Detriot 38 Eagles 10 1961 Runner Up Bowl

[LeonardRachiele]

The outcome of week 14 of 1961 went half the Eagles way.  As indicated, Philadelphia won at Detroit in a thriller 27 to 24.   The Browns  only  got a seven all tie at Yankee Stadium.  Philadelphia dropped to second place at 10-4, one half  game behind the Giants.  Both the Lions and the Eagles would square off in the second annual Runner Up Bowl at the Orange Bowl in Miami, a week after the Title.  The Eagles win at Detroit  was too close to consider for the Point Spread; but I though the Philadelphia's 10-4 record; 2 1/2 games better than the Lions would spell victory. Oh was I wrong.

Jim Ninowski and Earl Morrall alternated in the heroics as the Detroit Lions knocked passing star Sonny Jurgensen out of action Saturday and scored a 38-10 National Football League playoff bowl win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Morrall scored once and he and Ninowski each passed for a pair of touchdowns in a playoff between the N.F.L.'s two runner-up teams which attracted a crowd of 25,612. The 81-degree heat that blanketed the Orange Bowl was the setting for a a satisfying win for Detroit. The Lions avenged a 27-24 defeat at the hands of the Eagles in their final regular season game. It was also was the Lions' second straight win in this strictly-for-money bowl game inaugurated last year. It was a costly defeat for the Eagles as Jurgensen, the All-N.F.L. quarterback, suffered a shoulder separation in the second quarter. Team physician Mike Mandarine called it "one of the worst I've ever seen, with all the ligaments torn."He said Jurgensen would be operated on Tuesday in Philadelphia and that he "hoped" the 27-year-old former Duke star would be all right next season. Adding to the Eagles woes, tackle J. D. Smith was taken to the hospital with a twisted knee. Both he and Jurgensen thus were knocked out of the N.F.L. All-Star game at Los Angeles, Jan. 14.

The Lions had a host of stars as they trampled the 2 1/2 point favorites. They held Jurgensen to 8 completions and 62 yards in 17 passes before Wayne Walker threw the block which made Jurgensen's future a question mark after one year of stardom.Terry Barr scored twice on passes from Ninowski while Pat Studstill and Sam Williams caught scoring tosses by Morrall. Jim Martin kicked an 18-yard field goal and five extra points. Philadelphia's lone touchdown came on King Hill's 9-yard end zone throw to Pete Retzlaff while Bobby Walston booted a 23-yard field goal in addition to the lone Eagles' extra point.

Detroit left no doubt from the beginning that it was high and ready. Gary Lowe started it off when he intercepted a Jurgensen pass on the Eagles' 47 and returned it 13 yards to the Philadelphia 34. Fullback Nick Pietrosante carried the load to the 11 and, when the Eagles held, Martin broke the ice with his 18-yard field goal. Detroit stopped the Eagles cold and then blasted 80 yards in three plays to run up a 10-0 lead. Ninowski hit Pietrosante for 9 yards, the big fullback plunged for 2 and Ninowski hit Barr on a 69-yard touchdown pass.

Jim Carr gave the Eagles momentary hope with a deep second quarter interception and Philadelphia hammered to the Detroit 10. But that's where the Lions broke up the Eagles Yale Lary intercepted Jurgensen's pass and raced 66 yards to the Eagles 19, where Dick Lucas finally hauled him down. Jurgensen was stretched on the turf and had to leave the game. Detroit smashed to the 5 and then Morrall took it around for the score. Detroit kicked off to the Eagles’ 26 and King Hill, Jurgensen's substitute, fumbled the ball on the first play. Roger Brown recovered fDe­troit on the Philadelphia 18. Morrall missed one pass and then hit Studstill in the end zone. Detroit led at halftime 24 to 0.The Eagles tried gamely to get back into the game. After the start of the third quarter, they marched 57 yards for a touchdown. Hill passed to Rctzlaff to the 23, Bill Barnes pow­ered to the 9 and Hill hit Retzlaff for the touchdown.  Given a lift, the Eagles rammed 74 yards to the Detroit 10 the next time they got the ball, but then the Lions stiffened and Walston booted a field goal from the 23.



 





 

[Brian wolf]

Yep, a career threatening injury to Jurgensen because of some "official" loser's bowl that players played for their own pensions because the owners--who naturally benefit from the network coverage--were too greedy and cheap to pay out themselves. Imagine had the game gate going towards their pensions-disability been applied to all preseason games back then, rather than the owners raking in all that money, while risking their best players for 20-50 dollars a game ...

[RichardBak]

Yeah, I was surprised (well, maybe not too surprised, given how stingy owners were/are) to learn that players didn't get any of the gate or broadcast revenues for the occasional tie-breaker playoff games. They just received their regular game rate...that is, 1/12th (or 1/14th) of their regular season salary. I don't think that changed until divisional playoffs started in '67.

The Playoff Bowl and Pro Bowl paid a set amount to each player, the winners maybe getting a couple hundred dollars more than losers.

[Brian wolf]

We can only imagine how much money Owners raked in during preseason games back then with six games. If only some great researchers on this site could mine out at least 30 significant player injuries during pre-season or other meaningless exhibition games that really affected their team ?