What Stopped Grren Bay in 1964

[LeonardRachiele]

Why Stopped the Packers in 1964-The Placekicking of Paul Hornung 8-5-1

The Packers fell off in 1964 because of the placekicking of Paul Hornung, who was in after a year’s suspension. What many forget is that in 64 Green Bay had one of its biggest victories-a 28 to 21 affair over the Cleveland Browns at home in week 11. The Packers came in at 5-5 versus 8-1-1 for the Browns. The Browns won the NFC Championship defeating the Baltimore Colts 27 to 0.

Here are the games that hurt the Packers: Final Record 8-5-1

Week 2. at home the Packers lost 21 to 20 to the Baltimore Colts. Hornung missed the extra point. Record should have been 8-4-2

Week 4. at home the Packers lost 24 to 23 to Minnesota. Hornung again missed the extra point. Record would have been 8-3-3

Week 6 at Baltimore the Packers lost 24 to 21. Hornung missed five field goals. The Packers should have won. 9-2-3

Week 10 at San Francisco the Packers lost 24 to 21. Hornung missed four field goals. The Packers should have won. 10-1-3

Week 14 at Los Angeles the Packers tied the Rams at 24. Hornung missed three field goals. The Packers should have been 11-1-2

The Green Bay Packers should have won the Western Division. Baltimore did win it with a 12-2 record. With Paul Hornung on target the Colts should have been 10-3-1

[Retro Rider]

I checked Hornung's 1964 FG numbers at PFR and noticed that he struggled badly with his mid-range attempts:

0-19 Yards - 3 for 7

20-29 Yards - 5 for 9

30-39 Yards - 1 for 10

40-49 Yards - 2 for 11

50+ Yards - 1 for 1

Totals - 12 for 38 (31.6%) 
41 of 43 on XP's

Jerry Kramer missed all but two games of the 1964 season, so he would not have been available to assist in PK duties. 1964 was the final year that Hornung attempted extra points and field goals for Green Bay. 

Don Chandler was an improvement for the Pack in 1965 but he slumped badly in 1966. He rebounded in 1967 with a Pro Bowl season and was named All-Western Conference by The Sporting News. Chandler was out of football after the '67 season and the Packers search for a place kicker became an annual event until the arrival of Chester Marcol in 1972 (Mike Mercer and Booth Lusteg were a combined 6 for 22 on FG attempts in 1969).

[RichardBak]

Ouch! 26 missed FGA---gotta be the record or close to it.

Curiously, Hornung had started the 1964 season with 3 FG against the Bears, including a team-record 52-yarder on a free kick. But he then suffered a groin pull which greatly affected his accuracy and range.

Normally Jerry Kramer would've filled in. But he'd had surgery and played only 2 games at OG. Lombardi might've used him exclusively as a kicker, but the docs said Kramer was not to kick anymore. Lombardi was desperate enough to use Willie Wood on one FG try (he missed) and even considered using Jimmy Taylor, but he finally settled on bringing in ageless Ben Agajanian to help Hornung's form and confidence. Hornung admitted his poor kicking was "one of those psychological things. I'm kicking like an amateur."

Lombardi got Don Chandler the following year and the Pack went on to win 3 straight titles.

[JohnR]

Kicking FGs with a groin pull sounds like a challenging endeavor, yet Vince kept sending him out there.

[Crazy Packers Fan]

Week 2. at home the Packers lost 21 to 20 to the Baltimore Colts. Hornung missed the extra point. Record should have been 8-4-2

Week 4. at home the Packers lost 24 to 23 to Minnesota. Hornung again missed the extra point. Record would have been 8-3-3

Week 6 at Baltimore the Packers lost 24 to 21. Hornung missed five field goals. The Packers should have won. 9-2-3

Week 10 at San Francisco the Packers lost 24 to 21. Hornung missed four field goals. The Packers should have won. 10-1-3

Week 14 at Los Angeles the Packers tied the Rams at 24. Hornung missed three field goals. The Packers should have been 11-1-2

The Green Bay Packers should have won the Western Division. Baltimore did win it with a 12-2 record. With Paul Hornung on target the Colts should have been 10-3-1

That's fascinating stuff that I never knew. Thanks for sharing that. Kicking was a different beast in those days. Making a 40-yard field goal was considered about what we consider a 55-yarder today. I also wonder how many field goals the Packers' opponents missed. Surely they couldn't have gone perfect in those five games?

[Sonny9]

That's fascinating stuff that I never knew. Thanks for sharing that. Kicking was a different beast in those days. Making a 40-yard field goal was considered about what we consider a 55-yarder today. I also wonder how many field goals the Packers' opponents missed. Surely they couldn't have gone perfect in those five games?

Week 2 Colts 0-2 missed from 46 and 45
Week 4 Minn no missed kicks
Week 6 Colts 1-4 made from 40 missed from 46, 21 and 47
Week 10 SF 1 -2 made from 47 missed from 54
Week 14 LA no missed kicks (Gossett was 18-24 that year, 2 misses from 50+)

[JohnTurney]

Ouch! 26 missed FGA---gotta be the record or close to it.

It is the most in a season

2024-09-06_4-54-30.jpg (87.49 KiB) Viewed 5182 times

[Citizen]

Kicking FGs with a groin pull sounds like a challenging endeavor, yet Vince kept sending him out there.

Lombardi cost them that second Baltimore game. Green Bay led 21-17 with less than two minutes to play, but Lombardi sent Hornung -- with a sore neck, 0-for-4 on the day -- out to try a field goal from 52 yards. It was blocked and returned 30 yards, leading to an easy winning drive for Baltimore. Then Lombardi blamed Hornung for the loss instead of owning his own dumb decision. Not St. Vincent's finest hour.

[RichardBak]

Ouch! 26 missed FGA---gotta be the record or close to it.

It is the most in a season

2024-09-06_4-54-30.jpg

Man, Aveni's FG% in 1961 is brutal, even for the era. Looked him up on PFR. Big guy--6-3. He was a TE/DE in 1959-61 when he wasn't shanking kicks---his lifetime XP% was 90% to go along with his 30% FG. Played 2 seasons w/ Bears after Blanda left before ending career w/ 'Skins. One of the 5 FGs Aveni did make in '61 was a 52-yarder, longest in the league that season. So, obviously a strong leg (also used for kickoffs) but woefully lacking in accuracy.

It's kinda fascinating to compare the big linemen often doubling as PK back then---guys like Groza, Lou Michaels---with the soccer waifs that we've become accustomed to. One of the luxuries of greatly expanded rosters.

[JohnTurney]

Man, Aveni's FG% in 1961 is brutal

That second-worst ever for NFL-AFL-AAFC
Phil Martinovich of the Dodgers was 3 for 20 (15%)