1966 American Football League season
Encyclopedia
The 1966 American Football League
season was the seventh regular season
of the American Football League, and one of the last before the AFL-NFL Merger
. The league entered talks with the National Football League
regarding a merger, which would take effect fully in 1970.
The season also saw the debut of the Miami Dolphins
. This gave the AFL 9 teams (odd number).
The season ended when the Kansas City Chiefs
defeated the Buffalo Bills
in the AFL Championship game, only to be defeated by the National Football League's Green Bay Packers
in the first ever AFL-NFL World Championship Game which is now known as the Super Bowl.
Prior to the season, the AFL-NFL Merger was announced, including both leagues agreeing to play an annual AFL-NFL World Championship Game (later known as the Super Bowl
) beginning in January, 1967.
Also, the Miami Dolphins
joined the AFL as an expansion team.
* — Qualified for Championship Game.
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
season was the seventh regular season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
of the American Football League, and one of the last before the AFL-NFL Merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
. The league entered talks with the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
regarding a merger, which would take effect fully in 1970.
The season also saw the debut of the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. This gave the AFL 9 teams (odd number).
The season ended when the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
defeated the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the AFL Championship game, only to be defeated by the National Football League's Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in the first ever AFL-NFL World Championship Game which is now known as the Super Bowl.
Division Races
With the addition of Miami, the AFL had 9 teams, grouped into two divisions, and still played a 14 game schedule. With 8 clubs, each one had played a home-and-away game against the other 7 teams. All nine teams faced each other at least once, and each team would play six others twice. Though Boston and Miami were both in the Eastern Division, they met only once that season, on November 27 (each team played Western Division teams Kansas City and Denver twice, while Boston also played San Diego twice and Miami played Oakland twice --- meaning that the Patriots and Dolphins each had a schedule that called for them to face three non-division opponents more often than they played a divisional opponent). The best team in the Eastern Division would play against the best in the Western Division in a championship game. If there was tie in the standings, a playoff would be held to determine the division winner.| Week | EASTERN | WESTERN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOUSTON | 1-0-0 | Tie (Oak, SD) | 1-0-0 |
| 2 | HOUSTON | 2-0-0 | Tie (KC, SD) | 2-0-0 |
| 3 | N.Y. JETS | 2-0-0 | Tie (KC, SD) | 2-0-0 |
| 4 | N.Y. JETS | 3-0-0 | Tie (KC, SD) | 3-0-0 |
| 5 | N.Y. JETS | 3-0-1 | SAN DIEGO | 4-0-0 |
| 6 | N.Y. JETS | 4-0-1 | Tie (KC, SD) | 4-1-0 |
| 7 | N.Y. JETS | 4-1-1 | SAN DIEGO | 4-1-1 |
| 8 | N.Y. JETS | 4-2-1 | KANSAS CITY | 5-2-0 |
| 9 | BOSTON | 4-2-1 | KANSAS CITY | 6-2-0 |
| 10 | BUFFALO | 5-3-1 | KANSAS CITY | 7-2-0 |
| 11 | BUFFALO | 6-3-1 | KANSAS CITY | 8-2-0 |
| 12 | BUFFALO | 7-3-1 | KANSAS CITY | 8-2-1 |
| 13 | BUFFALO | 8-3-1 | KANSAS CITY | 9-2-1 |
| 14 | BOSTON | 7-3-2 | KANSAS CITY | 9-2-1 |
| 15 | BOSTON | 8-3-2 | KANSAS CITY | 10-2-1 |
| 16 | BUFFALO | 9-4-1 | KANSAS CITY | 11-2-1 |
Standings
Source:http://nflhistory.net/linescores/pdf/1966a.pdfPrior to the season, the AFL-NFL Merger was announced, including both leagues agreeing to play an annual AFL-NFL World Championship Game (later known as the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
) beginning in January, 1967.
Also, the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
joined the AFL as an expansion team.
Playoffs
- AFL Championship Game
- Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
31, Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
7, January 1, 1967, War Memorial StadiumWar Memorial Stadium (Buffalo)War Memorial Stadium is the name of a stadium that formerly stood in Buffalo, New York. The stadium was on a rectangular block near the downtown area. Its main entrance was at Jefferson Avenue to the east and Best Street to the south...
, Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Super Bowl ISuper Bowl IThe First AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later known as Super Bowl I and referred to in some contemporary reports as the Supergame, was played on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.The National Football League ...
- Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
(NFL) 35, Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
(AFL) 10, at Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles Memorial ColiseumThe Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
, Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
- Green Bay Packers