All NFL game summaries for 09/16/1973:
A Chicago fake punt attempt that failed gave Dallas the ball in good field position for a winning 11-yard FG by Toni Fritsch with 1:26 to go in the last quarter. The Bears had succeeded earlier with the fake punt on a direct pass to blocking back Bob Parsons but failed the second time when Parsons was stopped for a three-yard loss. Two TD passes by Roger Staubach helped Dallas open up 17-3 lead at halftime but a 59-yard punt return by Ike Hill and a score by Carl Garrett tied the score.
Line: Cowboys by 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Dallas Cowboys (1-0-0) | 0 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
 Chicago Bears (0-1-0) | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
( 0- 3) CHI Mac Percival 33 yard field goal
( 3- 3) DAL Toni Fritsch 25 yard field goal
(10- 3) DAL Otto Stowe 21 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Toni Fritsch kick)
(17- 3) DAL Bob Hayes 18 yard pass from Roger Staubach (Toni Fritsch kick)
(17-10) CHI Ike Hill 59 yard punt return (Mac Percival kick)
(17-17) CHI Carl Garrett 15 yard rush (Mac Percival kick)
(20-17) DAL Toni Fritsch 11 yard field goal
DAL CHI
First Downs: 17 12
Rushes-yards: 46-188 44-172
Yards/rush: 4.1 3.9
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 9-22-91-2 6-13-52-1
Sacked-yards: 2-7 3-22
Net pass yards: 84 30
Net yards/pass: 3.5 1.9
Total net yards: 272 202
Total plays: 70 (65% run) 60 (73% run)
Yards/play: 3.9 3.4
Fumbles-lost: 3-1 6-5
Turnovers: 3 6
Penalties-yards: 4-20 7-85
Attendance: 49,790
Passing:
DAL: Roger Staubach, 9 of 22 for 91 yards and 2 TDs (2 int) CHI: Bobby Douglass, 6 of 13 for 52 yards (1 int)
Rushing:
DAL: Calvin Hill, 31 for 130 yards; Robert Newhouse, 8 for 29 yards; Roger Staubach, 7 for 29 yards CHI: Jim Harrison, 16 for 70 yards; Bobby Douglass, 13 for 57 yards; Carl Garrett, 13 for 43 yards and 1 TD; Bob Parsons, 2 for 2 yards
Receiving:
DAL: Calvin Hill, 4 for 28 yards; Robert Newhouse, 2 for 14 yards; Otto Stowe, 1 for 21 yards and 1 TD; Bob Hayes, 1 for 18 yards and 1 TD; Billy Joe DuPree, 1 for 10 yards CHI: Jim Harrison, 4 for 30 yards; George Farmer, 1 for 16 yards; Carl Garrett, 1 for 6 yards
Kick returns:
DAL: Larry Robinson, 2 for 50 yards CHI: Cecil Turner, 3 for 55 yards; Ike Hill, 1 for 24 yards
Punt returns:
DAL: Cliff Harris, 1 for 12 yards CHI: Ike Hill, 3 for 64 yards and 1 TD
Interceptions:
DAL: Charlie Waters, 1 for 44 yards CHI: Doug Buffone, 1 for 22 yards; Charlie Ford, 1 for 9 yards
Punting:
DAL: Marv Bateman, 5 for 206 yards CHI: Bobby Joe Green, 4 for 147 yards
Field Goals:
DAL: Toni Fritsch, 2/3 CHI: Mac Percival, 1/1
DAL: Roger Staubach, 9 of 22 for 91 yards and 2 TDs (2 int) CHI: Bobby Douglass, 6 of 13 for 52 yards (1 int)
Rushing:
DAL: Calvin Hill, 31 for 130 yards; Robert Newhouse, 8 for 29 yards; Roger Staubach, 7 for 29 yards CHI: Jim Harrison, 16 for 70 yards; Bobby Douglass, 13 for 57 yards; Carl Garrett, 13 for 43 yards and 1 TD; Bob Parsons, 2 for 2 yards
Receiving:
DAL: Calvin Hill, 4 for 28 yards; Robert Newhouse, 2 for 14 yards; Otto Stowe, 1 for 21 yards and 1 TD; Bob Hayes, 1 for 18 yards and 1 TD; Billy Joe DuPree, 1 for 10 yards CHI: Jim Harrison, 4 for 30 yards; George Farmer, 1 for 16 yards; Carl Garrett, 1 for 6 yards
Kick returns:
DAL: Larry Robinson, 2 for 50 yards CHI: Cecil Turner, 3 for 55 yards; Ike Hill, 1 for 24 yards
Punt returns:
DAL: Cliff Harris, 1 for 12 yards CHI: Ike Hill, 3 for 64 yards and 1 TD
Interceptions:
DAL: Charlie Waters, 1 for 44 yards CHI: Doug Buffone, 1 for 22 yards; Charlie Ford, 1 for 9 yards
Punting:
DAL: Marv Bateman, 5 for 206 yards CHI: Bobby Joe Green, 4 for 147 yards
Field Goals:
DAL: Toni Fritsch, 2/3 CHI: Mac Percival, 1/1
Mike Phipps hit Frank Pitts with two TD passes and also ran for 55 yards when his receivers were covered. Bert Jones, the Colts' rookie QB, threw one TD pass to Cotton Speyrer but was sacked five times while the Browns held Baltimore to a net passing total of four yards. Browns' cornerback Clarence Scott pulled his opening day routine. Last year he scored with a blocked field goal, this time he returned an interception 45 yards for a TD. Ted Hendricks blocked Don Cockroft's punt for a Colts' TD in the third quarter.
Line: Browns by 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Baltimore Colts (0-1-0) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
 Cleveland Browns (1-0-0) | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
( 0- 7) CLE Frank Pitts 26 yard pass from Mike Phipps (Don Cockroft kick)
( 7- 7) BAL Cotton Speyrer 33 yard pass from Bert Jones (George Hunt kick)
( 7-10) CLE Don Cockroft 14 yard field goal
( 7-17) CLE Clarence Scott 45 yard interception return (Don Cockroft kick)
(14-17) BAL Ted Hendricks 2 yard return of blocked punt (George Hunt kick)
(14-24) CLE Frank Pitts 8 yard pass from Mike Phipps (Don Cockroft kick)
BAL CLE
First Downs: 10 20
Rushes-yards: 36-125 42-147
Yards/rush: 3.5 3.5
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 6-22-56-1 12-26-150-0
Sacked-yards: 5-52 0-0
Net pass yards: 4 150
Net yards/pass: 0.1 5.8
Total net yards: 129 297
Total plays: 63 (57% run) 68 (61% run)
Yards/play: 2.0 4.4
Fumbles-lost: 0-0 3-3
Turnovers: 1 3
Penalties-yards: 10-73 8-60
Attendance: 74,303
Passing:
BAL: Bert Jones, 6 of 22 for 56 yards and 1 TD (1 int) CLE: Mike Phipps, 12 of 26 for 150 yards and 2 TDs
Rushing:
BAL: Don Nottingham, 16 for 64 yards; Don McCauley, 16 for 53 yards; Bert Jones, 3 for 24 yards; David Lee, 1 for -16 yards CLE: Hugh McKinnis, 11 for 27 yards; Leroy Kelly, 9 for 6 yards; Ken Brown, 8 for 40 yards; Mike Phipps, 7 for 55 yards; Billy Lefear, 7 for 19 yards
Receiving:
BAL: Raymond Chester, 2 for 14 yards; Cotton Speyrer, 1 for 33 yards and 1 TD; Lydell Mitchell, 1 for 8 yards; Don Nottingham, 1 for 5 yards; Don McCauley, 1 for -4 yards CLE: Fair Hooker, 5 for 62 yards; Frank Pitts, 4 for 56 yards and 2 TDs; Milt Morin, 2 for 37 yards; Hugh McKinnis, 1 for -5 yards
Kick returns:
BAL: Bruce Laird, 4 for 114 yards CLE: Steve Holden, 1 for 27 yards; Billy Lefear, 1 for 14 yards
Punt returns:
BAL: Bruce Laird, 4 for 6 yards CLE: Billy Lefear, 3 for 9 yards
Interceptions:
CLE: Clarence Scott, 1 for 45 yards and 1 TD
Punting:
BAL: David Lee, 7 for 301 yards CLE: Don Cockroft, 7 for 238 yards
Field Goals:
BAL: George Hunt, 0/2 CLE: Don Cockroft, 1/1
BAL: Bert Jones, 6 of 22 for 56 yards and 1 TD (1 int) CLE: Mike Phipps, 12 of 26 for 150 yards and 2 TDs
Rushing:
BAL: Don Nottingham, 16 for 64 yards; Don McCauley, 16 for 53 yards; Bert Jones, 3 for 24 yards; David Lee, 1 for -16 yards CLE: Hugh McKinnis, 11 for 27 yards; Leroy Kelly, 9 for 6 yards; Ken Brown, 8 for 40 yards; Mike Phipps, 7 for 55 yards; Billy Lefear, 7 for 19 yards
Receiving:
BAL: Raymond Chester, 2 for 14 yards; Cotton Speyrer, 1 for 33 yards and 1 TD; Lydell Mitchell, 1 for 8 yards; Don Nottingham, 1 for 5 yards; Don McCauley, 1 for -4 yards CLE: Fair Hooker, 5 for 62 yards; Frank Pitts, 4 for 56 yards and 2 TDs; Milt Morin, 2 for 37 yards; Hugh McKinnis, 1 for -5 yards
Kick returns:
BAL: Bruce Laird, 4 for 114 yards CLE: Steve Holden, 1 for 27 yards; Billy Lefear, 1 for 14 yards
Punt returns:
BAL: Bruce Laird, 4 for 6 yards CLE: Billy Lefear, 3 for 9 yards
Interceptions:
CLE: Clarence Scott, 1 for 45 yards and 1 TD
Punting:
BAL: David Lee, 7 for 301 yards CLE: Don Cockroft, 7 for 238 yards
Field Goals:
BAL: George Hunt, 0/2 CLE: Don Cockroft, 1/1
Floyd Little scored three times at the end of long drives engineered by Broncos' QB Charley Johnson. Little wound up with 82 yards on 22 carries but Essex Johnson of the Bengals was the top rusher in the game with 90 on 11 attempts. Cincinnati outgained the Broncos 344-343 but could score only once, on Johnson's 22-yard run. Ken Anderson went most of the way for the Bengals with Greg Cook, making a comeback after a shoulder injury which had kept him out since 1969, playing part of the last quarter. Jim Turner ran his consecutive extra point streak to 175, longest of any active player. The NFL record is 234, held by Tommy Davis of the 49ers.
Line: Bengals by 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cincinnati Bengals (0-1-0) | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
 Denver Broncos (1-0-0) | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
( 0- 7) DEN Floyd Little 1 yard rush (Jim Turner kick)
( 0-14) DEN Haven Moses 22 yard rush (Jim Turner kick)
( 3-14) CIN Horst Muhlmann 21 yard field goal
( 3-21) DEN Floyd Little 1 yard rush (Jim Turner kick)
(10-21) CIN Essex Johnson 22 yard rush (Horst Muhlmann kick)
(10-28) DEN Floyd Little 5 yard rush (Jim Turner kick)
CIN DEN
First Downs: 22 23
Rushes-yards: 24-133 38-153
Yards/rush: 5.5 4.0
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 19-39-228-1 11-25-190-1
Sacked-yards: 2-17 0-0
Net pass yards: 211 190
Net yards/pass: 5.1 7.6
Total net yards: 344 343
Total plays: 65 (36% run) 63 (60% run)
Yards/play: 5.3 5.4
Fumbles-lost: 1-0 1-0
Turnovers: 1 1
Penalties-yards: 5-50 4-34
Attendance: 49,059
Passing:
CIN: Ken Anderson, 18 of 36 for 217 yards (1 int); Greg Cook, 1 of 3 for 11 yards DEN: Charley Johnson, 11 of 25 for 190 yards (1 int)
Rushing:
CIN: Essex Johnson, 11 for 90 yards and 1 TD; Boobie Clark, 11 for 34 yards; Joe Wilson, 2 for 9 yards DEN: Floyd Little, 22 for 82 yards and 3 TDs; Joe Dawkins, 14 for 58 yards; Haven Moses, 1 for 22 yards and 1 TD; Billy Masters, 1 for -9 yards
Receiving:
CIN: Essex Johnson, 4 for 52 yards; Chip Myers, 4 for 45 yards; Isaac Curtis, 4 for 43 yards; Bob Trumpy, 3 for 44 yards; Boobie Clark, 3 for 29 yards; Bruce Coslet, 1 for 15 yards DEN: Floyd Little, 4 for 50 yards; Jerry Simmons, 3 for 50 yards; Joe Dawkins, 2 for 45 yards; Riley Odoms, 2 for 45 yards
Kick returns:
CIN: Bernard Jackson, 2 for 54 yards; Joe Wilson, 1 for 18 yards; Dave Lewis, 1 for 13 yards
Punt returns:
CIN: Tommy Casanova, 2 for 26 yards; Lemar Parrish, 1 for 9 yards DEN: Bill Thompson, 1 for 9 yards
Interceptions:
CIN: Ken Riley, 1 for 0 yards DEN: Bill Thompson, 1 for 37 yards
Punting:
CIN: Dave Lewis, 2 for 100 yards DEN: Billy Van Heusen, 4 for 180 yards
Field Goals:
CIN: Horst Muhlmann, 1/1
CIN: Ken Anderson, 18 of 36 for 217 yards (1 int); Greg Cook, 1 of 3 for 11 yards DEN: Charley Johnson, 11 of 25 for 190 yards (1 int)
Rushing:
CIN: Essex Johnson, 11 for 90 yards and 1 TD; Boobie Clark, 11 for 34 yards; Joe Wilson, 2 for 9 yards DEN: Floyd Little, 22 for 82 yards and 3 TDs; Joe Dawkins, 14 for 58 yards; Haven Moses, 1 for 22 yards and 1 TD; Billy Masters, 1 for -9 yards
Receiving:
CIN: Essex Johnson, 4 for 52 yards; Chip Myers, 4 for 45 yards; Isaac Curtis, 4 for 43 yards; Bob Trumpy, 3 for 44 yards; Boobie Clark, 3 for 29 yards; Bruce Coslet, 1 for 15 yards DEN: Floyd Little, 4 for 50 yards; Jerry Simmons, 3 for 50 yards; Joe Dawkins, 2 for 45 yards; Riley Odoms, 2 for 45 yards
Kick returns:
CIN: Bernard Jackson, 2 for 54 yards; Joe Wilson, 1 for 18 yards; Dave Lewis, 1 for 13 yards
Punt returns:
CIN: Tommy Casanova, 2 for 26 yards; Lemar Parrish, 1 for 9 yards DEN: Bill Thompson, 1 for 9 yards
Interceptions:
CIN: Ken Riley, 1 for 0 yards DEN: Bill Thompson, 1 for 37 yards
Punting:
CIN: Dave Lewis, 2 for 100 yards DEN: Billy Van Heusen, 4 for 180 yards
Field Goals:
CIN: Horst Muhlmann, 1/1
Jim Bertelsen and Lawrence McCutcheon each ran for more than 100 yards and John Hadl, playing his first game for the Rams, threw for two TDs. Bertelsen carried 28 times for 143 and McCutcheon 21 for 120. Steve Preece turned a bad snap on a FG attempt into an 11-yard TD run. Mike Livingston started for the Chiefs in place of Len Dawson, out with a jammed thumb. Pete Beathard took over in the second half and threw TD passes to Elmo Wright and rookie TE Gary Butler.
Line: Chiefs by 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Los Angeles Rams (1-0-0) | 6 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
 Kansas City Chiefs (0-1-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
( 6- 0) LA Pat Curran 2 yard pass from John Hadl (kick failed)
(13- 0) LA Lawrence McCutcheon 31 yard pass from John Hadl (David Ray kick)
(20- 0) LA Steve Preece 11 yard rush (David Ray kick)
(23- 0) LA David Ray 27 yard field goal
(23- 7) KC Elmo Wright 16 yard pass from Pete Beathard (Jan Stenerud kick)
(23-13) KC Gary Butler 6 yard pass from Pete Beathard (kick failed)
LA KC
First Downs: 22 16
Rushes-yards: 55-278 21-40
Yards/rush: 5.1 1.9
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 8-10-99-0 20-27-262-1
Sacked-yards: 3-19 5-32
Net pass yards: 80 230
Net yards/pass: 6.2 7.2
Total net yards: 358 270
Total plays: 68 (80% run) 53 (39% run)
Yards/play: 5.3 5.1
Fumbles-lost: 3-1 3-1
Turnovers: 1 2
Penalties-yards: 8-90 9-61
Attendance: 62,315
Passing:
LA: John Hadl, 8 of 10 for 99 yards and 2 TDs KC: Pete Beathard, 15 of 20 for 198 yards and 2 TDs; Mike Livingston, 5 of 7 for 64 yards (1 int)
Rushing:
LA: Jim Bertelsen, 28 for 143 yards; Lawrence McCutcheon, 21 for 120 yards; Larry Smith, 3 for 7 yards; Steve Preece, 1 for 11 yards and 1 TD; Tony Baker, 1 for 2 yards; Harold Jackson, 1 for -5 yards KC: Ed Podolak, 8 for -2 yards; Jeff Kinney, 4 for 7 yards; Wendell Hayes, 3 for 12 yards; Mike Livingston, 3 for 9 yards; Willie Ellison, 2 for 3 yards; Pete Beathard, 1 for 11 yards
Receiving:
LA: Lawrence McCutcheon, 3 for 53 yards and 1 TD; Harold Jackson, 2 for 22 yards; Bob Klein, 1 for 15 yards; Jack Snow, 1 for 7 yards; Pat Curran, 1 for 2 yards and 1 TD KC: Otis Taylor, 4 for 83 yards; Willie Ellison, 4 for 27 yards; Wendell Hayes, 3 for 4 yards; Elmo Wright, 2 for 60 yards and 1 TD; Ed Podolak, 2 for 27 yards; Jeff Kinney, 2 for 9 yards; Robert West, 1 for 23 yards; Morris Stroud, 1 for 23 yards; Gary Butler, 1 for 6 yards and 1 TD
Kick returns:
LA: Pat Curran, 1 for 24 yards KC: Larry Marshall, 2 for 54 yards; Warren McVea, 1 for 19 yards
Punt returns:
LA: Dave Elmendorf, 2 for 31 yards; Jim Bertelsen, 1 for 8 yards KC: Ed Podolak, 1 for 3 yards; Larry Marshall, 1 for 2 yards
Interceptions:
LA: Jack Reynolds, 1 for 49 yards
Punting:
LA: Dave Chapple, 4 for 160 yards KC: Jerrel Wilson, 5 for 203 yards
Field Goals:
LA: David Ray, 1/3 KC: Jan Stenerud, 0/2
LA: John Hadl, 8 of 10 for 99 yards and 2 TDs KC: Pete Beathard, 15 of 20 for 198 yards and 2 TDs; Mike Livingston, 5 of 7 for 64 yards (1 int)
Rushing:
LA: Jim Bertelsen, 28 for 143 yards; Lawrence McCutcheon, 21 for 120 yards; Larry Smith, 3 for 7 yards; Steve Preece, 1 for 11 yards and 1 TD; Tony Baker, 1 for 2 yards; Harold Jackson, 1 for -5 yards KC: Ed Podolak, 8 for -2 yards; Jeff Kinney, 4 for 7 yards; Wendell Hayes, 3 for 12 yards; Mike Livingston, 3 for 9 yards; Willie Ellison, 2 for 3 yards; Pete Beathard, 1 for 11 yards
Receiving:
LA: Lawrence McCutcheon, 3 for 53 yards and 1 TD; Harold Jackson, 2 for 22 yards; Bob Klein, 1 for 15 yards; Jack Snow, 1 for 7 yards; Pat Curran, 1 for 2 yards and 1 TD KC: Otis Taylor, 4 for 83 yards; Willie Ellison, 4 for 27 yards; Wendell Hayes, 3 for 4 yards; Elmo Wright, 2 for 60 yards and 1 TD; Ed Podolak, 2 for 27 yards; Jeff Kinney, 2 for 9 yards; Robert West, 1 for 23 yards; Morris Stroud, 1 for 23 yards; Gary Butler, 1 for 6 yards and 1 TD
Kick returns:
LA: Pat Curran, 1 for 24 yards KC: Larry Marshall, 2 for 54 yards; Warren McVea, 1 for 19 yards
Punt returns:
LA: Dave Elmendorf, 2 for 31 yards; Jim Bertelsen, 1 for 8 yards KC: Ed Podolak, 1 for 3 yards; Larry Marshall, 1 for 2 yards
Interceptions:
LA: Jack Reynolds, 1 for 49 yards
Punting:
LA: Dave Chapple, 4 for 160 yards KC: Jerrel Wilson, 5 for 203 yards
Field Goals:
LA: David Ray, 1/3 KC: Jan Stenerud, 0/2
Garo Yepremian kicked four FGs of 31, 53, 45 and 22 yards, and Larry Csonka rushed 22 times for 104 yards in a come-from-behind win. The Dolphins trailed 13-6 going into the last quarter when Bob Griese hit Paul Warfield with a TD pass for a tie, and Garo's 45-yarder gave Miami the lead. Curtis Johnson tackled the San Francisco punter in the end zone for a safety and Jim Kiick's 32-yard run set up the final Dolphins' FG.
Line: Dolphins by 7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 San Francisco 49ers (0-1-0) | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
 Miami Dolphins (1-0-0) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 21 |
( 3- 0) SF Bruce Gossett 47 yard field goal
( 3- 3) MIA Garo Yepremian 31 yard field goal
( 3- 6) MIA Garo Yepremian 53 yard field goal
(10- 6) SF Vic Washington 3 yard rush (Bruce Gossett kick)
(13- 6) SF Bruce Gossett 30 yard field goal
(13-13) MIA Paul Warfield 10 yard pass from Bob Griese (Garo Yepremian kick)
(13-16) MIA Garo Yepremian 45 yard field goal
(13-18) MIA Safety, Tom Wittum tackled in end zone by Curtis Johnson
(13-21) MIA Garo Yepremian 22 yard field goal
SF MIA
First Downs: 16 15
Rushes-yards: 30-98 36-171
Yards/rush: 3.3 4.8
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 18-35-175-0 11-24-108-2
Sacked-yards: 3-21 0-0
Net pass yards: 154 108
Net yards/pass: 4.1 4.5
Total net yards: 252 279
Total plays: 68 (44% run) 60 (60% run)
Yards/play: 3.7 4.7
Fumbles-lost: 2-0 2-2
Turnovers: 0 4
Penalties-yards: 7-75 3-15
Attendance: 68,275
Passing:
SF: Steve Spurrier, 6 of 18 for 65 yards; John Brodie, 12 of 17 for 110 yards MIA: Bob Griese, 11 of 24 for 108 yards and 1 TD (2 int)
Rushing:
SF: Vic Washington, 14 for 55 yards and 1 TD; Larry Schreiber, 10 for 18 yards; Jimmy Thomas, 3 for 22 yards; Ken Willard, 2 for 0 yards; Doug Cunningham, 1 for 3 yards MIA: Larry Csonka, 22 for 104 yards; Jim Kiick, 8 for 58 yards; Mercury Morris, 6 for 9 yards
Receiving:
SF: Vic Washington, 8 for 57 yards; Gene Washington, 3 for 44 yards; Ted Kwalick, 3 for 41 yards; Larry Schreiber, 3 for 27 yards; Jimmy Thomas, 1 for 6 yards MIA: Paul Warfield, 4 for 39 yards and 1 TD; Jim Kiick, 3 for 34 yards; Marlin Briscoe, 2 for 32 yards; Jim Mandich, 1 for 10 yards; Charlie Leigh, 1 for -7 yards
Kick returns:
SF: Ralph McGill, 5 for 120 yards MIA: Mercury Morris, 3 for 69 yards; Jake Scott, 1 for 0 yards
Punt returns:
SF: Ralph McGill, 2 for 41 yards MIA: Charlie Leigh, 2 for 10 yards
Interceptions:
SF: Frank Nunley, 1 for 13 yards; Mel Phillips, 1 for 13 yards
Punting:
SF: Tom Wittum, 6 for 264 yards MIA: Larry Seiple, 3 for 143 yards
Field Goals:
SF: Bruce Gossett, 2/4 MIA: Garo Yepremian, 4/4
SF: Steve Spurrier, 6 of 18 for 65 yards; John Brodie, 12 of 17 for 110 yards MIA: Bob Griese, 11 of 24 for 108 yards and 1 TD (2 int)
Rushing:
SF: Vic Washington, 14 for 55 yards and 1 TD; Larry Schreiber, 10 for 18 yards; Jimmy Thomas, 3 for 22 yards; Ken Willard, 2 for 0 yards; Doug Cunningham, 1 for 3 yards MIA: Larry Csonka, 22 for 104 yards; Jim Kiick, 8 for 58 yards; Mercury Morris, 6 for 9 yards
Receiving:
SF: Vic Washington, 8 for 57 yards; Gene Washington, 3 for 44 yards; Ted Kwalick, 3 for 41 yards; Larry Schreiber, 3 for 27 yards; Jimmy Thomas, 1 for 6 yards MIA: Paul Warfield, 4 for 39 yards and 1 TD; Jim Kiick, 3 for 34 yards; Marlin Briscoe, 2 for 32 yards; Jim Mandich, 1 for 10 yards; Charlie Leigh, 1 for -7 yards
Kick returns:
SF: Ralph McGill, 5 for 120 yards MIA: Mercury Morris, 3 for 69 yards; Jake Scott, 1 for 0 yards
Punt returns:
SF: Ralph McGill, 2 for 41 yards MIA: Charlie Leigh, 2 for 10 yards
Interceptions:
SF: Frank Nunley, 1 for 13 yards; Mel Phillips, 1 for 13 yards
Punting:
SF: Tom Wittum, 6 for 264 yards MIA: Larry Seiple, 3 for 143 yards
Field Goals:
SF: Bruce Gossett, 2/4 MIA: Garo Yepremian, 4/4
Fran Tarkenton fired two TD passes and Bill Brown ran six yards on a draw play for the clincher as the Vikings lost an early lead but rallied to win. A goal-line stand made the Raiders settle for a third George Blanda FG and a 16-10 edge in the third period before Tarkenton led a drive climaxed by a TD pass to rookie RB Chuck Foreman. Linebacker Jeff Siemon recovered a fumble and Tarkenton scrambled 13 yards to set up Brown's score. The only Raiders' TD was a 63-yard punt return by George Atkinson.
Line: Vikings by 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Oakland Raiders (0-1-0) | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
 Minnesota Vikings (1-0-0) | 10 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
( 0- 3) MIN Fred Cox 22 yard field goal
( 0-10) MIN John Gilliam 43 yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick)
( 3-10) OAK George Blanda 16 yard field goal
( 6-10) OAK George Blanda 25 yard field goal
(13-10) OAK George Atkinson 63 yard punt return (George Blanda kick)
(16-10) OAK George Blanda 9 yard field goal
(16-17) MIN Chuck Foreman 9 yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick)
(16-24) MIN Bill Brown 6 yard rush (Fred Cox kick)
OAK MIN
First Downs: 19 16
Rushes-yards: 39-200 35-103
Yards/rush: 5.1 2.9
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 13-30-183-2 13-31-187-1
Sacked-yards: 4-30 2-17
Net pass yards: 153 170
Net yards/pass: 4.5 5.2
Total net yards: 353 273
Total plays: 73 (53% run) 68 (51% run)
Yards/play: 4.8 4.0
Fumbles-lost: 4-2 1-1
Turnovers: 4 2
Penalties-yards: 6-70 3-22
Attendance: 44,818
Passing:
OAK: Daryle Lamonica, 13 of 30 for 183 yards (2 int) MIN: Fran Tarkenton, 13 of 31 for 187 yards and 2 TDs (1 int)
Rushing:
OAK: Marv Hubbard, 16 for 61 yards; Clarence Davis, 12 for 73 yards; Charlie Smith, 10 for 66 yards; Daryle Lamonica, 1 for 0 yards MIN: Chuck Foreman, 9 for 26 yards; Ed Marinaro, 8 for 15 yards; Fran Tarkenton, 6 for 27 yards; Oscar Reed, 5 for 10 yards; Dave Osborn, 4 for 10 yards; Bill Brown, 2 for 13 yards and 1 TD; Stu Voigt, 1 for 2 yards
Receiving:
OAK: Mike Siani, 6 for 111 yards; Charlie Smith, 3 for 31 yards; Fred Biletnikoff, 2 for 24 yards; Marv Hubbard, 1 for 9 yards; Pete Banaszak, 1 for 8 yards MIN: Chuck Foreman, 6 for 53 yards and 1 TD; John Gilliam, 4 for 90 yards and 1 TD; Stu Voigt, 1 for 43 yards; Oscar Reed, 1 for 5 yards; Dave Osborn, 1 for -4 yards
Kick returns:
OAK: Clarence Davis, 3 for 67 yards; Bob Hudson, 1 for 16 yards MIN: John Gilliam, 2 for 49 yards; Bill Brown, 1 for 18 yards
Punt returns:
OAK: George Atkinson, 4 for 78 yards and 1 TD; Tommy Maxwell, 1 for 0 yards MIN: Bobby Bryant, 1 for 1 yard
Interceptions:
OAK: George Atkinson, 1 for 0 yards MIN: Bobby Bryant, 1 for 9 yards; Jeff Wright, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
OAK: Ray Guy, 5 for 248 yards MIN: Mike Eischeid, 7 for 280 yards
Field Goals:
OAK: George Blanda, 3/3 MIN: Fred Cox, 1/1
OAK: Daryle Lamonica, 13 of 30 for 183 yards (2 int) MIN: Fran Tarkenton, 13 of 31 for 187 yards and 2 TDs (1 int)
Rushing:
OAK: Marv Hubbard, 16 for 61 yards; Clarence Davis, 12 for 73 yards; Charlie Smith, 10 for 66 yards; Daryle Lamonica, 1 for 0 yards MIN: Chuck Foreman, 9 for 26 yards; Ed Marinaro, 8 for 15 yards; Fran Tarkenton, 6 for 27 yards; Oscar Reed, 5 for 10 yards; Dave Osborn, 4 for 10 yards; Bill Brown, 2 for 13 yards and 1 TD; Stu Voigt, 1 for 2 yards
Receiving:
OAK: Mike Siani, 6 for 111 yards; Charlie Smith, 3 for 31 yards; Fred Biletnikoff, 2 for 24 yards; Marv Hubbard, 1 for 9 yards; Pete Banaszak, 1 for 8 yards MIN: Chuck Foreman, 6 for 53 yards and 1 TD; John Gilliam, 4 for 90 yards and 1 TD; Stu Voigt, 1 for 43 yards; Oscar Reed, 1 for 5 yards; Dave Osborn, 1 for -4 yards
Kick returns:
OAK: Clarence Davis, 3 for 67 yards; Bob Hudson, 1 for 16 yards MIN: John Gilliam, 2 for 49 yards; Bill Brown, 1 for 18 yards
Punt returns:
OAK: George Atkinson, 4 for 78 yards and 1 TD; Tommy Maxwell, 1 for 0 yards MIN: Bobby Bryant, 1 for 1 yard
Interceptions:
OAK: George Atkinson, 1 for 0 yards MIN: Bobby Bryant, 1 for 9 yards; Jeff Wright, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
OAK: Ray Guy, 5 for 248 yards MIN: Mike Eischeid, 7 for 280 yards
Field Goals:
OAK: George Blanda, 3/3 MIN: Fred Cox, 1/1
O. J. Simpson set an NFL rushing record of 250 yards on 29 carries and his 80-yard TD proved to be the longest NFL run from scrimmage in 1973. Larry Watkins, O. J.'s running mate, gained 105 yards on 18 carries and their total of 355 yards was the highest ever by two men on the same club. Simpson broke Willie Ellison's record of 247 yards in 1971 with the Rams. Rookie Patriots coach Chuck Fairbanks quipped "it looked like a track meet out there."
Line: Bills by 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Buffalo Bills (1-0-0) | 7 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
 New England Patriots (0-1-0) | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
( 0- 6) NE Sam Cunningham 7 yard rush (kick failed)
( 7- 6) BUF O.J. Simpson 80 yard rush (John Leypoldt kick)
(10- 6) BUF John Leypoldt 48 yard field goal
(17- 6) BUF Larry Watkins 4 yard rush (John Leypoldt kick)
(17-13) NE Mack Herron 10 yard rush (Bill Bell kick)
(24-13) BUF O.J. Simpson 22 yard rush (John Leypoldt kick)
(31-13) BUF Larry Watkins 15 yard rush (John Leypoldt kick)
BUF NE
First Downs: 23 17
Rushes-yards: 51-360 26-107
Yards/rush: 7.1 4.1
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 9-12-116-1 16-27-226-1
Sacked-yards: 2-17 3-36
Net pass yards: 99 190
Net yards/pass: 7.1 6.3
Total net yards: 459 297
Total plays: 65 (78% run) 56 (46% run)
Yards/play: 7.1 5.3
Fumbles-lost: 1-1 3-3
Turnovers: 2 4
Penalties-yards: 11-95 4-40
Attendance: 56,119
Passing:
BUF: Dennis Shaw, 7 of 9 for 109 yards (1 int); Joe Ferguson, 1 of 2 for 10 yards; O.J. Simpson, 1 of 1 for -3 yards NE: Jim Plunkett, 16 of 27 for 226 yards (1 int)
Rushing:
BUF: O.J. Simpson, 29 for 250 yards and 2 TDs; Larry Watkins, 18 for 105 yards and 2 TDs; Joe Ferguson, 2 for 4 yards; Dennis Shaw, 2 for 1 yard NE: Sam Cunningham, 12 for 53 yards and 1 TD; Josh Ashton, 9 for 33 yards; Jim Plunkett, 2 for 12 yards; Mack Herron, 2 for 8 yards and 1 TD; Darryl Stingley, 1 for 1 yard
Receiving:
BUF: Bob Chandler, 3 for 44 yards; J.D. Hill, 3 for 37 yards; Larry Watkins, 2 for 38 yards; Joe Ferguson, 1 for -3 yards NE: Bob Adams, 3 for 35 yards; Sam Cunningham, 3 for 29 yards; Reggie Rucker, 3 for 26 yards; Josh Ashton, 2 for 55 yards; Darryl Stingley, 2 for 26 yards; Bob Windsor, 2 for 26 yards; Mack Herron, 1 for 29 yards
Kick returns:
BUF: Wallace Francis, 2 for 47 yards NE: Mack Herron, 4 for 88 yards; John Tarver, 1 for 17 yards
Punt returns:
BUF: Donnie Walker, 1 for 17 yards NE: Darryl Stingley, 1 for 4 yards
Interceptions:
BUF: Tony Greene, 1 for 0 yards NE: Ron Acks, 1 for 11 yards
Punting:
BUF: Spike Jones, 2 for 85 yards NE: Bruce Barnes, 2 for 79 yards
Field Goals:
BUF: John Leypoldt, 1/2 NE: Bill Bell, 0/1
BUF: Dennis Shaw, 7 of 9 for 109 yards (1 int); Joe Ferguson, 1 of 2 for 10 yards; O.J. Simpson, 1 of 1 for -3 yards NE: Jim Plunkett, 16 of 27 for 226 yards (1 int)
Rushing:
BUF: O.J. Simpson, 29 for 250 yards and 2 TDs; Larry Watkins, 18 for 105 yards and 2 TDs; Joe Ferguson, 2 for 4 yards; Dennis Shaw, 2 for 1 yard NE: Sam Cunningham, 12 for 53 yards and 1 TD; Josh Ashton, 9 for 33 yards; Jim Plunkett, 2 for 12 yards; Mack Herron, 2 for 8 yards and 1 TD; Darryl Stingley, 1 for 1 yard
Receiving:
BUF: Bob Chandler, 3 for 44 yards; J.D. Hill, 3 for 37 yards; Larry Watkins, 2 for 38 yards; Joe Ferguson, 1 for -3 yards NE: Bob Adams, 3 for 35 yards; Sam Cunningham, 3 for 29 yards; Reggie Rucker, 3 for 26 yards; Josh Ashton, 2 for 55 yards; Darryl Stingley, 2 for 26 yards; Bob Windsor, 2 for 26 yards; Mack Herron, 1 for 29 yards
Kick returns:
BUF: Wallace Francis, 2 for 47 yards NE: Mack Herron, 4 for 88 yards; John Tarver, 1 for 17 yards
Punt returns:
BUF: Donnie Walker, 1 for 17 yards NE: Darryl Stingley, 1 for 4 yards
Interceptions:
BUF: Tony Greene, 1 for 0 yards NE: Ron Acks, 1 for 11 yards
Punting:
BUF: Spike Jones, 2 for 85 yards NE: Bruce Barnes, 2 for 79 yards
Field Goals:
BUF: John Leypoldt, 1/2 NE: Bill Bell, 0/1
Dick Shiner threw three TD passes, two to Ken Burrow, and the Falcons rolled up a club record total of 496 yards and a club record high in points. Shiner, picked up from Giants and a taxi squader in Atlanta most of 1972, completed 13 of 15 for 227 yards. Dave Hampton, who just missed 1,000 yards in '72 with 995, picked up 104 on 19 carries. The Falcons made six interceptions, including two by Tom Hayes, who ran one 65 yards for a TD. Atlanta's John James got off a 72-yard punt, which proved to be the longest in the NFC in 1973.
Line: Falcons by 7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Atlanta Falcons (1-0-0) | 0 | 24 | 21 | 17 | 62 |
 New Orleans Saints (0-1-0) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
( 7- 0) ATL Art Malone 2 yard rush (Nick Mike-Mayer kick)
(10- 0) ATL Nick Mike-Mayer 21 yard field goal
(17- 0) ATL Tom Hayes 65 yard interception return (Nick Mike-Mayer kick)
(24- 0) ATL Ken Burrow 34 yard pass from Dick Shiner (Nick Mike-Mayer kick)
(31- 0) ATL Ken Burrow 23 yard pass from Dick Shiner (Nick Mike-Mayer kick)
(31- 7) NO Bill Butler 5 yard pass from Archie Manning (Happy Feller kick)
(38- 7) ATL Wes Chesson 16 yard pass from Dick Shiner (Nick Mike-Mayer kick)
(45- 7) ATL Joe Profit 3 yard rush (Nick Mike-Mayer kick)
(48- 7) ATL Nick Mike-Mayer 45 yard field goal
(55- 7) ATL Eddie Ray 8 yard pass from Bob Lee (Nick Mike-Mayer kick)
(62- 7) ATL Eddie Ray 1 yard rush (Nick Mike-Mayer kick)
ATL NO
First Downs: 32 11
Rushes-yards: 52-218 31-152
Yards/rush: 4.2 4.9
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 17-22-283-0 8-24-57-6
Sacked-yards: 2-5 3-22
Net pass yards: 278 35
Net yards/pass: 11.6 1.3
Total net yards: 496 187
Total plays: 76 (68% run) 58 (53% run)
Yards/play: 6.5 3.2
Fumbles-lost: 6-2 2-2
Turnovers: 2 8
Penalties-yards: 3-26 5-59
Attendance: 66,428
Passing:
ATL: Dick Shiner, 13 of 15 for 227 yards and 3 TDs; Bob Lee, 4 of 7 for 56 yards and 1 TD NO: Archie Manning, 5 of 13 for 62 yards and 1 TD (5 int); Bob Davis, 3 of 11 for -5 yards (1 int)
Rushing:
ATL: Dave Hampton, 19 for 104 yards; Art Malone, 11 for 57 yards and 1 TD; Joe Profit, 9 for 19 yards and 1 TD; Eddie Ray, 5 for 25 yards and 1 TD; Harmon Wages, 3 for 11 yards; Dick Shiner, 3 for -2 yards; Jim Mitchell, 1 for 9 yards; Bob Lee, 1 for -5 yards NO: Jess Phillips, 8 for 58 yards; Bill Butler, 8 for 40 yards; Howard Stevens, 4 for 22 yards; Bob Davis, 3 for 10 yards; Archie Manning, 2 for 9 yards; Odell Lawson, 2 for 8 yards; Henry Matthews, 2 for 3 yards; Lincoln Minor, 2 for 2 yards
Receiving:
ATL: Jim Mitchell, 7 for 111 yards; Ken Burrow, 3 for 64 yards and 2 TDs; Art Malone, 2 for 40 yards; Wes Chesson, 2 for 36 yards and 1 TD; Eddie Ray, 2 for 17 yards and 1 TD; Al Dodd, 1 for 15 yards NO: Bob Newland, 2 for 48 yards; Bill Butler, 2 for 7 yards and 1 TD; Bob Brown, 2 for 4 yards; Danny Abramowicz, 1 for 7 yards; Odell Lawson, 1 for -9 yards
Kick returns:
ATL: Tony Plummer, 1 for 37 yards NO: Howard Stevens, 5 for 117 yards; Mike Fink, 3 for 58 yards
Punt returns:
ATL: Ray Brown, 4 for 35 yards
Interceptions:
ATL: Tom Hayes, 2 for 81 yards and 1 TD; Ray Brown, 1 for 22 yards; Ken Reaves, 1 for 9 yards; Greg Brezina, 1 for 3 yards; Don Hansen, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
ATL: John James, 2 for 122 yards NO: Steve O'Neal, 7 for 329 yards
Field Goals:
ATL: Nick Mike-Mayer, 2/4
ATL: Dick Shiner, 13 of 15 for 227 yards and 3 TDs; Bob Lee, 4 of 7 for 56 yards and 1 TD NO: Archie Manning, 5 of 13 for 62 yards and 1 TD (5 int); Bob Davis, 3 of 11 for -5 yards (1 int)
Rushing:
ATL: Dave Hampton, 19 for 104 yards; Art Malone, 11 for 57 yards and 1 TD; Joe Profit, 9 for 19 yards and 1 TD; Eddie Ray, 5 for 25 yards and 1 TD; Harmon Wages, 3 for 11 yards; Dick Shiner, 3 for -2 yards; Jim Mitchell, 1 for 9 yards; Bob Lee, 1 for -5 yards NO: Jess Phillips, 8 for 58 yards; Bill Butler, 8 for 40 yards; Howard Stevens, 4 for 22 yards; Bob Davis, 3 for 10 yards; Archie Manning, 2 for 9 yards; Odell Lawson, 2 for 8 yards; Henry Matthews, 2 for 3 yards; Lincoln Minor, 2 for 2 yards
Receiving:
ATL: Jim Mitchell, 7 for 111 yards; Ken Burrow, 3 for 64 yards and 2 TDs; Art Malone, 2 for 40 yards; Wes Chesson, 2 for 36 yards and 1 TD; Eddie Ray, 2 for 17 yards and 1 TD; Al Dodd, 1 for 15 yards NO: Bob Newland, 2 for 48 yards; Bill Butler, 2 for 7 yards and 1 TD; Bob Brown, 2 for 4 yards; Danny Abramowicz, 1 for 7 yards; Odell Lawson, 1 for -9 yards
Kick returns:
ATL: Tony Plummer, 1 for 37 yards NO: Howard Stevens, 5 for 117 yards; Mike Fink, 3 for 58 yards
Punt returns:
ATL: Ray Brown, 4 for 35 yards
Interceptions:
ATL: Tom Hayes, 2 for 81 yards and 1 TD; Ray Brown, 1 for 22 yards; Ken Reaves, 1 for 9 yards; Greg Brezina, 1 for 3 yards; Don Hansen, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
ATL: John James, 2 for 122 yards NO: Steve O'Neal, 7 for 329 yards
Field Goals:
ATL: Nick Mike-Mayer, 2/4
The Giants opened up a 27-0 lead in the first half with the help of four interceptions against Dan Pastorini. Ron Johnson ran for two TDs and gained 96 yards on 24 carries. The Oilers narrowed the gap with two Pastorini TD passes in the third quarter. Bob Gresham's 75 yards was tops for Houston, which intercepted three Norm Snead passes.
Line: Giants by 11
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Houston Oilers (0-1-0) | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
 New York Giants (1-0-0) | 6 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 34 |
( 0- 3) NYG Pete Gogolak 44 yard field goal
( 0- 6) NYG Pete Gogolak 11 yard field goal
( 0-13) NYG Ron Johnson 1 yard rush (Pete Gogolak kick)
( 0-20) NYG Don Herrmann 14 yard pass from Norm Snead (Pete Gogolak kick)
( 0-27) NYG Ron Johnson 1 yard rush (Pete Gogolak kick)
( 7-27) HOU Dave Parks 7 yard pass from Dan Pastorini (Skip Butler kick)
(14-27) HOU Ken Burrough 49 yard pass from Dan Pastorini (Skip Butler kick)
(14-34) NYG Joe Orduna 1 yard rush (Pete Gogolak kick)
HOU NYG
First Downs: 6 29
Rushes-yards: 22-96 53-218
Yards/rush: 4.4 4.1
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 8-17-74-4 17-29-162-3
Sacked-yards: 1-15 1-8
Net pass yards: 59 154
Net yards/pass: 3.3 5.1
Total net yards: 155 372
Total plays: 40 (55% run) 83 (63% run)
Yards/play: 3.9 4.5
Fumbles-lost: 1-0 1-0
Turnovers: 4 3
Penalties-yards: 7-55 2-10
Attendance: 57,979
Passing:
HOU: Dan Pastorini, 8 of 17 for 74 yards and 2 TDs (4 int) NYG: Norm Snead, 17 of 29 for 162 yards and 1 TD (3 int)
Rushing:
HOU: Bob Gresham, 14 for 75 yards; Fred Willis, 5 for 7 yards; Dan Pastorini, 3 for 14 yards NYG: Ron Johnson, 24 for 96 yards and 2 TDs; Vince Clements, 19 for 90 yards; Joe Orduna, 5 for 27 yards and 1 TD; Rocky Thompson, 5 for 5 yards
Receiving:
HOU: Fred Willis, 4 for 5 yards; Ken Burrough, 1 for 49 yards and 1 TD; Billy Parks, 1 for 15 yards; Dave Parks, 1 for 7 yards and 1 TD; Bob Gresham, 1 for -2 yards NYG: Bob Tucker, 6 for 74 yards; Ron Johnson, 4 for 22 yards; Don Herrmann, 3 for 27 yards and 1 TD; Bob Grim, 2 for 27 yards; Vince Clements, 2 for 12 yards
Kick returns:
HOU: Bob Gresham, 4 for 103 yards; Eddie Hinton, 2 for 39 yards
Punt returns:
NYG: Pete Athas, 2 for 18 yards
Interceptions:
HOU: John Charles, 1 for 39 yards; Gregg Bingham, 1 for 18 yards; Jeff Severson, 1 for 0 yards NYG: Henry Reed, 1 for 36 yards; Pete Athas, 1 for 6 yards; Richmond Flowers, 1 for 0 yards; Spider Lockhart, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
HOU: Dan Pastorini, 6 for 236 yards NYG: Tom Blanchard, 1 for 48 yards
Field Goals:
NYG: Pete Gogolak, 2/4
HOU: Dan Pastorini, 8 of 17 for 74 yards and 2 TDs (4 int) NYG: Norm Snead, 17 of 29 for 162 yards and 1 TD (3 int)
Rushing:
HOU: Bob Gresham, 14 for 75 yards; Fred Willis, 5 for 7 yards; Dan Pastorini, 3 for 14 yards NYG: Ron Johnson, 24 for 96 yards and 2 TDs; Vince Clements, 19 for 90 yards; Joe Orduna, 5 for 27 yards and 1 TD; Rocky Thompson, 5 for 5 yards
Receiving:
HOU: Fred Willis, 4 for 5 yards; Ken Burrough, 1 for 49 yards and 1 TD; Billy Parks, 1 for 15 yards; Dave Parks, 1 for 7 yards and 1 TD; Bob Gresham, 1 for -2 yards NYG: Bob Tucker, 6 for 74 yards; Ron Johnson, 4 for 22 yards; Don Herrmann, 3 for 27 yards and 1 TD; Bob Grim, 2 for 27 yards; Vince Clements, 2 for 12 yards
Kick returns:
HOU: Bob Gresham, 4 for 103 yards; Eddie Hinton, 2 for 39 yards
Punt returns:
NYG: Pete Athas, 2 for 18 yards
Interceptions:
HOU: John Charles, 1 for 39 yards; Gregg Bingham, 1 for 18 yards; Jeff Severson, 1 for 0 yards NYG: Henry Reed, 1 for 36 yards; Pete Athas, 1 for 6 yards; Richmond Flowers, 1 for 0 yards; Spider Lockhart, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
HOU: Dan Pastorini, 6 for 236 yards NYG: Tom Blanchard, 1 for 48 yards
Field Goals:
NYG: Pete Gogolak, 2/4
St. Louis leaped out to an early 21-0 lead in the pro head coaching debuts for both the Cardinals' Don Coryell and the Eagles' Mike McCormack. Rookie Terry Metcalf rushed for 133 yards on 16 carries for the Cardinals and Donny Anderson scored three TDs. Ex-Rams' QB Roman Gabriel threw TD passes to Harold Carmichael and Tom Bailey, closing the gap to 24-23 before a last quarter 20-yard FG by Jim Bakken and Anderson's third TD put it away.
Line: Cardinals by 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 St. Louis Cardinals (1-0-0) | 14 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 34 |
 Philadelphia Eagles (0-1-0) | 10 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 23 |
( 7- 0) STL Donny Anderson 2 yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick)
(14- 0) STL Donny Anderson 4 yard rush (Jim Bakken kick)
(14- 7) PHI Mel Gray 40 yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick)
(14-10) PHI Tom Dempsey 36 yard field goal
(14-13) PHI Jim Bakken 17 yard field goal
(14-16) PHI Tom Dempsey 44 yard field goal
(14-23) PHI Harold Carmichael 6 yard pass from Roman Gabriel (Tom Dempsey kick)
(14-26) PHI Tom Dempsey 27 yard field goal
(14-33) PHI Tom Bailey 4 yard pass from Roman Gabriel (Tom Dempsey kick)
(17-33) STL Jim Bakken 20 yard field goal
(24-33) STL Donny Anderson 26 yard rush (Jim Bakken kick)
STL PHI
First Downs: 20 18
Rushes-yards: 32-197 27-109
Yards/rush: 6.2 4.0
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 17-29-203-1 22-37-162-1
Sacked-yards: 1-8 2-19
Net pass yards: 195 143
Net yards/pass: 6.5 3.7
Total net yards: 392 252
Total plays: 62 (51% run) 66 (40% run)
Yards/play: 6.3 3.8
Fumbles-lost: 3-2 6-2
Turnovers: 3 3
Penalties-yards: 2-10 9-96
Attendance: 61,103
Passing:
STL: Jim Hart, 17 of 29 for 203 yards and 2 TDs (1 int) PHI: Roman Gabriel, 22 of 37 for 162 yards and 2 TDs (1 int)
Rushing:
STL: Terry Metcalf, 16 for 133 yards; Donny Anderson, 13 for 58 yards and 2 TDs; Eddie Moss, 3 for 6 yards PHI: Tom Sullivan, 13 for 54 yards; Norm Bulaich, 10 for 42 yards; Po James, 4 for 13 yards
Receiving:
STL: Mel Gray, 7 for 67 yards and 1 TD; Donny Anderson, 5 for 66 yards and 1 TD; Jackie Smith, 2 for 14 yards; Terry Metcalf, 1 for 25 yards; Don Maynard, 1 for 18 yards; Walker Gillette, 1 for 13 yards PHI: Harold Carmichael, 5 for 51 yards and 1 TD; Tom Sullivan, 5 for 30 yards; Charle Young, 4 for 45 yards; Tom Bailey, 4 for 15 yards and 1 TD; Norm Bulaich, 3 for 18 yards; Ben Hawkins, 1 for 3 yards
Kick returns:
STL: Eddie Moss, 3 for 59 yards; Mel Gray, 1 for 18 yards PHI: Tom Sullivan, 4 for 98 yards; Al Coleman, 2 for 24 yards
Punt returns:
STL: Roger Wehrli, 2 for 35 yards PHI: Kermit Alexander, 1 for 0 yards
Interceptions:
STL: Jim Tolbert, 1 for 8 yards PHI: Randy Logan, 1 for 30 yards
Punting:
STL: Gary Keithley, 2 for 76 yards PHI: Tom McNeill, 4 for 169 yards
Field Goals:
STL: Jim Bakken, 2/3 PHI: Tom Dempsey, 3/3
STL: Jim Hart, 17 of 29 for 203 yards and 2 TDs (1 int) PHI: Roman Gabriel, 22 of 37 for 162 yards and 2 TDs (1 int)
Rushing:
STL: Terry Metcalf, 16 for 133 yards; Donny Anderson, 13 for 58 yards and 2 TDs; Eddie Moss, 3 for 6 yards PHI: Tom Sullivan, 13 for 54 yards; Norm Bulaich, 10 for 42 yards; Po James, 4 for 13 yards
Receiving:
STL: Mel Gray, 7 for 67 yards and 1 TD; Donny Anderson, 5 for 66 yards and 1 TD; Jackie Smith, 2 for 14 yards; Terry Metcalf, 1 for 25 yards; Don Maynard, 1 for 18 yards; Walker Gillette, 1 for 13 yards PHI: Harold Carmichael, 5 for 51 yards and 1 TD; Tom Sullivan, 5 for 30 yards; Charle Young, 4 for 45 yards; Tom Bailey, 4 for 15 yards and 1 TD; Norm Bulaich, 3 for 18 yards; Ben Hawkins, 1 for 3 yards
Kick returns:
STL: Eddie Moss, 3 for 59 yards; Mel Gray, 1 for 18 yards PHI: Tom Sullivan, 4 for 98 yards; Al Coleman, 2 for 24 yards
Punt returns:
STL: Roger Wehrli, 2 for 35 yards PHI: Kermit Alexander, 1 for 0 yards
Interceptions:
STL: Jim Tolbert, 1 for 8 yards PHI: Randy Logan, 1 for 30 yards
Punting:
STL: Gary Keithley, 2 for 76 yards PHI: Tom McNeill, 4 for 169 yards
Field Goals:
STL: Jim Bakken, 2/3 PHI: Tom Dempsey, 3/3
Terry Bradshaw broke a last quarter tie with two TD passes to John McMakin and Ron Shanklin after the Steelers' QB scored himself on a one-yard run in the third period. RB John Fuqua hit the 100-yard mark for the seventh time in his career and Lions' receiver Ron Jessie caught an 84-yard TD pass, the longest in the NFC in '73. It was the first time an AFC team had beaten Detroit in regular season play.
Line: Steelers by 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Detroit Lions (0-1-0) | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
 Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0-0) | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
( 0- 3) PIT Roy Gerela 11 yard field goal
( 0-10) PIT Terry Bradshaw 1 yard rush (Roy Gerela kick)
( 7-10) DET Ron Jessie 84 yard pass from Greg Landry (Errol Mann kick)
(10-10) DET Errol Mann 40 yard field goal
(10-17) PIT John McMakin 24 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick)
(10-24) PIT Ron Shanklin 6 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick)
DET PIT
First Downs: 17 29
Rushes-yards: 28-108 60-241
Yards/rush: 3.9 4.0
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 11-27-219-3 15-23-154-1
Sacked-yards: 4-26 0-0
Net pass yards: 193 154
Net yards/pass: 6.2 6.7
Total net yards: 301 395
Total plays: 59 (47% run) 83 (72% run)
Yards/play: 5.1 4.8
Fumbles-lost: 0-0 2-1
Turnovers: 3 2
Penalties-yards: 6-84 7-81
Attendance: 48,913
Passing:
DET: Greg Landry, 11 of 27 for 219 yards and 1 TD (3 int) PIT: Terry Bradshaw, 15 of 23 for 154 yards and 2 TDs (1 int)
Rushing:
DET: Altie Taylor, 10 for 28 yards; Greg Landry, 8 for 65 yards; Steve Owens, 8 for 10 yards; Ron Jessie, 1 for 3 yards; Lem Barney, 1 for 2 yards PIT: Frenchy Fuqua, 26 for 100 yards; Preston Pearson, 15 for 48 yards; Steve Davis, 9 for 60 yards; Terry Bradshaw, 8 for 25 yards and 1 TD; Ron Shanklin, 2 for 8 yards
Receiving:
DET: Charlie Sanders, 4 for 50 yards; Ron Jessie, 3 for 131 yards and 1 TD; Altie Taylor, 2 for 22 yards; Steve Owens, 1 for 11 yards; Jim O'Brien, 1 for 5 yards PIT: Barry Pearson, 6 for 58 yards; Ron Shanklin, 3 for 33 yards and 1 TD; Frenchy Fuqua, 2 for 15 yards; Preston Pearson, 2 for 15 yards; John McMakin, 1 for 24 yards and 1 TD; Steve Davis, 1 for 9 yards
Kick returns:
DET: Dick Jauron, 2 for 39 yards; Ron Jessie, 1 for 15 yards PIT: Steve Davis, 1 for 20 yards; Preston Pearson, 1 for 18 yards
Punt returns:
DET: Lem Barney, 1 for 10 yards PIT: Glen Edwards, 1 for -1 yards
Interceptions:
DET: Lem Barney, 1 for 38 yards PIT: Mel Blount, 1 for 14 yards; Glen Edwards, 1 for 8 yards; John Rowser, 1 for 3 yards
Punting:
DET: Herman Weaver, 3 for 144 yards PIT: Bobby Walden, 4 for 154 yards
Field Goals:
DET: Errol Mann, 1/3 PIT: Roy Gerela, 1/1
DET: Greg Landry, 11 of 27 for 219 yards and 1 TD (3 int) PIT: Terry Bradshaw, 15 of 23 for 154 yards and 2 TDs (1 int)
Rushing:
DET: Altie Taylor, 10 for 28 yards; Greg Landry, 8 for 65 yards; Steve Owens, 8 for 10 yards; Ron Jessie, 1 for 3 yards; Lem Barney, 1 for 2 yards PIT: Frenchy Fuqua, 26 for 100 yards; Preston Pearson, 15 for 48 yards; Steve Davis, 9 for 60 yards; Terry Bradshaw, 8 for 25 yards and 1 TD; Ron Shanklin, 2 for 8 yards
Receiving:
DET: Charlie Sanders, 4 for 50 yards; Ron Jessie, 3 for 131 yards and 1 TD; Altie Taylor, 2 for 22 yards; Steve Owens, 1 for 11 yards; Jim O'Brien, 1 for 5 yards PIT: Barry Pearson, 6 for 58 yards; Ron Shanklin, 3 for 33 yards and 1 TD; Frenchy Fuqua, 2 for 15 yards; Preston Pearson, 2 for 15 yards; John McMakin, 1 for 24 yards and 1 TD; Steve Davis, 1 for 9 yards
Kick returns:
DET: Dick Jauron, 2 for 39 yards; Ron Jessie, 1 for 15 yards PIT: Steve Davis, 1 for 20 yards; Preston Pearson, 1 for 18 yards
Punt returns:
DET: Lem Barney, 1 for 10 yards PIT: Glen Edwards, 1 for -1 yards
Interceptions:
DET: Lem Barney, 1 for 38 yards PIT: Mel Blount, 1 for 14 yards; Glen Edwards, 1 for 8 yards; John Rowser, 1 for 3 yards
Punting:
DET: Herman Weaver, 3 for 144 yards PIT: Bobby Walden, 4 for 154 yards
Field Goals:
DET: Errol Mann, 1/3 PIT: Roy Gerela, 1/1
The Redskins' defense recovered three fumbles, intercepted four passes (two by Ken Houston) and sacked San Diego quarterbacks eight times (three by Verlon Biggs). John Unitas, making his first start for the Chargers, completed 6 of 17 but was sacked five times and intercepted three times. Biggs ran two yards for the first TD after picking up a fumble and Brig Owens dashed 36 yards with another. Billy Kilmer went all the way and completed 10 of 18 including 2 TDs.
Line: Redskins by 14
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 San Diego Chargers (0-1-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
 Washington Redskins (1-0-0) | 21 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
( 0- 7) WAS Verlon Biggs 2 yard fumble return (Curt Knight kick)
( 0-14) WAS Larry Brown 1 yard rush (Curt Knight kick)
( 0-21) WAS Brig Owens 36 yard fumble return (Curt Knight kick)
( 0-28) WAS Charley Taylor 32 yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Curt Knight kick)
( 0-31) WAS Curt Knight 19 yard field goal
( 0-38) WAS Frank Grant 12 yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Curt Knight kick)
SD WAS
First Downs: 10 13
Rushes-yards: 36-128 39-83
Yards/rush: 3.6 2.1
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 7-20-75-4 10-18-129-0
Sacked-yards: 8-68 1-1
Net pass yards: 7 128
Net yards/pass: 0.2 6.7
Total net yards: 135 211
Total plays: 64 (56% run) 58 (67% run)
Yards/play: 2.1 3.6
Fumbles-lost: 3-3 3-2
Turnovers: 7 2
Penalties-yards: 7-59 7-65
Attendance: 52,718
Passing:
SD: Johnny Unitas, 6 of 17 for 55 yards (3 int); Wayne Clark, 1 of 3 for 20 yards (1 int) WAS: Billy Kilmer, 10 of 18 for 129 yards and 2 TDs
Rushing:
SD: Mike Garrett, 15 for 52 yards; Cid Edwards, 14 for 63 yards; Clint Jones, 6 for 13 yards; Bob Thomas, 1 for 0 yards WAS: Duane Thomas, 12 for 30 yards; Larry Brown, 11 for 24 yards and 1 TD; Charlie Harraway, 7 for 21 yards; Herb Mul-Key, 3 for 5 yards; Bob Brunet, 2 for 4 yards; Billy Kilmer, 2 for 0 yards; Roy Jefferson, 1 for 1 yard; Mike Hull, 1 for -2 yards
Receiving:
SD: Gary Garrison, 2 for 36 yards; Jerry LeVias, 1 for 20 yards; Mike Garrett, 1 for 8 yards; Bob Thomas, 1 for 7 yards; Cid Edwards, 1 for 2 yards; Pettis Norman, 1 for 2 yards WAS: Charley Taylor, 3 for 60 yards and 1 TD; Charlie Harraway, 2 for 12 yards; Larry Brown, 2 for 11 yards; Roy Jefferson, 1 for 21 yards; Duane Thomas, 1 for 13 yards; Frank Grant, 1 for 12 yards and 1 TD
Kick returns:
SD: Ron Smith, 4 for 66 yards; Willie McGee, 1 for 16 yards
Punt returns:
SD: Willie McGee, 1 for 0 yards WAS: Speedy Duncan, 3 for 28 yards; Herb Mul-Key, 1 for 15 yards
Interceptions:
WAS: Ken Houston, 2 for 22 yards; Pat Fischer, 1 for 24 yards; Brig Owens, 1 for 19 yards
Punting:
SD: Dennis Partee, 7 for 330 yards WAS: Mike Bragg, 6 for 270 yards
Field Goals:
WAS: Curt Knight, 1/3
SD: Johnny Unitas, 6 of 17 for 55 yards (3 int); Wayne Clark, 1 of 3 for 20 yards (1 int) WAS: Billy Kilmer, 10 of 18 for 129 yards and 2 TDs
Rushing:
SD: Mike Garrett, 15 for 52 yards; Cid Edwards, 14 for 63 yards; Clint Jones, 6 for 13 yards; Bob Thomas, 1 for 0 yards WAS: Duane Thomas, 12 for 30 yards; Larry Brown, 11 for 24 yards and 1 TD; Charlie Harraway, 7 for 21 yards; Herb Mul-Key, 3 for 5 yards; Bob Brunet, 2 for 4 yards; Billy Kilmer, 2 for 0 yards; Roy Jefferson, 1 for 1 yard; Mike Hull, 1 for -2 yards
Receiving:
SD: Gary Garrison, 2 for 36 yards; Jerry LeVias, 1 for 20 yards; Mike Garrett, 1 for 8 yards; Bob Thomas, 1 for 7 yards; Cid Edwards, 1 for 2 yards; Pettis Norman, 1 for 2 yards WAS: Charley Taylor, 3 for 60 yards and 1 TD; Charlie Harraway, 2 for 12 yards; Larry Brown, 2 for 11 yards; Roy Jefferson, 1 for 21 yards; Duane Thomas, 1 for 13 yards; Frank Grant, 1 for 12 yards and 1 TD
Kick returns:
SD: Ron Smith, 4 for 66 yards; Willie McGee, 1 for 16 yards
Punt returns:
SD: Willie McGee, 1 for 0 yards WAS: Speedy Duncan, 3 for 28 yards; Herb Mul-Key, 1 for 15 yards
Interceptions:
WAS: Ken Houston, 2 for 22 yards; Pat Fischer, 1 for 24 yards; Brig Owens, 1 for 19 yards
Punting:
SD: Dennis Partee, 7 for 330 yards WAS: Mike Bragg, 6 for 270 yards
Field Goals:
WAS: Curt Knight, 1/3