Playoff Bowl 1968, Los Angeles Rams vs. Cleveland Browns

Playoff Bowl 1968

January 7, 1968- Los Angeles Rams 30 Cleveland Browns 6

Realignment brought about a new look to the NFL in 1967 and a new playoff system. For the Playoff Bowl, this meant that the losers of the newly added divisional playoffs would now meet in Miami. The Cleveland Browns had won the Century Division with a 9-5 record and met the Dallas Cowboys, winners of the Capitol Division in the divisional playoff. The Cowboys easily prevailed in a rout, 52-14. The Browns were led that season by Leroy Kelly, who rushed for 1205 yards and eclipsed the 1000-yard mark for the second season in a row. Frank Ryan and Paul Warfield teamed up to provide the offense some throwing punch. The Green Bay Packers won the Central Division and met the Coastal Division champs, the Los Angeles Rams in the other divisional playoff game. The Packers prevailed, 28-7. The 1967 Rams posted an impressive 11-1-2 record and were led by quarterback, Roman Gabriel, and NFL Coach of the Year, George Allen. The final mark of 11-1-2 for the Rams still represents the fewest losses for any Rams squad in history, and that includes the 1999 Super Bowl champion team.

In the Playoff Bowl, the Rams struck early for a 17-0 halftime lead on two Gabriel touchdown passes of 21 yards to Bernie Casey in the first quarter and 2 yards to Billy Truax in the second. Bruce Gossett kicked three field goals of 41, 46 and 39 yards and had 12 points in the game. The final Ram touchdown came on a 9 yard run by rookie Willie Ellison in the 4^th quarter. The Browns managed to score on a Leroy Kelly 2-yard run late in the in the 4^th quarter. The final score was 30-6. Gabriel went 17 for 30 for 223 yards and two touchdowns and Les Josephson rushed for 70 yards for the Rams. With the game in hand by halftime, Deacon Jones stepped up the defensive pressure on Cleveland's quarterbacks in the second half. He also blocked the Browns' only extra point attempt. Gabriel was voted MVP of the game, just edging out Jones. With the win, the Western Conference had won 7 of the 8 Playoff Bowls.

Gabriel Sparkles In Victory

MIAMI (UPI)- Roman Gabriel passed for two touchdowns and Bruce Gossett kicked three field goals Sunday to lead the peppy Los Angeles Rams to an easy 30-6 victory over Cleveland in the National Football League's eighth annual Playoff Bowl.

In a final scoring push, Gabriel threw a 43-yard pass to Tommy Mason which set up rookie Willie Ellison's nine-yard touchdown dash. Gossett kicked the points after all three of the Rams' scores.

Second-stringer Gary Lane engineered Cleveland's only scoring drive in the Orange Bowl before a crowd of 37,102, an 81-yard march in the final period highlighted by Lane's 34-yard throw to end Paul Warfield which carried to the Los Angeles 14-yard line. Leroy Kelly, the NFL's rushing champ, scored on a two-yard run to account for Cleveland's only scoring. Lou Groza missed the extra point try as well as two long field goal attempts earlier.

Gabriel, voted the game's most valuable player, threw a 21-yard scoring pass to Bernie Casey in the first period and 2-yard scoring toss to Billy Truax in the second.

Gossett's 41-yard field goal in the first period gave Los Angeles a 17-0 halftime lead. The Rams widened that to 20-0 in the second period when Gossett kicked a 46-yard field goal.

The Rams' "Fearsome Foursome”, which cracked everybody but Green Bay this season, held Cleveland to only four serious touchdown threats and turned back three of those. Jones' tackle of quarterback Frank Ryan for a 12-yard loss thwarted one of those drives and penalties shut off the other two.

The battle in 80 degree weather between the NFL’s Eastern and Western Conference runners-up was waged for comparative player “peanuts”- $1200 to each of the winners and $500 to the losers- as a preliminary to next Sunday’s “Bonanza”, the Super Bowl match here between NFL Champion, Green Bay, and Oakland of the American Football League.

However, the game, in its eight year history, sometimes called the “superfluous bowl”, has enriched the player’s pension fund by more than $1 million.

The first time the Rams got the ball, they made it clear they were here to play. Gabriel directed a 61-yard march for a quick score, hitting Les Josephson with a 15-yard pass before his 21-yard strike to Casey.

Moments later, a 14-yard run by Dick Bass put Los Angeles in position for Gossett’s first field goal.

Gambling on fourth down with inches to go, Gabriel kept the Ram’s scoring drive alive with a 20-yard scamper. He climaxed that 66 yard thrust with his short scoring flip to Truax.

Gossett’s third field goal was a 19-yarder in the closing minutes, following Dave Cahill’s recovery of Lane’s fumble at the Cleveland 17.