The Brownsville Herald from Brownsville, Texas • Page 15

After Standing Toe To Toe With Colts, Bears 1WK WBllAHt--fiaity, Lemm Says Oilers Have Guts To Play Anybody HOUSTON (Ul'l)-- The Houston Oilers and the Chicago Bears go back to their drawing boards to find some offensive punch, but lino Oilers at least have tl'e satisfaction of a 19-17; victory over the Bears. In a game Friday dominated by the defenses, Houston quarterback Pete Beathard came in the second hall to ignite the for Houston with a 30-yard a millionaire for I birtlxUyj sized at Houston field goal in the final quarter, present. It's nice, but. Defense won the Eastern but Chicago's Gale Sayers eras- Already performing on for the Oilers in 1U67, ve ed it with a 97-yard scoring dasli Uon's powerful defense are twojwhen they intercepted a record istjon the following kickoff. all-American Football League six Joe Namath passes i With four minutes remaining, Beathard took the Oilers SO yards in 9 plays, capping Ihe drive with an 11-yard touchdown selections linebacker George and coroerback Miller Fan'.

The defense ranked No. 1 in the league last season unoliless Oilers hitting on 9 of me pass to Mac llaik. against passing. "This 1 ball club has Empkasind it has guts Besides acquiring Mitchell, in one game at New York. But defense wasn't enough last when Houston finished second to the Jets in the East with a 7-7-1 record.

Again offense and specif ICpassesand picking up 9 first I and can a with Oilers made a linebacker- downs in the last 7 minutes todays Oiler coach Wally Ron Pritchard of Arizona State, hand Houston ilssecond win of Lenvm the exhibition season. Rookie Glenn Woods, of Prairie View A-M, got the only first half score when he dumped Hear quarterback Virgill Carter in tire owl zone tor a safety. But, when a learn trades four players for another team's most valuable player, then loses the guy because of a broken neck, it ntieds fortitude to cover up the hurts. a standout in the all-games tbc-ir first draft choice So. de- tense continues to midseason 1967 in a trade wlth'Bajlor great who is a favorite Kansas City for Ernie Udd.

UK- fans; second-year pro took over the team for the last i Bob Davis of Vi and naif of the schedule and ledjrookie Bob from 111! Houston to a division champion-lnois. ship. Last Beathard; Houston's offense boasts a started strong but underwent a experienced interior line midseason operation and did not that partially makes up for the regain his form when he re-1 lack of speed in the bacMield. turned late in the season. Tackles Walt Suggs and Glen Pete Al Quarterback I Kay nines, and guard icallv quarter-is Ihe Houston; "Pete is our are in their fourth year iLemm says.

"He has the job together. Third-year guard Toni until someone takes it awaylftegner from Noire Dame at fight end. For wide receivers, the Oiiers have second-year pros Mac and Jim Beirne Joining the receiver corps are draftees Jerry Lcvias ot SMU. second; Charlie Joiner of Grambling, fourth; and Willie Grate of South Carolina, sixth. 'Big Offense Houston's "Big Back" offense, which punches out steady but uaspectacular yardage, stars a Pete Beathard.

sixth-vear quarterback from -Southern Cal, fa expected lo be the starter. from him." rounds out the unit with center Trying to do that are seventh Bobby Maples, year man l)on jrull, a former' Big Alvin Reed will be back Houston managed only two first Good On Defense downs in the first half. The Oilers, who made an off- Ken Houslon put the Oilers trade for third year cor- Ilie Scoreboard early in Ihe nerback Willie Mitchell, Bos-! vhen he rated 93 IMS MVP. will survive with PercivaPs fourth his injury better than most field goal atlcmpl. teams would have.

They were The Bears went ahead with 10 already superbly stocked on de- third quarter points in 5-1 sec-Jfense. onds on a 2-yard run by Mike Acquiring Mitchell, who will Mull and Perch-aPs 25-yard the entire 1M9 season with) goal. training camp injury, wasi Hoy Ccrela'eol Ilio lead sending a money order to: Pro Charts AFL East: 3-Houston Oilers (H'KKNSE I lo give up.this year on latent talent like Peic lining up Beathard, but the big kid's got to start producing as field a a dependable experiment i finds Roy Hopkins' alongside Hoyle Granger. Use to be Granger's stand-in at full. But with Woody Campbell in Army, Roy gets his! thrower.

Was sidetracked for shot. Lot of people Ihought the Won Trull last hall of 'OS, and two big bulls should have Trull's no world beater. Pcte's i used all along. doubt about! got lo do it if Oilers wnat tOi Granger as power back andj win. Rating --C.

i blocker. Rating--B. RECEIVING Year of! LINE--Pretty solid front seasoning had to help Mac-anchored by Bobby Maples at llaik Jim Beirne as wide center. Wall Suggs, Glenn nines receivers, t'an'l afford io be lop tackles. Sonny Bishop, complacent with challenge nowi underrated, teams with young of little, exciting Jerry Lewis Tom Rcgner at guards.

Quality of SM U. Haik's got chance toi falls off sharply behind them, be a great one, with more but not much chance anybody's than Beirne. Alvin going 0 play if all stay healthy. Reed's also developing intn i Rating--B. strong tight end.

DEFENSE i LhVE-- Steady i fair ss rush on'i miss rf.ired; Gary Cutsinger since. Elvin; Bethea already beat him a right end. Elvin's onlv a soph, i George Rice, Willie Parker at; tackles only couple of years; older. Left end Pat Holmes is hardrock of quartel, the Rating--B. pair of 225-pounders fullback; At linebacker, Pritchard will Hoyle Granger and halfback Roy Hopkins.

Last year's hall- back, Woody Campbell, is ex- pected to return from military duty in Vietnam before the season ends. But if the Oilers are to beat out the world champion Jets for Ihe AFL's Eastern title, they likely will do it with defense. Zeke Moore, a third-year pro, will replace the injured Mitchell at corner, and join and safeties W. K. Hicks and Ken Houston in the secondary.

ette, a runt-yew wtana, It tw nMdfe tUMtetar. The front tour ta much depth. Vetena Prtt Holmes and second-yeer tion Elvtn tre it endt and George Rice and WUMt Parker go again at tackle. Astrodome fans have learned look to the defense for excitement, and unless rootit speedsters Levias and Joiner iitf-lAHUIUVTB lUHUdllt JM UIK'AU-Ael, 11IU.1MIU will Granger and halfback battle for the right outside post few of veteran Olen Underwood, opposite Webster. Garland Boy- offense, it appears to be more of the same for 1989.

Fran Tarkenton Says: The Jets Hang Loose And Ewbank's Confident NEW YORK (NBA)-- After less experienced learn, Beverly, It must also be remembered playing against the Jets would not have takeniUiat the Jel regulars basically once. feel it impossible to the chance to leave his area i have been ttv same for the last compare them lo Ihe strongei learns in Ihe National Football For The Whole Answer To Your Life Insurance Needs Ask Mr. H. C. Velarde District Manager SIGNAL LIFE INSURANCE CO.

1M5 E. Fronton 1.1 FUMBLE Houston Oilers flanker Jerry Levms (23) fumbles during 1st quarter of Friday night's Oilers-Bears game in Houston. fumbled while leceiving a 52-yard punt from Bears Bohby Tarkenton Says NamatWs A Celeb With Teammates Joe Green. Bears linebacker Dan Pride made the recovery. Bears tight-nd Emilio Vallez (82) and halfback Ralph Kurek (32) are eyeing the loose ball.

Houston won 19-17. I TELEPHOTO) League. however: every game they play because of their defense The defense is extremely well co-ordinated confident, relaxed and poised. (Now that I think about it. those three adjectives could fit most of the other elements of the Jets, offense and defense.) The defensive team has no Deacon Jones, no Carl Eller.

no Tommy Xobis. They do not have any one player who can completely overpower you. But they'do have great -movement' in their defense, and each player will compensate for whal open. It was a gamble, and it five years. They have matured worked.

Beverly demonstrated as a unit. the aggressive teamwork that You see how important playing as a unit is when you consider the Packers. They are still a tough club, but the recent i 1 can say this, The Jets will be is the key to a standout de- Beverly's play also brings out another strong point of the Jets--their confidence. Much of this stems from Namath, but in an unusual way. Each man is an individual "on the Jets because their team leader is an particularly Jerry Gregg Skoronski--have cohesiveness.

You play Kramer, and Bob their with guy for seven years, then you individual--and is allowed to be. look around to see new faces, well, it makes a big difference. Ewbank must also be given Sure, Joe can have his Fu Manchu and be let alone, just as the other 39 guys can have their crewcuts or baldy sours or anything else they want Sonny Werblin set the tone and Weeti Bwbank picked ft up. They did not try to mold a his defensive mate may lack. team into any kind of personal Here's an example: I droppedipaittern or cult, back lo pass against the And with this individualism As soon as I turned my eyes'TM" toward Aaron Thomas on tfe right side, Randy Beverly brok from his left-corner back position to help Jim Hudson, who was on Thomas.

came a constructive looseness, which led to confidence. The Jets have very casual practices, as opposed to the tough, grinding practices But each man is working hard I threw, and Beverly in- at his art of being tercepted the pass. Now. on a professional football player. a lot of credit for the Jets' success.

He built the Baltimore Colts into a championship team within five years. And he has built a winner in New York. You have to believe Hie man, has a lot of talent in putting' together a team. Another thing, Johnny and Joe Namath did not i professional foothill knowing now to read defenses. They had to learn art.

And Ewbank taught them what they know. He has to be an excellent quarterback teacher, of come, he's had some pretty good I pupils. IJNBBACKl.N'G Could be, real great if rookie Ron Frit-; chard pushes hard lo oust Olen Underwood nn right side. Strongside George Wcbslcr i might just be best in all foot- iball. And Garland Boyette, the! middle man.

is one of those; NEW A i bonus late developers who's finally Watching Joe Namath from the (estimated at caoilalizim; on. great natural sidelines, a thought struck me: gave.Joe something oewjaue ability. Rating B. history ana Home Office Signal Life Ins. Co.

2121 N. Main Sat AntimUi. Texas 78212 SECONDARY--Big finds Leroy one ofi best, coming in from Boston (for ex-Oilers). That solidifies whal could be best deep defense in AFL. with all- pro Miller Fair on other corner, W.

K. Hicks (who feels more at home now) at free safety and tough Ken Houston at strong safety. Rating--A--. KICKING--Retirement of defensive back Jim Norton leaves way open for rookie Roy Gerfla to take over punting. He's also soccer-style field goal kicker, but Waynet Walker's a vet holdover in that department.

-C i Joe N'amath is a celebrity even to his teammates. That's a big world of professional foolball That was free expression. I would say that Namath is Wertlin realized the value a better field general than he is a passer that that is Uking Third in East. And could go higher if Beathard produces. Alt WEATHER IV GOODYEAR TIRES 650x13 4 PLY NYLON $1 79 Ton Four for $39.95 BIG STATE Warehouse 7 and Rlnqqold WHfBE THE SAVINGS Att" for the success of Joe! He said, "Come here, Joe 1 and the Jets INamath, and be whatever and the Jets.

Nama(h ted There just aura around Joe that his teammates feel. They like him; they respect his ability and, most important, they have confidence in him. freedom and confidence to be himself. So if fle wanted to grow a Fu Manchu mustache, to wear a long fur coat, to, simply, be a swinger, he mild. nothing away from his physical ability to tlirow a football.

Namath had a reputation for bein a strong field leader, and he demonstrated that vincingly against ui, the Gianti. He also had a reputation for an exceptionally quick release. That wasn't demonitrited IB our game. Namath gets excellent protection and he otopl back nine yards in the pocket. Most quarterbacte drop back about seven yards.

And several other quarterbacks that I've seen, Johnny Unitas, Sonny Jurgensen and Bart Starr, to name ttiree. can release ball quicker than Joe. But Namath Is a fine passer, hif titning and touch are superb. I think that a great amount of credit for Joe's success go to one who nrobaMjr never Ihrew a block or caught a button pass in his life-Sonny Werblia. Wertelin, vriw need hive controlling interest of the Jed, Meat to tot- tall, since he was (1) an original thinker and had been In football before.

He was the man who lot tc New York. a star attraction. On the field, there is one point people often forget: Namath is not Namath by himself. That ts one man does not make a great team. If that were so.

then the Jets would have been champions three and four years ago, when Joe was having wasoni as good-according to last year. UK if, the Jets are one jtrong tem, with a very itrong quirterbadi Texas League Standings By Uihtt PTOM EASTERN DIVISION ArkaDMl Memphis Sbreveport Sw Antonio 4 1 i 77 WESTERN DIVISION M.GB Dalte-FW AnuriUo SPEqALJ Hurry-This Great Offer Expires Soon 33 34 95 We'll Make Your Car Look Like New Again MACHINE SANDED SPOT PRIMERED WHEELS INCLUDED 3 FULL COATS OVEN BAKED TO A SPARKLING LASTING RNISH 2 TONE $1500 ADDITIONAL ONE YEAR GUARANTEE Comptett Body TOPS 71 .577 71 WM 57 54 tte TV RESULTS I El Pam 2 EXPRESSWAY 1EXICO Amtftllo at El Paso Aitttiu at San Antonio Memphis it Shreveport (2) WAIVERS NEW YOWC (Wl)- Miller, tanner Sm year, Mhed the New York (Haute place him on DISCOUNT was WHEELS INCLUDED MACHINE SANDED SPOT niMERED HAND SANDED OPEN 7:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Deluxe PAINT Job 95 $44 FULL COAT IUST REStSTOK SEALER WU COATS OVtN OM Year 2 TONE $15.00 ADDITIONAL EAST TERMS AVARAttl i AUTO SERVICE BROWNSVILLE 214 W. UM7M HO STATI, INC.

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