Bradley Ruzicka

Headline: The Green Bay Packers, in Lombardi’s last season as the team’s head coach, capture their fifth NFL title in the 1960s and a victory in Super Bowl II

Regular Season Record: 9 – 4 – 1 (First Place NFL Western Conference Central Division)

Offseason Highlights: The National Football League expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. It was the league’s fourth new franchise since 1960 and the last prior to completing the merger with the American Football League in 1970. This rapid expansion was primarily a reaction to the rise of the AFL with the NFL adding the Dallas Cowboys in 1960, the Minnesota Vikings in 1961, and the Atlanta Falcons in 1966. In addition to incorporating the AFL’s 10 teams as part of the merger agreement, the NFL agreed to add two more franchises as early as possible after 1970, resulting in a 28-team league by the end of the 1970s versus just 12 teams at the end of the 1950s.

The Saints were originally the brainchild of local sports entrepreneur Dave Dixon, who also helped establish the Louisiana Superdome and the United States Football League. Dixon, various civic groups, and the local media had been campaigning to get an NFL team for over five years. But the franchise ultimately became a reality as the result of a backroom deal brought about by Louisiana Representative Hale Boggs and Senator Russell Long as well as Commissioner Pete Rozelle. The league needed congressional approval of the recently completed NFL-AFL merger. In an effort to seal the deal, the commissioner traveled to New Orleans. Within a week, an agreement was reached.

With the help of Boggs and Long, Congress passed a law in October 1966 exempting the league from antitrust sanctions. Rozelle then announced on November 1 that the NFL had officially awarded New Orleans its first professional football franchise. Like Atlanta the previous year, the team was awarded the first overall pick in the 1967 draft. But rather than use that pick to obtain a potential long-term starter, the Saints traded it along with a third rounder, a 1969 seventh rounder, and offensive lineman Butch Allison to the Baltimore Colts for backup quarterback Gary Cuozzo and center Bill Curry. It was a mistake. After just one season and 10 total starts, Cuozzo was traded to the Vikings.

Meanwhile, New Orleans loss was Baltimore’s gain when they chose Michigan State Defensive End Bubba Smith with the draft’s top pick. The two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro would spend 10 years in the league, five with the Colts, playing in two Super Bowls. About six weeks prior to the collegiate draft, each team except Atlanta had to leave 11 players unprotected as part of the expansion draft. The Saints subsequently chose 42 of those players, three from each team, to compete for a spot on their 1967 roster. One of the players Green Bay Packers Head Coach and General Manager Vince Lombardi made available was a former two time All-Pro and future Hall of Famer, Paul Hornung.

The coach knew the ten-year veteran’s career was at an end. Still, he was upset when one of his favorite players was actually taken. David Maraniss, in his book When Pride Still Mattered, wrote about Lombardi’s anguish. “The loss of Hornung ‘hurt Lombardi more than anything I ever saw,’ said Max McGee. ‘He didn’t put him on the list to lose him. It didn’t make any sense for the Saints to take him.'” The coach wondered, “Had he been disloyal to Paul? … It was as though a son had been ripped from his arms.” Saints Head Coach Tom Fears felt that the former league MVP would help sell tickets. For Hornung, it was about business. He’d make more money playing in New Orleans.

“The Golden Boy” never suited up for the Saints. A neck injury incurred the past season forced him to retire during training camp. A few months after acquiring Hornung, New Orleans signed a second Packers’ standout, Jim Taylor. The 1962 NFL MVP decided to leave Green Bay after his contract expired. In exchange, the team received the Saints’ 1968 first round draft pick. Taylor, starting his 10th and final year, felt unappreciated and underpaid after Lombardi gave $900,000 in bonus money to Jim Grabowski and Donny Anderson the previous year. The coach had long admired his fullback’s toughness. But, unlike Hornung, he privately admitted that Taylor’s departure brought a sense of relief.

During his career, Hornung rushed for 3,711 yards on 893 carries (4.2 yards per rush), scoring 50 touchdowns, while catching 130 passes for 1,480 yards and an additional 12 touchdowns. The two-time Pro Bowler was also the Packers’ placekicker during his first seven seasons, converting 66 of 140 field goals and 190 of 194 extra points, before he was replaced by Don Chandler in 1965. Over nine years, Hornung scored 760 points, first in Green Bay history until surpassed by Chris Jacke in 1996. The former Heisman Trophy winner set the league record for points scored in 1960 with 176 in 12 games, a record that stood until LaDainian Tomlinson scored 186 points over 16 games in 2006.

Taylor ended his nine-year Packers’ career with 8,027 yards rushing on 1,811 attempts (4.5 yards per carry) and 81 touchdowns as well as 187 receptions for 1,505 yards and 10 additional touchdowns. He scored a total of 546 points, ranking third in Green Bay history at the time, behind only Hornung and eight-time All-Pro Don Hutson. Taylor was also the leading rusher in Packers’ history until Ahman Green gained 8,322 yards over eight seasons in the 2000s. The future Hall of Famer played just a single season with the Saints, rushing for 390 yards on 130 carries and catching 38 passes for 251 yards, the lowest totals since his rookie year. Taylor decided to retire prior to the 1968 season.

With the addition of the Saints, the NFL realigned its teams into four divisions across two conferences. It was the league’s first major realignment since the creation of two conferences in 1933. The Eastern Conference was now made up of the Capitol Division (Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints) and Century Division (New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers). Meanwhile, the Coastal Division (Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Colts) and Central Division (Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers) now constituted the Western Conference.

Included were home and away games with each member of the division (six games), single games with each team in the other division (four games), and single games with each team in a division from the other conference (four games) for a total of 14 regular season games. The four division winners would make the playoffs. Capitol and Century winners would play for the Eastern Conference title while Central and Coastal winners would play for the Western Conference title. The two conference champions would then play for the NFL Championship. The NFL and AFL champions subsequently advanced to the NFL-AFL World Championship Game, officially renamed the Super Bowl in 1969.

Previously, if two teams were tied for the conference lead at season’s end, a one game playoff was conducted to break the tie. This last occurred in 1965 when Green Bay and Baltimore tied for the Western Conference title with a 10-3-1 record. Starting in 1967, a tiebreaking system was implemented that would eliminate the need for an extra game. The system started with net points in head-to-head competition followed by the team that had less recently played in a title game. As a result, only one team in each division would be the champion, even if two teams in the same division tied with the same won-loss record. For now, playoff sites would continue to be rotated on a year-to-year basis.

The 1967 NFL-AFL Draft was the first common draft between the two leagues. Included as part of the 1966 Merger Agreement, it eliminated the costly bidding war for collegiate talent, a key motivation behind the merger. It also eliminated the drafting of redshirt (or “future”) players. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be remembered as one of Lombardi’s more productive drafts. Neither of the Packers first-round picks, offensive guard Bob Hyland from Boston College (9th overall acquired from Pittsburgh in 1966 for defensive tackle Lloyd Voss and Green Bay’s third round choice that year) nor quarterback Don Horn from San Diego State (25th overall), remained with the team beyond the 1970 season.

Hyland started only 9 of 42 games during his three Packer seasons before being traded to Chicago in 1970. He played the next six years with the Bears and Giants, returning to Green Bay in 1976 before finishing his career with the New England Patriots in 1977. Horn played four of his eight seasons with the Packers. During that time, the former All-American quarterback completed 139 of 284 (49.9%) for 2,291 yards, 16 touchdowns, 22 interceptions, and a QBR of 63.0. New Head Coach Dan Devine traded Horn to the Denver Broncos in 1971 where he spent two seasons under three head coaches. Horn then spent a season in Cleveland before finishing with the San Diego Chargers in 1974.

Fourth round pick Travis “Roadrunner” Williams from Arizona State University (93rd overall) would also leave Green Bay after only four years. However, he had a notable impact during his rookie season. Williams set a league record, returning four kickoffs for touchdowns, two in one quarter against Cleveland for a second NFL record. In total, the first year running back returned 18 kicks for 739 yards and a league leading 41.1 yards per return, a third NFL record that has yet to be broken. Williams was dealt to the Rams prior to the 1971 season. Unfortunately, a knee injury ended his career during the 1972 season. Williams finished with 4,778 all-purpose yards and a combined 18 touchdowns.

Eight players drafted in 1967 would ultimately be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Included was the 4th choice, Purdue Quarterback Bob Griese (Miami Dolphins), the 6th pick, Syracuse Running Back Floyd Little (Denver), the 15th pick, Notre Dame Defensive Tackle Alan Page (Minnesota), the 17th choice, Texas A&M Offensive Guard Gene Upshaw (Oakland Raiders), the 34th selection, Jackson State Cornerback Lem Barney (Detroit), the 50th selection, Morgan State Linebacker Willie Lanier (Kansas City Chiefs), the 182nd selection, Fort Valley State Offensive Tackle Rayfield Wright (Dallas), and the 214th selection, Prairie View Safety Ken Houston (Houston Oilers).

Two free agents, Kicker Jan Stenerud (Kansas City) and Offensive Guard Larry Little (Miami), would join the eight draftees in the Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, defensive safety Emlen Tunnell was inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 1967. Tunnell played 14 years in the league, 11 with the Giants and his last three with Green Bay. He was a nine-time Pro Bowl and four-time All-Pro selection. Tunnell ended his career with 79 interceptions, behind only Paul Krause in NFL history, which he returned for 1,282 yards and 4 touchdowns while also recovering 16 fumbles. He added 3,506 yards and 6 touchdowns as a kick returner. Tunnell’s was the first election of an African American.

Regular Season Highlights: The Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) finished two wins ahead of the second place Chicago Bears (7-6-1) in the Western Conference Central Division. After 40 seasons and a 318-148-31 record, 1967 marked the legendary George Halas’s last as the only head man the franchise had ever known. Halas, founder of the Decatur Staleys, later the Chicago Bears, and co-founder of the NFL in 1920, served the team as a player until 1930, head coach until 1968, and executive until 1983. He introduced the T-formation and “man in motion” strategy, revolutionizing football while significantly influencing the league’s overall growth and success, winning eight NFL championships.

For Vince Lombardi, the Packers 49th season was his greatest challenge to date. Prior to the 1966 NFL Championship Game, he hinted at the possibility of retirement but later said his comments were those of an exhausted man. According to David Maraniss, “He would not retire, not with the possibility of winning a [remarkable] three straight titles.” Long time Packers’ announcer Ray Scott agreed. “He made it clear, at least to me, that the prospect of winning what would be his second Super Bowl was more important than the first one.” Although favored to win the 1967 league title, the team was getting older, with at least a quarter of the roster over age 30, including their franchise quarterback.

The challenge started with the regular season’s first week. Green Bay had to rally from a 17-0 first half deficit to salvage a tie against the Detroit Lions, 17-17, in their Lambeau Field home opener. Don Chandler’s 28-yard game tying field goal in the final minute was made possible by a 78-yard completion from quarterback Bart Starr to halfback Elijah Pitts three plays earlier. Starr, playing with bruised ribs, threw four interceptions against Detroit, three in the first quarter including a pick six. This was followed by five more during the Packers 13-10 win over the Bears in the second week. In two games, Starr totaled nine interceptions versus just three over the entirety of the past season.

Fullback Jim Grabowski also fumbled three times against Chicago, for a total of eight turnovers. Still, Chandler’s 46-yard field goal with 63 seconds remaining gave Green Bay a much-needed home victory. The next week brought additional challenges when Atlanta Falcons’ linebacker Tommy Nobis slammed into Starr’s right shoulder early in the first period. The 12th year quarterback had to leave the game, giving way to backup Zeke Bratkowski. Though the Packers got their second home win, 23-0, it was a costly victory. The injury forced Starr to the bench for the next two games. More importantly, the 33-year-old veteran endured issues with his throwing arm for the rest of his career.

The passing attack continued to flounder under the 34-year-old Bratkowski, with the running game unable to pick up the slack, laboring to find its’ identify after the departure of long-time starters Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung. Overall, the offense was ineffective during the first five weeks and the team had to lean on the defense to carry them to a 3-1-1 record. Playing Detroit for the second time in four weeks, linebacker Ray Nitschke famously limped into the end zone with a pulled hamstring after an interception to push Green Bay to a 27-17 road win. The next week, the Packers defense limited the winless Vikings to just 10 points, having forced seven total turnovers over the past two games.

Alas, Minnesota held Green Bay to a mere 42 rushing yards and a single second period score in a 10-7 loss at Milwaukee County Stadium. But, in the sixth week, the offense finally began to find itself. In a 48-21 road win over the New York Giants, the Packers rushed for a total of 249 yards on 45 attempts, scoring five touchdowns. Grabowski led the team with 123 yards, averaging almost six yards a carry. Starr was back and, while not fully healed, was efficient, with 151 passing yards, one touchdown, and, critically, no interceptions. A 31-23 road win over the St. Louis Cardinals put Green Bay at 5-1-1, giving the team much-needed momentum heading into the second half of the season.

However, the next week saw misfortune strike again. Both Grabowski and Pitts were hurt in the first half of a dispiriting 13-10 road loss to Baltimore. Even though the team led their division from the third week on, adversity dogged the offense from beginning to end. Having earlier lost Starr for two games and parts of others, injuries now claimed their two starting running backs, out for the remainder of the season. Yet, with the help of rookie kick returner Travis Williams and a recovering Starr, Green Bay continued to battle, winning their next four games. The streak started with two home victories, a 55-7 drubbing of the Cleveland Browns and a 13-0 demolition of the San Francisco 49ers.

The season’s eleventh week saw the Packers clinch the Central Division, forcing three turnovers in a 17-13 road victory over runner up Chicago. With nothing left to play for, Green Bay eked out a last-minute 30-27 revenge win on the road over Minnesota for a record of 9-2-1 with two games remaining. In the second to last week, the team fell on the road to the surging Rams. A blocked punt led to a 5-yard touchdown pass from sixth year quarterback Roman Gabriel to wide receiver Bernie Casey with 26 seconds left in the game for a 27-24 defeat. In the season finale at Lambeau Field, Green Bay lost to the 4-9-1 Steelers, 24-17, with many of their starters on the sideline by game’s end.

With all the changes and injuries, Lombardi’s offense was unable to play at the same level of efficiency in 1967 as it had last season. After the Atlanta game, Starr played the remainder of the season with a damaged right shoulder, finishing with nearly twice as many interceptions (17) as touchdown passes (9). The four-time Pro Bowler completed 115 of 210 (54.8%) for 1,823 yards and a QBR of just 64.4, compared with last year’s league leading 105.0. He did, however, again lead the NFL with 8.7 yards per attempt. Bratkowski did little better when Starr was injured, completing 53 of 94 (56.4%) for 724 yards, 5 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and a QBR of 59.3, going 1-1 in his two starts.

With Taylor and Hornung gone and with assorted backfield injuries throughout the year, Green Bay was forced to embrace a “running back by committee” approach. Lombardi began the season with Grabowski and Pitts as his starting backfield. Last year’s first round pick, ninth overall, Grabowski led the Packers with 466 yards on 120 attempts (3.9 yards per carry) and 3 total touchdowns. Pitts, in his seventh season, contributed 247 yards on 77 carries (3.2 yards per rush) and a team leading 6 rushing touchdowns. When both went down against the Colts in the eighth game, fourth year fullback Ben Wilson replaced Grabowski while second year halfback Donny Anderson replaced Pitts.

Wilson, acquired via trade with Los Angeles during the offseason, finished as Green Bay’s second leading rusher with 453 yards on 103 carries (4.4 yards per rush) and 2 total touchdowns in six starts. Anderson gained 402 yards on 97 carries (4.1 yards per rush), starting five games. He also had 22 receptions for 331 yards (15 yards per catch) and led the team with 9 total touchdowns. When Wilson was slowed by injuries during the season’s final month, Lombardi added former New York Giants’ running back Chuck Mercein. The third-year free agent contributed 62 total yards over the last six games. Williams added 268 total yards to go along with leading the league in kickoff returns.

Green Bay’s deep threat was again provided by eighth year wide receiver Carroll Dale, who recorded 35 receptions for 738 yards and 5 touchdowns, finishing sixth in the NFL with 21.1 yards per catch. Two-time Pro Bowler Boyd Dowler led all Packer receivers with 54 catches for 846 yards (15.5 yards per reception) and 4 touchdowns. Green Bay also had the superb blocking of tackles Forrest Gregg and Bob Skoronski, guards Jerry Kramer and Gale Gillingham, and center Ken Bowman. Kramer and Gregg, in their 10th and 11th season respectively, were again named All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl. The future Hall of Famers had anchored the Packers right side for the past nine years.

Overall, Green Bay’s offense finished 11th out of 16 teams in passing yards (2,364), 2nd in rushing yards (1,915), and 9th in points scored (332). Meanwhile, the defense continued a decade of excellence, with four All-Pros and four Pro Bowlers. They led the league in passing yards allowed (1,377) and were 3rd in points allowed (209), although they did give up 1,923 rushing yards to finish 13th overall. But, over the first 11 games, Green Bay yielded a total of just 131 points for an average of about 12 per contest, tops in the league at the time. After clinching the division with three games left, the defense stumbled, giving up an uncharacteristic 78 total points, an average of 26 per contest.

Two members of their secondary, the strongest aspect of the defense, were named All-Pro. For eighth year safety Willie Wood, it was his fourth selection while, for cornerback Bob Jeter, it was his first. Jeter led the team with eight picks, tied for third in the NFL. In addition, the Packers had a superb defensive line, with five-time All-Pro Willie Davis, in his 10th year, leading the team with 11 sacks. Behind them, the linebackers were led by first time All-Pro Dave Robinson. On special teams, along with Williams record setting feats, Chandler totaled 96 points (19 field goals, 39 extra points) to rank fourth overall in scoring. Donny Anderson doubled as the team’s punter, averaging 36.6 yard per kick.

In the Western Conference Coastal Division, Baltimore and Los Angeles tied for the league’s best record at 11-1-2 with Colts’ quarterback Johnny Unitas winning his third MVP award in 12 years. However, Baltimore finished second to the Rams thanks to the NFL’s new tiebreaker rules. The Colts were eliminated from the playoffs on the last day of the regular season, losing to Los Angeles, 34-10. A 24-24 tie in mid-October gave the Rams a 24-point edge over Baltimore in head-to-head meetings. In the meantime, the Eastern Conference saw the Dallas Cowboys easily win the Capital Division. Similarly, Cleveland ran away with the Century Division. Both teams finished with 9-5 records.

In addition to Unitas winning the MVP, Baltimore Head Coach Don Shula tied with Los Angeles Head Coach George Allen for Coach of the Year, Shula’s second in five years. Allen, in just his second season as the Rams head man, resurrected Los Angeles after seven straight losing seasons. Detroit halfback Mel Farr and cornerback Lem Barney won Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year respectively. Farr led the Lions in both rushing and receiving with 860 yards on 206 carries (4.2 yards per attempt), 317 yards on 39 catches, and 6 total touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl selection. Barney, also a Pro Bowl pick, led the NFL with 10 interceptions, 232 return yards, and 3 touchdowns.

Post Season Highlights: The four division winners would face off in the first ever NFL Conference Playoffs. The Green Bay Packers, winners of the Central Division, hosted the Coastal Division winning Los Angeles Rams at Milwaukee County Stadium for the Western Conference title. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys and the Cleveland Browns, winners of the Capital and Century Divisions respectively, played in the Cotton Bowl for the Eastern Conference title. The victors would play in the NFL Championship Game. Los Angeles entered the playoffs on a hot streak, with eight straight victories including a season ending thumping of their division foe, the Baltimore Colts, for the Coastal title.

Fortunately, Green Bay won a coin flip prior to the season that put the debut Western Conference Championship Game in the home stadium of the Central Division winner. Lombardi said Milwaukee would get this game if the Packers won the division. It would be the only playoff game ever held in County Stadium. The Rams came into the game a three-point favorite and with all the momentum, possessing the league’s best record. However, George Allen’s team had barely beaten Green Bay two weeks earlier in Los Angeles. They blew a 20-17 fourth period lead and needed a last second touchdown set up by a blocked punt to win the game, 27-24, keeping their division title hopes alive.

At the time, the Packers had already clinched their division and were playing only for pride. This time the stakes were much higher, a trip to the NFL Championship Game. On December 23, the weather in Milwaukee was expected to be cold and snowy. The snow held off, but the temperature was only 20 °F, and the field conditions were poor. Green Bay started slowly, giving Los Angeles the early advantage. Former Ram Carroll Dale fumbled at midfield, setting up the inaugural score of the game. First time Pro Bowler Roman Gabriel threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Bernie Casey, in his first season with the Rams after being acquired from the San Francisco 49ers.

Early in the second quarter, Bart Starr’s interception gave the Rams a second scoring opportunity at the Packer 10-yard line. But the defense held, sacking Gabriel on third down. Dave Robinson then blocked Bruce Gossett’s 24-yard field goal attempt and the Los Angeles lead stayed 7-0. Midway through the period, Green Bay’s offense finally got untracked. First, rookie sensation Travis Williams raced 46 yards for a touchdown one play after Tom Brown’s 39-yard punt return. After Gossett missed a 45-yard field goal attempt on the Rams next possession, Starr led a 10 play, 55-yard drive, scoring from 17 yards out on a pass to Dale with just 33 seconds left for a 14-7 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Packers took control of the line of scrimmage. Their offensive line neutralized the Rams vaunted “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line. Los Angeles had thoroughly harassed Starr in their late season victory, sacking him three times. But the 1966 MVP was sacked only once in their playoff rematch. Meanwhile, Green Bay’s defensive line took Gabriel down five times and pressured him into throwing inaccurate passes all day long. Yet, Packer mistakes kept the Rams in the game. Early in the third quarter, trailing by just a single touchdown, Los Angeles recovered fifth year tight end Marv Fleming’s fumble, giving them excellent field position on Green Bay’s 26-yard line.

Once again, the defense held, sacking Gabriel on third and long. Gossett subsequently missed his third field goal, this time from 37 yards out. The Packers then marched 80 yards to take control of the game, 21-7, on Chuck Mercein’s 6-yard touchdown run. In the fourth period, Starr’s 48-yard strike to Dale set up the final score of the game, a 3-yard touchdown run by Williams. Despite setbacks during the course of the year as well as a lingering shoulder injury, Starr looked like his old self, completing 17 of 23 for 222 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. After a difficult season and even with persistent health issues, Green Bay triumphed 28-7 and seemed revived going into the title game.

Meanwhile, according to Mike Shropshire in his book The Ice Bowl, “[Dallas] now had earned, if not the respect, then the curiosity of a sports nation as the team that almost toppled the unbeatable Packers in the 1966 championship game. Now fans were eager to see what … [they] might generate for an encore.” On December 24, the Cowboys destroyed the Browns to win the Eastern Conference title. Quarterback Don Meredith had his best game of the season, completing 10 of 12 for 212 yards and 2 touchdowns. Third year wide receiver Bob Hayes finished with 5 receptions for 144 yards as well as three punt returns for an NFL playoff record 141 yards, a total of 285 yards on the day.

Dallas scored on their opening drive, moving the ball 80 yards in 13 plays, including a 24-yard run by five-time Pro Bowl fullback Don Perkins. Meredith’s 3-yard touchdown pass to halfback Craig Baynham gave the Cowboys a 7-0 lead. Later in the first quarter, Hayes returned a punt 64 yards to the Browns’ 13-yard line. Four plays later, Perkins crashed through the line for a 1-yard touchdown, upping Dallas’ lead to 14-0. Cleveland responded on the next drive when two-time All-Pro running back Leroy Kelly took off on a 46-yard run to the Cowboy 10-yard line. But they were forced to settle for a field goal attempt, only to see 21-year veteran Lou Groza fail to convert due to a fumbled snap.

Dallas immediately responded. Meredith found former Olympic sprinter Hayes for an 86-yard touchdown, the longest scoring play at the time in playoff history, and a 21-0 second period lead. Following a punt, the Cowboys drove 52 yards in 9 plays to score on Danny Villanueva’s 10-yard field goal, increasing their advantage to 24-0. With time running out in the half, 10th year quarterback Frank Ryan put together a last-minute scoring drive. Ryan, in his sixth season as Cleveland’s starter, completed a 15-yarder to Kelly and two passes to tight end Milt Morin for gains of 10 and 12 yards. With just four seconds left, Ryan cut the score to 24-7 with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Morin.

But any hopes of a Browns comeback were quickly dashed in the second half. A 36-yard catch by Hayes from Meredith in the third quarter set-up a 1-yard touchdown by Baynham, giving Dallas a 31-7 lead. A 68-yard punt return by Hayes next resulted in a second Perkins’ 1 yard scoring run for a 38-7 advantage. The Cowboys scored a third touchdown on two-time All-Pro cornerback Cornell Green’s 60-yard interception return of a Ryan pass for a 45-7 lead going into the fourth period. Dallas capped their second half scoring explosion with a second Baynham 1 yard run. Down 52-7, Ryan mercifully ended the game with a 75-yard touchdown pass to fourth year wideout Paul Warfield.

Dallas’ 52-14 domination of Cleveland set the stage for a title game rematch between the Cowboys and the Packers, this time at Lambeau Field. Despite their loss to Green Bay at the end of the previous season, Dallas was feeling confident. Head Coach Tom Landry had patiently built a championship roster since the team’s birth in 1960. They’d experienced playing for a league title. Like the Packers, the Cowboys had successfully fought through injuries and inconsistency in 1967, including the loss of their sometimes-contentious starting quarterback for three weeks with a collapsed lung. Nevertheless, Dallas was 5-2 at the season’s midpoint and, more importantly, regaining their health.

Though the Cowboys continued to struggle throughout the second half of the season, compiling a middling 4-3 record, they still won the division with two games remaining, easily outdistancing the 6-7-1 Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas was becoming a defensive force as key players, led by All-Pros Bob Lilly, Chuck Howley, and Cornell Green, were blending into a potent mix. And, after destroying the Browns in the Eastern Conference title game, the Cowboys believed they were finally playing their best football, ready for whatever the Packers could throw at them during the next week’s championship match. No one, however, was prepared for what transpired that fateful New Year’s Eve Day.

The official game time temperature was -13°F with a wind chill around -48°F. It was the coldest New Year’s Eve in the history of Green Bay and the coldest title game in league history, a record that stands to this day. The bitter cold overwhelmed Lambeau Field’s new turf heating system, leaving the playing surface hard as a rock. On the drive into the stadium, Lombardi’s son Vince said, “He was agitated. I’d never seen him quite that way on game day.” Mercein, who played a key role in the game, observed that, “The condition of the field was strange … Imagine a stucco wall laid horizontal … rough and pointy, with thousands of little clods of dirt and … mud already freezing solid to the turf.”

Officials were unable to use their whistles after they quickly froze in the artic like air, forcing them to use voice commands to officiate the game. The band would not be able to play at halftime, as the woodwind instruments froze, while the mouthpieces of brass instruments got stuck to the players’ lips. Some thought the game could and should be postponed. After warm-ups, Donny Anderson felt, “They’re crazy if they play this game.” But it was not to be. Because of the adverse conditions, the rivalry between the teams, and the game’s dramatic climax, this contest would be immortalized in NFL history as the “Ice Bowl”. The NFL 100 Greatest Games series ranked it as third best of all time.

Green Bay began the scoring on their first possession with an 83 yard, 16 play drive. Aided by two Dallas penalties, a 17-yard catch by Anderson, and two clutch receptions by Carroll Dale, the Packers had a first and goal at the Cowboy 8-yard line. One play later, Starr’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Boyd Dowler gave the team a 7-0 first quarter lead. The eight running and eight passing plays took nearly seven minutes off the clock. After exchanging punts, Green Bay stormed down the field for another score. This time it took just three plays to cover 65 yards. The climactic play was a 46-yard touchdown pass from Starr to Dowler, making the score 14-0 with 12:10 left in the second quarter.

Herb Adderley next intercepted Meredith’s pass, returning it to Dallas’ 32-yard line. The Packers had a chance to put the Cowboys away early but were unable to score after a sack took them out of field goal range. Meanwhile, Dallas’ struggles continued, with five punts in their first six possessions. However, towards the end of the half, Green Bay let the Cowboys back into the game. First, Starr fumbled the ball after a sack by end Willie Townes. Fellow end George Andrie scooped it up and rumbled seven yards for Dallas’s first touchdown, cutting the lead in half. Then, with time almost gone, the Packers’ Willie Wood fumbled a Cowboy punt, with Phil Clark recovering on Green Bay’s 17-yard line.

A 21-yard Danny Villanueva field goal cut the Dallas deficit to 14-10 at the half. As they walked to the locker room, Lombardi said to his defensive coordinator, Phil Bengtsen, “The pendulum just swung Dallas’ way.” The Cowboys went the entire second quarter without gaining a first down yet trailed by only four points. In the third quarter, Dallas’s defense picked up where it left off, with a three and out on the Packers first possession. The Cowboys then executed their first sustained drive, moving from the 11-yard line to Green Bay’s 18. But Lee Roy Caffey ended the threat, forcing a Meredith fumble at the end of a third and long scramble. Adderley recovered the loose ball at the 13-yard line.

Unfortunately, Green Bay was stuck in their own offensive drought, having not made a first down for seventeen straight plays. In fact, since Starr had thrown his touchdown pass to Dowler early in the second quarter, the Packers had not run a play that gained more than four yards. After another punt, the Cowboys again moved the ball, this time to the Green Bay 30-yard line. But once more, they failed to score. For the second time in consecutive drives, Caffey got to Meredith, sacking him for a 9-yard loss on 3rd and 5. Villanueva then missed a 47-yard field goal attempt. However, Dallas forced a third straight Packer punt, giving them the ball on the 50-yard line as the third period ended.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Cowboys took the lead, 17-14. Reeves threw a 50-yard halfback option pass to wide receiver Lance Rentzel for a touchdown. Neither team could move the ball on their next possession. However, Dallas was charged with a facemask penalty on Green Bay’s punt return, giving their offense life on the Cowboy 47-yard line. The Packers moved into scoring range for the first time in the second half. But Don Chandler missed the tying field goal from 40 yards out. Dallas clung to the lead as the game’s final minutes ticked away. After a Cowboy punt, Green Bay took over at their own 32 with just 4:50 remaining for what would be the final drive of the afternoon.

Said Starr, “We all realized what had to be done and there was no point in putting it into words.” With the wind chill now down to about -70°F and both teams struggling with the worsening conditions, the offense moved down the field with four key completions. First was a 13-yard pass to Dowler to advance into Cowboy territory at the 42-yard line. After a sweep resulted in a 9-yard loss on first down, Starr completed 12- and 9-yard throws to Anderson, moving the ball to the Dallas 30. A 19-yard pass by Starr to Mercein gave the Packers another first down at the 11-yard line. The fullback next bulled 8 yards to the three on a play called Fifty-four give, one designed to fake out the defensive tackle.

In this case, the victim was four-time All-Pro Bob Lilly, whose over pursuit left a hole in the middle of the field for Mercein. Lombardi would later refer to Starr’s call as “one of the most inspired in championship history … It was superb.” Anderson added two yards for a first and goal at the 1-yard line with less than a minute to play. The halfback then attempted to twice run the ball into the end zone but slipped on the icy field after taking the handoff. On third down, Green Bay remained one foot from the winning score. With 16 seconds left, Starr called their final timeout to confer with Lombardi. They had three options. Kick a field goal and force overtime, throw a pass, or again run the football.

Landry expected a pass play because an incompletion would stop the clock and allow the Packers one more play on fourth down. If Green Bay ran the ball and failed to score or get out of bounds, time would expire before they could attempt a field goal. Once he reached the sidelines, Starr reportedly told Lombardi, “I can make it on the sneak. The linemen can get their footing for the Wedge, but the backs are slipping. I’m right there, I can just shuffle my feet and lunge in.” Lombardi simply responded, “Run it, and let’s get the hell out of here!” The quarterback returned to the field and called Brown Right 31 Wedge. But the play was not a sneak, rather, it was meant to be run by the fullback.

Starr made the call in the huddle but did not tell his teammates he was keeping the ball. Said Mercein, “I was … astonished when I plunged ahead to take the handoff and saw Bart carrying the ball instead.” Guard Jerry Kramer and center Ken Bowman executed a perfect double team block on Cowboy tackle Jethro Pugh. Starr squeezed across the goal line, giving Green Bay an unforgettable 21-17 win. Once back in the locker room, Anderson reflected on his experience. “The guy [Lombardi] just pushed you pass every limit you thought you had … and brought you to another level. … I remember sitting in front of our lockers [thinking] we … just played in the greatest football game of all time.”

The Packers had won an unprecedented fifth NFL title in the 1960s and their third in a row, a feat yet to be duplicated. However, Lombardi knew the end was near. According to Shropshire, “When Lombardi Jr. drove the coach back to the house, father told son, ‘We’ve got the Super Bowl coming up, and you just watched me coach my next to last football game.’ … What a time to schedule an exit. … But no man ever recognized and appreciated the value of timing in the sport of football more than Vince Lombardi did.” Still, one challenge remained for the old coach. Green Bay would now play for the world championship against the AFL’s Oakland Raiders, otherwise known as Super Bowl II.

Super Bowl Highlights: On January 14, 1968, at Miami’s Orange Bowl, the National Football League Champion Green Bay Packers, led for the ninth year by Head Coach Vince Lombardi, played the American Football League Champion Oakland Raiders, led by second year Head Coach John Rauch, for the championship of professional football. Despite Oakland dominating their league, and a consensus that this was the weakest of all Lombardi’s championship teams, Green Bay came into the game a 14-point favorite. Fans and critics alike continued to believe the NFL’s best were better than the AFL’s best. Unlike the previous year, Super Bowl II was televised on only one network (CBS).

Like the defending AFL Champion Kansas City Chiefs (originally the Dallas Texans), Oakland was one of the league’s founding franchises, but only after another founding member, the Minnesota Vikings, defected to the NFL prior to the AFL’s first season. At the time, Oakland seemed an unlikely venue for a pro football team. The city had not asked for a team, there was no ownership group, and there was not a suitable stadium available. And there was already a successful NFL franchise in the Bay Area, the San Francisco 49ers. However, AFL owners selected Oakland after Los Angeles Chargers Owner Barron Hilton insisted the league place a second team on the West Coast.

The first three years were difficult as the Raider organization struggled to find a leader. After three head coaches in three years and a combined record of 9-33, Oakland hired Al Davis in 1963. At age 33, Davis was the youngest person in more than 30 years to hold the position of head coach, and the youngest ever to hold the position of general manager, in professional football. He immediately changed the team colors to silver and black and began to implement what he termed the “vertical game”. The turnaround was dramatic. From a league worst 1-13 record in 1962, the Raiders finished 1963 at 10-4, second in the West Conference. For his efforts, Davis was named Coach of the Year.

Davis’s team slipped to 5-7-2 in 1964 but got back on track the next season with an 8-5-1 record. In April 1966, Davis left Oakland after being named AFL Commissioner but rejoined the team in July as part owner in charge of football operations after the NFL-AFL merger eliminated his position. On the field, Davis’s hand-picked successor, John Rauch, took over the coaching reins. The Raiders again finished 8-5-1 in 1966 before storming to the top of the West Conference with a 13-1 record in 1967. Their only loss was in the season’s sixth week on the road to the New York Jets. Oakland wouldn’t suffer another defeat, winning their last 10 games, finishing four ahead of Kansas City.

The Raiders took over first place at midseason, stayed there the rest of the year, and clinched their conference with two games remaining. The addition of strong-armed quarterback Daryle Lamonica, acquired from the Buffalo Bills, energized Oakland’s vertical passing game. The Raiders also added future Hall of Famers Gene Upshaw, Willie Brown, and George Blanda to their roster in 1967. Oakland went on to crush the East Conference Champion Houston Oilers, 40-7, in the AFL title game for their first ever AFL Championship. The Raiders shredded the Oilers with 364 yards of offense. They also allowed just 146 total yards while forcing three turnovers and losing none.

Oakland was the AFL’s top scoring team with 468 points, finishing third in both rushing (1,928) and passing (3,188) yards. Lomonica, in his fifth season, led the league with 30 touchdowns while completing 220 of 425 (51.8%) for 3,228 yards, 20 interceptions, and a QBR of 80.8. “The Mad Bomber” started all 14 games after only four starts during the previous four years in Buffalo. Blanda, released by Houston after seven years and two AFL championships, was brought in to backup Lomonica. The four-time AFL All-Star completed 15 of 38 for 285 yards, 3 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and a 59.6 QBR. The 18-year veteran doubled as Oakland’s placekicker, leading the league with 116 points.

Third year wideout Fred Biletnikoff led the Raiders with 40 receptions for 876 yards, an average of 21.3 yards per catch, tops in the league. Fellow wideouts Bill Miller and Billy Cannon combined for another 70 catches, 1,166 yards, and 16 touchdowns. Running back Hweritt Dixon led all receivers with 59 receptions for 563 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dixon and Clem Daniels split carries during the season. Dixon gained 559 yards on 153 attempts (3.7 yards per carry) while Daniels rushed for 575 yards on 130 attempts (4.4 yards per rush). Along with Pete Banaszak, who added 376 yards on 68 carries for a team leading 5.5 yards per carry, the trio combined for 1,510 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The defense, nicknamed “The 11 Angry Men”, was also impressive. They allowed the fewest rushing yards in the AFL (1,129), were second in points allowed (233), and third in passing yards allowed (2,165). The line was anchored by All-Pros Tom Keating and Ben Davidson. Davidson, who started his career with the Packers in 1961, was a very effective pass rusher with nine sacks. Behind them, two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Dan Conners excelled at both blitzing and pass coverage. Oakland also had two excellent corners in All-Pros Willie Brown, who led the team with 7 picks, and Kent McCloughan, who added 2 picks. Safety Warren Powers returned two of his 6 picks for touchdowns.

On Oakland’s first offensive play, a sweep, two-time All-Pro linebacker Ray Nitschke shot through a gap and literally upended Dixon in what was one of the signature plays of his entire career. The tackle was so vicious it prompted Jerry Green, a Detroit News columnist, to say, in a deadpan, that the game was over. After a 38-yard punt, Green Bay gained 34 yards in 11 plays on their first drive before being forced to settle for 33-year-old Don Chandler’s 39-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead. It would be the only points of the first quarter. Unable to advance past midfield, the Raiders were forced to punt on their next possession. The Packers started their second drive from their 3-yard line.

Early in the second period, Green Bay had driven 84 yards to Oakland’s 13-yard line. But after Bart Starr was sacked for 11 yards on second down, the Packers again had to settle for a Chandler field goal. This time he converted from 20 yards out for a 6-0 lead. Following a third straight Eischeid punt after a three and out, Green Bay took over on their 38-yard line. On first down, McCloughan jammed Boyd Dowler at the scrimmage line but then let him to head downfield, thinking a safety would pick him up. However, both McCloughan and former Packer defensive back Howie Williams were swayed by Green Bay running backs Travis Williams and Ben Wilson executing a “flood” pattern.

Williams and Wilson ran their routes to the same side as Dowler. The 30-year-old wide receiver then ran a quick post and was wide open down the middle, catching Starr’s pass well ahead of Connors. Fellow safety Rodger Bird, in just his second season, was unable to get over quickly enough and the nine-year veteran outran the defense for the first touchdown of the game, increasing Green Bay’s lead to 13-0 with 11 minutes left in the half. After being completely dominated so far, Oakland’s offense finally struck back on their next drive. They moved 79 yards in 9 plays, scoring on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Lamonica to wideout Bill Miller, cutting their deficit back to six points, 13-7.

The score fired up the Raiders defense, forcing the Packers to punt on their next drive. Bird, the AFL’s top punt returner in 1967, gave Oakland great field position with a 12-yard return to Green Bay’s 40-yard line. But the Raiders were able to gain just a yard on the next three plays, coming up empty when Blanda’s 47-yard field goal attempt fell short. Oakland’s defense again forced the Packers to punt after a three and out on the ensuing drive. But this time, after calling for a fair catch, Bird fumbled, and Green Bay recovered on the Raider 45-yard line. On 3rd and 10, Starr completed a 9-yard pass to Dowler, setting up a third Chandler field goal from 43 yards out for a 16-7 halftime lead.

During the break, with the players sensing this might be Lombardi’s last game as head coach, Jerry Kramer said to his teammates, “Let’s play the last 30 minutes for the old man.” The Packers last second field goal at the end of the first half changed the game’s momentum. Subsequently, any chance Oakland might have had for victory completely vanished in the second half. Green Bay possessed the football three times in the third period, holding it for all but 2 1/2 minutes. After trading punts to begin the third quarter, the Packers started their second drive on their own 17-yard line. Wilson ripped up the middle for 14 yards on a draw play followed by an 8-yard sweep by Donny Anderson.

On second down, Wilson carried again to within inches of the first down. Starr then pulled one of his favorite plays. On 3rd and 1, the four-time Pro Bowler faked to Wilson and threw a 35-yard pass to 12-year wideout Max McGee, who’d slipped past three defenders at the line of scrimmage. This was McGee’s only reception of the game and the last of his career. Starr next hit eighth year wideout Carroll Dale, in his third year with Green Bay, for 11 yards at the Raider 13-yard line. On first down, the future Hall of Famer missed a wide-open Anderson in the end zone. But on the next play, he threw again to the 24-year-old halfback, this time for 12 yards and a first down at the one.

The next play resulted in a loss of a yard as “The Golden Palomino” thought he saw daylight to the right but ran into Starr. However, on the drive’s final play, the right side of Green Bay’s offensive line wiped out the left side of Oakland’s defensive line on a 2-yard Anderson touchdown run, making the score 23-7. After another Raiders punt, the Packers increased their lead to 19 points on their next possession. Chandler kicked his fourth field goal of the game, a 31 yarder, after a 37-yard, 10 play drive for a 26-7 edge as the third period ended. However, early in the last period, Starr jammed the thumb on his throwing hand after an 11-yard sack by Davidson, in his fourth year with Oakland.

With their starting quarterback out of the game, Green Bay’s offense stalled. But the defense wasn’t finished. Veteran cornerback Herb Adderley picked off a Lamonica pass intended for Biletnikoff on the Raiders next possession. The four-time All-Pro returned the ball 60 yards for a touchdown and an unbeatable 33-7 lead with 11:35 left on the clock. Starting from their own 26-yard line, Oakland responded by driving 74 yards in 4 plays, scoring on a second 23-yard touchdown pass from Lamonica to Miller after a 41-yard bomb to Banaszak the previous play. It would turn out to be the Raiders last gasp. Like last season, the Packers had convincingly beat the AFL’s best by a score of 33-14.

Starr was named MVP for the second straight year, completing 13 of 24 for 202 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, and a QBR of 96.2. Wilson, in his only season with Green Bay, was the game’s leading rusher. The final contest of his career saw Wilson gain a Super Bowl record 62 yards on 17 attempts, despite missing most of the fourth period looking for a lost contact lens. Dowler was the Packers principal receiver with 71 yards and a touchdown on just two catches. Chandler ended his 12-year career in style with four field goals. Green Bay led Oakland in time of possession, 35:54 to 24:06, and total yards, 322 to 293, with no turnovers to the Raiders three and just a single penalty.

Conclusion: The Green Bay Packers had won their fifth NFL title in seven years, their third in a row, and a second consecutive Super Bowl. It was a feat unprecedented in league history both then and now. This despite all the injuries endured throughout the season as well as a coach and a team that were experiencing the inevitable ravages of time. Fans and critics alike believed 1967 to have been the greatest coaching success of Vince Lombardi’s career. At game’s end, he was carried off the field by his victorious players, creating one of the more memorable images in Super Bowl history. However, many also suspected this would be Lombardi’s last game as the Packers’ head coach.

At first, he denied there’d be any changes. However, according to his biographer, David Maraniss, “[Lombardi] was not the world’s best keeper of secrets.” The coach had been dropping hints regarding giving up coaching while remaining general manager for about a year. In various informal settings, Lombardi admitted to his family, clergy, and trusted friends that the two jobs were too much for him and that this would be his final season. But he didn’t want to publicize it at the time, fearing it would distract his players during their Super Bowl preparations. Two and a half weeks after Green Bay’s win, Lombardi publicly confirmed the rumors. He would no longer coach the Packers starting in 1968.

The end of an era.

To end this post, I’ve attached two videos. The first, from the NFL Films series, A Football Life, sums up the 1967 season. This episode is dedicated to Vince Lombardi, showing highlights from regular season, the historic Ice Bowl, and its aftermath. The second is the NFL Films Super Bowl II Highlight video.

As always, your feedback is appreciated!