1975 NY Giants v. Buffalo Bills

[st pete gogolak]

The YouTube algorithm popped this game up in the queue and well, it’s off-season and I’m retired so I ended up watching the full game. A little bit of background.  The ‘73 season started a mini-renaissance under Lou Saban after several dreadful years. Back-to-back 9 - 5 seasons, including a playoff loss to eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers in ‘74.  Their best receiver, Ahmad Rashad, tore up his knee in preseason but the team got off to a 4 - 0 start, including an upset win on the road in Pittsburgh against the defending champs.  A win at home against a bad Giants team on Monday Night Football would set them up for a monumental game at home the next week against arch-nemesis Miami Dolphins. 
 

Observations on the game.

 

The viewing experience was prehistoric.  No graphics. No reversing a call with replay.  I remember being ok with Cosell as a kid but he’s bombastic and arrogant and really doesn’t add any insight into the game. Alex Karras is horrible. At least Gifford was a competent play by play. 
 

They treated OJ like a God. He was obviously the main attraction. Unfortunately probably one of his most pedestrian games as a Bill even though he went over 100 yards. 
 

Talk about prehistoric. Bills offense never put a man in motion, strictly two back set (OJ and Braxton), never three wideouts. Occasionally two tight end sets.  If you thought Joe Brady ran a lot on first down, you should check out this game.  First and second down runs were mandatory.  Ferguson had a lousy game with two picks and a few misses to wide open receivers.  
 

Very few penalties called. Don’t know if that was an anomaly or if refs these days are flag happy.
 

Bills took 14 - 0 lead and seemed in control until middle of third quarter.  Giants missed two FG’s (40 and 47 yards - 47 yarder was short!) but Bills couldn’t do anything on offense.

 

Both kickers were atrocious. Despite being a decade after Pete Gogolak (my guy!) introduced sidewinder kick, both kickers were straight on.  Tied at 14, late in the game, Saban chose to kick a FG on 4th and one from the Giants two.  John Lepoyldt missed a 19 yard FG. Wide right.  Bills recovered a fumble inside Giants 40 on next possession. Two runs and an incompletion led to a blocked FG. Giants drove down the field for a game winning FG as time expired.  

This might have been the first Billsy loss in team history.  Team finished  8 - 6 and out of the playoffs. Remarkably finished first in the entire league in points scored and yards.  Defense was awful, finishing 24th in a 26 team league.  That was it for the 70’s. It was back to being garbage until Chuck Knox got there.  
 

The offensive talent on that team was impressive. Great offensive line, good receivers (Hill and Chandler), good QB and HOF RB.  If Bill Walsh was the coach of that team it may not have mattered how bad the defense was.  

[Ray Finkel]

1 hour ago, st pete gogolak said:

The YouTube algorithm popped this game up in the queue and well, it’s off-season and I’m retired so I ended up watching the full game. A little bit of background.  The ‘73 season started a mini-renaissance under Lou Saban after several dreadful years. Back-to-back 9 - 5 seasons, including a playoff loss to eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers in ‘74.  Their best receiver, Ahmad Rashad, tore up his knee in preseason but the team got off to a 4 - 0 start, including an upset win on the road in Pittsburgh against the defending champs.  A win at home against a bad Giants team on Monday Night Football would set them up for a monumental game at home the next week against arch-nemesis Miami Dolphins. 
 

Observations on the game.

 

The viewing experience was prehistoric.  No graphics. No reversing a call with replay.  I remember being ok with Cosell as a kid but he’s bombastic and arrogant and really doesn’t add any insight into the game. Alex Karras is horrible. At least Gifford was a competent play by play. 
 

They treated OJ like a God. He was obviously the main attraction. Unfortunately probably one of his most pedestrian games as a Bill even though he went over 100 yards. 
 

Talk about prehistoric. Bills offense never put a man in motion, strictly two back set (OJ and Braxton), never three wideouts. Occasionally two tight end sets.  If you thought Joe Brady ran a lot on first down, you should check out this game.  First and second down runs were mandatory.  Ferguson had a lousy game with two picks and a few misses to wide open receivers.  
 

Very few penalties called. Don’t know if that was an anomaly or if refs these days are flag happy.
 

Bills took 14 - 0 lead and seemed in control until middle of third quarter.  Giants missed two FG’s (40 and 47 yards - 47 yarder was short!) but Bills couldn’t do anything on offense.

 

Both kickers were atrocious. Despite being a decade after Pete Gogolak (my guy!) introduced sidewinder kick, both kickers were straight on.  Tied at 14, late in the game, Saban chose to kick a FG on 4th and one from the Giants two.  John Lepoyldt missed a 19 yard FG. Wide right.  Bills recovered a fumble inside Giants 40 on next possession. Two runs and an incompletion led to a blocked FG. Giants drove down the field for a game winning FG as time expired.  

This might have been the first Billsy loss in team history.  Team finished  8 - 6 and out of the playoffs. Remarkably finished first in the entire league in points scored and yards.  Defense was awful, finishing 24th in a 26 team league.  That was it for the 70’s. It was back to being garbage until Chuck Knox got there.  
 

The offensive talent on that team was impressive. Great offensive line, good receivers (Hill and Chandler), good QB and HOF RB.  If Bill Walsh was the coach of that team it may not have mattered how bad the defense was.  

Did someone try to tightrope the ropes holding up the field goal net in that game?

[juno999]

I’m pretty sure I was at this game. Some guy crossed the back end of the end zone using the cable( which holds up the net) to go hand over hand (think monkey bars) from one end to the other. 

[st pete gogolak]

59 minutes ago, Ray Finkel said:

Did someone try to tightrope the ropes holding up the field goal net in that game?

Yes!  Instead of avoiding him, the camera was on him for an ungodly amount of time. If he had fallen, he might have been dead or seriously injured.

[WotAGuy]

I was there. Gut punch kind of game.