The 1964 Green Bay Packers season was their 45th season in the National Football League. The club was led by sixth-year head coach Vince Lombardi, and tied for second place in the Western Conference at 8–5–1.
The Packers opened the season in Green Bay with a promising win over the rival Chicago Bears, the defending NFL champions.[1][2] They then lost four of six, including three home games, and were 3–4 midway through the season, falling twice to the Baltimore Colts. The first three losses were by a total of five points, but the fourth on October 25, to the Los Angeles Rams in Milwaukee, was by ten and came after building a 17–0 lead.[3]
In the season's latter half, Green Bay won five of six and tied the Rams in the finale to end 3½ games behind the Colts (12–2) in the West, tied for second with Minnesota. Baltimore clinched the Western title on November 22, with three games remaining.[4][5] Based on point differential in the season split with the Vikings, the Packers were awarded the runner-up slot in the Playoff Bowl,[6] the consolation third place game in Miami played three weeks after the regular season, on January 3.
Green Bay had played in the previous season's Playoff Bowl and won decisively,[7][8] which followed consecutive league titles in 1961 and 1962, and three straight appearances in the championship game. In the 1964 season's third-place game, the St. Louis Cardinals prevailed over the unmotivated Packers, 24–17.[9][10][11][12]
The 1964 season was arguably the most disappointing for Lombardi as a head coach. Consecutive appearances in the consolation Playoff Bowl, and the loss, keyed Lombardi and the Packers to win three consecutive NFL titles; the latter two followed by victories in the first two Super Bowls. Since the playoff era began 83 years ago in 1933, no other team was won three straight NFL titles.
The NFL classifies the ten editions of the Playoff Bowl as exhibition games, not postseason contests.
Offseason
NFL Draft
Main article:
1964 NFL draft- Yellow indicates a future Pro Bowl selection
Regular season
Schedule
| Week |
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
Record |
Venue |
Attendance |
| 1 |
September 13 |
Chicago Bears |
W 23–12 |
1–0 |
City Stadium |
42,327 |
| 2 |
September 20 |
Baltimore Colts |
L 21–20 |
1–1 |
City Stadium |
42,327 |
| 3 |
September 28 |
at Detroit Lions |
W 14–10 |
2–1 |
Tiger Stadium |
59,203 |
| 4 |
October 4 |
Minnesota Vikings |
L 24–23 |
2–2 |
City Stadium |
42,327 |
| 5 |
October 11 |
San Francisco 49ers |
W 24–14 |
3–2 |
Milwaukee County Stadium |
47,380 |
| 6 |
October 18 |
at Baltimore Colts |
L 24–21 |
3–3 |
Memorial Stadium |
60,213 |
| 7 |
October 25 |
Los Angeles Rams |
L 27–17 |
3–4 |
Milwaukee County Stadium |
47,617 |
| 8 |
November 1 |
at Minnesota Vikings |
W 42–13 |
4–4 |
Metropolitan Stadium |
44,278 |
| 9 |
November 8 |
Detroit Lions |
W 30–7 |
5–4 |
City Stadium |
42,327 |
| 10 |
November 15 |
at San Francisco 49ers |
L 24–14 |
5–5 |
Kezar Stadium |
38,483 |
| 11 |
November 22 |
Cleveland Browns |
W 28–21 |
6–5 |
Milwaukee County Stadium |
48,065 |
| 12 |
November 29 |
at Dallas Cowboys |
W 45–21 |
7–5 |
Cotton Bowl |
44,975 |
| 13 |
December 5 |
at Chicago Bears |
W 17–3 |
8–5 |
Wrigley Field |
43,636 |
| 14 |
December 13 |
at Los Angeles Rams |
T 24–24 |
8–5–1 |
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
40,735 |
Week 11: vs. Cleveland Browns
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- GB – Jim Taylor 1-yard rush - (Hornung kick), tied 14–14
- GB – Bart Starr 4-yard rush (Hornung kick), GB 21–14
- Fourth quarter
- GB – Taylor 5-yard rush (Hornung kick), GB 28–14
- CLE – Warfield 19-yard pass from Ryan (Groza kick), GB 28–21
|
Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
Playoff Bowl
Main article:
Playoff BowlSource:[9][10][11][12][13]
Awards and records
- Bart Starr, NFL Leader, Passing Yards, (2,144 yards)
References
- ↑ Lea, Bud (September 14, 1964). "Packers hammer Bears, 23-12!". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 4, part 2.
- ↑ "Packer smash Bears by 23-12". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. September 14, 1964. p. 34.
- ↑ Lea, Bud (October 26, 1964). "Rams' rally rips Packers, 27-17". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 3, part 2.
- ↑ "Colts jar Rams, 24-7, to clinch Western title". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. November 23, 1965. p. 4, part 2.
- ↑ "Colts clinch title; Bears beat 49ers". Chicago Tribune. UPI. November 23, 1964. p. 1, section 3.
- ↑ "Packers win spot in Bowl". Eugene Register-Guard (Oregon). Associated Press. December 14, 1964. p. 4B.
- ↑ Lea, Bud (January 6, 1964). "Starr-led Packers bomb Browns". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 2, part 2.
- ↑ "Packers cuff Browns, 40-23". Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 6, 1964. p. 12.
- 1 2 Lea, Bud (January 4, 1965). "Cards blunt Packers' rally, 24-17". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 2, part 2.
- 1 2 Johnson, Chuck (January 4, 1965). "Packers season ends as it began; Cardinals win in an exhibition". Milwaukee Journal. p. 8, part 2.
- 1 2 "'Peanuts' leads Cards to victory". Eugene Register-Guard (Oregon). Associated Press. January 4, 1965. p. 3B.
- 1 2 Segreti, James (January 4, 1965). "Cards outlast Packers in runner-up bowl, 24-17". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, section 3.
- ↑ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 369
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