All NFL game summaries for 10/09/1977:

Bert Jones led the Colts from a 28-10 deficit to their fifth straight win over the Dolphins with four touchdown passes. The win gave Baltimore sole possession of first place in the AFC East. After the Colts took a 7 -0 lead when Lydell Mitchell broke a 64-yard touchdown on the first scrimmage play, Miami jumped to their 28-10 advantage midway through the second period behind two Bennie Malone touchdown runs and a 90-yard kickoff return by Freddie Solomon. Jones (18 of 30 for 205 yards) brought Baltimore within four points of the Dolphins at halftime with TD passes to Glenn Doughty and Raymond Chester and put the Colts in the lead midway through the third quarter on a 34-yard scoring toss to Don McCauley. Mitchell finished with 142 yards on 17 carries, while Malone led Miami rushers with 139 yards on 12 attempts.

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

Line: Colts by 6

                     MIA             BAL
First Downs:         16              19
Rushes-yards:        29-182          35-207
Yards/rush:          6.3             5.9
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     18-34-264-2     18-30-205-0
Sacked-yards:        5-51            1-15
Net pass yards:      213             190
Net yards/pass:      5.5             6.1
Total net yards:     395             397
Total plays:         68 (42% run)    66 (53% run)  
Yards/play:          5.8             6.0
Fumbles-lost:        4-2             1-1
Turnovers:           4               1
Penalties-yards:     5-46            2-15

Attendance: 57,005

---

Clark Gaines raced for a 14-yard touchdown to lead the Jets past the Bills and even New York's record at 2-2. Richard Todd (10 of 15 for 194 yards) tied the game at 7-7 on a one-yard run after former Jet Lou Piccone put Buffalo ahead 5:46 into the first quarter on a four-yard TD reception. Todd later added a five-yard scoring pass to Jerome Barkum for a 17-7 advantage. Buffalo came back to tie the game at 17-17 prior to Gaines' touchdown. Todd took a safety to enable a free kick and the New York defense held off Buffalo in the final 25 seconds. O. J. Simpson broke loose for his first 100-yard game of 1977, rushing for 122 yards on 23 carries.

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

Line: Bills by 5

                     NYJ             BUF
First Downs:         17              21
Rushes-yards:        44-172          37-172
Yards/rush:          3.9             4.6
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     10-15-194-0     18-33-205-1
Sacked-yards:        0-0             1-6
Net pass yards:      194             199
Net yards/pass:      12.9            5.9
Total net yards:     366             371
Total plays:         59 (74% run)    71 (52% run)  
Yards/play:          6.2             5.2
Fumbles-lost:        4-3             1-1
Turnovers:           3               2
Penalties-yards:     5-45            2-15

Attendance: 32,046

---

Mark van Eeghen scored twice on three-yard runs and Errol Mann added four field goals as the Raiders stretched their winning streak to 17 games. Mann converted on 39, 28 and 27-yard attempts on Oakland's first three possessions. van Eeghen (25 carries for 114 yards) scored the first TD of the game 47 seconds into the third quarter to give Oakland a 16-3 lead. Following Mann's fourth field goal, Oakland drove 50 yards in 10 plays for van Eeghen's second touchdown.

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

Line: Raiders by 2

                     OAK             CLE
First Downs:         17              14
Rushes-yards:        48-171          26-113
Yards/rush:          3.6             4.3
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     9-20-107-2      12-27-141-2
Sacked-yards:        2-19            1-4
Net pass yards:      88              137
Net yards/pass:      4.0             4.9
Total net yards:     259             250
Total plays:         70 (68% run)    54 (48% run)  
Yards/play:          3.7             4.6
Fumbles-lost:        0-0             5-3
Turnovers:           2               5
Penalties-yards:     8-55            9-66

Attendance: 79,178

---

Denver turned four Kansas City turnovers into 20 points and held the Chiefs to 166 net yards. The Broncos got their first score midway through the first period on a Jim Turner field goal, which was set up by John Grant's fumble recovery at the Chiefs' 16. Louis Wright picked off a Chiefs' pass on the next possession and returned it 51 yards. Five plays later, Craig Morton ran in from the 7. Interceptions by Bill Thompson and Tom Jackson set up Turner's third field goal and Denver's final score, Otis Armstrong's one-yard plunge. The Broncos' defense added six sacks to their four interceptions and held Chiefs' quarterbacks to a combined 80 net yards passing. Morton hit 13 of 21 for 189 yards and no interceptions.

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

Line: Broncos by 11

                     KC              DEN
First Downs:         14              16
Rushes-yards:        29-86           39-124
Yards/rush:          3.0             3.2
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     15-27-132-4     18-30-219-0
Sacked-yards:        6-52            3-31
Net pass yards:      80              188
Net yards/pass:      2.4             5.7
Total net yards:     166             312
Total plays:         62 (46% run)    72 (54% run)  
Yards/play:          2.7             4.3
Fumbles-lost:        3-2             3-2
Turnovers:           6               2
Penalties-yards:     6-55            9-107

Attendance: 74,718

---

Tony Davis bolted over from the 2 yard line 5:51 into the third quarter to break a 7-7 tie and give the Bengals a 2-1 series edge over the Packers. Barty Smith scored the first touchdown of the contest on a 14-yard pass from Lynn Dickey. Johnnie Gray recovered a Cincinnati fumble to set up the 57-yard scoring drive. The Bengals took the following kickoff and tied the game on an eight-yard Ken Anderson-to-Isaac Curtis TD pass with 19 seconds left in the half. Cincinnati opened the second half by driving 75 yards in 12 plays for Davis' winning score. Chris Bahr added the final Bengals points on a 32-yard field goal with 1:05 left in the game after Bo Harris intercepted a Dickey pass at the Green Bay 30.

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

Line: Bengals by 8

                     CIN             GB
First Downs:         21              15
Rushes-yards:        42-159          37-112
Yards/rush:          3.8             3.0
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     15-20-190-1     13-25-115-2
Sacked-yards:        3-16            0-0
Net pass yards:      174             115
Net yards/pass:      7.6             4.6
Total net yards:     333             227
Total plays:         65 (64% run)    62 (59% run)  
Yards/play:          5.1             3.7
Fumbles-lost:        1-1             0-0
Turnovers:           2               2
Penalties-yards:     9-85            7-60

Attendance: 53,653

---

Houston took advantage of nine Steelers turnovers to post their third win of the season. Oiler running back Ronnie Coleman hit Ken Burrough with a 44-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring, but the Steelers took a 10-7 lead at the half following Rocky Bleier's one-yard TD, capping an 82-yard drive. The Oilers regained the lead by scoring on their first two possessions of the second half. Rookie safety Tony Dungy was pressed into duty as the Steelers quarterback because of injuries to Pittsburgh's Terry Bradshaw and Mike Kruczek.

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

Line: Steelers by 10

                     PIT             HOU
First Downs:         21              15
Rushes-yards:        45-178          29-98
Yards/rush:          4.0             3.4
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     12-33-211-6     13-24-184-2
Sacked-yards:        0-0             1-15
Net pass yards:      211             169
Net yards/pass:      6.4             6.8
Total net yards:     389             267
Total plays:         78 (57% run)    54 (53% run)  
Yards/play:          5.0             4.9
Fumbles-lost:        5-3             0-0
Turnovers:           9               2
Penalties-yards:     10-67           7-57

Attendance: 47,777

---

Sammy White scored twice early in the first quarter and the Vikings then relied on their defense to hold off the Lions late in the game as Minnesota took over the lead in the NFC Central. Fran Tarkenton drove the Vikings 77 yards in nine plays after the opening kickoff for their initial score, which came on a 12-yard pass to White. On the second play of Minnesota's next possession, Tarkenton hit Ahmad Rashad with a nine-yard pass and Rashad lateraled to White, who carried the ball 50 yards for a 14-0 lead with 6:42 gone in the first period. Greg Landry connected with rookie Luther Blue on an eight-yard scoring pass midway through the third quarter. The Lions were turned back in their effort to tie the game with just 16 seconds remaining when Bobby Bryant intercepted a Landry pass at the Vikings' 15.

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

Line: Vikings by 10

                     DET             MIN
First Downs:         19              13
Rushes-yards:        27-59           27-58
Yards/rush:          2.2             2.1
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     26-47-255-1     21-31-269-0
Sacked-yards:        3-33            1-13
Net pass yards:      222             256
Net yards/pass:      4.4             8.0
Total net yards:     281             314
Total plays:         77 (35% run)    59 (45% run)  
Yards/play:          3.6             5.3
Fumbles-lost:        1-0             4-3
Turnovers:           1               3
Penalties-yards:     8-70            6-48

Attendance: 45,860

---

Steve Grogan threw three touchdown passes and Sam Cunningham rushed 31 times for 101 yards as the Patriots evened their record at 2-2. Rookie Don Hasselbeck caught his first NFL pass, a two-yarder from Grogan for New England's first score midway through the first period. After receiving a Seahawks punt with 2:34 left in the first half, the Patriots and Grogan drove 64 yards in eight plays with Russ Francis scoring on a one-yard pass seven seconds before halftime.

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

Line: Patriots by 19

                     SEA             NE
First Downs:         6               19
Rushes-yards:        31-95           55-196
Yards/rush:          3.1             3.6
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     5-23-71-4       9-15-137-1
Sacked-yards:        3-21            0-0
Net pass yards:      50              137
Net yards/pass:      1.9             9.1
Total net yards:     145             333
Total plays:         57 (54% run)    70 (78% run)  
Yards/play:          2.5             4.8
Fumbles-lost:        2-1             3-2
Turnovers:           5               3
Penalties-yards:     4-20            2-25

Attendance: 45,927

---

Mike Fuller's 88-yard punt return touchdown and a strong pass rush led the Chargers to their third straight win and a 2-0 series advantage over the Saints. Fuller's TD came 3:41 into the first quarter, three plays after Fred Dean sacked Archie Manning at the San Diego 48. The Chargers got their other score on their final possession of the game, driving 60 yards in eight plays with Rickey Young running in from five yards out with 1:16 remaining in the game. The San Diego defense limited Manning to a net passing total of 43 yards and sacked the New Orleans quarterback eight times. Dean, Louie Kelcher, and Gary Johnson each had two sacks.

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

Line: Saints by 1

                     SD              NO
First Downs:         14              18
Rushes-yards:        31-132          36-157
Yards/rush:          4.3             4.4
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     11-2-137-0      16-26-124-1
Sacked-yards:        0-0             8-81
Net pass yards:      137             43
Net yards/pass:      68.5            1.3
Total net yards:     269             200
Total plays:         33 (93% run)    70 (51% run)  
Yards/play:          8.2             2.9
Fumbles-lost:        2-2             2-1
Turnovers:           2               2
Penalties-yards:     7-50            6-46

Attendance: 53,942

---

Ron Jaworski threw two first-half touchdown passes and Herb Lusk added a pair of scoring runs as the Eagles won their second game of 1977 and fourth straight over the Giants. Jaworski hit Keith Krepfle with a 55-yard pass 10:41 into the first quarter and then combined with Charlie Smith on a 28-yard screen pass on the second play of the second period. Lusk, who rushed 17 times for 117 yards, put the Eagles ahead 21-0 on the next series and scored again late in the third quarter when he broke over left tackle. New York's Joe Pisarcik, starting his first NFL game, passed to Jimmy Robinson for an 80-yard touchdown 1:31 before the half, but the Eagles limited the rookie quarterback's effectiveness with four interceptions and four sacks.

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

Line: Giants by 4

                     PHI             NYG
First Downs:         14              15
Rushes-yards:        43-179          32-94
Yards/rush:          4.2             2.9
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     8-17-162-1      12-38-193-4
Sacked-yards:        2-15            4-28
Net pass yards:      147             165
Net yards/pass:      7.7             3.9
Total net yards:     326             259
Total plays:         62 (69% run)    74 (43% run)  
Yards/play:          5.3             3.5
Fumbles-lost:        5-3             1-0
Turnovers:           4               4
Penalties-yards:     2-48            3-25

Attendance: 48,824

---

Alfred Jenkins caught a deflected Scott Hunter pass early in the third quarter for the game's lone touchdown as the Falcons picked up their third victory and took over the top spot in the NFC West. Edgar Fields set up the score when he partially blocked a Tom Wittum punt on the previous play and Billy Ryckman recovered the loose ball at the San Francisco 39. Atlanta's defense limited the 49ers to a total of 188 yards offense. They turned the San Franciscans back the only time they crossed the 50 yard line in the second half when Rolland Lawrence intercepted a Scott Bull pass and returned it 29 yards to the Atlanta 47 with 1:34 left in the game.

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

Line: 49ers by 4

                     ATL             SF
First Downs:         11              12
Rushes-yards:        44-113          39-153
Yards/rush:          2.6             3.9
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     9-14-137-0      5-18-70-1
Sacked-yards:        1-7             4-35
Net pass yards:      130             35
Net yards/pass:      8.7             1.6
Total net yards:     243             188
Total plays:         59 (74% run)    61 (63% run)  
Yards/play:          4.1             3.1
Fumbles-lost:        0-0             3-0
Turnovers:           0               1
Penalties-yards:     14-110          7-64

Attendance: 38,009

---

Roger Staubach's 17-yard touchdown pass to Golden Richards with 6:53 left in the game capped a 14-point come-from-behind effort in the fourth quarter to preserve the Cowboys' perfect record and their lead in the NFC East. The Cardinals, never behind until Richards' catch, built their largest lead of the game, 24-16, with 36 seconds left in the third period when Charlie Davis scooped up a Staubach fumble and returned it 35 yards for a TD. After scoring a 77-yard first-half touchdown, Tony Dorsett, who gained 141 yards for his first 100-yard game, started the Cowboys' fourth period winning surge with a one-yard TD run 1:45 into the quarter, topping off an eight-play, 70-yard drive. Staubach then drove Dallas 67 yards on their next possession for the go-ahead TD to Richards.

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

Line: Cowboys by 5

                     DAL             STL
First Downs:         22              15
Rushes-yards:        39-264          31-146
Yards/rush:          6.8             4.7
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     18-29-153-0     10-34-195-2
Sacked-yards:        3-29            2-21
Net pass yards:      124             174
Net yards/pass:      3.9             4.8
Total net yards:     388             320
Total plays:         71 (54% run)    67 (46% run)  
Yards/play:          5.5             4.8
Fumbles-lost:        3-2             0-0
Turnovers:           2               2
Penalties-yards:     9-109           11-166

Attendance: 50,129

---

Eddie Brown set an NFL record with 11 punt returns and tied the combined kick return record of 12 as the Redskins boosted their record to 3-1. Washington scored all 10 points in the first quarter. The first three came on their second possession, Mark Moseley's 44-yard field goal 4:50 into the game. Billy Kilmer drove Washington 57 yards in six plays on their next series. Mike Thomas ran six yards off left tackle for the score. The Redskins' defense, picking up its first shutout of the season, limited the Buccaneers to 136 yards net offense, forced five turnovers, and sacked Tampa Bay quarterbacks 10 times for a loss of 99 yards.

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

Line: Redskins by 10

                     WAS             TB
First Downs:         14              11
Rushes-yards:        47-121          26-97
Yards/rush:          2.6             3.7
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     11-22-134-1     10-28-138-3
Sacked-yards:        2-16            10-99
Net pass yards:      118             39
Net yards/pass:      4.9             1.0
Total net yards:     239             136
Total plays:         71 (66% run)    64 (40% run)  
Yards/play:          3.4             2.1
Fumbles-lost:        5-2             4-2
Turnovers:           3               5
Penalties-yards:     7-61            7-37

Attendance: 58,571

---