John Brockington was the centerpiece of the Green Bay Packers offense in the early 1970s. He became the first player in NFL history to gain 1,000 or more yards in each of his first three pro seasons. In 1972, Brockington enjoyed one of his finest games as a pro, rushing for 133 yards rushing and gaining 181 total yards while scoring three touchdowns as the Packers beat the eventual NFC West champion San Francisco 49ers. This game featured big plays by both team and wasn’t clinched until the final minute when the Packers ended the last San Francisco threat with a big pick six. Today we remember the three-touchdown game by John Brockington that led the Packers past the 49ers.

Remembering the Three TD Game by John Brockington that Let the Packers Past the 49ers: The Buildup

The Packers entered the game with a 4-3 record, but they had lost their last two games to the Falcons and Vikings and their season was at a crossroads. Dan Devine’s club had surprised everyone with a 4-1 start, which included a win over the defending Super Bowl champion Cowboys, but the Packers needed a win to get back on track, or their fast start would soon be forgotten.

The 49ers entered the game with a disappointing 3-3-1 record. They were coming off a dominating 49-14 win over the Falcons and a 20-20 tie with the Saints in their last two games. They would have to play without starting quarterback John Brodie who was injured and unavailable. Former Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier would step in and start in this game in Milwaukee County Stadium.

The Packers made one lineup change to shake up their defense. Devine inserted veteran Ray Nitschke into the lineup at middle linebacker. Nitschke had lost his starting job to Jim Carter, which was not popular with the fans. Devine moved Carter to left linebacker in place of the benched Dave Robinson to try to send a message to Robinson. The benching would last one quarter and then Robinson would play the rest of the game while Carter replaced Nitschke in the middle.

The Packers Start Fast

The Packers got on the board quickly thanks to a great play call by quarterbacks coach Bart Starr. Green Bay faced a third-and-one at the San Francisco 48. Quarterback Scott Hunter faked a handoff which opened up the middle of the field when the 49ers bit on the fake. Hunter found Brockington wide open over the middle with no player within 20 yards of the big fullback who scored on a 48-yard pass play. The Packers led 7-0.

“From the films, we knew how their safety played in short yardage situations,” Brockington said. “Their cornerback has to go with our wide receiver. That leaves me with a linebacker at best and on a long pass there is no linebacker who is going to stay with me.”

The 49ers answered quickly and tied the game 7-7 on a two-yard run by running back Vic Washington. That capped a nine play, 69-yard drive that featured seven passes and only two runs. That was the score after one quarter.

In the second quarter, cornerback Ken Ellis set up the next Green Bay drive. He returned a punt 33 yards to set up the Packers on the 49ers 30. It took just one play for the Packers to score. Brockington bulled over left tackle, ran over middle linebacker Frank Nunley and carried a couple of would-be tacklers into the end zone. He celebrated the touchdown with a dramatic spike and the Packers led 14-7.

Center Ken Bowman explained the success of this play. “It’s something you set up with the rollout pass,” he told reporters. “Until they get a look at the quarterback rollout, they aren’t going to go for it.”

The Packers took that seven-point advantage into the locker room at halftime.

Remembering the Three TD Game by John Brockington that Let the Packers Past the 49ers: The Lead Grows

The Packers scored on their first possession of the second half. Hunter opened things up and led the team on a seven-play, 77-yard drive. Key plays included a 22-yard pass to halfback MacArthur Lane and passes of 19 and 21 yards to wide receiver Carroll Dale. Brockington finished the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run which saw him run right through linebacker Skip Vanderbundt and safety Mike Simpson for his third touchdown of the day. The Packers led 21-7.

“When I get that close, there’s no way I’m going to be stopped,” Brockington added.

The Packers defense stepped up and forced a turnover on the next San Francisco drive. Alden Roche forced a Vic Washington fumble, which defensive tackle Bob Brown fell on at the 49ers 25. That set up a 35-yard field goal by Chester Marcol and the Packers were in control 24-7.

The Game Gets Too Close for Comfort

The 49ers quickly got back in the game and staged a late comeback. First, Bruce Gossett booted a 50-yard field goal that made the score 24-10 after three quarters.

Then, Spurrier struck on the 49ers first play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter. He hit wide receiver Gene Washington on a 62-yard touchdown bomb. Washington beat rookie cornerback Willie Buchanon on the play. It was the first touchdown pass allowed by the Green Bay defense in eight games.

“It was a streak we were all trying to keep,” Ellis said. “We all knew about it.”

The lead was down to 24-17.

The Packers caught a break when the next 49ers drive ended when Gossett missed a 40-yard field goal. Green Bay extended their lead on their next drive when Marcol booted a 40-yard field goal of his own, and the score was 27-17 Green Bay.

But the lead didn’t last. Spurrier took to the air and threw six straight passes. His final toss went to Gene Washington for a 34-yard touchdown. The Packers lead was just 27-24 with four minutes left in the game.

Remembering the Three TD Game by John Brockington that Let the Packers Past the 49ers: A Thrilling Finish

The Packers had a chance to run out the clock and did manage to take more than three minutes off it. An 18-yard pass to wide receiver Leland Glass on third-and-long was the key play. The 49ers took all of their timeouts, but the Packers had to punt with 44 seconds left.

The 49ers took over at their own 20 with one more chance to tie or possibly win the game. But Ellis came up with another big play to put the game out of reach. He picked off a Spurrier pass intended for Gene Washington and returned it 35 yards for the clinching touchdown.

“It was right on the money. If I didn’t catch it, he [Gene Washington] would have,” Ellis said. “We were in a man-to-man prevent. We were going to give up anything short, but I knew I had help. There was no way I was going to lay back and let him have it.”

The pick six clinched a 34-24 Green Bay win.

The Aftermath

The win was the Packers fifth of the season, surpassing their total from the previous season when they went 4-8-2. It left them at 5-3 and in a first-place tie with Detroit.

“There’s nothing wrong with our offense. If we balance our attack like we did today, there’s no stopping us,” Brockington said.

Devine said he actually simplified the game plan. “We came in with just a few plays, a few runs and a few passes,” he said. “We reduced our game plan at halftime, actually we reduced it at the beginning. The coaches did a great job of sticking with it despite my trying to foul them up.”

Brockington finished the game with 133 yards rushing on 24 carries and two scores. He also caught one pass for 48 yards and another score. Hunter completed just 6-of-16 passes but they went for 151 yards. The Green Bay defense held San Francisco to 21 rushing yards on 19 carries and forced three turnovers.

The Packers built on this win and finished the season 5-1 in their final six games. They won their only division title of the decade with a 10-4 record. San Francisco won the NFC West with an 8-5-1 mark.

Brockington was the focal point of the Green Bay offense at this time and enjoyed many great games, but few matched this three-touchdown effort which helped turn the tide of the 1972 season.

 

 

 

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