American Football League playoffs

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From 1960 to 1968, the American Football League determined its champion via a single playoff game between the winners of its two divisions (although ties in the standings during the 1963 and 1968 seasons necessitated a divisional playoff game). In 1969, a four team tournament was instituted, with the second place teams in each division also participating.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the National Football League include AFL playoffs in their statistics for the NFL playoffs.

Contents 1 1960 Championship 2 1961 Championship 3 1962 Championship 4 1963 playoffs 4.1 Eastern Division playoff 4.2 1963 Championship 5 1964 Championship 6 1965 Championship 7 1966 Championship 8 1967 Championship 9 1968 playoffs 9.1 Western Division playoff 9.2 1968 Championship 10 1969 playoffs 10.1 Divisional playoffs 10.2 1969 Championship 11 AFL Championship Game appearances 1960-69 12 References

[edit] 1960 Championship

1960 AFL Championship Game

Los Angeles Chargers Houston Oilers (10-4) (10-4) 16 24 Head coach:  Sid Gillman Head coach:  Lou Rymkus
1 2 3 4 Total LA 6 3 7 0 16 HOU 0 10 7 7 24
Date	January 1, 1961
Stadium	Jeppesen Stadium
Location	Houston, TX

Houston Oilers 24, Los Angeles Chargers 16

January 1, 1961 at Jeppesen Stadium, Houston, Texas

Scoring

• LA - Field goal Agajanian 38 LA 3-0
• LA - Field goal Agajanian 22 LA 6-0
• HOU - Smith 17 pass from Blanda (Blanda kick) HOU 7-6
• HOU - Field goal Blanda 18 HOU 10-6
• LA - Field goal Agajanian 27 HOU 10-9
• HOU - Groman 7 pass from Blanda (Blanda kick) HOU 17-9
• LA - Lowe 2 run (Agajanian kick) HOU 17-16
• HOU - Cannon 88 pass from Blanda (Blanda kick) HOU 24-16

[edit] 1961 Championship

1961 AFL Championship Game

Houston Oilers San Diego Chargers (10-3-1) (12-2) 10 3 Head coach:  Wally Lemm Head coach:  Sid Gillman
1 2 3 4 Total HOU 0 3 7 0 10 SD 0 0 0 3 3
Date	December 24, 1961
Stadium	Balboa Stadium
Location	San Diego, CA

Houston Oilers 10, San Diego Chargers 3

December 24, 1961 at Balboa Stadium, San Diego, California

Scoring

• HOU - Field goal Blanda 46
• HOU - Cannon 35 pass from Blanda (Blanda kick)
• SD - Field goal Blair 12

[edit] 1962 Championship

1962 AFL Championship Game

Dallas Texans Houston Oilers (11-3) (11-3) 20 17 Head coach:  Hank Stram Head coach:  Pop Ivy
1 2 3 4 OT Total DAT 3 14 0 0 3 20 HOU 0 0 7 10 0 17
Date	December 23, 1962
Stadium	Jeppesen Stadium
Location	Houston, TX

	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	Total
Texans	3	14	0	0	0	3	20
Oilers	0	0	7	10	0	0	17

Dallas Texans 20, Houston Oilers 17 (2OT)

December 23, 1962 at Jeppesen Stadium, Houston, Texas

Scoring

• DAL - Field goal Brooker 16
• DAL - Haynes 28 pass from Dawson (Brooker kick)
• DAL - Haynes 2 run (Brooker kick)
• HOU - Dewveall 15 pass from Blanda (Blanda kick)
• HOU - Field goal Blanda 31
• HOU - Tolar 1 run (Blanda kick)
• DAL - Field goal Brooker 25

[edit] 1963 playoffs

A tie in the Eastern Division standings necessitated an Eastern Division playoff game

[edit] Eastern Division playoff

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	10	6	0	10	26
Bills	0	0	8	0	8

Boston Patriots 26, Buffalo Bills 8

December 28, 1963 at War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo, New York

Scoring

• BOS - Field goal Cappelletti 28
• BOS - Garron 59 pass from Parilli (Cappelletti kick)
• BOS - Field goal Cappelletti 12
• BOS - Field goal Cappelletti 33
• BUF - Dubenion 93 pass from Lamonica (Tracey pass from Lamonica)
• BOS - Garron 17 pass from Parilli (Cappelletti kick)
• BOS - Field goal Cappelletti 36

[edit] 1963 Championship

1963 AFL Championship Game

Boston Patriots San Diego Chargers (8-6-1) (11-3) 10 51 Head coach:  Mike Holovak Head coach:  Sid Gillman
1 2 3 4 Total BOS 7 3 0 0 10 SD 21 10 7 13 51
Date	January 5, 1964
Stadium	Balboa Stadium
Location	San Diego, CA

San Diego Chargers 51, Boston Patriots 10

January 5, 1964 at Balboa Stadium, San Diego, California

Scoring

• SD - Rote 2 run (Blair kick)
• SD - Lincoln 67 run (Blair kick)
• BOS - Garron 7 run (Cappelletti kick)
• SD - Lowe 58 run (Blair kick)
• SD - Field goal Blair 11
• BOS - Field goal Cappelletti 15
• SD - Norton 14 pass from Rote (Blair kick)
• SD - Alworth 48 pass from Rote (Blair kick)
• SD - Lincoln 25 pass from Hadl (Pass failed)
• SD - Hadl 1 run (Blair kick)

[edit] 1964 Championship

1964 AFL Championship Game

San Diego Chargers Buffalo Bills (8-5-1) (12-2) 7 20 Head coach:  Sid Gillman Head coach:  Lou Saban
1 2 3 4 Total SD 7 0 0 0 7 BUF 3 10 0 7 20
Date	December 26, 1964
Stadium	War Memorial Stadium
Location	Buffalo, NY

Buffalo Bills 20, San Diego Chargers 7

December 26, 1964 at War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo, New York

Scoring

• SD - Kocourek 26 pass from Rote (Lincoln kick)
• BUF - Field goal Gogolak 12
• BUF - Carlton 4 run (Gogolak kick)
• BUF - Field goal Gogolak 17
• BUF - Kemp 1 run (Gogolak kick)

[edit] 1965 Championship

1965 AFL Championship

Buffalo Bills San Diego Chargers (10-3-1) (9-2-3) 23 0 Head coach:  Lou Saban Head coach:  Sid Gillman
1 2 3 4 Total BUF 0 14 6 3 23 SD 0 0 0 0 0
Date	December 26, 1965
Stadium	Balboa Stadium
Location	San Diego, CA

Buffalo Bills 23, San Diego Chargers 0

December 26, 1965 at Balboa Stadium, San Diego, California

This was the last AFL Championship Game before the Super Bowl era began the following season.

Scoring

• BUF - Warlick 18 pass from Kemp (Gogolak kick)
• BUF - Byrd 74 punt return (Gogolak kick)
• BUF - Field goal Gogolak 11
• BUF - Field goal Gogolak 39
• BUF - Field goal Gogolak 32

[edit] 1966 Championship

1966 AFL Championship Game

Kansas City Chiefs Buffalo Bills (11-2-1) (9-4-1) 31 7 Head coach:  Hank Stram Head coach:  Joe Collier
1 2 3 4 Total KC 7 10 0 14 31 BUF 7 0 0 0 7
Date	January 1, 1967
Stadium	War Memorial Stadium
Location	Buffalo, NY

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	10	0	14	31
Bills	7	0	0	0	7

Kansas City Chiefs 31, Buffalo Bills 7

January 1, 1967 at War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo, New York

The Bills went into the 1966 AFL Championship having already won the game the previous two years. Though the game was to be played in Buffalo, the visiting Kansas City Chiefs were three-point favorites, mainly because of their explosive and innovative offense led by Head Coach Hank Stram. The Bills were a more conventional team with a solid defensive line and a running mindset on offense.

A Bills fumble on the opening kickoff gave the Chiefs a short field to work with, and Quarterback Len Dawson immediately took advantage of it, hitting Fred Arbanas for the game's first score. Jack Kemp's first pass for the Bills was a 69 yard score to Elbert Dubenion. Late in the second quarter and trailing 14-7, Kemp led the Bills to the Kansas City 10. Bobby Crockett was open in the endzone, but Kemp's pass was intercepted by Johnny Robinson, who returned the ball 72-yards, setting up a Mike Mercer field goal to close out the first half.

Buffalo found no offensive rhythm in the second half, and the Chiefs closed the game out in the fourth quarter with Dawson found Chris Burford for a 45 yard gain, setting up a one foot touchdown run by rookie Mike Garrett. Garrett scored his second touchdown less than two minutes later following another Bills fumble.

Scoring

• KC - Arbanas 29 pass from Dawson (Mercer kick)
• BUF - Dubenion 69 pass from Kemp (Lusteg kick)
• KC - Taylor 29 pass from Dawson (Mercer kick)
• KC - Field goal Mercer 32
• KC - Garrett 1 run (Mercer kick)
• KC - Garrett 18 run (Mercer kick)

This was the first AFL Championship Game to determine which team would represent the league in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs lost 35-10 to the NFL champion Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I.

[edit] 1967 Championship

1967 AFL Championship

Houston Oilers Oakland Raiders (9-4-1) (13-1) 7 40 Head coach:  Wally Lemm Head coach:  John Rauch
1 2 3 4 Total HOU 0 0 0 7 7 OAK 3 14 10 13 40
Date	December 31, 1967
Stadium	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Location	Oakland, CA

Oakland Raiders 40, Houston Oilers 7

December 31, 1967 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

The Oakland Raiders were ten and a half point favorites over the Houston Oilers in the 1967 AFL Championship Game. Quarterback Daryle Lamonica, acquired in a trade from the Buffalo Bills in the offseason, led the Raiders to a 13-1 record, throwing 30 touchdown passes in the process. The Oilers went from last place in the Eastern Conference in 1966 to first in '67, beating out the New York Jets by a game. Most of the Oilers' offense centered on big fullback Hoyle Granger, and a midseason quarterback trade for the shifty Pete Beathard (sending their own starter, Jacky Lee, to the Kansas City Chiefs) proved to be the spark that turned Houston's season around.

The previous meeting between the two teams had been a close game won 19-7 by the Raiders, with Lamonica struggling offensively. This was not the case in the rematch. Oakland took a 10-0 lead in the second quarter on a 69 yard run down the left sidelines by Hewritt Dixon, and on a fake field goal attempt Lamonica passed to Dave Kocourek for the 17-0 halftime margin. Former Oilers quarterback George Blanda, who had led Houston to the AFL's first two championships, kicked four field goals for the Raiders. Houston did not score until the fourth quarter, when they already trailed 30-0.

Scoring

• OAK - Field goal Blanda 37
• OAK - Dixon 69 run (Blanda kick)
• OAK - Kocourek 17 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
• OAK - Lamonica 1 run (Blanda kick)
• OAK - Field goal Blanda 40
• OAK - Field goal Blanda 42
• HOU - Frazier 5 pass from Beathard (Wittenborn kick)
• OAK - Field goal Blanda 36
• OAK - Miller 12 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)

Oakland lost Super Bowl II to the NFL champion Green Bay Packers.

[edit] 1968 playoffs

A tie in the Western Division standings necessitated a Western Division playoff game

[edit] Western Division playoff

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	6	0	0	6
Raiders	21	7	0	13	41

Oakland Raiders 41, Kansas City Chiefs 6

December 22, 1968 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

Scoring

• OAK - Biletnikoff 24 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
• OAK - Wells 23 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
• OAK - Biletnikoff 44 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
• KC - Field goal Stenerud 10
• KC - Field goal Stenerud 8
• OAK - Biletnikoff 54 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
• OAK - Wells 35 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
• OAK - Field goal Blanda 41
• OAK - Field goal Blanda 40

[edit] 1968 Championship

1968 AFL Championship Game

Oakland Raiders New York Jets (13-2) (11-3) 23 27 Head coach:  John Rauch Head coach:  Weeb Ewbank
1 2 3 4 Total OAK 0 10 3 10 23 NYJ 10 3 7 7 27
Date	December 29, 1968
Stadium	Shea Stadium
Location	New York, NY

New York Jets 27, Oakland Raiders 23

December 29, 1968 at Shea Stadium, New York City, New York

Scoring

• NY - Maynard 14 pass from Namath (Turner kick)
• NY - Field goal Turner 33
• OAK - Biletnikoff 29 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
• NY - Field goal Turner 36
• OAK - Field goal Blanda 26
• OAK - Field goal Blanda 9
• NY - Lammons 20 pass from Namath (Turner kick)
• OAK - Field goal Blanda 20
• OAK - Banaszak 4 run (Blanda kick)
• NY - Maynard 6 pass from Namath (Turner kick)

The Jets went on to win Super Bowl III to become the first AFL Super Bowl champion.

[edit] 1969 playoffs

[edit] Divisional playoffs

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	3	3	7	13
Jets	3	0	0	3	6

Kansas City Chiefs 13, New York Jets 6

December 20, 1969 at Shea Stadium, New York City, New York

Scoring

• NY - Field goal Turner 27
• KC - Field goal Stenerud 23
• KC - Field goal Stenerud 25
• NY - Field goal Turner 7
• KC - Richardson 19 pass from Dawson (Stenerud kick)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	0	0	0	7	7
Raiders	28	7	14	7	56

Oakland Raiders 56, Houston Oilers 7

December 21, 1969 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

Scoring

• OAK - Biletnikoff 13 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
• OAK - Atkinson 57 interception return (Blanda kick)
• OAK - Sherman 24 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
• OAK - Biletnikoff 31 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
• OAK - Smith 60 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
• OAK - Sherman 23 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
• OAK - Cannon 3 pass from Lamonica (Blanda kick)
• HOU - Reed 8 pass from Beathard (Gerela kick)
• OAK - Hubbard 4 run (Blanda kick)

[edit] 1969 Championship

1969 AFL Championship Game

Kansas City Chiefs	Oakland Raiders
(12-3)	(13-1-1)
17	7
Head coach:  Hank Stram	Head coach:  John Madden
1 2 3 4 Total KC 0 7 7 3 17 OAK 7 0 0 0 7
Date	January 4, 1970
Stadium	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Location	Oakland, CA

Kansas City Chiefs 17, Oakland Raiders 7

January 4, 1970 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

Scoring

• OAK - Smith 3 run (Blanda kick)
• KC - Hayes 1 run (Stenerud kick)
• KC - Holmes 5 run (Stenerud kick)
• KC - Field goal Stenerud 22

This was the final AFL Championship Game, as well as the final game played between two AFL teams before the merger with the National Football League. The Chiefs won Super Bowl IV as the last AFL champion.

[edit] AFL Championship Game appearances 1960-69

Num	Team	W	L	PCT
5	Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers	1	4	.200
4	Houston Oilers	2	2	.500
3	Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs	3	0	1.00
3	Buffalo Bills	2	1	.667
3	Oakland Raiders	1	2	.333
1	New York Jets	1	0	1.00
1	Boston Patriots	0	1	.000

[edit] References

• NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
• Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)

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