With NFL training camp upon us let’s take a look at some of the greatest games in Big Red history. Below are my top 10 games from the 1960s. Agree? Disagree? Leave your thoughts in the comment section.

September 23, 1960: St. Louis Cardinals 43, Los Angeles Rams 21

Six months after relocating from Chicago the Big Red played one of their greatest games of the decade when they beat the Los Angeles Rams 43-21 at the L.A. Coliseum. Box Score. John David Crow scored the first touchdown in St. Louis Cardinals history, John Roach passed for four touchdowns, three of them to Sonny Randle, and the Cards defense forced six Rams turnovers, a safety, and had 8 QB sacks in the victory.

“Randle had a phenomenal night,” head coach Pop Ivy said after the game. “It was nice to see Crow going again, too. That was a remarkable run on that screen pass.”

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December 18, 1960: St. Louis Cardinals 38, Pittsburgh Steelers 7

In the 1960 season finale at Busch I, Sonny Randle scored three touchdowns and John David Crow became the first Cardinal to rush for over 1000 yards in a season in the Cards 38-7 victory over the Steelers. Box score. Crow also rushed for 203 yards in the game, the first in franchise history to do so.

“The boys really gave me some wonderful blocking—all of ’em,” Crow said after the game. “You have to have it for 203 yards in this league.”

“Crow can go inside or outside with. as much power and speed combined as any back I’ve ever seen,” head coach Pop Ivy said. “What’s more, he can receive passes well. and throw that running back halfback pass as well.”

The Cardinals finished with a 6-5-1 record, only their second winning season in eleven years.

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October 1, 1961: St. Louis Cardinals 30, Philadelphia Eagles 27

Prentice Gautt’s 54-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run tied the game and Gerry Perry kicked the game-winning field goal with only 5 seconds left as the Big Red erased a 17-point deficit and upset the defending NFL champion Eagles 30-27 at Franklin Field. Box Score. Gautt’s long run came on a draw play which should have given St. Louis the lead, but Perry missed the extra point. However, Jimmy Hill intercepted Eagle QB Sonny Jurgensen with only 1:35 left which gave the Cards a chance. QB Sam Etcheverry ran the two-minute offense to perfection on the game-winning drive connecting with Bobby Joe Conrad and Sonny Randle to set up the winning kick. “They (the Eagles) had gone into a zone pass defense,” Sam explained, “so we wanted to strike down the middle. of the field.”

Etcheverry threw two TD passes, one to Sonny Randle and the other to Gautt who also rushed for 135 yards. Unfortunately, this was the high point of the season as the Cardinals struggled with injuries and poor play at quarterback which led to Pop Ivy’s resignation a few weeks later.

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December 16, 1962: St. Louis Cardinals 45, Philadelphia Eagles 35

After scoring 52 points the week before, the Big Red offense continued to roll in a 45-35 win over the Eagles in the season finale at Busch I. Box Score. John David Crow scored four touchdowns, including the game-winner in the third quarter, as both teams combined for almost 1,100 yards of offense. Charley Johnson threw for 386 yards, passed for 2 TDs and rushed for another. He set single-season franchise records for most completions (150) and passing yards (2440). Sonny Randle had 134 yards receiving that included a 77 yard score. He also set new single-season club marks with 63 receptions and 1158 yards. Eagles QB Sonny Jurgensen threw for 419 yards as both teams set an NFL record with a combined 834 yards passing.

The Cardinals finished the season 4-9-1, but the emergence of Johnson had fans looking forward to the 1963 season.

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October 13, 1963: St. Louis Cardinals 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 23

Charley Johnson threw a 28-yard touchdown to Bobby Joe Conrad with just 5 seconds left in the game to give the Big Red a 24-23 victory over the Steelers. Box Score. It was the first time the Cards had won a season opener since arriving in St. Louis. The Cardinals erased a 20-3 halftime deficit when rookie Jackie Smith caught his first NFL touchdown, a 10-yarder off of Andy Russell’s hands. They were down 23-10 with just over four minutes left in the game when Johnson connected on a short pass to Smith who streaked down the sideline for a 55 yard score. The Big Red got the ball back with 1:33 left and Johnson the team downfield before hitting Conrad for the game winner. This was Jackie’s first NFL start and he finished the game with 9 catches for 212 yards and two TDs. Johnson threw for 428 yards in the win.

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November 24, 1963: St. Louis Cardinals 24, New York Giants 17

In a game played just two days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the Big Red upset the New York Giants 24-17 in a hard-hitting game at Yankee Stadium. Box Score.

“It was hard to think about football before the game,” Charley Johnson said. “I didn’t really have the sharpness which comes with mental preparation before the game. I’m sure it was the same way with the Giants.”

“No, I had no idea whether our players could keep their minds on the game,” head coach Wally Lemm said after the victory. “We had no special discussion of the situation. We felt we had to do the best job we could because it is the way we make our living.”

The Big Red defense had a dominating performance forcing four turnovers and stopping the Giants twice with their goal-line defense. One of two Larry Wilson interceptions set up a Bill Triplett TD run that gave the Cards a 17-10 third-quarter lead. And with the score tied at 17 in the fourth quarter, Garland Boyette recovered Eddie Dove’s fumble at the Giants 20. A few plays later, Charley Johnson hit Bobby Joe Conrad for the game-winning TD.

The win brought the Cardinals into a first place tie in the division with the Giants and Browns, all with 8-3 records.

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September 20, 1964: St. Louis Cardinals 33, Cleveland Browns 33

Head coach Wally Lemm called it the greatest “offensive show” any team of his had ever put on in a 33-33 tie at Cleveland Stadium. Box Score. The Browns thought they had a victory after Jim Brown’s touchdown with only 48 seconds left. But Charley Johnson connected with Joe Childress for 24 yards, Sonny Randle for 14, and Crow for 16 to set up Jim Bakken’s game-winning 28-yard field goal with 5 seconds left. “We showed a lot of poise to come back and get that tie,” said a smiling John David Crow after the game. “And that Jim Bakken—well, he’s just beautiful.”

Charley Johnson threw three TD passes and the Big Red defense held Jim Brown to just 79 yards rushing.

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December 6, 1964: St. Louis Cardinals 28, Cleveland Browns 19

With the division title still on the line, the Cardinals scored three touchdowns in the second quarter to put away Cleveland 28-19 in front of a sell-out crowd at Busch Stadium I. Box Score. In perhaps Charley Johnson’s most important game of his young career, the scholarly quarterback threw for two touchdowns and rushed for two more in the victory. “I was really prepared, mentally and physically,” Johnson said after the game. “I had made up my mind that nothing that went wrong would bother me.”

“This is the first time in at least 10 years we put it together—the big ball game before the big crowd.”

The Browns would beat the Giants the next week and win the division by a half game over the Cardinals. A couple of weeks later they would become NFL Champions.

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September 26, 1965: St. Louis Cardinals 49, Cleveland Browns 13

In perhaps their most dominating performance of the decade, Charley Johnson threw six touchdown passes and the Big Red defense picked off six passes to spoil the defending NFL Champion Browns home opener. Box Score.

“I figured the game would be seven points or less,” head coach Wally Lemm said. “It was just a day when everything went right for us and wrong for the Browns.”

Johnson threw for 310 yards and played only three quarters. Sonny Randle caught seven passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns. Johnson was off to a soaring start with 9 TD passes and more than 700 yards passing, but a shoulder injury two weeks later would doom the Cards season.

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October 31, 1966: St. Louis Cardinals 24, Chicago Bears 17

Hall of Famer Larry Wilson put on a show in front of a nationally televised viewing audience on a Monday night game on Halloween night at a sold-out Busch Stadium. Box Score. The Wildcat picked off three passes in the Cards 24-17 win over the Bears. Wilson’s first interception led to Johnny Roland’s second touchdown and a 14-0 lead. Wilson later intercepted a Rudy Bukich pass and returned it 29 yards for a score and a 24-10 lead. The Bears cut the Big Red lead to seven after Gale Sayers 80 yard score but Wilson iced the victory with his third pick late in the game.

“Was I up for this one?” the smiling Wilson said after the game. “You bet I was. The way I think the Bears—even though I wasn’t with the Cardinals in their Chicago years—is that the Bears are always among the best teams in the league.”

Jim Bakken was impressed. “He’s unreal. Nobody could hang in the air as he did for that third interception.”

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