Sport: Defense in Baltimore

Never before in the 40-year history of the National Football League had two teams met for the championship amid such furor. To see their Colts play the New York Giants, Baltimore fans boosted scalpers’ prices to $100 a seat, haled one another into court to fight over jointly held tickets. At the kickoff this week, 57,557 fans were jammed into Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium, bellowing like bull-voiced college boys and begging for a replay of last year’s stirring 23-17 overtime victory of the Colts over the rugged Giants.

For three quarters the fans got instead a bruising and wondrously skillful defensive battle. Overshadowed all season long by the scoring feats of Quarterback Johnny Unitas, the Colts’ defensive unit twice stopped drives inside the loyd. line, forced the Giants to settle for field goals. The game’s big play came late in the third quarter, with the Giants ahead 9-7: on fourth down with 10 in. to go on the Baltimore 27, Giant Halfback Alex Webster was smeared for a loss.

Giant morale sagged visibly. In the fourth quarter Colt linemen swarmed in on aging (38) Quarterback Charlie Conerly on nearly every play. Under pressure, Conerly, who had only four passes intercepted all season, began to throw in desperation. Two of his Lord-help-us heaves were picked off by Baltimore’s nimble defensive backs, one for a 42-yd. touchdown return, the other to set up a scoring pass by the redoubtable Unitas. Final score: Baltimore 31, New York 16.

Elated Baltimore fans quickly tore down the metal goal posts by simply breaking the crossbar through sheer weight of numbers. They had plenty to shout about: their Colts were one of the finest football teams in history.