All NFL game summaries for 09/07/1980:

Line: Dolphins by 3

                     MIA             BUF
First Downs:         13              22
Rushes-yards:        22-90           43-144
Yards/rush:          4.1             3.3
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     15-26-139-4     21-33-213-5
Sacked-yards:        3-29            0-0
Net pass yards:      110             213
Net yards/pass:      3.8             6.5
Total net yards:     200             357
Total plays:         51 (43% run)    76 (56% run)  
Yards/play:          3.9             4.7
Fumbles-lost:        4-2             4-2
Turnovers:           6               7
Penalties-yards:     6-59            9-44

Attendance: 79,598

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Line: Buccaneers by 1

                     TB              CIN
First Downs:         13              9
Rushes-yards:        34-91           36-112
Yards/rush:          2.7             3.1
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     11-23-155-0     6-21-47-1
Sacked-yards:        0-0             3-31
Net pass yards:      155             16
Net yards/pass:      6.7             0.7
Total net yards:     246             128
Total plays:         57 (59% run)    60 (60% run)  
Yards/play:          4.3             2.1
Fumbles-lost:        2-2             4-1
Turnovers:           2               2
Penalties-yards:     10-95           10-97

Attendance: 55,551

---

"It's going to make believers out of people," said Chester Marcol, an unlikely hero in the Packers' overtime upset of Chicago. The bespectacled placekicker scored on a 25-yard run after his field goal attempt was blocked and the ball bounced back into his arms. The touchdown was the first in four games for the beleaguered Packers, who had been outscored 69-3 in their final three preseason games.

Marcol's touchdown run was hard to believe. With six minutes gone in the overtime, his 35-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Bears tackle Alan Page. As most of the Bears lay on the ground, Marcol lumbered around left end and was untouched on his trip to the end zone. They came in as hard as I've seen anybody," said Marcol. "The ball bounced right back in my hands, and there was nobody outside, it was clear sailing."

Bears Coach Neil Armstrong was among those shocked by the ending, "That's a new way to get beat," he said. Bart Starr, the Packers' coach, said his heart almost stopped when the kick was slapped back into Marcol's hands. "I was very angry because there's no excuse for having it blocked," he said. But Starr was so elated by Marcol's touchdown and the wild reaction from the fans at Lambeau Field that he suggested the Packers' problems may be over. "All the injuries, the bad bounces, the lackadaisical play, the indifference and so forth that have happened to us got evened up in one magnificent play this afternoon," he said. [The Sporting News]

Line: Bears by 6

                     CHI             GB
First Downs:         18              12
Rushes-yards:        43-101          30-114
Yards/rush:          2.3             3.8
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     17-30-174-3     10-22-138-1
Sacked-yards:        1-7             4-38
Net pass yards:      167             100
Net yards/pass:      5.4             3.8
Total net yards:     268             214
Total plays:         74 (58% run)    56 (53% run)  
Yards/play:          3.6             3.8
Fumbles-lost:        2-1             0-0
Turnovers:           4               1
Penalties-yards:     8-64            9-75

Attendance: 54,381

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Line: Chiefs by 3

                     OAK             KC
First Downs:         18              17
Rushes-yards:        28-91           32-113
Yards/rush:          3.2             3.5
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     19-37-317-0     16-28-196-3
Sacked-yards:        4-32            5-33
Net pass yards:      285             163
Net yards/pass:      7.0             4.9
Total net yards:     376             276
Total plays:         69 (40% run)    65 (49% run)  
Yards/play:          5.4             4.2
Fumbles-lost:        0-0             1-0
Turnovers:           0               3
Penalties-yards:     6-55            8-62

Attendance: 54,269

---

A couple of questions were answered when the Los Angeles Rams, defending National Football Conference champions, made their Anaheim Stadium debut with a stunning 41-20 loss to the Detroit Lions. The Lions, sparked by a 153-yard rushing show by rookie running back Billy Sims, proved they're for real after their sad 2-14 season of 1979, and the Rams settled their quarterback situation -- for a month, at least.

Pat Haden, who had won the starting berth over Vince Ferragamo, suffered a broken index finger on his passing hand midway through the final quarter. Haden will be out of action for four weeks, according to the Rams' physician. Even if Haden had not been hurt, there were indications that Coach Ray Malavasi was in for another season of quarterback controversy. After Haden was intercepted three times, a chorus of "We want Vince" went up from the Big A crowd of 64,892. Ferragamo, the Rams' playoff hero last season, completed four of five passes in the closing minutes of the game, but by then the outcome had been settled.

The Lions rolled up 494 yards in total offense, with 330 of that on the ground. Sims, the 1978 Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma and the No. 1 choice in this year's draft, carried 22 times and ran for three touchdowns. His 153 yards was the best rushing total by a Detroit back since Altie Taylor gained 160 in a 1973 game. Dexter Bussey ran for 11 yards in 14 carries for the Lions and scored on a 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to break a 20-20 tie. The performances by Sims and Bussey marked the first time since 1934 -- Detroit's first season in the NFL -- that two Lions backs had gained more than 100 yards in the same game.

"We're for real," Sims said of the Lions, who loom as title contenders in the NFC Central Division after being doormats last season. "I know we are capable of doing it. I hope this shows that we're in this thing." Gary Danielson, the Detroit quarterback who missed the entire 1979 season with a knee in suffered in the final preseason game, completed 10 of 19 passes for 173 yards. "By winning today, we were able to show the world that we can play with anybody," he said.

The Rams' Drew Hill returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and Los Angeles went on to build a 20-17 halftime lead. A 38-yard field goal by Ed Murray tied the score early in the third period and then the Lions surged ahead. Sims took a short pass from Danielson and to it into a 66 yard gain to the LA. 19. Two plays later, Bussey bolted for the go-ahead TD. A 41 yard scoring burst by Sims on the first play of the fourth quarter made it 34-20 and the Lions finished the scoring on a four-yard sweep by Horace King with 29 seconds left in the game.

Haden was 13-for-24 passing before he went out when his finger was broken as it hit a shoulder pad. He was miffed that the fans seemed to be cheering his injury, although most of those booing probably didn't know that he'd been hurt seriously. "It's really vicious when fans cheer an injury." Haden said. "People come out and pay 15 bucks and act like animals, and I don't think that's right." Haden added, "That's three broken fingers in three years. I'm very disappointed, and it's a real rough way to start the year." [The Sporting News]

Line: Rams by 9

                     DET             LA
First Downs:         27              16
Rushes-yards:        46-330          24-86
Yards/rush:          7.2             3.6
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     10-19-173-0     17-29-179-3
Sacked-yards:        2-9             2-10
Net pass yards:      164             169
Net yards/pass:      7.8             5.5
Total net yards:     494             255
Total plays:         67 (68% run)    55 (43% run)  
Yards/play:          7.4             4.6
Fumbles-lost:        2-1             1-0
Turnovers:           1               3
Penalties-yards:     9-93            11-59

Attendance: 64,892

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Line: Vikings by 4

                     ATL             MIN
First Downs:         20              28
Rushes-yards:        32-158          23-77
Yards/rush:          4.9             3.3
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     14-28-165-1     30-42-395-1
Sacked-yards:        1-9             3-24
Net pass yards:      156             371
Net yards/pass:      5.4             8.2
Total net yards:     314             448
Total plays:         61 (52% run)    68 (33% run)  
Yards/play:          5.1             6.6
Fumbles-lost:        2-0             0-0
Turnovers:           1               1
Penalties-yards:     11-80           10-114

Attendance: 44,773

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Line: Patriots by 6

                     CLE             NE
First Downs:         16              27
Rushes-yards:        17-48           49-186
Yards/rush:          2.8             3.8
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     22-35-233-0     17-26-277-1
Sacked-yards:        1-18            1-11
Net pass yards:      215             266
Net yards/pass:      6.0             9.9
Total net yards:     263             452
Total plays:         53 (32% run)    76 (64% run)  
Yards/play:          5.0             5.9
Fumbles-lost:        2-2             1-1
Turnovers:           2               2
Penalties-yards:     5-55            4-43

Attendance: 49,222

---

San Francisco, a 2-14 team like Detroit in 1979, turned all that around and gained its first road victory in 19 games with the upset of the Saints in the Louisiana Superdome. Steve DeBerg completed 21 of 29 passes for 223 yards and rookie running back Earl Cooper scored two touchdowns to lead the 49ers. Ray Wersching kicked two 37-yard field goals in the final period, the second one breaking a 23-23 tie.

"We were spirited, relentless, a very determined team," said 49ers Coach Bill Walsh. The victory was the first on the road for the 49ers since November 13, 1977, when they won at New Orleans on a field goal in overtime. Cooper, from Rice, the 49ers' first draft pick, rushed for 77 yards on 17 carries and caught 10 passes for 71 yards. Paul Hofer, who was in the backfield with Cooper most of the game, had seven receptions for 114 yards.

Russell Erxleben, chosen over Garo Yepremian as the Saints' kicker at the end of training camp, was a central figure in the New Orleans loss. He missed on a 30-yard field goal attempt when the bail hit an upright in the first quarter, fumbled a snap on a punt in the third period and shanked a 34-yard field goal attempt that would have tied the score with four seconds to play. Erxleben lay motionless and face down on the field as the crowd booed him for not sending the game into overtime. Archie Manning was the Saints' offensive leader, passing for 314 yards on 25 completions and running three yards for a TD. [The Sporting News]

Line: Saints by 4

                     SF              NO
First Downs:         21              19
Rushes-yards:        31-154          22-90
Yards/rush:          5.0             4.1
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     21-29-223-1     25-41-314-0
Sacked-yards:        3-27            1-10
Net pass yards:      196             304
Net yards/pass:      6.1             7.2
Total net yards:     350             394
Total plays:         63 (49% run)    64 (34% run)  
Yards/play:          5.6             6.2
Fumbles-lost:        1-1             0-0
Turnovers:           2               0
Penalties-yards:     9-87            8-70

Attendance: 58,621

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Line: Jets by 6

                     BAL             NYJ
First Downs:         23              7
Rushes-yards:        41-113          15-39
Yards/rush:          2.8             2.6
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     24-42-257-1     11-26-200-4
Sacked-yards:        2-18            1-13
Net pass yards:      239             187
Net yards/pass:      5.4             6.9
Total net yards:     352             226
Total plays:         85 (48% run)    42 (35% run)  
Yards/play:          4.1             5.4
Fumbles-lost:        3-2             0-0
Turnovers:           3               4
Penalties-yards:     5-50            9-59

Attendance: 50,777

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The Eagles were expecting a tough, grind-it-out game from the rugged Denver Broncos in their opener at Veterans Stadium. Instead, Philadelphia rode the passing arm of Ron Jaworski for three touchdowns and flew past the Broncos for the Eagles' biggest margin of victory in an opening game since 1964.

"I didn't expect us to play as well as we did," said Jaworski, who completed 18 of 29 passes for 281 yards. "We didn't play the real Denver Broncos today. They have one of the finest defensive teams in football, They have great linebackers. We figured they would play a tough game."

Jaworski opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 56-yard pass to wide receiver Harold Carmichael, who extended his NFL record by catching a pass in his 113th consecutive game. Jaworski added scoring strikes of 16 yards to Scott Fitzkee and 11 yards to John Spagnola. "He didn't surprise me," Eagles Coach Dick Vermeil said of Jaworski. "He had a great training camp. He has a lot more confidence out there this year."

While the Eagles were rolling for 421 yards, their defense held the Broncos to 233 yards and no TDs. Denver managed only a pair of third-quarter field goals by Fred Steinfort. "I'm disappointed and embarrassed," said Denver Coach Red Miller. "The Eagles are good, but they're not that good. Our quarterback did not play well today." Matt Robinson, acquired from the New York Jets in the offseason, completed 18 of 41 passes for 175 yards and was intercepted twice in his Denver debut. [The Sporting News]

Line: Eagles by 3

                     DEN             PHI
First Downs:         14              21
Rushes-yards:        23-93           35-137
Yards/rush:          4.0             3.9
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     18-41-178-2     19-30-287-0
Sacked-yards:        5-38            1-3
Net pass yards:      140             284
Net yards/pass:      3.0             9.2
Total net yards:     233             421
Total plays:         69 (33% run)    66 (53% run)  
Yards/play:          3.4             6.4
Fumbles-lost:        1-0             4-2
Turnovers:           2               2
Penalties-yards:     3-35            9-68

Attendance: 70,307

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Line: Steelers by 7

                     HOU             PIT
First Downs:         16              20
Rushes-yards:        15-60           39-119
Yards/rush:          4.0             3.1
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     25-44-253-5     12-24-254-2
Sacked-yards:        2-21            2-17
Net pass yards:      232             237
Net yards/pass:      5.0             9.1
Total net yards:     292             356
Total plays:         61 (24% run)    65 (60% run)  
Yards/play:          4.8             5.5
Fumbles-lost:        1-0             2-2
Turnovers:           5               4
Penalties-yards:     10-92           6-30

Attendance: 54,386

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Line: Chargers by 2

                     SD              SEA
First Downs:         22              13
Rushes-yards:        44-197          17-47
Yards/rush:          4.5             2.8
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     21-31-230-0     18-33-235-2
Sacked-yards:        1-6             4-33
Net pass yards:      224             202
Net yards/pass:      7.0             5.5
Total net yards:     421             249
Total plays:         76 (57% run)    54 (31% run)  
Yards/play:          5.5             4.6
Fumbles-lost:        2-0             2-0
Turnovers:           0               2
Penalties-yards:     6-48            4-20

Attendance: 62,042

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"Stunned," said Cardinals safety Ken Stone. "Yes, that would he the right word." "It seemed like everything Simms threw, they were right there," said fellow safety Ken Greene. "He was hot as a firecracker." The man with the hot hand was Phil Simms, New York's second-year quarterback, who completed five touchdown passes and finished with 16 completions in 31 attempts for 280 yards.

Simms' prime target was wide receiver Earnest Gray, who caught nine passes for 174 yards and four touchdowns, record for a Giants receiver, "I think I went to the right person with the ball every play," said Simms. "I think we hit every potential big play except one or two." Simms had been criticized by Coach Ray Perkins after the Giants' 1-3 exhibition season, but said he didn't get too upset over the tongue-lashing. Simms won out in a passing duel with the Cardinals' Jim Hart, who threw for 322 yards and two TDs.

A 66-yard punt return by Alvin Garrett set up Simms' first TD pass, a 10-yarder to Gray. Then he hit Gray for 37 yards, Johnny Perkins for 58 yards and Gray for 42 and 20 yards. "I could kind of see it in their eyes that they were waiting for me to do something every time we lined up," Gray said. "It was man-to-man coverage, so I just had to shake one person. And I think I can beat the cornerback every time."

Hart brought the Cardinals within three points at 38-35 on a 42-yard pass to Pat Tilley, who made a diving, fingertip catch in the end zone late in the fourth quarter. St. Louis got the ball twice in the final two minutes, but was unable to move and Joe Danelo capped the Giants' scoring with his second field goal. Hart said the Cardinals might have been overconfident because the Giants had lost their top two running backs, Billy Taylor and Doug Kotar, with injuries. [The Sporting News]

Line: Cardinals by 7

                     NYG             STL
First Downs:         19              20
Rushes-yards:        40-104          24-132
Yards/rush:          2.6             5.5
Comp-Att-Yd-INT:     16-31-280-1     18-31-322-3
Sacked-yards:        1-6             4-35
Net pass yards:      274             287
Net yards/pass:      8.6             8.2
Total net yards:     378             419
Total plays:         72 (55% run)    59 (40% run)  
Yards/play:          5.2             7.1
Fumbles-lost:        1-0             3-2
Turnovers:           1               5
Penalties-yards:     9-80            5-40

Attendance: 49,122

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