No question that Griese was selected due his drawing power and name recognition. The great Paul Brown really brought Kenny along out of a tiny school. Played to his strengths. Loved those original Bengals uniforms! Nice work Mark!
Can't say I agree on the unis, though. A simple word on a helmet is not as good as a logo. Furthermore, black type against that orange makes it impossible to recognize at a distance. The stripes were a huge improvement.
@@markgardner9460 The white helmet with the mono white or leotard look does nothing for me. I liked the simplistic uniforms and always got a kick out of Paul Brown giving Art Modell the finger by designing a uniform that was as close to possible to the Browns. I think the Bengals lettering on the helmet was written in a size that purposely was difficult to see from a distance. I can see how many would feel it being too dull. The current helmets are now considered iconic.
I worked late last night dang I missed seeing this! Until now! But absolutely Anderson deserved the nod over Griese in 74! Pretty much mopped the floor with him in every statistical category! Yes Griese winning 2 super bowls and name recommendation ( and Shula?) definitely got him in over the more deserving Anderson! And yes I say this every time I see him but it's absolutely ridiculous that Anderson isn't in the HOF!
100% ! And another Bengal that is snubbed that NO ONE talks about is Tim Krumrie ! Krumrie led the Bengals in tackles as a Nose Tackle in 6 of his 10 seasons ! To my knowledge NO Nose Tackle has ever led his team in tackles ( a couple of DT's have...but that's way different from a NT ) for a SINGLE season ! He was like having another LB out there ! I saw his entire career and he routinely made TFL's for loss on sweeps. made tackles roaming sideline to sideline and even made tackles on TE's and WR's 10 - 15 yards downfield...Nose Tackles JUST don't do that !
In my book he is the No.2 HOF snub behind Jim Marshall. By my account the 15th best quarterback to start a career after 1947, just ahead of Brett Farve.
@@bryanjones4444 I wouldn't agree he's # 2...but Marshall is right there with him. Just his longevity deserved to make him a 1st ballot HOFer. To be that productive for that long is a feat unto itself ! For years I just assumed he was in there, found out a couple years ago he wasn't. Look up Tim Krumrie's career stats ( as NT ) and tell me why he isn't in the HOF !
@@keithsowder4308 I might be convinced that they were 1 and 1A, both should have been in long ago. Pro Football Reference rates Marshall's career as the 5th best of ANY defensive lineman in history.
Given the stats, I think the NFL must have sold out Anderson in an effort to get more attendance by choosing Griese. I can't think of a more logical reason. Anderson was a brilliant quarterback. He should be (in my opinion) in the HOF. Anderson hauling arse to catch Wagner to prevent a touchdown is impressive as hell! Not as impressive is Jack Tatum at 1:57 winding up and then trying to deliver an uppercut to Issac Curtis. So glad he completely missed. Great video Mark!👏👏 Thank you!
Great video, as always. It's funny how often passing success in those days correlated with losing or average teams. The Bengals were 7-7 in 1974, and their leading rusher only amassed 375 yards on the ground. From the video, it looks superficially like Anderson had a great supporting cast, because we see names we recognize--Isaac Curtis, Lenvil Elliot, Essex Johnson, Bob Trumpy, and Charlie Joiner. But it seems Essex only played a few games that season, and Joiner only played 10. Not many recognizable names on their defense, either, except maybe Ken Riley and Lamar Parish.
None of their RB's rushed ove 100X in '74. They had 5 that rushed between 50 and 99. Amazingly the defense only had 4 players intercept a pass for a paultry total of 9. Ken Riley had 5 of them.
Ken Anderson definitely deserves to be in the HoF. He had a workman like demeanor and played for “meh” Bengals teams until later in his career. His numbers are sure HoF worthy, imo.
Another great video! I ran Ken through the REAL GOAT scoring system several months ago and found that he has been ripped off by the Hall of Fame committee as well. Ken not only breaks the 400 scoring mark that makes him a legitimate Hall of Famer but scores 496.7 which is 17.9 points ahead of Brett Farve and 22,5 points behind Sonny Jurgensen and makes him the 15th greatest quarterback to start a career after 1947. I believe if the Bengals had not had the luxury of having Pete Johnson Ken would have had to throw more touchdown passes and that would have boosted his score above Sonny. I started working on John Brodie but his many partial seasons means that he will take longer to analyze than most quarterbacks, but I will get to it before Thanksgiving.
9:43 I had completely forgotten that Curley Culp played for anyone but the Chiefs but there he is bangin' away for Houston. I _love_ all this footage you find!
Check out his Wikipedia page. What a great career he had in era that was not easy. And consistently good for 15 years. I appreciate a player like him more than ever because he kept that Bengal franchise competitive. In that 1981 year , he was brilliant. Beat the Chargers in the AFC Championship and played great throwing for 300 yards and two TD’s in the Super Bowl against that Niner defense. Definitely a HOF’r. He’s been nominated but it’s time to let him. He earned it.
Call me crazy but people forget the Bengals got down BIG in the first half of that SB. If I remember correctly they turned the ball over THREE times in the first half...and also turned the ball over on downs by not converting a 4th & Goal from the 4 yard line. I'm convinced IF they don't commit those turnovers in the first half...they beat the Niners handily. Bengals were down 20 - 0 at the half and ended up losing 26 - 21.
@@keithsowder4308 They dropped two kickoffs towards the very end of the first half and the 49ers converted both into points. I do think the Bengals were a better team than the 49ers THAT year, though not the second time they played. Anderson had a great game, but couldn't make up for the turnovers or Pete Johnson's failure to get into the end zone.
@@RRaquello You make a lot of great points....but the thing that I hated the most was that DUMB ASS pass to Charles Alexander on the 4th and goal from the 1 ! I'm a lifetime Bengal fan but Alexander used to pissed me off so much ! He was like 6' 3" and 240 lbs. and instead of running with power he'd always dance like he was O.J. ! No way I make that call there...I either give Johnson another crack. Anderson a QB sneak..or my fave, play action Left, Bootleg right and flood the right end zone with a WR, TE, RB and force the LB to either stay back and defend the pass ( Anderson runs it in ) or come up and defend the run...and you got a guy open in the corner of the End Zone ! If they convert there...they win ! And I disagree with you on that 2nd game. The Bengals HAD the lead with like 1:40 left...and people forget this because NFL ( NFL Films to be specific they seldom show this play in the SB films ) makes them forget this...on either the play right before or 2 plays before Taylor caught the winning TD pass....Montana threw a pick right to Lewis Billups that he DROPPED ! Billups makes that easy catch...games over !
among the things I love about your videos, it keeps me updating my autograph collection, think i have about 80% of the NFL HOF (excluding coaches and executives). Just picked up a nice Anderson last month, and a floyd little yesterday
Great stuff my friend ! You know I love seeing those clips of Kenny, Issac and Trumpy ! I have not seen a more accurate QB in my 50+ years of watching NFL football ! The only 2 guys I can think of ( and when I say accurate I don't just mean throwing it where your guy can catch it...I mean throwing it where ONLY your guy can catch it, throwing the receiver open by putting the ball in the best possible spot for the receiver ) in his league that I have seen are Aikman and Burrows. Look at some film on Dan Ross when he was the Bengals TE...I couldn't tell you the number of times that I saw Anderson throw over the middle to Ross or Collinsworth or Steve Kreider INCHES off the ground where ONLY they had a chance to catch it. He was masterful...also, he was right there with Boomer Esaison ( Hell, he may have TAUGHT it to Boomer ) as far as the best play action fake QB's. I know without a DOUBT he IS Hall of Fame worthy...and the fact that not only ISN'T there...but wasn't inducted in his first couple years of his eligibility is a complete JOKE !
I agree - Anderson was deserving of being in the HOF right away. You brought up another of my favorite QB's: Boomer! He threw a great ball that looked easy to catch and like you stated, he was masterful at the play fake. As always, thanks Keith!
Ken Anderson (14) should be in the Hall - I predict that some day soon, he’ll get the nod. He’s got the credentials. That AFC Central Division was brutal in the 70’s and he had his team right there fighting for first place in marquee games throughout. By 1974, even the Houston Oilers were a tough draw in the division. Great footage of his precision passes.
I'm glad that you brought up the Oilers because their defense was tough as nails with the additions of Curley Culp, Robert Brazile and Gregg Bingham to go along with veteran DE Elvin Bethea. They dished out a lot of bumps and bruises.
I don't know if a Hall of Fame argument could be made for him, but I hope viewers noticed Isaac Curtis in this video. He was a great, great receiver, but played in the wrong era because the 70s was dominated by the running game. Curtis was big, tall, strong and super fast. He was made more for today's game than for the 1970's. Watching this reminds me what great receivers Anderson had to pass to that year: Curtis, Bob Trumpy, Charlie Joiner, Chip Myers. As a Bengals fan growing up in NY at the time, that game vs. Pittsburgh remains my all-time favorite. Will Ken Anderson ever get in the Hall of Fame? Well, Johnny Robinson, another of my top favorites as a kid, finally got in after years & years. I thought they forgot about him, but somehow he got in. His selection gives me hope for Ken Anderson.
I want to give props to the underrated Bengals offensive line who provided excellent protection for Anderson. Center Bob Johnson was fine, as was Tackle Rufus Mayes.
@@markgardner9460 Bob Johnson was a great player and might have gotten more all-pro and Hall of Fame consideration if he was playing for a more high profile team, The Original Bengal.
I really do miss the AFC Central Division rivalry of Houston, Cincinatti, Cleavland and Pittsburg. Now Modell's Browns are in Baltimore and Adams' Oilers are in Tennessee and I think both have won Superbowls since leaving. Tradition means nothing to the NFL. Another great video, Mark.
He had playoff wins, he took the Bengals to the Super Bowl./.and along the way beat the Chargers who were quarterbacked by Dan Fouts, who is IN the HOF, has virtually identical stats as Anderson....but NEVER took his team to a Super Bowl....how do you explain THAT ?
@@danielbowden6330 To your point, He and Dan Fouts have almost identical career stats. Fouts is in the HOF, Kenny isn't...yet Kenny took the Bengals to the Super Bowl, Fouts never took his Chargers to the "Big Dance". And let's not forget that those Chargers teams were LOADED with weapons like John Jefferson, Charlie Joiner, Wes Chandler, Kellen Winslow, Chuck Muncie and James Brooks !
@@markgardner9460 It would have been nice if they could have held on to Bill Bergey. Then they lost two top guys, Mike Reid & Tommy Casanova, who quit in the middle of their careers to pursue other things. Reid became a musician and Casanova a dentist (I think). Crazy.
@@markgardner9460 They also had Lemar Parrish, who was a great DB (and kick returner). Losing Reid & Bergey were big blows because those were all pros. Bergey signed with the WFL which pissed off Paul Brown and he traded him to Philadelphia, which was stupid. Reid just quit football. With those two guys they might have had a defense that could compete with Pittsburgh, but without them they had a decent defense, but not good enough to win Super Bowls.
@elwin38 If RB Charles Alexander ran his pass pattern into the end zobe, then there was no way that LB Danny Bunz could have tackled him in bounds. The Bengals should have taken the lead late in that game and possibly won it.
Sad but true. If not for the 49ers stopping Pete Johnson twice from the one yard line and Collinsworth fumbling inside the 10 Anderson would be in the Hall. How stupid is that. Circumstances beyond his control are preventing him from the honor that he earned.
@@markgardner9460 I've got a black pre-stripes Anderson jersey. The only football jersey I own. I don't collect jerseys. Only three I had to have: Ken Anderson in football, Brooks Robinson in baseball and Joe Mullen in hockey. And for Anderson, I didn't want nothing with even a hint of the stripes.
@@markgardner9460 I bought a throwback to their 1966 World Series road uniforms. One of the best looking uniforms ever. And also black & orange, but that's just a coincidence. Brooks was my favorite player when I was growing up and I guess ever. He's why I always wanted to play 3rd base.
Agree. HOF? Probably. I got to see him, Essex Johnson, Curtis etc. @ Mile High in Denver....I remember Cincy winning slim. Anderson was a tough, driven, cerebral player and a magician at play action. He threw a tight beautiful ball. He did become a good coach and OC. Has he done enough for football? Yes. Was he good enough as a player? Eh, I dunno. Yeah, he should be in the hall - barely. Playoff game - give me Stabler, Staubach, Bradshaw, Griese....note: the players of his era in the hall hurt Anderson (by numbers in)( shouldn't matter though). Thanks brother, you're appreciated.
As always, thanks for your insightful comments. With Cinci's good running game, it really helped to allow Anderson effectively sell the play fakes. The Bengals defense wasn't quite as good as the top AFC rivals and playing the Steelers twice every year didn't aid them in their hopes of post-season glory.
@@markgardner9460 I simply typed in Ken Anderson in Wikipedia and looked at the accomplishments and said WOW. He is HOF. Cincy suffered the same "fly-over" snobbery that Denver received for years. Thanks brother.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for this well-deserved and excellently produced tribute to the most underrated player in NFL history. Ken Anderson had the best mechanics of any QB I’ve ever seen and I’ve been watching NFL football since 1972 and I’ve seen films of all the greats before that. He was a terrific all-around athlete and could make all the throws. I also loved his hide-the-ball-behind-his-back play action. Who knows what the Bengals could have accomplished if Anderson had even a semblance of Stabler’s line, Griese’s backfield and the Steeler’s defense. His career fell right into the chasm of the Cowboy/Dolphin/Raider/Steeler glory years-all COMPLETE teams studded with hall of famers on both sides of the ball. Anderson was also the prototype for Bill Walsh’s West Coast Offense. Perhaps the biggest blunder Paul Brown ever made was naming Tiger Johnson Bengals’ head coach upon his own retirement instead of Bill Walsh.
You're welcome! I'm glad that you enjoyed the video. Even as a young kid watching that week 9 game of his against the Steelers, I knew that I was viewing greatness. Year after year he continued to excel and there was no reason to believe that he wouldn't make the Hall of Fame. Yet here we are 33 years after he became eligible and we're still inexplicably waiting!
My grandparents sir, tell me: there is no accounting for taste when it comes to pro bowl! They also say: Anderson should have been on that squad! Go's bless you 🙏, Joey in Cleveland! As an addendum: my grandparents tell me : Ken Anderson, should be in the HOF, but again, personal preference!
@@markgardner9460 Look it up...Jackson ( as always ) got hurt down the stretch and Hunley played several games and got hurt and Huntley started the last 4 and their playoff game against the Bengals. Turns out so many QB's begged off playing in the Pro Bowl Huntley made the squad ! Here's more info. from an article I found.Huntley finished 48th in the league in passing yards (658) and touchdowns (two) during the regular season in a league that has just 32 teams. More so, he only played in five games as well as Baltimore’s wild-card round loss to the Bengals, due to Lamar Jackson nursing an injury. To make the situation even more stunning, Huntley had thrown for a total of just 275 yards with zero touchdowns when voting for the Pro Bowl Games closed on Dec. 15, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Nevertheless, Huntley was voted the AFC’s fourth alternate last month, which let fans know that the possibility of him actually making the -star showcase was real.
When was the final selections made, before or after the playoffs? That playoff game between the Raiders and Dolphins is an all time classic, and they had those two QB's in the Pro Bowl. I always thought that Anderson was the best passer in the 1970's, though not the best QB. To put up constantly the numbers he did year in and year out while being in the same division as the Steel Curtain is extraordinary! Fran Tarkenton broke his record with a 17 of 18 performance against his Bengals in 1977, but Anderson did his 20 of 22 against the eventual World Champion Steelers!
I'm unsure as to when the final selections were made, but I'm inclined to believe before the playoffs. Incidently, Griese and Stabler were also the AFC's QB's for the prior year's game.
Bill Walsh was the offensive coordinator back then for the Bengals. Paul Brown had some kind of jealousy issue with Walsh and passed him over for HC and trird to sabotage him with other teams before he joined the 49ers.
Certainly curious as to why Anderson was snubbed. Not just from the pro-Bowl that year, but also the HOF. Sure makes one wonder the judgement of those who make such decisions.
I don't get it. What can they possibily be holding against him? No Super Bowl is the only conclusion. Well, there are other QB's in the HOF that are in that same boat.
I agree. Pastorini threw a great deep ball, but he'd go to the well too frequently which resulted in too many interceptions. Stallworth and Swann's acrobatic catches bailed Bradshaw out on a regular basis.
I hear ya, but Bradshaw didn't contribute much for those first 2 rings. I give Bradshaw a lot of credit for his running ability and willingness to play through pain.
@@patrickmcglynn5383 Terry was way below average for the first 5 years of his career. In fact, for those 5 years he was the worst quarterback in the league. The Steelers are the only team that I could find after hours of research to not win a championship with a top 2 defense and running game. Sadly, they did it twice with Bradshaw as their quarterback in 72 and again in 76.
@@markgardner9460 Oh yeah. People here in Denver, including me, were apoplectic about the prospect of Randy not getting in the HOF. He is also a really good guy, Mark. Very humble, too. He never complained about not being in the HOF, in fact some people thought he didn't promote himself enough. But he isn't that type of guy.
How about an NFL all food named team...help me out if you can come up with more. Off the top of my head I came up with Chris Hanburger or Mitch Berger, Coy Bacon, Bubba Franks, Jerrod Mayo, Jerry Rice, Samari Rolle, Jason Bean, Jack Ham, Chad Mustard, Bob Fry, Julius Peppers, Deron Cherry, Jamaal Fudge, Milt Plum and Demetrin Veal...now I'm sure if we opened it up to all sports we'd get a ton more like Chili Davis ( MLB) and "Cornbread" Maxwell ( NBA )
@@markgardner9460 Dils would work, it's an herb ! Reminded me of a stupid joke. "Why did the transgender male always eat salads ? Because he was a her before !"
Lets look at a misconception, Ken was a “system" quarterback a dink-and-dunk Picasso due to the West Coast offense with Bill Walsh at the helm, but that was just a way that Walsh saw a path to gaining a victory. Anderson was able to expand on that theory due to having more arm strength than Virgil Carter. Many fail to remember that in the years of 1973 and 1974 he was heaving bombs to Issac Curtis. Don’t know what the selection criteria was at the time, It may come to what numbers do you hold in the high regards Kens passing completion percentage was 1st at 64.9 Griese was 2nd at 60.1 Anderson is credited with 7 wins and 6 losses with 1 and 1/2 games missed. Griese was 10 wins 3 losses and 1 tie *Game winning drives* Anderson 0 Griese had 3 The better question may be who do you leave off of the AFC 1974 roster to add Ken Anderson?
In '74, the fans, coaches and players all voted in equal measure in determining the Pro Bowl participants. I can see why the players and fans would have voted for the "well known name" player Griese over the four year player Anderson. It just seems strange to me that Anderson didn't make the team and that they couldn't sell any tickets to the game in Miami.
@@markgardner9460 What I find strange is that the NFC had 3 quarterbacks and the AFC had 2. Of the AFC quarterbacks, Anderson gets my vote over Griese hands down. Another great video, thank you for sharing
Tarkenton was named to the squad, but he did not attend the game due to what was originally reported as an "injury". Later, Tarkenton said that he missed the game due to "business". What I take that to mean is that Tarkenton didn't want to risk his business to injury.
Fran Tarkenton never had an official QB Coach, although Head Coach Norm Van Brocklin essentially acted as one during Fran's first stint with the Vikings.
@markgardner9460 Montana had broader steps on the 3-5 step range and a cleaner last step before setting up for the throw. Anderson takes more of a half step at the end of his drop. Walsh said Montana's natural hitch step was better than the style he had previously coached to both Anderson and Fouts, so Walsh adapted Montana's hitch step to his coaching.
The Executive V.P. and General Manager in 1974 was Jack Steadman. In '71 the Chiefs were 10-3-1, in '72 8-6, in '73 7-5-2 and in '74 5-9, so there was a downward spiral. Their top players got old and the players selected in the drafts weren't good enough to effectively replace them. Fairly or unfairly, Stram got the gate.
Yes"Mark" in my"humble opinion" ..the "Orange Bowl" was political" ...in an "attempt" to inflate the "numbers"...even with a "powerhouse trio"in the "booth" ...in the form of .."Karras..Meredith..and "Cosell"...the"stadium crowd" turned out to be a "flop"!! "Anderson was the "real deal"!!
'74 was the first of 5 consecutive years that ABC's MNF telecasted the Pro Bowl. I think moving the game to Honolulu salvaged it. Thank you for your opinion and comments, as always.
Ken Anderson was the most talented Bengals QB to play more than 2 years. Believe it or not (just ask Bill Walsh) there was a more talented Bengals QB, but his career was derailed essentially after 3 games though he completed a season while injured. Who was this multi-talented Bengals QB? To "look" him up is a hint.
Greg Cook...if he'd have stayed healthy he might have been the best of all time to that point. He was the prototype of TODAY'S QB's. BIG 6' 4" and 240 lbs. ! Hell, he was bigger than most NFL LB's back then ! And he could RUN...had a ROCKET arm ! And the saddest part about his story is the injury that cost him his career..if it had happened just a few years later surgery had progressed to where he'd have completely recovered in a few months. What a class guy ! I saw an interview with him several years ago...most guys would have been bitter ( I know I would've been ) but he was very accepting and actually credited that injury to turning him towards Art and becoming a very successful Painter !
@@markgardner9460 Jim Lynch the 51 in Kansas City injured Cook's shoulder. Bob Trumpy was a close friend of Cook who later suffered from a mental disorder complicated by alcohol. He was a talented artist. Trumpy said of Cook he had a small bag of $200 sunglasses and yet lived hand-to-mouth at one point. I've studied Cook's unconventional QB mechanics, which I found useful in my research and will introduce this in an article in The Athletic hopefully soon.
@@drbonesshow1 I said Painter to clarify...you know RAPPERS call themselves "artists" I didn't want any confusion...that's why I phrased it "but he was very accepting and actually credited that injury to turning him towards Art and becoming a very successful Painter !"
He was better than Bradshaw too ! Terry might have gotten those rings BUT Bradshaw Career TD's - 212, Career INT's - 210 Ken Anderson Career TD's - 197, Career INT's - 160
His injuries could have entered into the equation, but I don't think they were the reason. Other players were voted into game back then who were injured. The players would back out and be replaced. In fact, in this same Pro Bowl, Fran Tarkenton begged out and was replaced by James Harris who ended up being named the game's MVP.
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Kenny Anderson deserves to be in the H of F
NO WAY HECTOR!!
@@CKWolf-kq5wz Look at his numbers. He definitionately deserves to be in the H of F
Ken Anderson deserves a spot in the HOF!!!
He sure does!
No question that Griese was selected due his drawing power and name recognition. The great Paul Brown really brought Kenny along out of a tiny school. Played to his strengths. Loved those original Bengals uniforms! Nice work Mark!
Can't say I agree on the unis, though. A simple word on a helmet is not as good as a logo. Furthermore, black type against that orange makes it impossible to recognize at a distance. The stripes were a huge improvement.
Now they have an alternate helmet, I think, that is white with black stripes. I'm not buying into that one. What about you?
@@markgardner9460 Not especially. I suppose there are white tigers, so it's not completely ridiculous. But they should stick with black and orange.
@@markgardner9460 The white helmet with the mono white or leotard look does nothing for me. I liked the simplistic uniforms and always got a kick out of Paul Brown giving Art Modell the finger by designing a uniform that was as close to possible to the Browns. I think the Bengals lettering on the helmet was written in a size that purposely was difficult to see from a distance. I can see how many would feel it being too dull. The current helmets are now considered iconic.
@@markgardner9460 I don't care for that white helmet!
Great video! Thank you for spotlighting one of the best QB's of the 70's. He needs to be in the Hall of Fame!
Couldn't agree more. Thank you!!
Dang, forgot how accurate Kenny was, he was just overshadowed by those great teams and qb's of the AFC.
Griese was selected to the Pro Bowl that year over Anderson because Bob had 2 Super Bowl rings and Anderson was still almost unknown.
I think that sums it up well. Thanks for commenting!
I agree with you!
Nice video about a very good and underrated Quarterback!
Appreciate it!
Great video as always!!
Glad you enjoyed! Thank you!
"Was Griese selected for the Pro Bowl to help sell more tickets?" Yep.
Thanks for your take!
hes was a 2 SB time winner.
He was also playoff winning qb.
I worked late last night dang I missed seeing this! Until now! But absolutely Anderson deserved the nod over Griese in 74! Pretty much mopped the floor with him in every statistical category! Yes Griese winning 2 super bowls and name recommendation ( and Shula?) definitely got him in over the more deserving Anderson! And yes I say this every time I see him but it's absolutely ridiculous that Anderson isn't in the HOF!
Loved his hustle when he chased down Wagner on the sidelines! He was definitely gritty!
Great work as always! The number one HOF snub IMO..
Mine too!
100% ! And another Bengal that is snubbed that NO ONE talks about is Tim Krumrie ! Krumrie led the Bengals in tackles as a Nose Tackle in 6 of his 10 seasons ! To my knowledge NO Nose Tackle has ever led his team in tackles ( a couple of DT's have...but that's way different from a NT ) for a SINGLE season ! He was like having another LB out there ! I saw his entire career and he routinely made TFL's for loss on sweeps. made tackles roaming sideline to sideline and even made tackles on TE's and WR's 10 - 15 yards downfield...Nose Tackles JUST don't do that !
In my book he is the No.2 HOF snub behind Jim Marshall. By my account the 15th best quarterback to start a career after 1947, just ahead of Brett Farve.
@@bryanjones4444 I wouldn't agree he's # 2...but Marshall is right there with him. Just his longevity deserved to make him a 1st ballot HOFer. To be that productive for that long is a feat unto itself ! For years I just assumed he was in there, found out a couple years ago he wasn't. Look up Tim Krumrie's career stats ( as NT ) and tell me why he isn't in the HOF !
@@keithsowder4308 I might be convinced that they were 1 and 1A, both should have been in long ago. Pro Football Reference rates Marshall's career as the 5th best of ANY defensive lineman in history.
Given the stats, I think the NFL must have sold out Anderson in an effort to get more attendance by choosing Griese. I can't think of a more logical reason. Anderson was a brilliant quarterback. He should be (in my opinion) in the HOF. Anderson hauling arse to catch Wagner to prevent a touchdown is impressive as hell! Not as impressive is Jack Tatum at 1:57 winding up and then trying to deliver an uppercut to Issac Curtis. So glad he completely missed. Great video Mark!👏👏 Thank you!
Thank you. I appreciate your comments!
Great video, as always. It's funny how often passing success in those days correlated with losing or average teams. The Bengals were 7-7 in 1974, and their leading rusher only amassed 375 yards on the ground. From the video, it looks superficially like Anderson had a great supporting cast, because we see names we recognize--Isaac Curtis, Lenvil Elliot, Essex Johnson, Bob Trumpy, and Charlie Joiner. But it seems Essex only played a few games that season, and Joiner only played 10. Not many recognizable names on their defense, either, except maybe Ken Riley and Lamar Parish.
None of their RB's rushed ove 100X in '74. They had 5 that rushed between 50 and 99.
Amazingly the defense only had 4 players intercept a pass for a paultry total of 9. Ken Riley had 5 of them.
Ken Anderson definitely deserves to be in the HoF. He had a workman like demeanor and played for “meh” Bengals teams until later in his career. His numbers are sure HoF worthy, imo.
Another great video! I ran Ken through the REAL GOAT scoring system several months ago and found that he has been ripped off by the Hall of Fame committee as well. Ken not only breaks the 400 scoring mark that makes him a legitimate Hall of Famer but scores 496.7 which is 17.9 points ahead of Brett Farve and 22,5 points behind Sonny Jurgensen and makes him the 15th greatest quarterback to start a career after 1947. I believe if the Bengals had not had the luxury of having Pete Johnson Ken would have had to throw more touchdown passes and that would have boosted his score above Sonny.
I started working on John Brodie but his many partial seasons means that he will take longer to analyze than most quarterbacks, but I will get to it before Thanksgiving.
That's great stuff! Favre had a ton of one yard td passes. Good point about Pete Johnson. #15 ranking is amazing. Thanks for commenting!
Anderson. Was. Fantastically. Accurate. 1981. MVP. I. Believe. He. Completed. 71. Percent of his passes
71% is outta sight...especially back then!
9:43 I had completely forgotten that Curley Culp played for anyone but the Chiefs but there he is bangin' away for Houston.
I _love_ all this footage you find!
Thank you - I'm glad that you enjoy it. I looked up Culp and was surprised to see that he played a little bit with the Lions in 1980 and 1981.
@@markgardner9460 Interesting. I have zero recollection of him being with the Lions and am shocked he played that long.
Yes. Totally. Underated
Check out his Wikipedia page. What a great career he had in era that was not easy. And consistently good for 15 years. I appreciate a player like him more than ever because he kept that Bengal franchise competitive. In that 1981 year , he was brilliant. Beat the Chargers in the AFC Championship and played great throwing for 300 yards and two TD’s in the Super Bowl against that Niner defense. Definitely a HOF’r. He’s been nominated but it’s time to let him. He earned it.
I couldn't agree with you more! He was a 4X passing leader, too.
Dayum!!
Call me crazy but people forget the Bengals got down BIG in the first half of that SB. If I remember correctly they turned the ball over THREE times in the first half...and also turned the ball over on downs by not converting a 4th & Goal from the 4 yard line. I'm convinced IF they don't commit those turnovers in the first half...they beat the Niners handily. Bengals were down 20 - 0 at the half and ended up losing 26 - 21.
@@keithsowder4308 They dropped two kickoffs towards the very end of the first half and the 49ers converted both into points. I do think the Bengals were a better team than the 49ers THAT year, though not the second time they played. Anderson had a great game, but couldn't make up for the turnovers or Pete Johnson's failure to get into the end zone.
@@RRaquello You make a lot of great points....but the thing that I hated the most was that DUMB ASS pass to Charles Alexander on the 4th and goal from the 1 ! I'm a lifetime Bengal fan but Alexander used to pissed me off so much ! He was like 6' 3" and 240 lbs. and instead of running with power he'd always dance like he was O.J. ! No way I make that call there...I either give Johnson another crack. Anderson a QB sneak..or my fave, play action Left, Bootleg right and flood the right end zone with a WR, TE, RB and force the LB to either stay back and defend the pass ( Anderson runs it in ) or come up and defend the run...and you got a guy open in the corner of the End Zone ! If they convert there...they win ! And I disagree with you on that 2nd game. The Bengals HAD the lead with like 1:40 left...and people forget this because NFL ( NFL Films to be specific they seldom show this play in the SB films ) makes them forget this...on either the play right before or 2 plays before Taylor caught the winning TD pass....Montana threw a pick right to Lewis Billups that he DROPPED ! Billups makes that easy catch...games over !
When the Bengals' uniforms looked great.
No doubt!!
looks like the browns
@@moedark4390 - There's a good reason for that.
Paul Brown designed the Bengals uniforms in the colors of his former team (Browns)
@@markgardner9460 - Not exactly the same colours. The Bengals used black where the Browns use brown.
among the things I love about your videos, it keeps me updating my autograph collection, think i have about 80% of the NFL HOF (excluding coaches and executives). Just picked up a nice Anderson last month, and a floyd little yesterday
That is awesome! I enjoy hearing about these types of things.
Great stuff my friend ! You know I love seeing those clips of Kenny, Issac and Trumpy ! I have not seen a more accurate QB in my 50+ years of watching NFL football ! The only 2 guys I can think of ( and when I say accurate I don't just mean throwing it where your guy can catch it...I mean throwing it where ONLY your guy can catch it, throwing the receiver open by putting the ball in the best possible spot for the receiver ) in his league that I have seen are Aikman and Burrows. Look at some film on Dan Ross when he was the Bengals TE...I couldn't tell you the number of times that I saw Anderson throw over the middle to Ross or Collinsworth or Steve Kreider INCHES off the ground where ONLY they had a chance to catch it. He was masterful...also, he was right there with Boomer Esaison ( Hell, he may have TAUGHT it to Boomer ) as far as the best play action fake QB's. I know without a DOUBT he IS Hall of Fame worthy...and the fact that not only ISN'T there...but wasn't inducted in his first couple years of his eligibility is a complete JOKE !
I agree - Anderson was deserving of being in the HOF right away. You brought up another of my favorite QB's: Boomer! He threw a great ball that looked easy to catch and like you stated, he was masterful at the play fake. As always, thanks Keith!
Ken Anderson (14) should be in the Hall - I predict that some day soon, he’ll get the nod. He’s got the credentials. That AFC Central Division was brutal in the 70’s and he had his team right there fighting for first place in marquee games throughout. By 1974, even the Houston Oilers were a tough draw in the division. Great footage of his precision passes.
I'm glad that you brought up the Oilers because their defense was tough as nails with the additions of Curley Culp, Robert Brazile and Gregg Bingham to go along with veteran DE Elvin Bethea. They dished out a lot of bumps and bruises.
@@markgardner9460 Yeah, they were tough and you had to face them in the Astrodome. Houston could definitely mess up your schedule back then.
The Dome was just starting to rock back then. It really lit up when Billy "White Shoes" Johnson did his thing on punt returns.
The Oilers were definitely coming together! Especially defensively!
I don't know if a Hall of Fame argument could be made for him, but I hope viewers noticed Isaac Curtis in this video. He was a great, great receiver, but played in the wrong era because the 70s was dominated by the running game. Curtis was big, tall, strong and super fast. He was made more for today's game than for the 1970's. Watching this reminds me what great receivers Anderson had to pass to that year: Curtis, Bob Trumpy, Charlie Joiner, Chip Myers. As a Bengals fan growing up in NY at the time, that game vs. Pittsburgh remains my all-time favorite. Will Ken Anderson ever get in the Hall of Fame? Well, Johnny Robinson, another of my top favorites as a kid, finally got in after years & years. I thought they forgot about him, but somehow he got in. His selection gives me hope for Ken Anderson.
I want to give props to the underrated Bengals offensive line who provided excellent protection for Anderson. Center Bob Johnson was fine, as was Tackle Rufus Mayes.
@@markgardner9460 Bob Johnson was a great player and might have gotten more all-pro and Hall of Fame consideration if he was playing for a more high profile team, The Original Bengal.
I really do miss the AFC Central Division rivalry of Houston, Cincinatti, Cleavland and Pittsburg. Now Modell's Browns are in Baltimore and Adams' Oilers are in Tennessee and I think both have won Superbowls since leaving. Tradition means nothing to the NFL. Another great video, Mark.
Thank you!
All he needed was a playoff win or two and he would have been viewed differently. Great video!
He got 'em to the Super Bowl against the 49ers, bit I guess that's not enough for the HOF voters.
@@markgardner9460 He needed the win in the Super Bowl because he was playing for Cinci. If he had been in a big market, he'd be in!
Great point! Players from small markets always have a tougher road to travel.
He had playoff wins, he took the Bengals to the Super Bowl./.and along the way beat the Chargers who were quarterbacked by Dan Fouts, who is IN the HOF, has virtually identical stats as Anderson....but NEVER took his team to a Super Bowl....how do you explain THAT ?
@@danielbowden6330 To your point, He and Dan Fouts have almost identical career stats. Fouts is in the HOF, Kenny isn't...yet Kenny took the Bengals to the Super Bowl, Fouts never took his Chargers to the "Big Dance". And let's not forget that those Chargers teams were LOADED with weapons like John Jefferson, Charlie Joiner, Wes Chandler, Kellen Winslow, Chuck Muncie and James Brooks !
Ken Anderson deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and I'm a Steeler fan!
I'm with ya!!
Ken Anderson was an all round great athlete, so fun to watch.
Anderson and Curtis were hell on the Browns in the 70s!
Ken Anderson was one of the greats!
Another great and mostly forgotten player on this highlight reel. Isaac Curtis, the great receiver.
Couldn't agree more!
Much like Bert Jones of the Colts, the problem with the Bengals, was Bob Griese, Terry Bradshaw, of course Ken Stabler.
You're correct. Plus the Bengals defense wasn't up to the standards of the Steelers, Raiders and Dolphins.
@@markgardner9460 It would have been nice if they could have held on to Bill Bergey. Then they lost two top guys, Mike Reid & Tommy Casanova, who quit in the middle of their careers to pursue other things. Reid became a musician and Casanova a dentist (I think). Crazy.
Jim LeClair was a hugh quality MLB and Coy Bacon was a terrific pass rusher, but there were some defensive links that needed strengthening.
@@markgardner9460 They also had Lemar Parrish, who was a great DB (and kick returner). Losing Reid & Bergey were big blows because those were all pros. Bergey signed with the WFL which pissed off Paul Brown and he traded him to Philadelphia, which was stupid. Reid just quit football. With those two guys they might have had a defense that could compete with Pittsburgh, but without them they had a decent defense, but not good enough to win Super Bowls.
LOVE THE BENGALS MODEST HELMET DESIGN & UNIFORMS!!
I'm with ya - less is better in a lot of instances.
Ken Anderson was a great quarterback. If he would've won SuperBowl XVI, he might have been in the hall of fame.
I agree. His team came very close against the 49ers in January 1982, but they had super stiff competition in the '70's to make the Super Bowl.
@@markgardner9460 Oh yeah, dont forget about that goal line stand in the SB.🏈✌🏾
should be in the hall of fame
@elwin38 If RB Charles Alexander ran his pass pattern into the end zobe, then there was no way that LB Danny Bunz could have tackled him in bounds. The Bengals should have taken the lead late in that game and possibly won it.
Sad but true. If not for the 49ers stopping Pete Johnson twice from the one yard line and Collinsworth fumbling inside the 10 Anderson would be in the Hall. How stupid is that. Circumstances beyond his control are preventing him from the honor that he earned.
anderson to curtis was a great combo
Anderson was a very accurate deep passer - he'd hit Curtis in stride often on fly routes.
Mark - I’m proudly wearing his black home jersey for this video - HOFer IMHO
Wow! I prefer the black to the white jersey. Pre-stripes?
@@markgardner9460 I've got a black pre-stripes Anderson jersey. The only football jersey I own. I don't collect jerseys. Only three I had to have: Ken Anderson in football, Brooks Robinson in baseball and Joe Mullen in hockey. And for Anderson, I didn't want nothing with even a hint of the stripes.
The Orioles uniforms during Brooks time were excellent!
@@markgardner9460 I bought a throwback to their 1966 World Series road uniforms. One of the best looking uniforms ever. And also black & orange, but that's just a coincidence. Brooks was my favorite player when I was growing up and I guess ever. He's why I always wanted to play 3rd base.
Kenny was a beast
Agree. HOF? Probably. I got to see him, Essex Johnson, Curtis etc. @ Mile High in Denver....I remember Cincy winning slim. Anderson was a tough, driven, cerebral player and a magician at play action. He threw a tight beautiful ball. He did become a good coach and OC. Has he done enough for football? Yes. Was he good enough as a player? Eh, I dunno. Yeah, he should be in the hall - barely. Playoff game - give me Stabler, Staubach, Bradshaw, Griese....note: the players of his era in the hall hurt Anderson (by numbers in)( shouldn't matter though). Thanks brother, you're appreciated.
As always, thanks for your insightful comments. With Cinci's good running game, it really helped to allow Anderson effectively sell the play fakes. The Bengals defense wasn't quite as good as the top AFC rivals and playing the Steelers twice every year didn't aid them in their hopes of post-season glory.
@@markgardner9460 I simply typed in Ken Anderson in Wikipedia and looked at the accomplishments and said WOW. He is HOF. Cincy suffered the same "fly-over" snobbery that Denver received for years. Thanks brother.
I agree. Those small market teams have been getting hosed for years, generally speaking.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for this well-deserved and excellently produced tribute to the most underrated player in NFL history. Ken Anderson had the best mechanics of any QB I’ve ever seen and I’ve been watching NFL football since 1972 and I’ve seen films of all the greats before that. He was a terrific all-around athlete and could make all the throws. I also loved his hide-the-ball-behind-his-back play action.
Who knows what the Bengals could have accomplished if Anderson had even a semblance of Stabler’s line, Griese’s backfield and the Steeler’s defense. His career fell right into the chasm of the Cowboy/Dolphin/Raider/Steeler glory years-all COMPLETE teams studded with hall of famers on both sides of the ball.
Anderson was also the prototype for Bill Walsh’s West Coast Offense. Perhaps the biggest blunder Paul Brown ever made was naming Tiger Johnson Bengals’ head coach upon his own retirement instead of Bill Walsh.
You're welcome! I'm glad that you enjoyed the video. Even as a young kid watching that week 9 game of his against the Steelers, I knew that I was viewing greatness. Year after year he continued to excel and there was no reason to believe that he wouldn't make the Hall of Fame. Yet here we are 33 years after he became eligible and we're still inexplicably waiting!
ANDERSON. RULES. TOTALLY. CLUTCH
I can't imagine an NFL team selecting a quarterback in the 3rd round from a Division III school.
I hear ya! Maybe a lot later in the draft, but not in the 3rd round.
So. Smart and patient
He could survey a field exceptionally well.
My grandparents sir, tell me: there is no accounting for taste when it comes to pro bowl! They also say: Anderson should have been on that squad! Go's bless you 🙏, Joey in Cleveland! As an addendum: my grandparents tell me : Ken Anderson, should be in the HOF, but again, personal preference!
Thank you for your comments, Joey. A lot of viewers think that Anderson should be in the HOF and I wholeheartedly agree.
Tyler Huntley made the Pro Bowl a couple seasons ago and I think he only started 4 games !
4 games? That's preposterous.
@@markgardner9460 Look it up...Jackson ( as always ) got hurt down the stretch and Hunley played several games and got hurt and Huntley started the last 4 and their playoff game against the Bengals. Turns out so many QB's begged off playing in the Pro Bowl Huntley made the squad !
Here's more info. from an article I found.Huntley finished 48th in the league in passing yards (658)
and touchdowns (two) during the regular season in a
league that has just 32 teams. More so, he only played in
five games as well as Baltimore’s wild-card round loss to
the Bengals, due to Lamar Jackson nursing an injury. To make the situation even more stunning, Huntley had thrown for a total of just 275 yards with zero touchdowns when voting for the Pro Bowl Games closed on Dec. 15, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Nevertheless, Huntley
was voted the AFC’s fourth alternate last month, which let fans know that the possibility of him actually making the
-star showcase was real.
When was the final selections made, before or after the playoffs? That playoff game between the Raiders and Dolphins is an all time classic, and they had those two QB's in the Pro Bowl. I always thought that Anderson was the best passer in the 1970's, though not the best QB. To put up constantly the numbers he did year in and year out while being in the same division as the Steel Curtain is extraordinary! Fran Tarkenton broke his record with a 17 of 18 performance against his Bengals in 1977, but Anderson did his 20 of 22 against the eventual World Champion Steelers!
I'm unsure as to when the final selections were made, but I'm inclined to believe before the playoffs. Incidently, Griese and Stabler were also the AFC's QB's for the prior year's game.
Anderson threw 51 TD passes to Isaac Curtis so they were quite the combination!
51 is a large number...especially back then!
Bill Walsh was the offensive coordinator back then for the Bengals. Paul Brown had some kind of jealousy issue with Walsh and passed him over for HC and trird to sabotage him with other teams before he joined the 49ers.
Anderson and Walsh had a great relationship even after Walsh became HC of the 49ers
Certainly curious as to why Anderson was snubbed. Not just from the pro-Bowl that year, but also the HOF. Sure makes one wonder the judgement of those who make such decisions.
I don't get it. What can they possibily be holding against him? No Super Bowl is the only conclusion. Well, there are other QB's in the HOF that are in that same boat.
Isaac Curtis was another receiver who went out and did the job.
He was terrific - great deep threat - totally underrated
Every team in the AFC Central had a great quarterback, Bradshaw,Sipe,Pastorini and Anderson
Anderson was the best, by far.
I agree. Pastorini threw a great deep ball, but he'd go to the well too frequently which resulted in too many interceptions. Stallworth and Swann's acrobatic catches bailed Bradshaw out on a regular basis.
@@bryanjones4444 I don't know, one has 4 rings and the others combined have zero. Team game and all that but still..
I hear ya, but Bradshaw didn't contribute much for those first 2 rings. I give Bradshaw a lot of credit for his running ability and willingness to play through pain.
@@patrickmcglynn5383 Terry was way below average for the first 5 years of his career. In fact, for those 5 years he was the worst quarterback in the league. The Steelers are the only team that I could find after hours of research to not win a championship with a top 2 defense and running game. Sadly, they did it twice with Bradshaw as their quarterback in 72 and again in 76.
Anderson was the best quarterback in Bengal history
I agree. I'm a big Boomer fan, but Anderson was better.
@@chrisbacos I second that!
If you wear #14 in Cincinnati, you'd better be good (Oscar Robertson and Pete Rose). Kenny was good, very good.
How about a show about Randy Gradishar!!!
I'd love to, but I don't think that I have nearly enough footage in order to produce a befitting video.
He is another player that should have been in the HOF a lot sooner
He was as good as Lambert, in my opinion.
@@markgardner9460 Oh yeah. People here in Denver, including me, were apoplectic about the prospect of Randy not getting in the HOF. He is also a really good guy, Mark. Very humble, too. He never complained about not being in the HOF, in fact some people thought he didn't promote himself enough. But he isn't that type of guy.
i love that year 74s i was 19 year old thank you for send is to me.
Thank you!
How about an NFL all food named team...help me out if you can come up with more. Off the top of my head I came up with Chris Hanburger or Mitch Berger, Coy Bacon, Bubba Franks, Jerrod Mayo, Jerry Rice, Samari Rolle, Jason Bean, Jack Ham, Chad Mustard, Bob Fry, Julius Peppers, Deron Cherry, Jamaal Fudge, Milt Plum and Demetrin Veal...now I'm sure if we opened it up to all sports we'd get a ton more like Chili Davis ( MLB) and "Cornbread" Maxwell ( NBA )
Steve Dils? I know. It's a stretch.
@@markgardner9460 How about Bill Pickel...i'd forgot about him.
@@markgardner9460 Dils would work, it's an herb ! Reminded me of a stupid joke. "Why did the transgender male always eat salads ? Because he was a her before !"
Raiders Defensive Tackle Carleton Oats of the early '70's.
@@markgardner9460 Nice one !
Lets look at a misconception, Ken was a “system" quarterback a dink-and-dunk Picasso due to the West Coast offense with Bill Walsh at the helm, but that was just a way that Walsh saw a path to gaining a victory.
Anderson was able to expand on that theory due to having more arm strength than Virgil Carter.
Many fail to remember that in the years of 1973 and 1974 he was heaving bombs to Issac Curtis.
Don’t know what the selection criteria was at the time,
It may come to what numbers do you hold in the high regards
Kens passing completion percentage was 1st at 64.9
Griese was 2nd at 60.1
Anderson is credited with 7 wins and 6 losses with 1 and 1/2 games missed.
Griese was 10 wins 3 losses and 1 tie
*Game winning drives*
Anderson 0
Griese had 3
The better question may be who do you leave off of the AFC 1974 roster to add Ken Anderson?
In '74, the fans, coaches and players all voted in equal measure in determining the Pro Bowl participants. I can see why the players and fans would have voted for the "well known name" player Griese over the four year player Anderson. It just seems strange to me that Anderson didn't make the team and that they couldn't sell any tickets to the game in Miami.
@@markgardner9460
What I find strange is that the NFC had 3 quarterbacks and the AFC had 2.
Of the AFC quarterbacks, Anderson gets my vote over Griese hands down.
Another great video, thank you for sharing
Tarkenton was named to the squad, but he did not attend the game due to what was originally reported as an "injury". Later, Tarkenton said that he missed the game due to "business". What I take that to mean is that Tarkenton didn't want to risk his business to injury.
Kenny had the greatest Quarterback Coach of all time
Fran Tarkenton never had an official QB Coach, although Head Coach Norm Van Brocklin essentially acted as one during Fran's first stint with the Vikings.
They had a very rocky relationship!
Interesting to compare Kenny Anderson's footwork to Joe Montana's.
Anderson had to have the most muscular legs of any '70's NFL QB. I hadn't compared the styles between the 2 QB's. Were they similar?
@markgardner9460 Montana had broader steps on the 3-5 step range and a cleaner last step before setting up for the throw. Anderson takes more of a half step at the end of his drop. Walsh said Montana's natural hitch step was better than the style he had previously coached to both Anderson and Fouts, so Walsh adapted Montana's hitch step to his coaching.
Whoever fired Hank Stram deserved to be fired.
The Executive V.P. and General Manager in 1974 was Jack Steadman. In '71 the Chiefs were 10-3-1, in '72 8-6, in '73 7-5-2 and in '74 5-9, so there was a downward spiral. Their top players got old and the players selected in the drafts weren't good enough to effectively replace them. Fairly or unfairly, Stram got the gate.
6:00 How was the play not blown dead? The runner was clearly down smh
The zebras inexplicably swallowed their whistles. That was awful.
is Mike Curtis 85 in the Hall ? if not he should be
Wide Receiver #85 Isaac Curtis is not in the Hall of Fame, although he had as much talent as most any receiver during his era.
No Charlie Joyner
There was some footage of Charlie Joiner. In fact, he was the player whom the Dolphins player flipped early in the video.
Number 18. He's in there.
Yes"Mark" in my"humble opinion" ..the "Orange Bowl" was political" ...in an "attempt" to inflate the "numbers"...even with a "powerhouse trio"in the "booth" ...in the form of .."Karras..Meredith..and "Cosell"...the"stadium crowd" turned out to be a "flop"!!
"Anderson was the "real deal"!!
'74 was the first of 5 consecutive years that ABC's MNF telecasted the Pro Bowl. I think moving the game to Honolulu salvaged it. Thank you for your opinion and comments, as always.
Ken Anderson was the most talented Bengals QB to play more than 2 years. Believe it or not (just ask Bill Walsh) there was a more talented Bengals QB, but his career was derailed essentially after 3 games though he completed a season while injured. Who was this multi-talented Bengals QB? To "look" him up is a hint.
Greg Cook - AFL Rookie of the Year in '69, then injured his shoulder and did not play from '70-'72.
Greg Cook...if he'd have stayed healthy he might have been the best of all time to that point. He was the prototype of TODAY'S QB's. BIG 6' 4" and 240 lbs. ! Hell, he was bigger than most NFL LB's back then ! And he could RUN...had a ROCKET arm ! And the saddest part about his story is the injury that cost him his career..if it had happened just a few years later surgery had progressed to where he'd have completely recovered in a few months. What a class guy ! I saw an interview with him several years ago...most guys would have been bitter ( I know I would've been ) but he was very accepting and actually credited that injury to turning him towards Art and becoming a very successful Painter !
@@markgardner9460 Jim Lynch the 51 in Kansas City injured Cook's shoulder. Bob Trumpy was a close friend of Cook who later suffered from a mental disorder complicated by alcohol. He was a talented artist. Trumpy said of Cook he had a small bag of $200 sunglasses and yet lived hand-to-mouth at one point. I've studied Cook's unconventional QB mechanics, which I found useful in my research and will introduce this in an article in The Athletic hopefully soon.
@@keithsowder4308 Artist.
@@drbonesshow1 I said Painter to clarify...you know RAPPERS call themselves "artists" I didn't want any confusion...that's why I phrased it "but he was very accepting and actually credited that injury to turning him towards Art and becoming a very successful Painter !"
A vastly better qb than Joe Namath but hes not in the hall of fame
Anderson's running ability was impressive, too. I can't believe that he's not in the Hall of Fame.
He was better than Bradshaw too ! Terry might have gotten those rings BUT
Bradshaw Career TD's - 212, Career INT's - 210
Ken Anderson Career TD's - 197, Career INT's - 160
Most overrated Bengals QB in my book was Boomer at least Anderson performed well in his super bowl
Boomer was 3 & 2 in post-season games which is far better than another overrated QB - Kirk Cousins and his 1 & 4 post-season record.
Boomer was MVP and was terrible in his super bowl no offensive tds was my point ☝️
Plus Kirk cousins never played on Bengals
Gotcha!
I'm in FULL agreement with you that he got ripped off! Think maybe his injuries at end of season had something to do with him not getting in?
His injuries could have entered into the equation, but I don't think they were the reason. Other players were voted into game back then who were injured. The players would back out and be replaced. In fact, in this same Pro Bowl, Fran Tarkenton begged out and was replaced by James Harris who ended up being named the game's MVP.
Great point. I believe the Griese factor played into it for sure. Home stadium player.....