All NFL game summaries for 11/14/1976:

Scott Hunter threw 34 and 21-yard fourth quarter touchdown passes to Alfred Jenkins to surpass a 10-7 San Francisco lead and give the Falcons their third win in the last four games against the 49ers. Jim Plunkett and Gene Washington combined for San Francisco's two touchdowns but the 49ers gave up two fumbles late in the game, setting up the Falcons' winning TDs. Sonny Collins rushed a club record 31 times for 107 yards in the victory.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: 49ers by 9

                     SF              ATL
First Downs:         21              15
Rushes-yards:        32-159          52-199
Yards/rush:          5.0             3.8
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     14-31-175-2     7-15-97-0
Sacked-yards:        3-32            1-7
Net pass yards:      143             90
Net yards/pass:      4.2             5.6
Total net yards:     302             289
Total plays:         66 (48% run)    68 (76% run)  
Yards/play:          4.6             4.2
Fumbles-lost:        3-2             3-0
Turnovers:           4               0
Penalties-yards:     5-30            11-90

Attendance: 19,733

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Steve Grogan put the Patriots ahead 21-14 on a three-yard run with 23 seconds left in the second quarter and the New England defense turned back Baltimore in the second half with two Mike Haynes interceptions, a fumble recovery and four quarterback sacks to pull within one game of the AFC East-leading Colts. Grogan negated the Baltimore pass rush by throwing short passes, completing 12 of 17 for 137 yards. Don Calhoun started in place of injured Sam Cunningham and led all rushers with 141 yards.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Colts by 11

                     NE              BAL
First Downs:         19              13
Rushes-yards:        51-205          29-107
Yards/rush:          4.0             3.7
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     12-17-137-0     10-25-139-2
Sacked-yards:        1-16            5-44
Net pass yards:      121             95
Net yards/pass:      6.7             3.2
Total net yards:     326             202
Total plays:         69 (73% run)    59 (49% run)  
Yards/play:          4.7             3.4
Fumbles-lost:        2-2             1-1
Turnovers:           2               3
Penalties-yards:     3-24            7-58

Attendance: 58,226

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Walter Payton became the first player to pass the 1,000-yard mark in '76, gaining 109 yards on 18 carries to reach 1,008 as the Bears evened their season record at 5-5. Chicago took advantage of two Packers' fumbles for a 14-0 first quarter lead but Green Bay closed to within one point in the third period before Roland Harper sealed the victory with a 16-yard touchdown run.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Bears by 9

                     GB              CHI
First Downs:         16              16
Rushes-yards:        33-82           45-202
Yards/rush:          2.5             4.5
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     15-28-205-1     9-19-79-2
Sacked-yards:        3-26            3-32
Net pass yards:      179             47
Net yards/pass:      5.8             2.1
Total net yards:     261             249
Total plays:         64 (51% run)    67 (67% run)  
Yards/play:          4.1             3.7
Fumbles-lost:        5-3             0-0
Turnovers:           4               2
Penalties-yards:     6-54            12-96

Attendance: 52,907

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Ken Anderson and Isaac Curtis combined on a 43-yard touchdown pass with 42 seconds left in the game, culminating a 28-point second half comeback and giving the Bengals their fourth straight victory over the Oilers. Anderson threw two third quarter touchdown passes to Bob Trumpy and then ran over from the 1 in the fourth period. John Hadl, starting for the injured Dan Pastorini, put Houston back in the lead in the fourth quarter with a 13-yard TD pass to Ronnie Coleman. Ken Riley intercepted Hadl on the last play of the game to halt a last-ditch effort by the Oilers.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Bengals by 13

                     HOU             CIN
First Downs:         20              15
Rushes-yards:        48-141          28-85
Yards/rush:          2.9             3.0
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     12-25-125-2     14-30-253-0
Sacked-yards:        2-14            5-38
Net pass yards:      111             215
Net yards/pass:      4.1             6.1
Total net yards:     252             300
Total plays:         75 (64% run)    63 (44% run)  
Yards/play:          3.4             4.8
Fumbles-lost:        1-1             4-3
Turnovers:           3               3
Penalties-yards:     13-77           11-83

Attendance: 52,243

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The Browns' defense shut down the Eagles' passing attack with six sacks and four interceptions while Brian Sipe tossed a pair of touchdown passes for Cleveland's fifth win in the last six games. Sipe connected on second and fourth quarter scoring passes to Reggie Rucker and Paul Warfield to put the Browns up 17-3. Ron Bolton added the final TD on a 37-yard interception return three plays after Warfield's score.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Browns by 7

                     PHI             CLE
First Downs:         12              18
Rushes-yards:        26-143          37-131
Yards/rush:          5.5             3.5
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     14-24-73-4      17-25-205-0
Sacked-yards:        6-52            0-0
Net pass yards:      21              205
Net yards/pass:      0.7             8.2
Total net yards:     164             336
Total plays:         56 (46% run)    62 (59% run)  
Yards/play:          2.9             5.4
Fumbles-lost:        1-0             2-0
Turnovers:           4               0
Penalties-yards:     4-28            10-71

Attendance: 62,120

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Jim Bakken's 25-yard field goal with four seconds left clinched the game for the Cardinals after Jim Hart outdueled Pat Haden, 324 to 172 yards, to bring St. Louis back from a 21-6 deficit. Cullen Bryant returned the second half kickoff 90 yards for a TD -- the NFC's longest kickoff return in 1976 -- and a 15-point Rams lead, but Hart drove the Cardinals 67 and 87 yards for touchdowns by Terry Metcalf to close within one point. Both teams traded fourth quarter TDs before Bakken's third field goal, as St. Louis remained second in the NFC East and Los Angeles first in the NFC West.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Rams by 5

                     STL             LA
First Downs:         23              15
Rushes-yards:        36-93           32-122
Yards/rush:          2.6             3.8
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     20-33-324-2     10-17-172-1
Sacked-yards:        0-0             1-11
Net pass yards:      324             161
Net yards/pass:      9.8             8.9
Total net yards:     417             283
Total plays:         69 (52% run)    50 (64% run)  
Yards/play:          6.0             5.7
Fumbles-lost:        1-0             0-0
Turnovers:           2               1
Penalties-yards:     6-57            5-40

Attendance: 64,698

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Fran Tarkenton set an NFL record by passing for 2,000 yards for the 15th straight season. Tarkenton completed 84 percent of his passes and became the first NFL player to throw 300 touchdown passes but needed his 301st, a five-yarder to Stu Voigt with 4:52 left in the game, to overcome the expansion Seahawks. Jim Zorn gave Seattle their first and only lead of the game 3:14 into the fourth quarter on a seven-yard pass to Sam McCullum. Chuck Foreman led the Vikings' ground attack with 100 yards on 17 carries, his third 100-yard game, as Minnesota moved to within one game of clinching the NFC Central title.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Vikings by 20

                     SEA             MIN
First Downs:         15              29
Rushes-yards:        23-108          43-180
Yards/rush:          4.7             4.2
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     17-29-278-3     26-31-274-0
Sacked-yards:        0-0             2-30
Net pass yards:      278             244
Net yards/pass:      9.6             7.4
Total net yards:     386             424
Total plays:         52 (44% run)    76 (56% run)  
Yards/play:          7.4             5.6
Fumbles-lost:        1-1             1-0
Turnovers:           4               0
Penalties-yards:     3-29            6-46

Attendance: 45,087

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Bobby Douglass gave the Saints a third quarter 10-6 lead with a 69-yard touchdown pass to Larry Burton, and Warren Capone added the winning points on a two-yard fumble recovery return with 1:35 left. Greg Landry moved the Lions to within one point with 25 seconds remaining on a TD pass to Larry Walton but the Saints recovered Detroit's onside kick attempt and ran out the clock.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Lions by 4

                     DET             NO
First Downs:         26              6
Rushes-yards:        39-171          24-79
Yards/rush:          4.4             3.3
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     27-38-310-0     8-19-132-0
Sacked-yards:        3-26            3-28
Net pass yards:      284             104
Net yards/pass:      6.9             4.7
Total net yards:     455             183
Total plays:         80 (48% run)    46 (52% run)  
Yards/play:          5.7             4.0
Fumbles-lost:        5-3             0-0
Turnovers:           3               0
Penalties-yards:     6-72            3-14

Attendance: 42,048

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Joe Danelo's 50-yard field goal with 4:32 left put the Giants ahead of the Redskins, and Jim Stienke's end zone interception with 34 seconds remaining sealed New York's first victory over a George Allen-coached team in 15 tries and snapped a nine-game Giants losing streak. Harry Carson recovered a Washington fumble at the Giants' 27-yard line and New York held onto the ball for eight minutes in driving to the Redskins' 33 for Danelo's winning kick, an NFL record-tying eleventh field goal attempt by both teams in the game.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Redskins by 7

                     WAS             NYG
First Downs:         20              10
Rushes-yards:        36-174          49-144
Yards/rush:          4.8             2.9
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     12-30-153-1     3-14-26-2
Sacked-yards:        2-12            2-2
Net pass yards:      141             24
Net yards/pass:      4.4             1.5
Total net yards:     315             168
Total plays:         68 (52% run)    65 (75% run)  
Yards/play:          4.6             2.6
Fumbles-lost:        4-3             2-1
Turnovers:           4               3
Penalties-yards:     6-45            5-33

Attendance: 72,975

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Joe Namath came off the bench to take the Jets to a 24-0 halftime lead and the New York defense took advantage of four sacks and six Tampa Bay turnovers to record their first shutout in 13 years. Clark Gaines carried 14 yards for a TD on Namath's first play, then the Jets' quarterback led a 77-yard drive in the second period, capped by a scoring pass to Richard Caster. Lou Piccone scored the final New York touchdown, picking up 60 of his 112 punt return yards on his third quarter TD.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Jets by 7

                     TB              NYJ
First Downs:         18              24
Rushes-yards:        28-106          47-211
Yards/rush:          3.8             4.5
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     18-40-202-2     10-22-144-0
Sacked-yards:        4-31            1-11
Net pass yards:      171             133
Net yards/pass:      3.9             5.8
Total net yards:     277             344
Total plays:         72 (38% run)    70 (67% run)  
Yards/play:          3.8             4.9
Fumbles-lost:        4-4             4-1
Turnovers:           6               1
Penalties-yards:     6-53            3-20

Attendance: 46,427

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Ken Stabler threw touchdown passes to Fred Biletnikoff and Dave Casper while the Raiders' defense stopped fourth-quarter Kansas City drives at the Oakland 1 and 10 yard lines. Biletnikoff's two catches boosted his career total to 522, moving him ahead of Bobby Mitchell and into sixth place among the NFL's all-time leading receivers. Jan Stenerud became the eighth player to score 1,000 career points, his 41-yard field goal in the third quarter giving him 1,001.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Raiders by 14

                     KC              OAK
First Downs:         17              20
Rushes-yards:        34-115          40-211
Yards/rush:          3.4             5.3
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     16-29-217-0     10-18-138-4
Sacked-yards:        5-43            1-10
Net pass yards:      174             128
Net yards/pass:      5.1             6.7
Total net yards:     289             339
Total plays:         68 (50% run)    59 (67% run)  
Yards/play:          4.2             5.7
Fumbles-lost:        3-1             0-0
Turnovers:           1               4
Penalties-yards:     7-57            3-25

Attendance: 48,859

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Mike Kruczek engineered scoring drives of 86 and 78 yards, aided by the 110-yard rushing performances of both Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, leading the Steelers to a 14-3 win. Pittsburgh's defense stretched its string of consecutive shutout quarters to 15, second longest in the NFL, before it was broken in the third quarter by Garo Yepremian's 45-yard field goal. Kruczek threw only six passes, completing four for 102 yards, but hit Lynn Swann for 20 yards in the second quarter and Frank Lewis for 64 in the fourth quarter, setting up both Steeler touchdowns.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Steelers by 10

                     MIA             PIT
First Downs:         14              19
Rushes-yards:        32-116          48-258
Yards/rush:          3.6             5.4
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     9-21-144-0      4-8-102-0
Sacked-yards:        5-36            1-6
Net pass yards:      108             96
Net yards/pass:      4.2             10.7
Total net yards:     224             354
Total plays:         58 (55% run)    57 (84% run)  
Yards/play:          3.9             6.2
Fumbles-lost:        0-0             1-0
Turnovers:           0               0
Penalties-yards:     5-33            4-28

Attendance: 48,945

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Denver's defense took advantage of six San Diego turnovers, including Tom Jackson's fourth quarter interception touchdown, to shut out the Chargers for the second time in '76. Rick Upchurch scored his first touchdown as a receiver in 1976, pulling in a 20-yard pass at the Chargers' 39 and outdistancing the San Diego defenders. The Broncos sacked Charger quarterbacks six times and limited San Diego's offensive output to 128 yards.

Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):

Line: Broncos by 4

                     DEN             SD
First Downs:         13              8
Rushes-yards:        33-61           22-33
Yards/rush:          1.8             1.5
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     19-34-224-1     13-29-130-5
Sacked-yards:        4-30            6-35
Net pass yards:      194             95
Net yards/pass:      5.1             2.7
Total net yards:     255             128
Total plays:         71 (46% run)    57 (38% run)  
Yards/play:          3.6             2.2
Fumbles-lost:        3-1             1-1
Turnovers:           2               6
Penalties-yards:     7-75            5-27

Attendance: 32,017

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