Green Bay Packers (1-1) 28, Detroit Lions (0-1) 9
Sunday October 2nd 1960 (at Green Bay)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(GREEN BAY) - The Packers flashed the makings of a powerful hit-and-run attack at City Stadium Sunday afternoon. They rushed 52 times for 255 yards in ripping the dangerous Detroit Lions 28 to 9 for their first victory of the infant 1960 NFL season before a delighted sellout of 32,150. Jim Taylor, the fullback with the grace of an Astaire, roared 26 times for 151 yards in one of the finest individual rushing performances in Packer history. He just missed Billy Grimes' Packer record of 167 yards (1950) and tied the record for most attempts, 26 by Tony Canadeo in 1949. The Packer task was difficult. Green Bay was behind 6-0 early in the second period, ahead 7-6 midway in that frame, and then behind 9-7 at the half. One hard-earned TD made it a tight 14-9 edge at the three-quarter mark before the Bays broke away for two in the fourth. Thus, the Packers, with a 1-1 record, removed the curse from that 17-14 loss to the Bears in the opener. And now the plot thickens. The world champion Baltimore Colts, who slashed the Bears 42-7 yesterday, invade our town next Sunday. Brrr. There was a touch of the oldtime in this victory as the Packers rolled up their sleeves and dug their noses in the ground. That "new-fangled" weapon, the forward pass, failed to bring results so quarterback Lamar McHan called forth the infantry. McHan, making his first appearance of this league season (Bart Starr went the route vs. the Bears), send the Bays on touchdown drives of 50, 70, 28 and 75 yards and called only four passes along the way - one to Max McGee for a key first down on a third down play, two incompletions (one by Paul Hornung), and one to Hornung for 16 yards and a touchdown. Those four scoring drives covered 37 plays, including 33 rushes. Tom Moore, a real comer, scored the first touchdown on a five-yard gallop, making it 7-6. Taylor ripped two yards for the second and a 14-9 edge in the second quarter. Hornung scored the last two in the final period, one on a pass and the second on a 11-yard run. Hornung, the league's 1959 scoring champ, added up 16 points - two TDs and four extra points, not to mention 73 yards in 14 attempts. Taylor and Hornung, between 'em, counted 224 yards in 40 attempts. They worked beautifully with the tough forward wall - Jim Ringo, Bob Skoronski, Forrest Gregg, Jerry Kramer and Fred Thurston, plus Andy Cvercko after Kramer was hurt late in the fourth quarter. Taylor was hitting and running away all afternoon. Several times he was stopped at the line and then danced off and away again. Jim did his work mostly in the second half when he gained 102 yards. He passed the 100-yard mark with a three-yard rip at the start of the fourth quarter, just before the third touchdown. Jim fumbled on the third play of the second quarter and then got kicked in the tummy by a Lion when he tried to recover. The unhappy Taylor gained 27 yards on his next two trips and then went on from there. The Packer defense pitched its first touchdown-less league game since the league opener in 1959 (9-6 over the Bears). The tough unit was surprised but good right away when the Lions took the opening kickoff and moved 86 yards in 16 plays. That ended, though, when Dave Hanner got a good rush on a third down pass by Jim Ninowski, forcing a 14-yard field goal by Jim Martin. The Lions got close only twice more after that, on the 13 in the second period to set up a 20-yard three-pointer by Martin. Old Jim added one other field goal, a nifty 48-yard shot just before the half. The Lions got down to the Bay 15 just before the game ended, losing the ball on downs. Ninowski displayed plenty of promise for the future, completing 18 out of 32 for 203 yards. He hit on 9 of the first 11 passes he threw and had Mr. and Mrs. Packer Backer quite worried. The Lions' young ace had one interception, a steal by John Symank practically out of Middleton's hands, and it set up the Packers' first TD drive from the 50. The Packers kept the pigskin for 69 plays against the Lions' 56. Green Bay pitched only 17 passes, with McHan hitting 7 out of 15 for 109 yards. Hornung missed on two. The Lions rushed 24 times for only 69 yards, and big Nick Pietrosante was held to 35 yards in 10 carries. Just after the opening kickoff, Pietrosante ripped off an 11-yard gain as the Lions rolled downfield for a 3-0 lead. Ninowski ate up most of the yardage with short passes to Cassady, Gibbons and Barr, while Barr and Ninowski ate up the rushing yardage. The Packers, answering the crowd to "hold 'em," dug in at the 10. Pietrosante made one and Ninowski added three. Ninowski was rushed but good and threw a pass away. Martin then hit from 14 yards out for a 3-0 edge. The Packers threatened to snap back into a 7-3 lead. McGee made a fine catch of McHan's pass down the middle for 32 yards and Taylor ripped 11 yards to the Lion 17. After Night Train Lane interfered with Boyd Dowler (no penalty was called) on a pass catch, Messner intercepted McHan's pass, ending the threat. The Packers got the ball right back and McHan threw to Ron Kramer for 19. After Hornung and McHan rushed 12 yards, Taylor fumbled and Walker recovered on the Packer 44. Ninowski threw four straight passes and completed all of them to the Packer 13. The attack was stalled on the 13, with Dan Currie tackling Webb on a key play, and Martin hit a field goal from the 20 for 6-0 at 3:59. After Lowe and Symank traded interceptions on consecutive plays, the Packers went in for a touchdown. Hornung carried the first three times for 15 yards and Moore replaced him. Taylor made nine in two trips and then Taylor and Moore alternated, with Moore going around left end behind good blocks by J. Kramer and Gregg for the touchdown. Hornung converted at 11:59 for a 7-6 edge. Just before the half, the Lions got into position for Martin's 48-yard field goal on a 15-yard penalty on Willie Davis for roughing a fair catch of a punt. Lary put up his hand for a fair catch and Davis barely brushed him. The Packers took the second half kickoff and moved 70 yards in 12 plays for a 14-9 edge. Taylor and Hornung made seven yards on the first two plays and then McGee threw the only pass of the series, hitting McGee for nine yards and a first down on the 46.
Then the twin blasters moved into action - Hornung 6, Taylor 16, 3, 3, 13, Hornung 4, 6, 2, Taylor 2 and touchdown. Messner had Taylor at the line of scrimmage but Jim just "faded away" and into the end zone. Hornung converted at 7:32. A well-placed punt by McGee, the ball rolling out on the seven, put the Lions into a hole that helped the Bays to a touchdown. Tom Bettis threw Lewis for a three-yard loss to force Lary to punt from his own end zone. Lew Carpenter grabbed the kick on the Detroit 39 and returned to the 28. From that point, the Bays scored in six plays, Hornung and Taylor running 12 yards on the first three plays. McHan was low on a pass to McGee and then Hornung overthrew Dowler in the end zone. On third down, Hornung took McHan's pass on the five, bounced off Lowe and LeBeau, and then scampered into the end zone. Hornung converted at 2:48. The Lions were forced to punt again and the Bays went 75 yards for the windup TD. This time Dowler, who went without a pass catch, got a gain on a five-yard reverse play. Then T and H went into action - Taylor 4, Hornung 0, Taylor 15, Hornung 7, Taylor 4, 27, Hornung 11 and touchdown. Taylor's 27-yard run was a masterpiece. He was group-tackled at three spots but each time broke away. Hornung made it 28-9 with four minutes left. Two fine things happened in those final minutes - (1) the audience gave Taylor a big round of applause when he was replaced by Larry Hickman and (2) the Lions didn't score.
DETROIT - 3 6 0 0 - 9
GREEN BAY - 0 7 7 14 - 28
DETROIT GREEN BAY
First Downs 14 23
Rushing-Yards-TD 24-69-0 52-255-3
Att-Comp-Yd-TD-Int 32-18-203-0-1 17-7-109-1-2
Sack Yards Lost 0 0
Total Yards 272 364
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1
Turnovers 1 3
Yards penalized 6-67 5-46
SCORING
1st - DET - Jim Martin, 14-yard field goal DETROIT 3-0
2nd - DET - Martin, 20-yard field goal DETROIT 6-0
2nd - GB - Tom Moore, 5-yard run (Paul Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 7-6
2nd - DET - Martin, 48-yard field goal DETROIT 9-6
3rd - GB - Jim Taylor, 2-yard run (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 14-9
4th - GB - Hornung, 16-yard pass from Lamar McHan (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 21-9
4th - GB - Hornung, 11-yard run (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 28-9
RUSHING
GREEN BAY - Jim Taylor 26-151 1 TD, Paul Hornung 14-73 1 TD, Tom Moore 6-14 1 TD, Lamar Mchan 4-5, Boyd Dowler 1-8, Larry Hickman 1-4
DETROIT - Nick Pietrosante 10-35, Jim Ninowski 5-17, Dan Lewis 4-13, Terry Barr 3-8, Howard Cassady 1-(-1), Ken Webb 1-(-3)
PASSING
GREEN BAY - Lamar McHan 15-7-109 1 TD 2 INT, Paul Hornung 2-0-0
DETROIT - Jim Ninowski 32-18-203 1 INT
RECEIVING
GREEN BAY - Max McGee 3-61, Ron Kramer 1-18, Paul Hornung 1-16 1 TD, Jim Taylor 1-10, Tom Moore 1-4
DETROIT - Jim Gibbons 4-55, Howard Cassady 4-41, Dan Lewis 3-37, Dave Middleton 3-34, Gail Cogdill 2-28, Terry Barr 1-10, Ken Webb 1-(-2)
PACKERS' ADJUSTMENT PAID OFF: VINCE
OCT 3 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Vince Lombardi, who once taught chemistry before becoming a full-time coach, explained the Packers' systematic decimation of Detroit's Lions Sunday like a scientific formula. "We couldn't make the adjustment from passing to running against the Bears last week. Today, we did." This, the statistics eloquently indicate, was something of an understatement. The aroused Packers "adjusted" to the extent of 255 yards, their highest rushing total within recent memory. Vince, who felt "we played a very fine game," did not find this ability to manhandle the Motor City's mastodons particularly remarkable but he did evince surprise over the lofty proportions it had reached. Battle strategy had dictated heavy emphasis on an infantry attack, he revealed, "because we thought we could run on 'em," this theory stemming in part from the absence of the Lions' gifted Joe Schmidt, sidelined with a shoulder dislocation. He admitted Schmidt's spectator status "made a tremendous difference because he's a great linebacker but, even with him out of there, I didn't think we could run on them like that." Lombardi credited the offensive line and the deft director of quarterback Lamar McHan, as well as the jolting thrusts of Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung, with bringing about this delightful land grab. "We blocked very well," he said, noting "we didn't lose a yard attempting to pass. I felt McHan called an excellent game," he added. "I was very much satisfied with him." Did this mean that McHan would start next Sunday's match against the world champion Colts? Vince smiled and replied, "McHan will start next week. I have to say so after that he did today." "Incidentally," he said, "that pass to McGee, in the second quarter, the one that Max almost caught on the two-yard line was the play of the game," Vince volunteered. "That was a great throw." And Taylor, what about him? This query brought a broad grin from the Packer headmaster, who repeated, "Jimmy Taylor?" then just shook his head in sincere admiration for the bruising Louisianan's remarkable performance. "He may not be the biggest fullback in the league or have the most drive," Vince said, "but he probably has the best balance with the possible exception of Cleveland's Jimmy Brown. Taylor has great balance." This reminded of Taylor's four-yard leap for a key first down when the Packers had gone for it on a four-and-one situation on the Lions' 16, en route to their first touchdown in the second quarter. There has been no hesitation about that decision, Vince revealed, "We were going to make that if I had to go out and carry the ball myself," he chuckled. "If we hadn't gone for it," he reminded, "we would have had to kick a field goal against the wind." How had he evaluated the work of Tom Moore, the Packers' No. 1 draftee from Vanderbilt? "He's a good football player," Lombardi said. "That's the finest compliment I can give him." Baltimore, the Packers' next opponent, had crushed the Chicago Bears, 42-7. Anything to say on this subject? "My only comment on that is we have to play the Colts next week," Vince grinned...A downcast George Wilson summed up the Lions' situation in nine words. "We couldn't get the ball in the second half," he said. But it could have been different, the Lions' personable head man felt. "Lane (Night Train) missed an interception on our 40-yard line in the third quarter that really hurt. The score was only 14-9 against us at the time," he pointed out. "But instead of getting the ball on our own 40, the next time we have it, we wind up punting from our four yard line and you go in and score. If Lane had intercepted, there's no telling what might have happened. We should have scored touchdowns the first two times we were down in there in the first half, too, and not settled for six points," Wilson added. "Our tackling was poor, too," George said sadly. "It wasn't just our linebackers who missed tackles - it was everybody." Wilson agreed with Lombardi that Schmidt's absence had aggravated this situation. "Joe would have bee there at the right time more often than not," George said. "He's that kind of a ball player." The Lions' performance did have some redeeming features, he admitted, observing "Our pass protection was good. We didn't get hurt on it like we have the last three yards. And Ninowski (Jim) should have had a better record than he did (18 of 32). The one pass that was intercepted bounced out of Dave Middleton's arms and Danny Lewis missed two he should have caught, not to mention a couple of others that were dropped." The Lions' linebacking corps was further depleted by an injury to rookie Max Messner, who suffered a broken leg in the closing minutes of the game, the former Chicago Bear end disclosed. Halfback Terry Barr, also injured, will be ready for next Sunday's game with San Francisco. He sustained a nasty head bump in the second quarter and never returned. And what of the Packers? How far they can go? "They have a very good team," George said. "As for their chances, it all depends on how their defense does. We completed some passes - I think our receivers as a group are as good as any in the league - but we couldn't run against you."...HEISS RETURNS: Bob Heiss, voice of the Packers in the late 1940's, got his first look at City Stadium Sunday afternoon and was highly impressed, pronounced it "a grand plant." Heiss, now an executive with Milwaukee's WTMJ, was passing through Green Bay en route home after spending the weekend in "the north" beyond Menominee. Bob succeeded the late Russ Winnie as the Packers' broadcaster, describing their action in 1947, '48 and '49. He also filled in for Winnie for two games each season, starting in 1938...WHO'S EXCITED: Field Announcer Claire Stone, normally a picture of calm, titillated Sunday's full house in the first quarter when he intoned, "Illegal motion penalty on Detroit, declined by the Bears."...FIRST MISS: Fred Dandoy, veteran gateman, missed his first Packer home game in 40 years Sunday. Fred, who once passed the hat during the Packers' early sandlot days, was injured in a fall from a porch roof at his home, 132 S. Roosevelt St., last Wednesday. He is a patient at St. Vincent Hospital, where he is reported in improved condition.
TAYLOR CREDITS BLOCKERS FOR BIG DAY; THEY RECIPROCATE
OCT 3 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - It wasn't on the calendar, but make no mistake, Sunday was "Jimmy Taylor Day." And nowhere was this more evident than in the Packer dressing room, where his colleagues buzzed over the 25-year old sledgehammer's incredible bombardment of Detroit's arm-weary Lions. The first question on almost every pair of lips in the boisterous Packer quarters was, "How many yards did Taylor gain?" All, to a man, were delighted to find the answer was 151 - and many came over to slap the crew-cut dynamo on his muscular shoulders. And the man of the hour? Jim, who appears destined to rank alongside Clarke Hinkle and Ted Fritsch among the Packers' all-time fullbacks, is a man of few words. But his beaming countenance spoke volumes. Typically, too, his first reaction to "great game" accolades was, "I had a lot of good middle holes, a lot of good trap holes in the second half. There was some real fine blocking by the whole offensive line." The 215-pound blaster from the Louisiana bayous did admit, however, that "it's the best day I've ever had. I never had that many in any game when I was in college." He expressed surprise at the total, which gave him a two-game aggregate of 234 yards in 42 attempts, announcing, "I didn't think I had that many. I thought I might have had just over a hundred." Taylor, who had to pay fame's pleasant price, was ringed by press, radio and television representatives from Detroit and Milwaukee until long after most of his comrades had dressed and gone. He was sporting a bandage on his left hand, covering a broken blood vessel, but doesn't expect it to handicap him in next Sunday's date with the world champion Baltimore Colts. Another runner of note, this one a rookie with great promise, deprecated his own performance, preferring instead to sing Taylor's praises. He was Tom Moore, who shyly accepted congratulation on his first NFL touchdown, the one with which he staked the Packers to a temporary 7-6 lead in the second quarter. "I didn't do much good," Tom insisted. "But how many yards did Taylor get? He was sure running today." Fred (Fuzzy) Thurston, the chunky Wisconsin-grown Valparaiso alumnus who helped clear the way for both, declared, "The running today was the was the greatest I've ever seen - by both Taylor and Hornung (Paul)." Big Forrest Gregg, pulling off his jersey in another corner of the room, said quietly, "We knew we had to do it today. Kramer (Jerry) and Thurston did a great job on those sweeps." Illustrating the full magnitude of these accomplishments, Gregg said, "They've got four tough men up front, I'll tell you. They're big and agile." Forrest, rated among the NFL's elite at offensive tackle, evinced hearty approval of the day's modus operandi. "Shoot, I like to run," he glowed. "It
makes you feel good when you block somebody." Rugged Dan Currie, a defensive standout all day, chortled, "We're back in the running now. It was the offense, it wasn't us," he was quick to add, pointing out: "You know what made it? That drive at the start of the second half - that put us on the road." Jerry Kramer, gingerly slipping his bandaged left knee into a trouser leg, grinned wryly and said, "My old college buddy did it to me, and the sad part of it is we were just fooling around." The "buddy" was the Lions' Wayne Walker, standing a few feet away. Walker, like Kramer a third year pro, had called to ascertain Jerry's condition. "We played together side by side for four years at Idaho," Kramer chuckled. "My old buddy, and look what he does to me. When I was lying on the ground, he said, 'You're not hurt are you, you're not hurt.'"
PACKERS SIGN HACKBART; JERRY KRAMER FIT
OCT 4 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers reached full player strength today with the signing of Dale Hackbart for the 1960 season. Hackbart, former University of Wisconsin quarterback and defensive halfback, becomes the 38th player - the limit of active players allowed each NFL club. Green Bay went through the first two league games one under the limit. Hackbart, with the Bays for the last four weeks, has been trained as a defensive back, working at cornerbacker and safety. He'll be ready in case of emergency in the critical game with the world champion Colts at City Stadium Sunday afternoon. The Packers now have seven defensive backs and three of them are rookies - Willie Wood, Dick Pesonen and Hackbart. The veterans are Hank Gremminger, John Symank, Em Tunnell and Jess Whittenton. The veterans carried the load into the first two games, with Wood seeing some action for Tunnell in each game. Hackbart, with the signing of a Packer pact, more than likely ends his baseball career. He selected the stitched-ball sport in favor of football last spring, signing with the Pittsburgh Pirate organization. He played with Grand Forks in the Class C Northern League and hit .225. Coach Vince Lombardi, who announced the Hackbart business today, had another spot of good news: Jerry Kramer is okay? Kramer injured his leg going down under a punt in the third quarter of the 28-9 victory over Detroit. He was back in action today, moving about exceptionally well in the usual Tuesday loosening-up session. Also on the okay list is Em Tunnell, who got a finger in the eye. "I lost my sight in that one eye for awhile," Tunnell said after the game...Lombardi and his aides, Phil Bengston, Bill Auston, Norb Hecker and Red Cochran, spent an interesting Monday viewing the pictures of the Detroit win. The pictures proved what Lombardi had observed after the game Sunday - Jim Taylor's fine running, the shift to a ground game, etc., but Vince discovered that Fred Thurston "really played himself a good game, with his blocking and protection for the passer. He's one of our most underrated players." Lombardi also noted that there was considerable less red dogging (charging of the passer by linebackers) and neither quarterback suffered a loss by passing. That was true of the Packer-Bear game the previous Sunday when the Packer quarterback went without a loss attempting to pass. Vince felt that "we've been picking up our blocks." The Bears, incidentally, are well known for their red-dogging and smashing into the line trying to get at the opposing QB. Newspaper reports on the Colts' big victory over the Bears indicate that QB John Unitas got a combination of terrific protection and little rush from the Bears. One scout said Unitas had enough time to wash and iron his shirt on the first play of the game when he hurled a 67-yard scoring pass to Lenny Moore...ATTENTION JIM TAYLOR: Take your wife out to dinner tonight. One year ago this evening (Tuesday after the second game), Taylor spilled that hot grease on his foot and hand, forcing him out of five games. Seems like Mrs. Taylor was frying potatoes and they flamed up. Jim came to the rescue. Folks always wondered what kind of record the Packers would have had if Taylor hadn't missed those crucial games. Baked spuds for you, Jim!
THURSTON, KRAMER TYPIFY PACKERS' TOGETHERNESS
OCT 4 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Fred Thurston sat with his foot in a bucket of ice water after the Lion game. Jerry Kramer relaxed on a training table with some heat on his knee. Kramer was injured in the third quarter running down under a Max McGee punt. He was helped off the field. Nobody could remember when Thurston was hurt. But Fred explained his cold foot this way. "I just couldn't let my buddy get away with this," Thurston said, pointing to Jerry. "No sir, he's not going to get all the attention all by himself. I get a little of this, too." Trainer Bud Jorgensen stood back and beamed at his two patients. So Thurston felt especially good, sitting there, chatting with his guard partner, wiggling his toes in the ice water, musing over the 28-9 victory over the Lions, and perhaps stealing a thought about the upcoming game with his ex-teammates, the Colts. The Thurston-Kramer friendship gives you an idea of the togetherness of the Packers' inner offensive line. These two are inseparable, even in the training room. They went the 12-game distance last year and they're proud of it. Kramer missed the last quarter Sunday and the spell has been broken. Andy Cvercko filled in for Jerry and did a commendable job in the crucial fourth quarter when the Bays scored two touchdowns to ice the verdict. With Cvercko, the Thurston-Kramer ticket has good backing. The Bays have an excellent situation going at offense tackle with Bob Skoronski and Norm Masters working left tackles and Forrest Gregg at right tackle. Skoronski played the first half Sunday and Masters relieved some in the second half. Jim Ringo does the job at center. The offensive line (and let's not forget the tight ends, Ron Kramer and Gary Knafelc) received a stiff workout Sunday. Quarterback Lamar McHan called 52 running plays and a good share of them were between the tackles. That meant the guards and tackles had to use every block in the book. Those plays gained 255 yards - just under a 5-yard average. The Packers' decision to adjust from a split run-pass game apparently came after McHan's pass, aimed at R. Kramer midway in the second quarter, had been intercepted. Until that time, the Packers rushed nine times and passed eight times and obtained no points on the board. The Packers got the ball right back after that interception - thanks to John Symank's interception, and they went to work on the ground from the 50. They scored in 11 straight running plays for a 7-6 lead and the drive proved that the forward pass could be shelved for the day. Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor and Tom Moore, who was rushing for the first time in a league game, carried the ball home. Hornung took it on the first three plays for 15 yards and then departed in favor of Moore. Taylor lugged four times for 20 and Moore added 14 in four carries, including the final five-yard burst for the touchdown. The Packers had one more series before the half, with 1:41 left, and McHan tried for the quickie TD pass but no soap. The trend surfed turfside in the second half and the Packers proved they could gain - and win - on the ground. That's nice to know what with 10 scheduled crucials coming up.
EWBANK WON'T PERMIT COLT COMPLACENCY
OCT 4 (Baltimore) - There won't be any complacency on the world champion Baltimore Colts' squad if the players take the cue from Coach Weeb Ewbank. There was some fear before the NFL season got underway that the Colts, with two consecutive titles stowed away, may become self-satisfied. And after the way Baltimore thumped the Chicago Bears, 42-7, Sunday in what was supposed to be a severe test for the champions, some pessimists said the problem could become a reality. Ewbank began his ego-deflating propaganda within hours after the Chicago game. At a postgame party, he
said the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore's foe next Sunday, should have easily defeated the Bears in the season opener instead of losing 17-14. The little coach was up at 7:30 a.m. Monday to begin work on the Green Bay game and to catalogue last week's mistakes after watching films of the Chicago game. After meeting with his assistant coaches all day and night, Ewbank continued working in his basement workshop at home until early morning hours to make a study list for quarterback John Unitas. The Colts apparently survived the Chicago game without any serious injuries. Linebacker Bill Pellington suffered a split finger and rookie lineman Jim Colvin lost a tooth.
FIGURES: PACKER RUNNING AGAINST COLTS' PASSING?
OCT 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers look like a "running" team today. And the Colts shape up again as a passing team. This can be deducted from the NFL's first batch of statistics, announced today. The figures show the Packers with two ground gainers in the first 10 rushers and nobody in the passing departments, passing and receiving. The "stix" also show the world champion Colts with nobody listed among the top rushers and two noted gents in the aerial divisions. That doesn't mean the Packers will do nothing but run and the Colts nothing but pass. But, well, let's wait and see what happens at City Stadium Sunday afternoon. The Packers' big soil show at the expense of the Lions last Sunday lifted brawny Jim Taylor into second place in the rushing table - just four yards behind the Browns' gifted Jimmy Brown. Taylor reeled off 151 yards and he now has 234 in 42 trips. Brown has 43-240. Hornung chipped in with 73 yards vs. Detroit and now has 127 for fifth place behind Cleveland's Bob Mitchell (208) and Chicago's Willie Galimore (144). Thus, Cleveland and Green Bay possess four of the league's top five rushers after two games. Hornung shares the scoring lead with Mitchell- each with 24 points. Baltimore's Lenny Moore is tied for third with 18. General John Unitas and Raymond Berry, of course, are the Colts' top aerialists - not to mention Spats Moore. Unitas is No. 2 in passing, ranking only behind Bobby Layne of the Steelers. Berry is second in receiving, with 11 catches - just one behind Kyle Rote of the Giants and Willard Dewveall of the Bears. The Packers had fourths in two other departments - Lew Carpenter in punt returning and rookie Tom Moore had the most yardage in the league, 178 on five lugbacks. Max McGee ranks seventh among the punters, with 41.4...The "leading passers" are figured for the first time this week under the new system which is based on an average of six categories - completions,
yards gained, touchdown passes, percent of completions, percent of interceptions and average gain yards. Under the old system, passers were rated only on yards gained per attempt...The Packers were downright sprightly in the week-opening practice Tuesday. The big reasons were that "first victory" and, of course, the big struggle coming up against the Colts. The hard-hitting Bays were all running and that included Jerry Kramer, the guard who hurt his leg...The Colts will be making their first showing in Green Bay since 1953, when the Bays belted them 37 to 14 in the old stadium. Five members of that team will be making the return engagement - guard Art Spinney, end Gino Marchetti, tackle Art Donovan, linebacker Bill Pellington and halfback Carl Taseff. The first game that year was a played here Oct. 18 and the nightcap in Baltimore Oct. 31. The Bays also won the second Colt game 35-24. How times have changed. The Bays haven't beaten the Colts since 1957 in Baltimore when they scored 24 points in the fourth quarter for a 24-21 edge. Since then, the Colts won four straight from the Pack, including a 56-0 disgrace in Baltimore in 1958...In two games thus far, the Colts have outscored their foes 62 to 7. But the first downs are almost even, 37-34, and the yards rushing, 210 to 195. The Colts' big edge is in passing, 509 to 236. Like we said: The Colts are a passing team!
COLTS WON'T SEEK GUARD; KICKER MYHRA WINS JOB
OCT 5 (Baltimore) - The Baltimore Colts have given up their search for an extra guard as the result of Steve Myhra's showing in last Sunday's 42-7 victory over the Chicago Bears. Myhra, used mainly as a placekicker before Sunday's game, replaced the injured Art Spinney at offensive guard against the Bears. He also kicked all six extra points. "Steve filled in capably, and his work was gratifying," said Colt Coach Weeb Ewbank. "He's better than he was a year ago, but we didn't think he'd do as well as he did." Spinney will be back in action when the defending NFL champions try for their third straight victory against the Packers at Green Bay.
COLT WEAKNESS? HAVE NONE - THEY'RE BEST
OCT 6 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Like the coach was saying before practice the other day: "They can score from anywhere - 80, 60 or 20 yards away; it doesn't make any difference. Their defense? Those defensive backs are all fast; so are the linebackers. That line is extremely tough." Vince Lombardi was talking about the Colts, who happen to be the Packers' opponent at City Stadium Sunday. Lombardi is leading the Packers this "Colt Week" with extra special enthusiasm because the Packers unveiled a crushing running attack in downing the Detroit Lions 28-9 last Sunday. He's sporting a new weapon now to go with the club's already-proven passing attack. But the thoughts of playing the world champion Colts is enough to sober any and all coaches. Lombardi and aides Phil Bengtson, Norb Hecker, Bill Austin and Red Cochran - plus the entire squad, like the idea, the challenge involved in Sunday's game. The big reasons is that the Colts are the league's two-time champions. They have no weaknesses. They are the best. If the Packers or any other team want to take the Colts' place, they must beat these champions. So what do you know about the Colts? Let's skim over the club: The head coach is Weeb Ewbank, onetime aide with the Browns who is starting his seventh season as Baltimore chief. His aides are Charley Winner, backfield; Herman Ball, offense line; John Sandusky, former Packer tackle, defense line; and Don McCafferty, ends. The Colts' offense is led by the undisputed king of pro quarterbacks, John Unitas. His chief mates in the backfield are Alan Ameche at fullback, former Packer Alex Hawkins at left half and Lenny Moore at right or flanker back. Chief subs are Carl Tassef, switched from defense, and Billy Pricer, a top fullback. The secret of Unitas' success, in addition to his own personal fearlessness, brain and arm, is tremendous protection afforded by a rugged inner offensive line - Jim Parker, 265 pounds at left tackle; Art Spinney, 236, left guard; Buzz Nutter, 240, center; Alex Sandusky, 238, right guard; and George Preas, 255, at right tackle. Unitas is known as a passing quarterback. He has the three best receivers in the business in Raymond Berry at left end, Jim Mutscheller at right end, and the fleet Moore. Chief subs on the line are Steve Myhra, who does the placekicking; end Jerry Richardson, tackle Sherman Plunkett, and end Art DeCarlo. The Colt defense? The core, of course, is the four-man defense line - Gino Marchetti at left end, Art Donovan at right tackle, Daddy Lipscomb at right tackle, and Ordell Braase at right end. Marchetti carries about 285, Lipscomb 325, Donovan 270 and Braase about 250, although the program weights are slightly different. Don Joyce, a 255-pounder, is the chief replacement. The linebackers are the pass-interceptingest group in the league, snaring 44 last year. Dick Szymanski, 235, plays the middle and Don Shinnick, 235, is at the right. Rough Bill Pellington, 238, is at the left. One rookie has broken into the secondary - Bob Boyd, 5-10 1/2 and 190 out of Oklahoma. He is at left cornerbacker. The other corner is manned by Milt Davis. The safetyman are lightning-like John Sample, right, and Andy Nelson. And there you have the team that posted 9-3 records in the 1958 and 1959 seasons for the Western Division titles and then went on each year to defeat the Giants for the world crown. Like the coach was saying...The Packers conduct their own individual practices in the informal warmup drills. Forrest Gregg, for instance, gets Jim Temp, Andy Cvercko or any other giant to imitate big Marchetti going in or outside or straight ahead. Bob Skoronski tries it on his side. Many times the offense guards, Jerry Kramer and Fuzz Thurston, practice pulling out and running out wide to block...BRIEFS: The Colts went through their first two games without fumbling. The Packers fumbled twice and both times lost the ball. By comparison, the Giants have fumbled nine times in two games but they're 2-0, same as the Colts...John Steadman, sports editor of the Baltimore News-Post, revealed after the Colts' big win over the Bears that QB John Unitas had been suffering from a cracked vertebra. He received the injury in the last exhibition game (Philadelphia) and played under a sedative in the league opener against the Washington Redskins. He apparently was cured for the Bear game and survived being hit 11 times (by actual count, John wrote). He completed 14 of 27 for 307 yards and four touchdowns against the Bears...Lion linebacker Max Messner, who was hurt in the Packer game, is out for the season and will require surgery. To bolster the Lion line after the Packers punctured it for 255 yards, offensive tackle Darris McCord was shifted to defensive end...Lenny Moore, the Colts' swift pass receiver, called his team's big victory over the Bears "a perfect blendation." There's no such word but what Moore means is that the offense and defense blended together perfectly.
'UNEXPECTED' HIS SUCCESS SECRET: UNITAS
OCT 6 (Baltimore) - The secret of John Unitas' dazzling performances in professional football lies partly in his method of calling plays, which is revealed in his own words in the first biography of the record-breaking quarterback of the champion Baltimore Colts. Unitas says, "You have to do the unexpected." Apparently, that is what he did last Sunday, for he continued to baffle NFL defensive players by throwing four touchdown passes, one on the opening play of the game, to defeat the Chicago Bears, 42-7. In 39 consecutive games, he has thrown at least one scoring pass. He describes his method of calling plays in a biography published last
week by the new Sport Library, "Johnny Unitas - The Amazing Success Story of Mr. Quarterback." "Calling plays," he said, "means you look over the situation, run through the play book in your mind, and pick out what you think might work. Then, when you see how the defense reacts, you either go with what you had in mind or you change it fast to take advantage of their setup. And when you call one play, you've always got to be thinking of it in relation to the next play you want to use. It can't be just catch-as-catch-can from one play to another; there's got to be a relation. And above all, there's got to be surprise. That's why you have to keep in mind what you've done before and not let it become a habit. If, for example, you've seen that they move their linebacker over when you line up with a flanker to the right, your instinctive reaction is to check off the play and run to the left because now it's the weaker side. But it isn't going to do you any good if you do that all the time because they aren't going to let you have it your way. You've got to mix them up. You have to do the unexpected."
PACKERS CAN MAKE HISTORY AGAINST COLTS
OCT 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers can forge some history when they tackle the world champion Colts at City Stadium Sunday afternoon. They haven't beaten a defending world champion in 13 years - since 1947 when they downed the Bears 29-20 after the Bruins had won the crown in 1946. The Packers have lost 15 straight games and tied one against defending titlists in that span, including double losses to the Colts in 1958, the Lions in 1954 and 1953, the Rams in 1952 and the Chicago Cardinals in 1948. The Bays didn't play the defender in 1949-50-51. Green Bay's chances of breaking that skein Sunday seem most difficult. The Colts are (1) two-time defending champs, consecutively that is, and (2) they are rated one of the greatest teams of all time. The Packers got two shots at the defending champion Colts last year and lost both of them after two outstanding battles. The Bays had the champs tied at the half in Baltimore but the Colts broke away for a 38-21 win. In the replay at Milwaukee, the Colts won 28-24 in a 976-yard masterpiece. The Unitas-pitched Colts gained 324 yards in the air against Green Bay's 242 sky yards. The Pack rushed for 218 yards, the Colts 192. If the Packers and Colts take up where they left off, Sunday's game should be quite a yarder...NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle will be here for the Packer-Colt game. Rozelle said recently he plans to be a "traveling commissioner" and expects to see a number of key games. Pete was last here in 1958 as general manager of the Los Angeles Rams. He already has seen the 1960 Bays play - the exhibition against the Cowboys in Minneapolis Sept. 10...Since the Packers should have beaten the Bears and the Colts trampled the Bears, there is a growing feeling that the Packers are the "number two" team in the
Western Division - behind the Colts, naturally. That, of course, is very flattering to Coach Vince Lombardi and his warriors. But let us not forget the 49ers, who beat the Rams and figure they should have beaten the Giants. Anyhow, it's a little early for such rankings. Besides, let's see what the Packers can do against the Colts...Ordell Braase, the Colts' defense end, has lifted himself into a starting position by adding 27 pounds
Here we see Jim Taylor (#31) running the ball. Taylor's 151 yards (only 16 shy of the then-team record) were the difference in this game. (Source: The Wearing of the Green and Gold)
PACKERS GET ACID TEST FROM COLTS HERE SUNDAY
OCT 8 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers will get the acid test when they battle the world champion Baltimore Colts at City Stadium Sunday afternoon. And maybe that's putting it mildly. The all-powerful Colts, two-time defending champs, are off to a roaring start. They took it easy on Washington 20-0 and then clobbered the Bears 42 to 7. The Baltimore meat grinder now awaits the Packers who lost to those same Bears 17 to 14 and then revived in the second half to defeat the Lions 28 to 9. Sunday's football story will start to unfold with the kickoff at 1:06. A capacity crowd of 32,150 will attend. The home folks (bless 'em) think the Packers can pull the big upset of the year and then go on to greater things. The experts don't agree; they have named the Colts about a six-point favorite. On the basis of the Packers' win last Sunday and the Colts' two-year title history, Sunday's sawoff might be a battle between the Pack's ground game and the Colts' peerless aerial attack. Green Bay, with Jim Taylor, Paul Hornung and Tom Moore running, gained 255 yards on the ground vs. Detroit. Baltimore, with Johnny Unitas passing and such receivers as Raymond Berry, Lenny Moore and Jim Mutscheller, has leaned toward the air bomb. Unitas already has thrown five touchdown passes and completed 31 out of 62 throws for 539 yards. The Packers have always passed a lot against the Colts. Will they have a new ground look? Coach Vince Lombardi has named Lamar McHan as his starting quarterback. McHan called 52 rushing plays on Detroit but he can also throw the bomb. The Packers will have Bart Starr ready - just in case, or maybe for a change of pace. Lombardi has 225-pound fullback Larry Hickman in readiness to provide additional pounding power to go with Taylor, who lugged 26 times last Sunday. Moore would change off with Hornung. The Packer offense, of course, will have to cope with the Colts' great defense, a swift secondary, three murderous linebackers, and the staunchest four man line in the league - Gino Marchetti, Ordell Brassse, Art Donvan and Big Daddy Lipscomb. With a minimum of passing in two games, Packer receivers have been largely inactive. This group includes Max McGee, Boyd Dowler, Gary Knafelc, Ron Kramer, Steve Meilinger and Lew Carpenter. Success of the air game will be chiefly up to the protection given the pitchers by such as Forrest Gregg, Bob Skoronski, Norm Masters, Jerry Kramer, Fuzzy Thurston, Andy Cvercko and Jim Ringo. The Packers' major defensive problem is Unitas, the peerless Mr. Quarterback of the National
since leaving the Army in '57. A 14th draft pick in '54, Braase now weighs 242. Braase threw the Bears' Zeke Bratkowski for 10-yard losses on two consecutive plays last Sunday. "Because the completed pass can be so damaging," Braase said the other day, "I'm prepared to sacrifice possible ground yardage to bear down on the quarterback. It's usually tough to diagnose plays but when in doubt I anticipate the pass."...Speaking of quarterbacks, the Colts seem surprised that Lamar McHan is starting instead of Bart Starr. Herb Wright, Colt publicity chief who is here this week, wondered about it yesterday. N.P. Clark, writing in the Baltimore News-Post, pointed out that McHan's starting "could be good news. Starr, better passer of the two, has bothered the Colts no end the past several seasons with his short, accurate passes. They'll (the Colts) be just as happy not to see him at all." Take it from there, Lamar. Lombardi made his starting quarterback position crystal clear shortly after McHan engineered that 28-9 victory over the Lions last Sunday. "McHan will start against the Colts. I've got to go with the winner."
League, who makes the Colts' attack click at the flip of a signal. For ground power to go with his air thrusts, he has the Horse of Wisconsin, Alan Ameche, and the former Packer halfback, Alex Hawkins - not to mention Moore, and a host of ace subs, including Carl Tassef and Billy Pricer. Ameche never played in Green Bay as a pro but he performed here for the South team in the old Wisconsin prep North-South game back in 1950. The Colts played their last game here in '53. Unitas works behind a skilled inner offensive line, tackles Jim Parker and George Preas, guards Al Sandusky and Art Spinney and center Buzz Nutter. The Packer defense must pierce that unit if they hope to win...The Colts arrived via United Airlines charter this noon and worked out in the Stadium...Both teams are in good physical condition. Spinney missed last Sunday's Bear game due to injury, but he'll be ready Sunday. His place was filled by Steve Myrha, the club's kicker. The Pack's Jerry Kramer, injured last Sunday, is okay. Bill Pellington has developed muscle spasms in his back but figures to be playing the route...NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle will see the game. Also coming in are Carroll Rosenbloom, president of the Colts, and, of course, the popular Don Kellett, Colt general manager and executive vice president...The Colts will take an eight-game winning streak into Sunday's game. They closed out '59 with six straight wins, including the title playoff against the Giants and then won the first two this season.
