1968 NFL season
Encyclopedia
The 1968 NFL season was the 49th regular season
of the National Football League
. As per the agreement made during the 1967 realignment
, the New Orleans Saints
and the New York Giants
switched divisions; the Saints joined the Century Division while the Giants became part of the Capitol Division.
The season ended when the Baltimore Colts
defeated the Cleveland Browns
in the NFL Championship Game, only to be upset by the American Football League
's New York Jets
in Super Bowl III
.
Note: Prior to 1972, the NFL did not include tie games when calculating a team's winning percentage in the official standings
Regular season (NFL)
The National Football League regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, the majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon, with weekly games on Sunday night and Monday night, and occasional games on Thursday...
of 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...
. As per the agreement made during the 1967 realignment
1967 NFL season
The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and...
, the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
switched divisions; the Saints joined the Century Division while the Giants became part of the Capitol Division.
The season ended when the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
defeated the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the NFL Championship Game, only to be upset by the American Football League
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...
's New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl". This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history...
.
Division races
The Eastern Conference was split into the Capitol and Century Divisions, and the Western Conference had the Coastal and Central Divisions. In the past, if two teams were tied for the division lead at season's end, a one-game playoff was conducted to break the tie. Starting in 1967, a tiebreaking system was implemented that started with net points in head-to-head competition, followed by which team that had less recently been in a title game . As such, only one team in a division would be the division winner, even if the won-lost record was the same.| Week | Capitol | Century | Coastal | Central | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WASHINGTON* | 1–0–0 | CLEVELAND | 1–0–0 | BALTIMORE* | 1–0–0 | MINNESOTA* | 1–0–0 |
| 2 | N.Y. GIANTS* | 2–0–0 | CLEVELAND* | 1–1–0 | BALTIMORE* | 2–0–0 | MINNESOTA* | 2–0–0 |
| 3 | N.Y. GIANTS* | 3–0–0 | CLEVELAND* | 1–2–0 | BALTIMORE* | 3–0–0 | MINNESOTA* | 2–1–0 |
| 4 | N.Y. GIANTS* | 3–1–0 | CLEVELAND | 2–2–0 | BALTIMORE* | 4–0–0 | MINNESOTA | 3–1–0 |
| 5 | DALLAS | 5–0–0 | ST. LOUIS* | 2–3–0 | BALTIMORE* | 5–0–0 | MINNESOTA* | 3–2–0 |
| 6 | DALLAS | 6–0–0 | ST. LOUIS* | 3–3–0 | LOS ANGELES | 6–0–0 | DETROIT | 3–2–1 |
| 7 | DALLAS | 6–1–0 | ST. LOUIS* | 4–3–0 | BALTIMORE* | 6–1–0 | DETROIT* | 3–3–1 |
| 8 | DALLAS | 7–1–0 | ST. LOUIS* | 5–3–0 | BALTIMORE* | 7–1–0 | CHICAGO* | 4–4–0 |
| 9 | DALLAS | 7–2–0 | CLEVELAND | 6–3–0 | BALTIMORE* | 8–1–0 | CHICAGO* | 5–4–0 |
| 10 | DALLAS | 8–2–0 | CLEVELAND | 7–3–0 | BALTIMORE | 9–1–0 | MINNESOTA | 6–4–0 |
| 11 | DALLAS | 9–2–0 | CLEVELAND | 8–3–0 | BALTIMORE | 10–1–0 | MINNESOTA | 6–5–0 |
| 12 | DALLAS | 10–2–0 | CLEVELAND | 9–3–0 | BALTIMORE | 11–1–0 | CHICAGO* | 6–6–0 |
| 13 | DALLAS | 11–2–0 | CLEVELAND | 10–3–0 | BALTIMORE | 12–1–0 | CHICAGO* | 7–6–0 |
| 14 | DALLAS | 12–2–0 | CLEVELAND | 10–4–0 | BALTIMORE | 13–1–0 | MINNESOTA | 8–6–0 |
- indicates more than one team with record
Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points AgainstNote: Prior to 1972, the NFL did not include tie games when calculating a team's winning percentage in the official standings
Playoffs
Awards
| Most Valuable Player NFL Most Valuable Player Award The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award is given by various entities, most notably the Associated Press , to the player who is considered most valuable in the league. When the award is referred to without mentioning the organization, it generally means the AP award. The AP NFL MVP... |
Earl Morrall Earl Morrall Earl Edwin Morrall is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Morrall, who also occasionally punted, played 21 seasons in the National Football League as both a starter and reserve. In the latter capacity, he became known as the greatest backup quarterback in NFL... , Quarterback Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... , Baltimore Colts |
| Coach of the Year NFL Coach of the Year Award The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the NFL head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal. Currently, the most widely recognized award is presented by the... |
Don Shula Don Shula Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated.... , Baltimore Colts |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | Earl McCullouch Earl McCullouch Earl R. McCullouch is a retired American football wide receiver. McCullouch was the world record holder for the 110 meter mens high hurdle sprint from July 1967 to July 1969... , Wide receiver Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... , Detroit |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year | Claude Humphrey Claude Humphrey Claude B. Humphrey is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles.-Professional career:... , Defensive End Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... , Atlanta |
See also
- Super Bowl IIISuper Bowl IIISuper Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl". This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history...
: N.Y. Jets (AFL) 16, Baltimore (NFL) 7, at Miami Orange BowlMiami Orange BowlThe Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
, Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625... - 1968 American Football League season1968 American Football League seasonThe 1968 American Football League season was the ninth regular season of the American Football League, and its penultimate season prior to the AFL-NFL Merger....