The Block (American Football)
Encyclopedia
"The Block" refers to a memorable lead block of defensive tackle Jethro Pugh
of the Dallas Cowboys
by Green Bay Packer
guard
Jerry Kramer
, which allowed Green Bay quarterback
Bart Starr
to score on a quarterback sneak
with 16 seconds remaining in the 1967 NFL Championship Game, which was played on December 31, 1967 in Lambeau Field
in Green Bay. The game is commonly referred to as the "Ice Bowl" due to the frigid winter playing conditions endured by the players. (It remains the coldest NFL game on record in terms of actual air temperature, with an official game-time temperature of −13°F / −25°C, and a wind chill around −48°F / −44°C.) Starr's touchdown
, and the ensuing extra point
, gave the Packers a 21 to 17 victory over the Cowboys, and sent Green Bay to represent the NFL
in Super Bowl II
.
The play became the climax of Kramer's 1967 best-selling book, Instant Replay, a diary of that season (co-written by sportswriter Dick Schaap
) which highlighted the heretofore obscure work of an offensive lineman.
The play remains controversial on two points. Some argue that Packers center
Ken Bowman
should have received at least some of the credit for the block, while many observers contend that Kramer's arm movement prior to the snap meant that he was offside on the play, which should have negated the touchdown.
Jethro Pugh
Jethro Pugh, Jr. is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys.-College career:...
of the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
by Green Bay Packer
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
Jerry Kramer
Jerry Kramer
Gerald Louis "Jerry" Kramer is a former professional football player, author and sports commentator, best remembered for his 11-year NFL career with the Green Bay Packers as an offensive lineman...
, which allowed Green Bay quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Bart Starr
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
to score on a quarterback sneak
Quarterback sneak
A quarterback sneak is a play in Canadian and American football in which the quarterback, upon taking the center snap, dives ahead while the offensive line surges forward...
with 16 seconds remaining in the 1967 NFL Championship Game, which was played on December 31, 1967 in Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field...
in Green Bay. The game is commonly referred to as the "Ice Bowl" due to the frigid winter playing conditions endured by the players. (It remains the coldest NFL game on record in terms of actual air temperature, with an official game-time temperature of −13°F / −25°C, and a wind chill around −48°F / −44°C.) Starr's touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
, and the ensuing extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
, gave the Packers a 21 to 17 victory over the Cowboys, and sent Green Bay to represent the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
in Super Bowl II
Super Bowl II
The second AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later to be known as Super Bowl II, was played on January 14, 1968 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida....
.
The play became the climax of Kramer's 1967 best-selling book, Instant Replay, a diary of that season (co-written by sportswriter Dick Schaap
Dick Schaap
Richard Jay Schaap was an American sportswriter, broadcaster, and author.-Early life and education:...
) which highlighted the heretofore obscure work of an offensive lineman.
The play remains controversial on two points. Some argue that Packers center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
Ken Bowman
Ken Bowman
Kenneth Brian Bowman was a center in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers. Bowman was the center during the winning play of the Ice Bowl in which Bart Starr scored the winning touchdown. Bowman attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
should have received at least some of the credit for the block, while many observers contend that Kramer's arm movement prior to the snap meant that he was offside on the play, which should have negated the touchdown.
See also
- Immaculate ReceptionImmaculate ReceptionThe Immaculate Reception is the nickname given to one of the most famous plays in the history of American football. It occurred in the AFC divisional playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 23, 1972...
- The Catch (baseball)
- The Catch (American football)The Catch (American football)The Catch refers to the winning touchdown reception by Dwight Clark off a Joe Montana pass in the January 10, 1982, NFC Championship Game between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers...
- The DriveThe DriveThe Drive refers to an offensive series in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship Game played on January 11, 1987, between the Denver Broncos and the Cleveland Browns. Broncos quarterback John Elway, in a span of 5 minutes and 2 seconds, led his team 98 yards to tie the game with 37 seconds...
- The Helmet CatchEli Manning pass to David TyreeEli Manning's pass to David Tyree was an American football play involving the two aforementioned New York Giants players in the final two minutes of Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008. It was instrumental in the Giants' 17–14 upset victory over the New England Patriots...
- The FumbleThe FumbleIn American football, The Fumble refers to a specific incident in the AFC Championship Game between the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos on January 17, 1988 at Mile High Stadium...
- The PlayThe PlayThe Play refers to a last-second kickoff return during a college football game between the and the Stanford University Cardinal on Saturday, November 20, 1982...
- The Tackle