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On December 3rd, 1978, the Philadelphia Eagles visited the Minnesota Vikings at Metropolitan Stadium in Minnesota for Week 14 of the 1978 NFL regular season.
The Eagles entered the game with an 8-5 record under head coach Dick Vermeel and second year quarterback Ron Jaworski.
The Vikings had seven wins led by head coach Bud Grant and quarterback Fran Tarkenton who was in the final year of his career.
This is the local Philadelphia radio broadcast featuring announcers Meryl Reese and Jim Barniak.
Kicking off with the Vikings for the Eagles is Mike Michelle. Deep for the Vikings to the near side is Kevin Miller. In the middle is Miller and to the near side is Harry Washington. So it is Washington and Kevin Miller.
Just to see if he approaches the ball. Kicking is very often a problem on a day like today. Mike Michelle's been kicking up and taking over in that spot where Nick Mikkemeyer has been doing very well.
Kevin Miller deep. The crowd is ready here at Bloomington for this big game. Michelle approaches the ball.
He hits it. It is high and moving over and taking it is Kevin Miller. He's at the 20. Up to the 25.
30. Across the 35 and up to the 37 yard line. Kevin Miller. Michelle himself makes the stop up at the 37 yard line.
24 yard return by Kevin Miller. So right away the Vikings get good field position.
Not a real good kickoff. He's Mike Michelle who is confronted with some very tough winds here.
Swirling winds. This stadium is wide open in some spots and in other spots of course it has a double tiered and side tiered bleaker.
So very unpredictable wind.
First to 10 for the Vikings as Parkinson lines them up. He splits his wide receivers.
Forming the long running back as he drops the throw in first down.
Fires to the near side. Complete to Amad Rashad up and out of bounds here midfield.
It's Rashad who takes it inbound at the 50 and goes out at the eagle 49.
A 14 yard pick up on first down and Parkinson went right to the air.
Right to the air and I'm sure the Vikings would like nothing more than to get some points on the board in a hurry and try and force the Eagles to play catch up in these conditions.
The Vikings are at their best when they've got a couple of touchdown lead on you and they can go put that defense to work.
This time Parkinson splits the wide receivers. He sets his running back from the eye.
The lead back is Ricky Young. Parkinson rolling to his right.
Stopping. Looking. Fires over the middle.
It's complete to Rashad and Rashad goes down close to the eagle 20.
Parkinson again to Rashad and Rashad caught the ball at the 25 and leaned forward to the 22 before he was hit by Randy Logan and John Sheriff.
A 26 yard gain and a good catch right there by Rashad.
He was covered. There were three Eagles in the area there and Rashad just went up and got the football. Great effort.
So Parkinson has the Vikings on the move once again.
Parkinson in his 18th year his best passing season. This time it's a handoff.
Inside it goes to Chuck Foreman who comes down close to the 20 yard line before the Eagles stop him.
Charlie Johnson was right there to put the shoulder to Chuck Foreman.
A pick up of very little maybe a yard and a half or two on the carry but that's about all.
Interesting to note on that last forward pass.
Fremtarkenton scrambling rolling out a little bit to the right had the option of running a plenty of clear field and elected not to do it.
Second down and a long seven. The ball of the Eagles 20 yard line.
This time Parkinson sets both wide receivers left.
He gives off inside and taking the handoff is Ricky Young coming down close to the 15 yard line before Frank Lamantour makes the stop.
So we saw Fremtarkenton open up with two successful passing plays both to Ahmad Rashad.
They have a gain of 14 yards one for 26 yards and then a couple of running plays as they get closer and closer to the Eagle goal line.
That'll be a third down at about three. The ball is just outside the 15 yard line.
Fremtarkenton sets both wide receivers to the near side. Sammy White in the slot.
Outside of him is Rashad. The back's in an open set.
As Fremtarkenton gives to Chuck Foreman who tries to turn the far quarter.
He meets Overland comes across the 10. He has a Viking first down.
Bill Berge finally runs him out of bounds but he leaps over one man and puts it inside the 10 down to the nine.
And the Vikings drive continues if they have a first and go to go at the Eagle nine.
Good block right there by the veteran right tackle Ron Yarie.
He really hit somebody and Foreman has some room to go around that right corner and leaps over one man.
Bobby Lee Howard was on the corner there and Yarie just put him right into the ground and enabled Foreman to leap over the back straight.
Bobby Lee for the big game.
So it's first and go for the Vikings as Fremtarkenton lines them up. Foreman goes in motion to the far side.
Fremtarkenton in a flat pass to Sammy White at the 10 and he's lifted and thrown down at the six by Herman Edwards who played that play to perfection.
There was motion as Fremtarkenton sent Chuck Foreman to that far side and then threw right in the flat to Sammy White who still picked up four yards on the play.
But Herman Edwards still read it properly and put him down.
They tried a little flanker screen there and you're right Herman Edwards did a good job.
He had to fight off a blocker and then get in there and make the hit.
Bikes did get three yards or four yards.
Vikings got close a week ago a couple of times against the Packers of that Green Bay defense.
Hell let's see if the Eagles can do the same on second down play action by Fremtarkenton.
Lost the pass in the air in and out of the hands. Incomplete.
Intended for Ricky Young over on the far side.
Parkinson had him. He had beaten the man Randy Logan. The ball went in and out of his hands.
The Vikings had all but six points right there but Ricky Young could not hold on.
Good play action. Excellent execution by Francis.
And some poor defense by the Eagles. You've got to stay with Ricky Young every place he goes.
He has caught 74 passes coming into this game. You know Tarkin and it goes with him a great deal.
And that time nobody picked Ricky Young up and how he caught that ball over six.
Parkinson had the ball in his hand.
At the third down and go to go. They're at the five yard line.
Just one running back. That's Chuck Foreman. Everybody else split.
Tarkin, dropping, hooking, going to the deep corner. Touchdown Sammy White.
Parkinson on a bit of play action dropped straight back and found Sammy White a lower end of the end zone
on the far corner from Minnesota touchdown. The Vikings are on the board.
Sammy White ran a post corner that time. Cut toward the goal post and then took it back outside toward the corner.
The Eagles were in their nickel defense and John Jarrow was reading that but was in bad position.
Sammy White had the outside all to himself and Tarkin had laid it right in there.
And now Rick Danmeyer will try to make it seven to nothing if he lines up for the extra points.
The ball is spotted. It's up and it's good.
So we have a timeout on the field with the score. The Vikings seven, the Eagles nothing.
Giamotta to 37 going Canfield.
We're less than three minutes into this football game and the Vikings are leading the Eagles seven to nothing.
Grant Parkinson made it actually look easy that time as he took them down to the field with a couple of great passes
and a few running plays that did not amount to much but he set it up well and eventually passed the Sammy White to the score.
Now Danmeyer kicks off. Canfield to the far side for the Eagles.
Giamotta to the near side. The kickoff is high and is taken by Giamotta at the five, ten, fifteen, twenty.
How does he get to 25? Pins to the 26th.
And down under a rush of purple shirts goes Louis Giamotta.
Making the tackle for the Vikings was Tom Hannon.
So now let's see what the Eagles can do with 21-yard kickoff return by Louis Giamotta.
One of the Eagles' biggest problems this year has been putting points on the scoreboard in the first quarter.
Collectively throughout the first 13 games they have scored just 14 first quarter points.
Now they're behind seven to nothing already.
Jaworski lines them up and he splits his running back.
Mike Hogan to the near side. Wilbur Montgomery to the far side.
The wide receivers are split.
Charlie Smith to the near side. Tom Hagan to the far side.
Jaworski on a long count on first down.
He turns inside Wilbur Montgomery who comes across the 30, up to the 35, to the 36.
Wilbur Montgomery on a good burst right there before he is stopped by Phil Wise.
Right up the middle of that Viking defense and that Viking forward wall ranks 14th against the rush in the NFC.
Everybody it seems has been running on them and running right up the middle.
Some very good blocks right there by Guy Morris and Woody Peoples.
Wilbur's was off and going for an eight-yard gain.
Second down on two is this time Jaworski hits both wide receivers to the far side.
Carl Michael in the slot. Outside of him is Charlie Smith.
Jaworski hands off inside. Big hole for Mike Hogan.
As he comes right up the middle and picks up yardage to the 44-yard line before he is stopped by Tom Hagan.
Good opening block by Guy Morris and Tom Hagan and the Eagles' second consecutive eight-yard gain.
Nothing fancy on that play at all. Just a straight hand off to Mike Hogan and he ran right into daylight.
Eight yards of burst for the Eagles' opening two offensive plays.
This time they split the wide receivers.
The ball is at the Eagles' 44-yard line. 10-53 remaining in the first quarter. Vikings up 7-0.
Jaworski on play action.
Looks left. Going wrong down the left sideline.
Has Carl Michael at the 15-yard line. Touchdown!
Jaworski on play action.
Has Carl Michael open on the left side. He had beaten his man.
He outran Bobby Bryant. Picked the pass right in his gut.
And ran the remaining 15 yards of 56-yard touchdown pass.
Ron Jaworski to Harold Carl Michael.
He's got $100 a point from Pino Le for the Eagles. Fly for Leukemia Fund.
Tom Hagan, the free safety there. The only guy with a chance took a slot at the football hoping to knock it down and miss it.
And he went sailing right out of bounds. Lost his footing.
Howard Carl Michael caught the ball and had nothing but clear sailing.
This is still uncharacteristic of the Eagles. 7-7 already here.
Alright, here's the extra point. And it's up and it's good.
There's a timeout on the field with the score 7-7.
We have a 7-7 game here in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Kicking off for the Eagles, Mike Michelle. Deep for the Vikings, Kevin Miller.
To the middle, Harry Washington to the far side and Robert Miller to the near side.
Well, the bomb did it. 56-yard touchdown pass. Ron Jaworski to Harold Carl Michael.
Here is the whistle. And here is the kickoff.
It is high but it is short. And it is taken by Harry Washington at the 20.
Washington to the 25. Up to the 30. And up to the 35-yard line.
So again, the Vikings will get decent field position.
Again, Mike Michelle kicking into a swirling type wind here and not getting very much on it.
The Vikings are again outside their own 30-yard line. Excellent field position for them.
That's the thing. You have got to contain them on these kickoff returns.
It didn't happen right there the first time they took over their 37-yard line.
And Parkinson went to work in the air. And this time they will take over the 35-yard line.
A 7-7 game though as Jaworski drops. Perfect strike to Harold Carl Michael.
This time Parkinson leads them up again with only one man on the backfield.
Playack. He wants the throw. He goes with the bomb down the near side.
The Rashad has dropped it. Rashad had it. They are going to throw the flag and call.
Pass interference. Pass interference is going to be thrown against Herman Edwards.
The ball was in the air and I got the feeling looking at it.
And Herman Edwards had hit Rashad. Nothing was called at that moment.
Then a second or two later the ball came down, hit Rashad in the hands.
And then Herman Edwards clearly hit Rashad.
But the pass interference I think Jim will be called actually before the touching of the football.
In the air, number 46, defense, first up.
Kind of an act of desperation that time by Herman Edwards. He was beaten by Rashad.
Rashad had about 5 yards on him and was in position to catch the ball and take it in all the way.
Locked the fireworks here early. 39 yard game right there.
But the flag went down. It was a late flag.
He took his time throwing that flag. He did not throw it actually until the ball had been missed.
Right first down for the Vikings there was the Eagle 25.
Hand off to Chuck Foreman who comes off right tackle. Picked up maybe two or three yards.
Before Carl Harrison and Frank LaMaster makes the stop.
But he is close to the Eagle 20.
All right here's the scores. Maryland to Los Angeles, Rams 10.
And the New York Giants 7 in the second period.
Cincinnati Bengals 10, Atlanta 7 in the second period.
San Francisco 3, New Orleans nothing in the first period.
Miami 6, Washington nothing in the second period.
Second down and 6. The Eagles know they have to tighten that pass defense.
That is the area that Fran Parkinson is taking advantage of right now.
He wants to throw again. Fires to the near side.
Complete to Rashad who steps away from one man at the 15 and goes down at the 13.
But he has another first down.
Rashad, a good job right there. Went up between Herman Edwards and John Sharer.
And took the pass that was thrown high.
Came down, faked around one man and went forward inside the 15.
He has another Viking first down.
So we're seeing a lot of movement offensively so far today.
And the Eagles knew that very play was coming.
Herman Edwards gambled for the interception.
Almost got it. The ball was thrown quite high.
And Rashad is excellent at going up in the air and coming down with a football.
He did score a touchdown in that manner against the Packers last week.
Yes he did. 8 yard gain.
So it's a first and 10 for the Vikings who are at the Eagle 14.
Again it is Foreman below the setback.
A pass in the flat.
It goes out to Foreman who takes it and dives forward close to the 10 yard line.
Foreman comes down and takes that pass in the flat.
Took it at the 16 and he moved down to the 11 yard line before Bobby Lee Howard made the stop.
But a pick up on the play of about 4 yards.
Ball just hit about the 11 yard line.
Parkinson putting the ball in the air.
People here in Minnesota could not understand why a week ago he tried to run so much.
Going into that final moment against the Green Bay Packers.
Parkinson has thrown about 22 times and run the ball a lot.
But today he is going to the air.
He's back. He's looking. Fires over the middle.
The pass is complete to Bob Parker at the 10 yard line.
But a fly goes back.
Fly goes down back at about the 16.
Vikings are going to get called for a holding penalty here.
That fly costs right into the pocket.
Vikings now starting to back up.
Parkinson not playing at all much with the run.
The footing is very, very slippery.
And we can almost put the same things on the passing.
As we said about the running last week in St. Louis about the advantages of saying no gray.
When you are out there, when your receiver makes his move, the defensive back has to wait and see which way he is going.
And has a tough time getting down.
Holding number 73 offense still second down.
The holding penalty is against Ron Jerry.
And they move the football back to the 21 yard line.
And now it will be a second down and 19.
Ken Clark and Lem Furnham come in the game to get the Eagles better pass.
Carl Harrison moves over to the left side.
The reason for that is when he is on the left side, he is left handed.
He gets his left hand down and can't see the football from the right side.
So this way he is on the left side.
He has a clear view of the ball and can charge on the snap.
Parkinson retreats.
Looking. Flips a little pass.
Over to Ricky Young who takes it up a 15.
And Ricky Young goes down inside the 10.
Right club astro Bobby Howard makes the stop.
But Francis backs up.
He gave it the long look down the center of the field.
And then through to Ricky Young coming out of the backfield.
That little flip pass that Ricky Young took it all the way down to the 9 yard line.
It brings up a third down and a sixth to the Vikings.
We have a 7-7 ball game.
We have 7-54 remaining here in the first quarter in Bloomington.
Parkinson got the Eagles the first time as he pulled them up by accident and went to Sammy White.
Jaworski came right back to Carl Michael.
Now Parkinson.
The throw.
Flips to the center.
Fires touchdown again Sammy White.
This time right down the middle as Sammy White ran the post pattern and Bobby Lee Howard could not catch him.
Parkinson just took two steps back.
Fired over the middle.
Complete for the touchdown.
The Sammy White and the Vikings take the lead.
That wasn't even a strictly hard throw.
The football kind of fluttered up there.
You don't see passes completed like that down the middle very often.
But the Eagles were just caught out of position.
Sammy White had open territory.
Ran toward it and Fred Parkinson found him.
And Dan Meyer is into attempting the extra point out of a hole by Paul Krown.
Well I'll tell you talking to him may not have the rifle but he gets the job done.
Here is the extra point.
It is partially blocked but it does get through.
I think somebody got their hands on it but it kept on going and it does get through.
So there's a timeout on the field with the score.
Here are the Vikings 14, the Eagles 7.
Back at Metropolitan Stadium we have a 14-7 game.
The Vikings on top of the Eagles with 7.37 remaining in an action-packed first quarter.
A lot of offense.
A lot of football is being put in the air.
Dan Meyer to kick off to the far side for the Eagles.
The WC Campfield to the near side.
Louis Gamota.
Here is the kickoff.
Coming up and taking it is Campfield at the 5 to the 10.
15, 20.
Campfield hits across the 25 and goes down to about the 26 to 27.
And it is Tom Hannon making the stop.
So it is from the 27-yard line, a 20-yard kickoff returned by Billy Campfield for which
Jaworski will line up the offense and try to go back to work.
The Eagles looked early on their first two running plays.
They handed the ball off one to Montgomery and he went for eight.
The second time it went off to Hogan he went for eight.
And then came the 56-yard strike to Harrods Carmichael.
So far the Eagles have three offensive plays and done well but they're down 14 to 7.
Jaworski lines them up and sends both wide receivers to the far side.
Starts his running back to the eye.
Shows motion to the near side.
It's coming across is Charlie Smith.
And off goes off the left side the woman Montgomery who comes up across the 30-yard line up to about the 31.
And all that excitement to Harrods Carmichael's PD pass a few moments ago.
That was the 94th straight game in which he has caught a pass and he has now moved into third place on the all-time list.
He went by Don Hudson.
96, Lance Alworth, the next milestone.
Well we may see Jaworski go to him a lot this afternoon.
Bobby Banks who had some trouble back there in the corner.
Just trouble getting the footing.
Carmichael this time out to the far side.
Charlie Smith in the slot to the left.
The running backs are split.
Second down and sixth.
And off goes inside to Hogan.
And he gets very little as he comes across the 30 and then the Vikings roll back.
Led by Doug Sutherland.
Nine-year veteran at a superior state in Wisconsin and Matt Blair the left linebacker.
So that's much right there.
It'll bring up a third down and four for the Eagles.
Six minutes and 41 seconds remaining to be played here in the first quarter.
Minnesota with more points today already than they scored all last week.
And that's hence end game against the Packers.
The Vikings go to the nickel defense as they put in the extra defensive backs.
Third down and four for the Burris.
They split the running backs.
Split the wide receivers.
Carmichael to the far side. Smith to the near side.
Jaworski straight back.
Setting. Looking.
Fires over the middle.
Complete the rich on-board.
The guy at the first down at the 35.
Jaworski split everybody out.
And then with that little crossing pattern through to his right end,
Red Jaws for his pick up only two yards and the Eagles will have to punt.
Any Don Hudson fans out there, I apologize.
Don has 95 straight and I beg your pardon how Carmichael has not gone into third place.
He is 94 straight. Don Hudson 95.
The long deep man for the Minnesota Vikings is Kevin Miller.
He will await for Mike Michelle Punt at his own 28 yard line.
The snap by Dennis Franks. Michelle gets it off.
It is high and it is a good punt.
It is taken by Miller.
It is 25.
Trying to get away from one Eagle.
Rolls to the near side of the field.
To the 25 he's finally hemmed in at the 30 and dropped at the 32 yard line.
Kevin Miller did an awful lot of running that time,
but most of it was natural and one Eagle appears to be hurt.
I believe it is Rich R.
Rich R. is the man who made the stop at the 32 yard line,
but there is an injured Eagle on the play.
There is a tie-down on the field with the score.
The Vikings 14, the Eagles 7.
A very important pick up, trucks.
Guess which one is the one we are looking at.
You guessed it.
Dotson.
Oh, party's in bad, and he's going for my Dotson.
Dotson.
The small pick up. Dotson King Green.
Dotson Perspective.
Number one for 19 straight meters.
The Dotson Stretch.
You've noticed that over 7 feet long.
The Dotson King Can.
Only pick up with reclining bucket seats and up to 11 cubic feet of storage space inside the cab.
The Dotson Pickups.
Number one for 19 years.
Why?
We work at it and it's hard and dark trucks.
Why?
We try.
Oh, party's in bad, and he's going for my Dotson.
Dotson King Green.
Dotson.
See and drive America's number one pickups at your Dotson dealer.
Dotson dealer.
Dennis Franks is the injured eagle.
He is getting up and down.
He's walking off the field.
Right now that's 10 seconds for station identification.
And Garmin plays your song.
WIP News.
Mary Lee Sports.
The Go Patrol.
And the exclusive thinker forecast.
6 to 10 a.m. on 610 WIP Philadelphia.
Dennis Franks is walking off the field with Eagle's trainers.
Over to Davis and Ronald Dealer.
He apparently is all right.
He's walking off under his own power and he has no lip.
So apparently he just had a wind block out of him.
Eagle Secondary has had the wind blocked out of them so far by the Vikings air game.
Tarkington lines them up on the first down and wants to draw again.
Fires over the middle.
Complete the pass to Chuck Foreman who takes it and goes down.
Diabla 40 up at about 38 yard line.
Under attack by Bill Berge.
But so far Tarkington has been throwing at Will.
He's been moving the ball very well through the air against the Eagles.
And that's why the Vikings are on top 14 to 7.
He's mixing up the way he's throwing too.
Sometimes he's rolling out.
Sometimes he's dropping straight back.
Sometimes he's working off a play action sequence.
And those linebackers really don't know what to expect at this point.
Using every part of the field.
This time he puts Sammy White in motion to the far side.
Makes their play action.
Tarkington back.
Looking down the far side.
Fires the pass.
Incomplete.
Intended for Sammy White up at midfield and it is countered away by Bobby Lee Howard.
Who that time timed things perfectly.
And cut in front of Sammy White and got his hands on the football.
So incomplete.
Tarkington on the afternoon has put the ball up 11 times.
And completed 9 of those for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns.
We told you about Tarkington and the records that he is closing in on.
Completion wise the man of the NFL who has completed the most in one season.
The Sonny Jurgensen 288 going into this game.
Tarkington has completed 274.
It is a third down of three for the Vikings at their own 38.
Tarkington again shows play action.
Looks right. Looks left.
He's being chased by three or four Eagles.
Finally flips the pass away.
And let's see they do not throw a flag.
The Eagles are yelling.
The Eagles are screaming that there was intentional grounding.
As Tarkington was running right and running left and finding nobody.
Reggie Wilkes was in hot pursuit.
But Tarkington somehow managed to get enough balance to throw the ball forward in the zone of somebody.
And he gets out of that danger and now the Vikings will have to punt.
Were they heading back there 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage?
And you're right somehow Brad Tackington got that ball airborne.
And there was a Viking coming back into the pattern who was reasonably close.
And the veteran gets away with one.
And now the Vikings will punt Greg Coleman their punter in the ball game.
He will await the snap on his own 25.
John Charityk man for the Eagles.
The Eagles want to move that football again at the low snap.
But Coleman gets it.
And punts it away.
Hits low.
And it hits it for 30 and takes a bounce to the Eagles 25.
At which point it goes out of bounds.
So the Eagles will take over first and ten at their own 25 or 26 yard line.
At least that time Jim the defense showed the pass watch.
And I think that's encouraging when they had Francis back there.
They were not able to track him.
They almost did.
I thought Reggie Wilkes had him by the jersey momentarily.
But he did escape a 35 yard punt that time by Greg Coleman.
First and tenth of the Eagles.
They trail the Vikings 14 to 7.
We're in the first quarter here in Bloomington on a snowy day.
428 remaining in the quarter.
Jaworski lines them up.
And puts Harold Carmichael out to the far side.
In the slot is Charlie Smith.
He saw the game.
Did well.
Still in a touchdown a week ago in St. Louis.
The running back quickly on the eyes.
Smith comes in motion to the near side on first down.
Jaworski hands off to Montgomery on first down.
And Globerg comes across the 25 up to about the 27.
And then he is surrounded by a group of purple jerseys once again.
And thrown back.
Tom Hannon was the man who hit him.
But Jim, you can see it right now.
But the Vikings are doing the old gang tackling routine.
You don't see them going down.
You don't see an eagle hit by one man.
But you see three or four Viking jerseys just surrounding him.
A pickup of only one yard on the carry by Roberts.
So it's second down and nine.
Smith comes wide to the near side.
Carmichael to the far side.
Running back, start out in the eye.
Redgars for the tight end.
Strong to the right.
Jaworski looks over that Viking defense.
Rich breaks.
Set.
Pumps one.
Ding rush.
Going to be hurry.
They drop with a second puck at the 15 yard line.
Parallel her.
Jaworski's wide is darned as to get under the rush.
And now an official is going to throw a flag up at the 36 yard line.
An official threw a flag way after the play.
And let's see what happens right here.
Well, the play was designed to go long to Rich Osborne.
And he might be complaining that there was a little bumping going on down there.
And all of a sudden the referee comes along and throws a flag.
Now I don't know whether that's going to be a flag on the linebacker,
number 59, who's out there covering.
Or whether it's Rich Osborne who was complaining.
Well, Matt Blair is coming over and speaking to the official.
The flag came, as Jim pointed out, way after the play.
They came up and threw it.
But now they are marching in the Viking's direction.
And instead of a sack, threw the football all the way up across the 30,
up to the 32 yard line.
Illegal contact.
Defense.
First down.
Well, as you can hear right there, illegal contact on the Minnesota defense.
Matt Blair is the culprit.
And the Eagles have a first down instead of being thrown for a big loss right there.
They have a first down, a big break for the Eagles.
They have the ball and a close to 30, up at the 31.
This time both wide receivers come to the near side.
The back shift out of the eye.
Fogan left. Montgomery right.
Jaworski into Montgomery, who tries to come off left tackle with little success.
Only a couple before Bobby Bryant stopped him.
So the Minnesota defense, not one of the better defenses against stopping the run,
going well in that regard now.
Well, they're very active right now, the linebackers particularly.
And you've got a real fast set of linebackers here.
McNeil, Seaman, Blair, all very fast.
Woodward picks only two yards that time. That was it.
First couple of times he touched the ball, eight yard gain.
But now the Minnesota defense is heightened against the run.
It's a second down and eight to the Eagles. The ball on their own, 33.
Wide receivers split. Jaworski back.
Rollin' to his right.
Fires the pass off to Hogan, who cannot hold on, incomplete in the plan.
He was being rushed by Paul Eller.
Jaworski did his darndest to get away from Eller.
And at the last second rather than go down, saw Mike Hogan out of the corner of his right eye
and flipped the pass off to him.
But the pass was incomplete. It went off of Hogan's hands, incomplete.
And now the Minnesota defense will come up with their nickel-covered five defensive backs.
Jaworski has thrown three passes so far this afternoon, completed two of them for a total of 58 yards.
56 of them coming on one scoring, like the Howard Carmichael.
It is third down and eight. The Eagles go with three wide receivers.
The backs in the eye.
Now they shift out of it. They're in an open set.
As Jaworski takes a long look, he drops back.
Setting. Looking. Still looking.
Going on a little flip to Hogan at the 40.
Hogan away from one man. Pulls forward up to about the 44-yard line.
Mike Hogan did a good job and he gets the first down.
First down for the Eagles. He had to get to about the 42.
And he was hit after that 42, but he just propelled his body forward,
picked up the additional two yards, and has a first down.
A pickup of 10.
Good job by Raj Jaworski, too.
He had to duck under the blitz there and then reset up again and look for somebody.
In the open found Mike Hogan, and Mike did an excellent job
after his hit of lunging forward for the first down.
He did not have the first down.
Had the attacker so wide, he's been able to make a clean hit there.
Two minutes and 16 seconds remaining in an action packed first ball
from an offensive standpoint.
Vikings up 14-7.
Eagles to the first and 10. The ball up to their 42.
Smith in motion to the far side.
Jaworski on play action. Set.
Fire is down the right side. Complete to Osborne at the Viking 30.
Out of bounds he goes, but Jaworski on outstanding play action again.
Roll to his right found Rich Osborne down that right sideline.
Hit him with a bullet, and now the Eagles move deep into Viking territory at the 30.
Great play.
Great play by Rich Osborne.
That's the same play last week, and he turned into a near touchdown
against the St. Louis Cardinals.
This one was not run quite as deep.
What happens there, that secondary really reacts to Harold Carmichael,
and they follow him into the short zone, and then Rich Osborne cuts in behind him.
Talk about the value of Harold Carmichael.
It is more than just his pass catching ability, and he made that thing work.
He did. First and 10 to the Eagles.
The ball just outside the Viking 30.
Both wide receivers to the far side.
Jaworski to Montgomery on a sweep right.
Montgomery at the 30.
Montgomery falls forward to the Viking 24 and leans forward to the 23.
Woodward Montgomery carrying the ball on a sweep right.
He picked up about five or six right there.
Carl Eller made the stop, but Carl Eller,
15 years in the league out of the University of Minnesota,
but he is still in there mixing it up,
and he is still one of the better defensive ends in the National Football League.
A pick up.
Give Woodward five yards on that.
They stop the football just at the 25-yard line.
Second and five for the Birds as they split their wide receivers.
The running back shift down to the eye of Hogan right.
Montgomery left.
Second and five.
Jaworski on a delay.
Gives to Hogan.
Hogan hits across the 25 and skips down to the 22.
It was a bit of hesitation after Hogan stopped the football,
put the football on the delay,
and instead of coming right off the left tackle,
he appeared to be spinning his wheels momentarily,
but picked up three nevertheless.
Some games of importance.
Cincinnati 10 and Atlanta 7.
They're in the third period.
Miami 6 and Washington nothing.
They're also in the third period.
17 for Green Bay.
Seven for Tampa, also in the third.
They're in the final 12 seconds of the first quarter,
and now the Eagles will go with two tight ends as they bring Dill Larson in.
Alex Carmichael lines up for the wing right.
The running back through Squillamacur down in two.
Jaworski to Montgomery off left tackle.
He has the first down across the 20 and down to the 18.
Montgomery the runoff carrier.
Montgomery right there.
An illegal first down.
A pick up of five yards and an illegal first down.
Clockdown shows 19 seconds, but they apparently reset it.
Had 12 on the clock momentarily and then went back to 22.
Down to 12, and that is perhaps the last play of the first quarter.
Vikings leading the Eagles 14 to 7, but the Eagles driving right now.
Five, four, three, two, one, and he won't get it off.
There's the gun.
Ending the first quarter, there's a timeout on the field with the score.
The Vikings 14 to the Eagles, seven.
Oh, it's here again.
Yes, sir, I've won.
I can see the answers to questions.
Back in Bloomington where the Vikings made the Eagles after one quarter of 14 to 7,
but the Eagles are certainly driving.
They have a first down at the Vikings 18 yard line, 17 and a half yard line.
They've probably seen as much offense right there in the first quarter by the Eagles as we have all season.
Absolutely, and defensively it was good to see the Eagles put a stop to Fred Tarkin.
He came out the first two series and just was totally unstoppable without any deal of pressure whatsoever.
The Eagles linebackers are put three linemen,
and he just went right down the field untouched with that offense.
That was real problems there until the Eagles finally put a little heat on him there that third series.
That's what I said on the pregame show when we were speaking about Tarkin.
He said this could be his last game before the home crowd here in Minnesota that he may retire,
but he seems to retire, I'd retire depending on the fate of each game.
First and 10 to the Eagles, they have the ball at the Vikings 17.
The wide receivers who split the running backs in an open set as Jamorsky turns.
Fires into that right half, slaps the Carmichael over 20.
Carmichael drives the muscle away from a man, but he is knocked back.
So Carmichael only gets back to the original line of scrimmage as Jaroszki fakes off inside,
then threw that green pass out to Harold Carmichael,
but he can only get back to the line of scrimmage before Matt Blair rocks him and just knocks him back a few yards.
So no game, it'll be second and 10.
Matt Blair just beat the blockers that time, pushed them out away, and got just clamped on Harold Carmichael.
Good blocking was out there. Two men in front of Howard, he had room if he could make the move,
but Blair just got in there and boxed up the play.
Also some help by Mark Mullaney.
It is second down and 10 for the Eagles, the ball on the Vikings 17.
The wide receivers who split the running backs are split.
So continuing to fall here in Bloomington as Jaroszki on play action, rolls to his right.
Still rolling, looking, being taped, and knocked out of bounds at the 20.
Mark Mullaney pursued all the way as Jaroszki tried to roll out to the far side and look for Carmichael in the end zone.
He was well covered, Ben Jaroszki just tried to pick up whatever yards he could,
but the Vikings had him covered. Mark Mullaney and Matt Blair, and out of bounds he goes a loss of about four.
Rich Aswell is the number one receiver in that pattern, but he was just held up at the line of scrimmage.
He couldn't get over into that area in time.
Vikings will go into the nickel coverage right now.
Into the game comes their fifth defensive back, and the Eagles will throw three wide receivers at the white.
Chris and Kenny Payne come from the game along with Harold Carmichael, an important third down on 14.
The wide receivers, Carmichael out by himself to the far side.
Payne and Smith to the near side as Jaroszki retreats.
So deep, looking for Carmichael in the end zone, touchdown Eagles.
Jaroszki on play action again, fakes the handoff, drop back,
drop Carmichael in the far corner of the end zone, and just fired the ball above the outstretched arms of Matt Wright.
21-yard touchdown pass, Jaroszki and his favorite target, Harold Carmichael, combined again.
There is another hundred dollars, a point from Frito Lay for the Eagles, five for Leukemia Fund.
And French Eagle blockers for that play. A fancy blitz on that time by the Vikings was picked up.
There was not even man-to-man coverage in the secondary.
Here's the cry for the extra points, they killed in the ball game.
It's plotted, it's drilled, it's no good, but there is a flag on the play.
There is a flag on the play.
There seem to be problems with the exchange, and it's against the Vikings.
The Vikings are offside.
So the Eagles get a break right there, but I say a break, perhaps Jim, I couldn't use that word,
because I think it is the Vikings offside that shoved the Eagles center on that play.
Guy Morris, the ball never got there properly.
One more try.
On that last touchdown pass, the Vikings only had two men guarding against the deep pass that time.
The Eagles had two receivers and three receivers actually in the pattern.
That's a great blocking on that play by Hogan and Montgomery.
All right, here is the repeat of the extra points.
This time it's plotted, and it's drilled up, but this time it is good by Mitchell.
And so there's a timeout on the field with the score 14 to 14.
In 1969, Jackie Spirich won his first World Open Rivals Championship.
He repeated in 1971.
Then again in 1973, yet Jackie Spirich doesn't know about cars.
Hasn't been ready.
I do know that cars just don't perform the way they used to.
One of the reasons is the unladed gasoline that the new engines call for.
Unfortunately, most unladed don't have the power that gasoline used to have.
Well, dirty unladed regular boats.
Delivers the kind of power you got from gasoline before they could be laid out.
Dirty unladed regular actually delivers more power than this other major unladed.
And that's what you can drive a van, it seems to me.
And while dirty unladed regular delivers more power, it costs less than this other major unladed.
I don't know how Jackie does it, but for Scotsman, that really appears to me.
Dirty unladed regular, more power for left-leaning.
We've got a cold day here, but we've got a hot football game.
Here we are in the second quarter.
It is 14 to 14.
Both Parkinson and Jaworski with a couple of touchdown passes to their favorite wide receivers.
He went to Parkinson, went to Sandy White twice, and Jaworski did the same to Harold Carmichael.
Kicking off is Mike Michel and deep for the Vikings.
To the middle is Kevin Miller.
To the far side is Harry Washington.
And to the near side is Robert Miller.
So a couple of Millers and Harry Washington back there.
A five-yard penalty is being assessed against the Vikings, who were offside again on the extra points.
So Michel kicks off from the 40.
It is high and not particularly deep.
Taken by Robert Miller at the 10.
To the 15, to the 20, and across the 25, up to the 26 to 27 before Derry Campfield makes the drop.
So that time, Jim, it was a matter of great distance by Mike Michel on the kickoff,
but he did get the ball high into the air to give the title teamers a chance to get down there
and contain the Vikings, not let them get up to the 35 or 36.
Also, it got into the hands of Robert Miller, who is not nearly as agile and as quick as the deep backs,
and he was unable to get as much yardage upfield.
Offside, number 38, kicking team, five-yard penalty, kick again.
Well, as you can hear, there is an offside this time against Larry Barnes of the Eagles,
one of the special teamers.
They're going to move it back, so now he'll kick off from the 35,
where he would have under normal circumstances in the first place.
Vikings like to take their chances.
Setting it up with Kevin Miller, he'll be the man in the middle.
Then to the far side is Robert Miller, and to the near side is Harry Washington.
16-yard return that time, and the Vikings will try to do better.
We have 13-28 remaining in the first half, a 14-14 ball game.
We have seen the ball put in the air a lot.
Parkinson and Jaworski both showing an awful lot early.
Big, big football game, but you know all about the importance of it.
Now there's a discussion between Mike Michel and the official.
Now Michel picks up a football and has started to move back to the 30,
but now puts it down and adjusts it on the tee at the 35.
Eagles special team is ready to go.
The bottom squad, Michel approaches the football, he hits it.
It is high again, not too deep, taken by Kevin Miller at the 15, 20, 25, 30,
and he's hit hard and dropped at the 32-yard line.
Good tackle right there by Dennis Frank.
Frank just came up and really put him down, so he has a 17-yard return.
The Vikings have a better field position up at the 32, but how about Dennis at that time?
He was hurt the last time when he kicked off,
but he comes right back in the ball game and just really cracked him.
I'll tell you, Dennis really loves it.
He's from Michigan, played his college ball at the University of Michigan.
He was all charged up today when he saw that snow, and he came out here earlier.
This is his kind of stuff.
That's right, we were standing with him on the surface before the game,
and he said, I love it, I love it, can't wait to go.
First and 10 for the Vikings, 13, 20 remaining in the first half.
Clarkington to the throw on first down.
He back-settles, he goes left.
He completes the pass to Rahman Rashad, possibly a 44-yard line.
Clarkington to Rashad.
Mike LaMaster makes the stop, but Clarkington is showing you early
that he has so many directions in which to go.
Unhesitatingly putting it up, that's for sure.
Almost every first down, if I'm not mistaken, he's just backed up and let one go.
Rashad, excellent route runner out there.
He can find the open areas, and on first down, of course,
you're playing zone defense for the most part,
and Rashad knows how to find those open areas.
13-yard gain right there.
At this time, the wide receivers are split.
The ball is marked at the 44.
As Clarkington hands off, there's a penalty flag down
as he gives off to Ricky Young, who comes forward for a couple of yards.
The penalty flag drops very early.
Charlie Johnson and Dennis Harrison over to make the stop,
but the penalty is going to be against the Vikings
and probably an illegal procedure right here.
I guess that's why they don't run very much, Will.
No, they're not running as well as they have in the past.
They think of themselves as a passing team pretty much,
although as I said earlier, last week against the Green Bay Packers,
for some reason, they seemed to think that putting the ball on the ground
repeatedly was the way to do it.
Now mark the ball back to the 40.
Illegal motion, number 44, offense, still first down.
It's an illegal procedure penalty against Chuck Foreman,
so it is first and 15, fought the football at the 39-yard line.
Eagles held the Vikings the last time the Vikings went offensively,
but the Vikings have done well.
First and 15, the football at the Vikings 39.
The wide receivers are split forward at this time,
lines up with the wing left.
The handoff goes inside, now Foreman takes it
and goes forward across the 42 and up to about the 43 or 44,
and Carl Harrison and Bill Berge makes the stop.
Miami on top of Washington, 13 to nothing now.
They're in the third period.
Green Bay in the third period, 17 to 7 over Tampa Bay.
The Jets 14 to nothing over Baltimore in the third.
Cincinnati 10 and Atlanta 7 in the third.
Pickup right there of five yards by Foreman,
now the Eagles will sink fast as Carl Harrison moves over to left defensive end,
Lem Berlem in at right defensive end,
and Ken Clark replaces Charlie Johnson as the nose tackle.
Parkington, the throw, going down the middle for Bob Tucker incomplete.
It went off Tucker's hands, and was he ever ahead?
Randy Logan and Bill Berge just cracked him,
the ball was there, it hung momentarily,
and it took a long time coming down.
Tucker did have it in his hands, but then Logan and Berge made a sandwich.
Sort of a combination man for man zone there.
Bill Berge, believe it or not, was in pass coverage there against Bob Tucker,
and then after Bob Tucker gets a certain yardage downfield,
about 10, 12 yards or so, then zone coverage comes into effect,
and as that pass was arriving, so were a couple of Eagles.
When you're hit by those two, if you're hit by either one of them,
you're going to feel it on Monday morning,
and Tucker will sting for a while, this time he lines up strong right.
The wide receivers are split on the third down at 10.
Francis back, going deep down the left side, firing incomplete,
intended for Rashad down at the Eagles 20 yard line,
the pass broken up by Herman Edwards and John Schara,
good defensive job right there.
Rashad had position and had some daylight out there,
but the ball wasn't thrown too well, hung up there just enough for the Eagles to react and get over,
John Schara and Herman Edwards both coming in there and breaking the play up.
Just a not too well thrown football.
Reggie Rooks perhaps getting Parkinson to release a couple of seconds early as he came barreling through.
Schara will line up, he's the deep man as the Vikings will have to punt.
Greg Coleman, the punter.
Jim Hughes, the man who comes into snap.
Coleman stands on his own 30 yard line, awaiting the snap.
Gets it at the good snap, he gets the punt away, it is low, it is driving,
and Schara backs up and takes it at his 18.
Runs left to the 25, and down he goes to the 26.
John Schara never really getting underway that time before Fred McFeel made the stop.
A 35 yard punt and about a 7 yard return.
There's a timeout on the field with the score.
The Eagles 14, the Vikings 14.
Merrill Rooks and Jim Barniak back at Metropolitan Stadium,
but the snow continues to fall.
We have a 14-14 game.
The Eagles have the football here in the second quarter, 11-42 remaining in the second quarter.
They have a first and 10 at their own 26 yard line.
Jaworski is 5 for 7, 115 yards and two touchdowns.
Jaworski with a splendid beginning here today and a pocket that has opened well for the Vikings.
He lines up with both wide receivers to the nearest side of the field.
The Eagles moving from right to left.
The back shift out of the split into the eye.
Now at most of the far side goes Charlie Smith.
Jaworski turns, play action, has the football, still has the football being chased.
Fires over to the far side, completes the pass to Rich Osborne,
who takes it and goes out of bounds at about the 38th first down.
He was not the primary receiver, he was the secondary receiver.
Probably the third man he looked for, but Rich Osborne had cleared the pass and takes up a first down.
Mark Mullaney had left a defensive end for Carl Eller, who's leaving the field as a matter of fact.
Must have suffered some kind of injury.
Mark Mullaney had good chance of really dumping Ron Jaworski then,
but Ron Pupfink and Duck Sundrum got the extra time and there was Richie Osborne all by himself.
Good job by Jaworski and by Osborne, who had cleared away from his original pattern and just got clear.
First and then to the Eagles, they have the ball up close to their 40, the back to the eye.
Both wide receivers over on the far side.
This time the handoff goes inside to Wilbur Montgomery, who doesn't get much.
He comes across the 40 up to about the 42 or 43 yard line.
Right in the center of the field, Doug Sutherland makes the stop.
A pick up on the play of about three yards by Wilbert.
We have a first-teen, 14 game.
We have 11 minutes and 16 seconds remaining here in the first half.
All four touchdowns through the air.
Two from Prockenden to Sammy White.
Two from Jaworski to Harold Carmichael.
Second down and seven for the Berths.
Carmichael lines up wide to the near side, Smith to the far side.
The running backs are open.
This time Jaworski uses a long call.
He retreats again with play action.
Setting, looking, fires the pass.
Incomplete.
Richie Osborne was looking over his left shoulder.
He tried to look back over his right shoulder.
And as he turned, he lost his balance.
But he was open at the Viking 35 yard line.
It was a bit of a mix-up in communication between Jaworski and Rich Osborne.
A pass play just never clicked.
But he was out there and he wasn't clear and Jaworski just didn't hit him.
Well, I tell you, these Vikings better have a little bit more respect for Rich Osborne.
They've totally ignored him here on some of these passing opportunities.
He's out there all by himself.
That time the ball was in the air and he was still running around.
And then when he looked around, there it came, almost hit him in the chest anyway.
Well, this time he comes out of the ball game.
As the Eagles bring in Ken Payne as the third wide receiver.
Payne lines up to the near side.
In the spot to that left is Charlie Smith.
The Vikings employ the nickel defense.
Vikings almost jump off sides.
Jaworski backs up.
Hits ground.
Big face.
Post the football.
Incomplete.
Carmichael was down there at the 40.
The ball thrown way out of bounds.
You can just see that Jaworski that time was trying to get rid of the football as he was really being rushed by Jim Marshall right in there on Jaworski.
And he just really never had time to plant the feet that time.
And threw to Harold Carmichael or in his direction and then floated it actually out of bounds.
Eagles will have to punt.
Standing back in punt formation is Mike Mitchell.
Kevin Miller is the deep man for the Vikings.
He will await Michelle's punt at his 22 at the high snap.
But it's handled.
Michelle gets it away.
It's high.
It's close.
And the punt is taken by a member of the 20 yard line.
So again a good job by Mike Mitchell who hits the cloud and causes a fair catch.
A 36 yard punt.
Not great distance but no run back.
Right now let's pause 10 seconds for station identification.
When the Eagles aren't playing, we're playing the Fest of the 50s, 60s and 70s.
610WIP.
Metro Media Radio Philadelphia.
We play your songs.
Vikings have the football but now they try to get some work.
But I think Jim we have to feel a bit more encouraged after the past few defensive series by the Eagles.
They had a lot of problems early as Parkinson really takes that secondary apart.
But in their last couple of series they've adjusted.
Of course what they'd like to do too right here is force some kind of turnover.
This is the deepest the Vikings have been in their own territory.
They've been operating with great field position outside the 30 yard line for the most part.
They're right at the 21 right now.
Setting up the Eagles well of course to force some kind of turnover.
When you throw the ball as much as Fran Stockenden throws it, you're going to have to throw an interception once in a while.
He's thrown a great deal in his career.
260 as a matter of fact. That's a lot of interceptions.
Yeah well he's had his share of interceptions this year as a matter of fact.
He has been intercepted 22 times.
Last week against the Packers he threw four of them which hurt.
So perhaps the Eagles can pick off one of these wobblers.
Stockenden has thrown well but he does not have the rightful arm to get the ball there on a line.
That kind of pass sometimes leaves itself to being intercepted.
Let's see what happens.
This time he hits both wide receivers over to the nearest side.
In the spot of Sammy White. Outside of him is Rashad.
The back's in an open set. The hand up goes inside.
Good running room for Chuck Foreman who comes off left tackle.
All the way up to the 30 yard line.
Maybe to the 31 or 32 before Frank LaMaster makes the stop.
If you get the defense thinking pass enough that's going to happen.
You can give them that passing look and then open up a hole in the middle and that's what happens.
Chuck Foreman came forward for a gain of nine yards.
A second down and one and then they take a long look at it.
And they look and say he has the 10.
Makes the first down by I guess about the nose of the football.
So a first down for the Vikings across the 30.
Make it for 32 yard line. First and 10 for the Vikings.
We have 10-12 remaining in the first half of a 14-14 game.
Wide receivers line up to the far side.
The back's thrown out in the eye.
As Parkinson turns, gives off inside to Foreman that time and he is banged right down.
He is knocked down by the Eagles who thought for a moment they had yards of football loose.
But it came after the whistle.
Charlie Johnson made the stop.
That's kind of a little simple draw play.
They've been faking that draw and running and passing off of a pass action sequence.
Throughout most of this first period and early parts of the second.
That time they gave it to the ball carrier.
He got stacked up. There was a loose ball there.
He's going to rule it with debt.
That's exactly right. It will be about a second down of 13.
Second, 13 and a half.
Both the wide receivers come over to the far side.
Now Ricky Young comes out to the near side.
The handoff again up the middle of Chuck Foreman who cracks across the 30 and comes up to the 35 and 36.
Chuck Foreman on the delay.
He had Ricky Young spread out of the wide receiver on the right side.
His normal wide receiver is over on the left side.
But the handoff went inside and Berge finally made the stop.
There was a pick up right there at six.
Cincinnati Bengals playing top 16 to seven now over Atlanta third period.
So a lot of things seem to be working out for the Eagles on the scoreboard wise.
The most important score is right here.
They are tied with the Vikings 14-14.
Now on a third and four the Eagles get their better pass rushing team in with Ken Clark and Len Burnham.
Parkinson back.
Close the pass to the far side.
Has a receiver.
Completes the pass to Ricky Young.
But there is a flag down of the 40 yard line.
Drew Mahalek is the man defending who forced Young out of bounds.
But there is a flag on the play.
Len Burnham doing a little yelling down there like hey somebody's got a hold of me in there.
That's I think is going to be the call.
You know the Eagles got those mufflers on their shirt today and they're very easy to stick your hand in there and hold the guy back.
It is against the Vikings and Billy Burndale points out that it's against Frank Myers.
So they will step off the holding penalty against the Minnesota Vikings and instead of a first down they will have a third and long.
Eagles have their best pass rushing team in there.
Len Burnham he is the healthiest.
Holding number 74 offense third down.
Holding penalty officially called and Frank Myers is usually Billy Burndale on the ball.
Or on the man holding the ball.
Third down at 14.
Eight minutes and 41 seconds remaining to be played here in the first half.
It's 14 to 14.
Sammy White comes out to the near side.
Rich shot out to the far side.
Pucker lines up strong right.
What a quick count.
Parkington rolls right.
Puts the ball in the air.
And the pass is incomplete.
It is dropped by Sammy White at the 40 yard line.
And the Vikings fans are furious.
Bobby Lee Howard is over there.
They wanted an interference call.
But that ball hung again.
It hung again and the Eagles had a chance to react.
Bobby Lee Howard did a neat little move that time.
He jumped right over the back of Sammy White and came down on the other side and knocked the ball around.
So eight minutes and 36 seconds remaining in this first half and the Vikings will have the punt.
Backing up in punt formation.
Ray Coleman beats the Eagles.
John Sharer.
He will await the punt at the 38.
Jim Hughes snaps.
Takes a long time now.
Now gets it off.
And the punt is away.
It is high and it is floating.
And Sharer backs up.
Takes the punt.
It is 34 to the 35 to the 40.
And John Sharer has finally dropped at the 42 yard line by Jim off the center.
But he did a good job right there picking up those six to seven yards on the very high punt.
39 yard punt.
Eric Johnson was coming that time.
That was about as long a count, Jim, as I'll see for getting a punt away.
But I guess that's the old trick of trying to get the defense off sides that time and pick up some additional yards.
But the Eagles do take over the football.
They will have it across their 40 yard line up the three of 42.
First and 10 with eight minutes and 25 seconds remaining to be played here in the first half of a 14-14 game.
And what does it look like around the rest of the league?
Okay.
Green Bay 17.
Tampa Bay 7.
And the third.
All these are third period.
Miami 13.
Washington 0.
Cincinnati 16.
Atlanta 7.
New York Jets 14.
Baltimore 13.
Los Angeles 10.
The New York Giants 7.
They're all in the third.
Now in the second.
New Orleans 17.
San Francisco 3.
Buffalo and Kansas City are tied at 7-7.
And St. Louis leads Detroit 7-0.
Make that 10-10 now as the New York Giants at three points.
10-10 Rams Giants.
You know it's interesting that this weather is cold as it is.
I have expected a high today of about 21 or 22 degrees.
It's not as uncomfortable as it was last week in St. Louis where you had that raw rain and the dampness that kind of just creeped through to your bones.
Here it's just cold but it's very dry.
And it really isn't that bad for watching a football game.
It's cold enough.
That's easy for you to say.
I'm looking at a bunch of people sitting down here to my right who are sitting in 10 inches of snow.
They did not clear the sands out.
There's 10 inches of snow on the seats and on the runways between the seats.
And these people are with their feet stuck right in the snow.
But they're all happy and there are very few dough shows here in Minnesota and the crowd is whipping it up and enjoying a good offensive show here in the first half.
First intensive Eagles.
They have the ball at their own 42.
Wide receiver split.
Running back split.
And up inside the Mike Hogan who gets a block at the 45 and comes forward to the 48.
Mike Hogan as that play was contained off left tackle.
He was momentarily stopped at the 42 and kept the feet turning and came across the 45 and then up to the 46 and 47 and finally ends up at the 49 yard line.
Jeff Seaman makes the stop with Matt Blair.
But a good game right there by Mike Hogan.
A seven yard game by Hogan.
Spot the football with the Eagles having it at their own 49 yard line.
Second down and four.
Actually a long three.
The wide receivers are split.
The running backs are in an open set.
The running game really not going too much.
It's been all through the air.
Jamorski gives off to Wilbur Montgomery who cracks off right tackle, comes across the mid stripe and may get down to about the 48 or 47 and he is very close to a first down.
I think the Eagles would very much like to get their running attack going for obvious reasons.
But of course when you do run the ball and eat up a lot of cock you don't have the football in the hands of Mr. Charky.
They're going to bring the chains in and just in case he does not have it the Eagles are going to employ a too tight offense as they bring Bill Larson into the game and they put Charlie Smith.
They stretch the chains and he is very, very close but he is maybe two or three inches away from having that first down.
So the Eagles will have a third down and just inches to go and they will bring up everybody tight.
Bill Larson, Rich Osborne.
I have seen quarterbacks in just this situation take the obvious which is the inside running play and sometimes go with the bomb that can really knock the defense for a loop.
As Jamorski say with the conventional method does he try to shake up the Vikings right here.
He calls the signals.
Has Carmichael on a wing right.
Has the backs in an open set.
Still called.
The Vikings almost jump off.
The handoff goes inside and plunging ahead and he appears to have the first down as Mike Hogan.
Just a quick little handoff to Mike Hogan off left tackle on a good block by Tom Lukin and Hogan went right over the top of Lukin and he has the Eagles first down at the Viking 47 yard line.
Tom Lukin a very fine drive blocker.
He did a couple of inches and he got about a yard and a half.
Tom Lukin very quietly putting in a pretty solid year here.
He first he filled in for Woody Peebles now for Wade Keane getting a lot of action and doing well.
He is doing a job.
First and then for the Eagles they have the ball to the Viking 47.
The wide receivers are split.
The running backers split.
As Jamorski goes to the long count.
On a pitch left goes to Mike Hogan who tries to turn the corner.
Hogan to the 45.
Hogan to the 40.
And Hogan out of bounds at the Viking 38 yard line pushed out by Bobby Bryant.
But a good block that time by little Wilbert Montgomery.
And also downfield Harold Carmichael.
He was tying up one of the secondary people there.
Phil Wise.
He kept him off the play and enabled Hogan to turn the corner and get about five more yards.
Don't underestimate that facet of Harold Carmichael's play.
Never do or never will.
You look at the wide receivers in the National Football League.
First of all a few of them have his size.
But very, very few of them actually like the block.
And Harold enjoys doing it.
He thinks it's a very important part of this game and it is.
At the first down for the Eagles they pulled out the 36 yard line as Jamorski lines them up.
Tumbles the football on the snap and then falls on it and falls forward to about the 36 yard line.
So Jamorski on the second down play, I beg your pardon, had the snap fumbled and then just fell forward.
And the football ends up in the possession of Jamorski on the Eagles and down at about the 36 yard line.
They're going to take a measurement right here.
He needed about a yard and a half and on the second down play.
They will stretch the chains and take a look and how about that?
Jamorski picked up a first down so he fumbled the football on the snap and then recovered it and picked up about two yards in the forward direction.
So it's a first down.
The clock continues to tick.
We have 6.36 remaining in the half.
It is the first attempt for the Eagles to pop the football to see a 36 yard line of 14-14 games.
So now the Eagles making the ground game start to operate.
They break the model.
Carmichael comes wide to the near side.
Charlie Smith now to the far side.
The running back in the eye.
First attempt of the first.
There is the Viking 36.
Jamorski on a pitch right to Montgomery.
He cuts inside at the 35.
Montgomery at the 30.
25, 20, 15, 10, 4, touchdown Montgomery.
There are no flags on the play.
The Eagles touchdown as Montgomery took the pitch, went to the outside, cut back inside behind Pops by Woody Papels and Jerry Sizemore and ran 36 yards for the touchdown.
There is another $100 a point from Tray to Lay for the Eagles, why for Leukemia Pus?
Boy I'll tell you how many times do we said what a delight it would be to see Wilbert Montgomery breaking the open field because nobody's ever going to get him.
That time Wilbert just made a precise cut that faked out about 11 Vikings.
They were pursuing so well that they all took themselves out of position.
Here is the extra point.
The ball is spotted and Michelle boots it up and boots it perfectly.
So the Eagles now lead the Minnesota Vikings 21 to 14.
And now it will be the Vikings turn to have the play come from behind.
The Vikings got off to a good start in this ball game.
And I'll tell you the signs were ominous for the Eagles very early when on the Vikings first possession it was Parkinson to Rashad and then Parkinson to Sammy White for a couple.
And ultimately Sammy White taking a five yard Parkinson touchdown pass.
But then the Eagles said the heck with that.
They came right back and they opened with a couple of eight yard running plays.
And then Jaworski dropped back and he spotted Harold Carmichael and he hit him with a bullet down on that side of the field.
And Harold took that for a 56 yard touchdown pass.
But then it was Parkinson's turn and he came back and brought the Vikings downfield and culminated that drive with a nine yard touchdown pass to Sammy White who dropped 14 to 7.
But in the second quarter Jaworski to Carmichael for one touchdown.
That made it 14 to 14.
And now we just saw a 36 yard picture gap by Wilbert Montgomery and the birds were up 21-14.
All right.
Don't underestimate the little quarterback for the Vikings.
Six minutes and one second left here in the second period.
He can take you downfield in about two minutes flat.
He seems just when you think he's starting to slow down or suffer or not putting enough on the ball he all of a sudden comes to life.
Perfect example last week against the Green Bay Packers when he had a terrible three periods and a sensational fourth.
As long as they got him back there, no amount of points or two safe miles.
Here's the kickoff by Michelle.
It is high and not particularly deep.
It is taken by Miller to the 15, Miller to the 20, up to the 24 yard line.
And he is knocked down by Billy Canfield.
Billy Canfield, I believe it's Louis Jamona who actually sped down and came under him.
Canfield, Jamona both coming down and Jamona actually lowering his body and getting the shoulder and knocking him off his pins.
Wilbert Montgomery, he's trying to be the eagle's first 1,000 yard a year man since Steve Van Buren back in 1949.
He needed 100 in this ball game.
He's got 67 right now.
It's all to be a first and 10 for the Vikings.
He's got the football to the 24 yard line, we have 5, 53 remaining in the first half.
Eagles up 21 to 14 as Parkinson lines up the line.
Wide receivers split.
Parkinson throws to the right flat to Tucker who tries to bounce away from one man.
It is Rashad who thunders the football out of bounds as the Vikings retain possession.
It is Samad Rashad who took the pass in that right flat and he tried to get around two or three.
Eagles stumble the football harmlessly out of bounds.
Reggie Wilkes had his arms over there around Rashad.
And actually all that, that's one yard in game.
I'd say it was a pretty hairy fumble.
It was in the hands of Frank Lamaster for a moment and Frank actually fumbled it out of bounds.
Last man of course to control the football though was Rashad and that is why the Vikings retain possession.
Second down and nine.
Out to the far side goes Rashad.
Out to the near side goes Sammy White.
Tucker lines up strong left.
Turns and they give the hand off to Chuck Foreman who tries to come straight up the middle and reaches about the 28 or 29 yard line.
He is thrown back by Bill Berge.
Berge played a great game a week ago against the Cardinals and he is playing very well again.
Here is the pass to do it against the Vikings.
He's been in on several tackles and has made a few excellent pass offensive plays.
Seven tackles Billy tells me for Bill Berge.
Vikings have themselves a third down and five as they break through the huddle.
Rashad comes out to the near side.
Sammy White out to the far side.
The back's in a wide set.
Ricky Young to the near side.
Foreman to the far side.
Parkinson dropping, retreating, throwing almost intercepted incomplete and tended for Ricky Young who was his safety valve.
He tried to flip the little pass for Ricky Young and almost intercepted by Randy Logan and had Randy been able to come up with that football.
It was clear sailing.
Very good pressure that time by Drew Mahalek who was in on Parkinson and he tried to throw the football while pedaling back.
So now the Vikings will have to punt.
5.05 remaining in the half and John Sharrah backs up to receive that punt to his own 32 yard line.
Drake Coleman in the front of the way for the Vikings.
21 to 14 the Eagles lead.
5.05 remaining in the exciting first half.
Here's Coleman's punt.
It's low. It's driving.
Sharrah takes it at the 36.
At the 40.
Sharrah at the 45.
Sharrah at midfield.
Sharrah at the Viking 49 and he's finally dropped by Fred McNeil but John Sharrah an excellent afternoon.
John Sharrah not the fastest guy in the world but he sure is a peasant act for finding the daylight.
He's like a shrew out there.
He picks a little opening and then claws into it and drives and powers his way and gets himself seven or eight yards.
They spot the football just into Viking territory at the 49.
Mark Mullaney is in at right defensive end now replacing Jim Marshall.
Carl Eller is back in the ball game so he's all right.
He had been injured earlier.
First and 10 for the Eagles.
Alex Carmichael goes out to the far side.
Smith in the slot.
The backs are open.
Now they shift into the eye with Mike Hogan the lead blocker.
Now in motion to the near side comes Charlie Smith.
As he turns, gives off to Montgomery who finds winning Willman.
Spins down to the 45 yard line.
Jett Seaman makes the stop but a good run by Wilbert who picked up four.
Again, there was a play Jim and how many times have we seen this season where it is all but closed up.
But Wilbert has one extra ball and a spin here and a fake there and he raised it down to the 45.
The Viking defense are pursuing so well that they're vulnerable now.
Their misdirection plays are just to the natural abilities of a Wilbert Montgomery who can turn on a diamond going the other direction and create his own misdirection play.
It is the second down and six and they have the football of the Viking 45.
Both wide receivers go out to that far side.
Now in motion to the near side comes Smith.
Backs thrown out in the eye.
Javorsky gives to the second man through Montgomery, bounces off a man at the 45, comes back and goes across the 40.
Montgomery was stopped for no gain at the 45 yard line.
He was bounced back two yards, cut to his right, regained his balance and took it inside the 40 and close to another eagle first down as he picked up six yards.
First down eagle.
He looked like a bumper car on that play.
Ever seen those things they crash into a wall and turn around and start going in the other direction?
Dodger's guard.
That's exactly what he looked like.
Montgomery on the afternoon has 11 carries for 77 yards at 977 for the season.
What a second year for Wilbert.
First and 10 for the Eagles.
The pitch left goes to Montgomery and this time he's going to be thrown for a loss back at the 44.
Fred McNeil leaves the charge and that time the Vikings had one man at their sights.
Number 31 and three or four guys went after him and they throw Wilbert Montgomery for a loss of five, Mark Mullaney and Fred McNeil and James White.
All converge to make the stop.
Well the Eagles guessed wrong I think that time.
They had been running up the middle.
They tried to spring somebody to the outside hoping that the Viking defense would be reacting to that middle pick but not the case.
The Vikings were in the perfect defense for that play.
It's a second down of 15 for the Eagles.
21 to 14 they lead with 3.06 remaining in the half and they were trying to establish that ground game.
But now let's see if he puts it in the air.
He splits the running back to worse he does.
Comes straight back.
Gives ground.
Fires in the flat to Montgomery who trips over his own man.
Gets up to the 30 or 45 and runs down to the 40.
He actually trips over Woody Peoples in that far flat at the 48 yard line.
But he knew that since he had not been stopped by the Vikings he'd just gone up.
And he picked up eight additional yards down inside the 40 to the 39 and a total pickup for Montgomery of about five on the play.
Right there inadvertently it was Woody Peoples who did the job of bringing down Wilbert Montgomery but Wilbert still gained yardage.
Kyle Herrer, he's been in the league for about 55 years and he should know the rules a little better.
Once he saw Montgomery down he sort of applauded it rather than jump on him.
Kelly Campfield comes in the ball game replacing Wilbert.
The Eagles have a third down of 10 at the Viking 39 yard line.
Three wide receivers in the game.
Jaworski back setting looking going over the middle incomplete.
Intended for Harold Carmichael down at the Viking 20 yard line.
Jeff Seaman was the man who got his hands on it.
Carmichael perhaps was open momentarily but Jeff Seaman did an excellent job of reading that play.
You're not going to find many brighter middle linebackers than Jeff Seaman.
He's been around for a long time and he plays the pass, the run, it doesn't matter which but he plays with a lot of expertise.
Well that ball is about 35 yards in the air and although Harold did have some daylight,
Jaworski had to thread it through those linebackers and when you're talking 35 yards and the speed that they have it's a very difficult thing to do.
So it's two minutes and eight seconds remaining in the half.
The Eagles will punt the ball to the Vikings.
Michelle comes in the ball game deep.
The receiver is Kevin Millery.
He stands back at his own 10 yard line at the high sap but Michelle handles it.
Gets away a short floating punt that goes down and out of bounds at about the 25 yard line.
We will see specifically where they marked the football but he did not get all of it.
The punt is only about 14 yard line, 14 yard punt.
14 yard punt so when time is back in the Vikings will take over on their own 25.
There is the two minute warning.
There's a timeout on the field with the score.
The Eagles leading the Vikings 21 to 14.
Oh we've shared the good times and the laughter after all that we've been through.
The Hondekers, the most expensive place in the world.
After all that we've been through, no other field will be as successful as the Hondekers.
For most of this season it has been a matter of the offense trying to get enough points
and the defense does the job for the Eagles.
But today the Eagles offense has put 21 first half points on the board.
Now the Vikings have the football.
Parkinson back throws over to that far side.
Complets the pass to Bob Tucker who takes a shy of the 30 yard line.
His tight end is about the 28 and is knocked out of bounds by Reggie Wilkes right there.
But we've seen a very, very effective first half offense by the Eagles.
They have put 21 points on that board.
A couple of touchdown passes to Harold Carmichael on a 36 yard Wilbur Montgomery run.
We have a minute and 55 seconds remaining in this first half.
The Vikings have 14 points.
Both of which, both touchdowns have come through the air.
Parkinson to Sammy White both times.
A pick up of three yards on that last play.
It's a second down and seven.
Parkinson to the ball and it's a 27.
He retreats. He looks. He goes deep down the middle.
The pass is intercepted. It is intercepted by Bobby Lee Howard.
And the Vikings are going to contend that they have their hands on the football
but no way it was intended for Sammy White.
But it is Bobby Lee Howard who went into the air at the 30 yard line of the Eagles 30
and puts the ball in the way.
Interception for Bobby Lee Howard and for him it is his third of the year.
Brand trying to throw the deep pattern go for it all.
He threw right into the coverage that time.
The Eagles had double coverage downfield.
Bobby Lee Howard, Randy Logan, they were all around the football.
And actually any one of three people could have caught it.
Good job by the Eagles right there.
Sammy White, what he tried to do was try to grab an additional handle on that football
and say that he had possession but the official was right on the spot to make the ruling.
And how the Eagles take over first and 10 the ball on their own 30.
The field becoming more snow covered all the time.
I have a feeling in that second half it will be tough to see the yard markers.
First and 10 for the birds but just 143 remaining to be played.
Carl Michael out there on the far side with one man on him.
The handoff goes to Willem Montgomery.
It is not a smooth exchange and he goes down at the line of scrimmage.
That time it was Ron Jaworski turning giving to Willem Montgomery and there was some misfooting right there.
They flipped into each other and the play went nowhere.
Boy there was a gaping hole too right up the middle.
Guy Morris had really cleared out a big hole and had there not been that breakdown back in the backfield he would have been gone.
Vikings called time out right now as they like one more crack at the Eagles.
Boy I can't believe it.
There's a fan setting up to play in the snow down there.
They're going to take about two weeks to get that saxophone off that kid's lip when he gets done playing here.
It's about 12 degrees down there.
Are you kidding?
There's such hardy people here.
They're used to this.
This is just a few flurries.
Nine, ten inches.
We can't see the cars though in the parking lot.
Everybody's here.
There are just, it just appears that there are very, very few no-shows.
This is their kind of football weather gym and I think they're very used to it.
I've been checking the scoreboard.
I will.
Cincinnati 23 and Atlanta 7 in the third period.
In the fourth period Green Bay 17, Tampa Bay 7.
Also in the fourth, Miami 16, Washington 0.
Giants and Los Angeles Rams in the fourth tied at 10-10.
They're just ahead of Baltimore, 21 to 16 in the third.
New Orleans 17, San Francisco 10 in the second.
Seven-seven, Buffalo, Kansas City in the third.
And Louis 7 and Detroit 0 in the second.
And I can't believe that kid is going to play the saxophone down there.
We have a minute and 31 seconds remaining to be played here in the first half.
The Eagles on top of the Vikings, 21 to 14.
They have a second down at 10, the ball at their own 30-yard line and Carmichael lines up in that spot.
So they write Charlie Smith outside of him, the back in an open set.
One of the Vikings almost comes offside.
She warns he gives off to Montgomery who turns at the 30 and goes down at the 31-yard line.
But there was a flag on the play and they may have slapped the Vikings coming offside.
I believe it was Carl Eller who made the premature jump that time.
So that would be a break for the Eagles who would like to keep the ball.
So it is offside against the Vikings and Carl Eller.
The Eagles would like to eat up this clock.
They're not going to try anything too daring right here.
Oh, they may if they have a couple of seconds and can't get into too much trouble.
But they would just like to eat up these remaining one minute and 26 seconds on the clock
and go to this locker room with a 21-14 halftime lead.
See if that defense can come out there in the second half.
Offside, 81, defense, no second down.
They call it against Carl Eller so it is still a second down.
Now it is second down and five yards.
So the Vikings five penalties today for 35 yards and penalties.
The Eagles have been penalized twice for 44.
So it is the second down and five for football.
The Eagles have at their own 35-yard line the wide receivers who split.
The back turn and open set as Jaworski wants to throw.
Humps left, goes to Carmichael who takes it at the Viking 40.
Away from one man at the 35.
Carmichael inside the 30 and down at the 26.
Jaworski and everybody thinking run that time.
Here is Carmichael who is having a magnificent afternoon
and took the football inside the Viking 30 down at the 28.
First down for the Eagles and now the Eagles call the timeout.
Okay, but for the most part, Carmichael is getting devil coverage,
but it doesn't seem to matter.
He is able to beat that front guy and then he just takes the deep man,
the safety one on one, and he beats him to an open territory.
And that time with a little more speed, of course, Howell is gone.
But he did make his way clear and had nothing but clear sailing in front of him,
but it was a little tough for the big guy to get some traction going
and the Vikings were able to react.
But the Eagles are in great shape now, the ball at the 26 yard line,
a minute and 17 on the clock, and the Eagles with two timeouts remaining.
On the afternoon, Carmichael is just having a tremendous afternoon.
He has caught four passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns,
so the Vikings are having their problems with Howell Carmichael this afternoon.
That doesn't make them special.
A lot of side teams have come up with Howell Carmichael.
The Eagles have a timeout right now.
We have a minute and 17 seconds remaining in this first half.
The Birds on top, 21 to 14.
You know, Jim, there are a lot of postseason awards.
One is the one in our city, the Maxwell Club Award,
where they give the Birkbeil Award to the pro player of the year,
the NFL player of the year.
And I'll tell you right now that my award is, my vote is going to go to Howell Carmichael
because I can't think of anybody who has had a better season than he has.
Well, I said that the other night.
You know, we looked, who's the most Iowa player in the National Football League this year?
And he is certainly a contender.
Just can't have a better season than big number 17, first and tenth of the Eagles,
the ball at the 26 yard line, the back from the eye, the wide receivers are split.
Jim Worske on play action, sets up, looks, fires to the far side,
incomplete and pended for Rich Osborne down at the 12.
So he takes the handoff inside.
He looks down the middle, then he tried to go to Rich Osborne,
who had run an out-pattern over at about the 15 yard line,
but Rich just about got his hands on a good coverage by the strong safety Phil Wise,
who stayed with Osborne step-per-step.
Another play action move there by Ron Jaworski, enabling him to get a great deal of time.
Once you stick that ball into Robert Montgomery's hands and he goes 36 yards with it,
they got to respect him every time, fake or no, and that's just what's happening here.
It's the second down at 10.
The clock shows 1-12 remaining,
and I wouldn't be surprised to see him set from up for the pass and go back to Montgomery once again.
Second down at 10 for the Eagles, Carl Michaelis to the nearer side this time,
mid-stown to the far side, Osborne strong right.
Jaworski on play action setting, going over the middle, complete to Charlie Smith, who takes it in for a touchdown.
Jaworski to Charlie Smith on a post-spotter, and he drilled it over the middle.
Smith took it at the 5, he was hit at the 3, and went in.
He beat Matt Wright for a touchdown.
Nate Wright beating on a 27-yard pass.
Jaworski to Charlie Smith, and there is another $100 a point from Frito-Lay for the Eagles' Fly for Leukemia Fund.
All right, there's a case of Charlie Smith being ignored the entire first half, and then you go to him.
Bad tackling also by the Vikings that time.
Here's the extra point at 10.
Yeah, they could have stopped him at about the 5, but a good job by Charlie.
Bad tackle by the Vikings.
Here's the extra point, and it is blocked.
It is so good as the Vikings got in there and blocked the football that was blocked by John Turner.
Right now, let's pause 10 seconds for station identification.
So the Vikings come in there and block the attempt for the extra point, and the score is the Eagles' 27 and the Vikings' 14.
27 to 14, so the Vikings can come back and take the lead with two touchdowns, but the Eagles' defense will sit around at half-time.
And look at Coach Marion Campbell outlining some ways, and Chuck Lawson, the defensive line coach, and Fred Brody, who comes to coach as the secondary.
These kind of people are going to try to stop any kind of Viking explosion in the second half.
Eagles' offense is explosive as it's been all season, not as explosive, more explosive than it's been all season.
Three touchdown passes today for Ron Jaworski, two to Harold Carmichael, one to Charlie Smith, and a 36-yard run by Wilbert Montgomery.
Mike Mitchell will kick off deep for the Vikings in the middle of Kevin Mitter.
To the far side is Robert Mitter, and to the near side, Harry Washington.
Block showing 105 remaining to be played here in the first half.
Michelle kicks the football. It is low. It is not too deep. It is going to bounce at the 15, roll to the 10, and go out of bounds at the 4.
So they will bring this football back, attack a 5-yard penalty, and kick it off all over again.
Kickoff out of bounds, 5 yards, re-kick.
The field now is taking on a little bit of a glaze.
About, I guess maybe an inch or two of snow has fallen since the game started, and the field is heated, and it doesn't absorb the snow, or at least it doesn't lay on the grass.
By this time though, there's a bit of a glaze forming, and I'm wondering if that isn't giving Mike Mitchell a little trouble as he approaches that football.
I'm sure it is, because if you take that last plant of the foot, you have to have some kind of traction.
He just is not getting the traction right there. He's approaching the football almost tentatively.
So now they'll move it back to the 30-yard line, and the Eagles' bomb squad will try to prevent any kind of damaging return by the Vikings here in the pad last minute and five seconds on the half.
Eagles on top of the Vikings, 27 to 14.
I mentioned earlier in the broadcast that the receivers do have an advantage. As difficult as that field is to them, it is more difficult for the guys covering them.
The defensive backs cannot plant, and the offensive receivers are taking advantage of it this afternoon.
Here's Michelle's kickoff. It is low, and again, it heads out of bounds at the Viking 35-yard line.
So they'll move it back, and Mike Michelle stands at the center of the field with his hands on his hips, and he looks down and he looks up, but he just seems a bit exasperated.
Louis Giamotto goes over to Mike Michelle and has a few words to him, and then Dennis Franks, who was the captain of the special teams, goes over and puts his arm around the shoulder of Mike Michelle and says,
Don't worry about it. We'll get the job done. We don't care if you have to kick from the five or kick from the one.
Or if there's a minute and five left and two timeouts for the Vikings, they're going to get the ball up around midfield if they get any kind of decent run back there.
Plenty of time for them to add some more points.
That's absolutely true, and I don't think there's a quarterback in the National Football League who can use those timeouts and run that two-minute drill more expertly than Franz Harkinzen.
Just how to make it work, as Green Bay found out last week, and so many teams have found out over the past 17 years.
So now Mike Michelle will be kicking off his own 25-yard line, but you can see the way he is approaching the ball right now that he's not going to get too much foot into it.
He's approaching it very tentatively. Let's see what the Eagles' bombslide can do right here.
Michelle hits it. Again it is low, and again it is heading over to the right side, but this time it is taken by Robert Miller at the 30 to the 35, and he has run out of bounds with the 42 or 43-yard line.
And a fly goes down over there, I believe, and we could have a personal foul against one of the Eagles for hitting him late.
There is a flag on the Eagles. It could be against Orrin Middlebrook over on that far side. Somebody hit him late.
And that's something that the Eagles could never afford. I was just about to say. They're going to step off the 15 yards right here.
I was just about to say, considering where he kicked the ball from, the Eagles could be in a lot worse shape.
But then 15-yard penalty, a personal foul. I know two ways about it. It's a dumb thing to do.
Late hit, out of bounds, number 81, he says, first down.
It is against Orrin Middlebrook. It's a dumb thing to do, and it cost the Eagles 15 yards.
And now the Vikings operate in good field position. There is the Eagle 42.
Markandum splits the wide receivers. Once the throw on first down, goes over to the far sideline incomplete.
Amad Rashad was separated from the football by Herman Edwards, and Herman is not playing tentatively at all.
Absolutely not. Rashad had a chance to catch that ball, and Herman Edwards, who wasn't over there in time to break it up, just drove right into Rashad chest high and knocked the ball free.
We have 57 seconds remaining to be played here in this first half.
Eagles on top of the Vikings, 27-14. Markandum breaks them from the huddle. Out to the far side goes Rashad. Out to the near side goes Sammy White.
Markandum backs up. Once the throw, goes over the middle, complete to Ricky Young, who takes it across the 35 and goes down at the 32.
Drew Mihalik made the stop right there. Minnesota is going to take a timeout right here.
He may be about a yard shy of the first down. We'll see exactly where they spot it, but from here it looks to be just about a yard short.
And we're going to get a timeout called by the Vikings. They now have one remaining. Fall on about the 33 yard line.
They're going to bring in the chains and take a look at it.
Fifty seconds remaining to be played here in this first half. But the Eagles offense has looked about as healthy today as it has this entire season.
First down!
It just has the first down, but first down yardage is not a big thing at this point.
We'd also like to come in and dump Mr. Markandum or pick one off instead of letting them come down to the field goal territory for Rick Danmeier.
The Vikings are very anxious to see how Rick Danmeier reacts when he has his first challenge this afternoon because he blew one last week at 21 yarder,
which would have won that game at overtime against the Green Bay Packers, and he blew an earlier one from 32 yards away.
But they say he's a tough kid and he can come back. First and 10 for the Vikings. Just one setback. That's Chuck Foreman.
Young is on a wing left. Markandum throws quickly to Rashad and takes the pass inside the 30 and runs out of bounds with the Eagles.
20 is to stop the clock and again it is Drew Mahalek back in the game and running him out of bounds.
Rashad's intent all the way was to step out of bounds there. Four and a half yard gain I guess. Stop the clock.
It uses up just four seconds. 46 seconds remaining to be played here in the first half.
The football is spotted inside the Eagles. 30 down to 28.
That completion ties Fran Parkandum with Sonny Jurgensen for the all-time record of NFL completions in one season of 288.
Parkandum back again. Fires to that far sideline and again gets Rashad.
This time he takes the football and goes out of bounds at the 23 yard line.
So he breaks the record right here. Fran Parkandum has now completed more passes in one season than anyone in NFL history.
They're not exactly picture perfect passes. They're all short outs. Flutter balls.
That's a pick up right there of about three or four yards. Pass was incomplete. Second foot came down out of bounds.
Well as you can hear from the official, here at the stadium they had already announced that Parkandum had broken the record.
But the official says nope. That's the second foot of Ahmad Rashad came down out of bounds.
And now the Vikings will have a third down of six. The football is 28 and Parkandum has only tied the record.
But I think he will break it.
The Vikings splitting their wide receivers as Parkandum goes back.
Hooked a little pass to four minutes of 25, four minutes of 20, and four minutes of eagle 18 for a first down and there is the record.
31 seconds. Vikings lining up without a huddle. Here we go.
And now it's down to 27 seconds remaining as Parkandum has two wide receivers over on the near side.
He pumps one. He's going to the end zone incomplete.
The pass is intended for Sammy White in the end zone, but he was well covered on the play.
Back with him was Bobby Lee Howard matching him step-per-step.
And it will stop the clock with 19 seconds remaining in the half.
It will be a second down and 10 for the Vikings. The football inside the 20 is the 18.
Parkandum in the afternoon has completed 15 of 25 attempts.
For 123 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception picked off by Bobby Lee Howard, his third of the year.
It's the second down and 10 for the Vikings.
Vikings going with three wide receivers as they pulled their tight end.
Parkandum back. Setting. Looking left. Going to the end zone incomplete.
Intended for a ball, Rashad.
Herman Edwards is back there with Rashad, but he had the inside of the Edwards gym and had the pass been delivered, I think, the Vikings had a six point.
Well, I tell you, he's a guy to watch, Rashad. Just put a great move on Herman Edwards.
In order to get to the inside, he actually came back toward talking at about four or five yards and then turned it back up.
That's how he maneuvered to get position, and he's just one of the great ones at getting in that perfect position.
And what he'll do is just when you'll think you have him inside, he'll turn to the outside and take one of that far corner.
And pressure that time by Dennis Harrison on Fran Parkandum.
It's the third down and 10 for the Vikings. Parkandum backpedals.
Look. Set. Rolls away. Flows the pass. Intercepted by the Eagles. Intercepted by Berge.
Berge to the 16, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40. Still on his feet. A midfield. 45 down in the Viking territory at the 42 yard line.
Finally brought down by Mick Pinglehop as the gun goes off.
So Bill Berge intercepts the pass and took a long run with it.
And the Vikings do not come up with a point right there.
The gun sounds. That's the end of the half with the score.
The Eagles leading the Vikings 27 to 14.
Lou Gimota is deep into the far side for the Eagles and Billy Campfield to the near side as Rick Danmire tees up the football.
The Eagles offense would like to just control the football as much as it possibly can here in the second half and not give that Vikings offense a chance to operate.
Here's Danmire's kickoff. It is low and it is skidding and bouncing at the 20.
And rolls the yarn needle for the intercepted by Gimota at the 5.
Running likely to the 10. And down goes Lou Gimota at the 12 yard line.
So the Vikings got a break on a poor kickoff that hit at about the 30 and dribbled his way through the two Eagle men.
Dribbled his way between Gimota and Billy Campfield.
Gimota had to go back there and pick it up at the 5 and he got it back to the 12.
Well I thought possession becomes very vital here.
The Eagles now with the ball in the 11 yard line will want to get it out at least a couple of first downs before they punt if they have to punt.
You know it's falling a little heavier right now and the field of course is getting a little flipier.
Fred McNeil was the man who made the tackle on the kickoff.
Jaworski brings up the Eagles and sets both wide receivers out to the outside.
There to the New York side with a callback of the match clock. The running backs are in the eyes.
Jaworski turns and gives and up the middle comes Wilbur Montgomery.
He comes across the 12 and up to about the 14 yard line.
A pick up of about 2 for Wilbur on the carry.
It will bring up a second down at 8.
Jake Vermeer talks about a low risk offense and here in the second half he would like that offense as low risk as possible but at the same time he cannot afford to sit on the ball because you know how the Vikings can come back.
Brock and Dennis brought many a team back.
Second down and 6. A pick up of 4 they say.
The wide receivers are split to running backs in an open set.
As Jaworski turns, gives off to Hogan who flies a sweep. He comes across the corner, crosses the 15 and goes out of bounds at the 18.
Fred McNeil and Bobby Bryant did the job of banging him out of bounds.
But a good pick up right there by Hogan who shows some good balance.
Jim I think as you look down you can see the way his feet were sliding on the ice.
Eagles don't ordinarily like to throw the ball when they're down this deep in their own territory but Bobby Bryant is really playing way off of Harold Carmichael on the corner, the left corner out here.
The quick out pattern, certainly the way it was played the last couple of downs was wide open and it looks like it's wide open again.
Well he could do that or he could go to his right end, Rich Osborne. Let's see where he splits his back. He could flip to one of those.
Jaworski on a long count. Does he put it in the air? He dropped back. No delay. Hand off to Montgomery who comes across the 20.
Up very close to the first down yardage at the 21 or 22. Let's see where they spot it.
So Robert Montgomery took that delayed hand off and came upfield with the ball and he is very very close to an eagle first down, close enough to bring in the change.
Jaworski will do that and one of the things that makes that play very often is having Mike Hogan around, one of the better blocking backs in the National Football League.
They stretch the change, they take a look, first down Eagles. They get a break as the football just reaches the change.
So when you are trying to control that football that's a big play right there.
And they are away from that dangerous territory where they started this drive in the shadow of their own end zone.
Having it across to 22. 13.47 remaining in the third quarter. Eagles leading the Vikings 27-14.
Earl Reeves and Jim Barniak happy to send you all the action from Smoley Bloomington.
The back gives out of the open set. Now coming in both to the near side is Charlie Smith.
Jaworski goes to the pitch right to Montgomery who cuts inside at the 20. Comes forward to the 24 and then he is slabs and thrown back.
Bill Wise, the strong safety comes up and grabs Wilbert and he minimizes his gain. Only one yard on the carry by Montgomery.
Good pursuit that time by the Vikings. They've been burned on that pursuit.
The last time Wilbert carried the ball on a similar play he cut it back and turned it the other way for a long gain and a touchdown.
But that time they filled all the holes well.
That was a 30 yard touchdown by Wilbert in that second quarter.
Eagles have another three touchdowns have been on the path. Two to Carmichael and one to Charlie Smith.
Now they put in three wide receivers. Second down to nine. Jaworski again in a delay and getting good running room.
Up the middle comes Mike Hogan and he leans forward, doesn't quite reach the 30 but comes up to about the 28 or 29 before James White makes the stop.
So Jaworski likes to give them a passing look and then go with that delay either to Montgomery or to Hogan.
We got some final scores here Mero. Miami 16 and Washington 0. Green Bay 17 and Tampa Bay 7.
This is a very interesting situation for the Eagles right here. They have third down and two. Red Jaws boy with tight end comes back in the game.
The wide receivers split. The running backs are set left. Does Jaworski put the ball in the air? He intends to.
Fires the pass and it is incomplete. Intended for Richard Osborne and it goes off his hands.
And fairness to Osborne he has a leap to try and catch that ball and just fire out as far as he possibly could.
Jaworski rolled out and just overthrew Osborne.
Maybe threw it a little bit too soon. Carl Eller of course was applying the pressure and it's easy for us to stay way up here with that big guy coming down on you.
Ron tried to thread it there a little bit too quickly before Ricky Osborne was in position.
But he was open. Alright here's the punt by Michelle. He gets it away and it's high and it is floating and Kevin Miller looks up at the snow and he calls takes the football at the 30.
Does not take a fair catch. Comes forward, falls across the 35 and up to the 36 and there he will stop.
Louis Gimboda makes another tackle. A 40 yard punt by Mike Michelle that time and he is doing a fine job.
He's getting the ball up and the Vikings are not coming up at the run back. There's a timeout on the field with the score.
The Eagles 27 the Vikings 14.
The Eagles are leading the Vikings 27 to 14. That drive by the Eagles used up three minutes and five seconds on the clock.
So now the Vikings will get their hands on the ball offensively for the first time in the second half.
And they take over at their own 36 yard line.
First that's set for the Vikings. Parkinson lines the wide receivers left. Gives off a handoff to Chuck Foreman who comes off left tackle.
He's been hit up for about three yards before he is hit by Dennis Harrison and Charlie Johnson.
Dennis Harrison there's a defensive ender rookie who comes out of Vanderbilt and I am amazed at the improvement in Dennis.
This summer Jim watching him at training camp I got the feeling that Dennis just had a lot to learn.
The innate ability was there as the coaching staff said but he is learning in a hurry.
Dennis had a funny line at the Bakers Club last week. The Bakers Club honored Carl Harrison as the defensive eagle of the year.
And Dennis said hey we got three games to go and I'm really coming on.
He is. He is. Jack Edelstein tells us that Foreman carried nine times for 42 yards.
The handoff again goes to Foreman and this time he comes forward but not much.
Bill Berge makes the stop and Foreman goes down at about the 40.
The yard marker is becoming more and more difficult to read as the field is becoming more and more white.
They do a good job of keeping the snow off the field before the game.
As we told you before they have blowers underneath the top and the field may get icy but it does not get white.
But right now the green is being replaced. It is a third down of the sixth and the wide receiver split.
Handoff by the delay to Foreman. Off the tackle and forward he goes.
Boltsam and deals on a Viking first down. Carl Harrison makes the stop.
That's why Parkinson set up the pass. He went to Foreman and Foreman did the rest.
Well that's what makes the guy such a great quarterback. There is no way you can figure him out.
He throws the football all over the place for two periods and then starts out in what looks like an obvious passing situation here
and tucks it into his big running back who gets the first down.
That's absolutely right. He can have the worst game in the world and still find a way to beat you in the final second.
Viking shows both wide receivers out to the near side. White in the slot.
It gives off on a reverse and around with the football comes Ricky Young.
Ricky Young goes down inside the down about the forty-six yard line.
Ricky Young was the recipient that time of a reverse.
It was Robert Miller taking the handoff giving off to Ricky Young as he raced to his left.
Young turned it back to the right, crossed midfield and came down to the forty-six yard line of the Eagles.
But all things considering the Eagles did a pretty good job of containing that and stopping it for a minimum game.
It is a second down of three. That could have been trouble right there.
Parkinson spins, gives off inside and down goes Robert Miller.
Robert Miller gains very little right there.
And Ricky Young, you just have to think he's not even the best runner in his own family.
He's got a pretty famous nephew by the name of Walter Payton.
Both uncle and nephew played in the same college backfield.
Jackson State. Good. He's got a famous cousin to Robert Brazil, the linebacker for the Houston Oilers.
Ricky Young, just one of the guys.
No start for him when the family gets together.
Third down of three. We're in the third quarter.
Eight minutes and fifty-seven seconds remaining in that third quarter.
The Eagles on top of the Vikings, twenty-seven to fourteen.
The Vikings have the football. The Eagles forty-six.
Parkinson. Fires in the flat.
Good for Miller.
Miller at the thirty-five and down to the forty.
Miller took it at the forty-five and went down to the forty and has the first down.
Ken Clark makes the stop, but that time the play was well disguised.
As Parkinson looked downfield, he pumped one that went out to Robert Miller in the flat, who took it at the forty-five and went down to the forty.
He is just inside the forty actually of the Eagle. Thirty-nine yard line.
And the Vikings have another first down.
The clock now shows eight eighteen.
Vikings mounting a drive.
The last time at the end of the first half when they came close, it was very near the saving interceptor.
The defense wants another big play.
As Parkinson on play action drops.
Set. Goes over the middle. Incomplete.
Excellent defensive play by Herman Edwards.
The pass was intended on a post pattern to Ahmad Rashad.
And Herman Edwards came up and knocked out the arm and knocked out the football. Incomplete.
That was about the only thing he could do. Rashad cut across the middle, had some room and tucked himself, tucked his body down low, getting ready to receive the ball.
And Herman Edwards came in from the rear, tucked his arm around and poked it free.
We spoke of Parkinson floating the ball earlier in the game. He did not float that one.
He drilled the pass. But Herman Edwards did the job.
It's a second down. A ten for the Vikings.
The eagle. Thirty-nine. The wide receivers are split.
As Parkinson drops. Still dropping. Fires over the middle.
Complete to the tight end. Bob Copper who tumbles the football forward.
The football is retained by the Vikings. Robert Miller.
And down he goes. They were putting three yard lines.
The pass is caught by Bob Tucker. He was hit.
The ball popped out of his arm into the arms of Robert Miller who took it down to the eagle twenty-two.
A year ago that probably would not have been legal.
But this is 1978. It counts for Vikings of a first down there at the eagle twenty-two.
And some good reaction too by the eagles there. That play on that play could have very easily, Mr. Miller could have tied it down there for a touchdown.
Eagles go with five defensive backs. But this time it is a spinning handoff.
So Miller and Miller come to the twenty.
And maybe, maybe gets to the nineteen. But not much more before Charlie Johnson stops him right there.
But the Vikings are moving the football.
They picked up about two. We have seven minutes and three seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Eagles leading the Vikings twenty-seven-fourteen.
Johnny Atlaw is in the ball game for the eagles in place of Bobby Lee Howard.
So it is Atlaw, Logan, Sharrah and Edwards in the deep secondary for the eagles.
Bobby Lee Howard lint off. John Atlaw in his place.
Second down the pace. Parkinson. Play action. Looking. Looking left.
Firing deep into the end zone. Pass batted in the air off the hands of Ahmad Rashad incomplete.
Herman Edwards again at good position. Rashad had a shot of it but it went off his hands.
But Herman Edwards is having a tremendous game.
That time Parkinson looked first to Rashad then pumped the other way and wanted to go to Sammy White.
Sammy White was covered by Johnny Atlaw as the Vikings tried to exploit Atlaw who just came into the game.
So back he goes to Rashad and he just throws the ball higher in the air figuring that Ahmad can out jump most people and catch the ball.
But that time Herman Edwards got up and blocked it.
Big third date for the Vikings. So poor Robert Miller.
And Ryan Church, Ricky Young. It was so continuous to come harder.
Third and eight. Parkinson back setting. Looking. Fires the flat to Foreman.
In the way from the man at the 20. 15. 10. Chuck Foreman down at the eight.
Boogie makes the stop. But Chuck Foreman takes the short pass.
Comes away from one man. Cut down shot at the 15. And takes it down to the eight.
First and goal for the Vikings.
Had a great call that time by Frank Tachin and Drew Mihalek the right corner linebacker on a blitz that time.
He just jumped it right over Drew's head into Chuck Foreman's hands who had gone to that vacated area and then just used his great athletic ability to work it downfield.
And the snow is starting to come down much harder.
Parkinson joins all the experience right now.
First and goal to go for the Vikings at the eagle eight.
In the loft. Inside. It goes to Ricky Young and he does not reach the five.
He goes down about the six yard line making the stop.
Frank LeMaster and Charlie Johnson.
A pick up on the play of only about.
Well they say about three and a half or four yards as they spot the football forward checking where he is forward.
Progress came to an end.
So they spotted at the six yard line.
Second down and goal to go for the Vikings from the six.
5.22 remaining in the third quarter. Eagles leading the Vikings.
27.14. Parkinson.
Rolling. Rolling. Rolling. Right mopped the pass to Ricky Young.
Parkinson. The Ricky Young at the Vikings store.
Parkinson rolled to his right.
Kept pumping the arm. Pumping the arm.
Looking for Ricky Young.
He loosed a little pass. Young ran under it for two and took it in.
And now it's a 27-20 game.
The Vikings come within seven and they can come within six with the extra point right here.
Dan Meyer in. Crouched the hold.
Up the step.
So the Vikings trying for the extra point.
The kick is up. There's a flag on the play.
The kick is good.
There is a flag on the play.
The kick was good and I believe it will probably be an offside against one of the Eagles this time.
Let's wait and see.
12 men on the field.
Defense.
The point is drawn.
Five yards on the kickoff.
Well it is 12 men on the field. The Eagles had 12 men on the field.
I think they would have tried 14.
But they should have gotten away with it. But they had 12 men on the field that time.
The kick is up. The kick is good.
Here's a timeout on the field with the score. The Eagles 27. The Vikings 21.
Hike.
The Vikings will kick off to the Eagles. Dan Meyer approaches the football.
With the penalty tacked on he kicks off to the 40.
It is going deep. It is taken by Jamona at the 4.
10. Jamona at the 15. Jamona to the 20.
And they finally bring the wiggling Louie Jamona down at the 25 or 26 yard line.
Scott Studwell makes the stop. They had Louie at about the 22.
And all of a sudden coming out from under a pound with Louie Jamona for an additional four yards.
The Eagles will put the football in play first and then at their own 26.
The 22 yard return by Louie Jamona.
But the Vikings are within a touchdown. A touchdown and they take the lead.
At extra points the Eagles miss just before the half could hurt.
The Eagles leading the Vikings 27 to 21.
Lock and then took them down on a tremendous drive.
Now the Eagles back on offense with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.
DeWarty splits the wide receivers. The running backs are in an eye.
Now they shift out of it into a set right.
In motion to the far side goes Charlie Smith.
As DeWarty turns and gives off an off-left tackle comes Grover Montgomery and he crosses the 30.
And comes up to about the 32 yard line.
James White makes the stop. A good block by Tom Lukin.
Giving Grover some running room and Grover picked up six.
Throw it second down and four.
4.42 remaining to be played here in the third quarter.
The snow. One moment it comes down hard.
Then it eases up for another.
The field very, very icy.
Second down and a long four.
Wide receivers split. Running back to the open set.
DeWarty looking. Dropping.
Setting. Going over the middle.
Looking for Carmichael. Almost intercepted. Incomplete.
Almost intercepted by Tom Haddon who had the best shot at it.
DeWarty wanted Carmichael on that left sideline. It did not work.
He made short as Howard Carmichael beat Bobby Bryant and then Ron Jaworski tried to lay it in there.
But Tom Haddon came over and great reaction that time.
It broke it up almost. Intercepted it.
He had the angle on it. And to most effectively run that pass with Carmichael you have to throw it up there a bit.
And if it isn't thrown highly the linebacker or the defensive back or safety in this case can come over and get that angle.
And he did just that. A two down and five for the Eagles. They have the ball at their own 31.
The running backs are split. The wide receivers are split.
Jaworski back. Setting. Looking up the middle. He's going to run.
Jaworski to the 35 and he slides down at the 38 yard line.
He has just enough for an eagle first down.
So Jaworski took the drop. He saw the center of the field wide open.
And he rolls upfield. But there is a flag down at the 25 yard line.
And I think it's going to be holding against the Eagles.
Well the Vikings are certainly raising their fist in jubilation to indicate that it is against the Eagles.
And now we see that it is as both teams are walking back.
Back towards the 20 yard line.
Well that's going to hurt.
No question about that as they step off the penalty yardage because Jaworski did have a first down.
Instead they will spot the football at the Eagles 21.
So it will give him.
Holding number 76. Offense. Third down.
So holding penalty against Gary Sizemore and it's going to bring up a third down in about 15 and a half.
As they get close to the 37 yard line.
This time they go with three wide receivers. Carl Michael Winnis knocked to the left.
Outside of him is Kenny Payne. Out to the far side is Charlie Smith.
The running backs are wide open.
On the long count. Jaworski back. Set.
Bing right. Loads to his right. Flies go down. Fires incomplete.
As intended for Willard Montgomery. The flies go over the place.
And it could be a holding penalty on the Eagles again.
But I wouldn't blame an offensive lineman who was caught for holding right there.
Because I'll tell you. All kinds of people had shots at Jaworski.
They had all kinds of shots at him.
And it was a desperation move.
And Jimmy had talked to most offensive linemen and they'll tell you when somebody has a clean shot at their quarterback.
They're going to hold if that's the only way that they can use to keep them out.
And the Eagles are suddenly backing themselves into some real trouble here.
They're now huddling near the end zone.
The ball of the line is scrimmage is going to be at about the 10 yard line.
Coming out to the 11.
Of course there's a third long here. Third and 25 actually for a first down.
And the 75.
Even a great punt is going to give the Vikings a very fine field position to start another drive.
And they only need seven points to go ahead in this ball game.
The Eagles have now been penalized eight times for 94 yards.
The Vikings have seven penalties.
At the third and 25.
The Eagles put the ball on their own 12 yard line.
They lead the Vikings 27-21.
We have 4-0-4 remaining in the third quarter.
As DeWorsky has a three wide receivers in the four game.
He dropped. He gives. That is a late Montgomery.
The 10. The 15. He stumbles at the 16 and goes down hard.
And there is a flag again thrown back at the eight yard line.
And again the Vikings yell and scream and it's against the Eagles.
The Vikings having a ball right now.
Showing happiness with every penalty flag.
Wilbur took that football on the delay handoff and brought it up to the 17 yard line.
Let's check the call.
Holy number 76 offense.
DeFaulding or some.
This time it is against Jerry Seisbohr as you can hear.
The referee said the officials had holding against the defense but he meant the offense.
And now the Eagles will punt the football as the Vikings have declined.
The Eagles have been having some trouble on their punting snaps.
They've been high and unfortunately Mike Michelle is able to come up with them and get the points off.
He'll take this snap inside his own five.
Kevin Miller stands in midfield.
Here's the snap. It's a good one.
Michelle gets it away. It's high. It's floating. It's a fine punt.
Backing up his mother at the 40. Coming to the 45.
Splitting away from one man and down he goes at the 47 yard line.
Eagles with a good job of containment.
Again Louis Giamotto makes the stop.
Here's the timeout on the field with the score.
The Eagles leading the Vikings 27-21.
Here in Bloomington, Minnesota we're getting set for what could be a very dramatic finish.
The Eagles leading the Vikings 27-21.
As yet there are three 47s remaining in the third quarter.
But the Vikings showed some signs.
Boy they had a great drive to come back and get that last touchdown.
Now they have the ball again.
The Vikings have their own 48 yard line.
The snow drives down.
Markenden splits the wide receiver.
He goes with a pitch out the chuck for the new runs through his right.
Wides the turn in the corner. He cannot.
He is shoved out of bounds by a fast charging Dennis Harrison.
And picks up only two yards. Jim Habbison scores.
Well these are all finals. The Jets 24, Baltimore 16, Miami 16, Washington nothing.
Cincinnati 37, Atlanta 7, Green Bay 17, Tampa 7.
Los Angeles 20 and the New York Giants 17.
And the Rams are in the playoff. They clinch their division, the Western Division of the NFC.
Right here it's 27-21.
Dennis Harrison showing very good quickness getting over there on that left outside.
But the play was strung over by Reggie Wilkes.
It is a second dominate for the Vikings. The ball just shy of midfield.
In motion to the near side goes Ricky Young.
Markenden back. Fires for that far sideline.
Oh the lower taking the pass and for a shot.
And he goes out of bounds at the eagle 33.
I don't know how Rashad was that clear.
But he was all alone over there on the far side.
And Markenden found them and dropped the football in there for a 17 yard gain.
And once again the Vikings are threatening.
I think Drew Mihalek just lost his footing and couldn't get a very deep drop over there.
And Herman Edwards protecting the deep zone.
Had to play way off of Rashad.
He had to fall down because he was that open.
First and 10 for the Vikings.
They have the football. It's the eagle 36.
Markenden rolls right. Fires over the middle.
Incomplete pass intended for Reggie Young at the 30.
The pass goes off his hands as he was swarmed over.
Hit by Reggie Wilkes but there is a flag down on the field.
Down at the 16 yard line.
And we'll have to wait and see what they call right here.
They are motioning.
Pass interference against the Vikings.
And there is offensive pass interference being called against Ahmad Rashad who was on the right side that time.
And now the Vikings will be penalized.
Bobby Lee Howard I think was the defender in this case.
You don't see that play called too often.
But don't forget the new rules this year.
Once outside that five yard zone the receiver cannot make contact with the defender either.
That's what happened down there.
It becomes almost a basketball thing.
Number 28 offense Dale Forshaw.
It's against Rashad. Rashad's had a fine afternoon.
He has seven catches on the afternoon for 84 yards.
But that time a penalty against him.
Almost like a charging penalty in basketball.
It's a first down and 20 for the Vikings.
It's the 45 of the Eagles.
Markenden wants to throw a first down.
Goes left. Fires down the far sideline.
Incomplete.
Herman Edwards over there in coverage. Ahmad Rashad is the closest man to the ball.
But Markenden was being rushed.
And rather than eat the football or throw into a more dangerous territory he wisely fired it high into the yard out of bounds.
Reggie Rooks and Dennis Harrison were pressuring him.
We pause 10 seconds for station identification.
When the Eagles aren't playing.
Second down and 20 for the Vikings.
Second and 20 for the Vikings.
Eagles leading 27 to 21.
322 remaining in the third quarter.
Vikings with the ball at the Eagle.
44. It's a draw play.
And right up the middle goes Chuck Foreman.
He comes across for 40.
And he goes down to the 36 yard line before Reggie Rooks stops him.
So Markenden mixing his plays beautifully right now.
We saw how much he can confuse a defense on that last drive.
On the first drive of the game he was about as effective as anybody could possibly be as he moved him right downfield.
And on the first offensive series for the second half he did the same kind of thing.
Precision football. Sir Francis Giles.
Third down and 11 for the Vikings.
The ball is spotted just inside the Eagle.
35. Third and 11.
The wide receivers are split.
Manny White to the near side.
Rashad to the far side.
Markenden rolling left.
Still rolling.
Turns. Fires. Incomplete.
Knocked down by Herman Edwards.
Herman Edwards cut across the field and knocked down the ball that tended for Bob Tucker.
Big defensive play.
Another key defensive play for Herman who's been making them all afternoon.
Another waggle pattern by Tucker that time he just tucked it under his arm and waggled out toward the sidelines for a while.
Then set up and tried to find a receiver down there.
Tried to drill that one and that's not French sound.
Herman Edwards was able to react and knock it down.
Very difficult to get the body behind the pass when you are rolling on this kind of icy turf.
But Markenden did well there.
John Carroll backs up.
Greg Coleman in the game.
He specializes in dropping punts inside the 20 yard line.
Last year he was the best in the NFC in that.
He gets the snap.
He gets the pun away.
He angles for the nearest sideline.
It hits at the 5.
No way.
It goes in then out of the end zone.
Greg Coleman I think I said he was the best in the NFC last year doing that.
He was the best with the AFC last year.
He was with the Cleveland Browns.
And he was really an artist in getting it inside the 20.
But that time he misses and will bring it out first and then for the Eagles.
There's a timeout on the field with the score.
The Eagles beating the Vikings 27-21.
We've got a football game here in Bloomington today about as entertaining a game as you've seen in a long time.
Two minutes and 29 seconds to be playing here in the third quarter.
Eagles on top of the Vikings 27-21.
Eagles with the football.
They want a amount of drive here.
Not a safe margin at all.
Jim Worske lines up both wide receivers out to be a five-side.
On first down he hands off inside and going straight off left tackle.
River Montgomery is charging up to the 25 or 26-yard line marks the lady and Jeff Seaman makes the stop.
But Wilbur is having himself quite a day on the afternoon.
He has 91 yards.
And we mentioned he needs only 100 to top the 1,000 mark.
And no one's done that in an Eagle uniform since Steve Van Buren in 1949.
Jack Emelson tells me he has 99 yards.
99 on the afternoon.
So he is one shy of that 1,000-yard mark.
Second down and five for the Eagles.
Jim Worske sets them up to be 26.
Both wide receivers left.
The handoff inside to Wilbur.
Good yards and he crosses for 30 and comes up to the 32, up to the 33 or 34.
And now Wilbur gets the 1,000 yards.
Wilbur cutting inside right there and a good, good run.
Good blocking making it possible.
Sam Walters and Tom Lukin.
They open that hole and whish went Wilbur.
107 yards in the afternoon.
124 remaining in the third quarter.
First and 10 for the Eagles.
27-21 may lead the Vikings.
Now flip-flopping over to the far side goes Richos for the tight end.
Jim Worske to Montgomery on a sweep right.
Gets away from one man.
Tries to cut it back.
Doesn't get any plays.
Wilbur Montgomery started out to the far side.
Tried to cut it back to the inside where the outside was closed.
But the Vikings were there to grab him.
And he goes no play.
The Vikings really looking for that cutback move now out of Wilbur.
He's already burned him once for one touchdown, a 36-yard run.
And Fred McNeil, he's watching them all the time and anticipating that play.
Well, they brought Richos over there to that far side to give him additional blocking.
Now the wide receivers line up for the near side with Carmichael in the spot.
Inside of Charlie Smith.
The back to the wide open center.
The second down and 10.
Gimorsky had a little flutter to Montgomery at the 30.
Montgomery cuts inside at the 35 and goes down at the 48.
That's a 38.
Montgomery took the pass.
At the 30-yard line, drives his header inside.
He crossed the 35.
Came up to the 38-yard line.
And then he was hit and dropped by Fred McNeil and Mark Melaney.
So he does pick up six yards right there.
But it brings up that third down and four and a half for third and five.
And that is going to do it for the third quarter of the Guns Down.
It is the third quarter.
A time out on the field with the score.
The Eagles leading the Vikings 27-21.
At the end of the quarter today, the Eagles are leading the Vikings 14-7.
That's the half they led the Vikings, 27-14.
Now we have just passed the three-quarter mark and the Eagles are up 27-21.
But all that counts is what the score reads at the end of this one.
Getting set for action here in the fourth quarter.
Story day in Bloomington, Minnesota, 27-21 the Eagles.
They have themselves in a third and five.
They have the ball at about the 38-yard line.
Their own 38.
Eagles breaking the huddle using three wide receivers.
The Vikings go into the nickel defense.
They have the extra defensive back.
Carmichael in that slot to the right.
Outside of him is Kenny Payne.
He's got the left out to the far side, the back to the open set.
As Gimorski turns and gives off on the draw.
The Vikings have contained Wilbert Montgomery for little or no gain.
They were reading at that time.
The Eagles tried to go with the draw to Wilbert Montgomery.
They set up to look for the pass.
They went on the delight of Montgomery.
And Jeff Seaman says, uh-uh, Wilbert, you stop right here.
Kyle O'Hara, too, played a big role there.
He took an inside loop and when he did that,
he ran right into the hole and plugged things up and bumped right into Wilbert.
So Mike Michelle with another pressure punt.
Will await the snap at the 22-yard line.
Kevin Miller deep for the Vikings.
Michelle gets it off.
It's high.
It hangs.
Miller comes over, backs up, takes it at the 25.
Tries to turn up field, but he does not.
Down he goes under a right sled by Terry DeToto.
The Vikings will take over at the 25-yard line.
There's a timeout on the field with the score.
The Eagles leading the Vikings 27-21.
Vikings are the first in 10.
They're on the 27-yard line.
They trail the Eagles 27-21.
As Parkinson lines them up, he's 20 for 38, 181 yards.
Three touchdowns, two intercepts.
First in 10 for the Vikings.
In most of the nearest line comes Ricky Young.
Parkinson to throw in first down.
Setting up, looking right, looking left.
Pumping, fires the football out of bounds.
Incomplete.
Chuck Foreman was over there on the far side.
Good pass right by Carl Harrison, who was in there on Parkinson.
Forced him to scramble.
The Eagles defensive backs did a good job that time.
Tuckenden wanted to find Ricky Young that time.
Young went in motion to this side of the field.
Armand Rashad cleared the zone.
Drew Mahalek came right up and played Young nose-to-nose.
Tuckenden couldn't throw it across field with Mahalek that close.
Then he almost ate the ball and then threw it away.
It is second in 10 for the Vikings.
Wide receivers are split.
The running back to the open set again.
In motion to the nearest side comes Ricky Young.
He's got the handoff inside, but the Eagles lead it and Chuck Foreman is dropped to 3-27.
Eagles right at the perfection of Bill Berge surrounds them.
Drops Chuck Foreman.
No gain on the play.
So again, Jim, there was the motion.
Ricky Young coming out to that nearest side,
trying to get some running room in the middle or create something.
And it didn't work.
Chuck Foreman was there for the handoff,
but Bill Berge was there to receive Chuck Foreman.
It is third and nine for the Vikings.
Rashad lines up to the nearest side.
White to the far side.
Huckenden back.
Setting.
Looking.
Fires the ball over the middle.
And the pass is complete.
Complete.
Company 45.
Your mind is standing white for a Viking first down.
Rashad by Sammy White.
Had to take it almost on his back.
Pass.
Greer barely reached him.
Barely reached him, but he did get his hands on it for a 16-yard gain.
Big completion right there for the Vikings.
That hurts.
First and 10 for the Vikings.
They move upfield.
They have the football at the road.
44-yard line.
They trail the Eagles 27-21.
We have 12-58 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Huckenden just throwing first down.
Scrambles left.
Scrambles right.
Close the pass over the middle and drops armlessly with nobody around it.
And penned for Chuck Foreman, but it is incomplete.
Dennis Harrison with good pressure.
I tell you, Brad Huckenden going to his whole bag of tricks here,
calling on all 18 years experience,
just trying to pull off another touchdown here.
That time he had nobody to throw to.
Held the ball as long as he could to avoid that rush.
And then finally dumped it off into an open area.
And he always gets it close enough to a receiver to avoid the penalty.
Well, the Vikings quarterback this season have been sacked 27 times.
The Eagles would like to make that 28.
They have not reached Prentice so far this afternoon.
They have pressured him intensely a few times,
but they haven't gotten them yet.
They love him.
Huckenden backs up.
Second down and 10.
Fires over the middle.
Intercepted.
Intercepted by the Eagles.
Randy Logan and he turns it back up.
He goes down at the Viking 46 yard line.
First down for the Eagles.
Big play.
The pass was intended for Sammy White.
Randy Logan steps in front of Sammy White.
Picked up the interception.
There is a timeout on the field with the score.
The Eagles 27, the Vikings 21.
First and 10 for the first.
Jaworski lines up with both wide receivers left.
On play action.
He dropped.
He fires over the middle.
Incomplete.
Intended for either Rick Josborn or Harold Carmichael,
but it almost ended up in the hands of Tom Hannon,
and there had to be a mistake there in the pattern.
Right.
Two receivers, Carmichael and Rick Josborn,
much too close together there.
Ordinarily, Harold Carmichael on that play squares down
and runs maybe a 10 yard pattern.
That time he was 20 yards downfield.
I don't even think Harold expected the football either
as it sailed right by him.
One of the Vikings down on the play,
one of the guys in the deep secondary.
It is Tom Hannon who was back there in cover.
He's the man who almost intercepted the football.
Jim, while they take a look at Hannon
and straighten him back to his feet,
how about us taking a look at the board?
Well, a lot of things going well
as far as the Eagles playoffs go.
Atlanta Falcons got clobbered today by Cincinnati 37-7.
The Washington Redskins were defeated 16-0
by the Miami Dolphins.
Green Bay 17 and Tampa Bay 7.
The pack with a chance to go in the first place in NFC Central.
If the Vikings cannot win this ballgame today,
then the Vikings are in some trouble as far as playoffs go.
Elsewhere today, San Francisco trails New Orleans right now 24-13.
They're in the fourth quarter.
The Giants were defeated by Los Angeles 20-17.
Baltimore was defeated by the New York Jets 24-16.
St. Louis goes ahead at Detroit in the fourth period 21-14.
The hand here at Metropolitan Stadium is for Paul Crouse
who comes in the game replacing Tom Hannon.
Paul Crouse, a big favorite, a 15-year veteran,
and he enters this game.
He played very little this year, but he enters this game
as he enters the season,
needing one interception to tie the career interception record
of Emlyn Tanell.
Tanell has 79.
Crouse has 78.
But the Eagles would like to keep him from getting it against them.
He can have all the interceptions he wants next week
when the Vikings visit Detroit.
But this week, the Eagles want some more points.
They lead 27-21.
They have a second down at 10.
They have the football.
The Vikings 46.
Wide receivers split.
Jaworski on play action.
Drops back.
Brooks has the pass batted into the air incomplete.
Almost intercepted.
The pass was batted into the air
and almost picked off by the Vikings.
I believe it went off the hands of Mark Bellini,
and it was almost picked off by Matt Flair.
Fortunately for the Eagles, it hits the turf
armlessly at about the 40-yard line.
So instead of a Viking interception,
and that would have been critical,
the Eagles have a third and 10.
Ken Payne, wide receiver, the third wide receiver
coming in with a play here.
Out goes Rich Asbork.
Three wide receivers.
Third and 10 for the Eagles.
They have the ball at the Vikings 46-yard line.
12-32 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Eagles up by six.
Oh, Michael, all by his momentum on the near side.
Jaworski looking.
Fires down the far side.
Incomplete.
Intended for Ken Payne, who had beaten this man.
Ken Payne was open momentarily,
but the pass by Jaworski's
skidded by his outspread arms.
Incomplete.
Jaworski looks down and kicks the dirt or the ice
or whatever is down there and frustration
drops off the field.
So the Vikings will have the football once again,
and Mike Michelle will be in to punt it.
Kevin Miller drops back.
He'll be the returner for the Vikings,
standing at his own 14-yard line.
The rush comes, but Michelle beats it
with a high floating punt that hits on the five
and goes out of bounds on the three.
A tremendous punt by Mike Michelle,
who has been punting with just that kind of pressure
all afternoon, and he drives it inside the Vikings five.
Vince Papale's so happy he did a surf slide
down in the snow down there,
running down under that punt.
The Vikings are on the three-yard line,
and if Brad Tuckerton's going to put it up here,
he's really a gutsy quarterback.
A 42-yard punt that time by Michelle.
Yeah, we have seen Michelle so often
since he came to the Eagles in critical situations,
and he always seems to come through.
Nick Vermeer has often said that he's not comfortable
in getting Mike Michelle because he's an athlete
who has played other positions.
He was a strong safety at Stanford.
He's right in the football game at all times,
and he's doing a job this afternoon.
First and ten, and Tuckerton wants to throw from his own end
on, fires it in the air incomplete.
Intended for a Bob Rashad somewhere over there
on the right side.
The pass did not come within 15 yards of him.
It goes out of bounds over everybody on the sideline.
And the Vikings have a second down and ten.
Brad Tuckerton just gambling there that maybe Rashad
will be played very loosely and pick up an easy 10-yard game,
but Rashad, that was not the case at all.
He was watched very closely by Bobby Hart,
and I think Brad just threw that one into the stands
or into the Viking bench, as it were.
Tuckerton has 43 attempts this afternoon.
43 attempts.
Second down, and he fires again, and this time on a screen
left to Sandy White, who cuts back inside,
flies to the running room, flies it at the 10,
and comes up to the 15 for a first down.
Sandy White on the screen left, the Eagles had him at the 10,
but he kept moving the legs, and he five-steps,
and five-steps, and five-steps, and finally found
right in the room to come up to the 15, the Vikings first down.
So the Vikings put the ball in the air,
and they come out of trouble.
For the moment, they do.
First and 10 for the Vikings, the ball to throw at the 15.
Wide receivers over there on the far side, Rashad,
Tuckerton rolling right,
flip throughs running back Young,
and Young is thrown down for a loss inside the 15,
down at the 14 by Dennis Harrison,
and this may be Dennis' best day of the season.
Well, on that play, Dennis Harrison's first responsibility
was to pressure the quarterback, which he did,
and then he turned around and tackled the receiver.
What an afternoon for the young rookie out of Vanderbilt.
Even speaking to Dennis, on the trips to practice,
you can see the poise that he's gaining
on almost a week-by-week basis,
and he's playing his final defensive end this afternoon,
as anybody has this season.
He's just playing a great game. He really is.
Second down and 11, following the loss of one,
and Tuckerton to the air again.
He goes to the nearest side to Rashad,
who catches the pass, and then the Eagles bring him down
for a short gain inside the 20,
down at about the 17-yard line, Frank Lamasher.
The pass was drilled down to Rashad.
He tried to give ground, look for running room.
He didn't find it.
He tried to pull the same maneuver that Sammy White turned into
a first down, and that time it didn't work,
and he actually lost a couple of yards in trying to do it.
If ever there is a quarterback who can come up
with these critical third downs,
it's Mr. Tuckerton out there.
45% of the time they've converted on third downs.
Robert Miller comes in the ball game as the third eight
for the Vikings, as Tuckerton drops.
Tuckerton looks. Tuckerton rolls.
Fires over across the middle. Incomplete lockdown by Randy Logan.
Intended for the tight end, Bob Tucker.
Great job by Randy, and the Vikings will have to punt.
While you talk about quarterbacks who come up with the clutch plays,
Tuckerton does so often, but the Eagles defense
has been coming up with the clutch plays today
and for so many Sundays.
Brand rolled out to his right that time and tried to throw back
across the grain. Again, great coverage by Randy Logan.
The Vikings putting now from inside their five yard line.
As far as pass coverage is concerned,
this might be Randy's outstanding game of the season.
Goldman in the punt, coupling the feet nervously,
awaiting the snap. He gets it.
No pressure by the Eagles. He gets it off.
It is high and fluttering as Jarrett takes it into three.
He is hit in a hurry by Harry Washington,
who went down and swabbered John Sharer
seconds after the football touched his hand.
So the Eagles will operate after that 37 yard punt.
First and 10 for the Eagles, the ball on their own, 46.
Some other scores. Seattle running it up against Cleveland.
21 to nothing in the second period.
New England 7 and Dallas 3 there in the first period.
Pittsburgh 3 and Houston 0. That one just starting.
And another final in now. Kansas City 14 and Buffalo 10.
New Orleans 14, San Francisco 13 there in the fourth period.
Jim Jaworski is going to be out of the game right now.
He bruised his hand, we understand, in that last series.
And John Walton, his backup is in the game.
Jim Gallagher stops in to tell us.
Now the Eagles are going to have to go with John Walton.
John Walton is a quarterback with out-much game experience
in the National Football League.
But he has one of the strongest right arms.
He is a guy who works very hard.
He studies his game film.
Dick Vermeel has said repeatedly, I think the Eagles are very fortunate
to have a backup man as capable as John Walton.
Well, John Walton is a very likeable guy who has certainly
slipped in a lot of time and doesn't get very much credit
and doesn't get very much recognition.
It will be a great opportunity and a great boost for the whole club
to see John come in here and get the Eagles to more points.
They sure love to have more points and make the Vikings have to score at least twice.
We have 10 minutes and 2 seconds remaining to be played in this game.
The Vikings offense has had their chances.
A couple of big Eagles punt plays have started the Vikings back
pretty far in their own territory.
That last one, that last drive, made them start at their 3 and they took it out.
But now the Eagles want to sustain some offense.
They want to eat up some seconds.
There are 10 minutes and 2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles leading the Vikings 27-21.
Here's Walton's first play with the Eagles having the ball on their own 46.
He turns and gives to Montgomery who finds running room off left tackle.
Montgomery across midfield.
Montgomery down to the Vikings 48.
Red McNeil makes the stop.
You talk about the passing.
You talk about going from Jaworski to Walton.
You talk about the timing with receivers.
But one thing you have to remember is there is a great deal of timing on the very handoff play itself.
Absolutely. Of course these conditions don't make it any easier.
Wilbert looked like Luke Dupont going through that line that time.
Second down and four. The Eagles in a spot left.
Osborne the tight end, strong right.
The backs in an open set behind John Walton.
Who puts Charlie Smith in motion to the near side.
Then he turns and gives off to Hogan who finds big running room.
And he cracks down inside the Viking 40.
Down to the Viking 38.
Good blocks by Sam Walters and Tom Lueken and Guy Morris.
And now the Eagles have a first down there on the move.
The snow continues to fall.
9-0-8 remaining to be played here in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles leading the Minnesota Vikings 27-21.
They want some more points.
They want at least three more.
The Vikings can tie them with one touchdown and take the lead with a touchdown and an extra point.
So the Eagles want more.
John Walton and the Rick Forteback trying to drive them in.
He splits the wide receivers. He splits the running backs.
Now in motion to the near side comes Charlie Smith.
Walton turns.
Gives to Montgomery who comes off left tackle for short yardage.
It may be a gain of two but not much more.
Fred McNeil makes the stop.
Eagles pecking away here getting three yards at a clip.
And of course eating up that clock.
8-27 to go now. They've already killed them.
Better than three minutes on this drive.
It's a second down and eight.
Football sitting in the mud at the center of the field.
But it's inside the Viking 40 down at the 37 yard line.
It is a second down and eight.
Walton running the series has yet to draw a pass.
Carl Michael out to the near side.
Out to the far side of Smith.
The back shift out of an eye.
They're in an open set with Montgomery right.
Hogan left.
Hand off to Hogan who bounces off one man but then the Vikings have him and they score back.
Tom Hannon makes the stop.
Hooked out by Matt Flair.
So that time John Walton tried to make the pink pass go with the delayed hand off that has worked in the past for Mike Hogan.
But that time it does not.
It'll bring up a third down and eight.
And this time Walton will almost surely put the football in the air.
Kenny Payne comes to the game and the Eagles will try it with three wide receivers.
As Richard Osborne trots out.
Third down and eight.
Seven and a half minutes in the fourth quarter.
Twenty-seven, twenty-one the Eagles.
Payne comes out to the near side.
Carl Michael in that slot.
Smith out to the far side.
Backs in a wider from set.
Walton with his biggest play.
He's dropping. He's setting.
He fires the pass. Incomplete.
And tended at the near side to Mike Hogan.
Even if he caught it he would not have had the yardage for a first down.
Bill Wise is over there in coverage but Hogan will fall back.
Reach down. The ball went off his chest.
Incomplete. The Eagles will have to punt.
Hogan didn't get set up very well that time.
He was still backpedaling when he threw that football.
And that's a heck of a way to have to throw a completion.
He threw it low in the ground and the Eagles are going to be punting here.
He was and the Joe will take the step.
From Dennis Franks at his own forty-eight yard line.
Gets the punt away.
It's high.
Kevin Miller watches it.
It bounces at the ten.
And they will mark it at the ten yard line.
Eric Johnson was down there in coverage.
But the punt goes out of bounds just inside the ten yard line.
And Mike Michelle puts the twenty-seven yarder out of bounds.
And he does the job again.
That is twice in succession.
That Mike Michelle has made the Vikings start their drive inside the ten.
Last time the three. This time the nine.
What a beautiful place for a turnover here, Murrell.
Trash talking indicated on that last drive that he'll throw it from anywhere.
He threw two passes out of his own end zone.
And got the team out from that field position when they were starting on their own three.
So he's going to put it off.
He's been intercepted three times.
But usually when he's under the most pressure he seems to perform it the best.
He does that.
He has Ricky Young in there of one running back.
Chuck Foreman the other.
Works most of the day with those two.
Although we have seen Robert Miller on occasion.
They've stayed pretty much with the same guys.
Some odd Rushon and Sammy White.
Sammy White playing an excellent game.
Rushon has made some big catches.
Sammy White has received a couple of touchdowns.
Ricky Young has a touchdown reception.
As far as the Eagles are concerned a couple of touchdown passes to Harold Carmichael.
36 yard run by Wilbur Montgomery.
Charlie Smith has the other Eagles touchdown.
So now the Vikings have the football.
And when time resumes they will put it in play just inside the 10 yard stripe.
Their own 10 yard stripe.
As the skies darken some more.
27, 21.
The Eagles flying the nail down.
Biggest win in many, many, many years.
Crockington lives up the Vikings.
Puts the receivers.
Drops back.
Almost slips.
Fires into the middle.
Compets the pass to Bob Tucker.
And Tucker goes down at about the 15.
Crockington did a good job as he backed up almost to the end zone.
Had his feet nearly go out from under him at the 2.
He regained his balance and threw the crossing pattern to Bob Tucker who picked up 7.
He hasn't done much with his tight end.
Threw that ball high and Tucker made a real fine catch.
That ball could have been intercepted if Tucker did not get his hands on it.
Frank Lamaster is the Eagle who made the tackle.
So it is second down and a long 2 for the Vikings.
Running back split.
Wide receivers split.
As Crockington turns and gives off to Ricky Young who comes off right tackle.
Comes up close to the 20.
I don't know if he reached it.
While they compile.
Will pause 10 seconds for station identification.
Can Garland play your song?
WI.
The Eagles are leading the Minnesota Vikings 27-21.
Eagles trying to contain the Vikings right here.
They want the football back.
They wanted a wave.
They wanted a
wave from Frank Crockington.
They know how dangerous he can be.
Rashad lines up to the near side.
Sammy White to the far side.
Crockington dropping.
Setting.
Looking.
Firing for the near side.
Almost intercepted.
Incomplete.
Intended for Rashad.
Almost intercepted by Herman Edwards.
And he has got to be one of the most valuable players of the snowy day.
I tell you a lot of things going on down there that time.
Almost intercepted by Herman Edwards.
And then almost caught by Rashad.
And had Rashad caught it.
He had nothing but clear sailing down that sideline.
Well, Herman will talk about that gamble.
He says you can't think do I gamble or don't I gamble.
You react.
You don't think on a play like that.
We've seen him react to the Eagles advantage.
We've seen him be beaten at a time or two.
But right there he reacted well.
It worked.
On third down.
The handoff goes.
Off to Chuck Foreman.
And he falls down.
Just short yardage.
Comes up to about the 24 yard line.
Foreman on second down.
Picked up about two yards.
That's about all.
Now it will be a Viking third down.
Third about seven.
Seven and a half perhaps.
Foreman in the afternoon.
16 carries 66 yards.
Not a great day for him.
It is a third down and eight for the Vikings.
They have the football at their own 24 yard line.
Markinson splits the receivers.
He's dropping.
Still dropping.
Fires over the middle.
From post to pass to Sammy White.
He gets away from the man for 45.
And finally Herman Edwards tackles him.
But the Vikings take the first down.
And they move the game.
Markinson to Sammy White.
Markinson had time right there.
He had nobody in front of him obscuring his vision.
And he had time to watch Sammy White run that crossing pattern.
And drill it he did.
21 yard game.
And he had everybody out on the pattern.
His both backs were running short out patterns.
And they occupied the linebackers.
Sammy White just took a deep breath and turned back in.
And came up underneath the zone.
Four minutes and ten seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Vikings with a first and ten.
Motion left but Robert Nutter.
Markinson hands off inside the Chuck Foreman.
And he's grabbed by Bill Berge and slammed down at the 45.
Maybe a yard at the very most.
But Bill Berge read that precisely.
And he grabbed Chuck Foreman and slammed him down at about the 46 yard line.
A pickup of only two.
Eagles leading the Vikings 27-21.
3-44 remaining to be played in the fourth quarter.
Vikings break from the hollow.
The football at the 46.
Their own 46.
The backers flip.
The receivers are flip.
Markinson back.
Setting.
Looking.
Still looking.
Screen pass.
The Foreman.
He cannot get away from Wilk.
Now he does.
And down he goes again at the 46 or 47.
So Reggie Wilk came up.
He contained him.
He had him.
He let him slip away.
But finally he does get him again.
A very short game.
Good thing about the Eagles.
And lots of discussion down there as though there might be a penalty.
It's getting hard for us to see the flag.
If there are any flags.
It's a penalty against the Eagles.
Looks like a personal foul against the Eagles.
And this will hurt.
Oh boy.
They're going to step on 15 big ones right here.
And this does hurt.
I see the flag laying at about the 35 yard line.
First foul.
Close to the head.
Number 66.
Defense.
First down.
Well the personal foul is against Berge.
And they step off the penalty yardage.
And now the Vikings have the football.
That's across the Eagle 40.
Inside the 40.
Down at the 36.
First and 10 for the Vikings.
They've swapped their wide receivers.
Rashad.
Inside Rashad is Bami White.
Rockington.
Fires.
Screen left.
Almost intercepted by Edwards.
Incomplete.
Intended for Rashad.
Edwards had the B that time.
And if he had taken it he would have gone 70 yards for a touchdown.
But the ball just moved his icy, icy hand.
Incomplete.
What a bloody that would have been.
But nevertheless, Herman does the job and knocks the pass away.
The Vikings.
Not yet in field goal range of Dan Meyer.
But they need more than a field goal.
They trail the Eagles by a six.
Eagles leading 27-21.
The clock was 3.19.
As Rockington lines them up.
Fends Ricky Young in motion right.
Rockington back.
Humps one.
Fires over to the near side.
The foreman who falls down.
And he's going to be contained at the 36.
The line is scrimmaged.
No damage there.
Well that was a break for the Eagles.
The Vikings ran a little free play that time.
Put a couple blockers in front of Chuck Foreman.
He caught the ball and had some running room.
But lost his footing and fell down.
And gave the Eagles time to recover.
So again, Sir Francis with an important, important third down.
It is third down and ten.
They have the ball at the 36 yard line.
Two minutes and 47 seconds.
46 seconds as the clock continues to tick.
Here in the fourth quarter.
The crowd gets ready for action.
The wide receivers are split.
One running back.
Rockington rolls right.
Setting.
Has time.
Goes long.
He counters.
Out of incomplete.
Incomplete.
Intended for Sammy White.
The pass broken up.
John Sharer down there at the end zone.
So Rockington that time tried to surprise the Eagles.
As he went for six.
He did not get it.
Fourth down and ten and twice last week against the Green Bay Packers.
Grant Tuckett has converted fourth down plays to keep the last second drive going.
And the Vikings have no thought to doing anything else but to go for it right now.
Rockington.
Huddling the Vikings.
On the afternoon.
27 completions for 54 attempts.
27 for 54.
Drawing in almost every down.
A fourth and ten.
This is it for the Eagles defense.
As Rockington rolls.
Set.
Goes left.
Still looking.
Close the pass.
A load is Pucker.
And Puckton goes out of bounds.
Down to the ten.
Pucker with a roll.
Rockington has the time.
The Eagles rush was not coming.
And he found Bob Pucker down to the Eagles ten yard line.
First down for the Vikings as they drive deeper and deeper into the Eagles territory.
And now the clock continues to tick.
All the way down we're going to have the two minute warning to start.
And the first down for the Vikings.
And the second down for the Eagles.
And the third down for the Vikings.
And the fourth down for the Vikings.
And the fifth down for the Vikings.
And the sixth down for the Vikings.
And the seventh down for the Eagles.
The Eagles 27.
The Vikings 21.
And the fourth quarter.
In all probability we have two minutes left in this football game.
The Vikings have the ball on the ten yard line of the Eagles.
The Eagles lead the Vikings.
27 to 21.
As Puckington came through with a pressure force down.
And a pass for Bob Pucker.
And a double.
And five by saying a Q.
Would do double the cancel.
Their job because of the
to the left and box them out of bounds but there is a flag thrown inside the
tent and let's wait see what happens here it could be holding against the
Vikings it is. It's been a long time since the Eagles got a break in this
ballgame and almost the whole second half in fact is going the Vikings way
but here's one that bounces the Eagles way of holding finally that's going to take
the bike back to the 20 yard line. 155 to remain. Eagles 27 Vikings 21. 20 yards
separating the Vikings. Holding number 73 offense still first down. Second holding penalty
the afternoon on Ron Yerry. Vikings need a touchdown the tie a touchdown and an
extra point to take the lead. They are 20 yards away. It is first down. Four shots
to the Vikings right here. 155 remaining in the fourth quarter. One running back
behind Parkinson as he drops he pumps he goes long looking into the end zone.
Touchdown!
A losing touchdown by Rashad!
As the Vikings quiet as he goes up between Herman Edwards and John Sharrah.
And lastly, history against the Packers. The peeps against the Eagles as Rashad goes
into the air as the Vikings have tied it up.
It was well covered the Eagles had him surrounded. Parkinson simply put the ball up
and Rashad did the rest. It's 27-27 and now Rick Danmeyer is in the ballgame to try to add the lead.
It's slippery. Paul Krause in trouble with the snap.
How is Carmichael would try to bat it out of the air. He's done that before.
The kick is off. It's good.
And so the Vikings take the lead in 28-27. But there is still time left in this game.
A minute and 49 seconds remaining and the Eagles will take the kick off and try to move
downfield. Jim, we will have to wait and see what happens. A bad break when Ron Jaworski
did not come back from the office on that last drive. They have John Dawson in there.
He does not have the experience but he does have the arms.
Absolutely and 1.49 to go. Eagles special teams now huddling around the 50 yard line,
40 yard line, trying to get something going here. A good return, a couple first downs
and who knows this game is far from over. That drive was 90 yards, 13 plays. Ron Jaworski
has the warm up jacket off. I think he's going to come back in this ballgame.
I try to drive the Eagles down in a two minute drill but they work on it so often in practice.
Try to drive them down. Although I would hate to see this game end on a field goal.
This field is so icy. Yamoda awaits the kick off to the far side.
Amfield to the near side. Van Meijer. Now they have Montgomery in there I believe to
try to take this thing down. Montgomery is in there.
Yamoda and Montgomery. Here's the kick off. It's high. It's short. It's Montgomery at the 15.
To the 20. To the 25. Montgomery to the 40. 45. He's down at the 38 yard line.
So Roy Wilberts in his number and took it out to the 38 and they have some operating positions.
Eagles are first and 10. The ball at the road, 38 yard line. And it is Jaworski of the game.
Right. Just want to say that Jaworski is the quarterback. Good position here on the 38
yard line and Wilberts in a game of so many inches here. A narrow break almost breaks that one all the way.
A minute and 42 seconds remaining in this fourth quarter. Eagles railing the Vikings by a point.
Out to the near side comes any pain and heroin Carmichael. Out to the far side goes Charlie Smith.
They operate with three wide receivers. Back to the open set. Jaworski.
Dropping. Stepping. Skipping ground. Big pace. Fires to Hogan. He's thrown for a loss at the 36.
Jaworski went to Hogan and Hogan could not get free of Bill Wise who dropped him back at the 36.
So now the Eagles get nowhere on that play of the clock. Down to one 22 and running.
It is a second down and all he does is go back to the line of scrimmage.
Again the three wide receivers employed. The backs are wide open.
Jaworski being right. Rolling right. Still rolling. And the Vikings back of him by the 40 at the 28.
But the lady makes the stop and down goes Jaworski at the 28 yard line.
And now a minute and seven remaining and the Eagles are going to take a timeout.
The Eagles are going to have a third down at 21 and they stop the clock at the 37.
A minute and seven remaining in the ball game and Jaworski huddles the Eagles for the third down at 21.
We've seen miracles this season. This one would not fit into the miracle category.
But it's a long shot at fence. Jaworski breaks him from the huddle.
Out to the near side comes Charlie Spence. Carmichael a pain out to the far side.
The back to the wide open set. As Jaworski goes into the long count.
He's dropping. He's setting. He's looking. Steps out of the pocket. Same shape.
Puts the pass in complete. Tennis for Hogan. And Malaney was all over Jaworski to pressure him and throw him down.
Jaworski's thrown down. He got the pass away in complete to Mike Hogan.
He avoids the loss. Carl Eller and Mark Malaney in there on Jaworski forcing him to unload.
He never had a chance Jim to set up and look for Smith or look for Carmichael or look for Payne.
Now it's fourth down now and all the marbles here. 21 yards to go. The Eagles are going to go for it.
Fourth down they have to. Just a minute remaining to be played in this football game.
The Eagles need that long completion or they need a pass interference against the Vikings.
Jaworski on his last chance. Lines them up. Dropping. Team Rush. Rolling left.
Setting up. Firing down. It is complete. It is complete to Charlie Smith who has the first down.
Just complete across midfield and the Eagles have a first down.
And a timeout with 51 seconds remaining to be played in the game.
And Jaworski turns the magic of the goal.
51 seconds. The Eagles have one timeout remaining. The Vikings have all of theirs. They want to get that football at least down the 25 yard line to give Mike Hogan a winning shot.
And even then it will be a long shot. The wide receivers are spread. He's got all three of them in there.
They're running back to his split. The Vikings in the nickel defense as Jaworski retreats.
Setting. Looking. Pumping once. Looking again. Incomplete.
And a timeout for Montgomery on the far side. Up to the 41 yard line. Incomplete. The players take back a second down to 10.
That timeout Kyle Reichel ran a deep corner pattern. Charlie Smith was running a deep post pattern.
And Kenny Payne cut underneath him and Kenny was wide open. A little bit more time and Jaworski would have been able to spot that.
One of the things that Dick Vermeer has said to us so often is that one of the outstanding attributes of Rod Jaworski is his ability to bring himself back. The leadership, the confidence, the belief that that right arm can penetrate anything.
And he's flying right here. Second down to 10. The ball on the Viking 49. Jaworski retreats. He's rolling right. He's setting up. He's still rolling. He's looking. He's directing traffic.
Fires down the sideline. Incomplete. Off of Viking. All those players said that he was looking for Charlie Smith. Down the white sideline at the 25 yard line.
That player breaks up the pass. Jaworski just rears all the way. He started to go against the traffic. He had some thought about running the football. Eventually unloaded. Vikings almost picked it off but they didn't.
And now it's third and 10 with 35 seconds from the clock in the board on the Viking 49. Vikings of course are all over here.
I'll try to make a situation like this and Rod Jaworski doing the best he can to try and find some of the other guys who are being covered. Not so much.
There's a slow down of 10. 35 seconds remaining to be played in this football game. The wide receivers.
Tom Michael has to be a far side. Paying in splits with the nearest side. The running back's open. Jaworski back. As time. Looks right. Rolling right. Still looking. Being practiced. Still looking. Fires the football. Incomplete. Incomplete.
It was intended for Mike Hogan who was his last royal hope on the white sideline. But he gets it off. He was tilted. I believe Carl Ellers was the man who tilted Jaworski.
But he picked himself up and he walked slowly back to the hole. He takes a look at the scoreboard which reads 26 seconds remaining to be played in this football game.
The Eagles 27. The Vikings 28. The football of the Vikings 49 yard line. Drama here in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Fourth and 10. Parkinson made the first down plays. And Jaworski. Playing out to the nearest side. In that front. Charlie Smith. Tom Michael out to the far side.
The last chance for the Eagles right here. The back through split. Jaworski calls the signals. He's back. He's rolling. He's hitting. He fires the football. Intercepted by the Vikings.
Intercepted by Matt Moore who has fallen over at the 35 yard line. That player, Intercepts LePen, has a Viking to existence. 17 seconds.
Hit right from Mike Hogan right here as Jaworski's last big effort of foul-get-one goes awry.
17 seconds remaining to be played in this football game. And Jim, there's one thing we can be pretty certain of and you know what it is. You will be no exchanges. Parkinson will merely fall on the ball.
Well, I would certainly think so. I'd say around as long as he is, it's been a cop to fall up in this situation. Very frustrating situation here.
Overall for the Eagles, ironically, Kent Payne has found some open daylight there. And Jaworski just couldn't get enough on the football to get it over the head of Blair and into the arms of Kent Payne.
17 seconds left and I have learned to stop giving the credits until the clock goes 0-0-0-0-0. But nevertheless, it is Parkinson just falling on the football.
14 seconds and the Eagles will use their final timeout to stop the clock. But that's all they can do.
The Eagles will take their final timeout right here and Parkinson is just going to huddle them back and drop on the football one more time.
But we knew it. We knew it all game long. Even when the Eagles led the Vikings 27 to 14 and a half time, it wasn't one person in the Eagles organization watching the football game thinking this is all but rocked up.
We've seen Mike Parkinson do it seemingly a hundred times. He comes back and when there are points to get, points needed, he somehow finds ways, invents ways, advises ways, but comes up with ways to get those points on the scoreboard.
He's done it before and unfortunately for the Eagles, he has done it this afternoon.
16 seconds remaining to be played in this football game and this should do it as Parkinson falls on the ball and the crowd gets to their seat and they count the seconds off the clock.
Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, it's over.
The Minnesota Vikings have the speed of the Eagles, the final score the Vikings 28, the Eagles 27.