The NFL game in Los Angeles on December 17, 1967 featured a final-week showdown for the Coastal Division crown between the host Los Angeles Rams and visiting Baltimore Colts. Baltimore came into the contest undefeated at 11-0-2 and would win the division outright with a victory. The Rams were a game behind at 10-1-2 and would have the same record as the Colts if they came out winners, which would give them the division title due to a new tiebreaking procedure. With the league having split into four four-team divisions (two per conference), adding a new playoff level as a result, ties for first would no longer result in an extra game being played – the team scoring the most points in the two regular season meetings of the clubs would be awarded first place. Since the Colts and Rams had tied when they met earlier in Baltimore, a win for the Rams would deliver the division title and a spot in the Western Conference Championship game.
Los Angeles had not been to the postseason since 1955 and
endured a great deal of mediocrity since then until the arrival of Head Coach
George Allen in ’66. Allen’s specialty was defense, and the Rams had a good
one, particularly on the line. DT Roosevelt Grier had been lost to a knee injury
in the preseason, but Roger Brown was swiftly obtained from Detroit to take his
spot and, together with ends Deacon Jones and Lamar Lundy and DT Merlin Olsen,
became part of what was called “the Fearsome Foursome”. OLB Maxie Baughan was
the leader of an outstanding group of linebackers and, while the backfield was
less impressive, it included excellent FS Ed Meador. The offense was
conservative but competently directed by QB Roman Gabriel (pictured above), who had good deep
receivers in split end Jack Snow and flanker Bernie Casey while FB Dick Bass
and HB Les Josephson handled the bulk of the running game.
The Colts were coached by Don Shula and were typically
among the league’s better teams. QB Johnny Unitas was the key to the
pass-oriented offense, as he had been for the past decade, and he had outstanding
receivers in flanker Willie Richardson and TE John Mackey. The running game was
less effective, but not bad, and the defense was solid, especially at
linebacker and in the backfield.
There were 77,277 fans in attendance at the Memorial
Coliseum for the showdown. The Rams opened the scoring with a 47-yard field
goal by Bruce Gossett, while the Colts put together a 65-yard drive that ended
with Johnny Unitas throwing to Willie Richardson for a 12-yard touchdown and
Lou Michaels adding the extra point.
Baltimore again reached LA territory, but Michaels missed
a 37-yard try for a field goal (his first failure after ten straight
successes). On the next play, the Rams came through with a big play to start
the second quarter as Roman Gabriel, firing the ball 50 yards in the air,
connected with Jack Snow, who got beyond two defenders for an 80-yard TD. Bruce
Gossett converted to give the home team a 10-7 lead.
Late in the period, Baltimore advanced deep into LA
territory. However, as Unitas dropped back to pass, he was hit by Deacon Jones
and his poor throw was intercepted by Ed Meador at the 12, who returned it
seven yards. With time running down, Gabriel directed the Rams on an 81-yard
drive that concluded with a throw to Bernie Casey for a 23-yard touchdown.
Gossett converted and, rather than potentially being behind or tied, Los
Angeles took a 17-7 lead into halftime.
Midway through the third quarter, the Rams increased
their margin when Gossett booted a 23-yard field goal. The Colts fought back,
advancing 61 yards in 15 plays as Unitas converted two third downs with pass
completions to Richardson of 19 and 11 yards. But a quarterback draw came up
short on another third down deep in LA territory, and the Colts opted for a
14-yard Michaels field goal as the fourth quarter commenced.
The Rams responded with a 67-yard series that essentially
clinched the win. Gabriel was successful on all four of his passes including,
under a heavy rush, a toss to Casey that then set up a nine-yard touchdown
throw to TE Billy Truax. Gossett tacked on the PAT and Los Angeles was ahead by
27-10.
The LA defense took control for the remainder of the
contest, harassing Unitas and effectively shutting down the Baltimore offense. FB Dick Bass punctuated the decisive win with
a two-yard TD after Unitas was sacked for an eight-yard loss to his four yard
line on a fourth down play. The Rams were Coastal Division champions by a final
score of 34-10.
LA had the edge in total yards (328 to 262) although the
Colts led in first downs (18 to 16). The Rams sacked Unitas seven times, while
Baltimore recorded none of Gabriel, and the Colts turned the ball over twice,
to one suffered by Los Angeles.
Roman Gabriel was outstanding as he completed 18 of 22
passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns while giving up no interceptions. Billy
Truax had 5 catches for 51 yards and a TD and Jack Snow, with the 80-yard
touchdown on his lone reception, led the Rams in receiving yards. Bernie Casey
contributed 78 yards on his four catches that included a score. Dick Bass
topped the LA rushers with 36 yards on 12 carries with one TD and also caught
four passes for 27 more yards.
For the Colts, Johnny Unitas was successful on 19 of 31
throws for 206 yards and a TD while being intercepted twice and taking a major
battering from the LA front four. TE John Mackey caught 5 passes for 72 yards
and Willie Richardson also pulled in 5 for 57 yards and a score. FB Tony Lorick
rushed for 39 yards on 13 attempts.
“The crux of our defensive plan for this game was not to
allow Unitas enough time to throw the ball, because he can thread the needle in
a crowd,” explained Coach George Allen.
“The offense put some points on the board early,” added
Deacon Jones. “And so we were able to dictate to Mr. Unitas what we wanted him
to do, and that was pass.”
The Rams fell to Green Bay in the Western Conference
Championship game by a 28-7 score the following week, a disappointing finish to
an outstanding season. They finished second in 1968 before winning another
division title in ’69, but would never reach the NFL Championship under George
Allen. Baltimore came back with a 13-1 season in ’68, despite the loss of
Johnny Unitas for virtually the entire season, and won the NFL Championship
before being monumentally upset by the New York Jets, champions of the AFL, in
Super Bowl III. Don Shula, who moved on to Miami in 1970, would get another shot at guiding a team to an undefeated season, and would succeed in '72.
Roman Gabriel ranked third in passing as he threw for
2779 yards and a career-high 25 touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl for
the first of three consecutive years. Bernie Casey caught 53 passes for 871
yards (16.4 avg.) and eight touchdowns and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the
only time in his career.
It was the Los Angeles defense, in particular “the
Fearsome Foursome”, that would leave the most enduring memory. The Rams allowed
the fewest points in the NFL (196, two less than the Colts) and Deacon Jones
and Merlin Olsen were consensus first-team All-NFL selections as well as being
named to the Pro Bowl along with Roger Brown, Maxie Baughan, and Ed Meador.
(pictured below L to R, #74 Merlin Olsen, partially hidden Lamar Lundy, #75 Deacon Jones, #78 Roger Brown)
(pictured below L to R, #74 Merlin Olsen, partially hidden Lamar Lundy, #75 Deacon Jones, #78 Roger Brown)
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