Kansas City Chiefs

Vs.

Los Angeles Rams

September 1, 1967

Rams Halt Chiefs With Rally, 44-24

By AL LARSON
Staff Writer
Long Beach Independent Press-Telegram

Who's afraid of the big bad Chiefs?

Certainly not the Rams' muscular gladiators, who handed Kansas City its most humiliating defeat in its eight-year history, 44- 24, in their Summer Bowl encounter before a bulging Coliseum crowd of 73,990 Friday night.

Never before had the Chiefs given up so many points as the National Football League exerted its authority for the ninth time in 12 meetings with AFL rivals this season.

The last time the Chiefs appeared in the Coliseum, 63,036 Super Bowl fans watched Green Bay rout K.C., 35-10. The Chiefs came up only 20 points short this time, but the end result was the same: They lost a football game, but even more, lost much of the prestige they had gained last week in routing the Chicago Bears.

The Rams, who entered the game as four-point favorites, exploded for 21 points in the third quarter as they made up a 24-13 halftime deficit en route to their fifth successive exhibition win this season.

"This had to be one of the Rams' greatest wins," coach George Allen crowed afterword . "When you come from behind and outscore your opponent 31-0, you've accomplished something."

With Roman Gabriel nibbling at the Chiefs' vulnerable defensive edges, the Rams put on their best offensive show of the year.

And the biggest home turnout since 75,461 sat in on the Baltimore game in 1960 loved every minute of it, excluding a 7-minute span in the second period when K.C. overcame a 13-10 deficit to spurt ahead, 24-13.

The Rams were the darlings of the figure filberts, also winning the statistical battle for total yardage, 400 to 289.

Gabriel fired three touchdown passes, two of the sensational variety to Jack Snow, while Les Josephson continued to make Dick Bass wonder where he will fit into the Rams' backfield.

Josephson pounded away for 128 yards on 19 carries, scoring once on a nifty 55-yard gallop and again on a one-yard pass from Gabriel. Bass sat out the festivities for the fifth successive week, but will finally see his first action next Saturday night when the Rams meet San Francisco in their final exhibition tune-up.

Pete Beathard, whose start was something of a surprise, also fired three touchdown passes, but he was victimized by four interceptions, which finally halted the Chiefs' mission of rubbing out their Super Bowl loss nearly eight months ago.

On the second play of the game, Claude Crabb picked off a Beathard pass, and returned it 11 yards to set up the Rams' first touchdown. Josie capped the 29-yard march by clutching Gabriel's one-yard dart.

Seventy-three seconds later Bruce Gossett extended the Rams' lead to 10-0 after Willie Daniel had pounced on Noland Smith's fumble of the kickoff.

Mike Garrett, who. was restricted to 35 yards on 14 carries, broke loose on a 63-yard touchdown run, but the tally was nullified by guard Al Reynolds' holding penalty.

However, the Chiefs got on the scoreboard three plays later when Beathard rolled to his left, retraced his steps and found Otis Taylor all alone on the Ram 20-yard line. The AFL's top deep pass receiver jogged into the end zone to complete the' dazzling 76-yard play.

The Chiefs tied the game when Jan Stenerud pumped through a 48-yard field goal late in the first period.

The Rams moved ahead 13-10 in the second quarter on Gossett's 18-yard fielder.

K.C. went ahead for the first time, 17-13, with 2:05 remaining in the half when Beathard faked a handoff into the center of the line and passed 13 yards to Taylor in the end zone.

Life looked even bleaker for the Ram partisans as Josephson fumbled on the next series and Smoky Stover recovered on L.A.'s 10. A personal foul penalty relieved the pressure momentarily, but Beathard came right back and rifled to Chris Burford, who hooked behind Eddie Meador in the end zone.

The third quarter was a different story as Gabriel came out firing with both barrels. He really suckered the Chiefs' defense by passing on third-and-one on the Chief 40. Snow got behind three defenders and pulled in Gabe's play-action pass on the K.C. 8 and stepped across the goal line untouched.

The Rams struck again 3 minutes later as Gabriel and Snow combined on a 62 yard blockbuster touchdown. Gabe's pass was slightly underthrown, but Jack came back a step or two, caught the ball in front of Fletcher Smith, eluded another defensive back, Johnny Robinson, and then straight-armed his way into the end zone as Bobby Hunt came up with egg on his face.

Josephson then capped the third quarter's fun and games by sweeping 55 yards behind the thundering interference of tackle Charlie Cowan and center George Burman.

Gossett added a 33-yard field goal with 5:23 elapsed in the fourth quarter to stretch the Rams' lead to 37-24 and Clancy Williams sealed K.C.'s first exhibition loss since the next to last game in 1965 by scooting 55 yards with a Beathard interception.

Kansas City's Curtis McClinton darts through Ram defense early in the game.

Scoring Summary

First Quarter
LA- Josephson 1 yard pass from Gabriel (Gossett kick)
LA- FG Gossett 18
KC- Taylor 76 yard pass from Beathard (Stenerud kick)
KC- FG Stenerud 48

Second Quarter
LA- FG Gossett 23
KC- Taylor 13 yard pass from Beathard (Stenerud kick)
KC- Burford 25 yard pass from Beathard (Stenerud kick)

Third Quarter
LA- Snow 40 yard pass from Gabriel (Gossett kick)
LA- Snow 62 yard pass from Gabriel (Gossett kick)
LA- Josephson 54 yard run (Gossett kick)

Fourth Quarter
LA- FG Gossett 33
LA- Williams 55 yard pass interception (Gossett kick)

Att- 73,990

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