12. 1982 AFC CHAMPION MIAMI DOLPHINS at 5. 1952 NFL CHAMPION DETROIT LIONS
5. 1952 NFL CHAMPION DETROIT LIONS
Record: 9-3
Pythag: 10-2
Off: 2nd
Def: 1st
1st NFL National Div.
d. Rams Div Rnd 31-21
d. Browns NFL Title 17-7
HC Buddy Parker, DC Buster Ramsey
Briggs Stadium: 45 degrees
Van Patrick
Offense
QB Bobby Layne (26 All Pro Texas)
FB Pat Harder (30 Wisc)
RB Jug Girard (25 Wisc)
RB Bob Hoernschemeyer (27 Navy)
WR Cloyce Box (29 W Tex A&M)
WR Leon Hart (24 N Dame)
LT Lou Creekmur (25 All Pro Wm & Mary)
LG Jim Martin (28 N Dame)
C Vince Banonis (31 Det Mercy)
RG Dick Stanfel (25-R S Francisco)
LT Gus Cifelli (26 N Dame)
Defense
LDE Jim Doran (25 Iowa St)
LDT Thurman McGraw (25 All Pro Col St)
MG Les Bingaman (26 Illinois)
RDT John Prchlik (27 Yale)
RDE Blaine Earon (25-R Duke)
LLB Dick Flanagan (26 Ohio St)
RLB LaVern Torgeson (23 Wash St)
LCB Jim David (25-R Col St)
RCB Yale Lary (22-R Tex A&M)
LS Bob Smith (27 Iowa)
RS Jack Christiansen (24 All Pro Col St)
KR Pat Harder (30 Wisc)
P Bob Smith (27 Iowa)
KR/PR Jack Christiansen (24 Col St)
The '54 Lions, the '62 Lions, the '70 Lions have already advanced - the Detroit Lions are really hammering this tournament. You know, like you'd expect. Let's go all the way back to '52 for the NFL Champs. 1st in defense. 2nd in offense. 24 year old Jack Christiansen, 25 year old Thurman McGraw both All Pros on defense. 26 year old Bobby Layne is an All Pro, 20 total scores/20 picks. 29 year old Cloyce Box and 25 year old Lou Creekmur are also All Pros, Box scored 15 times.
12. 1982 AFC CHAMPION MIAMI DOLPHINS
Record: 7-2
Pythag: 7-2
Off: 10th
Def: 2nd
1st AFC East
d. Patriots WC 28-13
d. Chargers Div Rnd 34-13
d. Jets AFC Title 14-0
Lost Super Bowl Redskins 27-17
HC Don Shula, DC Bill Arnsbarger
Offense
QB David Woodley (24 LSU)
RB Tony Nathan (26 Alabama)
FB Andra Franklin (23 Nebraska)
WR Jimmy Cefalo (26 Penn St)
WR Duriel Harris (28 N Mex St)
TE Joe Rose (25 Cal)
LT Jon Giesler (26 Michigan)
LG Bob Kuechenberg (35 N Dame)
C Dwight Stephenson (25 Alabama)
RG Ed Newman (31 Duke)
RT Eric Laasko (26 Tulane)
Defense
LDE Doug Betters (26 Nevada)
NT Bob Baumhower (27 Alabama)
RDE Kim Bokamper (28 S Jose St)
LOLB Bob Brudzinski (27 Ohio St)
LILB AJ Duhe (27 LSU)
RILB Earnest Rohne (29 Henderson)
ROLB Larry Gordon (28 Ariz St)
LCB Don McNeal (24 Alabama)
RCB Gerald Small (26 S Jose St)
SS Glenn Blackwood (25 Tex)
FS Lyle Blackwood (31 TCU)
K Uwe Von Schamann (26 Okla)
P Tom Orosz (23 Ohio St)
KR Fulton Walker (24 W Virginia)
PR Tommy Vigorito (23 UVA)
We haven't seen many Dolphins teams in the tournament; we did see the '75 team advance as 11th seeds. Here's a 12th seed, the strike shortened AFC Champs from '82 with the 2nd best defense in the league, the Killer Bees front 4 combined for 16.5 sacks in a 9 game season. 24 year old David Woodley is the QB of a mediocre offense that might struggle to move the ball against the best defense from '52. 7 total scores, 8 picks. 23 year old fullback Andra Franklin scored 7 times in 9 games.
Is a 4th Lions team about to advance? Let's go to Detroit for the kick.
1st Qtr
Lions at the 17.
Detroit picks up 1 first down, Bobby Layne 10 yards to Bob Hoernschemeyer, but a Bob Brudzinski third down sack ends the drive.
Dolphins at the 35. They pick up a first down on a David Woodley 21 yard pass to Nat Moore, but that's all and after the punt, Lions at the 14.
1 first down. Jug Girard with an 8 yard run. But another punt and Miami at the 32.
3 and out. Lions at the 35.
1/10 - Hoernschemeyer gets 2
2/8 - Pat Harder gets 10 and the first.
2 runs get 5 yards - the quarter ends and it's 3rd and 5 at the Dolphin 48.
2nd Qtr
Just defense in the first qtr - Detroit has a third down and 5...
...they don't pick it up.
Another punt, Dolphins start at the 12.
3 and out. Neither team able to do anything at all offensively.
Lions get the good Jack Christiansen return, they start all the way at the Miami 42.
Layne to Girardi 10 yard completion gives them a first down - but that's all - and Harder will then miss a 39 yard FG and still, we are scoreless.
Miami at the 29. They'll get a first down, Andra Franklin picks up 11 on the ground - but that's all, this drive is 6 straight runs and a punt. First FG wins here in Detroit.
Lions at the 22. Girard 12 yard run gets them a first.
But, of course, another punt. Miami takes over at the 33, 3 minutes and change left in a scoreless first half.
1/10 - Tony Nathan gets 5.
2/5 - Franklin picks up 1.
3/4 - Woodley hits Joe Rose, a 12 yard game gets Miami across midfield and its the 2 minute warning.
1/10 - Franklin gets 4.
2/6 - Incomplete
3/6 - Shula calls a draw - and it works, Tony Nathan busts a 19 yarder all the way to the 26 yard line, the Dolphins call timeout with 90 seconds left.
1/10 - Franklin gets 3 yards.
2/7 - Incomplete.
3/7 - Shula calls the draw again - again it works - Franklin's got the first down -- and Franklin's gonna go - Franklin rumbles 23 yards into the end zone TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS-- and with a minute left in the half the Miami Dolphins go up 7-0.
Lions at the 17.
1/10 - Layne to Leon Hart for 8 and a timeout.
2/2 - Layne in trouble - but he escapes contain, he's got 9 yards and is out of bounds at the 34 with 40 seconds to go in the half.
1/10 - Layne under pressure again - throws into coverage - Picked Off by Don McNeal - McNeal intercepts Layne - and Miami's gonna get another shot - still 30 seconds left, Miami at the Lions 34 yard line.
1/10 - Another give to Franklin - And Franklin Breaks Through the Line -- Andra Franklin through the Defense -- Andra Franklin is Gonna Go Into the Endzone - TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS - Miami scores twice in the last minute of the half to go up 14-0
Layne has time for a bomb, he completes it - 44 yards to Cloyce Box to end the half
Third Qtr
This sold out Briggs Stadium crowd is stunned - scoreless the first 29 minutes of the half, but two Andra Franklin TD runs sandwich a Don McNeal pick and Miami has a 14-0 lead.
Miami starts at the 35.
One first down on a Nathan 7 yard run - but then a punt, Lions at the 29. They are down 2 scores, they have not moved the ball at all against the second best defense from 1982.
They get a first down, Layne to Hart for 13. But there's a punt - Miami starts at the 17 and the third quarter is halfway gone.
1/10 - Franklin gets 3.
2/7 - Nathan gets a dozen.
1/10 - Franklin stopped at the line.
2/10 - Woodley finds Nat Moore, 13 yards to the 45.
1/10 - Woodley to Nathan for 3.
2/7 - Nathan gets 3
2/4 - Woodley picks it up - 10 yards to Jimmy Cefalo - the Dolphins are at the Lions 39 yard line.
The next 3 plays net 8 yards - Von Schamann then.....misses the 48 yarder and the Lions have kept the game at just the 2 score deficit.
Time for one play - 19 yard Harder run gets across midfield as the qtr ends.
4th Qtr
Detroit's down 2 scores, but they've got the ball at the Miami 43, 1st down.
1/10 - Hoernschmeyer gets 2.
2/8 - Planned run for Layne, he gets 2.
3/6 - Jug Girard's got it - he's got the first down -- But He's Leveled by AJ Duhe -- Fumble -- Fumble - Fumble - the Dolphins take over at their own 31 - huge play here by the Dolphins defense, up 14 and they have the ball.
3 and out.
Lions get the good return, first down from their own 48.
3 and out including a Glenn Blackwood sack.
Miami gets it back at their own 10 yard line with under 10 minutes to play.
1/10 - Woodley to pass - quick sideline out -- and It's Picked Off by Yale Lary - Lary steps in front of Duriel Harris -- and Lary quickly sprints into the end zone -- TOUCHDOWN LIONS -- Yale Lary with the pick 6 - Yale Lary with the pick 6 and the Lions slice the deficit in half.
Miami ball at the 33. 9 minutes left. Can the Lions get a quick stop? Will Shula hesitate to throw the ball after the Woodley pick?
3 and out.
The Lion fans can smell it now, the momentum shifting their way - and on the punt, Yale Lary, who just took that pick back for the score - comes off the corner to BLOCK THE KICK - Lary blocks the punt and the Lions will take over at the Miami 8 yard line! Lions at the Dolphins 8 yard line!
But the next 3 plays lose 6 yards, Doug Betters with the third down sack - Detroit settles for the FG and so with 7:25 left, the Dolphins start at their own 32, their lead now down to 14-10.
1/10 - Nathan gets 4.
2/6 - Woodley find Bruce Hardy for 8, it's a first down.
1/10 - Franklin loses 2.
2/12 - Nathan off of left guard - huge block by Stephenson - and Nathan breaks it - Tony Nathan breaks it -- 39 huge yards when Miami needed 39 huge yards - a false start will take the Fish back 5, so they have first and 15 at the Lions 24, little more than 4 left, up 4.
1/15 - Franklin is stopped.
2/15 - Incomplete
3/15 - Woodley looking to the endzone -- Jimmy Cefalo - TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS -- David Woodley 24 yards to Jimmy Cefalo and the Dolphins go up 21-10 with less than 4 minutes remaining! The 12th seeded Dolphins up 11 on the 5th seeded Lions with less than 4 left.
Lions at the 30.
4 plays...and they turn it over on downs.
That's that - Miami with the ball at the Lions 35. They run 3 plays...and then miss a FG.
So it's Detroit with the ball again at their own 36, but down 2 scores.
Miami in the prevent defense - and for the first time all day the Lions move the ball, the key plays a 17 yard Girard run, a 28 yard Hoernschemeyer run, it ends with a short Layne to Hart TD as the clock expires, the 2 point is no good and that's the final.
Final: Dolphins 21 Lions 16
Yale Lary almost stole this one for a Detroit team that could not move the ball; he followed a pick 6 with a blocked punt -- but David Woodley was able to throw for a score to put it away and the Lions fall to Miami.
Woodley: 10 for 20, 101 yds 1 TD/1 INT
Layne: 8 for 19, 95 yds, 1 TD/1 INT
Franklin: 23 for 88 2 TD
Girard: 9 for 64
Cefalo: 3 for 37 1 TD
Hart: 3 for 25 1 TD
Lary: 1 TD/1 INT/1 Blocked Punt
Player of the Game: Andra Franklin
