GAME RECAP (MILWAUKEE SENTINEL)
(GREEN BAY) - The Packers were within three and a half minutes of
breaking into the win column at City Stadium Sunday afternoon, a big
one they would have richly deserved. Then it happened, a pass from
George Blanda to Jim Dooley, who made a nifty catch in the end zone
for a 16-yard gain and the touchdown that gave the Bears a 17-13
verdict on the 69th renewal of the this ancient pro football series before
24,835 witnesses. If it's true that when things are rough they get
rougher before turning for the better, the Packers certainly proved the
point this bright, warm and finally unhappy day.
BLANDA BOOTS GOAL
Perhaps everything didn't happen to them, but certainly enough to
"euchre" them out of a ball game they seemingly had in the old satchel.
They gave up three points early in the game on Blanda's 40-yard field
goal and came right back with a 70-yard scoring drive, climaxed by
Tobin Rote's 19-yard pass to Bobby Mann, to take the lead they didn't
relinquish until the clock moved toward those ominous closing minutes.
Things looked even brighter for the Ronzanimen, surprising spirited and
showing vast improvement since last week, when Gib Dawson
gathered in Fred Morrison's towering punt on his 40 and went all the
way, 60 yards, as the packed stands rocked with frenzied joy. The
Bears struck back immediately when big John Dottley bulled his way
into the end zone from the two yard line - the payoff punch on an
89-yard drive featured by the passing of Tommy O'Connell, whose
strikes accounted for all but 10 yards
BAYS LEAD AT HALF
So it was 13-10 at the half in the home club's favor, Fred Cone having
converted once in two tries and Blanda making good on his only shot
Cone's one attempt went haywire because the pass from center was
dropped, giving Billy Anderson time to block the hurried attempt. From
then on it was no dice until Blanda, who shared quarterback duties
with O'Connell and Steve Romanik, hit Dooley for the TD. That
practically broke the hearts of the vast majority of the fans. The
grandstanders already had suffered through many agonizing and
frustrating moments which will give them hours of future conversation
about what might have been. The cruelest blow of all, the No. 1 game
wrecker, was delivered early in the fourth quarter following Val Joe
Walker's interception of a somewhat desperate pass by O'Connell
deep in his own territory. Walker fielded the ball on the run and dashed
20 yards to the Bear two-yard line. First down on the two; everybody,
including Papa Bear Halas, must have been thinking in terms of a sure
touchdown and an almost foolproof lead of 20-10. But it just wasn't to
be. On the first play the Bays were set back to the seven on a backs-
in-motion penalty. Then came something even more horrible that will
haunt the onlookers as well as Packer players and coaches for
evermore. Rote faked a handoff to Howie Ferguson and dropped back
to pass. Before he could toss to Mann in the open, his arm was hit by
onrushing Bears and the ball rolled crazily the wrong way until Frank
Dempsey captured it for the Bears way back on the 27. It's really
rough to lose the ball and 20 yards on the same play. Later the Bears
again got the ball when George Figner intercepted a Rote pass. Two
Blanda passes moved the Bears to the Packer 20. After Eddie Macon
pranced to the Packer 16, Blanda passed to Dooley for a touchdown.
Blanda converted and the Bears led 17-13. And that wasn't all. Not by
any means. In fact, the Packers could have won despite this brutal
mess-up if they hadn't run into other damaging failures purely
mechanical in nature. The first of three ruinous fumbles came on the
third play of the game. Rote flipped a fine screen pass to Byron Bailey,
a hard-running halfback picked up from the Detroit Lions, for 33
thrilling yards. But Bailey fumbled as he was tackled at midfield. Ed
Sprinkle recovered for the Bears on his own 49. Old Halas U. turned
that break into three points via Blanda's perfect field goal. In the
second quarter the Packers were on the move again on Rote's 12-yard pass to Clive Rush, another new addition to the squad, for what would have been a certain first down near midfield. A bruising tackle cause Rush to fumble, Gerald Weatherly coming up with it on the Packer 41. Add heartbreaking happenings like Breezy Reid's muffs of Rote's and Babe Parilli's long passes with a clear field ahead, an offside penalty that nullified a 20-yard Rote to Mann pass to the Bears' 22, and you have some idea of the breaks operating against the beleaguered Packers Sunday. It continued to the very end, for even after the Bears went ahead, 17-13, the home club was on the verge of pulling the game out of the fire. A trio of Rote passes (two screens to Cone and a flat pitch to Mann) moved the ball 37 yards for a first down on the Bear 24. Then Rote lofted a soft pass into Bear defender John Hoffman's hands to the accompaniment of groads from the stands which must have been heard up and down the Fox Valley. Statistically the game was just as close as the score. The Packers did a good job rushing and downfield covering job that held the Bears to 12 completions in 31 pass attempts. What's more they intercepted four. They had a slightly better average themselves with 11 out 27, two of which fell into enemy hands. Ronzani's operators had a 281 to 232 edge in total yardage, with a 200 to 151 advantage in passing. It was a standoff in rushing at 81 yards each. The big items working for the other side were fumbles and penalties. Oh yes - let's not forget what was possibly the most damaging penalty of all, the interference call that gave the Bears first down on the two and set up Dottley's second quarter touchdown. The visitors were held to two yards in two attempts from the five. When a third down pass was batted down in the end zone, it looked like the Bays might work out of the tight squeeze, but when the referees signaled interference and placed the ball on the two, it meant first down again and a fresh start for the Bears. Dottley's scoring thrust counted.
CHICAGO BEARS - 3 7 0 7 - 17
GREEN BAY - 6 7 0 0 - 13
1st - CHI - George Blanda, 40-yard field goal CHICAGO 3-0
1st - GB - Mann, 19-yard pass from Rote (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 6-3
2nd - GB - Dawson, 60-yard punt return (Cone kick) GREEN BAY 13-3
2nd - CHI - John Dottley, 2-yard run (Blanda kick) GREEN BAY 13-10
4th - CHI - Jim Dooley, 16-yard pass from Blanda (Blanda kick) CHICAGO 17-13
Chicago Bears (1-1) 17, Green Bay Packers (0-2) 3
Sunday October 4th 1953 (at Green Bay)
NEWS AND NOTES
PACKERS SEEK RAM REVENGE
OCTOBER 7 (Milwaukee Journal) - One year ago, the second Sunday in October to be exact, the Los Angeles Rams nipped the Packers, 30-28, in one of the most stirring finishes ever seen in Milwaukee, or in any other NFL city for that matter. The second Sunday in October again approaches and again the Packers and Rams will meet in Milwaukee. All the ingredients are present for a repeat performance. In 1952, Gene Ronzani's Packers went into the game decided underdogs. The same situation exists now. The Rams once more are rated among the league's powers their 31-30 upset at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday notwithstanding. When Los Angeles invaded Milwaukee last season, Hamp Pool just had taken over the coaching reins from Joe Stydahar. The Packers, playing their best football of the season, quickly took the lead. With 12 minutes to go, Green Bay had a 28-6 advantage. Suddenly the Rams came to life as Bob Waterfield guided the attack. The 22-point lead melted as the Rams passed over 24 points in a whirlwind windup. Deacon Dan Towler hurled himself over the goal for the winning touchdown with a minute left. The victory lifted the Rams, defending league champions at the time, and they wound up in a tie with the Detroit Lions for the National Conference title. They bowed to the Lions in a playoff, 31-21. The Lions went on to beat the Cleveland Browns for the league championship. Two of last year's villains, as far as the Packers are concerns, are gone from the Ram roster. Waterfield, the ace passer, retired from pro football for a movie career, in which field he is second string to his wife, Jane Russell. Bob Carey, the giant end from Michigan State, who picked up a fumble and rumbled for one of the touchdowns in the late rally, is in the service.
REPORT GALIFFA WILL BE PLAYING SOON
OCTOBER 8 (Pittsburgh) - The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said Thursday night that Arnold Galiffa, former star quarterback of the Army football team, will soon be playing for the New York Giants. Galiffa, recently discharged from the Army, has been visiting at his home in nearby Donora. He could not be reached for comment but the Post-Gazette said he would fly to New York today. The Green Bay Packers drafted the ex-West Pointer, later trading his rights to the Giants for Val Joe Walker, an end and defensive halfback from SMU.
RAMS' HOPES AT STAKE HERE - CONTEST WITH PACKERS SUNDAY IS VITAL, SAYS COACH POOL
OCTOBER 8 (Los Angeles) - The Los Angeles Rams left here by plane Thursday for Milwaukee to play the Green Bay Packers Sunday in the Stadium in a game which could make or break the club's championship hopes. "We are at a crossroads," was the way the head coach, Hampton Pool, put it. He referred to the Rams' 31-30 upset by the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday, a game the club figured to win. Pool did not subscribe to a thought that the defeat would wash away any overconfidence the team may have entertained. "On the contrary," Pool said, "any loss hurts a football team. This one hurt us particularly. We knew we could, and should, have won it." What about Green Bay? "They have everything to win and not much more to lose. A team in such a situation can be more dangerous than others," Pool said. Physically, the Rams should be stronger than they have been since league play began. Such cripples as V.T. (Vitamin) Smith, Tom Fears, Johnny Hock and Crazylegs Hirsch should see action, perhaps fulltime. Only defensive back Herb Rich is definitely a non-participant.
GREEN BAY WIND UP PREPARATION FOR RAMS' BATTLE
OCTOBER 8 (Green Bay) - The Green Bay Packers wound up preparation today for their date with the Los Angeles Rams at Milwaukee County Stadium Sunday with another long offensive drill. Coach Gene Ronzani, whose impotent Packers have failed to score in the last half of any game since August, spent most of the week on trying to develop a scoring punch. In its two NFL losses so far, Green Bay has tallied only twice and one of those touchdowns was on a 60-yard punt return. Ronzani, a Packer publicity release said Thursday, "is convinced that more points will be needed if the Packers are to beat the Rams." There was no word on what changed, if any, Ronzani planned in his offensive array. Veteran quarterback Tobin Rote was at the throttle most of the way against the Chicago Bears last Sunday, while Babe Parilli rode the bench. It's likely the former Kentucky Babe will see more action this week. A pair of newcomers, Byron Bailey and Clive Rush, also may fit into the picture a bit more snugly with an extra week of practice under their belts. Bailey, a squatty halfback, and Rush, a rangy end, may help take up the slack left by the loss with injuries of Bill Howton, the sensational sophomore end who scored 12 touchdowns last year on the end of Rote or Parilli passes. Rush, in addition, is an able punter. Los Angeles is a cinch to counter whatever Green Bay offers with an aerial attack pegged on Norm Van Brocklin at quarterback and Elroy Hirsch, Tom Fears and Bob Boyd at the ends. Van Brocklin, with Bob Waterfield in retirement, is being spelled this spelled this season by Rudy Bukich, the Southern California ace whose pass to Al Carmichael beat Wisconsin in last year's Rose Bowl. Carmichael is currently a Packer halfback.
'SPIRIT GOOD', PACKERS SEEK UPSET OVER RAMS
OCTOBER 9 (Milwaukee Journal) - "One of these days we'll break loose," Packer coach Gene Ronzani said Friday. "I hope it can be against the Rams Sunday." Ronzani said spirit was good among the Packers as they prepared in their Green Bay camp for Sunday's NFL game at the Stadium here with the Los Angeles Rams. "The boys are far from being depressed by the record," the Packer coach said, referring to the two straight league defeats, which, coupled with four exhibition setbacks, add up to a six-game losing streak. "Sure our offense hasn't been good in the second half, but the other teams haven't been scoring much either." (The Packers have failed to score after the intermission in their last six games.) "After all, the Browns scored only 10 points in the second half against us and the Bears seven. That's 17 points in two games, which isn't up to pro standards. Our defense had been good enough. Now if our offense starts clicking, we'll cause trouble." Ronzani rates the Rams as one of the best in the league. "In personnel, speed and depth they can be compared with the Browns," he said. "An underdog like we are needs all the breaks to beat them. But we're due for some breaks." Halfbacks Byron Bailey and Gib Dawson are on the doubtful list for Sunday. Both have leg injuries.
HINKLE WOULD COACH PACKERS TO OLD GLORY
OCTOBER 9 (Green Bay) - Clarke Hinkle, former Green Bay Packer fullback, wants "to restore the Packers to their place in the football world," so he applied Friday for the job of head coach, currently held by Gene Ronzani, in the first year of a three-year contract. Hinkle, here from his home at Toronto, Ontario, to address the weekly Quarterback Club, said in a telegram to Packer President Russell Bogda: "Please consider this as a formal application for the head coaching position with the Green Bay Packers. It is my desire to restore the Packers to their place in the football world." Bogda told a reporter, "No comment." Ronzani could not be reached. The Packers have lost both of their NFL games this season and four of five exhibitions. Club officials called a meeting last week to state they had "full confidence" in Ronzani. "I do not expect to get the job," Hinkle explained later, "but I certainly would take it if offered, because there must be a reawakening all around among loyal fans as well as players. I know I could do much to bring about a revival." Hinkle is employed by a steel firm in Weirton,WV. "This is entirely on my own," Hinkle told the United Press. "There's nobody behind it. It's my own feeling and action. I'm taking the initiative somebody else should take. But I don't want to hurt anybody." Hinkle has had no connection with football since he stopped coaching a semi-pro team in Weirton two years ago.
PACKERS, RAMS IN AERIAL BATTLE AT STADIUM TODAY
OCTOBER 11 (Milwaukee) - The Green Bay Packers have no less than a triple objective in Sunday's NFL skirmish with the Los Angeles Rams (1:30 p.m.) at Milwaukee Stadium. They'll be out to: 1. Get into the victory stride following defeats in the their first two games (That's most important). 2. Build a good will among Milwaukee area pro grid fans by giving them something to cheer about. 3. Slap down the Rams for the last quarter defeat (30-28) they suffered last year at Marquette Stadium where the L.S. outfit heaped humility upon the Bays by scoring 24 points in the final 12 minutes. How can coach Gene Ronzani's athletes achieve their giant objective? Possibly by beating the Rams at their own game - passing. True, the great pass-snatchin' end Bill Howton is still nursing battered ribs and is definitely out. But the expert aerial artistry of Tobin Rote and Babe Parilli, who will in all probability concentrate on ends Bob Mann and Stretch Elliott and backs Byron Bailey and Breezy Reid as "bomb" targets, is due to pay off. Although the game carries a "must' tag as far as Packer hopes are concerned, the Rams will take the field as the favorites. After all, the official league statistics give the visitors a big bulge. They've passed for 458 yards and powered for 263 more while winning and tying. Green Bay's two league appearances have netted 440 yards - 266 by passing and 174 via power. Thus, on paper, the Bay outlook is anything but rosy. However, Packer teams have overcome greater obstacles in the past and Sunday they may have prove to an expected crowd of around 20,000 that they can repeat. If passing fails to prove a damaging weapon for the Packers, then power tactics probably will come into play more prominently. Ronzani's top pigskin-packers include Al Carmichael, Fred Cone, Gib Dawson and Bailey. Los Angeles, with Norm Van Brocklin hurling sharp aerials to ex-Badger Elroy (Crazy Legs) Hirsch and Tom Fears, will strive to lower the boom on the Bays with passing as its whip. Augmenting L.A.'s devastating overhead game will be plenty of rushing power unleashed by Dan Towler and Tank Younger.
