Playoff Bowl 1967, Baltimore Colts vs. Philadelphis Eagles

Playoff Bowl

1967

January 8, 1967- Baltimore Colts 21, Philadelphia Eagles 14

For the second straight year during the Packer Dynasty era, the Baltimore Colts had to settle for a post-season appearance in the Playoff Bowl. The Colts finished 9-5-0 in 1966, second to the Packers in the NFL West. John Unitas finished with 2748 passing yards. Great things were expected of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1966, but at 9-5, they managed only a second place finish in the East to the Dallas Cowboys. They were led by quarterback, Norman Snead and running back, Timmy Brown.

In the 1967 Playoff Bowl, All-Pro quarterback John Unitas was healthy. Tom Matte, the surprise hero of Baltimore's season and Playoff Bowl victory the previous year, was the hero again. With Unitas throwing for 199 yards on 19 completions, Matte rushed for 74 yards and the winning touchdown on a one yard run with :14 left in the fourth quarter in a come from behind performance for the Colts. Lou Michaels also kicked two field goals. The Eagles led 14-10 at the half and 14-13 in the fourth quarter. Eagle quarterback Jack Concannon threw nine completions for 71 yards, but the Eagles were held to 194 offensive yards.

Lou Michaels started the scoring on a field goal in the first quarter. In the second quarter the lead seesawed back and forth. The Eagles scored on a King Hill one yard run. The Colts came back with a 14 yard touchdown pass from Unitas to Raymond Berry. With 3:11 to play in the first half, Israel Lang scored on a 2 yard touchdown run to make the score 14-10 in favor of the Eagles at the half. The only scoring of the 3rd period was a Lou Michaels field goal of from 14 yards. With 3:21 remaining in the game and the Eagles driving, Jerry Logan intercepted a King Hill pass and returned it to the Philadelphia 35. The Colts ate up the clock as they drove for the winning score. Lang was voted the game's MVP.

It was coach Joe Kuharich's only winning season and postseason appearance with the Eagles. It was for the 1967 Playoff Bowl that Kuharich became the first coach to wear a wireless microphone for NFL Films. Portions of his wiring and the Playoff Bowl itself, were used at the end of an NFL Films' 1967 special They Call It Pro Football (video).

The Eagles Throw Away $35,000

Colts Win On Late TD

By TOMMY FITZGERALD

Sports Writer of the Miami News

Quarterback Jack Concannon's hobby is photography, but there’s one picture he'd give anything to destroy today, although it's worth $35,000. It shows him throwing an interception.

"I've never thrown a more disappointing pass in my life or such an expensive one either, the dejected young Philadelphia Eagle scrambler said after his intercepted pass in the closing minutes led to the touchdown that enabled the Baltimore Colts to snatch victory yesterday from the Eagles, 20-14, with just 14 seconds left.

The difference between a winning player's share ($1200) and a losing player's dividend ($500) in this seventh annual Pro Playoff Bowl was $700. The Eagles had voted 50 full shares. The interception cost them $35,000.

Ahead 14-13 with the ball in their possession and only about three and a half minutes left, victory seemed assured for the Eagles. It looked as if Concannon would walk off the Orange Bowl turf heroically again to the plaudits of the crowd, this time numbering 58,088.

In 1963, representing Boston College, he had been voted the North's most valuable player in the annual North-South game in this very arena. This time he walked off empty-handed but heavy-hearted.

Yesterday MVP meant only most vanquished player to him. He admitted he made a mistake and was in anguish over it and full of self-recrimination.

"It was second down and three on the Philadelphia 25. You expected the Eagles to play a ball-control type of game- short, safe-type passes and running- to protect their edge and consume the clock.

"I rolled out and intended to run the ball," Concannon recounted, "but I got jammed. I thought I saw Pete Retzlaff (the tight end) free. But, I didn't see Jerry Logan (Baltimore's safety). They were in a zone defense but I didn't read it. I probably shouldn't have thrown anyway."

Concannon revealed Coach Joe Kuharich had reproved him for the play. "He said it wasn't necessary,” Concannon told his questioners.

The pass was fairly long, and surprisingly so under the circumstances.

Logan anticipated a pass and played for one all the way when Concannon rolled out and he saw Retzlaff coming deep.

"I almost had intercepted one before," he recalled.

Still after the interception and Logan's 14-yard return, there were 35 yards for the Colts to go.

Tom Matte, the most valuable player in last year's game, as the Cinderella Colt quarterback with all the legitimate quarterbacks hurt, then became the most valuable player in the game for the next few minutes- although the trophy went to a surprised Eagle fullback Izzy Lang.

Running from his legitimate position of halfback, Matte gained 18 of the 35 yards on five carries, busting over from the one with 14 seconds left in the game to wrest the lead and the ball game from the Eagles by 19-14 (video). Lou Michaels' kick made it 20-14.

The big play in the drive- although the Colts still would have been within winning field goal range if they had been stopped- was Matte's 10-yard thrust on a halfback draw play to a first down on the Philadelphia 7. It was a third-and-nine play.

"It was a great call by Johnny Unitas," Matte said. "They were sort of expecting us to throw. On a similar play earlier we had picked up about 10 yards and I guess they remembered it."

Matte described being in his familiar role of halfback this time like "old home week" and said the unprecedented circumstances that plunged him into quarterbacking last year would never happen again He said he hoped they didn't arise again.

With the ball on the seven, Baltimore was penalized five for illegal motion, but pass interference on a throw from Unites to Raymond Berry restored the ball to the six. Jerry Hill hit for three, Matte for two and then Matte went over.

Matte was the leading ground-gainer with 74 yards in 16 carries. It was the first touchdown he had scored for the Colts this campaign. He caught two passes for 16 yards.

If the balloting had been postponed until the game was over- and it’s a shame that it isn't- Matte might have made history that will never be repeated. He most likely would have been voted most valuable as a halfback a year after winning the award as a quarterback.

Lang gained 54 yards in 12 carries and caught three passes for 19 yards. His total offense of 73 yards was 17 fewer yards than Matte compiled.

Until the exciting finish, it was a prosaic, unpalpitating type of game in which the Eagle defense excelled (video).

Twice, they stopped Unitas and Co. within scoring range at the Philadelphia 15 and again at the Philadelphia seven and forced them to be content with field goals, 23 yards and 14 yards, by Michaels.

The first goal gave the Colts a 3-0 margin in the first quarter. The Eagles went ahead 7-3 early in the second quarter with a touchdown on the culmination of a 66-yard drive that began late in the first quarter.

The big break on this one was a pass interference call that nullified a pass interception by Mike Curtis of the Colts. It retained possession for the Eagles on their own 49. King Hill quarterbacked them home, taking the ball in from the one, himself, on a sneaker. Sam Baker made the point.

Baltimore regained the lead when Unitas, who set several Playoff Bowl passing records, hit Berry, who ran a beautifully deceptive pattern, for a 14-yard touchdown. Baltimore now led, after Michaels kicked the point, by 10-7.

Unitas set a mark for the most passes completed (19) exceeding Cleveland Frank Ryan's 18 in the 1964 game.

Stopped at the Philly seven in the third, the Colts slipped to within a point of the Eagles on Michaels' 14-yard field goal. They didn't threaten again until their last gasp touchdown for victory.

This is the sixth victory in seven games for the Eastern Division over the Western. Baltimore Colt Coach Don Shula has never been on the losing side in five appearances, three as Detroit assistant and two as Baltimore's head man.