Oct 21 in Jet History: Home Game Moved to Pittsburgh
Oct 21, 2015 5:31:34 GMT -5
thebigragu and Bing© in Buffalo Chairman like this
Post by Lithfan on Oct 21, 2015 5:31:34 GMT -5
October 21, 1973
When the schedule was announced prior to the 1973 season, the Jets were to play host to Terry Bradshaw and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Shea Stadium in Week 6. The game was shifted to Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium, however, after the Mets made it to the World Series against the Oakland A’s.
As if the odds weren’t stacked against the Jets enough by having to play a “home” game in Pittsburgh, as a result of injuries to Joe Namath and Al Woodall, they also were starting their 3rd string QB, Bill Demory, a rookie undrafted free agent out of Arizona. In his first start a week earlier, Demory completed just 1 of 7 passes as the Jets ran the ball almost 60 times and defeated the New England Patriots 9-7. The rookie would be facing the famed Steel Curtain defense after throwing for just 11 yards against a bad New England defense.
What was expected to be an ugly afternoon for the Jets actually started well. The Steelers dominated play early, but Richard Neal blocked an early Roy Gerela field goal attempt, and Gerela missed his second try and the game remained scoreless. Neal would make another play late in the quarter as he recovered a Preston Pearson fumble at the Steelers 41-yard line. The Jets got down to the Steelers 1 yard line with the help of 3 Steeler defensive penalties: an offside penalty, a roughing the passer penalty and a defensive pass interference gave the Jets 1st and goal at the 1. John Riggins took it in from there and the Jets had an unlikely 7-0 lead.
The Steelers continued to move the ball behind Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris, but were unable to finish their drives and had to settle for a pair of 2nd quarter Gerela field goals to cut into the Jets lead. The Steelers were driving toward a score late in the 2nd quarter when a Bradshaw pass was intercepted by Burgess Owens and returned to the Steeler 30 yard line. Two plays later, Demory threw his first NFL TD pass, a 28-yarder to Rich Caster giving the Jets a 14-6 lead. Pittsburgh got the ball back in the closing minute of the half and Bradshaw led them 51 yards in 3 plays to set up Gerela’s 3rd FG of the quarter, closing the gap to 14-9.
The Steelers got a short field after a John Rowser interception set them up at the 25. It was one of three picks Demory would throw, all in the 2nd half. He finished with a 6-15-84-1-3 line. It would be his most productive day as an NFL quarterback. His career lasted 5 games in that 1973 season and he completed just 12 passes, throwing 8 interceptions.
On the other side of the field, Bradshaw, the future HOFer struggled as well. After the Steelers failed to get in the end zone with the short field, they settled for another FG. Bradshaw was 8-18-119-0-1 at that point and with his team trailing 14-12 he was benched for Terry Hanratty.
After forcing a punt, the Steelers took over at their own 49. Hanratty would need just 5 plays to get the Steelers into the end zone for the first time on a 15-yard scoring strike to Ron Shanklin early in the 4th quarter. Down 19-14 in the 4th quarter the Jets needed to rely on the rookie to bring them back, and it was too much to ask. Demory was intercepted twice more in the 4th quarter, the last one being returned to the Jet 2-yard line. Franco Harris took it in from there to give the Steelers a much tougher than expected 26-14 win.
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
When the schedule was announced prior to the 1973 season, the Jets were to play host to Terry Bradshaw and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Shea Stadium in Week 6. The game was shifted to Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium, however, after the Mets made it to the World Series against the Oakland A’s.
As if the odds weren’t stacked against the Jets enough by having to play a “home” game in Pittsburgh, as a result of injuries to Joe Namath and Al Woodall, they also were starting their 3rd string QB, Bill Demory, a rookie undrafted free agent out of Arizona. In his first start a week earlier, Demory completed just 1 of 7 passes as the Jets ran the ball almost 60 times and defeated the New England Patriots 9-7. The rookie would be facing the famed Steel Curtain defense after throwing for just 11 yards against a bad New England defense.
What was expected to be an ugly afternoon for the Jets actually started well. The Steelers dominated play early, but Richard Neal blocked an early Roy Gerela field goal attempt, and Gerela missed his second try and the game remained scoreless. Neal would make another play late in the quarter as he recovered a Preston Pearson fumble at the Steelers 41-yard line. The Jets got down to the Steelers 1 yard line with the help of 3 Steeler defensive penalties: an offside penalty, a roughing the passer penalty and a defensive pass interference gave the Jets 1st and goal at the 1. John Riggins took it in from there and the Jets had an unlikely 7-0 lead.
The Steelers continued to move the ball behind Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris, but were unable to finish their drives and had to settle for a pair of 2nd quarter Gerela field goals to cut into the Jets lead. The Steelers were driving toward a score late in the 2nd quarter when a Bradshaw pass was intercepted by Burgess Owens and returned to the Steeler 30 yard line. Two plays later, Demory threw his first NFL TD pass, a 28-yarder to Rich Caster giving the Jets a 14-6 lead. Pittsburgh got the ball back in the closing minute of the half and Bradshaw led them 51 yards in 3 plays to set up Gerela’s 3rd FG of the quarter, closing the gap to 14-9.
The Steelers got a short field after a John Rowser interception set them up at the 25. It was one of three picks Demory would throw, all in the 2nd half. He finished with a 6-15-84-1-3 line. It would be his most productive day as an NFL quarterback. His career lasted 5 games in that 1973 season and he completed just 12 passes, throwing 8 interceptions.
On the other side of the field, Bradshaw, the future HOFer struggled as well. After the Steelers failed to get in the end zone with the short field, they settled for another FG. Bradshaw was 8-18-119-0-1 at that point and with his team trailing 14-12 he was benched for Terry Hanratty.
After forcing a punt, the Steelers took over at their own 49. Hanratty would need just 5 plays to get the Steelers into the end zone for the first time on a 15-yard scoring strike to Ron Shanklin early in the 4th quarter. Down 19-14 in the 4th quarter the Jets needed to rely on the rookie to bring them back, and it was too much to ask. Demory was intercepted twice more in the 4th quarter, the last one being returned to the Jet 2-yard line. Franco Harris took it in from there to give the Steelers a much tougher than expected 26-14 win.
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
