1961: Eagles Edge Bears Thanks to Missed FGs But Lose Brookshier

The Philadelphia Eagles were sporting a 6-1 record as they hosted the tough Chicago Bears on November 5, 1961. The Eagles had been forced to make key offseason moves after winning the 1960 NFL Championship since both Head Coach Buck Shaw and star QB Norm Van Brocklin had chosen to retire. Taking their place were Nick Skorich, promoted from line coach to head coach, and QB Sonny Jurgensen (pictured at right), who had been waiting for his opportunity since coming to Philadelphia as a fourth round draft choice out of Duke in 1957. Now he was making the most of it, proving to be a highly productive passer, and with capable receivers available in flanker Tommy McDonald and ends Pete Retzlaff and Bobby Walston, who was also the team’s experienced placekicker.  

The Bears were 5-2 and had a four-game winning streak coming into Philadelphia. Under the guidance of owner and Head Coach George Halas, Chicago also had notable newcomers in QB Bill Wade, obtained from the Rams, and rookie TE Mike Ditka. The defense was solid and experienced, with the line anchored by DE Doug Atkins, Bill George at middle linebacker flanked by Joe Fortunato and Larry Morris, and the backfield featuring cornerbacks Dave Whitsell and J.C. Caroline and safeties Roosevelt Taylor and Richie Petitbon.

There were 60,671 fans in attendance at Franklin Field on an unseasonably warm day. The Eagles had the game’s first possession and advanced into Chicago territory. Sonny Jurgensen threw to Pete Retzlaff for an 18-yard gain on a third-and-eight play and a pass to Tommy McDonald picked up 12 yards. However, facing third-and-one at the Chicago 33, Jurgensen was sacked for a loss of eight yards by Doug Atkins and DE Bob Kilcullen, and Bobby Walston’s long field goal attempt was blocked.

The Bears had good field position to start at their 48 but an attempt to convert a fourth down at the Philadelphia 43 was stopped short. After being moved back by a holding penalty, the Eagles began to move as Jurgensen threw to Walston for eight yards and FB Clarence Peaks ran for 15 more. Jurgensen converted a third-and-eight situation with a pass to McDonald for 19 yards to the Chicago 20 and followed up with a throw to Retzlaff for another eight yards. The drive finally stalled at the five yard line and Walston kicked a 12-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Chicago wasted little time in responding as, on the second play following the ensuing kickoff, Bill Wade threw deep to Mike Ditka for a 76-yard touchdown. Roger LeClerc kicked the extra point and the visitors were up by 7-3.

The Eagles benefited from a pass interference penalty on Roosevelt Taylor that was good for 36 yards on a third down play, but after reaching the Chicago 28 they were stopped in a fourth-and-two situation. As the game entered the second quarter, the Bears had to punt and Philadelphia advanced 78 yards in five plays. Runs by HB Billy Barnes and Peaks got a first down and the Eagles got another when Jurgensen completed a pass to Walston for nine yards and HB Ted Dean ran for four. Jurgensen then fired long for McDonald, who got beyond Taylor for a 55-yard touchdown. Walston converted and the home team was back in front by 10-7.

The Bears had to punt following their next possession but got the ball back quickly when Dave Whitsell (pictured at left) intercepted a Jurgensen pass and returned it 52 yards to the Philadelphia five. Two plays later, FB Rick Casares ran for a two-yard TD and, with LeClerc’s extra point, Chicago was ahead by 14-10.

The Eagles drove into Chicago territory as Jurgensen threw to Walston for 13 yards and McDonald for 14, but facing third-and-10 at the visitors’ 30 it was Richie Petitbon coming up with an interception to blunt the threat. Casares ran three times to give the Bears a first down at the two-minute warning, but a delay of game penalty and sack of Wade moved the visitors back and they ultimately were forced to punt. Ed Brown’s kick sailed 69 yards, and two long Jurgensen completions were nullified by backfield in motion penalties. The score remained unchanged at halftime.

The teams exchanged punts to start the third quarter. A 21-yard return by DB Irv Cross gave the Eagles good field position at the Chicago 40, but they were unable to move on offense and Walston’s 44-yard field goal attempt was wide to the right. The Bears, now with strong-armed QB Ed Brown behind center, again had to punt and Cross had another good return, gaining 20 yards to the Philadelphia 47. Barnes had a 15-yard run and Jurgensen rolled out and threw to Peaks for 33 yards to the Chicago eight. Peaks ran for a three-yard TD, and while LB Joe Fortunato blocked Walston’s extra point attempt, the Eagles were in the lead by two points.

The Bears were on the move as the game headed into the fourth quarter. HB Willie Galimore had a 16-yard run, Casares dove for three yards on a third-and-one play, and Galimore ran three more times for another 16 yards. However, after reaching the Philadelphia 11, the drive stalled and LeClerc was wide on an 18-yard field goal try.

Once again Whitsell intercepted a Jurgensen pass, this time returning it 19 yards to the Philadelphia 19. Casares ran effectively to get the ball inside the ten, but the visitors were stopped there and, with Brown now attempting a field goal from 13 yards, Cross deflected the kick and it sailed wide to the right.

The Eagles went three-and-out and punted, but the Bears were unable to get beyond their own 40 on the ensuing possession. Most significantly, CB Tom Brookshier, the defensive captain, went down with a compound fracture of his leg on a second down play. Brown’s punt traveled 56 yards and came to rest at the Philadelphia four. With Peaks primarily running the ball, most notably on a three-yard carry for a first down on a third down play, and the Bears called for a personal foul, the Eagles maintained possession for the remaining time, holding on for a 16-14 win.

Philadelphia far outgained the Bears (342 to 215), especially in net passing yards (237 to 89), and also had a clear edge in first downs (19 to 9). However, the Eagles also accounted for the game’s only three turnovers. Chicago was penalized seven times, at a cost of 94 yards, to five flags thrown on Philadelphia. Ultimately, it came down to the failure of the Bears to connect on either of their short field goal attempts in the fourth quarter.

Sonny Jurgensen completed 18 of 33 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown, but gave up three interceptions. Tommy McDonald had 6 catches for 109 yards and a TD. Clarence Peaks (pictured above) rushed for 62 yards on 16 carries that included a score and also contributed four pass receptions for another 61 yards. Irv Cross averaged 14.3 yards on four punt returns.

For the Bears, Bill Wade and Ed Brown completed four passes between them out of 12 attempts, with Wade throwing for 85 yards and a TD. Brown also averaged 48.1 yards on seven punts. Mike Ditka gained a team-leading 76 yards on his lone long touchdown reception. Rick Casares gained 65 yards on 17 rushing attempts that included a TD and Willie Galimore added 42 yards on 13 carries. On defense, Dave Whitsell accounted for two of Chicago’s three interceptions and returned them for a combined 71 yards.  

The Eagles lost to the conference-rival Giants and Browns the next two weeks, and another loss to New York ultimately cost them a second Eastern title. They finished with a 10-4 record, just behind the 10-3-1 Giants. Chicago lost three of its next four games to drop out of contention in the Western Conference, ending up at 8-6 and tied with the Colts in third place.

The loss of Tom Brookshier (pictured at right) proved critical to the Eagles, for his leadership as well as outstanding defensive play. Tough, if not especially fast, and an excellent tackler, Brookshier had been selected to the previous two Pro Bowls and received consensus first-team All-NFL honors following the 1960 championship season. In his place, the Eagles used Irv Cross and Glen Amerson, both rookies, and it was a factor in the defeats that followed. While it wasn’t known at the time, the injury proved to be career-ending. Brookshier attempted to come back in ’62 but was forced to retire, entering into a long career as a broadcaster.

1972: Dolphins Overcome Browns in AFC Divisional Playoff Game

The Miami Dolphins had put together a 14-0 regular season record and were starting off the postseason with an AFC Divisional playoff game against the Cleveland Browns on December 24, 1972. Coached by Don Shula, the Dolphins had an outstanding ball-control offense fueled by the running of FB Larry Csonka and halfbacks Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick (pictured above). When QB Bob Griese went down with a broken ankle, the team kept winning with 17-year veteran QB Earl Morrall at the helm, and if teams concentrated too heavily on stopping the ground attack, WR Paul Warfield provided a potent deep receiving threat. The defense was less-heralded but was tough and effective, giving up fewer points and yards than any other NFL team.

Cleveland placed second in the AFC Central with a 10-4 record to grab the conference’s Wild Card spot in the playoffs. Under the direction of Head Coach Nick Skorich for the second year, the Browns had a young quarterback in Mike Phipps, who replaced Bill Nelsen as the starter early in the year with some success. HB Leroy Kelly, fading at age 30, and FB Bo Scott were the leading ground gainers. The defense was suspect against the run, although better at rushing opposing passers.

There were over 80,000 fans in attendance at the Orange Bowl, vigorously waving handkerchiefs on a clear afternoon. The Dolphins had the game’s first possession, went three-and-out and punted, but immediately got the ball back when LB Doug Swift intercepted a deflected pass by Mike Phipps at the Cleveland 40. Miami still couldn’t move on offense, however, and Garo Yepremian was wide on a 46-yard field goal attempt.

The Browns were having no better luck on offense, also going three-and-out, but Don Cockroft’s punt was blocked by DB Charlie Babb, who recovered the ball at the five and ran in for a touchdown. Yepremian added the extra point and the Dolphins were ahead by 7-0.

Another short series for the Browns ended with a punt and Miami drove from its 16 to the Cleveland 33. Paul Warfield ran for 21 yards on a reverse and Earl Morrall completed a pass to WR Howard Twilley for 11 yards to highlight the possession that was capped by Yepremian kicking a 40-yard field goal to open up a ten-point lead.

In a series that extended into the second quarter, the Browns finally showed life on offense. Bo Scott (pictured at left) had runs of 17 and 15 yards and Phipps scrambled for 14 yards to the Miami 25. But a third down pass was intercepted by CB Curtis Johnson to snuff out the threat.

The Dolphins advanced just past midfield on their next series, with Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris running effectively, but a 53-yard field goal try by Yepremian was short and wide. The teams exchanged punts before the Browns, again forced to kick from their own territory, suffered another miscue. Cockroft couldn’t handle a high snap and fell on the ball to give Miami possession at the Cleveland 39. But a holding penalty moved the Dolphins back 15 yards, Morrall was sacked by DT Walter Johnson for the loss of another nine yards, Morris was tackled for the loss of another 12 yards, and they had to punt.

Phipps threw another interception, with FS Dick Anderson picking off the long throw at the Miami 29, and in the last two minutes the Dolphins again drove into Cleveland territory. Warfield gained 20 yards to midfield on another end-around, Morrall completed two short passes, and Morris had runs of 12 and 14 yards. But a 17-yard Yepremian field goal attempt with four seconds remaining in the first half was wiped out by an illegal procedure penalty and the teams went into the locker room at halftime with Miami holding a 10-0 lead. It could have been far worse for the Browns, who had given up three interceptions and two fumbles thus far.

The teams exchanged punts to start the third quarter before the Browns put together a five-play scoring drive, spurred by a 37-yard punt return to the Miami 44 by SS Thom Darden. Phipps completed passes to TE Milt Morin for 21 yards and WR Fair Hooker for six, Scott ran twice for 10 yards, and Phipps, rolling out to his right, kept the ball himself on a five-yard touchdown carry. Cockroft added the point after and the Miami lead was cut to 10-7.

Jim Kiick carried four times for 26 yards on the next Dolphins’ series, and Morrall threw to Twilley for a gain of 17 yards, but Kiick’s fifth rushing attempt resulted in a fumble and LB Charlie Hall recovered at the Cleveland 33. The Browns went three-and-out and punted, and the Dolphins went right back to Kiick, who carried for 12 yards on two attempts before, following an incomplete pass, Morris put together back-to-back 12-yard carries to finish out the period. Three plays into the fourth quarter, and after Morris was stopped for no gain in a third-and-one situation, Yepremian kicked a 46-yard field goal and Miami was up by six points at 13-7.

A clipping penalty on the ensuing kickoff had the Browns starting from their ten yard line. Phipps started the series off with a 14-yard scramble and a pass to Hooker (pictured at right) picked up 18 yards. After reaching the Miami 38, Anderson intercepted a pass but fumbled on the return and Hooker recovered for Cleveland at the 30. Two plays later, it was Hooker catching a Phipps pass for a 27-yard touchdown and, with Cockroft adding the extra point, the Browns were in front by 14-13.

The Dolphins, with their perfect season suddenly in peril, responded with an 80-yard drive in six plays. Morrall completed passes to Warfield for 15 and 35 yards, interspersed with carries by Morris that picked up 12 yards. Another throw intended for Warfield resulted in a pass interference penalty on LB Bill Andrews, giving Miami first-and-goal at the Cleveland eight, and from there Kiick ran for a TD. Yepremian converted and the Dolphins were back in the lead by six points with 4:49 to play.

The Browns couldn’t get beyond their 39 on the next series and punted, and Miami punted in turn. Cleveland regained possession at its 49 and, with the clock now down to 1:40, Phipps ran for eight yards, passed to Scott for another eight, but following a short running play, a pass intended for Hooker was intercepted by Swift to seal the 20-14 win for the Dolphins.     

Playing from behind most of the way, the Browns led in total yards (283 to 272) while Miami had a slight edge in first downs (17 to 15). Both teams accumulated most of their yardage on the ground, with the Dolphins gaining 198 yards to Cleveland’s 165. The Browns registered four sacks, to two by Miami. However, Cleveland turned the ball over five times, to two turnovers by the Dolphins.

Earl Morrall threw just 13 passes and completed 6 of them for 88 yards, with no touchdowns but also no interceptions. While Larry Csonka was held to 32 yards on 12 carries, Mercury Morris (pictured at left) gained 72 yards on 15 attempts and Jim Kiick contributed 50 yards on 14 carries that included a TD. Paul Warfield had two catches for 50 yards in addition to 41 yards on the two end-around plays and Howard Twilley caught three passes for 33 yards. On defense, Dick Anderson and Doug Swift each had two interceptions.

For the Browns, Mike Phipps was successful on just 9 of 23 throws for 131 yards and a TD, and was intercepted five times. He also ran for 47 yards on 8 carries that included a touchdown. Bo Scott had 94 yards on 16 rushing attempts and added 30 yards on a team-leading four pass receptions. Fair Hooker gained 53 yards on three catches and scored once.

“The best thing for us (the Dolphins) was to get behind,” said Larry Csonka. “It got very quiet and somebody said ‘If we’re gonna get anything done, now’s the time to do it’. It got done.”

The Dolphins kept getting things done with wins in the AFC Championship game and the Super Bowl, completing an unblemished season from beginning to end. Cleveland, a perennial contender that had been in the postseason in six of the preceding eight years, dropped to 7-5-2 and third place in the AFC Central in 1973 and didn’t return to the playoffs until 1980. 

1972: Browns Overcome Chargers on Late Pitts Touchdown

The Cleveland Browns had a 5-3 record and were trying to keep pace with the division-leading Steelers as they faced the San Diego Chargers on November 13, 1972. Head Coach Nick Skorich’s team had started off slowly, losing three of its first five contests, but had a three-game winning streak going coming into San Diego. Third-year QB Mike Phipps had been handed the starting duties in the second week of the season and displayed poise. HB Leroy Kelly and FB Bo Scott were aging but still dependable runners. The defense had problems against the run but, with young CB Clarence Scott and FS Thom Darden in the backfield, was sound against the pass.

The Chargers, under Head Coach Harland Svare, were heading in the opposite direction. They had lost four straight games and were a dismal 2-5-1. QB John Hadl had been effective in the team’s former pass-oriented offense, but bridled with the switch to a ground-based attack that featured HB Mike Garrett and FB Cid Edwards. San Diego had invested heavily in aging players, and it was not proving to be a sound strategy.

There were 54,205 fans on hand for the Monday night game at San Diego Stadium. The Chargers drove methodically down the field on their opening possession. They kept the ball on the ground with Garrett and Edwards carrying the load and John Hadl throwing to Garrett for a 13-yard gain on a third-and-three play. However, after going 73 yards to reach the Cleveland four yard line, Hadl fumbled and DE Bob Briggs recovered for the Browns. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Chargers put together another long drive of 49 yards that ended with Dennis Partee kicking a 26-yard field goal. After another exchange of punts, the Browns started off at their 33 and moved the ball effectively themselves. WR Frank Pitts gained 13 yards on a reverse and Leroy Kelly ran for 11 yards and caught a pass from Mike Phipps for a 27-yard gain. Phipps threw to Bo Scott for 24 yards and, after a pass interference penalty moved the ball to the San Diego one, Phipps gained the last yard for a touchdown on a quarterback sneak. Don Cockroft added the extra point and Cleveland was ahead by 7-3, which remained the score at halftime.

The Browns took the second half kickoff and drove to midfield before LB Rick Redman intercepted a Phipps pass. They got the ball back two plays later when Garrett fumbled for the Chargers, but ended up having to punt. San Diego proceeded to go 86 yards in 12 plays. Hadl completed three passes, a key one of which was to WR Gary Garrison for 15 yards in a third-and-12 situation, and the last for a four-yard touchdown to Edwards. Partee added the PAT and the Chargers took a 10-7 lead into the fourth quarter.

Cleveland was on the move as the third quarter ended, with Phipps tossing an 18-yard completion to TE Milt Morin on third down to close out the period and then starting off the final quarter with a 19-yard pass to Pitts that reached the San Diego 33. Seven plays later, FB Ken Brown went two yards up the middle for a touchdown and, with Cockroft’s extra point, the visitors were back in front at 14-10.

The teams traded punts before the Chargers came back with another score. Starting off at their 39, they primarily stayed on the ground as Garrett and Edwards ran well and Hadl threw to Garrison for a 15-yard gain. Garrett capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run. Partee added the PAT and, with 1:21 remaining to play, San Diego appeared to be in control and set for an upset with a three-point edge.

After HB Bill LeFear ran the kickoff back 24 yards, the Browns started off from their own 36. Phipps tossed a screen pass to Brown for seven yards and then connected with the fullback again for a 19-yard gain. On the next play, Phipps went long for Pitts in the end zone, and he pulled it down for a 38-yard touchdown. With Cockroft’s extra point, Cleveland was suddenly ahead by four.

There were still 33 seconds left on the clock as the Chargers took possession at their 13 following a clipping penalty on the kickoff return. Hadl completed a pass to TE Pettis Norman for 24 yards to the Cleveland 45, but two more passes fell incomplete to end the game. The Browns came away with a 21-17 win.

The Chargers had the edge in total yards (327 to 299) and first downs (24 to 18), and were especially effective on the ground, where they generated 191 yards of their total. However, San Diego also turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by Cleveland.

Frank Pitts was the star on offense for the Browns as he caught 5 passes for 96 yards, including the game-winning touchdown, and despite suffering from a back injury. Mike Phipps completed 13 of 21 throws for 186 yards and a TD with one intercepted and also ran for 17 yards and a score on four carries. Leroy Kelly rushed for 67 yards on 17 attempts.

For the Chargers, Cid Edwards (pictured at left) gained 91 yards on 17 rushes and had three pass receptions for 34 more yards and a TD. Mike Garrett contributed 89 yards on 24 attempts and also scored a touchdown in addition to catching a team-high four passes for 29 yards. John Hadl was successful on 12 of 21 tosses for 140 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Pettis Norman led the club with 47 yards on his three catches. 

“Everybody wasn’t playing the same defense, particularly on that last series,” said a frustrated Coach Harland Svare. “It’s downright silly to let them go that long, that fast for a score.”

The win kept the Browns a game behind the Steelers, who they defeated the next week. The winning streak reached six games and the loss in the return engagement at Pittsburgh was the only one the team suffered for the remainder of the regular season. Cleveland ended up with a 10-4 record, good enough for second in the AFC Central and a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. The Browns gave the undefeated Dolphins a good scare in the Divisional round of the postseason before falling. The Chargers, meanwhile, continued to struggle and finished at 4-9-1 and at the bottom of the AFC West.

Mike Phipps (pictured below) went through his ups and downs, completing just 47.2 percent of his passes for 1994 yards with 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Still, the team did well, although Phipps would never develop into the star that Cleveland had hoped he would be when they traded up for him (and gave up Hall of Fame WR Paul Warfield in doing so) in the first round of the 1970 NFL draft.

Frank Pitts continued to be Cleveland’s most reliable receiver, leading the club with 36 catches for 620 yards (17.2 avg.) and eight touchdowns.

The running back tandem of Mike Garrett and Cid Edwards remained a bright spot in an otherwise dreadful year for the Chargers. Garrett rushed for 1031 yards on 272 carries (3.8 avg.) and caught 31 passes for 245 more yards, ending up with a total of seven touchdowns. Cid Edwards ran for 679 yards on 157 attempts (4.3 avg.) and had 40 pass receptions for 557 yards, with an impressive 13.9 average per catch out of the backfield. He also scored a total of seven TDs and was named team MVP.

1963: Steelers Rally But Missed Extra Points Cause Tie with Eagles

The Pittsburgh Steelers started off their 1963 NFL season against the cross-state rival Eagles in Philadelphia on September 15. Coming off a promising 9-5 record in ’62, Steelers Head Coach Buddy Parker had agreed to stay on for another year. While Hall of Fame-bound QB Bobby Layne, who was showing a great deal of wear, had retired, the Steelers had ex-Bears QB Ed Brown available to direct the offense. FB John Henry Johnson was coming off his finest pro season, having rushed for 1141 yards, and there was an excellent deep receiver available in split end Buddy Dial. Tragically, the defense lost DT Gene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb to an offseason drug overdose, but overall the unit was a good one. DE Lou Michaels (pictured above) doubled at the team’s placekicker and was coming off a season in which he had set a NFL record with 26 field goals – his ups and downs would play a significant role in the opening contest.

For Head Coach Nick Skorich’s Eagles, 1962 had been an injury-plagued disaster. Just two years removed from a NFL title, Philadelphia went 3-10-1 to drop to the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Following a record-breaking season in 1961, QB Sonny Jurgensen still led the NFL in passing yards with 3261 but also in interceptions with 26. Nevertheless, the offense contained formidable weapons in flanker Tommy McDonald, TE Pete Retzlaff, and HB Timmy Brown, who had broken out in ’62 to set a league record for all-purpose yards with 2306.  

It was an overcast and raw day at Franklin Field with 58,205 fans in attendance. The Steelers gained a pair of first downs on their initial series of the game, both on runs by HB Dick Hoak, but eventually had to punt after reaching the Philadelphia 45.  

The Eagles responded with a 10-play, 87-yard drive that started with Sonny Jurgensen connecting with Tommy McDonald (pictured below) for a 43-yard gain and ended with another Jurgensen to McDonald throw for a 13-yard touchdown. In between, Jurgensen kept the drive going with a 27-yard completion to Pete Retzlaff in a third-and-10 situation and a quarterback sneak that converted a fourth down.

On their next possession, following a punt by the Steelers, the Eagles again moved into Pittsburgh territory but CB Dick Haley intercepted a Jurgensen pass at the 38. Still, the Steelers couldn’t move effectively on offense and punted. While Timmy Brown took off for a 21-yard gain to start the series, the Eagles punted early in the second quarter.

The Steelers came alive on offense as Ed Brown completed passes to TE Preston Carpenter, Buddy Dial, and HB Tom Tracy. The drive stalled and Lou Michaels kicked a 38-yard field goal to reduce Philadelphia’s margin to 7-3.

The teams traded turnovers. Pittsburgh CB Brady Keys mishandled a punt and rookie LB Lee Roy Caffey recovered for the Eagles at the Steelers’ 44. But on the next play, Timmy Brown fumbled a handoff and LB George Tarasovic got the ball back for Pittsburgh. The Steelers went eight yards in three plays and Michaels kicked a club-record 50-yard field goal to make it a one-point contest. Michaels had a chance to put the Steelers in front at the end of the half but his try, again from 50 yards, fell short. Philadelphia took the slender 7-6 lead into halftime.

Early in the third quarter, John Henry Johnson fumbled and LB Maxie Baughan recovered for the Eagles at the Pittsburgh 41. The home team made the most of the break, driving to a six-yard touchdown pass from Jurgensen to TE Ralph “Catfish” Smith.

Late in the period the Steelers tried another field goal but Michaels was wide to the left from 37 yards out. Pittsburgh got the ball back on a turnover and advanced to the Philadelphia 10 as the period ended and started off the fourth quarter with a 17-yard Michaels field goal. The margin for the Eagles was cut to 14-9.

Pinned deep in their own territory following the kickoff, the Eagles were forced to punt and King Hill booted the ball 62 yards, which Keys again muffed when he tried to pull it in over his shoulder. However, this time he picked up his own fumble and ran 71 yards down the right sideline before being dropped at the Philadelphia three yard line. Two plays later, Johnson dove for a one-yard TD but CB Irv Cross blocked the extra point attempt. Still, Pittsburgh was ahead by a score of 15-14.

Safety Clendon Thomas picked off a Jurgensen pass on the next series, but the Eagles came back to score again. On a third-and-five play at their own 25, Jurgensen tossed a bomb to McDonald for a 75-yard touchdown and, with rookie Mike Clark’s third successful extra point added, regained the lead at 21-15.

Thomas returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to give the Steelers good field position at the 50. Seven plays later, Ed Brown threw to Johnson for an 11-yard TD. However, once again the extra point attempt went awry as the kick by Michaels hit the right upright and bounced back.

Neither team was able to break the deadlock in the time remaining. The game ended with the Steelers at the Philadelphia 25 following a pass from Ed Brown to Dial. Time ran out with the score tied at 21-21.

The Eagles outgained the Steelers (353 yards to 315) although Pittsburgh accumulated more first downs (21 to 14). Philadelphia had difficulty running the ball, gaining just 58 yards on the ground to 109 for the Steelers, and the Eagles also turned the ball over four times, to two suffered by Pittsburgh.

Ed Brown completed 18 of 34 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Buddy Dial (pictured at right) caught 7 of those throws for 116 yards. Dick Hoak led the Steelers in rushing with 55 yards on 15 carries while John Henry Johnson contributed 40 yards on 13 attempts and caught three passes for 16 yards and a TD via each. Lou Michaels was successful on three of five field goal attempts, but his two failures in three tries for extra points doomed the Steelers to a tie rather than a win.

For the Eagles, Sonny Jurgensen was successful on 16 of 26 passes for 322 yards and three TDs with two intercepted. Tommy McDonald had a huge performance with 7 catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns. Timmy Brown paced the running attack with a modest 24 yards on 7 carries but, indicative of his all-around skills, gained 79 yards on four pass receptions.

“We got a bad game out of our system, and we got away with it,” said Buddy Parker.

There was additional drama – and nearly a tragedy – during the game that most were unaware of until it was reported afterward. Pittsburgh LB John Reger was knocked unconscious when making a tackle at the end of the first quarter and swallowed his tongue. Swift action by the team doctors saved him from choking.

The Steelers would go on to tie three games, and it would play a role in the race for the Eastern Conference title. Pittsburgh was 7-3-3 going into the last game of the season against the 10-3 Giants in New York and, with ties not affecting a team’s winning percentage at that time, the Steelers could have finished first in the Eastern Conference with a win. They lost to the Giants to end up fourth at 7-4-3.

Lou Michaels went on to kick 21 field goals on 41 attempts and missed only one more extra point in the remaining games. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl. Buddy Dial also had a Pro Bowl year, catching 60 passes for 1295 yards (21.6 avg.) and nine touchdowns.

The Eagles endured another disappointing and injury-marred season, with Sonny Jurgensen missing five games. They again ended up at the bottom of the conference with a 2-10-2 record.

Tommy McDonald caught 41 passes for 731 yards (17.8 avg.) and eight TDs. It was not one of his most productive years in Philadelphia, no doubt affected by Jurgensen missing significant time. Timmy Brown broke his record for all-purpose yards as he rolled up a total of 2428 (841 rushing, 487 pass receiving, 945 on kickoff returns, 152 returning punts).

1961: Jurgensen and McDonald Lead Eagles Past College All-Stars

The 28^th annual installment of the College All-Star Game on August 4, 1961 presented a matchup involving a reigning NFL Champion undergoing a significant transition against a highly-regarded group of All-Stars.

The Philadelphia Eagles had won the 1960 NFL Championship, but lost both MVP quarterback Norm Van Brocklin and Head Coach Buck Shaw to retirement. Replacing Shaw was Nick Skorich, elevated from offensive line coach, while the new quarterback was the promising but untested Sonny Jurgensen (pictured at right).

Meanwhile, the All-Stars, coached for the fourth straight year by Otto Graham, contained a solid group of future pro standouts that included ends Aaron Thomas of Oregon State and Mike Ditka from Pittsburgh, quarterbacks Norm Snead of Wake Forest and UCLA’s Billy Kilmer, FB Bill Brown of Illinois, HB Bernie Casey from Bowling Green, Georgia Tech G Billy Shaw, and OT Jim Tyrer from Ohio State. On defense were DE Bob Lilly of  TCU, tackles Joe Rutgens of Illinois and Ernie Ladd from Grambling, and MLB E.J. Holub of Texas Tech.

It had been raining early in the evening of the Friday night contest, making the field soggy, and one highly-regarded All-Star was lost for the game when Navy HB Joe Bellino slipped on the wet turf while warming up and pulled a leg muscle.

There were 65,000 in attendance at Chicago’s Soldier Field and many of them booed the Eagles as they took the field, adding incentive for them to prove that they were a worthy defending champion. Still, the All-Stars came out fast as Bill Brown returned the opening kickoff 39 yards and Norm Snead fired a pass to Aaron Thomas that covered 42 yards to the Philadelphia 12 yard line. However, the drive moved backward from there and came to an end two plays later when Brown fumbled the ball away to the Eagles, with DT Jess Richardson recovering.

Taking over at his own 20, Jurgensen sparked the possession when, on a play when it appeared that he would be sacked, he improvised and instead tossed the ball behind his back to end Pete Retzlaff who went 13 yards for a first down. The Eagles capped the seven-play drive when Jurgensen threw to wide-open flanker Tommy McDonald, who leaped high to make the catch and fell on his back in the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown. Two seconds before the opening period ended, Jurgensen tossed a second TD pass, this time covering 25 yards to Retzlaff.

The All-Stars began to move in the second quarter under the direction of QB Billy Kilmer (pictured below). After tossing completions to Southern Methodist HB Glynn Gregory, Thomas, and end Fred Arbanas of Michigan State, they were at the Philadelphia 31. But once again the attack stalled and the Eagles took over at midfield.

Philadelphia’s backup QB King Hill pitched out to HB Timmy Brown for a 23-yard gain, FB Ted Dean gained four, and then Hill threw to McDonald for a touchdown and a 21-0 lead that carried into halftime.

Tempers flared several times during the game, especially right before the end of the first half in a scuffle in front of the Eagles’ bench with Grambling’s big Ernie Ladd in the middle of it.

The Eagles kept the ball mostly on the ground in the second half and slowed down the tempo, with the two quarterbacks throwing short passes when necessary. E.J. Holub intercepted a Jurgensen pass at the All-Star 36 late in the period, and while the All-Stars were unable to move the ball, Kilmer punted to the Philadelphia three yard line just prior to the close of the quarter.

The All-Stars finally got on the board in the fourth quarter as Kilmer, working out of a spread formation, threw to Gregory for an 18-yard touchdown. That capped a quick six-play, 75-yard drive. In the final seconds, lineman Dick Grecni intercepted a Hill pass and ran 57 yards for a TD. The two touchdowns came two minutes apart, but only salvaged pride for the All-Stars, with Philadelphia winning convincingly by a score of 28-14.

The Eagles had 401 total yards to 271 for the All-Stars, who were held to zero net rushing yards. Philadelphia held a much narrower edge in first downs, 17 to 16. The All-Stars intercepted three passes, to just one by the NFL champs, but lost one fumble while the Eagles gave up none.

Sonny Jurgensen completed 10 of 19 passes for 158 yards and three touchdowns and King Hill was 7 of 11 for 103 yards and a TD. Tommy McDonald (pictured below) accounted for three of the touchdowns.

Aaron Thomas was the receiving star for the All-Stars, catching 5 passes for 123 yards. Billy Kilmer was successful on 11 of his 20 throws for 173 yards while Norm Snead completed 8 of 13 for 97 yards.

“I’d like to turn around and play these guys again tomorrow night and on a dry field,” said a defiant Coach Otto Graham afterward. “I think we’d beat ‘em.”

“Our guys were concerned about being somewhat downgraded while the stars were being touted and we went out to justify our championship,” said Nick Skorich on behalf of the Eagles.

Sonny Jurgensen went on to have an outstanding breakout season, setting a record for passing yards with 3723 and tying the NFL record for TD passes with 32 (Houston’s George Blanda tossed 36 in the AFL). Tommy McDonald remained his favorite receiver, catching 64 passes while pacing the NFL in receiving yards (1144) and touchdown receptions (13). Philadelphia just missed winning the Eastern Conference for the second year in a row, finishing second to the New York Giants at 10-4.

Bill Kilmer, taken in the first round of the ’61 draft by the 49ers, went on to a long career that included stints in New Orleans and Washington as a quarterback better known for his leadership skills than passing finesse. Norm Snead, also a first round draft pick, was with Washington for three years before being dealt to the Eagles in a celebrated trade for Jurgensen. Aaron Thomas joined Kilmer with the 49ers, who took him with a fourth round pick, but spent most of his 10-season career with the New York Giants, where he caught 247 passes. 

1961: Jim Brown Ties Rushing Record as Browns Crush Eagles

By the 1961 NFL season, Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns was well-established as the top runner in pro football. He had led the league in ground-gaining in each of his first four years and set both a single-game record of 237 yards in 1957 and season record of 1527 yards in ’58. On November 19 against the Philadelphia Eagles the 25-year-old fullback added to his list of accomplishments.

The Browns were 6-3 and trying to keep pace with the Eagles and New York Giants in the Eastern Conference. While players were becoming increasingly restive under autocratic Head Coach Paul Brown, the team was still a regular contender. QB Milt Plum was the most accurate passer in the NFL and Brown was complemented in the backfield by HB Bobby Mitchell, an outstanding outside runner. Plum had been suffering from a hand injury but appeared to now be completely healthy. Mitchell had been called up to active military duty a few weeks before, but was on a weekend pass and available against the Eagles.

The Eagles were the defending NFL Champions and defeated Cleveland in the season-opening game in Philadelphia. They were a team in transition as both Head Coach Buck Shaw and star QB Norm Van Brocklin retired after the title-winning campaign. Nick Skorich was now the coach and 27-year-old Sonny Jurgensen the quarterback. The largely-untested Jurgensen had been nothing short of spectacular as he stepped out of Van Brocklin’s shadow. Philadelphia got off to a 7-1 start, but the loss of CB Tom Brookshier to a season-ending broken leg hindered the pass defense and the Eagles were coming off of a loss to the Giants the previous week.

There was a crowd of 68,399 in attendance at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium and they saw the Eagles start off the scoring in the first quarter with a 34-yard field goal by Bobby Walston. Jim Brown put Cleveland ahead on the fourth play of the second quarter with a three-yard touchdown run that made it 7-3. The Eagles rebounded with a 68-yard drive, 46 of them on passes by Jurgensen, and HB Ted Dean scored from two yards out.

The Browns came right back with another three-yard TD by Brown that put them back in front at 14-10, which remained the score at halftime. They never trailed again.

Cleveland took the second half kickoff and went 73 yards in eight plays, with Plum throwing to Mitchell for a 28-yard touchdown. Lou Groza added a 17-yard field goal late in the third quarter that made it a 14-point game at 24-10.

The fourth quarter was eventful. Brown started things off with a one-yard TD on the period’s second play. The Eagles were forced to punt on their next possession and the Browns went 68 yards in eight plays for another TD, Brown’s fourth of the contest on an eight-yard sweep around left end.

Philadelphia responded with a five-play, 74-yard drive to finally get on the board again. Flanker Tommy McDonald caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Jurgensen, but at 38-17, the game was out of reach.

On the ensuing kickoff, Mitchell extinguished any remaining hopes for the Eagles by returning it 91 yards for a TD. The Eagles scored one last touchdown, on a Jurgensen pass to Timmy Brown that covered 39 yards, but it only made the score marginally closer. Cleveland came away with a convincing 45-24 win.

The only remaining drama pertained to Jim Brown’s pursuit of his own single-game rushing record. The Browns got the ball with less than two minutes remaining and Brown carried three times to tie the record (Brown was originally credited with a record-breaking 242 yards, but the official scorer admitted a mistake in addition the following day).

For the day, Brown’s total was 237 yards on 34 carries with four touchdowns. He also gained another 52 yards on three pass receptions and returned a kickoff 24 yards, giving him 313 total yards. He also threw a pass, but it fell incomplete.

“I've played some better all-around games this year,” Brown said afterward. “I missed a few blocks today, and a couple of times I went the wrong way when I got a good block. The blocking was tremendous. I don't think I ran any better than usual. You always go all out and sometimes you gain and sometimes you don’t.”

The Browns dominated statistically across the board, outgaining the Eagles by 505 yards to 327 and rolling up 30 first downs to Philadelphia’s 19. In addition, Cleveland didn’t turn the ball over at all, as opposed to two turnovers by the Eagles, and the Browns only punted once.

In addition to missing Tom Brookshier, Philadelphia’s defensive backfield suffered a further blow when FS Don Burroughs was lost with a slight concussion in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Browns CB Bernie Parrish had an exceptional game, holding star flanker Tommy McDonald to two catches for 25 yards (one of which was a short TD) and intercepting a pass in the third quarter.


Milt Plum completed 16 of 21 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown. Adding to Jim Brown’s output, Bobby Mitchell (pictured at left) ran for 43 yards on 8 carries, caught 4 passes for 54 more yards and a touchdown, and of course scored on a kickoff return. Flanker Ray Renfro gained 73 yards on his 4 pass receptions.

Sonny Jurgensen went to the air 32 times for the Eagles and completed 18 for 230 yards and two TDs with one intercepted. Timmy Brown led the club in rushing with 49 yards on just two attempts and also had the most pass receiving yards with 58 on his two catches that included a score. Ted Dean caught 6 passes for 51 yards to go along with his 31 yards on 9 rushing attempts with one TD. Only seven of Jurgensen’s completions went to an end or flanker.

“We had to win or else,” said Paul Brown afterward. “There was nothing left for us if we didn't win it.”

The Browns moved into a second place tie with Eagles at 7-3 as result of the win. But any hopes of finishing atop the Eastern Conference were dashed as they lost two of the next three games, including a showdown with the Giants the week after hosting Philadelphia. Cleveland’s final record was 8-5-1, which resulted in a third-place finish.

The Eagles ended up in second at 10-4, recovering from the loss to the Browns to win three of their last four. However, the loss was to the Giants, who came in a half-game ahead of Philadelphia at 10-3-1.

Jim Brown won his fifth consecutive rushing title with 1408 yards on 305 carries (a record at the time) for a 4.6-yard average and eight touchdowns. He also caught 46 passes for another 459 yards and two TDs, giving him a league-leading 1867 yards from scrimmage and, with a pair of kickoff returns added in, 1917 all-purpose yards.

The record-tying rushing performance was the second of an eventual four 200-yard games during his brilliant career (he came closest to topping his own mark again with 232 yards against Dallas in a 1963 contest). Buffalo’s Cookie Gilchrist ran for 243 yards in an AFL game in ’63 and Willie Ellison of the Rams topped Brown’s mark with 247 in a 1971 NFL contest.

1961: Giants Edge Eagles 28-24 in Eastern Conference Showdown

The history of the rivalry between the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants has involved many significant games, often intensely played, and with some memorable performances. The matchup on December 10, 1961 was one such contest, with plenty of drama combined with big plays – and ultimately coming down to a controversial penalty in the final minutes.

Both teams were tied atop the Eastern Conference with 9-3 records as the Eagles hosted the Giants at Franklin Field. New York had won the first encounter at Yankee Stadium four weeks before, ending a five-game Philadelphia winning streak. The Eagles won back-to-back games against the Giants in 1960 on the way to the league championship, and had since made a remarkable transition at quarterback from the retired Norm Van Brocklin to Sonny Jurgensen (pictured below). The Giants had also made a quarterback change, picking up 35-year-old veteran Y.A. Tittle from the 49ers in a preseason trade, who supplanted Charley Conerly (pictured above), 40 years old and showing signs of wearing down in his 14th season. Both teams had also changed head coaches in the offseason, as Philadelphia’s Buck Shaw and New York’s Jim Lee Howell both retired; they were replaced by Nick Skorich and Allie Sherman, respectively.

New York drew first blood on the fourth play from scrimmage on a 46-yard bomb from Tittle to split end Del Shofner. The Eagles responded with a 26-yard Bobby Walston field goal after recovering a fumble by Giants FB Alex Webster. Just prior to the end of the first quarter, Philadelphia scored a touchdown out of the stacked deck formation - three receivers lined one behind the other on one side of the field, and flanker Tommy McDonald on the opposite side. Jurgensen hit McDonald cutting across the middle of the field, and the 5’9”, 170-pound darter completed the 52-yard play to put the Eagles ahead, 10-7.


The Giants fumbled the ball away twice more during the second quarter, but Philadelphia was unable to capitalize. LB Cliff Livingston intercepted a Jurgensen pass at midfield, and at this point Conerly entered the game in place of Tittle, who was having an uncharacteristically flat performance after the initial TD. It looked as though Conerly would do no better when Eagles FS Don Burroughs intercepted a third down pass, but an offside call on the defense nullified the play, and given a second chance Conerly hit TE Joe Walton for a 35-yard touchdown.

New York missed opportunities to extend their lead due to missed field goal attempts of 23 and 34 yards by placekicker Pat Summerall. The halftime score stood at 14-10 in favor of the Giants.

A fumble by Eagles HB Ted Dean set up the next Giants TD in the third quarter, a 26-yard pass from Conerly to Shofner. The Eagles struck back with a 66-yard bomb from Jurgensen to McDonald that quieted the booing home fans and put the ball at the New York 11 yard line. However, they came up empty and the quarter ended with the Giants ahead, 21-10.

Another penalty damaged the Eagles as a 34-yard pass play from Jurgensen to HB Timmy Brown down to the Giants one yard line was called back for offensive pass interference on McDonald. The teams traded punts, with the Eagles getting the field position advantage, and McDonald made up for the penalty on the previous series by scoring a 30-yard touchdown on a pass from Jurgensen to narrow the Giants margin to 21-17.

The Giants couldn’t move on their next possession, and were forced to punt from their 16 yard line. However, Eagles DE Leo Sugar was penalized for making contact with punter Don Chandler in a highly controversial call that changed the momentum of the game. New York made the most of the break, driving down the field to score on Del Shofner’s third TD reception of the game on an 11-yard throw from Conerly.

Philadelphia got the ball back with 2:44 to play and down 28-17. Jurgensen connected with split end Pete Retzlaff for a 61-yard TD, but the Eagles were unable to score on their final possession in the last 18 seconds, and the Giants won, 28-24.

For New York, Conerly completed 6 of 13 passes for 153 yards and, most significantly, three touchdowns. TE Walton led the receivers statistically with 5 catches for 100 yards and a score, but Shofner was the star with three TDs while catching 4 passes for 95 yards. FB Webster led in rushing with 86 yards on 22 carries.

In defeat, the Eagles had won the statistical battle, outgaining the Giants with 455 total yards to 371. Jurgensen completed 16 of 31 passes for 367 yards and three touchdowns against two interceptions. McDonald caught 7 passes for a team-record 237 yards and two scores. The Eagles, not a strong running team, ran the ball 23 times for 124 yards to New York’s 38 for 143, and no back had more than eight carries; the leading rusher was Timmy Brown with 64 yards on 7 attempts.

The win put the Giants a game ahead in the race for the conference title, and they tied Cleveland in the season finale the next week to finish in first place at 10-3-1. Philadelphia defeated Detroit to end up in second at 10-4. New York lost to Green Bay in the NFL Championship game while the Eagles faced the Lions again in the meaningless Playoff Bowl; they also lost, and it was costly as Jurgensen suffered a severe shoulder separation that required surgery and lingered into the ’62 season, and OT J.D. Smith broke his leg.

The game was the last hurrah for Conerly, who retired following the season; while he relieved Tittle in both the season finale and title game, it was far less consequentially. Del Shofner, in his first season with the Giants after being dealt by the Rams, caught 68 passes, a career high, for 1125 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Sonny Jurgensen set a new record for passing yards in a season (3723) while tying the record for touchdown passes (32). Tommy McDonald caught 64 passes for 1144 yards and 13 TDs. Both received All-Pro recognition and were selected to the Pro Bowl.