1954: Bears Rally to Defeat Packers with Fourth Quarter TDs

The Chicago Bears had a 3-3 record as they hosted their arch-rivals, the Green Bay Packers, on November 7, 1954. Coached by “the Papa Bear”, owner George Halas, the Bears, who started the season off slowly, were benefiting from the play of rookie end Harlon Hill, who was proving to be a potent deep receiving threat. Veteran FB Harry “Chick” Jagade, obtained from the Browns, helped the running attack while Halas alternated veteran QB George Blanda with rookie Zeke Bratkowski.

Green Bay was under the guidance of first-year Head Coach Lisle Blackbourn and, after starting off with three losses, had reeled off three straight wins to come into the game with Chicago also at 3-3. QB Tobin Rote was a talented, if inconsistent, passer and rookie end Max McGee bolstered the receiving corps.

There were 47,038 fans in attendance at Wrigley Field. Chicago jumped out to the early lead thanks largely to the passing of George Blanda. He threw to end Jim Dooley for a 40-yard touchdown to complete a 72-yard drive in seven plays. Blanda, also the team’s placekicker, added the extra point.

Following an unsuccessful field goal attempt by Green Bay’s Fred Cone, Blanda then passed the Bears down the field on a 10-play, 54-yard series leading to a two-yard carry for a TD by Chick Jagade. Two of those throws were nearly intercepted but dropped and the Packers were flagged on a questionable pass interference call as well. Blanda again converted.

Down by 14-0, the Packers scored twice in the last ten minutes of the first half. A 49-yard possession that took 10 plays resulted in a four-yard scoring pass from Tobin Rote to Max McGee. Soon afterward, HB Veryl Switzer (pictured at left) grabbed a punt on the bounce and returned it 93 yards, getting several good blocks along the way as he raced down the sideline. A bad snap from center caused the extra point attempt to go awry as Fred Cone’s kick was blocked, but Chicago’s lead was narrowed to 14-13 at halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, Cone kicked a 30-yard field goal and the visitors jumped ahead by 16-14. That remained the situation until early in the fourth quarter when the Packers extended their lead following an interception of a Blanda pass by safety Clarence Self. Self returned the pickoff 22 yards and, on the next play, McGee caught a pass from Rote and made an outstanding run for a 37-yard touchdown. Cone converted and Green Bay was up by 23-14.

With 7:42 left to play the Bears were down by nine points and faced fourth-and-three at their own 48. Zeke Bratkowski’s high kick was fumbled by Switzer as he was hit by DE Ted Daffer. C/LB Wayne Hansen scooped the ball up and returned it 14 yards for a touchdown. Blanda converted to make it a two-point game at 23-21.

The Packers responded by advancing methodically to the Chicago 35 thanks to two passes by Rote and a penalty on the Bears. However, the drive stalled and Cone’s 46-yard field goal attempt was wide with the time now down to 4:05. Taking over at their 20, the Bears ran six plays and got first downs on passes from Blanda to FB Pete Perini for 20 yards and end Bill McColl for 26. Another pass, which HB Don Kindt grabbed away from two defenders, gained 21 yards and put the ball at the Green Bay seven. On the next play, Blanda, heavily pressured by DT Dave Hanner, threw to HB/OE John Hoffman in the corner of the end zone for a TD. The Bears were in front by five points with just over two minutes left to play.

The Packers went to the air and Rote (pictured at right) completed six passes, the longest covering 38 yards to HB Al Carmichael, to reach the Chicago 16. But time was running out and, on the game’s final play, Rote lost hold of the ball and DE Ed Sprinkle recovered as the gun sounded. Chicago won by a final score of 28-23.

The Bears led in total yards (382 to 335) while the teams were even in first downs with 21 apiece and turnovers with two. Each club was also penalized six times.

George Blanda completed 24 of 46 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns while giving up two interceptions. John Hoffman caught 9 passes for 110 yards and a TD, helped by the Packers double-teaming Harlon Hill, and also ran the ball 12 times for 60 yards. For the Packers, Tobin Rote was successful on 17 of 42 throws for 204 yards and two TDs with none intercepted. Max McGee had five catches.

The Bears lost to the Browns the next week but won their four remaining games to finish second in the Western Conference at 8-4. Green Bay went in the opposite direction, beating the Colts but then losing the last four contests to end up fifth with a 4-8 record.

George Blanda suffered a shoulder injury that cost him the last four games of the season but still ranked third in touchdown passes (15), fourth in pass attempts (281), and sixth in passing yards (1929). John Hoffman tied his career high with 28 catches, which gained 354 yards. His winning touchdown against the Packers was his only scoring reception although he had three rushing TDs.

Tobin Rote topped the NFL in pass attempts (382) and completions (180) and placed second in passing yards (2311). He also rushed for 301 yards and eight touchdowns. Max McGee completed his first pro season with 36 catches for 614 yards (17.1 avg.) and ranked fourth in the league with nine receiving TDs.

1955: Colts Break Out to Early Lead, Hold Off Packers

Two NFL Western Conference teams that were sporting surprising 2-0 records, the Baltimore Colts and Green Bay Packers, met in Milwaukee on October 8, 1955. The Colts, coached by Weeb Ewbank, had been 3-9 in ’54 but were benefiting from the play of two rookies. FB Alan “The Horse” Ameche, the Heisman Trophy winner out of Wisconsin, gained over a hundred yards in each of his first two games and QB George Shaw (pictured at right), the first overall draft choice out of Oregon, tossed touchdown passes in each as well. There was other young talent on the club interspersed among able veterans such as HB Buddy Young, DE Gino Marchetti, DT Art Donovan, and safety/PK Bert Rechichar.

Green Bay was coming off of a 4-8 record under Head Coach Lisle Blackbourn the previous year. QB Tobin Rote was a good runner and, at his best, a fine passer, although he lacked consistency. End Billy Howton was an outstanding deep receiver and FB Howie Ferguson was developing into a productive runner. The defense was tough, with LB Roger Zatkoff and safety Bobby Dillon key members of the unit.  

There were 40,119 fans in attendance at County Stadium on a Saturday, the biggest crowd to date to see a football game there. The Packers scored quickly after Alan Ameche fumbled on the first play from scrimmage and Roger Zatkoff recovered for Green Bay at the Colts’ 38. Tobin Rote rolled to his left and fired a pass to Billy Howton, who outran three defenders for a 38-yard touchdown. Fred Cone added the extra point for the early 7-0 lead.

Shortly thereafter, it was Baltimore’s turn to benefit from a turnover when Rote fumbled and DE Don Joyce fell on it at the Green Bay 12. Ameche ran for a five-yard TD and Bert Rechichar converted to tie the score. The Colts scored again when George Shaw threw to Buddy Young (pictured below), who blew past Bobby Dillon and went 82 yards for a touchdown. Rechichar again added the point after. Just before the end of the period, Shaw passed to end Jim Mutscheller for a 40-yard TD and Rechichar’s conversion gave the visitors a 21-7 lead heading into the second quarter.

Dillon intercepted a Shaw pass in Baltimore territory and that set up an eight-play, 26-yard series that concluded with Howie Ferguson taking a pitchout and running for a touchdown from a yard out. Cone kicked the extra point to narrow the margin to 21-14 and that is how the contest remained at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Packers, starting from their 38, put together a promising drive keyed by the running of Ferguson, HB Breezy Reid, and HB Veryl Switzer. After reaching the Baltimore 41, three Rote passes fell incomplete, but Cone kicked a 47-yard field goal that just made it over the crossbar. Green Bay was four points behind at 21-17.

Late in the period, DHB Carl Taseff of the Colts recovered another Rote fumble on the Green Bay 21. Ameche ran the ball twice, with a carry by Shaw in between, but an aroused Packer defense kept them out of the end zone. Rechichar kicked a 10-yard field goal and Baltimore’s lead was extended to 24-17.

DHB Doyle Nix intercepted a Shaw pass that was intended for Mutscheller and the Packers began to advance on offense with Rote completing throws to end Gary Knafelc and Howton. But after reaching the Baltimore 18, an offside penalty moved the home team back and they settled for a 28-yard Cone field goal to again make it a four-point game with less than five minutes on the clock.

The Colts were unable to move and punted on their next series and the Packers took over again at their 40 with two minutes remaining. Rote threw to Ferguson for 11 yards and, after overthrowing Knafelc, he connected with Switzer for a first down at the Baltimore 35. Passes to Switzer and Knafelc gained eight and 16 yards, respectively, but with time slipping away, a Rote toss into the end zone was out of Howton’s reach. The Colts held on for a 24-20 win.

Green Bay had more total yards (322 to 255) and first downs (17 to 8) than the Colts, and outgained the visitors both on the ground (136 to 103) and through the air (186 to 152). However, the Packers spent most of the game trying to catch up to Baltimore, who made key plays to take the early lead. The Colts turned the ball over four times, to three by Green Bay.

George Shaw completed just 6 of 16 passes for 162 yards, but two of them were for touchdowns, although three were intercepted. Alan Ameche was held to 63 yards on 20 carries, one of which was good for a TD.

For the Packers, Tobin Rote was successful on 19 of 39 throws for 191 yards and a TD. Billy Howton caught 6 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. Howie Ferguson (pictured at right) rushed for 71 yards on 20 attempts, thus coming out ahead of Ameche in the anticipated showdown between the two fullbacks.

Reaching 3-0 proved to be the high point for Baltimore’s season. The Colts lost their next two games, beat the Packers again, and then won only once more on the way to a 5-6-1 record that placed them fourth in the Western Conference. The best years for Ewbank’s team were yet to come. Despite sweeping the season series, they also managed to finish behind the Packers, who ended up third at 6-6.

George Shaw continued to show promise as he threw for 1586 yards and 10 touchdowns while giving up 19 interceptions, but that promise would go largely unfulfilled. Alan Ameche led the NFL in rushing with 961 yards and rushing TDs with nine. He was a consensus first-team All-league selection and went on to perform a key role as the team rose to back-to-back NFL Championships by the end of the decade.

Tobin Rote threw for 1977 yards and a league-leading 17 TD passes (along with San Francisco’s Y.A. Tittle) and also rushed for 332 yards and five touchdowns. Billy Howton received Pro Bowl recognition as he accumulated 44 catches for 697 yards (15.8 avg.) and scored five TDs. Howie Ferguson also was named to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 859 yards on 192 carries (4.5 avg.) which placed second to Ameche.

1955: Packers Blow Lead but Upset Rams with Late Field Goal

The Green Bay Packers were a surprising 2-1 as they faced the tough Los Angeles Rams on October 16, 1955. Coached by Lisle Blackbourn, they were coming off a 4-8 record in ’54 and had not posted a winning record since 1947. Talented, if erratic, QB Tobin Rote led a revived offense that also featured end Billy Howton and FB Howie Ferguson. The defense was tough and included LB Roger Zatkoff and safety Bobby Dillon, and backup FB Fred Cone (pictured above) was also a reliable placekicker.

Los Angeles, typically a contender in the Western Conference, was off to a 3-0 start and the favorite against the Packers. The head coach, Sid Gillman, was new, but there were many savvy veterans on the team, including QB Norm Van Brocklin, FB Tank Younger, and ends Tom Fears and Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch. HB Ron Waller was a promising rookie and second-year QB Bill Wade was available to spell Van Brocklin.

There were 26,960 fans in attendance at Milwaukee’s County Stadium. Less than two minutes into the game, Tobin Rote tossed an errant pitchout that FB Howie Ferguson couldn’t handle and DE Andy Robustelli picked it up for the Rams and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown. Les Richter added the extra point to give the visitors the early 7-0 lead.

Later in the first quarter, the Packers got a 34-yard field goal by Fred Cone. Green Bay then put together a nine-play, 63-yard drive with Rote passing effectively that resulted in a seven-yard touchdown throw to HB Veryl Switzer. Cone’s conversion had the home team in front by 10-7 heading into the second quarter.

LB Deral Teteak intercepted a Van Brocklin pass that produced another score for the Packers. Green Bay went 34 yards in four plays, the first three of them runs and the last a pass from Rote to end Gary Knafelc, who grabbed the ball away from two defenders and ran into the end zone for a 16-yard TD. The Packers went into halftime with a 17-7 lead.

The Packers added to their lead on the fourth play of the third quarter as Rote threw to Billy Howton for a 57-yard touchdown. Cone again made good on the extra point. Down by 24-7, the Rams responded with a series that traveled 66 yards in six plays. QB Bill Wade both ran and passed LA down the field, connecting with Ron Waller for a 15-yard TD. Richter added the PAT to make it a ten-point contest.

As rain began to fall, the Packers correspondingly cooled off on offense. DHB Jim Cason (pictured at left) intercepted a pass by Rote to give the Rams the ball at the Green Bay 35. In a four-play series that extended into the fourth quarter, Van Brocklin, who was not at his best throwing the ball on this day, guided the Rams to another score. Again it was Waller getting the touchdown, this time on a five-yard carry to start the fourth quarter.

The Packers finally added to their lead when Cone booted a 45-yard field goal to make the score 27-21. Green Bay’s defense then kept the Rams in their own territory, but Van Brocklin’s 52-yard punt pinned the Packers back at their 14 in turn. Ferguson, gimpy with an ankle injury, could gain only three yards on two carries and, when Rote went to the air, Cason picked him off again and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Richter added the extra point that put the visitors ahead by 28-27.

Cason struck for a third time by picking off a long throw by Rote, giving the Rams the ball on their 15 with the clock down to 2:13. However, Los Angeles did a poor job of running time off the clock, going with three running plays that used a total of 26 seconds of playing time. Van Brocklin got off another long punt that traveled 65 yards, but HB Al Carmichael returned it 40 yards, weaving his way to the LA 30 where DHB Ed Hughes brought him down. Rote rolled out and, finding no receivers open, ran for 11 yards down to the 19. He also got out of bounds to stop the clock, but was stopped for no gain and stayed in bounds the next time. With 24 seconds left to play, Cone kicked a 25-yard field goal that just barely made it inside the uprights to put the Packers back on top. The Rams still had time for two plays following the kickoff, but time ran out with the ball at their 33 and Green Bay came away with a 30-28 win.

The Packers had the edge in total yards (343 to 260) and first downs (20 to 16). However, they also turned the ball over six times, to three suffered by LA, and the Rams recorded three sacks, to one by Green Bay. The Packers also were successful on three field goal attempts, while the combination of Les Richter and Tom Fears missed three for Los Angeles.

Tobin Rote completed 19 of 40 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns, but tossed five interceptions as well, three of them by Jim Cason. Billy Howton (pictured below) caught 8 passes for 158 yards and a TD while, for the Rams, Ron Waller rushed for 77 yards on 14 carries.

The win put the Packers in a tie for first in the Western Conference, but the bubble burst and they lost their next four games on the way to a 6-6 third-place finish. The Rams came out on top of the conference at 8-3-1, although they lost badly to the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship game.

Tobin Rote went on to lead the NFL with 17 touchdown passes (tied with San Francisco’s Y.A. Tittle). Billy Howton caught 44 passes for 697 yards (15.8 avg.) and scored five touchdowns, and was named to the Pro Bowl. Fred Cone was successful on a league-leading 16 of 24 field goal attempts and all 30 of his PATs.

1957: Packers Upset Bears in First Game at New Stadium

On September 29, 1957 the Green Bay Packers not only played their opening game of the new NFL season, but achieved a significant milestone in the history of the franchise as well. That day marked the official opening of a new home venue, City Stadium (or New City Stadium, to distinguish it from its predecessor, until renamed Lambeau Field in 1965).

The Packers had endured mediocrity on the field throughout the decade of the fifties and the future of the franchise was in question. They were playing home games at a high school stadium, the original City Stadium, and owners of other NFL teams were complaining that the facility was no longer up to league standards. The Packers had also been playing some home games in Milwaukee each year (and would continue doing so until 1994), and there was sentiment to move the team there permanently. Upon receiving an ultimatum from the NFL, a bond issue was put before the voters of Green Bay to build a new stadium and received 70 percent approval. The result was the new 32,000-seat stadium.

As for the team itself, the Packers were coming off a 4-8 season in 1956 and had not posted a winning record since 1947. Coached by Lisle Blackbourn, who was commencing his fourth year at the helm, the team had traded star QB Tobin Rote to Detroit during the offseason and was going with 23-year-old second-year QB Bart Starr to start the opening game, although 28-year-old QB Babe Parilli, who had started out with the Packers in 1952, gone into the military, and been dealt to Cleveland, was back with the club. End Billy Howton was one of the NFL’s best receivers, center Jim Ringo was a solid performer on the offensive line, and safety Bobby Dillon a highly-regarded member of the defense. They also had high hopes for their first round draft choices, QB Paul Hornung from Notre Dame and Michigan end Ron Kramer, but by and large the Packers simply had too many holes on the roster.

The team they were hosting, the Chicago Bears, was coming off a 9-2-1 record in ’56 that had topped the Western Division, although they lost badly to the Giants in the NFL title game. Coached by Paddy Driscoll, the Bears had a fine quarterback tandem in Ed Brown and George Blanda with Zeke Bratkowski now in the mix after a stint in the Army. FB Rick Casares had led the league in rushing and end Harlon Hill was an outstanding deep threat.

Dignitaries were present for the stadium dedication, including Vice President Richard M. Nixon who pronounced the new facility the “best spectator stadium” he had visited. A capacity crowd of 32,132 was on hand on a windy but sunny day.

The Bears scored first on their third series in the opening period, following an interception of a Bart Starr pass.  Ed Brown capped a 77-yard drive with a five-yard run on the ninth play. Blanda added the extra point and it was 7-0 heading into the second quarter.

Starr was struggling and the Packers were also hurt by the loss of FB Howie Ferguson to an injury in the first quarter. Babe Parilli (pictured below) relieved at quarterback and the Packers put together a scoring drive that went 79 yards in 10 plays, the biggest a pass that Howton caught over his shoulder for a 37-yard touchdown. Fred Cone tied the score at 7-7 with the successful point after.

Chicago got another TD, again taking nine plays to advance 72 yards and scoring on a pass from Brown to Harlon Hill from eleven yards out. The second TD for the Packers culminated a nine-play, 59-yard drive that was helped by a pass interference call in the end zone after Chicago DHB Vic Zucco hit Howton in the end zone. With the ball at the one yard line, Cone dove into the end zone and added the extra point that made the score 14-14 at the half.

Early in the third quarter, George Blanda kicked a 13-yard field goal for the Bears to give them the lead, but the Green Bay defense began to assert itself. In addition to intercepting four passes during the second half, the Packers also made a key stop in the fourth quarter. On a fourth-and-one play near midfield, Chicago HB Bobby Watkins was unable to gain the necessary yardage and the Packers came alive with a three-play, 49-yard series that proved to be decisive.

Parilli first threw to Howton for a 41-yard gain and Cone ran for two yards. Then Parilli, breaking free of DE Jack Hoffman, fired the ball to end Gary Knafelc, who dropped to his knees between the goal posts and caught the ball squarely in his stomach for a six-yard touchdown.

With 8:21 remaining to play, there was still plenty of time left, but Green Bay’s defense rose to the occasion and the Bears were unable to get into Packers territory for the rest of the game. Chicago’s last opportunity came when the Packers had to punt with two minutes remaining, but HB Perry Jeter fumbled when hit hard by DE Jim Temp and center Larry Lauer recovered for the Packers, who were then able to run out the clock. The Packers came away with an upset 21-17 win.

Chicago led in total yards (362 to 297) and first downs (19 to 16). However, the Bears also turned the ball over six times, with most coming in the second half, to four suffered by Green Bay.

Babe Parilli completed 9 of 17 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns and Billy Howton had 8 catches for 165 yards and a TD. Chicago’s quarterback combo of Ed Brown and Zeke Bratkowski gave up five interceptions, two of which were by Bobby Dillon.

While it made for a great opening in a new facility, the win over the Bears did not mark a turnaround for the Packers. They lost their next three games and ended up at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 3-9 record. Coach Blackbourn was dismissed, but it would take an even worse finish in 1958 and another coaching change to bring about a revival in the team’s fortunes.

The loss did presage a down year for the Bears, who sagged to 5-7 and fifth place in the conference, although they did beat Green Bay in the rematch at Chicago. The drop in fortunes persuaded owner George Halas to come out of his two-year coaching retirement in 1958.

Babe Parilli started one game for the Packers in ’57 and returned to the bench to back up Bart Starr. For the year, he completed 39 of 102 passes (38.2 %) for 669 yards with four touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He played one more season with Green Bay, was cut during the 1959 preseason and played in Canada, and then spent 10 years in the American Football League with the Raiders, Patriots (where he had his greatest success), and Jets.

Billy Howton had another fine season in 1957, catching 38 passes for 727 yards (19.1 avg.) and five touchdowns. He received consensus first-team All-NFL recognition for the second straight year and was named to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time.

As for City Stadium, the bond issue that financed its near-million dollar construction cost was paid off in 1978. Following several expansions, and the renaming to Lambeau Field, the seating capacity has since risen to over 73,000.

1956: Carmichael Returns Kickoff 106 Yards but Bears Prevail Over Packers

The Green Bay Packers were in the midst of a long dry period on October 7, 1956 as they hosted the arch-rival Chicago Bears at City Stadium. They were coming off a 6-6 record in ’55 under Head Coach Lisle Blackbourn, only their second finish as high as .500 (they had not been above that) since 1947. The team had a talented, if inconsistent, quarterback in Tobin Rote, one of the best receivers in the league in end Billy Howton, and Bobby Dillon, a fine safety. Some names that would become prominent a few years later were on the roster, such as C Jim Ringo, DT Dave Hanner, and MG/LB Bill Forester. Rookies included offensive tackles Forrest Gregg and Bob Skoronski, DB Hank Gremminger, and backup QB Bart Starr.

One of the veterans on the team was HB Al Carmichael (pictured above), the first round draft pick out of USC in 1953. In three seasons with Green Bay, he had been more prominent as a kick returner than a running back, and led the NFL with a 29.9 kickoff return average in 1955, including one for a 100-yard touchdown.

The Packers lost their opening game to Detroit the week before, while Chicago had also fallen short against the Colts. Owner George Halas had stepped down as head coach following an 8-4 finish in 1955, and longtime assistant Paddy Driscoll now held the position – although the “Papa Bear” still maintained a tight grip on the team.

There was a capacity crowd of 24,668 fans in attendance at the small venue. The Bears scored first on a nine-yard pass from QB Ed Brown to FB Rick Casares in the opening quarter. Carmichael was back deep to return the kickoff, supposedly with strict orders from Blackbourn not to return it if it went into the end zone. However, the oft-injured halfback was angry as a result of a shouting match prior to the game with an assistant coach who questioned his toughness. He fielded the kick and ran it out, hurdling over Bears lineman Stan Jones and breaking into the clear. In thrilling fashion, Carmichael went the distance, setting a new NFL record with his 106-yard kickoff return.

George Blanda broke the tie later in the period with a 29-yard field goal for the Bears, and in the second quarter booted a 41-yarder. Rote threw to Howton for a six-yard touchdown, and Fred Cone’s extra point put the Packers in front at 14-13.

Chicago put together a 10-play, 80-yard drive in which Brown completed a 34-yard pass to Casares and 27-yard throw to end Gene Schroeder. On the climactic play from three yards out, the quarterback faked to Casares, handed off to HB Bobby Watkins, and when Watkins fumbled, Brown grabbed it a foot off the ground and broke through left tackle for the score. The odd touchdown put the Bears ahead by 20-14 at the half, and they never trailed again.

Casares ran for a 14-yard TD three minutes into the third quarter, and while Rote again threw a scoring pass to Howton that covered 16 yards and made it a six-point game at 27-21 in the final period, Blanda kicked an 11-yard field goal five minutes later and Brown iced the cake with a nine-yard touchdown pass to end Bill McColl. The Bears came away with a 37-21 win.

It was a convincing performance for the Bears, who outgained Green Bay (462 yards to 267) and had more first downs (25 to 20). The ground game piled up 278 of those yards, with Rick Casares leading the way with 139 yards on 24 carries. Ed Brown was efficient through the air as he completed 11 of 16 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. 29-year-old George Blanda kicked three field goals and his four extra points extended his league record to 150 in a row (he topped out at 156). Billy Howton caught 6 passes for 97 yards and two TDs for the Packers.

The win was the first of seven straight for the Bears, who won the Western Conference with a 9-2-1 record, although they lost badly to the Giants in the NFL title game. Green Bay won its next two games but then suffered four consecutive losses on the way to a 4-8 record and last place finish in the conference, along with the Rams.

Al Carmichael ranked third in kickoff return average (28.1) while leading the league in kickoffs returned (33) and yards (927) as well as total yards on kickoff and punt returns (1092). His 1471 all-purpose yards placed second in the NFL.

The 106-yard kickoff return bested the previous record of 105, set by Frank Seno of the Chicago Cardinals in a 1946 game against the Giants. It was tied by Noland Smith with Kansas City of the AFL in 1967 and Roy Green of the Cardinals in 1979 before finally being broken, after over fifty years, by Ellis Hobbs of the Patriots, who had a 108-yard return against the Jets in 2007. Green Bay’s Randall Cobb not only tied the league record with a 108-yard return in the opening game of the 2011 season, but also knocked Carmichael’s return to second place in franchise history.

Carmichael played two more seasons with the Packers and finished up with 100 career punt returns for a 7.5-yard average and returned 153 kickoffs with an average of 25.5 yards and two touchdowns. While his career was not particularly significant otherwise, he went on to achieve another distinction as a member of the Denver Broncos in 1960 when he scored the first touchdown in AFL history.