Green Bay Packers (3-2) 24, San Francisco 49ers (2-3) 14
Sunday October 11th 1964 (at Milwaukee)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(MILWAUKEE) - The Packers don't give up very easily. And that goes for Jim Taylor in particular. They went behind the 49ers twice, missed three field goals, and sometimes appeared to be batting their heads against a stone wall. But the Bays, bedeviled by two one-point losses already this season, overcame a 14-10 deficit with two touchdowns in a furious fourth quarter to stop the upset-minded San Francisco 24 to 14. The Packers now are in second place in the tight Western Division race, with a 3-2 record, and next on the docket are the Colts in Baltimore. The Colts, who host the Cardinals tonight, are tied in first place with the Lions - Baltimore with 3-1, Detroit with 3-1-1. A record crowd of 47,380 witnessed the bitterly fought match, erasing the old mark of 47,012 at the Packer-Giant here Dec. 3, 1961. The big throng, largest ever at a pro sports event in Wisconsin, was treated to a record-progressing performance by the determined Mr. Taylor, who ran 23 times for 133 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 21 yards. Jarrin' Jim, in his first 100-yard burst of the season, became the third highest ground gainer in league history, passing the one-time Eagle star, Steve Van Buren. Taylor's career total is now 5,959 yards, Van Buren's 5,860. Ahead of Jim are Jim Brown, with 9,322 and Joe Perry with 8,378. Taylor figured in all four Packer scores. Here's how he did it: On a crucial fourth and one situation, he was stopped on a smash off right tackle, but spun quickly to his left and scored the TD that gave the Packers a 7-7 tie in the second quarter. He galloped 26 tards off the right side to set up Paul Hornung's 21-yard field goal for a 10-6 Packer lead in the third quarter. He slammed 27 yards off right tackle, going through heavy traffic, for a TD that put the Pack ahead for good 17-14 on the fourth play of the fourth quarter. And, finally, he caried four straight times for 20 yards to the 49er 8 to set up TD pitch from Bart Starr to Boyd Dowler for final 24-14 edge. The 49ers' first TD came on a one-yard smash by Mike Lind for a 7-0 lead in the second quarter and the second was on a one-yard keeper by quarterback John Brodie for a 14-10 edge in the third quarter. This seemed to be a frustrating experience for the Packers - at least until they broke away in the fourth quarter. The Bays went into action without Herb Adderley and Hank Jordan, both out with injuries. While Adderley's major opponent, Bernie Casey, was out, too, the 49ers wasted no time picked on Adderley's replacement, Doug Hart. Hart had the last laugh, when he kayoed a fourth quarter throw to Dale Messer, who might have gone all the way if Hart hadn't tipped it in time. In addition, Hornung went out early in the second quarter with a pinched nerve in his shoulder. He returned to kick the field goal and two extra points in the fourth quarter. Hornung missed a field goal attempt from the 16 and had one blocked from the 35 in the first quarter. After the Packers' first TD, Willie Wood, getting a big hand from the audience, kicked the extra point. Wood also tried a 33-yard field goal just before the half, but it was low and short. Lloyd Voss, the Bays' first draft pick, started in Dave Hanner's spot and did well along with Ron Kostelnik, who went the distance for Jordan. Hanner came on in the third quarter and finished out. He recovered a fumble to set up the Packers' last TD. Statistics turned out fairly even except for yards. The Bays had an edge here with 336 stripes against the 49ers' 270. The Packers won the rushing figure, 198 to 92, but the 49ers had the edge in the air, 178 to 138. Starr hit 13 out of 22, including 8 of 11 in the first half, for 144 yards and the one TD. Brodie hit 16 of 31 for 192 yards. The 49er ran off 62 plays, the Pack 61. The 49ers were held to 36 yards rushing in the second half. The 49ers also had a "one" edge in first downs, 18-17. The Packers moved 59 yards in nine plays to set up Hornung's field goal try from the 16 as the game's first scoring mid. On the play before the missed field goal, Mike Dowdle dropped an interception of a Starr pass. A 12-yard return by Wood set up Hornung's try from the 35, but Roland Lakes broke through to block it. Given two reprieves, the 49ers moved 80 yards in 16 plays to take a 7-0 lead in the second quarter. Other than Brodie's 15-yard pass to Dave Parks and his 26-yard run on a rollout pass that didn't materialize, the 49ers bit off the distance in small chunks. Lind crashed over from a foot out at 2:15 of the period and Tommy Davis converted. Tom Moore's 41-yard runback of the kickoff got the Packer TD express going. Starr moved the Bays 58 yards in 11 plays. After Hornung gained 11 yards in two plays, Starr ate up most of the distance in two aerials - a 22-yarder to Elijah Pitts on a safety flare and a 21-yarder to Ron Kramer down the middle to the 7. From there it was brute power. Taylor hit for four, then two, but Moore was stopped on the one. Taylor then whirled over at 8:38 and Wood added the point. After forcing a Davis punt, the Bays also had to punt but Kermit Alexander fumbled Jerry Norton's boot and Pitts recovered on the 49er 24. A clipping penalty hurt the Pack, however, and the Bays wound up with Wood trying his field goal. The Bays took off the second half kickoff and turned it into a
10-7 lead on Hornung's field goal. The big moves were Starr's pass to Max McGee for 17 and Taylor's 26-yard run. The 49ers snapped back 75 yards in a 14-play series to take a 14-10 lead. The drive was helped along considerably when Hart was called for interference on Abe Woodson on the Packer 19 and when Hank Gremminger was called for unsportsmanlike conduct when he shoved an official in a brief argument. It was obvious that Don Lisbon held Gremminger as he was about to intercept in the end zone. The 49ers got a new life on the 12 and they scored in five plays, with Brodie running the last yard on a keeper. After an exchange of punts, the Bays started a drive from their own 42 and exploded for a 17-14 lead, going 58 yards in four plays. Taylor led off modestly with one yard, but then Starr, chased to his right, threw to Kramer for 16 yards to the 49er 41. Moore zoomed around the right side for 14 and then Taylor bolted the final 27 for the TD. Wood came up with a beauty of a punt return after Davis missed a field goal from the 49 and an exchange of punts. Willie took the ball on the Packer 32 and streaked 44 yards to the 49er 24. The situation seemed well in hand, but Taylor fumbled and Dave Wilcox recovered, with Kramer making the tackle. On the 49ers' first play, Brodie fumbled and Hanner recovered on the 25. This time the Packers went in. Taylor smashed 8, 5, 3 and 1 yards on consecutive carries to the eight and Starr then hit Dowler for the TD. Elbert Kimbrough interfered with Dowler but the penalty was refused - natch, with 2:11 left in the game. The 49ers picked up three first down on Brodie's passing, but the Bays took it away on downs, and on the final play Starr froze the ball, himself.
SAN FRANCISCO - 0 7 7 0 - 14
GREEN BAY - 0 7 3 14 - 24
SAN FRANCISCO GREEN BAY
First Downs 18 17
Rushing-Yards-TD 29-92-2 39-198-2
Att-Comp-Yd-TD-Int 31-16-192-0-0 22-13-144-1-0
Sack Yards Lost 2-14 1-6
Net Passing Yards 178 138
Total Yards 270 336
Fumbles-lost 2-2 1-1
Turnovers 2 1
Yards penalized 5-52 3-45
SCORING
2nd - SF - Mike Lind, 1-yard run (Tommy Davis kick) SAN FRANCISCO 7-0
2nd - GB - Taylor, 1-yard run (Wood kick) TIED 7-7
3rd - GB - Hornung, 21-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-7
3rd - SF - John Brodie, 1-yard run (David kick) SAN FRANCISCO 14-10
4th - GB - Taylor, 27-yard run (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 17-14
4th - GB - Dowler, 8-yard pass from Starr (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 24-14
RUSHING
GREEN BAY - Jim Taylor 23-133 2 TD, Tom Moore 10-40, Paul Hornung 5-24, Bart Starr 1-1
SAN FRANCISCO - Don Lisbon 14-50, John Brodie 4-39 1 TD, Mike Lind 9-6 1 TD, Billy Kilmer 1-2, Dave Kopay 1-(-5)
PASSING
GREEN BAY - Bart Starr 22-13-144 1 TD
SAN FRANCISCO - John Brodie 31-16-192
RECEIVING
GREEN BAY - Ron Kramer 3-47, Max McGee 3-33, Jim Taylor 3-21, Boyd Dowler 2-24 1 TD, Elijah Pitts 2-19
SAN FRANCISCO - Mike Lind 5-51, Kay McFarland 3-19, Dale Messer 2-44, Monty Stickles 2-32, Dave Parks 2-25, Don Lisbon 1-13, Dave Kopay 1-8
TAYLOR SCORES ON 'SECRET' PLAY; WILLIE ENVISONED TD
OCT 12 (Milwaukee-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - It may come as a surprise to their NFL brethren but the Packers - known for their devotion to tried and true maneuvers as a victory formula - scuttled San Francisco's 49ers here Sunday with a shiny play. The author of this somewhat startling disclosure was battle-scarred Jim Taylor, the record-breaking fullback who rumbled 27 yards to the decisive, go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter off the latest addition to Bart Starr's bag of tricks. Taylor, who barged past Steve Van Buren into third place in the NFL's all-time ground gaining table during the afternoon, declined to detail the play for security reasons, but confided with a satisfied smile, "I saw it on film when I was on the TV show right after the game and it looked real pretty. Skoronski (Bob) made a fine block on Dowdle (49er middle linebacker Mike), and I think I got in behind Dowler's block. After I cleared Dowler, I had a lot of momentum up. I think Colchico was chasing me and I don't know who else, but I was able to outrun 'em. I think what happened is that I got on top of their secondary men before they knew I had the ball," he added soberly. "It's a fooler." Discussing his ascent into the NFL's all-time top three (behind only Jimmy Brown and Joe Perry), he admitted, "It gives you satisfaction. I've been trying to figure out just how long it took me. I didn't play much as a rookie in 1958 and I missed five games in 1959 when I burned my hand. This is my seventh season, so it must have taken me about five full seasons to do it. The linemen who have been here the last 4 or 5 years - there haven't been many changes - should get all the credit," the Bayou bronco insisted. "They have been here all the way. And Bart (Starr) has given me the opportunity to have as many carries as I've had." Another victory principal, free wheeling Willie Wood, admitted to visions of going "all the way" on his highly welcome 42-yard punt return in the fourth quarter, an excursion which triggered the Packers' final touchdown, and 8-yard Starr pitch to Boyd Dowler. "I had two things going for me," Willie methodically explained. "It was a comparatively low kick, which always gives you a good chance for a runback, and I had ideal blocking - they were really cutting those guys down. At one time, I thought I was going to go all the way - I had only the kicker (Tommy Davis) to evade. I faked right and I faked left, then broke right. If I'd made only one move," he said, a little regretfully. "I think I might have gone the distance. That second move enabled the pursuit to overtake me - I already had gotten Davis out of the way." Describing the touchdown that followed, Dowler quipped, "I had to do something right. The pass was pretty low, and Bart was wise to throw it there - there's little chance of interception that way. Kimbrough interfered with me when I came off the line - interfered as I was turning in. Fortunately, I was able to get free enough to catch the ball. They would have penalized anyway, I'm sure, because there was a flag on the play." Asked about the "unsportsmanlike conduct" assessment that enabled the 49ers to mount a 14-10 lead in the third quarter, Defensive Capt. Hank Gremminger explained, "I thought I'd intercept it. After that, I don't know what happened. I went to halt the official, I guess, and, bang, 15 yards. I shouldn't have argued with him - you can't win, anyway. But I did think it was offensive interference," Hank said. "I'd have to see the movies, but I thought he (49er Monte Stickles) ran into me." Still in pain, Paul Hornung flapped his left arm to indicate the injury and reported, "It's all in the arm. I don't know just how I got it. It was on a running play, and I think somebody landed on my neck. It hurts an awful lot." Could he have attempted the field goal Willie Wood missed at the close of the first half? Hornung shook his head. "I was numb - I couldn't have moved it then." Asked about his two FG misses (one was blocked) in the first half, Peerless Paul said disgustedly, "It's like a golfer looking up. Guess it's one of those psychological things - you've got to keep your head down. I'm kicking like an amateur."...The 49ers' field general, John Brodie, wasn't conceding a thing. "They're not much better than we are, you know," he rapped. "They may think so." "This league," he added, "isn't so far apart." His pass protection had been good, it was noted. "It's always been good - it's been good all year. We have a real good offensive line, if you want to know." Then, tossing an unexpected bouquet in the Packers' direction, he said,
"They've got a good, smart defense. They know where you're going all the time." "No alibis," he continued. "They just beat us." Then, asked if he felt the 49ers' performance had compared to previous efforts this season, Brodie suddenly erupted. "It was --." he blazed. "What do you think we are, a bunch of dogs. It was no --- good. We got beat by 10 points."
PACK PLAYING 'GOOD FOOTBALL' DESPITE HURTS - VINCE
OCT 12 (Milwaukee-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Proud of his walking wounded and obviously relieved, Vince Lombardi acknowledged Sunday's grimly won Packer victory over the dogged San Francisco 49ers with heartfelt gratitude. "We're hurting pretty bad," was his very first observation to the press corps as he held forth beneath Milwaukee County Stadium. "Thurston (Fuzzy) played the whole game with a bad shoulder," Lombardi, who also was minus the service of such stalwarts as all-pro Jerry Kramer, Hank Jordan and Herb Adderley, explained. (Paul Hornung, injured in the second quarter, likewise sat out the entire second half, returning only to kick a third period field goal.) "The fact Fuzzy stayed in there was tremendous - he couldn't block," Vince added, noting with pride. "He protected for the passer real well, but he couldn't pull." Asked about Hornung's condition, the Packer head man disclosed, "He's got a pinched nerve - the same thing he had three or four years ago." Lombardi expressed satisfaction with the efforts of rookie Doug Hart in behalf of another casualty. "Hart played fairly well," the Packer chieftain admitted, then grinned wryly and appended, "although he got lost on Brodie's long run there, which was reminiscent of last week against Tarkenton." Asked how he felt about the offense's performance, he said, "We moved the ball pretty well, considering. We've got a lot of people hurt, so we can't expect to be at our best. We could have had it on ice in the first half, however." Despite these problems, the Packer chieftain was happy in the knowledge that "we could be close to first place - or tied with somebody - at the end of Monday night." (He was then tentatively assuming a Detroit defeat, with the Vikings leading 17-14 at that point, and obviously hoping for a St. Louis Cardinal victory in Baltimore tonight.) He smiled and continued, "I made two statements at the start of the season. One that the 49ers and Rams would have a lot to say about it - and it certainly looked that way to me today - and that probably 10-4 or 9-5 will win it in our division, or will tie for it." The discussion moved to the Packers' first half field goal failures (Hornung missed two and Wood one), which prompted Lombardi to remark, "I'm not complaining. Hornung got hurt and our second kicker, Jerry Kramer, is out, so we had to go to Willie Wood, who never has kicked in a league game before. That's the way it goes," he said, with a grin and shrug of the shoulders, "and where she stops, nobody knows." "We're not playing great football, but we're playing good football - even in the games we've lost." Dismissing a suggestion that age might be a factor, Vince said, "This is largely a young team. Skoronski, for example, is young. And he, by the way, has done a tremendous job at center. Well, you can see by the yardage we can get up the middle. And Gregg can play another 7 or 8 years. Offensive tackles can play until they're 36 and he's only 29." Asked why rookie Lloyd Voss had been started at defensive tackle in place of 13-year veteran Dave Hanner, Lombardi replied, "We just wanted to see what the other boy could do and he did real well. We just gave Dave a rest." Smiling and elevating his eyebrows significantly, Vince added, "You'll see a lot more new boys in there as time goes on, I think." Newcomer Lee Roy Caffey (acquired last spring in the Jim Ringo-Earl Gros trade with the Philadelphia Eagles) had been impressive, it was suggested. "Caffey's played real well all season," Lombardi agreed with alacrity. "He's a great football player." He also conceded, with an approving nod, that "Taylor (Jim) had a great day. Gained 133 yards, I believe."...SURPRISINGLY STUBBORN?: The 49ers had proved surprising stubborn, a Milwaukee writer interposed. "The 49ers played last year without eight people," he pointed out. "This year they got eight people back - that makes a tremendous difference." Speaking of injuries, did he thing Hornung would be available for Sunday's rematch with Baltimore? Lombardi shook his head, asserting, "I haven't the slightest idea." "But I'll be ready to play next week," he joked. "My back (it 'went out' on him last week) is fine."...Forty-Niner head man Jack Christiansen, who had vacated the San Francisco dressing room early, was hardly the soul of cordiality. Eventually discovered in a bus (after the bus driver stoutly insisted Christiansen was not aboard) outside the stadium minutes before the 49ers' departure for Billy Mitchell Field, the ex-Detroit Lion defensive genius said sourly, "No, no comment. You're too late, I made myself available in our dressing room for 10 minutes after the game and nobody showed." Efforts to explain that it is customary to visit the home dressing room first (in which Wisconsin writers obviously had been joined by their San Francisco brethren) proved of little avail. Pressed to comment, Christiansen said with elaborate sarcasm, "The Packers have a great football team. They should score 100 points a game and never lose." Again acidulous, he added, "I think they have a great defensive ball club - they should never be scored on." And there also was a parting shot? "The turning point?" He sneered and concluded, "The opening kickoff."...His defense mastermind, former Packer aide Dick Voris, had been somewhat more temperate when encountered earlier. Although openly unhappy, Voris merely said, "We'll be waiting for 'em in San Francisco in November." "We had our chances to win, and we let it slip away. They're a great football team - when you get an opportunity, you can't let it get away. When Jimmy Johnson dropped that interception," he said sadly, "that was enough to turn the tide right there."...PACKER PATTER: Wally Cruice, otherwise employed in espionage for the Packers, viewed Sunday's proceedings as an expert spectator. "You lose those one-pointers," he quipped, "and somebody has to go." For the record, he had no assignment yesterday since the Packers' next opponents, the Colts, do not see action until tonight...Dick Voris' son, also Dick and a highly regarded football prospect, is sitting out the 1964 season following recent surgery for calcification of the right knee, his father disclosed. "I'm holding him out of school for a half year," Dick Sr. said, "so that he can go back next fall and play his senior year of high school football." Bill Dessart may slash his wrists when he reads this, but Dick Jr., a Preble High quarterback and a sophomore in 1962, "weighs 210 pounds and has good speed - runs a 4.8, 40-yard dash," according to Dick Sr...A rugby exhibition, staged between the Universities of Wisconsin and Illinois by the Midwest Rugby Football Union, supplanted the traditional marching band as intermission entertainment to the good natured bewilderment of the record crowd...The capacity house enthusiastically applauded, incidentally, when Field Announce Gary Knafelc reported, "The St. Louis Cardinal won, 4-3."...A Packer band trumpeter elicited a collective chuckle when he tolled "Taps" as Mike Lind powered into the end zone with the 49ers' first touchdown, staking the Gold Diggers to a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter...Ronald Gibbs, midwest observer of officials for the NFL, who was stationed in the press box, turned back to politics today. Gibbs, who has been recorder of deeds in Illinois' Sagamon County (Springfield) for the last 12 years, is confronted with a delicate problem. He is running for election against a feminine opponent. "I can't say anything," he laughed. "You have to be gallant."
FOUR COACHES TO SCOUT COLTS
OCT 12 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Four Packer assistant coaches will be in Baltimore tonight to scout the Colts against the St. Louis Cardinals in preparation for next Sunday's invasion of Baltimore. Observing will be Phil Bengtson, Bill Austin, Tom Fears and Norb Hecker.
PACKERS CONFRONTED BY HURTS, COLT MOMENTUM
OCT 13 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers were confronted with two problems today - (1) the Colts' momentum and (2) injuries. Baltimore's hot tempo, brought on by four straight wins, can wait, of course, since the Packers and Colts don't meet until next Sunday, but Coach Vince Lombardi noted this morning: "We've got to overcome their momentum. We gave it to them." He referred to the Bays' 21-20 loss to the Baltimores here Sept. 20 when our boys blew three good chances to win in the fourth quarter. The Colts went on to whip the Rams, 35-20, the Bears 52-0, and just last night the Cardinals 47-27. Four major injury cases loomed today - Fuzzy Thurston, who hurt his shoulder; Paul Hornung, also a shoulder; Hank Jordan, groin pull; and Herb Adderley, muscle pull. Thurston and Hornung were hurt during the Packers' 24-14 victory over the 49ers in Milwaukee Sunday. Both Jordan and Adderley were forced to sit out. It's too early to say who will or won't be ready for the Colt game. But being fierce competitors, it will take a lot of hurting to keep the four out of THE game. Lombardi noted today, after a review of the game pictures, that "we had our best blocking day of the season. We moved the ball well, but fizzled out a couple of times. We could have won by a larger score. We lost nine points on those missed field goals." And that brought up the subject of field goal kicking. Hornung missed from the 16 and 35-yard lines, and Willie Wood one from the 33. "We're hurting, you know," Vince reminded. "We started with two good kickers and now both are hurt. There's no way I can protect myself on that." Hornung started as the Bays' chief point kicker and Jerry Kramer as his relief. Then, Jerry was lost and Wood stepped into his kicking spot. Hornung pulled a groin muscle two weeks ago and then a pinched nerve in his shoulder Sunday...CHANGED POSITIONS: As to blocking, Lombardi said that "Fuzzy changed positions with Grimm so he didn't have to block with that shoulder. He could block for the passer all right, but not straight ahead." Thurston plays left guard and Dan Grimm right guard. Backing up the guards are John McDowell, the rookie from St. John, and Forrest Gregg, the regular right tackle. In case of added injury, center Bob Skoronski could move to Gregg's tackle spot and Gregg than would take over a guard slot. Wisconsin rookie Ken Bowman would take over center. Lombardi said the defense played "fine" and noted that "they got a lot of yardage near the end there." The Packers held the 49ers to 270 yards, but almost 50 of it came after the Bays salted the decision away with 2:19 left. San Francisco had 92 yards rushing and 178 passing...Four Packer assistant coaches looked in on the Colts' win last night - Phil Bengtson, Norb Hecker, Bill Austin, and Tom Fears, plus regular game scout Wally Cruice. They were all back in time this morning for the week's opening squad meeting, a light workout, and Cruice's report. Forty-Niner pictures were viewed at the meeting...Sunday's game will be shown on closed circuit television in three Baltimore theaters. Don Kellett, Colts' general manager, announced Monday the club was trying out theater TV "just to increase the size of the stadium." Since announcing last Monday that all 60,212 seats of Memorial Stadium had been sold for the game, Kellett said, "the clamor for tickets for the game has been the greatest since the 1959 championship game here." The three theaters will seat a total of 6,000. Tickets will cost $6 apiece, the same price as those at the stadium.
"LITTLE THINGS' HELP PACKERS
OCT 13 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - It's the little things that mean so much, the little woman always says, and that can be applied to ye olde game of football, too. We're referring (don't forget your anniversary, bub) to the Packers' two excellent runbacks by Willie Wood and Tom Moore against the 49ers Sunday. Both little things, compared to Jim Taylor's power runs and a fast rush at the enemy quarterback by Willie Davis, but they provided a heart-cheering lift to the Bays - just when they needed it. The 49ers went into a 7-0 lead on the fifth play of the second quarter after the Bays muffed two chances at field goals in the first quarter. Green Bay needed a lift. Moore provided it. He took Tommy Davis' kickoff on the one and raced back 41 yards. Suddenly, the Packers were almost at midfield and the record crowd roared its approval. Bart Starr took the Packers "in," rolling the Bay offense 58 yards in 11 plays to tie the score. The "little thing" had paid off. Now the scene shifts to the fourth quarter, with the Packers holding a tight 17-14 lead and only seven minutes left. The 49ers were forced to punt and Davis' boot dropped in Wood's mitts on the Packer 34. Willie scooted straight up the field and dodged enough people to make a 42-yard run to the 49er 34. This was the lift that the doctor ordered. But just when you feel like a million, the props are kicked out. Taylor fumbled on the first play, and Dave Wilcox recovered for the 49ers. So now you feel prop-less but, glory be, the 49ers fumbled it right back and Dave Hanner recovered. The Packers went in from there. Wood's lift was still working. The Packers may be getting a lift in the near future (like in Baltimore next Sunday) in the Dept. of Kicking Off. Dave Robinson started to show a wee bit more distance on his kicking off. He averaged the 6.6-yard line on his five kickoffs. "I had a little luck,"
Robinson said Monday, "but I'll take it. How about that one. The ball was spinning around right near the sidelines." Robbie was referring to the game's opening kickoff. He dropped the ball near the sidelines around the 20. The 49ers waited for it to roll out of bounds but it danced like a trained seal just inside the line all the way to the one where Abe Woodson took it and returned to the five. Robinson reached the 8, 6, 10 and 8 yard lines on his next four boots. They were returned to the 33, 25, 31 and 35-yard lines, respectively. That's a heap of returning, but Robinson can give the Bays a lift by making the receiver start eight to 10 yards farther back - starting in Baltimore. The rest is up to the tacklers.
DON'T CALL OFF COLT CLASH; HOPE FOR PO'R LITTLE PACK
OCT 14 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The way the Colts demolished their last three foes, maybe it would be better to call this whole business off. After edging the Packers Sept. 20, the Colts ground up the Rams, Bears and Cardinals to a total tune of 124 to 47. Now the Colts await our po'r little boys (thank you, Bo McMillin) - namely, the Packers. But there is hope, me hearties, for little old Green Bay and all the cripples. We ventured out to Tuesday's informal practice and everybody was on hand, including Jerry Kramer, who ambled out in his civvies. There was much noise, much running, and much spirit. The program opened with the large-ring calisthenics and the first layer in the middle of the huge circle to lead calisthenics was none other than Fuzzy Thurston. This is significant since he is among the worst of the four injured. The group also includes Hank Jordan, Paul Hornung, Herb Adderley and Ray Nitschke. "Let's go," Thurston shrieked, "it's the big game. Everybody ready to go." Sunday's visit to Baltimore turns out to be a classic must for the Packers but for Fuzzy this is always a special mission because he played a couple of seasons with the Colts. All of the injured people were running and catching the ball, including the linemen and linebackers who engaged in a fierce game of touch football. The backs and ends went through a passing drill. Coach Vince Lombardi, as he normally does, stayed back in the clubhouse to confer with Scout Wally Cruice who have his weekly report after the workout. The assistant coaches, Phil Bengtson, Bill Austin, Norb Hecker, Tom Fears and Red Cochran, conducted the drill. They were all, except Red, in Baltimore the night before to look at the Colts' landslide 47 to 27 victory over the Cardinals. Most Packer fans listened to the game by radio Monday night. It was carried out of Chicago and St. Louis and the Chicago announcer turned out to be Jack Brickhouse, the Bears' regular announcer. Jack painted quite a glowing picture of the Colts as they pranced up and down the field. And we asked Hecker if the Colts looked as good as they sounded on the radio: "I'll say they did," Norb laughed, "all we got to do is outscore 'em - like maybe 13 to 12." As noted in Paragraph 2, the Colts have been scoring like crazy - an average of 44 marks in their last three games. What's more the Colts turned up today as the league's leading yardmakers, with a total of 1,718 on 815 rushing and 903 passing. All three figures top the circuit. On our side of the fence, it can be happily reported that the Packers are first in yardage defense, having allowed just 1,188 stripes, including 532 rushing and 565 passing. The other halves of the two clubs are located down the list. The Packers' offense is sixth with 1,613 yards, while the Colts' defense is seventh, having allowed 1,517...The Packer-49er game had three non-kicking fourth down situations, which is a rarity in itself. The 49ers had two fourth down plays for short yardage in driving to their first TD and made both of them late in the first quarter. The first was on the Packer 43 and Don Lisbon made two yards, and the next was on the Bay 32 when Lisbon again made two. Early in the second quarter, the Packers had fourth and one for a touchdown when Jim Taylor whirled across for the score.
PERSONALITY PARADE
OCT 14 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Towheaded Lloyd Voss, the freshman defensive end-tackle, who still finds his presence in Packer silks "like a dream," is a young man of delightful and refreshing candor. Reviewing his first start as a pro, which found he giant University of Nebraska alumnus holding forth in behalf of veteran Dave Hanner against the San Francisco 49ers at Milwaukee Sunday, frankly volunteers, "They did a pretty good job of pushing me around, yes sir." The assignment had come like a bolt from the proverbial blue, he added. "I didn't find out until right before the kickoff. Coach Bengtson (Phil) said, 'We're going to start you today.'" (This was intentional," Bengston later confided, "because we felt it would be better for him if he didn't know about it until game time.") It proved to be a wise decision. "I started shaking like a leaf," Voss, the Packers' No. 1 selection in the 1963 college draft, reported with a laugh. "I sure didn't expect it. I thought I might play a little because they had been working me a little more at tackle last week (he is listed as a defensive end), but I sure didn't expect to start." Evaluating his performance, the 22-year-old Minnesotan again was completely forthright. "I've got a lot to learn, that's for sure," he declared. "I knew I was getting off the ball slow and my pursuit was nil. I think I was trying to read too much, instead of trying to be more aggressive." He noted, a little ruefully, "They can sure move you around in a big hurry." Had the 49ers "picked on" him? "I was expecting it right away, but they seemed to go to the other side with the first couple of plays, then came over to my side." Generously crediting his colleagues for their assistant when his moment of truth arrived, the strapping blond explained, "I got a lot of help from Caffey (Lee Roy), Aldridge (Lionel), and Nitschke (Ray). They stopped a couple of plays the 49ers ran over me." "I think that helped a lot. If the 49ers had gained a lot of yards on those," he added, with a mental shudder, "they would have really poured it on me." Had he acquired any contusions in combat? "No," he replied with an infectious chuckle. "I didn't do enough to get hurt." Voss, a major figure (along with Packer teammate Dennis Claridge) in Nebraska's 13-7 Orange Bowl victory over Auburn last New Years' Day, hails from Magnolia, Minn., "a small town of about 250 in northwestern Minnesota" where he began his gridiron career playing 6-man football. "It's a small, consolidated high school - I graduated with 14 other students. We were the only 6-man football team in Minnesota my sophomore year. The other teams used to take off the two guards to make it even," he laughed. "The next year, they told us we would have to go to 8-man ball or forget about it. We managed to get a couple of other kids so we could stay in it."...STILL A DREAM: In light of this, there is no inclination to doubt his sincerity when he says, with a trace of awe in his tone, "It's still a dream to me to be with the Packers." "During the draft last winter, I spent a lot of time with a man named J.I. Albrecht of the Cowboys, who was assigned to me. I met him at the hotel late the afternoon of the first day and he told me, 'You went on the first round and we didn't get you. It was Green Bay.' I couldn't talk for a couple of minutes," Voss asserted. "Green Bay always has been the number one team to me."
TWO BEST (STARR, UNITAS) COLLIDE
OCT 15 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - It's Starr vs. Unitas out in Baltimore Sunday. And right away you start thinking of what the old timers called the "forward pass." They are the best in the business. General John is like the riverboat gambler, takes lots of chances - even with strangers from Wisconsin. Our Bart leans to the careful, make-sure side but he carries a checkered vest in his valise and he's not afraid to make a surprise gamble here or there. In fact, he rather enjoys it. Lest you think these quarterback heroes are card sharks let us hasten to explain that this reference is merely a method of introducing a few lines - on the flame throwers of the Packers and Colts. They last collided Sept. 20 in Green Bay and Unitas got out alive because the Packers missed an extra point, 21-20. He threw a beauty of a bomb for one TD and caught the Bays with their defense leaking for another. Unitas finished with seven completions in 12 attempts, while Starr was slightly fantastic with 16 completions in 21 attempts for a completion percentage of 76. Bart had three passes intercepted and that, of course, was what hurt. Between 'em, Unitas and Starr had 23 completions in 33 attempts for 329 yards and two touchdowns. Unitas presently is leading the league in passing under the percentage system, while Starr ranks fourth. John leads the loop in touchdown passes, 11, while Bart has the best completion percentage, a rare 62.5. John likes to throw the bomb, of course, and this shows up in the yards gained per attempt. His average there is 10.78, which is fantastic, while Starr's average is 8.56. There's a real unusual in the figures of the two passers. Starr actually has thrown more asses than Unitas, 96 to 89. The logical excuse here would be that young Gary Cuozzo, John's understudy, has played a lot since the Colts have been winning by landslides. But this isn't so. Cuozzo threw only eight times. Apparently, the Colts are throwing less - because they now have a good running attack going. And that brings up another point. You know how people will holler about the Packers being too conservative. Even Coach Vince Lombardi through so at times, and the critics took him up on it. There was an interesting "case" in the Packers' 24-14 victory over the 49ers in Milwaukee Sunday. It was early in the fourth quarter. The Packers had just taken a 17-14 lead, coming from behind the second time, and had forced the 49ers to punt. So it was first down on their own 22 and the careful procedure would have been to let Jim Taylor bull away. But Starr got that checkered vest out and started pitching. He threw five passes in the first six plays and completed one before the Bays had to punt. A few minutes later, the Packers scored the clinching TD and it wasn't done conservatively. The Bays had third and six on the 49er eight-yard line. Go for the first down on two rushes or throw? Yep, he threw to Boyd Dowler for the eight-yard TD. Starr has some thoughts on this business of the Pack being too conservative. "We run the ball a lot
because we have a good running attack and rarely throw the long bomb and for this reason I think a lot of fans feel that is our only style of attack. This, of course, isn't true because we pass considerable and the records will show it." Starr's idea of conservatism in football is "two runs and a pass," and, he added, "we certainly don't play that way." Starr, who led the Packers to three championships (one more than Unitas), mixes up his attack plenty and it isn't rare to see him throw on a third and one situation - or unleash the bomb. The Packers came up Wednesday with what Coach Vince Lombardi called "a good workout." And that's a good start for the big game ahead. Vince said he thought Herb Adderley and Hank Jordan would be able to play Sunday, but he put Paul Hornung and Fuzzy Thurston in the doubtful class.
HANK JORDAN 'HIMSELF' AGAIN; COLTS' HILL DOUBTFUL
OCT 16 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Hank Jordan is himself again. And "I hope to stay that way," says the Packers' fast-moving defensive tackle. Jordan hasn't been right since the first week of the league season. He suffered a groin pull in the Bear game, and it has been trouble for him since. He sat out the last two games. "I feel like I'm coming along good. Nothing hurts now and let's just hope," Henry said today, adding: "This is a big game for us. We'll be even with them if we win. Otherwise we'll have to depend on somebody else."...Jordan and Herb Adderley will both be ready for the Colts. Adderley also sat out last Sunday's game to rest a pulled muscle. Herb has been running good, and he'll need all his speed because his personal opponent will be fleet Jimmy Orr. "It doesn't bother me a bit," Adderley said, "and I expect no trouble. I could have played last Sunday, but the rest did me good." Two Packers are in the doubtful class - Paul Hornung and Fuzzy Thurston, both shoulder cases, Coach Vince Lombardi said. It's going to be tough keeping them out of action, though...Jerry Norton has a hobby, other than bow and arrow hunting. He likes to practice kicking off
and field goal booting. The Packers' regular punter was getting off some long kickoffs the other day...The Colts' only doubtful is rusher Jerry Hill, who has a sprained knee. Hill had hoped to start running Saturday, and his availability will be determined then. If Hill can't go, rookie Tony Lorick will get his first official start. Actually, Lorick has started other games, including the Colts' 21-20 victory here, but it was merely for special plays. Against the Packers Sept. 20, Lorick carried the ball on the first two plays of the game, hitting the right side for one and five yards. He then was replaced by Hill, who caught a 27-yard pass from John Unitas...The Colts will be playing their fourth straight home game since the action in Green Bay and there has been and will be nothing less than a sellout. The first two, vs. the Bears and the Rams, drew 56,537 fans and the Cardinal game last Sunday and the Packers game figure is 60,213. The difference in the addition of temporary seats around the field, which could be installed after the Orioles finished baseball...The Packer-
Colt game will be televised into three theaters in Baltimore and a 90 percent sale of the 6,000 $6 seats is expected. The closed-circuit program is an experiment, according to Harry Hulmes, Colts' PR man...The Packers fly out of Austin Straubel field via United Airline charter at 9 o'clock Saturday morning. They'll loosen up in Memorial Stadium in the afternoon and then headquarter at the Sheraton-Belvedere. Kickoff in Baltimore is 2:05, which is 12:05 in Green Bay...TRAVEL TIP: Dick Peal of the Triple-A has some seats left for the second annual Packer Special to the West Coast. The 11-day California and Las Vegas tour starts Dec. 4 and will include the Packers' battle against the Rams...If you're not convinced the Coltsare running the ball, it is reminded that John Unitas completed only eight of 20 passes against the Cards Monday - this despite the big 47-27 score. The Cards' Pat Fischer, by the way did a good job of holding down Jimmy Orr...The Colts list two players at 275 pounds - Jim Parker, who plays left guard, and John Diehl, relief defensive tackle.
PACKER INJURIES RECALL 1963 GAME IN BALTIMORE
OCT 17 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Saturday in Baltimore. And the long countdown begins. With all the talk about injuries (Herb Adderley, Paul Hornung, Fred Thurston, Hank Jordan, Ray Nitschke and others), we can't help but think back to one year ago when the Packers beat the Colts out here. Without Bart Starr, Tom Moore, Ron Kramer (for the last three quarters) and Hornung. The Packers won 34 to 20 and it turned out to be the team's finest hour. The previous Sunday Starr broke his right hand in a victory in St. Louis and the Colts were up to long John Roach. Adderley intercepted two John Unitas pass in the first half. The first set up a 38-yard field goal by Jerry Kramer to tie the score, and the second set up a short touchdown smash by Jim Taylor. Shortly before the half, the Packers drove 59 yards for a touchdown, on a Roach to Marv Fleming pass, for a 17-3 lead. Fleming had replaced R. Kramer. J. Kramer kicked a 37-yard field goal in the third quarter and it looked like easy street. But the Colts charged back to tie the score on two Unitas TD passes to Lenny Moore and John Mackey and it appeared that the Colts had the momentum midway in the fourth quarter. But Jordan came to the rescue. He blocked a field goal try and the Bays had the ball at midfield. Two plays later, Elijah Pitts, going the route at left half, circled left end for 34 yards and the Touchdown Of The Day. And four plays later, Jordan recovered a fumble by Unitas and the Bays went in again, this time with Taylor running 16. That was 1963. The Packer may have Starr, but the Colts are a mighty different team. They have developed a powerful running attack to go with Unitas' passing. The Colts have five backs who have gained 100 yards rushing or more - Lenny Moore (266), Jerry Hill (146), Tony Lorick (124), Tom Matte 91150 and Joe Don Looney (100). This fivesome totaled up 751 yards rushing compared to 731 for the Packers' big three - Taylor (360), Hornung (227) and Tom Moore (144).
PACKERS TRY TO SNAP 3-TD JINX VS. COLTS IN 'GAME OF DAY'
OCT 18 (Baltimore-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers hope to break their three-touchdown scoring "barrier" in Memorial Stadium this afternoon. If they can win with one, two or three touchdowns, it would be okay, of course. But in view of the Colts' 40-point offensive average, the Packers may find it necessary to break loose with four touchdowns or more. The Packers, in winning three of their first five games, have engaged in low scorers, which is a tribute to Green Bay's gutty defense. They nicked the Bears with two touchdowns and three field goals, 26-13; lost to the Colts with three TDs, 21-20; beat the Lions with two touchdowns, 14-10; lost to the Vikings with three touchdowns and a field goal, 24-23; and beat the 49ers with three TDs and a field goal, 24-14. Two of those games (Colts and Vikings) were lost on missed extra point kicks. But right now two points seems like a paltry amount the way the Colts have been scoring. Kickoff is set for 12:05, Packerland time, and the game will carried via WJPG and WBAY-TV. Balmy weather is in prospect and 60,213 of the world's noisiest fans will fill every seat. This is the Game of the Day in the NFL, and it's an out and out must for Green Bay. A Packer win would draw Green Bay even with Baltimore at 4-2 and the two clubs can take over first place if the Bears beat the Lions in Chicago today. Detroit then would have 3-2-1 and Chicago 3-3. The Packer offense, aiming for ball possession - plus those four TDs, is not in perfect health. Two key performers, Fuzzy Thurston and halfback Paul Hornung, have shoulder injuries. They'll play but won't be 100 percent. Tom Moore and/or Elijah Pitts will back up Hornung, while loss of Thurston might create some juggling in the offensive line. This could include shifting of Forrest Gregg from tackle to guard, playing Ken Bowman at center and moving Bob Skoronski to tackle. The Pack's big scoring hopes are wrapped up in Starr, his unit of ends - Max McGee, Boyd Dowler and Ron Kramer, and Jim Taylor. Jarrin' Jim is coming off his best game of the season (133 yards vs. the 49ers) and he usually does exceptionally well in Baltimore. The Colts' defense, led by Gino Marchetti and Bill Pellington, was nicked for 27 points by the Cardinals last Monday. But it may tougher today. The Packer defense received a bolstering this week with the return of Hank Jordan and Herb Adderley, who have recovered from muscle pulls. Jordan will be making his first full-game appearance since the opener. Hank's speed could be a big factor in "capturing" John Unitas. The Packer defense faces a new task since the Colts have suddenly come up with a powerful ground game. This is just what the doctor ordered for Unitas and his receivers. The Colts are expected to go with rookie Tony Lorick in place of the injured Jerry Hill at a running back spot. Lenny Moore works at the other RB position. The game shapes up as a duel of the Colts' strong offense and the Packers' outstanding defense. These two are the best in the business. The opposites, which would be the Packer offense and the Colt defense, hope to provide the balance of power. And Starr & Co. would like nothing better than four touchdowns...BRIEFS: The Packers loosened up in a light drizzle in Memorial Stadium after arrival Saturday afternoon. They weren't allowed on the gridiron, which was covered, but worked in a small area alongside. Everybody drilled and spirits, by the way, are exceptionally high. It has been raining here since Friday but clear weather is scheduled for the
game...Doug Hart will wed Marilyn Lewis in Dallas Monday morning. he'll fly there right after the game. Miss Lewis was runnerup in the recent Texas beauty contest.
