Mess In The Century

The Century Division could well be the most interesting in the NFL by virtue of manifold misfortune. The St. Louis Cardinals probably would have been clear favorites had not Quarterback Charley Johnson been called into the Army. Johnson may get off weekends to ply his trade with St. Louis, but, deprived of the necessary hours to practice with his team, his timing is bound to be off. This is hardly a satisfactory arrangement for a team in contention for the title.

The Cleveland Browns, had they kept Jim Ninowski to back up Frank Ryan at quarterback and had not five players tried to negotiate as a bloc with Owner Art Modell, would have been the next logical choice to win the division title. But these things happened, and suddenly the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team most damaged by injury last year, are in excellent position to win the first championship of any kind for Owner Art Rooney. The only team that appears to be out of the running is the hapless New York Giants, where injuries have compounded the woes of an already weak club.

The Steelers exhibited promise of better things to come at the end of last season, when first-string Quarterback Bill Nelsen returned from knee surgery. In three games against the Giants, Eagles and Falcons, Nelsen led the team to 127 points and twice passed for more than 300 yards. He has a strong arm and good accuracy, and Bill Austin, who was a rookie head coach in 1966, foresees a bright future for him.

" Nelsen can be a star in this league," Austin says. "He showed great improvement when he returned to the lineup. He was more poised and he seemed to pick up the whole team. He was doing a lot better finding his secondary receivers."

Nelsen himself credits his improvement to the 10 weeks he spent watching from the press box.

"You can see overall play and patterns up there," he said. "The scouts' comments are very helpful, too. The worst place in the stadium to watch a game is on the bench."

To augment the Eagle attack, Austin has acquired Earl Gros, a fine fullback, from the Philadelphia Eagles and help in the offensive line from Cleveland and Philadelphia. The club's principal weakness in 1966 was its running. This should be much stronger in 1967.

"All the players involved in the trades are important," Austin says, "but Gros is the key. We needed a big running back and I know what Gros can do. I coached him at Green Bay. If he gets beyond the line of scrimmage, he has the speed to score. He is also a fine blocker and already he has made Bill Asbury a better player." Gros, however, because of an injury, won't be available until the third game of the season.

Asbury was one of the more successful fullbacks last year. When Gros gets back into the lineup, Asbury should be better, which can only benefit Jim (Cannonball) Butler, a small but elusive halfback who has exceptional speed and good power. And Gros's blocking should keep Nelsen on his feet. In 1966 Steeler passers were dropped 66 times. That is hardly a way to win games.

If it turns out that Nelsen can remain upright long enough to get the ball away, he has competent receivers to catch it. Austin gave up Flanker Gary Ballman in the deal that brought him Gros, but he has a good replacement in J. R. Wilburn, a very fast second-year receiver from South Carolina. Roy Jefferson, a split end in his third year, developed rapidly during 1966, and John Hilton is a strong tight end.