All NFL game summaries for 12/17/1977:
Chuck Foreman rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns and Bob Lee fired two touchdown passes to lead the Vikings to their fifth consecutive NFC Central Division championship. Foreman, who carried 33 times to tie a club record, piled up 127 yards in the first half. He had runs of 18, 11 and 27 yards on his first three carries to put him over the 1,000-yard mark for the third straight year. Fred Cox kicked a 26-yard field goal in the second quarter to give the Vikings a 10-7 lead and the Lions spent the rest of the game trying to catch up. Eddie Payton of the Lions scored twice -- a punt return of 87 yards and kickoff return of 98 yards.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OFFENSE | 125.2 (23) | 166.8 (7) | 292.0 (15) | 45 |
| DEFENSE | 166.8 (24) | 112.2 (3) | 279.0 (12) | 26 | |
 | OFFENSE | 127.4 (20) | 107.4 (24) | 234.8 (24) | 27 |
| DEFENSE | 131.6 (11) | 128.3 (7) | 259.9 (7) | 34 |
Line: Vikings by 5½
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings (9-5-0) | 7 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 30 |
| Detroit Lions (6-8-0) | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
( 0- 7) DET David Hill 20 yard pass from Gary Danielson (Steve Mike-Mayer kick)
( 7- 7) MIN Chuck Foreman 1 yard rush (Fred Cox kick)
(10- 7) MIN Fred Cox 26 yard field goal
(17- 7) MIN Ahmad Rashad 48 yard pass from Bob Lee (Fred Cox kick)
(24- 7) MIN Sammy White 29 yard pass from Bob Lee (Fred Cox kick)
(24-14) DET Eddie Payton 98 yard kickoff return (Steve Mike-Mayer kick)
(30-14) MIN Chuck Foreman 5 yard rush (kick failed)
(30-21) DET Eddie Payton 87 yard punt return (Steve Mike-Mayer kick)
MIN DET
First Downs: 18 14
Rushes-yards: 52-194 21-50
Yards/rush: 3.7 2.4
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 11-16-206-0 11-30-153-2
Sacked-yards: 1-7 3-31
Net pass yards: 199 122
Net yards/pass: 11.7 3.7
Total net yards: 393 172
Total plays: 69 (75% run) 54 (38% run)
Yards/play: 5.7 3.2
Fumbles-lost: 1-1 1-1
Turnovers: 1 3
Penalties-yards: 5-46 2-10
Attendance: 78,572
Passing:
MIN: Bob Lee, 11 of 16 for 206 yards and 2 TDs DET: Gary Danielson, 11 of 30 for 153 yards and 1 TD (2 int)
Rushing:
MIN: Chuck Foreman, 33 for 156 yards and 2 TDs; Sammy Johnson, 8 for 23 yards; Brent McClanahan, 8 for 20 yards; Bob Lee, 3 for -5 yards DET: Dexter Bussey, 7 for 10 yards; Leonard Thompson, 5 for 0 yards; Eddie Payton, 2 for 14 yards; Horace King, 2 for 4 yards; Rick Kane, 2 for 2 yards; Gary Danielson, 1 for 16 yards; Marv Hubbard, 1 for 3 yards; Andy Bolton, 1 for 1 yard
Receiving:
MIN: Ahmad Rashad, 8 for 139 yards and 1 TD; Sammy White, 1 for 29 yards and 1 TD; Bob Grim, 1 for 19 yards; Stu Voigt, 1 for 19 yards DET: David Hill, 3 for 96 yards and 1 TD; Leonard Thompson, 2 for 20 yards; J.D. Hill, 2 for 16 yards; Ray Jarvis, 1 for 14 yards; Andy Bolton, 1 for 6 yards; Rick Kane, 1 for 5 yards; Eddie Payton, 1 for -4 yards
Kick returns:
MIN: Brent McClanahan, 1 for 32 yards; Manfred Moore, 1 for 19 yards DET: Eddie Payton, 5 for 184 yards and 1 TD; Andy Bolton, 1 for 13 yards
Punt returns:
MIN: Manfred Moore, 4 for 43 yards; Bob Grim, 2 for 44 yards DET: Eddie Payton, 3 for 105 yards and 1 TD
Interceptions:
MIN: Phil Wise, 1 for 4 yards; Nate Wright, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
MIN: Neil Clabo, 7 for 267 yards DET: Wilbur Summers, 6 for 229 yards
Field Goals:
MIN: Fred Cox, 1/3 DET: Steve Mike-Mayer, 0/1
MIN: Bob Lee, 11 of 16 for 206 yards and 2 TDs DET: Gary Danielson, 11 of 30 for 153 yards and 1 TD (2 int)
Rushing:
MIN: Chuck Foreman, 33 for 156 yards and 2 TDs; Sammy Johnson, 8 for 23 yards; Brent McClanahan, 8 for 20 yards; Bob Lee, 3 for -5 yards DET: Dexter Bussey, 7 for 10 yards; Leonard Thompson, 5 for 0 yards; Eddie Payton, 2 for 14 yards; Horace King, 2 for 4 yards; Rick Kane, 2 for 2 yards; Gary Danielson, 1 for 16 yards; Marv Hubbard, 1 for 3 yards; Andy Bolton, 1 for 1 yard
Receiving:
MIN: Ahmad Rashad, 8 for 139 yards and 1 TD; Sammy White, 1 for 29 yards and 1 TD; Bob Grim, 1 for 19 yards; Stu Voigt, 1 for 19 yards DET: David Hill, 3 for 96 yards and 1 TD; Leonard Thompson, 2 for 20 yards; J.D. Hill, 2 for 16 yards; Ray Jarvis, 1 for 14 yards; Andy Bolton, 1 for 6 yards; Rick Kane, 1 for 5 yards; Eddie Payton, 1 for -4 yards
Kick returns:
MIN: Brent McClanahan, 1 for 32 yards; Manfred Moore, 1 for 19 yards DET: Eddie Payton, 5 for 184 yards and 1 TD; Andy Bolton, 1 for 13 yards
Punt returns:
MIN: Manfred Moore, 4 for 43 yards; Bob Grim, 2 for 44 yards DET: Eddie Payton, 3 for 105 yards and 1 TD
Interceptions:
MIN: Phil Wise, 1 for 4 yards; Nate Wright, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
MIN: Neil Clabo, 7 for 267 yards DET: Wilbur Summers, 6 for 229 yards
Field Goals:
MIN: Fred Cox, 1/3 DET: Steve Mike-Mayer, 0/1
Bob Griese completed 10 of 14 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns while Gary Davis rushed for 172 yards to give the Dolphins a 31-14 victory. Griese's touchdown passes were his 21st and 22nd of the season and set a team record. Nat Moore's first quarter touchdown was his 13th of the season.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OFFENSE | 135.2 (16) | 169.2 (4) | 304.4 (11) | 40 |
| DEFENSE | 166.7 (23) | 141.4 (13) | 308.1 (23) | 32 | |
 | OFFENSE | 163.7 (7) | 134.7 (17) | 298.4 (13) | 26 |
| DEFENSE | 126.6 (7) | 146.3 (16) | 272.9 (10) | 29 |
Line: Dolphins by 14
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills (3-11-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Miami Dolphins (10-4-0) | 7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
( 0- 7) MIA Nat Moore 13 yard pass from Bob Griese (Garo Yepremian kick)
( 0-14) MIA Freddie Solomon 54 yard pass from Bob Griese (Garo Yepremian kick)
( 0-21) MIA Norm Bulaich 3 yard rush (Garo Yepremian kick)
( 0-24) MIA Garo Yepremian 48 yard field goal
( 7-24) BUF Lou Piccone 11 yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Carson Long kick)
( 7-31) MIA Gary Davis 60 yard rush (Garo Yepremian kick)
(14-31) BUF Joe Ferguson 1 yard rush (Carson Long kick)
BUF MIA
First Downs: 24 18
Rushes-yards: 26-103 42-238
Yards/rush: 4.0 5.7
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 25-40-331-3 10-14-210-1
Sacked-yards: 0-0 0-0
Net pass yards: 331 210
Net yards/pass: 8.3 15.0
Total net yards: 434 448
Total plays: 66 (39% run) 56 (75% run)
Yards/play: 6.6 8.0
Fumbles-lost: 3-1 1-0
Turnovers: 4 1
Penalties-yards: 3-20 6-27
Attendance: 39,626
Passing:
BUF: Joe Ferguson, 25 of 40 for 331 yards and 1 TD (3 int) MIA: Bob Griese, 10 of 14 for 210 yards and 2 TDs (1 int)
Rushing:
BUF: Roland Hooks, 13 for 41 yards; Jim Braxton, 7 for 30 yards; Mike Collier, 3 for 17 yards; Joe Ferguson, 3 for 15 yards and 1 TD MIA: Gary Davis, 26 for 172 yards and 1 TD; Leroy Harris, 9 for 23 yards; Norm Bulaich, 4 for 27 yards and 1 TD; Nat Moore, 2 for 16 yards; Bob Griese, 1 for 0 yards
Receiving:
BUF: Bob Chandler, 7 for 59 yards; Jim Braxton, 5 for 85 yards; Lou Piccone, 5 for 73 yards and 1 TD; Roland Hooks, 4 for 63 yards; Reuben Gant, 3 for 46 yards; Mike Collier, 1 for 5 yards MIA: Nat Moore, 5 for 144 yards and 1 TD; Gary Davis, 2 for 16 yards; Norm Bulaich, 2 for -4 yards; Freddie Solomon, 1 for 54 yards and 1 TD
Kick returns:
BUF: Keith Moody, 4 for 96 yards; John Kimbrough, 1 for 25 yards; Mike Collier, 1 for 19 yards MIA: Freddie Solomon, 2 for 30 yards
Punt returns:
BUF: Keith Moody, 2 for -1 yards; John Kimbrough, 1 for 0 yards MIA: Freddie Solomon, 2 for 11 yards
Interceptions:
BUF: Dwight Harrison, 1 for 0 yards MIA: Curtis Johnson, 1 for 16 yards; Tim Foley, 1 for 0 yards; Rick Volk, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
BUF: Marv Bateman, 2 for 92 yards MIA: Mike Michel, 3 for 104 yards
Field Goals:
MIA: Garo Yepremian, 1/1
BUF: Joe Ferguson, 25 of 40 for 331 yards and 1 TD (3 int) MIA: Bob Griese, 10 of 14 for 210 yards and 2 TDs (1 int)
Rushing:
BUF: Roland Hooks, 13 for 41 yards; Jim Braxton, 7 for 30 yards; Mike Collier, 3 for 17 yards; Joe Ferguson, 3 for 15 yards and 1 TD MIA: Gary Davis, 26 for 172 yards and 1 TD; Leroy Harris, 9 for 23 yards; Norm Bulaich, 4 for 27 yards and 1 TD; Nat Moore, 2 for 16 yards; Bob Griese, 1 for 0 yards
Receiving:
BUF: Bob Chandler, 7 for 59 yards; Jim Braxton, 5 for 85 yards; Lou Piccone, 5 for 73 yards and 1 TD; Roland Hooks, 4 for 63 yards; Reuben Gant, 3 for 46 yards; Mike Collier, 1 for 5 yards MIA: Nat Moore, 5 for 144 yards and 1 TD; Gary Davis, 2 for 16 yards; Norm Bulaich, 2 for -4 yards; Freddie Solomon, 1 for 54 yards and 1 TD
Kick returns:
BUF: Keith Moody, 4 for 96 yards; John Kimbrough, 1 for 25 yards; Mike Collier, 1 for 19 yards MIA: Freddie Solomon, 2 for 30 yards
Punt returns:
BUF: Keith Moody, 2 for -1 yards; John Kimbrough, 1 for 0 yards MIA: Freddie Solomon, 2 for 11 yards
Interceptions:
BUF: Dwight Harrison, 1 for 0 yards MIA: Curtis Johnson, 1 for 16 yards; Tim Foley, 1 for 0 yards; Rick Volk, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
BUF: Marv Bateman, 2 for 92 yards MIA: Mike Michel, 3 for 104 yards
Field Goals:
MIA: Garo Yepremian, 1/1
Billy Kilmer threw two touchdown passes and Calvin Hill rushed for 89 yards to lead the Redskins past the playoff-bound Rams. The Redskins' defense bottled up Los Angeles until the fourth period, permitting the Rams no deeper penetration than the Redskins' 38. Vince Ferragamo, who relieved Pat Haden in the final period, threw two touchdown passes and moved the Rams into field goal range with a few seconds remaining, but Rafael Septien missed on two attempts, the second coming after a Redskins' penalty.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OFFENSE | 183.2 (3) | 147.5 (13) | 330.6 (5) | 27 |
| DEFENSE | 120.4 (4) | 135.3 (10) | 255.7 (5) | 39 | |
 | OFFENSE | 124.5 (24) | 134.2 (18) | 258.8 (20) | 28 |
| DEFENSE | 141.9 (17) | 151.7 (19) | 293.6 (21) | 32 |
Line: Rams by 3½
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams (10-4-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Washington Redskins (9-5-0) | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
( 0- 7) WAS Frank Grant 59 yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Mark Moseley kick)
( 0-14) WAS Jean Fugett 3 yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Mark Moseley kick)
( 0-17) WAS Mark Moseley 45 yard field goal
( 7-17) LA Terry Nelson 17 yard pass from Vince Ferragamo (Rafael Septien kick)
(14-17) LA Jim Jodat 2 yard pass from Vince Ferragamo (Rafael Septien kick)
LA WAS
First Downs: 20 17
Rushes-yards: 29-194 40-133
Yards/rush: 6.7 3.3
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 15-34-134-1 12-21-144-2
Sacked-yards: 3-35 3-26
Net pass yards: 99 118
Net yards/pass: 2.7 4.9
Total net yards: 293 251
Total plays: 66 (43% run) 64 (62% run)
Yards/play: 4.4 3.9
Fumbles-lost: 1-0 0-0
Turnovers: 1 2
Penalties-yards: 6-39 7-49
Attendance: 54,208
Passing:
LA: Pat Haden, 7 of 20 for 68 yards (1 int); Vince Ferragamo, 8 of 14 for 66 yards and 2 TDs WAS: Billy Kilmer, 12 of 21 for 144 yards and 2 TDs (2 int)
Rushing:
LA: Rod Phillips, 8 for 76 yards; Lawrence McCutcheon, 8 for 25 yards; Wendell Tyler, 7 for 36 yards; John Cappelletti, 5 for 33 yards; Cullen Bryant, 1 for 24 yards WAS: Calvin Hill, 26 for 89 yards; Clarence Harmon, 13 for 38 yards; Billy Kilmer, 1 for 6 yards
Receiving:
LA: Terry Nelson, 6 for 66 yards and 1 TD; Cullen Bryant, 4 for 28 yards; Billy Waddy, 3 for 27 yards; John Cappelletti, 1 for 11 yards; Jim Jodat, 1 for 2 yards and 1 TD WAS: Frank Grant, 4 for 87 yards and 1 TD; Calvin Hill, 4 for 27 yards; Charley Taylor, 2 for 5 yards; Clarence Harmon, 1 for 22 yards; Jean Fugett, 1 for 3 yards and 1 TD
Kick returns:
LA: Wendell Tyler, 3 for 48 yards; Jim Jodat, 1 for 22 yards WAS: Eddie Brown, 2 for 58 yards; Mark Murphy, 1 for 9 yards
Punt returns:
LA: Cullen Bryant, 4 for 8 yards WAS: Eddie Brown, 3 for 23 yards
Interceptions:
LA: Dave Elmendorf, 1 for 27 yards; Jackie Wallace, 1 for 23 yards WAS: Jake Scott, 1 for 5 yards
Punting:
LA: Glen Walker, 7 for 261 yards WAS: Mike Bragg, 6 for 252 yards
Field Goals:
LA: Rafael Septien, 0/2 WAS: Mark Moseley, 1/2
LA: Pat Haden, 7 of 20 for 68 yards (1 int); Vince Ferragamo, 8 of 14 for 66 yards and 2 TDs WAS: Billy Kilmer, 12 of 21 for 144 yards and 2 TDs (2 int)
Rushing:
LA: Rod Phillips, 8 for 76 yards; Lawrence McCutcheon, 8 for 25 yards; Wendell Tyler, 7 for 36 yards; John Cappelletti, 5 for 33 yards; Cullen Bryant, 1 for 24 yards WAS: Calvin Hill, 26 for 89 yards; Clarence Harmon, 13 for 38 yards; Billy Kilmer, 1 for 6 yards
Receiving:
LA: Terry Nelson, 6 for 66 yards and 1 TD; Cullen Bryant, 4 for 28 yards; Billy Waddy, 3 for 27 yards; John Cappelletti, 1 for 11 yards; Jim Jodat, 1 for 2 yards and 1 TD WAS: Frank Grant, 4 for 87 yards and 1 TD; Calvin Hill, 4 for 27 yards; Charley Taylor, 2 for 5 yards; Clarence Harmon, 1 for 22 yards; Jean Fugett, 1 for 3 yards and 1 TD
Kick returns:
LA: Wendell Tyler, 3 for 48 yards; Jim Jodat, 1 for 22 yards WAS: Eddie Brown, 2 for 58 yards; Mark Murphy, 1 for 9 yards
Punt returns:
LA: Cullen Bryant, 4 for 8 yards WAS: Eddie Brown, 3 for 23 yards
Interceptions:
LA: Dave Elmendorf, 1 for 27 yards; Jackie Wallace, 1 for 23 yards WAS: Jake Scott, 1 for 5 yards
Punting:
LA: Glen Walker, 7 for 261 yards WAS: Mike Bragg, 6 for 252 yards
Field Goals:
LA: Rafael Septien, 0/2 WAS: Mark Moseley, 1/2