Texans Drop Opening Game To Chargers
The Texans-Chiefs franchise is celebrating its 50th season of play in 2009. This is another look at the founding team of the American Football League.
As he made his way through the stands at the Los Angeles Coliseum just before half-time, Lamar Hunt was thinking about the second half of this opening game for his Dallas Texans.
They were playing the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday evening, September 10, 1960. The Texans held a 20-7 lead at the intermission.
“I was walking to the press box to do a radio interview at half-time,” Hunt remembered several years ago. “I was thinking about how well we played in the first half and I was hoping we didn’t make the Chargers look bad in the second half. I was worried that if we beat them badly it would hurt the growth of the Chargers in the Los Angeles area.
“Well the Chargers come back and beat us 21-20. And I was feeling sorry for them? It was game one and lesson learned. I never felt sorry for an opponent again.”
That 21-20 defeat was the first regular-season game in franchise history, played in front of 17,724 fans rattling around the giant Coliseum that could hold upwards of 100,000 people. It was the first taste of defeat for the Texans, after posting a 6-0 record in the pre-season.
“This game will make us a better team,” Hank Stram said a day after the game. “We’ll get another shot at them soon (two weeks later was the rematch in Dallas.)”
It was definitely a storyline where the first-half belonged to the Texans and the second-half went to the Chargers. Dallas QB Cotton Davidson threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half. Los Angeles QB Jack Kemp threw a pair of fourth quarter scoring throws that won the game.
The Texans first scoring drive was eight plays, 60 yards and came late in the first quarter. Davidson threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to WR Chris Burford. The PAT kick by Jack Spikes failed in large part because of a bad snap. In the second quarter, the Texans put together a 17-play, 94-yard march that featured four third-down conversions. Spikes scored from the one-yard line, then added the PAT kick for a 13-0 Dallas lead.
Right before half-time, the Texans went on a 12-play, 80-yard drive and Davidson connected with RB Abner Haynes on a 17-yard scoring pass.
Los Angeles did score in the second quarter, as Kemp connected with WR Ralph Anderson on a 46-yard TD pass. Veteran kicker Ben Agajanian kicked the PAT.
The score was 20-7 at half-time. Dallas dominated the ball, running 49 plays on offense compared to 21 for Los Angeles. In the first half, Davidson was 15 of 26 for 180 yards and the two scores and the Texans had 242 yards in offense compared to 139 for the Chargers. Dallas had a 17-5 edge in first downs.
After half-time however, the momentum turned, thanks to Kemp and the game officials, who called the Texans for three pass interference calls in the second half.
Early in the fourth quarter, Kemp scored on a seven-yard rollout capping a 10-play, 68-yard drive. In that possession, the Chargers got 18 yards on pass interference against the Texans.
The winning drive came on 13-play, 90-yard drive. Texans CB Don Flynn was called for pass interference on a 4th-and-6 play at the Dallas 36-yard line. With a first down, Kemp moved the Chargers five plays and connected on a four-yard TD pass to FB Howie Ferguson. Agajanian kicked the PAT for the winning point. There was 2 minutes, 15 seconds left in the game.
Davidson threw three incomplete passes and his fourth-down throw intended for RB Jim Swink was picked off by CB Jim Sears ending any chance of a comeback.
Overall, the then 25-year old Kemp was 24 of 41 passing for 275 yards. Davidson hit 15 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, but in second half, he hit only seven passes for 50 yards.
The play bothered the Texans was a penalty that erased a fumble recovery that would have stopped the Chargers last touchdown drive. It happened at the Los Angeles 23 when DE Paul Miller and DT Walter Napier smacked Kemp and he fumbled, with Dallas DE Mel Branch recovering at the 15. But an official had thrown a flag downfield, ruling pass interference against Flynn. However, since there was no pass thrown, the official then decided to call holding on Flynn and the Chargers had a first down, instead of the Texans owning the ball.
“It does no good to gripe, I know, but it was unforgiveable when we got penalized for bumping a man on a play when the ball never got in the air,” said Stram. “Such ridiculous calls.”
Said Haynes: “We were really moving the ball on them and we didn’t have any trouble getting open for passes. But then something went wrong in the second half. Maybe the officiating upset us. Anywhere, I know we’re anxious to get them in Dallas.”
The Texans did not return home to Dallas after the game. Instead they spent the night at a Pasadena, California hotel. The next day they moved north to Palo Alto where they spent the week preparing for their second regular-season game against Oakland.
GAME #1 RECAP/1960
- Opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
- Site: Los Angeles Coliseum
- Score: 21-20 Chargers
- Texans Leading Rusher: Jack Spikes, 9 carries for 62 yards.
- Texans Leading Receiver: Abner Haynes, 7 catches for 62 yards.
- Texans Leading Passer: Cotton Davidson, 22 of 40 for 230 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
- Texans Punter: Davidson, 5 for 237 yards, 47.5-yard average.
SCORING SUMMARY
- 1Q – Dallas – C. Burford 12-yard TD pass from C. Davidson. J. Spikes PAT failed.
- 2Q – Dallas – Spikes 1-yard run. Spikes PAT kick.
- 2Q – LA – R. Anderson 46-yard TD pass from J. Kemp. B. Agajanian PAT kick.
- 2Q – Dallas – A. Haynes 17-yard TD pass from Davidson. Spikes PAT kick.
- 4Q – LA – Kemp 7-yard run. Agajanian PAT kick.
- 4Q – LA – H. Ferguson 4-yard TD pass from Kemp. Agajanian PAT kick.
| Chargers | Texans | |
| First Downs |
22 |
21 |
| Total Yards |
354 |
294 |
| Rushing Yards |
55 |
64 |
| Net Passing Yards |
299 |
239 |
| Att-Comp-Int |
42-25-1 |
41-22-0 |
| Punts/Avg Yds. |
4/40.0 |
5/47.5 |
| Penalties/Yards |
2/13 |
7/50 |
| Fumbles/Lost |
2/1 |
1/0 |
We are running out of time so get cheap shots in now. Do not like this or that, worse try to hijack the blog, now is your last chance. I know I am guilty but am looking forward to some FOOTBALL. Last chance to show your cuteness, jump on it. LMAO
Rin Tin Tin still has the program from this game as well the one v the same LA team 15 days later that was played in Dallas, home opener – revenge is sweet – Texans 17 Chargers 0.
Cotton ‘Pickin’ Davidson QB’d the winner; Texans would not beat the Chargers again until 2+ years later December ‘62- last game was ever played in Dallas by the Texans – QB Lenny (already by then ‘The Cool’) Dawson under center, 26-17 the score.
And yes [drumroll] Rin also still has that final program, AFL Championship one the week after.
How we all love yesterday…the past IS best!
Rin——-That’s good—–
I know that
Keyaon Fox look’s good , like he did on HERM’s special team’s . I said he was in on every special team’s tackle & no one did anything with him ?
I asked Larry about him when Fox hert his foot and Larry said the coaches diden’t see how well he did .
He’s on Pittsberg deff. first team !!!!!
“Keyaon”
- who? Que?
“Fox hert his foot”
- how’d it get “hert”? Running from the henhouse?
“and Larry”
- he “hert” his eye or rather Moe did it for/to him – gave him the old finger poke business…
“the coaches diden’t”
- no, they “diden’t”…they only coach, don’t do the actual poking themselves…
“see how well he did.”
- I did but no Lar “diden’t”… remember? He got poked in the eye by Moe…can’t see
“He’s on Pittsberg deff. first team !!!!!”
- Moe or Lar? Oh, you mean that Fox was in the henhouse. Well, that’s only because the PITTS starter Timmons got hurt and can’t play…
Great questions Jiminy——-That’s good—–
I don’t get it Rin. Did you have a stroke? Did you fall and hit your head? There must be a rational explaination for why a full-grown man acts like a kindergartener. Really. I don’t get why everyone else responds to you, either, since nothing you post even makes sense. It’s poorly worded, half of it is mis-spelled, and the smileys? What, are you trying to be a teeny-bopper as well?
Come on, the schtick wasn’t funny when it started, now it’s just stupid. Grow up already!
“I don’t get it Rin.”
- how hard have you tried?
“Did you have a stroke?”
- nooooooooooooooooooooo
“Did you fall and hit your head?”
- nooooooooooooooooooooo
“There must be a rational explaination for why”
- must be “explaination” using your verbiage… can you “spalain” your take?
“a full-grown man”
- a half-baked bean…
“acts”
- Chapters III & IV
“like”
- not really… too dogmatic.
“a kindergartener.”
- a rubberbandman…
“Really.”
- really…
“I don’t get why everyone else responds to you”
- but they do JB…huh. Likely due Rin’s vast knowledge all things Chiefs, His football IQ generally speaking & His command the English language via a unique poetic license.
“either”
- both nee all…
“since”
- day one. What do folks think of your blogging? What exactly do they say to you?
“nothing you post even makes sense. It’s poorly worded, half of it is mis-spelled,”
- they probably meant your use of “explaination”. OK, go on…
“and the smileys? What, are you trying to be a teeny-bopper as well? Come on, the schtick wasn’t funny when it started, now it’s just stupid. Grow up already!”
- harsh but requisite reality aimed at your lack of narrative charm appears; a ma & pa critique?
daddy-o
Rin thinks his pompous bs is “poetic” and in his mind, pretentiousness is creative. He doesn’t actually engage in conversation, instead standing outside it by referring to himself in third person and misrepresenting peoples comments to “run smack”. The fact he thinks he’s blogging when he’s really commenting on someone else’s blog shows he thinks this is about him, it’s an attention thing you see..Regardless, he does NOT understand that a ranting lunatic at disrupting any event or forum, be it a presentational address, a public event, or an internet forum is not getting attention for anything to do with the merit of what they are saying, no matter how “poetic” they deem their dribble.
Get your own site rin, and see how far your genius and “poetic license” carries you….
Also, he references things he doesn’t fully understand – a sign of true pompousness.
I like Rin. I like him alot.
DOH!
Rin is very pretty.
Fox was a linebacker for the Chiefs and I thought he was a very good preformaer, but Herm kept him on special teams where he did a hell of a good job. He was fast down the field and was always the first there to make a play.
Keyaon broke his foot and was out for a year , then traded to Pittsberg where he is a first string linebacker and last night he was like Ray Lewis ,# 57 was first on most plays .
I was schocked to see him go for very little and where he is now and at the level he is a huge part of one of the best Def. in the the NFL .
MY question is how can the dude do what he does and be overlooked . It was clear to me and I don’t have game films to watch , I just don’t get it , KC drafted him 6 year’s ago .
He just got through playing the whole game and stood out like a sore thum , to me .
That was last night , the season opener .
“MY question is how can the dude do what he does and be overlooked.”
- he’s only 6′2, short for an NFL LBr…
“It was clear”
- and the skies were not cloudy all day…
“I just don’t get it”
- weather patterns can be infuriating…
“stood out like a sore thum”
- what’s Denny’s problem now?
“to me”
- close; Thome (pronounced Toe-may)…Jim Thome, late of the Los Angeles Dodgers…
daddy-o
Fox is 6′3″ 235 lb’s
Toe- may———-OK , I worried about that a lot, feel better now —
Fox is 6′2. 6′3? Right. ‘check’ And Tyler Thigpen is 6′1, Michael Crabtree is 6′3 (well he was until they actually measured him) and Hailme is a football coach…
heh heh heh