Green Bay Packers (9-2) 17, Detroit Lions (6-4-1) 9
Thursday November 23rd 1961 (at Detroit)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(DETROIT) - The Packers proved their right to the 1961 Western Division championship in the rain and mud of Tiger Stadium Thanksgiving Day. Without a doubt. The circumstances were dreadfully trying - the title - conscious and angry Lions, rain, mud and a hostile crowd of 55,662. This was the supreme test, the big game - against a team that whipped Green Bay in its opener. But the Packers played like the defending champions they are, coming from behind twice to extract a 17 to 9 decision in a viciously-fought contest. And now the Packers are just 60 minutes away from clinching the '61 crown and bringing the championship game to City Stadium Dec. 31. One Packer victory or one Lion loss, whichever comes first, would produce the title. Green Bay has a 9-2 record, Detroit 6-4-1. The Packers play the Giants in Milwaukee Dec. 3 and then meet the 49ers, who still have a chance with 5-4-1, and the Rams on the coast. The 49resld have to win their last four. The Packers, looking a bit nonchalant but tough as a wagon tongue, didn't allow a touchdown all afternoon and scored two hard-earned touchdowns themselves in the face of extreme pressure from Detroit's strong defensive line. Three players scored all 26 points - Jim Taylor, who counted two touchdowns; Paul Hornung, a field goal and two extra points; and Jim Martin, three field goals. The popular Martin, who received a car and many other gifts on this "Jim Martin Day," kicked a 13-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 34-yarder in the second to give the Lions a 6-0 lead. Just before the half, Taylor capped a six-play, 80-yard thrust with his first TD to give the Pack a 7-6 lead. Early in the third period, Martin kicked a 16-yard field goal to put Detroit back in the lead 9-7, but on the first play of the final period Taylor topped a 40-yard, eight-play push with his second TD for a 14-9 edge. Hornung clinched it with a nine-yard field goal in the last eight seconds. And there you are. It seems simple on paper but the Packers are not, of course, up to strength. Pvt. Hornung was his flamboyant self but he was slowed by two weeks of Army life. So were Pvts. Boyd Dowler and Ray Nitschke, who played with a couple of hours sleep after an all-night ride from Fort Lewis. And the Bays were hurting. Tom Moore never played and Hank Gremminger had to leave with an injury early in the second half. But the men of Vince Lombardi fought tooth and nail - right down in the mud, in a game that saw the ball change hands 23 times. There was a climax, a turning point every few minutes. The Packers intercepted four passes - one each by Gremminger, who made a great catch in the end zone to save a possible field goal just before the half; Herb Adderley, who took over for Gremminger, to set off the second TD; Willie Wood to kill a definite Lion threat in the fourth period and set off Hornung's field goal; and Jess Whittenton, who grabbed an Earl Morrall throw on the last play of the game. The defense forced three punts and recovered Detroit's only fumble when Tom Bettis and Dave Hanner collaborated. Bettis cracked Nick Pietrosante especially hard on the Packer 36 and Hanner grabbed his fumble early in the second period. The Lions' big target was Bart Starr, the league's leading passer, but the Pack's offensive line kept the Lions' active defensive linemen at bay long enough for Bart to complete 13 out of 22 passes, including two key throws to Max McGee and Hornung that set up both touchdowns. It was tough running in the buttery mud but the Packers got six of their 13 first downs in the crucial fourth quarter with some key running by Jim Taylor, Paul Hornung and Elijah Pitts. This ball control helped the Pack protect its 14-9 lead and set up two field goal kicks by Hornung - a miss from the 36 and the game-clincher from the nine. The Bays offense kept the ball for 28 plays in the fourth period, while the Lions had it only 13. The yardage
figures were pretty even, 279 to 277 total yards in favor of Detroit. The Bays had 126 rushing, including 94 by Taylor in 19 trips, against Detroit's 107. The Lions had a 179-159 edge in passing and 18-13 in first downs. The Packers got a good and bad break right off the bat. Johnny Symank roared 31 yards back with the opening kickoff and then fumbled, with Nelson Toburen recovering on the 47. Starr moved the Bays in for the kill. From the 14, Dowler moved into position to nail Bart's pass in the end zone but slipped and fell before the ball got there. LeBeau intercepted and that was the Lions' only pass steal of the day. After an exchange of punts, Martin kicked a 13-yard field goal, his 51st for a new Lion record, for a 3-0 lead. Early in the second period, Hanner and McCord exchanged fumble recoveries, with McCord grabbing Starr's on the Packer 30. The Lions couldn't budge so Martin booted a field goal from the 34. After a McGee punt and a missed field goal by Martin from the 27, the Bays struck swiftly for seven points. Hornung ran for two and Starr threw to Dowler on a quickie in the flat for three yards to the 25. Starr then curled to his left and fired a strike to McGee on the 40. Max faked Lane and cut down the sidelines where he was caught after Ron Kramer cleared out a Lion. The play gained 53 yards and set the ball on the 21. After Taylor made two, Dowler cut in front of Lane and took Starr's pass on the one from where Taylor banged over at 13:40. The Lions took the second half kickoff and rolled up five first downs before the Bays forced the Martin field goal, a 16-yarder and a 9-7 lead. The Bays didn't snap back for a touchdown on the next series, but Adderley's interception in front of Cogdill on the Detroit 40 set off the lead TD late in the third period. Starr passed to Kramer for nine and then Pitts got a first down on the 30. On second down Starr moved to his left and fired quickly to the right corner of the field to the waiting Hornung, who completed a 26-yard gain to the four. Hornung cracked twice and then on the first play of the fourth period Taylor powered in for 14-9.
PERSONAL FOUL
Two straight Starr to McGee passes (giving Max six for the day) for 16 yards and four straight Taylor runs for 28 yards set up Hornung's missed field goal from the 36. After an exchange of punts, interference gave the Lions a first down near midfield but Willie Wood intercepted Morrall's pass. A personal foul on the Lions put the ball on the Detroit 45 and from there the Bays moved in for a field goal. Steady cracks by Taylor, Pitts and Hornung moved the ball in - especially a 16-yard shot off right tackle to the 11 by Taylor. Four plays later Hornung kicked his field goal. Ben Agajanian got his first action when he kicked off to Cassady on the 12, with Ken Iman making a sure tackle. With nine seconds left, Whittenton made his interception and returned 20 yards. And the Packers had it!
GREEN BAY - 0 7 0 10 - 17
DETROIT - 3 3 3 0 - 9
GREEN BAY DETROIT
First Downs 13 18
Rushing-Yards-TD 36-126-2 24-107-0
Att-Comp-Yd-TD-Int 22-13-159-0-1 36-16-179-0-4
Sack Yards Lost 1-8 1-7
Total Yards 277 279
Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-1
Turnovers 2 5
Yards penalized 4-44 4-50
SCORING
1st - DET - Jim Martin, 13-yard field goal DETROIT 3-0
2nd - DET - Martin, 34-yard field goal DETROIT 6-0
2nd - GB - Jim Taylor, 1-yard run (Paul Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 7-6
3rd - DET - Martin, 16-yard field goal DETROIT 9-7
4th - GB - Taylor, 1-yard run (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 14-9
4th - GB - Hornung, 9-yard field goal GREEN BAY 17-9
RUSHING
GREEN BAY - Jim Taylor 19-94 2 TD, Paul Hornung 14-23, Elijah Pitts 3-9
DETROIT - Nick Pietrosante 12-47, Jim Ninowski 5-41, Dan Lewis 4-10, Earl Morrall 2-8, Ken Webb 2-1
PASSING
GREEN BAY - Bart Starr 22-13-159 1 INT
DETROIT - Jim Ninowski 30-14-152 3 INT, Earl Morrall 6-2-27 1 INT
RECEIVING
GREEN BAY - Max McGee 6-92, Boyd Dowler 3-29, Paul Hornung 2-29, Ron Kramer 2-9
DETROIT - Gail Cogdill 6-68, Terry Barr 5-50, Jim Gibbons 3-32, Nick Pietrosante 2-29
'NEED ONE MORE,' LOMBARDI; LIONS' CHANCES SLIM: WILSON
NOV 24 (Detroit-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Christmas came early for Vince Lombardi - on Thanksgiving. With visions of a championship dancing in his head, the Packers' exacting headmaster beamed broadly in the wake of Thursday's crunching 17-9 conquest of the desperate Lions in a dreary Detroit drizzle and quoth: "All we need to do is win one." "That," he quickly added with proper coachly caution, "might be a little tough. They (the Lions and 49ers, also still mathematically in the running) have to win 'em all and we have to lose 'em all, I believe," Lombardi went on. As for the mission just accomplished, the ex-Fordham Block of Granite explained the formula in two parts: 1. "We changed our strategy a little bit. We thought we could go around 'em in the first half, but they wouldn't let us, so we started hitting the middle." 2. "We were kind of loose in the middle of the field, but we tightened up near the goal line." (This was a point in which the disgruntled Lions, restricted to three field goals despite the best efforts of two quarterbacks, would have to concur.) Lombardi, long noted for his candor, also paid high tribute to the enemy, asserting, "They played a helluva ball game. They've got the best defensive line in the game. I think the Giants have a better overall defense, but the Lions' four up front are the best I've ever seen." Why had he changed his plans and started Paul Hornung, available for the first time since entering the Army 10 days ago? "Tom Moore, who would have replaced him, is hurt," Vince explained,
"and Elijah Pitts is only 185 pounds. The weather was bad, and I felt Hornung would be able to do better under these conditions." Admitting that Hornung "is nowhere as near as quick as he was before he left for the Army," Lombardi declared, "Paul played a great game for having been away 10 days. He had a great blocking game - we missed him not only as a ball carrier but as a blocker. On both of Taylor's touchdowns today, he really wiped 'em out." Would Hornung (and Boyd Dowler and Ray Nitschke, who flew in from Fort Lewis, Wash., for the holiday spectacular) be available for the Dec. 3 game with the Giants? "We probably won't know until Friday of next week," Vince replied. What about Hank Gremminger, injured late in the first half? "The same thing happened to him that happened to Tom Moore last Sunday - he fell on the ball like Tom did and he has a cartilage injury in his ribs. He should be ready for the Giants, though. In fact, with ten days before we play that game, Moore and Ron Kramer, who re-injured his ankle today, should also be ready and if we get some help from the service," Vince said, "we should be at full strength - with the exception, of course, of Jerry Kramer." And how about Gremminger's successor, Herb Adderley? "I thought Adderley did an excellent job - real fine. It's the first time he's ever played there, you know. He got beat a couple of times but he recovered - he's very similar to Night Train Lane." "I must be stupid," Vince appended with a hearty chuckle. "It took me a whole year to find out where to play him." Conceding that Adderley's third quarter interception has been a "big play," Vince, who seldom singles out individuals, also noted, "Max (McGee) made a big play, too, and Taylor (Jim) played very well." Did he think the weather, often termed "a great equalizer," had affected one team more than the other? "I don't know how much it hurt us and how much it hurt them," was the quick response. "I do think both quarterbacks had trouble because the ball was sloppy. Even though the officials wipe it off after every play, some slime still stays on it." When, he was asked, had he felt safe? "The only time I thought we had it," Lombardi grinned back, "is when Hornung kicked that field goal." He had been quoted as saying he felt the Packers should no longer take part in the Turkey Day classic when the new package television contract goes into effect next season. Any comment? "The big reason I'm against it," he said, "is because four days is not enough time to get ready for a game. And now, with the new television contract, every club will receive the same amount. If we are to continue in this game, I feel we should receive additional revenue." "We are," Vince concluded, "going to play here again next year, however."...There was no doubt in the mind of a solemn George Wilson. "Adderley's interception was the big play," the Lions' handsome head man said without hesitation. "It wasn't Horning, it was Taylor who hurt us," he also insisted. "That pass that Hornung caught down there was a defensive mistake." The Packers, a Detroit scribe said he'd been informed, had set up that play by faking to Hornung on two earlier occasions and throwing to McGee. "If they did, it's fine," Wilson said with a cynical shrug. "After it's over, you can say anything you want." Wilson agreed with Lombardi that the race in the west is over for all practical purposes. "They'd have to lose three straight for us to get in," he said. "There's still an outside chance for us, but it's a mighty slim one." Unlike Lombardi, the forthright ex-Chicago Bear end felt "the field hurt us more than it did them. It cut down on our speed in our new (zephyr) offense. We couldn't do as much." Wilson did concede, however, that his team had "played as well as we could under field conditions." How had he happened to substitute Pat Studstill for Earl Morrall, who had substituted for Yale Lary, as a punter? "I used Studstill because I wanted a short kick - I didn't want the ball to go into the end zone. The reason I took Morrall out after we got the penalty is because he is only a 40-yard punter." "No," he added in reply to a companion question, "I had no intention of going for it when I sent Morrall in there." Ribbed about the much-publicized uniform switch (the Packers wore their home silks, the Lions their road raiment at Detroit's request), Wilson became somewhat nettled. "Those uniforms really did shrink," he declared. "I'm not superstitious - that's the last thing I'd be is superstitious."...TITLE FEVER: Standing room tickets for Thursday's match were going for $6 a copy, a development that prompted Detroit sportscaster Van Patrick to term the demand "the worst I've ever seen. It's as bad as for a championship game."..."BOOT" FOR TOE: Jim Martin, the Lions' venerable placement specialist, was rewarded with a "day." It netted him, among other things, a 1962 convertible and a 23-inch television set...HOMETOWN HERO: Although wearing an enemy uniform, East Detroit native Ron Kramer drew a boisterous cheer when the ex-Michigan great was introduced before the game.
ADDERLEY SAYS: 'I DID WHAT THE COACH TOLD ME TO'
NOV 24 (Detroit-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Herb Adderley stand acquitted. The target of coffeeshop criticism in recent weeks when he successively dropped a pass and fumbled a kickoff in rare appearances, the Packers' No. 1 draftee was being written off as "a flop" and "a mistake" by the more vocal drug store quarterbacks. Today, the lithe, muscular Michigan State alumnus is a major Packer hero - and rated a potential star by his head coach, Vince Lombardi. It all came to pass in a matter of minutes at rain-spattered Tiger Stadium here Thursday afternoon when Adderley, with only one day of practice at the position, was summoned to replace the injured Hank Gremminger at cornerback. That was early in the third quarter. Late in the same period. Adderley leaped in front of a surprised Gail Cogdill to waylay a Jim Ninowski pass and returned it to the Detroit 40, Eight plays later, Jim Taylor stormed into the end zone with the Pack's second, and winning, touchdown. How did it happen? "I remember what Norb Hecker (Packer defensive backfield coach) told me," Herb imparted. "He told when the quarterback runs around back there, you stay right on your man's back - don't worry about the quarterback. That's what I did. When Ninowski looked, I stayed right with him," Adderley said. "Then, when the ball left his hand, I started up and got it in front of Cogdill. A lot of credit should go to Hank Gremminger," the superbly-muscled Negro added. "He told me just what to do and what not to do." Herb, who hadn't played the position since his junior year at Michigan State, admitted, "I was scared to death when I first went out there but when they threw to my side a couple of times and I made a few tackles, I felt better." His teammates, particularly big Bob Skoronski, were lavish in their praise of Adderley. "I think he was the shining light," Skoronski volunteered. "He never played the position before and he comes off the bench, picks one off and we go in and score. Everybody did a real fine job but that was really something." Another Packer luminary, Max McGee, said his spectacular was spawned by a "turn-in" pass. Max, whose subsequent run set up the Pack's first touchdown and expunged a 6-0 deficit, explained, "We caught 'em in a zone defense. I just hooked over the middle and Bart (Starr) threw it right in there and I was off to the races." "But," he chuckled, "I didn't win the race. I looked for a cutback but there were three guys inside so I just decided to get what I could. Somebody got a piece of me and slowed me down or they might not have caught me. I wouldn't change one play of the whole game. If I dropped ten of 'em today, I wouldn't want it changed because we won. What we gotta do now is win that one next week and get it out of the way. There's no time like the present." The pass to Hornung that had keyed the Bays' second TD drive was a "new" play, Starr confided. "We've had it but haven't used it before this year. The one I threw to McGee earlier in the game was the same play. Hornung came back and told me, 'I can get free,' so I waited for a good time to use it and it worked." Hornung, wearily divesting himself of mud-caked moleskins in front of his locker, revealed, "I was more tired than after any other game I ever played. But I hadn't played for so long, I had to be tired." Both of the touchdowns, a happy Jim Taylor reported came on "cross plays. Skoronski blocked down and Fuzzy (Thurston) blocked out. I came right off Fuzzy and both of 'em," he said with satisfaction, "were good holes. Hornung blocked good on both of those, too." Hank Gremminger, his chest tightly bound, "had to come out of there in the third quarter because I couldn't breathe - I couldn't get my breath." Hank, who incurred the rib injury in making a miraculous interception just before the end of the first half, said, "I landed right on the point of the ball. It's still sore but a few days' rest and I'll be all right." A sleepy Boyd Dowler, who with Ray Nitschke had arrived from Fort Lewis, Wash., at 5:30 Thanksgiving morning, said, "My legs and everything felt fine but I didn't get any sleep. We will get in Friday nights for the other games so we'll have a chance to work out and we'll be all right. I feel better than I did before the game," he added cheerfully. "It must be in my head because we won."
1,000 FANS GREET PACK
NOV 24 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Nearly 1,000 cheering fans greeted the Packers at Austin Straubel Field Thursday evening when they returned from their big victory over the Lions in Detroit Thanksgiving Day. The fans yelled words of congratulations, clapped their hands and held up one finger. This represented the one victory Green Bay needs to clinch the 1961 Western Division championship. The Packers' chartered United Airlines plane, with Capt. Don Smith of Green Bay at the "wheel," arrived at 5:25. The Packers went directly to the Elks Club where they joined their families for their traditional turkey dinner. The Packers are off for the weekend but must report Monday while the coaching staff went to work on the draft.
PACK'S 4TH PERIODS IN RAIN, MUD PAY OFF
NOV 25 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Kezar Stadium in '60, and now Tiger Stadium. Both in the mud and driving rain - and 10 points in both fourth quarters. There wasn't a bit of lightning in San Francisco in '60 or Detroit in '61 but maybe lightning does strike twice in the same place. The Packers came within a rain drop and a speck of mud of winning the '60 title in that mud classic in Kezar. They came within the same "distance" of winning the current crown in the Thursday contest in Detroit. Green Bay broke away with 10 points - a field goal by Paul Hornung and a touchdown and extra point by Hornung in Kezar to win it 13-0. The Bays got the 10 on Jim Taylor's touchdown and a Hornung field goal and extra point vs. the Lions to win this one 17-9. Folks are still talking about the Pack's furious fourth period at Detroit. We got a tremendous thrill out of it. The "final 15" was typical of the Pack's offensive and defensive blend, teamwork and cussedness. Here are some of the things that happened in that final frame: Score a touchdown and a field goal. Intercepted two passes. Out-first down the Lions 8 to 2. Complete three out of six passes. Limit the Lions to seven yards rushing. Permit just one completion in seven pass attempts. Keep the ball for 28 plays while the Lions were running off 13. And gain 79 yards in 17 time-killing rushes. What's more, the Packers kept their heads when the Lions started the rough stuff. Roger Brown once tried to use Paul Hornung's head for the ball (no penalty) and another time Bill Glass was assessed 15 (personal foul) when he roughed Paul. There was another personal foul on the Lions when Willie Wood's interception of an Earl Morrall pass...40-YARD DRIVE: The period started with the Packer behind 9-7. But 56 seconds into the quarter, the Bays went in front 14-9 on Jim Taylor's second TD. This climaxed a 40-yard drive that started with Herb Adderley's interception late in the third quarter. That touchdown brought great relief but it only lasted a moment. On the Lions' first play, Earl Morrall, relieving Jim Ninowski, who went the first three periods, pitched a 23-yard pass to Terry Barr and the Lions were just 50 yards from a 16-14 lead. That was the closest thing the Lions came to going ahead it developed. After the play Nick Pietrosante was held to no gain by Dave Hanner, Morrall's pass to Gail Cogdill was broken up by Bill Forester, Morrall was held to seven yards on a QB draw, the Lions took too much time when Morrall went back to punt (probably to punt) and then finally Studstill punted. The Packers quickly ran up three first downs before losing the ball on Hornung's missed 36-yard field goal. Now the Lions had another chance from their own 20, with 6:50 left. John Symank broke up a pass aimed at Barr and Tom Bettis nailed Pietrosante on a screen pass for only a four-yard gain. Morrall then tried the bomb but his pass was long to Hopalong Cassady. It was punting time and Willie Wood, making so sure, gave two (count 'em) fair catch signals. It was 4:03 to go when the Packers, too, had to punt. Ken Iman made a diving tackle on Studstill after a 13-yard return. So the Lions had another shot from their own 32 - their last good one. On the first play Adderley committed interference on Cogdill and the Lions were on their 44. Then, Wood intercepted Morrall's pass from the midst of two Lions and returned five yards to the 40. A personal foul put the ball on Detroit's 45. The clock showed 3:25 left when the Packers took over. The Bays ran 12 plays ticking down the Big Ben to 38 seconds when Hornung kicked his three-pointer. And Bart Starr didn't get conservative
along the way. On the first play he hurled a pass to McGee off to the left but after exchanging 15-yard penalties, one on a pass to Hornung, Starr drove the Pack 41 yards in eight runs, topped by Taylor's 16-yard rip up the middle to the 11 with 1:52 to go...LONGEST RUN: The Bays had second and eight on the Lions' 9 with 1:36 left and the clock kept running since the Detroits had used up all of their timeouts. Starr then handed off to Soldier Hornung who made his longest run of the day - seven yards, just short of a first down on the two. The field goal and Jess Whittenton's interception followed...Coach Vince Lombardi mentioned somewhere along the line after the game about Boyd Dowler's big catch on Night Train Lane. "That was the first time he'd been able to do anything with Lane," beamed Vince. Dowler always had all sorts of trouble with Lane. In fact, Lane's interception right in front of Boyd in the opener in Milwaukee set up the Detroit win. Dowler, who caught two pass Thursday, made a key catch to set off the Pack's first TD. He ran a slant in and cut sharply in front of Lane and took Starr's pass for an 18-yard gain to the one. Taylor scored on the next play and it was 7-6. Dowler had broken the "hold" Lane had on him.
PACKERS DRAFT LATE...NO COMPLAINTS
NOV 26 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers will have to wait until 12 or 13 players are selected before they get their first round draft selection. But nobody's complaining. The draft is set in Chicago Dec. 4. The order of picking is based on the NFL standings as of Sunday night, Dec. 3. The team with the lowest percentage will draw first, etc. Green Bay has the highest percentage going into today's games - a fancy .818 on nine wins and two losses. New York is next with .800 on 8-2. The Giants can tie the Pack, percentagewise, by winning today. That would put a draft touch to next Sunday's Packer-Giant classic in Milwaukee. But the draft position is strictly incidental because the Packers will be shooting for their second straight Western Division championship. Green Bay needs but one victory in the last three games to clinch it. While Packer players and fandom relaxed this weekend, Coach Vince Lombardi and Aides Phil Bengtson, Norb Hecker, Red Cochran, Bill Austin and Scout Dick Voris went virtually around the clock Friday, Saturday and today getting the names of thousands of college football players in the proper selection order. All work on the New York game was put off until Monday when the squad is scheduled to report. A total of 280 players will be selected - 20 by each of the 14 clubs. Lombardi's drafting is complicated by the uncertainty over 1961 needs due to possible military requirements. Nobody knows now, for instance, whether the Packers' three Army privates (Paul Hornung, Boyd Dowler and Ray Nitschke) will be available next year. At any rate, you can be sure Lombardi will be selecting what he figures are "good football players regardless of position." The Packers likely will be at "full strength" for the New York crash. The 10-day stretch is expected to give the three injured players, Tom Moore, Ron Kramer and Hank Gremminger, a chance to heal. Actually, the term "full strength" doesn't apply since the Bays won't know until the weekend until Hornung, Dowler and Nitschke will be available. And if they are present, they won't be at full steam for the simple reason that Uncle Sam's and Lombardi's methods of training are quite different.
PACKERS, GIANTS EVEN (9-2) FOR SHOWDOWN
NOV 27 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The issues for next Sunday's Packer-Giant game in Milwaukee are crystal clear. Green Bay can win its second straight Western Division championship with a victory. New York can keep its one-game lead in the torrid Eastern Division race with a win. The two clubs are neck and neck today in wins, losses, ties, and percentage thereof, with records of 9-2-0 for .818. And the Big City and the Little Town belligerents are virtually even in the "points" columns. Green Bay has scored 326 points, the Giants 316. New York allowed 167, Green Bay 169. Sunday's game seems like a preview of the 1961 world championship playoff, but there are eight clubs in the chase for the two titles, including the Packers and Giants, of course. Despite its two and a half game lead, Green Bay has more pursuers than New York. San Francisco and Detroit have a chance to beat out the Pack and Chicago and Baltimore can still tie for first place. The Packers would have to lose their last three games before these four clubs would have a chance. There are just two eligibles behind the Giants - Philadelphia, the defending world champion, and Cleveland. The Eagles are one game behind with 8-3 and the Browns are two off with 7-4. The Packers, after New York, play the 49ers and the Rams on the west coast. The Giants, after Green Bay, play the East's two other contenders - the Eagles in Philadelphia Dec. 10 and the Browns in New York Dec. 17. The Eagles play at Pittsburgh Sunday and after the Giant contest close against the Lions, of all people. The Browns meet Dallas Sunday and then battle the Bears before closing out in NY. The Eastern thing is wide open and some folks feel that the Eagles might slide in. Besides winning the championship, the Packers can help decide their playoff opponent by whipping New York. A loss for NY, for instance, would give the Eagles a chance to eliminate the Giants the next Sunday, providing the Eagles beat Pitt. Anyhow, what happens in the East is of no real concern. The big objective in the Packer camp is the following line at the top of the Western Division standings next Monday:
W L T .PCT
Green Bay 10 2 0 .833
The Packers, of course, can clinch a title tie even if they lose to New York. This could happen if the Lions and 49ers lose and the Bears and Colts win. At any rate, the Packers, as Coach Vince Lombardi pointed out after the victory in Detroit Thursday, now have the race "in our own hands. We can win it ourselves. We don't have to depend on anybody else as we did last year," Vince said. A year ago the Packers came out of the Thanksgiving Day game with a 5-4 record, while Baltimore led with 6-2. The Packers finished with 8-4, Baltimore 6-6. Sunday's game is sold out, Col. Ockie Krueger, the Pack's man in Milwaukee, announced today. Standing room tickets went on sale this morning and they probably won't last long. This completes a sweep of seven home sellouts - four in Green Bay and now three in Milwaukee. The Packers went back to work today - well rested after three days off. Packer coaches had no rest. They worked on the college player draft all weekend. The draft is scheduled in Chicago next Monday.
'DO ANYTHING TO WIN,' TUNNELL SAYS OF PACK
NOV 28 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers? "These guys will do anything to win. Did you see Henry Jordan on the platoons? And Willie Davis? That's hard work but they'll play there. I don't play much but I get all keyed up every week just like I'm going to play. I'm ready, man." Em Tunnell, pro football's grand old man of defense, made with that funny high-pitched laugh of his at the Mike and Pen Club luncheon Monday noon and went on: "Hornung's a helluva guy. I was out in New York after the game (the Pack's 16-7 win in Detroit) and they couldn't believe Hornung could play like that after being away for 11 days. He was great. The average guy wouldn't play. He took a beating out there. The Giants will be the toughest team we've played all season. Their defense is the strongest in the league. It's because they've been playing together for so long - especially those four in the line, Grier, Katcavage, Robustelli and Modzelewski. Our defense is good, too. Don't sell out short. They fight." Tunnell played 11 seasons with the Giants. He's one of three former Giants on the Green Bay side. The others are Coach Vince Lombardi, who brought Em here, and offense line coach Bill Austin. Answering questions right and left, Tunnell went on: "Hanner must be one of the best players who ever played here. He and Hutson must be the two greatest. He sure enjoys playing. Never complains, just does his job. What makes the Giants tougher? Their defense is as good as it ever was. Tittle and Shofner make the difference on offense. They never had a receiver like that Shofner. The Giants got good leaders. They hate to lose. They get made after losing a game. They hardly spoke to me after they lost here Labor Day. Starr is having a much better year than he did last season. Every time we've needed the big play he's come up with it, or the big pass. We've all got a lot of confidence in him. We ought to be able to run on the Giant. Yeah, it'll be quite a game." Tunnell has been in two title games with the Giants and one with Green Bay - plus a division playoff with New York (vs. Cleveland) in 1950. And he hopes to make it two with the Pack. He played with NY vs. the Bears in 1956 and vs, the Colts in '58 - and with the Pack vs. the Eagles last December.
RINGO IN HOSPITAL, FLU BEDS MCGEE AND TAYLOR
NOV 28 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Jim Ringo's in the hospital. Max McGee and Jim Taylor are in bed with the flu. Three men are away in service - Paul Hornung, Ray Nitschke and Boyd Dowler. One is wearing crutches - Jerry Kramer. Three are slowed down by game injuries - Hank Gremminger, Tom Moore and Ron Kramer. Right today, the Packers can't field a full, healthy offensive team. Here's what's left - quarterbacks Bart Starr and John Roach, linemen Forrest Gregg, Ken Iman, Fuzzy Thurston, Bob Skoronski, Norm Masters, Gary Knafelc and Lee Folkins and halfbacks Elijah Pitts and Lew Carpenter. Roach or Starr would have to play somewhere else but QB to fill out the team. And some of those fellers have colds. If Coach Vince Lombardi got a shock when he walked into the clubhouse this morning and counted noses, you couldn't blame him. The Packers play the Giants in Milwaukee Sunday, you know. Lombardi reeled off the "cast" list and conceded that things weren't rosy. While this is only Tuesday, there's always the possibility that Taylor and McGee and Ringo may be weakened some. Ringo is in misery with the same infection that resulted in boils four or five weeks ago. This time, they've broken out on his face and he can hardly talk. "It hurts me to move my jaw," he groaned today, "but I want to get out of here by Wednesday for practice." The Packers are now down to about two dozen healthy and full-time players, not counting Ben Agajanian, the kicking specialist who will join the club Thursday. Which means they're faced with winning another game on what Lombardi calls "sheer nerve." Vince, asked about the 17-9 victory over the Lions Thanksgiving Day, said "we won it on sheer nerve." The Packers were shown pictures of the game at Monday's meeting. The Packers, anchored by a stout defense, put on an especially gutsy performance. They came from behind twice to win in the last quarter. The Bays will need every ounce of go they can get to handle the Giants and thus win the Western Division championship. The Eastern leaders are at full strength and healthy, it seems needless to say. The Giants are much improved over a year ago and, for that matter, last Labor Day when Green Bay beat them 20-17. "They have improved most on offense," Lombardi noted, pointing out the addition of Bob Gaithers, the rookie speed back, quarterback Y.A. Tittle and Del Shofner. "They've also got two good rookie offensive linemen," Vince added. They are tackle Greg Larson and guard Mickey Walker...BRIEFS: Willie Davis, home in Cleveland over the weekend, saw the Giant-Brown game and noted that his old team, the Brown, didn't capitalize on a few scoring chances. Davis was in bed with a cold last Friday and Saturday...Asked if the Giants are similar to any other team we've played this year, Vince named "the Colts."...Alex Webster is the Giants' top rushing back with 721 yards, fourth in the league. Pat Summerall and Paul Hornung each have kicked the same number of field goals, 13. But Paul attempted only 19 against Pat's 28.
PACKERS WIN - IN COIN FLIP SESSION
NOV 28 (New York) - Cleveland, Detroit and Green Bay drew the preponderance of home sites today in playoff pairings in the NFL. In the event of a three-way tie in the Eastern Conference, Cleveland won the bye, and Philadelphia and New York will meet Dec. 24 at Philadelphia. Cleveland would be host to the second game Dec. 31. In two-way ties in the Eastern Conference, Cleveland would be host if the other team is New York or Philadelphia. New York will be host if the other team is Philadelphia. In the event of a three-way tie in the Western Conference, Green Bay won the bye, and Detroit would be the host to San Francisco with Green Bay host to the winner. In the other possibility for a three-way tie, Green bay also won the bye, and Chicago would be host to Baltimore, with Green Bay host to the winner. In two-way tie possibilities, Detroit would be host to Green Bay and to San Francisco. San Francisco would be host if Green Bay is the other team, Green Bay would be host if Chicago is the other team, and Baltimore would be host if Green Bay is the other team. Business Manager Verne Lewellen represented the Packers at the win ceremony.
FAMILIAR WESTERNERS SPUR GIANTS
NOV 29 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - It's tough enough facing the Eastern Giants but when they bring in the West Coast All Stars. Well, look: Through various and devious trading, the Giants stole away with Y.A. Tittle of the San Francisco 49ers and Del Shofner of the Los Angeles Rams. Tittle and Shofner give the Giants something they never had before - a top-flight replacement for aging Charley Conerly, and a lightning-fast pass catching end. It's no secret how much Tittle and Shofnter have helped the Giants. The nearby NFL statistics show Tittle fourth among league passers (Conerly isn't even rated) and Shofner second among the pass catchers. In fact, Shofner is just one catch behind former Ram teammate Red Phillips. Tittle and Shofner are no strangers in Packerland since the Packers faced 'em twice each year for several seasons. What have threy done to our favorites? Let's look at the last two seasons - Vince Lombardi's time. Before that, everybody was doing things to our lads. Each fugitive from California played as a starting regular in three of the four games in the Lombardi years. They played minor roles in the fourth games. Shofner actually did the most damage in that the Rams won two of the four Packer-Ram games in 1959-60. He caught 10 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns. He went catchless in the windup in LA last winter, when he supposedly was in the Rams' doghouse. Tittle was the starter in all but the mud battle in San Francisco last winter when he finished (and looked strange in his clean uniform) for John Brodie. In all, and these figures are impressive, Tittle attempted 70 passes (in the two years) and completed 38 for 398 yards and four touchdowns. Three were intercepted. Of the eight games involving Tittle and Shofner, the Packers won six. But now these two experts are on the same team. Single-double trouble! The one Packer uniformer who is most concerned is Jess Whittenton, the right cornerbacker. In fact, Jess was so concerned he stayed out after practice Tuesday and joined Lew Carpenter in a kicking off and field goal kicking match. They agreed on one thing: "This kicking isn't any good without a kicking toe." Seriously, Whittenton allowed that "Shofner hasn't changed a bit. He's the same, just as good, and he's playing the same position as he did with the Rams." Whittenton does a good job on Shofner - just as he does on the league's other ace left end, Raymond Berry. But Jess will have an extra special test this time since Shofner will be playing with the powerful Giants. The Packers were "long" on defense in Tuesday's drill. At least the "D" unit had more than a full and healthy team in uniform. The offensers had only 11 healthy players in action and two of those were quarterbacks Bart Starr and John Roach. Lombardi looked at Dr. Jim Nellen after the drill and smiled: "Well, Jim, how are we." Dr. Nellen laughed and reeled off the report. Jim Ringo was still in the hospital today with a severe case of the boils. The infection has broken out on his face. The flu knocked out Max McGee and Jim Taylor over the weekend, but they're back today. You'd never realize the Packers were down to about 24 full-timers. The spirit of the players is exceptionally high. Lombardi shortened up Tuesday's drill and then announced as they finished their sprints that "you're off for the rest of the day." Normally, the squad follows the Tuesday drill with a meeting...BRIEFS: There was good news out of Fort Riley, Kan., today. The Army announced that Paul Hornung would get a weekend pass to play with the Pack. He will be released after duty Saturday. Also expected are Boyd Dowler and Ray Nitschke from Fort Lewis, Wash...The cast has been removed from Jerry Kramer's badly separated ankle ligament. "Look," he said Tuesday, "I can almost walk without these crutches. I may be running when we get out to the coast."...Stadium engineer Johnny Proski is keeping a close eye on the stadium turf. "We'll get 20 tons of hay on here before the week is over - just in case," Johnny said. The field then would be fast "just in case" the Packers win the West.
EYES OF GRID WORLD (EVEN FROM TEXAS) FOCUS ON PACK GAME
NOV 30 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - .The eyes of the football world will be upon the Packer-Giant game Sunday. And that includes a few eyes of Texas. We're speaking of Tom Landry, coach of the Dallas Cowboys who spent his entire playing career with the Giants. The Landrymen handed the Giants one of their two defeats, a 17-16 verdict, but what does he think of the battle of the division leaders? "I'd sure like to be there," drawled the native Texan via phone today, adding: "I've got a lot of friends on both teams and it should be a tremendous game. It could be one of those games that is decided on how the ball bounces. I don't think either team will break away. Both teams have championship qualities and I suppose you might say this is a prelude to the title game. The Giants have a little more to lose than Green Bay. You can still win it later but the Giants might be tied." Landry has seen plenty of the Giants, having played them twice, and "I saw the Packers play Thanksgiving Day. Green Bay is mighty tough to defense." The Giants? "I believe we shocked them into playing good football when we beat them out in New York," Landry laughed, adding: "Right after that they started winning and now have gained momentum. I guess Tittle has given them that. The Giants are physically good. All they needed was some momentum. The Giants have the best balance they've had since 1956. We had good balance then between the offense and defense. Now it looks as if the offense has the confidence the defense always had. The Giants' running has been strong and powerful. Webster has been having a good year. He's like Hornung." Landry actually can help shape the Eastern Division race. The Cowboys battle the Browns, who are two games behind the Giants and needless to say the Dallas crew will be especially high. "We're coming along," Tom said, referring to the Cowboys, "last year was pretty well lost but we've got quite a few young boys and a good
start on a strong team for the future."...The Packers are the league's top rushing team, with 1,804 ground yards. San Francisco is next with 1,791. New York, incidentally, has gained 1,509 yards. In total offense, N.Y. is fourth with 3,698 yards but G.B. is only two yards behind in fifth. Philly leads with 3,888. Defensively, N.Y. ranks second, allowing 2,925 yards. The Pack is sixth, having allowed 3,164. The Colts are tops with 2,733 yards permitted...Rough stuff was on tap for today's drill, the usual Thursday fare prescribed by Coach Vince Lombardi. All hands were present, including Jim Ringo, who had been in the hospital with a case of the boils. Jim Taylor and Max McGee have recovered from the flu but now Dave Hanner has the illness...BRIEFS: The ticket sale for Sunday's fracas has reached 46,000, according to word from Col. Ockie Krueger, and standing room "seats" are still being sold. Among the purchasers of standing room has been Pete Tinsley, the former Packer guard who is now coaching football at Florence High. Tinsley bough 25 ducats for members of the Florence eleven - reward for a 7-1 season...Bart Starr and Y.A. Tittle have thrown 29 touchdown passes between them, with Tittle pitching 15. Each has 133 completions...The Giants have two players from little Arnold College - 11-year veteran Andy Robustelli and rookie Allan Webb...The NFL's total attendance already has exceeded the 1960 figures. The league has drawn 3,426,414 for the 77 games played thus far, which compares to the 3,383,298 for the entire 78-game schedule a year ago.
PACK-GIANT KEY? 'HOLD THAT LINE'
DEC 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - It's been said before and it will be repeated long after today. Football game are won or lost in the line. This old saw especially fits Sunday's Packer-Giant showdown in County Stadium. When the four front lines are operating at peak efficiency for both sides, the deciding factor becomes a break - or maybe the accuracy of somebody's toe, namely Pat Summerall, Paul Hornung or Ben Agajanian. The Packers and Giants each have a show-piece line. New York's best known line is its defensive wall composed of ends Jim Katcavage and Andy Robustelli and tackles Rosey Grier and Dick Modzelewski. Green Bay's most heralded line is its offensive wall composed of tackles Bob Skoronski and Norm Masters, guards Fred Thurston and Forrest Gregg and center Jim Ringo - with morale support from injured Jerry Kramer. The Giants' defense line has been credited with spearheading the team's powerful overall defense. The Packers' offensive line has been credited with providing working room for quarterback Bart Starr and his passing and allowing Jim Taylor, Tom Moore and Hornung to get off the mark. Thus, you have the nine contestants (not counting Jerry) in the battle that will decide to a great degree the success of the Pack's offense. There are nine other fellers, two other lines, if you please - the Pack's mobile defensive line composed of ends Bill Quinlan and Willie Davis and tackles Hank Jordan and Dave Hanner, and the Giants' aggressive offensive line - tackles Rosey Brown and Greg Larson, guards Darrell Dess and Mickey Walker and center Ray Wietcha. (Injured Jack Stroud may be healed enough to replace Walker.) These two units will help decide the Giants' ability to score. The Pack's defense line, for instance, will zero in on Y.A. Tittle, the Giants' refuge quarterback. Tittle has been in the proverbial rocking chair for the last three weeks, while the Giants averaged 40 points a game. Eighteen big men (give or take a 250-pounder or two) will control Sunday's game. And if you pardon some advice, watch 'em Sunday. There will be many individual battles. How about Thurston, the Battlin' Badger, against that 290-pound Grier. Fuzzy isn't afraid. Just yesterday he yipped: "Bring him on, I'm ready." Thurston is used to giant defense tackles, chiefly Big Daddy Lipscomb, who was a twice-a-year job until he was traded by the Colts to Pitt. Next to Thurston, there'll be a battle of New Englanders - Skoronski and Robustelli. "We were on a couple of banquets together last winter. This won't be a banquet Sunday." Skoronski laughed. Gregg looks toward Modzelewski and that's a bit of a change from past games because Forrest usually is at right tackle. He was
shifted to right guard to fill the vacancy created when Kramer was hurt and Masters went to right tackle. Masters faces Katcavage, who, somebody once said, is the most underrated defense end in the league. Who's Ringo on? Just about anybody and everybody who's in the way or coming in. Incidentally, Ringo was out for practice Thursday and "feeling fine." He still had a few boils on his face. Also back in action today was Hanner, who was just about over an attack of the 24-hour flu...The Packers went through a lively drill in the mist Thursday and Coach Vince Lombardi seemed pleased with the key practice. He shortened the drill down to an hour. All hands were in reasonably good working order and, of course, Hanner wasn't present. The big guy stayed home, taking no chances with the flu. The Bays will leave for Milwaukee on the 8:40 North Western Saturday morning and then practice in County Stadium upon arrival. They'll headquarter at the Astor Hotel. The Packers will leave for their two-game windup on the West Coast from Milwaukee Monday morning. And they hope to make the trip as Western Division champions.
GIANTS MAY PULL AN ADDERLEY ON PACKERS SUNDAY
DEC 2 (Milwaukee-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Giants may pull an Adderley on the Packers Sunday. Herb Adderley, the Bays' No. 1 draft choice and flanker back on the offense, was shifted to defense a couple of days before the Lion game Thanksgiving Day. He was switched just in case Hank Gremminger re-injured his knee. Hank didn't hurt his knee but he did re-injure his ribs making an interception. Adderley stepped into Hank's shoes and intercepted a Lion pass, setting up the Bays' winning touchdown in the 17-9 contest. The Giants learned that defensive back Allan Webb, who had replaced Dick Nolan a couple of weeks ago at safety, may not be able to play against the Packers. Webb's replacement would normally be Gene Johnson, the former Eagle defenser who was obtained from Minnesota on waivers. However, the Giants plucked Joe Morrison off the offensive squad a week ago and he has impressed as a safetyman. Giant Coach Allie Sherman is thinking about starting him. Like Addeley, Morrison hasn't played defense since he left Cincinnati U four years ago. Gremminger is well healed and ready to take over his cornerbacker spot, with Adderley in reserve..."We're all well!" That was the word from Coach Vince Lombardi after Friday's fast drill. All hands were on deck, including Jim Ringo who had the boils and the three flu cases, Dave Hanner, Max McGee and Jim Taylor. This was a far cry from earlier in the week when the Bays were able to round up only 11 men on offense. "And," Vince added with gusto, "we're ready to go." This is it for the Pack. They can win the Western Division championship by beating the Giants in County Stadium Sunday...Incidentally, the stadium has been sold out lock, stock and barrel and the attendance will hit approximately 47,000. This will be the largest paid crowd ever to see a pro event in Wisconsin. All standing room has been sold, according to Col. Ockie Krueger, and fans without tickets are urged to stay away...The Giants have amazing scoring dept. Sixteen of them have had a hand in scoring their 316 points in 11 games. And seven of those 16 are defensive players - Erich Barnes, 18 points; Jim Patton, Tom Scott, Sam Huff and Larry Hayes, 6 each; and Jim Katcavage and Dick Modzelewski 2 each. Those two safeties were scored vs. the Redskins, Norman Snead being tackled in the end zone twice. Kicker Pat Summerall is the Giants' top scorer with 78 points. Del Shofner is next with 48. Summerall had 13 field goals in 28 attempts. Eleven people figure in the Packers' 326 points, topped by Paul Hornung's 135 and bottomed by Ban Agajanian's five.
DOWLER GETS PASS TO PLAY
DEC 2 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers had both good and bad news from the Army front today. They discovered that Pvt. Boyd Dowler, who has not missed a game since his callup, will fly in from Ft. Lewis, Wash., where he is stationed with the 32nd Division, for Sunday's showdown struggle with the New York Giants at Milwaukee. Middle linebacker Ray Nitschke, also stationed at Fort Lewis, will not be available, however. The Army said Friday night that Nitschke would not be permitted to leave camp because he has received four previous passes to play with the Packers. Earlier in the week, it was announced that another of Uncle Sam's Packer nephews, Pvt. Paul Hornung, would be free to face the Giants. He is expected to join the Packers in Milwaukee later today.
REMEMBER ROACH? HE'S ALWAYS READY
DEC 3 (Milwaukee-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Remember John Roach? He's the Packer insurance policy on their No. 1 quarterback, Bart Starr. Long John (he's a slim 6-4, 190) has played very little this season and with good reason. Starr has been positively brilliant while leading the Bays to nine victories in their first 11 league games. Here's how Roach feels as the Packers get set for the Giants - a team he beat once as a St. Louis Cardinal QB a year ago: "I've always wanted to play on a championship team and I've always wanted to play under a great coach. It looks as if we'll make that championship and Coach Lombardi is the greatest coach I've ever played under. I've got my two wishes right now and even though I'm not playing I've enjoyed it." Roach shares the quarterbacking, of course, with Starr in every practice session, the two quarterbacks alternating on every play. "I have to be ready to go any time. I get ready every week just as if I'm going to play the whole game. That way, I can go full steam if anything happens to Bart," Roach explained. The Bays' spare quarterback speaks highly of Starr: "Bart's biggest value is that he's never hot or cold - always about the same. He always has a good game. He's had better game but never a bad one. Bart's the winning type - always consistent. Just watch the movies. He never throws a real bad pass." Roach came to the Packers via a trade with the Cleveland Browns during the training season. The Browns obtained him from the Cardinals during the offseason. When he arrived here last August, Roach expressed great pleasure over being traded to Green Bay...'EVERYBODY'S SMART': "We were more prepared for a game than any team I've ever heard of. Everybody's smart. The first couple of days I was here Jim Ringo told me what plays to check off in practice." John was the Cards' first-string QB a year ago, leading St. Louis to a 6-5-1 record in his first full year at the signal position. He played half of the '59 campaign at safety and then played QB during the last half. He came up as a defensive back in '56 and then went into service for two years. Thus, Roach is only in his fourth year as a pro - though he broke in the same year Starr joined the Pack as a rookie. Roach ranked 10th among the passers last year, with 87 completions in 188 attempts for 1,423 yards and 17 touchdowns. He had 19 interceptions. One of his 1960 wins was a tight 20-13 decision over the Giants in New York. "They (the Giants) depended on defense to win last year but now they have an offense to go with it," Roach reminded. Roach attempted only 10 passes in that win and completed four for 75 yards. One was a 41-yard scoring pitch to Sonny Randle.
WESTERN CHAMPIONS? PACKERS DUEL GIANTS TODAY
DEC 3 (Milwaukee-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - This is the day the Packers would like to win their second straight Western Division championship. And thus bring the title game to Green Bay Dec. 31. They can capture the coveted crown by winning any one of their last three games, but today's contest is something special. The Packers play the best in the East at County Stadium - the Giants of New York. It's Big Town vs. Little Town in pro football's most unique series. It's Vince Lombardi against the team he helped develop into a power! It's a show 'em day for Bart Starr! And it's likely to be a preview of the '61 title game. This afternoon's fabled fracas will be watched by a standing room crowd of 47,000 fans lucky enough to get tickets and roughly 20,000,000 on television via four networks, including all of Canada. Kickoff is set for 1:06 and the weather will be in the upper 40's with no precipitation. It's a pity the Packers can't field the same team that wiped up one of the other power in the East, the Browns. But the Army cut into that powerhouse deeply, taking Paul Hornung, Ray Nitschke and Boyd Dowler, and an injury removed Jerry Kramer. The current Packers are somewhat of a shadow of that destructive force but they're leading the West by two and a half
Paul Hornung runs in the mud against Detroit on Thanksgiving Day
Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi, second from left, shouts instructions to fullback Jim Taylor (31) on the sideline during the game against the Detroit Lions at Tiger Stadium in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, 1961.
PACKERS GET 23 PLAYERS
DEC 3 (Milwaukee-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers will get 23 players out of the NFL draft in Chicago Monday. That's three over the "limit" of 20. The added players are the result of trades earlier in the season. The Bays get five extra picks but lose two, Coach Vince Lombardi said Saturday. Two of the extra picks will come in the fifth round and the other will be down the list. The Packers will lose a third choice and gain a third, presumably in the deals which sent Lamar McHan to the Colts and brought John Roach from the Browns. The Packers will draft in the 13th or 14th position in the first round, pending the outcome of today's game. At the moment, the Packers and Giants have the highest and same percentage, .818. The winner will draft 14th. Lombardi, scout Dick Voris, coach Phil Bengtson and publicity chief Tom Miller will handle the draft. The three other coaches, Bill Austin, Red Cochran and Norb Hecker, will accompany the team on its flight to Palo Alto, Calif., Monday morning. The business of signing the draftees and in some cases dueling with the AFL will start as soon as the drafting is finished. Packer coaches have been working in every spare moment of the last three weeks on the draft. The names, charts, lists, etc., required plenty of extra luggage going to Milwaukee from Green Bay Saturday...Waiting for the Packers when they checked in at County Stadium Saturday afternoon were Ben Agajanian and Boyd Dowler. Both had just flown in from the West Coast. Agajanian flew all night from Long Beach and said, "All I need is some sleep." He booted a couple of 50-yard field goals, prompting Max McGee to make this warning: "Save those for the game," Dowler came with bad news: "No Nitschke. I guess he had to go on guard duty." Boyd lost a few pounds and stayed out after practice to catch a few from Bart Starr. McGee was on the field five minutes before the rest of the team. Another early arrival was Jerry Kramer, who is proud to walk without his crutches for the first time...Today's game will be broadcast in French and English on the Canadian network. Two announcers from Quebec will do the French version. The Redskins network gave up the Redskins' telecast today so that it could carry the Packer-Giant game. It goes into the southeast. It also will be beamed on the Giant and Packer networks. The audience was estimated at 20 million. Miller is swamped with so many request from radio and TV stations that "I'm putting them on the roof of the Stadium. I'm making them sign a release before letting them go up there."
PACKERS FIND SOFT SPOT FOR GIANTS..IN HISTORY
games with a 9-2 record, and, best of all, they think they can win it today. Hornung and Dowler will play today but they're not the offensive killers they were. Dowler reported in time from Fort Lewis, Wash., to practice with the team here Saturday and Hornung was due in last night. Nitschke couldn't get a weekend pass at Fort Lewis. The look-alike Packers and Giants enter today's game with momentum. The Packers have won three in a row since being smothered by Baltimore and the Giants grabbed four straight wins since being upset by Dallas. But the Giants' momentum has been snowballing because they've looked stronger, at least offensively, with each win. The two clubs each have 9-2 records. They're the highest scoring teams in the NFL and they've allowed the fewest points. There isn't much to pick but the Packers have been installed as tight three-point favorites. Oddly enough, the Browns were slight picks to whip the Giants last Sunday, but the New Yorkers won big. This is Starr's first shot at the Giants in a league game since Lombardi came upon the scene. Vince, the one time offense coach for the Giants, made his first appearance against his old team in 1959. Lamar McHan was the starting quarterback that day and, after being hurt, was replaced by the since-departed Joe Francis. Starr sweated the game out on the phones. Starr since has worked himself into the No. 1 quarterbackship. He'll be opposing the toughest defense in football. It's a mean, rough chore and the blitzing Giants have no weaknesses. The Packer offense wants to play a scoring and keep-the-ball game, which means that big Jim Taylor will have to be running at his best - with some help from Hornung and Tom Moore. Taylor carried a few times in that '59 Giant game, making his first appearance after burning his hand and foot in a home accident. Passingwise, Starr had a known "spot" in the Giants' secondary. This safety spot was opened when Dick Nolan and then Al Webb were both hurt. The hole will be filled by Gene Johnson, the ex-Eagle, or Joe Morrison, converted from offense. Dowler's ability to shake off a week of Army life will help determine the Pack's air success. Max McGee is ready for his best day, along with Ron Kramer who has shaken off leg injuries. The Packers defense faces a most exciting chore since the Giants have been averaging 42 points in their last four games. This fantastic scoring had been provided chiefly by the Giants' three newcomers - Y.A. Tittle of the 49ers, Del Shofner of the Rams and Joe Walton of the Redskins. They fit in perfectly with old-line Giants like Kyle Rote and Alex Webster. Shofner always has given the Packers trouble and his case will be up to Jess Whittenton and Willie Wood on the right side of the secondary. The Packers defense is in top shape with one major exception - tackle Dave Hanner, who is sporting a bad chest cold. He never dressed for practice Saturday and went right to bed. Taylor, McGee and John Symank have pretty well recovered from colds.
DEC 3 (George Calhoun-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - It may not show out there on the field at Milwaukee County Stadium today but the Packers have a soft spot in their hearts for the New York Giants. After all, the Packers first gained national recognition, and the tag "the sports wonder of the world," after we played them in New York in the late 1920's - particularly 1929. That was a big year for us - we won our first championship and we beat the Giants to do it. As a matter of fact, the Packers and Giants made a lot of NFL history together. We played the Giants in three championship games, and won two of them. It may not be common knowledge, but only the Packers, Bears and Cardinals have been in the NFL longer than the Giants. The late Tim Mara and Will Gibson, along with Dr. Henry Marsh, put up $2,500 to buy the Giants' franchise in 1925. Dr. Marsh, who later wrote a book on pro football, came in from Ohio and talked Mara into going along on it. The Giants have never been sorry. They had an 8-4 record in '25 and they've been going strong ever since. We first played the Giants here in Green Bay in 1928. They had a lineup loaded with dynamite - fellows like Al Nesser, one of the famous Nesser brothers from Ohio, George Murtaugh, the center, and Bill and Steven Owen, who were both linemen. Cal Hubbard, who went on to become an all-time Packer tackle, joined us the following season...DRESSED AT HOTEL: They also had Jack McBride, an All-American fullback from Syracuse. I'll never forget that bird. In those days, the players dressed at the Beaumont Hotel, then went out to Hagemeister Park in cars to practice. The Giants came to practice on Saturday morning before the game and, of course, they had to dress at the park. As usual, I gave some of them a ride out to the park. McBride got into my car and said, "What a hick town. What's this league coming to? There's not even a place to dress at the park?" The next day, the Giants beat us 6-0 with those bulwarks in the line - Hubbard, Murtaugh and the Owens brothers - but later in the season we played them at the Polo Grounds in New York and won, 7-0. Verne Lewellen scored the touchdown. The New York papers got out early editions those days and the headlines said "Half-Equipped Packers Playing Even With Giants" - the score was nothing to nothing at the half. The reason was that one of our halfbacks, Eddie Kotal (now chief talent scout for the Los Angeles Rams) didn't wear a helmet those days. That's why they called us "the half-equipped Packers." We went back to New York in 1929 and that time we were suffering a little bit from injuries. Red Dunn didn't even play so Lewellen was calling signals and doubling as a quarterback. We won that one despite the injuries, 20-6. Fairly deep in that game, we stopped a Giant rush and took the ball over on our 15 or 20. After a couple of rushes, we didn't make many yards so Lew stood back near the goal line and punted. Those strange winds in the Polo Grounds took the ball and it landed on the Giant 25 and rolled all the way to their five-yard line. That put it on ice. The Packers used only 12 men that day and the only substitute went in with just a minute and a half left to play. That was Paul Minnick, who went in for Jim Bowden at tackle. After the game, the Belgian (Coach Curly Lambeau) said the lid was off. Bowden got high and chased Lambeau all over the hotel - he was going to kick hell out of him for taking him out of the game...BEAT STEAMROLLERS: That was the beginning of our eastern trip and after that game we jumped around pretty lively. The following Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, we played the Frankford Yellowjackets - they represented a suburb of Philadelphia - and we played a 0-0 tie. Then we went over to Providence on Sunday and beat the Steamrollers there, 25-0. The Giants bring back a lot of other memories, too. In 1940, we were scheduled to play in New York and Coach E.L. Lambeau decided to be very air-minded. So we were sending a lot of publicity into New York telling them we were going to flying in for the game. We didn't have a field big enough for the planes - we always took two planes those days - to take off from. So we took the train to Chicago, then took a plane from there. Unfortunately, storm clouds gathered. At the same time, the New York papers were making a big hulabaloo about our flying. They had reporters at the airfield and everything - the full treatment. When we got to Cleveland, we were grounded. We had to take a train into New York and we got in there the next morning. Another time, on our first trip into New York, we got into some hotel. I don't remember which one, and Lambeau told me, "Cal, get me a permit to practice in Central Park." So I did - and I arranged for a bus to meet us and take us to the park. I guess Central Park is a pretty big area but, anyway, the bus driver let us out at the first entrance we came to. We got out and started to practice - and it turned out to be a children's playground. The kids came on later and we tried to dodge 'em - they were romping all over. A whole squad of motor cops came along and threatened to arrest us so we moved farther out in the park.
