1967 - The Year of the Ram | LA Rams Yearbook

the Rams had run the four-minute mile and then were asked to go another quarter the tape had proved just out of reach the end of the season would not be the Superbowl but the playoff Bowl it would not only be the conclusion of a brilliant season but more importantly the first game of 1968 defensively David Deacon Jones set the face and force efforts he was voted defensive player of the game his performance so impressive that there were other nominations Roman Gabriel was voted offensive player of the game he engineered a gambling attack that burgeoned into one of tactical brilliance Gabriel is remarkably strong couple this with a gambler's passion you have a quarterback that will bootleg on fourth and one Gabriel picked up the first down by 20 yards a change of quarters indicates no change in ram aggressiveness forth down to at the two and already safe margin would suggest the field goal but it was not a day of conservative choices Billy Truex gets the six points from the Cleveland nine Willie Ellison explodes around right in Ellison voted the Rams top rookie he fits the mold for 68 the defense held Cleveland to six points the important number however is 30 in newspaper parlance it means the end three Oh was the end of the 67 season but every end also implies a fresh beginning after 12 Sunday's 59 minutes and six seconds came the crucial juncture of a 67 season at this one particular moment 1967 was indeed the year of the RAM [Music] while opposing quarterbacks often found themselves launching their delivery from flat on their backs bill Munson operated from a privileged sanctuary the results are scored a bucket oh it was one of 28 touchdown passes points came in a variety of ways in two and three poins came in a variety of ways most importantly they came in sixes Lester Josephson and dick bass expressed an authority on the ground they accounted for more than 1400 yards and 10 touchdowns it was colorful it was exciting it was hard direct football it was a style that grew up out of the offensive lines the line is the launching pad of glory little of this however finds its way to the heavily muscled shoulders of the men down in the dirt Ken I'm and Tom Mac Joe chapell Eden chewy Joe Carollo and Charlie Cowen provided a head ripping point of departure that allowed Ram runners to turn in one of the best performances of the season against the Dallas Cowboys the team that specializes in stopping the run the ability to run would prove to be the decisive factor in this early season game that matched two title aspirants in the Cotton Bowl the eventual Eastern Conference champions couldn't cope with ramp our final score was 35 to the Cowboys 13 rosey Grier was sidelined early in the season his frustration would be compounded by the end of this long gray Baltimore afternoon the Rams struck brilliantly and swiftly a full Baltimore blitz linebackers and a safety lose the gamble Roman Gabriel fires a fingertip bomb the jacks know the incredible catch is quickly balanced by a typical Unitas Drive culminating with Lenny more sweeping left their combination of Gabriel the snow worked once it will again with almost an arrogant casualness snow continues to maintain its reputation of never having been caught from behind the next Ram scoring opportunity will be buy of a field goal Bruce Gossett punches the ball exactly 47 yards it bounces through the uprights to three points the Rams now need a touchdown to Todd Unitas is in his glory when it comes to killing the clock controlling the bull Mexi bond defies the Masters touch and the Rams are still alive Berni Casey has taken the time to slip free in the corner of the endzone the score is tied 24 24 Unitas has one more chance Willie Richardson had beaten Clarence Williams once Unitas goes back to the well a splendid effort by Williams rest the ball from Baltimore possession is hotly disputed by the Colts it would have meant sure field goal range and victory the referees decision will be vital three thousand miles in a week later back in California the repercussions of the tie would be dramatically underlined the Rams would play another 60 minute deadlock but then so would Baltimore going into the seventh week the record stood at three one and two the Rams have been playing at 100% here after 110% would be necessary desire would be the keynote for the confrontation in Wrigley Field with the Bears the Rams had not won in Chicago since 1959 every ounce of desire would be necessary to regain the winning trip Jack Pardee blocks the attempt herb crops recovers the Rams quickly take the offensive initiative isolating Josephson on a linebacker is a tactic worth 6 points with blood in their eye the Bears come hard intent on mayhem they aren't playing control and the Mason to KC option place victory was won the necessary momentum was achieved the rams were on their way for the next four weeks the Rams were an irresistible force the defense came up with a goal line stand while the offense bolstered their record of success on short yardage situation 49er seven Rams 17 against the Eagles it was a case of execution George Allen has a set of goal one of which is protecting the quarterback the maximum a quarterback could be thrown was set at 31 times as it was they fell but 25 times during the season against the Eagles ram execution perfect Gabriel wasn't thrown once Eagle 17 Rams 33 consider a halfback on the fly a defense must make quick adjustments Clarence Williams does just that but then quick adjustments can be overcome as shown by Lester Josephson Atlanta three Rams 31 the sweep is probably the most fundamental play in football it's always power it often adds up to points Lemar Lundy has his own interpretation of how it should work Detroit seven Rams 31 at the end of the eleventh week the Packers sewed up the Central Division after 12 weeks in the coastal division the Rams had yet to face the worst they would have to win both remaining games to edge the Colts and meanwhile the Colts were continuing to win with undeniable authority the 13th week and the task at hand is the Packers [Music] [Applause] [Music] by the end of the first quarter Green Bay has gained a seven nothing lead undaunted by the deficit Gabriel methodically sets out for a score himself throwing across the grain he targets jack snow snow led all NFL regulars with a 26 yard average on pass reception this one accounts for only 17 yards but it's a touchdown at the outset of the second half the rams found themselves behind again it would be necessary to create a clear-cut control Mack and Ayman begin at the beginning by blocking Roman Gabriel established a team record for most touchdown passes in a season this one was extremely important as it did indeed establish control Rams for team Packers 10 the Rams sustained their momentum by adding a field goal but field goals are followed by kickoffs and Travis Williams happened to be on the receiving end of this one [Music] Williams will sprint 104 yards for a score it will be countered by another Gossett field goal which in turn is overshadowed by another Packer touchdown [Music] with two minutes remaining the Packers lead 20 for 20 more importantly they are in possession the Rams have two timeouts left George Allen knows the clock and Green Bay will confront the Rams with an unparalleled test of character never was the presentation of Deacon Jones all-pro credentials more timely as long as there is Jones there is hope Merlin Olsen makes a similar presentation and the Packers will have to punt there is less than a minute it's hope against hope the Rams gamble everything there will be no run back Tony Guillory blocks the punished as clawed crab fields the ball the Rams know that the gamble is one all that remains is to score and it has to be a six-point it has to be the six pointer against one of the most proud defenses in the league on second town the exquisite agony is wiped away Gabriel has come back to Bernie Casey and the professionalism meant six points once again a critical test had been met now it all boiled down to the final 60 minutes the Colts have and 11 oh and to record the Rams have a 10-1 and to record remember that tie in Baltimore today a tie is as terminal as a loss it has to be all or nothing since October the Rams have trailed the Colts by a game now in the showdown they trailed by 4 in the first quarter the Colts have momentum but in an instant that momentum slips away John Mackey on 3rd and 9 gives yardage in order to gain that which has already been won a set of sticking cleats stops the Baltimore Drive sensitive to the Colt failure Gabriel strikes quickly jack snow will take the bomb at the apex of his pattern he Sprint's in untouched at 5:38 of the second quarter the Rams have decisively and with finality tip the initiative in their favor the fearsome foursome principally David Jones Harris Unitas to the point of destruction antimatter intercepts the ill-considered past Gabriel will press to bolster this halftime lead Berni Casey gets the honor the last quarter would prove to be all ram a precise execution move the ball but it was a sustained drilled excellence that made the difference Billy Truax score this excellence wasn't an exclusive with the offense a pell-mell rush led by Merlin Olsen and David Cahill buckles Unitas then it's Joan then on offense its dick bats the final score is 34 to 10 it had been a 4-minute mile pace for the Colts but they had fallen before the tape Baltimore had ended a noble season their runs had been brilliant on August 2nd the Rams started sweeping their preseason schedule for the first time they went on to accumulate the best regular season record in their history the Coastal Division championship happened one from the best competition in the league a blend of execution and desire allowed the Rams to score the most points in the league execution and desire allowed the Rams to yield the fewest points in the Lee more than 1 million fans came to the stadiums to see George Allen's Rams develop the best overall record in professional football it had been a glorious season it had been the four-minute mile a lung bursting race to glory the collective nervous system however had taken a pounding the courage remain but there had been an emotional drain time was still running the Rams must go one more lap Green Bay the Central Division champions a tenacious team they're practiced counter punchers the conference championship will be a bitter struggle Bernie Casey and the offense have proved bacon school it is now up to the defense to prove that they can stop the Packers [Music] Chuck Lampson intercepts Bart stars pass the returned yields excellent field position [Music] then it happened 20 weeks of excellence finally demanded its price it was a price that could not be measured the Rams were dulled emotionally crystallized when the field goal was denied the pendulum had clearly swung in Green Bay's favor all that had been done so well heretofore was suddenly impossible it was a matter of inches It was as if the tape had been abruptly moved just out of reach for a while the defense still operated on a deep grain pride and happened but the Packers are practiced counter punchers and finally they asserted their will the defeat could not have been more final there would be no Super Bowl the 21st game of the season erased the brilliance of a 17:1 and to record it was a time of despair at the last moment the tape had been moved but the Rams had never run such a race before and now they know the tempo they'll do it better there is next year the 1968 season you the Rams had run a long race and the finish was disappointing in terms of the ultimate championship the elements of that race however never approached disappointment the Rams are a team of teams putter John Kilgore's toe activates one of them the specialties feature such promising players as Bob Nichols George Berman Jean brain Tyrone Talbert Gregg Schumacher and Sheldon Winston and Tony Guillory will still be harrassing opposing putters and there is the Magnificent David Jones violent slashing all-pro all-everything defensive lineman Lemar Lundy is played with the Rams longer than any other player Lundy's aggressiveness hasn't been diminished by his longevity and one tackle another all-pro Merlin Olsen number 78 Roger brown is the newest member of the fearsome foursome he replaced the injured rosey Grier a tackle and he replaced him with an equally effective style the second line of defense is a combination of experience and depth Doug would leap is a promising young linebacker the veteran starter myron patios overcame an injury to play a strong role maxie bond was accorded all-pro honors maxi one of the most savage linebackers in the league he's deadly reading this week one called a consistently heady defensive game George Allen feels that born and party comprised the best pair about side linebackers in the league the interception is party special tea party led all NFL linebackers in interceptions with six he just missed the league record by one [Music] past defenses naturally the domain of the secondary Willie Daniel was the newest member the secondary core a unit that led all NFL teams in intersections Irv cross played a very particular brand of halfback his tackling so vicious that receivers had a habit of becoming detached from the football [Music] chuckling sin' also played the ball on fumble recoveries or deflecting the strike Lamson was there Clarence Williams pulls in the carom Williams is a big aggressive sprinter who plays the left wing Eddie Meador is the free safety is all pro to eight interceptions in 67 boosted his career total to 33 new Ram record these are the elements these are the elements that carried the Rams to a splendid bittersweet season that ended at the playoff for the score was Browns 6th grams 30 in newspaper parlance 3300 means the end and so it was for the 67 season but every end implies a new beginning and the playoff ball was a victorious start for the 1968 season you

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Published: Fri Jun 19 2020