Editor’s Note: The games for the Legends of the American Football League simulation are played on computer with Action! PC Football. The contests are played with the “coaching” by a human as well as computer simulation. One season per franchise was selected for league play with the 10 teams that merged with the National Football League competing for the championship. Stories from the action will appear on Press Room Pass each Sunday until the completion of the 14-week regular season and playoffs.
Babe Parilli led the charge in the final minutes as the Boston Patriots beat the Oakland Raiders 24-21.
The Raiders had taken the lead on a 42-yard return of a fumble by Dan Conners with 6:45 remaining in the affair.
Both teams turned the ball over on their next possessions as Parilli was intercepted and the Raiders fumbled.
The defenses of both squads forced punts and the stage was set for the Patriots, who were 89 yards away from the end zone with 1:34 left to play.
Parilli completed five straight passes including the game-winning 4-yard touchdown connection to Larry Garron with 28 seconds on the clock.
The Patriots are now 2-1 and tied with the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets in the East Division as they each trail the Houston Oilers (3-0).
Oakland led 14-0 after the first quarter as Willie Brown had an 8-yard interception return for a score and Daryle Lamonica added a touchdown pass to Bill Miller.
Boston closed the gap to 14-7 by halftime as Dave Cloutier picked up a fumble and raced 23 yards for a score.
Gino Cappellitti added a 24-yard field goal in the third period as the Patriots trailed 14-10 by the end of the quarter.
Parilli’s 30-yard scoring strike to Cappellitti gave the Patriots their initial lead at 17-14 with 8:12 remaining before the two teams battled for the win late in the game.
64 Boston 24, 67 Oakland 21
Scoring Summary
1 13:10 67 Oakland TD Brown 8 interception return (Blanda) 0-7
1 3:43 67 Oakland TD Lamonica 19 pass to Miller (Blanda) (6-48-2:07) 0-14
2 3:57 64 Boston TD Cloutier 23 yd fumble recovery (Cappellett)7-14
3 1:19 64 Boston FG Cappelletti 24 (13-72-5:20)10-14
4 8:12 64 Boston TD Parilli 30 pass to Cappelletti (Cappellett) (8-70-5:27 17-14
4 6:45 67 Oakland TD Conners 42 yd fumble recovery (Blanda) 17-21
4 0:28 64 Boston TD Parilli 4 pass to Garron (Cappellett) (6-89-1:06) 24-21
Rushing
Bos: Garron 15/39, Burton 6/19, Parilli 3/14
Oak: Daniels 13/29, Dixon 13/23, Lamonica 2/11
Receiving
Bos: Garron 8/43 TD, Graham 4/113, Burton 3/25, Romeo 2/29, Cappelletti 1/30 TD
Oak: Dixon 4/35, Daniels 2/29, Biletnikoff 2/50, Miller 2/28 TD, Cannon 1/8
Passing
Bos: Parilli 34/18 240 Yds 2 TDs 2 Int
Oak: Lamonica 25/11 150 Yds TD 2 Int
Defense
Bos: Buoniconti FF 10-Tk, O’Hanley Int 6-Tk, Antwine Sk FF 2-Tk, Addison Int 3-Tk
Oak: Laskey 2-Sks 2-FF 10-Tk, Otto 2-Sks 10-Tk, Lassiter 2-Sks FF 2-Tk, Conners Sk
Here’s a look at the rest of the week three box scores
63 San Diego 30, 64 Buffalo 24
Scoring Summary
1 4:16 63 San Diego TD Rote 6 pass to Norton (Blair) (6-63-3:15) 0-7
1 1:33 64 Buffalo TD Kemp 26 pass to Bass (Gogolak) (4-74-2:33) 7-7
2 4:01 64 Buffalo TD Kemp 23 pass to Dubenion (Gogolak) (2-29-0:51) 14-7
2 1:42 63 San Diego FG Blair 21 (7-62-2:02) 14-10
2 0:25 64 Buffalo TD Kemp 16 pass to Warlick (Gogolak) (3-29-0:23) 21-10
3 10:42 63 San Diego TD Lincoln 10 run (Blair) (8-67-4:11) 21-17
3 3:05 63 San Diego TD Rote 10 pass to Lowe (Blair) (11-70-3:50) 21-24
4 0:21 64 Buffalo FG Gogolak 21 (8-67-1:27) 24-24
5 4:34 63 San Diego TD Lowe 6 run (8-57-5:34) 24-30
Passing
Buf: Kemp 37/17 309 Yds 3 TDs 3 Int
SD: Rote 47/29 389 Yds 2 TDs 2 Int
Rushing
Buf: Gilchrist 12/40, Auer 7/15, Kemp 4/4
SD: Lowe 24/103 TD, Lincoln 8/30 TD
Receiving
Buf: Bass 5/124 TD, Gilchrist 4/58, Dubenion 3/53 TD, Warlick 3/46 TD, Auer 2/28
SD: Norton 11/144 TD, Kocourek 6/106, Lowe 6/74 TD, Alworth 3/28, Lincoln 3/37
Defense
Buf: Edgerson 16-Tk, Byrd Int FF 5-Tk, McDole Sk FF 3-Tk, Saimes 10-Tk, Sestak Sk
SD: Karas FF 7-Tk, Allen Sk 4-Tk, Mitinger FF 6-Tk, Westmoreland 8-Tk, Blair Int
68 New York 13, 69 Kansas City 6
Scoring Summary
1 12:18 68 New York TD Sample 88 interception return (Turner,J) 0-7
1 4:14 69 Kansas City FG Stenerud 27 (13-63-7:54) 3-7
3 8:24 68 New York FG Turner 29 (11-44-6:17) 3-10
4 9:53 68 New York FG Turner 36 (5-47-2:37) 3-13
4 4:06 69 Kansas City FG Stenerud 49 (10-38-2:59) 6-13
Rushing
KC: Garrett 17/59, Holmes 18/42
NYA: Snell 13/66, Boozer 12/42
Receiving
KC: Garrett 7/53, Holmes 4/33, Taylor 4/45, Pitts 2/26
NYA: Sauer 2/26, Maynard 1/13, Lammons 1/8
Passing
KC: Dawson 28/17 157 Yds 2 Int
NYA: Namath 16/4 47 Yds
Defense
KC: Bell FF 10-Tk
NYA: Atkinson 2-FF 13-Tk, Baker Sk 11-Tk, Sample Int(TD) 5-Tk, McAdams Sk 6-Tk
68 Miami 27, 69 Cincinnati 24
Scoring Summary
1 9:18 69 Cincinnati TD Robinson 2 run (Muhlmann) (8-58-5:31) 7-0
1 3:35 68 Miami TD Griese 4 pass to Twilley (Keyes) (10-87-5:30) 7-7
1 0:11 69 Cincinnati TD Cook 50 pass to Thomas (Muhlmann) (5-58-3:15) 14-7
2 4:40 68 Miami TD Griese 27 pass to Noonan (Keyes) (9-93-4:40) 14-14
2 1:45 69 Cincinnati FG Muhlmann 28 (8-62-2:40) 17-14
2 0:00 68 Miami FG Keyes 33 (9-51-1:33) 17-17
3 0:42 68 Miami TD Griese 9 pass to Twilley (Keyes) (9-49-4:51) 17-24
4 6:56 68 Miami FG Keyes 18 (12-54-6:52) 17-27
4 4:42 69 Cincinnati TD Cook 15 pass to Crabtree (Muhlmann) (6-68-2:02) 24-27
Rushing
Cin: Phillips 10/52, Robinson 12/29 TD, Cook 2/3
Mia: Csonka 16/90, Kiick 16/68, Griese 2/13
Receiving
Cin: Thomas 3/109 TD, Crabtree 3/62 TD, Trumpy 2/32
Mia: Twilley 7/98 2 TDs, Kiick 6/42, Moreau 5/57, Noonan 4/64 TD
Passing
Cin: Cook 13/8 203 Yds 2 TDs
Mia: Griese 33/22 261 Yds 3 TDs
Defense
Cin: Bergey 16-Tk, Hunt 10-Tk, Gunner Sk 4-Tk
Mia: Nomina Sk 4-Tk
60 Houston 52, 62 Denver 21
Scoring Summary
1 12:51 60 Houston TD Blanda 5 pass to Smith (Blanda) (3-31-1:55) 0-7
1 1:47 60 Houston TD Smith 4 run (Blanda) (1-4-0:16) 0-14
2 12:27 60 Houston TD Cannon 3 run (Blanda) (6-53-3:12) 0-21
2 5:38 60 Houston TD Blanda 22 pass to Groman (Blanda) (6-53-3:21) 0-28
2 2:13 62 Denver TD Tripucka 22 pass to Scarpitto (Fraser) (6-80-3:14) 7-28
2 2:05 60 Houston TD Hall 85 kick return (Blanda) 7-35
3 2:21 60 Houston FG Blanda 28 (9-32-4:20) 7-38
3 1:29 62 Denver TD Tripucka 90 pass to Scarpitto (Fraser) (3-90-0:40) 14-38
4 12:16 62 Denver TD Tripucka 17 pass to Scarpitto (Fraser) (8-55-2:31) 21-38
4 12:09 60 Houston TD Hall 95 kick return (Blanda) 21-45
4 1:48 60 Houston TD Smith 6 run (Blanda) (11-81-6:40) 21-52
Rushing
Den: Dickinson 5/13, Mingo 4/7, Stone 3/7
Hou: Smith 19/83 2 TDs, Cannon 12/76 TD
Receiving
Den: Dickinson 8/112, Taylor 6/75, Mingo 5/34, Scarpitto 4/137 3 TDs, Prebola 2/15
Hou: Groman 4/71 TD, Smith 4/30 TD, Cannon 3/35, Carson 3/36, Hennigan 3/41
Passing
Den: Tripucka 54/26 385 Yds 3 TDs 2 Int
Hou: Blanda 28/17 213 Yds 2 TDs 2 Int
Defense
Den: McFadin Int 3-Tk, McMillin 8-Tk
Hou: Dukes Sk FF 10-Tk, Johnston Int 7-Tk, Morris Int 3-Tk
Legends of the AFL Standings
East Division
1960 Houston Oilers (3-0)
1964 Buffalo Bills (2-1)
1964 Boston Patriots (2-1)
1968 New York Jets (2-1)
1968 Miami Dolphins (1-2)
West Division
1963 San Diego Chargers (3-0)
1969 Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)
1967 Oakland Raiders (1-2)
1969 Cincinnati Bengals (0-3)
1962 Denver Broncos (0-3)
Week Four Schedule
69 Kansas City @ 68 New York
62 Denver @ 60 Houston
64 Boston @ 67 Oakland
64 Buffalo @ 63 San Diego
69 Cincinnati @ 68 Miami
Week Three Results
68 New York 13, 69 Kansas City 6
60 Houston 52, 62 Denver 21
64 Boston 24, 67 Oakland 21
63 San Diego 30, 64 Buffalo 24
68 Miami 27, 69 Cincinnati 24