Dec. 7, 1963 - Jim Taylor of Green Bay ran 40 yards for the go-ahead touchdown today as the Packers defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 31-14, to keep their Western Conference title hopes alive in the NFL. A crowd of 52,357 in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum saw the surprising Rams take a 14-10 lead at the half. But a third-period jinx for L.A. caught up with the Rams as quarterback Bart Starr directed Green Bay to two touchdowns. In the third quarter, Herb Adderley, a Packer safety, and Jim Phillips, a Los Angeles end, were ejected from the game after a brief flurry of fisticuffs that floored Phillips. After the game, Adderley said: “He was choking me, and when the play ended, he kicked me. So, I aimed a right — I didn’t want to miss — and hit him on the jaw. It was bound to happen. We’ve had a personal feud going ever since I started in the league. He’s always giving me an elbow or something.” The pair tangled after Adderley had intercepted a Ram pass and carried it back 15 yards to the Los Angeles 15, where he was ridden out of bounds by Phillips. “He grabbed me with a throat tackle,” said Adderley. “I told him he had better learn to tackle as well as run pass patterns. Then he kicked me in the leg, and the official didn’t see him.” Starr connected with his favorite target, Max McGee, for 3 touchdowns, and Jerry Kramer kicked a 40-yard field goal. Taylor, the bulldozer of the Packer backfield, gained 113 yards in 17 carries before he left the game in the final period. Taylor demonstrated his strong running ability on his touchdown that provided the victory margin. He swung to his left, cut back to the right, and shook off two Rams who had sure-shot chances to tackle him. After the game, Packer coach Vince Lombardi had praise for the Rams, especially the defense and quarterback Roman Gabriel. “The Rams arrived late this season, but they are now a good football team. But the whole league is stronger. Everyone wants to beat us, and we have to work that much harder.”
