All NFL game summaries for 09/25/1977:

Ken Anderson drove the Bengals to touchdowns on their first three possessions and guided a 424-yard attack for Cincinnati's first win. Reggie Williams' 54-yard TD interception, the longest in club history, gave the Bengals a 28-0 lead 2:31 into the second quarter. The Seahawks then scored 20 straight points in an 11-minute span on a pair of touchdowns by rookie David Sims and a John Leypoldt field goal before Anderson threw a 32-yard scoring pass to Isaac Curtis. Archie Griffin, the game's leading rusher (79 yards) and receiver (six catches for 41 yards), ended the Cincinnati scoring with his first NFL pass completion, an 18-yard TD strike to Lenvil Elliot.

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

Line: Bengals by 20

                     SEA             CIN
First Downs:         15              27
Rushes-yards:        31-110          40-199
Yards/rush:          3.5             5.0
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     10-28-176-3     18-30-237-1
Sacked-yards:        1-4             1-12
Net pass yards:      172             225
Net yards/pass:      5.9             7.3
Total net yards:     282             424
Total plays:         60 (51% run)    71 (56% run)  
Yards/play:          4.7             6.0
Fumbles-lost:        1-0             0-0
Turnovers:           3               1
Penalties-yards:     6-59            12-103

Attendance: 45,579

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Tony Dorsett scored his first two NFL touchdowns and Roger Staubach figured in two more scores while directing a 444-yard offensive display as the Cowboys upped their record to 2-0. It was their sixth straight win over the Giants. Staubach scored Dallas' first touchdown midway through the first period, three plays after a D. D. Lewis interception. The Cowboys' quarterback went on to complete nine straight passes, including a 10-yarder to Preston Pearson for a 14-0 lead. Dorsett's first score came midway through the second quarter and put Dallas ahead 28-0. The rookie running back, who had 62 yards on seven carries, accounted for the final score of the game with a 34-yard run following a Randy Hughes interception.

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

Line: Cowboys by 13

                     NYG             DAL
First Downs:         14              25
Rushes-yards:        27-69           45-185
Yards/rush:          2.6             4.1
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     10-26-133-3     21-36-265-0
Sacked-yards:        5-41            1-6
Net pass yards:      92              259
Net yards/pass:      3.0             7.0
Total net yards:     161             444
Total plays:         58 (46% run)    82 (54% run)  
Yards/play:          2.8             5.4
Fumbles-lost:        3-2             2-1
Turnovers:           5               1
Penalties-yards:     7-59            11-95

Attendance: 64,215

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Craig Morton ran for one touchdown and passed for another and the Broncos' defense was unscored upon for the second straight game. Bo Cornell scored Buffalo's first TD of the season on a 22-yard fumble recovery return that gave the Bills a 6-3 lead. Morton ran five yards for the Broncos' first touchdown following Bill Thompson's 38-yard interception return. Otis Armstrong, who had 20 carries for 96 yards, scored from one yard early in the third period. Morton capped an 82-yard drive with a one-yard pass to Riley Odoms later in the quarter.

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

Line: Broncos by 13

                     BUF             DEN
First Downs:         8               17
Rushes-yards:        24-66           46-203
Yards/rush:          2.8             4.4
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     13-28-111-3     9-20-131-0
Sacked-yards:        4-48            4-38
Net pass yards:      63              93
Net yards/pass:      2.0             3.9
Total net yards:     129             296
Total plays:         56 (42% run)    70 (65% run)  
Yards/play:          2.3             4.2
Fumbles-lost:        1-0             2-2
Turnovers:           3               2
Penalties-yards:     6-53            5-60

Attendance: 74,737

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Dexter Bussey accounted for 150 of the Lions' 306 rushing yards, most by the team since 1952, and Charlie Sanders broke Gail Cogdill's club reception record as Detroit evened its record at 1-1. Greg Landry, guiding a 429-yard offensive attack, gave the Lions a 7-0 first quarter lead on a 23-yard touchdown pass to J. D. Hill. The Saints came back to take a 14-10 halftime edge after Tom Myers blocked a Detroit punt and recovered it in the end zone. Landry drove the Lions 78 yards on 12 plays after the second half kickoff for the go-ahead score, a 20-yard pass to Sanders. It was Sanders' 326th career catch at Detroit.

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

Line: Lions by 8

                     NO              DET
First Downs:         9               26
Rushes-yards:        17-39           53-306
Yards/rush:          2.3             5.8
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     10-22-85-1      13-28-183-0
Sacked-yards:        6-32            5-60
Net pass yards:      53              123
Net yards/pass:      1.9             3.7
Total net yards:     92              429
Total plays:         45 (37% run)    86 (61% run)  
Yards/play:          2.0             5.0
Fumbles-lost:        0-0             2-1
Turnovers:           1               1
Penalties-yards:     7-61            10-84

Attendance: 51,458

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Willie Alexander intercepted a Lynn Dickey pass and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown to break a 10-10 tie with 4:40 left in the game. Dickey opened the scoring with a 40-yard TD pass to Steve Odom late in the first period. Oilers rookie Tim Wilson tied the score on the next series with a one-yard run that capped an 80-yard drive.

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

Line: Oilers by 3

                     HOU             GB
First Downs:         18              15
Rushes-yards:        34-90           32-95
Yards/rush:          2.6             3.0
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     18-30-152-0     16-26-193-3
Sacked-yards:        2-15            1-9
Net pass yards:      137             184
Net yards/pass:      4.3             6.8
Total net yards:     227             279
Total plays:         66 (51% run)    59 (54% run)  
Yards/play:          3.4             4.7
Fumbles-lost:        2-0             1-1
Turnovers:           0               4
Penalties-yards:     8-40            6-38

Attendance: 55,071

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Leroy Jones' 17-yard touchdown on an interception return in the second period broke a 7-7 tie and provided the winning points for the Chargers' initial victory of 1977. Jones intercepted a third-down Kansas City pass at the Chiefs 17 but started towards the wrong goal line before his teammates got him turned around and on the way to his first NFL touchdown. James Harris threw his first TD pass as a Charger for a 7-0 lead at 5:01 of the first quarter. Mike Livingston tied the game six minutes later with his own scoring pass to Henry Marshall. San Diego's defense picked off two other Kansas City passes and had five sacks in holding the Chiefs to 149 yards total offense.

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

Line: Chiefs by 2

                     SD              KC
First Downs:         20              9
Rushes-yards:        48-214          27-75
Yards/rush:          4.5             2.8
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     11-25-85-3      8-23-115-3
Sacked-yards:        1-12            5-41
Net pass yards:      73              74
Net yards/pass:      2.8             2.6
Total net yards:     287             149
Total plays:         74 (64% run)    55 (49% run)  
Yards/play:          3.9             2.7
Fumbles-lost:        2-0             0-0
Turnovers:           3               3
Penalties-yards:     9-70            7-61

Attendance: 56,146

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Joe Namath passed for 136 yards and two touchdowns and Lawrence McCutcheon rushed for 106 yards -- his 19th 100-yard game -- as the Rams evened their record at 1-1 with a sixth straight win over the Eagles. Namath hit Terry Nelson with a one-yard TD pass at 12:11 of the first quarter for a 7-0 Rams' lead. He then completed five straight passes in an 86-yard, second-quarter drive, connecting with McCutcheon on a 13-yarder that gave Los Angeles a 14-0 halftime edge. The Rams' defense forced four turnovers and had two sacks in limiting Philadelphia to 31 yards net rushing and 81 passing. It was their seventh shutout under Chuck Knox.

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

Line: Rams by 11

                     PHI             LA
First Downs:         6               21
Rushes-yards:        16-31           56-220
Yards/rush:          1.9             3.9
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     13-29-99-3      12-23-136-1
Sacked-yards:        2-18            0-0
Net pass yards:      81              136
Net yards/pass:      2.6             5.9
Total net yards:     112             356
Total plays:         47 (34% run)    79 (70% run)  
Yards/play:          2.4             4.5
Fumbles-lost:        2-1             2-1
Turnovers:           4               2
Penalties-yards:     1-10            6-55

Attendance: 46,031

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Don McCauley burst through the Jets' defense for a pair of touchdowns and Roosevelt Leaks scored in the first quarter as Baltimore posted a fifth straight win over New York. McCauley's touchdowns were set up by Jets miscues. His second period two-yard plunge came after an offsides penalty on a fourth-and-two at the New York 10. His third quarter touchdown followed Jets' punter Duane Carrell's fumble and recovery of a snap at the New York 1.

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

Line: Colts by 13

                     BAL             NYJ
First Downs:         15              14
Rushes-yards:        50-152          34-80
Yards/rush:          3.0             2.4
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     9-15-78-1       13-22-140-2
Sacked-yards:        2-16            1-8
Net pass yards:      62              132
Net yards/pass:      3.6             5.7
Total net yards:     214             212
Total plays:         67 (74% run)    57 (59% run)  
Yards/play:          3.2             3.7
Fumbles-lost:        1-0             2-0
Turnovers:           1               2
Penalties-yards:     12-73           4-29

Attendance: 43,439

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The Raiders' defense forced five turnovers and sacked the Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw five times as Oakland picked up its third straight win over Pittsburgh. Errol Mann's three-for-three field goal performance in the second quarter gave the Raiders a 9-0 halftime lead. Willie Brown got the second of three Oakland interceptions on the second play of the fourth quarter to set up Mark van Eeghen's eight-yard run for the final Raiders' score. Bradshaw hit Bennie Cunningham with a 43-yard pass for the lone Steeler touchdown with 7:25 left in the game.

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

Line: Raiders by 4

                     OAK             PIT
First Downs:         13              18
Rushes-yards:        46-140          31-152
Yards/rush:          3.0             4.9
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     8-19-107-0      16-32-268-3
Sacked-yards:        0-0             5-51
Net pass yards:      107             217
Net yards/pass:      5.6             5.9
Total net yards:     247             369
Total plays:         65 (70% run)    68 (45% run)  
Yards/play:          3.8             5.4
Fumbles-lost:        0-0             2-2
Turnovers:           0               5
Penalties-yards:     7-54            6-57

Attendance: 50,398

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Nat Moore scored three touchdowns, two on passes from Bob Griese and another on a 19-yard end-around, to lead the Dolphins to their second win. Griese hit Moore with a 32-yard TD pass for a 7-6 lead in the first period. Moore's end-around capped a 75-yard drive that put Miami ahead 13-9 with 4:26 left in the first half. Griese, who completed 10 of 17 passes for 169 yards, connected with Moore in the third quarter for the winning touchdown. Moore caught three passes for 114 yards.

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

Line: Dolphins by 4

                     MIA             SF
First Downs:         22              13
Rushes-yards:        45-208          34-162
Yards/rush:          4.6             4.8
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     10-17-169-0     11-21-123-1
Sacked-yards:        2-16            1-5
Net pass yards:      153             118
Net yards/pass:      8.1             5.4
Total net yards:     361             280
Total plays:         64 (70% run)    56 (60% run)  
Yards/play:          5.6             5.0
Fumbles-lost:        0-0             3-0
Turnovers:           0               1
Penalties-yards:     6-50            8-50

Attendance: 40,503

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Jim Hart completed a club-record 12 straight passes -- including a 17-yard TD pass to J.V. Cain -- as the Cardinals won their fifth straight home opener. Hart passed for 171 yards in the 12-completions streak that broke Charley Johnson's record of nine straight. He finished the day with 215 yards on 16 of 24. Mel Gray (95 yards) and Cain (55) each had five receptions. Jim Bakken, who missed all four of his field goal attempts in St. Louis' opener at Denver, converted three of three against Chicago (49, 36 and 41 yards). Bob Avellini completed 18 of 37 passes for 177 yards and pulled the Bears within three points late in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard pass to Greg Latta.

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

Line: Cardinals by 3

                     CHI             STL
First Downs:         18              17
Rushes-yards:        25-101          40-133
Yards/rush:          4.0             3.3
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     19-39-184-2     16-24-215-2
Sacked-yards:        0-0             0-0
Net pass yards:      184             215
Net yards/pass:      4.7             9.0
Total net yards:     285             348
Total plays:         64 (39% run)    64 (62% run)  
Yards/play:          4.5             5.4
Fumbles-lost:        0-0             3-2
Turnovers:           2               4
Penalties-yards:     7-47            5-55

Attendance: 49,878

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Billy Kilmer hit Mike Thomas with a two-yard, third-quarter touchdown pass to break a 3-3 tie and stretch Washington's undefeated record against Atlanta to 5-0-1. Mark Moseley's 26-yard field goal at 2:57 of the second quarter gave the Redskins the initial lead, which stood until Nick Mike-Mayer tied the game for the Falcons with a 23-yard field goal just over four minutes into the second half. Kilmer then drove Washington 61 yards in four plays late in the third period for the winning TD to Thomas. Scott Hunter completed 16 of 33 passes for 269 yards, including seven for 152 yards to Alfred Jenkins, but was unable to mount any comeback drive.

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

Line: Redskins by 9

                     ATL             WAS
First Downs:         16              15
Rushes-yards:        45-107          30-105
Yards/rush:          2.4             3.5
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     16-33-269-0     13-29-168-2
Sacked-yards:        4-35            3-21
Net pass yards:      234             147
Net yards/pass:      6.3             4.6
Total net yards:     341             252
Total plays:         82 (54% run)    62 (48% run)  
Yards/play:          4.2             4.1
Fumbles-lost:        2-0             1-1
Turnovers:           0               3
Penalties-yards:     9-131           12-114

Attendance: 55,031

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