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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE
PATRIOTS' FIRST TITLE December 28, 1963 ... After four years of frustration, the Patriots finally clinched a berth in the American Football League Championship Game, by walloping the Buffalo Bills 26 to 8 at War Memorial Stadium. The main weapon was the swing pass, which the Buffalo defense couldn’t handle, which twice accounted for touchdowns. And when touchdowns couldn’t be scored, Gino Cappelletti was there to kick a field goal. Four of them came off the toe of Cappy. There was no doubt that the Patriots had come to play in the sub-freezing temperatures. The Balls fumbled the opening kickoff deep in their own territory. On the first Pats play from scrimmage, Ron Burton tested his surgically repaired back with a plunge through the line for four yards down to Buffalo’s 13-yard line. On their next possession, Babe Parilli hit Jimmy Colclough and then Cappelletti setting up Cappy's first field goal. A minute and a half later, a six-yard flip out to Larry Garron a the 50 allowed him to fake out the Buffalo defenders on the frozen field and take it 59 yards into the end zone.
Luck was on the Patriots' side also. At the start of the second quarter, Buffalo’s Sid Youngleman got a hand on another Cappy field goal attempt. Instead of knocking it down, he propelled it up and over the crossbar for another score. A couple of penalties cost the Patriots a score and they settled for another field goal which put them up 16-0 at the half. The Boston defense was steadfast and allowed Buffalo nothing until the third quarter. Then they allowed a 98-yard pass play from Daryle Lamonica to Elbert Dubenion. Center Walt Cudzik downed a Tom Yewcic punt on the Bill’s seven and things looked great until Lamonica unleashed the bomb and converted the two-pointer, making it 16-8. But then it was the Patriots. A swing pass to Cappelletti took the ball down to the 16 and the Babe found Larry Garron in the end zone for a touchdown. The drive covered 69 yards. Two minutes later Bob Dee intercepted a pass setting up Cappy’s fourth field goal.
Buffalo staged a last-ditch effort to come back. Jack Kemp came in for Lamonica and brought his team down to the goal line. The threat ended when Tommy Addison dumped Kemp on fourth down for a loss. The next time Kemp brought Buffalo down the field again. This time Jack Rudolph killed it in the end zone. Rudolph had an outstanding day, by knocking down 11 passes and helping contain Cookie Gilchrist who could only gain seven yards in eight attempts. The Pats' defense stopped Gilchrist cold. Three times he needed one yard for a first down and couldn’t do it. One time he was hit so hard by Nick Buoniconti, that he was lifted off the ground. For the offense, it was Cappelletti and Garron who accounted for 273 of Boston’s 375 total yardage. Babe Parilli also threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns. One of the things Parilli did that caught Buffalo off stride was a hurry-up offense, which caught the Bills not ready quite a few times. The screen pass worked to perfection for Parilli on the frozen ground. Even if the defensive linemen spotted it coming, they couldn’t change direction. So, after four years, the Patriots win a division title and a chance for all the marbles. |
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