TUESDAY TIDBITS: The Day of the Halfback

By TJ Troup 

There are eight teams in the AFC with a winning record, and nine teams in the NFC. The home stretch is about to begin with not only some very tight and competitive division races, but also the possible tie breakers for "wild card" berths. 

No doubt compelling drama awaits us and as such stocked up on smokehouse almonds and Dr. Pepper this week. The 2025 season is one of many where we have had teams fighting to earn a division title, and today we are going to go back 60 years for the day of the halfback! 

Don Shula's BALTIMORE Colts surprised many folks by winning the Western Conference title in 1964; could he continue to keep the Colts on top? Vince Lombardi has finished second back-to-back seasons; will he be able to get his Fox River studs back to the top? 

Finally, the strong showing of Minnesota in '64 has Viking fans talking of being in the race? Would there be a surprise team in the Western Conference in 1965? After six weeks, the Colts are 5-1 with their only loss to a revitalized Packer team, and that team is back where St. Vince wants them ... ON TOP! 

Many times the George Halas Chicago Bears have started a season slowly, then caught fire (1949, 1955, and 1959) only to fall short. The Bears begin the '65 campaign 0-3 and have allowed 105 points. The Bear pass defense has been scorched! Has George Allen lost his touch since the Bears defensive passer rating is an abysmal 114.0! 

Chicago rebounds to win three straight and continues to play strong football as they beat the Packers in Wrigley Field 31-10. After twelve weeks, Chicago has clawed their way into the race and stands 8-4 after shouting out the Colts in Baltimore. There is no doubt Halas would not intentionally want to help the Lombardi Packers, yet that is exactly what has happened since Johnny Hightops is injured in the loss to the Bears. Gary Cuozzo is considered a quality back-up, but he is not John Unitas; but who is? 

Lombardi takes his team to Baltimore, where he has won 2 and lost 4 for the showdown. The foggy day just adds to the drama as the score is 14-13 in favor of Green Bay just before the half. Paul Hornung has reached back in time and re-discovered his big game, and big play ability as he has scored twice once on a run, and once on a pass reception when he read the Colt blitz (we called this the "hot call" in my coaching days)and heads up the left sideline to take Starr's pass for 50 yards and a touchdown. Left corner Bobby Boyd returned Jim Taylor's fumble to the Packers three-yard line. Cuozzo attempts to toss a flare pass to Jerry Hill on the right side, but leaping up to intercept is left linebacker Dave Robinson. 

Credit: Walter Iooss 

The photo of Robinson leaping in the air to pilfer the pigskin is eye-popping, and away Dave goes ... 87 yards before he his hauled down by Lenny Moore. Starr completes to Dowler to add to the Packer lead 21-13. Hornung entered the game having gained 190 yards on 47 carries in the 10 games he has played in (missed both Minnesota games), and in the first half today, 9 carries for 41 yards. The 3rd quarter is all Green Bay as the "Golden Boy" scores twice more on the ground, and then his biggest play as he takes a Starr toss in the 4th quarter, 65 yards to score his 5th touchdown (this is the only game in Paul Hornung's career where he gains over 100 yards receiving)! 

Through the first three quarters, Cuozzo completed 9 of 20 for just 84 yards, and when he was hit hard, Tom Matte replaced him at the triggerman position and struggled with his accuracy as safety Tom Brown of the Packers made a key interception. Cuozzo returns to fill the damp foggy air with passes as he completes 11 of 18 in the 4th quarter for 128 yards. The Packer victory gives them a record of 10-3, with the Colts right behind at 9-3-1. The final weekend will decide which of these two teams will represent the West, right? Oh, there is another team that has a chance? 

If the Bears win their last two, and both the Packers & Colts lose, the Bears will have a special play-off game with Green Bay. First things first, though, the Bears have to beat San Francisco on this 12th day of December, 1965. From 1961 through 1964 only four teams in the NFL scored over 400 points in a season, and all four were playoff teams. Today at Wrigley the high-powered 49ers who scored 52 on opening day against the Bears can squelch all Chicago hopes with a victory. 

Watching the "NFL Play by Play" report with Jim Gibbons detailing the action of these two teams that have had many hard-fought games is a joy. Chicago has won 16 and San Francisco 14 in the sixteen-year rivalry. Rookie Gale Sayers of the Bears has captured the imagination of many with his ability to break away and score all season, and in the first quarter, the "Kansas Comet" rockets 80 yard with a screen pass to put the Bears on the scoreboard. Later in the quarter Rudy "The Rifle" Bukich leads tight end Mike Ditka perfectly and the burly Bear latches onto the ball one-handed and falls in the end zone to score. Where were the 49er safeties? 

Gale Sayers

John Brodie has had a magnificent year delivering strikes to split end Dave Parks, and they engineer a 78-yard drive with Parks easily beating Whitsell on an out pattern to score from the nine. Chicago is positioned on the San Francisco twenty-one after a Jon Arnett 77-yard kickoff return! The mud does not limit Sayers's ability to explode as he scampers 21 yards to score on a trap left. San Francisco responds with another impressive drive culminating in a John David Crow 15-yard touchdown reception. The Niners are back in the game down 20 to 13. 

John Brodie

Can the Bears mount a drive right before the half? You betcha! and at 14:28 Sayers sweeps right for 7 yards and a touchdown. The 3rd quarter is more of the rookie sensation at his best as he dashes 50 yards to score on an off tackle play to the right, and then scores later in the quarter as he catapults over the line from the one. Chicago 40 San Francisco 13. After a 49er touchdown, the Bears drive 76 yards as Bukich zips an 8 yard pass to Jim Jones (another Bear rookie). 

San Francisco must punt as Davis booms the ball to Sayers on his own fifteen. There have been many long scoring plays in NFL history, yet when you watch Sayers cut left in the mud is breathtaking. Six touchdowns, yes, not a misprint -- SIX! During the game Jon Arnett carries the ball more than Gale does, yet Sayers goes over the 100-yard mark for the third time. Sayers watches from the sideline as Arnett scores the final Bear touchdown. 

Chicago gained 298 yards in total offense in the first half, and while they could not exceed that output in the second half finishing with 584 is just damn impressive. Halas did send Sayers back in the game one last time, and when Davis punts on the final play imagine the Bear fans hoping he could do it one more time. He has already gained 306 yards rushing, receiving, and on punt returns, but he only goes 30 as the gun sounds. Mentioned earlier in the saga that the Allen defense had played very poor pass defense those first three games; well the final eleven of the year the Bears had a defensive passer rating of 49-27! 

We all know what transpired the final weekend of the season as the gutty Colt victory on Saturday afternoon in the Coliseum against the Rams eliminated the Bears. San Francisco continued to battle and managed a tie with the Packers, setting up another legendary game, but that is a story for another day?