1966 Green Bay Packers season

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1966 Green Bay Packers season
General managerVince Lombardi
Head coachVince Lombardi
Home fieldLambeau Field
Milwaukee County Stadium
Results
Record12–2
Division place1st NFL Western
Playoff finishWon NFL Championship (Cowboys) 37–24
Won Super Bowl I (Chiefs) 35–10

The 1966 Green Bay Packers season was their 46th in the NFL and resulted in a 12–2 record, coached by Vince Lombardi and led by quarterback Bart Starr. The team beat the Dallas Cowboys in the 1966 NFL Championship Game, the Packers' 10th NFL title. The Packers recorded a 35–10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the inaugural AFL-NFL Championship Game.

Quarterback Bart Starr was named the league MVP. Said Cold Hard Football Facts about Starr's 1966 season, "Starr, always underappreciated, was at his classic assassin-like best in 1966, his lone MVP season. He led the league in completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating, while his 4.7-to-1 [touchdown-to-interception] ratio remains one of the very best in history. Starr, as always, cranked out great performances when he absolutely had to: the 1966 Packers, for example, were the worst rushing team in football, with a meager average of 3.5 [yards-per-attempt] on the ground, despite the reputation Lombardi's Packers still carry with them today as a dominant running team."[1] Cold Hard Football Facts also notes that 1966 Packers had the best passer rating differential (offensive passer rating minus opponents passer rating), +56.0, in the Super Bowl Era. [2]

In 2007, the 1966 Packers were ranked as the 6th greatest Super Bowl champions on the NFL Network's documentary series America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions.

Roster

Green Bay Packers 1966 roster
Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Offensive Linemen

Defensive Linemen

Linebackers

Defensive Backs

Special Teams

Reserve Lists

Currently vacant

Rookies in italics
41 Active, 0 Inactive

Offseason

The Washington Redskins made overtures to Vince Lombardi about becoming their new head coach. Lombardi refused their offer and the Redskins had to settle for Otto Graham as their new head coach.[3] Lombardi replaced Graham in Washington in 1969.

NFL Draft

In the first round of the 1966 NFL Draft the Packers selected running back Jim Grabowski out of the University of Illinois.[4] The Packers would find themselves in a bidding war for Grabowski. With the first pick overall, the Dolphins selected Grabowski in the AFL Draft.[5] Lombardi's plan was to groom Grabowski so that he could take over for Jim Taylor. Despite being offered more money by the Dolphins, Grabowski said it was an honor to be drafted by the Packers.[6] Grabowski would sign with the Packers and land on the cover of Sports Illustrated.[7] The signing of Grabowski upset Taylor. He felt that he was underpaid and made it publicly known that he would leave Green Bay once his contract expired. Taylor had been given an offer by the Atlanta Falcons but would honor his contract before moving to another team.[8]

Round Selection Overall Player College
1 9 9 Jim Grabowski Illinois
1 13 13 Gale Gillingham Minnesota
2 14 30 Tom Cichowski Maryland
3 13 45 Fred Heron San Jose State
3 14 46 Tony Jeter Nebraska
4 14 62 John Roderick Southern Methodist
7 13 108 Ray Miller Idaho
8 14 124 Ken McLean Texas A&M
9 13 138 Ron Rector Northwestern
10 14 154 Sam Montgomery Southern
11 13 168 Ralph Wenzel San Diego State
12 14 184 Jim Mankins Florida State
13 13 198 Ed King USC
14 14 214 Ron Hanson North Dakota State
15 13 228 Grady Bolton Mississippi State
16 14 244 Bob Schultz Wisconsin–Stevens Point
17 13 258 Dave Hathcock Memphis State
18 14 274 Jim Jones Nebraska-Omaha
19 13 288 Dave Moton USC
20 14 304 Ed Maras South Dakota State

Regular season

The Packers finished the regular season with a league best record of 12–2, advancing them to the NFL Championship game.

Schedule

Game Opponent Result Game site Attendance
1 Baltimore Colts W 24–3 Milwaukee County Stadium
48,650
2 at Cleveland Browns W 21–20 Cleveland Stadium
83,943
3 Los Angeles Rams W 24–13 Lambeau Field
50,861
4 Detroit Lions W 23–14 Lambeau Field
50,861
5 at San Francisco 49ers L 20–21 Kezar Stadium
39,290
6 at Chicago Bears W 17–0 Wrigley Field
48,573
7 Atlanta Falcons W 56–3 Milwaukee County Stadium
48,623
8 at Detroit Lions W 31–7 Tiger Stadium
56,954
9 Minnesota Vikings L 17–20 Lambeau Field
50,861
10 Chicago Bears W 13–6 Lambeau Field
50,861
11 at Minnesota Vikings W 28–16 Metropolitan Stadium
47,426
12 San Francisco 49ers W 20–7 Milwaukee County Stadium
48,725
13 at Baltimore Colts W 14–10 Memorial Stadium
60,238
14 at Los Angeles Rams W 27–23 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
72,416

Standings

NFL Western
W L T PCT PF PA STK
Green Bay Packers 12 2 0 .857 335 163 W-5
Baltimore Colts 9 5 0 .643 314 226 W-1
Los Angeles Rams 8 6 0 .571 289 212 L-1
San Francisco 49ers 6 6 2 .500 320 325 L-1
Chicago Bears 5 7 2 .417 234 272 W-1
Detroit Lions 4 9 1 .308 206 317 L-3
Minnesota Vikings 4 9 1 .308 206 304 L-1

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Baltimore Colts

1 234Total
Colts 0 300 3
• Packers 0 14100 24
Scoring summary
Q2BALMichaels 26 yard field goalBAL 3–0
Q2GBCaffey 52 yard interception return (Chandler kick)GB 7–3
Q2GBJeter 46 yard interception return (Chandler kick)GB 14–3
Q3GBStarr 8 yard run (Chandler kick)GB 21–3
Q3GBChandler 15 yard field goalGB 24–3

[9]

Week 2: at Cleveland Browns

Period 1 2 34Total
Packers 0 7 7721
Browns 7 10 0320

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH

Game information

Week 3: vs. Los Angeles Rams

Period 1 2 34Total
Rams 0 6 7013
Packers 7 10 0724

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

Game information

Week 4: vs. Detroit Lions

Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 7 0714
Packers 10 7 3323

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

Game information

Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers

Period 1 2 34Total
Packers 3 0 10720
49ers 0 7 7721

at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA

Game information

Week 6: at Chicago Bears

Period 1 2 34Total
Packers 0 0 10717
Bears 0 0 000

at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

Game information

Week 7: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 0 303
Packers 7 21 72156

at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee, WI

Game information

Week 8: at Detroit Lions

Period 1 2 34Total
Packers 0 17 7731
Lions 0 7 007

at Tiger Stadium, Detroit, MI

Game information

Week 9: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Period 1 2 34Total
Vikings 0 10 01020
Packers 7 3 7017

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

Game information

Week 10: vs. Chicago Bears

Period 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 0 066
Packers 0 7 0613

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

Game information

Week 11: at Minnesota Vikings

Period 1 2 34Total
Packers 7 14 0728
Vikings 3 0 6716

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, MN

Game information

Week 12: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Period 1 2 34Total
49ers 0 0 077
Packers 7 0 01320

at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee, WI

Game information

Week 13: at Baltimore Colts

Period 1 2 34Total
Packers 7 0 0714
Colts 0 10 0010

at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, MD

Game information

Week 14: at Los Angeles Rams

Period 1 2 34Total
Packers 7 10 01027
Rams 3 6 01423

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA

Game information

Postseason

NFL Championship Game

Main article: NFL Championship Game, 1966
Period 1 2 34Total
Packers 14 7 7634
Cowboys 14 3 3727

at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas

  • Date: Sunday, January 1
  • Game attendance: 74,152
  • Box Score
Game information

Green Bay took an early 14–0 lead on two first-quarter scores; a 17-yard touchdown pass from Bart Starr to Elijah Pitts and an 18-yard fumble return by Jim Grabowski on the ensuing kickoff. The Cowboys tied the score with two touchdowns towards the end of the quarter.

Starr's third touchdown pass of the game gave the Packers a 34–20 lead with 5:20 left in the game, but the Cowboys responded with a 68-yard touchdown pass from Don Meredith to Frank Clarke. Dallas advanced to the Green Bay 22-yard line on their next drive, when a pass interference penalty gave the Cowboys a first down at the Packer 2-yard line. But Green Bay's Tom Brown intercepted a Meredith pass in the end zone with 28 seconds left to play to preserve the victory for the Packers.

With the win, the Packers earned their 10th NFL championship. It was their second in a row and fourth in six seasons.

Super Bowl I

Main article: Super Bowl I
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 10 0010
Packers 7 7 14735

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

  • Date: Sunday, January 15
  • Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), sunny[10]
  • Game attendance: 61,946
  • Box Score
Game information

The first ever AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later to be known as Super Bowl I, was played on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The Packers faced the Kansas City Chiefs from the AFL who finished their season 11–2–1.

The Packers jumped out to an early 7–0 lead with Bart Starr's 37-yard touchdown pass to reserve receiver Max McGee, who had been put into the game just a few plays earlier to fill in for injured starter Boyd Dowler. Early in the second quarter, Kansas City marched 66 yards in 6 plays to tie the game on a 7-yard pass from quarterback Len Dawson to Curtis McClinton. But the Packers responded on their next drive, advancing 73 yards down the field and scoring on fullback Jim Taylor's 14-yard touchdown run with the team's famed "Power Sweep" play. The Chiefs then cut the lead with a minute left in the half, 14–10, on Mike Mercer's 31-yard field goal.

Early in the second half Dawson was intercepted by defensive back Willie Wood. He returned the interception 50 yards to the Kansas City 5-yard line. On the next play Elijah Pitts rushed 5-yards for a touchdown, giving the Packers a 21–10 lead. Max McGee scored his second touchdown of the game with a 13-yard reception from Bart Starr. The Packers held the Chiefs' offense to 12 yards in the third quarter. Elijah Pitts scored another touchdown for the Packers in the third quarter on a one-yard touchdown run. The Packers would win the game 35–10. Quarterback Bart Starr was named the MVP of the game, completing 16 of 23 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns.

Season statistical leaders

Awards and records

References

  1. ^ Cold Hard Football Facts: The Dandy Dozen: 12 best passing seasons in history
  2. ^ Cold Hard Football Facts: 40 and Fabulous: in praise of passer rating
  3. ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 453, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  4. ^ 1966 Green Bay Packers draft on Database Football obtained 18 December 2006.
  5. ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 396
  6. ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 383, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  7. ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 384, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  8. ^ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 385, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  9. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Sep-15.
  10. ^ Pro Football Hall of Fame: Super Bowl Game-Time Temperatures
  11. ^ 1966 Packers on Database Football obtained 18 December 2006.

External links

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