1968 Steelers at Cardinals GOTW week 9

the city of st. Louis takes considerable pride in beautiful Busch Memorial Stadium a big bright modern sports arena situated on the Mississippi River in downtown st. Louis more importantly it has kind of winning baseball and division leading football teams to play in it today the Cardinals must keep pace with the Cleveland Browns who are tied with them for first place in the century division to do this they must defeat a Pittsburgh Steelers team that has rebounded from a disastrous o and six start to win its last two games the Cardinals defense long known for the reckless blitzing style of play has through trades and retirement undergone almost a complete overhaul it is still led by number eight safety Larry Wilson but now features a rarity in the NFL a rookie at the most vital defensive position middle linebacker this unusual young man's name is Jamie rivers to stop Pittsburgh he and his defensive counterparts must cope with the reborn Steeler offense I'm Jack Whitaker and this is the NFL game of the week [Music] on the game's first play number 79 right and Chuck Walker fought off a block of John Brown and with help from his teammates wrestle dick shiner for a seven-yard loss it could have been an ominous note for Pittsburgh but actually it would be one of the few times that the Cardinal defense would assert itself in the first half China crossed up st. Louis with a perfect call at draw to number 42 dick Hoch will sail through the Cardinal line untouched until Larry Wilson got him 18 yards later shiner not reluctant to go right to hook again flip the screen to him and he rambled 17 yards past his blockers and into number 53 rookie sensation Jamie River [Music] number 38 220 pound Earl grow is the other setback for Pittsburgh and he sliced for nine additional yards as the Steelers moved almost effortlessly against the Cardinal defense Ben shiner spiraled a pass to John Hilton is six-five tight end for the third Pittsburgh first down of this opening drive [Music] continuing to go with the short passes shiner behind excellent pass blocking from his front line swung this pass to hope who took it all the way 30 yards for a touchdown [Music] another look at the play shows Pittsburgh also received some excellent downfield blocking as Cardinal defenders tumble like ten pins around the spinning hope [Music] Pittsburgh had gone 73-yard for a seven nothing lead another new star for st. Louis is number 26 Chuck laterand who in his last game averaged 43 yards returning kickoffs his long returns have proven decisive in several games this season he was within one man of going all the way on this one their first play was to be portentous for st. Louis as Jim Hart slipped and then under threw his receiver the young quarterbacks inconsistency would plague st. Louis the entire first half halfback Royce shivers number 27 took this pitch out around left end for a 13-yard gain and the Cardinals first first down of the game [Music] I looked at that play from the top shows that st. Louis lined up in an i formation then shivers switched to the right flank with the regular flanker Conrad moving in tight on the line part fake to Willis Crenshaw then flip to shivers on a new version of an end-around for the successful game despite the trickery the Cardinal offense couldn't overcome Hart's erratic passing and we're forced to punt [Music] late in the first quarter they had another chance with the ball and seemed to be moving well behind the running of their massive 230 pound fullback Crenshaw Crenshaw the cards leading rusher along with shivers has taken up the slack caused when Johnny Rowlands a return to form following knee surgery [Music] on a third-down possession play heart finally hit his target but Bobby Jo Conrad dropped the ball and ladder ed had to punt from his own 33 the kick went 47 yards to Roy Jefferson on his 20 who do too tight pass coverage touch the ball for the first time today he made the most of his chance eighty yards a phenomenal run back and a surprising two touchdown steal away unfortunately the Steelers had to kick off and they did it to the wrong man or right one depending upon your allegiance as latter act as if not to be I've done again went into his act and again was within one man of taking it the length of the field the quarter ended with the Cardinals in excellent field position but the score reading Pittsburgh 14 st. Louis nothing [Music] heart opened the second period with another perfect pass into the hands and out again of Conrad then he tried number 81 reliable tight end Jackie Smith but the results were the same [Music] with third and long yardage the frustrated heart resorted to a run but number 34 Andy Russell and number 44 Bob Wade ruined this strategy pittsburg went right to work and burn st. Louis on their patented halfback option pass hope to number 86 junior will burn for 39 yards as he did so well in the first period shiner used his back successfully as receivers arrow grows on the end of this one [Music] then he returned to his end and hit will burn at the right sideline Wilburn thought he had a score but stepped out of bounds at the Cardinal 22 Jefferson had been double covered all day and this play was no exception number 42 Lonnie Sanders applied back-breaking pressure so shiner returned to his set backs his receivers and Earl crow took it over the middle and into the end zone for the third Pittsburgh touchdown and a whopping 21 nothing lead [Music] Vlada Rhett whose returns were the only offense st. Louis had shown so far took the kickoff again but despite a long lead wasn't able to break away this time [Music] it looked as if Hart's luck remained the same as number 20 Paul Martha took a tip pass and ramble down the sideline but Pittsburgh was called for defensive holding and st. Louis retained possession this time both hard and a receiver were able to get together as he combined with Jackie Smith on successive plays of 11 and 12 yards and two first down despite being a tight end the mammoth but quick Smith has averaged more yards per pass than the wide Cardinal receivers [Music] number 23 Johnny Rowlands five yards around right in [Music] and then Hart received his second break of the series when number 69 linebacker Jerry Hillebrand a former Cardinal dropped a certain interception with a clear field ahead [Music] with fourth and five from the 38 Jim Bakken lined up for a field goal attempt but holder Larry Wilson caught a play he executes like no one else took off around the right side and made the fake work for 12 yards and a first down [Music] the Cardinals continue to deceive the Pittsburgh defense with this end around by Smith good for seven yards then Hart employed Smith again in a more conventional manner with a pass good for six and the Cardinals continued to move gold part led Crenshaw perfectly with this fast and he fumbled when hit by way the cards retain possession since the ball was fumbled out of bounds on one of the decisive calls of the game Pittsburgh's 4 yard line fourth down and one to go the Cardinals disdain the field goal but shivers was driven back for a four yard loss and Pittsburgh took over [Music] the Steelers were unable to move but when hunter Walden dropped the snap it resulted in another close range opportunity for st. Louis but hard pressured by Parker was intercepted in the end zone by Hillebrand and the first half ended with the Steelers shutting out st. Louis's patented offense 21 to nothing Steeler coach Bill Austin says the secret of coaching is not to get the best players but to get the best out of what you've got for the past 10 quarters Austin has certainly gotten that from his Steelers [Music] the Cardinals literally opened the second half with a bomb shutout for 30 minutes it took exactly one play for them to score well number 80 smooth striding dave williams took a pass on the dead run and candid into the endzone for the cards first score the next time they got the ball st. Louis again showed signs of life and more heart had to completely abandon his ground game and his passing attack started to gel working on both the Steeler quarterbacks heart first hit Williams for 16 and a quick out to Conrad put the ball on the Steeler 14 then Hart faked the throw to a setback Willis Crenshaw and went for the endzone [Music] incomplete right wrong touchdown Dave William who slept behind everyone for the score the second heart to Williams connection in five minutes at narrowed the scored 21 14 st. Louis held and incredibly was now trying to tie the game hearted Williams tried again but their luck did not run in threes on the last play number sixty been McGee's hard rush forced Hart to release a little quicker than he might have life and his pass just trickled off the outstretched hand of his great young receiver [Applause] Williams and his defender Woodson then discussed the weather and the election results on their way back [Music] on a third down play defensive end Lloyd boss broke through to blindside Hart and force a Cardinal punt [Music] on the last Cardinal series the Steelers defense had showed some of their first-half fury and dick shiner now showed some of his first-half accuracy [Music] cornerback Lonnie Sanders had shutout receiver Roy Jefferson in the first half with tight coverage now he was giving the speedy flanker the outside while garni against the bomb it turned out to be smart strategy because in the very next play shiners sent one deep to Jefferson but Sanders was right there [Music] Sanders was acquired for Pat Fisher and up to now was enjoying his best game of the season Sanders defensive play forced a field goal attempt by AFL cast off booth busting the kick was off to the left the cards took over [Music] the st. Louis coach Charlie winner a game is won or lost on what he calls chief touchdown those over 30 yards well this could be his cheapest game in a long time as the second bomb and third touchdown pass in the quarter made it a 21 21 tie in an aerial circus unmatched by Barnum & Bailey Steelers quarterback dick shiner should not be slighted he hit on 18 of 28 for 260 yards and three touchdowns many of them short flips to his setbacks grow and hope [Music] but when he needed the long strike it was also successful quarterback Sanders gambled for an interception and his only mistake of the day cost a touchdown as Jefferson's 52 yard catch and run put Pittsburgh ahead by 7 at the end of the quarter 28 to 21 the cards had dominated the third quarter but the Steelers were hanging on for dear life his dick shiner had moved the team well for the last two weeks on the last play a perfectly executed slant in to junior Wilburn set up a 3rd and 4 situation [Music] but good coverage by Sanders on Jefferson on a pass thrown behind the receiver forced a field goal attempt from the 41 Lustig's second attempt of the game again was wide pittsburgh was badly hurt by poor place-kicking today [Music] the next eight minutes saw no scoring and was a period in which neither team could sustain a drive the Cardinal defense sparked by the individual play of number 79 Chuck Walker was able to bring the Steeler ground game to a complete halt allowing only 20 yards in the second half while their linebackers and secondary blanketed the Steeler receivers on both short and long pattern [Music] the st. Louis defense is a success story in itself with four new men starting along with two rookies Jamie rivers and number 48 Bob Atkins who made this great save to stop a touchdown [Music] the Steelers secondary also played well for most of the quarter considering their task covering one of the best sets of receivers in football number 47 cornerback Marv Woodson was beaten often by Dave Williams but here hung right on to save six points and pressure from the Steeler front for cost Hart to overthrow his receivers on key third down plays [Music] but with five minutes left st. Louis started a drive that seemed to be destined for the endzone a superb play-action fake to Crenshaw throws the defense and tight end Jackie Smith was wide open in the middle for 24 yard Smith along with John Mackey of the Colts is the prototype of the superior tight end he has great hands and moves and when he gets the ball has the ability to drag a tackler with him for the extra yards needed on key third down plays here he beats strong safety Glendon Thomas and Hart let him perfectly for a 52-yard explosion to the Steelers sixth but number 34 Andy Russell clogged up a hole in the middle to stop Crenshaw on first down on second and goal from the five Hart avoided a rush but his pass was broken up in the end zone Hart then called for a quick out to Williams in the left corner of the end zone Williams a great leaper had the ball but squeezed too hard and an extremely fortunate Marv Woodson ended up with an interception to stop the drive with three and a half minutes to play and the Steelers still ahead by seven shiner would try to run out the clock on the ground but his first play resulted in the 3 yard loss but on the play the cards suffered a greater loss when Jerry Stovall the tackler got his cleats caught and suffered a severe leg injury Stovall's facial expression shows how agonizing a leg injury can be this is the type of injury that put Gayle sayers and many others out for the seat and is the quickest way to a short season and a long vacation but the Cardinals for it has been their ability to weather key injuries without letting down Stovall's lost scene to make the defense more aggressive as Don Brom smothered shiner on a third down to force a punting situation on the replay watch for Brum at the top left to fight off his block and Joel shiner to the ground from stirred down tackle gave the cards one last chance with less than two minutes to play from the 47th but hard had to eat the ball on his first attempt the Steelers were giving up the medium-range passes to prevent the long one so hard calmly hit Williams for 11 but was seven yards shy of a first down after an incompletion it was fourth and seven Hart spotted number forty Bobby Jo Conrad who had done it down and out and fired a rope right into his hands good for 27 yards and the biggest play of the day Conrad story is a heartwarming one two weeks ago he claimed his quarterback was intentionally avoiding him today they were definitely on more amiable terms with the first down at the 17 Hart call to play that earlier had resulted in an interception this time Williams had a Stepan Woodson but Hart's pass was overthrown 50 seconds left first Williams down and out and now Williams down and in on a quick post the ball was there Williams was there and so was Woodson but a little too early Woodson can't be blamed too heavily stopping a receiver like Williams with single coverage is almost fuel the interference call a close one put the ball on the one from here Johnny Rowland fall out his fullback Willis Crenshaw and banged into the end zone for the tying touchdown the Cardinals hopelessly outclassed for 30 minutes had to rally twice in the last half to tie the revitalize Pittsburgh Steelers and their defense preserved the tie for the final 40 seconds as the game ended 28 - 28 it is said that a tie is closely related to kissing one sibling if that is so cardinal coach Charlie winner might well have wished that he had a good-looking sister or he would have gladly indulged her with a kiss today not only did his team stage a miraculous comeback but more importantly a tie leaves the cards even with the Browns in the lost column doesn't really hurt them at all and makes it more certain that their final confrontation with Cleveland in their last game of the season will provide the answer as to who will be the winner of the century division of the Eastern Conference [Music] you [Applause]

Channel: Comrade Dobler

Views: 5,498

Rating: 4.9569893 out of 5

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Id: dsfFFJDHWAw

Length: 25min 19sec (1519 seconds)

Published: Thu May 21 2020