Los Angeles Rams (4-2-1) 27, Green Bay Packers (3-4) 17
Sunday October 25th 1964 (at Milwaukee)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(MILWAUKEE) - The worst thing that could have happened to the Packers happened in County Stadium Sunday afternoon. They suffered a letdown following their super performance against the Colts a week ago. The Rams quickly took advantage of the situation for a 27 to 17 upset victory before a record crowd of 47,617. To show that their dropoff was no fluke, the Packers blew a 17 to 0 lead inside of 10 playing minutes when the Rams exploded three touchdown bombs - a 53-yard run by rookie Les Josephson, a 55-yard pass from Roman Gabriel to rookie Bucky Pope, and a 94-yard return of a partially blocked Paul Hornung field goal by Bobby Smith. This was the Packers' fourth loss and it all but ruined their title chances. There were three firsts: (1) The first time the Bays had lost four this soon since 1959 when the Packers, in their first season under Vince Lombardi, won the first three and then lost five in a tow before snapping back with four straight wins, (2) The first loss in Milwaukee since a 17-13 setback at the hands of Detroit in the first game of 1961 and (3) the first time the Packer had lost two league games in a row since 1960 when they were beaten by the Rams and Lions in five days. Now the Packers face Fran Tarkenton and all the other Vikings in Minneapolis Sunday, aiming for a 4-4 record. The Rams visit Detroit in their next assignment. You almost had to see this one to believe it. It started out like a runaway for Green Bay when Jim Taylor plunged a yard for a touchdown. Paul Hornung kicked a 12-yard field goal and Willie Wood returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown and a 17-0 lead. Then, in the short space of 1 minute and 54 seconds, the Rams scored two touchdowns - by Josephson and Pope, to set the halftime score at 17-14. The Packers drove for three first downs to start the second half, but the drive petered out and Hornung tried a field goal from the 36. Smith's runback made it 21-17 and the Packers were never in the game after that. Bruce Gossett, a rookie kicker, booted 37 and 43-yard field goals in the fourth period. The Packers were "down there" five times in the game and came out with 10 points. On the other three occasions, the ball was lost by fumble on the Ram one-yard line, Hornung missed a field goal from the 21 and then from the 36. The Packer defense recovered three Ram fumbles (by Ron Kostelnik, Herb Adderley, Ray Nitschke) and intercepted two passes (by Adderley and Wood) in the first half but only a fumble recovery by Nitschke was converted into points - Hornung's field goal. The lone TD drive went 47 yards in 11 plays. Ironically, Hornung, who missed four field goals and had one blocked in Baltimore, missed one and had one blocked by the Rams. The Rams added insult to injury when Smith made his return. After the Packers' three-first down drive to set up the ill-fated TD-field goal, the Bays could get but three first downs the rest of the game as the huge Ram defensive line started to "handle" the Bay forwards. The Packers' play showed up in the statistics. They finished with 179 yards for the day, while holding the Rams to 281. The Bays settled for 60 yards passing, with Bart Starr hitting for 12 of 23, but losing 51 when he was thrown six times attempting to pass. The Bays made only 71 yards in the second half. Oddly enough, the Packers had the ball for 63 plays against the Rams' 51, but the Los Angeles visitors averaged 5.6 yads per play against the Pack's 2.8. The Augustana rookie, Josephson, led both teams in rushing (10 for 90 yards) and in pass catching (4 catches for 41 yards). Pope, with his one catch, now has 12 receptions, with six going for TDs - not to mention a 32-yard average per catch. The Packers made a quick bid when Herb Adderley intercepted a Gabriel pass on the third play of the game and romped back 35 yards to the Ram 28. Starr threw to Boyd Dowler for 13, Hornung ran 11 but two plays later Starr fumbled and Dave Jones recovered on the 2-yard line. Ron Kostelnik tackled Gabriel for a 12-yard loss to get the Pack's lone TD drive going - from
the Ram 47, after Jerry Norton's 45-yard punt. Starr's 12-yard pass to Dowler and a 17-yard rollout pass to Jim Taylor set the ball down on the Ram 14. Hornung raced 12 yards in two trips to the two and then the Bays put it across on four straight Taylor cracks, including an offside on the Rams. Hornung made the first of three extra points and it was 7-0. Moments later, Kostelnik recovered Gabriel's fumble on the Ram 17. The attack stalled when Starr was thrown by a nine-yard loss by Livingston and on the first play of the second quarter Hornung missed a 21-yard field goal try, the ball going low. The Rams moved into Packer territory, but Adderley recovered Gabriel's fumble to end that threat. After a Norton punt, Josephson fumbled and Nitschke recovered on the Ram 24. Starr passed to Dowler for 11 yards, but the Rams tightened and Hornung got a big hand when he hit the field goal from the 10. It looked extremely easy when Wood stole a Gabriel pass from Carroll Dale on the dead run and wheeled 42 yards to a touchdown with 11:16 gone in the second period. Thus, it was 17-0 when Josephson took off around his own left and ran through a half dozen arm-waving Packers for an easy TD. That made it 17-7 at 11:49 and Norton was forced to punt. After Wilson made two, Gabriel threw a beauty to Pope, who took the ball between Adderley and Whittenton on the Packer 25 and then raced home at 13:43. The Packers came out steaming in the second half and rolled up three straight first downs, opening with Tom Moore's 19-yard run. Starr passed to McGee for five, Moore ran for 11 and Taylor 10 to reach the Ram 19. Lamar Lundy caught Starr for an eight-yard loss and Hornung went back for his field goal try from the 36. Eddie Meador tipped it and Smith grabbed the ball on the 6. He broke away from a flock of Packers around his own 35 and then followed his escort. The Bays, or rather Starr, lost 32 yards in the next two series as the Rams' giant linemen crashed in and the Rams launched a field goal drive after Norton's second punt in the third quarter. Josephson's running ate up most of the yardage and Gossett's kick was good from the 37.
REPLACES STARR
Zeke Bratkowski replaced Starr at this point and Hornung ran 15 yards in two trips, but that was the end and Norton punted. Gabriel started hitting on passes to Josephson, McKeever and Dale to set up Gossett's 43-yard field goal with 6:43 left. Starr returned and completed passes to Moore, Pitts and Marving Fleming, who was in most of the game for the injured Ron Kramer, for three first downs. The attack stalled, however, and the Bays gave up the ball on downs on the Ram 30. Los Angeles then ran out the clock, with Dan Villanueva punting on the game's last play.
LOS ANGELES - 0 14 7 6 - 27
GREEN BAY - 7 10 0 0 - 17
LOS ANGELES GREEN BAY
First Downs 12 14
Rushing-Yards-TD 32-161-1 31-119-1
Att-Comp-Yd-TD-Int 16-9-139-1-2 26-12-111-0-0
Sack Yards Lost 3-19 6-51
Net Passing Yards 120 60
Total Yards 281 179
Fumbles-lost 3-3 1-1
Turnovers 5 1
Yards penalized 3-20 1-5
SCORING
1st - GB - Jim Taylor, 1-yard run (Paul Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Hornung, 12-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-0
2nd - GB - Wood, 42-yard interception return (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 17-0
2nd - LA - Les Josephson, 53-yard run (Bruce Gossett kick) GREEN BAY 17-7
2nd - LA - Bucky Pope, 55-yard pass from Roman Gabriel (Gossett kick) GREEN BAY 17-14
3rd - LA - Bobby Smith, 94-yd return with blocked field goal (Gossett kick) LOS ANGELES 21-17
4th - LA - Gossett, 37-yard field goal LOS ANGELES 24-17
4th - LA - Gossett, 43-yard field goal LOS ANGELES 27-17
RUSHING
GREEN BAY - Paul Hornung 9-61, Jim Taylor 13-31 1 TD, Tom Moore 5-28, Elijah Pitts 2-3, Bart Starr 2-(-4)
LOS ANGELES - Les Josephson 10-90 1 TD, Ben Wilson 16-56, Dick Bass 3-8, Roman Gabriel 3-7
PASSING
GREEN BAY - Bart Starr 23-12-111, Zeke Bratkowski 2-0-0, Paul Hornung 1-0-0
LOS ANGELES - Roman Gabriel 16-9-139 1 TD 2 INT
RECEIVING
GREEN BAY - Boyd Dowler 3-34, Jim Taylor 2-25, Marv Fleming 2-19, Elijah Pitts 2-11, Tom Moore 1-9, Paul Hornung 1-8, Max McGee 1-5
LOS ANGELES - Les Josephson 4-41, Marlin McKeever 3-30, Bucky Pope 1-55 1 TD, Caroll Dale 1-13
PACKERS FLAT - VINCE; BIGGEST WIN - SVARE
OCT 26 (Milwaukee-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - With most coaches, victory is an ambition; with Vince Lombardi, it is a religion. He thus reacted swiftly, and decisively, in the wake of Sunday's 27-17 Packer comeuppance at the Los Angeles Ram's hands in County Stadium. Fuming over the Pack's performance, Lombardi immediately called a closed-door meeting with his players in the "Braves" dressing room. It was perhaps the most private such session in the team's long history - even the assistant coaches, Business Manager Verne Lewellen, Trainer Carl (Bud) Jorgensen and property and equipment men, all of whom customarily accompany the players into the dressing room as soon as the game ends, were excluded. After a seven-minute wait, the balance of the "official" Packer party was admitted and, three minutes later, the press. Although obviously still highly perturbed, the Packer head man submitted to a barrage of question with, under the circumstances, considerable patience. Responding to the first query, he summed up a dark afternoon grimly with, "Defensive and offensively, we were not much today." Asked to elaborate, he retorted, "I can't give you a reason - how can I give you a reason? They're human beings." He agreed that the Rams had "put a great rush on Starr" but did not entirely concur that said rush had been "tougher in the second half." Asked what he told the offensive team when he gathered them together on the sidelines, Lombardi replied, "'Let's go,' You don't think I was going to tell you anything else?" The talk moved to Paul Hornung's ill-fated third quarter field goal attempt, run back 94 yards for the Rams' go-ahead touchdown by Bobby Smith. "It was touched at the line of scrimmage," Vince said, adding in reply to another question, "Hornung's all right." Next asked to assess the Packers' chances in the Western Division race, Lombardi shot back, "Are you kidding?" Did he think last week's all-out but losing effort in Baltimore could have affected his athletes' play? "It could have drained them emotionally - I can't tell you anything else." He flashed a tight-lipped smile and added sardonically, "At least we didn't lose this by one or three points (the Packers' first three losses had been inflicted by a total of five points). We lost this one." Asked if any personnel changes were contemplated, Lombardi replied, "I don't know. I'll have to wait (presumably until after viewing the game film)." Why had Starr been replaced at quarterback by Zeke Bratkowski? "I thought it might giver Bart a lift. Sometimes it works that way." Tom Moore and Elijah Pitts had supplanted Hornung and Jim Taylor in the final period with the intent of exploiting "passes going wide," Lombardi also explained...GAME OF EMOTIONS: Reevaluation what has transpired, he declared, "This is still a game of emotions. If you are not ready to play that way, you aren't ready. Every team has days like that. Unfortunately, ours came today. It's the first bad game we've played - we've played good football up until now. But this was a flat game today." The Rams' long gainers (three lengthy scoring strikes) symbolized the "flatness," he agreed. Did he feel the Packers should have had more than 17 points in the first half? "That's been our history all year," Lombardi said. "We haven't been able to do anything once we got inside the 30 or 40." "We should have had..." Again facing up to the cold reality of defeat, he paused, grinned mirthlessly, and rapped. "What the hell difference does it make what we should have had?"...Labeling himself "ecstatic," the Rams' jubilant young headmaster, Harland (Swede) Svare termed the Angeleno's triumph "easily the biggest victory I've personally had since 1956 when I was a player with the Giants (under Lombardi) and won the championship. I'm ecstatic about it." The heady success also established Los Angeles as a Western Division contender, somebody ventured, "Well, we're tied for second place - I guess we're contenders," Svare smiled. "And we intend to make a big whack at it." The ex-linebacker called "the blocked field goal - I believe Meador deflected it - and Bobby Smith's runback (for a TD) the turning point. Smith has been making a lot of yards for us. He ran back an interception 97 yards for a score against San Francisco last week, and today he went 94. That's a pretty fair average," Svare evinced no surprise at rookie Bucky Pope's TD catch just before the half. "Bucky caught two of 'em like that last week," he said, somewhat matter-of-factly. Informed that Pope now has 12 receptions as a pro and six of them for touchdowns, Swede smiled and observed, "I knew he had a 31-yard average coming into the game." He had high praise for another freshman, halfback Les Josephson, a former St. Norbert College adversary. Asked how he had been acquired, Svare explained, "We got Josephson from Dallas for Jim Boeke, a tackle. We were in dire need of a running back. But we didn't have a chance to try him out until last week." "He's a find," Svare beamed. "He's from a small school - Augustana - but he's a tough little apple." (Josephson, helped from the field in the fourth quarter after a thunderous collision with the Packers' Dan Currie, "just got knocked out for a while," the Ram mentor also revealed.) Commenting on still another rookie, Svare said, "Gossett (Bruce) judged the wind perfectly on those two field goals - the ball drifted right between the goal posts. I was kind of worried about the win on both of them, but they were perfect." Had he felt his team might collapse after falling behind 17-0 in the second quarter? "No, our boys haven't been guilty of giving up yet," the former Giant coaching aide said. "The rush on Starr," he noted in reply to another question, "was fantastic. It was the best rush they've ever had on that quality of team." How did he explain the Rams' lack of first half success? "We just were higher than a kite," Svare said. "We were very nervous in the first half - probably the result of our youth and our desire - but we relaxed when we scored those two quick ones."...PACKER PATTER: A minor reunion occurred in the press box before the game when Elroy (Crazy Legs) Hirsch, now an assistant to Rams' President-General Manager Dan Reeve, encountered Joseph Leo (Roundy) Coughlin, veteran Madison State Journal columnist who recorded the erstwhile Wausau Wiggler's gridiron exploits when he was a sophomore sensation at the University of Wisconsin in 1942. "You're looking wonderful - like you were 40 years old," Hirsch laughingly informed Coughlin, now in his early 70s...A highly interested spectator - and later a dressing room visitor - was Frank Mestnik, a Packer fullback in 1963 who was released just before the season's opener against the Bears. Mestnik, now out of football, is back in his native Cleveland...Victim of several heart attacks in recent years, Ram broadcaster Bob Kelly greeted Green Bay friends with a puckish grin and, "I survive 'em all - I'm too tough."...The Milwaukee East Division drill team,
a highly precise unit, presented "Age of Jazz" routine between halves, accompanied by Wilner Burke's Packer band.
'MUST SHOW INDIVIDUAL PRIDE,' DAVIS
OCT 26 (Milwaukee-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Constructive concern for the future was intermingled with the still unfamiliar gloom of defeat in all corners of a somber Packer dressing room late Sunday afternoon. And at least one of the unhappy principals in that unexpected 27-17 jolt from the suddenly militant Rams, attempting to forget the irretrievable, was taking the positive approach. Wide-spanned Willie Davis, again a standout in adversity, declared, "I'd like to think we have a chance, but it would take a miracle. I think we've just got to buckle down and show some individual pride. Even if your chances are over, you've got to have pride individually. Every time I take the field, I want to do the best job I can," the articulate Grambling alumnus added earnestly. "And you've got to do your best against the man opposite you on every play." "You're less than a man," Willie said, his voice thick with emotion, "if you let this guy win a battle when he shouldn't. And that's what we've got to do. Each man has to show his individual pride - that's all there is left. I know one thing, I want to live with myself." Asked by a Milwaukee scribe if Coach Vince Lombardi had "chewed out" the team in a 7-minute closed-door session immediately after the game, Davis replied without hesitation, "I don't think Coach Lombardi has ever said anything to this ball club that didn't need saying." At the far end of the Packer quarters, veteran Jess Whittenton was quietly explaining how Ram rookie Bucky Pope had eluded him and him and fellow defender Herb Adderley (an earlier hero with an interception and fumble recovery) to snare a touchdown pass from Roman Gabriel just before the intermission. "I thought we had him covered," Whittenton said sadly. "I think we both misjudged the ball and pulled off Pope - at least I felt that I did. He just kept going and the ball was right there. It was a bad play." Paul Hornung, commenting on his 21-yard field goal attempt which has gone astray on the first play of the second quarter, said without hesitation, "I just missed it (the ball)." The comebacking Golden Boy, who connected for 12 yards out later in the same period, wasn't sure what happened on the FG attempt that was blocked by the Rams and subsequently returned 94 yards for a touchdown by Bobby Smith, a development that shot the Californians ahead to stay. "I don't know about that one," Hornung replied with a shake of his head. "I will have to see the pictures." Although it had been a largely dismal afternoon for the home forces, there had been an occasional moment of cheer, one of them being Willie Wood's 42-yard runback of an interception for a touchdown. "We had double coverage on the split end out there (Carroll Dale) that time," Willie revealed. "On double coverage, if a man is turning in, I just play aggressive. It just so happened when Dale turned in, I made my move and saw the ball coming." "It was just a matter of hanging on to the ball," said the ex-USC quarterback, adding, "When I caught the ball, I saw there was a possible chance of going all the way."..."It kind of exploded something loose in us," mountainous Rosey Grier, one of the Rams' awesome "front four" confessed, referring to Smith's spectacular. "We played with more abandon (a term coined by Vince Lombardi, ironically) after that. We had been playing it kind of cautious," the 291-pound defensive tackle explained, "and they were killing us. Smith's runback made us realize we could play ball - and win." Discoursing on the Rams' thunderous second half rush, Grier produced one of the season's classic understatements, "We were just trying to get consistent pressure in there," he explained soberly. "The other guys - Davey Jones, Merlin Olsen and Lamar Lundy - are all fast and we're all tall, so we're hard to throw over. So all we tried to do was apply consistent pressure. We felt that would do the job, and I guess it did."
LOMBARDI INSISTS PACKERS ARE 'BY NO MEANS ON THE DECLINE'
OCT 27 (Green Bay) - Despite four losses in seven NFL outings, Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi insists the Packers "are by no means on the decline." "We play one bad game and we're written off - well, I don't buy that," Lombardi said Monday in the wake of a 27-17 thumping by the Los Angeles Rams. Failure to boot two conversions and one of five field goal attempts in another game cost the Packers their first three defeats. However, they were soundly whipped by the Rams after building up a 17-0 lead. The Packers were picked by most observers to regain the NFL's Western division title and Lombardi was asked if the team might not have been overrated. "We're just a good football club," he replied. "But I'll tell you this - neither the players nor the coaches have to apologize to anyone." Linebacker Dave Robinson, who missed the Los Angeles game, also is expected to be sidelined next Sunday when the Packers play the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis. Tight end Ron Kramer's availability won't be determined until later in the week. Kramer suffered a back injury against the Rams and had to be replaced by Marv Fleming.
'WE'LL JUST HAVE TO REGROUP,' LOMBARDI
OCT 27 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The most precious things in the game of football are (1) winning and (2) scoring touchdowns. There are many others, headed by staunch defensive play, but these two rank one-two. Packer fans have been treated beyond their wildest dreams to countless wins and touchdowns in the past five years. Coach Vince Lombardi, who changed the Packers from a 11-year loser into a winner and champion in miracle time, now has felt the sting of four losses. Which is (get this) one more than the Bays lost in the entire 1962 and 1963 seasons. Lombardi had some interesting thoughts on the drop off today and he included himself. "We're all to blame - the newspapers, the team, the coaches and the people. Nobody got a kick out of winning anymore, or even scoring a touchdown," Vince said, adding: "When we won a close game, people would wonder why we didn't get a bigger score - or get more touchdowns. Gradually, there was less emotion, less elation with winning." What can we do now, coach? "We'll just have to regroup our forces and our thoughts. I think we can come out of it." The Packers next face the Vikings in Minneapolis Sunday. The Vikings handled the Bays their second loss 24-23 here Oct. 4. Lombardi and aides Phil Bengtson, Norb Hecker, Bill Austin, Red Cochran and Tom Fears looked over pictures of the 27-17 loss to the Rams Monday, and Vince noted today that "we played a pretty bad football game." The coach said he felt that "we were drained emotionally from the Baltimore game, leaving us pretty flat." In addition, he pointed out that "every time we got a bad break we felt sorry for ourselves - instead of fighting back." The Rams scored their three touchdowns on three long plays - Les Josephson's 53-yard run, the 55-yard pass from Roman Gabriel to Bucky Pope and a 94-yard return by Bob Smith of a partially blocked field goal. Vince said "we tackled poorly on the long run, misplayed the other (long pass) and we were beaten on the other (the field goal return)." Lombardi said "we rushed well against them and moved the ball against them, but that long return was the straw that broke the camel's back." One of the unusuals of the statistics was that the Packers rushed for 119 yards and gained but 60 yards passing, although the gross passing figure was 111 yards. The yards figure was cut virtually in half because the Bays lost 51 yards on six pass attempts. Until Sunday, nobody had been rushing on the Rams, who ranked second only to Detroit in yards allowed by rushing. Paul Hornung led the Packer rushers with 61 yards in nine attempts, while Jim Taylor had what amounted to an off day for him, with 31 yards in 13 attempts. Tom Moore, who alternated with Hornung, picked up 28 yards in five carries, including the Bays' longest run of the day - a 19-yard trip around left end on the first play of the second half. And how's your memory? The Packers were losing to the Rams 30-10 in Milwaukee in 1960 when Moore, then a rookie, exploded the Bays with a 59-yard touchdown run - around left end again. The Bays went on to a 31-30 lead but lost in the final seconds 33-31. Lombardi feared an emotional letdown when the Bays invaded Detroit for the next game and as it turned out the Packers were flat in losing a 23-10 decision. That was the last time the Packers lost two games in a row - until the last two Sundays. And in each case an emotional letdown hurt the Pack. The '60 Packers went on to the championship, what with the Colts experiencing a tailspin. It could happen again. Forrest Gregg, adjusting his tie after the Ram loss, put it this way: "We're still a good ball club. We've just got to go out and play the best we can - and we'll win."
TAKE IT OUT ON THE VIKINGS
OCT 27 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers lived a sort of double life in their 60-minute existence against the Rams in Milwaukee Sunday. They experienced riches and poverty. And they couldn't handle either. First off, the Packers built up a 17 to 0 lead. This is wealth but certainly not enough to insure retirement. But the Bays tried to retire, sat on the front porch and watched the traffic. Next came hardship - when the Packers, on the
brink of adding to their wealth (taking a 20-14 lead on a 33-yard Paul Hornung field goal), went behind on Bob Smith's 94-yard return of Hornung's partially blocked field goal. Down and almost out, the once-rich Packers just kept sliding and the Rams added to their new-found wealth with a couple of field goals. Thus, the Packers experienced a double dose of adversity. One thing about this game. When it was over, you felt that the Packers had been licked, period - even though they were still in the game until the last six minutes. The other three losses (by five points) were all barn burners, and they ate you heart out for most of the week following. The most stunning (and discouraging, too) period in the game was after Smith's runback. The Packers took the ball on their own 25 after Smith's run and you automatically get a lift by a quick memory or two of this same team roaring back with a vengeance. But reality took over in a hurry when three plays later the Packers were back on their own one-yard line and fighting like blazes to avert a safety. Bart Starr tried two passes, but each time he was smeared back 10 yards. On third and 30, Tom Moore dashed out to the left side but he was pounded down on the one. Jerry Norton had to punt just in front of his own end line. Jerry got off a 49-yard punt and, fortunately, the Rams were nicked for clipping. The Packers tried again a few moments later but on first down Starr was chased back eight yards to the 10. He tried two more passes but they were both incomplete. In two series after Smith's runback, the Packers had lost 28 yards attempting to pass and another four on a run. The Packers suffered a general dropoff in efficiency. The Rams' long bombs, 53, 55 and 94, indicated that the tackling left much to be desired. The Packers' 119 yards from scrimmage pointed up a considerable lack of blocking. Individually, it's easy to point a finger at Paul Hornung who had such a rugged time out in Baltimore. He missed his first field goal try, hit the second and then had his third partially blocked by Eddie Meador. The ball flew right back to Smith - just as it found a Colt on the partially blocked kick the previous Sunday. But let's not forget Hornung has been hurt for most of the last four games - first a painful groin pull and then the pinched nerve in his neck, which forced him to wear a protective collar. (Try keeping your eye on the golf ball with one of those around your neck, Buster!) The entire Packer team fell off Sunday. And that's that. Let's take it out on the Vikings.
OCT. 4 MEMORY SPURS PACK FOR VIKING TEST
OCT 28 (Green Bay) - The wrong team won the last Packer-Viking game. The Vikings has a man run the wrong way last Sunday. And what's wrong with booming the Packers for a victory Sunday? Right or wrong, this is for sure: The Packers will come out blazing in Minneapolis four days hence. The mere memory of the Vikings' 24-23 victory over Green Bay in City Stadium Oct. 4 is enough to make any Packer snort for another chance at the Vikings. A look at the play-by-play of the game makes a fellow wish it was Sunday right now. The Packers, who will see movies of that game along the practice way this week, can't help but be a little itchy for revenge. Remember how that game went? The Vikings were leading 21 to 20 going into the fourth period, and our boys started a drive on their own 5-yard line. The big gainer was a 35-yard run by Tom Moore on a reverse around his own left end. The Bays reached the Viking 10-yard line in seven plays, the last of which was a 32-yard pass from Bart Starr to Max McGee. The attack stalled on the 12-yard line and Paul Hornung went back to kick a field goal from the 30. Paul Hornung? You bet, and he made it to put the Bays ahead 23-21 with 4 minutes and 52 seconds left. After a punt exchange and five Viking plays, slipper Fran got off his desperation fourth down throw to Gordon Smith for 44 yards to set up Fred Cox' game-winning field goal. Since that game, the Vikings lost to the Lions 24 to 20 and then beat the Steelers 30-10 and the 49ers 27-22. The Packers, since then, trimmed the 49ers 24-14 and then lost to the Colts
24-21 and the Rams 27-17. Thus, the Vikings go into Sunday's match on the run while the Packers face the prospect of getting out of the starting blocks. The Vikings got a big break, an unintentional one, in the weirdo of the season in skinning past the 49ers. That would be Viking Jim Marshall's wrong-way run for a San Francisco safety with a fumble by John Brodie. Wally Cruice, the Packer scout who saw the game, said, "The funniest thing about it was the way everybody reacted. Everybody in the park knew he was going the wrong way except Marshall. They were roaring in the stands and the other Vikings were yelling at him. but Marshall thought they were cheering him on." Where was the big break? "When Marshall did get into the end zone, he threw the ball in the air and it went over the end line. It could very well have been caught and been downed in the end zone for a 49er touchdown." That would have produced a 27-27 tie score. This was the second "wrong" the Vikings capitalized on. Actually, Smith was the wrong receiver in that key pass against the Packers. It was intended for Tom Hall, but Smith broke in front of him and caught it...BRIEFS: The Packers lead the league in yardage defense, having allowed 1,727 stripes, 20 less than the Lions. The Vikings are 13th, with an allowance of 2,263. Offensively, the Vikings rank fifth and the Packers seventh...Ron Kramer was in Detroit Tuesday to be present for eye surgery on his six-year-old son. Kurt...The Packers discarded with the usual touch football warmup Tuesday with a light offensive drill, followed by the sprints. The Bays sprinted the length of the field and back in 20-yard chunks...Ram Coach Harland Svare said after his team beat Green Bay Sunday: "Coach Vince Lombardi was most gracious in congratulating us."...One of the sickening leftovers of the loss in Milwaukee was the use of a Go Packers Go sign in the left field stands. When it became inevitable that the Packers would lose, the first "go" was removed from the big sign, leaving "Packers Go." In view of what's happening with the Braves, it makes you wonder what those folks want down there. Fortunately, there are some sane fans. Thirty-seven new customers applied for 1965 season tickets Monday morning, and there wasn't a single call for a season ticket cancellation, Milwaukee ticket chief Ockie Kreuger reported.
PERSONALITY PARADE
OCT 28 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Every member of the brooding Packer cast is more than casually interested in settling a score (it was 24-23, Minnesota, in their first '64 encounter, it will be grimly recalled) with the brash and unpredictable Vikings in the Twin Cities this weekend. But none so as much as quiet, catlike Herb Adderley, the multi-muscled left cornerback. Although the lithe Michigan State produce was as chagrined as his colleagues over that Oct. 4 misadventure with the Minnesotans in City Stadium, an item which triggered the Packers' descent to their present 3-4 record, it also is a highly personal matter with Herb. And it's not only because he was forced to combat with a pulled leg muscle in the second quarter of that first meeting. "I've had my worst days as a pro against the Vikings," Adderley, who made his NFL debut along with the newly-formed Vikings in 1961, soberly explains. "I don't know what it is, but I guess it's pretty hard to cover receivers when the quarterback (Fran Tarkenton) is running around back there. You can only stay with 'em a certain length of time. It's just like a basketball game then - you guard 'em and do the best you can. The big problem is that it's hard to judge the scrimmage line. You're kind of anxious to go up and hit him, but if you do, he'll drop the ball over your head to a receiver."...'THREW AT ME': Be that as it may, Herb expects to be at his physical best - he missed a game and a half with a muscle pull - for Sunday's rematch in gleaming Metropolitan Stadium. "I don't feel anything in that leg now," says the 1962 all-pro. "It feels fine." His contributions ultimately were lost in the numbing shuffle of defeat, but the 25-year-old Philadelphian almost became a major hero of last weekend's unhappy collision with the Rams in Milwaukee County Stadium, intercepting a pass in the first quarter and pouncing upon a fumble in the second to frustrate Los Angeles threats. The former was a "gift," the ex-Spartan reported. "He threw the ball right to me. Actually, it looked like I was running the pattern," Herb laughed. "I was in front of the receiver and he stopped. I kept on running and Gabriel (Ram quarterback Roman) just threw the ball to me." Herb is somewhat at a loss to explain the Packer secondary's low interception total prior to the Ram match (they had pilfered only three enemy passes in six games) which also saw Willie Wood waylay a Gabriel pitch and streak 42 yards for a touchdown. "I don't know the answer, I know that we haven't had that many touchdown passes thrown against us - and we're on top of the league in yards allowed passing. Just playing it conservative instead of going for the ball, I guess - playing the man and making sure he doesn't get behind you instead of trying to intercept." The Packers' No. 1 draft choice of '61 is equally mystified about Green Bay's current low estate in the NFL's Western Division race. "I don't have any idea what's the matter," Herb insists. "I've been trying to figure it out myself. We have the same personnel we won championships with a couple of years ago. I guess maybe the other teams are just a lot better now than they were."
NFL LIBERALIZES PLAYER RULE, GIVES LIONS LIFT
OCT 28 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The NFL changed a player rule in midstream. And the Lions got a new life. The 40-player limit was liberalized Tuesday to permit any team dropping below that limit to add one replacement. This change would permit the Lions, who are down to one quarterback, Milt Plum, to pick up another quarterback by signing a free agent, activating a player who was placed on the injured reserve list or acquiring a player on waivers. The Lions promptly added Sonny Gibbs, who had been working out with them and played with Toledo in the United League. He replaced Earl Morrall, who is out with a broken collarbone. Under the previous interpretation of the rule, the 40-man rosters were frozen. No new men could be added until three players had been placed on reserve for the season because of injuries. The San Francisco 49ers recently put Bob St. Clair, J.D. Smith, Don Lisbon and Bill Cooper on injured reserve and added Gary Lewis, a running back. One other club has announced a change under the new rule. The Steelers placed defensive back Marv Woodson on the injured reserve and brought up Max Messner, the onetime Lion linebacker who was placed on waivers by the Giants recently.
HEALTHY JORDAN RARIN' TO CHASE TARKENTON; MASON BACK
OCT 29 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - "Fran, this here gentleman is Henry Jordan, a Green Bay taxpayer. You didn't see much of him back in Green Bay on Oct. 4. He was hurting some in that game and had to leave after the first half." Fran Tarkenton, the Vikings' scrambling quarterback, really needs no introduction to Mr. Jordan, the Packers' right defensive tackle. And nobody has to introduce Henry to the gentlemen from Minnesota. Jordan was suffering from a damaging groin pull the early part of the season and it hampered his speed considerably. Which is just what the Bay linemen need for cornering and hammering down the skittery Tarkenton in Minneapolis Sunday. Tarkenton, in the Vikings' 24-23 victory here, was hotter than that proverbial two dollar pistol. He completed 12 of 17 passes for 183 yards and one touchdown, throwing most of the time on the run. What's more, he ran (when the receivers vanished) six times for 49 yards. In the earlier match, Willie Davis, the swift end, came closest to collaring Tarkenton with some degree of consistency. Now, Davis has a fast helper in Jordan. Lionel Aldridge, Ron Kostelnik and Dave Hanner guard for the run and add their own pressure on the quarterback. Jordan is raring to go and noted today that "I've almost got this thing whipped," referring to his injury. He went the route in the last two games against the Colts and the Rams. Tarkenton obviously presents a problem because of his scrambling and Jordan explained: "Usually we like to see a quarterback run but not this little fella. Other quarterbacks run only when they have to - usually when the receivers are covered, but not Tarkenton. Running is the first thing that pops into his mind." Henry said that Tarkenton usually "runs away from the rush and then curves right back into it. I certainly hope we can catch him, and we'll be trying a few different maneuvers out there." For all his amazing moving about, Tarkenton has been able to maintain exceptional accuracy. He ranks second only to the Packers' Bart Starr in percentage of completions in the league. Bart has hit 59.2 percent of his 152 attempts (90 completions), while Tarkenton hit 57 percent on 86 completions in 151 throws. Starr and Tarkenton are tied in second place behind John Unitas in the NFL's pass standing. Of the three, Tarkenton has the most interceptions, six, while Unitas allowed three and Starr four. The Packers get a shot at the Vikings' star halfback, Tommy Mason, Sunday. Mason was missing in the earlier game. he signaled a strong return out in San Francisco last Sunday with 83 yards in 20 carries. Mason ranks eighth in rushing in the league with 374 yards, while his fullback running mate, Bill Brown, is sixth with 391. Jim Taylor is fifth with 398, while Paul Hornung is 14th with 301. Hornung pulled a little closer in the scoring race, moving into third place behind the Colts' Lenny Moore and the Cards' Jim Bakken. Moore has 66, Bakken 63 and Hornung 57. The Vikings have a representative among the pass receivers, but he's not a pass receiver, as such. That would be Tarkenton's safety valve, one Mr. Brown, who has caught 26 passes for 346 yards. Coach Vince Lombardi put the Packers through a stiff offensive drill Wednesday and the Bays were out for more of the same today - in pads. Hornung and Willie Wood came up with a new field goal assistant in Wednesday's drill - the aforementioned Mr. Taylor. Jarrin' Jim had done some kicking at LSU, and booted considerable in an exhibition season several years ago. Dave Robinson is the only Packer casualty - other than Jerry Kramer, who has been advised by his doctor to stop kicking. Robinson has a knee injury that kept him out of the Ram game but he has started to run. The Vikings have lost Paul Flatley for a few weeks with a shoulder injury. The club's No. 2 receiver with 17 catches, Flarley went through the earlier Packer game without a reception. Tom Hall caught seven that day for 103 yards. His total at the moment is 11 for 158 yards.
PACK HAS 'NEW' STING POISED FOR VIKES - JIM TAYLOR
OCT 30 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers have a "new" sting ready and waiting for the Vikings in Minneapolis Sunday. That would be Jim Taylor, fullback deluxe, who sat out the last Packer-Viking game due to a shoulder injury. The Vikings have had considerable experience with Taylor, of course, but this will be Jim's first shot at the upstart Vikings this season. Paul Hornung and Tom Moore carried the rushing load in the Minnesota game here Oct. 4, and they totaled 128 yards between 'em. Moore had 68 yards in 12 attempts, and Hornung 60 in 12, for a couple of 5-yard averages. Incidentally, Jarrin' Jim's figures for the first half of the current season are slightly behind those at the same period a year ago, although he has played in one
less game this year. In the first seven games in '63, Taylor had 498 yards in 126 carries for an average of 4.0 per crack. This year, in six games, he has 473 yards in 107 attempts for a 4.4 average. The first seven foes in '63 were the Bears, Lions, Colts, Rams, Vikings, Cardinals and Colts. He has rushed against the Bears, Colts, Lions, 49ers, Colts and Rams this year, but in two of those he was hampered by a bad shoulder. The Packers will get full game performances out of two other players who played in only half of the earlier Viking game. They are Henry Jordan and Herb Adderley of the defensive platoon. Jordan was floored with a groin pill, and Adderley pulled a leg muscle defending against a pass...Veteran left guard Fuzzy Thurston is a doubtful starter against the Vikings because of multiple injuries. John McDowell, the huge rookie from St. John's College, may replace him...The Vikings will start Larry Vargo at left end in place of the injured Paul Flatley. Milt Sunde, the rookie from U. of Minnesota, will open at left guard in place of Palmer Pyle on the basis of a fine job against the 49ers last Sunday. Charlie Britt will start at right safety. He opened here against the Packer, but was replaced early by Billy Butler, the ex-Packer. Butler started the next few games, but Britt has re-won the starting assignment...The Vikings' attendance record will be smashed but good Sunday. The record of 42,567 was set at last year's Viking-Packer game, but the gate will approach 44,000. Metropolitan Stadium, with the addition of a special bleacher section and chairs in the south end zone, can seat around 42,500. The rest of theattendance will be in standing room spots...It wasn't so long ago Jerry Kramer was in St. Vincent Hospital for surgery and while he was there his wife, Barbara, gave birth to their second son, Dan. The latest Kramer visitor to St. Vincent was tiny Dan, who underwent surgery this week. Barbara said the infant is "doing fine." Jerry has cut out practicing kicking on the advice of his physician...The Green Bay Packer Band, under the direction of Wilner Burke, entertained inmates at the Reformatory Thursday night. The program was sponsored by the Local 205, Federation of Musicians...The Packers, who tapered off their work of practice today, will leave via United Airlines charter from Austin Straubel Field at 9:30 Saturday morning. They'll drill briefly in Metropolitan Stadium upon arrival and then headquarter at the Leamington Hotel.
CHARGERS MAY SIGN AGAJANIAN
OCT 30 (San Diego) - Booting Ben Agajanian, a 45-year-old placekicking specialist, may be activated by the AFL champion San Diego Chargers, Coach Sid Gillman said today. The Chargers have been looking for a placekicker and Agajanian has just completed an assignment tutoring the Green Bay Packers kickers. Agajanian worked out with the Chargers Thursday and appeared to have lost little of the ability that made him one of the top three-point men in pro football.
RECALL LOSSES? KICKERS SHINE AS PACKERS PREPARE FOR VIKES
OCT 31 (Minneapolis-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Vince Lombardi was watching Paul Hornung, Willie Wood and Jim Taylor kick field goals in practice the other day. All three were ringing up three pointers like mad from the 10 to the 35-yard lines. Everybody was thinking the same things, it seems, and the Packer coach laughed and shook his head: "Do you realize all of our losses resulted from kicking? Sure, we would have won anyway (without the kicking misses), but each defeat goes right back to the kick." Noticeably missing from kicking drills this week was big Jerry Kramer, who has been ordered to stop his activities. He had been kicking some since undergoing surgery on an abscess. "Hornung is our best kicker," Vince said, motioning as Paul split the uprights time after time, "and with Jerry gone, we don't have anybody (experienced) behind him. Remember last year? This shows what a great job Jerry did. He was the only kicker we had then." Kramer, kicking in place of the suspended Hornung, wound up with 16 field goals in 34 attempts and 43 extra points in 46 attempts. Jerry also did the kicking during most of 1962, including the championship game, when Hornung was hurt. Hornung hit six field goals in 10 attempts in '62 and then Kramer belted nine of 11 after Paul was hurt. What's more, Jerry kicked three of them to beat the Giants in the playoff 16-7. Kramer's booting, of course, points up just "one half" of how much the Packers miss him. He also happened to be the best offensive guard in the league, bar none. You have to blame some of the Pack's offensive dropoff on his loss. Here are the four losses and note how the "kick" figured: Colts (21-20) - Hornung missed extra point, leaving Colts in front 14-13 in second quarter. Miss turned out to be the difference. Vikings (24-23) - Hornung's missed extra point kick after first Packer TD left Vikings in front 7-6 in second quarter. Colts (24-21) - Hornung missed field goals from the 46, 43, 17 and 32-yard lines and had one partially blocked from 47. Fifth kick was returned 36 yards to Packer 34, from where Colts went on to score winning points in last minute. Rams (27-17) - Hornung missed field goal from 21, hit from 12 and then missed from 36. His third kick was returned 94 yards by Bob Smith for touchdown that erased 17-14 Packer lead and put Rams in front for good.
NAME OF GAME? NOT DEFENSE BUT OFFENSE FOR PACK VS. VIKINGS
NOV 1 (Minneapolis-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Defense may be the name of the game. But for the Packers today, it will be offense. The Packers need a flock of points - real bad, and it's up to the offense to score 'em. Any scores the defense or the special platoons can contribute (such as Willie Wood's interception return last Sunday and Elijah Pitts' punt return in Baltimore) will be greatly appreciated by the offense, of course. But Bart Starr would like to break his scorers loose and thus set a pattern for the stretch drive in what still could be a torrid Western Division race for Green Bay. The Packers will be out to break a two-game
losing streak this afternoon and the Vikings will attempt to stretch their winning streak to three straight. Minnesota has a 4-3 record, Green Bay 3-4. A record of close to 44,000, including more than 1,000 standees, will witness the struggle in Metropolitan Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:35. Green Bay has revenge on its mind in view of the Vikings' 24-23 victory over the Packers Oct. 4. That was Minnesota's first win over the Pack in the Vikings' short history. Green Bay had won six straight, starting in 1961. Since this loss, the
Packers beat the 49ers and then lost to the Colts and Rams, while the Vikings then lost to the Lions but whipped the Steelers and 49ers. While the emphasis will be on scoring, the Packer offense will be additionally handicapped by possible loss of Fuzzy Thurston, who has a flock of injuries, headed by sore shoulders. He had been playing the last three weeks with hurts but he may just have to sit out. This might bring forth rookie John McDowell, who would join Dan Grimm at the guards. Quarterback Starr is not in the best of condition, what with a rash of minor injuries that could handicap him. He was belted around considerably by the Rams last Sunday. Both tight ends, Ron Kramer and Marv Fleming, have injuries, though Kramer is sure to start. Starr's aide, Zeke Bratkowski, is okay but third quarterback Dennis Claridge has a leg injury. On the "good" side, the Packers' power runner, Jim Taylor, has fully recovered from a shoulder injury. And both Paul Hornung and Tom Moore was running well in practice this week. Taylor missed the earlier Viking game. The Packers' big objective today - next to scoring, itself - will be holding the ball and thus keeping it away from the Vikings' scat-quarterback, Fran Tarkenton. Tarkenton had a fantastic day in Green Bay with his scrambling all over the field, completing passes on the run and running for over 50 yards. The Packers figure to have a stronger rush on Fran what with the return of Hank Jordan, who was far below par in the short time he played against the Vikings earlier. Jordan and Willie Davis - plus Ron Kostelnik and Lionel Aldridge, not to mention the linebackers, have been practice-chasing Tarkenton all week. Herb Adderley also missed half the first Viking game, with a muscle pull, but he's in top condition now. The Packers will have to contend with the Vikings' great Tommy Mason this time. Mason, who missed the earlier game with an elbow injury, and Bill Brown have gained 760 yards between 'em. And for a pure sidelight, the fans, plus the Packers, will keep a special eye on Jim Marshall. He's the feller who ran 60 yards the wrong way for a 49er safety last Sunday. The big defensive end is hoping to pick up a fumble and run the right way this time.
