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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE FIRST TRY FOR A TITLE September 8, 1963 ... The Patriots defense, highlighted is a major weakness of the team, took on huge proportions in the second half of the Patriots opening game against the New York Jets, at Boston College's Alumni Stadium. Coming up with four clutch pass interceptions, four of which turned into scores, the defensive unit broke up a tie ballgame as the Patriots came up with 21 points in the final quarter to beat the Jets, 38 to 14. The game was deceptively one-sided. Until the Patriots scored their three touchdowns in the last 10 minutes of the game, they had struggled mightily to beat their opponent. The Jets played surprisingly well with a makeshift team. Dick Felt and Nick Buoniconti made important interceptions of Jets quarterback Dick Wood's passes in the third, to change the tide of a 14 to 14 game. From Buoniconti's grab on the Patriots 15 yard line, they went off on a spree, starting with Gino Cappelletti's 32 yard field goal. The Patriots intercepted three more times and turned it into three touchdowns. For three quarters, the Jets refused to roll over and play dead. Before the game was two minutes old, they had seven points on the board. That came about on a fourth-down situation when a combination of a low pass from center and a casual attempt to get the kickoff made for an easy block. The entire defense of the Jets was in Tom Yewcic who was kicking from the 29 yard line. Larry Grantham picked up the ball and ran it in from the 30 for the first New York score. The Patriots tied it up very quickly. In four plays, counting the 29 yard run-back of the kickoff by Larry Garron to the 33 yard line, the Patriots offense was off and running. Babe Parilli threw to the 42 yard line with Gino Cappelletti on the other end. Then he rolled out to the left and hit Larry Garron on the four yard line. Jim Crawford then followed right guard Billy Neighbors, into the end zone, making the score 7 to 7.
New York got going again and got prevented from going the distance when Tom Stephens, the right corner, slammed down Mark Smolinski on the 12 yard line, after a run from the New York 36. In the second quarter, Parilli, Garron, Cappelletti and Crawford got a big lift from Tony Romeo. The scoring started at the five yard line and was kept alive at the New York four, when Cappelletti made a diving grab of a pass. Billy Lott ran it in from there and Cappelletti added another extra point. Again, the Jets zoomed back. Dick Wood took it 80 yards in seven plays, and the payoff came with a four yard flip to Bake Turner, who outran Ross O'Hanley and Bob Suci in the corner of the end zone, making it a 14 to 14 game. The Jets first try to go ahead, was thwarted by Dick Felt's interception on the Patriots 21 yard line. The next time the Jets had the ball, it ended when Nick Buoniconti took the throw on the 15 yard line and made it out and 38. Parilli and Romeo teamed and got it close. Cappelletti booted a 31 yarder that sent the Pats up for good, 17 to 14. Then in the fourth period, John Stephens, playing at the cornerback position, intercepted a pass on the New York 31 yard line. He made it down to the ten where Parilli ran in the ball himself, making the score 24 to 14. The next time, Jack Rudolph and Buoniconti rushed the kicker, Curly Johnson, and forced a short punt. Larry Garron on two carries went 32 yards. From the 33 yard line, Parilli hit Art Graham for the next score. Stephens intercepted again on the Jets 45 yard line and made it down to the 26. Cappelletti caught a pass at the 15 and Harry Crump first went to the six yard line and then to the four yard line on two carries. Ronnie Lott bulled the ball in from there and Cappy added another extra point. The game revealed how well Babe Parilli could pass, Larry Garron could run, and how Tony Romeo could catch. Tom Yewcic also somehow managed to kick a punt around the lineman who was smothering him. |
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