ROAD TO SUPER BOWL I

Team rallies to edge Browns in Week 2

Editor’s note: This story was originally published Sept. 19, 1966.

Cleveland, Ohio — It was like Rocky Marciano wearing down an opponent because of more staying power.

The Green Bay Packers, defending heavyweight champions of pro football, spotted the Cleveland Browns a 14-0 second quarter lead Sunday. Then inch by inch they pulled even and won by the slightest of margins, 21-20, in the closing minutes. Watching in horror were 83,943 fans in Cleveland stadium.

Jimmy Taylor scored a dramatic touchdown on fourth down on the Cleveland nine yard line, taking a short swing pass from Bart Starr and jolting defenders Ross Fichtner and Erich Barnes. Fichtner grabbed a leg and suddenly the leg wasn’t there. Barnes grabbed a shoulder and suddenly the shoulder wasn’t there.

Taylor’s magnificent effort capped an 85 yard drive, which Starr methodically clicked off in 14 plays. There were 2 minutes and 34 seconds remaining when Don Chandler kicked the winning extra point.

Frank Ryan, Cleveland’s chief bombardier, quickly went to work to get the Browns within field goal kicking range. But when he reached the Packer 48 yard line and with 36 seconds remaining, Ryan was caught in a Green Bay vise, fumbled, and Lionel Aldridge recovered.

That was the ball game.

A tremendous come from behind victory for the Packers and a heart breaking loss for the Browns, who were defeated at Green Bay last year in the title game. The victory moved the Packers into a first place tie with the Los Angeles Rams, whom they’ll meet next Sunday in Green Bay.

Cleveland grabbed a 7-0 lead, stretched it to 14-0 and held a 20-14 margin with 11 minutes to play.

Ryan found the secondary of the Packers’ defense a fascinating attraction in the first half and he worked it over, completing 10 of 13 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns of 11 and 24 yards to Gary Collins.

In the second half, Ryan found Green Bay’s pass defense positively murder, being held to 5 completions for a net gain of 5 yards.

Green Bay scored its first touchdown early in the second quarter when Starr crossed up the Browns on a fourth and one situation on the Cleveland 44 yard line.

The Brown’s fell hook, line and sinker on Starr’s fake hand-off to Taylor and Bart passed to Hornung, who was wide open on the 30. Hornung scored without a Brown within shouting distance.

This touchdown seemed to take a lot of zing out of the Browns. On the other hand, Green Bay began picking up momentum. The second time the Packers got the ball in the second quarter they moved from their 20 to the Cleveland 44 where a very unfunny thing happened on what looked like a touchdown drive.

Starr was rushed and lost six yards. But while he was on the ground, Dick Modzelewski stole the ball and rambled to the Packer 41 before running out of gas.

The Browns made the break pay off when Lou Groza kicked a 42 yard field goal... a field goal that hit the uprights and bounced over. So instead of what may have been a tied game, it was Cleveland ahead at half time, 17-7.

Life in the second half, however, was 30 minutes of frustration for the Browns as the Packers chopped away at Cleveland’s 10 point lead.

After holding the Browns after the kickoff, Starr engineered a 69 yard drive in 10 plays, climaxed by Taylor’s one yard touchdown run.

The next Green Bay drive, from the 13 to the Cleveland 27, fizzled when Chandler missed a 34 yard field goal. If good, the kick would have tied the score with 13 minutes left.

Cleveland finally got some breathing room after Chandler’s miss by moving to the Green Bay 39 and settling for a 46 yard field goal by Groza.

Now down 20-14 with 11:08, Herb Adderley took Groza’s long kick-off five yards behind the goal line and sped to the 15 where he was met head on. The Packers were in a hole with time running out. They needed a touchdown, nothing less.

Starr quickly got the drive moving with a 19 yard pass to Boyd Dowler and an 18 yard screen to Taylor. He had to keep passing. The Browns realized this but they couldn’t defend against his pinpoint accuracy.

He pecked away until he was within touchdown range. Marv Fleming’s fine catch in a crowd for an eight yard gain put the ball on the Cleveland two yard line.

Suddenly, the blocking broke down. Linebacker John Brewer shot the gap and lassooed Taylor for a six yard loss.

Now it was fourth and nine. Everybody in the joint smelled a pass coming. But in what direction?

Well, Starr flipped a little swing pass to Taylor behind the line of scrimmage and Taylor ran through the Clevelanders like he was camouflaged.

Touchdown, Green Bay. Extra point, Chandler, Victory, Packers.

FILE PHOTO Packers fullback Jimmy Taylor shed defenders on his way to the winning touchdown against the Browns.