Green Bay Packers (5-1) 30, St. Louis Cardinals (4-2) 7
Sunday October 20th 1963 (at St. Louis)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(ST. LOUIS) - The Packers won the football game and the street fight in Busch Stadium Sunday afternoon. The total score was 30 to 7. They reeled off 20 points in a beautiful display of offensive and defensive football in dominating the first half. The Bays ran off 42 plays, the Cardinals only 16. These two quarters were no contest. But the Cardinals went beserk in the second half. They drew three 15-yard personal foul penalties - one when Jimmy Hill socked Bart Starr in the face and the others for pounding Jim Taylor. The bruising fourth quarter finish had all the earmarks of a free-for-all until the officials took a time out to warn both sides - in full view of NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and the league's supervisor of officials, Joe Kuharich. The Cardinals landed the most blows but the Packers had won the second half fight, 10 to 7. The Packers not only gave the Western Division its first league victory over the East this season, they took the Western race into their own hands - thanks to the 49ers, who upset the Bears 20-14. Green Bay and Chicago are tied with 5-1 marks and next Sunday the Packers visit Baltimore and Chicago hosts Philadelphia. The triumph could be extremely costly, pending the processes of healing this week. Starr reinjured his throwing hand when he ran into Hill late in the third period closing out a 15-yard run. Tom Moore injured his ribs early in the second quarter after he had gained 60 yards in 10 carries. Starr and Moore never returned. Elijah Pitts worked in Moore's spot and gained 77 yards, high for the team, in 15 trips. John Roach, though he had a couple of interceptions, worked up the clinching touchdown in the final minutes. And Jess Whittenton did the ball holding for Starr - for Jerry Kramer's fourth field goal try, which was wide, and an extra point. The Packers scored the first five times they had their hands on the ball, rolling to a 23-0 lead early in the third period. It was 23-7 going into the fourth quarter when the action, like the temperature, got hotter. It was 83 at game time and 89 when the scorcher finished. The Packers' three touchdowns came on fourth down and one to go situations. Moore scored the first to end an 8-play, 66-yard drive in the first quarter. Taylor produced the next to end a 13-play, 55-yard drive in the second quarter. Jim scored the final TD to end a 9-play, 48-yad push with 1:05 left in the game. Jerry Kramer did the rest with three field goals of 39, 26 and 34 yards. The first two came in the first half and the next was a sort of gift from the record crowd of 32,224. This is rich. The game was only a few minutes into the third quarter, with the score an unsafe 20-0, when the Cards come up with a fourth and two-foot situation on the Packer 36-yard line. The Cards sent out their punting team but the crowd screamed "go go" so the Card bench had a change of heart and returns the offense. Joe Childress promptly ran into a stone wall on the Pack's right side and the Bays gleefully took the ball on downs. The crowd quieted down. Other than a key pass here and there, the Packers stayed on the ground while the Cardinals remained in the air. The Pack rushed 56 times against the Cardinals' 12 while the Cards hurled 40 passes against the Pack's 18. Taylor, Pitts and Moore gained an even 200 yards between 'em. Jim was the workhorse, lugging 27 times - seemingly all on hard-yardage situations. Oddly enough, the Bays finished with a minus 2 yards passing for the day. Starr had 6 completions in 10 attempts for 101 yards in the first half. There was but one completion in eight passes in the second half - for a two-yard loss. The Cards gained 40 yards rushing, including only 14 in the second half, but added up 208 on 16 completions. Charley Johnson hit 15 of 38. In all, the Pack had 74 plays, the Cards 52. The Packers had clearly demonstrated that the name of the game is "foot"-ball. The Bays intercepted four passes and two of them were crucials in the fourth quarter. Bill Forester stole one at midfield and set up a J.K. third field goal try. Dave Hanner grabbed a pass deflected by Ray Nitschke to end the Cards' last serious bid on the Pack 5 with 10 minutes left in the game. Willie Wood and Jess Whittenton intercepted the others. Green Bay didn't ack like a running team on the first play of the game. Starr dropped a long shot right in Boyd Dowler's arms behind Pat Fischer for a 45-yard gain - the longest aerial of the day, to the Cardinal 22. After an interference call on Hill (on Max McGee) put the ball on the 10, the Bays scored in four tough plays. Moor ran four yards in two plays and Starr threw to R. Kramer, who was run out of bounds on the 1. Moore bowled over Fischer on his run around the right side for a TD. J. Kramer kicked the first of three extra points for a 7-0 score at 3:00. The Cards put together two first downs by Nitschke deflected a third down pass and Jim Bakken missed a field goal from the 42 and the Pack was off and running. Taylor and Moore started roaring on the next drive and Moore had a nifty 29-yard sweep. Two penalties and an eight-yard loss for Starr produced a field goal situation, with J.K. hitting from the 39. After a Cardinal punt - thanks to a key tackle by Hank Jordan on Bill Triplett, the Bays found themselves in a third and 20 spot on the second play of the second quarter. Starr hurled a 37-yard pass up the middle to R. Kramer, who was loose and waiting on the Cardinal 28. Taylor and Moore went to work and it wasn't easy. Taylor went on a crucial fourth down on the Card 17. Earl Gros went in for one play as Moore was hurt and then Pitts replaced Gros. Pitts ran 13 yards in two trips to the fourt. Taylor carried four times in a row, leaping over the line for the TD. That made it 17-0. Just before the half, the Bays set sail again - from their own 15. Pitts ran 18 on a fine sweep and Starr passed to Kramer for 26 yards, eating up 55 yards in all. Taylor and Pitts traded runs and with a fourth and two situation on the Card 19. J.K. stepped back on the 26 for a three-pointer and it was 20-0 at the half. After J. Kramer's field goal to start the second half, the Cards moved to the Packer 28 on two passes but Whittenton ended that when he intercepted John Crow's pass aimed at Jackie Smith. The Cardinals forced the Pack's first punt of the day but the Cards couldn't move either. They were luckier when Pitts fumbled the runback and Ken Gray recovered on the Packer 45. The Cards drove in and, from the 25, Johnson hurled to Sonny Randle who caught the ball on the nine and fumbled into the end zone. Whittenton touched it before it went out of bounds and it was an automatic touchback. After two downs from the 20, Starr took off on his ill-fated run. The penalty put the ball on the Card 46, and Roach got 13 yards out of Pitts and Taylor to the 33. But Fischer intercepted John's throw toward McGee and returned 41 yards to the Packer 27. On the first play Johnson pitched a TD pass to Bobby Conrad, who went in with Herb Adderley wrapping Conrad around the goal posts - too late. Bakken's kick made it 23-7 at 14:20.
GREEN BAY - 16 10 3 7 - 30
ST. LOUIS - 0 0 7 0 - 7
GREEN BAY ST. LOUIS
First Downs 21 12
Rushing-Yards-TD 56-225-3 12-40-0
Att-Comp-Yd-TD-Int 18-7-107-0-2 40-16-233-1-4
Sack Yards Lost 8 25
Net Passing Yards 99 208
Total Yards 324 248
Fumbles-lost 2-1 2-1
Turnovers 3 5
Yards penalized 4-52 5-52
SCORING
1st - GB - Tom Moore, 1-yard run (Jerry Kramer kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - GB - J. Kramer, 39-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-0
2nd - GB - Jim Taylor, 1-yard run (J. Kramer kick) GREEN BAY 17-0
2nd - GB - J. Kramer, 26-yard field goal GREEN BAY 20-0
3rd - GB - J. Kramer, 34-yard field goal GREEN BAY 23-0
3rd - ST - Bobby Joe Conrad, 27-yd pass from Charley Johnson (J. Bakken kick) GREEN BAY 23-7
4th - GB - Taylor, 1-yard run (J. Kramer kick) GREEN BAY 30-7
RUSHING
GREEN BAY - Elijah Pitts 15-77, Jim Taylor 27-63 2 TD, Tom Moore 10-60 1 TD, Bart Starr 1-15, Earl Gros 2-6, Frank Mesterik 1-4
ST. LOUIS - Bill Triplett 5-20, Joe Childress 6-15, John David Crow 1-5
PASSING
GREEN BAY - Bart Starr 14-7-107, John Roach 4-0-0 2 INT
ST. LOUIS - Charley Johnson 38-15-216 1 TD 4 INT, John David Crow 2-1-17
RECEIVING
GREEN BAY - Ron Kramer 3-68, Boyd Dowler 2-50, Jim Taylor 1-(-2), Tom Moore 1-(-9)
ST. LOUIS - Bobby Joe Conrad 8-112 1 TD, Sonny Randle 3-50, Bill Triplett 2-38, Joe Childress 2-13, Jackie Smith 1-20
Bart Starr calls out a play during a road game against the St. Louis Cardinals (Photo by Robert Riger/Getty Images)
BITTER CARDS RAP OFFICIATING; VINCE LAUDS PACKER DEFENSE
OCT 21 (St. Louis-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Cardinals complained about the officiating and the Packers, nursing a couple of wounded players, went on a joy ride to Green Bay early Sunday night. This was the aftermath to a bitterly-contested Packer-Cardinal game in Busch Stadium Sunday afternoon. Bart Starr suffered a painful hand injury and underwent x-rays in Green Bay Sunday night, while Tom Moore injured his ribs. Coach Wally Lemm, the Big Red mentor, told newsmen after the game that "the Packers used an illegal pick to break Ron Kramer free on the 37-yard pass play that led to the second touchdown. They're allowed to cross and pick off a defender as long as they don't touch him, as they do in basketball, but they were bouncing our defenders out of there. It happened at least one other time on a crucial play." The officiating was heavily criticized in St. Louis and Lemm said, "I can't say anything, or I'll get into trouble and if I would say, I'd really blow my stack." Lombardi had little criticism to make. "This is the first time I've ever seen my players really tired, and it wasn't the heat. This was a really tough ball game. We played a darn good defensive game to shut them out, but I think what helped the most was the number of passes they dropped, especially the ones that could have been touchdowns." The Cardinals tried 40 passes and completed 16. "We actually gave them only 1:47 minutes with the ball in the first half," the Packer coach added. Lombardi admitted the Packers weren't quite so good in the second half. "It seems we're either a first or second half championship club."...STARR GETS APOLOGY: Starr hurt his hand on a carry in the third period when he was knocked out of bound by Jimmy Hill after a 15-yard gain. In the scuffle, Hill got kicked in the mouth and took a swing at Starr. The officials ejected Jill and assessed a 15-yard penalty. Starr had to leave the game. "He kicked me in the mouth, and I swung at him. I know he didn't mean it and I know I shouldn't have hit him," Hill said afterward. "I apologized to him after the game, and we shook hands, but it still makes me feel badly. It was a
reflex action, I guess." Starr refused to discuss the incident, saying "I just asked Jimmy how he'd been." Concerning the hand, Starr replied that it hurt at first but by the time he had showered, the pain had eased quite a bit and he thought it would be okay. "I don't know how it happened. I don't remember what happened out there." Jim Taylor heard loud boos several times in the game. He took a swing at a Cardinal early, but escaped with only a reprimand and no penalty, leaving the Packers in position for a field goal. On Green Bay's final TD, Taylor again was warned and the Big Red stormed at the officials, charging Taylor had crawled two yards to the one and should not be allowed the distance. Taylor really drew the boos after he went over from the one for the score and trotted off the field. Asked about it, Taylor answered, "I don't think the game was any rougher than usual. I guess I got banged up several times and there were times in the heat of the game that maybe we tangled a bit, but nothing out of the ordinary." While the Big Red complained about the officiating which also called a pass interference foul against Hill on the ten to set up the first touchdown - a call that made Hill angry - and a personal foul for mask-grabbing in the final period to set up another touchdown, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle had nothing but cheery words. "The complaints about the officiating have dropped off sharply this season," he said. "Having Joe Kuharich in our office has helped a lot. Being a coach, he's a good go-between and gets things ironed out."
'WE HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE IN ROACH,' LOMBARDI
OCT 22 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packer family looked to John Roach today and the head of the house, Vince Lombardi, sounded the keynote: "We have every bit of confidence in the world in John. He's not a rookie by any stretch of the imagination." Roach, the 30-year-old Texan, replaces Bart Starr as the team's No. 1 quarterback, starting with a real crucial - the Colts in Baltimore Sunday. Starr suffered a hairline fracture of his right hand in the Packers' 30-7 victory over the Cardinals in St. Louis Sunday. There is no official estimate on how long Starr will be out of action. Dr. Jim Nellen, Packer team physician, outfitted Starr in a splint instead of a cast - indicating that the period of inactivity could be shorter than at first feared. Best guess at the moment might be from two to six weeks. As to relief for Roach, in case of injury, Lombardi said that "we have plenty of quarterbacks right with us and we'll be all right." The Packers have half a dozen players who were regular or part-time quarterbacks in school. Heading this group is Lew Carpenter, who was a sort of unofficial third Packer QB. Lew plays the role of Charley Johnson, Johnny Unitas and the others when the Packers practice their defense. Also on hand is Terry Zang, a first-year QB out of Drake, who is on the club's taxi squad. Zang sees plenty of QB'ing every day and is ready to step in. Roach said today, "I hope I can do the kind of job expected of me. This is an awfully big challenge for me." The former Cardinals defensive back and quarterback is a great admirer of Starr. "I sure hated to see him get hurt," Roach said, pointing out, "Bart brought this team in for the world championship in my two years here." Roach said he won't work any differently although "I might spend a little extra time off the field with Bart." John each week prepares himself as if he was going to handle the quarterbacking. "Isn't it ironic," Roach noted, "three of us ex-Cardinal quarterbacks find ourselves in starting roles all about the same time." John also was referring to Lamar McHan (also an ex-Packer), who took over the 49ers, King Hill, who became No. 1 when Philadelphia's Sonny Jurgensen injured his shoulder, and himself. Starr said he never knew he hurt his hand until he reached the bench. The injury occurred when he ran 15 yards in the third quarter. He was jolted with a mean forearm by Jimmy Hill while going out of bounds and then punched in the face by Hill while they sprawled on the ground. "When I got to the sidelines, they took my helmet off and set me down on the bench. I reached down to pick up my helmet and couldn't even lift it." Starr recalled. The loss of Starr ranks as one of the toughest blows the Packers suffered since Lombardi turned the Bays into the winner in '59. Paul Hornung was kayoed for most of the season with an injury in the fifth game last year. Jerry Kramer was likewise the previous year, the same season the Army snapped up Hornung, Ray Nitschke and Boyd Dowler. There have been many other blows. The Bays kept winning by tightening the belt, closing ranks and fighting harder. There has never been any crying over adversity. A closer inspection of injuries suffered in St. Louis was made today. "We got pretty well banged up," Lombardi said. Tom Moore suffered a back injury but is expected to be okay come Baltimore. As to the Cardinal game Lombardi said, "We had our blocking day in a couple of years." The Packers were to hear a scouting report from Wally Cruice today after a light workout. Heavy work for the final game in the first half of the season will begin Wednesday...Hill drew an automatic minimum fine of $50 when he was ejected by officials for hitting Starr. An NFL spokesman said: "Hill took one swing at Starr. It was not a fight. Starr's injury occurred prior to Hill's swinging, and the incident which caused Hill's ejection was not related to the injury."
ROUGH GAME SPAHNIE? PITTS 'HURT' IN CAB
OCT 22 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Warren Spahn put his hand over his heart while munching a sandwich in the pressbox after the Packer-Cardinal game Sunday and announced: "I am most happy that I am a ball player." The Braves' pitching immortal (in St. Louis for the Stan Musial fete) said, "This is why," pointing out to the gridiron where the Packers and Cardinals had snarled it out. "I've never seen anything so rough. It made me shake," Spahnie laughed. A half hour later, Elijah Pitts got out of a cab in front of the St. Louis airport and grabbed his leg. "I just pulled a muscle - just now, getting out of this cab," the Packer halfback grinned. The cab driver, probably an ex-athlete himself, grabbed Pitts' leg and gave it a good rubbing. Elijah was informed that he led Packer rushers to which he noted: "You're kidding." Pitts shook off the injury and went on his merry way - to Little Rock and a brief visit with his family. But enough of the off-beat stuff and on with the notes from the play book: GREAT PASS - Bart Starr's first pass of the game was a perfecto. The throw, coming on the first play of the game, was dropped smack into the swiftly moving arms of Boyd Dowler around the Card 35. He advanced to the 22 before Pat Fischer caught him. The Bays opened with the same play in the 1962 Cardinal game in Milwaukee, but this time interference was called on Fischer. THINKING PASS - Starr caught the Cardinals with pass on their mind with a third down and seven situation on the Packer 35 in the first quarter. Jim Taylor was handed the ball and he responded with a nine-yard gain - enough for a first down. CARPENTER - Lew Carpenter went in for Max McGee for a couple of plays after Max made a long run on a pass in the first quarter. GROS ONE PLAY - Tom Moore was hurt on a third and two play in the third quarter. On the fourth and one play that followed on the Card 10, Earl Gros paired up with Taylor. Incidentally, Jim made the first down all by himself. He was trapped behind the line but bolted forward to make it. This is why he's the best third down fullback in the NFL. PITTS IN - Elijah Pitts entered on the next play and went the route - until near the end of the game. Pitts carried the first two plays, gaining 13 yards to the Card 4. Then, Taylor made the TD in four cracks at the brawling Cards. HALTIME COMMENT - With the score 20-0 at the intermission, an AP photographer, a St. Louis fan, of course, warned that "we're a last quarter team." TAXI SQUAD? - The two teams were on the field waiting for the second half kickoff when seven or eight gents in white shirts walked across the field toward the Cardinal bench. Somebody said it was the Cards' taxi squad. SHOFNER DUEL - Jess Whittenton and Sonny Randle had themselves quite an individual duel ala the Jess-Del Shofner thing. Early in the third quarter, Whittenton hit Randle so hard a sure catch popped right out of his arms for an incompletion. DEFENSE - The Pack's defense, faced with a revived Card team and "unable" to play much in the first half because the offense had the ball most of the time, twice threw Card QB Charley Johnson for losses in the third quarter. Henry Jordan forced Johnson to fumble and take a nine-yard loss on one series and on the next Ray Nitschke just red-dogged in and collared Johnson for an 11-yard loss. UNISON - The officials really saw eye to eye when Jimmy Hill punched Bart Starr in the third quarter. They reached for their hankies at the same time and the two hankies came down together. Incidentally, Hill was thrown out of a game last year for deliberately leveling a player with a fist. Perhaps the fine for such action should be stronger - like a game's suspension, for instance. BIG QUARTER - The Pack's defense was up to the task in the Card's traditional big fourth quarter. In the first six minutes, the Bays intercepted two passes (Bill Forester and Dave Hanner) and the Pack offense ate up most of the remaining time with TD drive engineered by John Roach.
'NO TRUTH' IN LEMM DIRTY PLAYER CHARGE VS. TAYLOR: LOMBARDI
OCT 23 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - When Wally Lemm moved from the AFL Houston Oilers to the NFL St. Louis Cardinals two years ago, he announced to the world that his Houston team could beat the champions of the NFL. This was most embarrassing to his newest loyalties - the National League and the Cardinals, and certainly shocked Commissioner Pete Rozelle and the rest of the league. Since then, Lemm, a former coach at Carroll and Lake Forest, has confined his remarks to Cardinal opponents and nothing really hit the Packer home base until the last couple of days. Then, boom, Lemm took off: Sunday night, after his team was licked 30-7 by the Packers in St. Louis, Lemm implied that the officials did a poor job (Rozelle was there) and that the Packers used an illegal pick play. Tuesday in St. Louis, Lemm accused the Pack's Jimmy Taylor of being a dirty football player. This was the last straw and Coach Vince Lombardi minced no words today when asked for comment. "He's an unstable man who is running off at the mouth," Vince exclaimed, adding: "This is the first time in the history of the NFL that any coach has accused of a player being dirty." Lemm criticized Taylor for unnecessary kicking and crawling after a tackle. "Taylor is always complaining to the officials because three or four men fall on him and hold him after he is brought down, but you have to pin him down and hold him there because he kicks and picks up extra yardage by crawling." Vince, reacting to the remark on crawling, said, "It is untrue. I suppose Jim crawled for over 1,000 yards last year. There's about as much truth in that as there is in the pick. How come he didn't say anything about that today? He probably saw the pictures and couldn't find any picking. We found nothing of the sort." Lemm had claimed that the Packer receivers were illegally brushing (picking) defensive backs in going down for passes Sunday. The Packers only threw 15 passes at the Cardinals, which doesn't leave much room for picking. Actually, the Cardinal game was a forgotten issue in the Packer camp today as preparation for the Colt game in Baltimore Sunday were continued. With Bart Starr sporting a splint to protect a broken bone in the top of his pitching hand, the Packer offense was under the direction of Bart's top aide, John Roach. And that brings up a thought from the past exhibition season. It was generally agreed during the warmups that Roach was on his way to his best season as a Packer. This would sound terribly corny if Starr hadn't banged up his hand in St. Louis. Since John rarely plays. But the fact that he played a lot during the recent exhibition season loomed today as a blessing in disguise. When the Bays entered the non-league period, Lombardi noted that "we'll be playing everybody." He wanted to bring the team along slowly for an expected extra-heavy pressure league season. One of the "everybody" was quarterback aide Roach, who appeared in four of the six games in relief of Bart. John compiled a completion percentage of 63.6 on 14 completions in 22 attempts for 229 yards and one touchdown and one interception. This was heavy duty for Roach. In 1961-62 and thus far in 1963, Roach only passed only 22 times in 18 league games out of a possible 34 (14 games each in 1961-62 and six in '63). He completed five for 66 yards and two interceptions - both in the Cardinal game in St. Louis last Sunday. Roach's record was 4-0 in '61, 12-3 for 33 yards in '62 and 6-2 for 33 yards thus far this year. By comparison, Roach threw 188 passes in his last year at St. Louis and completed 87 for 1,423 yards and 17 touchdowns. His TD figure was tops in the league. Starr had his first experience as an "inactive" during Tuesday's informal practice. He did quite a little running around and then did some "coaching" of Jess Whittenton who was holding the ball for field goals by Jerry Kramer, Jerry Norton and Gary Kroner. Starr has been holding the ball for Packer field goals since Tobin Rote departed in '56. Jess never stayed around much to hold the ball and quipped to Bart yesterday: "I know you want me to practice more, but this is ridiculous."
OFFENSE KEY TO COLTS' TITLE CHANCES
OCT 23 (Baltimore) - "Sure we have a chance" to win the Western Division of the NFL, says coach Don Shula of the Baltimore Colts. "If..." "It's all predicated on getting our offense going." Lack of a scoring punch has been the big mystery of the Colts. They look great at times with quarterback John Unitas directing the attack but can't seem to score touchdowns. Still, they're 3-3 and the way Shula has it figured "an awful lot depends on these next two games." The Colts take on the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, each 5-1, in succession. "I wasn't embarrassed coming out of Green Bay three weeks ago, and I wasn't embarrassed at Chicago the week after that." Shula recalls. The Colts lost 31-20 at Green Bay and, at Chicago, they led for more than three quarters before losing 10-3. Looking back to last Sunday, however, Shula is not optimistic about turning the tables on Green Bay and Chicago without more scoring - by the offense. In beating Detroit 25-21, the offense scored only one touchdown and that was after the defense recovered the fumble on the Lion 27. Jim Martin was called upon to kick four field goals, proof, says Shula matter of factly, that the offense was poor. "You got the field goal only when your offense can't make the first down," Shula said. The Colt offense has scored only nine touchdowns in six games and the defense three. Shula is not letting
the Colts pin their hopes Sunday on beating the Packers because quarterback Bart Starr will be inactive with a fractured hand. "We are going to prepare for Green Bay as if Starr were there," Shula said. "They've still got that great ground game and will be tough."
QB-ING NOW SERIOUS FOR CARPENTER
OCT 24 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Lew Carpenter showed up at quarterback at Wednesday's Packer practice. But he forgot himself. While alternating with John Roach and Terry Zang at the signal calling spot, Carpenter slipped out a couple of times and ran a few plays for Max McGee at left end. This is above and beyond the call of duty but not for Carpenter. The Turkey just loves football. Carpenter, unless Zang is placed on the active list, ranks as the club's No. 2 signalist behind Roach who stepped into the top spot when Bart Starr fractured his hand in the Cardinal game. Carpenter, an excellent all-around athlete, has no quarterback history. He was a halfback or fullback in college and did the same as a pro. When he came to the Packers in 1959 as a spare in the Quinlan-Howton trade with the Browns, Carpenter took to playing the role of the enemy quarterback in defensive practices. This afforded a relief for the regular quarterback and besides Lew always was a good passer. "I just enjoyed doing it, but it's a little more serious business now," Lew said, adding: "Selection of the right plays for the other team's defenses is the biggest problem at quarterback for me. Passing is not difficult." Carpenter actually never had any quarterback experience under live scrimmage conditions. "That's a lot different because you've got to work in that pocket. You don't get that in practice," Lew said. The Packers were noisy in practice Wednesday and most of it was backing Roach who opens with a real toughie - the Colts in Baltimore. This was the Pack's wonderful spirit at work and it's the team's way of saying that it has all the confidence in the world in the lanky Texan. And, as Coach Vince Lombardi pointed out earlier, "John is no rookie by any stretch of the imagination." Starr works closely with the quarterbacks during practice. Actually, he does everything but pass in drills, going through the calisthenics and the constant running. Ron Kramer has already dubbed Starr "our quarterback consultant." And speaking of hot lines, Dan Currie noted Wednesday "we can't have Louie at quarterback. That ruins our bench strength." Zang is the first QB held on the cab squad since Roach started backing up Starr during the training season of 1961. Terry saw some action in the Packers' victory over the Cowboys at Dallas and almost had a touchdown pass. Bob Jeter dropped Zang's pass as he was about to cross the goal line. Official team statistics came out of the NFL office today and the defense figures showed the Bays leading in five departments - Opponents First Downs 77, First Downs rushing 30, yards gained rushing 494, rushes 159, and average yards per rush 3.1. The Bays lead in no offensive departments except the fewest penalties, 20, but they've climbed in various yards-moved-the-ball figures. The Packers now have gained a total 1,998 yards, which ranks third behind the Browns 2,476 and the Cards' 2,340. Green Bay also is No. 2 in rushing with 1,041 yards - second only to the Browns' 1,260.
EAGLES SIGN GUGLIELMI TO BACK UP HILL
OCT 24 (Philadelphia) - The Philadelphia Eagles signed Ralph Guglielmi, bolstering their quarterback corps for Sunday's NFL game with the Chicago Bears in Chicago. Guglielmi, a much-traveled seven year pro veteran, will back up King Hill, who is substituting for the injured Sonny Jurgensen. The Eagles are expected to cut one of their defensive linemen to make room for Guglielmi. Jurgensen is sidelined for at least two weeks with a chip fracture of his right shoulder and jammed shoulder muscles. Washington's No. 1 draft pick in 1955, Guglielmi was with the Redskins four years before being sent to St. Louis and then to the New York Giants. The Giants recently traded him to San Francisco, but Guglielmi refused to go to the West Coast because of his insurance business in Washington. Presumably the Eagles had to pay well for the veteran's services as well as guaranteeing him a job for the rest of the season. Also, by signing with the Eagles, Guglielmi made himself eligible to participate in the player pension fund. He needed only one game for pension qualification when the Giants placed him on their reserve list after his
refusal to go to San Francisco. The Eagles paid New York the waiver price for the passer. The Green Bay Packers also reportedly were interested in Guglielmi, but the Eagles had first chance at him because of their lower position in the standings. The Packers have lost Bart Starr for about six weeks due to an injury.
'HOT' KICKERS CLASH IN PACKER-COLT BATTLE; BLOOD GIVES LIFT
OCT 25 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packer-Colt game in Baltimore Sunday will feature a couple of "hot" field goal kickers. Jerry Kramer, the Pack's guard-kicker, has made six of his last seven attempts and 39-year-old Jim Marton, the Colts' specialist, hit on nine of his last 10. Kramer had a terrible time kicking in the Pack's 42-10 victory over the Rams here Oct. 6, missing three. "Just lack of concentration," he explained. He booted three in the tight win over the Vikings in Minnesota, hitting from the 20, 15 and 31-yard lines. Against the Cardinals in St. Louis last Sunday, J.K. hit from the 39, 26, and 34 before missing from the 31, with a new ball holder, Jess Whittenton. Explaining his "comeback," Jerry said, "I just went back to the fundamentals, keeping my head down and watching the ball closely. It's like golf." On that miss in St. Louis, with Whittenton holding the ball after Bart Starr was injured, Kramer took the blame. "I was worried about Jess, and I guess I hurried the kick too much. He was nervous, but he set it down all right," Jerry said. Martin kicked nine in a row, starting with that 52-yarder in Green Bay, and missed on a 51-yard attempt in the Colts' win at Detroit last Sunday after hitting two from the 45 and one from the 37. Martin now has made 11 out of 15 field goal attempts, Kramer nine of 15. If defenses take charge of Sunday's game, Kramer and Martin may be kicking their heads off...The voice on the other end of the phone sounded liked Johnny Blood. It was. "Just reminded the guys (the Packers) that we lost a quarterback, too, and went out and won the championship. Back in '29. Red Dunn was a good quarterback - like Starr, and he was hurt the week before our deciding game with the Giants in New York. He couldn't play at all but we had a good man to shift in his place. Verne Lewellen. He was our halfback, but he played the whole game at quarterback. This was a big test for us. Were we a one-man team or an 11-man team?" Lewellen, now Packer business manager, recalled that Eddie Kotal, now Ram personnel director, also missed the game with an injury. Blood went to halfback and Hurdis McCrary and Bo Molenda played the other halfback and fullback. Verne allowed that "I won't be able to play quarterback in Baltimore."...After Coach Vince Lombardi answered various charges from Cardinal Coach Wally Lemm this week, George Calhoun, the Pack's first secretary-treasurer, noted that "Vince really lemmblasted that Lemm." And speaking about the Cardinals and Packers, these belligerents will be only 40 miles apart Sunday. The Cards will be at Washington...Quick notes from Viking Coach Norm Van Brocklin: "When you've got a player that never makes a mistake, then you've got a superstar and that's Gregg. He's the best offensive tackle I ever saw." Gregg will have to be at his best Sunday because he'll be playing against Gino Marchetti, who will have eyes only for John Roach. And that reminds us: One of our men on the defense who looked so good vs. the Cardinals last Sunday will have to combat Gregg's partner in greatness on the offensive line, Mr. John Parker...The Packers will play before their third straight record road crowd Sunday. They set marks of 42,567 in Minneapolis and 32,224 in St. Louis. The crowd in Baltimore will be 60,065. The Cardinal crowd broke the old record there by 6,000. The earlier record in Baltimore was 60,029 - at the opener vs. the Giants this season, but the Colt's ticket department discovered a spot for 37 more seats...After the Colt's victory over the Lions last Sunday, observers noted that the Baltimores seemed to grown stronger in the second half. Wally Cruice, the Packers' scout at the game told writers in Detroit" "No, I didn't detect any change, except in desire. The blitz was stronger in the second half, and the Colt pass rush simply destroyed the Lions' offense after halftime. Why on one play, Brasse and Miller hit Morrall at the same time."
COLTS ACTIVATE RAY BERRY; MOORE, ORR, MACKEY READY
OCT 26 (Baltimore-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - And now Raymond Berry. The Colts are loading up for the Packers. They welcomed back Jimmy Orr a week ago. And today, Berry, the Colts' greatest pass receiver, was reactivated after recovering from a dislocated shoulder. To make room for Raymond, the Colts cut the much traveled Nat Craddock. The Colts have five of the finest receivers ready to catch John Unitas passes vs. Green Bay - Lenny Moore, rookie John Mackey, who looked so good in City Stadium, R.C. Owens, Orr and Berry. Moore is scheduled to open at left end - Berry's position. Lenny made his debut at left end vs. the Packers in Green Bay Sept. 29, marking his return from an appendectomy. Orr, who was hurt going after a long pass and colliding with Herb Adderley, will be at flanker; Mackey will be the tight end; and Owens works at flanker. Orr returned for a quarter in the Colts' victory in Detroit last Sunday. He caught one pass and then missed a TD thrown in the end zone when Unitas' throw was over his head. Berry undoubtedly will share left end with Moore unless Lenny comes out as a running halfback - a possibility. While these four receivers are highly skilled, the club's top receiver is a rushing halfback - Tom Matter, who caught 22 for 205 yards. Definitely a passing team, the Colts have six players in double pass-catching figures, the Packers four - Ron Kramer 19, Boyd Dowler 17, Max McGee 14 and Tom Moore 13. The Packers, on the other hand, have the figures to prove they are a rushing team. Their top two rushers, Jim Taylor and Tom Moore, gained 750 yards between them. The Colts' top pair, J.W. Lockett and Matte, totaled 450. The Packers worked out briefly in Memorial Stadium after arriving here this afternoon in their United Airlines charter. They are headquartering at the Bellevue Hotel.
MOORE JOINS STARR ON BENCH AS COLTS TEST ROACH, PACKERS
OCT 27 (Baltimore-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers won many a big game without some key personnel in the last four championship years - Paul Hornung, Boyd Dowler, Ray Nitschke, Dan Currie, Jerry Kramer, Dave Hanner and Max McGee. But can they win the season's top crucial without their chief quarterback, Bart Starr? And Tom Moore? That's the burning question among Packer fans today as the Bays battle the John Unitas-powered Colts in Memorial Stadium before a record crowd of 60,065. Kickoff is at 1:05. John Roach, untested as a Packer starter, will take over for Starr and he'll be a marked man - by friend and foe. He'll be subjected to extreme pressure by Gino Marchetti, Bill Pellington and the rest of the Colt defensers - not to mention the Colts' rabid fans who will aim their verbal rocks at him. Roach, of course, is no rookie. He went through the quarterback mill with the Cardinals and in 1960 led them to a 6-5-1 record. He hurled 17 touchdown passes that year and came to Green Bay in '61. Long John will have the benefit of a charged-up Packer team. The offense will want to give him a bit longer to pass, and the defense will be out to boil Unitas to a low point total, just in case Packer points come hard. Starr has been averaging 30 points per game despite the three-point start vs. the Bears. A low-scoring battle could possibly put the issue in the hands of the club's two field goal kickers - Jerry Kramer of GB and the 39-year-old Colt, Jim Martin, who was obtained from the Lions. Coach Vince Lombardi announced Saturday after a light workout that Moore will be unable to play because of a back injury that has failed to "come around" this week. This leaves the left halfback position up to Earl Gros and Elijah Pitts. Pitts undoubtedly will start in view of his 77-yard performance last Sunday. Thus the Packers will be minus half of the regular starting backfield, leaving only Jim Taylor and Dowler. Taylor, who went in the Cardinal game with a leg hurt, apparently forgot about it. He caried 27 times, scored two touchdowns and ran hard. He should be better here. The Packers' defense has a testy job. The main objective will be to get Unitas. General John figures to throw some 40 passes and if he gets time the Packers may be in for trouble...ACE RECEIVERS BACK: Unitas has three more of his ace receivers back in harness. Joining Lenny Moore and John Mackey are Jimmy Orr, who was hurting in the Pack's 30-14 win in Green Bay earlier; the great Raymond Berry, and R.C. Owens. Moore will be at left end and Orr and Owens will share the right flanker. Berry also will be at his familiar left end spot and if he's gaining Moore will be released for duty elsewhere. The two key defensers - next to the rushers on Unitas - will be Herb Adderley, who will have to chase Orr, and Jess Whittenton, the coverer of Berry and Moore. Orr was hurt colliding with Adderley in the earlier game in Green
Bay. He was in briefly vs. the Lions last Sunday, but he'll start today. The Packers' Saturday workout in Memorial Stadium here was exceptionally spirited, although brief. Moore dressed for the drill but Starr remained in civvies.
PACK DIDN'T AFFECT TRIAL
OCT 27 (Port Washington, WI) - A Green Bay Packers' football game figured in Judge Charles Larson's denial of a new trial Friday for Gerald Pulaski, Milwaukee, who is serving 10 years at Waupun for burglary. Pulaski claimed he was entitled to a new hearing on 12 counts of irregularity at his original trial in 1962. He contended confessions were obtained through force, and he said one of his witnesses was called a liar by a state witness in an argument about a Packer game. The argument, Pulaski said, was in full view of the jury, and while the judge was not on the bench. This discredited his witness in the eyes of the jury, Pulaski said. Judge Larson ruled the argument had no effect on the trial's outcome, and overruled all other points also.
PACKERS CHOICE TODAY; BUT COLTS ARE READY
OCT 27 (Baltimore Sun) - The Green Bay Packers are still 4-point favorites (in some quarters 4 1/2 and 5 point choices) to beat the Colts this afternoon at 2:00 P.M. in the stadium before a sellout crowd of 60,000. Despite the loss of their starting quarterback, Bart Starr, to a broken hand injury, and the return to action of both of the Colts' prime receivers - Raymond Berry and Jimmy Orr - the defending champs of the NFL haven't lost any of their betting support. There apparently are two reasons for this turn of events. The first is that the Packer defense is rugged, having allowed the Colt offense just one touchdown in the first game between the two teams...FAVORITE RECEIVERS READY: The other Colt touchdown in Baltimore's 31 to 20 loss was produced by Bob Boyd, of the defensive unit, on a touchdown run with a fumble recovery. The second reason for the Packers' favoritism is hinged with the first - the Colts' inability to score. There have been some valid excuses offered for this lack of scoring. The best advanced is the loss of key receivers to injuries. For the first time this season, John Unitas, Colt quarterback, will have his favorite receivers available, although Berry is expected to see only limited service, at best. Berry had been recuperating from a dislocated shoulder suffered in the second Colt game of the season. He is ready to play but still hasn't the complete flexibility of his injured shoulder Lenny Moore will start in Berry's left end position and Lenny apparently has regained his receiving touch after being out the first two games with an injury. But the most discouraging aspect of the game for Colt fans is that the Packers seem to believe or have convinced themselves that John Roach, a seldom-used sub for Starr, is capable of guiding Green Bay to victory. Whether the Packers are whistling in the dark to bolster their own confidence remains to be seen. At least they have convinced some supporters. Of course, Coach Vince Lombardi's offense, it is said, is so simple that the quarterback doesn't have to be as sharp as on other clubs. All he has to do is hand off to Jim Taylor or Tom Moore and get out of the way...THEATS FOR PACKERS: Taylor and Moore are the rushing threats for the Packers. For aerial threats, Green Bay has Boyd Dowler, a tall, speedy flanker back; Max McGee, another speedy receiver at end and huge (250 and over) tight end Ron Kramer. Heading the Packer defensive gang are such stalwarts as Herb Adderley, Willie Wood, Jesse Whittenton and Hank Gremminger, who make up probably the best secondary
How Bart Starr got bad break in game vs. Cardinals
(May 27th 2019) - An encounter with St. Louis Cardinals defensive back Jimmy Hill put Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr out of action. Starr led the Packers to five NFL championships and twice won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award. A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Starr played in 10 postseason games and the Packers won nine of those. On Oct. 20, 1963, the Packers played the Cardinals in St. Louis and Starr started at quarterback for the 44th consecutive game. In the third quarter, Starr was flushed out of the pocket by the Cardinals’ pass rush and took off running. After a gain of 15 yards, Starr was headed out of bounds when Hill swung a forearm into him. The force of the blow knocked both Starr and Hill off their feet. As Starr fell, he used his right hand to try to soften the impact with the ground and a bone snapped. He suffered a hairline fracture to his throwing hand. Entangled with Hill on the ground, Starr kicked his leg and struck Hill in the mouth. Hill punched Starr in the face. “I know he didn’t mean it and I know I shouldn’t have hit him,” Hill said to the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Hill was ejected by the officiating crew and Starr, unable to continue, was replaced by a former Cardinal, John Roach. “I apologized to him after the game and we shook hands, but it still makes me feel badly,” Hill said. “It was a refex action, I guess.” Said a dazed Starr: “I don’t remember what happened out there.” According to the book “Bart Starr: America’s Quarterback,” when Starr leaned down to retrieve his helmet, he couldn’t lift it. “That’s when I realized my hand was hurt,” he said. Using a ground game to gain 225 yards rushing, the Packers (5-1) went on to a 30-7 victory over the Cardinals (4-2). The Packers’ top rushers were Elijah Pitts (77 yards), Jim Taylor (63 yards and two touchdowns) and Tom Moore (60 yards and a touchdown). Starr was sidelined for four games and the Packers were 3-1 in his absence. He returned for the last four games of the season and though the Packers were 3-0-1 in those games, they finished in second place, behind the Chicago Bears, in the West Division. They missed the playoffs despite an 11-2-1 mark. Two decades later, Starr joined a group trying to bring a NFL expansion team, the Phoenix Firebirds, to Arizona, but the effort ended when Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill moved his franchise from St. Louis to Phoenix for the 1988 season. (SOURCE: Retrosimba.com)
Green Bay Packers running back Jim Taylor (31) in action against the St. Louis Cardinals
Green Bay Packers cornerback Herb Adderley (26) closes in on St. Louis Cardinals wide receiver Bobby Joe Contrad (40). (Photo by Fred Roe/Getty Images)
in the league. Up front there is Hank Jordan, an all-pro defensive tackle, and Willie Davis, a better than good defensive end. Against this tough defensive array, Unitas must pit his resources which for the most part depend on his passing and the catching of his receivers. However, the Colts have shown flashes of a running game in compiling a 3-3 record and just could surprise the Packers with a rushing attack. Top ball carriers are J.W. Lockett and Tom Matter, with Jerry Hill as the touchdown-getter from close in. It would appear that the Colts' best offense today would be their defense which might be able to shake the Packers' faith in Roach. A big rush by Gino Marchetti and Ordell Brasse, Colt defensive ends, might cause the bench-rusty Roach to become a little jittery. And a good effort, like last time, by the Colt tackles, Jim Colvin and Fred Miller, and by linebackers Jackie Burnett, Bill Pellington and Don Shinnick should stop Taylor and Moore and hand the Packers their second loss in seven games. The series between the two clubs is now even at eleven games each. The Colts won the first encounter in their brief first stint in the league. That victory, if an omen is needed, was the only of the 1950 season for Baltimore and it came on game No. 7, the same game number as today.