Highlighted Year: Gino Cappelletti, 1961

Split End/Placekicker, Boston Patriots

Age: 27

2^nd season in pro football & with Patriots

College: Minnesota

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 190

Prelude:

A quarterback in college, Cappelletti was undrafted by the NFL and played semi-pro football in Canada before failing in a preseason tryout with the Detroit Lions. After sitting out all of 1959, he made the Patriots of the new AFL as a defensive back and placekicker. He intercepted four passes but was successful on just 8 of 21 field goal attempts. Cappelletti was shifted to split end on offense for 1961.

1961 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 45 [10]          

Most receptions, game – 6 (for 131 yds.) vs. Houston 10/13

Yards – 768 [9]

Most yards, game – 131 (on 6 catches) vs. Houston 10/13

Average gain – 17.1 [8]

TDs – 8 [5, tied with Don Maynard]

100-yard receiving games – 1

Passing

Attempts – 1

Completions – 1

Yards – 27

TD passes – 1

Interceptions – 0

Kicking

Field goals – 17 [1]

Most field goals, game – 3 at Buffalo 9/23, at NY Titans 10/1

Field goal attempts – 32 [1]

Most field goal attempts, game – 5 at NY Titans 10/1

Field goal percentage – 53.1 [2]

PATs – 48 [2]

PAT attempts – 50 [2]

Longest field goal – 46 yards at Buffalo 9/23

Scoring

TDs – 8 [8, tied with five others]

Field Goals – 17

PATs – 48

Points – 147 [1]

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-AFL: League, UPI, NY Daily News

AFL All-Star Game

Patriots went 9-4-1 to finish second in the AFL Eastern Division while ranking second in the league in touchdowns (52, tied with San Diego) and scoring (411 points).

Aftermath:

Cappelletti scored 128 points in 1962 and again led the league with 113 in ’63 (and also again in field goals with 22). He was named an AFL All-Star for the second time. Slow but sure-handed, he caught a career-high 49 passes for 865 yards and 7 TDs in 1964 while again topping the circuit with 25 field goals and in scoring with 155 points. He received AFL Player of the Year honors from the Associated Press and UPI. Cappelletti led the AFL in scoring over the next two seasons as well (132 points in 1965, 119 in ’66), for a total of five times in all, and had the league’s best field goal percentage in ‘65 (63.0). He was named to the league All-Star game after the ’65 and ’66 seasons. Cappelletti played a total of 11 seasons, all with the Patriots, and scored a total of 1130 points (his 1100 points in the AFL were the most in league history), with a total of 42 TDs, 176 field goals, and 342 extra points. One of 20 players who were in the AFL for all ten seasons, he also finished with 292 pass receptions for 4589 yards.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1962: Patriots Overcome 17-Point Deficit to Defeat Chargers

The Boston Patriots were 3-2 and trying to keep pace with the Oilers in the American Football League’s Eastern Division as they hosted the San Diego Chargers on October 19, 1962. Coached by Mike Holovak, the Patriots were a well-balanced offensive club with 32-year-old QB Babe Parilli directing an attack that featured HB Ron Burton, flanker Jim Colclough, and split end Gino Cappelletti, a slow-but-dependable receiver who was an equally dependable placekicker. The defense had some stars in DE Bob Dee, DT Houston Antwine, OLB Tom Addison, and up-and-coming rookie MLB Nick Buoniconti. However, the one problem area was that they were weak against the pass.

The Chargers, under the direction of Head Coach Sid Gillman, had won the Western Division in each of the AFL’s first two seasons, but they were 3-3 and experiencing problems. Those problems had started with the loss of star HB Paul Lowe for the year with a broken arm during the preseason and got worse when QB Jack Kemp suffered a hand injury that caused the team to place him on waivers, with the intent of bringing him back, but ended up with his being awarded to Buffalo. Rookie QB John Hadl was not yet ready to start and Dick Wood, older at age 26 but hardly more experienced, was behind center for the game at Boston.

The Patriots were favored coming into the Friday night contest at Nickerson Field and attendance was 20,888 at the small facility. Following a three-and-out possession by the Chargers, Boston went 57 yards in eight plays highlighted by Babe Parilli connecting with FB Jim Crawford on a 42-yard pass play to the San Diego seven yard line. The drive bogged down, but Gino Cappelletti kicked a 13-yard field goal to give the home team an early 3-0 lead.

The Chargers came right back as Dick Wood completed passes to end Don Norton for 18 and 16 yards. The series ended with Wood throwing to TE Dave Kocurek for a 36-yard touchdown and George Blair added the extra point to make it 7-3 in favor of San Diego.

A short Boston series ended with a punt and the Chargers moved well as Wood threw to HB Keith Lincoln for 23 yards. However, on a third-and-six play Wood was sacked for a 15-yard loss by DT Jess Richardson, although they put three more points on the board thanks to a 43-yard field goal by Blair.

The opening period ended with Parilli being intercepted by CB Claude Gibson, but the Chargers, after reaching the Boston 13, came up empty when Wood was picked off by Tom Addison. The Patriots again had to punt and the visitors struck quickly when Wood threw to Norton for a 49-yard gain to the Boston three. Two plays later, the Chargers scored a touchdown on a two-yard carry by FB Bobby Jackson and, with Blair’s successful conversion, San Diego was up by 17-3.

The Patriots still were struggling on offense and had to punt following the next possession. Lincoln reeled off 14 yards on two carries, but after reaching Boston territory Addison intercepted a pass. The teams traded punts until San Diego CB Dick Harris intercepted a Parilli throw to give the Chargers possession at the Boston 23. It led to Blair kicking a 27-yard field goal.

With time running out in the first half, Parilli completed three passes as the Patriots advanced to the San Diego 24, but a 31-yard field goal try by Cappelletti sailed wide. The Chargers took a comfortable 20-3 lead into halftime and the disgruntled home fans jeered their team’s disappointing performance as the players headed for the locker room.

The momentum shifted decisively in the second half. On their second series of the third quarter, the Patriots put together a nine-play, 56-yard series. Parilli threw to Ron Burton (pictured at left) for 20 yards and gained 16 yards on two carries himself before finishing the drive on a third-and-four play with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Jim Colclough. Cappelletti’s extra point try sailed under the crossbar, but the San Diego margin was narrowed to 20-9.

After a short series by the Chargers, Boston took over at its 30 and again moved the ball effectively. Parilli threw to Colclough for another TD, this time from 25 yards out, and then tossed a pass to Crawford for a two-point conversion that made it a three-point game.

End Jerry Robinson returned the ensuing kickoff 57 yards for the Chargers to give them outstanding field position at the Boston 33, but it was all for naught two plays later when Nick Buoniconti intercepted a pass by Wood. As the period wound down, the Patriots once again moved well on offense with Burton and Crawford running effectively and Parilli throwing for 10 yards. Three plays into the fourth quarter, Crawford, on his third straight carry, ran three yards for a touchdown to cap the 10-play, 68-yard series. Cappelletti added the extra point and the Patriots were now on top by four points.

With Wood shaken up, John Hadl entered the game at quarterback for the Chargers and they moved 26 yards before having to punt from their own 46. Boston went three-and-out and punted the ball back, but after Hadl threw to Kocurek for 18 yards, he was sacked on consecutive plays for losses totaling 21 yards. The visitors again had to kick the ball away.

While the Patriots had short possessions, the Chargers had the ball twice more, the first a three-and-out series and the second ending with Wood, now back behind center, being intercepted by safety Ross O’Hanley to effectively end the contest. Boston came away with a 24-20 win.

The Patriots outgained the Chargers (312 yards to 260) and had more first downs (20 to 11). They were especially productive on the ground, with 175 rushing yards to San Diego’s 90. San Diego turned the ball over four times, to two turnovers suffered by Boston, and was penalized 7 times at a cost of 55 yards, to three flags thrown on the Patriots.

Babe Parilli completed 14 of 26 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns with two intercepted. Jim Crawford ran for 61 yards and a TD on 11 carries and also had 5 catches for 53 yards. Ron Burton ran for 32 yards on 11 attempts and was also productive as a receiver out of the backfield with 5 receptions for a team-leading 54 yards. Jim Colclough had two pass receptions for 34 yards, both of which were touchdowns.

For the Chargers, Dick Wood was successful on just 8 of 23 throws for 162 yards and a TD while also tossing three interceptions. John Hadl went four-of-eight for 44 yards and was picked off once. Don Norton (pictured at right) had four catches for 107 yards and Dave Kocurek also pulled in four passes, for 65 yards and a score. Keith Lincoln topped the running game with 48 yards on 12 carries.

The Patriots continued to play well, even after losing Parilli to a broken collarbone for the last month of the season. They still remained in contention until the final week and finished second in the Eastern Division with a 9-4-1 record. Meanwhile, the injury-riddled Chargers lost their next four games and won only once more the rest of the way, primarily with Hadl at quarterback, to end up third in the Western Division at 4-10.

Playing in ten games, Babe Parilli was the league’s second-ranked passer as he threw for 1988 yards with 18 touchdowns as opposed to 8 interceptions. Ron Burton ran the ball 134 times for 548 yards and caught 40 passes for 461 more yards while scoring seven touchdowns. Jim Colclough led the team with 10 TDs on his 40 pass receptions for 868 yards (21.7 avg.). He was named to the AFL All-Star Game. Gino Cappelletti scored 128 points, putting him in a tie for second with Buffalo’s Cookie Gilchrist behind Gene Mingo of the Broncos.

1967: Denson & Defense Star as Revamped Broncos Beat Patriots

The Denver Broncos had made several notable changes as they opened their AFL season against the Boston Patriots on September 3, 1967. The perennially losing franchise was coming off a second straight 4-10 record in ’66 and had hired a new head coach/GM, Lou Saban, who had won back-to-back AFL titles in Buffalo. HB Floyd Little was drafted in the first round out of Syracuse and became the first top draft pick in the team’s short history to sign with the club (no doubt helped by 1967 being the first year that the AFL wasn’t competing with the NFL for draft picks). Quarterback had been a major issue for the Broncos in recent seasons, and a trade was swung with San Diego to obtain the strong-armed Steve Tensi to take over the position for ’67.

The visiting Patriots were coached by Mike Holovak (who had replaced Saban when he was fired from that job during the 1961 season) and were coming off an 8-4-2 year in ’66. FB Jim Nance had blossomed into a star, setting an AFL record with 1458 rushing yards. 37-year-old QB Babe Parilli was coming off of a good season and OE/PK Gino Cappelletti was the league’s top scorer.

There was a record crowd of 35,488 in attendance at Bears Stadium ready to get a look at the refurbished club that had won its last three preseason games. The Broncos got the first break of the game when a deflected pass by Parilli was intercepted by DB Gene Sykes and returned 29 yards to the Boston 13. Two plays later Steve Tensi completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to flanker Al Denson and Gary Kroner added the extra point.

The teams traded punts until the Patriots came through with a big play. Parilli threw to split end Art Graham on a play that covered 79 yards for a TD. Gino Cappelletti’s PAT evened the score at 7-7.

Neither team was able to move the ball effectively for the remainder of the opening quarter. On the last play of the period Jim Nance fumbled and DT Dave Costa recovered for the Broncos at the Patriots’ 28. However, after advancing to the seven yard line Denver came up empty when FB Cookie Gilchrist, returning to the team after a sojourn with the expansion Dolphins in 1966, was stopped for no gain on a fourth-and-one play.

The teams again traded punts until Sykes again picked off a Parilli pass to give Denver the ball at the Boston 29. Floyd Little ran four straight times to pick up a total of 16 yards and the series ended with Kroner kicking a 20-yard field goal. The Broncos were back in front by 10-7, which remained the score at the half.

The Broncos extended their lead on the first series of the third quarter that was helped along when, initially forced to punt, the Patriots were penalized for roughing the kicker. Two plays later Tensi connected with Denson for a 55-yard touchdown. Kroner’s extra point try was blocked, however, and the score remained 16-7.

The Patriots wasted no time in coming back, driving 64 yards in five plays. After Boston ran the ball twice, Parilli threw to TE Jim Whalen for a 27-yard gain to the Denver 24. A pass interference call gained another 14 yards before Parilli threw to Nance for a 10-yard touchdown. Cappelletti added the extra point to make it a two-point game.

The Patriots got the ball back on the next series when DT Jim Hunt stripped Tensi at the Denver 37. Five plays later, Parilli passed to HB Larry Garron for a 20-yard touchdown and, with the successful conversion, Boston was in front by 21-16.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Broncos got a big play on offense when Tensi connected with Denson for a 58-yard gain to the Boston 9. Little and Gilchrist were unable to pound the ball into the end zone but Denver came away with a 9-yard Kroner field goal to narrow the tally to 21-19.

Now midway through the fourth quarter the Patriots had the ball back after the ensuing kickoff but, on the second play, CB Goldie Sellers (pictured at left) intercepted a Parilli throw and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown. Kroner’s extra point gave the Broncos a five-point lead, but there were still over eight minutes to play.

Parilli immediately went to the air and connected with Cappelletti for a 30-yard gain to midfield, but his next pass was intercepted, this time by CB Nemiah Wilson. The Broncos couldn’t move the ball and, on a third-and-14 play, Tensi was sacked by LB Doug Satcher for an 11-yard loss to his own 10 yard line. HB Joe Bellino returned Bob Scarpitto’s punt 17 yards to the Denver 37 to give the Patriots excellent starting field position.

Garron took off for 15 yards on the first play of the series but Parilli was picked off for the sixth time, once again by Sellers. The Broncos had possession at their five yard line, went three-and-out, and Scarpitto boomed a punt that gave the Patriots the ball at their own 20 with less than two minutes remaining on the clock. They managed to reach the Denver 43 before Costa sacked Parilli for a 13-yard loss and a long desperation pass fell incomplete. The Broncos were winners by a score of 26-21.

Boston had more total yards (302 to 209) and first downs (14 to 11) than the Broncos, but the Patriots also turned the ball over seven times, to one suffered by Denver.

Al Denson was the offensive star for the Broncos as he caught four passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Steve Tensi completed 8 of 19 passes for 145 yards and the two TDs with none intercepted. Floyd Little, playing in his first regular season game, rushed for 66 yards on 25 carries, while Cookie Gilchrist, appearing in his last, gained 21 yards on 10 attempts (the talented and mercurial Gilchrist underwent knee surgery the next week and ultimately retired). Gene Sykes, Goldie Sellers, and Nemiah Wilson each intercepted two passes apiece.

For the Patriots, Babe Parilli was successful on 16 of 30 throws for 234 yards and three TDs but also gave up the six costly interceptions. Gino Cappelletti had 6 catches for 54 yards and, thanks to the long scoring reception, Art Graham gained 84 yards on his two receptions. Jim Nance ran the ball 15 times for 53 yards and Larry Garron contributed 37 yards on 6 carries while also gaining 53 yards on four catches that included a touchdown.

Tragedy dimmed Al Denson’s fine performance. He left immediately after the game for his home in Jacksonville, Florida due to the untimely death of his three-year-old son.

The exciting win did not herald a winning season in Denver. The Broncos lost their next nine games and finished at the bottom of the Western Division with a 3-11 record. The Patriots ended up at the bottom of the Eastern Division at 3-10-1.

Al Denson, a converted tight end, went on to catch 46 passes for 899 yards (19.5 avg.) and 11 touchdowns, received consensus second-team All-AFL honors (and was a first-team choice of the NEA), and was chosen to the AFL All-Star Game.

Steve Tensi had a decidedly uneven year, completing just 40.3 percent of his passes for 1915 yards and 16 touchdowns as well as 17 interceptions. Floyd Little led the club in rushing as a rookie, but with only 381 yards and averaging 2.9 yards per carry as opposing defenses focused on stopping him. However, he did lead the AFL in punt returning with a 16.9-yard average. While Tensi would ultimately not pan out as a starting quarterback, Little went on to an outstanding career worthy of his high draft status.

1964: Patriots Down Oilers on Game-Ending Cappelletti Field Goal

The Boston Patriots were in a battle for first place in the AFL Eastern Division as they hosted the Houston Oilers on November 6, 1964. Head Coach Mike Holovak’s team won its first four games and was 5-2-1 and competing with the Bills – the club they had defeated in a playoff for the division title in ’63. Key players on offense were 34-year-old QB Babe Parilli and Gino Cappelletti, a slow but dependable end who also was a dependable placekicker. The defense was outstanding, particularly the line and MLB Nick Buoniconti.

The Oilers, coached by Sammy Baugh, were a disappointing 2-6, having won two of their first three contests before dropping five straight. The team that had dominated the division for the first three years of the AFL’s existence slumped badly in 1963 and was clearly in trouble. There were promising younger players on the squad, but the nucleus on offense was still 37-year-old QB George Blanda, 29-year-old flanker Charley Hennigan, and fading fifth-year FB Charley Tolar.

The Friday night game at Fenway Park was billed as “do-or-die” for both teams. Houston got a break on the opening kickoff when HB J.D. Garrett fumbled at his 29. The ensuing series ended with Tolar powering two yards for a touchdown.

The Patriots came back with a 75-yard drive. FB Larry Garron ran effectively and Babe Parilli finished the series off with a one-yard run around end for a TD. Early in the second quarter, Gino Cappelletti put the Patriots ahead by 10-7 with a 25-yard field goal. Cappelletti added another field goal from 33 yards with six seconds remaining in the half and it was 13-7 at the intermission.

Boston’s lead disappeared quickly when, on the first play from scrimmage of the second half, the Oilers pulled off a spectacular play as Blanda threw to TE Willie Frazier for an 80-yard touchdown. With Blanda’s extra point, Houston was back in front at 14-13.

Late in the period Boston regained the lead when a five-play, 75-yard drive that was highlighted by a Parilli pass to split end Art Graham for 64 yards and ended with Cappelletti kicking his third field goal from 22 yards out for a 16-14 score.

At 6:46 into the fourth quarter the Oilers went ahead once again when Blanda threw to split end Charley Frazier for a 38-yard TD. A few minutes later it was Parilli once more rolling out and running for a touchdown, this time from five yards out. However, the try for a two-point conversion failed as Parilli’s pass intended for Graham fell incomplete.

With a minute to go in the game, the Patriots were up by a point and the Oilers had the ball at midfield. Blanda threw to Willie Frazier twice to get the ball down to the Boston four. Tolar wasn’t able to penetrate the end zone from there and Blanda kicked a 10-yard field goal. With 32 seconds remaining, it appeared that Boston’s fate was sealed.

There was still time, however, and Parilli completed two passes to TE Tony Romeo and Cappelletti to advance the Patriots into Houston territory. With the clock running down, Parilli rolled out, couldn’t find a receiver, and, keeping the ball, took off down the sideline. Knowing he couldn’t reach the end zone, he stepped out of bounds at the Houston 34 with one second remaining to play. Cappelletti was successful on his field goal attempt from 42 yards and the Patriots came away with a stunning 25-24 win.

Boston had more total yards than the Oilers (440 to 413) but Houston had the edge in first downs (22 to 21). The Patriots turned the ball over twice while the Oilers suffered one turnover. Houston was also very effective at returning kickoffs, with DB Benny Nelson gaining 66 yards on his two returns and HB Ode Burrell averaging 27.7 yards on three returns.

Babe Parilli completed 14 of 29 passes for 256 yards with no touchdowns and one intercepted, but also ran the ball 8 times for 96 yards and two TDs. Art Graham (pictured at left) had a big day with 8 catches for 167 yards. Larry Garron rushed for 91 yards on 23 carries.

For the Oilers, George Blanda went to the air 44 times and had 20 completions for 328 yards and two TDs with one intercepted. Charley Frazier had 9 pass receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown and Willie Frazier, thanks to the long scoring play, gained 102 yards on his two catches. Charley Tolar was the team’s top rusher as he gained 57 yards on 14 attempts and scored a TD.

“We’ve had many a tight ball game, but this was the best,” said Mike Holovak in reviewing his team’s performance. “(Art) Graham was a big factor in grabbing those passes and setting up scores, but a thing that hurt us was the way they were returning those kickoffs. That’s one thing we’ll be working on next week.”

The win over Houston was the first of five straight for the Patriots, who stayed in contention for the Eastern Division title until the final week of the season. As it was, they put together a 10-3-1 record in placing second to the Bills. Houston continued to fade and, with wins in the last two contests, ended up at 4-10 and at the bottom of the division.

Babe Parilli (pictured above) led the AFL in passing yards (3465) and TD passes (31) – and, more unfortunately, in interceptions (27, tied with George Blanda) – while ranking second in pass attempts (473) and completions (228). He was a consensus first-team All-AFL selection and was named to the league All-Star Game.

Gino Cappelletti led the league in scoring (155 points) and field goals (25, in an AFL-leading 39 attempts), each for the third time. He caught a career-high 49 passes for 865 yards and seven touchdowns and was named AFL Player of the Year by the Associated Press and United Press International. Cappelletti, too, was selected for the AFL All-Star Game.

1961: NY Titans Overcome Early Miscues & Cappelletti to Beat Patriots

The Week 4 American Football League matchup at New York’s Polo Grounds on October 1, 1961 featured two division rivals, both with 2-1 records, that had already met in the first week of the season.

The host New York Titans, coached by former all-time great quarterback Sammy Baugh, featured an offense that could score points and a defense that gave up points just as readily. QB Al Dorow (pictured above) was mobile and had outstanding receivers to throw to in split end Art Powell and flanker Don Maynard. Much attention was drawn to the club off the field by colorful and controversial owner Harry Wismer.

The visiting Boston Patriots, under Head Coach Lou Saban, scored the fewest points in the AFL’s first season in 1960 and had taken steps to rectify the situation. QB Babe Parilli and FB Billy Lott were obtained in a trade with the Raiders, although Butch Songin, the starting quarterback in the inaugural year, continued to split time with the newcomer and was the starter against New York.

The Patriots had lost a close 21-20 decision to the Titans in the first week and considered the rematch to be a must-win game.

There were 15,189 in attendance at the decrepit venue. In the first ten minutes of the game, the New York offense played poorly and gave up the ball in its own territory on each of its first four possessions. The Patriots recovered three fumbles and gained possession after a poor snap on a punt made it impossible to get the kick away.

However, Boston was only able to get three field goals, of 34, 30, and 16 yards by Gino Cappelletti, and another attempt from 26 yards hit the goal post and was unsuccessful. Songin was 0-for-7 passing in the first quarter as the Patriots squandered the chance to bury the Titans early and the score was 9-0 after one period of play

The second quarter belonged to New York. FB Bill Mathis started the scoring with a two-yard touchdown carry. Dorow threw a five-yard TD pass to TE Thurlow Cooper, after which an attempted two-point conversion failed. Still, the Titans were ahead by 13-9.

Dorow had to leave the game temporarily later in the period due to a neck injury and backup QB Bob Scrabis threw a touchdown pass of four yards to Powell in his absence. New York took a 20-9 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, and down by 11 points, the multi-talented Cappelletti threw a touchdown pass to HB Larry Garron on a fake field goal attempt to cut the Titans’ margin to 20-16. Bill Shockley responded with a 26-yard field goal for New York, but Songin threw to flanker Jim Colclough for a 33-yard TD, and with Cappelletti’s successful PAT, the score was tied at 23-23 going into the final period.

Mathis put the Titans back in front with another two-yard scoring run, but Cappelletti tied the game once more with a spectacular catch of a 32-yard Songin pass in the end zone, followed by his kick for the extra point.

With the tally now at 30-30, the Titans moved the ball down the field and were helped by an interference penalty that put them on the Boston 13. From there, Dorow tossed a touchdown pass to Maynard, who wrestled the ball away from FS Fred Bruney with six minutes remaining to play. The Patriots still had a chance, but a fourth-down pass was intercepted by FS Lee Riley, thus nailing down the 37-30 win for New York.

The Titans outgained Boston (353 yards to 239) and had more first downs (26 to 11). However, they also turned the ball over three times (all in the first quarter), to two suffered by the Patriots.


Al Dorow completed 14 of 29 passes for 195 yards with two touchdowns and none intercepted; he also ran the ball six times for 26 yards. Bill Mathis gained 109 yards on 19 carries with two TDs. Don Maynard (pictured at left) caught 6 passes for 87 yards and a score, while Art Powell contributed 5 receptions for 37 yards and a TD.

For the Patriots, Butch Songin went most of the way at quarterback but was successful on just 10 of 23 throws for 131 yards and two touchdowns, although he was not picked off. Babe Parilli added four completions in eight attempts for 25 yards while Gino Cappelletti tossed the one 27-yard TD pass (the third quarterback, Tom Yewcic, gave up the clinching interception). Altogether, Cappelletti scored 18 points (one TD, three field goals, and three extra points) and passed for six more. Larry Garron was the team’s leading rusher with 38 yards on 6 attempts while Billy Lott added 33 yards on three carries.

“Our defense kept us in the ball game in the first quarter,” said Sammy Baugh. “We never could have won if it hadn’t.”

As Boston’s Coach Saban saw it, “We blew our opportunity right there. We had four shots and didn’t score a touchdown. We never hit a pass. We should have been at least three touchdowns ahead right from the opening period.”

It was the third win in four games for the Titans and put them on top of the Eastern Division. They lost their next two contests, however, and ended up in third place with a 7-7 record.

Despite losing twice to New York, the Patriots managed to finish ahead of the Titans in the end. After falling to 2-3, Coach Saban was fired and replaced by Mike Holovak. The team responded by going 7-1-1 the rest of the way for a 9-4-1 overall tally.

Al Dorow ranked at the top of the league in pass attempts (438), completions (197), and more unfortunately, interceptions (30). His 19 touchdown passes ranked second and 2651 passing yards third. For the second year, he also led all AFL quarterbacks in rushing (317 yards). The 32-year-old veteran was chosen for the league All-Star Game.

Art Powell and Don Maynard weren’t as productive as they were in ’60, but still were among the young league’s best receivers. Powell caught 71 passes for 881 yards and five touchdowns while Maynard had 43 receptions for 629 yards and 8 TDs.

Gino Cappelletti (pictured below) continued to be productive as both a receiver and placekicker and led the AFL in scoring with 147 points. He also led in field goals (17) as well as three-point attempts (32) and caught 45 passes for 768 yards and 8 touchdowns.

MVP Profile: Gino Cappelletti, 1964

Flanker/Placekicker, Boston Patriots



Age: 30
5th season in pro football & with Patriots
College: Minnesota
Height: 6’0” Weight: 190

Prelude:
A quarterback in college, Cappelletti was undrafted by the NFL and played semi-pro football in Canada before failing in a preseason tryout with the Detroit Lions. After sitting out all of 1959, he made the Patriots of the new AFL as a defensive back and placekicker. In 1961, Cappelletti moved to split end on offense and led the AFL in scoring (147 points) and field goals (17). Slow but sure-handed, he caught 45 passes for 768 yards and 8 TDs and was named to the AFL All-Star game. He scored 128 points in 1962 and again led the league with 113 in ’63 (and also again in field goals with 22). He was named an AFL All-Star for the second time.

1964 Season Summary
Appeared in all 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 49 [10, tied with Don Norton]
Most receptions, game – 7 (for 147 yds.) at NY Jets 10/31
Yards – 865 [9]
Most yards, game - 147 (on 7 catches) at NY Jets 10/31
Average gain – 17.7 [9]
TDs – 7 [9, tied with four others]
100-yard receiving games - 2

Rushing
Attempts – 1
Yards – 7
Average gain – 7.0
TDs – 0

Kicking
Field goals – 25 [1]
Most field goals, game - 6 at Denver 10/4
Field goal attempts – 39 [1]
Most field goal attempts, game – 7 at San Diego 9/20
Field goal percentage – 64.1 [2]
PATs – 36 [4]
PAT attempts – 36 [4]
Longest field goal – 51 yards vs. Denver 11/20

Scoring
TDs – 7 [13, tied with four others]
Field Goals – 25
PATs – 36
2-point PATs – 1
Points – 155 [1]

Awards & Honors:
AFL Player of the Year: AP, UPI
2nd team All-AFL: NEA, UPI
AFL All-Star Game

Patriots went 10-3-1 to finish second in the AFL Eastern Division and ranked third in the league in points scored (359).

Aftermath:
Cappelletti led the AFL in scoring over the next two seasons (132 points in 1965, 119 in ’66) and had the league’s best field goal percentage in 1965 (63.0). He was named to the league All-Star game after ’65 and ’66. Cappelletti played a total of 11 seasons, all with the Patriots, and scored a total of 1130 points (his 1100 points in the AFL alone were the most in league history), with 42 TDs, 176 field goals, and 342 extra points. One of 20 players who were in the AFL for all ten seasons, he also finished with 292 pass receptions for 4589 yards.

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 2/15/14]

1960: Broncos Defeat Patriots as AFL Debuts

The fourth, and ultimately most successful, organization to be known as the American Football League (AFL) had its regular season debut on September 9, 1960 as the Boston Patriots played host to the Denver Broncos. There were 21,597 fans in attendance at Boston University’s Nickerson Field (on the site of the former Braves Field) on a muggy Friday night as Patriots tackle Tony Discenzo booted the opening kickoff to the Broncos.

The Patriots, coached by Lou Saban and having badly beaten the Broncos in a preseason game a few weeks earlier, were considered to be heavy favorites coming into the opening game. Their biggest problem had been securing a home field (a chronic issue that would not be fully resolved until 1971, when the club moved to Foxboro, Massachusetts), having been turned down by Boston College, Harvard University, and baseball’s Red Sox, who owned Fenway Park. With help from the mayor, Boston University was prevailed upon to make its stadium available.


As for Denver, Head Coach Frank Filchock, a former NFL quarterback who went to the CFL, had been coaching with Saskatchewan and followed his general manager, Dean Griffing, to Colorado. Filchock recruited Frank Tripucka, a product of Notre Dame who had also played in the NFL and CFL, as an assistant coach but by the time the season rolled around Tripucka was the starting quarterback. As was the case with several of the AFL teams, money was tight and the Broncos wore uniforms that had been discarded by a defunct college all-star contest known as the Copper Bowl and became the joke of the league: mustard yellow (charitably called gold) jerseys with brown pants and helmets and vertically-striped brown and yellow socks.

The Broncos wasted no time in showing off some razzle-dazzle in returning the Patriots’ opening kickoff as HB Bob McNamara handed off to HB Al Carmichael, who had once returned a kickoff 106 yards for the Packers, on a reverse; Carmichael made it to his 17 yard line. Denver kept the ball on the ground, with Carmichael running five yards on the first play from scrimmage, and had to punt.

36-year-old QB Ed “Butch” Songin, a local product from Boston College who had also played briefly in Canada, completed the AFL’s first pass, to end Jim Colclough. There was no scoring until late in the period when Gino Cappelletti, who had played collegiately at the University of Minnesota and briefly in the CFL after going undrafted by the NFL, kicked a 35-yard field goal that put the Patriots up by 3-0.

Denver got on the board in the second quarter when Tripucka threw a swing pass to Carmichael who dashed 59 yards for a touchdown and the score stood at 7-3 at halftime.

The Broncos scored on another big play in the third quarter as HB Gene Mingo returned a punt 76 yards for a TD; however the exhausted Mingo, who also was the team’s placekicker, missed the ensuing extra point attempt.

Both defenses played well, and the Patriots made a big play defensively in the fourth quarter when DB Chuck Shonta intercepted a pass and returned it 52 yards to set up a 10-yard touchdown pass from Songin to Colclough. The Broncos held on, however, and won by a final score of 13-10.


Denver outgained the Patriots with 323 total yards to 219, and especially held an edge in rushing yards with 149 to 79. Gene Mingo was the top rusher, gaining 66 yards on 8 attempts. Al Carmichael was the all-around star, leading the Broncos with 130 yards on 6 pass receptions, including the one TD, while adding 24 yards on 9 carries and returning two kickoffs for a total of 54 yards. Frank Tripucka completed 10 of 15 passes for 180 yards with a TD and an interception.

Butch Songin went to the air 24 times and had 12 completions for 145 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions (both by Denver safety Goose Gonsoulin, on his way to leading the AFL with 11). FB Jim Crawford led the team in rushing with 29 yards on 8 carries; HB Larry Garron was right behind at 26 yards on 7 attempts. Jim Colclough caught 4 passes for 42 yards and a TD; Crawford also had 42 receiving yards on his two receptions.

Ultimately, both teams completed the season at the bottom of their respective divisions. The Patriots had a 5-9 record, while Denver was 4-9-1.

Gene Mingo led the AFL in scoring (123 points) and field goals (18) while contributing 33 extra points and six touchdowns; his 76-yard punt return was the longest in the league’s first season. Denver ranked at the bottom in team rushing and Frank Tripucka went to the air often, leading the league in passing attempts (478), completions (248), and yards (3038) - he also led the circuit by throwing 34 interceptions.


By the passer rating system then in use in the AFL, Butch Songin ranked fourth and behind Tripucka in third. However, by the modern system he ranked second (70.9) and his Denver counterpart seventh, and had a far better touchdown-to-interception ratio (22 TDs and 15 INTs to Tripucka’s 24 touchdowns and 34 interceptions). Gino Cappelletti scored just 60 points in ’60, but he would be shifted from the defensive backfield to offensive end and become the all-time scoring leader in the AFL’s ten-year history.