OT (which here means 'Old Timers'): NFL Game Films, 1976 Patriots

oldrover said:

I'd been following the Pats since they drafted Plunkett in 1971, but this was the year I became OBSESSED with them. Great season... marred only by the bogus 'roughing the passer' call on Hamilton. 25 minutes of retro Pats fun... to all my fellow old-timers: enjoy.

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I Hear Ya! I've been a Die Hard Pats Fan since '76 mainly because of Grogan. I was a Viking Fan before Tarkenton Jersey. We definitely got robbed on that Sugar Bear Hamilton Phanthom call on Stabler. Funny thing is it would have been Pats/Vikes in SB that year instead of Raiders. Gotta love make-up call Tuck Rule. Karma Baby!

Incredible team going from 3-11 to 11-3 and breaking all-time NFL rushing records in the process. Haynes was the best pure athlete ever to play for the Pats, Hannah and Gray the best OL duo, and Grogan very underrated by history. Star-crossed by the Drieth call on the verge of a title, the Stingley tragedy the next pre-season, and bad ownership moves after that, they may be the best team to never win a championship.

oldrover said:

"Oy vey!!!"

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One of @Patjew 's relatives from the wrong side of the tracks

Line blocking was so different then. They just ran and crushed people and kept running and crushed more people. Sam the Bam was amazing. Did you see the pass he caught? What an underrated player by the mass media. Also did you catch the fact that Randy Vataha played CB on his way back from an injury. BB wasn't the first Patriots coach to play receivers on defense. Great stuff. Thanks for sharing.

denverpatsfan said:

Line blocking was so different then. They just ran and crushed people and kept running and crushed more people. Sam the Bam was amazing. Did you see the pass he caught? What an underrated player by the mass media. Also did you catch the fact that Randy Vataha played CB on his way back from an injury. BB wasn't the first Patriots coach to play receivers on defense. Great stuff. Thanks for sharing.

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Don't forget, to legally block back then, you couldn't use your hands. Tougher to block back then. Now, there is holding on EVERY play, but the refs probably catch it/call it 10% of the time.

scott99 said:

Don't forget, to legally block back then, you couldn't use your hands. Tougher to block back then. Now, there is holding on EVERY play, but the refs probably catch it/call it 10% of the time.

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??? how on earth were you supposed to block without using your hands? (not doubting you, just trying to picture how you would do that--use your wrists? elbows?)

Well, you block using forearm shoves. When I played HS football in the late 90s, that was the first technique I was taught. Our coach's logic was that if we figured that out, then being allowed to use our hands would be easier.

scott99 said:

I love that Gil Santos did the narration of the video. He sounds so different from the 2000's Patriots. Used to love when he would say, "Dillon is down, AND IN" when he scored a TD.

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Also loved it when Gil called the big TD - "Touchdown! ... Touchdown! ... Touchdown!"

Two examples I can recall -

Mike Haynes was sooooooo good!

Hoggie pulling on a sweep!!

All World Russ destroyed Oakland.

Sam Hunt with a pick-six

Zeus said:

Also loved it when Gil called the big TD - "Touchdown! ... Touchdown! ... Touchdown!"

Two examples I can recall -

Otis Smith fumble return against Jaguars to clinch 96 AFC Championship game.

Troy Brown PR TD against Steelers in 2001 AFC Championship game.​

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I believe he adopted that call for all Pats scores because he often didn't have a great vantage point from the radio booth, and sometimes couldn't see who scored, especially on a pass play. Pretty shrewd.