicago Bears are one of the oldest franchises in the National Football League. They have had some great successes along with some serious down times too over the years. They have also had a number of great coaches and players associated with the team over the years too, including Walter Payton, Gale Sayers, Dick Butkis, Billy Wade, George Halas, Mike Singletary, Bobby Douglass, Mike Ditka, and more.
Through the years, they have primarily been a running team. They have had some decent quarterbacks over the years, but they have always taken a back seat to the guys running the ball. Who though has had the most 3,000 yard passing seasons for the Chicago Bears?

Through the 2009 season, only one Bears quarterback has ever thrown for more than one 3,000 yard season. Erik Kramer threw for 3,000 yards in 1995 and 1997. He wasn’t the first Bears quarterback to pass that threshold, that was Billy Wade in 1962. After Wade, it would be another 29 years before Jim Harbaugh would join the club in 1991. The only other quarterbacks to perform this feat for the Bears was Rex Grossman in 2006 and Jay Cutler in 2009.

Only five different quarterbacks have thrown for 3,000 yards in one season for the Chicago Bears and Erik Kramer has done it twice. With Jay Cutler at the helm, most Bears fans expect there to be a new leader in this category in a couple years. While that may happen, for now Erik Kramer sits atop the list.

Chicago Bears 3,000 Yard Passing Seasons:

Erik Kramer: 1995, 1997
Jay Cutler: 2009
Rex Grossman: 2006
Jim Harbaugh: 1991
Billy Wade: 1962

Tweet This Post

Tony Romo is one of those great NFL stories. He was a backup quarterback, who though he was thought of as somewhat of a prospect, he wasn’t thought of as a top flight quarterback at all. He got his shot though to lead the Dallas Cowboys and ever since he has been justifiably grouped with the better quarterbacks in the league.

In his short time in the league, who have is favorite receivers been? When it comes time to throw a touchdown pass, who does he throw to the most?

Here is a look at the top five receivers through the 2009 NFL season, based on the number of touchdown passes thrown to them by Tony Romo.

Terrell Owens – 34

Patrick Crayton – 19

Jason Witten – 14

Miles Austin – 14

Roy E. Williams – 7

Tweet This Post