Okay, here's the big game...
We decide to ride the hot hand, and stick with young Glenn Dixon for the Superbowl. Deion Brock, two-time Superbowl MVP but not quite 100% for this game, will be the backup.
Arizona is a decent team, but not too flashy in the skill positions. They will be tough for us to run against, and their secondary is pretty tough, also. I like our personnel here, especially as they are without QB Myron Cutler.
On the first play of the game, Glenn Dixon hits TE Sellers on a deep crossing pattern, and he rumbles for 59 yards, deep into Arizona territory. The crowd goes wild! What a start! Glenn Dixon hits Pritchett for a first down, and then scrambles his way in for the opening score. What an opening possession – electric!
Arizona comes back with a good possession, but they miss a long FG and we get it back. After a stunted possession on each side, we get a blocked punt by DE Finch, and take over at the Arizona 34. Pritchett catches a setup pass, and then the TD, as we take the 14-0 lead. As the first quarter wraps up, we’re pretty even in total yards, but we lead by two TDs.
Late in the second quarter, Arizona capitalizes on our mistake, and they score on a short drive, getting within 14-7. But Pritchett hauls in a 41-yard TD to get us back in commend with under 2 minutes left. Arizona gets a great 57-yard kickoff return, and they cap on a FG before halftime.
Late in the third quarter, Arizona edges in after winning a punt battle, and they punch in for a short TD run to get back within 21-17. Just after the third quarter ends, we are driving, but Dixon gets picked off near midfield, and Arizona has momentum again. The Cards drive down to our 40, but veteran safety Kirk Weed gets an interception of his own, and we dodge that particular bullet.
With 7:51 on the clock, the Cards get it back at their 27, after a short punt. They are still down 4, and our defense needs to step up, after yielding 370 yards of offense already today. We force them into a fourth and two, and they punt it back to us – big stop. However, their defense is tough, also, and they get yet another chance – starting out at their 18, with 3:45 on the clock. We force them into a fourth and 10, and this time the Cards feel they have to go for it. We get pressure on the QB, and the pass falls to the turf—we take over at the Arizona 30. We can’t take a lot of time off the clock, but we do tack on a FG to our lead, making it 24-17.
Arizona’s last shot (we presume) starts on their 26, with 1:14 left in the game. Down seven, they have to go 74 yards. They get a lot of it on a big pass hookup, and it’s first down at our 37. We force them to third and ten, but they get another pass down to our 22, with the clock ticking down to 22 seconds. They connect one more time, and get out of bounds with exactly one second left, from our 12 yard line. It’s do or die for the Cardinals.
Arizona’s QB Ward drops back to pass, needing the TD on this play… he looks quickly and gets pressured, and it’s Defensive Ends Zach Finch and Kim Quinn who collapse right onto him, grabbing the huge sack and securing the Superbowl win for our Browns!
QB Glenn Dixon, of course, is named the game’s MVP. WR Don Pritchett, with 135 yards and 2 TDs, could certainly have had a claim as well. DE Finch had 7 tackles and a sack even before getting in on half of the biggest single play of the game, the game-clinching QB sack as the clock was on zeroes. Lots of heroes in this one.
Season Wrap-up
Code:
2021 Awards List
Award Player Team
Player of the Year Eddie Carr BUF
**Front Office Bowl MVP Glenn Dixon CLE
Offensive Player of the Year Eddie Carr BUF
Defensive Player of the Year Sedrick Smithnosky TEN
Offensive Rookie of the Year Dwight Cain CHI
Defensive Rookie of the Year Kim Ives DAL
All-League First-String Quarterback Randall Kay NYJ
All-League First-String Running Back Eddie Carr BUF
All-League First-String Fullback Willie Bronson TBY
All-League First-String Tight End Jamie Traylor NYJ
All-League First-String Wide Receiver Lamar Donnelly PIT
All-League First-String Wide Receiver Frank Flowers MIA
All-League First-String Center Tony Olsavsky NOS
All-League First-String Offensive Guard Kirk Copeland BUF
All-League First-String Offensive Guard Kurt McDougle SEA
All-League First-String Offensive Tackle Joel Foley PIT
All-League First-String Offensive Tackle Moe Yost BAL
All-League First-String Punter Greg Mahoney PHI
All-League First-String Kicker Scott Thomason OAK
All-League First-String Defensive End Duane Sheen NYG
All-League First-String Defensive End Calvin Carter GBY
All-League First-String Defensive Tackle Dennis Schwartz SFO
All-League First-String Defensive Tackle Brett Hickl GBY
All-League First-String Inside Linebacker C.J. Blackwell JAX
All-League First-String Outside Linebacker Greg Daveria BAL
All-League First-String Outside Linebacker Matt Ross SEA
All-League First-String Cornerback Herb Beall DET
All-League First-String Cornerback Rob Ashford WAS
All-League First-String Safety Sedrick Smithnosky TEN
All-League First-String Safety Byron Ainsworth WAS
All-League Second-String Quarterback Mercury Shoemaker PIT
All-League Second-String Running Back Jim Rayburn PIT
All-League Second-String Fullback Renaldo Gruber BUF
All-League Second-String Tight End Jared Midget MIN
All-League Second-String Wide Receiver Sherman McGregor IND
All-League Second-String Wide Receiver Jim Herndon JAX
All-League Second-String Center Adam Davidson SDO
All-League Second-String Offensive Guard Artie Watkins ARI
All-League Second-String Offensive Guard Rex Bussey CHI
All-League Second-String Offensive Tackle Dave Gaylor KCY
All-League Second-String Offensive Tackle Conrad Craig BUF
All-League Second-String Punter R.J. Rasmussen SEA
All-League Second-String Kicker Rico Boynton DET
All-League Second-String Defensive End Steve Bidwell GBY
All-League Second-String Defensive End Clifton Irwin CAR
All-League Second-String Defensive Tackle Marshall Porter HOU
All-League Second-String Defensive Tackle Tom Robinson SEA
All-League Second-String Inside Linebacker Renaldo Fredrickson BAL
All-League Second-String Outside Linebacker Charles Curtis CHI
All-League Second-String Outside Linebacker Louis Howard IND
All-League Second-String Cornerback Sean Sinclair ARI
All-League Second-String Cornerback Zack Cooley KCY
All-League Second-String Safety Neal Floyd OAK
All-League Second-String Safety Jerald Jacobs DAL
League's Fastest Man Junior Berry NYG
League's Strongest Man Ted Freeman OAK
Curiously, we are shut out from the awards this year, other than Dixon’s getting the SB award. Lots of injuries, and lots of role players – that’s our hallmark, as usual. RB Gus Stewart was certainly in the mix, but came up behind the two RB award winners, it seems.
Well, we couldn’t win the division, but we managed to win it all in the end. Tough to complain about those results.