Fort Lauderdale News from Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Page 66

tD Fort Lauderdale Newt), Monday, October 16, 1972 Csonka: 4Hc Has Same Kind Of Head As Bob' ft After The Fact, Morrall Gets Vote Of Confidence I I ft I mL I By DAN NORMAN Assistant Sporta Editor MIAMI Larry Csohka wasn't exactly oozing with fldence when Earl Morrall replaced the injured Bob Griese early in the first period yesterday. Csonka wasn't alone. Other Dolphins expressed the same feeling. Anl what about now, with San Diego safely out of the way? Csonka said, "I think we still don't have the same con- fidence about the offense with Earl in there as we did with Bob, but it will come In time. "Earl has the same kind of head on his shoulders as Bob so it won't take long either.

It's very dangerous when you vChange from one quarterback with a certain style to another one with a different style, especially in the middle of the Csonka, of course, was concerned with the affect of the change on the running game. "It could have been dangerous," he said, "especially In timing handoffs. But Earl handled it very well. Earl is the kind guy who gets thoroughly involved In practices, even though heisNo.2. "When you are No.

2, it's easy to sluff it off and Just take -things easy. Earl isn't like that and It showed out there." What impressed wide receiver Paul Warfield about Morrall was his ability to take complete control in the huddle, right the start. Warfield, who ended a 10-game touchdown drought on his 19-yard collaboration with Morrall in the third period, said, V'When Earl came in to the huddle for the first time, we tried to give him some confidence by patting him on the back and talking to him. "But maybe he didn't need it. He sounded confident right from the start.

His voice was very strong and very forceful. You could see right away he had confidence In himself." Several members of the Dolphin defense thought there be more pressure on them than usual with Griese out of game. Coach Don Shula said, "When Griese went out, the defense sensed what it had to do and it did it. I was very proud of our defensive effort." Safety Jake Scott said, "First of all, you don't know what is Tgoing to happen when you lose a guy like Griese. He's the best in the NFL.

And we had no idea how Earl was going to do at the offense. "So as soon as Bob got hurt we (the defense) took it upon ourselves to take more responsibility than usual. Then Earl a great job. It helped take the pressure off us." Comerback Tim Foley said, "I think the whole team knew Jthe old Griese wasn't in there and it wouldn't be the same. Everybody knew they would have to work that much harder.

"Some of the guys on the defense did some mingling on the sidelines when Bob got hurt. It wasn't a mass meeting but we -just started talking to each other. Wt talked about shutting out." i) i t. -jf llltl bl Bill KM Up For Grabs Mike Garrett Puts It There, Dick Anderson Makes Scoop And Runs For TD Defensive lineman Vera Den Herder said, "My thinking was that the defense realized that Earl hadn't worked with the, first string offense too much. So we thought we had to be tougher than usual.

We had to keep them from scoring and give the ball to the offense as often as we could even more so than usual. "But Earl did great job It was a relief to see him move the team the way he did." Middle linebacker Nick Buoniconti said, "We talked about It at halftime and how it would be sice to win the game for Bob, but it wasn't a rah-rah type thing. "That rah-rah stuff is high school. We aren't a rah-rah team. We never were and never will be.

It's not that we weren't realistic. We knew it would be tougher without Bob. So you go out there and get the Job done. That's the professional way. "Fortunately Earl did a great Job.

Some guys do better at coming off the bench as a No. 2, than they do as a No. 1." Csonka said, "Maybe it was an emotional down the instant it happened but you can't take time to sit down and grieve about it. Just because you lose your quarterback, doesn't mean you lose the game. "We're too good a team to let that happen.

We proved that today." And What Happens If Earl Gets Hurt? Evans Takes Blame For Griese Injury id By DAN NORMAN Assistant Sports Editor MIAMI Norm Evans sayi he's sick about it and Deacon Jones and Ron East say they are sorry about it. The "It" is Bob Griese's serious ankle injury and Evans, Jones and East were the people most involved in the play beside the Dolphin quarterback. Jones and East, the left side of San Diego's defensive line, are the ones who nailed Griese. Evans, the Dolphin right tackle, probably was one of two men who might have prevented it. "I'm very, very very sick that Bob got hurt," Evans said softly after the game.

"I haven't seen the films yet but Deacon was my responsibility and I think he was the one that got in and got Bob." Mercury Morris wouldn't let Evans take all the blame. "I know Deacon was Norm's responsibility," the Dolphin halfback said, "but I had a shot at him and he got by me, too." "I hit him with a good clean shot," Jones said. "Both Ron and I got him above the waist. Bob's a ducker and I think he did more damage trying to get away from us than from the hit itself. As a matter of fact, he probably did it to himself.

"With all that weight on him, he probably turned away and snapped it on that damn artificial turf. "He grabbed his ankle as soon as he went down," Jones continued. "He looked like he was in a lot of pain, but I don't think he knew how bad it really was. "I'm really sorry it happened. I wanted him just to take the day off, not the whole year.

I'm really, really sorry it happened. East, a 6-foot-4, 250-pounder, said, "I Just had a lot of momentum going and it carried me through to him. But it was a legal hit. I'm sorry it happened. He's a great By MIKE SCHWEBEL Sports Staff Writer could have been the break of my lire," Jim Del Gaizo said.

"No pun intended." Then the taxi squad quarterback thought for a moment. "But if another quarterback was In camp Tuesday morning, it wouldn't surprise me. Nothing would surprise me any more." Del Gaizo, who was waived injured during the exhibition season, will be activated this week to back up Earl Morrall, "I ain't gonna play a down unless Earl gets hurt. I know that," Del Gaizo said. "But heck, Bob (Griese) got his start when somebody broke his ankle or something.

It's a crazy thing to say, but I had to hope Bob gets hurt," he added. "I'm 25 years old and never been in an NFL game," said Del Gaizo, who Is still technically a rookie after spending part of a year with Cincinnati and last year with the Dolphins on the taxi squad. Del Gaizo outplayed Morrall during the preseason but Coach Don Shula decided to go with experience. Del Gaizo was bitterly disappointed. "Earl did just fantastic.

I guess that's what Shula knew that we didn't," Del Gaizo said. Del Gaizo, like everyone else, didn't see Griese go down under Deacon Jones. "I was watching the ball," he said. "It's the first time I've ever seen him down. My reaction was mixed.

I was nervous at first. The pressure got me. 1 mean this Is no 2-12 team. This Is a team that's on its way to the Super Bowl." Del Gaizo continued, "The heat's on and 1 know that but that's what makeB it so good to be a quarterback." Del Gaizo wasn't available yesterday but Marlin Briscoe was. Immediately after Griese's injury, Del Gaizo and Briscoe huddled over an offensive play chart.

"Briscoe wouldn't have embarrassed himself or the team, It wouldn't have been a complete loss," Del Gaizo said. "We gave Marlin a hurry up course. We couldn't draw plays on the Poly-Turf so we went over the chart," Shula said. "This was exactly the way it happened in Denver," Briscoe said, "except that I had about three days to prepare then. Steve Tensl got hurt and the next man wasn't moving the club and everybody else either got hurt or got cut, so Briscoe hasn't worked at quarterback since Denver.

"Basically it would have just been executing the plays. There would have been no reading defenses or anything Ilka that," Briscoe said. "It would have just been basic plays." Briscoe was sidelined anyway by a pulled hamstring. Howard Twilley started at his wide receiver spot. "The Injury wouldn't have bothered me except maybe going back on a play," Briscoe said.

"I doubt If I have to work out at quarterback. They'll probably bring in somebody else. But you never know," Briscoe added. The trading deadline in the NFL is next week. "Naturally we'll be looking," Shula said, "but we've got confidence in both Morrall and Del Gaizo.

That's why we have them." Last year, with Griese bothered by a shoulder injury and George Mira as the backup, Shula went so far as to work with Karl Noonan at quarterback, Noonan was a high school quarterback, Noonan is out now with a shoulder separation. Someone will likely suggest to Shula that he try rookie safety Charlie Babb this year. Babb was also a quarterback in high school. "I'll be studying my bleep off looking at films to get Ideas," Del Gaizo said. "The adrenalin's flowing." hi.

M. r-' Griese Injured (Continued from Page ID) was out for the year but the Dolphins then had a 2-6-1 record. But all may not be lost, not with Earl Morrall around. Four years ago Morrall replaced Johnny Unltas and took the Colts to the Super Bowl. "Maybe it's just maturity," said Morrall whert asked how a 38-year-old man could come in and complete eight out of 10 passes, two of them for touchdowns.

"Of course the defense had a lot to do with It," Morrall added. The defense did have a lot to do with it. After Dennis Partee kicked a 12-yard field goal to match an earlier 37-yarder by Garo Yepremian in the first quarter, safety Dick Anderson described what happened; "I was just coming up to make the tackle on Mike Garrett and I looked up and saw the ball bouncing around. It could have bounced backwards or sideways. Or any number of ways.

But it bounced right into my hands. It just took the right bounce," Anderson said. Anderson ran 35 yards for a touchdown to make it 10-3 with 13:51 left In the half. Runs by Larry Csonka and Jim Kilck moved the ball to the 18 and Howard Twilley, who performs well against man to man defenses, beat cornerback Bob Howard on the touchdown pass from Morrall. Yepremian's conversion made it 17-3 at halftime.

The final touchdown for the Dolphins came early in the third quarter When Morrall led a 65-yard opening drive, scoring when he hit Paul Warfield for 19 yards. It was War-field's first touchdown of the year. When the Chargers finally scored a touchdown with left in the game, It still took them four plays from In-side the four-yard line. Hadl passed to running back Cid Edwards from three yards out. "My preseason was terrible," Morrall said, "but 1 think I do better In a game than in practice.

I called most of the plays, but we stayed with the game plan they bad set up for Bob. You gotta stick with it." On the final play of the game, Morrall kept the ball while Shula grimaced on the sideline. "I didn't mean to. but I screwed up the play and I was stuck with the Morrall said. "I made a few mistakes.

Once I bumped into Csonka On a handoff but it didn't slow him down much. Each back is a little different. You work on making It smooth. "I hadn't really been hit for a long time. It felt good to start getting bounced around.

After you get used to it you don't mind it," Morrall said. Morrall got bounced around three times by a front four led by the tamed Deacon. The Dolphins got to Hadl only once officially. Hadl was nearly knocked out of the game when Vern Den Herder got to him just after he got a pass off In the last quarter. 'It's Earl's Ball Game' Technically Speaking 'At i 1 i i i Individual Statistics Chirsirs Dolphins Pint downs-total is CHARGERS RUIHINO DOLPHINS RUSHINO Art NY AVI 19 4.5 Alt NY Avi LO TD 13 70 Rushing 7 Passing 7 Penalties 1 Rushing atttempts 36 Net yards gained 133 Fining yards seined lio Posses itlempttd 22 Completed 12 Had Intercepted 2 Total if(iniivirds tilntd 141 Blfcuk 1.

al 4 Morris Ctonki KlicK Uigri Morrill Tlttlt 4t 16.0 1 3 nl jf 16 Carntt Edwardi Hadl Garrison Totals 1M 1.7 11 PAI1INA 39 15J Si 13 5 5S ,3 i HI Alt Yd TK Yd TO L3 L3 0 Morrill Gri Totals 1 MM a it mm i it i a MIAMI The physician who treated Bob Griese following the Miami Dolphin quarterback'! Injury yesterday said the usual recovery time for such an Injury is six to eight weeks. The physician added that the recovery time could be speeded up somewhat because of Griese's generally good physical condition and the use of special therapy. He said that the time needed for Griese to return to action might be longer. Griese's Injuries were to his right leg when he was tackled by San Diego's Deacon Jones during the first quarter of the National Football League ftnme at the Orange Bowl. He suffered a dislocated ankle and a broken fibula, a small bone the base of ron'acts the ankle.

d'Viit'on was the more serious Injury, the tihvsician sa'd, because of the length of time needed for torn ligaments to heal. PASSINO Art Yd Tk Yd TD LO HI HWI 22 12 117 1 7j 1 If TOllll 22 12 117 1 7 1 1 I PAM MCIIVINO) No. Ydl LO) TD Interceptions Yards returned Punting No. of punli Puntlni ivengi Punts returned Yerrts nturned KlcKolls No. nturned TD 0 4 0 0 2 48 4 Edwardi 4 19 nit viras returnee pass Reesivme No.

LS) 'J 1 10? INTERCEPTIONS DiCUS 4 31 Penalties-times penalized Warfield Fleming Twilley Morris Mandlch KMrk Ttttll Barrett oai 24 Tl ii 5 33 1 1 Pumbles limit fumbled Normirt Garrison Totals 4 A v. i 1 uwn rumples lost 11 117 TD NO Ydt LO 1 Mumphord Scort Tattli 1 11 11 II 11 1 Rartel Totali UNTlNO PUNTING Nl. Ydl Avi mb a. PUNT RETURNS Nl. FC Yds LG 1 0 0, 1 1 0 Nl 5n Diego 3 0 1 7-10 Miami 1 14 7 024 "Wla ri 37 Vepremian n-FO 12 Parlee Mil-Anderson 3l run back of fumble (Yepremian kick) Mia Twilley II piss from Morrall (Yepremian kick) Mla-Warfield 19 dill trom Morrall Yepremian kick) SO-Edwrd 1 msi trom Hadl (Mc- Clard klek) i Attendance 80,010.

No. Ydl Avi 4 1 44 4 Ill 41.1 Still I Tolall RIIMT DCTlPONt Oirretf Totals TURN! FC Y(J FC Ydl NO. LO Liioh "The thing I want to do now is contribute anyway I can. I can study the films and watch the defenses but I guess it's Ead's hall same now. Griese dispelled any notions about the tackle which caused the Injury a combination hit by Deacon Jones end Ron East being a cheap shot.

"I think It was a fair hit," Griese said. 22 (Continued from Page ID) would have been in a chaotic position," Griese continued. "The team is strong ennush now so that the loss of one individual won't hamper it. If there's a chance to play I'd like to but Earl (Morrell) con get the job done. The team has confidence In after yesterday's game.

ottll 22 Return Returns Tl KIcKoff NO. YOS LO 29 i) 2J 1 29 0 KICKOFF RETURNI No. Ydl Lfl TD Detwller 1 24 24 0 TD OR Yd TD OS Carrett 1 0 0 0 0 Lazetlch 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Totals 10111.101 FUMRLEt Morrli Olnn ToUll MOrrlt Anderson Tolali OR Yd til OR Yd TD Hall phaio by till gn(l IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME Twilley about to grab Morrall TD pass 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 35 1 1 1 0 1 35 I 1.