Saints Pivotal Moments
1967 Redskins: First Road Victory
The inaugural Saints team entered the last game of the season at the nation's capital with two victories in 13 outings. But both of those were in the friendly confines of Tulane Stadium. So this was their last chance to get a road win.
Otto Graham had been a Hall of Fame quarterback for the Cleveland Browns but was not having a great deal of success in his two seasons as head coach of the Redskins. They finished 7-7 in 1966 and were 5-5-3 heading into their finale in '67. They were hoping to finish the season with their first winning record since 1955. One of their victories came in the second game of the season in New Orleans 30-10. You couldn't blame the 50,486 chilled fans who came to District of Columbia Stadium (soon to be renamed Robert F. Kennedy Stadium) for thinking the home team would win their sixth game and end the season above .500. After all, the Redskins were favored by 13 1/2 points.
Fears Changes Quarterbacks
After a scoreless first quarter, Saints coach Tom Fears, as he had done multiple times during the season, sent in Bill Kilmer to replace starting QB Gary Cuozzo, who had already been decked four times by the Redskins blitz led by MLB Sam Huff.
"Bill gets the ball away quicker. That's why I put him in," Fears explained afterward.
Midway through the second period, Kilmer lofted a bomb to WR Danny Abramowicz, who took the ball away from CB Jim Shorter near midfield and sprinted all alone to the goal line to complete the 80y touchdown to make it 7-0.
Redskins Tie Game
Washington tied the game in the third period when Sonny Jurgensen hit WR Charley Taylor with a 6y touchdown pass. The Saints retook the lead on a safety when punt returner John Love fumbled into his end zone and was tackled when he retrieved the ball. Then Flea Roberts caught the free kick on his 31 and rocketed back 68y before being driven out of bounds one yard from the goal line. FB Randy Schultz took the first down handoff into the end zone to make it 16-7.
L-R: Gary Cuozzo, Bill Kilmer, Danny Abramowicz
Saints Increase Their Lead
The Saints added to their lead early in the final quarter when Abramowicz took a 13y pass from Kilmer. But Jurgensen quickly got the seven points back on a touchdown pass to make it 23-14 with 10:40 to play - plenty to time to come back if the Redskin defense could hold the Saints.
But Kilmer made sure they didn't. He completed three passes before facing third-and-11 on the Redskin 49. Catching the defense in a blitz just as he did on the first TD pass, Bill handed off to RB Don McCall on a quick-hitting burst through right guard. Finding no linebackers at home beyond the line of scrimmage, he sped 49y to pay dirt to put the game on ice.
Kilmer said McCall's touchdown run came on a play that was "simply a quickie designed to get enough yardage for the first down."
Bill Becknell, a ball boy on the 1967 Saints team, recalled the scene as the team returned to New Orleans. "I looked out the window of the plane and there were thousands of fans out there; they just ran out onto the tarmac to greet the plane."
The Saints finished their first season 3-11 to match the number of wins by the first Falcon team the year before and the Minnesota Vikings in 1961.
L-R: Randy Schultz, Don McCall, Jerry Sturm
Saints receivers coach Bob Shaw remarked: "If we had played all season like we did today, we'd be in the playoffs."
Fears praised OT Jerry Sturm, who refused to leave the game after suffering a fractured cheekbone. The 6'3" 275lb veteran of the Canadian League underwent surgery to day after the game. "We need men like Sturm, who have a great deal of guts," said Tom. "I thought our line blocked better today, and the defense kept us in the game while we were playing lousy football at the beginning." As for the season, "we set out to win three games at the start of the season, and we accomplished that goal. What a way for the season to end."
A crowd of more than 1,000 mobbed the Saints when they touched down at New Orleans International Airport that night. One person carried a large banner that read, "KILMER WE LOVE YOU!"
Fears praised OT Jerry Sturm, who refused to leave the game after suffering a fractured cheekbone. The 6'3" 275lb veteran of the Canadian League underwent surgery to day after the game. "We need men like Sturm, who have a great deal of guts," said Tom. "I thought our line blocked better today, and the defense kept us in the game while we were playing lousy football at the beginning." As for the season, "we set out to win three games at the start of the season, and we accomplished that goal. What a way for the season to end."
A crowd of more than 1,000 mobbed the Saints when they touched down at New Orleans International Airport that night. One person carried a large banner that read, "KILMER WE LOVE YOU!"