I am watching some 1962 Oilers film, and the AFL defenses aren't very good at all. The game between Houston and Boston is almost laughable. The DBs are completely inept. Hennigan catches a pass between 2 Patriot defenders, they both miss him, and then a third Patriot DB about 15 yards upfield somehow manages to trip himself....its a 78 yard TD play. Ron Burton of the Pats runs up the middle, cuts to his left, and somehow weaves around Jim Norton despite Norton having a 10 yard cushion, and then further downfield Burton weaves around Tony Banfield for a 59-yard TD. Hennigan ends up with an 8-202-2 TD statline, but the Patriots seal the win when 32-year old Babe Parilli calls a bootleg and makes 7 Oiler defenders miss on the way to a 32-yard TD run. Not exactly 1984 Bears-Raiders stuff.
So, not sure how to regard early AFL stats.
AFL Receivers
Re: AFL Receivers
Lee Grosscup wrote a book about his 1962 season, where he started in the Giants training camp, then was traded to the Vikings, released, wound up playing for the Titans. He definitely thought the playbooks and coverage schemes of the AFL were not on the level of the NFL at that time.Bryan wrote:I am watching some 1962 Oilers film, and the AFL defenses aren't very good at all. The game between Houston and Boston is almost laughable. The DBs are completely inept. Hennigan catches a pass between 2 Patriot defenders, they both miss him, and then a third Patriot DB about 15 yards upfield somehow manages to trip himself....its a 78 yard TD play. Ron Burton of the Pats runs up the middle, cuts to his left, and somehow weaves around Jim Norton despite Norton having a 10 yard cushion, and then further downfield Burton weaves around Tony Banfield for a 59-yard TD. Hennigan ends up with an 8-202-2 TD statline, but the Patriots seal the win when 32-year old Babe Parilli calls a bootleg and makes 7 Oiler defenders miss on the way to a 32-yard TD run. Not exactly 1984 Bears-Raiders stuff.
So, not sure how to regard early AFL stats.
Powell I think was borderline. Needed another season or two. I think he was legit, just got hurt and he was not a rehab guy so he was done. He was a prima donna, was going to wear out his welcome with anyone or get disenchanted, but he could play. Lionel Taylor I have never been impressed with, it's just high catch totals with crappy teams, low yards per catch and touchdowns. Guess he was influential on Fred Willis and Ken Payne.
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JohnTurney
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Re: AFL Receivers
I think it would take a pretty pro-AFL partisan to think anything other than what Grosscup wrote . . . as people have said, early AAFC, early AFL, WFL, USFL all had fine players but overall the talent-level was not as deep as the more established league. So, don't know exact years, but 46-47, 60-62, all of WFL and NFL . . .stats are iffy.Jay Z wrote:
Lee Grosscup wrote a book about his 1962 season, where he started in the Giants training camp, then was traded to the Vikings, released, wound up playing for the Titans. He definitely thought the playbooks and coverage schemes of the AFL were not on the level of the NFL at that time.
Powell I think was borderline. Needed another season or two. I think he was legit, just got hurt and he was not a rehab guy so he was done. He was a prima donna, was going to wear out his welcome with anyone or get disenchanted, but he could play. Lionel Taylor I have never been impressed with, it's just high catch totals with crappy teams, low yards per catch and touchdowns. Guess he was influential on Fred Willis and Ken Payne.
Taylor's stats are as you suggested. But got to see a lot of stuff on AFL receivers a few years ago, stuff never used and it changed my mind on Taylor. Not for HOF, to me all AFL receivers not in are in a similar category. But watching Lionel, he was far more athletic than his stats show. I learned a lot. He was strong and faster than I thought. He was no Charlie Hennigan (who was fast) but he could move. I began to then think had be been on the Raiders or Chargers his yards per catch and touchdown opportunities would have been much higher. Again, not to overstate it--not Alworth stuff, but he's one who really was limited because of poor offensive line not giving QB time and QBs were not to the level of Blanda, Hadl, Namath, even Flores . . .
Just food for thought.