NFL Championship Game, 1966
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The 1966 National Football League Championship Game determined the NFL's champion, which would meet the AFL's champion in Super Bowl I, then formally referred to as the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The NFL Championship Game was held at the Cowboys' home stadium, the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, even though the Green Bay Packers had a superior regular season record. Prior to the 1975 season, playoff sites were determined on a rotational basis, rather than regular season records.
It was the first NFL title game played after the AFL-NFL Merger was announced in June 1966. The game was played on January 1, 1967, the second consecutive year that the NFL season ended in January, rather than December. It was the 34th annual NFL championship game since the league began a championship game after the 1933 season.
This was seventh season for the Dallas Cowboys and their first winning record since entering the league in 1960. They were champions of the NFL's Eastern Conference with a 10-3-1 record. The Packers won the Western Conference with a 12-2 record, their eighth consecutive winning season under head coach Vince Lombardi.
The final score was Green Bay 34, Dallas 27. Two weeks later, Green Bay went on to easily defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I in Los Angeles.
[edit] Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 14 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 34 |
| Cowboys | 14 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
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 a 17-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.
[edit] Scoring summary
- GB - Pitts 17 pass from Starr (Chandler kick)
- GB - Grabowski 18 fumble return (Chandler kick)
- DAL - Reeves 3 run (Villanueva kick)
- DAL - Perkins 23 run (Villanueva kick)
- GB - Dale 51 pass from Starr (Chandler kick)
- DAL - FG Villanueva 11
- DAL - FG Villanueva 32
- GB - Dowler 16 pass from Starr (Chandler kick)
- GB - McGee 28 pass from Starr (kick blocked)
- DAL - Clarke 68 pass from Meredith (Villanueva kick)
| Preceded by NFL playoffs, 1965 |
NFL Championship Game 1966 |
Succeeded by NFL playoffs, 1967 |
| Pre-Super Bowl Championships |
| NFL Championship Game |
|---|
|
1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 |
| AFL Championship Game |
|
1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
| NFL | NFL Champions | AFL Champions | 1932 NFL Playoff Game | Super Bowl Champions |
