Green Bay Packers (2-1) 14, Detroit Lions (1-1-1) 10
Sunday September 27th 1964 (at Detroit)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(DETROIT) - The Packers won the "big one" under harrowing and heroic circumstances in Tiger Stadium Monday night. The final score was 14 to 10 and paste it in your hat. This might be one of the Bays' major victories in their drive to regain the championship. Green Bay reached the heights offensively in the first half to take a well-earned 14 to 3 halftime edge and then scaled the heights defensively to stave off the roaring Lions and make up for the loss of Bart Starr. The triumph lifted the Packers into a second place tie with the wild Colts in the torrid Western Division race and both are only a half-game behind the leading Rams. Green Bay and Baltimore have 2-1 records, the Rams 2-0-1, while the Lions are saddled with 1-1-1. Green Bay takes on the explosive Vikings next in City Stadium while the Lions host the comebacking Giants and the Colts get the job of handing the Rams their first defeat. The Packers were hurt by the loss of Jerry Kramer and Hank Jordan going into the game and an injury to Starr's shoulder complicated the situation even worse before a howling, record crowd of 59,203. But Dan Grimm and Ron Kostelnik were outstanding in relief of Jordan and Kramer and Zeke Bratkowski came off the bench to engineer five important first downs. In the final seconds, when the Lions sensed victory, the platoons - and Jerry Norton in particular - came through with the saving play. Norton, standing on his own 38-yard line, was rushed furiously by three desperate Lions, but miraculously kicked the ball "through" them.
PICKED TO PIECES
Starr, who left his quarterback post after the first five plays of the second half, was tremendous in his handling of the Lions' powerful defense. He picked it to pieces with deadly passes and quick and long counts, and then in a final surprise scored the winning touchdown on a play he had never called before. The Bays had a third and five situation on the Lions' five-yard line when Starr stepped back, made a quick motion to pass and then skirted his own right tackle to put the Bays ahead by 10 points at the half. Earlier in the second quarter, Starr hurled a 39-yard pass to Paul Hornung on the Lion five and Hornung belted over from the two for a 7-0 edge. The Lions made it 7-3 on the next series on Wayne Walker's 45-yard field goal. Starr moved the ball almost enough for a complete game, rolling up 255 yards and 15 first downs and completing 12 passes in 16 attempts for 160 yards. What's more, Bart was the Bays' leading rusher in the first half, getting 31 of the 95 ground yards. The defense had to hold off the inspired Lions in the second half and the unit did the job, with Hank Gremminger coming up with the big plays. The Lions made two major drives in their comeback bid, and Gremminger ended the first with a vital interception of an Earl Morrall throw on the Packer five, ending a 40-yard move. The Lions scored on an 80-yard, six-play early in the fourth quarter and even that could be argued. Morrall threw a screen pass to the left to Pat Studstill, who was thrown to his knees and one hand by Jess Whittenton, but the Detroiter leaped up and raced 15 yards for the TD. Normally, the ball is dead when a ball carries' knees hit the ground. Gremminger's final play was recovery of a fumble by the same Studstill, who coughed up the ball when hit by Herb Adderley on the 50-yard line with 1:42 left. The entire Packer team had a piece in this one. The defense limited Lion passing to 97 yards and rushing to 99 and held especially tough when the Detroits put on the steam in the second half. The offensive line, Norm Masters, Fuzzy Thurston, Bob Skoronski, Dan Grimm and Forrest Gregg, did a good job of containing the Lions' vaunted defensive line. Grimm kept the ferocious
Alex Karras in check, and Karras broke through once all night. The Packers were hard pressed in the second half, getting but five first downs and 34 total yards. But that's where the defense took over. Lee Roy Caffey started at right linebacker in place of Dave Robinson. He made a number of tackles, including one for a key five-yard loss on a third and one situation, and intercepted a pass that was nullified by a penalty. The Lions tried their scoring muscles first but got nowhere, while the Packers made a definite bid in their first effort. Jim Taylor, who finished with 50 hard yards in 20 attempts, and Hornung ran 13 yards on the first three plays and then Starr started hitting Ron Kramer, who was the Pack's top pass catcher with six for 77 yards. Kramer caught two and Starr ran 12 when he couldn't pass to reach the Detroit 34. The attack stalled on the 25 and Hornung's first of two field goal tries from the 32 was wide to the left. A key punt by Norton downed by Bob Jeter on the 13, plus a loss of three yards by Bob Watkins on Kostelnik's tackle forced Yale Lary to punt from his own end zone. Elijah Pitts made an eight-yard return to the Detroit 47 and the Packers scored. Actually, the Packers had to move 62 yards because of a 15-yard illegal use of the hands penalty. Starr led off with a 14-yard run to the Detroit 33 on the first play of the second quarter. After the penalty, Starr evaded a group of Lions and wheeled the ball at least 50 yards in the air to Hornung who had worked behind Thompson and Lary on the five-yard line. Taylor crashed to the two and Hornung hit the left side for the TD. Hornung converted and it was 7-0 with 2:15 gone in the period. After Walker's field goal, forced on a key tackle by Dave Hanner and Dan Currie, the Packers made another bid. Taylor ran 16 yards in three trips and Starr threw 15 yards to Max McGee. Starr pitched a 20-yarder up the middle to Kramer on the 36, but three plays later Thompson intercepted a pass aimed at Dowler, who complained that he was held on the play. The Bay defense held despite an offside penalty and thanks to Caffey's key tackle of Nick Pietrosante, setting the stage for the Bays' 52-yard TD drive. Starr led off with a 13-yard toss to Dowler and then the Bay QB came up with a Unitas specialty. With 300-pound Brown on his back, Starr underhanded the ball about seven yards to Hornung, who turned the near disaster into a 14-yard gain to the Lion 31. Tom Moore, on a draw, hit up the middle for 12 yards and three plays later Kramer caught a key 11-yard Starr pass to the five. With 1:21 left in the half, Hornung tried the option but threw the ball away when McGee was covered. Hornung was stopped at left end and then Starr pulled his quarterback draw for the TD. Hornung converted with 27 seconds left in the half. With 11 seconds left, Walker was short on a 52-yard field goal try. The Lions' first bid in the second half featured the running of Hugh McElhenny, Danny Lewis and Nick Pietrosante for two first downs to the Packer 41. Morrall then aroused the crowd with an 18-yard toss to Gail Cogdill but five plays later Gremminger stole Morrall's throw aimed at Studstill on the five and returned 13 yards. Norton and Lary went into a punting duel as the defense took over until early in the fourth quarter when Bratkowski got off a 19-yard pass to Kramer on the Detroit 43. Three plays netted three yards and Hornung's 46-yard field goal try was wide to the right. Whittenton was going in to hold the ball on the kick but Starr waved him off. Morrall completed four passes to Gibbons, Barr, Cogdill and finally Studstill for the TD, with Lewis running twice for 24 yards along the way. Walker converted with 3:59 left in the game. The problem now was to hold the ball and Taylor narrowly missed a first down on a third and one situation. Norton punted with 2:00 left and the Lions launched their last bid from their own 32. Caffey made a good play to stop Pietrosante cold after taking a pass from Morrall. Then Gremminger made his big interception. With 59 seconds left the Bays ran the clock down to 20 seconds, as the Lions stopped it with timeouts, setting the stage for Norton's big punt.
DETROIT - 0 14 0 0 - 14
GREEN BAY - 0 3 0 7 - 10
GREEN BAY DETROIT
First Downs 20 16
Rushing-Yards-TD 38-115-2 25-99-0
Att-Comp-Yd-TD-Int 22-14-190-0-1 22-16-110-1-1
Sack Yards Lost 2-16 2-13
Net Passing Yards 174 97
Total Yards 289 196
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1
Turnovers 1 2
Yards penalized 7-60 2-27
SCORING
2nd - GB - Paul Hornung, 2-yard run (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - DET - Wayne Walker, 45-yard field goal GREEN BAY 7-3
2nd - GB - Bart Starr, 5-yard run (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 14-3
4th - DET - Pat Studstill, 15-yard pass from Earl Morrall (Walker kick) GREEN BAY 14-10
RUSHING
GREEN BAY - Jim Taylor 20-50, Bart Starr 3-31 1 TD, Paul Hornung 11-17 1 TD, Tom Moore 2-17
DETROIT - Dan Lewis 8-60, Nick Pietrosante 8-24, Tom Watkins 6-7, Hugh McElhenny 2-5, Earl Morrall 1-3
PASSING
GREEN BAY - Bart Starr 16-12-160 1 INT, Zeke Bratkowski 5-2-30, Paul Hornung 1-0-0
DETROIT - Earl Morrall 12-11-77 1 TD 1 INT, Milt Plum 10-5-33
RECEIVING
GREEN BAY - Ron Kramer 6-77, Paul Hornung 3-57, Boyd Dowler 2-32, Jim Taylor 2-8, Max McGee 1-16
DETROIT - Jim Gibbons 5-45, Pat Studstill 2-27 1 TD, Gail Cogdill 2-23, Nick Pietrosante 2-6, Dan Lewis 2-4, Terry Barr 2-(-2), Tom Watkins 1-7
Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr (15) sets to throw behind Jerry Kramer (64) and Jim Taylor (31) as Detroit Lions linebacker Joe Schmidt (56) applies pressure at Tiger Stadium.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr (15) is tackled by Detroit Lions linebacker Joe Schmidt (56) at Tiger Stadium.
LOSS OF STARR HURT: VINCE; 'GOT CONSERVATIVE'
SEPT 29 (Detroit-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - "Whew, it was tough without Starr, Hank Jordan and Jerry Kramer." Vince Lombardi smiled broadly and his eyes glistened happily. Kramer watched the game from his hospital bed in Green Bay, and Jordan watched from the bench, but Starr played until after the first series in the third quarter. He completed 12 of 16 passes until Lombardi was forced to lift him in favor of Zeke Bratkowski. Starr's 40-yard pass to Hornung set up the first touchdown in the second period. He scored the second himself 27 seconds before halftime. Starr stepped back, as if to pass, and then barreled over the right side into the end zone five yards away. "That was a designed play," explained Lombardi. "It's a quarterback draw. We stole it from somebody. Detroit got it from somebody and then the Bears had it. We got it from the Bears maybe." "The quarterback draw shouldn't work from from there at the five," said George Wilson, the Lions' coach. "It's too close in. But it did." Starr already had been injured by the time he scored. "He hurt his shoulder sometime in the first half," said Lombardi. "He had a separation there, hurt it in Dallas in a preseason game, and aggravated it." "We got a little conservative in the second half because of the quarterback." The play on which Starr actually was hurt is a mystery. He didn't want to shed any light on it. "Yes, it was in the first half before the touchdown," Starr said. "But I'd rather not discuss it." Starr's quick thinking was instrumental in the drive to his decisive touchdown. Roger Brown broke through the Packer's offensive line for one of the few times all night and started smothering Starr. Bart shoveled a basketball pass to Hornung, and they turned it into a 14-yard gain. "That was improvised," said Starr. "You don't design those kind." Early in the game, Tom Moore occasionally spelled Jim Taylor in the backfield. "Taylor's hurt, too," said Lombardi. "He has as a bruised neck muscle on his left side." When Taylor dressed, the pain was clearly visible in his facial expression, especially when he had to lift his arm. The reinstated Hornung pulled a groin muscle, but "I'd felt better physically this year than ever, or at least I did until I pulled my groin muscle." With Kramer out at right guard, Dan Grimm was thrown against Karras. Karras, back after his year's suspension, was trapped frequently and didn't get in on a solo tackle until the third period. Praise came from all sides for Grimm. "Grimm played a fine game, and so did Lee Roy Caffey at linebacker," volunteered Starr. "He did a good job," said Karras. "Just a good job, nothing unusual. I see it every Sunday." "And Hornung," added Karras. "He looked as good as ever with the same speed and power." "The key play?" repeated Lombardi with a laugh. "I guess it was that fumble." With Starr out and Taylor and Hornung hurting, much depended on the Packers' defense to hold off the Lions' late surge. "We were superb defensively," said Lombardi, who suddenly caught himself. "No, say we did a real good job defensively. I don't like superlatives." Moments later, he said the defense that held the Lions to only a total of 196 yards rushing and passing is: "Maybe the finest defensive team in the league. It had a good rush on the passer." The pressure-causing rush by the linemen and the blitzing of the linebackers prevented Detroit from getting off any long passes. The Lions
netted only 97 yards despite the 16 completions. Detroit's Terry Barr and Gail Cogdill ranked among the top eight passers in the league, yet Cogdill didn't catch his first pass until midway through the third quarter. It was the fourth quarter before Barr caught his first pass, and Jess Whittenton dumped him for an 11-yard loss on that one. "We haven't changed our pass defense," said Lombardi in response to a query about special coverage against Barr and Cogdill. "It was the same as we always used." A lot of Starr's and Bratkowski's passing was short, too, with Ron Kramer, Green Bay's tight end, turning in his best game in his hometown. "This may have been my best game of all time," said Kramer, who caught six passes for 77 yards. "My blocking wasn't so good, but my receiving excelled." Better than the 1961 championship game when you caught two touchdown passes in Green Bay? "I caught five that day, and in this game with Detroit I caught six." Lombardi repeated that he didn't like the conservative style of play forced upon the Packers in the second half. "We should have scored more," Lombardi said. "Sure, we missed a scoring chance when Ron Kramer missed a pass on their five. And Paul Hornung missed two field goals in the first half. But we still should have gone out and tried to add to our total." Wilson, who saw his team stage an 80-yard drive for its only touchdown with less than four minutes remaining, said: "You can't play it cozy in this game. You've got to keep pounding away at the other team like Baltimore did in beating Chicago (52-0) Sunday. You can't change your offensive plan because you think you've got a safe lead." "You can lose that way," commented Wilson, obviously thinking it almost happened to the Packers.
VICTORY SHOT IN ARM FOR INJURED PACKERS
SEPT 30 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - It hurts to get a shot in the arm (ask any 7-year-old). But it does a lot of good. There were a few hurts suffered by the Packers in Detroit Monday night, but the 14-10 victory was like a hypo. They had successfully accomplished one of Green Bay's three most important road jobs, winning in Detroit, Chicago and Baltimore. This was the Pack's first win in Motor City since 1961. And today the Packers eagerly looked forward to their next assignment - the Vikings in City Stadium Sunday. The Bays got together for a 3 o'clock meeting Tuesday afternoon and the "reaction" to the various injuries couldn't be determined. That will come today when the Bays take to the field for the first time in the "short" week and start moving the muscles around. Coach Vince Lombardi allowed this morning that "we're pretty well banged up," but added that "we'll have to wait and see." The key figure, of course, is Bart Starr, whose quarterbacking bewildered the Lions in the first half when the Packers took a 14-3 lead. Starr suffered an injury to his left shoulder, which he had injured in Dallas during the exhibition season. Starr, who has a wonderful habit of throwing off injuries, undoubtedly will be on the firing line against the Vikings. Lombardi noted that "Jordan will play" but quickly added "we have a few other question marks." Hank Jordan stayed out of the Detroit game due to a groin injury - one of two regular starters absent. The other is Jerry Kramer, the all-pro guard who is recovering from surgery. Paul Hornung injured his groin Sunday, but he'll be set for the Vikings. In fact, Vince laughed, "Hornung's never hurt. He's okay." Lombardi had words of praise for Dan Grimm and Ron Kostelnik, who started and finished for the aforementioned Kramer and Jordon, pointing out that "they both did a fine job." After viewing the pictures, the coach noted that "Thurston did an outstanding job" and added praise for Bob Skoronski, Lee Roy Caffey and Dan Currie. Fuzzy Thurston had the "heaviest" job in Tiger Stadium. He had to block on 300-pound Roger Brown for 49 plays and the big fellow was kept at bay. Asked how he looked in the movies, Lombardi said, "We looked good," but then added with a chuckle, "you always look good when you win."...DETROIT LEFTOVERS: Viking Coach Norm Van Brocklin and his entire coaching staff, including ex-Packer Lew Carpenter, scouted the game. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and his supervisor of officials, Mark Duncan, flew in from New York. And if you doubt how fast the world is traveling, they left NY at 5:30 and arrived at 6 - in plenty of time for the 8 o'clock kickoff. The difference was in the one-hour time change. Asked if he though there was more piling-on this season, Duncan admitted that there was and attributed it to "all those close games we've been having. It's so close that many times the last team with the ball wins."...The Lions booed Nick Pietrosante and Milt Plum something fierce when they were introduced before the game. This will never cease to amaze this writer, although there's another amazee right here in Green Bay. When stars of the visiting teams are introduced, they are given a pretty good hand clap. The Packers are generally booed on the road - especially in those cities mentioned in Paragraph 3, although Baltimore is the worst...Willie Wood is now Hornung's assistant in the department of field goal kicking, what with the absence of J. Kramer...Em Tunnell, the likeable scout of the Giants who played three years in Green Bay, has a new note of departure: "Take care, don't despair."
PERSONALITY PARADE
SEPT 30 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Francis Tarkenton, a true southern gentleman from "Joe-juh," is a nice young man who neither smokes not drinks and avoids profanity like the plague. To those who toil on defense for 13 NFL teams, however, he is a highly sinister citizen. Obviously this special group has to include the Packers, who warily welcome the nomadic field general and his swashbuckling Minnesota Vikings to City Stadium Sunday for what promises to be a hectic afternoon. Since Francis has a somewhat unorthodox approach to his position (although not anti-social, he perversely persists in avoiding his pass protectors), it follows that he should pose equally unusual problems for the enemy. Readily conceding the point, Packer defensive backfield coach Norb Hecker says, "He's the best running quarterback in the league and had a terrifically strong arm to go with it. He can throw that thing 50 yards on the dead run. And once he starts running around back there, your defensive backs can't do anything but wait," Hecker, one of the most respected defensive minds in the NFL, added, "There's nothing we can do until he crosses that line of scrimmage." This brought him to another sobering though. "Tarkenton's probably the toughest quarterback in the league to defense, and with the improved ball club the Vikings have this year, he'll be twice as tough - particularly with those improved receivers." Regarding these last, he said, "Paul Flatley looks better than he did last year (when he was the NFL's rookie of the year) and Bedsole (rookie Hal from Southern Cal) has been amazing. When we looked at the film of the Vikings' game with the Bears, we saw him make some fantastic catches - up in the air, on his back, in the corner of the end zone...You couldn't believe it. And, of course, Jerry Reichow's one of the best tight ends in the league - plus the fact that Tarkenton will be throwing that ball to Mason (option back Tommy), too." Although the Vikings' master scrambler creates special problems, the Packers' standard defensive posture is not likely to be altered, Hecker opined. "I think we'll play it pretty much straight - we don't defense him any different than any other quarterback. We'll just try to put more rush on him. We'll be alert to the fact that he can get loose, of course."...EQUAL TO CHALLENGE: The likeable Baldwin-Wallace alumnus is confident, it should be added, that the Packers' veteran secondary (Jess Whittenton, Hank Gremminger, Willie Wood and Herb Adderley) will be equal to the challenge. "They're probably trimmer weight-wise than they've ever been," he explained. "Adderley is down under 200, Gremminger and Wood both are down from last year, and Jess is under 190, lower than he's ever been. Maybe we can be a little quicker without that extra poundage." Hecker, who often has observed that "the team which leads the league in interceptions usually wins the championship," sees no reason to change his mind on the subject - "or the Packers' chances of so doing." He qualifies this point, however, with the observation. "A lot depends on the rush from the linemen, of course, to force interceptions. You don't get too many without that rush. Give the passer time and you're in trouble. It's impossible
to cover those receivers. They have two advantages over you - they know where they're going and you don't. And they're going forward and we're going backward."
BLITZING GIVES SPEEDY CAFFEY 'MOST PLEASURE'
SEPT 30 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Lee Roy Caffey not only got his first start as a Packer Monday night, he experienced "my biggest thrill." The quiet Texan, obtained from the Eagles in the Ringo-Gros trade, rated "throwing somebody for a loss on a third and one play" as his pet thrill in answer to a question at the Mike and Pen Club luncheon at the Elks Tuesday noon. Detroit had just intercepted midway in the second quarter and produced that third and one situation on the 20. Big Nick Pietrosante shot off the left side and so did Caffey. Danny Lewis crouched to block Caffey, but Lee Roy blew right off him and brought the surprised Pietrosante down for a five-yard loss. The Lions had to punt for the fourth time and the Packers went on to take a 14-3 lead. Caffey has excellent speed and he'll nail many a back before they get out of their early tracks. Lee Roy said he gets "more pleasure out of blitzing than anything. If it was up to me, I'd be blitzing all the time."...WORKED ON WEIGHTS: Caffey started in place of Dave Robinson, who had opened in the first two games. Robbie now becomes a replacement for Caffey and also is being groomed some as a spare defensive end. Caffey said, "I guess I was a little clumsy when I first came here. I had done some work on the weights before reporting for camp, and I thought I was ready. But the Packer training program is much more rigid than the Eagles and I was a little slow to start. I was just like the rookie because everything was different. I think it is remarkable because he (Coach Vince Lombardi) doesn't pamper anyone - no matter who you are." The subject got around to weights and Caffey turns out to be one of those rare individuals who has to "force myself to eat to keep my weight up. I find myself losing if I don't." He weighs between 240 and 245...MUST GAIN RESPECT: Asked about his being traded, Caffey recalled that "my first reaction was disappointment because I made many friends with the Eagles but now I'm satisfied. I'm glad I was traded. The biggest thing is gaining respect among your teammates and I hope I've done that." Caffey, like fellow linebacker Ray Nitschke and the retired Bill Forester, is an ex-fullback. The Texas A&M star weighed 215 during his college career but "they (the Eagles) told me to report at 240 because they wanted to use me at linebacker. I came to camp at 239."
VIKINGS TRY 'WING' ON PACK?
OCT 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Don't be surprised if the Vikings come out with the double wing - without a huddle - against the Packers Sunday. Minnesota unearthed the old formation and also discarded the huddle for a full quarter against the Rams in Los Angeles last Sunday. It produced two first downs but no touchdowns. However, Hal Bedsole dropped two passes and Jerry Reichow muffed one of Fran Tarkenton's throws during the experiment. There was a reason for using the double wing and no huddle - in fact, two of them, according to John Thompson, the Vikings' publicity chief, who is servicing press, radio and TV people here this week. The first reason was that the Rams were just plain blitz-crazy. "They blitzed as many as eight guys," Thompson said, explaining "and with no huddle we delayed some of the blitzing by moving quickly and calling our plays in a hurry, giving them less reaction time." The Rams forced eight interceptions and nailed the passer 10 times with their blitzing in the first two games. They got to Tarkenton four times. The second reason was that the Vikings were short of running backs. Tommy Mason, the Vikes' star ball carrier, couldn't play because of an arm injury and Bill Brown was far from healthy. Mason won't make the trip, Thompson said, but fullback Brown will be ready. Brown will pair up with Bill McWatters at the running back spots. In the double wing setup, four ends were employed, with Paul Flatley and Bedsole spreading out wide and Tom Hall and Reichow playing closer into the line. McWatters was the fullback standing a few yards behind QB Tarkenton. Coach Norm Van Brocklin announced today that Hall will start in place of Bedsole and Gordy Smith, a four-year end, will open at tight end in place of Reichow. In addition, Van Brocklin said that Bedsole and Reichow have traded position, with big Hal going into the right end position and Jerry going out to flanker. The Vikings' major problem has been in the defensive backfield, which includes two rookies - George Rose at left half and Karl Kassulke, a member of the taxi squad last year, at left safety. Ed Sharockman is at right half and Charlie Britt at right safety. Minnesota wasn't exactly blessed with good fortune in the secondary. Van Brocklin traded Chuck Lamson to the Eagles one day last summer for Ted Dean and the very next day Terry Dillon, a defensive regular, drowned. Then, during the training season, Tom Frankhauser suffered a brain hemorrhage and retired from football. And in the opener vs. the Colts, Lee Calland sustained a broken arm and will be out for 11 weeks. Calland's replacement, Rose, got a real baptism against the Bears, with Johnny Morris catching 10 passes in his area. Billy Butler, the onetime Packer, is the fifth man in the secondary - plus Larry Vargo. The Vikings have one other rookie on the defense. That would be 255-pound Carl Eller, the former Gopher who was the club's top draft choice. Eller starts at left end. Thompson had a word on Tarkenton who is widely known for his scrambling. "Fran stays in the pocket better than he did, and we're giving him better protection. His biggest improvement is in his field generalship. He killed the Colts with audibles and against the Bears he threw four touchdown passes," Thompson said. Needless to say, the Vikings, what with two straight losses, will be coming into City Stadium with that proverbial blood in their eyes. The Packers hit the practice field for the first time this short week Wednesday, and they were mighty spry, giving no indication that a few of the boys had injuries. A stiff drill was on tap for today. And out at St. Vincent Hospital, star patient Jerry Kramer had been up and around. He said he is feeling "pretty good." Jerry even lifted a few weights and did a little riding of the "standing" bike. Kramer said his weight is down to 225, but "I've been eating good and they let me order anything I want."
VIKINGS CAN HALT PACKER RUNAWAY
OCT 1 (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) - The NFL's Western Division is a snarling fraternity that has not quite been accused of devouring it's young. But it might be. With random expectations, it has refused to lift a finger toward the buildup of its junior partner, the Minnesota Vikings, and yet today it is bestowing its tenderest well wishes (the Packers excepted, of course) on the Vikings in their Sunday mission in Green Bay. At this stage, the NFL does not seriously believe the Vikings can beat Green Bay. It is also aware that the one thing that can upset all the forecasts of a fight-to-the-wire in the West is an early Green Bay breakout. The Packers, 2-1 and glowing with a victory over Detroit, are ready to break out. They play the Vikings and their dismembered backfield this week. They play the last place incumbents, the San Francisco 49ers, next week. Green Bay has taken command of the race before at this point. It has rarely been more happily situated to do so than now. So where does this leave the Vikings? This is the team of such robust promise just two weeks ago. Have two defeats and the loss of two halfbacks torn away its drive and its belief in itself? The Vikings customarily leave their oratory to Norm Van Brocklin, and he has usually had enough of it by Wednesday. The question was put to the respected defensive captain, Rip Hawkins. "There is no point in saying this is the make-or-break game of the season for us."
JERRY KRAMER MAY MISS REMAINDER OF NFL SEASON
OCT 2 (Green Bay) - Jerry Kramer, the Green Bay Packers' all pro offensive guard, says he may miss the remainder of the NFL season as he battled another of the health problems that have plagued him since childhood. The 28-year-old Kramer said Thursday night that in the second abdominal operation within a week physicians had found and drained a growth about the size of a grapefruit on his liver. He said he may be able to return for some limited duty before the season is over. Physicians have promised him a 100 percent recovery, he said, and anticipate that next season he will be able to "eat opponents alive." "I'm fortunate that it was not cancer or something else," said Kramer. He added he was feeling "pretty well" and not in much pain. He said the second operation was performed Monday and that for the last several days he has been working out on the hospital's stationary bicycle despite a large opening in his abdomen to permit continued drainage...MIGHT BE RELEASED: Hospitalized since Sept. 23, when exploratory surgery was performed, Kramer said he might be released from the hospital next week. If Sunday's weather is good, he may be allowed to go to City Stadium for the Packers' game with the Minnesota Vikings. Kramer overcame a series of childhood injuries and illness to become an outstanding college player at Idaho. He was drafted by the Packers as a fourth choice in 1958. He missed eight games in the 1961 season because of an ankle injury that threatened to end his career and also overcame a detached retina that endangered his football prospects. "Even if the doctors said I couldn't play again, I wouldn't believe it," Kramer said. He added there were no possibilities of such a forecast, and physicians told him he might be able to do some placekicking if needed before the current season is over. Kramer said he was told the growth resulted from a rare fungus infection. Physicians were uncertain of the cause, he said, but speculated that the condition might have been the result of an accident 11 years ago when he fell on a stick that punctured his abdomen...LIMITED ACTION: He had not felt good since late August and saw only limited action in the Packers' first two games. He had dropped 15 pounds from his normal weight of 250 pounds before entering the hospital. His place as the running guard in the Packer line has been taken by second-yard player Dan Grimm. While Kramer is the major casualty, other Packers are in less than perfect physical condition as they prepare for the Vikings. Fullback Jim Taylor and quarterback Bart Starr have shoulder injuries and there were questions about their degree of participation. Coach Vince Lombardi said Taylor was "doubtful" and that Starr was improving "but I don't know whether he will start." Defensive lineman Hank Jordan, who missed Monday's victory over the Detroit Lions, has recovered from a leg injury and will be back in the lineup.
STARR, TAYLOR STATUS UNCERTAIN UNTIL GAME TIME
OCT 2 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Bart Starr and Jim Taylor have something in common. They both have left shoulder injuries. The similarity ends there because Taylor is a power runner and Starr is a scat back. Kidding? Let's look at the record. Starr, who was scooting around Tiger Stadium the other night like a jackrabbit, has a ground gaining average of 10.2 yards in each of his seven carries. He has 7 for 82 yards. Blaster Taylor, snorting and pawing and grinding as of old in Detroit, has a fine 4.2-yard average with 227 yards in 54 attempts. Taylor will stay at fullback, of course, but there are no plans to shift Starr from quarterback to scatback. Tsk, tsk. Seriously folks, the status of Starr and Taylor for Sunday's battle with the Vikings in City Stadium is questionable. Coach Vince Lombardi said this morning that "I won't know until game time whether they'll be ready." Starr and Taylor are working hard in practice and you'd never know anything was wrong. But their shoulders are sore and the extent of the soreness will determine their availability come Sunday afternoon. Zeke Bratkowski, of course, is ready to step into Starr's spot, while Tom Moore likely would work in Taylor's position...People around here have not been underdog-pulling-for since the Packers' late and lamented famine, but how about yipping for those Redskins to finish ahead of the Eagles in a last place duel. The Bears own the Redskins' first choice, and the Packers possess the Eagles' top pick...Ron Vander Kelen, Preble's contribution to the Vikings, hasn't thrown a ball for Minnesota yet despite a good exhibition season. Fran Tarkenton has worked all three of the Vikes' league games and it isn't very likely Vandy will play here Sunday...We got the impression the Packers were working on some sort of a faster tempo against the Lions. The Bays seemed to be zipping around on a double-double. Asked about it, Lombardi said "we weren't doing anything faster. That's because it's a night game. Things look different."...Jerry Kramer said today, "I hope to talk the doctor into letting me go to the game Sunday. It probably will depend on the weather. But the doctor said I might get out sometime next week." The star guard, recuperating in St. Vincent Hospital from surgery to correct an abscess in his kidney, said he has been receiving lots of mail from people here and around the state. "They've been awfully nice," Jerry said. Kramer watched the Packer-Lions game via TV and "I was cussing, screaming and hollering like anybody else. I couldn't get to sleep for five hours after the game."...The Packers and Rams have the league's defense battle to themselves at the moment. The Rams have allowed 44 points in the first three games, and the Packers permitted 43. LA has given up 568 yards and the Packers 586. That's a lot of defense...Dan (Charley) Grimm, who received much praise for his work in replacing Jerry Kramer at Detroit, passed on the credit to his teammates: "If I did an adequate job, give the other guys credit. They helped me all week in practice. Dave Hanner, especially, gave me tips on Karras."
MITCHELL, HALL, SMITH TO START FOR VIKINGS
OCT 2 (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) - A remodeled Viking
attack force putting rookie halfback Tom Michel, ex-Gopher Tom Hall and Gordie Smith in starting roles will be flung against the Green Bay Packers Sunday. Coach Norm Van Brocklin sidestepped any temptation to play Tommy Mason by ordering the young all-pro halfback to stay in the Twin Cities this weekend for continued treatment of his aching right arm. The principals in Van Brocklin's lineup changes: MICHEL - A chubby-cheeked kid from East Carolina College who has yet to carry the ball in league competition, described by Van Brocklin as "a typical rookie, but hard-hitting runner (215 pounds) whom we expect to help us." With Michel at half, Bill Brown returns to fullback. HALL - The fugitive Lion who played in two Rose Bowls for Minnesota, imported by the Vikings to help the secondary but discovered to be more helpful as a receiver. He started as a wingback in Van Brocklin's surprise double wing last week but will play as a flanker in Hal Bedsole's place Sunday. SMITH - A four-year vet who replaced Jerry Reichow at tight end in the first half last week. With Bedsole playing behind him, Reichow is now moved to the flank, where he can alternate with Hall...A PROFESSIONAL: A grieving Larry Bowie reported for Viking practice Thursday, 10 hours after his first-born son died in infancy, and told Norm Van Brocklin he wants to play Sunday against the Packers. The coach put an arm around the big lineman's shoulder, looked at him squarely, and nodded, Bowie will be in the lineup at guard Sunday...SMELLING SALTS, PLEASE: It now appears that the Packers, too, are ailing. Coach Vince Lombardi indicated yesterday that fullback Jimmy Taylor's sore neck may reduce him to limited action (all the Bays have as a replacement is Tom Moore) and that quarterback Bart Starr is questionable after all. The superb all-pro guard, Jerry Kramer, his weight cut 50 pounds by the recurrence of an intestinal ailment, is through for the year. superb all-pro guard, Jerry Kramer, his weight cut 50 pounds by the recurrence of an intestinal ailment, is through for the year.
BRATKOWSKI PLAYS FRAN...AND RUNS
OCT 3 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Zeke Bratkowski ran around with a big smile on his face. Everybody was laughing except the defensive personnel. This was one stage in the Packers' defensive practice and it happens every year - ever since Fran Tarkenton started scrambling for the Vikings. When the Packers get ready for an enemy, Bratkowski and Paul Hornung play the role of the opposing quarterback - in this case Tarkenton, the noted run-around artist. In one play Friday, Bratkowski went back to pass and, you guessed it, the pocket of protection disappeared and he proceeded to run. First, he went south (away from the line of scrimmage) about 15 yards and the watching players scattered like a flock of cows who heard their first jet o'erhead. Zeke then started west (and there must have been a 30-mile wind out of Minnesota at the time), but a defender was sighted in the distance. The Brat put on the brakes and went due east for 20 yards or so but he was being chased so he went 10 yards straight north. By this time, the defense was coming straight at him, so he went west again another 15 yards (or so). Zeke never did get off the pass, but the purpose of the scrambling had been accomplished. The defense received a taste of what Tarkenton does very well, scramble. Frantic Fran has "carried" 13 times for 65 yards, which is a lot of trips for a quarterback. Bart Starr has run more times than in the past and his "carry" total is only seven. Bart turned his runs into 80 yards. Our Starr has a better "rushing" average than the Vikings' star, 10.2 to 5...One of the Vikings' real good rookies is Carl Eller, their defensive end and first draft choice from the University of Minnesota. After the Ram-Viking game last Sunday, Ram offensive tackle Frank Varrichione said of Eller: "I hate to think how good Eller will be when he gets experience." Eller plays left end, which means that right tackle Forrest Gregg will test the young
6-5, 255-pounder...The Vikings' leading pass receiver isn't a pass receiver, at least by identification. He is fullback Bill Brown, who has caught 12 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Paul Flatley leads the receivers with nine catches, while Jerry Reichow nailed eight. That Mr. brown is also leading in rushing and scoring. He heads the rushing with 200 yards in 43 trips and tops the scoring with 18 points...BRIEFS: CBS has decided to cut out the sideline announcers on their television of NFL games, and the color man starting Sunday will go back in the booth...The Packers have yet to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter. They have compiled a total of three points in the three final quarters thus far...The Vikings will fly in this afternoon and then drill briefly before headquartering at the Northland Hotel.
VIKINGS PLAN NO 'DABBLE' FOR NO-NONSENSE PACKERS
OCT 3 (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) - The man who sprang a double-wing, no-huddle offense on the Rams a week ago offered a bland assurance to the Green Bay Packers Friday that the Vikings plan little or no dabbling Sunday. "For the most part, we are going to play it straight," said Norm Van Brocklin. "We're going to put our trust in the idea that we made our mechanical mistakes against the Rams, and that we are ready to go after the Packers head on. There is no other way to play this team." The Packers have never objected to being classified as the least complicated team in the NFL. For all practical purposes, they will announce they are going to run their sweeps, their hacking stuff into the line, their slanting pass patterns to Boyd Dowler and Max McGee if the defensive blitzes, and their pitches to the bull tight end, Ron Kramer. And then they do it. Defensively, they will announce their basic defense with four or five linebackers blitzes a game. And then they do it. It sounds unemotional, but the Packers play with a champion's zeal and self-esteem. A half-dozen of them are hurt, but almost all of them will play. "The only time you'll catch those injured veterans limping," a longtime NFLer said, "is on the way to the clubhouse at the end of the game." It is not quite a secret in Green Bay that the Packers are shooting for a scoreboard explosion some time soon to re-energize their offense. Is this the week? Max McGee, the sleek and rollicking flanker who has been so vitally involved in the Packer championship years, stopped short of predicting it yesterday. But he did say this: "I think the work of our offensive team in practice this week has been better than at any time this year." There has been some doubt about the physical condition of such
Packer dependables as quarterback Bart Starr, fullback Jim Taylor and tackle Henry Jordan. But they will be in uniform Sunday and, in Green Bay, this means they ought to be ready to play. And so, realistically, what are the Viking prospects with the offense reshaped and with Tommy Mason healing his sore arm back home? "Mason has meant so much to us," Van Brocklin said, "but teams win without their stars in this league, and we have enough drive and talent on this team to beat the Packers. Tom Hall, who is starting on the right flank for us, is a better receiver than I had thought. Tom Michel is going against the best in his first start at halfback. Sometimes this brings something out in a man. And the Packers usually bring out the best in the Vikings. Like I said, we're going after them."
SPOTLIGHT ON GREEN BAY: VIKINGS' CARNIVAL SET TO RUMBLE
OCT 4 (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) - The Barnum and Bailey circus, a small hurricane and the Minnesota Vikings struck Green Bay Saturday, more or less in unison. Barnum and Bailey, being wise in these things, has sense enough to close up until the multitudes start pouring out of the Packer stadium today. The big wind showed signs of a little more standing power, but can be counted on to calm down by game time today because when Vince Lombardi lifts his arm all winds subside and infidels are routed. Which sort of leaves the Vikings alone in the ring. Is Lombardi worried about them? He is worried enough to be tempted to wear hospital white for today's 1:05 p.m. kickoff. In his heart of hearts, of course, Vince expects to win. But he is frankly offended by the alley-cat kind of football the Vikings usually throw at him and it is plain Lombardi wants nobody to get hurt more than they are, especially the Packers. Norm Van Brocklin's version of this: "Vince thinks he can lick us, but he doesn't like to play us." As an illustration that this is not exactly a fable, a Packer writer who has watched Green Bay teams play the best of football teams - and beat them - told his audience yesterday: "You haven't seen football until you've seen the Vikings and Packers go at it." In any case, the town of Green Bay on the eve of a Packer game is Montgomery on Kolacky Day or Worthington when the turkeys hold their convention. In the window of a barbershop downtown was a two-page color spread from a national magazine showing Tommy Mason running against the Colts. A saloon keeper next door slopped some beer on the bar and broke into a monologue: "Now I'd feel a lot better if I knew Bart Starr and Jim Taylor weren't hurt. Course, we've got Tom Moore ready to run if Jimmy can't, so maybe we're not too bad off..." A routine sellout crowd of some 42,000 will be at the stadium. The Packers stopped selling tickets weeks ago. In most football organizations, the day before a game is the most frantic of the week. Nobody answered the phone at the Packers' business office Saturday afternoon. There was nothing, apparently, to keep them there. The man chiefly responsible for this heavenly state is Lombardi, and his stoical instruction to the Packers today will be the same as it has been for five years: Take it to them." This is nothing more than most coaches will tell their athletes, but with the Packers it has the force of an article of faith and a missionary summons. The Packers (2-1) play and act l like champions, which they are - despite what might be called a temporary separation from the throw. They have not lost to the Vikings (1-2) in six games, but they are aware of the emotionalism with which the Vikings are likely to play today. So there is undoubtedly going to be some harsh butting.
WARNING TO PACKERS: VIKINGS WALLOPED THE COLTS
OCT 4 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Vikings murdered the Colts. And seven days later the Packers lost to the Colts by one point. By that yardstick the Viking should lather the Packers in City Stadium this afternoon. Fortunately, comparative results mean little in the NFL. But the two games point up the capabilities of the visitors from Minnesota. And if this sounds like a warning to the championship-thinking Green Bays, that's exactly what it is. The Vikings have developed into a natural rival of Green Bay, and they play with all the ferociousness of the Packers' other two natural rivals, the Bears and Lions. Green Bay's two victories thus far have been at the expense of the Bears and Lions, which means the Packers will be out to sweep their "naturals." The Vikings followed their big triumph over Baltimore with losses to the Bears and Rams. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:05 and a sellout audience of 42,327 will be on hand. Perfect weather is on tap, but punters, passers, kickers and ladies wearing fancy hats are hereby warned that there may be fresh northeasterly winds. The Vikings have yet to beat Green Bay in their young life, the Packers having rolled up six straight wins, but Minnesota came extremely close last Oct. 13. The Vikings were lined up to kick the field goal that would have given them a lead with two minutes left. Herb Adderley blocked the attempt and Hank Gremminger ran it back for a touchdown to preserve the Packer win. Both teams have key personnel on the injured list. Barring some sort of miracle, the Vikings will be without their star ground gainer and spark plug, Tommy Mason, who has an injured left arm. A 215-pound rookie, Tom Michel, will start in his place, working with veteran Bill Brown at the running back spots. The third man in the rush team is Bill McWatters. The Packers' injury group is headed by quarterback Bart Starr and fullback Jim Taylor, both of whom will have sore left shoulders. Coach Vince Lombardi will decide at game time whether to start one or both. Starr had a tremendous first half, but had to retire early in the third quarter, and Taylor went the distance in the 14-10 win at Detroit last Monday night. Best guess is that they'll both start but Zeke Bratkowski and Tom Moore will be keeping warm on the sidelines. The pass might take preference over the rush in today's game. This thought is based on last year's Viking-Packer battles when the Minnesotans set their cap at stocking the Packers' power attack. The Vikings bottled up the Packer rushers fairly well so Starr cut loose from upstairs - especially in the game here. With Mason out, the Vikings likely will depend on the good right arm and swift legs of Fran Tarkenton more than ever. Frantic Fran is having his best season yet and he already has pitched seven touchdown passes in three games - with only two interceptions. The Vikings have a host of good receivers, headed by Paul Flatley, not to mention Hal Bedsole, the USC rookie who has been shifted to tight end. Bedsole caught a pair of TD passes vs. the Bears. The Packers will have to come up with a strong rush on Tarkenton and it will be interesting to see what shift Lee Roy Caffey does with
the sprightly Fran. Caffey made his first start in Detroit and was among those praised by Lombardi. This is a sort of a special mission for the versatile Paul Hornung. It was two years ago in Minnesota he drew a leg injury that kept him out most of the '62 season. This will be the Horn's first game against Minnesota since then. The Packers stand a good chance of going into a tie for first place in the Western Division - IF they can beat the Vikings and the Colts can trip the unbeaten Rams in Baltimore. If this IF materializes, the Packers and Colts would have 3-1 records.
