Patriots’ Ramsey Off to Good Start : Third-Stringer Passes for 254 Yards in Hall of Fame Game

Tom Ramsey got a rare start and he didn’t waste it.

Ramsey, the third-string quarterback for the New England Patriots, completed 17 of 23 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown in leading the Patriots to a 21-16 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday in the annual Hall of Fame exhibition football game at Fawcett Stadium.

“When you come in all the time and the game is already decided, you don’t have much to work with,” said Ramsey, a second-year player out of UCLA. “It was great to get a start.”

The game, played before a crowd of 22,739, followed the induction of Paul Hornung, Ken Houston, Willie Lanier, Fran Tarkenton and Doak Walker into the Hall of Fame.

The Patriots trailed, 13-7, at halftime but came back as Ramsey completed 7 of 8 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown in the third period.

“Our No. 1 goal was to play Ramsey,” said Coach Raymond Berry. “He needed it, and I thought he did a great job.”

But Berry repeated that Ramsey was still third-string quarterback, behind starter Tony Eason and backup Steve Grogan.

The Patriots went ahead early, just when it appeared that the Cardinals were moving in for a score.

Quarterback Neil Lomax took the Cardinals to three first downs on a 46-yard drive after the opening kickoff. But on first down at the Patriot 25, Lomax threw to Roy Green in the right flat. Ronnie Lippett stepped in front of Green at the Patriot 7 and streaked down the left sideline with a 93-yard interception return.

George Benyola added the extra point for a 7-0 Patriot lead. But the Cardinals wasted little time in marching back into scoring position. This time, Lomax hit Green with a 32-yard completion to help set up a 28-yard field goal by John Lee, a rookie out of UCLA.

Rich Camarillo, punting from his own 38-yard line on the Patriots’ first possession, kicked 53 yards to rookie Vai Sikahema from Brigham Young at the St. Louis 9. Sikahema broke one tackle at the 15 and then had clear sailing on a 91-yard punt return to a touchdown.

Lee’s extra-point kick made it 10-7 with :40 left in the first quarter.

And Lee made it 13-7 with 4:23 remaining in the first half when he kicked a 39-yard field goal.

But on their first possession of the second half, the Patriots took the lead for good. Ramsey hit wide receiver Cedric Jones on a 48-yard pass play that helped set up a four-yard Ramsey-to-Jones scoring pass. Donald McAulay added the extra point for a 14-13 Patriot lead.

On the Patriots’ next possession, Ramsey completed passes of 32 yards to tight end Greg Hawthorne and 24 yards to Derwin Williams, leading to a one-yard scoring run by Mosi Tatupu. Paul Drain kicked the extra point for a 21-13 New England advantage.

Lee closed the scoring with a 25-yard field goal with 1:01 remaining.