GAME RECAP (MILWAUKEE SENTINEL)
(MILWAUKEE) - The high powered Los Angeles Rams
had too many guns, too much striking power - especially
air power - for the Green Bay Packers at the Stadium
Sunday. As a result, the West Coast club chalked up a
38-20 victory before an appreciative audience of 23,352.
The Bays showed continued improvement and put up a
good fight. But improvement and fight weren't enough to
ward off their third straight league defeat. They had the
satisfaction of leading briefly on the first of two field goals
by Fred Cone. They outgained the enemy on the ground
and wound up with a big margin on kick returns thanks to
some brilliant running by Al Carmichael. They even
unleashed their most effective pass attack of the season.
RAMS' PASSING SHARP
Defense against the aerial bombs fired by Norm Van
Brocklin and Rudy Bukich was something else again. In
fact, it was the Rams' sharp overhead maneuvers, featuring
the incomparable Elroy (Crazy Legs) Hirsch on the
receiving end, that spelled ruin for the Ronzanimen.
Although only one of L.A.'s five touchdowns was scored
directly on a pass, the sharpshooting ate up most of the
vital yards along the way. Hirsch was the big wheel with
eight catches for 168 yards, but he wasn't alone on the
receiving end. In fact, five teammates got in the act.
Volney Quinlan came closest to sharing honors with Crazy
Legs by fielding a long one for 59 yards to boost the
Rams' lead to 21-10 shortly before the end of the half.
MYERS SCORES TWICE
Brady Myers scored twice in the first half for the visitors on
a 13-yard run and three-yard plunge. Tank Younger
plunged two yards in the third quarter and Bukich sneaked
for one in the fourth. Golden-toed Ben Agajanian
connected on five straight conversions and added a 47-
yard field goal to account for the winners' other points.
Most of the Packer scoring was done by Cone - 14 points
to be exact - on field goals of 33 and 38 yards, a three-
yard smash and two conversions. Johnny Papit closed the
Packer books with a fourth period TD on a seven-yard
sweep.
FIRST DOWN EDGE
he Packers actually had the edge in first downs, 18 to 16, and wound up with total gains of 327 to 426 for the Rams. But they just couldn't connect in the pinches - like those vital third down plays that kept rallies going. Nor were they a match for the visitors on pass defense. Witness L.A.'s four interceptions to none for the home club. The big-bog down came in the second quarter when the Bays had fourth down, only two yards from a score and couldn't make it. A pass fell incomplete in the end zone for a touchback in that key spot when they were trailing 14-3. As thought that wasn't enough, Stretch Elliott, who otherwise played a fine all-around game on both offense and defense, dropped a pass with a clear field ahead. Another pass was underthrown, with Clive Rush free in the end zone. To make matters worse, the day's big Packer gainer, a 55-yard pass from Tobin Rote to Bobby Dillon, was nullified by an offside penalty a couple minutes before the halftime gun. That would have meant position on the Rams' 10 and a chance to make it 21-17 at the intermission. Carmichael's kick returns were something to behold. He ran back four kickoffs, a punt and a short field try a total of 260 yards. His longest gallop was 56 yards after fielding Agajanian's three-point bid from 56 yards out. Carmichael caught the ball on his two and twisted and squirmed to the Ram 42 to set up his team's first touchdown. Another bit of consolation was the breaking of the long second half scoring drought. The Packers hadn't scored in the third or fourth period since the opening exhibition game with the Giants until Cone drilled a 33-yard field goal not long after the second half got underway.
PAPIT TALLIES
Papit's fourth period touchdown gave further proof that it is possible to score after the rest period. Rote, working off the spread formation which was used so effectively in the past, completed 12 of 25 pass attempts for 162 yards and was the chief ground gainer with 53 yards on 11 carries. Van Brocklin connected 12 times in 23 tries for 250 big yards. Bukich chipped in with five for eight to roll up 84 more. Van Brocklin and Hirsch collaborated on the day's most thrilling play, good for 70 yards, to the Packers' two yard line, from where Younger crashed over for TD No. 4.
CAUGHT BY WALKER
Crazy Legs took the ball in full stride breaking to his right, regained his feet after being knocked down by Dillon and finally was hauled down from behind by Val Joe Walker. It took two good breaks, in the form of fumble recoveries, to give the Packers the lead to give the Packers the lead via Cone's 38-yard kick after seven minutes of play. Marvin Johnson recovered Myers' bobble on the first scrimmage play on the Rams' 23. But all that happened was a field goal try that was blocked and rolled all the way to the Bays' 43. Younger promptly fumbled the ball right back and the successful field goal grew out of that. The Rams moved 57 yards on five plays following Parilli's short kick to take the lead. Myers doing the honors from 13 yards out. Woodley Lewis' interception on his 45 led to Myers' next counter on the first play of the second period. The Bays drew up to 14-10 on Cone's dive into the end zone from the three to climax a counterattack started by Carmichael's 56-yard kickoff return. It took only three plays after the next kickoff to make it 21-10 for the Rams on the aforementioned 59-yard nifty, Van Brocklin to Quinlan, who was completely alone when he caught the ball. Cone and Agajanian swapped field goals in the third period before the Van Brocklin to Hirsch dazzler gave Younger his scoring opportunity. The Packers swept 53 yards, with Papit going over, early in the fourth session. But all hopes of a miraculous comeback were snuffed out when Bukich threw strikes to Hirsch, Younger and Bob Boyd to set up his own TD on a sneak - the final marker.
LOS ANGELES - 7 14 10 7 - 38
GREEN BAY - 3 7 3 7 - 20
1st - GB - Cone, 38-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
1st - LA - Brady Myers, 13-yard run (Ben Agajanian kick) LOS ANGELES 7-3
2nd - LA - Myers, 3-yard run (Agajanian kick) LOS ANGELES 14-3
2nd - GB - Cone, 3-yard run (Cone kick) LOS ANGELES 14-10
2nd - LA - Skeets Quinlan, 59-yard pass from Van Brocklin (Agajanian kick) LA 21-10
3rd - GB - Cone, 33-yard field goal LOS ANGELES 21-13
3rd - LA - Agajanian, 47-yard field goal LOS ANGELES 24-13
3rd - LA - Tank Younger, 2-yard run (Agajanian kick) LOS ANGELES 31-13
4th - GB - Papit, 7-yard run (Cone kick) LOS ANGELES 31-20
4th - LA - Rudy Bukich, 1-yard run (Agajanian kick) LOS ANGELES 38-20
Los Angeles Rams (2-1) 38, Green Bay Packers (0-3) 20
Sunday October 11th 1953 (at Milwaukee)
NEWS AND NOTES
ALDRIDGE INJURES BACK
OCTOBER 11 (Green Bay) - Green Bay suffered another loss Sunday, in addition to its 38-20 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams at the Stadium. Defensive halfback Ben Aldridge suffered two chipped bones in his vertebrae while throwing a block following a Ram punt late in the fourth quarter. He was removed from the field on a stretcher and taken to County Emergency Hospital. The hospital receiving room reported that Aldridge's injury is serious enough to keep him sidelined for at least two weeks. He was released following an X-ray examination.
EDDIE KOTAL APPROACHED ON PACKER COACHING JOB
OCTOBER 12 (Milwaukee Journal) - Eddie Kotal, former Packer great, has been approached by two members of Green Bay's executive board on his availability to become coach at Green Bay, if a vacancy occurred, according to Maxwell Stiles of the Los Angeles Mirror, who was in Milwaukee over the weekend to cover the game for his paper. Stiles interviewed Kotal here Monday noon just before Kotal, now on the staff of the Rams, left on a scouting trip. Stiles quoted Kotal as saying that he was complimented by the approach but that he did not think he would be interested. Rumors of a possible coaching change at Green Bay have been rife for several weeks. The Packers lost their seventh straight game to the Rams here Sunday, 38-20. Kotal played five seasons with the Packers, from 1925 to 1929 after a brilliant career at Lawrence college. Before he joined Los Angeles' staff, he was backfield coach of the Packers from 1942 to 1945 under Curly Lambeau. Kotal played four years of football at Bloom High School, Chicago, a year at the University of Illinois and then transferred to Lawrence. He was a member of the Midwest conference football championship teams of 1922 and 1924, and the champion basketball team of 1925. Kotal was a member of the Packers' first NFL championship team in 1929. He also was named to the league all-star team that year. After leaving the Packers he was assistant coach at Lawrence for four years and then became athletic director at Stevens Point Teachers college where he served 11 years before joining the Packers.
EXECUTIVE BOARD BACKS RONZANI
OCTOBER 12 (Green Bay) - The executive board of the Green Bay Packers at its regular meeting Monday ignored entirely the coaching application filed by Clarke Hinkle last Saturday and expressed again its confidence in head coach Gene Ronzani and his staff. Beyond this, the board members refused to discuss what had transpired. Although the Packers showed marked improvement in their 38-20 licking at Los Angeles' hands in Milwaukee Sunday, rumors abounded Monday that a coaching change was imminent. Sunday's defeat was the seventh in a row for Green Bay. Most prominently mentioned in the discussions of possible changes were Eddie Kotal of the Los Angeles Rams; Red Hearden, former Packer halfback and later coach at St. Norbert's college; Mike Michalske, former star guard, and Greasy Neale, who coached the Philadelphia Eagles to a championship then retired. Kotal admitted in Milwaukee Monday that he had been approached on his availability, but said he was not interested. "I'm happy where I am - not interested at all."
DEFENSE GETS ALL ATTENTION OF PACKERS
OCTOBER 12 (Green Bay) - The Green Bay Packers have started drills for their coming game with the Baltimore Colts here Sunday with emphasis on defense. The Packers will try to mark up their first win in four NFL starts when they meet the up-and-coming Colts. The Baltimore club beat the Chicago Bears Sunday for the second straight time. Two of the Packers' losses resulted from inadequate pass defense against the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams. The Rams went to a 38-20 victory last Sunday mainly by air. Packer coach Gene Ronzani opened the week's workouts Monday with defensive drills. Packer defensive back Ben Aldridge will be out of action at least two weeks with a back injury received in the game with the Rams Sunday in Milwaukee.
ROTE, PARILLI FAR BACK IN PRO LEAGUE PASSING
OCTOBER 13 (Green Bay) - When the 1952 NFL season ended, Tobin Rote was second and Babe Parilli third in passing. The Packers had a 6-6 record, good for a third place tie in the National Conference. Today the Packers rest on the bottom of the heap with an 0-3 record. Why? The league statistics, released Wednesday, probably provided a clue: Rote is ninth and Parilli 13th in the passing standings, based on average gain per aerial attempted. Parilli has the worst completion percentage (30.8) among the 15 "regular" passers. Rote is just ahead of him, in 14th place, with 40.9 percent. Otto Graham of the Cleveland Browns leads in both departments. He has completed 53 of 76 passes for a gain of 930 yards. His completion percentage is 69.7 and he has averaged 12.24 yards per attempt. Rote's average gain per pass is 6.32 yards. He has connected on 27 of 66 tries for 417 yards. Parilli's eight completions in only 26 tries have netted 114 yards, an average advance of 4.38. Only in returning kicks have the Packers any players among the leaders. Gib Dawson and Al Carmichael are second and third, respectively, in punt returns and Carmichael is second in bringing back kickoffs. Yale Lary of Detroit leads in punt returns, averaging 24.7 yards on three chances All of his yards were picked up in a 74-yard touchdown run, the season's longest punt return, against Baltimore. Dawson has a 13.6-yard average for five returns and Carmichael a 12.2 average for six punt runbacks. Carmichael trails only Lynn Chadnois of Pittsburgh in returning kickoffs.
The rookie from Southern California, who had a great day here Sunday, has 229 yards in six runbacks, an average of 38.2. Chadnois had returned five kickoffs 204 yards for a 40.8 average.
CARDS SIGN SANDIFER
OCTOBER 15 (Chicago) - The Chicago Cardinals Wednesday signed Dan Sandifer, defensive back. He recently was released by the Green Bay Packers, who had signed him after five seasons with the Washington Redskins.
COLTS, SUNDAY PACKER FOES, ARE MOVING UP FAST
OCTOBER 15 (Green Bay) - The Green Bay Packers, losers in their first three league starts this year, will be trying valiantly to get into the win column Sunday afternoon at City Stadium, when they meet up with the Baltimore Colts, lately dubbed the "Bear Killers." The Colts jolted the Chicago Bears twice in a two-week span. The Colts have about 16 players from other clubs, just about half the roster, and have been doing all right, with a 2-1 record so far. Baltimore's defense is rated the best in the league and is anchored by three former Cleveland Browns and Tom Keane, a holdover from the Texans. Three ex-Los Angeles Rams are on the Colts' roster. In addition, the club has two from the Philadelphia Eagles and one each from the Packers, Chicago Bears, New York and Detroit. The former Rams are tackle Jim Winkler, guard Billy Lange and halfback Tommy Kalmanir, and coming from the Eagles were quarterback Fred Enke, who has come into his own after toiling with Philly and Detroit, and fullback John Huzvar, 240. They obtained guard Dick Barwegan from the Bears, halfback Ed Mioduszewski from Detroit, tackle Tom Finnin from the Giants and quarterback Dick Flowers from the Packers. Flowers went to Baltimore, by the way, for a high draft choice. He has not seen action in league play year. Out of it coach Keith Molesworth has come up with a fighting team that promises no end of trouble to other teams in the league.
PACKERS EASE OFF FOR COLTS
OCTOBER 15 (Green Bay) - The Green Bay Packers eased off their heavy workouts today as they prepared for Sunday's game with the surprising Baltimore Colts. The Packers, with three losses in three NFL starts, will try to get into the winning column for the first time this season against the Colts who have won two and lost one. Coach Gene Ronzani emphasized defensive drills all week after the Packers' loss to Los Angeles last Sunday. He indicated that end Clive Rush, who has caught nine passes good for 24 yards in the last two games, would continue to hold down the injured Bill Howton's spot on the offensive squad.
THREE PACKERS TO MISS BALTIMORE TILT SUNDAY
OCTOBER 17 (Green Bay) - Three Green Bay players will be out of the lineup with injuries when the Packers meet the Baltimore Colts here Sunday in a NFL game. End Bill Howton, injured before the season opener, will miss the contest as will end Bobby Mann and defensive halfback Ben Aldridge, both of whom were hurt in the Packers' tussle last Sunday with the Los Angeles Rams in Milwaukee. Baltimore's only serious casualty is fullback Zollie Toth, who has been sidelined for several weeks. Al Carmichael, rookie Packer halfback, will receive an award for being named the outstanding Green Bay player against the Rams. He starred in kick returns.
COLTS GIVEN THE NOD IN GREEN BAY GAME
OCTOBER 18 (Green Bay) - Before the NFL season opened. October 18 was considered an automatic victory day for the Packers. After all, weren't they to play the Baltimore Colts, nee the Dallas Texans, that day? With the season three weeks old, however, today's game between the Packers and the Colts does not shape up that way at all. If anything, the Colts go into the game slight favorites, and why not? Coach Keith Molesworth's revitalized Baltimore team has a 2-1 record, good enough for a three-way ties for second place in the Western Conference. Gene Ronzani's embattled Packers meanwhile are alone in the cellar with an 0-3 record. They were rated as possible title contenders after last year's 6-6 record, yet they have lost seven games in a row, counting the exhibitions. After only three weeks of league play, the Colts have more victories than Dallas could muster all last season. As the Texans the team had a 1-11 record. Their only victory was scored at Akron, OH at the expense of the Chicago Bears, after the league had taken over the franchise. The Packers beat the Texans twice last season, both times quite handily. This season the Colts have picked on the Bears for both of their victories, by 13-9 and 16-14 scores. Sandwiched between these contests was the Bears' only victory, a 17-13 decision over the Packers here two weeks ago. On the basis of comparative scores at least, the Packers' chances of ending their losing streak appear slim. In the matter of scoring points, the Colts do not show any great edge over the Packers, 46 points to 33. The strong point in the Baltimore revival, however, has been defense. The Colts have given three league opponents only 40 points, the Packers have allowed 82. Behind a big tough line, the Colts have been operating a highly efficient secondary. The top linebackers are rookie Bill Pellington and Alex Agase, who last year was an assistant coach of the Texans. Bert Rechichar and Tom Keane each have intercepted three passes, sharing the league lead in that department. Rechichar, obtained last winter in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, also played a vital part on offense in the Baltimore victories over the Bears. In the first game, he booted a 56-yard field goal, a new league record, in his first attempt at a three pointer. Last Sunday in Chicago, his 31-yard field goal provided the winning margin.
