OJ’s 1975 Season. Better than ‘73?

[Chandler#81]

11 hours ago, sherpa said:

Simpson had this technique that I've not seen anyone else display.

He would take the hand off, and if not immediately engaged, he would drop his shoulders to lower his center of mass, enabling him to cut quicker.

A kind of "glide" mode, waiting for defenders to commit.

Then he would cut and make the defenders miss, coming out of the glide.

Of course as an Olympic level sprinter, if he got away from the second level it was al over.

Just a special athlete and joy to watch. 

He also had a move (knack?) of dragging a leg when a would be tackler was near, which allowed him to evade getting arms around his legs. I don’t see that maneuver much at all these days.

6 hours ago, Augie said:

Thanks for some awesome flashbacks! I’m not sure what season it was, but I remember where I was and who I was with when he ran for 250 yards against the Patriots. I was ecstatic! 

 

Hard to believe he was later a guy who was in trouble for stealing cookies in prison. 

You’re welcome, Aug. He had a couple 200 yd games against the Pats*. The 250 mark was the ‘73 Opener at Schaffer Stadium. Also had 213 vs them* later that season in a snow game at home. 

[billsfan1959]

On 7/2/2021 at 7:24 AM, Chandler#81 said:

He didn’t have as many yards, but he scored 23 TDs including 7 receiving, 5.5ypc, 15.2 ypc

You decide.

 

Click Watch on YouTube 

 

I loved what OJ and the Bills running game did to Pittsburgh in 1975, particularly given the almost mythical status of that defense (and they were damned good) and the fact I hated the Steelers. However, my favorite OJ performance that year was what OJ did in the Cincinnati game (17 rushes, 197 yds). Cincinnati was a really good team that year as well and they also had a top ten defense. While the highlight video you posted showed only one run, I remember watching that game and thinking if OJ would have carried the ball 30-35 times, he would have rushed for 350+ yds. He seemed almost unstoppable that night.

 

Edited July 3, 2021 by billsfan1959

[SoCal Deek]

He was the best running back I’ve ever seen play the game. In somewhat a parallel to today’s Bills it’s interesting how OJ never took off until Lou Saban came back and unleashed the running game. Before that OJ was just wallowing around in a lack luster start to his professional career. I wonder if the same could happen to the current Bills if they focused more on the run game. Something changed in those early Saban teams. I’m guessing it had a lot to do with scheme, practice, and the offensive line. 

Edited July 3, 2021 by SoCal Deek

[The Frankish Reich]

On 7/2/2021 at 8:58 AM, jwhit34 said:

The Golden Age of Buffalo sports was that 1973-75 or '76, don't forget the Buffalo Braves who had McAdoo. OJ and McAdoo were MVPs and Perreault was one of the top players in the NHL, the French Connection the best line in the league. 

 

I have long thought the '75 OJ year was just a little better because of the TDs and the receiving threat. Also in '73 the team was not considered a playoff threat so while they were obviously trying to win games, the focus was really on the rushing record. The '75 year was phenomenal because they were coming off a playoff year, expectations were high and opponents were gunning for them. 

My family moved away from Buffalo just before that time. It wasn't easy being a little kid trying to follow Buffalo sports teams from the opposite coast! Football wasn't so bad with its once a week schedule and the spotlight on OJ. But before the internet - before even espn - being a Braves and Sabres fan meant trying to figure out what the hell happened last night by reading a box score or two-line recap in the next day's newspaper, provided the game finished on time to make the next morning's paper. 

[Rubes]

On 7/2/2021 at 7:28 AM, RJ (not THAT RJ) said:

For a big chunk of '75 he was on pace to break 2000 yards again, and he also scored more TDs and was a more effective receiver... that was by far his most complete year as a football player.

 

Alas, that 1975 year has to be remembered as one of the greatest missed opportunities in Buffalo sports history. 4-0 start, then up 14-0 early at home on MNF against the Giants, looking like no one could stop them. Then.... pfffffft. They lose focus in that game, miss a chip shot FG then lose at the buzzer, and everything unravels. Defense evaporates (they blow a 28-7 lead at home against the Colts to lose 42-35, they play MNF in Cincy and the Bengals never have to punt), two painful losses to the Dolphins (of course... the first where a Leypoldt XP miss [he had a talent for inopportune shanks] haunts them in a 35-30 loss, the second on the Mercury Morris Fumble). Sigh.

 

What made it worse is that as the season unraveled, Saban got itchy feet complaining about management, OJ started talking about retiring to go into the movies, and dissension grew, setting the stage for the completely ugly collapse of the team in 1976. It would take years to get back to respectability. Can't help wondering how much would have been different if Leypoldt had hit that 19-yard figgie in the 4th quarter on Monday night against the Giants.

 

Of course 1975 was also the year the Sabres started the season like a house on fire (in a good way) and looked set to be a perennial Cup contender, only to fall apart in the playoffs against the damned Islanders for the first and not the last time.

 

(Yes, I was 8 then, and yes I have spent way too much time thinking about such things.)

 

Well said. Same age, same memories. 1975 was a tough year indeed.

 

Damn, though, OJ was really good. Never an end zone dance, either.

 

On 7/3/2021 at 7:11 AM, SoCal Deek said:

He was the best running back I’ve ever seen play the game. In somewhat a parallel to today’s Bills it’s interesting how OJ never took off until Lou Saban came back and unleashed the running game. Before that OJ was just wallowing around in a lack luster start to his professional career. I wonder if the same could happen to the current Bills if they focused more on the run game. Something changed in those early Saban teams. I’m guessing it had a lot to do with scheme, practice, and the offensive line. 

 

There was some incredible O-line blocking in that video as well. On one play in there against the Steelers, Braxton and McKenzie both violently took out Steelers defenders and opened up a huge hole for OJ.

 

[sherpa]

Simpson and Barry Sanders were the only running backs I ever saw that if you watched the body language of singular open field tackers, you could see they knew they were already beat.

[The Frankish Reich]

On 7/3/2021 at 7:11 AM, SoCal Deek said:

He was the best running back I’ve ever seen play the game. In somewhat a parallel to today’s Bills it’s interesting how OJ never took off until Lou Saban came back and unleashed the running game. Before that OJ was just wallowing around in a lack luster start to his professional career. I wonder if the same could happen to the current Bills if they focused more on the run game. Something changed in those early Saban teams. I’m guessing it had a lot to do with scheme, practice, and the offensive line. 

Maybe only Earl Campbell in my memory was his equal (Jim Brown was before my time), but he sustained that level for a much shorter period of time.

[BuffaloBill]

On 7/2/2021 at 8:59 AM, skibum said:

Definitely better than his '94 season. 

 

 

Ouch…

[mannc]

2 hours ago, The Frankish Reich said:

Maybe only Earl Campbell in my memory was his equal (Jim Brown was before my time), but he sustained that level for a much shorter period of time.

Campbell or OJ?

[The Frankish Reich]

43 minutes ago, mannc said:

Campbell or OJ?

Campbell. He had 3 truly great seasons, then injuries, then just one very good season after that. OJ, for a running back, was pretty durable.

42 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

Campbell. He had 3 truly great seasons, then injuries, then just one very good season after that. OJ, for a running back, was pretty durable.

And I really should have included Barry Sanders as the third Mount Rushmore RB of my time. I think Jim Brown is the other.

 

EDIT: ok, so it occurred to me that I just put OJ on a theoretical Mt. Rushmore. Maybe that was a bad way of putting it ....

Edited July 6, 2021 by The Frankish Reich

[mannc]

Just now, The Frankish Reich said:

Campbell. He had 3 truly great seasons, then injuries, then just one very good season after that. OJ, for a running back, was pretty durable.

OJ really had only 5 exceptional seasons as a pro, but that has to be put in context.  His first great season (1973), he was already 26 years old, having played four years in college and four years with the Bills, mostly as a decoy/blocking back due to almost criminal incompetence on the part of the Bills' organization.  Nowadays, Simpson would have been on his second contract when he had his breakout season...We really only got a glimpse (magnificent as it was) of what could have been...    

[The Frankish Reich]

36 minutes ago, mannc said:

OJ really had only 5 exceptional seasons as a pro, but that has to be put in context.  His first great season (1973), he was already 26 years old, having played four years in college and four years with the Bills, mostly as a decoy/blocking back due to almost criminal incompetence on the part of the Bills' organization.  Nowadays, Simpson would have been on his second contract when he had his breakout season...We really only got a glimpse (magnificent as it was) of what could have been...    

That's right. OJ only showed us glimpses (based on his usage, and the general incompetence of the offense as a whole) in his first few seasons. 

 

The first NFL game I ever saw, at the old Rockpile. I was about 8 years old:

 

Scoring

 

MIA@BUF, 9-26-71

Dolphins Garo Yepremian 15 yard field goal 3-0

Bills Wayne Patrick 1 yard rush (Grant Guthrie kick)3-7

Dolphins Garo Yepremian 46 yard field goal 6-7

Dolphins Garo Yepremian 13 yard field goal 9-7

Dolphins Garo Yepremian 9 yard field goal 12-7

Dolphins Larry Csonka 1 yard rush (Garo Yepremian kick) 19-7

Bills O.J. Simpson 46 yard rush (Grant Guthrie kick)19-14

Dolphins Paul Warfield 23 yard pass from Bob Griese (Garo Yepremian kick) 26-14

Dolphins Garo Yepremian 48 yard field goal 29-14 FINAL

 

I was sitting with my dad in the end zone where OJ scored on the 46 yard run.

Me to Dad: Why don't they let OJ run more often?*

Dad: (something like this) "Because the coach is an idiot."

 

*he ran the ball 9 times that game. Csonka and Kiick ran it 20 each for the Dolphins, for 100+ yards. Each.

Edited July 6, 2021 by The Frankish Reich

[Ethan in Cleveland]

On 7/2/2021 at 7:58 AM, jwhit34 said:

The Golden Age of Buffalo sports was that 1973-75 or '76, don't forget the Buffalo Braves who had McAdoo. OJ and McAdoo were MVPs and Perreault was one of the top players in the NHL, the French Connection the best line in the league. 

 

I have long thought the '75 OJ year was just a little better because of the TDs and the receiving threat. Also in '73 the team was not considered a playoff threat so while they were obviously trying to win games, the focus was really on the rushing record. The '75 year was phenomenal because they were coming off a playoff year, expectations were high and opponents were gunning for them. 

Bills of the 90's had Thurman who was a MVP and Bruce Smith who was defensive MVP and a team that would have 5 HOF players if you include Lofton, a HOF coach, and multiple other Wall of Fame guys. 

Sabres at the same time had an aging Mike Ramsey, a young Mogilny, future HOF Dave Andrechcuk, and they traded for Lafontaine.  By the mid-90's they added Hasek.  

 

The years you note were great, but the early 90's were much better.  OJ was an all-world talent and is still in the conversation for greatest RB of all time, but the team was terrible.  

[The Frankish Reich]

35 minutes ago, Ethan in Portland said:

Bills of the 90's had Thurman who was a MVP and Bruce Smith who was defensive MVP and a team that would have 5 HOF players if you include Lofton, a HOF coach, and multiple other Wall of Fame guys. 

Sabres at the same time had an aging Mike Ramsey, a young Mogilny, future HOF Dave Andrechcuk, and they traded for Lafontaine.  By the mid-90's they added Hasek.  

 

The years you note were great, but the early 90's were much better.  OJ was an all-world talent and is still in the conversation for greatest RB of all time, but the team was terrible.  

Well, the 1990s Braves Clippers did have one winning season, so there's that ....

[Putin]

On 7/2/2021 at 6:47 AM, I am the egg man said:

What he did in '73 was thought impossible to achieve.

 

What he did in '75 was total dominance unlike any RB.

 

Glad I witnessed both yrs. It's too close to call for me.

Those were before my days  I witness the ‘94 OJ 

Edited July 7, 2021 by Putin